Saint Bernardino Realino
Saint Bernardino Realino (born December 1, 1530 in Carpi, Emilia-Romagna, Italy; died July 2, 1616 in Lecce, Puglia, Italy) was an Italian Jesuit priest who worked as a successful lawyer and magistrate before entering the Society of Jesus at age thirty-four, and who then spent forty-two years serving the poor and sick in Lecce, Puglia. He was known for his extraordinary charity, prolonged ecstasies during Mass, miracles of healing, and profound influence on the people of Lecce who regarded him as their city's special protector. He was beatified on May 7, 1895 by Pope Leo XIII and canonized on June 22, 1947 by Pope Pius XII. His feast day is July 2.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Bernardino Realino
| Saint Bernardino Realino | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | July 02 |
| Profession | Lawyer; Jesuit priest; hospital chaplain |
| Rel. Affiliation | Society of Jesus (Jesuits) |
| Patronage | Lecce; Puglia; lawyers |
| Attributes | Jesuit habit; sick persons beside him; the city of Lecce (as its patron) |
| Birthplace | Carpi, Modena Province, Emilia-Romagna, Italy |
| Death Place | Lecce, Puglia, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes (old age, 85) |
| Primary Shrine | Church of the Gesù (Jesuit church), Lecce, Puglia, Italy |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Society of Jesus) |
| Historic Class | July 2 |
Biography
Early life and legal career
Bernardino Realino was born on December 1, 1530 in Carpi, a small city in Emilia-Romagna. He showed early promise in learning and studied medicine, philosophy, and then law at the University of Bologna. He had a successful secular career as a lawyer and municipal magistrate in Milan and later in Naples, serving the Spanish viceroy.
Conversion and entry into the Jesuits
Around 1563–1564, at age thirty-three or thirty-four, Bernardino underwent a profound spiritual conversion. He entered the Society of Jesus in Naples in 1564, at the moment when Saint Francis Borgia (then superior general) was visiting. After novitiate and ordination, he was assigned to Lecce in Puglia in 1574.
Ministry in Lecce
Bernardino spent the remaining forty-two years of his life in Lecce—never reassigned elsewhere, an unusual continuity for a Jesuit. He worked as hospital chaplain, confessor, and minister to the poor; he catechized children; he served the sick with a total disregard for personal safety or comfort.
He became known for prolonged ecstasies during Mass—sometimes lasting hours—and for miracles of healing attributed to his intercession both during his life and after. When he lay dying, the city authorities and citizens of Lecce gathered outside his room and formally begged him, as their patron, to intercede for the city in heaven as he had cared for them on earth. He died on July 2, 1616, at age eighty-five.
The miraculous blood
After his death, blood was collected from his body and preserved in vials at Lecce. Over the centuries this blood has reportedly liquefied before witnesses on several occasions—a phenomenon analogous to the famous liquefaction of Saint Januarius's blood in Naples.
Significant events
- Born December 1, 1530 in Carpi, Emilia-Romagna.
- Successful career as lawyer and magistrate in Milan and Naples.
- Entered the Society of Jesus in Naples in 1564.
- Assigned to Lecce, Puglia, 1574; spent 42 years there.
- Known for ecstasies, healing miracles, and extraordinary charity.
- Died July 2, 1616 in Lecce, age 85.
- Beatified May 7, 1895 by Pope Leo XIII.
- Canonized June 22, 1947 by Pope Pius XII.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Carpi, Modena Province, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Death location: Lecce, Puglia, Italy
Notable location: City of his apostolate for 42 years; patron of Lecce; Jesuit church where his relics rest (Lecce, Puglia, Italy)
Notable location: Where he entered the Society of Jesus in 1564 under Saint Francis Borgia (Naples, Campania, Italy)
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Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Saint Bernardino Realino have been added to the database yet.
Media
| Media | Length | AuthorCreator |
|---|---|---|
| Todays Catholic Saint | July 2, 2023 | Saint Bernardino Realino | Under 5 minutes | Devoted Catholic |
| Lawyer, Mayor, and Saint [St. Bernardino Realino] | Under 5 minutes | Good Catholic |
| Powerful Prayer to Saint Bernardino Realino | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| Prayer to Saint Bernardino Realino | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| Saint Bernardino Realino: The Lawyer Who Became a Saint | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| Story of Saint Bernardino Realino | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
Shrines
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No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Known shrines
- Church of the Gesù, Lecce, Puglia, Italy — the Jesuit church where his body rests; the principal center of his veneration and pilgrimage.
Canonization
Beatification
Bernardino Realino was beatified on May 7, 1895 by Pope Leo XIII in Vatican City.
Canonization
He was canonized on June 22, 1947 by Pope Pius XII in Vatican City.
Feast day
July 2
Veneration
Saint Bernardino Realino is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day on July 2. He is the patron of Lecce and Puglia, and is particularly venerated in the Society of Jesus.
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.