Saint Peter Damian

Saint Peter Damian was the youngest child of a poor noble family in Ravenna, Italy. He lost his parents when he was a child. So, he went to live with one of his older brothers, who mistreated him and forced him to labor as a swineherd. Eventually, another brother, a priest from Ravenna named Father Damian, took him and provided him with an excellent education, and Peter became a professor. He was so grateful to his priest brother that he added his brother’s name to his own, making him Peter Damian.

Peter was very strict with himself. He wore a hair shirt under his clothes, fasted rigorously, and prayed for many hours. Soon, he left his teaching and gave himself to prayer with the Benedictines of the reform of Saint Romuald at Fonte Avellana. Peter was so eager to pray and slept so little that he soon had severe insomnia. He studied the Holy Bible when he was not praying.

The abbot commanded that Peter should succeed him when he died. Abbot Peter founded five other hermitages. Later, Pope Stephen IX appointed Peter as the cardinal bishop of Ostia. He encouraged priests to observe celibacy and urged the diocesan clergy to live together and maintain scheduled prayer and religious observance. He wished to restore primitive discipline among religious and priests. He preferred examples and stories rather than theory in his writings. 

He often asked to be allowed to retire as cardinal-bishop of Ostia, and finally, Pope Alexander II consented. Peter was happy to become a monk again, but he was still called to serve as a papal legate. When returning from such an assignment in Ravenna, he caught a fever. On February 22, 1072, he passed away as the monks gathered around were praying the Divine Office. He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XII.

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we may so follow the teaching and example of the Bishop St. Peter Damian, that, putting nothing before Christ and always ardent in the service of Your Church, we may be led to the joys of eternal light.

Prepared and updated by:

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,

Penampang, Sabah Malaysia.