St Peter Of Alcantara -patron Of Penitents

[Egidio]

[center][u][i][color=#800080][size=5][font=comic sans ms,cursive]ANOTHER GREAT FRANCISCAN SAINT!!!!!!!![/font][/size][/color][/i][/u][/center]
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From the catholic encyclopedia:

[size=5][i]Born at Alcántara, [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14169b.htm"]Spain[/url], 1499; died 18 Oct., 1562. His father, Peter Garavita, was the governor of the place, and his mother was of the noble [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05782a.htm"]family[/url] of Sanabia. After a course of grammar and philosophy in his native town, he was sent, at the age of fourteen, to the [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13392a.htm"]University of Salamanca[/url]. Returning home, he became a [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06217a.htm"]Franciscan[/url] in the [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04340c.htm"]convent[/url] of the Stricter Observance at Manxaretes in 1515. At the age of twenty-two he was sent to found a new community of the Stricter Observance at [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02193a.htm"]Badajoz[/url]. He was [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11279a.htm"]ordained[/url] [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12406a.htm"]priest[/url] in 1524, and the following year made guardian of the [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04340c.htm"]convent[/url] of St. Mary of the Angels at Robredillo. A few years later he began preaching with much success. He preferred to preach to the poor; and his [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07448a.htm"]sermons[/url], taken largely from the Prophets and Sapiential Books, breathe the tenderest human sympathy. The reform of the "Discalced Friars" had, at the time when Peter entered the order, besides the [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04340c.htm"]convents[/url] in [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14169b.htm"]Spain[/url], the Custody of Sta. Maria Pietatis in [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12297a.htm"]Portugal[/url], subject to the General of the Observants. [/i][/size]
[size=5][i]Having been elected minister of St. Gabriel's province in 1538, Peter set to work at once. At the chapter of [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12157a.htm"]Plasencia[/url] in 1540 he drew up the Constitutions of the Stricter Observants, but his severe [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07630a.htm"]ideas[/url] met with such opposition that he renounced the office of provincial and retired with [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08469a.htm"]John of Avila[/url] into the mountains of Arabida, [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12297a.htm"]Portugal[/url], where he joined Father Martin a Santa Maria in his life of [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07280a.htm"]eremitical[/url] solitude. Soon, however, other [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06280b.htm"]friars[/url] came to join him, and several little communities were established. Peter being chosen guardian and master of [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11144a.htm"]novices[/url] at the [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04340c.htm"]convent[/url] of Pallais. In 1560 these communities were erected into the Province of Arabida. Returning to [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14169b.htm"]Spain[/url] in 1553 he spent two more years in solitude, and then journeyed barefoot to [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13164a.htm"]Rome[/url], and obtained permission of [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08564a.htm"]Julius III[/url] to found some poor [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04340c.htm"]convents[/url] in [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14169b.htm"]Spain[/url] under the [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08567a.htm"]jurisdiction[/url] of the general of the [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04344a.htm"]Conventuals[/url]. Convents were established at Pedrosa, [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12157a.htm"]Plasencia[/url], and elsewhere; in 1556 they were made a commissariat, with Peter as superior, and in 1561, a province under the title of St. Joseph. Not discouraged by the opposition and ill-success his efforts at reform had met with in St. Gabriel's province, Peter drew up the constitutions of the new province with even greater severity. The reform spread rapidly into other provinces of [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14169b.htm"]Spain[/url] and [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12297a.htm"]Portugal[/url]. [/i][/size]
[size=5][i]In 1562 the province of St. Joseph was put under the [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08567a.htm"]jurisdiction[/url] of the general of the Observants, and two new custodies were formed: St. John Baptist's in [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15251b.htm"]Valencia[/url], and St. Simon's in Galicia (see [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06281a.htm"]Friars Minor[/url]). Besides the above-named associates of Peter may be mentioned [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06213a.htm"]St. Francis Borgia[/url], [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08469a.htm"]John of Avila[/url], and [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09385b.htm"]Ven. Louis of Granada[/url]. In St. Teresa, Peter perceived a [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14153a.htm"]soul[/url] chosen of [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm"]God[/url] for a great work, and her success in the reform of Carmel was in great measure due to his counsel, encouragement, and defence. (See [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03354a.htm"]Carmelites[/url].) It was a letter from St. Peter (14 April, 1562) that encouraged her to found her first [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04340c.htm"]monastery[/url] at [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02160b.htm"]Avila[/url], 24 Aug. of that year. St. Teresa's autobiography is the source of much of our information regarding Peter's life, work, and gifts of [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10350a.htm"]miracles[/url] and prophecy. [/i][/size]
[size=5][i]Perhaps the most remarkable of Peter's [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06689a.htm"]graces[/url] were his gift of contemplation and the virtue of penance. Hardly less remarkable was his [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09397a.htm"]love[/url] of [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm"]God[/url], which was at times so ardent as to cause him, as it did [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12018b.htm"]St. Philip Neri[/url], sensible pain, and frequently rapt him into [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05277a.htm"]ecstasy[/url]. The poverty he practised and enforced was as cheerful as it was real, and often let the want of even the necessaries of life be felt. In confirmation of his virtues and mission of reformation [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm"]God[/url] worked numerous [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10338a.htm"]miracles[/url] through his intercession and by his very presence. He was [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02364b.htm"]beatified[/url] by [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07004b.htm"]Gregory XV[/url] in 1622, and [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02364b.htm"]canonized[/url] by [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04028a.htm"]Clement IX[/url] in 1669. Besides the Constitutions of the Stricter Observants and many letters on spiritual subjects, especially to St. Teresa, he composed a short treatise on [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12345b.htm"]prayer[/url], which has been translated into all the languages of [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05607b.htm"]Europe[/url]. His [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06021b.htm"]feast[/url] is 19 Oct. (See [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11512a.htm"]ST. PASCAL BAYLON[/url]; [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11755b.htm"]ST. PETER BAPTIST[/url]; [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09744a.htm"]JAPANESE MARTYRS[/url]; [/i][/size]
[size=5][i][Note: In 1826, St. Peter of Alcántara was named Patron of [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02745c.htm"]Brazil[/url], and in 1962 (the fourth centenary of his death), of Estremadura. Because of the reform of the general Roman calendar in 1969, his [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06021b.htm"]feast[/url] on 19 October is observed only in local and particular [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09306a.htm"]liturgical[/url] [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03158a.htm"]calendars[/url].][/i][/size]

[color=#000080][size=5][i]AVE MARIA!![/i][/size][/color]

[Strictlyinkblot]

I defo need his intercession

[Chiquitunga]

[b]LOVE[/b] this saint so much!!! Super intense! And friend of St. Teresa, yes! Here he is at the Vatican, [url="http://www.saintpetersbasilica.org/Statues/Founders/PeterofAlcantara/Peter%20of%20Alcantara.htm"]http://www.saintpete...f Alcantara.htm[/url]

And his writings on prayer are really great, and not so well known, [url="https://tanbooks.benedictpress.com/index.php/page/shop:flypage/product_id/744/keywords/peter+alcantara/"]https://tanbooks.ben...eter alcantara/[/url]

[i]"The world cannot bear such perfection"[/i] - St. Teresa of Avila, speaking about St. Peter of Alcantara

[Chiquitunga]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVCrPkbo9dY[/media]

Procession on his feast last year at his shrine in Arenas de San Pedro, just southwest of Avila

p.s. and there's a Carmel there that St. Maravillas founded in honor of him

Edited October 19, 2012 by Chiquitunga

[Chiara Francesco]

Thanks for posting on this great Franciscan saint! I have the Franciscan "Proper Offices of Franciscan Saints and Blesseds In The Liturgy of the Hours" book for the Divine Office volumes and this has the full 7 Offices for his feast day and it is celebrated on October 22.

One of these times when the order the saint or blessed belongs to moves the feast day to another one.

[Egidio]

I believe that in the USA, his feast is celebrated on the 22nd of September. But for the rest of the world it is celebrated on the 19th.

AVE MARIA!