Saint Benedict the Moor
Among African Americans after the Virgin Mary there are two especially popular saints, Saint Benedict the Moor and Saint Martin De Porres. Many churches and schools in the Black community are named after these two saints.
In my experience people seem to know more about Blessed Martin. Therefore, I will write about Saint Benedict the Moor. Moor was the word used among Europeans for Africans at the time that Saint Benedict lived, in the 16th Century.
Saint Benedict’s parents were Africans who were brought from Ethiopia to be slaves in Sicily near Messina. They were eventually converted to Catholicism. Because of the “loyal service” of Saint Benedict’s parents, the owners granted freedom to their son.
He continued to work with his parents for small wages, sharing those wages with those in need. His generosity, patience and lifestyle were noticed by the leader of a group of Franciscan hermits. They invited him to join, which he did. Saint Benedict eventually became their leader.
When Pope Pius IV ordered the hermits to join religious communities, Saint Benedict became a member of the Franciscan Friary of Mary in Palermo. Once again he was chosen to be the Superior. He was instrumental in helping the Order adopt a stricter version of the Franciscan Rule. Saint Benedict later became the Novice Master. He held these responsibilities even though he was an illiterate lay Brother and not a priest. He became the cook of the friary in his last years.
In 1743, Benedict the Moor was beatified by Pope Benedict XIV. In 1807, Pope Pius VII canonized him. When his body was exhumed it was found to be incorrupt. Devotion to Saint Benedict has spread throughout Latin America, especially in Mexico and Argentina. And there is a very deep devotion to him in Brazil, where the various Brazilian States celebrate his feast on different dates. Benedict is honored as a confessor even by the Lutherans, on April 4.
Msgr. Thomas P. Hadden