Saint Raymond Nonnatus Being Nourished by the Angels, by Eugenio Caxés
Saint Raymond Nonnatus (Catalan: Sant Ramon Nonat, Spanish: San Ramón Nonato, French: Saint Raymond Nonnat, Maltese: San Rajmondo Nonnato) (1204–1240) was a saint from Catalonia in Spain. His surname (Latin: Nonnatus, "not born") is derived from the fact that he was born by Caesarean section (his mother died during childbirth). He is the patron saint of childbirth, midwives, children, and pregnant women.
Life
Born at La Portella, in the Diocese of Urgell, he became a member of the Mercedarian Order, founded to ransom Christian captives of the Moors of North Africa, he was ordained priest in 1222 and later became master-general of the order. He traveled to North Africa and is said to have surrendered himself as a hostage when his money ran out.
He suffered in captivity. A legend states that the Moors bored a hole through his lips with a hot iron, and padlocked his mouth to prevent him from preaching. He was ransomed by his order and in 1239 returned to Spain. He died at Cardona, six miles from Barcelona, either on August 26 or on August 31, 1240. Many miracles were attributed to him before and after his death.
Veneration
His feast day is on August 31. Because of his limited importance worldwide, his liturgical celebration is no longer included among those to be necessarily commemorated wherever the Roman Rite is celebrated, but, since he is included in the Roman Martyrology for August 31, Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours may be recited in his honor on that day.
Places named in honor of St Raymond
Saint-Raymond, Quebec, in Canada, San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, in Argentina, and São Raimundo Nonato and the Roman Catholic Diocese of São Raimundo Nonato (Raymundianus), in Brazil, are named after him.
