Lentorama Saint of the Day: St. Benedict the Moor

Not actually a Moor (he got the name from the Italian il moro, the black), Benedict was born a slave near Messina, Italy. Once freed he became a solitary, eventually becoming the superior of the community of hermits he lived with (this seems kind of contradictory, a community of solitaries). Pope Pius IV disbanded such communities, and Benedict became a Franciscan lay brother.

He started out as a cook at a friary, eventually becoming superior and novice master even though he couldn't read or write. He would later re-assume the cook position, which he apparently preferred. Benedict was renowned for his holiness, miracles, and as a confessor, and was widely sought out by strangers.

Benedict is the patron saint of African-Americans, African missions, and Palermo (where the friary he cooked at and led was located).