Peter of Alcantara
Encyclopedia
Saint Peter of Alcántara, O.F.M. (1499 – October 18, 1562) was a Spanish
Franciscan friar
.
, Province of Cáceres
, Extremadura
, Spain
. His father, Peter Garavito, was the governor of Alcántara, and his mother was of the noble family of Sanabia. After a course of grammar
and philosophy
in his native town, he was sent, at the age of fourteen, to the University of Salamanca
.
Returning home, he became a Franciscan
of the Stricter Observance in the friary at Manxaretes, Extremadura, in 1515. At the age of twenty-two he was sent to found a new community of the Stricter Observance at Badajoz
. He was ordained riest](Catholic Church)|priest] in 1524, and the following year made guardian of the friary of St. Mary of the Angels at Robredillo, Old Castile
. A few years later he began preaching with much success. He preferred to preach to the poor; his sermon
s, 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 friaries in Spain, the Custody of Santa Maria Pietatis in Portugal, subject to the Minister General
of the Observantists.
Having been elected Minister (i.e. superior) of St. Gabriel's religious province in 1538, Peter set to work at once. At the chapter of Plasencia
in 1540 he drew up the Constitutions of the Stricter Observants, but his severe ideas met with such opposition that he renounced the office of Minister Provincial
and retired with John of Avila
into the mountains of Arrábida in Portugal
, where he joined Friar Martim de Santa Maria in his life of eremitical solitude, but soon other friars came to join him, and several little communities were established. Peter was chosen guardian and Master of novices
at the friary of Palhais. In 1560 these communities were erected into the Province of Arrábida.
Returning to Spain in 1553 he spent two more years in solitude; then he journeyed barefoot to Rome
and obtained permission of Julius III to found some poor friaries in Spain under the jurisdiction of the Minister General of the Conventuals. Friaries were established at Pedrosa, Plasencia
and elsewhere; in 1556 they were made a commissariat
, with Peter as superior, and in 1561 a religious 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 Spain and Portugal.
In 1562 the province of St Joseph was put under the jurisdiction of the General of the Observants, and two new custodies were formed: St. John Baptist's in Valencia
and St Simon's in Galicia (see Friars Minor). Besides the above-named associates of Peter may be mentioned St. Francis Borgia, John of Avila
and the Venerable Louis of Granada
. In St. Teresa
, Peter perceived a soul chosen of God for a great work, and her success in the reform of Carmel (see Carmelites) was in great measure due to his counsel, encouragement and defense. It was a letter from St Peter (dated April 14, 1562) that encouraged her to found her first monastery at Avila, August 24 of that year. St Teresa's autobiography is the source of much of our information regarding Peter's life, work, the gift of miracles
and prophecy.
He often went into ecstasy
. He is purported to have slept for only one and a half hours each day, inside his room which had a floor area of only four and a half square feet. While in prayer and contemplation, he was often seen in ecstasies and levitation. In his deathbed, he was offered a glass of water which he refused, saying that "Even my Lord Jesus Christ thirsted on the Cross..." He died while on his knees in prayer on October 18, 1562 in a monastery at Arenas, (now Arenas de San Pedro
, Province of Avila, Old Castile
).
s through his intercession and still during his jlife.
Peter of Alcantara was beatified in Rome by Pope Gregory XV
on April 18, 1622. Forty-seven years later he was canonized by Pope Clement IX
on April 28, 1669.
Saint Peter's liturgical feast is celebrated on October 18, the day after his death. Because the feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist
is observed on October 18, Saint Peter's feast day was at first assigned to October 19 when in 1670 it was included in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints
. Owing to the allegedly limited importance of Saint Peter's feast worldwide, it was removed in 1969 from that General Calendar, leaving it to be included in local calendars if desired. But the inclusion of Saint Peter of Alcantara in the Roman Martyrology
as one of the saints of October 18 means that he may still be given official honors everywhere and some Peter Alcantara Catholics continue to observe pre-1970 versions of the General Roman Calendar.
Saint Peter of Alcantara is the patron saint
of Nocturnal Adorers. In 1826, he was named patron saint of Brazil
, and in 1962 (the fourth centenary of his death), of Estremadura
. He is also venerated as patron saint of various parishes in the United States and the Philippines. The town of San Pedro de Alcántara
in the province of Málaga
is named after him.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Franciscan friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
.
Biography
He was born at AlcántaraAlcántara
Alcántara is a municipality in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain, on the Tagus, near Portugal. The toponym is from the Arabic word al-QanTarah meaning "the bridge".-History:...
, Province of Cáceres
Cáceres (province)
The province of Cáceres is a province of western Spain, in the northern part of the autonomous community of Extremadura. It is bordered by the provinces of Salamanca, Ávila, Toledo, and Badajoz, and by Portugal....
, Extremadura
Extremadura
Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. His father, Peter Garavito, was the governor of Alcántara, and his mother was of the noble family of Sanabia. After a course of grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
in his native town, he was sent, at the age of fourteen, to the University of Salamanca
University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca is a Spanish higher education institution, located in the town of Salamanca, west of Madrid. It was founded in 1134 and given the Royal charter of foundation by King Alfonso IX in 1218. It is the oldest founded university in Spain and the third oldest European...
.
Returning home, he became a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
of the Stricter Observance in the friary at Manxaretes, Extremadura, in 1515. At the age of twenty-two he was sent to found a new community of the Stricter Observance at Badajoz
Badajoz
Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain, situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana, and the Madrid–Lisbon railway. The population in 2007 was 145,257....
. He was ordained riest](Catholic Church)|priest] in 1524, and the following year made guardian of the friary of St. Mary of the Angels at Robredillo, Old Castile
Old Castile
Old Castile is a historic region of Spain, which included territory that later corresponded to the provinces of Santander , Burgos, Logroño , Soria, Segovia, Ávila, Valladolid, Palencia....
. A few years later he began preaching with much success. He preferred to preach to the poor; his sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
s, taken largely from the Prophets and Sapiential Books
Sapiential Books
Sapiential Books or Books of Wisdom is a term used in biblical studies to refer to a subset of the books of the Jewish Bible in the Septuagint version. There are seven of these books, namely the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Book of Wisdom, the Song of Songs , and Sirach...
, breathe the tenderest human sympathy. The reform of the "Discalced Friars" had, at the time when Peter entered the Order, besides the friaries in Spain, the Custody of Santa Maria Pietatis in Portugal, subject to the Minister General
Minister general
Minister General is the term used for the Superior General of the different branches of the Franciscan Order. It is a term exclusive to them, and comes directly from its founder, St. Francis of Assisi....
of the Observantists.
Having been elected Minister (i.e. superior) of St. Gabriel's religious province in 1538, Peter set to work at once. At the chapter of Plasencia
Plasencia
Plasencia is a walled market city in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Western Spain. , it had a population of 41,447.Situated on the bank of the Jerte River, Plasencia has a historic quarter that is a consequence of the city's strategic location along the Silver Route, or Ruta de la Plata...
in 1540 he drew up the Constitutions of the Stricter Observants, but his severe ideas met with such opposition that he renounced the office of Minister Provincial
Provincial superior
A Provincial Superior is a major superior of a religious order acting under the order's Superior General and exercising a general supervision over all the members of that order in a territorial division of the order called a province--similar to but not to be confused with an ecclesiastical...
and retired with John of Avila
John of Avila
Saint John of Ávila, Apostle of Andalusia was a Roman Catholic priest, Spanish preacher, scholastic author, religious mystic and saint...
into the mountains of Arrábida in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, where he joined Friar Martim de Santa Maria in his life of eremitical solitude, but soon other friars came to join him, and several little communities were established. Peter was chosen guardian and Master of novices
Master of novices
The master of novices or novice master is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to refer those religious to whom is committed the training of the novices and the government of the novitiate of a religious order or congregation...
at the friary of Palhais. In 1560 these communities were erected into the Province of Arrábida.
Returning to Spain in 1553 he spent two more years in solitude; then he journeyed barefoot to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and obtained permission of Julius III to found some poor friaries in Spain under the jurisdiction of the Minister General of the Conventuals. Friaries were established at Pedrosa, Plasencia
Plasencia
Plasencia is a walled market city in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Western Spain. , it had a population of 41,447.Situated on the bank of the Jerte River, Plasencia has a historic quarter that is a consequence of the city's strategic location along the Silver Route, or Ruta de la Plata...
and elsewhere; in 1556 they were made a commissariat
Commissariat
A commissariat is the department of an army charged with the provision of supplies, both food and forage, for the troops. The supply of military stores such as ammunition is not included in the duties of a commissariat. In almost every army the duties of transport and supply are performed by the...
, with Peter as superior, and in 1561 a religious 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 Spain and Portugal.
In 1562 the province of St Joseph was put under the jurisdiction of the General of the Observants, and two new custodies were formed: St. John Baptist's in Valencia
Valencia (city in Spain)
Valencia or València is the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of 809,267 in 2010. It is the 15th-most populous municipality in the European Union...
and St Simon's in Galicia (see Friars Minor). Besides the above-named associates of Peter may be mentioned St. Francis Borgia, John of Avila
John of Avila
Saint John of Ávila, Apostle of Andalusia was a Roman Catholic priest, Spanish preacher, scholastic author, religious mystic and saint...
and the Venerable Louis of Granada
Louis of Granada
Louis of Granada was a Dominican theologian, writer, and preacher.- Biography :He was born of poor parents at Granada. At the age of nineteen he was received into the Dominican Order in the convent of Santa Cruz, Granada. His philosophical studies once over, he was chosen by his superiors to...
. In St. Teresa
Teresa of Ávila
Saint Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, baptized as Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, was a prominent Spanish mystic, Roman Catholic saint, Carmelite nun, and writer of the Counter Reformation, and theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer...
, Peter perceived a soul chosen of God for a great work, and her success in the reform of Carmel (see Carmelites) was in great measure due to his counsel, encouragement and defense. It was a letter from St Peter (dated April 14, 1562) that encouraged her to found her first monastery at Avila, August 24 of that year. St Teresa's autobiography is the source of much of our information regarding Peter's life, work, the gift of miracles
Gift of miracles
In Christian theology, the gift of miracles is among the spiritual gifts mentioned by St. Paul in his First Epistle to the Corinthians. As a charism, the gift is imparted to individuals by the power of the Holy Spirit...
and prophecy.
He often went into ecstasy
Religious ecstasy
Religious ecstasy is an altered state of consciousness characterized by greatly reduced external awareness and expanded interior mental and spiritual awareness which is frequently accompanied by visions and emotional/intuitive euphoria...
. He is purported to have slept for only one and a half hours each day, inside his room which had a floor area of only four and a half square feet. While in prayer and contemplation, he was often seen in ecstasies and levitation. In his deathbed, he was offered a glass of water which he refused, saying that "Even my Lord Jesus Christ thirsted on the Cross..." He died while on his knees in prayer on October 18, 1562 in a monastery at Arenas, (now Arenas de San Pedro
Arenas de San Pedro
Arenas de San Pedro is a municipality located in the province of Ávila, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 6,682 inhabitants. Its seal depicts a large castle located in the town. The seal says "Siempre incendiada", meaning "always on fire"...
, Province of Avila, Old Castile
Old Castile
Old Castile is a historic region of Spain, which included territory that later corresponded to the provinces of Santander , Burgos, Logroño , Soria, Segovia, Ávila, Valladolid, Palencia....
).
Legacy and veneration
Besides the Constitutions of the Stricter Observants and many letters on spiritual subjects, especially to St. Teresa, he composed a short treatise on prayer, which has been translated into a number of European langua confirmation of his virtues and mission of reformation God worked numerous miracleMiracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s through his intercession and still during his jlife.
Peter of Alcantara was beatified in Rome by Pope Gregory XV
Pope Gregory XV
Pope Gregory XV , born Alessandro Ludovisi, was pope from 1621, succeeding Paul V on 9 February 1621...
on April 18, 1622. Forty-seven years later he was canonized by Pope Clement IX
Pope Clement IX
Pope Clement IX , born Giulio Rospigliosi, was Pope from 1667 to 1669.-Early life:Born Giulio Rospigliosi to a noble family of Pistoia, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, he was a pupil of the Jesuits. After receiving his doctorate in philosophy at the University of Pisa, he taught theology there...
on April 28, 1669.
Saint Peter's liturgical feast is celebrated on October 18, the day after his death. Because the feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist
Luke the Evangelist
Luke the Evangelist was an Early Christian writer whom Church Fathers such as Jerome and Eusebius said was the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles...
is observed on October 18, Saint Peter's feast day was at first assigned to October 19 when in 1670 it was included in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints
Roman Catholic calendar of saints
The General Roman Calendar indicates the days of the year to which are assigned the liturgical celebrations of saints and of the mysteries of the Lord that are to be observed wherever the Roman Rite is used...
. Owing to the allegedly limited importance of Saint Peter's feast worldwide, it was removed in 1969 from that General Calendar, leaving it to be included in local calendars if desired. But the inclusion of Saint Peter of Alcantara in the Roman Martyrology
Roman Martyrology
The Roman Martyrology is the official martyrology of the Roman Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. It provides an extensive but not exhaustive list of the saints recognized by the Church.-History:...
as one of the saints of October 18 means that he may still be given official honors everywhere and some Peter Alcantara Catholics continue to observe pre-1970 versions of the General Roman Calendar.
Saint Peter of Alcantara is the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Nocturnal Adorers. In 1826, he was named patron saint of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and in 1962 (the fourth centenary of his death), of Estremadura
Estremadura
Estremadura may refer to:* Estremadura Province * Estremadura Province * Lisboa VR, a Portuguese wine region called Estremadura until 2009...
. He is also venerated as patron saint of various parishes in the United States and the Philippines. The town of San Pedro de Alcántara
San Pedro de Alcántara
San Pedro de Alcántara lies on the main Costa del Sol coastal road the N340/A7 as well as the new toll motorway the AP7, 10 km west of Marbella in Andalucia, Southern Spain....
in the province of Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
is named after him.
See also
- Diocese of Shrewsbury CathedralShrewsbury CathedralThe Cathedral Church of Our Lady Help of Christians and Saint Peter of Alcantara, commonly known as Shrewsbury Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Shrewsbury, England...
of Our Lady Help of Christians and St Peter of Alcantara, United Kingdom of Great Britain
External links
- Image of Peter
- Statue of St Peter of Alcantara in St Peter's Basilica
- Santi e Beati: San Pietro d'Alcantara
- Lives of the Saints – October 19: St. Peter of Alcantara
- Tradition in Action – Saint of the Day: St Peter of Alcantara
- Patron Saints Index: Saint Peter of Alcantara
- Parish of St. Peter of Alcantara in Port Washington, NY, USA
