Bernardino of Siena

Saint Bernardino of Siena (sometimes Bernardine) (September 8 1380 – May 20, 1444) was an Italian preacher, Franciscan missionary and Christian saint famous for the liveliness and effectiveness of his sermons, which stretched out for hours.

Legacy

He is the patron saint of advertising, communications, compulsive gambling, respiratory problems, Italy, and the diocese of San Bernardino, California.

Related Topics:
Patron saint - Advertising - Gambling - San Bernardino, California

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the fifteenth century, the Catholic Church began to respond to the pressures both of the multiple heresies that had spread throughout southern France and northern Italy and the challenge of Protestantism. As Martin Luther emphasized the direct participation of the laity in the divine and the importance of the sermon, the monastic orders, in particular, reformed. Instead of remaining cloistered and speaking only the liturgy, some, like Bernadine of Siena, attempted to preach directly to the public. The effect was both to stem the inroads of Protestant evangelism and to make the populace more aware of orthodox dogma.

Related Topics:
France - Italy - Protestantism - Martin Luther - Sermon - Liturgy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The first edition of his works, for the most part elaborate sermons, was printed at Lyons in 1501; later ones in 1636, 1650 and 1745. His Life will be found in the Bollandists and in Lives of the Saints on the l0th of May: a good modern biography has been written by Paul Thureau-Dangin (1896), and translated into English by Gertrude von Hugel (1906).

Related Topics:
Bollandists - Paul Thureau-Dangin - Gertrude von Hugel

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~