Saint Raymond Nonnatus

He came into the world in 1204 in Portell, Spain, by cesarean section, which is where his surname came from (Latin nonnatus, “not born”). From early childhood he was filled with love for others and showed great dedication to doing good and to piety. While still a child tending sheep in the mountains, he spent much time at a little chapel of Our Lady, and there he vowed to love her all his life and promised to enter an order under her protection, devoted to ransoming Christian captives from the Moors.

At about 20 he entered the Mercedarian Order. In 1224 he was ordained a priest and became master of his order. He made four journeys to North Africa to carry out his work. On the last of them he ran out of money to ransom all the slaves. So he gave himself into slavery to free one of them.

Heedless of the dangers, he kept preaching the Gospel not only to the captives but also to the Saracens, calling on them to abandon the faith of Muhammad and become Catholics. His lips were pierced so that he could not preach the Gospel to his fellow prisoners. In the end a ransom was raised for him, and in 1239 he returned to his native Spain.

He continued to live according to the rule of his order, dwelling in a monastery cell and wearing a poor religious habit. He believed that humility and high dignity do not exclude each other. He died on August 31, 1240, at the age of 36. He was buried by the chapel where he had prayed so often in his youth. In time a church was built on that spot.

In 1657 Saint Raymond Nonnatus was canonized and proclaimed a saint by Pope Alexander VII. Many miracles are attributed to him, both during his life and after his death. He is the patron of midwives, pregnant women, and children. People also pray to him before the birth of a child.