Amato Ronconi

Saint Amato Ronconi was born in 1225 in Saludecio, near Rimini, Italy, into a noble and wealthy family. Orphaned young, he was raised by his older brother and, having little inheritance, worked humbly as a farmhand. Though pressured to marry, Amato felt called to belong wholly to the Lord. He embraced a life of penitence and, as a member of the Secular Franciscan Order, lived with the simplicity of a hermit while remaining attentive to the needs of others. On the road between Rimini and Rome he turned his small home into a hospice for pilgrims, supporting it by his own labor and giving what he had to the poor. Despite slander and misunderstanding, his charity endured. He built chapels and shelters, and helped establish works of mercy, including a hospital in Rimini that still bears witness to his compassion. A devoted pilgrim himself, he traveled repeatedly to Santiago de Compostela, and many spoke of graces received through his intercession. Beloved as a saint even in his lifetime, his veneration was confirmed by the Church and he was canonized in 2014. He is especially honored as patron of Saludecio. His feast day is May 8.