Angelus of Jerusalem

Saint Angelus of Jerusalem was born in Jerusalem in 1185 to Jewish parents. When his mother embraced Christianity, Angelus and his twin brother, John, were baptized, and after their parents’ early death they were formed in faith and learning under the care of the Patriarch. At eighteen he entered the Carmelite community near the Golden Gate, and in 1210 he was ordained a priest. Gifted in preaching and credited with miraculous healings, he sought humility and withdrew to a hermitage on Mount Carmel, desiring to avoid acclaim. Obedience drew him from solitude. Sent to Italy to preach the Gospel and to seek papal confirmation of the Carmelite rule, he journeyed through Rome—where tradition says he met Saints Francis and Dominic—and then to Sicily. In Palermo, Agrigento, and especially Licata, his words and works turned many hearts to Christ. His bold witness stirred opposition, and in Licata he was attacked while preaching; he died on 5 May 1220, forgiving his assailant and urging peace. Venerated as a martyr and wonderworker, he is patron of Licata, Osidda, and Sant’Angelo Muxaro. His feast day is May 5.