Rainerius

Saint Rainerius was born in Pisa around 1115–1117, the son of Gandulfo Scacceri, a prosperous merchant and shipowner, and Mingarda Buzzaccherini. In his youth he lived lightly and travelled as a musician, enjoying the world’s applause. Yet the Lord used a humble witness to awaken him: Rainerius met a holy man named Alberto, known for his austere life and love for the poor, and this encounter stirred him to deeper conversion. Seeking the Holy Land, Rainerius turned to trade to fund his voyage and soon gained wealth. There, however, he received a grace-filled warning that riches were hindering his total surrender to God. He renounced his possessions and spent seven years in the Holy Land as a poor pilgrim, visiting the sacred places of Christ and embracing severe penance. Returning to Pisa in 1153, he entered monastic life and became a fervent preacher, remembered for miracles and deliverance from evil. Venerated as patron of Pisa, travellers, and also of Guasticce and Monaco, he died in 1160. His feast day is June 17.