Saint of the Day – 20 December – Blessed Peter Massalenus (1375-1453) Monk, Mystic. Born in 1375 in Othoca, Sardinia and died in 1453 in Venice, Italy of natural causes. Also known as Pietro.
Before entering religious life, Peter Massalenus made several pilgrimages to the Holy Land, visiting the Holy sites and following the footsteps of the Lord.
In 1410 he became a Camaldolese Monk in the Monastery of San Michele on the island of the same name in Venice.
Here he became known for his gifts of mystical contemplation and prayer, assisting others in their desire to seek the heights of contemplation and unity with Christ.
Peter spent the rest of his life within the cloister of San Michele and was buried there.
The Camaldolese Monastery of San Michele was closed by Napoleon’s decree in 1810. Today, the island is the vast cemetery of Venice.
San Michele on the island of San Michele – today’s Cemetery Island – near the island of Murano in Venice
AnaStpaul 