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A Gangbanger’s Journey to Sainthood: Meet Peter Armengol

November 7, 2023/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

A Gangbanger’s Journey to Sainthood: Meet Peter Armengol

Please turn on your imagination

Imagine being a dad with a teenage son who has seemingly turned his back on you. He has rejected the values you have worked so hard to instill in him, and he does not seem to care about anything but his own selfish wants. You wonder how this could be. He is 19 years old, and you have not seen him in over a year. A sense of despair has gripped you. You are alone in your living room. You fall to your knees and begin to pray for your boy.

Besides your wife and 14-year-old daughter, you have other things on your mind. You are a respected police chief in a city of two million people where a major political convention will take place in two days. You have been asked by the police commissioner to coordinate the security forces on the convention center’s perimeter. You have a job to do, and right now, it takes precedence over other things.

At 6 p.m. on the convention’s first night, protesters begin gathering on the center’s east side. You can see that they are well-organized and plan to create mayhem. At 9 p.m., the crowd numbers several thousand, and the screaming and yelling is getting intense. Suddenly the crowd, urged on by several masked protesters, surges forward and then breaks into a charge.

One man stops and falls to his knees

Dressed in riot gear, you are standing at the forefront of your men, and in your hand is a taser. One man is charging right at you when suddenly he stops short, falls to his knees, and drops his hands to his sides. You hurry up to him and yank off his mask. You are stunned because you are looking down at your son. He is crying and telling you he is sorry. You lift him up and you hug each other. The surging crowd, witnessing this unexpected turn of events, stops and becomes quiet.

Dial your imagination back in time

Does that sound far-fetched? If so, let us now travel back more than 700 years to a day when something like this really did happen. Even though it may be 700 years ago, people then were like people now when it comes to their wants, needs, and emotions. It especially held true when it came to family.

Arnold Armengol was a member of the Spanish hierarchy. Despite receiving the finest education and upbringing, his son, Peter, rejected that and fell into the secular trap of self-centeredness, self-gratification, and outright depravity. He even joined a band of criminals that preyed on people traveling up the mountains. Peter was so good at this work that he eventually became the gang leader.

King James of Aragon asked Arnold to lead him on a journey to Montpellier so he might meet with the King of France. The King had heard of the brigands that preyed on mountain travelers and wanted his royal guard prepared for any attack.

The crime was punishable by death

As Arnold Armengol led the King’s entourage through the mountain passes, they were attacked by a band of highwaymen. As the robbers charged toward them, Armengol led his men in a counter-attack. With his sword drawn, he headed directly for the pack’s leader. They were about to engage each other when the robber fell to his knees. He recognized his father and, with tears streaming down his face, prostrated himself at his dad’s feet and handed over his sword. The penalty for his crimes was death.

Peter Armengol, repentant and seeking mercy, appealed to King James I and received a pardon. He was filled with shame and, heeding the graces God offered him, entered a Mercedarian Monastery in Barcelona. The Mercedarian’s mission was to use available funds to ransom Catholics captured by the Muslims. Peter excelled at this task and, over a period of eight years, managed to negotiate the freedom of many hostages from the Saracens.

From gang leader to Mercedarian friar

Friar Peter then headed to Africa with Friar William Florentino. His goal was to ransom Christians. On arrival in Bugia, he heard about 18 Christian children held hostage by the Mohammedans. They were under the threat of death if they did not renounce Christianity. Friar Peter offered himself in exchange for the hostages. The captors agreed but warned Peter that he would suffer brutal torture and death if the ransom were not paid on time.

Sentenced to be hanged

The arrival of the agreed ransom and Friar Peter’s release was scheduled for a particular day. The ransom never arrived. Peter was immediately put to torture and endured this for a full day. Tired of Friar Peter being alive, the Moors accused him of blaspheming Mohammad. He was sentenced to be hanged.

Friar Peter was hanged from a tree about a half-mile from the prison walls. His body was left there for the birds of prey to feed on. Six days later, Friar William arrived with the ransom. The Moors refused it and told Friar William that Peter had already been dead for six days and his rotted corpse was still hanging from the tree. Distraught, William went to recover his brother Mercedarian’s body.

The dead man began to speak

William left and headed to the execution site. As he approached, he noticed that Peter’s body seemed to be intact. There was also the fragrance of flowers in the air. William slowly approached the body of Peter. The man who was supposedly dead for six days began to speak. He explained how the Blessed Virgin had come to him and held him up with her precious hands the entire time so his body would not hang on the rope.

The HAPPIEST six days of his life

When recalling the miracle of his hanging, Peter Armengol told his Mercedarian brothers that the happiest days of his life were those six days he hung from the gallows supported by the Blessed Virgin Mary. Peter’s neck, broken from the hanging, remained twisted for the rest of his life, and he always had a sickly complexion. Seven documented miracles were attributed to him while he was still alive.

Peter was 28 years old when he was hanged. He died in 1304 at the age of 66, having lived 38 years after being saved by the Blessed Virgin Mary from death by execution. Pope Innocent XI canonized Peter Armengol on April 8, 1687.

We ask Saint Peter Armengol, O. de M. to pray for us all.

Heroic Virtue during the 1995 Ebola Outbreak

May 4, 2021/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

By Larry Peterson

Six religious sisters willingly gave their lives during the 1995 Ebola outbreak. Pope Francis issued declarations of Heroic Virtue for three of the sisters on February 20 and another on March 21 for three others. This decree means they are now called “Venerable.”

All of the sisters belonged to the Sisters of the Poor, which should not be confused with the Little Sisters of the Poor, who were founded by St. Jeanne Jugan in 1839. The Sisters of the Poor Palazzolo Institute was founded in Bergamo, Italy, in 1869, by Blessed Luigi Maria Palazzolo. Pontifical recognition was given to the order in 1912. Members of the Order take vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. They dedicate their lives in service to the poor and orphaned children. Most are experienced nurses. The sisters serve in some of the world’s most deprived areas, such as Congo, Ivory Coast, and Kenya.

The Sisters of the Poor began their service outside of Italy after World War II. They first ministered in China, but that was put on hold after the Communist revolution. They then turned their attention to Africa and, in 1951, went to what was then the Belgian Congo (since then, it has been known as Zaire, and today it is the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Today the Sister of the Poor, Palazzolo Institute, has houses in Peru, Switzerland, Brazil, Italy, the Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Malawi, and Kenya. The motherhouse is in Bergamo, Italy, and close to one thousand sisters serve in 103 communities.

The sisters managed to build a hospital in Kikwit. By 1995 it had grown to have a main building with eleven pavilions. They treated all types of diseases and had 450 beds. The demand was so great that most of the time, patients had to sleep two or sometimes three to a bed. The sisters from Italy were located in Kikwit before the epidemic struck. More than 400 workers and eight doctors made up the staff.

These six religious sisters were present in the Congo during the Ebola epidemic and died while assisting the sick.

Sister Floralba Rondi was the chief nurse in the operating room at the main hospital. She had been in the country since 1952, a period of more than 43 years. She was born in Pedrengo, Italy, on December 10, 1924. She had professed her final vows many years earlier. Sister Floralba had returned to Kikwit in 1994 after working in Kinshasha for six years treating leprosy patients. As the Ebola virus took hold of her, she thought she was coming down with typhoid. She planned to return to Mosang to get back to work with the leprosy patients. Then the classic Ebola symptoms took hold. She died on April 28, 1995. She was 71.

Alessandra Ghilardi, another member of the Sisters of the Poor, was born in Bergamo, Italy, on April 21, 1931. On September 8, 1952, the birthday of the Blessed Mother, she accepted her religious habit and took the name, Sister Clarangela. She was sent to the Belgian Congo in 1959. Trained in obstetrics, she worked her entire ministry in Kikwit, Mossango, and the Tumikia Missions. Sister had spent the last 30 years of her life in Zaire (the Democratic Republic of the Congo). On April 29, 1995, she fell ill. They thought she had a hemorrhagic fever. She died on May 6. Two days later, they discovered it was from Ebola.

Dinarosa Belleri; Born as Teresina, she entered the Sisters of the Poor of the Palazzolo Institute when she was 21 years old. Her first assignment was at a marine hospital in Cagliari. For the next seventeen years, she served in the Mosango Hospital Center. In 1983, she was transferred to Kikwit, where she cared for lepers, tuberculosis victims, and every other illness or injury imaginable. As the Ebola virus took hold of her, Sister Dinarosa remained in her post. She was determined that she was supposed to be there, just as Blessed Luigi Maria Palazzolo had taught. She worked until it was impossible to stand. She died from Ebola on May 14, 1995.

Celeste Ossoli knew from an early age that she wanted to serve God. She had confided to her mother about her vocation. Her Mom helped her keep the ‘secret.’ They both knew that Celeste’s father would disapprove. When Celeste turned seventeen, she told her father she wanted to become a nun. Her father got angry and slapped her so hard that her tooth was knocked out, and she fell to the ground. After a time, he relented and gave his daughter his permission. She joined the Sisters of the Poor on October 5, 1953. From then on, she was known as Sister Annalvira. She took her vows at the age of 20 and was sent to the Belgian Congo on November 1, 1961. Sister suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis. She fought hard to recover and managed to get into obstetrics school in Rome. She finished and returned to Africa. She worked in the Congo and delivered thirty to forty babies a day. She was honored with a nickname: the “woman of life.”

Sister Annalvira became the Provincial Superior of Africa. The position required her to travel many places to visit the missionary communities. When Ebola struck, her dear friend, Sister Floralba, was stricken. Sister Annalvira immediately traveled by Jeep over 500 kilometers to be with her. Sister Floralba died on April 28, 1995. Sister Annalvira, unable to escape the clutches of Ebola, died on May 23, 1995.

Maria Rosa Zorza was born in Palosco, Italy, on October 9, 1943. She was the youngest of seven children, and her mom died when she was only two. She was raised by her maternal grandmother. Maria felt called by God at an early age and entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Poor on September 1, 1966. She took the name of Sister Vitarosa. She was sent to Milan, where she studied to be a nurse specializing in geriatrics. However, her deepest wishes were to help take care of the poor children in Africa. She never stopped trying, and finally, on October 20, 1982, she was sent to Kikwit to work in the civil hospital.

When Ebola hit, Sister Vitarosa did not seem sick like the others. She was hurrying about doing her best to help the suffering. Asked if she was afraid, she answered, “Afraid of what?” Then she would sing a song in the language of Kinshasa, “If in the church Jesus Christ calls you, accept to serve Him with all your heart.” Sister Vitarosa Zorsa fought the good fight but died from Ebola on May 28, 1995.

Anna Sorti was born on June 15, 1947, in Bergamo, Italy. She was the youngest of thirteen children, of whom only seven survived. Her mom and dad died a year apart in 1956 and 1957. The losses caused her much grief, and she fell away from the faith. She began to get in trouble as a teenager, but then she took charge of her life due to the influence of the Sisters of the Poor. At the age of nineteen, Anna entered the convent. She took the name of Sister Danielangela and took her temporary vows on September 29, 1968. She professed her perpetual vows in 1974. She was then sent to Milan to study nursing.

Sister Danielangela often thought that she might have a short life. In a letter she wrote on March 23, 1995, she said, “Time passes quickly for everyone, and we must be prepared because we do not know the hour o the day when the Lord can call us.” She finished the same letter by writing, “Stay in joy because love asks for love.” Sister was working in Tumikia but volunteered to go to Mosango the help with the sick there. She contracted Ebola her first night and was transferred to Kikwit. She died there on May 11, 1995. She was one month shy of her 48^th birthday.

We ask Venerables Floralba Rondi, Clarangela Ghilardi, Dinarosa Belleri, Annalvira Ossoli, Vitaros Zorsa, and Danielangela Sorti to pray for us all.

Did you know that St. Bernard dogs are named after a real saint? Meet St. Bernard of Menthon

July 7, 2020/3 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

By Larry Peterson

Menthon Castle stands on the shore of Lake Annecy in a mountainous region that borders Italy, France, and Switzerland. Bernard was most likely born in the castle around the year 1020. He was born into a rich and noble family and, growing up, wanted for nothing. His parents, Richard and Bernoline, hired a man named Germain to be Bernard’s tutor.

Germain taught the boy to read and write, and was extremely diligent in teaching him religion and the prayers and devotions that were part of it. One of the most influential aspects of Germain’s curriculum was spontaneous hikes up into the mountains. These hikes would leave a deep impression on Bernard, more so than Germain could have ever imagined.

When Bernard was a bit older, he was sent to Paris to complete his education. While completing his studies, his parents arranged a marriage for their son. They had no idea that their boy was focused in a different direction. When he arrived home, he refused the marriage offer and told his parents that he was going to pursue the religious life.

(Legend has it that Bernard had to sneak from the castle the night before the arranged wedding and that during his escape he fell from a window 40 feet above the ground. The story goes on to say that Bernard was caught by angels and gently lowered to the ground, unhurt.) Most likely, he managed to escape the castle in a more traditional manner.

The historical story has Bernard arriving home, sitting down with his parents, and telling them his intentions to pursue a religious life. He was going to place himself under the guidance of Peter, the Archdeacon of Aosta, and begin his studies for the priesthood. His parents gave him their blessing. Bernard went to live with Peter, and Peter’s house became Bernard’s seminary.

The exact year of Bernard’s ordination is unknown. What is known is that after he was ordained, his ministry took him into the Alps, where challenging work awaited him. And so, among the peaks of the Alpine mountains, Bernard began working as a missionary.

Although the Diocese of Aosta extended into the Alps, Catholicism had made little inroad into the remote alpine valleys, and most folks living there were still pagan and adhered to various customs, most a combination of Christian and pagan. These isolated regions would be Beranrds parish for the next 42 years.

Bernard traveled through the treacherous mountains preaching the Gospel anywhere he could. Small towns were in isolated locations, and farms were scattered among these tiny towns. Bernard quickly learned of the dangers of Alpine travel. He would often come across pilgrims from Germany or France who were on their way to Rome and whose companions had been swept away by an avalanche or died from exposure in the freezing mountains. Bernard, to help these travelers, opened a monastery and hospice in what is now known as Great St. Bernard Pass. It is 8,100 feet above sea level.

In due time, Bernard was appointed to succeed his mentor, Peter, as the Archdeacon of the Cathedral. This was no honorary appointment. The appointment also meant he was in charge of the government of the diocese, directly under the bishop. It was a powerful position, and Bernard, filled with virtue and learning, was perfect for the post.

Since the most ancient times, the paths across the Pennine Alps has been covered with snow anywhere from seven to ten feet high, with snowdrifts as high as forty feet. Eventually, Bernard opened a second monastery, which became known as the Little St. Bernard Pass. This was 7,076 feet above sea level.

Bernard’s monks had large dogs they had trained to help them find lost and injured travelers or the bodies of those that had perished in the brutally cold weather. These dogs became known as St. Bernards. (Another legend is that Bernard’s parents were among pilgrims rescued by these dogs).

St. Bernard’s work goes on to this day. Travelers are still put up in the hostels created by St. Bernard. As of 2012, there are 35 professed members of Bernard’s congregation providing pastoral care to nearby parishes and travelers from all over the world.

Bernard was canonized a saint by Pope Innocent XI in 1681. Pope Pius XI, an avid mountain climber, named St. Bernard the patron saint of mountaineers in 1923. St. Bernard is also the patron of skiers, snowboarders and rock climbers. His feast day is May 28.

St. Bernard, please pray for us.

Halloween and the Legend of the Jack-O-Lantern (one version)

October 31, 2017/0 Comments/in Holidays/by Larry Peterson

Long ago in Ireland, the land of shamrocks, leprechauns, soft winds and smiles, there lived a man named Jack. Jack was quite lazy and did not like to work. But he had the gift of “blarney” and could talk the peat off the moss.

He would tell wondrous tales about his adventures as a world traveler and the people in his village would be held spellbound by his golden tongue. Alas, Jack outsmarted himself when he stole money from the townsfolk. He thought that they were not very smart and would never find out. But they did find out and began chasing him down the streets of the village.

As Jack ran down the road as fast as he could, he rounded a bend and ran smack into the devil. The devil smiled at Jack and told him it was time for him to die and that he was there to take his soul. Jack quickly convinced the devil that if he would let him go and promise to never take his soul he would give him all the souls of the folks who were chasing him. “And how do you plan to do that, Jack?” the devil asked.

“Well now, all ye have ta do is turn ye-self into a pot of gold coins. Then I will give the coins to the people and you will be in all of their pockets. They will be yours.”

Since many souls were better than only one, the devil readily agreed and turned himself into a pot of gold coins. Jack gave the coins to all the people and they went away smiling, never realizing that they had given themselves to the devil in return for money.

So Jack lived on, grew old and, like all mortal men, finally died. His life had been so sinful on earth that he could not get into heaven and since the devil could not take his soul, he could not get into hell. He had nowhere to go. He asked the devil how he was supposed to see because he was in complete darkness. The devil laughed and tossed Jack a burning ember from the fires of hell, an ember that would never burn out.

Jack, using the ember to guide his way, found a pumpkin patch (some say it was turnips) and carved out a pumpkin. He put the ember inside and began carrying it around so he could see where he was going. To this day he wanders the earth seeking a resting place. And that is why he is known as “Jack-O’-Lantern” or “Jack of the Lantern.”

By Man vyi – own photo, Public Domain, Link

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Lent: Highlighting Forgiveness & Redemption for All; Even “Dutch” Schultz

March 1, 2016/1 Comment/in Inspirational, Lent, Year of Mercy/by Larry Peterson

We are now into the third week of Lent and the road to redemption has been halfway traveled. Throughout the world Catechumens have almost reached their goal of full inclusion into the Catholic Church, which takes place during the Easter Vigil. It is a beautiful thing. In addition, this past December 8, Pope Francis started us on our journey into the Holy Year of Mercy. The slogan for The Holy Year of Mercy is, “A Time to Heal, to Help, to Forgive.” Yes, forgiveness is everywhere.

To give an example of how God’s mercy is ALWAYS available to those who seek it I would like to briefly mention a man by the name of Arthur Flegenheimer. Arthur was born in New York City in 1901, of German-Jewish ancestry. By the time he was 27 he was known as Dutch Schultz and was quickly becoming one of the most feared mob bosses in New York. The “Dutchman” was a bootlegger (running illegal whiskey), a numbers boss operating in Harlem and a “shakedown artist” within the NYC restaurant industry, offering protection while using the restaurant unions as cover.

His main enforcer was the infamous, Vincent “Mad Dog” Coll, a brutal killer who did Schultz’s bidding without hesitation. Eventually the “Dutchman” got tired of Coll’s wanting more money. As “Mad Dog” sat in a telephone booth talking on the phone he was machine-gunned to death by Schultz’s henchmen. Dutch actually proved to be a more brutal killer than “Mad Dog” Coll. So how does my brain tie together Dutch Schultz and the Holy Year of Mercy combined with Forgiveness? Actually, it is not that hard to do. This is the phenomenal redemption available to all through the Church and her Sacraments.

Dutch Schultz wanted to kill U. S. Attorney Thomas E. Dewey (later to be Governor of NY and the presidential candidate losing to Harry Truman in the 1948 election). The Mafia Commission told Schultz, “NO, it would cause us too much trouble.” Schultz refused to listen and decided to kill Dewey anyway. The mob, under Lucky Luciano, sent “Murder Inc.” after Schultz. On October 23, 1935, they gunned him down in a restaurant in Newark, N.J. Enter the sacrament of Penance and Forgiveness. Enter Mercy.

Earlier, Dutch Schultz had been acquitted on tax evasion charges, and at that time he converted to Catholicism. He believed that Jesus had saved him. When he was shot he did not die right away. He was taken to the hospital for surgery and he immediately asked for a priest. He was 34 years old and his last thought while he was dying was to ask Jesus for forgiveness and mercy. The “Dutchman” went to confession, received absolution and was administered the Last Rites of the Church by a priest. Then he died. Did Dutch Schultz go right to heaven? Did he get to the “pearly gates” and have St. Peter say, “Sorry, Dutch, that priest made a mistake. What you did was uunforgivable. You are not welcome here.” I think not.

In a few weeks it will be Good Friday. Catholic/Christian people all over the world will mourn and honor the bloodied, tortured and crucified Son of God, Jesus Christ: Jesus, the God-man who embraced forgiveness for all people and extended love to everyone. This is also what He wanted us to do. This is why he suffered and died for us. He offered Himself to His Father for us. Then we celebrate His Father’s gift back to us, the Risen Christ. We all have been saved and we all have the choice of whether or not we want to share eternal life with the Blessed Trinity. All we need to do is seek forgiveness. Because of God’s Mercy, even a Dutch Schultz can join in the Redemption Celebration. It is a beauty beyond description.

Tag Archive for: history

A Gangbanger’s Journey to Sainthood: Meet Peter Armengol

A Gangbanger’s Journey to Sainthood: Meet Peter Armengol

Please turn on your imagination

One man stops and falls to his knees

Dial your imagination back in time

The crime was punishable by death

From gang leader to Mercedarian friar

Sentenced to be hanged

The dead man began to speak

The HAPPIEST six days of his life

Heroic Virtue during the 1995 Ebola Outbreak

Did you know that St. Bernard dogs are named after a real saint? Meet St. Bernard of Menthon

Halloween and the Legend of the Jack-O-Lantern (one version)

Lent: Highlighting Forgiveness & Redemption for All; Even “Dutch” Schultz

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