Peregrine Laziosi

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Peregrine Laziosi
Filippo Lippi, Presentation of the Temple, with St. Philip Benizi on the left and St. Peregrine Laziosi on the right.
Confessor
Born	around 1260, Forlì, Italy
Died	May 1, 1345
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Canonized	December 27, 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII
Feast	May 1
Attributes	one leg covered in a cancerous sore, a staff
Patronage	cancer patients, AIDS, the sick
Saints Portal

Saint Peregrine (Pellegrino) Laziosi (Latiosi) (1260 - 1 May 1345) is an Italian saint. He is the patron saint for persons suffering from cancer, AIDS and other serious diseases, according to the Catholic Church.

He was born in Forlì in the year 1260, in northern Italy, of a wealthy family. He was not a religious man until an incident with Philip Benizi. Peregrine is said to have hit Philip, who then turned the other cheek and did not fight back. Peregrine was so moved by this action that he converted to Catholicism, which he had formerly opposed.

One of the special penances he decided on was to stand whenever it was not necessary to sit. It is said that St. Peregrine did not sit for thirty years, which caused him to develop varicose veins and then cancer on his leg and foot. The sores became painful and doctors prepared to amputate his foot, but the night before the surgery was scheduled to take place Peregrine dragged himself to the foot of a crucifix and spent many hours in prayer. When he fell asleep he received a vision of Christ touching his foot, in the morning his foot was completely healed. He is therefore considered the patron saint of cancer victims.