Peter Nolasco

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Saint Pedro Nolasco
St. Peter Nolasco as found in the Generalate of the Mercedarian Order
Confessor
Born	1189, Mas-des-Saintes-Puelles, Languedoc, France
Died	25 December 1256, Valencia, Spain
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Feast	25 December (Roman Catholic Church) 28 January (General Roman Calendar of 1962)
Attributes	Founder of the Mercedarians
Saints Portal

Saint Peter Nolasco (1189 – 1256), Pere Nolasc in Catalan, Pierre Nolasque in French and Pedro Nolasco in Spanish, is a Catholic Catalan saint. Born at Mas-des-Saintes-Puelles, Languedoc, today's France, although some historians claim that he was born in Barcelona (see Encyclopedia Britannica). What is clear is that he was in Barcelona when he was a teenager and after that he became part of an army fighting the moors in the Iberian peninsula and through that he was appointed tutor to the young king, James of Aragon. In 1218 he formed a congregation of men that became the Royal and Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy of the Redemption of the Captives with approval by Pope Gregory IX in 1230.

St. Peter Nolasco was the first Superior and also held the position of Ransomer, the order being concerned with the freeing of Christian prisoners from the Moors. Saint Raymond Nonnatus later succeeded to this position.

He died in 1256 in Barcelona, seven years after having resigned as Superior. The order flourished in France, England, Germany, Portugal, and Spain and has had a long and proud history as part of the Catholic faith in many parts of the world.

St. Peter Nolasco was canonized by Pope Urban VIII. His festival was appointed by Pope Clement VIII to be kept on January 31, which was later moved to 28 January, when the former date was assigned to the liturgical celebration of Saint John Bosco (see General Roman Calendar as in 1954). He is inscribed in the Roman Martyrology, the official list of saints, on 25 December, the day of his death (his birth to heaven).