Raymond Nonnatus

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Saint Raymond Nonnatus
Confessor
Born	1204
Died	1240
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Canonized	1657 by Pope Alexander VII
Feast	August 31
Patronage	Baltoa, Dominican Republic; childbirth; children; expectant mothers; falsely accused people; fever; infants; midwives; newborn babies; obstetricians; pregnant women
Saints Portal

Saint Raymond Nonnatus (Catalan: Sant Ramon Nonat, Spanish: Ramón Nonato, French: Raymond Nonnat) (1204—1240) is a saint from Catalonia in Spain. His surname Nonnatus (Latin, "not born") is derived from the fact that he was born by Caesarean section (his mother died during childbirth). He is the patron saint of childbirth, midwives, children, and pregnant women.

Born at Portella, diocese of Urgell, he became a member of the Mercedarian Order, founded to ransom Christian captives of the Moors of North Africa, he was ordained priest in 1222 and later became master-general of the order. He traveled to North Africa and is said to have surrendered himself as a hostage when his money ran out.

He suffered in captivity. A legend states that the Moors bored a hole through his lips with a hot iron, and padlocked his mouth to prevent him from preaching. He was ransomed by his order and in 1239 returned to Spain.

Pope Gregory IX nominated him cardinal but on his way to Rome Nonnatus died at Cardona. Many miracles were attributed to him before and after his death.

Saint-Raymond, Quebec is named after him, as is San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, in Argentina.

1 Veneration
2 References
3 Sources
4 External links

[edit] Veneration

His feast day is on 31 August.^[1] Because of his limited importance worldwide, his liturgical celebration is no longer included among those to be necessarily commemorated wherever the Roman Rite is celebrated,^[2] but, since he is included in the Roman Martyrology for 31 August, Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours may be recited in his honour on that day as before.