Saint of the Day

01 · Read · A life to discover

St. Raymond of Peñafort

Raymond of Peñafort was a Dominican priest and canon lawyer whose scholarship served both church administration and pastoral ministry. After teaching law, he joined the Dominicans and was called to Rome to assist Pope Gregory IX. He organized papal legal decisions into a collection that became central to the study of canon law.

His legal task involved reconciling a large accumulation of decrees, some repetitive or difficult to use. Organizing them into an authoritative collection served universities as well as church courts. This explains why his work outlasted the immediate circumstances of Gregory IX's pontificate.

Elected leader of the Dominicans in 1238, he revised the order's constitutions before relinquishing office two years later. His interest in language study belonged to the missionary concerns of his age. His scholarship joined institutional order with the practical questions encountered in ministry.

Raymond later served as master of the Dominican Order and supported the formation of missionaries, including language study. His writings also addressed the practical responsibilities of confessors. His modern Roman-calendar memorial is January 7; older books may give January 23. He is especially associated with the vocation of jurists.

This saint is included on this recurring date in the U.S. Roman Rite calendar published by the USCCB. This reading guide gives U.S. calendar saints priority; the Mass celebrated on a particular year’s date can differ because of Sundays, seasons or higher-ranking celebrations.