By DONALD DeMARCO
St. Raymond Nonnatus came into the world in the early 13th century (1200 or 1204 according to scholars) in Portello, Catalonia (Spain). His appended name, in Latin, means “not born.” He was taken from the womb of his mother by caesarean section after her death.
Shakespeare used this notion of not being born as an important dramatic device in Macbeth. In act IV, an Apparition tells the play’s principal character that “none of woman born/Shall harm Macbeth.” Not mindful of caesarean section, Macbeth takes false security in this prophecy. In the last act, before he meets his doom, his nemesis informs him that “Macduff was from his mother’s womb/Untimely ripp’d.”
If Macbeth had much to fear from Macduff, then Satan has much more to fear from St. Raymond Nonnatus.
St. Raymond came from a noble but poor family. His widowed father had high expectations for him to serve in Spain’s royal court. But Raymond was strongly drawn to the religious life and spent a great deal of time in prayer, showing an especially strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin. In order to dissuade him from entering the religious life, his father granted his son permission to enter the religious life with the Mercedarians, an order founded by St. Peter Nolasco.
The Mercedarian Order was founded to ransom Christian captives from the Moors in North Africa. St. Raymond was ordained a priest in this order in 1222 and later became its master-general. St. Raymond spent his entire estate ransoming slaves. When he ran out of money, he offered himself as a hostage. While he was imprisoned, in Algiers, he converted several Mohammedans (now referred to as Muslims).
The governor, upon learning of the conversions, sentenced him to be impaled. The sentence, however, was voided on the realization that Raymond, now something of a celebrity, would bring a great deal of ransom money.
Meanwhile, to prevent any further conversions, a hole was bored through his lips with a hot iron so that a padlock could seal his mouth and prevent him from preaching. According to the Mercedarians, Raymond continued to preach, having received the miraculous gift of speaking through lips that were padlocked.
After several months of torture, another Mercedarian arrived and ransomed Raymond and other captives. Pope Gregory IX named him to the College of Cardinals in 1239. The following year, according to the best Mercedarian tradition, Raymond was privileged to receive a vision of the Lord who comforted him and gave him the Viaticum. Raymond was canonized in 1657.
In that same year, Pope Alexander VII placed his name in the Roman Martyrology. St. Raymond’s feast day is August 31. His cult was approved in 1625 and the celebration of his feast was extended to the universal Church in 1677.
St. Raymond should be better known. His charisms are well-suited for the particular problems that are dominant in today’s world. St. Raymond is a model for all who are pro-life. He is the patron saint of pregnant mothers, particular those experiencing difficulties. He is also an inspirational model with respect to relations in today’s world between Christians and Muslims.
In addition, the padlock, a symbol of his martyrdom, is also used ritually to stop gossip, false testimonies, cursing, and various other forms of bad language. The padlock is also emblematic of protecting the secrecy of the confessional.
Today, there are St. Raymond Birthing and Training centers in Marikina City and Rizal, in the Philippines, as well as in other places. The Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet, Ill., is a thriving parish that offers its services to 2,100 parishioners. The altar at Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City is dedicated to St. Raymond Nonnatus.
Saint-Raymond, Quebec, in Canada, San Ramon de la Nueva Oran, in Argentina, and Sao Raimundo Nonato and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sao Raimundo Nonato (Raymundianus), in Brazil, are all named after him.
For more information about St. Raymond Nonnatus, one may contact the St. Raymond Nonnatus Guild at the Mercedarian Friars at Mercygrove, 7770 East Main Rd., LeRoy, NY 14482; phone: 585-768-4703.
It is a beautiful irony that the man who was never born is the patron saint of women who have difficulties about giving birth and who those who need to be born.
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