Bl. Benvenuto of Gubbio

Benvenuto, a knight of Gubbio, Italy, was so moved by the preaching of Saint Francis of Assisi that afterwards he presented himself to the saint, dressed in his military uniform, begging admission to his order as a lay brother. Francis welcomed the new recruit. As a Franciscan, Benvenuto excelled in the virtues of humility, purity, obedience, and self-denial. Having volunteered for work in a leper-hospital, he carried out the most unpleasant tasks and attended to the patients' needs with great cheerfulness, in the hope that his joyful demeanor would comfort the invalids. As a man of prayer, Benvenuto spent whole nights praying before the Blessed Sacrament for the conversion of sinners. At Mass he experienced visions of the Christ Child. He also exhibited a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Toward the end of his life, he was stricken with a grave illness, which he bore with great patience.