Peter Armengol, Bl.

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PETER ARMENGOL, BL.

Martyr; b. Guardia de Prats, Spain, 1238?; d. April 27, 1304? Data for his vita derive from questionable documents "discovered" in the 17th century for the canonization of St. peter nolasco. According to these sources, he was a descendant of the counts of Urgell, arrogant and vindictive, who left his fellow students to become a bandit leader with immunity from ordinary justice. In 1258 he repented and joined the mercedarians in Barcelona, probably as a knight. On his second trip to ransom captives, he remained in Moslem Algeria as a hostage for 18 Christians. He was hanged for his apostolic efforts, but the Blessed Virgin sustained him miraculously. Bearing the marks of his ordeal, he returned home and devoted himself to prayer and penance. His immemorial cult in Catalonia was confirmed in 1686.

Feast: April 27.

Bibliography: r. lechat, Analecta Bollandiana 39 (1921) 214. b. de gaiffier, ibid., 58 (1940) 88. d. mansilla, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 195765) 8:349. Acta Sanctorum Sept. 1:317335. f. bonet i armengol, Pere Armengol i Cornet, penitenciarista català (Barcelona 1994).

[e. p. colbert]