Benedict the Moor
Benedict the Moor (1526 – 4 April 1589), also known as Benedict of Palermo, Benedict the Black, or Benedict the African, was an Afro-Sicilian Franciscan friar. He was born to enslaved Africans in San Fratello, Sicily and freed at birth. He became known for his charity.
As a young man, he joined a Franciscan-affiliated hermit group, of which he became the leader. In 1564 he was sent to the Franciscan friary in Palermo, where he continued good works. He died in 1589 and was canonized by Pope Pius VII in 1807.
Patron saint of African missions; African Americans; black missions; black people; Palermo; San Fratello; Acquedolci; Sicily
In the Martyrology
- April 4 Saint Benedetto da San Fratello Manasseri, Franciscan religious