Vitalis of Assisi
St. Vitalis of Assisi, O.S.B. (Italian: San Vitale de Assisi) (1295 – May 31, 1370), was an Italian hermit and monk.
 Saint Vitalis of Assisi in Reliquary Box | |
| Born | 1295 Bastia Umbra, Papal States |
| Died | May 31, 1370 Assisi, Papal States |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church (Diocese of Assisi) |
| Feast | May 31 |
| Patronage | patron against disorders of the bladder and genitals |
Origin
Born in Bastia Umbra, Vitalis as a youth was licentious and immoral; however, he attempted to expiate his sins by going on pilgrimage to various sanctuaries in Italy and Europe. When he returned to Umbria, he became a Benedictine monk at Subiaco.[1]
Life
Vitalis then spent the rest of his life in the hermitage of Santa Maria di Viole, near Assisi, in utter poverty. His one possession was an old container that he used to drink water from a nearby spring. His reputation for holiness soon spread after his death. He was known as a patron against sicknesses and diseases affecting the bladder and genitals.[2]
Legacy
On 29 May 2011, a head preserved as a relic, allegedly that of this saint, was offered at auction with an estimate of €1,000 at Annesbrook House, Duleek, County Meath, Ireland.[3] It was sold to Billy Jamieson for €3,500.
In November of 2016 the Saint was once again purchased by an antiquities and oddities collector, and permanently resides in a private Gallery located in the Eastern United States. [4]
Notes
- "Vitalis of Assisi". Catholic Online.
- Nardi, Elisabetta. "San Vitale di Assisi". Santi e beati (in Italian).
- Reilly, Jerome (23 May 2011). "Severed head of genital disease saint for sale in Ireland". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
- https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/headhunter-dies-on-day-deal-finalises-26784775.html