Placidus (also known as Placid) was a

disciple A disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure. It can refer to: Religion * Disciple (Christianity), a student of Jesus Christ * Twelve Apostles of Jesus, sometimes called the Twelve Disciples * Seventy disciples in t ...

of Benedict of Nursia. He was the son of the

patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...

Tertullus, was brought as a child to Benedict at Sublaqueum ( Subiaco) and dedicated to

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

as provided for in chapter 69 of the

Rule of St. Benedict The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' ( la, Regula Sancti Benedicti) is a book of precepts written in Latin in 516 by St Benedict of Nursia ( AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The spirit of Saint Benedict's Ru ...

( oblate).

Life

Placidus was the eldest son of the patrician Tertullus. When he was about eight years old, his father placed him under the care of Benedict at Subiaco, to be educated.

Gregory the Great Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregoria ...

(''Dialogues'', II, vii) relates an account of Placidus being rescued from

drowning Drowning is a type of suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim's situation or unable to offer as ...

by his fellow monk, Maurus, who, at Benedict's order, ran across the surface of the

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

below the monastery and drew Placidus safely to shore. It appears certain that he accompanied Benedict when, about 529, he removed to

Monte Cassino Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Latin Valley, Italy, west of Cassino and at an elevation of . Site of the Roman town of Casinum, it is widely known for its abbey, the first ho ...

, which was said to have been made over to him by the father of Placidus.Huddleston, Gilbert. "St. Placidus." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 4 November 2017 Of his later life nothing is known, but in an ancient ''psalterium'' at Vallombrosa his name is found in the

Litany of the Saints The Litany of the Saints ( Latin: ''Litaniae Sanctorum'') is a formal prayer of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Old Catholic Church, Anglo-Catholic communities, and Western Rite Orthodox communities. It is a prayer to the Triune God, w ...

placed among the confessors immediately after those of Benedict and Maurus; the same occurs in Codex CLV at Subiaco, attributed to the ninth century.

Veneration

Placid is venerated on October 5 in the 2001

Roman Martyrology The ''Roman Martyrology'' ( la, Martyrologium Romanum) is the official martyrology of the Catholic Church. Its use is obligatory in matters regarding the Roman Rite liturgy, but dioceses, countries and religious institutes may add duly approved ...

and on the same date along with Placid in the ''Proper Masses for the Use of the Benedictine Confederation''.

Patronage

He is the co-patron of Messina along with the Madonna of the Letter, and is the official patron of

Biancavilla Biancavilla () is a town and '' comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It is located between the towns of Adrano and S. Maria di Licodia, northwest of Catania. The town was founded and historically inhabited by t ...

Castel di Lucio Castel di Lucio ( Sicilian: ''Castiddruzzu'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo and about southwest of Messina. Castel di Lucio borders the following munici ...

, Montecarotto, and

Poggio Imperiale Poggio Imperiale is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. Twin towns * Vorë, Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e ...

. :it:San Placido Because a large portion of

Easton, Pennsylvania Easton is a city in, and the county seat of, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River, a river that joins the Delaware R ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

community originally came from Castel di Lucio, Placidus is given particular veneration with an annual parade through South Side on the Sunday before Labor Day. The Sunday after is the Feast of the Holy Cross, celebrated by immigrants from the neighboring town of

Santo Stefano di Camastra Santo Stefano di Camastra ( Sicilian: ''Santu Stèfanu di Camastra'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about 100 km east of Palermo and about 135 km west of Messina. ...

References

Sources

External links

St. Benedict's Abbey
- Benedictine Brothers and Fathers in America's Heartland

- Online translation by the Rev. Boniface Verheyen, O.S.B., of St. Benedict's Abbey
Benedictine College
- Dynamically Catholic, Benedictine, Liberal Arts, and Residential {{DEFAULTSORT:Placidus 6th-century deaths Benedictine saints Benedictine spirituality Italian Benedictines History of Catholic monasticism Italian Christian monks 6th-century Christian saints Medieval Italian saints Year of birth unknown