Saint of the Day: St. Zosimus of Syracuse

Abbot and Bishop (ca. 560-660)

His life

+ Zosimus was born in Sicily to a family of wealthy landowners.

+ He was entrusted to the monks of the monastery of St. Lucy, near Syracuse, Sicily, as a child. Unable to bear the silence of the cloister, he ran away, but his family sent him back. Once he returned, he had vision of Saint Lucy, who seemed angry. Then, in the same vision, the Blessed Virgin appeared, calming Saint Lucy, and welcoming Zosimus back to the monastery.

+ After thirty years of monastic life, Zosimus was deemed worthy—because of his humility and learning—to serve as abbot of his monastery.

+ In 649, he was named bishop of Syracuse and was noted for his care for the poor and commitment to educating the faithful of his diocese.

+ Saint Zosimus died around the year 660.

Spiritual bonus

“Let bishops, therefore, make every effort to have the faithful actively support and promote works of evangelization and the apostolate. Let them strive, moreover, to see to it that suitable sacred ministers as well as auxiliaries, both religious and lay, be prepared for the missions and other areas suffering from a lack of clergy.”—Second Vatican Council, Christus Dominus n. 6

Prayer

Almighty and eternal God, who gave your holy Church blessed Zosimus as Bishop, grant that what he taught when moved by the divine Spirit may always stay firm in our hearts; and as by your gift we embrace him as our patron, may we also have him as our defender to entreat your mercy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(from The Roman Missal: Common of Pastors—For Bishops)

Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.