St. Bernardine of Siena was such an effective and prolific preacher, the crowds who came to hear him speak would be moved to spontaneously exchange the sign of peace in mass reconciliation.

He was born in Tuscany in 1380, the son of a regional governor. His parents died when he was a child, and he was raised by a pair of aunts. He was a joyful child whom friends found entertaining and merry.

As a teenager, he dedicated his life to prayer and care of the sick. When the plague hit Siena, the biggest hospital in the city threatened to close because of the overwhelming need and the lack of help. Dozens died there every day, and many of the doctors and nurses themselves became sick.

Bernardine rallied some friends around the idea of giving their lives, if needed, to offer care for the suffering. He offered to take over the administration and care of the hospital, and was granted that authority. For four months, the band of men worked day and night to care for the sick. Even though several of them died, the group restored order and cleanliness to the hospital and gave consolation to hundreds of suffering people.

Bernardine did not get sick himself, but was exhausted by the work, and after the epidemic, he returned home to rest. He eventually discerned a call to enter a Franciscan monastery, and in 1403 he was accepted to the order and ordained a priest.

During the following decade, not much happened to Bernardine—he spent his time in prayer and doing the work of the community. His focus on maturing in his interior life would bear fruit in the preaching for which he became famous.

He began preaching in Milan, a city in which he was a complete stranger, and soon he became known for his eloquence, insight, and the energy with which he spoke. Crowds began to gather, and soon he had to preach outside to accommodate all of the people.

He began to travel throughout Italy, always on foot, and covered nearly the entire country during his lifetime. He would preach for hours at a time, sometimes more than once a day. Everywhere he went, he encouraged people to turn from sin.

The effects were extraordinary. In towns that were divided by long feuds, people were reconciled. People who had stolen or swindled goods returned them. He urged people to rely on the mercy of Jesus, and they listened.

He wore himself out with his preaching, and even when it was clear that he was dying, he continued traveling and encouraging conversion. He died in 1444, and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on campus.

He is patron saint of public relations professionals and advertisers, and his image is used here with permission from the Snite Museum of Art on Notre Dame’s campus—it is a sketch from Luigi Gregori, the artist commissioned to decorate the interior of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

St. Bernardine of Siena, because your preaching moved crowds to convert, you are the patron saint of public relations professionals—pray for us!

Image credit:

Luigi Gregori (Italian, 1819-1896), Saints Dominic, Joseph, Bernard of Siena, Margaret of Cortona, (detail) n.d., graphite and ink on paper. Raclin Murphy Museum of Art: Gift of the Artist, AA1995.082.011.