Saint Peter of Alcantara
The austere Franciscan of Extremadura who encouraged Teresa of Ávila
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Priest, Religious, Mystic
- Life
- 1499 – 1562
- Era
- 16th century
- Feast
- 19 October
- Countries
- Spain
Life story
Peter was born in 1499 at Alcántara in Extremadura, Spain, with the name Pedro Garavita; his father was a local official. He studied at Salamanca, then in 1515 joined the Franciscans in their stricter branch and was ordained priest in 1524.
He held various offices in the order, served as superior of several houses and preached across Extremadura. He grew ever more attached to a life of strict poverty and prayer. In 1557 he founded a tiny friary at Pedroso, which became the starting point of a reform whose friars are called Alcantarines. He also founded several houses in Spain and Portugal and wrote a Treatise on Prayer and Meditation.
In his last years he met Teresa of Ávila and encouraged and defended her Carmelite reform at a time when she faced a good deal of opposition. He died on 18 October 1562 at Arenas, now Arenas de San Pedro. He was beatified in 1622 under Gregory XV and canonised on 28 April 1669 under Clement IX. His feast falls on 19 October. His way of life was famously severe: early accounts describe long fasts, very little sleep and a cell so small that he could not stretch out in it. The reform he began spread to Italy and to the Spanish missions in the Americas in the following centuries. His advice also helped Teresa at a decisive moment, and she wrote warmly about him in her autobiography.
Works and witness
- Entered the Franciscans in 1515 and was ordained in 1524
- Founded the Pedroso friary in 1557, the start of the Alcantarine reform
- Wrote a Treatise on Prayer and Meditation
- Encouraged Teresa of Ávila in her Carmelite reform
- Canonised in 1669
Patron of
Brazil, Night watchmen
Saints from the same country
References
- Martyrologium Romanum
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1907–1912), entry on Peter of Alcantara
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints – biographical profile
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.