Saint Who?
Saints Who Were Missionaries
Saint Severinus of Noricum
Religious († 482) Feast: January 8
The life of Severinus of Noricum is proof that a missionary does not have to preach sermons with attractive, simple lessons to bring souls to Christ.
Severinus was apparently a well-educated young man when he left his home to become a monk in the Egyptian desert. He grew to love the silence and peace he found as a hermit. However, he eventually recognized that God was calling him to leave his hermitage and evangelize those who had never heard the Gospel before. He traveled to Noricum (in modern Austria), where he warned the people that God would punish them for their sins and hardness of heart. Soon afterward, the barbarian Huns invaded and caused great destruction, and people began to listen to him. Severinus established centers for refugees seeking food and shelter, and miracles occurred through his prayers. The sick were healed, public sinners repented, and a plague of locusts was averted, protecting local crops.
Residents of many cities sought out Severinus and begged him to become their bishop, but he turned them all down. Instead, he trained men to become monks and built monasteries. He lived an ascetic life, walking barefoot even in the winter and eating only after sunset. And he never stopped preaching about the importance of doing penance for our sins.
Merciful Lord, move us to perform acts of penance.
