A native of the small town of Carbio, Italy, Berardes became a Franciscan monk when St. Francis personally received him into the Order in 1213. Six years later, he and four other Franciscans were chosen to evangelize in Morocco. They first arrived in Seville, Spain, which was under Muslim rule, where they were arrested and thrown into prison for preaching in the streets. They were then put on a ship for Morocco, and upon arriving they started preaching. Sent away to live with a Christian friend of the sultan, they kept coming back to the city to preach. Realizing they would neither stop preaching nor go away, they were beheaded.
CHALLENGE
St. Berardes and his companions seemed to fail at their mission when they preached in public, yet their story inspired a young Augustinian friar to abandon his life as a monk and become the Franciscan preacher we know as St. Anthony of Padua. Today, say the Rosary in public, such as on a park bench, on a walk around your neighborhood, or in a mall. We may not see the effects of our public displays of faith, but we have to trust that we are sowing seeds for the Holy Spirit.
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