Feast of San Prosdocimo di Rieti

San Prosdocimo di Rieti,
ora pro nobis

November 7th is the Feast of St. Prosdocimus of Rieti, evangelizer and bishop. According to tradition, Prosdocimus was a disciple of St. Peter the Apostle who carried the Christian faith into central Italy during the first century A.D. He is credited with establishing the foundations of the Christian community of Rieti.

Little is known with certainty about his life, and the surviving accounts are drawn largely from traditions surrounding the earliest spread of Christianity in Italy. His name is also associated with Padua, where he is honored as the city’s first bishop. Evviva San Prosdocimo di Rieti!

In celebration of his feast, we offer this prayer:

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the example of St. Prosdocimus of Rieti may effectually move us to reform our lives; that while we celebrate his feast, we may also imitate his actions. Look upon our weakness, almighty God, and since the burden of our own deeds weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of St. Prosdocimus protect us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.