St. Conrad of Piacenza | February 19

St. Conrad of Piacenza | February 19

The history of St. Conrad of Piacenza is quite fascinating. A member of one of the most noble families of Piacenza, he was known for his utmost honesty. One day while out hunting with friends, he thought he saw some game in an area of brush and ordered his attendants to set fire to the brush in order to scare it out of hiding. Unfortunately, the dry brush quickly ignited, and fire started to spread. Soon, the surrounding area was engulfed in flames.

Unfortunately, a known arsonist happened to be in the same area as the fire. This man was later imprisoned, tried, and condemned to death for the damage. But on his way to his execution, St. Conrad of Piacenza, full of guilt, stopped the proceedings and confessed to the fire. To make restitution for the damages, Conrad had to sell all his belongings, which reduced him to poverty. Soon after, he decided to retire to a hermitage, where he became a hermit of the Third Order of St. Francis, and his wife entered the Order of Poor Clares.