James Salomoni

Who was James Salomoni?

Blessed James Salomoni was an Italian Dominican priest, ascetic, and mystic who is venerated as a beatus by the Catholic Church.

Born in Venice into a noble family, Salomoni was brought up by his mother after his father died. His mother later became a Cistercian nun and he was then raised by his grandmother. He became a Dominican friar at the age of seventeen, and became prior of various places, including Forlì, Faenza, San Severino, and Ravenna. But Forlì was finally where he settled for the rest of his life.

He gained fame for healing paralytics and for his prophetic abilities, obtained through a state of religious ecstasy. He lived for 45 years at a convent in Forlì, which considers him a patron and was called there the “father of the poor”. He also earned fame for being the person who received the confession of Carino of Balsamo, the murderer of Peter of Verona, and became his spiritual father.

Salomoni suffered from cancer for four years, but he was cured some time before his death. He died in Forlì in 1314.