Peter de Honestis

Who was Peter de Honestis?

Peter de Honestis was born at Ravenna. Among his ancestors was the great St. Romuald, founder of the Camaldolese monks. All his life Peter fasted on Saturday in honour of Our Lady, and strongly recommended this practice to his religious. He styled himself Petrus peccator 'Peter the Sinner'.

He lived for some years in the Holy Land. When returning home, a great storm arose in the Adriatic and the ship was in imminent danger of destruction; Peter made a vow to build a church in honour of Our Lady should he safely reach the harbour. In fulfilment of his promise he built a church and monastery on the family property. Nearby there was a small community of clerics, and Peter having joined them, was soon after made their superior, and with them removed to the church and monastery he had built, in 1099.

His name is associated with the sodality called "The Children of Mary", established in honour of a miraculous picture of Our Lady, now called "Madonna Greca", which tradition says came from Constantinople. The number of his religious increasing, Peter gave them some statutes grounded on the rule of St. Augustine.