CatholicSaints.Info

Blessed Ranieri Scacceri

Blessed Ranieri Scacceri Also known as

Ranieri Scacchieri
Ranieri of Pisa
Ranieri de Aqua
Rainer…
Rainerius…
Rainier…
Raniero….
Raynerius…
Regnier…

17 June

Profile

Son of a wealthy merchant, he spent a wild and sinful youth as a wandering minstrel and musician, partying all night, sleeping by day if at all. One evening, while performing for a merry crowd in a castle, he met a holy man, Blessed Alberto Leccapecore. Ranieri felt drawn to the man, talked with him, and asked that Albert pray for him. Whatever Albert told him, Ranieri had a conversion experience, burned his fiddle, and gave up the life of a minstrel.

Falling back on what he learned from his father, Ranier became a merchant, trading with sailors and travelling from port to port. He was very successful, and while he lived a better life, it was still a worldly life. He built up quite a fortune, but one day found that his money gave off an evil stench. Ranieri took it as a sign, gave away his forture, and became a poor and penitential monk.

He made several penitential pilgrimages to Jerusalem and assorted holy shrines. Conventual oblate in the Benedictine abbey of Saint Andrew in Pisa, Italy in 1153. Oblate at the abbey of San Vito (Saint Guy) in Pisa. There he became known as a serious Bible student and sometime preacher, bringing to the pulpit his experience of working in front of an audience. An excellent speaker, he was a popular and romantic figure as the troubadour who traded his music for God, and was known for healing the sick with holy water.