Saint Leo of Catania

detail of a painting of Saint Leo of Catania overcoming the magician of HeliodorusAlso known as

  • Leo the Thaumaturge
  • Leo the Wonderworker

Memorial

Profile

Learned priest in Ravenna, Italy, and then in Reggio Calabria, Italy. Bishop of Catania, Italy; legend says that an angel appeared in dreams to the people in Catania to point them to Leo. He fought to suppress blasphemous magicians that people in his diocese saw as an alternative to the Church. Leo opposed the iconoclasm ordered by the Byzantine Empire; the governor of Sicily ordered his arrest for this stance, and the bishop spent time in the mountains in exile, living as a cave hermit. Known always for his care for the poor.

Born

Died

Canonized

Patronage

Additional Information

MLA Citation

  • “Saint Leo of Catania“. CatholicSaints.Info. 17 February 2023. Web. 19 April 2024. <>