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Saint Placid

illustration of Saint Maurus walking across the water to rescue Saint Placidus from drowning; from the book 'The Life and Miracles of the Holy Father Benedict, by Pope Saint Gregory the Great, translated by Father Henry Formby', artist not listed Also known as

Placido
Placidus

Memorial

15 January
5 October on some calendars (confusion with an earlier martyr of similar name)

Profile

Son of a patrician senator named Tertulus. Sent as a boy to study with Saint Benedict of Nursia at Subiaco, Italy, he became one of Benedict earliest followers. Friend of Saint Maurus, who saved him from drowning. Accompanied Benedict to Monte Cassino in 529, it being built on land given to Benedict by Tertulus. Known through the second Dialogue of Saint Gregory the Great.

Many legends grew up around Placid, and his story became mixed with a martyr name Placitus who was apparently a monk, and possibly an abbot, who was killed with 30 brother monks by Muslim invaders at Messina, Italy, but that appears to have been a completely different person and era.