Date: c. 1175 – January 6, 1275
Patron of: Canon lawyers
Early Life and Formation
Saint Raymond of Penyafort (also spelled Peñafort) was born around the year 1175 in the region of Catalonia, near Barcelona, into a noble family. From his earliest years, he exhibited extraordinary intellectual gifts and a profound love for the Church.
He studied at the prestigious University of Bologna, then the foremost center of canon and civil law in Europe. There, he obtained doctorates in both Canon Law and Civil Law, quickly gaining a reputation for prudence, scholarship, and piety.
, one of the first of its kind, providing clear guidance for priests in administering the sacrament faithfully and prudently.