Saint of June 26th, 2026

Image: Life of Raymond Lull | reproduced in An illustrated history of the Knights Templar, James Wasserman | photo by Thomas le My??sier

Saint of the Day for June 26

(c. 1235 ??? June 28, 1315)

Blessed Raymond Lull???s Story

Blessed Raymond Lull worked all his life to promote the missions and died a missionary to North Africa.

Blessed Raymond Lull was born at Palma on the island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean Sea. He earned a position in the king???s court there. One day a sermon inspired him to dedicate his life to working for the conversion of the Muslims in North Africa. He became a Secular Franciscan and founded a college where missionaries could learn the Arabic they would need in the missions. Retiring to solitude, he spent nine years as a hermit. During that time he wrote on all branches of knowledge, a work which earned him the title ???Enlightened Doctor.???

Blessed Raymond Lull then made many trips through Europe to interest popes, kings, and princes in establishing special colleges to prepare future missionaries. He achieved his goal in 1311, when the Council of Vienne ordered the creation of chairs of Hebrew, Arabic, and Chaldean at the universities of Bologna, Oxford, Paris, and Salamanca. At the age of 79, Raymond went to North Africa in 1314 to be a missionary himself. An angry crowd of Muslims stoned him in the city of Bougie. Genoese merchants took him back to Mallorca, where he died. Raymond was beatified in 1514 and his liturgical feast is celebrated on June 30.

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