Profile
Leolucas was born to a wealthy and pious family who raised cattle and sheep. He was orphaned at an early age and devoted himself to managing the estate and supervising the herds.
In the solitude of the fields, Leolucas realized he had a call to religious life. He sold his estate, converted his assets to cash, gave the money to the poor, and became a Basilian monk at the San Filippo d’ Agira monastery in the province of Enna, Sicily. He moved from Sicily to Calabria, Italy to escape the persecutions of invading Muslims, and joined a monastic community there.
Leolucas was a pilgrim to Rome, Italy where he made a special point to visit the tombs of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. He became an abbot of a Basilian monastery of Corleone, Sicily.
Leolucas lived for 80 years as a monk. Leolucas’ intervention is credited with saving the city of Corleone during the plague outbreak of 1575. The apparition of Leolucas and Saint Anthony prevented a Bourbon invasion of Corleone on 27 May 1860.
Born
- c.815 to 818 at Corleone, Sicily
Died
- c.915 of natural causes
- miracles reported at his tomb
Canonized
- Pre-Congregation
Patronage
- Corleone, Sicily
- Vibo Valentia, Italy
