Berardo dei Marsi

Blessed Berardo dei Marsi
Bishop of Marsi
Berardo dei Marsi busto Celano
Diocese	Marsi
See	Marsi
In office	1113 – 3 November 1130
Other post(s)	Cardinal-Priest of San Crisogono (1100-1130)
Previous post(s)	Cardinal-Deacon of San Adriano al Foro (1099-1100)
Orders
Consecration	1110
Created cardinal	1099 by Pope Paschal II
Rank	Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born	Berardo dei Marsi 1079 Colli di Monte Bove, Carsoli, Italy
Died	3 November 1130 (aged 51) San Benedetto dei Marsi, Italy
Sainthood
Feast day	3 November
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Title as Saint	Blessed
Beatified	10 May 1802 Rome, Papal States by Pope Pius VII
Attributes	Crozier
Patronage	Diocese of Avezzano

Blessed Berardo dei Marsi (1079 – 3 November 1130) was a Catholic Italian cardinal. He was proclaimed Blessed in 1802 as he was deemed to be holy and that miracles were performed through his intercession.^[1]

Berardo dei Marsi was born in 1079 to Berardo and Theodosia. He was the great-uncle of Saint Rosalia. As a child he studied with the canons of the cathedral of Santa Sabina dei Marsi and also studied at Monte Cassino from 1095 to 1102. He became the governor of Campagna after Pope Paschal II appointed him to that position. He also served as an administrator to Campagna at the behest of the pope. The pope also elevated him to the cardinalate in 1099 as a Cardinal-Deacon and he opted for the order of Cardinal-Priest sometime after.^[1]

He was appointed as the Bishop of Marsi in 1113 and he proved to be a reformer in his diocese. He battled against simony and pushed for the idea of clerical celibacy.

He died in 1130 and predicted he would die on this day. He gave all his possessions to the poor in his will. He was buried in the cathedral of Santa Sabina and his relics were moved to Santa Maria delle Grazie in 1631.

On account of miracles attributed to him and to his personal holiness, Pope Pius VII beatified him on 10 May 1802 and proclaimed him to be the patron of his diocese.

• Saints SQPN