St. Bernardine of Siena

May 20 is the feast of St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444), the Franciscan friar and great preacher of the 15th century. Born at Siena, he entered the Franciscans in 1402 and served for several years at the hospital of Santa Maria della Scala, where he nursed the sick during the plague of 1400. From 1417 he devoted himself to preaching, and for thirty years he walked through Italy — from Siena to Milan to Naples — preaching in the open air to crowds of thousands.

Bernardine was the apostle of the Holy Name of Jesus. He carried a tablet painted with the monogram IHS — the first three Greek letters of the name of Jesus — and held it up at the end of his sermons. The devotion to the Holy Name spread through Italy through his preaching, and the IHS monogram, placed on churches, on houses, and on city gates, became the visual signature of the 15th-century reform. He is the patron of advertisers and of public relations, in recognition of his skill in communication.

Bernardine died at L'Aquila in 1444, on a preaching tour, and was canonized in 1450. His body lies in the Basilica of San Bernardino at L'Aquila, built on the site of his death. From Siena, where he was born, to L'Aquila, where he died, the May 20 feast is the feast of the friar who preached the Holy Name through Italy.