--- title: "St. Peter Damian: Feast Day February 21, Life & Quotes" url: https://blessbible.app/saints/st-peter-damian/ description: "St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Remembered on February 21, died c. 1072. Read their life and their own words, with sources." --- Bishop and Doctor of the Church · Remembered on February 21 # St. Peter Damian St. Peter Damian is remembered on February 21 in Bless’s calendar of saints. Below: a short life and 2 sourced quotations in their own words. | | | |---|---| | Remembered on | [February 21](https://blessbible.app/saints/february/#21) | | Title | Bishop and Doctor of the Church | | Died | c. 1072 | | In their own words | [2 sourced quotations](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-peter-damian/#words) | | Next on Bless’s Today screen | [Sunday, February 21, 2027](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-peter-damian/#calendar) | ## Life A Ravenna orphan who herded swine, gained an education, and fled a brilliant career for the hermitage of Fonte Avellana, where he became the conscience of a corrupt century. Dragged out to be cardinal, he scoured simony and scandal from the Church with letters that spared no one, then begged leave to return to his cell and weave baskets. Dante placed him among the contemplatives in Paradise. ## In their own words Each quotation names the work it comes from. Bless quotes these in the comments beside the verses listed under [In Scripture](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-peter-damian/#scripture). > Fasting is the guardian of chastity, the mother of purity, the teacher of virtue. — *Letter to Leo of Sitria*, c. 1060 > To know God, we must ourselves become good. — *Sermon on St. Andrew*, c. 1060 ## In Scripture In Bless, St. Peter Damian’s words appear in the comments beside these verses. This page’s labels say how each is linked: “on this verse” means the saint wrote about that very verse; “on this theme” means the quotation shares its theme. Scripture is quoted from the Catholic Public Domain Version. 1. On this theme > And when he had fasted for forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry. — [Matthew 4:2](https://blessbible.app/bible/matthew/4/#v2) · CPDV Beside their words: [“Fasting is the guardian of chastity, the mother of purity, the teacher of virtue.”](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-peter-damian/#q179) 2. On this theme > Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. — [Matthew 5:8](https://blessbible.app/bible/matthew/5/#v8) · CPDV Beside their words: [“To know God, we must ourselves become good.”](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-peter-damian/#q180) 3. On this theme > Instead, I chastise my body, so as to redirect it into servitude. Otherwise, I might preach to others, but become myself an outcast. — [1 Corinthians 9:27](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-corinthians/9/#v27) · CPDV Beside their words: [“Fasting is the guardian of chastity, the mother of purity, the teacher of virtue.”](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-peter-damian/#q179) 4. On this theme > Most beloved, we are now the sons of God. But what we shall be then has not yet appeared. We know that when he does appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. — [1 John 3:2](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-john/3/#v2) · CPDV Beside their words: [“To know God, we must ourselves become good.”](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-peter-damian/#q180) ## In the calendar The upcoming dates, through December 31, 2028, when Bless’s Today screen shows St. Peter Damian. Where the US calendar keeps another celebration that day, it is named instead and no rank is given. | Date | In the US calendar | Color | Mass readings (US) | |---|---|---|---| | [Sunday, February 21, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/02/21/) | Second Sunday of Lent | Violet | Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18 · Psalm 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19 · Romans 8:31b-34 · Cf. Matthew 17:5 · Mark 9:2-10 | | [Monday, February 21, 2028](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2028/02/21/) | Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time | Green | James 3:13-18 · Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15 · 2 Timothy 1:10 · Mark 9:14-29 | Readings Reading citations through May 31, 2027 are as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar. Later citations were computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish. [February 20 Sts. Francisco and Jacinta Marto](https://blessbible.app/saints/sts-francisco-and-jacinta-marto/) [February 22 St. Margaret of Cortona](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-margaret-of-cortona/) [All the saints of February](https://blessbible.app/saints/february/) [Born on February 21?](https://blessbible.app/saints/birthday/#02-21) [A saint for every day](https://blessbible.app/saints/) Spotted a mistake in a date, a patronage or a quotation? [Report an error](https://blessbible.app/support/#report) and we’ll fix it in the app and here. St. Peter Damian Remembered on February 21 On this page 1. [Life](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-peter-damian/#life) 2. [In their own words](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-peter-damian/#words) 3. [In Scripture](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-peter-damian/#scripture) 4. [In the calendar](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-peter-damian/#calendar) In the app Bless shows a saint every day on its Today screen, with their life and their words. Free on iPhone.