Luke of Armento, St.
LUKE OF ARMENTO, ST.
Monastic founder; b. Sicily, early 10th century; d. Armento, Italy, Oct. 19, 993. He entered the Greek monastery of St. Philip of Agira and then retired to a hermitage near Reggio, Calabria, under the spiritual guidance of St. elias of reggio. To escape the Saracen raids, he left Elias about 959 and moved farther north, stopping at Noa in Lucania. There he restored a small church dedicated to St. Peter and organized a monastic community. After seven years full of many charitable activities, he settled near the Agri River at the monastery of San Giuliano, which he restored and enlarged. Not feeling safe even there from the Saracen incursions and the raids of the troops of Otto I, he withdrew to Armento c. 969 and remained there till his death. In the course of his travels Luke built and restored many churches and monasteries. He is also credited with having founded the famous monastery of SS. Elias and Anastasius of Carbone.
Feast: Oct. 13.
Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum Oct. 6:337–342. g. da costalouillet, "Saints de Sicile et d'Italie méridionale aux VIIIe, IXe et Xe siècles," Byzantion 29–30 (1959–60) 89–173, esp. 142–146. p. e. santoro, Historia monasterii Carbonensis (Rome 1601). g. robinson, History and Cartulary of the Greek Monastery of St. Elias and St. Anastasius of Carbone, 2 v. in 3 (Rome 1928–30).
[m. petta]