Bl. Peter of Tiferno

Father Peter Cappucci, a Dominican priest from Tiferno, Italy, converted many sinners through his preaching and hearing of confessions. His zeal to save souls impelled him to seek out sinners wherever they were. He was inventive in finding ways to draw them back to God, comforting them in their sorrows, assisting them in their practical needs, and even pleasing them with material things "in order to attract them to the dominion of grace." Father Peter pursued relentlessly two hardened criminals condemned to death who had resisted the efforts of other priests to convert them. In the end, both men were moved to tearful contrition by Father Peter's humble entreaties. On another occasion, Father Peter confronted a sinful young man in the street, warning the youth that his death was imminent, and asking him, "How much longer are you going on adding sin to sin?" When hours later the young man was mortally injured in an accident, he confessed his sins to Father Peter and received absolution before dying. Father Peter died at the age of fifty-five, declaring, "I go to my God," before breathing his last.