Born in Italy in the late 13th century his birth name was Corrado Confalonieri and he was from a family of nobles. 

One day, when he was hunting, he ordered his servants to set a fire to flush out game, but the fire spread rapidly causing great destruction to the fields and forests of the area. 

A peasant who happened to be in the area was arrested and condemned to death. Seeing this, Conrad confessed that he had started the fire. 

His life was spared but was stripped of his wealth. Conrad was devastated and so was his wife. 

After much prayer, they decided to separate and give their lives to The Lord. She joined the Poor Clares and Conrad became a hermit near his hometown. 

His reputation as a holy man of God grew rapidly and soon a great number of pilgrims were coming to see him so he moved on, ultimately finding a remote spot in Sicily where he found a grotto and lived for many years. 

In 1343, after much prayer, Conrad felt called to serve The Lord’s people more directly, so he went to a nearby hospital, St. Martin’s, to care for the sick. But, when he could get away, Conrad would still slip away to his grotto. 

He died on this day in Sicily in 1351. 

St. Conrad of Piacenza, please pray for us.