Antony Neyrot (1420–1460)

Biography

He joined the Dominicans of Florence and at that time in his life he did not stand out precisely for his fervor. On a trip from Sicily to Naples he was captured by some corsairs and taken to Tunisia. He embraced Islam and married, but neither his new religion nor his new marital status made him happy. Learning from Genoese merchants that his teacher Saint Antoninus had died and worked miracles, he began to entrust himself to his intercession and obtained the grace to convert. He resumed his Dominican habit, and set out to tour the city of Tunis, proclaiming his Christian faith. As he wept for his sins on his knees before the executioner, the impatient crowd pounced on him and killed him. Then they paraded his body through the streets. Antony soon became venerated as a martyr in Italy and Clement XIII confirmed his cult in 1767.