August 14
Antonio Primaldo and companions (†1480)
Martyrs
Practical advice
Affirm your faith today naturally in a specific situation, without aggressiveness but without hiding it for fear of other people's opinions.
Biography
Antonio Primaldo and numerous inhabitants of Otranto were murdered for refusing to renounce Christ after the Ottoman conquest of the city in 1480. After a harsh siege, the invaders took Otranto and offered their lives to the male captives if they abandoned the Christian faith. Antonio Primaldo, an elderly craftsman, spoke on behalf of everyone and urged them to remain faithful. Nearly eight hundred prisoners ratified their decision and were led to martyrdom on August 14. Their collective testimony expresses the strength of a simple community that preferred to lose its life rather than deny the Lord.