Peter González was born in 1190 in the kingdom of León, in present-day Spain. He was from a wealthy family, was well-educated, and went into the priesthood because it seemed like the thing to do. Butler avers, however, that young Peter was “a stranger to the spirit of disengagement and humility which ought essentially to accompany” embracing the life of a priest. It appears that although Peter was free of any overt vices, he primarily enjoyed the status, the pomp, the flashy robes, the gold and silver, and all the incense and rituals (smells and bells) that went with the job.

It took an accident while riding a horse (reminiscent of Paul-then-Saul on the road to Damascus) where Peter landed on his rump in the mud to make him take a deeper look at his life, his motivations, and his calling. Butler recounts, “This humiliation made the young gentleman enter into himself, and with remorse to condemn his own vanity, and fondness of applause, which deserved a much worse disgrace.” In short, Peter was brought up short.

Rather than talk to friends and family (who no doubt would have said something like “you simply got thrown by your horse–your thinking is fuzzy”), Peter went into self-imposed solitude to get his own act together. After a period of self-examination, he decided to join the Order of St. Dominick. Once Peter resurfaced, family and nobles and everyone who knew and groomed Peter for glory came to him to talk him out of this pathway and to return to his more exalted parish work (which would lead to eventual bishopry and who knows what else). He rebuffed their suggestions and entreaties and told them to leave him alone in his new life.

And it is in this new life that Peter found both enormous success and astounding temptations. Peter’s niche ministry was in preaching the Gospel to libertines–to people who enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh and who had no use for (and often no background with) churches. He brought many of them to look for a life of value and meaning in Christian devotion, no doubt by sharing his own life story of shallowness that he exchanged for something deeper and more meaningful, and by actively caring for these very people!

Not surprisingly, Peter’s words also struck some of the people he preached to in a very negative way. They felt attacked for their choices and struggled against his message–this included both libertines and those who engaged in ministry for the sake of honor, glory, and status! One instance that Butler describes involves a courtesan (prostitute) that some very influential people offered a huge amount of money if she could seduce Peter.

To gain a private audience with him, the courtesan stated–with tears and a downcast countenance–that she wished to repent of her ways and that she needed Peter’s private counsel to help set her on the right path. Upon getting alone with Peter, the prostitute fell to her knees, began her confession but then quickly began to, shall we say, attempt to relate to the saint in more salacious manners. Peter quickly excused himself to go into another room, whereupon he wrapped himself in an additional outer garment and then threw himself upon burning coals in his fireplace (yes, you read that right). Then, from the fire in that room, Peter called out to the woman to join him there…which she presumed was an invitation to sexual intercourse. When she came in the room, she beheld Peter, and saw that he was amongst the flames but that neither his clothes nor he had caught fire (like the burning bush Moses came upon). This caused this woman to cast herself on the ground and truly repent of all her past life and of the plot she was presently engaged in to bring about Peter’s downfall.

After this, Peter continued to spend his time with societal outcasts, expanding his outreach to sailors. Among the Spanish and Portuguese mariners, he picked up a nickname: Elmo! Although it is unclear how “Peter” became “Elmo” (sometimes “Telmo”)–though, consider how Pepe is often a nickname for José–he became the patron saint for Spanish and Portuguese sailors in distress. More than anything, Peter/Elmo was someone who sought out and found value in those that people that the church looked down upon…and this caused him to become particularly beloved by these people.

Giving people respect, regarding them as your own equal on all levels…this sure makes a difference!