Today, March 4, is the memorial of Blessed Romeo.
Carmelite friar.
Also known as Romaeus, he was already fixed on God early in life. He decided to pursue his vocation in the hopes of going against the ways of the world. He entered the Order of Carmelites and set about leading a life of virtue.
His obvious holiness caught the attention of St. Avertanus, himself a holy Carmelite, who was going on a pilgrimage to Christianity’s holy places. Avertanus knew that having Romeo as a travel companion would be spiritually fruitful for both of them. Their superiors agreed to this idea, and thus Romeo and Avertanus went on their journey.
Their travel had many difficulties—human and natural dangers—but their faith in God, that He would protect them, kept them going. While they were going their way, they would discuss the lives of the saints and the Gospels. At times they would be so absorbed in meditating about the spiritual life that they would fall into ecstasy while walking.
They were able to visit the holy places of Rome, venerating the relics and the places where the martyrs died. While on pilgrimage, they experienced a plague that swept through Europe, killing Avertanus in the process.
Romeo died of the same cause eight days later in 1380, as some records say. It was reported that before he died, he saw in a vision Jesus and many saints, Avertanus among them, welcoming him to Heaven. He was beatified by Pope Gregory XVI.