Venerable
Venerable Vitalis of Castronovo
ок. 900 — 994
Venerable Vitalis of Castronovo (c. 900-994) — a South Italian monastic ascetic of the Italo-Greek (Basilian) tradition, hermit and wandering wonderworker.
Venerable Vitalis of Castronovo was born around 900 in Castronuovo di Sicilia. He belonged to the South Italian (Italo-Greek, Basilian) monastic tradition widespread in Calabria and Sicily under Byzantine-rite influence. He led a strict hermit's life, traveling widely through southern Italy — in Calabria and Lucania — founding small monastic communities and becoming known for the gift of wonderworking and prophecy. He was spiritually close to other South Italian ascetics of his time, including St. Nilus of Rossano. He died in 994 at about ninety-four years of age at the monastery he had founded near Turione, Lucania.