OMOBONO, saint. — He lived in the second half of the 12th century and died on 13 November 1197. A merchant by profession in Cremona, he was a man of much prayer and great charity, especially towards the poor, whom he also supported in his own home; he likewise laboured to bring peace to the city.
At his death, which occurred while he was attending Holy Mass, many miracles followed; therefore the bishop of Cremona, Sicardo, obtained his canonization from Innocent III little more than a year after his death. The bull Quia pietas of 12 January 1199, in which the Pontiff proclaims him a saint, is of interest for its description of the procedure followed in canonization. Devotion to the Saint also spread to France, Germany, and many cities of Italy; he is invoked as patron of merchants and often also of tailors. Feast: 13 November.