There is no entirely dependable information about the life of the glorious San Calogero and so it has never been possible to reconstruct his life. There are, however, two sources that may give us some idea:
1) the hymns of Sergio, a monk in the monastery of Mount Cronio near Sciacca, composed in the second half of the 9th Century. These hymns seem to have been written and sung on occasion of the saint’s feast (which, according to Roman martyrology falls on 18th June) in front of a throng of men and monks, gathered together despite the threatening pressure of the Arabs;
2) the 12 letters inserted in the Roman Breviary, introduced in Sicily under the Normans. These letters, dating back to some time between the end of the 11th Century and the end of the 12th Century, speak of the life of San Calogero.
Both sets of documents were written for liturgical reasons, describing the life and profound spirituality of one of Sicily's most popular saints. From a comparison between the two sources, a series of questions and incongruencies were found, but which, thanks to recent critical-historical interpretations, seem to have been explained.
The name Calogero, which, etymologically speaking, derives from "beautiful old man", was used to refer to those who lived as hermits. It follows the Greek ideal of beauty - that which is beautiful is also just and good. So, the term "Calogeri", in the east and south of Italy referred to hermit monks. This factor and an incorrect interpretation of the aforementioned documents, induced certain scholars to think that there was more than one Saint Calogero in Sicily. This partly explains the confusion that surround the life of the saint and the various traditions associated with his cult.
In reality the Saint Calogero who is venerated all over Sicily is the one from Sciacca.

The hymns of Sergio give a correct account of the Saint’s life. He fled from Calcedonia, in the period of the Acacian schism around 484 - 519, alongside his companions Demetrio and Gregorio, so as to avoid persecution for their belief in the Trinity. They arrived at Lilibeo, modern-day Marsala, which was an important trade port.
They continued their preaching in Sicily, divulging an Orthodox cult of the Trine God and, although sources are not complete, it appears that soon Demetrio and Gregorio were martyred.
San Calogero, after having roamed around Sicily, retired up Mount Cronio above the town of Sciacca. He continued his catechisms and promoted the devotion of his martyred companions. The figure of San Calogero fighting against the devils, of Saint Calogero the ascetic, and of Saint Calogero the missionary and miracle-maker are outlined clearly in the Hymns of Sergio. They explain how his great charisma attracted thousands of believers. On Mount Cronio, today known as Mount San Calogero, the Saint lived most of his life and died.

The Roman breviary was written in the 11th Century and was the only testament to the life of the saint before the Hymns of Sergio were unearthed in the convent of Fragalà in the 1700s by P. Ottavio Gaetani. In contrast to the Hymns, the breviary provides more information about the traditions of the popular cult of San Calogero, which dates back to the chaos of Muslim times.

For a more detailed description of these texts and to better understand the life of San Calogero we recommend the following books:

• "S. CALOGERO Storia del culto a San Salvatore di Fitalia e nella valle del fiume Fitalia."
Autori: A. Pettignano - S. Ruggeri
Edizione Nebros (1984 - San Salvatore di Fitalia).

• "S. CALOGERO EREMITA"
Autori: F. Rizzo
Tipografia Cali (1961 - Genova)

• "S. Calogero patrono di San Salvatore di Fitalia (notizie - preghiere - inni)"
A cura di: don F. Pisciotta
Litografia A. Trischitta (2001 - San Salvatore di Fitalia)

Antonello Pettignano, Francesco Rizzo and Don Franceso Pisciotta, all natives of San Salvatore di Fitalia, write about the Saint. The first deals mainly with the history, the second with folklore and the third with religious aspects.

The cult from Sciacca to the Nebrodi

In the second half of the 9th Century, when Sergio composed his Hymns, the Arabs were present in Sicily but Christians still managed to celebrate their cult. During the period immediately after the composition of the Hymns, Christians in the Val di Mazzara area finally succumbed to the pressure of the Arabs, while those of Val di Demenna (the Valle del Fitalia) resisted until 964-65. The fortress of Demanna, along with Rametta and Taormina, held out against the Arabs and survived their dominion until the arrival of the Normans in 1061.
The cult of San Calogero arrived in the Valle del Fitalia, therefore, around the 10th Century. At the same time, the relics of San Calogero and his companions Demetrio and Gregorio arrived, along with the Hymns of Sergio, the only written testament to the life of the Saint. They were taken to the Basilian Monastery of San Filippo di Fragalà or Demenna (a convent situated in the commune of Frazzanò in the Nebrodi Mountains), which had also managed to resist the Arab incursion.

The Cult arrives at San Salvatore di Fitalia

There are very few written accounts of the arrival of the reliquaries of San Calogero at San Salvatore di Fitalia. Oral tradition has, in time, developed the story into something of a legend.
The most valid account, however, and that which has been supported by historical research, is that described in the following text, taken from a book written by the scholars A. Pettignano and S. Ruggieri:

"...On the occasion of the annual feast, some of the reliquaries of San Calogero are allowed, thanks to the permission granted in a written document, to be venerated by the faithful, who come from all around to San Salvatore. The reliquaries are taken through the streets in a procession accompanied by the monks of Fragalà. The procession goes as far as Contrada Duruso, on the boundary of the Commune, where the ancient little church of San Giovanni still stands, though today it is privately owned. They were then handed over to the clergy and the people of San Salvatore, who triumphantly transported them to the Church of San Francesco D'Assisi annexed to the Convent of the Frati Minori Conventuali, where there is the Chapel of San Calogero. Once the celebrations are over, the relic is returned to the Monks of Fragalà. In an unknown year of the 17th Century, or the first decades of the 18th Century, the reliquaries were transferred, seemingly without any written document of approval, and the people of San Salvatore thought it better not to return them. In 1724, an artistic reliquary, still existing today, was built for the precious relic that had found its home in the territory. The next year, on Sunday 19th August, at the feast of the Patron, Saint Calogero, Mons. Pietro Galletti, Bishop of Patti, sealed the reliquary with a pastoral decree. As of today, the seals have never been broken".

The first written documents recording the cult of San Calogero at San Salvatore di Fitalia date back to 1537, and can be found in the "Synodical Constiutions" of the then Bishop of Patti. In 1615 a convent was built by the Order of San Francesco, annexed to the Chapel dedicated to the cult of the Saint. From that time, devotion to the great miracle-maker spread throughout the entire Nebrodi area and the faithful showed their appreciation for the Saint's mediation with votive offerings, donations of property and income from rent. Towards the middle of the 1800s, a landslide destroyed the area around the old chapel. A new, much larger Sanctuary was planned that could contain the numerous pilgrims that arrived in the town.
In the new church, inaugurated in 1901, the late 17th Century statue of San Calogero is placed in the wall of the apse.
Even though San Calogero never lived in these places, the link between him and the people of the Nebrodi is extremely strong. Here, as on Mount Cronio, devotion is unfailing and thousands of pilgrims come to pay their respects. The saint is an integral part of the daily life of the people of San Salvatore di Fitalia, who for generations have prayed to him for help with both small and serious problems. In the eyes of his devotees, one can see great, moving, affection and devotion. The invocation "O San Calorio" often punctuates the speech of the townsfolk, used as an expression of amazement, commiseration or cry for help. The great charisma of the Saint, who was a "doctor of the spirit and of the body" is still very much alive, providing strong dogmatic and moral values for thousands of believers.
San Calogero is, therefore, still alive in the Christian hearts of the Nebrodi.