Saint Felix Of Cantalice (1515 - 1587).
Capuchin Friar.
Artist:
Circle of Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640).
Date: 17th-Century.
Source/Photographer:
(Wikimedia Commons)
Text from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless stated otherwise.
Saint Felix of Cantalice, OFMCap (Italian: Felice da Cantalice; 18 May 1515 – 18 May 1587) was an Italian Capuchin Friar of the 16th-Century.
Canonised by Pope Clement XI in 1712, he was the first Capuchin Friar to be named a Saint.
He worked as a Shepherd and Farm-Hand until he was twenty-eight.
His task as a Capuchin was to beg Alms for the Friars. So successful was he, that Brother Felix was able to extend his collections to assist the Poor.
Church of Saint Felix of Cantalice,
Neustadt, Germany.
Date: 1907.
This File: 2 September 2019.
User: SteinsplitterBot
This File is licensed under the
Share Alike 4.0 International licence.
Author: Felix Mader.
(Wikimedia Commons)
Felix was the third of four sons born to Santi and Santa Porri. They were poor Farmers. About the age of ten, Felix was hired out, first as a Shepherd to a family at Cittàducale, where he later worked as a Farm-Hand. Until the age of twenty-eight, he worked as a Farm Labourer and Shepherd.
He developed the habit of Praying while he worked. One day, while ploughing a field, something spooked the Oxen and he fell.
He was trampled, the plough passing over his body. However, he arose uninjured, and, in gratitude, immediately entered a Capuchin Monastery.[1]
Toward the end of Autumn 1543, Felix entered the newly-founded Capuchin Friars as a Lay Brother at the Citta Ducale Friary in the municipality of Anticoli Corrado.
Toward the end of Autumn 1543, Felix entered the newly-founded Capuchin Friars as a Lay Brother at the Citta Ducale Friary in the municipality of Anticoli Corrado.
It is said that he was well-noted for his piety. In 1547, he was sent to Rome as Quaestor of the Capuchin Friary of Saint Bonaventure, where he spent his remaining forty years begging Alms to help in the Friars’ work of aiding the Sick and the Poor.[2]
In Rome, Brother Felix became a familiar sight, wandering barefoot through the streets, with a Sack slung over his shoulders, knocking on doors to seek donations.
In Rome, Brother Felix became a familiar sight, wandering barefoot through the streets, with a Sack slung over his shoulders, knocking on doors to seek donations.
The Vision of Saint Felix of Cantalice.
Our Blessed Lady appears to our Saint
and shows The Infant Jesus.
Artist: Carlo Ceresa (1609–1679).
Date: 1644.
Collection: Chiesa San Giorgio Martire.
This File: 9 June 2011.
User: JarektUploadBot.
Source/Photographer: Web Gallery of Art.
(Wikimedia Commons)
He received permission from his superiors to help the needy, especially widows with many children. It is said that his Begging Sack was as bottomless as his heart.[3]
Brother Felix Blessed all benefactors and all those he met with a humble “Deo Gratias”(“Thanks be to God”), causing many to refer to him as “Brother Deo Gratias”.[4]
Felix was so successful in his work that during the famine of 1580, the political leader of Rome asked the Capuchins if they would “lend” Felix to them so he could collect food and provisions for the entire City. The Capuchins agreed and Felix embraced his new task.[5]
He Preached in the street, rebuked corrupt politicians and officials, and exhorted young men to stop leading dissolute lives. He also composed simple teaching Canticles, and arranged for children to gather in groups to sing them as a way to teach them the Catechism.[2]
The plain-spoken Brother Felix was a good friend of Saint Philip Neri and an acquaintance of Saint Charles Borromeo.[6]
He Preached in the street, rebuked corrupt politicians and officials, and exhorted young men to stop leading dissolute lives. He also composed simple teaching Canticles, and arranged for children to gather in groups to sing them as a way to teach them the Catechism.[2]
The plain-spoken Brother Felix was a good friend of Saint Philip Neri and an acquaintance of Saint Charles Borromeo.[6]
Felix developed a reputation as a healer.[3] As he got older, his superior ordered him to wear sandals to protect his health.[7]
Cardinal Santori had offered to use his influence to have the elderly Felix relieved of the difficult task of questing, but Felix refused.[6]
Felix died in Rome in 1587 on his 72nd birthday and was buried in the Crypt of the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini.[6]
Felix died in Rome in 1587 on his 72nd birthday and was buried in the Crypt of the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini.[6]
He was Beatified on 1 October 1625 by Pope Urban VIII and Canonised on 22 May 1712 by Pope Clement XI.[5]
The Bull of Canonisation, “Rationi Congruit”, was published by Pope Benedict XIII on 4 June 1724.[8]
His Feast Day is Celebrated in the Calendar of Saints of the Franciscan Order on 18 May.
A Titular Church in Rome was erected in his honour, San Felice da Cantalice a Centocelle
In 19th-Century Poland, the Felician Sisters, a Religious Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of the Third Order Regular, was Founded to care for the Poor and adopted him as their Patron Saint.
Painting in the Church of Santa Maria della
Concezione dei Cappuccini, Rome. Saint Felix
of Cantalice is shown The Infant Jesus by Our Lady.
Photo: 29 January 2015.
Source: Own work.
This File is licensed under the
3.0 Unported licence.
Author: Dguendel
(Wikimedia Commons)
A Titular Church in Rome was erected in his honour, San Felice da Cantalice a Centocelle
In 19th-Century Poland, the Felician Sisters, a Religious Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of the Third Order Regular, was Founded to care for the Poor and adopted him as their Patron Saint.
Felix is usually represented in art as holding in his arms the Infant Jesus, because of a vision he is said to have had, when the Virgin appeared to him and placed Jesus in his arms.[2]
Pope Saint John Paul II observed that Felix is “shown bearing the Infant Jesus in his arms because, in bearing the burdens of the needy, he had carried in his arms the Poor Christ, Himself.”[9]
No comments:
Post a Comment