Author’s Preface
7 General theme of the work 8 Brother Bernardino’s “curriculum Vitae” 9 He is tasked to write the Chronicle 10 His preparation for the undertaking 11 Love of truth
(7) The Very Reverend Father General of our entire Congregation, Padre Girolamo da Montefiore, enjoined me to write down what I remembered about the more notable things that happened from the beginning of the Congregation until now, that is, the lives, abstinence, miracles and visions of those holy men. Given the scope of this work, the reader should know something about me.
(8) It pleased the Lord God to have me enter the world in 1514, on the feast day of Saint Catherine, Virgin and Martyr. This took place in a castello called Colpetrazzo in the countryside near Todi. My father’s name was Nicolò, of the Croli family in that castello. My mother’s name was Franceschina. She told me many times that when I was born I arrived with a stole of flesh around my neck and across my chest. As a boy of five or six years old or so, I stayed up one winter’s night with many others around the fire. My father was talking about how he had come across an old friend while on a trip into Todi. The person had become a priest and my father hadn’t seen him for many years. My father said to him, “By becoming a Religious you have done better than I.” The Priest answered him, “I have done badly, because no Priest will be saved. All of them are going to hell. Whoever wants to be saved should enter the Order of Saint Francis. They have paradise in this world and in the next.” I was listening to this and said to myself, “I no longer want to be a priest but a Friar. They go to heaven. Lord Jesus Christ, if I must be a Friar, make that ember fall from the grill.” Amazing! I no sooner had the thought than the ember fell. This made such an impression on my heart. From that moment I was determined to be a Friar in the Order of Saint Francis.
I started school and had a great desire to learn. Contrary to most boys, who shunned school, I never wanted anything else. At about twelve years of age, though rather lively and badly behaved, in my heart I still wanted to be a Friar. However, the Zoccolanti Fathers had me wait about four years. They thought I was too young. They put in my hands a book of the Holy Fathers. I read it so eagerly that in the month of May I hid where no one could find me, to read from morning until evening. The lives of those holy men were so inspiring that I wept almost continuously.
It pleased the Lord God that the Very Reverend Padre Tomaso Lallo da Norcia, Minister at the time, accept me into the Zoccolanti friary of Monte Santo at Todi on the vigil of San Bernardino. The following year I received the habit in the friary of Saint Jerome at Gubbio on the 13 April, during the time of Clement VII. My novitiate was under the venerable Master, Padre Felitiano da Foligno. I made profession at the beginning of the new year at Our Lady of the Angels and remained with them from April until Epiphany. On the Sunday in the octave of Epiphany I became a Capuchin. By the grace of God I have lived in this Holy Reform to this day, 14 October 1593.
Our Congregation had begun just a few years earlier, but without growing to more than three or four friars for a period of three years. When I entered there was no friary in the Province of Saint Francis at all, although some had been established there since.
(9) When I was in the friary at Montecasale near Borgo Sansepolcro in 1580 it pleased the Lord God that the Very Rev. Padre Girolamo da Montefiore, General of our Congregation, write to me from Perugia. As I said above he said I should start to write. Once I began I soon had a sizeable volume of things about our Congregation. When that Father was at Corinaldo in the Province of the Marches I sent him the volume. His Paternity wrote back this letter:
Venerable and beloved Father in Christ, greetings! I received the book you sent me concerning the things of our Congregation. I have already read the book and like it very much. I am of the opinion that the work will be very useful. I believe, God willing, that the friars should read it. My own desire is that this be done and so produce the greatest fruit and open the minds of many. The work will be a great encouragement to those dedicated to the pure and true observance of the Rule. However Padre Mario for some time has accepted the task to write about the origin and development of the Congregation over a certain period of time. He has already begun, though he has not included the details of particular Friars except occasionally and briefly. I believe that the first part be left to him, given that he has already had that task until now. He has written very satisfactorily and faithfully. I think the work will result even better. I am of the opinion therefore that the stories about the origin and progress of the Congregation could be removed from your volume and only use those chapters that deal with the life, customs, teaching and miracles of individual friars. These make up the greater part, if not nearly your entire work. Regarding this part, I could not hope for better than what you have written. Nor did I expect such an effort on your part. I only thought that you would inform me briefly about some of the more important things. However, since the Lord has inspired you to produce this complete work, I beg His Majesty to have it bear fruit so that the holy life and the sound admonitions of the holy friars you write about may be imitated in the future. They truly deserve this. I shall take care to have the book copied. When I have done so I shall send you the original, which you may keep with you.
In all this I ask God to reward your efforts and diligence in this work, and I commend myself to your prayers.
From Corinaldo, the 2 March 1580
Affectionately yours,
Fra Girolamo da Monte Fiore, General of the Capuchin Friars
A little later, during the assembly of the General Chapter in Rome, the Most Illustrious Monsignor and the Father General and his Definitors decided that I should complete this work. This appears from the obedience I received from Father General, Fra Giacomo da Mercato Saraceno, as below:
To the Most Venerable Brother in Christ, Padre Bernardino da Colpetrazzo of the Order of Capuchin Friars. Fra Giacomo da Mercato Saraceno, General of the same Order. Greetings.
Our General Chapter, recently celebrated in Rome, decided to revise, correct and arrange for the printing of the Chronicles of our Friars, which Rev. Padre Mario da Mercato Saraceno and you wrote and gathered from your memories. Therefore, with the merit of obedience, you are to go to Rome with the companion whom the Father Vicar of your Province will assign you. With the help of the Reverend Father Procurator of the Order, and of the Guardian in Rome, to whom I give the merit of holy obedience, attend to put these things into good order. Return to your Province as soon as expedite. Pray to God for me.
From Santo Angelo in Vado
18 August 1584
The above mentioned Fra Giacomo, by my own hand.
(10) Holy obedience was the main reason I set myself this task. On the other hand, considering my ignorance, I was rather worried that I would not satisfy the reader by adhering to a fitting style for such a work. However, all the old friars who could have remembered and written with better style had already died. To lose the memories about those great servants of God would be, I believe, a great misfortune. They started our Congregation with holy deeds, preaching and miracles, which shed great light in the Church of God. This work may also benefit those simple persons who wish to imitate the example of those reverend and holy Fathers. It would truly be a great loss to everyone not to know about the beginnings of this Reform and the great zeal and fervour of the early Fathers in imitating Father Saint Francis and the first saints of our Order.
When I began to write the Lord God was pleased to show me that this was His work. I could remember all the details and deeds quite easily, no matter how small they were. I could remember all those facts as if I could actually see them with my bodily eyes. Thanks to Jesus Christ, nature has endowed me with a good memory. I knew all the early Fathers except those who lived in the Congregation for just a short period and died before I met them. What was more important to me was the close acquaintance I had had with those who governed our Congregation in the beginning. Since they loved me very much they told me in confidence about all the secret things that took place both at the Court and in the Chapters. Padre Bernardino d’Asti, Padre Francesco da Iesi and Padre Bernardino da Monte del Olmo were my masters for some time. I knew Padre Matteo and Padre Lodovico da Fossombrone. I became a Capuchin during his leadership. All this was a great asset in recalling the more notable things that occurred in our Congregation.
(11) I will not try to embellish things much. Rather, I will try only to tell the simple truth about those things that I saw with my own eyes or heard from reliable witnesses who saw them. In the Lord God, I hope these small efforts of mine, endured for the love of God and obedience towards my superiors, will not be in vane. For I see in these writings the way of the Lord that those who make such a high profession of the Rule of the Seraphic Francis need to follow. Truly the Capuchin Reform was an image of the original state of the Order at the beginning. The Capuchin Reform represented the life of the holy Apostles and of Saint Francis with his Companions.
I have said all of this to make known my simplicity and the intention and desire I had to benefit my neighbour. To the praise of Jesus Christ and His most fair Mother and our father Saint Francis. Amen.