About the holy man Fra Matteo

80 The birth of Matteo da Bascio 81 His entry to the Order of Zoccolanti 82 The apparition of a Friar “dressed with a pointed cowl” 83 Matteo helps the plague victims in Camerino 84 The support of the dukes of this city 85 His living desire to observe the Franciscan Rule perfectly 86 He feels inspired to wear the true habit of Saint Francis, without wanting to found a Congregation 87 Paoluccio Trinci and Matteo da Bascio

(80) Fra Matteo was from a castle of Bascio, of the Illustrious Lord Counts of Carpegna, and situated with the borders of Montefeltro above the River Marécchia near the Apennines. He was born of poor but God fearing parents. When he was young he went to school for some months and only learned a little basic grammar. Since his father worked in the fields the young fellow could not continue with learning. Nonetheless he was of fine mien and because he knew how to read he applied himself to read spiritual books very attentively. His devotion was such that he was a good example to everyone. Everyone thought he would become a Religious since he always remained apart and fled from the activities of the other young men.

(81) As it pleased the Lord God, when he was about seventeen years of age, the Holy Spirit touched him and he decided to leave the world. One day he went off to San Sisto, a place not far from his home. The Zoccolanti Fathers of the Province of the Marches have a friary there called Montefiorentino. He revealed his desire to become a Friar to the Fathers these. These sent him to the Father Minister at the time who received him with great kindness and gave the name Fra Matteo. Clothed in the habit and under the care of a master he made great progress in the spiritual life. In his simplicity, his promptness to obey and his other virtues made him a mirror and guide for all the others. Once he became a priest however he grew in such fervour, spirit and the zeal to observe his Rule that he astonished them as he didn’t want to wear anything than just the one habit. Because the Order did not practise patching the outside of the habit, except for small pieces, this e servant of God sewed patched the inside to shield himself from the cold. In this way he protected himself. He fasted almost continuously. With great dedication he did the forty day fasts that Father Saint Francis used to do and on the vigil of the feasts of Our Lady and of the Lord he fasted on bread and water. Except when obedience saw him occupied in some task, he always remained secluded, practising holy prayer continuously. However, he thought he did not have the opportunity to dedicate himself to the spirit as much as he wanted so he began to think about finding a way to be able to perfectly observe the Rule he had promised to God. For many months he strove earnestly in prayer so that God might enlighten him.

(82) Behold, his prayers were not in vain but reached the ears of the compassionate God. This servant of God was sent one day for some servie outside the friary. It is believed that Father Saint Francis, dressed in a habit with the pointed cowl, appeared to him, but without saying anything. Matteo always had the custom of travelling at a short distance from his companion, and so he was going along by himself. He was occupyied at some good thought when with his bodily eyes he clearly saw a Friar dressed in the Capuchin habit a little ahead of him along the road. The Friar was going on and off the road. Amazed at this, the servant of God hurried to catch up with him, but in vain. The Friar suddenly disappeared. This apparition occurred to him many times over the period of some months. I heard this from our early Fathers shortly after all this took place. They told me they heard about it from Fra Matteo’s own mouth.

While this vision lasted the servant of God began to think the Friar was Father Saint Francis who wanted show him something. The shape of that habit really had to be precisely the one worn by Father Saint Francis and the rest of the Order. An intense desire arose in Matteo to know if that was the habit Saint Francis wore. Consequently, after discussing the matter often with the old Friars, he had a hazy idea that it was the habit worn in the beginning.

(83) As the Lord would have it, a great plague came to the city of Camerino and many other parts of Christendom in 1523. At the time Fra Matteo was in the friary of the Zoccolanti Fathers at Camerino. Enkindled with an deep desire to die for Christ, having seen what the great servant of God Bernardine of Siena had done, he went to see the Father Guardian of that friary. With great fervour and tears he begged his Guardian to grant him the merit of holy obedience and so with his blessing go to serve the infected. The Guardian well knew Fra Matteo’s good and holy life and exemplary conversation were as those of a man proven in the spiritual life. So he gave Fra Matteo his blessing and the merit of holy obedience. Elated, and as an outstanding example for the whole city, with Fra Matteo straight away set himself to serve the infected attentively and provide bodily food for them and attend to their other needs. More important to him however was to serve them spiritual food. He encouraged them to receive the most holy Sacraments and to give back what belonged to others. For the many people who had been abandoned he provided for their every need. If they had no one to bury them, he did so with his own hands. He heard their confessions and ministered all the other Sacraments to them. Then at the hour of death he comforted them wonderfully. The example and welcome help that this servant of God gave to the city was such that everyone regarded him as a saint.

(84) At that time the Most Illustrious Lord Duke John Mary Varano and by his consort the Duchess Caterina Cibo, niece of Pope Clement, governed the city of Camerino. When the plague was over, the service done by this servant of God for the infected was very highly regarded, especially for his care for two particular gentlemen who were very dear to the Duchess Caterina. By the grace of God, in the hands and care of Fra Matteo, they were freed of the plague and healthy.

With the plague over, the servant of God Fra Matteo returned to his friary. The Lady Duchess had him called and she spoke with him. “You deserve so much, Fra Matteo, that I don’t know how I will ever be able to thank you enough in recognition of your service in taking care of my city in such extreme need – particularly the two gentlemen who attribute their lives to God and to you. Hence I beg you and command you – if I may command you – to make your needs known to me. If I can be of help in anything I would like to reward you in some way. I have no other desire than to do you good. I would like to reward you in some way. I regret that I don’t know what to offer you which may be acceptable to you because of your life of poverty. I can only say this. If there is ever anything I can do for you or your Order, you would give me the greatest pleasure if make your need known to me.”

The servant of God Fra Matteo answered, “My Lady, thank you for your offers. Everything I have done was for the pure love of God, and I do not seek any reward for it on earth. However, I know one day you will be able to help me very much.” He was hinting ironically to her about his desire to receive her support with His Holiness, her uncle, so that he might go into seclusion so as to live perfectly the Rule he had promised to God.

The Duchess answered, “I am ready now and always to assist you in your needs. And I hold you obliged to give me the opportunity to do some good for you, because I want this very much.”

(85) And so he left the Duchess. His yearning to find a way to observe the Rule perfectly increased. Nevertheless he persevered in the practice of holy prayer that he had begun. Shedding many tears he begged the Lord continuously to give him the opportunity to imitate Father Saint Francis perfectly. I heard this from the early Fathers who were with him. After that vision mentioned above, he became so enthusiastic for the perfect observance of the Rule that he seemed to become restless. He went about like someone euphoric with the love of God. Conversation with Friars and seculars had become so difficult for him that he was never seen in public places. He would always slip away instead to either the church, his cell or the woods. While thinking about the wonderful life our early Fathers led in such lofty poverty he used to weep almost continuously. He said himself, “Fra Matteo, you are not like Father Saint Francis but more like a counterfeit Religious. Where is the observance of that exalted poverty you promised to God? Unlike a poor Religious you stay in cosy friaries like a gentleman in a beautiful palace. You dress well in fine and beautiful cloth. How many poor people there are who are better than you! They go naked and poorly dressed. The same for food. You daintily eat fine foods and as much as you want. The poor don’t even have bread. You sleep in a comfortable bed while contemplating the one on which your Lord died. You are honoured. Christ and his members are despised. Where is the imitation of Father Saint Francis and those early Fathers who lived their lives with such strict poverty?”

(86) Recollecting himself with these thoughts he said to himself, “I will never be happy nor ever rest while I do not wear the habit my Lord showed me.” With many tears he begged God to show him more clearly what He wanted him to do. On one occasion, when he was in the church praying and stayed on longer than usual, he felt very enlightened inwardly, as if the Holy Spirit revealed to his mind that the Friar he had seen in the apparition was Father Saint Francis. Wishing to imitate him then, he adopted that habit which he saw Saint Francis wear. By this revelation, our Lord God showed that He wanted as the habit of the Order and which had been forgotten for such a long time. Feeling enlightened by God that this was His will, he began to dream of wearing that habit and have it granted him by His Holiness for himself alone. He saw himself going throughout the world preaching, more by example than words, exhorting the people to holy penance just like our Father Saint Francis did with all those Fathers who were his first companions.

He relied very much on a prophecy of Father Saint Francis written in the Book of Conformities. He says that in the last times the Order will lapse from the true observance of the Rule. He strongly exhorts the Friars to be zealous observers of the Rule when that time comes and to take up the itinerant life under obedience to His Holiness. They are to go throughout the world exhorting the people to good works and edify every everyone with the best example after withdrawing into the woods for some months for holy contemplation.

(87) This was Fra Matteo’s proposal that he requested from Pope Clement, as will be told later. He held fast to this way of life until he died. However the Lord God who governs all things wanted him to be the occasion for other Friars, who appeared because of the example of Fra Matteo, to undertake the Reform. God intervened with the Capuchins as happened with the Congregation of the Zoccolanti Fathers. Backed by his relative, the lord of Foligno, Fra Paoluccio of Foligno was moved by zeal for the observance of the Rule and asked for a house in Brogliano. He received it for himself from the General of the whole Order alone so as to remain withdrawn in the perfect observance of the Rule. It was not his intention to do another Reform. As it pleased the Lord, however, many Friars in the body of the Order were moved by the example of this holy man and carried out that holy Reform. Being men of authority, adorned with holiness and learning, they nevertheless brought the Reform to perfection, despite severe opposition. In the same way, many venerable Fathers from the body of the Order were moved by the example of Fra Matteo and they began the Congregation of Capuchins. Since they were men of authority also, they advanced this holy Reform, as will be told more fully later. Clearly we can know clearly from this that God made that the Capuchin Reform. For it was set in motion legitimately with the authority and support of Holy Church, and because at that beginning, before those venerable Fathers came, it was guided by such weak instruments amid so many serious persecutions. Amen.