About the persecutions the Fathers of Calabria suffered in the same year of 1532

304 Papal Brief against the Calabrian Capuchins 305 The tribulations begin 306 They hide in the mountains 307 Brother Peter of Seminara 308 Padre Ludovico of Reggio consoled and healed by Saint Francis 309 New troubles 310 Eulogy of the Duke and Duchess of Nocera 311 The Papal Brief is presented to the Duke

(304) In the month of August that same year (1532) a Prelate of a certain Order reached Rome. As soon as he arrived he began to show the bitterness of wormwood and bile that he bore in his breast against the poor Capuchins. However, for the sake of just vengeance and good bearing, the most just God worked it that he be removed from his office of Prelature. But before this privation took place I can tell you that he exercised tongue and hands against the poor Capuchins.

He gave such a bad and wicked report about the rest of us to the Supreme Pontiff that he obtained a Brief against us. It was full of lightning bolts and excommunications, not only against the Capuchin Friars of Calabria, but it was similarly against those who accepted them, or kept, supported, spoke with or gave alms to them or in any other way had dealings with them. This Brief arrived and Padre Ludovico of Reggio received notice of it. So that the Friars would not be found and issued the excommunication and then taken and imprisoned, as happened to some of them later, he divided the poor fellows into two groups. One he sent to Filogassio to stay in the palace of the Lord Duke. The other he sent off into the woods and the hermitage of Saint Elias, situated in the mountains of Galatro. Formerly it was a monastery of Monks of Saint Basil but then abandoned.

(305) I am compelled to stop here somewhat to show what God had done many years before in order to reveal this matter to the world. An old farmer of that region told this to a Friar. He used to work in certain fields near the hermitage. Often at midday a fair youth appeared to him dressed in a capuchin habit. Once he said to him, “Know that here, years into the future, certain Friars will come out from here who will wear their habit in the way you see that I do. They will save themselves in this hermitage.” Once he said these words, the young man disappeared. The old man used to tell about these things by did not understand what it meant. When the Capuchin Friars came later he remembered the vision and he quite openly told anyone who wanted to hear about it. One of the old man’s sons became a Capuchin Friar and when Father Marius was in Calabria in 1567 that Friar was still living. He was called Brother Anthony of Castelvetro.

Let us return to the earlier story. Father Vicar Padre Ludovico sent one part of our poor Friars to this hermitage. As I have already mentioned, the other part was in Filogassio, except for the Father Vicar and his companion. They stayed in the church of Saint Anthony outside Panaia, where the Friars dwelt all together until the Lord Duke built them a friary. When the excommunication came, the Provincial of certain Friars adverse to us made two companies of his Friars. One he sent the mountain of Galatro and the hermitage. The other he sent to Panaia and the church of Saint Anthony. He knew that there were Capuchins in each place.

(306) Now hear what the kind Father God did, he who always takes particular care of his beloved children. One part of those Friars went towards the above-mentioned hermitage to apprehend, bind and lead off to prison the poor fellows there. No one knew about the intention of this company. However, when they were about five or six miles away from the hermitage, the voice of a shepherd went up. Crying as loudly as he could, he said, “Flee, Capuchin Friars because you’re your enemies are coming to get you!” When another shepherd heard that voice he cried out in the same way. From person to person, voice to voice, so to speak, the news arrived in a moment to the Friars who were in the hermitage. Hence they departed that house quickly and were saved while the inflamed persecutors were still four or five miles away. When those twenty angry Friars arrived they didn’t find anyone, except a little bread and some grapes. The Capuchin Friars left these behind as they departed so that when the others arrived tired they could give succour to their afflicted nature with those few simple and poor foods and catch their breath. They did this gladly. Having taken the food, thus tricked, they didn’t know what to do next or where to go to catch those poor fellows.

(307) Now hear what the Lord God did to show his kindness towards the one who with simplicity and through ignorance makes a mistake, thinking he is doing the right thing; and also to confound the proud ready to do evil knowingly. Those adverse Friars had with them one of their novices called Brother Peter of Seminara. I Brother Marius not only knew him but spoke with him about these things at length. When this novice arrived with the other Friars at hermitage and saw with what strictness and poverty those Capuchin Friars lived, he began to think that that was the true life that real Friars of Saint Francis should live. Thinking about this he turned to the others and said to them, “I don’t want to be one of your Friars any more. I want to become of these poor fellows because I am that they are true sons of Saint Francis.” Once said he left in a flash and went off to find the Capuchin Friars. He searched for them and found them and they received him. He was always a very good Friar. In the time when I spoke with him he was an old man. And thus those clever men returned home without their novice and without the prey they wish.

(308) The other company sent by that Superior went straight to Panaia at the same time as the other one that went to Galatro. In the same way God offered the same help to those in the church (or the house of the church of Saint Anthony that is) which he had already given to the other sons of his. Padre Ludovico was there alone with his companion. That mob was well equipped with clubs, arms and with other instruments that they use to take men. As it approached they met a boy. When he saw them, without saying anything, he started to run as fast as he could and quickly arrived at Saint Anthony. When he arrived, he said, “Flee, Capuchin Friars, your enemies are coming to get you.” The boy told them about the people he had seen in such good order. Padre Ludovico then said to his companion, “Flee into the wild (since there they were near a large forest)) because I am right behind you to follow you quickly.” Thus said, they went away. Fra Ludovico went to one part and his companion went to another, although they were near to one another so that if one of them was captured the other could give the news to the Lord Duke. As he was fleeing Fra Ludovico wanted to jump over a ditch. Being a little old he fell in it and go up as soon as he could. He hurt his leg. In that anguish Saint Francis appeared to him dressed in the same habit and identified himself as such and said to him, “Go, son, and continue the undertaking you have begun and do not fear anyone because I will always support and help you.” At this, he disappeared. Then, without any injury, Padre Ludovico climbed easily out of the ditch and went even further, more to pray rather than flee the furore of the adversaries.

The others arrived shortly at the place and, not finding the Friars they returned to their convent. After a long interval in the forest and not hearing anything he found his companion who was a short distance from him. Together they went to the Lord Duke at Filogassio and to find the other Friars who stayed there in safety.

Oh great goodness of God, how generous he shows himself in helping those whom he chooses to favour through his mercy and who trust him and turn to him with very firm hope! He showed this particularly with those poor Friars of Calabria by giving them unusual help similar to the beginning.

(309) I have already spoken of the band that went to the hermitage of Saint Elias to take the Friars, and how those who wanted to take them returned confused. Our Friars feared their return and went to dwell in another part of those mountains until that fury passed. Having some information about this, the adversaries again set out to try to capture them. Because a disturbed mind, enduring in anger, never tires until it has put its twisted purpose into effect. Physical exertion can easily tire, but a disordered appetite is never satisfied until it arrives at its desired end. Therefore when the adversaries heard that the Capuchin Friars had found safety elsewhere, they made another company and set out straightaway to where they understood those poor fellows were. However they didn’t exactly know the how to get there. As God wanted however, as they were travelling among those mountains they strayed from the way. Finding themselves in the wilds they didn’t know which way to turn. So His Majesty again wanted to bridle their ferocity and abase their pride by bringing their plan to nothing. They met a youth that knew nothing of this plan and journey. They asked him if he knew where the Capuchin Friars lived. The young man replied, “I certainly know where they live.” They asked him to show them the place because they wanted to go there to become Capuchin Friars with them. Inspired by God, the young man said to them. “Come with me, Fathers, because I will show you where to go in order to find them.” Making himself their guide he took them far away from where the Capuchins were. He led them in the opposite direction and had them walk a good distance to where they would not be able to find them at all. He showed them a distant mountain and said, “Fathers, do you see that mountain? The Capuchin Friars live there. When you come to the summit, turn to the side and there, in some caves, you will find them hiding.” And in this way he led them away many miles from the place. Having said this, he left them, pretending to resume his journey.

The adversaries went and searched that mountain everywhere. They found neither Friars, nor Caves nor any person who would show them the way of the maze and labyrinth of those mountains. Finally tired, lost and hallucinating, after going around for a long time, they returned to their friary in shame.

Their young guide feared that they would meet someone else who would show them where the Capuchins Friars made their abode. So he departed and went to find the Capuchins and told them what had happened and what he had done. The Friars thanked God and him. Fearing the arrival of those people, they left and went to another part. Some of them went to Filogassi to tell everything to Padre Ludovico and the others who stayed with such loving kindness in the place of His Excellency.

(310) It has already been said how, from the beginning, the blessed hands of His Majesty began to plant this little vine of his. With the controversies it had God always surrounded it with a very good hedge. By means of the potentates of the world it was defended from and freed from the cruel hands of those who wanted to uproot it and destroy it. It has been said how the Friars of the Marches and of these other provinces mentioned above were powerfully helped by the Duke and Duchess of Camerino and by Her Ladyship Victoria Colonna, the Marchioness of Pescara, indeed by the whole House of Colonna. That House was truly a solid column and firm support of this Congregation of ours. In the same way, in Calabria the same kind God wanted to help and support those poor fellows and to work particularly through the Duke and Duchess of Nocera, as has been seen already. The Duke had a beautiful, catholic and valiant spirit. So too she was a truly Christian and holy women from the very noble House of Bavaria from which came and still do so many Dukes and Princes of such prominence. As they often said, God had disposed these two Lords to place the whole state and the lives in support of the poor college of Capuchin Friars. They showed this with very good works in a thousand ways, and in particular, sending his Lord Abbot to Rome in order to assist and help this matter alone with His Holiness. The Abbot did a great deal in our favour with His Beatitude.

(311) But before I say any more, it is necessary to return to the adversaries. As I have said, two there were bands, one sent to the hermitage of Galatro and the other to Panaia in order to catch the Capuchins. With hands full of flies, as the saying goes, and without fruit, they returned. Their Superior became more furious than ever. Hearing that the Friars were gathered in Filogassio and were staying in a frank and secure fortress he was furious. Without any respect for that Lord and with out fear of giving scandal to the world, he thought to send two of his Friars to present the papal excommunication to our Friars even in the very palace of the Duke. So he chose two of the most suitable Friars he had. He handed them the excommunication and commissioned them to go to Filogassio and without any respect to that Lord or any other person, to put the excommunication into the hands of our Friars themselves. Then they could not hide behind any excuse. The two were to make it public that these were excommunicated. The two messengers fulfilled their duty and left with the intention of doing everything committed to them, to fulfil in pounds what was commanded them in ounces.

When Padre Ludovico returned from the forest, together with Father George and with Brother John of Terranuova and the other Friars he stayed in the palace of the Duke. The Duke had assigned the poor fellows rooms apart where they stayed easily without failing to do their duty both in the prayers and other activities that belonged to their state and profession. One day they were at prayer when they heard the Duke calling. This was because the two ambassadors had arrived at Filogassio and carried the Brief with them, as already said, in order to serve notice on those poor Capuchins that they were excommunicated. They presented it to them with those protests and ceremonies that are used in doing these sorts of things and also to show that anyone who gave them support in any way was excommunicated, as will be said here below.