About the venerable and holy man Brother Joseph of Ferno, or Milan, priest and preacher

In the beginning many Friars came from the main body of the Order to the Congregation of Capuchins. Among these was Brother Joseph. This servant of God was born to honest but poor parents in the land of Ferno. When he was young he began learning, going to school. He turned out an excellent grammarian.

At about the age of sixteen he took the habit in the Order of Saint Franics where, after attending to study, he turned out a very good theologian. He was well instructed in all the other sciences so that he was Reader in a friary in the city called Pilanza situated above Laco Maggiore.

He heard of the reputation of the Congregation of Capuchins and how many religious as well as seculars came to take up the holy habit of Saint Francis in that Congregation. It pleased it Lord God that one night while he was preparing the lesson he had to give to his students he heard something like a voice that spoke many times to his mind. It said, “Leave here and become a Capuchin.” At first he resisted this, dismissing it as if it were a temptation from the devil because he had never thought of such a thing as changing habits. Nonetheless the good inspiration returned with such efficacy that he, being a learned and judicious man, recognised that it was an inspiration from God who was calling him to the perfect observance of the Rule he had promised. So kneeling on the floor he said with tears, “My Lord, if this is your will that I follow the footsteps of the Seraphic Father in that Reform, I am ready to do what your want.”

It was amazing, for as soon as he gave his consent to that good inspiration he felt the desire to become a Capuchin burn so much that from then on he could not rest anywhere. When he was discussing the matter in secret with some of his acquaintances he found the same desire in some of the others in that friary. These five were Brother Angelus, his brother and a cleric at the time; Brother Francis of Novara; Brother Jerome and Brother Egidius of Arona, a lay friar. These five decided to come to the Capuchins. One night they took a boat and came to Milan. The boatman saw them leaving at night and said, “Are you running away from your Order?” Brother Joseph replied, “We are not leaving it but entering it more than ever.” When they arrived in Milan the Capuchins received them and they persevered in a holy way within the Congregation.

Brother Joseph therefore received from God the gift of preaching for he was one of the most effective preachers there were among the Capuchins in his time. He was not a man of great austerity because he wasn’t healthy. However he was very zealous about the observance of the Rule. He ate very little and was a man of great prayer. He wasn’t much in administration but it was obvious that this was his vocation: to preach. He exercised himself in this until his death.

Hence while he was preaching in Milan with great approval the city was in the midst of great travails at the time because of wars, for the French usually rode out against the town each year and gave that city a lot of trouble. While preaching in the pulpit Brother Joseph promised them that if they attended the Forty Hours God would free them from wars. The assemble senate promised Brother Joseph to order, with the Archbishop of the time, that the Prayer be done there. Brother Joseph organised it therefore and the Prayer was done with great devotion and so the holy Prayer attended with great devotion throughout Italy today began under the organisation of this holy man. It is amazing that since then until today the city of Milan has not had any wars of importance. Because of this, seeing the great fruit, they gave orders that the Forty Hours be attended all year and that it be done n all the Churches of Milan. So it happened because as soon as it was finished in one Church it transferred to another. He preached in nearly all the cities of Lombardy and organised that Prayer in all of them.

He was very kind and had great charity towards his neighbour. He received from God much grace if making peace because there was not peace so complex and heavily qualified that he didn’t do.

He came to the Province of Saint Francis where the Lord God worked many miraculous things through his preaching. He also preached in Tuscany, especially in the city of Arezzo that the citizens had almost abandoned because of the factions and enmity. It even had grass growing in the square. The cruelty of the enmity was such that no one trusted anyone else. Therefore most of the nobility had fled. As it pleased the Lord God this holy man did many sermons there. Not knowing haw to find a way to restore the town to peace he continuously commended himself to God so that He might grant him this grace. Once he and his companion were at prayer when it occurred to him to seek to have the Council convene and being personally at the Council propose the way that had to be taken to return to universal peace. It was something amazing, that while he was thinking about this, his companion who was a short distance away, shouted, “Do it! Do what you are thinking!” The servant of God knew this was His inspiration. He entered that Council and went to the bench like a preacher. He proposed to them such a beautiful way unto peace and he did so with such efficacy that with the hand of God upon such hardened hearts as those the accepted it with great joy. Following that arrangement peace was restored. The Aretines said, “Brother Joseph of Milan, the Capuchin” – that is how they called him – “has founded the city of Arezzo again. We were all ruined. Sent us by god this holy man has snatched us from the hands of Lucifer.”

Therefore when this preaching was finished he was asked if he would preach in Siena. However, not long after he returned to the city of Arezzo for one that remained for him to set up. As soon as the city heard that he was coming the entire city was moved and came running and the bells rang out. With the entire clergy assembled with almost all the people, they came out a good way to meet him before he arrived in the city. They received him with such applause as if her were an Apostle of God. Taking him and his companion by the arm they carried him straight away to the Cathedral so that his feet did not touch the ground. When the holy man saw the city so restored to peace and what seeing what fruit the Lord God had worked through his sermons, his joy was such that the few greys hair in his beard went black again from joy. This was something very extraordinary.

Then he preached in Borgo Santo Sepolcro. Because of the inveterate enmity between the Pichi and Gratiani Families in that city fourteen men had been murdered not long before the servant of God went there. Nonetheless, even though it was not the time of the forty days, when the holy man came he did many sermons there. He restored peace to the entire city in such a way that when he withdrew to the friary of Montecasle a Priest came there and said to him, “Father, the Lord God has brought great fruitfulness through your sermons. This morning we have concluded one hundred reconciliations and all them because of homicide.”

Because the grace that the Lord God had given him to make peace the great name of this servant of God was such that when he preached in Siena some from Monte Pulciano listened his sermons. When they returned to Montepulciano they told about the great marvels that the Lord God worked through this servant of his. A certain gentleman heard about these things. He had been in a cruel enmity for many years. Although the Duke of Florence and many other Lords had urged him, he had never wanted to make peace. As it pleased God, one morning he was outside Montepulciano when he saw to Capuchins coming along the Siena road. He thought that it was Brother Joseph. When the Friars arrived the gentleman said, “Are you the great preacher who has preached in Siena?” They answered, “We belong to the same Order.” The gentleman said, “As soon as I saw you I imagined that one of you was that preacher about whom I have heard such great things. Touched by the hand of God, I considered offering to peace to an enemy of mine for the love of God primarily and then for the love of that Father. Although I have been begged and urged by the Duke and many others I never wanted to do it. Now I think this is an inspiration from God and I do not want it to pass by fruitlessly.” Falling to his knees he said, “My Lord, for your love and for love of this Father, I promise you peace.” On returning home he let his enemies know that he had forgiven them for the love of God.

He did not fail to bear fruit when he was preaching the Advent in the city of Gubbio for because of Camerino war had broken out between His Holiness Paul III and the Duke of Urbino. The Church’s army of more than thirty thousand persons had amassed at Assisi and had arrived at Valfabrica, the castle of the Duke in order to enter and take the city of Gubbio. When the citizens heard of this, because the city was weak, the all packed up to flee and withdraw to strongholds. When preaching the holy man said to them, “Do not move and do not worry. Leave aside your arms and do the Forty Hours Prayer. Let each of you go to confession and you will see the favour of God.” The city believed these promises and the Elders ordered that all the servant of God Brother Joseph said be done. However when the news came that the army was moving, the frightened citizens had recourse to the Priors so that they might give them permission to flee. They said, “They are so close that we will be surrounded by the army in four hours.” When the Priors told these things to the preacher he said to them again, “Do not worry. Do as I have told you.” The Priors said, “Father, we have certain news that the army is moving tomorrow morning.” The holy man answered, “Have faith. It will not move.”

It was amazing because the next night there was such a heavy fall of snow that they could not leave some of the houses because of the mountain of snow. When he was preaching the holy man said to them, “Didn’t I tell you? God and tell them that they are moving. Therefore persevere in holy prayer and come to the sermon because God is fighting for you.” Hear about the miracle. By order of His Holiness the army was to march that morning. One of the leading Captains, braver than the others, said to the Captain General, “What does it mean that you are not obeying His Holiness?” When he answered that it was not possible because of the snow, the Captain said, “I want to go with my Company if you wish.” He replied, “Try it but you will not be able to go.” The Captain said, “I will go there despite…etc” Sounding the trumpets setting off on the journey he immediately fell off his horse. Very angry, he remounted in order to go again and the horse fell on top of him and broke a leg. He was forced to return.

News of these things came to the holy man. During his preaching he said, “Citizens, you are like the Hebrews. If you do not see signs you do not want to believe. See how God is doing more than you would. Be calm because soon you will out of all threat.” So it was. Because in negotiating peace it was concluded and the army disbanded without any killing even a chook in Gubbio. Because of this benefit they received from God the holy man ordered that the Palace bell be rung five times every day at midday and that citizens say five Our Fathers and five Hail Marys kneeling down in memory of this benefit.

I would be unable to tell about the great fruit that the Lord God worked in most of Italy through the preaching of this holy man. When he could no longer preach because of his great age, and especially because he was overtaken by a chronic hepatic dysentery. Nonetheless he was a refuge for every person in trouble for at that time his counsel was regarded as an oracle of God. Therefore he was visited continuously, while so struck down in bed that it seemed he would be unable to speak. Nonetheless when he began to speak about the things of God his fervour so increased that he threw of the bedclothes and sat on the bed. He so warmed that his colour returned and his face was fair, as if he were without any sickness.

As long as he could walk he set himself to support some sodalities of spiritual persons to the extent that almost the whole city was full of such sodalities that had been organised by him. In particular there was a sodality of Priests who lived very spiritually like the Theatines. This holy man so nourished this sodality in the spiritual life that when they went on visitation their Elders always took this holy man as their visitator. On one occasion he went with them all the way to Spain.

Often he was Provincial, however when he could not long carry out office he set himself to reading and through him his Province was very well endowed with excellent preachers.

It pleased the Lord Our God to reward this servant of his for the many struggles he endured in the Order for the love of God. He wanted to reward him for having served in it for about fifty-five years. When his illness deteriorated, and having received all the most holy sacraments with great devotion, that happy soul passed away to its creator. His body was buried in the above-mentioned friary in Milan.

He did some miracles, however because I am not well informed about them I am not including them. I only include this one. He was Vicar in the Province of Romagna and was about to go preaching in the Province of Saint Francis in obedience to the venerable Father Bernardine of Asti, the General. He left Forlì where I was at the time. On arriving at Mercato Saraceno he found father of Father Marius gravely ill. When the servant of God, Brother Joseph, entered the house he went straight away to where he was to visit him. However because of the great devotion the old man had for the Capuchins and because of the great joy he had when he saw them, helped to sit up in bed he embrace Brother Joseph. Brother Joseph embraced him and kissed him in the forehead. When he made the sign of the cross over him, he was perfectly freed immediately. Getting up from bed he had some thing to eat made ready. As a sign of his perfect health, like Peter’s mother-in-law he wanted all the time to serve that servant of God and his companion.

To the praise and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.