About the holy man Brother Anthony of Montecigardo, priest

Brother Anthony was from a castle called Monte Ciardo situated in the Marches of Ancona. He was born to honest parents. At an early age he attended school where he became quite well instructed in positive grammar. When he was about twenty years old, touched by the Holy Spirit, he decided to serve God take the habit in the Franciscan Religion in which he lived with great austerity. Nor did he ever want to accept the office of superior. He always stayed in solitary houses, applying himself day and night to holy prayers and mortification of his body.

When the Congregation of Capuchins came out the servant of God was in a very devout little place where he felt he had every opportunity to apply himself to the holy virtues. On the other hand, when he heard about the good reputation of the Capuchins and the poor, austere life that they led, he was put into great doubt about where he could do better, observing the Rule with greater perfection and living according to the will of God. Because of this for many days he afflicted himself more than usual in holy fasts, begging God more fervently than usual so that He would reveal or show to him in some way where it would pleased Him best for him to be. It pleased the Lord God that when he was in that friary a small boy used to visit. An orphan without father and mother, his head covered with sores, he used to come to that friary every day for alms. When this holy man saw him brought to such a bad condition he had the boys head treated by a Friar who understood these things. One day when the Friars were gathered together Brother Anthony said to the boy, “Son, you see there are two kinds of Friars of Saint Francis. There is us and there is another Reform and they are called Capuchin Friars. Which pleases God more, the Capuchin Reform or ours?” It was amazing, because he immediately blushed like scarlet. Then lifting his little hand, with fervour and a loud voice he went jumping around the cloister and said, “The Capuchins! The Capuchins are more acceptable to God! That one is the true Reform!”

This miracle moved the holy man and he decided to become a Capuchin. He knew for certain that the boy had never seen them, and if it had depended upon human factors, the boy would have had to praise more those from whom he had received so many benefits. When he came he brought with him some others of his companions. When he saw himself among the Capuchins he burned with an immense fervour to do harsh penance. So he always went dressed in a patched, rough habit. While he was young, he went barefoot in summer and winter. He fasted for the all the forty-days that our Father Saint Francis used to do. However he fasted on all the vigils of Our Lady on bread and water. He rarely and hardly ever ate more than once a day.

This was the reason that he went on bread and water so much for he said, “I always fast. So when the devout vigils and forty–days of Father Saint Francis come I would not have to do anything extra. It would seem to me that I don’t observe them.” Because f this he often fasted the forty-days of Sant’ Angelo on bread and water. When he was near to death Father Bonaventure of Areggio asked him how long he had fasted on bread and water. The servant of God answered, “If I count all the times, I have fasted on bread and water for more than thirty years.”

He always wore rough sackcloth until hi s old age. He said Mass almost every morning in which he celebrated commemorations of many saints for whom he had a particular devotion. Above all he had a particular devotion for Saint Jerome. Once when he was saying Mass someone counted thirty Collects. This did not please the Friars very much since the felt that this exceeded the practice of Holy Church. However his devotion was such that he could not rest unless he fulfil his intention, which was to help as much as he could the souls in purgatory and the many persons who recommended themselves to him.

While he was young after Matins he never went back to rest but persevered in holy contemplation in the church. When he had said Mass he withdrew into holy prayer and persevered until Terce and, just as I saw myself, he wept almost continuously. Once the Vicar of the Province of Saint Francis, Father Francis of Iesi at the time, sent me because of some need to our friary at Mantua. As I was making my way through the Marches I came across the holy man in the friary at Pietrarubbia. I rested in that friary for some days and had some long discussions with him. Among other things he told me was about a Friar he had known who for a period of fourteen years always remained in the church after Matins without fail. The Lord God wanted to console him in this. For one night just before dawn he saw in an instant the larger door of the church open. A very beautiful procession entered. It was adorned with rich and very hobble vestments. They went in front of the high altar where the Blessed Sacrament of the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ was kept. After they had made a deep bow on both sides, he clearly saw the Saviour of the world enter, accompanied by the most important and glorious saints. Two of them placed a seat there that shone like the sun. As our Lord sat there he turned to his devout Friar who was in the oratory at the back of the church. Calling him gently by name he signalled him to draw near to the throne. Understanding this, the servant of God came forward, still kneeling and with great fear. The Lord said to him, “Because you have been to me a faithful follower of your Father Saint Francis who, insofar as human frailty allows, perfectly followed in the footsteps and example of my life, I have come to reward you. Ask of me the grace you want. With great fear he replied, “Lord, I am not worthy of any good nor would I know anything worthier to ask than that you grant in me in this world to carry you always carved in my heart. And I ask you the full remission of all my wickedness and great sins with which I have offended Your Majesty while I was in the world and in the Order I have not been your true servant.” The Lord replied, “It is done. Now I will write you in the book of life and assure you that I will be always ready with my gifts and grace.” A beautiful young man gave him a book and pen. Taking them, Our Lord wrote him down with his own hand and blessing him the vision disappeared.

As far as I can tell he was speaking about himself. However, he spoke figuratively so as not to reveal himself.

He told me many other things in order to praise holy prayer. He said there was a holy man from the Franciscan Order who because of the many miracles he did the Pontiff called him to Rome in order to speak with him about the things of God. He passed by the Friary where Brtoher Anthony was at the time. He saw that holy man when he was at table with the Friars. When the Mirror of the Cross was being read, he rose off the ground some distance and stayed enraptured there in the air until the Friars finished eating. He went to the church to give thanks and when he returned to the refectory he found him still rapt in that way. He told of the example of a Guardian of that place who wanted to test to see if he was a holy as everyone said. One morning he called him aside and said to him, “Father, I would like you to help me work a little in the garden.” The holy man replied, “I can’t do much but what I can do I do very willingly.” Seeing the promptness of his obedience, the Guardian felt sure that he was a holy man. Nonetheless he wanted to test him again, though surreptitiously. He told him that he had a Friar in the house who was very dissolute. However as soon as the holy man heard to complaint he immediately threw himself down onto his knees and said to him, “Father Guardian, forgive me. I haven’t fed our donkey.” Since he was old, he used to lead a donkey and rode it sometimes. When he left the Guardian he went to the little stable. Fallen to his knees he thanked God with many teras for having given him the grace to flee from that complaining. While the Guardian was observing him he saw him rise in the air again. Turning to me the holy man Brother Anthony said to me, “I tell you this so that you may take example from it because these are the means walking through which we have a wide scope to please God. He persevered in this fourteen years and received from God the remission of his every sin and, preserved by God, the certainty of being no longer able to be condemned.”

Then he added, “Know that anyone who wants to acquire the grace of prayer in the Order must be detached from the passions and from wick inclinations. Self love and love of God cannot stay together without great detriment to perfection. Everything for which one has any affection, no matter how small it may be, retards him in the love of God. Because of this our Father Saint Francis never wanted anything for his own use except that which the Rule allows us. For anything we use beyond those things, need and dispensation are required.”

“Something happened among certain Religious in my time in the convent that they had in Cingoli in the Marches. Because they was a great plague and great war they people in that place put guards on the wall at night. That convent is gone in which many of those Religious died from the plague. When they died the guards saw a light come from heaven like a flask of fire. Straightaway in the morning they went to the convent and found that one of those Religious had died at that hour. Over different nights there were about fourteen different lights. One night they didn’t see a light come and when they went in they morning they found that an extern had died. Amazed that they had not seen a light, both the seculars and the Religious also judged it very poorly. Moved by this one of those Religious set himself with great insistence to beg God to reveal to him what had become of that soul. One night that extern appeared to him. He was chained with chains of fire. Asked if he were saved he replied, ‘Would that I had never been born to the world. I am damned.’ He said to him, ‘Why are you damned?’ He answered, ‘I had five beautiful rosaries that I wanted to give to my relatives and I kept them hidden so that my Superior would not know about them and I had procured them without permission. Nor did I ever confess it although my conscience reprimanded me very much. So that you may be sure, look there under the bench in the Oratory where I used to pray because you will find them there. Therefore because I died in ownership I have been condemned to eternal pains by the just judge.’ Looking in the morning, they found the five rosaries.

“The Lord God does not take account of these things of the world, all of which he has created for us. However he takes account of whether we observe those things that we have promised him and whether we are wholeheartedly in his service or are busy about vane things. The good Religious should never have to seek anything other than God. When blessed Leo was crossing the river, the breviary was so heavy that he was about to drown. How much heavier do you think it will be for those Religious who are tied up continuously in the things of the world?” Therefore this holy man said, “It seems to me great foolishness that we want to be wiser than Christ and our Father Saint Francis who did not allow us personal use of anything in the Rule except the habit, underwear, the cord, breviary, tunic and mantle. All the other things the Church allows us in common and of which he have an actual use – not of superfluous things but the things necessary for the sustenance of our nature and the carrying out of the offices of the Order. Following the clarifications of the Popes the Church keeps ownership of these things alone. Nor can we use them without offending our profession. Know that when the Friars are caught up in many little things it is difficult for them to have spirit since they are tied up with indulgence.”

Therefore this holy man did not want to have anything. He had a rosary that the Duchess of Urbino gave him. She visited him when he was near to death and when she was leaving the holy old man said to her, “My lady, I know that I am close to death. On dying, to who shall I leave your rosary?” Her Ladyship, considering the simplicity of the holy old man, turned towards another lady that was with her and said to him, “Leave it to this lady because I will make a present of it to her after your death.” She accepted it as a precious relic with great devotion for having received it from that holy man.

He was very tenacious in observing the holy fast and forty-days that he did out of his devotion. Hence one time, as he told me himself, when he was doing one of the forty-days, it was necessary for him to do a long journey. One morning when he was himself with his companion in a place his companion said to him, “Father, it would be better if you ate.” He answered, “I do not want to break the fast.” The companion said, “At least take some bread!” He replied, “Our Lord does not say so in the Gospel. Don’t you know that Our Lord has promised to provide for us in all our needs?” Quite angry the companion said to him, “Do not expect me to provide for you on the journey. At least give some thought to the walking.” When they set out on the journey the companion walked at a good pace. The servant of God Brother Anthony followed him for a good while. However when the meal time passed by later he felt faint. Worrying about bothering his companion he went ahead with great haste. Raising his mind to the Lord he said to himself, “Just as I am certain that you are God, the most kind provider for all, so I am certain that you cannot fail those who trust you with all their hearts.” His prayer was no sooner made than he arrived at a spring off to the side. Gazing at this the servant of God saw there on a stone half a loaf of fresh white bread. He recognised clearly that the Lord had provided this for him from heaven. Kneeling down, with many he thanked God gives such swiftness the prayers of His servants so that in the raising of the mind they penetrate all the heavens so quickly and arrive at the throne of the Divine Majesty. He ate the bread and drank some water from the spring. He was so physically refreshed that even though his companion had gained a good mile because he didn’t wait, Brother Anthony was able to catch up and overtake him. He was so physically refreshed that he ate nothing more until the following morning. We was so burned with the love of God that for many years he cold not contain his tears when he thought back to that act of kindness. He no longer gave a second thought to taking nothing for the journey, but renewing his profession said, “My Lord Jesus Christ, I promise the Rule to you again which you have given us through our Father Saint Francis. Helped by your grace I never want to fail to observe it in so far as human frailty permits, even if I may be impugned by the infernal enemy, the flesh or the world.”

This servant of God was so humble and resigned to God that he never excused himself in a matter of obedience, even if it was hard and strenuous. For when he was very old he was elected Vicar of the Province of the Marches. He governed it in peace for many years. When he arrived at the friaries it felt as if Saint Francis arrived. His kindness and affability towards his subjects was such he did not appear like a superior but a very loving father who fathered them all. And if some one was troubled by the temptation of the infernal enemy, the look on his face and his hand on Friar’s head comforted the Friar so much that it seemed as though the Holy Spirit descended upon him. Nor could anyone ever boast of having seen him angry. Rather with a cheerful face he comforted anyone, no matter how desperate, who trusted in him as a loving father.

He was very zealous about the Divine Office just as I saw. He was so physically composed in the choir for the Office and recollected in God. While he was standing he never his eyes except on the Psalter with his arms crossed and his eyes towards heaven as if he were lifted up in ecstasy. I have never seen anyone as composed as he was.

Once, when the Chapter was being celebrated in Rome, the servant of God came to the friary at Narni where I was in the fraternity. He spent some days there. The Marquess Colonna came from Loreto, knowing that the holy man was there. Very devoted towards the Congregation she wanted very much to see meet him face to face since she was aware of his reputation. She came to that friary are Narni and spoke with him a long time about the things of God. Finally Lady said to him, “Father Anthony, is it true that your have raised up a dead man?” The servant of God answered, “My Lady, I am such a sinner that if he were alive I would have killed him. Sinful men do not have this grace of raising the dead. Only the Lord God can do that.” Lowering his head a little he wept. Such was his manner of speaking that did not deny it so as not to tell a lie. Nor did he admit it, in order to avoid pride. Because of this, if she already had devotion, it certainly increased in that Marquess of Pescara.

The servant of Gad had this custom. When he was talking with someone and had said three or four words, he always added, “May the good Jesus be praise! May the good Jesus be praised!” Once I asked him why he did this. He answered me, “The tongue of the Religious is consecrated to God. Therefore it is not permissible in a discussion to distance oneself from the praises of God. Just as it is not permissible to stay for a long time with the mind alienated form God. When Saint Bonaventure was translating Saint Anthony of Padua he found his tongue ruddy and fresh as if he were alive. This was because with his tongue he had praised God and given occasion that it be praised.

It pleased the Lord God to want to reward this servant of His. For when he became ill in the friary at Macerata, with great preparation and having received all the holy sacraments and having served God with great fervour for about sixty years in the holy Order that happy soul passed away to its creator.

Through the merits of this servant of His the Lord God worked many miracles just as I saw for myself in the friary at Pietra Rubbia. He put down the three names: Jesus, Mary and Joseph on a piece of paper. All the sick in those parts sent for these. After putting these names on, nine out of ten were healed immediately.

He did another miracle when he was Guardian at the friary at Forlì in Romagna. There was a poor fellow sick with dropsy. He heard someone tell Brother Angelus Calabrese, Vicar of the Province of Bologna that this holy man did many miracles. The poor fellow had already exhausted all his goods on doctors. All had given him up as hopeless in that sickness so he began as best he could to go to that holy man in the Marches, putting such hope in his prayers so that God might free him completely. It was amazing! He hadn’t walked three miles when he felt himself perfectly healed. Returning to Forlì he notified the Friars about this great miracle. Father Angelus Saint Martin Calabrese, Father Augustine of Bagnacavallo and many other Capuchins were present for this. Devotion towards Brother Anthony, this servant of God, increased greatly.

The Lord God worked another miracle in my presence. A shepherd lit a fire in the woods near to our friary in Narni. Because it was summer and very hot, the fire became so intense that it […..]. All of a sudden it burned the big trees and the flames seemed to reach up into the sky. Because of this the Friars were frightened that the friary would burn down. They came outside to say the litanies kneeling down. When the holy old man heard the noise from his cell, he too came outside. Seeing the huge fire he returned to his cell. Kneeling down he prayer somewhat. It was amazing! Immediately the fire intensified and in the presence of everyone it went under a large pile of dry thorns. There the fire that burned large green trees earlier lost its strength through the prayers of the servant of God. It only burned the dry grass underneath the gathered thorns without burning the thorns themselves. Father Eusebius of Ancona, Brother Angelo of Coldiscepole, Brother Louis of Capranica and other Capuchins were present at this.

I will not say anything about the almost countless miracles he did in the Province of the Marches as Our Lord God healed many sick persons from every kind of infirmity through the merits of this servant of his. However I feel that I should not remain silent only about this one. He was passing through the city of Ascoli and wanted to quest some alms in order to eat and continue his journey. He arrived at a house where there was great wailing. He asked what was the cause for the wailing. He was told that a poor widow was there who had no on else but a son who had died the previous night. She was com0letely desperate. When the servant of God heard this, moved by pity […] he went to the woman to console her. He knocked at the door and everyone called him in, hoping that his holy words and sound teaching would help the poor woman. He tried to comfort her. However the woman was beside herself like a drunk. She took the boy and placed him in his arms and said to him, “If you want to console me, beg God to revive him, because I am dying without my son.” When he heard this the servant of God also began to cry. He withdrew with the dead boy to a room and in a short while gave him alive back to her. Because of this everyone’s joy was such, and th-ey thanked God with so many tears that many people ran to the commotion. With one voice they all cried, “He is a true servant of God!” However he deftly left their midst and taking the back streets left the city. He never wanted to make the miracle known. Nonetheless it spread everywhere and it was said that he had raised up a dead boy. However now one knew how except his companion and a few Friars. Therefore I cannot write more amply about it.

May this suffice to make known how many merits Brother Anthony, the servant of God, had. May it suffice so that anyone who reads it may be invited to want to follow him in good works, always giving thanks to God from whom all good things come. May He be thanked. Amen.