About the holy man Brother Gratian of Norsia, lay Friar

Brother Gratian was from a village situated in the countryside of Norsia that is called Croce. He was born to honest but poor parents. At an early age he learned the art of the farmer. As it pleased the Lord god however, when he came to the age of about twenty years the desire came upon him to serve God. He heard about the Capuchins when the venerable Father Angelo of Sant’Angelo della Savina was preaching in Norsia with great acceptance and he went off to Rome.

Brother Louis received him and sent him to the Province of Saint Francis after some years. However because he felt he didn’t have that quiet he would have had outside the Province of Saint Francis since it was his homeland, he asked the Father General if he would distance him from those parts. Thus he was sent to Sicily in which Province he was mirror of holiness for everyone. Because he was a lay Friar he served the Friars with much humility. He had from God the special gift of silence. He was so moderate in speaking that no idle word ever came from his mouth. If it was necessary for him to speak sometime he always spoke about the Rule and spiritual things.

He was adorned with marvellous patience and great charity, even though in serving the sick and in carryout out the other offices that befit the Lay Friars, he had occasion to be angry many times but was never seen angry. He was short in stature and very pleasant in his ways and moderate in his way of working. He was very austere regarding his body for he rarely ate more than once a day and then very little. However on the vigils of Our Lady and other devout times he always fasted on bread and water. Nor did he ever want to use more than one completely patched habit of natural wool. He went barefoot continuously.

For many years he was Novice Master of the Lay Friars whom he instructed with great charity. He never wanted to learn to read. He said, “The office of the Lay Friars is not reading nor learning letters but in serving the Order.” He willing did the cooking with great zeal, charity and poverty. In order not to waste much time, in winter he always did the cooking after Matins when the Friars rested after the prayer was finished. Beginning with Prime he stayed in the church until all the Masses were finished. He said all the Hours in the church. He rarely and hardly ever slept after Matins. However, usually after eating he rested a little. He persevered greatly in holy prayer, having worn a hairshirt for a long time. However when he grew old he abandoned it. He did this because he was continuously busy in hard work and he felt not to add more affliction to his debilitated nature. He fled all familiarity with seculars and willing stayed either in the church or in the woods. He liked the country of Sicily so much more than the parts further up that he did belong to the Province of Saint Francis because it seemed to him that the people were wilder than with Friars, and also because he did not wear more than one habit, because he could resist better the warmer regions.

Finally it pleased Our Lord God to reward this servant of His. For when he was in Sicily he fell ill. After receiving all the most holy Sacraments he passed away to the better life. And just as I heard from many trustworthy Sicilian Father, he died in a very holy manner and with a great deal of holiness’ anticipation. I believe that he did many miracles. However because I have not been able to be certain about them, and even less about the place where he was buried, I cannot write anything about them except that in public opinion and fame he was a holy man. For the four or five years that he was in the Province of Saint Francis I saw his life and everyone regarded him to be a fervent servant of God.

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