About the holy man Brother Francis of Cannobio, Priest

Brother Francis was from a region called Cannobio situated in the domain of Milan. He was born to honest parents. He attended school at an early age and became a very good grammarian. When he reached about eighteen years of age he decided to leave the world and was received in to the body of the Franciscan Order where he led a very sensual life. For just I he informed me very well because of the long acquaintance I had with him, he was very sumptuous in his eating, delighting in good food; similarly in dress and other things. Although he was young, nonetheless when he went outside the friary he always went on horseback with two little pillows on the saddle.

It pleased Our Lord God that when he saw two Capuchins the Holy Spirit so touched his heart that from then on he could not rest until he took the Capuchin habit, with all sensuality despised and trampled down with great fervour. He was so austere that it caused great wonder to anyone who knew him earlier. With many tears he said, “I regard it the greatest favour that God has called me to this holy Reform since He had me born a Christian. For I was so engulfed in sensuality that I remembered nothing or little of God or of my vows. Nor did I ever understand the Rule until know when I find myself where it is observed.”

As long as he lived in the Provinces of Rome and Bologna he never wanted anything other than one habit of natural wool. He ate very little, sustaining his life with a few simple foods. However he was a very zealous observer of most holy poverty more than every other virtue. He was the one who composed that little treatise about holy poverty and was so enthusiastic about that poverty that where he staid he made an house inventory of what was were there and of all the furnishings such as altar cloths, chalices, tablecloths and similar things. He wrote in the inventory the things in the house such as cauldrons, tools, blankets and similar more notable things that were there. Every year he gave back the friary to the owner. When the tools were worn out so that they were no longer any good for use, he returned them to the proper owner. He did this in order to avoid ownership and control. Nor could he suffer any significant excess in the friary to the extent that the Friars thought he was extreme although they knew this came from his holy zeal for the perfect observance of the Rule and from his great simplicity. Therefore no one was bold enough to distress him. He was very zealous about spiritual things and very untiring in holy prayer. He was very merciful and kind to his neighbour and was so in love with the things if Saint Francis that he went throughout Italy where our friaries were and with great care researched the libraries of the Conventual Fathers and the Zoccolanti Fathers where he could find anything written by Father Saint Francis. When he came to the Province of Saint Francis and collected almost everything, he brought it to the Province of Milan and arranged them all in a suitable way with the intention of having them printed. However the neglect of the Friars to help him meant that when the holy man was near to death and had received al the most holy sacraments, he passed away to a better life without being able to fulfil his holy desire. Just I have understood from trustworthy Friars he appeared shortly after to a holy man among our Friars and said to him, “The Friars take little account of our writings. The time will come when they will need them in order to know the footsteps of Father Saint Francis.” Then he disappeared. However as it pleased the Lord God a great Portuguese Father from the body of the Order came to Italy in order to be better informed about the things of Father Saint Francis. In particular he came to the Province of Saint Francis that has always been the source of these things and he collected many things. However when he heard that the suitably arranged collections of that good Father were in Milan he wanted to have them in his hands. With great insistence he begged Father Evangelist of Cannobio to give them to him. However since the Capuchins did take much account of these gave them to that Father who them returned very happily to Portugal where he had them printed in two volumes. Later these were been translated into our Italian language by Messer Horatio Dioli of Bologna and called the Chronicles. The Lord God did not want the efforts of this holy man to be lost, for they have made the Order of Minors famous.

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