About the holy man Brother James of Spello, Lay Friar

Brother James was from the land of Spello situated in the valley of Spoleto. He was born to honest parents, farmers nonetheless. In his childhood he practised the ways of agriculture. However when he turned about twenty years he decided to leave the world and he came away to the Congregation of Capuchins.

Brother Louis of Fossombrone received him in Rome who before clothing him told him the words of the Rule that he should distribute all his goods to the poor. Having fulfilled this, because of the great devotion the devout youth had for Our Lady he left the most beautiful possession he had to a principal church in Spello under the title of Our Lady with the obligation that the canons there would have to say the Mass of Our Lady every Saturday. Otherwise they would lose the inheritance. When he was clothed he was completely inspired to the love of God and started to do great penance. He went barefoot continuously both in summer and winter. He fasted almost continuously, spending all the time he had after the necessary tasks in holy prayer. The fervour lasted about ten years. When he was in the friary of Saint Joseph at Foligno with the holy man Brother Anthony of Corse, because of his simplicity he became somewhat involved in the building, procuring alms of money for the building. Because he was very gracious towards the seculars and because of the great mortification and good example they saw in this servant of God, they graciously gave him whatever he wanted. Thinking that he was doing the right thing, he procured money for the building from many of his devotees at different times. Because of this Our Lord God gave him a dreadful punishment. For when he was ill in that friary with an acutely painful condition he was near to death in that sickness and had a great battle with the devil. The devout and good servant of God Brother Domenic of Buschetto testifies to this and was present for all these things that are written below. The good Father says therefore that Brother James had a fight with the devil for three or four days and that he did many frightening signs while answering and fighting with the devil. However it pleased His Goodness not to abandon this servant of his for, at the end he turned to Brother Domenic and said to him, “Brother Dominic, I have suffered great tribulations brother from the devil but now by the grace of God things are going well.” Not long after he departed for the Lord with a very happy face and with signs and gestures of joyfulness. Angered at this by his loss, the infernal enemy gave signs and frightening terrors to the Friars in order to defame that servant of God. For when he had died, on the first evening at the beginning of the night after he had expired, after some time, the Friars carried the body to the church. Then all the Friars had already gone to bed such a destructive wind arose that when it hit the roof it brought most of it to the ground and unroofed almost al the church and dormitory. It lifted the tiles and broke most of them. Avery great din was heard over the roof of the church like people were lifting the roof and throwing the tiles everywhere. Suddenly all the windows of the church flew open and shook violently, shattering all the panes. The Friars could not lock them without them flying open again. This frightening tempest lasted for about four hours until Matins. The wind was not heard in the surrounding countryside except at the place of the Friars. As soon as Matins began the wind stopped straight away. The Friars, however, were so frightened that they could stand up straight on their legs. Furthermore, for fifteen days after the death of Brother James a voice was often heard in the church and in the oratory where Brother James used to pray. It was a wailing voice like some one languishing, like someone suffering some great pain. When they had the funeral in the church something like a wind came and took the little torch they had lit at the head of Brother James and broke it to pieces, throwing the pieces all over the church.

Because of all this the Friars thought badly of it. Nonetheless, knowing his holy life and that he confession with great contrition at this death and received all the most holy sacraments, they thought – as it was indeed- that because the enemy was unable to defeat that servant of god he showed his anger in order to frighten still the other Friars.

Later, so that his servant might not remain defamed, it pleased the Lord God to reveal his salvation to blessed Brother John of Puglia, martyr. Together with Brother Anthony Corse, Brother James appeared to him in the friary at Monte Casale. He told him that because of that building he had been in purgatory until them, which was about ten years.

May those who collect money for buildings or who get involved with money in other ways remember that if this holy man who had such marvellous life was punished in this way by the Lord God, and was in danger of being damned, how much more so will they be punished who go against their profession by getting involved in money and acting against poverty which we Friars Minor have promised to God.

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