The Seventh General: Brother Eusebius of Ancona

19 His election 20 He was very zealous about poverty 21 His re-election He corrects the preachers

(19) The seventh General was the Venerable Father Eusebius of Ancona from the Province of the Marches. He was elected in the Chapter assembled in Rome at Saint Nicholas’ pm the 2oth May 1553 on the feast of Pentecost. This venerable Father governed our Congregation with very good example for six years.

(20) He was very zealous about holy poverty. He even removed every curious thing from the Congregation even from the altar linens. He prohibited the reception of cloth of taffeta, silk, gold or silver for the sacristy except when it was done for the ornamentation of the tabernacle where the Blessed Sacrament is kept. He removed anything excessive in our houses and restricted the Congregation very much in its buildings. With great fervour he expounded the Rule for all the Provinces, showing the Friars the obligation of their profession.

(21) When his triennium was finished he assembled the General Chapter on the feast of Pentecost in the city of Fermo in the Marches and he was confirmed in office. He firmly reprimanded the preachers who had abandoned the old preaching of the Congregation much to the wonder and scandal of the people. They were preaching in an exaggerated manner. And since they were inept in that exaggerated manner and also because they were not native speakers of the Tuscan dialect, they wanted to use it also out of curiosity and they were known as affected and superficial men of little spirit. The zeal of this venerable Father was such that he moved nearly the entire Chapter to tears, affirming in his talk that nothing showed how much the Congregation had grown lax more than the exaggerated manner of the preachers. Everyone’s outcry about this was such that the poor preachers could not show anywhere. Even the Lay Friars rebuked and despised them.

Having satisfied himself in the first triennium his second went more pleasantly. When he finished his office he retired to his Province of the Marches where, in a holy manner, he passed away to the better life.