Bienheureux Egide
ermite franciscain (✝ 1518)
Bernardino (Egidio) di Bello.
À Lorenzana en Lucanie, l’an 1518, le bienheureux Égide, religieux de l’Ordre des Mineurs, qui vécut en reclus dans une grotte.
Martyrologe romain
Blessed Giles of Lorenzana, OFM (AC)
Born in Lorenzana, Naples, Italy, c. 1443; died 1518; cultus approved in 1880. Blessed Giles began life as a farmhand in Naples, then became a Franciscan lay-brother and was allowed to live as a hermit in the garden of the friary. He is famous for his love of animals (Attwater2, Benedictines).
Blessed Giles of Lorenzana
Feast Day – January 9
Born of pious parents at Lorenzana in Italy, Blessed Giles of Lorenzana received the name of Bernardine in baptism. Even as a youth he received the gift of devotion in so eminent a degree that at prayer his countenance glowed with fervor, and he was often seen raised a foot or more from the floor. This attracted general attention, and people came from the surrounding places in order to see Blessed Giles at prayer.
The devout young man, however, desired nothing more than to serve God in seclusion. In order, therefore, to withdraw from the attention of the world, and also to progress in Christian perfection, he asked for admission as a lay brother at the convent of the Friars Minor. This request was granted. He was given the name Giles after the saintly Brother Giles, one of the first companions of St Francis.
Burning with love for God, Giles knew no greater joy in the order than to devote himself to the contemplation of heavenly things, and since his superiors were convinced that he was doing great things for the honor of God and the salvation of souls, they permitted him to live in a hermitage close to the convent. Here he lived only for God, to whom he sacrificed his body by severe fasting, and his soul by constant prayer. He overcame the attacks of hell, which he had frequently to endure, without ever yielding for an instant. When he had finished his course, God called him to the eternal union on January 10, 1518.
The convent bells rang by themselves when Blessed Giles of Lorenzana died, and a very great concourse of people flocked to venerate him. Many miracles occurred at his grave. Several years after his death his body was found still incorrupt, although he had been buried in a very damp place. The veneration which had been accorded to him since time immemorial was approved by Pope Leo XIII, for the entire Order of Friars Minor.
*from: The Franciscan Book of Saints, ed. by Marion Habig, ofm
Blessed Giles of Laurenzana
Also known as
- Giles di Bello
- Bernardin….
- Bernardino….
- Egidio….
- Egidius….
Profile
Raised on a farm at Laurenzana, Naples. Franciscanlay brother. Lived as a hermit in the garden of the Franciscan friary at Laurenzana. Noted for a great love of animals.
Born
- 1443 in Laurenzana, Italy as Bernardin de Bello
- 10 January1518 in Laurenzana, Italy of natural causes