On
October 15, 1563 Francis Caracciolo was born into a noble Italian
family. When he was twenty-two, he developed a skin disease similar to
leprosy. The disease was incurable, but Francis vowed that if he was
healed, he would dedicate his life to God and the service of others. He
quickly recovered after his vow and the healing was reported to be
miraculous.
Francis then became a priest, and on June 1, 1588,
officially began the Minor Clerks Regular, an order that combined the
active with the contemplative life. Some of the priests and brothers
lived in hermitages, devoting themselves entirely to prayer and
contemplation, but the others worked mainly as missionaries and attended
to those in hospitals and prisons.
Though he was opposed to
filling the post himself, Francis eventually became superior. For seven
years he remained in this position, all the while taking his turn
maintaining household tasks. He founded houses in Madrid, Valladolid and
Alcala before being allowed to retire in 1607 that he might prepare
himself for death.
In 1608, at the age of forty-four, Francis was seized with a fever and died. He was canonized in 1807.
Friday, June 4, 2021
St. Francis Caracciolo
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