Bernardino of Fossa was an Italian Franciscan

Franciscan

Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

 historian and ascetical writer.

Life

Bernardino belonged to the ancient and noble family of the Amici, and sometimes bears the name of Aquilanus on account of his long residence and death in the town of Aquila. He received his early training at Aquila and thence went to Perugia to study canon and civil law. On the 12th of March in the year 1445, he received the habit from James of the Marches

James of the Marches

Saint James of the Marche, O.F.M., was an Italian Friar Minor, preacher and writer.-Biography:He was born Dominic Gangala in the early 1390s to a poor family in Monteprandone, Province of Ascoli Piceno, in the Marche region of Italy...

 who was then preaching a course of Lenten sermons at Perugia.

Bernardine was provincial of the province of St. Bernardine and of the province of Dalmatia and Bosnia, and would have been chosen Bishop of Aquila had not his humility forbidden him to accept this dignity. His cult was approved by Pope Leo XII

Pope Leo XII

Pope Leo XII , born Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiore Girolamo Nicola Sermattei della Genga, was Pope from 1823 to 1829.-Life:...

, 26 March 1828. His feast is kept in the Franciscan Order on 7 November.

Works

The writings of Blessed Bernardine include several sermons and short ascetical and historical works; among the latter, the Chronica Fratrum Minorum Observantiae deserves special mention. This chronicle was first edited by Leonard Lemmens, O.F.M., from the autograph manuscript, and is prefaced by a life of Blessed Bernardine and a critical estimate of his writings. It may also be mentioned that Bernardine is the author of the first life of his patron, Bernardine of Siena.

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia article