Seraphin of Montegranaro
Encyclopedia
Saint Seraphin of Montegranaro (1540—October 12, 1604) is an Italian
saint
. Born Felice de Nicola at Montegranaro
of a poor, pious family, in his youth he was employed as a shepherd
, an occupation which gave him much leisure for prayer
and other pious exercises. Upon the death of his parents, he was subjected to harsh and cruel treatment by his eldest brother. At the age of sixteen, he entered the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
and received the name Seraphin.
He was distinguished from the first by his unaffected simplicity, mortification
, and obedience as well as charity which, towards the poor, knew no bounds. He had a special devotion to the Blessed Eucharist
and to Our Lady.
Seraphin was endowed with the gift of reading the secrets of hearts, and with that of miracle
s and prophecy
. Although unlettered, his advice was sought by secular and ecclesiastical dignitaries, and was a fruitful source of virtue to souls. His tomb is in the Capuchin friary at Ascoli
. He was canonized by Pope Clement XIII
, 16 July 1767.
His feast is celebrated on 12 October.
A church at San Lorenzo Nuovo
is dedicated to him.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
. Born Felice de Nicola at Montegranaro
Montegranaro
Montegranaro is a comune in the Province of Fermo in the Italian region of Marche, located about 45 km south of Ancona and about 45 km north of Ascoli Piceno.It is one of the main centres for shoe production in Italy....
of a poor, pious family, in his youth he was employed as a shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
, an occupation which gave him much leisure for prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
and other pious exercises. Upon the death of his parents, he was subjected to harsh and cruel treatment by his eldest brother. At the age of sixteen, he entered the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
and received the name Seraphin.
He was distinguished from the first by his unaffected simplicity, mortification
Mortification
Mortification can refer to:*Mortification , theological doctrine*Mortification of the flesh, religious practice of corporal mortification...
, and obedience as well as charity which, towards the poor, knew no bounds. He had a special devotion to the Blessed Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
and to Our Lady.
Seraphin was endowed with the gift of reading the secrets of hearts, and with that of miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s and prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
. Although unlettered, his advice was sought by secular and ecclesiastical dignitaries, and was a fruitful source of virtue to souls. His tomb is in the Capuchin friary at Ascoli
Ascoli
-Places of Italy:*Ascoli Piceno, a city and provincial seat in Marche*Ascoli Satriano, a town in the Province of Foggia*Porto d'Ascoli, a civil parish of San Benedetto del Tronto, in the province of Ascoli Piceno*Province of Ascoli Piceno, a province of the Marche...
. He was canonized by Pope Clement XIII
Pope Clement XIII
Pope Clement XIII , born Carlo della Torre di Rezzonico, was Pope from 16 July 1758 to 2 February 1769....
, 16 July 1767.
His feast is celebrated on 12 October.
A church at San Lorenzo Nuovo
San Lorenzo Nuovo
San Lorenzo Nuovo is a small town and comune in the province of Viterbo, in the Latium region of Italy. It is an important agricultural center for potatoes, olive oil, garlic, onions, cereals and grapes. A second source of revenue is tourism.-Geography:...
is dedicated to him.