Examples of Depositions from the canonisation of St Lawrence of Brindisi

Translator’s note: This translation is based on the introduction and text which were published by Vincenzo Criscuolo OFM Cap in I Cappuccini: Fonti Documentarie e Narrative Del Primo Secolo (1525-1619) Roma 1994, Curia Generale dei Cappuccini.

The following is the section: Santi e santità (Mariano D’ Alatri) pp. 937-950 sourced from I frati cappuccini III/2, 4956-5077.

Translated by Patrick Colbourne OFM Cap

Table of Contents

SAN LORENZO DA BRINDISI

He was born in Brindisi on 12nd July 1559 and died in Belém (Lisbon) on 22nd July 1619. He was a theologian, a preacher, multilinguist, Minister General, diplomat and military chaplain. He was Beatified on 1st June 1783 and canonised by Leo XIII on 8th December 1881 John XXIII declared him a Doctor of the Church in the Bull “Celstitudo” on 19th March 1959.

[I frati cappuccini III/2, 1491-5115]

Br Giammaria da Monteforte

1573 [8568] I want to tell you something amazing that happened when he said Mass in public. When he was in Naples he fell ill with gout. He could hardly move in bed and nobody could touch him without causing him to experience great pain. However, when he went to say Mass, which he always did even when he was suffering from gout or other things, he had himself carried to where he was to say Mass and, when he got to the altar, he stood up on his feet even though he supported himself on the altar. He took two or three hours to say Mass. This was not the only time he took so long to say Mass. It happened in Naples, Milan, Bassano and in other places where it was thought to be a miracle. People also saw it as a sign of the great devotion he had for the Mass. When later on he had recovered, his Mass might last for eight or ten hours. Once, on Christmas Day, it lasted for sixteen hours without him being interrupted by physical necessities.

Another deposition of Br Giammaria da Monteforte

1574 [8588] The last time that Father Brindisi went to Spain came about like this. He was in Caserta with an obedience to go to Brindisi. He was staying with the Duke of Bavaria who had built a new friary and church. While in Caserta he received a letter from the Guardian of Naples telling him to come back to Naples by order of the Most Illustrious and Reverend Cardinal Protector of the Order who wanted him back in Naples.

When he received this news, he turned to me as I was his companion and said: “I think that the Lord does not want me to go to Brindisi. I have been on the way now on two occasions and had to stop, so we will go to Naples.”

When we returned, we entered Naples about two o’clock in the morning to avoid meeting a lot of people. We went into our new friary and after he had received the blessing, he went to his cell. After a short time, the Guardian came and said that the most important people in Naples and the whole Kingdom had come to the friary wanting to speak with him about a very important matter. When Father Brindisi heard this, he was a bit worried, and he asked what they wanted. The Guardian replied that they wanted to speak to him and he knew why. Then Father Brindisi told the Guardian to bring them into the refectory and he would come there.

1575 [8589] Father Brindisi went into the refectory, and I went in with him. As we entered, we saw that about eighteen or twenty of the leading men in the Kingdom had gathered there. Finally, the Duke arrived and said that he had authorised the gathering to elect an ambassador to go to Spain.

They had come from all the cities in the Kingdom of Naples, from the first to the last, and they had come to elect an Ambassador for Spain and they elected Father Brindisi. He begged Father Brindisi to accept for the love and honour of God and the Blessed Virgin and not to abandon them because they were in danger of losing not only what they possessed but also their souls and then the Catholic faith would be lost throughout the Kingdom.

1576 [8590] When Father Brindisi saw and heard this, he began to take fright and make excuses, saying that he was old and frail, and he begged them to elect someone else. They insisted more strongly and began to cry affectionately so that the Father Guardian and some other friars, including myself, started to cry along with them. They presented Father Brindisi with an obedience in which the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Cardinal Protector commanded him to accept the assignment and go.

When Father Brindisi heard the command issued by the Cardinal Protector and saw the tears and the determination of those present, he gave in and, thinking that this was what God wanted he accepted the position and got ready to go. To overcome the difficulties and dangers he went to Geneva. The Guardian from Naples, another Capuchin priest, another Capuchin lay brother and I went with him.

Fr Bernardo da Napoli

1577 [8606] I know that while living as a religious Father Lorenzo da Brindisi always set a good example by living a holy life, teaching what was true doctrine and taking on all the duties that should be performed by an exemplary Capuchin priest. I knew that he had a keen mind and a fine memory and that he was conversant with almost the entire Bible not just in a general way but according to chapter and verse. He was very capable in handling doubts arising from reading Scripture. Furthermore, he knew many languages including Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldaic, German and others. I know this because of the discussion that I had with him and from hearing him preach when he explained what had been written in Scripture in Greek, Hebrew and Chaldaic.

I have known Father Lorenzo since I was about twenty-two or twenty-three years of age and we have spent time together in different places at various times. He was my Father General and a model religious. I heard him preach a Lenten Course in this city in the church of Spirito Santo and I heard him explaining passages of Scripture that were written in these languages. When I spoke to him in friendly conversation, I discovered that he was able to do this.

1578 [8615] I know that when the Emperor was advancing, Father Lorenzo da Brindisi urged the Christian army to fight valiantly against the Turkish army. Holding a crucifix in his hand, he mounted a horse and he rode at the head of the Christian army and when the signal to begin battle sounded he made the sign of the cross several times towards the opposing forces. This stopped the missiles that came from the arquebuses, the artillery and the lightning bolts. One of them lodged in a horse’s saddle.

Father Lorenzo told me about this himself and when he was preaching in the church of Spirito Santo in Naples he said: “I know someone who is alive and speaking who by means of his great devotion to the most sacred sign of the cross and to the blessed Virgin was able to stop the missiles of the arquebuses, balls of fire and bolts of lightning from going beyond his horse to hit the Christian forces. What is a greater miracle, a large missile came to rest on the rim of the saddle of the horse he was riding. This man is alive and speaking to you. Although there was a greater number of Turks than Christians, the Turks fled with many being killed while the Christian army, which was smaller in number, stood firm, continued to fight and were miraculously victorious.”

1579 [8616] Everybody recognised that he spoke humble. He did the same within the Order. Those who accompanied the Emperor did not doubt this had been a miracle.

What is more, one day when Father Lorenzo was waiting to preach in the church of Santo Spirito in Naples, I met a mounted cavalcade of foreigners in Poggio Reale which I think had come from France. They asked if it was true that Father Brindisi had promised to come to preach in Naples during the coming Lent. I said that it was very true. They replied: “We want to be in Naples just to welcome this great holy man of God. “Father, he is not known here or in Naples. However, in Hungary, where the Emperor and army are, this man is reputed to be a saint, because he has done miraculous things and amazed the army just by making the sign of the cross”.

Deposition of Br Francesco da Valdobbiadene

1580 [8646] When Father Lorenzo da Brindisi became General he visited the entire Order on foot until the Order authorised him to ride a horse. In spite of this he wanted to continue to endure the hardships of fasting and going about in the frost and cold every day. He did this as a good prelate, a true servant of God who observed the Seraphic Rule fully. All the friars talked about this. I did not see it personally because he did not come to the Province of St Anthony where I was living at that time.

I did see large crowds of people, who thought that he lived a holy life and was a true servant of the Lord, coming to receive his blessing. Everyone showed him great respect and reverence. This took place in Mantova, Verona Montagnana and all along the roads and held up his progress because when his companion called him, he left his cell and, moved by great charity, humility, and patience, he went into the church and blessed everybody. He did the same thing all along the way. I saw all of this when I was in those places for thirteen years and went along the road between Montagnana and Este.

1581 [8647] I lived in the fraternity at Mantova when Father Lorenzo da Brindisi preached to the Jews on Saturdays. I went to some of the sermons that he preached in that church and there was a good crowd in attendance. I noticed that he brought a few Hebrew books with him into the pulpit. And that he was reading Scripture from these books. The Jews were very attentive while he was reading Scripture in their language. In doing so he was proclaiming the Scripture very profoundly. He emphasised the coming of the Messiah and the false hope that they placed on their interpretations and indicated the many lies that were contained their texts.

He also proclaimed the Sacred scripture in Latin and in the vernacular so that everyone could understand the malice of the Jews who were there in large numbers. He did not treat them roughly but kindly and making use of the wisdom of Scripture he tried to cure their blindness. When I was in the rooms in the palace when Father Lorenzo was there, some of the Jews came to thank him for treating them so kindly but they had to leave the city and unfortunately could not attend his sermons. That was about thirteen years ago.

Deposition of Fr Arsenio da Venezia

1582 [8670] I did not know Father when I was young because he had entered the Order three years before I did. However, in the first years that I knew him in the Order he was very weak, quite sick, and therefore had many spots cauterised and it was though that he would possibly develop consumption. Nonetheless he was never frightened by the austerity of the Order but remained steady and persistent. When he was sick and suffered severely, he showed great patience and never complained. On a couple of times, I heard him say: “Oh dear me!” He always displayed great strength and resolve in controlling and curbing his passions and in continuing to be gentle and cheerful. I know all of this because, as I have said already, I saw what he did and was his friend.

Deposition of Fr Alberto Rollini da Novara

1583 [8675] When I was in Germany as the companion of Reverend Father Giacinto Natta da Casale, who was a Capuchin priest and Apostolic Preacher, and who, while he was alive, worked for the Catholic League of Germany, I heard many Princes say that the greatest promotor of the League was Father Brindisi who worked tirelessly out of zeal for the upkeep and preservation of the Catholic faith. Whatever happened Father Brindisi placed all his hope and trust in God.

Deposition of Fr Francesco Tornielli da Novara

1584 [8693] He went about like this through many parts of the world such as Germany, Spain and Italy, meeting with the Pope, political leaders, leaders in the Catholic Church and other Princes. During his travels I lived in our friary in Milan while he was going back and forth.

I know that with the help of the grace of God Father Brindisi did and said so much that the Holy See, the leaders I have mentioned, both political and Catholic andn the Prince of Bavaria were coaxed to do a lot for the maintenance and spread of the Catholic faith and the support of the Catholic League which produces a host of good results for the Empire and for Germany as is evident today.

Deposition of Br Gaspare Gasparotti da Cassano d’Adda

1585 [8707] When he was General the first thing that did during the day was to be silent while the rest of us attended to our devotional practices. When this had gone on for a while, the father General would begin to speak so eloquently about God or Scared Scripture that I thought that he must have committed it all to memory as if it were the Pater noster. What he said inspired all of us.

When he was discussing these things, he often spoke in Hebrew in which he was quite proficient. When he was in Toulouse in France and saw something written in Hebrew, he asked who had written it and when he found out that it was one of the friars who was a student had done this, he called the friar and showed how much he appreciated it.

[8708] One of his duties was that when the students had completed their studies and were ready, he had to approve them becoming preachers so that they would maintain and propagate the Catholic faith and foster the salvation of souls. I remember that at the time of the visitation and Provincial Chapter in Barcelona there were some students who were ready to become preachers and he examined them. During these exams he displayed such knowledge that he was said to be a second St Thomas.

1586 [8712] Whenever Father saw someone who was sick or distressed, he intervened generously and gave them as much help and comfort as he could. I experienced this myself when I fell sick in Calabria and Sicilia. Father could not tolerate cruelty. A person may have done wrong, but he saw there was a difference between the person and his fault. He hated vice and when the occasion arose, he would hand out a strong reprimand. However, he would be kind and merciful towards the offender trying to make him detest what he had done and to love God above all else.

1587 [8722] He was strongly opposed to elegant buildings, and he punished anyone who had them built giving orders that anything that was contrary to poverty should be removed. I remember hearing him say when he was Provincial that nothing other than what was necessary should be brought into a cell. In one friary he forbade anything which he did not consider to be necessary to be placed in a cell. After he left a certain friar did not comply with this. The next time he came to that friary and saw that a certain friar, now deceased, had disobeyed his command and he said: “Remove this rubbish before I set fire to it.”

Deposition of Fr Remigio da Bazzolo

1588 [8732] He was very devoted to the Mass and never missed out on saying it either because he was not well or for any other reason. When I was with him in Monaco and the joints in his hands and feet were affected with gout, he still wanted to say Mass. We had to take him to the back of the chapel so that he could perform his devotions an say Mass away from the other friars. We had to first remove the bandages from his hands and when he put on the vestments to say Mass, he stood up but could still hardly move away from the couch. He would spend two or three hours at a time at the altar remaining more or less on his feet. After Mass he was not able to stand any longer and had to be placed on a chair in his cell.

Deposition of Fr Ambrogio da Firenze

1589 [8761] On another occasion when we were crossing a bridge to visit Maria di Pernestain, who had invited some heretical baronesses to her place so that Father could instruct them about the Catholic faith, as he often did for Barons and others, when the occasion presented itself, when we got to the middle of the bridge, we encountered five or six villains, who grabbed Father by the beard, with one of them, assisted by some of the others, knocking him to the ground and kicking him. One of them grabbed my hood to do the same thing to me, but I was stronger and he could do nothing. I spoke to them strongly telling them to leave the poor Father alone.

While this was going on the nephew of Nuncio Spinelli, who was on his way to the Jesuit school with a couple of his followers, arrived at the other side of the bridge. On of them called out: “Signor Giovanni Battista, they are killing the Father!” Putting swords in the hands of his followers, whose names I do not know, he began to run and the villains fled and we escaped from danger. I helped the priest to get up. The men asked him if he had been hurt. He replied: “Ah yes, they simply hurt me!”

1590 [8762] When it was time for Carnivale the Father received a letter from Vienna in which it said that the poor friars who lived there were very worried and anxious because at two or three o’clock in the morning some pellets had been fired through some of the windows. One night all the friars were sitting around a small table studying German when they were sprayed with pellets and if God had not made Brother Giulio da Venezia jump up suddenly, the pellets would have gone through his head from one said to the other.

When Father heard this, in accord with his usual charity, Father immediately decided to go to Vienna even though it was a long way, there might be deep snow and he was not sure of the road. Nevertheless, he could not be dissuaded from going to comfort those poor friars. When he asked us what we thought we said to him that if he went he would die and compromise all the good that he could continue to do: “Father, you could write them a letter and console them, or, perhaps go a bit later when the weather has improved.” That is what he did.