Saint Seraphin of Monte Granaro

The time of trials had come. Death had just taken his father from him. Obliged to return to the paternal home, he had to obey his brother, whose character was violent and irascible. This brother was a mason: he wanted to teach this trade to Felix, and, without pity for his age, he treated him like a beast of burden, without a single complaint ever escaping the lips of the one who was the object of so much harshness. This situation continued for several years.

At sixteen years old, having heard the book of Denis the Carthusian on the last things read, Seraphim resolved, in order to save his soul and escape the dangers one encounters in the world, to enter the Capuc hins. He Capucins Mendicant religious order to which the saint belonged. went to the convent of Tolen tino wher Tolentino Location of the convent where Seraphin began his religious life. e he took the name Seraphim, by which he is known. He was eighteen years old, and he understood that he had not entered a religious Order to practice virtue, but to attain perfection. He made such rapid progress that his brothers were astonished. After one year, he was admitted to pronounce his vows. This was for him the occasion of such joy that on that day he kissed the feet of all the Fathers.

From then on, he applied himself to establishing a perfect purity of conscience within himself and to avoiding anything that might tarnish it; he dreaded the slightest sins and held them in horror. As a reward, he obtained the lights of heaven in abundance and soon became very skilled in the science of the Saints. His heart was ablaze with the flames of divine love, and one day, when during a recreation he was obliged to mount the pulpit to address his brothers, he knew how to find such accents that the religious, touched and amazed, blessed God for having given such a lively faith and so much fervor to this poor brother. The love of God was his life; he would have liked to give his blood to prove his love to God; he requested the favor of going to infidel lands to suffer martyrdom there, but his superiors did not believe they should grant him this favor and deprive their community of this model of virtues.

A sincere charity for his neighbor accompanied the love he had for God. He was affable, benevolent to everyone, and always ready to be of service. But it was above all the poor who had the greatest share of his affection. He used every means in his power to relieve them, and for this, he often deprived himself of necessities. A famine having occurred, he contented himself with four ounces of bread a day, in order to be able to give more to those who were hungry.

God, in reward for his virtues, granted him the gift of miracles; he knew the future and read the secrets of hearts; but, as his humility was great, he did everything in his power to hide the wonders he performed. His reputation for holiness became such that his superiors were forced to remove him from the office of questor, because, when he went out, the crowd pressed upon his footsteps and cut off pieces of his cloak.

He was forewarned of his death and announced it to his brothers. He was sixty-four years old when he expired on October 12, 1604, after having edified the Order of C apuchins for forty Ordre des Capucins Mendicant religious order to which the saint belonged. -six years. Numerous wonders occurred at his tomb. In 1610, P ope Paul V pape Paul V Pope who approved the bull of erection of the Oratory. permitted the inhabitants of Ascoli to render him public cult, an d Clement XI Clément XIII Pope who granted indulgences for the cult of Saint Gregory. II canonized him on July 16, 1767.

Cf. Conference of Grésecourt: Acta Sanctorum, volume VI of October; Life of Saint Seraphin, by Fr. Pierre-Benoît Giovann P. Pierre-Benoît Giovanni Capuchin friar and biographer of Saint Seraphin. i, Capuchin.