Blessed Thomas of Cori

While this young servant of God was thus working to sanctify himself, the Lord called his parents to Him. This death leaving him free to follow his own wishes, and his inclination drawing him toward the religious state, he provided for the placement of his two sisters, then he requested and obtained his admission among the Franciscans of the Observance who had a convent near Cori. He took the religious habit at the age of twenty-two, on February 7, 1677, in the house of Orvieto, and he was then given the nam e Thom Thomas Italian Franciscan friar, reformer of the Riformella. as, by which he has been known ever since. With the garments of a Friar Minor, the new novice received the spirit of this holy Order in such abundance that he did not delay in possessing all the virtues of a worthy disciple of Saint Francis. His obedience, his modesty, his detachment from all created things, and his zeal to learn his duties soon made him regarded as a model of regularity by the religious, who unanimously gave him their votes for the profession to which he was admitted on February 8, 1678.

Such brilliant merit could not escape the attention of his superiors. They therefore resolved to have Brother Thomas continue his studies, and for this purpose they sent him to the convent of Viterbo, then to that of Velletri. He applied himself with ardor to the work of acquiring the knowledge of the sciences that were taught to him; but he took care to nourish his piety so well that, throughout the entire time his course lasted, he lost none of his initial fervor. At the end of his theology, he received the sacred order of the priesthood. His feelings of devotion were so vivid when he celebrated his first Mass that he shed tears in abundance. These precious dispositions did not pass with the occasion that had given rise to them; the servant of God preserved them all his life and constantly showed, from then on, the same respect that he had manifested at first for our august mysteries.

The edification that the holy religious had given at Orvieto, during his novitiate, determined the superiors to send him back to that house with the office of master of novices. He went there and was received with joy, because of the favorable opinion held of his virtue and his capacity. The expectation of the good he would accomplish was not disappointed; he directed the novices with such charity, prudence, zeal, and discretion that he promptly proved his talent for the position that had been entrusted to him. He trained his disciples with extreme care in religious perfection, treating them nevertheless with great gentleness and compassion for their weakness. If he inflicted some penance upon them, he shared it with them. His custom was to prescribe to others only the acts of virtue that he had practiced himself first. This way of acting, so wise and so charitable, made him cherished by all the novices to whom he made the yoke of religion lighter; thus they desired keenly to keep him; but he was soon called to a new way of life.

It is an ancient custom of the Order of Saint Francis to have in each province a few convents of retreat and recollection in which the religious who inhabit them lead a life more retired, more penitent, and more austere than in other houses. This pious custom no longer existed in Italy in the 17th century, when Pope Innocent XI, of venerable m emory, zeal Innocent XI Pope who authorized the office of Saint Hedwig on October 17. ous for religious perfection, expressed the desire that it be restored. The superiors of the Franciscans of the Observance hastened to fulfill the intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff and designated, among other retreat convents, that of Saint Francis, located on the territory of the famous abbey of Subiaco, near Civitella, in a place surrounded by mount Civitella Location of the Saint Francis convent where Thomas established his reform. ains covered with thick forests. Several good religious asked their superiors for permission to retire there; and among their number was Father Thomas, who obtained the permission without difficulty, because they wanted to populate these houses with solidly virtuous subjects. He therefore hastened there, taking with him only his breviary, which was the most precious object he had for his use. The appearance of this dwelling was suited to satisfy his attraction for penance. In the middle of thick woods, one found a poor house, which was like a hermitage placed in a desert. Such was, for several years, the dwelling of the servant of God. He led there an extremely poor and mortified life, devoting himself to prayer, an exercise to which he dedicated a part of the day and even of the night. He joined to this the most tiring exterior labors, and those most suited to humiliate him. Thus, he acquired in this solitude new degrees of perfection.

But while occupying himself with his own sanctification with such zeal and success, Blessed Thomas often thought of procuring that of his neighbor. He was especially touched by the deplorable state in which so many unfortunate regions find themselves, which do not have the happiness of possessing the inestimable treasure of the faith. He therefore believed he should tear himself away from his dear retreat to go and carry this divine torch to the nations that still sleep in the darkness of unbelief. Consequently, he offered himself to his superiors for the mission to China. God, who wished to be content with the good will and devotion of his servant, did not permit his offers to be accepted. Two of h is confreres, F Antoine Linasco Spanish missionary who advised Thomas. athers Anthony Linasco, a Spaniard and apostolic missionary who died in the odor of sanctit Jean-Baptiste d'Ilicito Franciscan missionary and martyr. y, and John the Baptist of Ilicito, who was later martyred by the infidels, both assured him that he would accomplish greater good among Christians than in the foreign missions. Both advised him to work for the sanctification of the peoples of the country in which he lived. Deferring humbly to this advice, the servant of God applied himself with all his power to winning souls through his preaching, his missions, his charitable exhortations, his good care, and his assiduity in the confessional, joined to fervent prayers that he addressed with tears to the Lord. So many efforts were not fruitless; he won a very great number of sinners to God, even the most criminal; he prevented an infinity of faults, at the same time as he became a model for religious, and established in Italy a Recollection much more austere for the Order of Saint Francis than that which had been practiced until then.

Providence provided the Blessed Thomas with the means to definitively establish this Recollection, by allowing him to be elected guardian of the convent of Civitella in the year 1686. As soon as he found himself at the head of his brothers, he made every effort to bring back among them that spirit of penance and mortification which originally distinguished the Order of Saint Francis. To achieve this goal, he made several severe regulations which were at first observed with fervor by the good religious who inhabited this house; but a certain number of them having left for China as missionaries, those who remained lost heart, and although their holy superior encouraged them toward perfection by his words and examples, and although he employed all his power to relieve them, even to the point of fulfilling the offices of porter and beggar, they ended up abandoning him entirely and withdrawing to mitigated convents. He thus remained alone for eight months, sustaining himself only through patience and prayer; but at the end of this time he began to be disconcerted. One day, when he was quite dejected, he made this prayer to the Lord: "Help me, O my God, my bodily strength is failing me; I can no longer resist this most painful state. I bear it willingly for your greater glory, as much as I can; but I am now exhausted to such a point that if your help does not strengthen me, I shall have to leave this convent and abandon the enterprise." The Lord often afflicts his servants only to test their virtue and to reward it even in this life; the prayer of the Blessed one promptly obtained its effect. Subjects came from various places to the convent of Civitella to place themselves under the guidance of the holy superior. He formed them in perfection, and several subsequently became models; such were, among others, Father François Boyvin, French by nation, and the venerable Father Theophilus of Corte, in Corsica, whose canoniz ation is being pur Théophile de Corte Disciple of Thomas of Cori at Civitella. sued in Rome.

Although at the head of a community that had become numerous, Blessed Thomas did not neglect his works of zeal toward the laity, whom he assisted in all their spiritual needs. He also took particular care of the poor and wanted alms to always be given to them, however poor the house itself might be. God was pleased to show, through two events that border on the miraculous, how pleasing the charity of his servant was to Him. Once, when wine was lacking for the table of the religious, the holy superior had water put into it, and almost at the same instant a barrel was seen to arrive which provided enough wine, not only for the brothers, but also for the guests and the poor. Another time, the religious, upon entering the refectory, found nothing there to eat. The servant of God led them to the church to recite grace; while they were saying this prayer, the bell rang at the door: it was benefactors who were sending bread and wine for the whole community.

The edification provided by the convent of Civitella made the superiors desire to form a second house of Recollection, similar to the first. They chose for this purpose the one at Palombara, and sent Father Thomas there in 1703 wi th some o Palombara Location of the second house of Recollection founded by Thomas. f his religious. Others also went there; and after a few years, the new house was full. The devil, jealous of this holy work, turned the inhabitants of the region against the man of God, who caused him several inconveniences because he had begun by destroying some abuses; but, through his gentleness, his patience, and the reputation for holiness that he acquired, he brought them back from their prejudices so well that they gave him their full confidence and professed a particular veneration for him.

The Blessed, having consolidated the establishment of Palombara, obtained permission from his superiors to return to his dear solitude of Civitella; he lived there for twenty years, during which he was several times chosen to govern this house. He also never ceased, during all this time, to work for the salvation of souls, and earned the title of apost le of Sublac Place of monastic retreat and formation in Italy. Subiaco. Afflicted, during his final years, with a deep ulcer on his leg and several other very painful infirmities, he would neither exempt himself from any of the practices of his rule, nor abandon any of his works of zeal. When he was urged to take some care of his health, he would reply: "My son, I am at the end of my career; I must run to the very end to win the prize." Such were the sentiments and conduct of this man of God until his final moments. Following a morning spent in the confessional, on January 4, 1729, he was seized by a fever to which was soon added a spitting of blood. The progress of the illness warning him of the danger he was in, he wished to confess several times and then asked for the Holy Eucharist; when it was brought to him, he knelt on his bed, and with deep humility asked for forgiveness for all the bad examples he claimed to have given. After he had received communion, his face became all inflamed and then returned to its ordinary state. When he approached his end, he took on a smiling air that announced the satisfaction of his soul. The guardian of the convent having presented the crucifix to him, the dying saint kissed the image of the Savior with joy and then expired peacefully on January 11, 1729. He was nearly seventy-four years old and had spent more than fifty in religion. His body remained fresh and rosy until the moment it was laid in the ground. He appeared to several pious persons, shortly after his death, and miraculous graces have been obtained through his intercession. Pope Pius VI placed, on August 18, 1786, the servant of God among the blessed whom the Chur ch hon Pie VI Pope cited as having approved the cult of Julie in 1821. ors with public worship. The brief of this Pontiff offers a beautiful eulogy of the charity and zeal of Thomas for the salvation of his neighbor.

Godescard, Brussels edition.