Capuchin Saint:

St. Francis Mary Camporosso, OFMCap

His feast is celebrated September 20. John Evangelist Croese was born at Camporosso (Imperia) Italy, at Liguria's western border, on December 27, 1804. His family owned a modest house and maintained small parcels of farmland. Elementary education was provided by his pastor.

At 18, John developed a friendship with a Conventual friar which led to John's being invested as a tertiary among the Conventuals at Sestri on October 14, 1822. At his investiture, he received the name, Anthony. Not completely satisfied with the spirit and life he experienced among the Conventuals, he went to the Capuchin friary at Voltri where he poured out his heart to Alexander Canepa, a Capuchin from Genoa. Early one morning, in late autumn of 1824, Anthony quietly left the Conventuals and sought admittance as a postulant among the Capuchins, among whom he received the name, Francis Mary. After almost three years of postulancy, Francis Mary left Voltri for the novitiate of St. Barnabas in Genoa where he chose to be a noncleric novice, confiding to a friend that his choice was based on the example of Saint Francis "who did not want to ascend to the priesthood, because it is preferable to be humble and obedient."

Francis Mary was invested as a Capuchin on December 17, 1825, and spent his year of probation under the direction of Bernard of Pontedecimo. His first vows were professed into the hands of Samuel Bocciardo of Genoa on December 17, 1826. After profession, he was assigned to the province's principal friary, Immaculate Conception in Genoa, which housed 90 friars, the provincial curia, infirmary and retirement home, a vast library, and where material for the friars' clothing was produced. The friars at Immaculate Conception operated a pharmacy‹open to the public‹and provided sanitary health care with a staff that included a doctor, a surgeon, and a licensed dentist. The friary was also a public distribution center for wood‹the sole source of energy at the time. Life at Immaculate Conception was normally hectic and became even more so in the wake of the anticlerical, antireligious era of the Italian Risorgimento.

Francis Mary helped wherever there was a need‹in the infirmary, kitchen, orchard, etc. Because of the great number of friars residing at Immaculate Conception, there were many questors, some of whom canvassed the city, and others who went to the countryside. In 1831, one of the friary's rural questors, Pius of Pontedecimo (who quested in the area of Val Bisagno) could no longer continue the arduous task of climbing mountains to quest, so Francis Mary was placed in training under Pius' tutelage. He learned quickly that questing offered an opportunity not only to receive, but to give. He received the offerings of the people with words of simple faith and spontaneous yet effective catechesis.

At nighttime, the rural questors would take shelter at the villa of the Sauli family. Francis Mary always deferred to his older companion, preparing their food, making sure that Pius had enough to eat, without worrying about the size of his own portion. He chose to sleep on the stairs so that Pius could have the bed. Although well suited for this rural ministry, his assignment lasted only two years, at which time he was chosen to be an urban questor.

Urban questors played an even more vital role in providing daily sustenance for the friars. The city was divided into quarters, with each questor responsible for his respective area. Since the friars were prohibited from handling money, the questor was accompanied by a youngster from one of the benefactors' families. (The child‹between the ages of six and ten‹would carry a sack and receive any money that was given.) The choice of Francis Mary to fulfill this ministry at such a young age attests to the esteem in which he was held both by friars and others.

Francis Mary was very popular with ordinary people. His fame spread rapidly, as did the nickname, padre santo, (i.e., "holy father" or "holy monk"). People confided in him and he always took the time to listen. Asked to do anything, he always seemed to do even more than what was asked. Francis Mary gave practical yet profound spiritual advice. While questors often were brought into contact with nobles and ecclesiastical dignitaries, most of Francis Mary's encounters were with parents, shopkeepers, sailors, and prostitutes. In unsophisticated language, he spoke to all of the reign of God. To those who sought advice he would say, "Have faith! Have faithl" To those who thanked him for his intervention and prayers, he would remark, "I did nothing, it was the Madonna who helped you." His sanctity was marked by affability, and his personal life was distinguished for its austerity, penance and obedience.

After 1840, the Capuchin ministers conferred on Francis Mary the office of chief questor. This was in keeping with a local Capuchin custom whereby an especially exemplary questor was recognized as a model and guide, and served as coordinator of the other questors. With the office came the responsibility of questing for certain staples destined for the infirmary: coffee, sugar, chocolate, and cocoa. These alms were collected at the customshouse, a privilege reserved to the Capuchins. So great an amount of goods was regularly gathered at the customshouse that the friary became a distribution center for the needy. Cloods were also disbursed to help churches and other charitable institutions.

Since friars reflected the divisions rampant in the political upheaval of the age, maintaining charity within the friary was not easy. In 1847, Venanzio of Turin, the general minister, visited the friary in an attempt to calm the friction. Francis Mary concentrated his energies on a program which he had accepted for his own ongoing conversion: the acceptance of suffering and the ministry of being a peacemaker. He always spoke a kind word, expressed his appreciation of others, willingly extended a helping hand, and never forgot the most lonely or sad. He displayed a great deal of affection for and devotion to his community.

Still, they were turbulent times. In 1849, an insurrection arose in Genoa. Even some nonCapuchin religious took up arms. Eventually, the state confiscated the hospital and much of the Capuchin friary for its own purposes.

In 1866, cholera was discovered on-board a vessel docked at Genoa and all ships were subsequently quarantined. On August 5th, the first case within the city was reported. Despite his own and others' fears, Francis Mary continued to minister among the people, offering himself as a victim of charity, assisting the sick. By August 31st, there were 232 reported cases and 130 fatalities.

On September 17th, Francis Mary fell victim to cholera. His body was quickly entombed in a lead casket and taken to the cemetery at Staglieno. In life, Francis Mary offered himself as a victim of charity for those struck down by cholera. In death, prayers rose up from the populace to their padre santo to intercede on behalf of their city. In a matter of weeks, the cholera epidemic subsided.

In 1911, Francis Mary's remains were transferred to the Capuchin church of the Immaculate Conception. On June 30, 1929, Pius XI inscribed his name among the blessed. On December 9, 1962, at the conclusion of the first session of the Second Vatican Council, John XXIII solemnly declared as saints: Francis Mary Croese, Peter Julian Eymard, and Anthony Mary Pucci.