Canonizzazione San Felice da Nicosia (1715-1787)

Roma 23 Ottobre 2005

Felice was born in Nicosia, Sicily on November 5, 1715. The same day was baptized with the names of Filippo Giacomo.

The family was poor but very religious. The proximity to the convent of Cappuccinis, gave him the possibility to frequent their community, to know the single religious and to admire their style of life.

From the continiuos visits to the monks of the convent, he strongly felt more and more attracted by their life: joy in austerity, liberty in the poverty, penitence, prayer, charity, missionary spirit.

At twenty he asked to the Superior of the convent of Nicosia to intercede with the Provincial Father of Messina in order to be accepted in the order as secular, because his illiteracy, as clergyman could not be admitted. He received a negative answer not only that occasion, but also to the repeated applications in the following eight years. Nevertheless his desire never came less.

In 1743, come to knowledge that the Provincial Father of Messina was at Nicosia for a visit, he asked to expose him his desire. The Provincial finally welcomed him to the convent of Mistretta for the year of the novitiate.

Immediately after the profession, he was destined by his superior to the convent of Nicosia. He had already done proper the motto of St. Francis, that the monk has to live in the world as true pilgrim and foreign, reputing not to have anything own on the earth, neither house, neither place, neither anything at all.

He passed for the roads and for the houses with composure and discretion, always thanking, when he was offered something, as also when he was sent away in bad way saying with sweetness: “Be for love of God”

Relieved by every charge, with the physicist by now sick for the extreme penitences and mortifications, at the end of May, 1787 he was caught by violent fever while he was working in the garden. The superior, Father Macario, did him lie down for obedience. To the doctor that prescribed him some medicines, Father Felice said that they were useless, because that was his last illness. Concluded his terrestrial life at two o'clock on May 31, 1787.

Pope Benedict XVI, in his first ceremony of canonization on October 23, 2005 in St. Peter Square, has proclaimed him saint with others four Blessed: Józef Bilczewski, Gaetano Catanoso, Zygmunt Gorazdowski, Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga.