Anthony of Stroncone, Bl.
ANTHONY OF STRONCONE, BL.
Franciscan laybrother; b. Stroncone (Umbria), Italy, 1381; d. at San Damiano in Assisi, Feb. 7, 1461, not 1471. Antony Vici was reared by fervent Franciscan tertiary (see third orders) parents of a prominent family that gave several outstanding priests to the franciscans. Anthony was only 12 when he joined the Observant Friars Minor. He served as assistant novicemaster in Fiesole (1411–20) under the saintly Thomas Bellacci. From 1420 to 1435 he helped Bellacci convert and repress the fraticelli in Tuscany and Corsica. He spent his last decades as questing brother at the Carceri hermitage above Assisi and died in San Damiano friary there; he was revered for his humility, mortification, prophecies, and contemplative prayer. More than a score of major favors were reported at his tomb between the years 1461 and 1475. He was beatified by Pope innocent xi in 1687. In 1809 his well-preserved body was forcibly translated to Stroncone by 20 armed citizens.
Feast: Feb. 7.
Bibliography: g. oddi, La Franceschina, ed. n. cavanna, 2. v. (Florence 1931) 1:397–410. a. butler, The Lives of the Saints, ed. h. thurston and d. attwater, 4 v. (New York 1956) 1:272–273. l. canonici, Antonio Vici, principe conteso (Assisi 1961), with extensive bibliog. Il beato Antonio da Stroncone, ed. m. sensi (Porziuncola 1993).
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