CONCERNING SS. REGINALDUS AND FRANCUS
CALABRIAN HERMITS IN APULIA.
CommentaryReginaldus, Calabrian Hermit in Apulia (S.)
Francus, Calabrian Hermit in Apulia (S.)
BY THE AUTHOR G. H.
Hieronymus Marafiotus of Polistena, of the Order of Minors, in book 5 of the Chronicle and Antiquity of Calabria fol. 307 indicates Saints born in Calabria, Memory in Marafiotus and Romæus, among whom are mentioned S. Franco the Hermit and S. Rinaldus the Hermit, but what was their natal place is said to be unknown. David Romæus in the Index of the Divine ones, who were born or buried in the Neapolitan kingdom, confers somewhat greater light page 401 near the end, where concerning the Saints of Calabria he writes these things: "Hilarius, Nicolaus the Greek, Reginaldus, Francus, Falcus, with three other companions, whose names we know not, solitary Calabrian men, who having set out from their Calabria, Eugene IV being Supreme Pontiff, among the Frentani of the Samnites led the same solitary life in the Aventana valley, in the place which is called Plata, near Casula and Lama; and in the same province are venerated, Nicolaus at Bardagrara on the VII of the Ides of August, Reginaldus at Falascone, on the Nones of May, Francus at Francavilla on the same day, Falcus at Palena." Thus there.
[2] Let a third witness be adjoined, Gabriel Barrius the Franciscan in book 1 concerning the Antiquity and site of Calabria, Barrius, who edited in Italy illustrated with other authors, in column 1024 suggests this notice. "Lately," he says, "the fame of eight Calabrian hermits, who were at the same time, became frequent with me. Whose names are these, Hilario, Nicolaus the Greek (for not only from towns and hamlets, but also from regions are names taken, and flow to posterity) Rinaldus, Franchus, Falcus, the names of the other three are hidden from me. Of these the master and leader was Hilario, who with seven others departing from Calabria, hastened into Samnium, and in the Aventine valley among the Frentani, in the place whose name is Plata, near Casula and Lama, castles, settled: and there leading the eremitic life served God. But Hilario being dead, each one of them on account of humility refusing to be over the others, they agreed, that each should cast his wooden dish into a fountain, and he, into whose dish a fish should enter, should take up the governance of the others. The dishes therefore, God being first entreated, being cast into the fountain, immediately by the nod of God a fish entered the dish of Nicolaus: then he recognizing the power of God, undertook the office of ruling the others. He departed from life living a hundred years Eugene the fourth being Pontiff. the bodies in veneration His body lies at Bardagrara, shining with miracles: his feast is kept the seventh of the Ides of August. The body of B. Rinaldus rests at Falascone: his feast is kept on the Nones of May. The body of B. Franchus lies at Francavilla: his feast is kept on the same day. The body of B. Falcus lies at Palena. This Antiphon is sung by those Priests:
O offspring of Calabria, splendor of the seven stars, The new comeliness of Bardagrara, a noble deposit; Bear the radiance of grace, the benefit of Christ, Lest the brief time of pardon flow away in vain."
[3] the wrestling-school of virtues in the Abruzzi, The same nearly Joannes Vincentius Ciarlantus has in book 5 of the historical Memory of Samnium chapter 3, where he asserts Plata to be situated on the bank of the river Aventino, which in the hither Abruzzi having flowed into the Sangro, with this flows out into the Adriatic sea, where in the Geographic maps, on the right side of the river Aventino, is exhibited Lama, on the left Casoli, and thence the wrestling-school is recognized, in which these hermits, as Ciarlantus writes, led a very austere life with so great purity, that they appeared true imitators of the ancient holy Egyptian Fathers. For they were unanimous in true humility of heart, fervent in prayer, and ardent in charity: toward themselves severe, toward others benevolent; and what is chief, they lived plainly abstracted from secular things, as is required of true hermits. But as to what concerns the two, whose solemnity is celebrated on this day, Ciarlantus asserts that the sacred bones of S. Rinaldus or Reginaldus are still preserved
in the church of the castle, called Falasiose, and his feast both on this VII of May and moreover on the XXVIII of August to be celebrated. But the precious body of S. Francus to be possessed in the church of Francavilla, and his feast to be celebrated both on this VII of May, and on the V of December, with a great concourse of the peoples dwelling round about. Finally the feast of S. Falcus to be celebrated on the XIII of January, and the first Sunday after the Assumption of the Virgin Mother of God. Of S. Francus the hermit on this day Ferrarius makes mention in the general Catalogue and another of the Saints of Italy.