ON ST. FULCUS THE PILGRIM,
IN THE TOWN OF SAN PATRE OF THE DIOCESE OF AQUINO.
TWELFTH CENTURY.
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.
On his cult, acts, companions, miracles.
Fulcus, in the town of San Patre of the diocese of Aquino in Italy (S.)
D. P.
[1] The first of this Saint notice owe foreigners to Caesar Baronius, the Roman Martyrology's tables revising and augmenting at this XXII, where he wrote; At Aquino of S. Fulcus the Confessor, adding in the Notes: The name inserted in the Fasti. Of him the ancient monuments of the church of Aquino, where of him the natal day is treated. By this indication admonished Philip Ferrarius, when those monuments to himself to be communicated by the Bishop of Aquino he had asked, complains in the general Catalogue them not yet to have been able to have; and meanwhile such an elogium he wove: In England born, with Grimoald the Presbyter and Eleutherius brothers into Italy a pilgrim, to Rome, then to Aquino he came: in whose territory or diocese a life he led of sanctity full: at last with many illustrious miracles he fell asleep in the Lord on the XI Kal. of June: whose body at Ceprano, a little town of Latium at the Liris, to be kept it is reported. To Ferrarius credulous Nicolas Brautius Bishop of Sarsina, in the Martyrology poetic, this for him a distich concocted: With a twin brother Fulcus is associated: of Aquino Unknown he cultivated, until he died, the field. But as only here Ferrarius before his eyes he had; so only Baronius Constantine Ghinius in the Natalia of the Holy Canons, to his words that to all Confessors common elogium adding, that supported by God's virtue, despising the world, and the earthly triumphing, riches in a heaven safer, with his hand.
[2] Meager these things very much, nor enough certain to me seemed. Considering therefore how little Sora was distant from the named by Ferrarius Ceprano, how little likewise thence was distant Aquino, to our there College's Procurator I gave letters: The Acts received from his church. through him indeed, not from Aquino, not from Ceprano, but from the unknown hitherto to me of San Patre the town, of the diocese nonetheless of Aquino, where S. Fulcus's body is kept in a church of his proper name (I know not how far from Ceprano) I received of that Saint Acts some, in the year MDCLXXXII XXIV April written by the hand of James George, a Priest there Prebendary, under the attestation of the Archpriest of San Patre Dom Francis Capuanus, making faith, that all agree with that which is had there of the Aquino original copy, made about the year MDCLXIII, and by Marcellus Bishop of Aquino subsigned. In of these Acts, before years at least a hundred written, a conjecture about the age. at the end, are numbered more than two hundred years, that the arm of the Saint stealthily taken and restored was: it is said also no small elapsed time, that destroyed, in which returned from Jerusalem the Saint had served and beside which he had been buried the hospital, outside the town's walls situated, the body unknown lay hid. Therefore not absurd a conjecture it will be, by which one would opine, in the century about the XII (when especially the transmarine pilgrimages were frequented) to have flourished S. Fulcus, and so coeval to have been to the Saints Gerius and Liberius or Oliverius, from a similar pilgrimage at Ancona and Monte-santo in Picenum laid, as we shall see at their Natalia XXV and XXVII of this month.
[3] No in these Acts word, by which a Cleric, much less of Rome; no finally of two Brothers, of whom the first Ferrarius mentioned at XXIX May and XXIX September: in each place alleging the Aquino Church's monuments, but the Acts proper none to himself to have been seen confessing; so that he seems by a little faithful information deceived, brothers to have believed, because by a similar occasion and the same verisimilarly age as pilgrims in the aforesaid diocese stopped and died; Eleutherius at Arcanum in Latium, Grimoald at Ponte-curvo in Campania. He who indeed of S. Fulcus to us described the acts, hope also made of three neighboring parishes of obtaining notice of as many of his companions, whose bodies in a similar honor are had; namely of S. Gerard at Galliano, Companions of S. Bernard at Rocca d'Arce, and of S. Ardoinus the Patron of the people of Ceprano: of whom alone Bernard at XIV October to Ferrarius is known, from the Lessons of his proper Office, which on this occasion to us to be sent we trust, with the Acts of the two others: of whom the last seems by Ferrarius confounded with S. Fulcus to have been, when this man to Ceprano he ascribed.
[4] The very town of San Patre, I know not whence so named, to the state pertains of the Duke of Sora: in a chapel moreover in which the Saint's body is kept, burns before it perpetually a lamp, Miracles. whence on the day of his feast received and distributed oil, is an effectual against various diseases remedy, as a daily experience to be established in an epistle asserts the aforepraised of San Patre Presbyter, grieving by a certain negligence to be done, that of such graces none in writing be noted. In the time moreover of plague to be frequented especially the sacred body he says, those coming from every neighborhood round about contacted, of whom very many home sound have returned in past years, in which that pestilence through Campania raged several times. Nor one only feast to S. Fulcus is celebrated, but also another on the day XIX September, under the title of the Translation. Of which Translation easy it would be to define the time, if were had the name of the Bishop by whom it was managed: but equally this lies hid, as the year, in which the Saint himself died.
[5] His cult before years a hundred now elapsed approved Gregory XIII, by whose will in the year MDLXXXIII in the typography cameral was printed a program of Indulgences, which from the Italian into Latin thus I render: Indulgences in the year 1582 granted. The Sanctity of Lord our Gregory Pope XIII, for the increase of religion among the faithful and the salvation of souls, granted for the next ten years a plenary Indulgence and remission of all their sins, to all faithful Christians, as much of one as of the other sex, who truly penitent, confessed and communicated in single of those ten years shall have visited the church of S. Fulcus in the town of San Patre of the diocese of Aquino, on the feast of that very S. Fulcus, which will be XXII May, from the first Vespers even to the setting of the sun of the said now feast; and in the aforesaid church shall have prayed devoutly to God for the concord of the Christian Princes, the extirpation of heresies and the exaltation of holy mother Church: just as appears through the Brief of his Beatitude, under the day XVIII May MDLXXXII. In the same Charter, just as it we have, above is expressed S. Fulcus, in the same plainly manner in which is wont to be painted S. Roch, except that there be no dog, standing in the habit of a pilgrim, and with his hand left his right leg bared showing, as if by a pestilential ulcer eaten away.
ACTS
From the Ms. of the Episcopal Chancery of Aquino.
Fulcus, in the town of San Patre of the diocese of Aquino in Italy (S.)
FROM THE MSS.
In the land of San Patre the body of B. Fulcus or Fulco the Confessor: for whose Life or Legend this be had notice or tradition.
[1] Blessed the man, who is found without stain and who after gold went not nor hoped in money's treasures: who is this? In voluntary poverty, and we will praise him. This Blessed,
to be Fulco, without doubt to affirm and to prove we can, who in England his paternal and maternal goods to the Lord's poor disbursed, for the sake of his body's maceration the orb of lands to make a pilgrimage began: and first to Jerusalem, Jesus Christ's sepulcher to visit, he sought: thence returning afterward all he made a pilgrimage through Apulia, some piously visiting places, having died on pilgrimage, that the flesh, the world and the devil, as the principal of man enemies, by the journey's fatigue and by prayer he might overcome. Finally, as the Lord's was the will, after long of soul and body labors, to San Patre's Land he came; where that the remaining of his life's space, spiritual exercising of mercy works, he might terminate, in that very Land's hospital, outside the walls placed, himself he betook: and buried beside the hospital, in which while he lived such was his exercise, that to God and the sick always work he gave: to God namely by prayer, to the sick indeed afterward by assiduous ministry. In such exercising himself office he fell asleep in the Lord; and outside the hospital, as an unknown pilgrim, was buried.
[2] Performed indeed the hospital's ruin, no small elapsed time, unwilling God so great his servant to oblivion to be given (for wonderful God in his Saints) through a way by which men over that very B. Fulco's tomb a journey made, the same destroyed, the animals to cross could not, even with blows compelled. What this signified being unknown to the people of San Patre, by the omnipotence's will it came, that the very B. Fulco by night to a certain man lame, and of all his body from his nativity immovable, in a vision appeared and to him said: I am Fulco, of God devout, who my body near the demolished hospital have. appearing to a certain lame man, Tomorrow morning from thy bed thou shalt rise, and of the same Land's Presbyter all by me related thou shalt report, and to him on my part thou shalt say, that tomorrow morning no interposed delay his let him approach Bishop, and that me such to thee to have spoken to him thou shalt narrate, that his gathered Clergy from the said tomb my let him extract body, that, as Christ's a devout servant, in a church a sepulcher to obtain I may merit. These things said with the infirm man, he orders himself to be translated: firm made, invisible the aforesaid Blessed was: but the night past, in the morning from his bed rising, to the aforesaid Archpriest immediately he proceeded, and with him what to him had been committed he communicated.
[3] To his sayings the Archpriest faith gave, seeing especially the infirm man himself from his infirmity freed. Wherefore immediately to his he came Bishop, and to him such he explained the vision. Which heard the Bishop greatly his rebukes credulity, The Bishop incredulous to the vision, and prison to him threatens, if such any more to say he dare. By which terrified the Archpriest, no put off delay, from the Bishop withdraws to San Patre. The Bishop indeed after the Archpriest's departure from his seat his to lift himself trying, in which he sat, he could not, nor even with his servants' help. But a great himself to have committed error the Bishop afterward recognizing, the vision by the Archpriest of San Patre to him related not believing, with immobility is punished: to his commands servants that immediately to the aforesaid they come Archpriest, and him they ask that to him to return he be willing: to whom returned such words he makes: Archpriest, in not giving to thee faith I erred, and the due of this error punishment I bear, while from this place immovable made I am: therefore to San Patre return thou, and there for my health B. Fulco pray: and I to him promise, now health obtained, me thither two others called Bishops immediately about to come, and all by thee to me said about to fulfill.
[4] These things said and promised, sound he escaped: and that the promises he might keep, and to himself restored, without of time interval the aforesaid he besought Bishops, and with them together to San Patre he proceeded: whither when they had come, the Pontifical clothed garments, to the place by the lame man to him shown they came; and, where the animals to cross would not, they dug up. Where the most holy of Fulco they found body: to which that a worthy be given sepulcher, he performs the things ordered. by the two Bishops into a certain chapel, within the said Land existing, translated it was. Where afterward in B. Fulco's honor a temple was dedicated: whose Natal is celebrated on the day twenty-second of the month of May, the Translation indeed aforesaid on the day nineteenth of the month of September. And the said B. Fulco's body laid up was in a certain ambry wooden, by a column supported above a squared stone, in the middle of the pavement of the aforesaid church placed, as still is to be seen. Which column when to nothing for devotion's cause was reduced by foreigners' cutting, There survive even today the Relics, so much that the column itself together with the ambry a ruin to make seemed; it before the altar, of that very Blessed to the honor dedicated, they placed, and the head and arms with silver covered: which at present, within a wooden ambry gilded, upon the said altar placed, are found.
[5] And before in the said ambry laid up they were, in a certain casket they were, from which an arm by theft taken, from which by two robbers taken they were, and so by them carried even to the church of S. Mary de Campo, in the territory of Albetum existing, where by avarice blinded, and by silver's avidity impelled, of that very Blessed the arm they broke. Which done, by God's permission, neither to walk, nor from that place themselves to move they could: wherefore to that very Blessed they vowed, if their former health from God to obtain he would deign, immediately to San Patre them to be about to return, miraculously is restored: and to its place the aforesaid about to replace. Which terminated the vow unharmed they escaped, and to San Patre returned, and all things in their place replaced: which to almighty God's glory and B. Fulco's honor also are kept: and the arm's fracture, with a leathern thong and thread tied, entire and intact are seen even to the present, which also of two hundred years this number exceeds. Which aforesaid all both through the ancients' traditions and through a certain deposited history appear.
[6] What this be a History to the people of Aquino further to be investigated I leave, found gladly to be about to give in the Supplement: I require also the Bishop's name through whom was made the Translation, by which the rest lie hid. known not however difficult it will be to divine of the neighboring who their to him presence exhibited Bishops the names, for nearest indeed are Sora, Alatri, Ferentino, Veroli in Latium; in Campania indeed Venafro, Sinuessa, Fondi, all cities Episcopal, within the fourteenth about from Aquino milestone. Albetum how far carried by the robbers the arm was, no tables geographic express; as nor the very town of San Patre: credible meanwhile it is not very far distant places to be, and each to Aquino near.