이탈리아 아크리 태생인 안젤로는 세례명은 Lucantonio (Luke Anthony)였다.
카푸친회의 입회를 두 번이나 거절당하고, 3번째의 청원에서 허가를 받았다(1690년).
1711년 사순절 동안 실시한 나폴리의 설교가 대성공을 거두자 그는 위대한 설교자로 활동하게 되었다.
일생 동안 줄곧 칼라브리아, 나폴리 등지를 돌면서 수많은 사람들을 회개시켰고, 치유의 기적도 행하였다.
또 그는 환시와 탈혼의 경험이 많아서 예언의 선물을 받았다는 말을 들었다.
사람의 영혼을 궤뚫어 보는 능력있는 고해 신부였다.
1739년 그는 아크리의 수도원에서 운명하여, 1825년에 시복되었다.
안젤로는 임종시 다음과 같이 여러번 부드럽게 되풀이 하였다고한다.
BLESSED ANGELUS OF ACRI
CAPUCHIN PRIEST
Angelus was born on October 19th 1669 at Acri, a little town in Calabria, Italy. Luke Anthony were his Christian names. That Luke Anthony had been graced with many blessings from the good Lord was evident from his earliest years when his greatest love was to pray in solitude with God. As he grew older, he wondered what he should do with his life. With the passing of time and constant prayer, the call of Christ gradually became clear and persistent.
At eighteen (1687), Luke Anthony asked to be admitted and was received into the Capuchin Order as a postulant. Due to trickery of the Devil, he left the Order twice, but entered for good on November 12th, 1690 to begin his Novitiate. Throughout the entire year the novice was tormented by his tireless enemy, the devil. His `weapons’ in the fight were his devotion to the hours of the passion and his love of the crucified Christ.
Following his novitiate, he grew in holiness due to his complete giving of his self in prayer and to the application of his keen intellect to his philosophical and theological studies. After his ordination in 1702, he began preaching.
At first he spent days preparing, perfecting and rehearsing his sermons, but since, when preaching the spirit was not with him, he stumbled and was lost for words, hearing the voice of God he discarded books and writing, his holy preparation for preaching became the reading of Scripture and contemplation of the crucified Christ. Often he met with jeers and criticisms, but endowed with the reading of hearts and consciences he brought back to the Church many, even those who ridiculed him. He always fostered devotion to Christ crucified and he was a keen promoter of Mary’s Immaculate Conception.
Other points of interest concerning Angelus were:
he founded a convent of Capuchinesses in Acritania and he was their confessor for many years;
every year, at the beginning of June, Angelus returned to the friary to remain in silence and solitude until the following November;
his poverty was extreme, he only had the bare necessities;
in the last six months of his life, he became totally blind, but each day he received his sight back to celebrate the holy sacrifice of the Mass.
On October 30th 1739, Angelus died as he softly repeated over and over "Oh how good it is to love God!" "Come good Jesus come!" His feast is celebrated on October 30th.
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Beato Angelo d’Acri Frate cappuccino
30 ottobre
Acri, 19 ottobre 1669 - Acri, 30 ottobre 1739
Nato nel 1669 ad Acri (Cosenza), Lucantonio Falcone ebbe un cammino vocazionale singolarmente travagliato. Entrò e uscì dal noviziato cappuccino per ben due volte. Il terzo tentativo fu decisivo. Venne ordinato sacerdote nel 1700 nella cattedrale di Cassano. Esercitò il suo apostolato come padre provinciale e, soprattutto, come predicatore in tutto il Mezzogiorno per 40 anni. Era conosciuto come l’«Angelo della pace». In vita e dopo la morte, avvenuta nel 1739, compì numerosi miracoli. Il suo corpo è venerato nella basilica di Acri, che è a lui dedicata. È stato beatificato da Papa Leone XII nel 1825. (Avv.)
Era il 19 Ottobre del 1669 quando in Acri in provincia di Cosenza nasceva Lucantonio Falcone. Poveri i genitori, ma ricchi di virtù cristiane.
Singolare, anzi forse unica, nella storia dei Religiosi, fu la sua vocazione. A diciotto anni chiese ed ottenne di farsi Frate Cappuccino, ma oppresso da dubbi ed incertezze per due volte lasciò il noviziato, depose l’abito religioso e ritornò a casa dove pensava di costruirsi una vita al pari degli altri. Pur circondato dall’affetto della tenerissima madre, il suo cuore restava inquieto, perché i disegni di Dio su di lui erano diversi. Rientrò in convento per la terza volta e misticamente moriva Lucantonio Falcone e nasceva Frate Angelo d’Acri. A passi da gigante percorse tutte le tappe di vita religiosa che lo portarono al Sacerdozio, il 10 Aprile del 1700, nell’antica Cattedrale di Cassano Jonio.
Sulle sue spalle montanare subito caddero pesanti responsabilità e delicati incarichi che assolse con impegno e successo; fu Superiore Provinciale dei Cappuccini e per il suo modo di governo venne chiamato l’"Angelo della pace", ma, la predicazione sistematica, è stato il ministero principale di servizio reso alla Chiesa e all’Ordine Cappuccino per quaranta anni. Era divenuto il missionario più ricercato ed ascoltato dell’Italia meridionale tanto che si diceva che quando predicava, "nelle case non ci restavanu mancu li gatti".
La vita del beato Angelo d’Acri, è stata una rappresentazione vivente di Gesù, non tanto esteriore, ma interiore. Le testimonianze giurate ricordano come recitava a memoria la Sacra Scrittura e come ne faceva sempre uso nell’evangelizzazione del popolo.
Il 30 Ottobre 1739, fisicamente sfinito dalle fatiche apostoliche, se ne volava al Cielo. Il 18 Dicembre 1825, Papa Leone XII proclamò Beato il Cappuccino di Acri. Il suo corpo, ricomposto, è oggetto di quotidiana venerazione nella Basilica a Lui dedicata.
Autore: Carmelo Randello
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Been born in 1669 to Acres (Cosenza), Lucantonio Falcon had a singularly travagliato vocazionale way. It entered and it exited from the novitiate cappuccino in order two times very. The third attempt was decisive. It came ordered clergyman in 1700 in the cathedral of Cassano. It exercised its apostolate like provincial father and, above all, predicatore in all Southern Italy for 40 years. It was known like the "Angelo of the peace ". While still alive and after the dead women, happened in 1739, compi numerous miracles. Its body venerato in the basilica of Acres, that it is to dedicated he. It has been beatified from Pope Leone XII in 1825. (Avv.)
It was 19 October of 1669 when in Acres in province of Cosenza Lucantonio was born Falcon. Poor the parents, but rich of Christian virtues. Singular, indeed perhaps only, in the history of the Religious ones, it was its vocation. To eighteen years churches and he obtained makes Cappuccino Friar, but overwhelmed from doubts and uncertainties for two times he left the novitiate, he placed the religious dress and he returned to house where life to the par of the others thought to construct itself one. Also encircled from the affection of the most tender mother, its heart remained restless, because the designs of God on he were various. It re-entered in convent for the third time and mystically it died Lucantonio Falcon and it was born Friar Angel of Acres. To steps from giant all covered the stages of religious life that carried it to the Sacerdozio, the 10 Open them of 1700, in the ancient Cathedral of Cassano Jonio. On its mountain shoulders endured heavy responsibilities and delicate assignments that it acquitted with engagement and happening fell; it was Advanced Provincial of the Cappuccini and for its way of government it came called the "Angelo of the peace ", but, the systematic preech, has been the main ministry of service rendered to the Church and the Cappuccino Order for forty years. It had become the missionary more searched and listened to of southern Italy a lot that said that when preached, "in the houses not us restavanu mancu them cats". The life of the blessed soul Angel of Acres, has been one living rappresentazione of Jesus, not much outer, but inner one. The sworne testimonies remember as it recited to memory the Sacred Writing and as of it it made always use in the evangelizzazione of the people. 30 October 1739, physically sfinito from the apostolic hards work, if it flew some to the Sky. The 18 December 1825, Pope Leone XII proclamo Made happy the Cappuccino di Acri. Its body, recomposed, is object of daily venerazione in the dedicated Basilica to He.
