Above Sts Nicholas Tavelic, Stephen of Cuneo, Deodato Aribert from Ruticinio and Peter of Narbonne Franciscan Priests, Martyrs
Roman Martyrology: In Jerusalem, the Holy
Nicholas Tavelic, Deodato Aribert, Stephen of Cuneo and Peter of
Narbonne, Priests of the Order of Friars Minor and Martyrs who were
burned in the fire for preaching boldly in the public square in front
of the Saracens, the Christian religion, professing Strongly Christ
Son of God.
The personal stories of these Franciscan missionaries,
are intertwined in 1383, when, coming from different places in
Europe, they flowed into the Franciscan convent of Mount Zion in
Palestine, where the Order of St. Francis has been for centuries the
Custodian of the Holy Places of Christianity.
The Friars Minor, Nicholas Tavelic, Deodato by Aribert
Ruticinio, Stephen of Cuneo and Peter of Narbonne found themselves in
that Franciscan monastery, where they lived for eight years,
according to the Rule of St. Francis, performing their duties, for
the care of Places sanctity of life and death of Jesus, and trying to
do apostolate in the Muslim world, where Mount Zion was almost like
an island amid a sea of Muslims.
With Muslims, the apostolate was almost fruitless, since the
deepening of their faith, they were not open to interreligious
dialogue.
Nevertheless, the four Friars Minor, decided to bring the Gospel
to the Mohammedans, publicly exposing the arguments of Christianity
and Islam and comparing them with those after consultation with two
theologians, prepared a memorandum in which, in a detailed and rich
in historical references and theological, meticulously exposed the
Christian doctrine by refuting Islam.
On November 11, 1391, they went before the Cadi (judge) of
Jerusalem in the presence of many Muslims, they were exposed reading
this, they worked out with great courage. While they listened
carefully, it was not accepted by those present, in the end they went
into a rage and then the monks were asked to recall what they said;
the four monks refused and so were sentenced to death for three days
were put behind bars where they suffered abuse.
On November 14, they were brought back to the streets, again asked
to recant what was said against Islam, after rejection this they were
killed, blown to pieces and burned, the Muslims did disappear any
remains, even the ashes, so that they were not honored by Christians.
Their martyrdom was described in detail in a report by the
Guardian of the Holy Land, Father Gerald Calvet, two months after
their death.
Their Cult was recognized by the Franciscan Order, dating from the
fifteenth century; Pope Leo XIII, in 1889, confirmed only the cult of
Nicholas Tavelic, the leader, who had great reverence in his native
Yugoslavia.
In 1966, Pope Paul VI confirmed the cult for the other three
Franciscan Martyrs, staring at their feast to November 17, but in the
Franciscan Martyrology they were remembered on the date of their
death (dies natalis) that November 14.
Pope Paul VI, on June 21, 1970, in Rome, elevated them to the
altars, proclaimed them saints, and their liturgical celebration was
extended to November 14 for all, and inserted into the Roman
Martyrology on the same date; they are the first martyrs and saints
the Custody of the Holy Land.
Nicola Tavelic:
First saint of the Croatian nation, Nicola Tavelic, was born about
1340 in Šibenik, Dalmatia; as a teenager he walked among the Friars
Minor of St. Francis, became a priest, was a missionary in Bosnia,
along with his father by Deodato Ruticinio, where for nearly 12 years
he preached against the Bogomil, a heretical sect that had its
stronghold in Bosnia (they contrasted the spirit world than that of
matter, considered an expression of force of evil, they denied the
Trinity, the human nature of Christ, the Old Testament, did not
recognize the rites and sacraments of baptism and marriage, nor the
church hierarchy).
Then in 1383, along with the French father of Aribert Ruticinio
Deodato, he was sent to the Mission of Palestine Mont Sion in
Jerusalem, where he met the other two future fellow martyrs, Father
Stephen of Cuneo and Father Peter Narbonne, France.
Deodato Ruticinio (diode Aribert):
Was from the Franciscan Province of Aquitaine. We do not know his
date of birth, which was probably around 1340. His country of birth,
which in Latin is called Ruticinio was identified by some with the
modern French city of Rodez, while some other shows the Roussillon,
the historical region of southern France, but at that time depended
on Catalonia. In 1372 he was sent as a missionary in Bosnia, where he
met Father Nicola Tavelic, to whom he was bound by sincere
friendship, all preaching against the Bogomil; in 1383 with his
brother he was assigned to the Franciscan convent of Mount Zion in
Jerusalem, where he also met the Fathers by Stefano Cuneo and Peter
of Narbonne outfit.
Peter of Narbonne:
All that is known of this Franciscan Martyr from the Franciscan
Province of Provence in southern France, where at one point,he went
down into Italy, attracted by the Franciscan Observance Reform,
launched in Umbria in 1368, by Blessed Paul or Paoluccio Trinci of
Foligno (1309-1391). He was at the hermitage Umbrian Brogliano,
located between Foligno and Camerino, fifteen years, living in prayer
and meditation on the spirituality of St. Francis. In 1381 he left as
a missionary to the Holy Land, received into the convent of Mount
Zion in Jerusalem where he met Nicola Tavelic in 1383, Deodato from
Ruticinio, his compatriot and Stephen of Cuneo, with whom he will
later be martyred so horribly, on November 14, 1391.
Stephen of Cuneo:
Very little is known about the Franciscan Saint Martyred in
Jerusalem, Stephen of Cuneo, made from precious ‘report’ made by
the Father Superior of the convent of Mount Sion, on the martyrdom of
the four priests belonging to the convent of the Custody of the Holy
Land. Father Stephen of Cuneo, was of the Franciscan Province of
Genoa and spent eight years in the vicarious in Corsica, before being
transferred to Jerusalem in 1383, where he could fulfill his
apostolic activity among the Muslims for another eight years before
his martyrdom, suffered along with fellow French by Deodato Ruticinio
and Peter of Narbonne and the Croatian Nicola Tavelic. The city of
origin of the Franciscan saint, Cuneo, seems doubtful, since an
historic renaissance, claimed to have collected a local tradition,
which made him a native of Fiumorbo in Corsica, with a separate
family Prunelli.
Be well, but the martyr is well known for 600 years as Stephen of
Cuneo.
Author: Antonio Borrelli
Source:
Santi e Beati
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nicholas was
the son of a noble and wealthy family of Dalmatia. His illustrious
parents gave him a good education, and his progress in learning was
marvelous. But no less marvelous was his progress in virtue.
When Nicholas
finished his studies, a bright future smiled upon him. Everything the
world could give was at his command and awaited his pleasure.
However, he resolved to quit the world and enter the Order of St.
Francis. In spite of the great obstacles and the stubborn opposition
he met, he received the humble habit of St. Francis and made his
novitiate with the simplicity and docility of a child.
Manual labor,
study, power, and mortification were his delight and chief
employment. After he was ordained a priest, his fervor in saying Mass
caused edification and all were impressed by his sermons.
Due to his
great learning and piety, he was sent as a missionary to Bosnia, a
most difficult field of labor. Undaunted, Nicholas labored with
ardent zeal among the heretics. refuting their false doctrines,
repaying insult with blessing, visiting the sick, comforting the
afflicted. He gained innumerable souls for Christ by his extreme
kindness and charity.
Many esteemed
him another Christ, while others persecuted him with relentless
hatred. At heart he loved the latter more, for he desired martyrdom
and thought they might procure for him the coveted crown. This
thought gave him tremendous supernatural strength. It increased his
charity and zeal, his spirit of prayer, meditation and penance. But,
after 12 years of tireless labor in Bosnia, all opposition died down,
and Nicholas was convinced he must seek martyrdom elsewhere.
He now asked
for permission to go to the Holy Land, where so many of his brethren
had already attained the martyr's crown. The permission was granted
to him, and he was sent to Jerusalem. Once more he led a hidden life
of prayer, penance, and study, but more than ever he yearned to die
the death of a martyr, desiring, like Christ, to be an oblation of
love for the salvation of others.
On November
11, 1391, he entered the Turkish mosque and with the zeal of a Saint
Paul preached to a vast assembly there. He pleaded with tact and
eloquence that Christ and His religion be accepted by the Turks in
their hearts and homes. Before he had finished, he was apprehended
and taken to the magistrates.
Questioned as
to his faith, Nicholas joyfully professed his belief in the one true
Church of Christ, defending it against every objection. This incensed
the court to such an extent that he was knocked to the ground and
attacked with great fury. Beaten almost to death, he was dragged into
a dungeon, chained hand and foot, and kept for three days without
food or drink.
On the fourth
day he was taken out into the street, where he died the glorious
death of a martyr, slashed to pieces with scimitars. God glorified
His martyr by miracles, and Pope Leo XIII solemnly confirmed the
veneration paid to him from time immemorial.
ON ETERNAL
GOODS
1.
Eternal goods should be treasured above all things. Reflecting on the
permanence of heavenly goods, Blessed Nicholas left everything the
world offered him and became a poor Franciscan. He followed the
admonition of our Lord: "Lay not up to yourselves treasures on
earth, where the rust and the moth consume, and where thieves break
through and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither the rust nor the moth consume, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal" (Matt 6:19-20). -- Which treasures do
you seek to acquire?
2.
Eternal goods are not properly evaluated. Most people are bent on
acquiring temporal goods, money, possessions, distinctions, honor,
and pleasure. They put themselves to much trouble by day and by night
to acquire them. How many there are who ignore the goods of eternity
for the sake of some temporal benefit, a momentary pleasure! The
words of our Lord are directed to them: "I have sworn in My
wrath! They shall not enter into My rest" (Heb 3:11). -- Which
goods are you trying to acquire?
3.
Temporal goods are quite worthless. They are transient and cannot
satisfy the heart of man. Solomon reveled in worldly luxury, and in
the end he was forced to admit: "I was weary of my life when I
saw that all things under the sun are evil, and all vanity and
vexation of spirit" (Eccl 2:17). -- Do you permit yourself to be
dazzled by the things of this world?
PRAYER OF
THE CHURCH
O God,
who didst glorify Thy confessor Blessed Nicholas by spreading the
Gospel and by the palm of martyrdom, grant in answer to our prayer,
that we may merit to walk in his footsteps and through his
intercession deserve to receive the victor's reward of eternal life.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
from:
The Franciscan Book of
Saints, ed. by Marion Habig, ofm., © 1959 Franciscan
Herald Press
