ery
soon St Francis' message reached other hearts. "His word
was like burning fire, which went deep into the heart, arousing
everybody's admiration" (I Cel. 23)
In a short time, the Saint was joined by his first devoted
followers, those close companions about whom he used to say:
"These are my friar-knights of the Round Table"
(Speculum perfectionis, n. 72)
In chronological order they are:
(the so-called companions of the "FIRST
HOUR")
Bernardo
di Quintavalle of Berardello di Assisi: a rich young
man, sensible, influent, graduated in Law;
Pietro Cattani (or of Cataneo): belonging to the
upper middle-class in Assisi, not very rich, but famous for
his virtues;
Egidio
from Assisi: a common, honest and God-fearing man; the only
friar of the "first hour", officially canonized
among the Blessed;
Sabbatino: a young man from Assisi;
Morico of Assisi: already a Crossed friar;
Giovanni della Cappella: a young nobleman;
Filippo
Longo: already a Crossed friar; a very humble and
charitable man ( from the Sabina?)
Angelo Tancredi: a noble knight from Rieti;
Giovanni da San Costanzo: from the
country-side of Assisi;
Barbaro: a young man from Assisi;
Bernardo di Vigilante: a wealthy young
man from Assisi;
Silvestro:
the Rev. Canon of San Rufino's cathedral and parish priest
of San Damiano in Assisi.
(the so-called companions of the "SECOND
HOUR")
Leone: a priest from the countryside of Viterbo (?),
endowed with a fascinating simplicity;
Rufino: an aristocrat from Assisi, cousin of Saint
Clara;
Masseo: a young man from Marignano di Assisi;
Ginepro: very humble and "very nice" young
man from Assisi;
Illuminato dell'Arce: a nobleman from Rocca Accarina
(Terni)
Elio: identified with Elia di Bombarone, consul of
Assisi in 1198;
Pacifico: the so-called "King of verses",
born in San Severino of the Marca of Ancona;
Giovanni il Semplice: a very humble peasant from Nottiano,
a village of the Subasio.
Together with them, besides other names of "holy
friars", there were the shining figures of Saint Clare
of Assisi and the Roman noblewoman Jacopa dei Settesoli.
by Paolo Rossi
paolorossi62@libero.it
