Bienheureux Guy Vagnotelli
Né à Cortone (Toscane) où il
mourut vers 1245. La première rencontre de ce seigneur toscan avec Saint
François d'Assise fut lorsqu'un soir le Poverello vint lui demander
l'hospitalité avec quelques frères. Impressionné par la qualité de l'accueil,
Saint François s'employa à l'enrôler dans sa milice. Il revint peu de jours
après et pria avec tant d'assiduité pour la réussite de sa mission que Guy lui
demanda aussitôt de le recevoir parmi les siens. Devenu franciscain en 1211, il
vécut encore une trentaine d'années qu'il passa dans une grotte qu'il ne quittait
que pour aller de loin en loin prêcher la pénitence aux populations voisines.
Prêtre, Frère Mineur
(1190-1250)
Quand saint François évangélisait Cortone en 1211, il y avait parmi ses auditeurs un jeune homme de 21 ans dont l'âme était semblable à la terre dont parle l'évangile qui rend au centuple le grain qui lui est confié; il se nommait Guy Vagnotelli. Par une continuelle et austère pénitence, il avait gardé toute la pureté de son âme régénérée au baptême et il n'avait soif que d'une sainteté plus grande; aussi la parole de l'homme de Dieu pénétra-t-elle en lui, comme le rayon de soleil dans un pur cristal. Dès sa première prédication, il alla se jeter aux pieds du saint et le pria d'accepter l'hospitalité de sa famille, puis lui demanda l'habit de son Ordre. François l'ayant pénétré jusqu'au fond de l'âme, le releva et le tenant serré sur son cœur s'écria: «Ce jeune homme sera des nôtres, et il se sanctifiera dans cette ville.» La réalisation de la prophétie commença dès l'instant; Guy de Cortone, avec la permission de saint François, se retira pendant quelque temps dans une grotte voisine de la ville où il s'appliqua à marcher avec ardeur sur les traces de son séraphique Père; sa prière était continuelle, ses veilles prolongées, ses jeûnes et ses macérations extrêmement rigoureux.
Quand, par la volonté de ses supérieurs, il eut été élevé au sacerdoce, il fut chargé par saint François d'annoncer la parole de Dieu dans la ville d'Assise; de retour à Cortone il y exerça le ministère apostolique avec le plus grand succès, et la sainteté de sa vie, et les miracles éclatants qui accompagnaient ses prédications déterminèrent la conversion d'une multitude de pécheurs.
A l'âge de 60 ans, exténué par les labeurs de l'apostolat et les austérités de la pénitence, saint François lui apparut pour lui annoncer que l'heure de la récompense allait sonner, et au moment d'expirer il s'écria: «Voici notre père saint François, mes frères, levons-nous, allons à sa rencontre»; et, ayant prononcé ces paroles, il renversa la tête et rendit l'âme. C'était le 28 mai 1250.
La ville de Cortone fit transporter en grande pompe à l'église paroissiale les précieux restes de son illustre enfant; mais cette cité ayant été prise en 1259, par les troupes d'Arezzo, le tombeau du Bienheureux Guy disparut au milieu de la dévastation et de l'incendie; toutefois le gardien de l'église avait eu la présence d'esprit de prendre le chef du Bienheureux et de le jeter dans un puits voisin; trois ans après, alors qu'on relevait les murs de l'église, une grande lumière parut au fond de ce puits; on songea immédiatement au serviteur de Dieu, une procession solennelle se rendit sur les lieux, la tête vénérable fut retrouvée enveloppée d'un linge avec une inscription pour la faire reconnaître. La sainte relique n'en devint que plus précieuse, on la mit dans une châsse d'argent et elle fut conservée avec honneur dans l'église principale, devenue depuis l'église cathédrale. De nombreux miracles s'y sont opérés par l'intercession du Bienheureux.
RR.PP. Franciscains, Fleurs Franciscaines, Montréal, 1924
Bienheureux Guy Vignotelli
(Guy de Cortone), frère mineur (✝ 1245)
Il était un seigneur de condition très modeste, mais très hospitalier.
Les "Fioretti" de saint François racontent que le Poverello et ses compagnons furent reçus chez lui, leur lavant les pieds et leur offrant un excellent repas. Plusieurs jours plus tard, il vit saint François prier et c'est alors qu'il voulut devenir son disciple et vivre davantage encore la pauvreté.
Devenu franciscain en 1211, il se retira dans une grotte près de Cortone et prêcha la pénitence aux populations voisines.
À Cortone en Toscane, vers 1245, le bienheureux Guy, prêtre. Disciple de saint François, il mena une vie de jeûnes, de pauvreté et d’humilité.
Martyrologe romain
On sait peu de choses sur Guy de Cortone, dont le vrai nom était Guy de Pagnottelli. On sait toutefois qu’il est né à Cortone (Toscane) et qu’il y mourut vers 1245.
La suite on la doit surtout aux Fioretti de saint François d’Assise :
Ce soir-là, lit-on dans les Fioretti (chap. 37), quand François et son compagnon vinrent lui demander l'hospitalité, le seigneur Guy les reçut avec tant de courtoisie qu'il n'eût pas mieux accueilli des anges descendus du paradis. Il leur lava et baisa les pieds; leur offrit un repas des plus friands, et voulut avoir le plaisir de les servir lui-même à table. Il dit ensuite au bienheureux : « Mon Père, je suis désormais à votre service ; lors donc que vous aurez besoin de tuniques, de manteaux, de n'importe quoi, achetez-le hardiment ; c'est moi qui paierai. »
François se prit aussitôt d'affection pour un chevalier si courtois. « Sache-le, cher petit frère, dit-il à son compagnon, la courtoisie est un des plus beaux attributs de Dieu, vu que c'est par courtoisie qu'il fait luire son soleil et pleuvoir sur les méchants aussi bien que sur les bons. C'est pourquoi, depuis que j'ai reconnu la présence d'une vertu si divine en ce chevalier, j'aimerais qu'il fût des nôtres. Il faudra que nous revenions le voir. »
Ils revinrent peu de jours après.
« Attends-moi un moment ici, dit-il à son compagnon avant d'entrer ; il faut que j'aille d'abord demander au Christ de bénir notre démarche. » Et il se retira à l'écart.
Or Dieu voulut que le chevalier très courtois, qui était à la fenêtre, vît comment saint François priait, les bras en croix et, à certains moments, comme soulevé de terre. Il n'en fallut pas plus pour qu'il sortît de son château et accourût demander au Poverello de le recevoir parmi les siens. Il devait alors avoir un peu plus de vingt ans et, comme il était arrivé à d’autres personnes, conquis par l'idéal franciscain, il offrit ses biens aux pauvres en abandonnant tout pour se faire moine. Il reçut l’habit en 1211 dans l’église paroissiale de Sainte Marie, fondant ainsi, dans sa ville natale, la première communauté franciscaine.
Devenu franciscain, Guy vécut encore une trentaine d'années. Il les passa aux Celles, près de Cortone, « dans une grotte, au bord d'un ruisseau ; et il ne la quittait que pour aller de loin en loin prêcher la pénitence aux populations voisines. »
Aucune indication ni sur sa béatification ni sa canonisation, mais il est considéré comme un saint et vénéré comme tel : “Vox populi, vos Dei”. Son corps fut enterré dans l’église paroissiale de Sainte Marie, dans un sarcophage en marbre romain du II siècle (aujourd'hui conservé dans le musée diocésain). Depuis 1945, ses restes mortels reposent dans la cathédrale — ancienne église de Sainte Marie — dans un autel qui lui est dédié.
Sa mémoire liturgique fut fixée au 12 juin.
SOURCE : http://alexandrina.balasar.free.fr/guy_de_cortone.htm
Born in Cortona, Italy, c. 1185; died c. 1245. After hearing a sermon by Saint Francis, the wealthy Guy invited Francis home for a meal. At the end of the meal he asked to become a disciple. He liquidated his goods and with Francis distributed the money among the poor. Guy received the Franciscan habit of a tertiary from the order's founder, was ordained a priest, built a cell on a bridge near Cortona, and lived there. He became well known for his holiness and for his miracles, which were said to include resuscitating a girl who had drowned and multiplying food during a famine. At age 60, Saint Francis appeared to him in a dream and foretold his death--the exact hour at which Guy died (Benedictines, White).
Blessed Guy
(Guido) Vignotelli, OFM Tert. (AC)
Born in Cortona, Italy, c. 1185; died c. 1245. After hearing a sermon by Saint Francis, the wealthy Guy invited Francis home for a meal. At the end of the meal he asked to become a disciple. He liquidated his goods and with Francis distributed the money among the poor. Guy received the Franciscan habit of a tertiary from the order's founder, was ordained a priest, built a cell on a bridge near Cortona, and lived there. He became well known for his holiness and for his miracles, which were said to include resuscitating a girl who had drowned and multiplying food during a famine. At age 60, Saint Francis appeared to him in a dream and foretold his death--the exact hour at which Guy died (Benedictines, White).
Blessed Guy of Cortona
(Beata Guy di Cortona)
Feast Day – June 18
In the year 1211, when our holy Father St Francis of Assisi was preaching in Cortona on his first missionary journey through Italy, a certain young man was so touched by his words that, after the sermon, he entreated St Francis to dine at his house. The saint accepted the invitation. When the young man learned further details about the newly founded order, and witnessed the edifying conduct of the founder, he fell at his feet and begged for the habit of the order.
The young man was Guy, or Giles, first-born son of a distinguished family in Cortona. He had been reared in piety and virtue, and was quite accomplished in the sciences.
Francis directed Blessed Guy of Cortona to distribute his wealth among the poor, and gave him the holy habit in the parish church of Cortona in the presence of a great concourse of people. Then Francis chose a spot in a secluded valley near Cortona, where, with the assistance of some devout persons, he built a poor convent. For a few months the saint himself instructed Guy and several other novices there. At his departure he entrusted to Gather Sylvester, his companion, the direction of the novices, especially of young Guy, whose eminent holiness he foresaw.
In fasting, prayer, and all the religious exercises, Guy evinced such perfection that he could be held up to the other novices as a model. He would have preferred to spend all his life in the holy seclusion of the convent, but when he was ordained to the priesthood, St Francis commissioned him to go out and preach, for in accordance with the vocation of the order, he was to sanctify not only himself but others as well.
Filled with zeal for souls, Blessed Guy of Cortona left his seclusion. His words had great influence over the hearts of sinners, his holy life edified everybody, and almighty God confirmed his activities with extraordinary miracles. One time Guy was quite ill with exhaustion and nothing but water was at hand by way of medicine. Guy made the Sign of the Cross over it, and it became the most choice wine, which restored his health and what was left over later healed the infirmities of others.
After a most blessed and successful career, almighty God announced to Guy, in the sixtieth year of his life, that his death was near at hand. St Francis, who had long ago entered into heavenly bliss, appeared to him and said:
“My son, after three days, at nine o’clock, I shall return and escort your soul to the eternal dwellings.”
His already decreasing strength then began to ebb rapidly. On the third day he received the last sacraments with great devotion, and when the appointed our arrived, he called out:
“Behold our holy Father Francis! Arise, let us go to meet him!” With these words he jubilantly surrendered his pure soul into the hands of his Maker. It was May 12, 1250.
Upon receiving the news of his death, the people of Cortona came to get the precious remains of their fellow citizen in order to bury them in the parish church. Amid the festive pealing of bells, with palm branches in their hands, and singing spiritual hymns, they transported the holy body in a long procession to the town. There the remains were entombed in the principal church. Many miracles were wrought through his intercession.
After some time enemies invaded the city, the church was pillaged, and the precious coffin containing the body of Blessed Guy of Cortona was carried away, though the sacristan hastily wrapped the head in linen cloths and hid it in a well near the church. At the end of three years, when the church was being restored, mysterious light radiated from the well. Upon investigation, the head was found, not even moistened by the water. Amid the jubilation of the entire town it was again placed in the church.
Pope Benedict XIII approved a proper Mass and Office in honor of Blessed Guy of Cortona for the diocese of Cortona. Pope Innocent XII extended it to the entire Franciscan Order.
From: The Franciscan Book of Saints, Marion A. Habig, OFM
SOURCE : http://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/blessed-guy-of-cortona.html
Blessed Guy Vignotelli
Blessed Guy Vignotelli
Also known as
- Guy of Cortona
Profile
Wealthy layman known for his charity
to the poor. After hearing a sermon by Saint
Francis of Assisi, he gave away the rest of his riches and became a Franciscan
tertiary, received into the order by Saint
Francis himself in 1211.
Priest. Hermit near Cortona, Italy living in a cell
on a bridge. Miracle worker.
Born
- 1245 at the Franciscan convent
at Cortona, Italy of natural causes
Born 1185 in Cortona, Italy. He was known for his charities and recieved the Franciscan habit from Francis at Cortona in 1211. Guy built a cell on a bridge near Cortona, was ordained, became famed for his holiness and miracles and died in the Cortona convent of the Franciscans.
Blessed Guy (Guido) Vignotelli, OFM Tert. (AC) Born in Cortona, Italy, c. 1185; died c. 1245. After hearing a sermon by Saint Francis, the wealthy Guy invited Francis home for a meal. At the end of the meal he asked to become a disciple. He liquidated his goods and with Francis distributed the money among the poor. Guy received the Franciscan habit of a tertiary from the order's founder, was ordained a priest, built a cell on a bridge near Cortona, and lived there. He became well known for his holiness and for his miracles, which were said to include resuscitating a girl who had drowned and multiplying food during a famine. At age 60, Saint Francis appeared to him in a dream and foretold his death--the exact hour at which Guy died.
SOURCE : http://www.franciscan-ofs.net/Fcal1/S06other.htm
Beato Guido da Cortona Sacerdote
Cortona, 1185/90 – Cortona,
1247/50
Frate minore accolto nell’ordine da san Francesco stesso nel 1211, fu da
lui autorizzato al sacerdozio e alla predicazione. Visse nell’eremo delle Celle, nei
pressi di Cortona, del cui convento fu il fondatore. Ebbe ancora vivente fama
di santità.
Etimologia:
Guido = istruito, dall'antico tedesco
Martirologio
Romano: A Cortona in Toscana, beato Guidone, sacerdote, che, discepolo di san
Francesco, passò la vita in digiuni, povertà e umiltà.
Cortona
diede i natali al Beato Guido Pagnottelli intorno all’anno 1187:
nell’antichissima città etrusca il giovane visse una fanciullezza serena e
spensierata, anche grazie alla condizione familiare discretamente agiata.
Quand’era poco più che ventenne i suoi passi incrociarono quelli di Francesco
d’Assisi che, da qualche tempo, visitava e predicava in molti paesi del centro
Italia. Durante la visita del 1211 a Cortona, riferiscono le antiche cronache,
il santo frate venne ospitato, con un compagno, proprio da Guido. Il giovane, come era accaduto ad altre persone, conquistato dall’ideale
francescano, donò i propri beni ai poveri abbandonando tutto per farsi frate. Ricevette il saio nelle pieve di
Santa Maria, fondando, così, la prima comunità francescana della città che si
stabilì nel preesistente eremo delle “celle”. Qui, in un ambiente naturale
straordinario, fece il suo noviziato e visse da anacoreta presso il vicino
ponte, partecipando sempre, però, all’ufficio in coro con la comunità. Avendo
una certa istruzione, il giovane fu ordinato in breve tempo sacerdote, con gran
beneficio di Cortona e dei paesi circostanti. S. Francesco parlò sempre in
termini entusiastici di Guido e lo mandò a predicare anche ad Assisi. Nella
“legenda” del Beato, scritta da un contemporaneo poco dopo la sua morte, sono
narrati fatti eccezionali: la farina moltiplicata, l’acqua mutata in vino, il
paralitico guarito e una ragazza recuperata viva da un pozzo.
Una visita commovente a Guido fu fatta, da parte di S. Francesco, nell’estate
del 1226, poco prima della sua morte. Il Santo, dopo essere stato ospite da S.
Chiara, a Siena e a Rieti, sofferente di gravi malanni e con seri problemi di
vista, andò pure, brevemente, con frate Elia a Cortona.
Fedele agli insegnamenti del maestro, Guido ne ricevette l’ultima “visita”
quando era già morto da vent’anni. Da lui conobbe che presto avrebbe ricevuto
in cielo il premio dei giusti. Il fedele discepolo morì con il nome di
Francesco sulle labbra nell’anno 1245.
Considerato un santo, il suo corpo fu sepolto nella pieve di Santa Maria, in un
marmoreo sarcofago romano del II secolo d.C. (oggi conservato nel museo
diocesano). Per proteggerla durante alcune invasioni, la testa fu nascosta in
un pozzo, ma venne posta successivamente in una teca d’argento. Nel 1945,
pensando fosse vuoto, fu aperto il sarcofago. Vennero invece rinvenute le
reliquie di Guido che, ricongiunte finalmente alla testa, furono collocate
nell’altare a lui dedicato in cattedrale (l’antica pieve di S. Maria).
La sua memoria liturgica è fissata al 12 giugno.
Autore: Daniele
Bolognini
Beato Guido Vagnottelli, al secolo Guido Vagnottelli o Pagnottelli (Cortona, 1187 ca.; † Cortona, 1245), è stato un presbitero e religioso italiano appartenente all'ordine francescano.
Biografia
Il Beato Guido Vagnottelli nacque a Cortona intorno al1187 da una famiglia discretamente agiata. Non si hanno notizie certe circa la sua giovinezza. Una Legenda scritta nella prima metà del XIII secolo riporta che nel 1211 incontrò San Francesco venuto a predicare a Cortona. Questi fu ospitato nella casa di Guido ed il giovane rimasto affascinato dall'ideale francescano di una vita vissuta nella povertà e nella condivisione, donò i propri beni ai poveri abbandonando tutto per farsi frate.
Dopo aver ricevuto il saio nelle pieve di Santa Maria, fondò con alcuni confratelli la prima comunità francescana della città. Questa prese dimora presso l'eremo Le celle dove Guido trascorse molti anni come eremita.
San Francesco lo inviò a predicare anche ad Assisi.
La Legenda riporta di fatti eccezionali compiuti da Guido: farina moltiplicata, acqua mutata in vino, un paralitico guarito per l'imposizione delle mani e una ragazza recuperata viva da un pozzo. Nell'estate nel 1226, alcuni mesi prima che morisse san Francesco, accompagnato da frate Elia, visitò Guido a Cortona raccomandandogli la cura umana e spirituale della città.
Sempre la stessa Legenda riferisce che San Francesco fosse apparso in sogno a Guido preannunciandogli la morte ormai imminente.
Guido morì nel 1245 e subito fu tenuto in grande venerazione da tutti. Il suo corpo venne sepolto nella pieve di Santa Maria, in un antico sarcofago romano del II secolo d.C.[1]
Come spesso accadeva per le reliquie dei santi, una parte del corpo venne smembrata. La testa fu posta successivamente in una teca d'argento.
Papa Innocenzo XII ne autorizzò il culto dal momento che era già considerato santo in tutta l'Italia centrale.
Nel 1945, durante una ricognizione all'interno del sarcofago vennero rinvenute le reliquie di Guido, che furono ricongiunte alla testa.
L'intero corpo fu collocato sotto l'altare a lui dedicato nella Duomo di Cortona (l'antica pieve di Santa Maria) dove ancora oggi è esposto alla venerazione dei fedeli.
La sua memoria liturgica è fissata al 12 giugno.
