Monk Egidio clairvoyant

The Lord gave to brother Egidio the gift of performing miracles. It is impossible to count the recoveries of people who were about to die.

He also had the great gift of prophecy and the ability to see inside hearts. There are countless incidents of his predictions related to facts known only to God.
One prediction involves the Duchess of the Gesso, the mother of Phillip Caracciolo, prince of Villa. The Duchess begged the monk for the healing of his child. One day the monk said: "Duchess be happy because the boy won't die, but in the future he will be a great Prelate of the Church". The boy recovered; he became a priest and then Cardinal, Archbishop of Naples.

To a certain Rosaria Ciotola of Soccavo who asked him for some numbers for the Lottery, He answered her: "Eh! Rosaria, Rosaria, what a beautiful name you have; but rather than think about the Lottery, think about putting yourself in the grace of God and be united to Jesus Christ because in short time you will have an ugly misfortune." In fact 4 years later Rosaria, having quarreled with some keepers of livestock for damages brought to her farm, she was killed in the courtyard of her house by one of these keepers.

 

He threw the husband by his ear and healed the wife’s wounds

This event took place by the bridge of Chiaia and near the Church of St. Orsola, where a man named Mr. Landi had a house with a shop. One evening, Mr. Landi got very drunk and returned to his house inebriated. He seriously beat his wife without reason; she was wounded so seriously that she was forced to remain in bed the next day. The next morning, Monk Egidio went to the shop. Without speaking, he forcefully lifted Mr. Landi by his ear and threw him by the ears. He then said to Mr. Landi in a severe tone, “Is it a good thing what you have done? Where is your wife?” And while he held the man by the ears he drew near to the bed where she was. The Monk touched the woman with the belt of his cowl, both on her head and on her body. With this, the woman was immediately healed. This fact was reported to Vincenza, the couple’s daughter. She was amazed, since she didn’t understand how Monk Egidio knew that her father had struck her mother, and also because the wounds were healed in an instant. In that way Monk Egidio brought peace to that family. (Canonical trials pg. 454, n. 66)

The following happened to the Vico Freddo a Chiaia and is reported in the Trials pg. 23, n. 83:

Mrs. Luigia Bruno was a poor widow, and the mother of many children. One day she saw Monk Egidio passing in front of her home. She drew near to him and asked him to give her three umbers with which to play the Lottery. But the monk strongly scolded her and said, “Money would serve you to make sins.” To this, the woman answered, “I am a poor woman with seven children and without a husband, and then…I…I have this child named Gennaro that is stricken with paralysis in his legs and cannot walk!” The Monk said, “What? Do you hve seven children and you don’t have any husband?” The woman answered, “I have seven children without a husband because my husband is dead!” Father Egidio said, “You should have told me that he is dead. You say that your child doesn’t walk; but tell me: How can he walk if he doesn’t stand up?” The mother tried to lift her child but did not succeed in getting him to walk. Then the Monk told the mother, “Keep calm, because this your injured child will soon walk alone.” In fact, the next day the child walked without the assistance of anyone, and everybody was surprised. This event occurred three years before the death of Monk Egidio, around 1809.

He also had the extraordinary ability to read into the hearts of people as one would read an open book; he knew the most hidden secrets. One day he was told that a woman was waiting in the Sacristy to talk to him. At that point, he changed moods; it seemed he was disgusted and disturbed. As soon as he saw the woman, he asked with a heavy voice, “What are you doing here? Go! Go first to confess your sins and then come back….” The woman immediately went away without speaking – she was amazed and blushed on her cheeks.

An Officer named Giovanni Ammirati had led a bad life. One day this Officer saw the Saint Monk in front of the church of St. Giuseppe in Ottaviano. The Officer dre near to the Monk to kiss his hand. Monk Egidio had never seen the man before, but as soon as he acknowledged the presence of the Officer, he took a step back in horror. The Monk asked the Officer, “When, When do you want to finish your life of sin and when do you want to make a good confession? Otherwise you will have a bad death.” But the captain didn’t heed the Monk’s warning. It happened that some days after this meeting, the Officer died without the Sacraments. This fact is reported in the Trials pg. 141, n. 47-48 behind the deposition of Monk Michele of St. Vincent who accompanied the Saint Monk to Ottaviano.

 

The Slapped Saint

The time in history during which Monk Egidio lived were difficult and explosive. Naples was under French domination and the city was under military occupation. Monk Egidio was very esteemed because of the miracles he performed; because of this people followed him. The French feared popular revolts, so they tried to exercise control over the “Monk Saint” because they were afraid that the monk could lead some revolutionary organization. Even though the barefoot Monk was illiterate and dedicated to helping the poor and sick, he caused great worry to those in power.

The men of the government reacted with violence. The Canonical Trials on pg. 107, p. 3 reports this fact according to Fr. Francis Maria of the SS. Savior, custodian of the Province and president of the Convent. Monk Egidio was in the street with a crowd gathered around him. A French Captain passed, and he feared that the gathering would turn into a revolt, even though he had been informed about the Monk and his work. He approached Monk Egidio and beat him with his whip. This enraged the people, and they were about to kill the Captain, but the Monk Egidio stopped them, shouting, “Leave him alone, because he has done me a favor: he has removed the dust from my mantle.”

The witness Pasquale Bouruis has left this testimony (Canonical Trials pg. 179, p. 176):
“One day the Monk was called urgently by Joseph Napoleone. He asked the Monk, ‘Will I continue to govern?’ Monk Egidio tried at the beginning to avoid an answer, but was eventually forced to speak. He said simply, ‘The soul of God and His things in the world are in turn.’ Joseph Napoleone didn’t like the answer and, full of anger, he slapped the Religious Saint and gave him a kick. Napoleone would have continued abusing him had the present Ministers not intervened and calmed him. After two days, the command of the Government passed into the hands of Gioacchino Murat.”

 

The Saint is called in the Court

Our Saint was called to appear in the court of Naples, during the French domination. He had to explain the crowd that followed him around and pursued him. One of the investigators wanted to frighten him, saying, “Do you know that we have to put you on trial?” But Monk Egidio answered serenely, “A trial for me? But, a trial should be done to you!”

 

The miraculous…candy

The following episode is reported in the canonical trials by the witness Fr. Adeodato. He was of the congregation of the Alcantarinis, lived in the Convent of St. Pasquale of Chiaia, and was almost 70 years old. He testified to a lot of things said about Monk Egidio, especially extraordinary facts. Among these facts he testified about the extraordinary recovery of a child belonging to Mr. Luigi Lauria. Mr. Lauria’s child had a serious illness and was close to death. At that time Monk Egidio was leaving his house to collect alms. He realized that the family was shaken by the illness of the child, so he visited the boy. He touched the child’s forehead with his hands, and gave him a candy. He told the parents that the boy would not die; rather that he would recover and in the future serve God.

The boy recovered, and as soon as he was old enough, he began studies in the ecclesiastical life. He went on to become a priest and confessor, and as Don Giovanni Lauria he also testified to this fact in the Canonical Trials pg. 349 p. 34.

 

Have they asked "if God wills?... No?... so go away! "

During the French occupation the monks were afraid the French would take control of the Convent of S. Pasquale to Chiaia. Monk Egidio was calm and did not seem to worry. Monk Adeodato came to Egidio saying: "You pray for everybody! Why do you not pray for us? Have you not heard they want to take the Convent?” Egidio Casually responded: Have they asked, "if God wills? No? So go away!" In fact, the French did not harm the Monks. But in 1860 Italians turned the convent into ownership of the State. However the good Neapolitans never wanted to occupy the convent, therefore the monks had to ransom it by paying the State.

An avoided theft

An illustrious witness told this fact. Mr. Salvatore Milosa, who worked for the maritime port, and his family had been invited by Monk Egidio to lunch at the Convent. Because women were invited the lunch was held outside, in the garden. In the middle of the lunch the Saint suddenly asked Salvatore if he had left someone to watch the house. Salvatore's wife replied, showing her keys to Monk Egidio, that she had securely locked house and no one was inside. But Monk Egidio insisted they send someone to check the home. Mr. Salvatore became worried. He had a lot of money in the house for the next day was payday for the workers. Mr. Salvatore asked his two sons to go to check the house. When they arrived home, the boys found the lock had been broken and the door had been tampered with. One brother remained outside to keep guard while the other brother entered the house. When he saw that nothing had been stolen, they secured the house and returned to the Convent. When they reported this to their parents, everyone realized that Monk Egidio had known a fact that only God could know. Because of this, a theft had been avoided. (Canonical trials pag. 358 - art. 45)