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One day, St. Francis arrived in the city of Bologna, and when people began to hear of his arrival, they hurried to catch a glimpse of him. Soon there was a large crowd—so large, in fact, that Francis could hardly get through it to the city square.
In the square, which was filled with men, women, and students, Francis stood up on a high spot and began to preach as the Holy Spirit told him what to say. His words were so marvelous that people thought he might be an angel. Those words were like arrows piercing the hearts of those who heard them, and Francis converted many people from sin to penitence that day.
Among those that day who were inspired by God through Francis’s sermon were two highborn students that had come from the Marches of Ancona. One was named Pellegrino, from Falerone, and the other went by the name Riccieri, from Muccia. Francis knew them already, for the Holy Spirit had revealed it to him, so Francis welcomed them joyfully. “Pellegrino, you will remain in a humble position in our order. And Riccieri, you will serve the other friars,” Francis told them.
And so it was that Brother Pellegrino remained a lay brother, even though he’d already been a scholar, but he said that he didn’t wish to become a priest. This humility served him well and Pellegrino grew in perfection and virtue and by God’s grace in love for Jesus Christ.
So on fire was Pellegrino for Christ that he soon traveled to Jerusalem so that he could see firsthand the places where the Savior had walked. He took with him a book of the Gospels and read about the holy places as he traced where the God-man had walked, touching them with his own feet, embracing those holy steps with his arms, kissing them with his lips, and wetting them with his tears.* Pellegrino inspired devotion in anyone who watched him. Then, by God’s will, he returned to Italy.
As a pilgrim for God and a citizen of heaven, Pellegrino rarely visited his wealthy family anymore. Instead he encouraged them to love God and despise the things of the world. Brother Bernard—the one who had been Father Francis’s firstborn spiritual son—would say that Brother Pellegrino was one of the most ideal friars in all the world. Above all, he was a pilgrim, and he never allowed himself to find peace or comfort in creaturely or temporal things. Instead he was always looking toward heavenly things and pursuing virtue and love. When he passed from this life to Christ, he was full of virtue, and miracles followed him.
Meanwhile, Brother Pellegrino’s companion Brother Riccieri led an active life of service, humility, and holiness. He became a close friend of St. Francis and learned many things from him. And just as Francis had foreseen, he served the other friars, becoming minister of the province of the Marches of Ancona. There he governed with wisdom for many years, following the example of Jesus Christ, who always wanted to see action more than teaching.
On one occasion, God’s will allowed a temptation to surround him. Riccieri was soon consumed with this trouble and tried to overcome it with severe spiritual disciplines and prayers and weeping all night long. He couldn’t shake free from the temptation. He felt that he had been abandoned by God, since relief did not come easily. He said quietly to himself, “I will go and see Father Francis, and if he welcomes me as he usually does, then I will know that God still loves me. If he does not, I am lost.”
At this time, Francis was lying ill in the bishop’s residence in Assisi. There, before Riccieri came to see him, God revealed to him what was happening. Francis called for his friends, Brothers Masseo and Leo.
“Go quickly and find Brother Riccieri. Hug him and tell him that I have a special affection for him that is different from what I feel for any other friar in the world,” Francis said. And obediently, Masseo and Leo did as Francis requested. Upon receiving such a loving greeting, Riccieri’s soul welled up with joy, and his heart overflowed with happiness. He proceeded to the bishop’s residence and found Francis there.
Despite his serious illness, Francis got up upon seeing Brother Riccieri, and hugged him. “My dear son, I have a special affection for you that is different from what I feel for any other friar in the world,” Francis told him. And he made the sign of the cross on Riccieri’s forehead, and then kissed him there as well. Then he said, “God gave you that temptation, but God can also take it from you.” And as he said those words, the temptation dropped off that friar as though it had never meant a thing. All that was left was the complete love of God.
[#27 of 53]
* Pellegrino’s death is mentioned in this story, and he didn’t die until March 1232. Riccieri died two years later, so it is likely that this story was first written down in 1233.
* This is likely referring to the path of Christ known as the Via Dolorosa (Latin for “Way of Suffering”) that has been established since the days of the Emperor Hadrian, tracing the steps that Jesus walked through Old Jerusalem on his way to Calvary.