The Friar Who Persevered Above All...

[Skinzo]

As Christians we encounter so much bad news today it can really be disheartening. But it is wonderful to find now and then, a truly inspirational story. This particular story has not received much attention outside Traditionalist blogs. It is the amazing but true story of a quiet and humble Franciscan named Father Pietro Lavini who was determined to rebuild a ruined monastery high in the Italian mountains in a remote area. I'm copying here what I found on a blog:

[i]"The unbelievable story of Father Pietro Lavini: From 1954 to 2003 he rebuilt a monastery completely alone, in an untraveled mountain area in the Apennines.[/i]

Montemonaco (kath.net) In the spring of 1954 Father Pietro disappeared without a trace from his Cloister to rebuild a ruined Monastery in the Apennines Mountains. In the summer of 2003 the Bishop of Father Pietro received a letter with the sentence: "The Monastery is finished."

Andreas Englisch told the story of the Italian priest in his book "Traces of God: Miracles of the Catholic Church". Englisch had also related this story to the Hamburg evening news."

Here's a youtube video. Unfortunately, it's in Italian though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPvYrKecFGs&NR=1

St. Francis must be very proud of him!

S.

[Era Might]

Sounds cool, but I don't know if it's a miracle if it takes 50 years lol.

[Skinzo]

[img]http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n634/Senten/esterno.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n634/Senten/p1000921.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n634/Senten/scannedimage-3.jpg[/img]

[Skinzo]

[quote name='Era Might' timestamp='1315007977' post='2299378']
Sounds cool, but I don't know if it's a miracle if it takes 50 years lol.
[/quote]
I think the mere fact that he maintained such dedication and ALL ALONE for fifty years is a miracle.

S.

[BG45]

Wow!

[Maximilianus]

Nice church and nice scenery.

[Skinzo]

The more I find out about this the more I think what a movie this would make! Here's a little more from the original story and a link:

"In the spring of 1954 the Abbot of the Franciscan Cloister by Ascoli Piceno in Adria noticed that Father Pietro had vanished. After a fruitless search he was removed from the list of priests, which entitles them to government support. He was reported as missing.

[b]In the Summer of 1971, in the mountains near Gola del Infernaccio, a deep canyon in the middle of the Apennines mountains, which are famous for falling stones and avalanches, a mountain climber met the monk and told his Bishop: "The priest had very long, matted hair and a filthy beard. He lived in the cold of the high mountains in a kind of improvised hut made only from a few branches and a torn plastic tarp."[/b]

[b]He sustained himself with heavily moldy bread, greens and tree bark. With self-made tools, he broke stones from the cliffs, there he was completely alone, without money or machines, where he wanted to rebuild the ruins of a Monastery. He had even built an aqueduct which carried water across the canyon. He collapsed from work many times, suffered broken bones, which he cured by himself with herbs. He showed me his serious injuries. I feared, the man was severely mad."[/b]

The Bishop then sent an inspector with the mission to bring the priest to a psychiatric clinic of the Franciscans. After his expedition, the inspector reported to the Bishop that after many discussions attempting to persuade Father Pietro, that "the brother isn't mad, rather he is a saint. I bid his blessing and hope that the Church will leave him there, where he is, completely close to God. I fear our time is mad, so that for us, the example of a man like Father Pietro is so rare." All attempts by the social office of the Bishop to induce the Priest to return, were unsuccessful."

[url="http://eponymousflower.blogspot.com/2011/07/franciscan-immitates-st-francis.html"]http://eponymousflow...st-francis.html[/url]

Edited September 3, 2011 by Skinzo

[faithcecelia]

Wow, well done him, and what a beautiful chapel.

Sadly the 2nd article put me off when it said he healed broken bones with herbs...

[Skinzo]

[quote name='faithcecelia' timestamp='1315048072' post='2299554']
Wow, well done him, and what a beautiful chapel.

Sadly the 2nd article put me off when it said he healed broken bones with herbs...
[/quote]

Yes, I thought that was odd too. But it isn't unheard of and if you google the subject there are herbalists out there who do that and there are people who say it works too.

S.

[faithcecelia]

Dont get me wrong, I am a fan of natural remedies, but bones heal through rest and time.

[Skinzo]

[quote name='faithcecelia' timestamp='1315053303' post='2299560']
Dont get me wrong, I am a fan of natural remedies, but bones heal through rest and time.
[/quote]

Yes, I understand what you are saying. But I don't want to judge him based on such a brief account and in this instance it is also a hear say report. There are indeed homeopathic physicians out there who prescribe certain herbal remedies because they believe they can assist (with the emphasis on the word "assist") the healing process and that may be what Father Lavini is saying and thinking.

S.

Edited September 3, 2011 by Skinzo

[faithcecelia]

[quote name='Skinzo' timestamp='1315054194' post='2299562']

Yes, I understand what you are saying. But I don't want to judge him based on such a brief account and in this instance it is also a hear say report. There are indeed homeopathic physicians out there who prescribe certain herbal remedies because they believe they can assist (with the emphasis on the word "assist") the healing process and that may be what Father Lavini is saying and thinking.

S.
[/quote]


Ahh sorry, misunderstanding. It is the [i]article[/i] that bugs me, how its been reported, not the monk himself. I think he is amazing - so amazing I really think it a shame the reporter tried to push it too far.

[southern california guy]

[quote name='faithcecelia' timestamp='1315054615' post='2299564']


Ahh sorry, misunderstanding. It is the [i]article[/i] that bugs me, how its been reported, not the monk himself. I think he is amazing - so amazing I really think it a shame the reporter tried to push it too far.
[/quote]

I agree. And rather than living on tree bark and moldy bread it appears that he had chickens and grew a garden.

[Skinzo]

[quote name='southern california guy' timestamp='1315056296' post='2299567']

I agree. And rather than living on tree bark and moldy bread it appears that he had chickens and grew a garden.
[/quote]

Yes, quite right. I'm anxious to learn more about Father Lavini but it seems most of the media coverage is in Italian and I don't read or speak Italian.
I sent an email about him to the EWTN a while back as I was hoping they would explore the story in a show of some kind but I have not heard back from them.

S.

[TheresaThoma]

Wow what a beautiful story. I can only imagine the spiritual growth that he went through in those 50 years. I think it would be amazing to talk with him.