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As Catholics around the world celebrated the feast of St. Francis of
Assisi on Oct.4, the oldest Capuchin friar in Italy said his life as a
follower of the 13th century saint “has been a blessing.”
Father Giulio Criminesi, 74, entered the minor seminary at the age of
12. In 1957 he began his novitiate at the very first monastery of the
Capuchin order in the town of Camerino, and was later ordained a priest
in Loreto.
In an interview with CNA, Fr. Criminesi said his life has always been full of joy, in the spirit of St. Francis.
“I feel fulfilled because I also want to be like him. My path to
holiness is to walk in this direction, and therefore I thank God for
this,” he said.
“Life as a Capuchin monk is of great importance to me, because as the
years go by, I have learned more and more, I have found my path, what
the Lord really wanted for me.”
The friar noted that throughout his life, he has aimed to place himself
“in the Lord’s hands, always seeking to do what the Lord called me to
do. And so no one moment has been more special than any other, my entire
life has been a blessing.”
“Being a Capuchin friar to me means understanding what the Lord wanted
for me and responding to that call,” he added. “It means understanding
that Francis of Assisi, who followed Christ, was my ideal.”
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