Antero Maria di San Bonaventura

ANTERO MARIA DI SAN BONAVENTURA. - Theologian, exegete and preacher, in the world Filippo Miccone, b. 5 Sept. 1620 at Sestri Ponente (Genoa), d. 7 July 1686. Altering the date on his baptismal certificate, he entered the Discalced Augustinians at Genoa at not yet 14 years of age. A priest in 1644, he devoted himself to preaching and to a life of heroic penance.

His very lofty zeal for souls was manifested in the years 1656-57, when Genoa and its surroundings were struck by the plague: he was the animator of all those who succored and sheltered the plague-stricken. He documented the history of that period in his book Li lazaretti della città (Genoa 1658, 1744). In 1659 he was elected master of novices of the province of Genoa, in 1662 prior of the convent of San Remo, then he was sent as visitor of the convents of Germany.

Having returned, he withdrew to the convent of S. Nicola at Genoa, where he composed his principal work, in 3 folio vols., Ponderationes in Psalmos iuxta multiplicem Divinarum Scripturarum sensum (Lyons 1673, Genoa 1681), the printing of which he oversaw by traveling to France. He was prior of the convent of S. Nicola and in 1665 provincial prior. He always resided at Genoa. In 1686 he was military chaplain on a galley that was setting out to fight the Turks. He followed by land the troops that had disembarked, but, struck by fever, he died on the island of Sapienza, leaving a reputation for miracles and great holiness. He also published (at Genoa): Auri gemmarumque mystica fadina (1677); Scegliatoio dei sfaccendati (1679); Apostolorum Acta (1681, 1684); Discorsi quaresimali (1683).

Antrido Hulsbosch