CIRISPINO of VITERBO, Blessed. — Capuchin lay brother of the Roman province, born Pietro Fioretti in Viterbo on 13 November 1668, died in Rome on 19 May 1750. He served as nurse, cook, and gardener in various convents; from 1702 to 1748 he was questor for the convent of Orvieto.
Of serene and joyful disposition, fond of poetry, he endeared himself to people of every class; he made virtue beloved, of which he was a stern exemplar and effective advocate, especially in fostering devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Favoured with extraordinary charisms, he was sought out for counsel by prelates, nobles, and scholars. He wrote cordial letters of exhortation to do good and of comfort. Worn down by penances and illness, he spent his final years in the infirmary of the Roman convent of the Most Holy Conception (now in via Vittorio Veneto); his remains are venerated in a chapel of the church. He was beatified by Pius VII on 26 August 1806; the cause of canonization was resumed on 28 February 1923. Feast day: 23 May.