FELICE da NICOSIA, blessed. – Capuchin lay brother of the Messina province, born at Nicosia (Enna) on 5 November 1715; he entered the novitiate at Mistretta on 19 October 1743 and died at Nicosia on 31 May 1787.
He set himself to imitate the lay confrere St Felice da Cantalice; he humbly practised a life of penance, of labour in various manual tasks and in begging; he was full of charity toward the poor, the sick, and prisoners; he benefited souls through prayer and exhortation to do good; he was venerated as a wonder-worker. He was beatified by Leo XIII on 12 February 1888. Feast on 1 June.
BIBL.: Sacra Rituum Congresatio, Positiones super causa beatificatio et canonizationis servi Dei F. a N., Roma 1837-87; De Luca Gesualdo da Bronte, Vita del beato F. da Nicosia, Catania 1863; I. Felici, Bisoccia eroica. Vita del beato F. da Nicosia, Pisa 1940. Barino da Milano