GENTILE DA MATELICA, Blessed. - Franciscan. He flourished in the first half of the 14th century and was in all likelihood minister of the province of the Marches. Having gone as a missionary to Cairo, in Egypt, finding difficulty in learning Arabic, he thought of returning to his homeland, but was supernaturally deterred from this, obtaining at the same time the gift of tongues.

He later went to the Eastern Vicariate - a vast Franciscan mission that then included all of Asia

Minor, Persia and Armenia - where he died, in Trebizond, at an unknown date.

He worked miracles in life and in death, and had some connection with Marco Cornaro, future doge, who had his remains transferred to the church of the Frari in Venice. In 1795 Pius VI granted permission to celebrate his feast on 5 September. Liturgically the office of martyrs is celebrated, but none of the oldest and most authoritative sources attests his martyrdom.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: G. Golubovich, Biblioteca bibliografica della Terra Santa, IV, Quaracchi 1923, pp. 312-15; A. Talamonti, Sul martirio del b. G., in Studi francescani, 35 (1938), pp. 355-57; A. Sanvalotto, B. G. da M., Padua 1942.

Alberto Ghinato

@incollection{ec6_gentile_da_matelica_beato, author = {Ghinato, Alberto}, title = {Gentile da Matelica, beato}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VI}, pages = {36--37}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/gentile-da-matelica-beato} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Gentile da Matelica, Blessed

About this entry