Theophilus of Corte, St.
THEOPHILUS OF CORTE, ST.
Friar Minor, ascetic, b. Biagio de'Signori Corte, Corsica, Oct. 30, 1676; d. Fucecchio, Tuscany, May 19, 1740. Biagio, although born of noble parents, entered the Corsican Franciscan Observants at Corte in 1693. After completing his studies at Rome and Naples, he was ordained in 1700, and at the urging of Thomas of Cori, his spiritual father, he embraced the austere life of the convent of retreat at Civitella. His life was spent in the retreat convent movement, first in the Roman Observant province at Civitella, where he passed intermittently almost 30 years, and then at Palombara. In both houses he held the offices of guardian, lector, confessor, and preacher. During the last decade of his life he founded two convents of retreat, at Zuani in his native Corsica, and at Fucecchio, Tuscany. Leo XIII beatified him on Sept. 24, 1895. Pius XI canonized him June 29, 1930.
Feast: May 19.
Bibliography: t. domenichelli, Vita del B. Teofilo da Corte (Florence 1896). abbÉ abeau, Vie du Bienheureux Théophile de Corté (Paris 1896). c. mariotti, Il Ritiro di S. Francesco presso Civitella (Bellagra ) (Rome 1899). a. m. paiotti, S. Teofilo da Corte (Rome 1930). d. devas, Month 140 (1922) 28–37. a. butler, The Lives of the Saints, rev. ed. h. thurston and d. attwater, 4v. (New York 1956) 2:364–365 (1830).
[j. b. wuest]