St. Felix was known for being rigorous in both his austerities and his love for the poor. Many of those who knew him in life referred to him as “the Saint.”

He was born in Italy in the 16th century. His parents were faithful people, and as a child, Felix imitated their devotion. As he approached, his boyhood friends would call out, “Here comes Felix the saint!”

He worked herding his parents’ cows in the field, and used the solitude and silence of that work for prayer. When he was 12, he was hired to work for a wealthy landowner. He taught himself meditative prayer that he could sustain even in his manual labor. He reflected often upon the suffering and death of Jesus, and remained ever cheerful and humble; he prayed for those who insulted him.

As he grew, he wondered what God might be calling him to do with his life. One day, as he was plowing a field, something spooked the oxen with which he was working. He tried to hold them back, and fell below them—he was trampled, and the plow passed over his body. Miraculously, he got up without injury. In gratitude for his safety, he immediately entered a Capuchin monastery.

As a monk there, he doubled his penances and mortifications. Though he considered everyone in the monastery more holy than he, they all referred to him as “the saint.” When he was 35, he was sent to Rome where he spent the rest of his life begging for food and money for the community of monks and for other poor people. It was difficult work, full of discomfort and humiliation, but he went about it with his characteristic prayerfulness.

His superiors trusted him to use the money he collected to support the poor. He visited the sick and dying, and cared for them himself. He was a great friend to St. Philip Neri, who enjoyed conversing with the poor saint.

He was severe with himself, believing that pampering the body led to sluggishness in the soul. Whenever he could do so without being noticed, he fasted on bread and water, seeking the crusts that were thrown away by others. He wore clothes that induced pain, and always went about without shoes. In spite of all this, he constantly gave thanks to God, saying, “Deo gratias.” In fact, the street children of Rome knew him as Brother Deogratias.

St. Felix died when he was 72 from an illness, and received a vision of Mary on his deathbed. We are told that many miracles were witnessed after his death. Relics of St. Felix rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica; his image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.

St. Felix of Cantalice, you filled your days with prayer and begging for the poor, pray for us!