Giuseppe Marcinò

Father Innocenzo da Caltagirone quickly distinguished himself through his oratorical talents and pastoral zeal. He preached seventeen Lenten seasons throughout Sicily, attracting considerable crowds. He actively promoted Eucharistic devotion, notably through the introduction and dissemination of the Quarant'Ore prayer (the Forty Hours of continuous adoration of the Blessed Sacrament). His spiritual and administrative qualities led him to hold high offices within his order: Provincial Minister of Syracuse (1635-1638), Visitor and Provincial Minister of Messina (1638-1640), and Provincial Minister of Otranto (1642-1643). On May 22, 1643, during the general chapter held in Rome, he was elected Minister General of the Capuchin Order, succeeding Giovanni da Moncalieri. During his seven-year term (1643-1650), he visited almost all the provinces of the order in Western Europe on foot and barefoot, accompanied by the lay brother Francesco Cascio. In 1647, he was sent by Pope Innocent X as a peace envoy to the courts of France and Spain. During his travels, he collected and authenticated more than 150 relics of saints, including relics of Saint Lucy offered by Archduchess Claudia de' Medici. At the end of his mandate, he retired to the convent of Caltagirone in 1651, where he died on November 16, 1655.

During his lifetime, Father Innocenzo da Caltagirone enjoyed an immense reputation for holiness. Due to the numerous miracles, unexplained healings, and gifts of prophecy attributed to him (notably during his generalate), the people nicknamed him "the wonder-worker of the earth" (il taumaturgo della terra). Although the collection of documents and testimonies began as early as 1664 under the impetus of Minister General Fortunato da Cadore, the diocesan informative process was not officially opened until 1890. The process was validated by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in 1992, and the Positio super virtutibus (the file documenting the heroic nature of his virtues) was officially submitted in Rome on February 12, 1996.

On April 3, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI received in private audience the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of the virtues of Giuseppe Marcinò (in religion Innocenzo da Caltagirone), thus conferring upon him the title of Venerable. His spoglie (mortal remains) rest in the chapel dedicated to him within the church of the Capuchin convent of Caltagirone, which remains to this day an important place of pilgrimage for the faithful.

The spirituality of the Venerable Innocenzo da Caltagirone is deeply rooted in the Franciscan charism of poverty, humility, and simplicity. Even when he held the supreme office of Minister General of his order, he took care to perform the humblest tasks, such as washing dishes in the kitchen at the convent in Rome. He nurtured an intense devotion to Christ crucified (he is traditionally depicted holding a crucifix in his hand) and an ardent love for the Eucharist, which he strove to propagate through preaching and adoration. A peacemaker, he left his mark on the history of the Order of Capuchins through his rigorous pastoral visits and his constant concern for fidelity to the Rule of Saint Francis. Every year, on the last Sunday of September, the Capuchin province of Sicily and the city of Caltagirone celebrate his solemn commemoration in the presence of numerous pilgrims.