Antonio Pietro Cortinovis

The life of Brother Cecilio Maria is entirely centered on the service of the most destitute and contemplative prayer. As a porter and questor, he walked kilometers daily through the streets of Milan to beg for food and resources to feed the poor who gathered in ever-increasing numbers at the convent door. In 1925, deeply moved by the death of his confrere the Venerable Daniele da Samarate, a missionary to lepers in Brazil, Brother Cecilio asked his superiors for permission to go on a mission to care for those suffering from leprosy. His superiors, however, believed that his true mission was in Milan and asked him to stay. Between 1925 and 1926, he was actively involved in fundraising for the erection of the monument dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi in Piazza Risorgimento in Milan. The sculptor Domenico Trentacoste, commissioned to create the work, drew direct inspiration from the facial features of Brother Cecilio to model those of the saint of Assisi. During the Second World War, despite the bombings that partially damaged the convent, Brother Cecilio refused to leave his post at the porter's lodge. He spared no effort to assist the affected population and secretly hid Jews as well as political opponents within the convent, protecting them from German searches. Faced with the growing misery of the post-war period, Brother Cecilio conceived the project of offering dignified shelter and structured assistance to the poor. Thanks to the financial aid of a generous benefactor, the industrialist Emilio Grignani, his dream became a reality. On December 20, 1959, the 'Opera San Francesco per i Poveri' (Saint Francis Work for the Poor) was officially inaugurated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan and future Pope Paul VI. This structure, equipped with a canteen, showers, and a medical dispensary, became one of the most important social aid centers in the city. Brother Cecilio managed it with dedication until a very advanced age.

The reputation for holiness of Brother Cecilio Maria spread widely during his lifetime, both among the poor he assisted and among the ecclesiastical and civil figures of Milan. He was notably a close friend of Cardinal Ildefonso Schuster. In recognition of his immense charitable work, he received the silver medal of the city of Milan in 1969, followed by the gold medal of the province of Milan in 1973. In October 1982, weakened by age and health problems, he was transferred to the infirmary of the Capuchin friary in Bergamo. It was there that he passed away peacefully on April 10, 1984, at the age of 98. After solemn funeral rites in Milan, he was initially interred in the city's Major Cemetery. On January 31, 1989, his remains were transferred to the church of the Sacro Cuore, adjacent to the friary on Viale Piave in Milan, where he now rests in the first chapel on the right, very close to the former porter's lodge where he served for decades.

The cause for the beatification and canonization of Brother Cecilio Maria da Costa Serina was introduced during the pontificate of John Paul II. On July 1, 1993, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints issued the nihil obstat decree. The diocesan phase of the inquiry took place in Milan from September 27, 1993, to April 10, 1995, under the direction of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, Archbishop of Milan. The acts of the diocesan inquiry were validated by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on March 22, 1996. After an in-depth examination of the heroic virtues of the Servant of God by historical consultants, theologians, and subsequently by the cardinals and bishops of the Congregation, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues on March 6, 2018. From that moment, Antonio Pietro Cortinovis was officially declared venerable by the Catholic Church.

The spirituality of Brother Cecilio Maria is deeply Eucharistic and Marian, marked by typical Franciscan simplicity and joy. Although he had received limited schooling (he had only attended the third grade of elementary school), he left behind a rich spiritual diary written in obedience to his confessors, titled Pensieri confusi di frate Cecilio Laico Cappuccino (Confused Thoughts of Brother Cecilio, Capuchin Layman). His writings reveal a mystical soul, intimately united with God. He notably records a significant mystical experience that occurred on July 5, 1922, during which he felt enveloped in a divine light and received a profound understanding of the mysteries of the faith. His welcome at the convent porter's lodge was characterized by a phrase that became famous, which he repeated tirelessly to every visitor, rich or poor: "Do you know that the Lord loves you?" ("Lo sai che il Signore ti vuole bene?"). Several testimonies collected during the diocesan process report extraordinary events that occurred during his lifetime, notably unexplained multiplications of food (soup or bread) when it was a matter of feeding the hungry poor. Today, the "Opera San Francesco per i Poveri" actively continues his work in Milan, distributing thousands of meals every day and offering medical and human assistance to marginalized people, thus perpetuating the legacy of charity of the humble Capuchin friar.