Come to “Le Celle” of Cortona
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Come to “Le Celle” of Cortona
An invitation for the Capuchin Friars Minor
Dear brothers, we invite you to join us at the Hermitage of "Le Celle" in Cortona (Italy) to share our life of fraternity, made up of prayer, study, manual work, common activities and hospitality toward those who visit "la cella di San Francesco":
We offer you the opportunity to come individually or in small groups (maximum 10 friars) and we are happy, for as long as you wish, to make ourselves available to serve you during the extent of your stay. The invitation is also valid for any confreres who are currently in initial formation.
Who are we?
We are an international fraternity made up of friars from the Province of Tuscany (Luigi), the Custody of Nigeria (Mark), the Province of Slovenia (Štefan), that of Malta (Ivan) and Slovakia (Jozef). So, in addition to Italian, there are those who speak English, Spanish, French, German, Maltese, Slovenian, Slovak and Igbo.
Our Mission
We have come together here to realize what our General Minister, Br. Roberto Genuin, expressed in his initial letter to the whole Order ; when addressing the houses that make up Project Europe , he writes: “Then we also want to give this kind of value to Le Celle di Cortona. It is one of our ‘Franciscan Places’ par excellence, which we believe could be very helpful to many friars in their need to taste anew the roots of our spirituality, to return to the sources, and to experience for a brief or extended period a peaceful atmosphere of simplicity, prayer, and welcome.” (No. 33)
The Prison Cell of St. Francis (La cella di San Francesco)
St. Francis had visited this place on several occasions. First in 1211 and then again in 1215 after Lent, he spent time on the large island in Lake Trasimeno. A third visit took place in the spring of 1226 -- the year of his death. He was returning from Siena, where he had undergone an operation on his eyes, and due to his great fatigue, he decided to stop at the hermitage and regain the necessary strength for continuing his journey to Assisi. Some scholars are of the opinion that he started dictating the Testament while staying here.
In an Atmosphere of Recollection
Despite having undergone various transformations over the centuries, this place has retained the characteristics of great simplicity. The hermitage is in a secluded location and is surrounded by lush vegetation, as well as by the cliffs where olive trees have been growing for centuries. There is nothing superfluous here. Recollection and silence are the norm. Everything contributes toward creating the conditions for focusing and deepening our propensity for recollection as called for by our Constitutions (No. 58).
In fact, prayer is seen here as a breath of love, which arises from the Holy Spirit and places us before the voice of God, which speaks to the heart (No. 45). We know that it is not possible to tap into such spiritual intimacy except by cultivating silence and persevering in mental prayer.
From our experience and from those who have already spent time with us, we can tell you that the conditions here are right for allowing you to savor the beauty and goodness of the contemplative spirit that characterized the life of St. Francis and the first friars. (No. 54) We also invite you to participate in our fraternal life, where each individual’s gifts are valued, and which is made up of simple deeds and services to others.
You can contact us by e-mail: [email protected]; or by phone at: +39 0575 601017
We look forward to you joining us! Please feel welcomed!
The Fraternity of “Le Celle” of Cortona
- Video 1 - "I frati cappuccini dell'Eremo Le Celle di Cortona" su Mediaset Play
- Video 2 - Celle di Cortona
- Video 3 – Celle di Cortona – su Mediaset Play
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[1] Ringraziamo il Signore! Aprile 13, 2019
[2] Ora: Progetto San Lorenzo da Brindisi