Pope Leo XIV, during an audience on October 24, 2026, granted to Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, authorized the promulgation of the Decree on the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Brother Daniele of San Giovanni Rotondo, born Michele Natale (1919\u20131994), a professed friar of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.<\/p>\n
As the spiritual son of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), the life of the Venerable Servant of God, Brother Daniele Natale, can be read and interpreted in the light of the virtue of humility, for it was in his simple and ordinary life that he was able to preserve and manifest his love for God and for his neighbor.<\/p>\n
His love was manifested in the intensity of his prayer, the depth of his adoration of the Eucharist, and his trusting companionship with the Virgin Mary and the saints. His total surrender to God\u2019s will\u2014living the Gospel with passion and joy\u2014as well as his serene acceptance of his many physical, moral, and spiritual sufferings, are the pillars of his witness to the faith.<\/p>\n
Brother Daniele instilled hope and trust in the mercy and saving love of Christ in the hearts of those who met him. The passion that shone through the Word he shared and expounded in his simple catechesis to the Padre Pio Prayer Groups scattered throughout Italy and Europe, combined with his Capuchin-Franciscan style, rekindled the love of Jesus in the hearts of those who had been wounded by sin or by life\u2019s sorrows. The offering of his entire life to the Lord was solely for the salvation of souls and the conversion of sinners.<\/p>\n
Michele Natale was born on March 11, 1919, in San Giovanni Rotondo, the fourth of seven children, and was baptized on March 24, 1919. From an early age, he was nurtured by his parents\u2019 simple and deep faith. After third grade, to help support his family financially, he began working in the fields and tending a flock of sheep.<\/p>\n
On June 6, 1933, feeling a strong calling to religious life, and after receiving a blessing from Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, he left for the Capuchin monastery in Vico del Gargano (Foggia). In 1934, while still a postulant, he was sent to the friary of Sant\u2019Anna in Foggia to serve as sacristan and doorkeeper. There, Father Bernardo d\u2019Alpicella, wishing to test his abilities and academic preparation, had him read the life of Saint Conrad of Parzham, a Capuchin lay brother canonized on May 20, 1934. Upon finishing the reading, the young postulant astonished Father Bernardo, who suggested that he pursue academic studies and thus prepare for the priesthood. The young Michele, with candor and conviction, replied that he wished to make his vows as a lay brother because \u201cI entered the monastery to become a saint, and I have learned from the life of Saint Conrad that it is not necessary to become a priest to become a saint.\u201d<\/p>\n
On March 25, 1935, he began his novitiate at the monastery in Morcone (Benevento) and was given the name Br. Daniele da San Giovanni Rotondo. After taking his perpetual vows, on May 12, 1940, his superiors assigned him to various monasteries to perform different fraternal duties: cook, porter, and sacristan. During World War II, while living in Foggia, he spared no effort in helping the displaced, the wounded, and the victims of the bombings. From July to September 1952, he stayed at the monastery in San Giovanni Rotondo to convalesce after surgery, also serving as cook and assistant to Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, his spiritual director. That same year, at the request of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, he began dedicating himself to the care and spiritual guidance of the prayer groups, which were already numerous in Italy and abroad. In the following years, his superiors expressed their trust and esteem by appointing him delegate for the lay brothers, third secretary, and provincial vice-secretary for missions. He was ordained a lector in 1975 and, the following year, received the ministry of acolyte. Beginning in 1983 and for nearly ten years, he endured a difficult period marked by illness and hospitalizations, including several surgical procedures, yet he never ceased to lead the prayer groups. He died in San Giovanni Rotondo at Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza on July 6, 1994. On October 10, 2015, his remains were transferred from the San Giovanni Rotondo Cemetery to the \u201cSanta Maria delle Grazie\u201d Shrine in the same city.<\/p>\n
The publication of the Decreto super virtutibus<\/em> marks an important milestone in the cause for beatification, as it recognizes Brother Daniele as an authentic witness to Christian life and to following the Lord. The recognition by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints of a \u201cmiraculous\u201d event attributed to his intercession would lead to his being proclaimed \u201cBlessed.\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Pope Leo XIV, during an audience on October 24, 2026, granted to Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, authorized the promulgation of the Decree…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":123123,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[917],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-123130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n