Felix of Nicosia

Who was Felix of Nicosia?

Saint Felix of Nicosia, O.F.M. Cap., was a Capuchin friar, and is honored as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.

He was born Filippo Giacomo Amoroso in Nicosia, Sicily on 5 November 1715. As a young boy Filippo helped in the workshop of father, a shoemaker, which happened to have a nearby Capuchin friary. Thus from an early age, he was getting to know the friars and to admire their way of life.

At the age of 20 he asked the Guardian of the friary to speak for him to the Minister Provincial in Messina so that he could be admitted to the Order as a lay brother. Being illiterate, he could not be admitted as a cleric. After rejecting his application several times, seeing his continued perseverance in his request, however, after eight years they admitted him to the Order and sent him to the novitiate in Mistretta.

On October 19, 1743 he entered the novitiate, being given the name of Brother Felix, and professed his vows a year later.

Against the norms, the authorities of the Province then assigned him to the friary in his hometown. This was contrary to the norms, because the fear was that young friars would find themselves distracted by family and friends, thereby stunting their spiritual growth. Yet the level of his detachment was so great that they felt that this fear was largely unwarranted in his case.