Fr. Theodosius Florentini OFM Cap.
A Man with a Clear Vision
On May 23, 1808, Father Theodosius Florentini (Anton Crispin) was born in Canton Graubunden, Switzerland’s Munster Valley. Anna Fallet was his mother, and Paul Florentini was his father. One of his older brothers, who had joined the Capuchins and was teaching at Stans, took care of his education after his father passed away when he was eight years old. His uncle taught in Meran and was a Franciscan also worried about the fatherless boy’s schooling.
His brother passed away at the age of 27 from typhus. While praying at his brother’s grave, Anton Crispin sensed his call and joined in the same order. When he was eighteen, he was ordained as a priest in 1930, four years after taking the Capuchin vows at Sitten.
While he was assigned to Altdorf, Fr. Theodosius was preaching, teaching, and producing books. In August 1845, he was sent to Chur. There, he was appointed superior of the Capuchin Hospice and parish priest of the Catholic community.
He held these positions for fifteen years until being appointed Vicar General Chur Diocese in 1860. With his keen vision,
Father Theodosius saw and comprehended ten things where others saw just one. He captivated the crowd with his talks and lectures. They listened to him for hours, fired by his zeal. He made decisions quickly and, once he had an idea, he would follow through on it in spite of obstacles and resistance.
Theodosius was a good-hearted man.
Fr. Theodosius was a man full of enthusiasm and practicality. Even the little things showed it. He knew how to operate a variety of machinery and was knowledgeable about all handicrafts. He was proficient with both a hand printing press and a typesetting machine. He thought it was crucial that schools have access to the scientific equipment they need. He was reputed to be capable of anything and everything. He likely became interested in factories and industries because of his natural fascination with tools and technical stuff, which also taught him how to operate machinery. He therefore came up with the notion to incorporate a variety of useful methods into the social and educational program.
Fr. Theodosius felt compelled to offer healing to his time, just like a doctor would. He wanted to assist everyone in both their physical and spiritual need. He believed that only the Church could provide such assistance by displaying God’s love, and he considered his own effort to be done in the Church’s service.
Despite his belief that the Catholic Church should be in charge of resolving social issues, Fr. Theodosius really worked closely with Protestants and liberals who shared his concerns and were working on comparable projects. As a result, they developed incredible empathy for one another.
Fr. Theodosius led an extremely simple existence. He was a good confessor and a well-liked speaker. He is reported to have kept his prayer vigil in the cathedral’s crypt at night. “I do not believe that there is an hour in my priestly life, when God was not consciously present to me,” the tireless worker, entangled in business, plans, and worries, remarked of himself. Death may come to me in unexpected ways, but I will always be ready for it.