Antonio Pietro Cortinovis
Antonio Pietro Cortinovis (7 November 1885 – 10 April 1984) - in religious Cecilio Maria da Costa Serina - was an Lombard Roman Catholic professed religious from the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. He had set his heart on entering the religious life despite his initial reluctance due to him pondering on his unworthiness. This belief manifested in his childhood which motivated him to decide against entering the priesthood. But his religious formation in the order was pushed back due to World War I and he was unable to make his solemn religious profession until the war had concluded. Cortinovis served as a porter and beggar for the order in their convent in Milan and remained there until his death. He established the Opera San Francesco in 1959 in order to work with the poor and was a foundation that earned the support of the Archbishop of Milan (and future pope) Giovanni Battista Montini. The beatification process opened in Milan in 1993 and he became titled as a Servant of God. Pope Francis confirmed his heroic virtue and named him as Venerable on 6 March 2018. Life Antonio Pietro Cortinovis was born on 7 November 1885 at 5:00pm in Costa Serina in Bergamo as the seventh of nine children to the peasants Lorenzo Cortinovis and Angela Gherardi (who was born to Giacomo in Trafficanti). His parents were married in 1870. The preceding sibling Margherita died just after her birth. Father Pietro Rota baptized him on 8 November in the church of Santi Lorenzo martire e Ambrogio. From his childhood he had a strong love and devotion to both the Eucharist and the Passion. He had often described his father as being rather reserved and sensitive and received his religious formation from his mother. From age six he began attending confession and he received his Confirmation on 10 August 1892 before making his First Communion on 7 April 1896. He never desired being an altar server in his childhood and perceived great unworthiness on his part in becoming a priest. This became the reason that he was never to become a priest. But after he did his schooling the idea to enter the religious life as a professed brother came to him and grew over time. In 1899 he entered the Third Order of Saint Francis and later in 1901 confessed to the priest friar Teodosio da Samarate (who came to the town to preach) of his desire to enter the religious life. Teodosio encouraged him and invited him to become a friar. Once - in 1905 - some acquaintances dragged him into a tavern and forced him to drink wine as the group did. Before he turned 23 he worked as both a shepherd and as a lumberjack. Cortinovis entered the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin on 21 April 1908 after his father (who died not long after in January 1909) accompanied him to the convent in Bergamo. His mother and siblings wept upon his departure. He moved to the