THE Very Rev. Felix De Andreis was born of respectable and pious parents, on December i3th, 1778, at Demonte, a con\u00adsiderable hamlet in the present diocese, and former province, of Cuneo, Piedmont.<\/p>\n
We have not been able to ascertain any particulars respecting his early youth, but will relate what he himself mentions with candid simplicity in a manuscript found after his death, entitled, “Soliloquy No. 59, Illuminare to mirabiliter a montibus aeter\u00adnis.”<\/em><\/p>\n “I see very clearly, when I collect my thoughts, that Divine Bounty began to call me to the sweet intercourse of contempla\u00adtion from my very childhood ; and after\u00adwards, at different intervals, during the whole course of my most ungrateful life. I remember, and, even now, can very dis\u00adtinctly picture to myself the unspeakable delight which I once felt when a child, while listening to one of my aunts, on my mother’s side, who was singing some hymns on the love of God and the infancy of Mary, as we walked one evening in the gardens of Count Beranger. And I experienced this pleasure on many other similar occa\u00adsions ; once especially, as I was thinking of St. Aloysius while I was employed in com\u00adposing a hymn in which I spoke with my Angel Guardian of the joys of heaven and the sweets of the love of God. 0 ! how happy should I have been had I corre\u00adsponded to divine grace ! Even amidst the disorders of my youth, never did the Al\u00admighty cease to call me to Himself by in\u00adspiring me with a desire of entering the Congregation of the Mission, which desire, in spite of myself, impelled me to seek solitude. And when, through divine mercy, I had entered the novitiate, I remember that the dislike I felt for conversation was such, that I generally spent the time of re\u00adcreation without being able to utter a single word. I made known to the director the secret desire I felt of keeping aloof from all creatures, were it possible to do so ; and he told me that I should cultivate such feel\u00adings. I did not then foresee what would be the result, and, though I was somewhat acquainted with the writings of St. Theresa and St. John of the Cross, I had no precise idea of the treasures hidden in their mystic works. I passed through divers ordeals of scruples, anguish, and temptations, until the little book “God Alone” inspired me with a more earnest desire of suffering as they did. And, before I underwent those fearful trials, God mercifully ordained that suitable writings should fall into my hands, to enlighten me during the dark night through which I had to pass. I see, there\u00adfore, to my shame, how much I was favored by the blessings of divine mercy; though my conduct, being so different from the lights I received, dishonors, in some sort, the gifts of God, and gives me reason to fear that I am a consummate hypocrite. Oh ! what confusion is mine !”<\/p>\n Having completed his first studies, in his native place, Felix De Andreis was sent to Cuneo, at the age of fifteen, to learn rhetoric and philosophy; while there, he was once in imminent danger of losing his life. It was a holiday, and he, and several of his companions went to take a walk beyond the river Stura ; on their return, in order to reach home more quickly, they endeavored to wade through its rapid waters. For the others, this proved an easy task \u2022 but, for him, who was rather small and delicate, it was a dangerous undertaking. The current carried him off a long way, and his com\u00adpanions, who were anxiously watching him from the bank, without being able to come to his relief, already believed him drowned. Such indeed he would have been but for a special intervention of Divine Provi\u00addence. While in the water, he raised his heart to Heaven, invoked the aid of St. Anthony, and, at the same moment, saw, or thought he saw, the saint handing him a rope, which, having grasped with all his might, he was conducted in safety to the shore. The fact is, he escaped unhurt, to the great astonishment of his fellow stu\u00addents.<\/p>\n All who knew him admired his penitrat\u00ading intellect, his aptness to learn the most difficult things, his ready and retentive memory, his lofty imagination, and, what is more important, his determination in the pursuit of his studies, and his irreprehensi\u00adble moral conduct.<\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n His excellent qualities caused increasing wonder among his teachers, who incited him by their commendAions to still greater progress, promising him their assistance and predicting his brilliant success in literary pursuits, but especially in poetry, for which the young De Andreis felt a peculiar attrac\u00adtion.<\/span>2<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n But grace, meanwhile, was working in his heart, other and better dispositions ; he was not more than fifteen or sixteen when he felt within him an increasing desire of joining the Company of the Mission, founded by St. Vincent de Paul. This wish became so strong that he could no longer refrain from making it known, and accordingly mentioned it to Rev. Father Laugeri, Visitor of the province, entreating to be received into the Company as he felt con\u00advinced that such was his vocation. The prudent superior, well aware of the re\u00admarkable talents of the young candidate, and knowing particularly his poetical gen\u00adius, received his request very coldly, observ\u00ading that the Congregation of St. Vincent would never suit his views. “The employ\u00adments of our missionaries,” said Father Laugeri, “are far different from those to which you have hitherto devoted yourself in accordance with your natural inclination ; the principal object of our institute is to in\u00adstruct the poor in the country, and form good laborers for the vineyard of the Lord ; its duties, therefore, do not require brilliancy of thought, nor talent for poetry; but serious study, and discourses without pomp or orna\u00adment. How difficult it would be, fora young poet like yourself, to become accustomed to such things !”<\/p>\n “And yet,” replied the undaunted youth, “I will do all this, if you will receive inc among your children.”<\/p>\n “Be of good heart, then,” resumed the Visitor ; “take another year to reflect on your design ; give up your poetical compo\u00adsitions for that period, and apply your mind to other studies ; devote more time to prayer ; let your life be more recollected ; and then, having done all this, present yourself anew.”<\/p>\n “I then entered into myself,” adds Mr. De Andreis, “and endeavored to correct what\u00adever I knew to be reprehensible in my con\u00adduct, but especially, that spirit of vanity which prompted me to wish to display my talents before the world ; I traced out the plan of a more serious life, having resolved to become a missionary, in order to atone for my sins, give glory to God, work out my own salvation, and, by the aid of Divine grace, promote that of others ; such was my intention, and I acknowledge it to be from Thee alone, 0 my God !”<\/span>3<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n Father Laugeri became acquainted with these excellent dispositions the following year ; and having, without any further difficulty, admitted him among his children, he sent him to begin his novitiate in the house of the Mission at Mondbvi. There, Mr. De Andreis took the habit of St. Vincent on the first of November, 1797, and after\u00adwards applied himself to correspond to his holy vocation, under the guidance of Rev. Joseph Giordano, subjecting himself to the most perfect obedience, mortifying his pas\u00adsions, and striving to become an interior man. About this time, namely, in January, 1799, the houses in Piedmont having been suppressed, by order of the Provisional Government, established by the French after the expulsion of the royal family of Savoy, he was obliged to return home, February 9th, 1799. Affairs being more settled towards the close of the same year, and the Missionaries having regained pos\u00adsession of the house of the Holy Martyrs at Turin, he was recalled there on the 12th of December following.<\/p>\n His novitiate being ended, he made his vows with great interior delight, on the 21st of September, 1800 ; being most desir\u00adous of making progress in all the sacred sciences, in order to fit himself to be a good missionary. He was not vain of his talents, nor did he presume upon them, but always seemed little in his own eyes, though he was most fervent, regular and obedient, even in the smallest things. His superiors remarked all these excellent qualities, and, though they avoided any manifestation of the esteem in which they held him, it was nevertheless very great, for in him they already beheld a true disciple of St. ‘Vincent. No fault could they perceive in his deport\u00adment, and, if by chance some slight im\u00adprudence needed reprehension, they always found him docile in receiving correction, more circumspect for the future, never be\u00adtraying any ill-humor, but showing a smiling countenance and modest cheerful\u00adness.<\/p>\n He prosecuted his studies in the same house at Turin, which, at the end of the last century, was adorned with many experienced men who spent their lives in the labors of the holy ministry. The young De Andreis, seeing in these venerable priests so many living portraits of St. Vin\u00adcent, endeavored, with ardor, to follow their holy example in the practice of every virtue. But it was not long granted him to enjoy their company, for fresh misfortunes having befallen the royal family of Savoy, the Mis\u00adsion of Turin was again suppressed. Mr. De Andreis was then sent to the house at Pla\u00adcentia, in order to continue his studies. He arrived there on the 26th of December, i800, and pursued them so extensively, and with so much success, that he became a profound philosopher, a learned theologi an, and an erudite historian ; besides being well versed in literature, chemistry, natural his\u00adtory, astronomy, mathematics, medicine, music, geography ; and skilled in the He\u00adbrew, Greek, French, and Spanish lan\u00adguages. As for Latin, lie spoke it fluently, and wrote it with elegance. It must not be thought that his knowledge of these sciences was merely superficial and only fit to dazzle the vulgar eye ; on the contrary, he was an adept in each one of them, and had accus\u00adtomed himself from the beginning to so much regularity and order in his ideas, that these different acquirements were never confused in his mind, and he could teach them all in a masterly manner.<\/p>\n As to merely ornamental accomplish\u00adments, he possessed them without display, being very much averse to anything like ostentation ; he looked upon them as the spoils of Egypt, only fit to adorn the temple of the Lord. It may here be asked, how it was possible that a young missionary, whose hours of study were regulated with prudence, and were not dependent upon his own will, could thus acquire such vast and diversified knowledge. We will say, in reply, that Mr. De Andreis was gifted with so piercing an intellect that he penetrated, at the first glance, the most difficult questions and the most abstruse theories. His memory was so good, that, having once read a book, he never forgot its contents, and could repeat them many years afterwards ; and, so just and accurate, was his discernment, that he could distinguish, in an instant, truth from error ; correct reasoning from sophistry; the light that merely dazzles, from that which illumines the mind. It is not, therefore, a matter of surprise that he learned, in a few months, what, to an ordinary capacity, would have been the labor of years. And one thing, which appears worthy of par\u00adticular notice is, that his ardor in the pursuit of science was restrained within due bounds, and was ever subordinate to the zeal with which he sought to perfect himself in every virtue. Thus, while he was adorning his mind with so many different acquirements, his spiritual progress was no less rapid ; his attention to the Divine presence, and his desire to learn all the functions of his in\u00adstitute, never decreased. He consequently preferred to every other study, that one which tends to form holy and learned priests, namely: the Holy Scriptures, the works of the Fathers, the canonical deci\u00adsions of the Church, and the moral and ascetic books written by the most eminent doctors. St. Thomas was the theologian he preferred, but he also consulted St. Augustine, St. Bernard, and St. John Chrysostom ; and he retained by heart long passages from these Fathers, besides all their most remarkable dicta and most im\u00adportant quotations.<\/p>\n Meanwhile the time approached when Mr. De Andreis was to be promoted to the priesthood ;<\/span>4<\/sup><\/a><\/span> this event took place in Placentia, in the year i8oi. He prepared for it by the most efficient means : fervent prayer, austere mortification, continual in\u00adterior recollection; and useful reading. He had formed that exalted and true idea of the priesthood which is given of it in the Sacred Scriptures, and by the holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church ; and, having ob\u00adtained this incomparable dignity, his desire to discharge all its holy duties was propor\u00adtionally increased. Nothing was wanting to him for that purpose ; he had prepared everything requisite for a good missionary, such as catechetical instructions on the sacraments, the laws of God, and those of the Church ; spiritual retreats for those who were preparing for ordination, as also for the laity ; ecclesiastical conferences for priests, and other similar discourses.<\/p>\n