Don Felice Silvestrini
Category: Religious persons
Born in Petriolo, on April 21st, 1711 – Died in Petriolo on August 15th, 1779
Felice Silvestrini was born on April 21st, 1711 in a family composed by Giovanni Silvestrini, his father (nicknamed Silvestro) and Maria Antonia Concetti, his mother.
He completed his education in Petriolo guided by his maternal uncle, Don Giovanni Concetti, who worked as a publich teacher.
Then, Felice entered the seminary of Fermo. In September 1732 he was gifted by his father with a plot of land and two soil houses, located in the area of San Giovanni. It was a donation for the sacral heritage.
A few years later, in 1736, he became a priest. At the same time, he also replaced his uncle as a public teacher. He was confirmed in this position till 1741.
From that time, Don Felice started his work as a preacher and apostolic missionary, fulfilling also many positions in the academic classes at the Sacra Penitenzieria. Silvestrini distinguished for his humility, devotion and charity for the neighbors. His sermons about the sheer Christian doctrine in the territory of Fermo had a wide public following. Many of his written sermons are still preserved in the archives of Petriolo’s churches.
In 1753 he was elected among the three congressmen who looked after the restoration works for Church of Madonna della Misericordia in Petriolo.
Later, in 1756, Silvestrini built a new church dedicated to the Beata Vergine della Pace, located in one of his properties in Borgo dell Fonte Buona (Petriolo). The church was solemnly blessed on June 30th, 1759. Inside, in the main altar, a painting representing the Virgin with the Holy Child and St Joseph. It can be seen at the “Monsignor Marcello Manfroni Museum of Wooden Processional Objects”.
The Eastern altar was dedicated to the Holy Crucifix in 1771. There, Don Felice Silvestrini decided to place the wooden crucifix which he used to carry in the apostolic missions. This crucifix can be seen in the church named Chiesa del Soccorso.
In 1772 he was nominated spiritual economic leader of the Church of St Mary and St Basso.
Affected by a stroke, Don Felice Silvestrini died in Petriolo on August 15th, 1779 at the age of 68. His corpse remained in exposition for many days inside the Church of Peace, to allow the great number of people came from the surrounding villages to pay him homage.
The representatives of the Municipality of Petriolo commissioned to the painter Giacomo Falconi from Montottone a life-size portrait of the beloved priest. It can be seen at “Monsignor Marcello Manfroni Museum of Wooden Processional Objects”.
