Giovanni Maoloni

On April 27, 1902, at the age of 29, Giovanni Maoloni took the Capuchin habit at the friary of Fossombrone, receiving the religious name of Brother Marcellin of Capradosso (fra Marcellino da Capradosso). He completed his novitiate there and made his simple religious profession on April 27, 1903. He was then assigned to the friary of Fermo on May 28, 1903. As a lay brother, he was entrusted with humble tasks which he performed with exemplary obedience and humility: he worked as a gardener, porter, and questor. It was in this latter role that he left a deep impression on the local population. Traveling through the countryside on foot to solicit alms for the friary and to support young theology students, he edified all those he met with his gentleness and simple spiritual exhortations. In 1906, in a spirit of charity and obedience, he was sent to the friary of Montegiorgio to assist a confrere seriously ill with tuberculosis, Father Serafino of Pollenza. He cared for him with total devotion for about six months, likely contracting the disease on that occasion. Despite his declining health, he asked his superiors in June 1908 to leave as a missionary for Brazil, but his condition deteriorated rapidly.

In August 1908, while collecting wheat, Brother Marcellin fell gravely ill. Diagnosed with purulent tuberculous peritonitis, he was hospitalized on August 24, 1908, at the Umberto I Hospital in Fermo. There, he underwent a painful surgical procedure, performed without anesthesia, which unfortunately proved ineffective. He faced this terrible ordeal with admirable strength of soul and Christian resignation, joyfully abandoning himself to the divine will and offering his sufferings for the salvation of souls. After several months of hospitalization lived in continuous prayer, he was brought back to the convent of Fermo where he passed away holily on February 26, 1909, at the age of 36.

The reputation for holiness of Brother Marcellin spread rapidly after his death, both within his order and among the faithful of the Marches. The ordinary informative process regarding his reputation for holiness was opened in the ecclesiastical curia of Fermo on July 29, 1948, and concluded on November 30, 1954. The acts were transmitted to Rome in 1956. After a meticulous examination of his life and writings by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Positio super virtutibus was submitted. On November 8, 2017, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thereby conferring upon him the title of Venerable.

The spirituality of Brother Marcellin of Capradosso is characterized by a truly Franciscan simplicity, absolute obedience, and a deep love for the poor and the sick. Although originally illiterate, he is considered to have acquired a profound "science of God" through contemplation. A large, centuries-old oak tree located near Capradosso, where he liked to retreat to pray, remains a place associated with his memory.

His spiritual legacy remains alive in the Marche region, particularly in Fermo, where his mortal remains are venerated in the church of the Capuchin convent (Saint Joseph Church). A local choir in Fermo bears his name (Corale fra Marcellino da Capradosso), testifying to the enduring affection of the faithful for this humble servant of God.