XLVI
BROTHER CONRAD OF OFFIDA CONVERTS A YOUTH AND FREES HIM FROM PURGATORY AFTER DEATH^a

¹ The holy Brother Conrad of Offida was a remarkable zealot of the evangelical Rule of our blessed Father, Saint Francis.^b He was a man of such religious life and such merit before God, that both in life and in death the Lord Jesus Christ honored him in many ways.

² For while he was still living and had come to Offida as a guest, the brothers asked him for the love of God to talk to a very young brother, who was acting so childishly and improperly that he disturbed both the young and the old of that family, and he cared little or nothing about the canonical Hours or other religious disciplines.

⁴ Brother Conrad, pitying this young man and the other brothers who were troubled in many ways because of him, gave in to their pleas and called the young man aside. With heartfelt charity he spoke to the youth such divine, effective words that the hand of the Lord came down over ^{Ez 1:3} that young man immediately. He was changed into another man, ^{1 Sm 10:6} from a boy into an elder. He became so obedient and kind, so diligent and devoted, so peaceable and respectful, and so dedicated to every virtuous work, that just as before the whole family was upset by him, so afterwards everyone rejoiced at the complete conversion he had made to virtue, and all showed affection to him as if to an angel.

⁷ A few days after this conversion, he fell ill and passed from this world, which caused much grief among the brothers. When Brother Conrad, who had converted him, was at prayer before the altar of that same convent, the soul of that brother appeared and devoutly greeted Brother Conrad as a father. Brother Conrad said: "Who are you?" The answer was: "I am the soul of that young man who just died." Brother Conrad said: "How are you, my dear son?" He replied: "Dear father, by the grace of God and your teaching, I am well because I am not damned; however, because of some faults of mine which were not fully purged because of the short time I had, I am suffering the great pains of purgatory. I ask you, Father, that just as in your kindness you helped me when I was alive, so now please help me in my sufferings by saying some Our Fathers, for me, because your prayers are very acceptable to God."

¹¹ Brother Conrad gladly agreed, and he said one Our Father together with an Eternal rest. After he finished the prayers, the soul

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