Joseph, who was born of rich and pious parents at Leonessa in 1556, gave up all worldly honours to follow a life of seraphic poverty with the Capuchins. He was sent as a missionary to Constantinople, where he brought back a great number of apostates to the faith, and raised the spirits of the Christians. He was arrested by the Moslems and condemned to death. For three days, he remained hanging on a gibbet by two hooks, one of which was in one of his hands, the other in one of his feet, above a fire of green wood whose smoke was supposed to smother him. An angel rescued him, tended his wounds, and ordered him to return to Italy. He preached there for many years, healing dissensions, banishing dangerous pastimes, and converting a great number of sinners. He practiced fearful mortifications, eating a few spoiled vegetables and a little black bread and sleeping on a few boards, with a tree trunk as a pillow. He died on February 4, 1612.
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