The Mystic of the Old West
An Italian priest spread the gospel and healing in his travels
The Old West is famous for its tales of Cowboys, but there were a lot of eccentric characters in the untamed areas of the Americas in the 1800s. I came across a historical marker in Council Grove, Kansas, marking the home of hermit-priest Giovanni Maria de Agostini last year.
He came from Italy and traveled widely across Europe, South America, and North America and most of that travel was on foot.
He stayed in Council Grove for five months in 1863, living in a cave on the edge of town. The hill is marked with trees and has a natural outcropping of rock along the top, which makes it an excellent place for a cave.
Agostini grew up in a wealthy family in Italy and got a good education as he prepared to be a priest. He could not handle monastery life and left the priesthood behind. He did not leave his spirituality behind, however. He became an evangelist to the Americas, preaching the gospel and healing people from Argentina all the way to Kansas.
He was well-educated in theology and medicinal practices at the time. He knew a lot of herbal remedies for various illnesses and was able to heal a lot of people. He could speak nine languages.
