Having a religious vocation at fifty years it’s been tough for Mr. Enzo Cilento, a former professional journalist from Rome, Italy.
He felt the “call” on 2011, he sold his house, and then he’s got a catholic consacration as a monk 3 years ago in 2015, making vote of poverty, chastity and obedience.
He choose the name of Simeone as a monk, beacuse like this old Jewish man, mentioned on the Luca’s Gosplel, he recognized Jesus as the Messiah and it’s life was accomplished.
But after a couple of experiences in monastry with other monks, he coulden’t feel very welcome; every monastry and order of friars has it’s own hierarchy (some of them accept only man under 35 years old), and it’s not easy for a man of 50 years to accept it and to be accepted.
So, following Saint Francis steps, he drove to Umbria and found a good spot for him in Rocchette Sabina, a semi-abandoned village, on the border between Lazio and Umbria, in the Appennini montains of central Italy.
He’s a free spirit, who finds happiness on solitude, wich helps him to fully enjoy the faith.
“It’s like a battery that needs to be recharged before to share his energies”.
In Rocchette he has rented a small place to live, following the same schedule of a monastery.
Wake up at 04:45 am,
first prayer of the day at 05:00,
then cleaning the house,
at 07:00 second prayers,
then he drives to mass at 08:00 on nearby villages, after mass a coffee with the local priest,
work at home, he’s currently reviewing an editorial book about Israel on assignment from a religious editor.
Three times a week he gives pilates lessons at lunchtime on a gym in Magliano Sabina (to pay the rent), he used to do that in Rome since many years; also he’s always been a kind of atlhete and he goes to run 3 times a week for an hour.
He really believes that a body in a good shape goes togheter with a good mental shape.
Prayers at 12:30 (when he goes to the pilates lesson he prays in the car).
Prayers at 15:00
Then Simeone works at his blog, as a journalist that’s the better way for him to connect with people. He has a few thousand of followers.
Prayers at 18:00
Dinner around 19:00
At 20:30 every night he receives a phone call from his mother, as most of the Italians.
Dinner prayers.
Some radio listening; music and drama theatre are his passions.
Through his blog he realised that he cold be a model for other men of his age who have the same needs.
