▁alone ▁so ▁he ▁could ▁work ▁and ▁would ▁feed ▁him ▁cr ushed ▁pom eg ran ates ▁because ▁he ▁could ▁not ▁afford ▁other ▁food . ▁Lic cio ' s ▁c ries ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁female ▁neighbor ▁taking ▁him ▁to ▁her ▁home ▁to ▁feed ▁him ▁and ▁left ▁him ▁next ▁to ▁the ▁bed side ▁of ▁her ▁imm obile ▁husband . ▁But ▁the ▁husband ▁could ▁move ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁Lic cio ▁was ▁placed ▁near ▁him . ▁The ▁neighbor ▁told ▁Lic cio ' s ▁father ▁but ▁the ▁latter ▁was ▁dismiss ive ▁and ▁more ▁concerned ▁with ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁she ▁had ▁taken ▁his ▁son ▁without ▁his ▁permission . ▁As ▁soon ▁as ▁the ▁child ▁was ▁taken ▁the ▁husband ▁could ▁no ▁longer ▁move . ▁Lic cio ' s ▁father ▁took ▁this ▁as ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁the ▁divine ▁and ▁allowed ▁the ▁neighb ours ▁to ▁care ▁for ▁his ▁son ▁while ▁he ▁worked . ▁ ▁Before ▁he ▁turned ▁ten ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁rec ite ▁the ▁canonical ▁hours . ▁On ▁a ▁trip ▁to ▁Pal ermo ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁fifteen ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁have ▁his ▁Conf ession ▁heard ▁in ▁the ▁church ▁of ▁Saint ▁Z ita ▁of ▁Lu cca ; ▁the ▁B less ed ▁Pietro ▁Ger emia ▁heard ▁his ▁conf ession ▁and ▁suggested ▁that ▁Lic cio ▁become ▁a ▁religious ▁and ▁pushed ▁the ▁idea ▁across . ▁Despite ▁his ▁initial ▁feelings ▁of ▁doubt ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁Pre ach ers ▁in ▁ 1 4 1 5 ▁and ▁was ▁later ▁ord ained ▁to ▁the ▁priest hood . ▁ ▁Once ▁he ▁was ▁ord ained ▁he ▁set ▁himself ▁on ▁establish