St. Francis of Assisi

Originally published in the bulletin of St. Vincent Ferrer Church, Delray Beach, FL in October 2, 2022

There is a little town in the Umbria Region of Central Italy that is just a bit northwest of the geographic center of Italy. It is a town we might have never heard of, if it were not for a baby born there in about 1181. He was baptized Giovanni but was renamed Francesco di Pietro di Bernardone. Over 800 years later, we still remember him, but the name we know him by is St. Francis of Assisi.

His father was a cloth merchant, and the family lived comfortably. He went to school and learned to read and write in Latin. He also spoke French and, of course, Italian. In 1202, when he was 19 or 20, there was a war between Assisi and the neighboring town of In 1202 he took part in a war between Assisi and Perugia. Francis was captured during this war and was a prisoner for almost year.

He became seriously ill soon after returning to Assisi. When he recovered a few years later, he wanted to join and army fighting Emperor Frederick II in Apulia, a place in Italy near Bari. But when Francis travelling there, he had a vision telling him to return to Assisi because he was to be a new kind of soldier. When Francis got back to Assisi, he prayed to know God’s will for him. He ultimately turned away from worldly goods and family ties to embrace a life of poverty in service to God. One story about St. Francis is that, during his conversion, he was at a ruined chapel where he heard the crucifix above the altar command him: “Go, Francis, and repair my house.” He did go on to repair that chapel, called San Damiano, and repaired other chapels, too.

Francis began preaching, and people listened to him. In 1209, he wrote a simple rule for his disciples: “ “To follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps.” The order he founded became known as the Franciscans. They began their ministry in Umbria and spread throughout Italy – and to the world. Francis even founded a community of nuns, called the Poor Clares, to also do this work.

Francis strove imitate Christ’s life and to do Christ’s work the same way Jesus did. He was also a lover of nature. He saw all nature as mirroring God and called all creatures his “brothers” and “sisters.” One story told about his is that he persuaded a wolf to stop attacking the people and animals in one town as long as the people provided food for the wolf.  and their livestock if the townspeople agreed to feed the wolf.

St. Francis is remembered for his care for all creatures. On his feast day, many parishes hold a blessing of animals.

St. Francis is also believed to have set up the first nativity scene in 1223. St. Bonaventure wrote that St. Francis, with the Pope’s permission, set up a manger with hay, and a live ox and donkey, in a cave in an Italian village, and invited people to come hear him preach about the baby Jesus. St. Bonaventure wrote that the hay used by Francis miraculously acquired the power to cure local cattle diseases!

St. Francis died on October 3, 1226 in Assisi. He is buried there in the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi, He was canonized on July 16, 1228 by Pope Gregory IX.