Francis of Assisi

Lore & Background

Francis was named Giovanni by his mother. His surname, di Pietro di Bernardone, comes from his father, Pietro di Bernardone. His father was in France on business when Francis was born in Assisi. Upon his return, Pietro took to calling his son Francesco. Francis was born c. 1181, one of the children of an Italian father, Pietro di Bernardone dei Moriconi, a prosperous silk merchant, and a French mother, Pica di Bourlemont, about whom little is known except that she was a noblewoman originally from Provence. Indulged by his parents, Francis lived a high-spirited life. Around 1202, he joined a military expedition against Perugia and was taken prisoner. After a year as a captive, an illness caused him to re-evaluate his life. He later had a vision of Jesus Christ in the chapel of San Damiano, where the icon said, 'Francis, Francis, go and repair My church which, as you can see, is falling into ruins.' Francis renounced his father and patrimony before the Bishop of Assisi. In February 1208, after hearing the Gospel of the Commissioning of the Twelve, Francis was inspired to devote himself to a life of poverty. Within a year, he had 11 followers. In 1209, he composed a simple rule and led 11 followers to Rome to seek permission from Pope Innocent III to found a new religious order. The group was tonsured, and per tradition, the official founding of the Franciscan Order occurred on 16 April 1210.

Reader's Guide

Francis of Assisi is one of the most venerated figures in Christianity. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX on 16 July 1228. He is commonly portrayed wearing a brown habit with a rope tied around his waist, featuring three knots symbolizing the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. In 1219, Francis went to Egypt in an attempt to convert the sultan Al-Kamil and put an end to the conflict of the Fifth Crusade. In 1223, he arranged for the first live nativity scene as part of the annual Christmas celebration in Greccio. According to Christian tradition, Francis displayed stigmata resembling the wounds on the hands and feet of crucified Christ during the apparition of a seraphic angel in a religious ecstasy in 1224. Francis is associated with patronage of animals and the environment. It became customary for churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of 4 October, which became World Animal Day. Francis was noted for his devotion to the Eucharist. Along with Catherine of Siena, Francis was designated patron saint of Italy. He is also the namesake of the city of San Francisco. The feast of Francis' stigmatization is 17 September.

Did You Know?

• Francis was named Giovanni by his mother, but his father called him Francesco after returning from France.
• In 1219, Francis attempted to convert the sultan Al-Kamil during the Fifth Crusade.
• Francis arranged the first live nativity scene in 1223 in Greccio.
• Francis displayed stigmata in 1224 during a religious ecstasy involving a seraphic angel.
• Francis's feast day on 4 October became World Animal Day.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"The Counsels of the Holy Father St. Francis, Admonition 27." — Francis of Assisi "Thomas of Celano, The Life of Saint Francis, Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, Volume 2, p. 293." — Francis of Assisi "“Earlier Exhortation to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance,” Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, Volume 1, p. 43." — Francis of Assisi "We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh, but, instead, we must be simple, humble and pure." — Francis of Assisi