Our heavenly patron St. Francis of Assisi, is the venerated founder of the Franciscan Order. His devoutness to poverty, charity, and personal charisma attracted thousands of adherents. Francis’ devotion to fellow beings and his desire to follow Jesus’ example reinforced spirituality in the medieval times.
He was born at Assisi in Umbria, Italy, in 1181 to a wealthy cloth merchant. After a brief career as a soldier, Francis had a conversion of heart and recognized the divine call that inspired him to forsake his family inheritance and devote himself to Jesus. He renounced luxury for a life of service. Francis was motivated to devote himself to a life of poverty, garbed himself in a coarse woollen tunic, worn by the poorest Umbrian peasants, and tied around him with a knotted rope.
He went forth to preach penance, brotherly love and peace, setting out to imitate the life of Christ and implementing literally His mission in His ordained manner. This is the essence of the spirit of St. Francis. To him all nature was the reflection of God and in so many ways leading to Him but most of all he loved God and His creatures. He called all beings his “brothers” and “sisters,” and, in the angelic parables about him, sermoned the birds and influenced a wolf to stop attacking people. Even years before he died, Francis was considered a saint, and in posterity his reverence has multiplied. St. Francis was the first saint to be adorned with the sacred stigmata, the marks of the Crucified in the same fashion as was on Christ.
St. Francis died on October 3, 1226, lying on the bare ground in imitation of his Saviour’s death on the Cross. He was canonized as a saint just two years after his death, on July 16, 1228, by Pope Gregory IX. In 1979 Pope John Paul II recognized him as the patron saint of ecology. Today, St. Francis has a lasting resonance with millions of followers across the globe and is widely known as the patron saint for ecologists — a title honouring his boundless love for animals and nature.
Today his fervour and inspiration helps us to commemorate, sustain and disseminate the eternal spirit of ‘fraternity’ with all the good and beautiful things which Almighty God has created.
