Feast day: 4 October
Saint Francis of Assisi
Sanctus Franciscus Assisiensis
A wealthy merchant's son who renounced everything to live the Gospel in radical poverty, founding an order that renewed the medieval Church.
- Born
- c. 1181–1182, Assisi, Umbria (Italy)
- Died
- 3 October 1226, Porziuncola, Assisi
- Canonization
- Canonized 16 July 1228 by Pope Gregory IX, less than two years after his death.
- Religious order
- Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans)
- Country
- Italy
Biography
Early life
Francis was born in Assisi around 1181 to Pietro di Bernardone, a prosperous cloth merchant, and his wife Pica. He enjoyed a comfortable youth, spent freely, and dreamed of knighthood. He took part in the war between Assisi and Perugia, was captured at the battle of Collestrada and spent about a year as a prisoner, followed by a long illness.
Conversion
After his imprisonment Francis grew restless with worldly ambition. He embraced a leper on the road below Assisi — an encounter he later called the beginning of his penance — and while praying in the ruined church of San Damiano heard the crucifix say, "Go, repair my house, which as you see is falling into ruin." He sold his father's cloth to fund repairs, and in a public confrontation before Bishop Guido he renounced his inheritance and even his clothing.
Ministry and the Order
Hearing the Gospel commission to the apostles (Matthew 10) read at Mass in 1208, Francis took it literally. Companions joined him, and in 1209 Pope Innocent III gave verbal approval to his simple rule of life. With Saint Clare he helped found the Poor Clares in 1212. He preached in Egypt in 1219, meeting Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil during the Fifth Crusade. In 1223 he arranged the celebrated Christmas crib at Greccio, and the definitive Rule was approved by Pope Honorius III that same year.
Stigmata, death and legacy
In September 1224, during a fast on Mount La Verna, Francis received the stigmata — the wounds of Christ — the first widely documented case in Christian history. Nearly blind and gravely ill, he composed the Canticle of the Creatures and died at the Porziuncola on 3 October 1226. Pope Gregory IX canonized him in 1228 and laid the cornerstone of the Basilica of San Francesco, where his body rests. Pope Pius XII named him patron of Italy (1939) and Saint John Paul II declared him patron of ecologists in 1979.
Timeline
- ~c. 1181 — Born in Assisi
- 1202 — Captured in the war with Perugia
- 1206 — Renounces his inheritance before Bishop Guido
- 1209 — Innocent III approves his way of life
- 1212 — Saint Clare joins him; Poor Clares begin
- 1219 — Meets Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil in Egypt
- 1224 — Receives the stigmata on Mount La Verna
- 1226 — Dies at the Porziuncola, 3 October
- 1228 — Canonized by Gregory IX
Dates marked ~ are traditional or debated among historians.
Symbols
Stigmata — The wounds of Christ received at La Verna, sign of total conformity to the Crucified.
Tau cross — The letter Tau, which Francis used as his signature, an ancient sign of penance and salvation.
Birds and animals — His preaching to the birds expresses the praise of God by all creation.
Virtues & spiritual lessons
Poverty, humility, joy, obedience to the Church, love of creation and of the poor. Francis teaches Catholics that the Gospel is meant to be lived literally and gladly, and that detachment from possessions frees the heart for God.
Importance in the Church
Francis renewed the Church from within at a moment of wealth and division, without breaking from her. The Franciscan family he founded became one of the largest movements in Catholicism, shaping preaching, missions, popular devotion (the Christmas crib, the Stations of the Cross) and theology.
Miracles
The stigmata of 1224 were attested by his companions and by Brother Elias' encyclical letter announcing his death. Numerous healings were examined in the canonization process of 1228 and are recorded by Thomas of Celano.
Quotes
“Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun.”
Canticle of the Creatures (Canticle of Brother Sun), 1225
“The Lord gave me, Brother Francis, thus to begin doing penance: when I was in sin it seemed too bitter for me to see lepers.”
The Testament of Saint Francis, 1226
Writings
Canticle of the Creatures (1225) — One of the earliest poems in the Italian vernacular; praises God through sun, moon, wind, water, fire and 'Sister Bodily Death'.
The Testament (1226) — His final instruction to the brothers, recalling the lepers and insisting on poverty and reverence for priests.
Later Rule (Regula bullata, 1223) — The rule approved by Honorius III that still governs the Order of Friars Minor.
Prayers
Prayer before the Crucifix of San Damiano
Most High, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart, and give me right faith, certain hope and perfect charity, sense and knowledge, Lord, that I may carry out your holy and true command. Amen.
Latin: Summe, gloriose Deus, illumina tenebras cordis mei, et da mihi fidem rectam, spem certam et caritatem perfectam, sensum et cognitionem, Domine, ut faciam tuum sanctum et verax mandatum. Amen.
An authentic prayer of Saint Francis, preserved among his writings. Note: the popular 'Lord, make me an instrument of your peace' is a beautiful prayer, but it first appeared in France in 1912 and is not by Saint Francis.
Places
Assisi, Italy — Birthplace; the Basilica of San Francesco holds his tomb.
Porziuncola (Santa Maria degli Angeli) — The little church he restored and where he died.
Mount La Verna, Tuscany — Site of the stigmata in 1224.
Scripture
Matthew 10:7–10 — The missionary discourse Francis heard in 1208 and adopted as his rule of life.
Matthew 19:21 — "Go, sell what you possess and give to the poor" — a text opened at random with his first companions.
Entries are drawn from the Roman Martyrology, the General Roman Calendar, canonization records of the Holy See, and the saints' own writings. Where a date, quotation or attribution is uncertain, it is marked as such. (63 saints)