St. Francis of Assisi was born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone (nicknamed “Francescoâ€) to a wealthy Italian family. In his youth he indulged in the usual antics common to a 12th century carefree young man, but a serious illness apparently gave him time to ponder the nature of his soul. He soon began the ministry that would last his lifetime, that of preaching, renouncing material possessions, embracing chastity and endeavoring to love all God’s creatures, human and non. Pretty big order! So an order he founded – the Franciscans, along with a cloistered order for women, the Poor Clares. Legend is rather difficult to separate from fact, but St. Francis is credited with introducing the Nativity Scene as a fixture at Christmas time, as well as having received the stigmata – the wounds of Christ’s crucifixion. (Well, perhaps that’s a bad example of legend versus fact.) In his day, Francis apparently also traveled to Egypt in an unsuccessful effort to convert the sultan non-violently (as opposed to the methods of the “Holy†Crusades). Francis was declared a saint within a couple of years of his death; today he is one of the most beloved figures in this sanctified pantheon, and is closely associated with an abiding love for animals. The current Catholic pope, Jorge Bergoglio, honored him by taking his name upon his election as Pope Francis. We hope it proves to be as popular as Leo and Pius!
