OFM Franciscans - India

Life Of St. Francis

Saint Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone; 1181/1182 – October 3, 1226) was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis.St. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history.

Francis was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant in Assisi, and he lived the high-spirited life typical of a wealthy young man, even fighting as a soldier for Assisi. While going off to war in 1204, Francis had a vision that directed him back to Assisi, where he lost his taste for his worldly life.On a pilgrimage to Rome, he begged with the beggars at St. Peter's. The experience moved him to live in poverty.Francis returned home, began preaching on the streets, and soon amassed a following. His order was endorsed by Pope Innocent III in 1210. He then founded the Order of Poor Clares, which was an enclosed order for women, as well as the Third Order of Brothers and Sisters of Penance. In 1219, he went to Egypt in an attempt to convert the Sultan. By this point, the Franciscan Order had grown to such an extent that its primitive organizational structure was no longer sufficient. He returned to Italy to organize the order. Once his organization was endorsed by the Pope, he withdrew increasingly from external affairs. In 1223, Francis arranged for the first Christmas manger scene.In 1224, he received the stigmata, making him the first recorded person to bear the wounds of Christ's Passion. He died in 1226 while preaching Psalm 141.

On July 16, 1228, he was pronounced a saint by Pope Gregory IX. He is known as the patron saint of animals, the environment and one of the two patrons of Italy (with Catherine of Siena), and it is customary for Catholic and Anglican churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of 4 October.

Early life

Francis of Assisi was one of seven children born to Pietro di Bernardone, a rich cloth merchant, and his wife Pica, about whom little is known except that she was originally from France.Pietro was in France on business when Francis was born, and Pica had him baptised as Giovanni di Bernardone in honor of Saint Albert Renner, in the hope he would grow to be a religious leader. When his father returned to Assisi, he took to calling him Francesco ("the Frenchman"), possibly in honor of his commercial success and enthusiasm for all things French. According to another account, it was due to the boy being able to speak and sing in French fluently and effortlessly because of his French mother teaching him. Either way, the name Francesco soon replaced his baptismal name.

As a youth, Francesco—or Francis in English—became a devotee of troubadours and was fascinated with all things French. Although many hagiographers remark about his bright clothing, rich friends, and love of pleasures, his displays of disillusionment toward the world that surrounded him came fairly early in his life, as is shown in the "story of the beggar." In this account, he was selling cloth and velvet in the marketplace on behalf of his father when a beggar came to him and asked for alms. At the conclusion of his business deal, Francis abandoned his wares and ran after the beggar. When he found him, Francis gave the man everything he had in his pockets. His friends quickly chided and mocked him for his act of charity. When he got home, his father scolded him in rage.

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

ST. FRANCIS

ST. FRANCIS

FRIARS' BIRTHDAY (July)

Date

Name of the Friars

Events

Year

01

Anthony Alex Martis

Birth

1976

02

Pratap Reddy Salibindla

Henry Jose

Birth

Birth

1960

1992

03

+ Thomas the Apostle – Patron of the Province

Amaladass Manickam

Atma Jyothi, Mysore

Abhishek M.

Feast


Solemn Vows

Blessing

Birth



1982

1987

1995

04

Praveen Henry D’Souza

Ordination

2007

05

Martin Sangma

Birth

1992

06

Jugal Kishore Lakra

Birth

1976

07

+ Michael Haliday

Baikim Chandra Minj

Stephen Lamin Gashnga

Home

Birth

Birth

1976

1982

1983

08

Dominic C.J.

+ Bede Worham

Birth

Home

1959

1991

09

Mukti Prakash Ekka

Arun Junes

Solemn Vows

Ordination

2000

2006

12

Anto Leo

Birth

1988

13

Sidney J.M.

Arvind Kerketta

Birth

Birth

1941

1970

14

Michael Anand

Simon A.

Deepak Xalxo

Avinash Toppo

Birth

Birth

Birth

Birth

1977

1981

1992

1996

15

+ Bonaventure

Feast


20

+ Blaise Lobo

Home

1997

21

Lawrence of Brindisi

James N.

Feast

Birth


1966

22

+ Leonard Fernandes

Home

1980

27

+ Cornelius D’ Souza

Phyrnai Lyngdoh

Home

Birth

2009

1983

28

+ Alphonsa

Feast


30

Trevor D’ Souza

Entry

1985

31

Joseph Prasanna Kumar

Birth

1985