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.
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.
Date |
Name of the Friars |
Events |
Year |
01 |
Gabriel Mathias Carlos Dias |
Birth Ordination |
1950 1989 |
03 |
+ Sylvester McGoldrick |
Home |
1992 |
04 |
Vineet Kerketta |
Birth |
1995 |
05 |
+ Achilles Meersman Salim Joseph Nicolas Marak |
Home Ordination Birth |
1982 1994 1994 |
07 |
Rajasekhar Reddy Gopu Punitha Anthoniar Illam |
Birth Foundation |
1985 1992 |
08 |
John Chrysostom |
Birth |
1965 |
09 |
+ Prasad Cheely |
Ordination |
1998 |
10 |
Jugal Kishore Lakra |
Ordination |
2005 |
11 |
Paul Kallan |
Ordination |
1996 |
12 |
+ Liguory Mimpen |
Home |
2016 |
13 |
Francis Agnelo Rozario |
Ordination |
1997 |
14 |
Matthew Kootumkal Cajetan S. Lourenco Shalom Friary, Hyderabad Cajetan S. Lourenco + John Peter Bhaskar Reddy |
Birth Birth Foundation Ordination Home Ordination |
1963 1965 1975 1996 2005 2005 |
15 |
Ignatius Baa Joseph Raj M. |
Ordination Ordination |
2005 2007 |
16 |
Richard D’Silva Shanborlang Wartde Francis Kaviyil Babu Jose Pamplany |
Birth Birth Ordination Ordination |
1933 1989 1994 1994 |
17 |
Peter Saleth Nathan J. Ushar Kachhua Joy (George) Sebastian Jacob Tani |
Birth Birth Ordination Birth |
1978 1992 2010 1993 |
18 |
St.Francis Friary, Kochi Prasad Papabathuni Joy K.D. |
Erection Ordination Ordination |
1951 1998 1998 |
19 |
Parish at Chippilithode Vilas Baptist Correia Prashanth Wilson Fernandes |
Erection Ordination Ordination |
1997 2008 2012 |
20 |
Johnson M.V. Tojy M. Regi Matthew Ajit Kumar Dung Dung Tony Marshall Nelson Toppo |
Ordination Ordination Ordination Ordination Ordination Birth |
1999 2004 2006 2008 2009 1992 |
21 |
Abraham Vadana Davis Kallookaran Alphonse Moras Gerald Lobo Simon Pinto Paul K.L. + Angelo James Anthony New Church at Salbari |
Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Home Blessing |
1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 2002 2013 |
22 |
+ Owen McLaughlin |
Home |
1974 |
23 |
Anthony Roobandass A. Singarayar A. Tom John Thomas A. |
Birth Ordination Ordination Ordination |
1978 1997 2002 2003 |
24 |
Johnny Anthony Benjamin Jojo John Sekar |
Birth Ordination Ordination |
1961 2005 2010 |
25 |
Pratap Reddy Salibindla Thomas Joseph Johnny Anthony Sandesh Manuel Varghese Lakra |
Ordination Ordination Ordination Ordination Ordination |
1991 1992 1992 2009 2010 |
26 |
Thaddeus Baxla Pradeep Kalliath |
Birth Ordination |
1968 2007 |
27 |
+ Paul Fernandes |
Home |
2004 |
29 |
Arok Sundar Sebastian Dharma L. Bernard Arun Prakash Lourdu Augustine Balaswamy Gundiga Peter Saleth Nathan J. Vijay Minj |
Entry Entry Birth Ordination Ordination Ordination Ordination |
1973 1973 1974 2006 2008 2012 2012 |
30 |
Parish at Nanasera Anthony Alex Martis Vijay Amirtharaj A. Nesavanam,Chennai New Church at Reddypalem |
Erection Ordination Ordination Blessing Blessing |
1995 2008 2008 2008 2013 |