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 (December)

Date

Name of the Friars

Events

Year

02

St. Louis Friary – Palmaner

Fidelis D’ Lima

Foundation

Ordination

1949

1964

05

Abraham Vadana

Shaji Nicholas Vadachery

+ Valentine Crasta

Birth

Birth

Home

1946

1969

2011

06

Baptist D’ Souza

Birth

1975

07

+ Anthony’s Church - Bannur

Erection

1999

09

Anil Kerketta

Birth

1980

11

Richard D’Silva

+ Agnel D’ Mello

Ordination

Home

1960

2013

13

Vincent Soosai

Varghese Sebastian

Scaria Varanath

Thomas M.M.

Dayanand

Anand Suresh Minj

Nideesh M. John

Birth

Ordination

Ordination

Ordination

Ordination

Birth

Birth

1970

1975

1975

1975

1975

1987

1993

14

+ Titus Myppan

Home

2012

15

Gregory Fernandes

Ordination

1963

16

Paul K.L.

Assisi Sadan - Nagpur

Birth

Foundation

1952

1993

17

Sidney Mascarenhas

Varghese Lakra

Ordination

Birth

1967

1977

18

Ajit Kerketta

Birth

1976

19

James Kallarackan

Friary Chapel – Palmaner

Birth

Blessing

1942

1967

21

Parish Church - Palmaner

Blessing

1964

22

Francis Agnelo Rozario

Birth

1966

24

Emmanuel Christopher

Birth

1992

25

Mukti P. Ekka

+ Celestine Reardon

+ Ambrose Staskunas

Birth

Home

Home

1973

1976

1986

26

Tony D’ Souza

+ Paschal Fernando

Birth

Home

1962

1994

27

Irudayaraj Fernando

Sahaya Dhas J.

Ordination

Ordination

2002

2013

28

Madhu Sudhan Reddy

Ordination

2015

29

Thumma Ranjith Kumar Reddy

Ordination

2015

30

+ Gratian McEvoy

Wilson Paul Nattalil

Stephen Lamin Gashnga

+ Kuriyan Joseph

Home

Ordination

Ordination

Home

1992

2003

2012

2015

31

Sleeva Reddy

Birth

1968