Among the most famous saints, Francis (born in 1181 or 1182, died in 1226) was born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, in Assisi in central Italy. His nickname was Franceso because his father loved France. He is famous as a friar and preacher, founder of orders, and lover of animals and the natural world. Many churches and places are named for him---we used to live in Flagstaff, AZ in the shadow of the San Francisco Peaks, for instance--and our current pope is the first to take "Francis" as his the papal name. Among the many places to read about him, this is a good short piece about the beloved friar: http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=50
Also this site.
You might like to see my translation of his Canticle of the Sun (reprinted all over the place)... http://faculty.webster.edu/barrettb/canticle.htm
ReplyDeleteThat's great! I bookmarked it, too. Thanks!
Delete