Franciscans of Saint Bonaventure Province

Friars Minor Conventual

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ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

The Life of St. Francis

Our Seraphic Father and Founder

St. Francis was born in Assisi, Italy, around the year 1182, the son of Pietro Bernardone and Madonna Pica. He acquired the nickname “Francis” at an early age because of his father’s business dealings in France.

Pietro Bernardone was a successful cloth merchant, and a member of the rising business class in medieval Italy, providing his family a quite comfortable life.

He had dreams of Francis continuing the family business and rising to prominence in the town. As such, he was only too happy to outfit Francis with the equipment needed to serve in the army and go off to war.
Francis’ military experience was short-lived as he was soon captured, spending almost a year as a prisoner of war. 

He returned to Assisi, a weak but changed man. His forced solitude led him to ask questions about his future, and he continued to ponder these questions as he recuperated at home.

The Beginnings

Repairing the chapel of st. damian

One day in 1205, he stopped to reflect and pray in the crumbling chapel of St. Damian, down the hill from Assisi. There, in a mystical experience, he heard Christ speak from the cross and give the direction, “Francis, repair my church, which as you see is falling into ruins.” He took this charge literally and began to rebuild the very structure in which he had prayed. 

Such behavior brought his father’s disapproval and then anger when Francis sold his father’s cloth to raise funds for the needed repairs. Dragged before the bishop by his father, Francis declared that God alone was his father, and he entrusted himself to the bishop.

The Chapel of St. Damian today

Francis' Missionary Efforts

Proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ

The strange behavior of this favored son of Assisi brought more than a few laughs and much ridicule. But it also attracted others from the town and the surrounding area who appreciated what this gallant young man was trying to accomplish. 

They joined him in repairing churches and slowly realized that their service should extend to others who had special needs, like the lepers who were abandoned to fend for themselves.

Francis and his brothers would go out in small groups preaching penance, wishing those they met, “Peace and all good,” while proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. After some time, they would return together at a designated spot to pray, share their experiences, and renew themselves in their way of life. 

A missionary effort was a new thrust, and Francis himself was able to preach before a Sultan of the East. This period also brought the first martyrs to the Order, as St. Berard and his companions died in Morocco, the inspiration that led Anthony of Padua to the Friars.

Receiving the Stigmata

the miracle and death of St Francis

Many aspects of Francis’ life are well known. Francis wanted everyone to experience God’s love in sending His Son into the world, so in the town of Greccio in 1223, he created what is said to be the first Christmas crib, allowing that community to picture the miracle of Bethlehem better. 

In 1224, while praying on Mount La Verna, Francis received the marks of our Lord’s Passion in his hands, feet, and side, a miracle known as the Stigmata.

Francis’ earthly life came to an end on the evening of October 3, 1226. After much suffering, he asked to be laid on bare earth outside the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels, below the hill of Assisi. There he would commend his soul to his Heavenly Father.

San_Francesco_Stigmata

Becoming a Saint

saint francis’ last resting place

Francis was declared a saint only two years later in 1228, and in that same year, work began on his permanent burial place in Assisi. In 1230, St. Francis’ mortal remains were moved to the Church that the world knows today as the Basilica of St. Francis. It remains one of the most popular places of pilgrimage in the world, visited by many popes, including Pope St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis.

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Franciscans of Saint Bonaventure Province

Friars Minor Conventual

6107 North Kenmore Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60660

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Safeguarding Statement

The Franciscan Friars Conventual of St. Bonaventure Province are committed to creating safe environments for children and vulnerable adults.

Every friar in active ministry must complete training in Virtus (the National Catholic Risk Retention Group) and any other safe environment compliances required by the dioceses in which they serve.

In addition, St. Bonaventure Province has its own Safe Environment Commission that oversees the implementation and monitoring of the Province’s Policies, Procedures, and Protocols for Ethical Ministry with Minors and Vulnerable Adults. 

Any allegation regarding the Franciscan Friars Conventual of this Province receives an immediate response. This includes the Province’s full cooperation with local law enforcement authorities and Ordinaries who have ecclesial jurisdiction over these matters, as well as a duly diligent investigation by a qualified third party in order to substantiate credibility.