Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi - October 4th

"We adore you and we bless you, Lord Jesus Christ, here and in all the churches which are in the whole world, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world" (St. Francis).

Saint Francis was born in 1182 in the Italian town of Assisi, 80 miles north of Rome. The story of his life is both fascinating and inspiring, a story that calls us to holiness and the gospel life. It is about a life that had a passion for the Gospel and Jesus Christ, so much so that he gave up his own self to become a "Mirror of Christ."

Saint Francis combined the contemplative life with an active one and took to the streets to bring the gospel to the people. He led a simple life and proclaimed a simple message: the love of God for us, through Jesus, and our response to love God through Jesus by loving others. Francis is a Saint of All Ages. His message is a timeless one, as relevant today as it was then. Second only to Jesus Christ, no other individual has ever made such a positive influence on the Church and the world we live in.

His father was an ambitious, wealthy businessman, a cloth merchant and part of the rising middle class. Francis led a carefree youth and dreamed of becoming a knight. While in pursuit of the glories of knighthood, one night he experienced another dream, this one given to him by the Lord. His life took a turn which led to his service as a knight for Lady Poverty. He renounced his paternal wealth and committed himself to God, leading a life of evangelical poverty. He became poor because Jesus was poor.