Francis+of+Assisi

**St. Francis of Assisi**


St. Francis of Assisi is known for founding the Franciscan order and for his practice of poverty, simplicity, and love for others. Born as Giovanni Bernadone to a wealthy family in 1182 in Assisi, Italy, he was nicknamed Francesco (In English, Francis) and was an epicurean. Even so, he was already generously donating to the poor before his "sobriety". While taken prisoner during the war between Assisi and its neighboring city, Perugia, Francis was weakened by illness and was subdued from his former lifestyle. Instead of indulging in fine foods and wines, he decided to change to simplicity. He embraced poverty and loved all creation, man and beast alike.

Francis traveled to Rome to ask Pope Innocent III to ask permission to form a religious order which was later called the Franciscan Order. At first, the request was denied, but a dream told the pope that perhaps he //was// called upon, and gave him the permission. Francis and his followers lived in imitation of Jesus Christ, and plainly. Each Franciscan could not own money, and only had a limited number of clothes: a tunic, a cord, one pair of breeches, and if necessary, a single pair of shoes. They lived in sparsely furnished homes and relied only on God for their needs.

In the later years of his life, Francis decided to spend more time alone in prayer, leaving the Franciscan order up to his followers. While praying on Mt. Alvernia in Assisi in 1224, he saw a vision of an angel. When it disappeared, he experienced the stigmata wounds on his hands, feet, and side, as Jesus Christ had suffered. For the rest of his life,he lived in constant pain and impaired sight; he died in 1226. Two years after his death, he was canonized to become a saint.

Works Cited
 * “Francis of Assisi.” //Historic World Leaders// . N.p.: Gale, 1994. N. pag. //Biography Resource Center// . Web. 11 Mar. 2010.
 * “St. Francis of Assisi.” //Encyclopedia of World Biography// . 2nd ed. N.p.: Gale, 1998. N. pag. //Biography Resource Center// . Web. 9 Mar. 2010.

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