How did St Francis of Assisi become a saint?
Francis was the son of a merchant in Assisi, in what was then Umbria (North Italy). Francis joined a petty war between Assisi and another town, and on his way to fight, dressed as knight, saw a man shabbily clothed. He exchanged clothes with this man. Soon after, he dreamed he saw his father’s house transformed into a castle, its walls hung with armour, all marked with the sign of the cross. One day Francis prayed in the little church of St. Damian outside the walls of Assisi, he felt the eyes of the Christ on the crucifix gazing at him and heard a voice saying three times, Francis, go and repair my house, which you see is falling down. Francis begged and obtained materials with which to rebuild the little Church. He pursued the life of simplicity and became known as il poverello, ‘the poor one’, and he was slowly accepted with respect. Others were to join him, attracted by his simple life. Thus began the little order of Friars, who were to be known as Franciscians, world wide. In the
