1. Friar and Patron Saint
Catholic deacon
Founder of the Franciscans
By: john thomas

2. Blessing of the Animals
Ceremonies are held on October
4 th , the day of his feast.

3. Born in Assisi, Italy to a wealthy cloth merchant in 1182 CE.
Baptized in honor of John the Baptist, in the hopes he would grow to be a great
religious leader.
Francis the Hellion
“Story of the beggar."

4. 1201 - joined a military expedition against.
held as prisoner of war for 1 year
1203 - returned to Assisi and his old ways
1204 - serious illness led to a spiritual crisis.
1205 - Enlisted in the army again
Soon after, A strange vision made him return to
Assisi he began to avoid the “sports” and his former
companions.

5. Self isolation - prayer for enlightenment.
Takes to nursing lepers.
Another Mystical vision.
Disowns his father.
Sermon on Matthew 10:9.
Founding of the Order of Friars Minor.
1219 - Mission to Egypt
– Converting the Sultan?

6. Although drawings and paintings of the Nativity Scene preceded his time;
Saint Francis was the first to create a three dimensional scene using live animals.

7. While praying during a forty-day fast; Francis received the five wounds of Christ.

8. 1228 - Pronounced a saint by Pope Gregory IX.
Saint Francis is considered the first Italian poet by literary critics.
He believed commoners should be able to pray to God in their own language, and
he wrote often in the dialect of Umbria instead of Latin.
His writings are considered to have great literary, as well as religious value.

9. Preaching to the birds Ministering the Wolf

10. Many different versions of the prayer exist. The most popular is the following:

11. "Francis of Assisi". Wikipedia. 12/5/09 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi>.
Mertens, A.. "Who was a Christian in the Holy Land?“. 12/5/09 <http://www.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/sbf/escurs/wwc/f.html>.
Sabatier, Paul. "Life of St. Francis of Assisi". Gutenberg. 12/5/09 <http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18787/18787-8.txt>.
Woolnoth, Mary. "St Francis Lecture". The Diocese of London. 12/5/09 <http://www.london.anglican.org/SermonShow_5071>.
Ingleby, Francis . "St. Francis of Assisi". Catholic Encyclopedia. 12/5/09
<http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/St._Francis_of_Assisi>.