St. Francis of Assisi was born in Italy in 1181, to a very wealthy Italian family. His father was a wealthy cloth merchant who owned farmland around Assisi and his mother was a beautiful Frenchwoman.Growing up St Francis wanted nothing, he had everything he needed or could ever want.This did not help St Francis because growing up he indulged himself in fine foods and wine as well as women and had left school by 14.
In Assisi he was known as a party boy who had no respect for anyone around him and did not look after the disadvantaged and homeless. While he was growing up he learned the skills of archery, wrestling and how to look after horses.His father wanted him to grow up and be part of the textile family business but St Francis did not want to do this instead he wanted to become knight and to do this he needed to join the towns army. In 1202 a war broke out between Assisi and Perugia and St Francis knew that he would fight in this war to get practice so he could become a knight.
Of all the things that St Francis of Assisi did, the order would be one of the greatest and the thing that has had the biggest impact on the church and the people.St Francis went about preaching and teaching people about the way he lived this attracted followers they were impressed by Francis approach to the faith and wanted to be like him.
In 1210 Pope Innocent III authorized Francis and his 11 other followers to be “roving preachers of God” (Book of Saints) with this they were know as the Franciscans.The 12 of the men would travel in pairs and were teaching the Franciscan order with the philosophy of living in poverty and living by begging as well as possessing no money or property. This has a massive contribution to the church and people still follow this order today. This has a massive influence on Christianity today too. The world is a better place thanks to this and there are many Franciscans that still follow this order.
St Francis has been honored by the church as the patron of ecology. The way he cared for nature and the gentle love he showed for all animals and people has given him this tittle. He used to stop on his journeys and talk to the birds and wolves, these thing were as important as people to him. He saw that everything was made in the image of God and they are all as important as each other. If everyone thought like this today the world would be better, nothing hurt or endangered, St Francis having this idea about nature as had a big influence on people and the church because it teaches us to look out for nature. St Francis once stopped on one of his journeys and said “My brothers, birds, you should praise your creator” (book of saints) this again shows St Francis appreciation fro what God has made and he thought that the birds should even have thanks.All of this compassion for people and animals got St Francis this name.
