St. Clare was one of the early followers of St. Francis of Assisi. In 2012 the Franciscan family celebrates the 800th anniversary of Clare’s decision to leave her family for a life of poverty and ministry. Contemporary accounts glow with admiration of her life in the convent of San Damiano in Assisi. She served the […]
August 2nd – Feast of Our Lady of the Angels & The Pardon of Assisi
History of the Portiuncula It was in the night in the year of our Lord 1216, Francis was immersed in prayer and contemplation, in the small church of the Portiuncula, when all of a suddent the church was filled with a brilliant light and Francis saw above the altar the Christ clothed in light and […]
782 years ago today.
782 years ago today, on July 16, 1228, Pope Gregory IX canonized Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone. St. Francis had died just two years before his canonization, on the evening of October 3, 1226, as he was singing Psalm 141.
What is Perfect Joy?
Raise your hand if you would like to have Perfect Joy. (raising mine…) Life gives us opportunities for Perfect Joy almost daily, however these opportunities, or conditions, may not be what we think. Do we recognize them as gifts…opportunities for Perfect Joy? The following is an excerpt from The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi: Once when walking […]
Earth Day 2012: A Franciscan Perspective
April 22, 2012 marks the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day. With support across political, social, and economic differences, the first Earth Day in 1970 led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. In 1990, Earth Day mobilized 200 million people in 141 […]