Francis of Assisi

Saint Francis of Assisi (born in Assisi, Italy, 1181; died there on October 3, 1226) founded the Franciscan Order or "Friars Minor". He is the patron saint of animals, merchants, Catholic action and the environment.

Main sources for the life of St. Francis

• Friar Elias, Epistola Encyclica de Transitu Sancti Francisci, 1226.
• Pope Gregory IX, Bulla "Mira circa nos" for the canonisation of St. Francis, 19 July 1228.
• Friar Tommaso da Celano: Vita Prima Sancti Francisci, 1228; Vita Secunda Sancti Francisci, 1246–1247; Tractatus de Miraculis Sancti Francisci, 1252–1253.
• Friar Julian of Speyer, Vita Sancti Francisci, 1232–1239.
• St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, Legenda Maior Sancti Francisci, 1260–1263.
• Ugolino da Montegiorgio, Actus Beati Francisci et sociorum eius, 1327–1342.
• Fioretti di San Francesco, the "Little Flowers of St. Francis", end of the 14th century: an anonymous Italian version of the Actus; the most popular of the sources, but very late and therefore not the best authority by any means.

For an exhaustive list of sources, see http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/fra/FRAmain.html.

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