St Francis was born in 1181, into a wealthy Italian family. Indulged by his parents, he lived the high-spirited life typical of a wealthy young man. He was handsome, witty, gallant, delighted in fine clothes, and spent money lavishly. Following a vision in 1205, he lost interest in the worldly life and began a Christian life of poverty, joining the poor in begging at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and spending time in lonely places, asking God for guidance.

One morning in February 1208, after hearing a reading from Matthew’s gospel of the Commissioning of the Twelve Apostles, Francis began to wear a coarse woollen tunic, the dress then worn by the poorest Umbrian peasants. His example soon attracted others and within a year he had eleven followers. The brothers lived a simple life in a deserted leper colony near Assisi and, in 1209, he composed a simple rule for his followers.

Determined to bring the Gospel to others outside of Italy, Francis set out for Jerusalem in 1212 but was shipwrecked and forced to return. But during the Fifth Crusade in 1219 he reached Egypt with the aim of converting the Sultan. The Sultan received him graciously but was not converted. But some traditions have it that he gave Francis permission to visit the sacred places of the Holy Land. Whatever in fact was agreed, the Franciscans have maintained a presence in the Holy Land almost uninterruptedly since 1217, and remain there to this day.

Francis died on the evening of Saturday, 3 October 1226, while singing Psalm 141, and on 16 July 1228, was declared a saint by Pope Gregory IX. Commonly portrayed wearing a brown habit with a rope tied around his waist, featuring three knots symbolizing the three Franciscan vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, Francis is the patron of animals and ecology. In fact it became customary for churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day, which also became World Animal Day. He is also patron of the Franciscan Order and of families, peace, and needleworkers. On 13 March 2013, upon his election as Pope, the Argentinian Archbishop and Cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, chose Francis as his papal name in honour of Francis of Assisi.

The above picture of St Francis is by Philip Fruytiers - http://www.kmska.be, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31323512