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 Saint Francis Of Paola: 500th Anniversary of Death Scott 1345-1346 (2007) Francis of Paola was the founder of the Franciscan Minim Friars. He was born in Paola (Calabria) on March 27, 1416. His feast day is celebrated on April 2, the anniversary of his death in 1507. At the age of 13, after a year in a Franciscan friary, he went on a pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome. He then became a hermit, living in a cave on his father's estate overlooking the sea. He was joined by two companions in 1436 and neighbors built a chapel and separate cells for the friars. They were called “Minims” to indicate humility. “Minim” is derived from Latin “Minimus,” meaning “least” or “smallest.” The hermits lived lives of austerity and charity, both Franciscan ideals, and took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, as well as a fourth vow, abstinence from meat. Their extreme lives included the practice of mortification of the flesh. The communities remained hidden and isolated from the world, in good part unknown outside their communities. In each Minim community there was only one priest while the others remained brother friars. A large monastery and church was constructed in the 1450s. An order of nuns was also established and foundations were established in Sicily. The Holy See approved the group as a new order in 1474. Miracles were associated with St. Francis during his life. He spent the last 25 years of his life in France at the request of the French rulers as chaplain to the dying King Louis XI. He was also tutor to the dauphin, and served as an intermediary to bring peace to French relationship with Brittany and Spain. He died on April 2, 1507, at the age of 91. He was declared the patron of seafarers in 1943 because many of his miracles were associated with the sea. An impressive work of art showing Saint Francis of Paola is show below, depicting Saint Francis (on left) and Saint Lawrence with the Blessed Virgin Mary:  "The Virgin in Glory with San Lorenzo and San Francesco di Paola" By Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (circa 1775) From Wikimedia Commons In the Public Domain Articles: |
