Answer: St. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in Roman Catholic history. He founded the Franciscan Order of friars and the women’s Order of the Poor Ladies, now known as the Poor Clares. He is also known for his love of nature and animals and is also known as the patron saint of ecology and of animals. In many of our parishes and elementary schools, the Feast of St. Francis is synonymous with the Blessing of the Animals.

St. Catherine of Siena was drawn into the world as she worked, and eventually she began to travel, calling for reform of the Church and for people to confess and to love God totally. She became involved in politics and was key in working to keep city states loyal to the Pope. She was also credited with helping to start a crusade to the Holy Land. On one occasion, she visited a condemned political prisoner and was credited with saving his soul, which she saw being taken up to heaven at the moment of his death.

In 1939, Pope Pius XII named St Francis of Assisi and St. Catherine of Siena the patron saints of Italy. The aerogramme below shows Francis and Catherine in the act of protecting Italy, represented by an allegorical figure.

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'Ss Francis of Assisi and Catherine of Siena, Patron Saints of Italy'
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Aerogramme - St. Francis of Assisi and St. Catherine of Siena
Patron Saints of Italy
A27 (1989)