 St Francis of Assisi
A BRIEF LIFE STORY
As a young man St. Francis had a great enthusiasm for life. He was passionate
and poetic. He reached out to others cheerfully and they enjoyed his
company. He was always ready to laugh at himself, as one can do with
their friends, and in this spirit of fraternity he was a rather boisterous
leader of the youth of Assisi. He was naturally generous and his warmth
reached out not only to his friends, but also to the poor.
His father Pietro Bernadone was a wealthy Italian cloth merchant who
was very proud of his riches and his sons' Francis and Angelo. His mother
who was born in France was a loving and devout person. Everyone endearingly
called her "Pica" a nick name.
As the son of a wealthy family, Francis learned to enjoy life. His cheerfulness,
love of fun and his pocket money, made him popular among the young people.
With the encouragement of his father, Francis dreamed of becoming a noble
knight who would accomplish fantastic deeds and bring honour to his family.
He attended the church school of St. George and was no doubt entranced
with the story of this saint who is one of the patron saints of knighthood.
It was an age of chivalry and Francis too wanted to find his own dragons
to slay. more...
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