St. Francis of Assisi is one of the Church’s best known and most beloved saints. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, took the name “Francis” after him. But how much do most people know about his life?
When most people think about Saint Francis, one of the first images that comes to mind is the ubiquitous Saint Francis garden statue — peaceful and serene and gently holding animals in his hands. But the real Saint Francis was so much more interesting than that. He was an ex-party animal soldier who renounced his wealth, lived his new life in radical poverty, went on daring missions to hostile lands and experienced mystical ecstasy. St. Francis of Assisi had a special devotion to the Child Jesus, and he is credited with creating the
first nativity scene on Christmas Eve of the year 1223.