Rite of Christian Initiation adapted for Children. Children that are at least 7 years old and in grades 1- 12th grade and have not been baptized or were baptized in a faith other than the Catholic Church will be placed in our wonderful program, RCIA for Children.  Baptism - Youth Rite of Christian Initiation adapted for Children. Children that are at least 7 years old and in grades 1- 12th grade and have not been baptized or were baptized in a faith other than the Catholic Church will be placed in our wonderful program, RCIA for Children. 7-18 years old Next Item Previous Item Program Contact Leslie Bevilacqua Sacramental Preparation Coord (Bilingüe) lbevilacqua@ap.church 832-482-4062 Diane Czerniak Elementary FF Manager dczerniak@ap.church 832-482-4037 If you are interested in learning more about your child becoming Catholic, please read through the information below. Children who are at least 7 years old and in grades 1st - 12th grade and have not been baptized or were baptized in a faith other than the Catholic Church will be placed in our wonderful program, Becoming Catholic for Children. We require that the child attends at least one year of Faith Formation prior to entering their second year towards becoming Catholic. Children should also attend Mass weekly with their families. If your child has not received any formation up to this point, please enroll them in a year of Faith Formation during open registration in August. Program registration is closed for the 2024-2025 Faith Formation year. Enrolled children and teens who haven’t been baptized in any faith will receive Baptism, First Holy Communion and Confirmation during the Easter Vigil Mass. All the children and teens who were baptized in a faith other than Catholic will make a Profession of Faith, and receive First Holy Communion and Confirmation during the Divine Mercy Sunday Mass. 7 Years to 8th Grade OCIA for Children participants attend faith formation as they did in the first year of preparation, and then meet once a month for sacrament-specific formation. YEAR 1 : Child will attend weekly Faith Formation classes YEAR 2 : OCIA participants and their families will sit together at the 9:00 am Mass on Sundays. During Mass, the children are dismissed after the homily (around 9:30) for Breaking Open the Word (BOW). After Breaking Open the Word, they attend their weekly OCIC session until 11:15 am. Parents join the children at the once-a-month sessions after attending the 9AM Mass. 9th to 12th Grade High school-aged children will participate in Youth Ministry programs for 2 years. The second year of formation will take place on Wednesday nights as a part of the Teen Confirmation Program, which meets on Wednesday Nights, instead of the Sunday morning classes. YEAR 1: Teen will attend weekly Faith Formation classes YEAR 2: High school aged children will participate in Youth Ministry programs for 2 years. The second year of formation will take place on Wednesday nights as a part of the Teen Confirmation Program, which meets on Wednesday Nights, instead of the Sunday morning classes.

St. Vincent Ferrer was a Spanish Dominican preacher born in Valencia in 1350. He joined the Dominicans in 1367 and gained fame for predicting grain shipments during a famine. Serving Cardinal Pedro de Luna, who later became anti-pope Benedict XIII, Vincent declined high offices. After recovering from a near-fatal illness following a vision, he began a successful preaching tour across Western Europe. A key figure in attempting to end the Great Western Schism, he advocated for Benedict XIII to resign. Vincent died in Vannes, Brittany, and was canonized by Pope Callistus III. St. Vincent Ferrer 1350 - 1419 Feast Day: April 5 Location: Spain Identifiers: Confessor, Dominican Relic located in the: TBD Type of Relic: A piece of bone St. Vincent Ferrer was a Spanish Dominican preacher. A native of Valencia, he joined the Dominicans in 1367 and was sent to Barcelona to complete his studies. After teaching at Lerida, he returned to Barcelona, where he earned fame for predicting accurately the timely arrival of grain ships during a famine. During the coming years, he became a member of the retinue of Cardinal Pedro de Luna, then a papal legate to the court of Aragon and the future antipope Benedict XIII. Vincent subsequently taught at the cathedral of Valencia. Summoned to Avignon, France, he took the position of confessor and apostolic penitentiary to antipope Benedict XIII, following de Luna’s irregular election as papal claimant in 1394. Vincent declined all offices and honors bestowed upon him by his patron, including the cardinalate. Vincent fell gravely ill and nearly died during a French siege of Avignon, recovering miraculously after beholding a vision of Christ, St. Dominic, and St. Francis of Assisi. In this vision, Vincent was told to go forth and preach, but he met resistance from antipope Benedict, who was reluctant to have him leave Avignon. In 1389, Benedict finally gave his permission, and Vincent launched upon a preaching tour across Western Europe. Eloquent and passionate, he attracted huge crowds of believers and was soon esteemed across Christendom. In Spain, he was named one of the nine judges to decide the succession to the crown of Aragon. King Ferdinand I, also known as Ferdinand the Just, was subsequently chosen. One of Vincent’s finest achievements was his effort to end the Great Western Schism, which had divided the Church since 1378. While he believed that Benedict XIII was the legitimate pontiff, Vincent nevertheless called publicly for him to step down for the good of the Church. He also spent much time preaching for an end to the schism in 1418. In his last years, he preached in northern France, including a sermon before the royal court at Caen in 1418. He died in Vannes, Brittany, and was canonized by Pope Callistus III. Next Item Previous Item

One of the most popular Catholic saints, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux has inspired generations of Catholics, despite never going on missions, never founding a religious order, writing only one main body of work, and living just 24 years on Earth. But it is the piety, the quiet self-sacrifice, and the love of simplicity that draws Catholics towards the Little Flower, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. The youngest ever Doctor of the Church, she pursued holiness despite declining health and other difficulties, but achieved sainthood through humility, and doing simple things with extraordinary love. St. Thérèse of Lisieux 1863 - 1897 Feast Day: October 1 Location: Lisieux, France Identifiers: Doctor of the Church, Carmelite Relic located in the: Center Reliquary Type of Relic: Flesh mixed with wood from the coffin You would be hard-pressed to find another saint in the Catholic Church who has garnered the same amount of admiration and devotion as Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. She’s one of the most popular saints, inspiring generations of Catholics, despite never going on missions, never founding a religious order, writing only one main body of work, and living just 24 years on Earth. But it is the piety, the quiet self-sacrifice, and the love of simplicity that draws Catholics towards the Little Flower, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Thérèse Martin was born in Alencon France in 1873. Her father, Louis, was a watchmaker and jeweler, and her mother Zelie Guerin, worked as a lacemaker. She was the youngest of nine children, but four of her siblings would die at a young age. Both of her parents had previous desires to enter religious life, and even after they were married they decided that they would remain celibate, until a confession revealed their celibacy to a priest who insisted they pursue a marriage as God intended. All five of Louis & Zelie’s daughters would go on to enter the convent, but Thérèse was less than saintly for most of her childhood. Adored and coddled by her family, she would in turn become needy and insecure at a young age. Furthermore, her mother Zelie would die from breast cancer while Thérèse was only 4, and having to witness her mother’s slow, painful decline greatly saddened the poor little girl. With all the circumstances and being the youngest of the family, Thérèse quickly became demanding and expectant to have her way no matter what. Her father’s nickname for her was ‘petite reine’, or ‘little queen’. At the age of 11, she became so ill with a fever, that many thought she wouldn’t make it. Family and friends would gather around her bed, desperately praying for her healing. Her sisters would pray to a statue of the Virgin Mary, which they placed in her bedroom. One day, as Thérèse stared at the statue and prayed, she saw the statue of Mary smile at her. She instantly began to feel better, and she recovered so dramatically that many were curious about her healing. Word of the healing grace of Mary spread, but when pestered with questions about the details regarding Mary, Thérèse refused to answer due to the intimacy with Mary she felt in the healing, so many assumed she had just made everything up. Following her sickness, Thérèse still remained self-centered and controlled by her emotions. As more sisters left for the convent, soon it was only her, her father, and one other sister, Celine. A moment of clarity at the age of 14 would help usher her out of her egocentric nature and begin her road to sanctity. Louis and his two daughters were nearing Christmas, and the Christmas day ritual of filling children’s shoes with presents. Though Thérèse was already a teenager, her sister Celine was unable to let her fully grow out of these childhood traditions, and she filled Thérèse’s shoes with gifts. When they arrived back from the church on Christmas day, Thérèse and Celine found their father looking down at the shoes, and before he noticed the two girls, they overheard him sigh and say, “‘Thank goodness that’s the last time we shall have this kind of thing!” Celine looked over to her sister, fully expecting tears and a temper tantrum to follow, but instead, it was a moment of serene clarity for the future saint. Thérèse immediately noticed her immaturity and childish ways, and thanks to Jesus entering her heart in that moment, she swallowed her tears, walked to the shoes and exclaimed in authentic joy over the gifts. It was a true conversion of heart, and Thérèse would enter the convent the very next year. She desired to enter Carmel as a contemplative nun, but she was deemed too young to enter the convent. She appealed to the Mother Superior, who told the 15-year-old Thérèse that she could enter early – at the age of 16. Not satisfied, she appealed to the Bishop. When that didn’t work, she took a pilgrimage to Rome and appealed directly to the Pope himself! While at an audience with the Pope, despite being forbidden to speak to him, she began begging that he let her enter the Carmelite convent as soon as he was near enough to hear her. While the Pope didn’t intervene, the Vicar General was impressed by her zeal, and Thérèse Martin was admitted to the Carmelite Convent at Lisieux on 9 April 1888. A once shy little girl, the pursuit of an early entrance to the convent was the first beginnings of blooming into the Little Flower. Entering the convent, she took the name Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. Her sisters Pauline and Marie were in the same convent, but unlike her spoiled childhood, the life of routine and silent prayer was tough. On top of that, not long after she entered the convent, her father began hallucinating after a series of strokes left him stricken both physically and mentally. As a cloistered nun, she was unable to visit her beloved father, and this grief began a period of suffering and dryness of prayer for the distraught Sister Thérèse. She would try desperately to pray but write in her journals that “Jesus wasn’t doing much to keep the conversation going.” Thérèse persevered through this spiritual drought through one main focus: humility. Sitting in the convent, she knew that she may not be able to serve as a world-changer in the traditional sense of great works and deeds, but instead, she focused on the little sacrifices. She would write “Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love.” These ‘little sacrifices’ would range from being friendly to nuns she disliked, to not complaining about anything trivial, to even being accused of breaking a vase she hadn’t touched, and instead of proclaiming her innocence, she apologized and asked for forgiveness. This mindset would develop into an keen spirituality, based on childlike trust and confidence in God. The ‘little way’ of Thérèse was not about grandiose actions or words; it was about doing simple things well, and with extraordinary love. Another sacrifice for Thérèse would soon follow – her sister Pauline was elected prioress of the convent, and due to the politics of the order, many nuns feared the Martin sisters would ‘take over’ a rule on the convent. To alleviate those fears, Pauline asked Thérèse to remain a novice. This was no small request, as this would mean Thérèse would never become a fully professed nun in the order, continuing to have to ask permission for nearly everything. For Thérèse though, it was another sacrifice that she could offer up for the glory of God. As Thérèse continued her time in the convent, she reflected constantly on her ability to achieve holiness in life. For her, sainthood was the only option, even with the simple, hidden life she was living. She wrestled with her vocation, was placed in charge of the other novices, and even reflected on how she measured up to the saints in terms of her likelihood for sainthood. “I have always wanted to become a saint. Unfortunately, when I have compared myself with the saints, I have always found that there is the same difference between the saints and me as there is between a mountain whose summit is lost in the clouds and a humble grain of sand trodden underfoot by passers-by. Instead of being discouraged, I told myself: God would not make me wish for something impossible and so, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint. It is impossible for me to grow bigger, so I put up with myself as I am, with all my countless faults. But I will look for some means of going to heaven by a little way which is very short and very straight, a little way that is quite new.” She would continue to pursue her apostolic and missionary vocation, to love and draw everyone in her path closer to the Lord, even as her health began to fail her. In 1896, she coughed up blood, but kept working without telling another soul, until she became so sick that it was apparent. She experienced months of pain and agony, and her sister Pauline could only watch and pray at her bedside, before asking Thérèse to write about her life in hopes of distracting her. She penned her reflections on her childhood, her love of God, and her “everything is grace” mindset over the course of her final weeks, before finally succumbing to tuberculosis on September 30, 1897. She was 24. Before she died, realizing that her mission was only beginning, Thérèse proclaimed “I will spend my heaven doing good on Earth. I will let fall a shower of roses.” And while despite one nun at the convent commenting that there was “nothing to say” about Thérèse following her death, Pauline disagreed. She compiled the final writings of Thérèse, which would become her autobiography, “Story of a Soul.” Pauline sent the autobiography to 2,000 convents, and before long, her sister’s words had stirred up a passion for her “little way” of faith. The faith in Jesus and embracing of daily sacrifices that Thérèse had welcomed spoke to the hearts of nuns across the world. Her ‘shower of roses’ soon became a torrent, that still drenches the hearts of many Catholics to this day. Thérèse of Lisieux was canonized on May 17, 1925 by Pope Pius XI, only 28 years after her death. In October of 1997, Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church, the youngest ever in the Catholic Church, thanks to the impact of her profound spirituality on so many faithful Catholics. She Is the patron saint of missionaries, florists and gardeners, the loss of parents, tuberculosis, and the gardens of the Vatican City. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux taught us that we should never stop seeking holiness, even in the midst of ordinary lives. To feel as though we can do nothing is false, and a lure of the enemy aimed to keep us content with mediocrity, or a lukewarm faith. Instead, let us look to this inspiring Carmelite nun, who trusted in God enough to seek every available sacrifice she could endure, no matter how big or small. Pursuing this ‘little way’ of faith, may we too journey on towards heaven, picking up our crosses on the way, one shard of wood, one sacrifice, at a time. 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Are you thinking about becoming Catholic? Do you desire to follow Jesus Christ for the rest of your life? This is the first step in a lifelong journey of discipleship! This is the Catholic Church’s process to bring adults, through study, spiritual growth, and community, into the heart of the Kingdom of Heaven. Baptism - Adult Are you thinking about becoming Catholic? Do you desire to follow Jesus Christ for the rest of your life? This is the first step in a lifelong journey of discipleship! This is the Catholic Church’s process to bring adults, through study, spiritual growth, and community, into the heart of the Kingdom of Heaven. 18+ years old Next Item Previous Item Program Contact Katie Krall Adult FF/ Marriage Manager kkrall@ap.church 832-482-4147 Are you thinking about becoming Catholic? Do you desire to follow Jesus Christ for the rest of your life? This is the first step in a lifelong journey of discipleship! This is the Catholic Church’s process to bring adults, through study, spiritual growth, and community, into the heart of the Kingdom of Heaven. Formally, the process of becoming Catholic is called the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), which is our formation process for adults who desire to follow Jesus Christ and be a member of His Catholic Church. If you are interested in learning more about becoming Catholic, please read through the FAQS and fill out the interest form so we can learn more about you and help you find the path that suits your particular needs. Please Note: If you are married, and you and/or your spouse are Catholic, but you were not married in the Catholic Church, you will need to have your marriage convalidated prior to becoming Catholic. For more information and to see if this applies to you, please read the Marital Status Information below. Marital Status Information Becoming Catholic Interest Form How do I become a Catholic Christian? Who can participate in OCIA? What are the stages of OCIA formation? How long does the OCIA process take? What days and times does OCIA meet? I would like to attend Mass before I begin OCIA classes. Am I allowed to do that?

First Reconciliation and First Communion will be through our Adult Confirmation Program – Participants will receive their First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. During the Fall Semester, Adult Confirmation preparation is offered through an 8-10 week course. First Reconciliation - Adult First Reconciliation and First Communion will be through our Adult Confirmation Program – Participants will receive their First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. During the Fall Semester, Adult Confirmation preparation is offered through an 8-10 week course. 18+ years old Next Item Previous Item Program Contact Katie Krall Adult FF/ Marriage Manager kkrall@ap.church 832-482-4147 First Communion and Reconciliation Preparation for those at least 18 years old and out of high school, will be through our Adult Confirmation Program. Participants will receive their First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. Adult Confirmation preparation is offered through a ~10-week course during the Fall Semester. Requirements: Must be at least 18 years old AND graduated from High School. Have already received the Sacrament of Baptism in the Catholic Church. Do not have any marriage impediments. Are growing in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Fill out the Adult Confirmation Interest Form ***You will need to provide a recently issued copy of your baptismal certificate dated within the last 6 months. Please call the church that you were baptized at and ask them to “re-issue” your baptismal certificate. Please Note: If you are married, and you and/or your spouse are Catholic, but you were not married in the Catholic Church, you will need to have your marriage convalidated prior to becoming Catholic. For more information and to see if this applies to you, please read the Marital Status Information below. Marital Status Information Adult Confirmation Request Form

St. Benedict of Nursia was an influential monk and the founder of Western monasticism. Born in Italy, he sought a life of solitude and prayer, eventually establishing a monastic community at Monte Cassino. There, he wrote the Rule of St. Benedict, a guide for monastic life emphasizing balance, moderation, and obedience. The Rule shaped Western monastic practices, stressing communal living, work, and prayer. Benedict’s teachings spread across Europe, profoundly influencing medieval monasticism and Western Christianity. The St. Benedict Medal conveys a message of trust in God’s power and His ability to overcome evil. St. Benedict of Nursia 480 - 547 Feast Day: July 11 Location: Nursia, Italy Identifiers: Abbot, Founder of Benedictines Relic located in the: Left Reliquary Type of Relic: A piece of bone Saint Benedict was born c. 480, in Nursia. He was the founder of the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino and father of Western monasticism; the Rule that he established became the norm for monastic living throughout Europe. In 1964, in view of the work of monks following the Benedictine Rule in the evangelization and civilization of so many European countries in the Middle Ages, Pope Paul VI proclaimed him the patron saint of all Europe. The only recognized authority for the facts of Benedict’s life is book 2 of the Dialogues of St. Gregory I, who said that he had obtained his information from four of Benedict’s disciples. Though Gregory’s work includes many signs and wonders, his outline of Benedict’s life may be accepted as historical. He gives no dates, however. Benedict was born of good family and was sent by his parents to Roman schools. His life spanned the decades in which the decayed imperial city became the Rome of the medieval papacy. In Benedict’s youth, Rome under Theodoric still retained vestiges of the old administrative and governmental system, with a Senate and consuls. In 546 Rome was sacked and emptied of inhabitants by the Gothic king Totila, and, when the attempt of Emperor Justinian I to reconquer and hold Italy failed, the papacy filled the administrative vacuum and shortly thereafter became the sovereign power of a small Italian dominion virtually independent of the Eastern Empire. Benedict thus served as a link between the monasticism of the East and the new age that was dawning. Shocked by the licentiousness of Rome, he retired as a young man to Enfide (modern Affile) in the Simbruinian hills and later to a cave in the rocks beside the lake then existing near the ruins of Nero’s palace above Subiaco, 64 km (40 miles) east of Rome in the foothills of the Abruzzi. There he lived alone for three years, furnished with food and monastic garb by Romanus, a monk of one of the numerous monasteries nearby. When the fame of his sanctity spread, Benedict was persuaded to become abbot of one of these monasteries. His reforming zeal was resisted, however, and an attempt was made to poison him. He returned to his cave, but again disciples flocked to him, and he founded 12 monasteries, each with 12 monks, with himself in general control of all. Patricians and senators of Rome offered their sons to become monks under his care, and from these novices came two of his best-known disciples, Maurus and Placid. Later, disturbed by the intrigues of a neighboring priest, he left the area, while the 12 monasteries continued in existence. A few disciples followed Benedict south, where he settled on the summit of a hill rising steeply above Cassino, halfway between Rome and Naples. The district was still largely pagan, but the people were converted by his preaching. His sister Scholastica, who came to live nearby as the head of a nunnery, died shortly before her brother. The only certain date in Benedict’s life is given by a visit from the Gothic king Totila about 542. Benedict’s feast day is kept by monks on March 21, the traditional day of his death, and by the Roman Catholic Church in Europe on July 11. Benedict’s character, as Gregory points out, must be discovered from his Rule, and the impression given there is of a wise and mature sanctity, authoritative but fatherly, and firm but loving. It is that of a spiritual master, fitted and accustomed to rule and guide others, having himself found his peace in the acceptance of Christ. ”Saint Benedict of Nursia.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Benedict-of-Nursia .) Next Item Previous Item

St. Anthony of Padua is a joyful Roman Catholic Community located in The Woodlands, Texas of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Welcome To St. Anthony of Padua The Woodlands, TX Mass Times Welcome Mass Times Sunday • 5 PM Vigil • 7 AM • 9 AM • 11 AM • 1 PM Español • 6 PM • Main Church Monday • 9 AM • Our Lady of Angels Chapel (OLA) Tuesday • 9 AM & 6:45 PM • OLA Chapel Wednesday • 6 AM & 8:30 AM • Main Church Thursday • 9 AM & 6:45 PM • OLA Chapel Friday • 9 AM • OLA Chapel Saturday * • 10 AM • OLA Chapel *The First Saturday of every month, Confessions and Daily Mass will be moved to the Main Church. Watch our Live Stream Click HERE for Daily Readings Confession Tuesday • 5 PM - 6:30 PM • English Only Wednesday • 6 PM - 8 PM • English & Español Thursday • 5 PM - 6:30 PM • English & Español Saturday * • 8 AM - 10 AM • English & Español All Confessions are in the Our Lady of the Angels Chapel. *The First Saturday of every month, Confessions and Daily Mass will be moved to the Main Church. Every Saturday we have Nursery available from 8 AM - 11 AM so young parents can go to Confession and Mass. Pre-registration is required. Nursery Registration MAIN CHURCH PARISH OFFICE 7801 Bay Branch Dr The Woodlands, TX 77382 OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS CHAPEL 8715 Kuykendahl Rd The Woodlands, TX 77382 ST ANTHONY'S BREAD FOOD PANTRY 7985 Bay Branch Dr Spring TX 77382 JOIN OUR PARISH Register Today! EMAIL LIST Subscribe to Emails PARISH EVENTS Upcoming Events FACEBOOK Follow us on Facebook We, the people of St. Anthony of Padua, are a joyful Roman Catholic Community. We believe Our Lord calls us beyond membership to become His true disciples and live as One Body in Christ. Therefore, we choose to use our unique gifts to build a welcoming, interconnected gathering of the faithful that will be a beacon, a light to the world. - Parish Mission Statement Adopted on September 8, 1998 (Birthday of Our Lady) Calendar of Events Calendar of Events Calendar of Events

When Constantine the Great seized control of Rome in 312, he soon converted to Christianity. His mother, Helena, also converted, and on her son’s authority, she traveled to Palestine to search for the sacred site of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Details regarding her discovery of the True Cross are lacking and often contradictory among many ancient writers, but the wood that was deemed to be the Cross of Jesus became coveted for centuries. Today only a few fragments of wood remain but are venerated as the ultimate symbol of love through the supreme sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Wood of the True Cross 1st Century Feast Day: September 14 Location: Jerusalem Identifiers: Wood of the True Cross Relic located in the: Center Reliquary Type of Relic: A piece of Wood from the True Cross According to ancient historians, mass crucifixions occurred multiple times around the world, but by far the most famous crucifixion in the history of mankind took place in 1st century Judea, when Jesus Christ, a Nazarene, carried the heavy pinewood up to Golgotha, was nailed upon the cross, and then lifted, to lift humanity out of eternal damnation. As Catholics, we know what happens next. What you may not know, is what happened to that empty, bloodstained cross. The Roman Emperor Hadrian, who reigned A.D. 117-138, abolished the name Judea and renamed the area “Syria Palaestina” after a Jewish insurrection around the year 132. Hadrian forbade Jews from entering the area, and demolished any remaining temples, deciding instead to erect temples to pagan gods and goddesses on the top of Mount Calvary. It was this destruction and ensuing construction of new buildings on the landscape that ensured the preservation of the holy and sacred sites of Jesus’ crucifixion, deep below the ground. More than 40 Roman Emperors later, Constantine the Great seized control of Rome in 312. It was not a smooth transition of power though, and one of the emperors, Maxentius, declared war and marched into battle with an army twice the size of Constantine’s. When Maxentius and his forces arrived on the battlefield, they were greeted by an unfamiliar symbol facing them: a cross. Most historians tell of Constantine reportedly praying before the battle that the true God might “reveal to him who he is and stretch forth his right hand to save him.” Then, marching at midday, he suddenly looked up at the noonday sky to see a bright cross of light flash among the heavens, with an inscription upon it: “In Hoc Signo Vinces” or “In this Sign Conquer.” Constantine, bolstered with the assurance that the True God had indeed heard him, inscribed the cross on their shields before advancing on Maxentius, who held a much better position for the battle near the Milvian Bridge in Rome. Maxentius’ troops were broken before the first charge had completed and he was among those who were pushed into the Tiber River and drowned. After the battle, Constantine didn’t forget who helped earn him the victory. In 313, the Edict of Milan was created as an agreement among the Roman Empire to treat Christians benevolently. This was a monumental shift, since for almost 250 years, the persecution of Christians was the norm for Roman emperors. All that changed by Constantine issuing an order that not only should the Christian Church be tolerated just as other religions are, but he went so far as to build places of worship for Christians and be baptized himself. Around the same time of Constantine’s conversion, his mother Helena also became a Christian, and she traveled to Palestine in the year 324 to search for sacred sites and relics to be reverenced. Details regarding the discovery the True Cross are lacking and often contradictory among many ancient writers, but the basis of the story is generally accepted as this: Around 326, Helena was traveling the area when an aged Jewish man who had inherited traditional knowledge of the location of the True Cross heard of Helena’s searching. He guided her to a cistern that the Cross had purportedly been thrown into. But oddly enough, after a brief excavation, laying before Helena were three crosses. But which one had held Christ? Theodoret, a biblical commentator and Christian Bishop of Cyrrhus in the 400’s, wrote a detailed account of how it was determined which was the True Cross: A woman who was either close to death or who had long been suffering an affliction of sorts was brought from the city. She touched each cross in earnest prayer, attempting to “discern the virtue residing in that of the Savior.” Nothing happened upon touching the first and second cross, but as she touched the third and final cross, she was immediately healed. It was determined that this was the True Cross of Jesus Christ, upon which His precious Blood had spilled. According to tradition, this discovery took place on May 3, 326 A.D. The Wood of the True Cross would change hands multiple times over the centuries, with the last officially recorded mention of its location in 1219, when the True Cross was offered to the Knights Templar by the Sultan of Egypt, in exchange for a siege on the city of Damietta being lifted. However, the True Cross was never delivered; the Sultan did not actually have it. Last seen in the city of Damascus, the wood upon which Jesus had hung disappeared from historical records. Luckily, many relics of the True Cross remain in the world today. In those early years following the discovery of the True Cross, fragments had been divided and distributed widely among churches. “The whole earth is full of the relics of the Cross of Christ,” wrote Cyril of Jerusalem. By the Middle Ages, there were so many churches that claimed to possess a piece of the True Cross, that John Calvin famously quipped “if all the pieces that could be found were collected together, they would make a big ship-load.” While indeed forged relics were a common occurrence around the 11th century, a study conducted by Charles Rohault de Fleury, a French architect, compared the supposed weight of the cross carried by Jesus compared to the combined volume of all known relics. He concluded that the remaining fragments together again wouldn’t reach even one-third of the size of the original Cross. His calculations placed the original volume of the True Cross at 178 million cubic millimeters. However, the combined volume of all known relics of the True Cross amount to just about 4 million cubic millimeters, meaning that almost 98% of the True Cross is lost, destroyed, or otherwise unaccounted for. Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross on September 14, the anniversary of when the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was dedicated by Constantine. On Good Friday, Catholics around the world venerate the cross, the symbol of their salvation. Next Item Previous Item

Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, born on June 2, 1835, in Riese, became Pope Pius X (258th Pope). His journey from parish priest to pope was marked by deep pastoral concern. He focused on reforming the Church, modernizing Canon Law, and advancing the age of First Communion. He is known for opposing modernism, promoting catechesis through his famous Catechism, and renewing the liturgy, especially Gregorian chant. His papal motto was “Instaurare omnia in Christo” (Renew all things in Christ). Pius X lived a humble, charitable life and left a lasting impact on the Catholic Church. St. Pius X 1835 - 1914 Feast Day: August 21 Location: Italy Identifiers: Pope, Confessor Relic located in the: TBD Type of Relic: A piece of bone Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto was born in Riese, in the diocese of Treviso, on 2 June 1835, the second of 10 children. When his father died, he could have taken his job at the Town Hall - he was 17 - but his mother helped him follow his vocation, working day and night to make ends meet. A love and a determination that Giuseppe Sarto must not have forgotten. He loved to study, enjoyed excellent health, was good-natured and tenacious at the same time, and his life was full of charitable works. He was chaplain, parish priest, spiritual director of the Seminary, then bishop of Mantua, Patriarch of Venice and finally elected Pope. His first act was to abolish the "lay veto", a kind of right claimed by some European monarchies, with the Constitution Commissum nobis. The Catechism that bears his name, adopted in Italy, is very well known, with its particular structure of “questions and answers”. It was designed specifically for simple people in a society in which culture had not yet permeated all social classes. Pius X’s concern was precisely to spread catechesis among Christians as much as possible. Among the most notable features of his Pontificate, the opposition to modernism and anti-Christian laws in France, the beginning of the reform of Canon Law, the reform of the Roman Curia, the advancement of the age of first communion to around 7 years. And again in Italy, the loosening of the restrictions of the Non expedit of Pius IX, that is, the prohibition for Italian Catholics to participate in political life. He also favored the renewal of the Liturgy, the Biblical movement, gave Gregorian chant pre-eminence. At the heart, participation in the Eucharist. This is just to give a few brush strokes given the wealth of interventions of his Pontificate. Among the curiosities is the revocation ordered by Pius X of the ecclesiastical sanctions foreseen for those who practiced the Tango dance: after having seen a performance he said, in dialect, that he preferred "the dance of the furlana" but that he did not see what great sins there were in this new dance. A Papacy, therefore, certainly very “active”, varied, so much so that his great friend, and Secretary of State during his Pontificate, Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, not by chance underlined that this enormous work was mainly due to his personal initiative, also highlighting his “goodness” that “no one would be capable of questioning”. At the heart of his life and his Magisterium, the pastoral concern in a society where the crisis of Faith was increasingly felt. An intent sealed by the motto chosen for his Pontificate: Instaurare omnia in Christo, taken from the Letter to the Ephesians. He wanted to live as a poor man: “born poor, lived poor and sure of dying very poor”, he left written in his will. Next Item Previous Item

All the endeavors of St. Francis - founding the Franciscan Order, preaching to the birds, and becoming one of the most venerated religious figures in Christianity – flow from one source: living the gospel life demonstrated through the complete charity of Jesus. Francis traded a life of luxury for one of poverty after various military failings and spiritual awakenings, leading him to follow the teachings of Christ with a vigor, dedication, and literal nature that made many view him as insane. His renouncement of the world, rebuilding of God’s churches, and renewal of the Catholic faith altered human history forever. St. Francis of Assisi 1181 - 1226 Feast Day: October 4 Location: Assisi, Italy Identifiers: Confessor, Founder of Franciscans, Stigmata Relic located in the: Left Reliquary Type of Relic: A piece of bone With how much we know about Saint Francis of Assisi, it can actually be hard to grasp an accurate picture of the great saint. With countless letters, poems, liturgical writings and his Rule, paired with biographies written by his closest companions, we know more about Francis than any other medieval saint. The awe-inspiring stories of him – founding the Franciscan Order, preaching to the birds, receiving the stigmata, and becoming one of the most venerated religious figures in Christianity – all flow from one source: living the gospel life demonstrated through the utter and complete charity of Jesus. Around the year 1182, a silk merchant named Pietro di Bernardone dei Moriconi returned to Assisi following a business trip to France to find that his wife, Pica de Bourlemont, had given birth to their son. His excitement transformed to dismay when he found out she had named and baptized him Giovanni, after John the Baptist. The wealthy businessman had no interest though in his son being a man of God – he wanted a man of business. He promptly took to calling him Francis, or Francis, in honor of his commercial success and love of all things French, and the name stuck. Growing up, Francis was a spoiled child, and the tales of his rebellious early years are fabled. He indulged in fine food, wine, and rowdy celebrations, becoming well-known for his wit, charm, and handsome looks. He quickly became the ringleader of a group of young people in Assisi who would party long into the night, with Francis easy to spot with his bright and flashy clothes. While Francis was well on his way to fulfilling his father’s hopes for him (primarily in falling in love with France, the cloth trade, and wealth), he likely began to be disillusioned by his lavish lifestyle even in his teenaged years. Stories tell of a beggar asking Francis for alms while he was selling cloth and velvet in the marketplace, and at the end of the day, Francis ran after the beggar to give him everything in his pockets. He was mocked by his friends and scolded by his father for this act of charity, which was a sign of things to come. As he grew older, Francis began to grow bored at the prospect of life in the cloth trade and set his sights on a more glorious future – a knight! The idea of being a war hero on the battlefield took hold of him, and he yearned for a chance to prove himself noble in war, the opportunity for which was right around the corner. In 1202, war broke out between Assisi and the nearby town of Perugia. He marched off to battle, dressed in fancy armor and head full of dreams of future glory, only to find themselves hopelessly outmatched and outnumbered. The butchered bodies of the Assisi army soon covered the battlefield, and the surviving forces attempted to flee but were ultimately captured by the Perugia troops. Most of the surviving Assisi men were put to death, except for those deemed worthy of ransom. Francis, easily captured thanks to his lack of combat experience, was deemed such thanks to his expensive armor. He and the other wealthy troops awaiting ransom were led off to a harsh, underground prison in Collestrada, where he spent the next year of his life awaiting his father’s payment. It was during this time that the very first moments of his spiritual conversion began to take root. While he reportedly retained his cheerfulness amidst his dark and harrowing surroundings, he also reportedly contracted a serious illness that turned his thoughts towards eternity; the emptiness of his life thus far began to weigh on his mind as he slowly returned to health and eventually regained his freedom following his father paying his ransom. Upon returning to Assisi in 1203, Francis attempted to return to his carefree life with mild success. He still occasionally took part in revelries alongside his former comrades, and his dreams of glory through a military career were still mostly intact. When a call for knights went out in 1205 for men to join the Fourth Crusade amid the army of Walter III, Count of Brienne. Boasting loudly that he would “return a prince,” Francis departed for Apulia to enlist But he never got farther than a single day’s ride from Assisi. Strange dreams, which had begun just before leaving Assisi, began to shake him to his core. According to his biographers, the night before he had left to enlist, Francis had seen in a strange dream a vast hall that had armor marked with the Cross hung along the walls. A voice had told him, “These are for you and your soldiers,” and Francis, still full of an earthly glory had replied, “I know, I shall be a great prince!” In a second dream that same voice, which Francis came to realize was God himself, told him that he had it all wrong and to return home. He rode his horse back into Assisi, growing humiliated as he was called a coward by the village and screamed at by his seething father over the money wasted on armor. His former life of luxury had lost all of its appeal. His dreams of military glory were gone. A spiritual stirring was beginning in his heart, one that cast aside the worldly attachments that had weighed him down thus far, and he awaited the next step towards a life in the spirit. In the meantime, he avoided his former companions and their parties, who laughingly asked if he was instead courting a woman to marry. He reportedly answered them, “Yes, a fairer bride than any of you have ever seen.” This “bride” was what Francis called “Lady Poverty” who he began to love and embrace through giving up his former lavish and wasteful ways and instead committing his life to God. One day while riding his horse through the Umbrian countryside, Francis came across a leper on the side of the road. While he was initially repulsed by the appearance and smell of the leper, he nevertheless jumped down from his horse and kissed his hand. Francis reportedly described the experience as a feeling of sweetness in his mouth, and after this encounter, felt an indescribable freedom. These actions began a self-emptying of Francis, now in his early 20s and spending much of his time among the poor or alone in empty places, asking God for enlightenment. Two specific moments stand out amid his conversion to full dependence on the Lord. The first was on a pilgrimage to Rome, when he visited the tomb of St. Peter and noticed the scarce offerings he saw there. Emptying his pockets, he went one step further by exchanging his fancy clothes for those of a tattered mendicant outside the basilica, where he stood the rest of the day fasting among the beggars there. The second moment was upon his return to Assisi, while he was exploring a rundown chapel of San Damiano on the outskirts of his town. The crumbling, forsaken chapel had a Byzantine crucifix hanging inside of it, and while Francis was praying before it, he heard a voice saying three times: “Francis, go and repair My house, which you see is falling down.” Francis, looking around, noticed that the building was very old and close to falling down. He departed the chapel with the mission of rebuilding that physical church, not knowing that there was a much larger rebuilding that the Lord had in store for him. Returning home and seeking the necessary finances to repair the chapel, Francis took a large horse-load of expensive cloth out of his father’s warehouse and sold it, along with the horse carrying the load. He then returned to San Damiano, bringing the money before the officiating priest and asking if he might be able to reside there. The priest allowed him to stay there but refused the money once he learned of how Francis had acquired it. Pietro, Francis’ father, also learned of how Francis had acquired the money, and became incensed at what he viewed as a theft. He had run out of patience with his son, whom he had envisioned an opulent and grandiose life for but was now dressed in rags and living in a dilapidated chapel. To hide from his raging father, Francis lived in a cave near San Damiano for a full month. When he finally emerged and returned home to face his father, dirty and hungry, he was mocked as a madman and pelted with mud and stones. Eventually he was seized by his infuriated father, beaten, bound, and locked in a closet. His mother would mercifully set free him from the closet while his father was away, and Francis returned to San Damiano for a short period until he was by the city consuls by his father, forcing him to return to Assisi. Dragged before the local bishop, he was instructed to return the money. The bishop reportedly reminded Francis that “God would provide.” That was all Francis needed to hear, and he happily returned the gold from his unapproved cloth sale, renounced his inheritance as Pietro had requested, and even stripped off his clothes – clothes which his father had given him – and laying them in a neat pile at Pietro’s feet, in front of a stunned bishop and crowd he said, “ “Hitherto I have called you my father on earth; henceforth I desire to say only ‘Our Father who art in Heaven’. His father left the court in a miserable rage, and there is no indication that he and Francis ever spoke again. That event is credited as the final conversion moment of Francis, who received a rough tunic from the bishop and set out for the cold hills of Assisi singing loudly while roaming the highways. He improvised hymns of praise for God as he went and was surely quite a sight for anyone who happened upon him, including a group of robbers. The robbers asked him who he was and when he answered resolutely, “I am the herald of the Great King,” they beat him, stole the little clothes he had, and tossed him into a snow drift. Francis, frozen and naked, sought refuge at a nearby monastery where he worked as a scullion, or a servant assigned to menial kitchen tasks. He then traveled to Gubbio, where a friend helped him acquire the cloak, girdle and staff of a pilgrim. He returned to Assisi, still viewed as a madman, and began begging for stones so that he could rebuild the chapel of San Damiano. Over the course of the next two years, Francis embraced the life of a penitent and restored several rundown chapels in the Assisi countryside while performing various works of charity, including nursing lepers around the area. One of the chapels he restored, St. Mary of the Angels, became a well-known place of worship called the Portiuncula (and the namesake of the future chapel which would hold the reliquary housing the relic of Saint Francis). He built himself a small hut to live nearby, and one fateful morning in February of 1208, Francis was attending Mass in the chapel. The Gospel reading that day was the “Commissioning of the Twelve” from the Book of Matthew, and Francis heard clearly the call to “possess neither gold nor silver, nor scrip for their journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff, and that they were to exhort sinners to repentance and announce the Kingdom of God.” Francis felt a weight to these words and took them as if God had spoken them to him directly. Once Mass was over, he threw away the few measly things he had in his possession, obtained a coarse woolen tunic, the standard dress of the poorest Umbrian peasants at the time, and tied it around himself with a knotted rope. He immediately took to the countryside to preach on brotherly love, sincerity and the need of repentance. He would greet all those he passed on the road with “Our Lord give you peace” and his natural charisma began to attract curious travelers to hear his words. Francis never became an ordained priest (he was later ordained a deacon) but spoke to the incredulous listeners with great power and authority. His Christ-like embrace of poverty was a radical view at that time in the Catholic Church, which had grown extremely rich and bloated. Francis felt that the apostolic ideals of the Catholic Church had eroded just like the structures of the run-down chapels he had discovered, and he set out to rebuild not just the physical churches of his area, but the Church of Christ itself. His moving warmth and sincerity began attracting devoted disciples. A rich merchant named Bernard Quintavalle invited Francis to stay at his house and after a long night of talking, Bernard was convinced of Francis’ dedication to the Lord and sold all his goods, gave the proceeds to the poor, and joined him. Another man, Peter de Cattaneo, also began following Francis, and together they traveled to the Portiuncula with him where they built small huts near his and received one of the rough tunics he was wearing, which would become their new habits. Around 1209, now with companions alongside him, Francis now knew there needed to be a set direction for their lives. He picked up the Bible, and randomly flipped it to three different readings. The first he landed on was the command from Jesus to the rich, young man to sell at that he had and give to the poor. The second reading was the order of Jesus to the apostles to take nothing on their journey, and the final landing spot was the demand to take up the cross daily. “This shall be our rule of life”, Francis declared, and from then on, the group grew steadily in numbers as they set out among the countryside to proclaim the good news of the Lord through their radical poverty. After a year, Francis had eleven followers and the group called themselves “the Penitents from Assisi.” Francis decided to head to Rome to get approval from Pope Innocent III to recognize his group as an official religious order. There are varying accounts of how Francis came to stand before the pope, but many report that upon arriving in Rome, the brothers came across Bishop Guido of Assisi (the same Bishop who in front of, Francis had renounced his father) who was traveling alongside the Cardinal Bishop of Sabina, Giovanni di San Paolo. Cardinal Giovanni also happened to be the confessor of the pope. The Cardinal agreed to present Francis, and reluctantly Pope Innocent III met with Francis and his brothers the following day. Many advisors to the Pope looked down harshly upon Francis and his mode of life, deeming it impractical and unsafe, and the Pope listened hesitantly as he considered the matter. Francis was persistent and passionate, and Pope Innocent III chose to informally approve the group. He added that when “God increased the group in grace and number, they could return for an official admittance.” Before they could even return to Assisi, Pope Innocent reportedly was moved by a vivid dream in which he saw Francis holding the teetering Basilica of St. John Lateran upon his shoulders. Encouraged by this dream, he summoned Francis and his companions and officially approved of their mission, with the conditions that they always get the proper consent from local church authorities and choose a leader for ecclesiastical authorities to communicate with. According to tradition, this official founding of the Franciscan Order occurred on April 16, 1210, and with Francis naturally being elected the leader, the group was tonsured (the practice of shaving some of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility) and returned to Assisi in jubilation. The early years of the Friars Minor (named by Francis as such to remind them of their humility) were spent training the brothers in embracing actions of poverty and brotherly love. They traveled two-by-two, announcing to the people in the towns surrounding Assisi the joys and wonders of the Lord. They would sleep in haylofts or on church porches, worked alongside laborers in the fields, and if no work was available, would beg. He encouraged his brothers to follow these commands so literally that when a thief stole the hood of one brother, Francis invited him to run after the man and offer him his robe too. The brothers gained immense attention by their starkly different way of life. Their Order quickly grew at an astonishing rate, and Francis was often preaching in up to five villages per day. He gained a special recognition for his love with all natural phenomena, including the sun, moon, air, water, etc. He loved nature, and many stories tell of him “preaching to the birds” when a group of noisy swallows were disturbing his preaching. The birds immediately fell silent and stood all around him, listening intently as he spoke of God’s praise. Another legend tells of Francis taming a killer wolf near Gubbio that had terrorized the town; Francis persuaded it to cease attacking the local people if they agreed to feed “Brother Wolf” as he called it. He wrote a famous “Canticle of the Creatures” (or “Canticle of the Sun”) in which he mentions Brother Sun, Sister Moon, and other embraces of God in nature. As the legend of Francis grew, many unexpected followers flocked to his side. Among those was a young heiress of Assisi named Clare, who was moved while hearing him preaching during Lent of 1212. You can learn more about this future saint, whose relic will also be present in the Our Lady of the Angels Chapel here. Clare would go on to form the first monastery of the Second Franciscan Order, who became known as the Poor Ladies and eventually the Poor Clares. As the Order began to grow far and wide, Francis grew determined to spread the Gospel not just across Italy but across the world. In spring of 1212, he set course for Jerusalem with the hopes to convert the Saracens, but rough seas ended up leaving Francis shipwrecked and forced to return to Assisi. The same year, he tried to make it to Morocco, but an illness caused him to end that endeavor early as well. In 1219, he made it to Egypt during the Fifth Crusade, and during a ceasefire he crossed army lines and entered the camps of the Muslims seeking to convert the Sultan of Egypt himself. His biographers recount Francis boldly walking among the enemy army calling out, “Sultan! Sultan!” When he was brought before the Sultan and told to state his errand, he boldly announced, “I am sent by the Most High God, to show you and your people the way of salvation by announcing to you the truths of the Gospel.” The sultan received Francis courteously and was intrigued by his preaching, but ultimately wary of the passionate preacher when he offered to challenge the Sultan’s priests to a “trial by fire” in order to prove the truth and authenticity of the Gospel. Nonetheless, the sultan allowed Francis to pass through unharmed, and gave him permission to travel to the sacred places of the holy land and even preach there. Following this visit, Francis hastened back to Italy because of trouble brewing since his absence. The Friars Minor had grown at an unprecedented rate, and the organizations’ structure had not been able to keep up with the growth. Furthermore, the two vicars whom Francis had left in charge of the Order, had called a general chapter in which new or adjusted rules were causing strife among the friars. The issues surrounded Francis on all sides: new fasts had been imposed upon the friars which were more severe than their rule required, a Cardinal had conferred on the Poor Ladies a new written rule that was essentially the same as the Benedictine Nuns, one motivated brother had assembled a large number of lepers with the hope of forming a new religious order with them and had already set out for Rome to seek approval, some of the friars in Bologna had built an opulent new monastery, and there was even a rumor spreading that Francis himself had passed away while in Egypt. Sensing the Order to be on the verge of a serious crisis, Francis accepted that while some measure of change was needed in order to run the large organization, no change would ever divert the focus away from their founding principles: poverty, humility, and love of the Lord. In 1220, he resigned as minister general, and in May 1221, offered the first draft of a new and revised Rule for the Order. It was a very long and confusing document, and two years later he took to the solace of a mountain to rework it entirely. But when he returned with the rewritten rule, one of his brothers negligently lost the new draft, and Francis had to return to the mountain and write it all over again. This revised rule was finally approved by Honorious III on November 29, 1223 and is known as the Second Rule, or the Franciscan Rule, as it is the one still observed the Friars Minor to this day. It is based on the three specific vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, with the notion that a special focus be placed on poverty. It also set specific regulations for discipline, preaching, and entry into the Order. This new rule ushered in stability and unity among the Friars, and upon its completion and approval, Francis began to withdraw from external affairs regarding the Friars Minor. The Order he had founded was back on the right track, and he felt peace in its trajectory. Around 1223, Francis was praying on the mountain of Verna during a forty-day fast ahead of “Michaelmas”, also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. During his retreat, he meditated deeply on the sufferings of Christ, and around the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14), he had a vision of a winged seraph, nailed to a cross, flying towards him, followed by keen stabs of pain in hands, feet, and sides. He had received the very first stigmata, with the five wounds of Christ appearing on Francis. The wounds, as well as a bout of trachoma affecting his eyes, weakened the great preacher, but he refused to stop spreading the word of God. He would regularly ride down the mountain to preach, heal people, and rein in any members of the Friars Minor who were stepping too far away from the ideals of the Order. He continued this mission even as his health continued to slip away, with Francis undergoing gruesome treatments in an attempt to heal his ailments. Francis paid a final visit to the future St. Clare at San Damiano (where he would compose the famous “Canticle of the Sun”) before setting out for Assisi on his deathbed. So renowned was Francis that he was forced to take a roundabout path home, due to concerns over neighboring towns attempting to carry him off by force so that he might die in their town (thus awarding them the glory of possessing the coveted relics of the future saint). He was able to safely return to his beloved Portiuncula, where he had finally discovered his true vocation, and he spent his final days in a small hut next to the building. The night before he died, he had bread brought to him and breaking it, he distributed it among those present, blessing them and saying, “I have done my part. May Christ teach you to do yours.” His final request was to leave the earth free of any last bit of attachment, and as the Gospel reading for Holy Thursday was read (the Passion according to St. John), he removed his habit, lay on the bare ground, and embraced “Sister Death” on October 3, 1226. He was 45 years old. Francis in his humility had initially requested to be buried in a cemetery designated for criminals in the Colle d’Inferno (a despised hill where the criminals themselves were typically executed), but a crowd of people from Assisi came down to the Portiuncula to process his body to the church of St. George in Assisi. Numerous miracles were soon taking place at his tomb, and they were attributed to Francis. On July 16, 1228, just two years after his passing, Pope Gregory IX canonized Saint Francis of Assisi, and laid the foundation stone for the Basilica of Saint Francis the very next day. Saint Francis was buried in the Basilica bearing his name on May 25, 1230, but the exact location of this tomb was later hidden on orders from the Friars Minor in order to protect it from Saracen invaders. It was rediscovered in 1818, refashioned between 1927 and 1930, and examined and confirmed to be authentic by a group of scholars appointed by Pope Paul VI in 1978. On March 13, 2013, upon being elected Pope, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina selected Saint Francis to be his papal name, becoming Pope Francis. He would later tell journalists that it was Francis’ “concern for the well-being of the poor” that motivated him to select the name, which was clear to him when a Brazilian Cardinal had hugged him upon his election and whispered, “Don’t forget the poor.” Saint Francis of Assisi is an incredibly admirable saint. He followed the teachings of Jesus Christ with a vigor, dedication, and literal nature that led many to view him as being utterly insane. However, those that once chased “God’s fool” out with mud and stones would soon have their hearts moved by his renouncement of the world, rebuilding of God’s churches, and renewal of the Catholic faith that this great saint brought about through his reckless love of Jesus and His people. Next Item Previous Item