St. Ignatius of Laconi
The saint of the day for May 11th is St. Ignatius of Laconi, OFMCap. Born on December 18, 1701 the second of seven children, to a poor Italian farming family, he received the name Francis Ignatius Vincent after St. Francis of Assisi, who had interceded for his safe delivery at birth. In turn, his mother promised the saint that she would name her unborn baby Francis and that he would join the Capuchins as an adult. Vincent was a pious child and loved to go to church which he called "my home." Noticing the youngster's prayerful attitude, people called him "the little saint." He was also a hard worker on the farm. He desired to join the Capuchins as a teenager, but his father would not allow him to because the family depended on his labor to survive. During adolescence, Vincent fell seriously ill. He promised that, if he recovered, he would become a Capuchin. Despite his recovery, his father continued to oppose his call to the religious life. At age 20, he...