Ten things you didn't know about St. Francis of Assisi
by Jean M. Heimann Today is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi , a saint I have admired for many years due to his great humility, love of God and his fellow man, and love of poverty, in imitation of Christ. What follows are ten little known facts that I have compiled about St. Francis of Assisi. 1. Francis's baptismal name was John. His father, a cloth merchant, called him Francesco (meaning "the Frenchman") or Francis, due to his love of France, where he was doing business, trading, at the time of his son's birth. 2. Even while he was enjoying the life of a wealthy playboy as a youth, spending his time organizing and enjoying parties, Francis gave generously to the poor. 3. Francis fought in two wars and was taken prisoner of war in the battle at the nearby city of Perugia, where he remained captive for more than a year. He became seriously ill with malaria at this time. 4. Francis's conversion was a gradual process and did not occur rapidly, as man...