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Saint Francis of Paola
Saint Francis of Paola, in an engraving by Marco Pitteri, after Federiko Benković
Born1416, Paola
DiedApril 2, 1507, Plessis, France
Venerated inRoman Catholicism
Canonized1519 by Pope Leo X
FeastApril 2
Patronagepatron saint of Calabria; Amato
Saints Portal

Saint Francis of Paola (or: Franciscus de Paula or Saint Francis the Fire Handler, 1416 – April 2, 1507) was an Italian mendicant friar and the founder of the Roman Catholic Order of the Minims. Federiko Benković (1667-1753 was a prominent late Baroque painter Paola is a town and Comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Canonization is the act by which a particular Christian church declares a deceased person to be a Saint and is included in the canon or list of recognized saints Pope Leo X, born Giovanni de' Medici (December 11 1475 – December 1 1521 was Pope from 1513 to his death The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members Calabria ( Latin: Brutium) is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of Amato (Amathous is a Comune and Town in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of Italy. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of The term mendicant (Latin mendicans, begging refers to Begging or relying on charitable donations and is most widely used for religious followers or Minims (also called the Minimi or The Order of the Minims) are followers of a Roman Catholic Religious order founded by Francis of Paola

Biography

He was born in Paola in Calabria, Italy, which at that time was part of the Kingdom of Naples. Paola is a town and Comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. Calabria ( Latin: Brutium) is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Kingdom of Naples was an informal name of the Polity officially known as the Kingdom of Sicily which existed on the mainland of the southern Italian In his youth he was educated by the Franciscans in Paola. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic His parents were remarkable for the holiness of their lives: having remained childless for some years after their marriage, they had recourse to prayer and especially commended themselves to the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi. For the opera by Olivier Messiaen see Saint-François d'Assise. Three children were eventually born to them, the eldest of whom was Francis.

When still in the cradle, he suffered from a swelling which endangered the sight of one of his eyes. His parents again had recourse to Francis of Assisi and made a vow that their son should pass an entire year in the "little habit" of St Francis in one of the convents of his order, a not uncommon practice in the Middle Ages. The child was immediately cured.

From his early years Francis showed signs of extraordinary sanctity, and at the age of thirteen, being admonished by a vision of a Franciscan friar, he entered a convent of the Franciscan Order in order to fulfil the vow made by his parents. Here he gave great edification by his love of prayer and mortification, his profound humility, and his prompt obedience. At the completion of the year he went with his parents on a pilgrimage to Assisi, Rome, and other places of devotion. Assisi (əˈsiːzi or /əˈsiːsi/ ( Latin: Asisium) is a Town in Italy in Province of Perugia, Italy, in the Umbria Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Returning to Paola, he selected a retired spot on his father's estate and there lived in solitude; but later on he found a more retired dwelling in a cave on the sea coast. Here he remained alone for about six years giving himself to prayer and mortification.

According to legend, in the year 1464, he was refused passage by a boatman while trying to cross the Strait of Messina to Sicily. The Strait of Messina ( Strittu di Missina in Sicilian) is the narrow section of water between the eastern tip of Sicily and the southern Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. He reportedly laid his cloak on the water, tied one end to his staff as a sail, and sailed across the strait with his companions. A cloak is a type of loose Garment that is worn over indoor Clothing and serves the same purpose as an Overcoat &mdashit protects the wearer from the cold

By 1436, he and two followers began a movement that would become the foundation of the Hermits of Saint Francis of Assisi, which would later be renamed as Minim Friars. For the opera by Olivier Messiaen see Saint-François d'Assise. Minims (also called the Minimi or The Order of the Minims) are followers of a Roman Catholic Religious order founded by Francis of Paola Their name refers to their role as the "least of all the faithful".

Saint Francis of Paola, painting by Jean Bourdichon, 1507.
Saint Francis of Paola, painting by Jean Bourdichon, 1507.

In 1435 two companions joined him in his retreat, and to accommodate them Francis caused three cells and a chapel to be built: in this way the new order was begun. The number of his disciples gradually increased, and about 1454, with the permission of Pyrrhus, Archbishop of Cosenza, Francis built a large monastery and church. The building of this monastery was the occasion of a great outburst of enthusiasm and devotion on the part of the people towards Francis: even the nobles carried stones and joined in the work. Their devotion was increased by the many miracles which the saint wrought in answer to their prayers. The rule of life adopted by Francis and his religious was one of extraordinary severity. They observed perpetual abstinence and lived in great poverty, but the distinguishing mark of the order was humility. They were to seek to live unknown and hidden from the world. To express this character which he would have his disciples cultivate, Francis eventually obtained from the Holy See that they should be styled Minims, the least of all religious. In 1474 Sixtus IV gave him permission to write a rule for his community, and to assume the title of Hermits of St. Pope Sixtus IV ( July 21, 1414 &ndash August 12, 1484) born Francesco Della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484 A hermit (from the Greek ἔρημος erēmos, signifying " Desert " "uninhabited" hence "desert-dweller" adjective "eremitic" Francis: this rule was formally approved by Alexander VI, who, however, changed their title into that of Minims. Pope Alexander VI ( 1 January 1431 &ndash 18 August 1503) born Roderic Llançol, later Roderic de Borja i Borja ( After the approbation of the order, Francis founded several new monasteries in Calabria and Sicily. He also established convents of nuns, and a third order for people living in the world, after the example of St. Francis of Assisi.

He was also renowned as prophet: he foretold the capture of Otranto by the Ottoman Turks in 1480, and its subsequent recovery by the King of Naples. Otranto is a town and commune in the Province of Lecce ( Apulia, Italy) in a fertile region once famous for its breed of horses He was no respecter of persons of whatever rank or position. He rebuked the King of Naples for his ill-doing and in consequence suffered persecution. When Louis XI of France was in his last illness, he sent an embassy to Calabria to beg the saint to visit him. Louis XI ( July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483) called the Prudent (le Prudent and the Universal Spider ( Middle Francis refused to come until the pope ordered him to go. He then went to the king at Plessis-les-Tours and was with him at his death. Charles VIII, Louis's successor, was an admirer of the saint and during his reign kept him near the court and frequently consulted him. This king built a monastery for Minims at Plessis and another at Rome on the Pincian Hill. Damien Plessis (born 5 March 1988 in Neuville-aux-Bois, France) is a French footballer, currently playing for Liverpool The Pincian Hill ( Italian: Pincio, from Latin Mons Pincius) is a Hill in the northeast quadrant of the historical center of Rome Francis also forcefully influenced many in the French church, particularly Jan Standonck, who founded the Collège de Montaigu along what he thought were Minimist lines. Jan Standonck (1454&ndash1504 (or Jan or Jean Standonk) was a Dutch Priest and Reformer. The Collège de Montaigu was one of the constituent Colleges of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Paris. The regard in which Charles VIII held the saint was shared by Louis XII, who succeeded to the French throne in 1498. Francis was now anxious to return to Italy, but the king would not permit him, not wishing to lose his counsels and direction. The last three months of his life he spent in entire solitude, preparing for death. On Maundy Thursday he gathered his community around him and exhorted them especially to have mutual charity amongst themselves and to maintain the rigour of their life and in particular perpetual abstinence. In the Christian Liturgical calendar, Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday) is the feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter The next day, Good Friday, he again called them together and gave them his last instructions and appointed a vicar-general. Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha" A vicar general (often abbreviated VG) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority He then received the last sacraments and asked to have the Passion according to St. John read out to him, and whilst this was being read, he died on April 2, 1507 in Plessis, France. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

Legacy and veneration

The Order of Minims does not seem at any time to have been very extensive, but they had houses in many countries. The definitive rule was approved in 1506 by Julius II, who also approved a rule for the nuns of the order. Pope Julius II (5 December 1443 &ndash 21 February 1513 born Giuliano Della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513

In 1562, a group of Huguenots in France broke open his tomb and found his body incorrupt. The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. They dragged it forth, burned it and scattered the bones, which were gathered by Catholics and distributed as relics enshrined in various churches of his order.

Pope Leo X canonized him in 1519. Pope Leo X, born Giovanni de' Medici (December 11 1475 – December 1 1521 was Pope from 1513 to his death He is considered to be a patron saint of boatmen, mariners and naval officers. The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members His liturgial feast day is celebrated by the universal Church on April 2, the day on which he died. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of

He is the Adversary of Belial for his great and dove-like humility

In 1963, Pope John XXIII designated him as the patron saint of Calabria. Belial (also Belhor, Baalial, Beliar, Belias, Beliall, Beliel, Bilael, Belu; from Hebrew בְּלִיַּ֫עַל Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Pope John (numberingBlessed Calabria ( Latin: Brutium) is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of

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