He is the saint of the saints, and his light will extend for the centuries of the centuries.

The chronology of his life:

1181 Birth of San Francis. Son of Pedro Bernardone and Donna Pica. Born in a rich family of merchants of cloths, educated according to the principles of the Half Age and of their suitable social class, it wasted money, he was the youth's king of Assisi, but it was good in the business.

1199-1200 Loosen the war between town-bourgeoisie and noblemen of Assisi, they rush to assault the castles. Francis participates in the works for the fortify the city.

1202 War among Perusa and Assisi. Battles in Bridge on San Giovanni, and perusians defeats of the asisienses.

1202-1203 Francis, prisoner in Perusa, showned gentlemanly and he knows how to conserve the happiness among the sad partners and discouraged by the situation. After a year of captivity they returns to Assisi.

1204 Illness of Francis, the prison seems to have mined his health, he will always have a weak constitution, when he gets up with the cares of Pica, his loved Mother, his heart is no longer the same one, he feels depressed, he doesn't like the things that before made him happy.

1204-1205 Francis with dreams of greatness tries to go to the Apulia, to join the army of Gualterio of Briena he wants to be gentleman, but it stops him the vision of Espoleto: "Why do you follow the servant, and not to the Lord of who that depends?". The search continues, his father's business become an accentuated feeling that it doesn't fill him, the parties jade him, he looks for the solitude, he prays in forests and grottoes.

1205 Encounter of Francis with the leprous. Now in Assisi, he opens up to the Lord in the reflection and prayers. Still secular, go on to giant's steps for the road of sanctity. He made a banquet to say goodbye to parties and friends. He search the light of the Apostols goes on pilgrimage to the sepulchres (Rome). He goes overcoming their fears and loathing, and he discovers Christ in the poor; he kisses the leper and he experiences the joy of the liberation.

1206 Speak to him the Crucifix of San Damian. In the Hermitage of Saint Damian, listens to Christ: "Francis, repairs my house." Faithful to the Lord, he prepares to repair the Hermitage: it gathers money with the sale of their father's cloths, requests as charity materials, stones for the hermitage, and living there, to reconstruct it as bricklayer.

For their father's reclamation, he gives up everything before his father Bernardone and the Bishop of the city: Hurt by their son's behaviour, other people's pretenses of greatness, wants, with blows, afrating him, pretends, by the force, get him to the house. But Francis persists in his fidelity to crucified Christ that it fills his heart. Taken before the Bishop so that it returns the money of the cloths, in presence of all, he gets undressed and it returns to Bernardone... what has, clothes and their last name: "Your ... take them, from today and on, I will call 'alone Father to our God: Our Father that is in the heavens...."

The Bishop Guido covers him with its mantle, symbol of the blessing of the Church, our Mother. And to be the poverello, the poverello of Assisi, following poor Christ. And he was to seem so much to the Master, that The Christ of the Half Age he will be called.

1206-1208 Repairs of the Churches of San Damian, San Peter and the Porciúncula.

1208 Francis listens the Gospel in the Porciúncula February 24 and he takes it as program of his life. First partners April 16: Bernardo of Quintaval and Pedro Cataneo, and other they are added, April Fray Egidio 23, in the summer, in Rivotorto. He teaches them according to their ideal, he sends them to work in the fields, lepers and to request charity.

1209-1210 Trip to Rome and oral approval of the Rule for Inocencio III, made up with evangelical texts, it achieves the consent of the Roman Curia. Of return, they settle down in Rivotorto and then they move to the Porciúncula, donated by the Friars from San Benito to San Francis. He sends the friars of two in two for the cities of Umbria in Italy. November 9 are signed the peace finishing the civil war.

1211 Francis goes aboard for Syrian, but sick he should return to Italy.

1212 Francisco receives Saint Clare in the Porciúncula. At the end of March he gives her the habit in San Damián. The Second Order begins. In Pentecost Francis go to the General Chapter to know the new Brothers and to add to the rule new dispositions. Toward final of year Francis goes aboard for Syrian, but hurtled by the tempest to the coast of Dalmacia he returns to Italy for Ancona.

1213 May 9 the Count Orlando of Chiusi offers Francisco the Mount The Verna or Alverna.

1213-1214 Trip of Francis to Spain accompanied by brother Bernardo with intention of going to Morocco, an illness forces him to return to the Porciúncula. Francis sends to the world to induce to practice the Gospel it is "The Letter to All the Faithful Ones".

1215 Trip of Francis to Rome during the IV Council of Letran n in November. There he knows Saint Domingo of Guzman, this intends him to unite both Orders: Franciscans and Dominicans, Francis doesn't accept saying that the originality of both Orders it is better for the Church, this year he receives the Order to brother Thomas of Celano who will be its first biographer.

1216 death of Inocencio III, election of Honorio III in Perusa, Francis obtains of him the approval of the Indulgence of the Porciúncula. In Cannara it puts control to the inhabitants that desirous of continuing him they wanted to leave everything and to enter in mass to the orders. He promises them to think some compatible thing with their state of life.

1217 General chapter in the Porciúncula, the missions begin outside of Italy to France, Spain and Germany. Francis that wanted to go to France, is stopped by Cardinal Hugolino in Florencia. Brother Pacific replaces him as head of the mission of France.

1218 Honorio III, with the Bull "Cum dilecti", it guarantees the catholicity of the Minors Friars.

1219 Chapter of Pentecost, new missionary expeditions, Francis goes to Damieta, you attended the taking November 5, they defeat the Christian, he interviews with the Sultan Melek-el-Kâmel.

1220 Francis arrives to San Juan of Acre. Pilgrim of Holy Earth, desirous of following the prints of the Lord, in Jesus' country. He receives the news of the first Five Franciscan martyrs in Morocco. Francis returns to Italy for the crises that shake the Order, forced by the development, feeling the necessity of a more precise organisation, he returns for Venice toward Rome. In the General Chapter of that year he renounces to the government of the Order, as Minister, and Pedro Cattani is designated.

1221 Die Pedro Cattani, it is chosen in the Chapter of Pentecost to the Brother Elías, as Minister. A new writing of the Rule is approved. Honorio III, approves the first Brief of the lay penitents that is considered the first Rule of the Third Order, been founded by Francis before the multitude of Seculars anxious of taking a Franciscan life, the first tertiary home is that of the devout Luquesio, merchant of cloths in Siena and of Buona Donna. The first fraternity was created in Florencia, to extend for the whole world.

1221-1222 Francis preaches in central and southern Italy. The 15-8-1222 preach in the square of the communal palace of Bologna. Their eloquence woke up such an enthusiasm that they threw on him to cut pieces of its habit. For where it happens he lifts waves of sympathy of evangelical renovation.

1223 At the beginning of year, Francisco edits in Fonte Colombo, among prayers, fasts and tears a new Rule, the definitive one, presented in the Chapter of Pentecost, approved by Honorio III with the Bula Solet Annuere", November 29. Francis makes the birth or alive manger in Greccio, the night of December 25, he calls the Christmas "The Party of The Parties"..

1224 September 10 arrive to Dover the first group of 10 friars headed by brother Agnello of Pisa, the mission begins in England.

In San Michael's Lent, of August 15 at September 30, Francis retires to the Monte Alverna, September 14 day of the Exaltation of the Cross he is appeared little before leaving the sun, a seraph with six fire wings, was presented before him and it printed him in its hands, feet and side the wounds of the one Crucified. San Francisco prayed: "Lord let me experiment in my body end my spirit, as soon as it is possible, that suffering that You suffered for us. And that I love you with that love with which You gave your life for us in the Cross. And in praying he saw a being that it was a man with a beautiful face a seraph; he had the extended arms and the feet together and their body was fixed in a Cross. Two wings ran off with on the head, other two was extended like to fly, and other two covered the body. The face was of a beauty superior of all terrestrial beauty; and, nevertheless, it showed the prints of the sufferings. Full Francis with a great happiness seeing beauty of that face; at the own time it felt a compassion and deep sorrow because of the pain and the suffering was reflected. Suddenly in a moment of unspeakable suffering, the Seraph hurt, in this moment that Francis felt great fear; but the Seraph spoke to him like a friend. Past an instant that he found a century, the vision disappeared. Opened him the sense of everything that: In their body the signs of the crucified Seraph appeared; in their hands, feet and side the wounds, in the wounds of the hands and feet, the impression of the nails.

Between October and November he returns to the Porciúncula. He preaches for Umbria, up to three four populated by day, in an ass, for not being able to walk.

1225 Remain in Saint Damian, sick again, about six weeks, under the care of the Clarises, there in a small garden it composes the Song of the Creatures. In the summer, it goes to Fonte Colombo in the valley of Rieti, it is cauterized, with a burning iron, of the ear to the brow, near the affected eye.

1226 Goes to Sienna to be treated, the efforts of the doctors are useless, he had one night a strong hemorrhage, and he dictate their testament, called: Testament of Sienna, feeling near the death, is made transfer to Assisi, he goes by Cortona and Nocera. The retinue is indescribable when arriving to Assisi, there it composes the verse of the pardon to make the peace between the Bishop and the Podest  of the city, he should stay in the Episcopal Palace. It can not attend the General Chapter and he sends their "Letter to the General Chapter and all the friars."

It achieves that brother Elías takes him to the Porciúncula, when it descends to Saint Mary of the Angels, he blesses his city, Assisi.

In the last week a tertiary of Rome, the sister Jacoba of Settesoli, brings Francis some candies ("mostaccioli"with sugar, almonds and other ingredients) that he liked a lot and a new habit.

On Friday 2 of October, he orders to bring a bread, he blesses it, as Christ in the Cenacle, he distributes it among their friars. On Saturday 3 he made read the Passion according to Saint John, he made to spread in a rough cloth and to cover of ashy and powder, then with almost out voice, he intones the salm 142, to the twilight he receives the visit of sister death, he had 45 years of age and 20 of his conversion.

October 4, he was taken with great pomp to Assisi, the retinue stopped in San Damian and Clare and the Clarises they saw for last time to its Seraphic Padre, he was buried in Saint George's Church.

1228 July 16 Gregory IX canonizes Saint Francis, with the Bula "Solet Annuere", it is before the bishop Hugolino his friend, consultant and confessor always.

1228-1229 Fr. Thomas of Celano writes Saint Francis's first biography.

1230 May 8 Saint Francis's body is transferred to the Basilica of Saint Francis in Asis, built in his honor.

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Updated: 15-1-2000