The St. Francis Project
So, this year my patron saint is St. Francis of Assisi. I chose him for a few reasons: one, he’s a saint everyone “knows”, but I thought I didn’t really know much about him, other than the rebuilding of the churches, loving animals, and stuff like that. So I thought I needed to know a bit more about him.
Second, I am applying to Franciscan University of Steubenville to do my MA work. So I thought it wouldn’t hurt to know more about the order’s founder, no?
I have begun, thus, to read about St. Francis. I will probably create a Google doc, like I have with my Jane project (over on the Bucket), to amass all the info. But right now I’m just reading.
The first book I read wasn’t precisely about St. Francis, per se. It was My Life With the Saints, by James Martin, S.J. As the title would indicate, Fr. Martin writes about the different saints that have had an impact on his life, including St. Jude, St. Peter, St. Therese, St. Bernadette, and St. Francis.
While this wasn’t a biography, more of a personal reflection, I still learned more than I had before–about St. Francis’ family, how his father changed his name to Francis as an homage to France, the founding of the Franciscan order, and St. Francis’ love of song. Martin writes in an engaging style that makes this a fun book to read.
The second book was a Christmas gift from my friend Richelle– St. Francis of Assisi, by G.K. Chesterton. (The link doesn’t take you to a precise copy, but it’s as good–if not better). Chesterton, with his characteristic wit and insight, gives “an introduction” to St. Francis (which is what he calls it), touching on his life, the historical period, and some good anecdotes. He says several times that his book is for beginners, or those just learning about the saint, which made it perfect for starting my project.
