Francis of Assisi

Francis of Assisi was born in 1181 in Assisi, Italy.
* He was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant.
* Francis lived a life of luxury and pleasure in his youth.
* He was captured and imprisoned during a war in his early twenties.
* After his release, he had a religious conversion and devoted his life to poverty and service to others.
* He founded the Franciscan Order, which became one of the largest religious orders in the Catholic Church.
* Francis was canonized a saint in 1228.
* He is considered one of the most important figures in Christian history.
* His feast day is October 4.