1. "Who was St. Francis? " – a link collection
"Brother Sun, Sister Moon"- trailer
Director Franco Zeffirelli’s "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" focuses on the early years of Francis of Assisi in this 1972 film.
Poem by Jan Richardson from the "Painted Prayerbook"
Addressing myths about St. Francis
St. Francis preaching to the birds
Rhonda Mawhood Lee: "Go a little crazy on St. Francis Day", a sermon preached at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Durham, N.C
"It’s appropriate to go a little crazy on St. Francis Day, because during his own lifetime, many people thought Francesco Bernardone was insane."
"When you have a moment with your pet, offer this blessing written by Bishop Mark S. Sisk:
Live without fear. Your Creator loves you, made you holy, and has always protected you. May we follow the good road together, and may God’s blessing be with you always. Amen.
2 Who was St Francis? – brief biography
Francis lived from 1181-1226; his ministry was predominately in Italy, particularly Assisi. Francis was born the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. As a child and young man, he was pampered and worldly, living an indulgent life. One day, in a church in San Damiano, Francis heard Jesus on the crucifix in the church say three times: “Francis, go repair my house which is in ruins.”
Believing that this was a command to rebuild the specific church in which he stood, Francis began selling off some of his father’s things to pay for a church renovation. When his father found out, he was furious. He dragged Francis to the local bishop, to insist he be repaid. It was there that Francis removed his rich garments, renounced his father, and left his wealth. The bishop took pity on him and gave him a rough garment to wear. Sometime after that, Francis was worshiping in another church and heard Matthew 10:7-20 read. In that moment, Francis understood the words as a literal call and began his life as an itinerant: living a simple life and preaching the gospel to anyone he met.
Francis understood that all creatures come from God and belong to God. He tried to live in harmony with nature. For example, he referred to the sun as “Brother Sun” and the moon as “Sister Moon.” He once preached to a flock of birds, reminding them that everything they had was due to God’s gracious gift and encouraging them to use their beautiful voices to praise God in song.
One Christmas, Francis brought animals into the church and invited people to dress as Mary and Joseph, shepherds and angels, to portray the Christmas story. When asked why he included animals, Francis said, “Surely the animals praised the new Messiah just as the shepherds and angels did.” He is often credited as the founder of the live nativity scene carried out in churches around the world.
He is known for his love and care of poor people. He founded a monastic order who follow a simple rule of life and are known as Franciscans.
“Did you know ? Though Francis wrote many prayers, the famous “Prayer of Saint Francis” was not one of them. It comes from a French source, first recorded around 1912. Even though it was not written by him, the “Prayer attributed to Saint Francis” does capture much of his spirit and is included in The Book of Common Prayer (p. 833).
3 Our Celebrations
The 2019 event
The 2018 event
The 2017 event
The 2015 event
The 2014 event and Charter Day
The 2013 event
The 2012 event
The 2011 event
The 2010 event
The service in 2013
The prayer of St. Francis
Pictures
2018 Gallery
2017 Gallery
2015 Gallery
2013 Gallery
2012 Gallery
2011 Gallery
Here’s is a link 2013’s animal kingdom.