Saint Francis

Detail of Christine H.’s painting inspired by Francisco de Zurbarán’s art on St. Francis’ death contemplation. Lately I’ve been going through a midlife crisis. My mom had a stroke in June of last year, and there’s an unresolved…

Friars and guests celebrate the Transitus at the St. Anthony Shrine in Cincinnati. Photo by Fr. Frank Jasper, OFM Friars from throughout St. John the Baptist Province joyfully marked the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi on…

  Advent 2022 The first Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2022, starts the new Liturgical Year—a new journey of faith and spiritual preparation. Advent is a wonderful opportunity to reexamine where we have been and where we want to…

St. Francis in Prayer by Caravaggio (1602) Public domain Was Francis a madman? To many, it would appear so. After all, he was a rich man who chose to beg. He chose lepers as friends and poverty as…

The painting of the Stigmatization of St. Francis of Assisi in Chiesa di San Francisco by G. Mazonni (1673-1767) Photo by Shutterstock.com Let’s face it: St. Francis has become domesticated in popular culture, and frankly, sometimes with those…

  Painting of the Transitus by Chilean painter Pedro Subercaseaux Erraězuriz, OSB (1911-1920s). Public domain The Transitus, or crossing, refers to “the time of passage through death to life” Please join the Franciscan friars of the…

Br. David Crank blesses a white Maltese. Celebrating St. Francis Please join the Franciscan friars of the Province of St. John the Baptist as they honor their founder, St. Francis of Assisi. SOLEMN NOVENA in HONOR…

Poet Murray Bodo, OFM, Photo by Michael Wilson and Composer Michael Chertock, Photo by Lisa Ventre. Poetry and music have long been intertwined, and now the words of faith-filled friar and author Murray Bodo have been set to…

“Desire above all things to have the Spirit of the Lord and its holy activity, and pray always with a pure heart,” St. Francis of Assisi (The Later Rule, Chapter X:8) In honor of St. Francis,…

Nancy and Tim Cahoon What started as a friar’s personal prayer intention for Lent became an opportunity for others in his parish and beyond to join in praying for peace throughout this holy season. Fr. Jeff…