The Transitus of St. Francis

Today is the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi. Franciscans observe the day not just as the saint’s feast day but as the Transitus, or passage, celebrating his transition from this life to the next. They believe it is not an end of life but a continuation.

Francis is one of the most famous Christian saints. He was born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone into a wealthy family in Assisi in 1181. His father was a silk merchant and was travelling in France when Giovanni was born; he took to calling his son Francis in homage to his commercial success in France. As a youth, Francis helped in his father’s business and hung out with a lavish crowd. Even then, he had a heart for charity; he once gave away his entire purse to a beggar, which resulted in mockery from his friends and anger from his father.

In 1202, Francis joined a military expedition and was taken prisoner. He spent a year as a captive in the village of Collestrada. After his release, he resumed his previous lifestyle. In 1205, he left to reenlist, but on the way, he had a vision that called him to a more religious life. Francis felt called to identify with the poor, saying that he was marrying “Lady Poverty.” He returned to Assisi and avoided the parties and spending of his former friends. He made pilgrimage to Rome.

Famously, when he was praying in the San Damiano chapel near Assisi, he had a vision of Jesus telling him, “Repair my Church, which you can see, is falling to ruins.” Francis initially thought that meant the physical chapel and sold some of his father’s cloth to donate the proceeds toward the chapel.

The chapel’s priest refused to accept ill-gotten gains, and his father was furious at his taking the cloth. In despair, and to hide from his father, Francis hid in a cave for a month. When he returned to town, his father beat him and locked him up. His mother freed him, and Francis sought shelter at the San Damiano chapel. He renounced his inheritance and wandered the region as a beggar. He came to believe the vision was calling him to repair not a single chapel but the whole Church. 

In 1208, he started the Franciscan order. He began preaching love and peace and exhorting the laity to penance. Though never ordained a priest, Francis was eventually ordained a deacon, giving him license to preach. He and 11 followers went to Rome in 1209 to received the pope’s approval of their new order. In 1211, Clare of Assisi heard Francis preach and was inspired to establish the Order of Poor Clares for women. A secular order of Franciscan was quickly established as well.

Poverty and love of neighbor was central to Francis’ message. He also saw all of nature as a reflection of God. He was known to even preach to the animals. Legend says that he once talked a wolf out of attacking some villagers. He used real animals to set up a replica of the Nativity one Christmas, thus creating the first known nativity scene. He wanted people to be able to contemplate the birth of Christ in a real way, with real sights, sounds, and smells. His “Canticle of the Sun” gives thanks to God for creation, including “Brother Sun,” “Sister Moon,” and “Brothers Wind, Water, Fire and Earth.”

In 1212, Francis left for Jerusalem; the Children’s Crusade was underway, calling for peasants and youth to reclaim the holy city without weapons, believing their purity alone would lead to victory. Francis did not make it to Jerusalem; he was shipwrecked on the Dalmatian coast. In 1219, he went to Egypt as part of the Fifth Crusade, hoping to convert the sultan of Egypt or be martyred. The details of the meeting are unknown, but Francis was received by the sultan, preached to the Muslims in the court, and returned home unharmed. What is known is that Francis must have made some positive impact on the sultan, because the Franciscans were given permission to live in the Holy Land, having an uninterrupted presence there for over 800 years.

In 1224, Francis was praying at the mountain retreat of La Verna during a 40-day fast and preparation for Michaelmas. On Sept. 17, he had a vision and received the stigmata. Following this incident, his health began to decline. He began to go blind, leading to an operation cauterizing his eyes with hot iron. He spent his last days dictating his spiritual testimony to his brothers.

Legend says that someone once asked Francis what kind of death he hoped for. His response: “Brother, I want whatever death God wants for me.” He died on the night of Oct. 3, 1226. Within two years, he was canonized.

Francis is the patron of merchants, animals, ecology, peace, and the poor. Many people put statues of Francis in their gardens. There are various Franciscan orders, still following the path of Francis. He clearly followed Christ’s call to repair His Church.