Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) was the founder of the Franciscan order. Francesco Giovanni Bernardone was born in Assisi, Italy, the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. He lived a worldly and extravagant lifestyle as a young man until he joined the army and was captured. After his release, he utterly embraced the Christian faith and abandoned his former life, much to the ire of his father. He became a strict ascetic and began working and ministering among a colony of lepers. In 1210 he drafted a set of rules for living and, along with a group of like-minded companions, went to Rome to seek approval to start a monastic order. Innocent III gave them his blessing and they began to preach, care for the sick and poor, and launch mission trips to places like Egypt and Morocco. In 1222 his order was taken from him and given new rules. Despite his grief over these events, he humbly and characteristically submitted to the new authority and continued ministering until his death. He was canonized in 1228. His exemplary life of piety and his devotion to serving others was a model for the Franciscans and made them one of the most popular and influential orders in the Catholic Church.
