Biography of St. Francis

St. Francis of Assisi was born at Assisi in Umbria in 1182.  He enjoyed a very wealthy life style because his father Pietro di Bernardone, was a rich cloth merchant.  When Francis was first born, everyone loved him.  He was always happy, and was charming.  Everyone liked him that if he was picky, people excused him, if he was sick people would take care of him.  When Francis got older, he wanted to become a knight.  So he joined the war against Assisi and a town nearby called Perugia.  Most of the soldiers were killed during the fight but wealthy soldiers that had enough money to pay for their release were taken prisoner.  A year after he paid for his release and when he was leaving Assisi for a call for knights for the Fourth Crusade, he had a dream where God told him that he is going the wrong way and told him to return home.  Once he got home, he was humiliated, laughed at and called coward for not going into battle.  Also his father got angry at him for wasting his money on the amour.  Francis spent most of his time praying to God and he found a cave where he cried for his sins.  This is the part of his life where he starts to become more holy by praying to God and doing what God wants him to do.  Francis died on October 3, 1226 from an eye disease and the stigmata he received from a six winged angel while he was praying on the mountain of Verna.  Francis is the founder of the Franciscan orders and he is the patron saint of ecologists and merchants.  The national shrine of St. Francis is located in San Francisco, California.  The Basilica of St. Francis is built in Assisi.