On the Feast of All Saints, Nov. 1, the Franciscans had much to celebrate.
St. Francis of Assisi was canonized in 1228, just two years after his death, largely via popular demand.
Other Franciscan saints followed. Some were famous scholars, such as St. Bonaventure, the theologian and Franciscan general minister, who died in 1274 and is credited with organizing St. Francis’s insights and leading the community through its turbulent early history. Others are of more recent vintage. St. Maximilian Kolbe, canonized by Pope John Paul II, is the patron saint of political prisoners.
The friar, while imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp in Poland, offered his life in exchange for that of another prisoner, a married man with children.
Of the Franciscan canonized saints, many remain largely forgotten. St. Benedict the Moor, 1526-1589, was the son of slaves taken from Africa to Sicily. He endured racist taunts and became known for his insights into Scripture and theology. A number of Black American Catholic churches are named for him.
Few saints are as well-known as Thomas More, the patron for lawyers and politicians. Few, however, know he was a Secular Franciscan. He is known for standing up for his Catholic faith against the English King, resulting in his martyrdom, which reverberated around the world and inspired great works like the book and movie “A Man for All Seasons”.
Other Franciscan saints we remember in a more light-hearted way.
Saint Joseph of Cupertino, 1603-1663, was a friar never credited for brilliance. But as a young child, he saw visions. He was known to levitate, sometimes even during Mass. He is the patron saint of students taking tests.
Not all Franciscan saints were men. St. Clare founded the Poor Clare Sisters with St. Francis and was one of his first followers. She was the daughter of a powerful nobleman, who, after hearing Francis preach, cut off her hair and traded in her fancy clothes for a simple robe and veil. Her father wanted to marry her off, but she refused, eventually forming a community of like-minded women.
Another Franciscan female saint is Marianne Cope, who, along with six other sisters, ministered in the remote Hawaiian leper colony of Molokai, along with St. Damien of Molokai. St. Marianne, a German-born Franciscan sister, was the founding director of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, New York. She was canonized by Pope Benedict in 2012 and is a patron saint for lepers, outcasts, and those with HIV/AIDS.
On the Feast of All Saints, the Franciscans had much to celebrate, including how Franciscan saints remain examples of those inspired by the Gospel.
Planned Giving to the Franciscans allows you to make a charitable contribution to those living saints who serve the poor and the marginalized today. A Planned Giving donation can be part of your overall financial and estate planning, providing support for our Franciscan mission. Options for giving are available via bequests, charitable trusts, life insurance policies, and retirement accounts.
To learn more about how you can support the work of the Franciscan Friars, contact Bro. Paul O’Keeffe, OFM, via email at pokeeffe@friars.us or by calling (646) 766-1567.