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The connection between Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Michael the Archangel, in the context of the sanctuary at Monte Sant’Angelo (situated on the Gargano in Italy), is deeply rooted in medieval Christian tradition and in the veneration of this archangel. This relationship and the historical and spiritual context in which they are linked encompass, in particular, the following facts:
1. St Francis’s pilgrimage to Monte Sant’Angelo
The sanctuary at Monte Sant’Angelo (also known as the ‘heavenly basilica’) has been one of the most important places of pilgrimage in the Christian world since the 5th century. In addition to kings, popes and other saints, St Francis of Assisi himself made a pilgrimage there around the year 1216.
2. An act of humility: refusing to enter the cave
The most famous moment linking Francis to this place is his immense humility. When Francis arrived at the holy cave (the site of the apparitions of St Michael the Archangel), he considered himself too sinful and unworthy to enter a dwelling which, he believed, had been sanctified by the archangel himself.
● For this reason, he stopped just before the entrance to the cave and remained there in deep prayer and meditation.
● According to tradition and the available historical sources concerning the shrine, he humbly touched the ground, kissed the stone floor at the entrance and carved into the stone a symbol in the shape of the letter Tau – which was his favourite sign of salvation, humility and identification with the Cross of Christ.
3. Devotion to Saint Michael and the angels
Francis had a very fervent devotion to the angels, and especially to Saint Michael the Archangel. Even before this pilgrimage, he observed the traditional 40-day liturgical fast known as the ‘Fast in Honour of Saint Michael’ (it is thought to have begun after the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and lasted until the Feast of Saint Michael on 29 September). It was during one such fast on the island of La Verna that he received the stigmata. His visit to Monte Sant’Angelo was the culmination of this
profound devotion to the angels.
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Saint Francis of Assisi – Biography
He is also known as:
• Francis Bernardone
• il Poverello (the Little Poor Man)
Although he was of slight build and had an extroverted nature, Francis always yearned for great things in his heart. He demonstrated his determination even as a young man, when he went to war between the cities of Assisi and Perugia and later became involved in efforts to bring an end to the Crusades.

 He was born in 1182, the son of Pietro di Bernardone, a wealthy cloth merchant, and a noblewoman from Provence named Pica; he grew up amidst family responsibilities and worldly affairs. Upon his return from the war, he was ill, shaken and, to those around him, almost unrecognisable. Something more than just the experience of war itself had left a deep mark on his soul.
A powerful encounter and a question: do you serve a servant, or the Lord?
He never forgot the words he heard in a dream whilst staying in Spoleto: ‘Why do you trouble yourself seeking a servant instead of seeking the Lord?’ His life took a new direction, guided by a constant longing to discover where God was calling him. Prayer and quiet contemplation in the Umbrian countryside led him to begin regarding lepers and those on the margins of society – whom he had previously perceived as repulsive and repellent – as his brothers and sisters.

San Damiano. “Francis, go and repair my church, which lies in ruins”
It was in Spoleto – though at a different moment – that he heard this voice break the silence of his prayer before the Byzantine cross in the small, abandoned church of San Damiano. The voice said: ‘Francis, go and repair my church, which, as you can see, lies in ruins.’ At first, Saint Francis understood this call as a challenge to restore the ruins of the little chapel, stone by stone, but in later years he came to grasp the full meaning of this call. He was called to ‘great things’ – to the renewal of the Church, which at that time was facing schisms and heresies – and to do so in a spirit of obedience.
He adopted the Gospels as the rule of his life and Jesus Christ as his immediate model. The embrace of ‘Lady Poverty’
The immense joy stemming from the feeling that he was loved and called by God strengthened the young Francis’s desire to live by God’s providence; in the spirit of the Gospel, he decided to give away all his possessions to the poor. At that moment, the rift between him and his father, Pietro di Bernardone, became insurmountable. His father publicly accused him before Bishop Guido. Francis expressed his deep desire to ‘marry Lady Poverty’ and stripped off his clothes as a sign that he was renouncing his father’s wealth.

The first community of brothers. The Pope approves the Rule.
Francis gathered around him a number of companions who shared his desire to live according to the Gospel – in poverty, chastity and obedience. In 1209, the first group of brothers travelled to Rome to meet Pope Innocent III. He was struck by ‘this short, slender young man with fiery eyes’ and approved the Rule, which was later, in 1223, definitively confirmed by Pope Honorius III.

The Poor Clares and the Third Order
Francis’s charisma also appealed to Clare, a noblewoman from Assisi. Francis accepted her, thereby laying the foundations for the second Franciscan Order – the Order of the Poor Clares (or ‘Poor Maidens’). Later, he founded the Third Order, intended for laypeople.

A Deep Love for Christ
St Francis organized the first live nativity scene (crèche) at Christmas in 1223 in the small Italian town of Greccio. This historic moment had several interesting details:
 Inspiration from Bethlehem: The idea came to him during his earlier pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where he also visited the actual birthplace of Jesus Christ.  
 A live scene: These were not the wooden or stone figures we are familiar with today. Francis set up the nativity scene in a cave, brought a live donkey and ox to it, and, with the help of a local gentleman (the benefactor Giovanni Velito), invited the villagers to experience first-hand the poverty and atmosphere of the first Christmas.
 Aim: His intention was to bring the birth of the Saviour closer to ordinary people who could not read, and to transform an abstract theological event into a living spiritual experience.  This custom spread rapidly from Greccio throughout the Franciscan Order and later across the world, laying the foundations for today’s tradition of nativity scenes.

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The Stigmata
Whilst meditating on Mount La Verna in the Apennines in September 1224, Francis received the stigmata, which bled repeatedly during the remaining two years of his life. A special feast day, falling on September 17th, is dedicated to this event.
In the Middle Ages, people who believed they were possessed by Beelzebub often prayed for the intercession of Saint Francis; they did so on the basis of the conviction that Francis was this demon’s adversary in heaven.
 Francis bore witness to the joy of faith and drew even non-believers to the Gospel. He even impressed the Sultan, who received him with honours in the Holy Land.

Francis’s testimony of praise to the Creator
Francis’s life was a constant praise of the Creator. ‘The Canticle of Brother Sun’, a poetic masterpiece of Italian literature, was written whilst he was bedridden by illness; it expresses the freedom of a soul at peace with God in Christ. Saint Francis welcomed ‘Sister Death’ with joy, aware that he was going to be with Jesus. He died on the evening of 3 October 1226.

The Spirit of Assisi inspires faith and community
Francis died at the age of 44 at the Porziuncola – the chapel where he had received the gift of the ‘Pardon of Assisi’. Two years later, he was canonised. The spirit of Francis continues to inspire many to follow Christ, to foster dialogue amongst all in truth and love, and to protect creation.
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Birth:
• 1181 in Assisi (Umbria, Italy) as Francis Bernardone
Death:
• October 4th 1226 at the Porziuncola (Italy); cause: natural causes
• his relics are enshrined in Assisi (Italy)
Canonization:
• July 16th 1228 by Pope Gregory IX
Patronage:
• against dying alone
• against fire
• animal welfare organisations
• animals
• birds
• ecologists, ecology
• the environment
• families
• lace-makers
• traders
• embroiderers
• peace
• tapestry makers
• zoos
• Italy
• Colorado
• Catholic Action
• Franciscan Order

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Readings and reflections:
Almsgiving is a legacy and a right that belongs to the poor, and which Jesus has entrusted to us. – Saint Francis of Assisi
Sanctify yourself, and you will sanctify society. – Saint Francis of Assisi

O God, through the merits of Blessed Francis you build up your Church and enrich it with new spiritual offspring; grant that, like him, we may despise earthly possessions and never lack the consoling gifts from heaven. – Roman Missal

The Heavenly Father, through His archangel, Saint Gabriel, made known to the holy and glorious Virgin Mary that the dignified, holy and glorious Word of the Father would descend from heaven and take on, from her womb, the true body of our human frailty. Although He was immeasurably rich, He nevertheless freely chose poverty together with His blessed Mother. And shortly before His Passion, He celebrated the Passover with His disciples. At that time, He prayed to the Father, saying: ‘Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.’ Yet he submitted his will to that of his Father. It was the Father’s will that his blessed and glorious Son—whom he gave to us and who was born for us—should offer himself up in his own blood upon the altar of the cross. This was not to be for his own sake, through whom all things were created, but for our sins. It was meant to leave us an example of how to follow in his footsteps. He desires that we may all be saved through him and receive him with a pure heart and a pure body. Let us also love our neighbours as ourselves. Let us have love and humility. Let us give alms, for they purify our souls from the stains of sin. People lose all the material possessions they leave behind in this world, yet they take with them the reward for their love and the alms they have given. For these, they will receive from the Lord the reward and recompense they deserve. We must not be wise according to the flesh. Rather, we must be simple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be superior to others. We are to be servants, subject to every person for God’s sake. The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon all who live in this way and persevere in it until the end. He will dwell in them forever. They will be the Father’s children, carrying out his work. – from a letter by Saint Francis of Assisi to all the faithful

Jesus loves to walk with us – just as truth loves to resound, life is lived, light is kindled, love is loved, joy is shared and peace spreads. – Saint Francis of Assisi

Praised be You, my Lord and my God, with all Your creatures, and especially with our brother the sun, which brings us the day and the light; it is beautiful and shines with great splendour. O Lord, it is a sign of You to us! Praised be You, my Lord, for our sister the moon and for the stars, scattered brightly and beautifully across the sky. – Saint Francis