Saint Francis of Paola was an Italian saint, born on March 27, 1416, in Paola, Italy and died on April 2, 1507 in Plessis-les-Tours, France.

After spending a year at the Franciscan friary in San Marco, Italy, he became a hermit at age 14 in a cave on the seacoast near Paola. In 1436, he and two companions began a community that is considered the foundation of the Minim Friars (Least Brothers), a severely ascetic Roman Catholic order that does charitable work and refrains from eating meat, eggs, or dairy products. Francis claimed to have received the motto of the order “Charitas”, in a vision from the Archangel Michael. After papal approval in 1474, the Minim Friars' order spread through Italy to France, Spain, Germany and Bohemia.

The ailing King Louis XI of France induced Pope Sixtus IV to send Francis to him in his final days, as he felt that he could be cured by Francis. However, the King was not cured, but was so comforted that his son Charles VIII, became friend of Francis and endowed several monasteries for the Minims. By 1506, when Pope Julius II approved the definitive Minim rule, Francis had established a second order for nuns and a third for laymen as well.

Francis spent the rest of his life at the monastery of Plessis, France, which King Charles had built for him. Saint Francis died there on April 2nd 1507 and was canonized in 1519. His relics were unearthed and burned by Huguenots in 1562.

Other Saints of the Day

1. Saint Abundius
2. Saint Bronach
3. Saint Polcarp of Alexandria
4. Saint Dominic Tuoc
5. Saint Theodosia

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