Saint Francis of Paula, Confessor
S. Francisci de Paula Confessoris
Saint Francis of Paula (1416–1507) was a hermit and the founder of the Order of Minims, a man of deep humility and penance whose holiness drew the reverence even of kings. His feast is kept on 2 April.
Saint Francis was born in 1416 at Paola, in Calabria in southern Italy, to devout parents who had prayed long for a child. As a boy he was placed for a time with the Franciscan friars, and from his youth he was drawn to a life of solitude and penance. While still very young he withdrew to live as a hermit in a cave near his home town. Others were soon attracted by his holiness, and around these first companions there grew up the religious community that would become the Order of Minims.
The Order of Minims
The name Saint Francis chose for his followers, the Minims — the “least” in the household of God — expresses the spirit of profound humility that marked his whole life. To the usual religious vows he added a fourth, a perpetual Lenten abstinence, by which his friars renounced flesh-meat and other rich foods for love of penance. He himself led a life of extraordinary austerity, prayer, and charity toward the poor. The Church received and approved his Order, and his way of life spread beyond Italy into France and elsewhere.
Renowned for holiness and for the gift of prophecy, Saint Francis was sought out by people of every rank. In his old age he was summoned to France by King Louis XI, who hoped for healing and, more importantly, was moved by the saint to prepare for a holy death. Francis remained in France for the rest of his life, honoured at court yet faithful to his humble and penitential calling, and a counsellor to the royal family.
His Death and Canonization
Saint Francis of Paula died in France on Good Friday, 2 April 1507, at a great age. He was canonized in 1519. He has been venerated ever since as a model of humility and penance, and his Order has continued to honour his memory.
The Collect
O God, the exalter of the humble, who didst vouchsafe to raise blessed Francis Thy Confessor to the glory of Thy Saints: grant, we beseech Thee, that by his merits and example we may happily attain the rewards promised to the humble. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Deus, humilium celsitudo, qui beatum Franciscum Confessorem tuum sanctorum tuorum gloria sublimasti: tribue, quaesumus; ut eius meritis et imitatione, promissa humilibus praemia feliciter consequamur. Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Patronage
Saint Francis of Paula is venerated as the patron of seafarers and sailors, and of the people and region of Calabria; he is invoked by those who seek the grace of humility.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern calendar, this feast is observed as an optional memorial on the same date, 2 April.
Common Questions
When is the feast of Saint Francis of Paula?
His feast is kept on 2 April, the day of his death, in both the traditional and the modern calendars. In the modern calendar it is an optional memorial.
Who was Saint Francis of Paula?
He was a fifteenth-century hermit from Calabria in southern Italy who founded the Order of Minims, a community marked by deep humility and a life of penance. He was renowned for holiness and was honoured even by kings.
Who are the Minims?
The Minims are the religious order founded by Saint Francis of Paula. Their name means the “least” in God’s household, expressing their founder’s humility; to the usual vows they add a perpetual abstinence in a spirit of penance.
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