"St. Francis stopped at the Church of San Damiano in the fields outside his home city of Assisi, and he prayed before a beautifully painted crucifix. While praying, he heard a voice say, 'Francis, go repair my house, which is falling into ruins.' Looking around himself at the crumbling old church, he imagined that God wanted him to repair the building. He returned to Assisi and sold some materials from his father's cloth business to buy the mortar and stone for the repair of the church.
"Francis's father was enraged at the sale of the goods, and his anger set off a confrontation and crisis that saw the young Francis renounce worldly goods and begin a journey of radical dependence upon God and devotion to the faith. Francis would come to understand that the call of the Lord was not really about a building at all -- rather the Lord wanted renewal for the Body of Christ. . . ."
In a recent commentary, Archbishop Richard G. Henning reflected on the legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi.
To access Archbishop Henning's complete post, please visit:
The Pilot: Echoes: Archbishop Richard G. Henning: 'Francis, rebuild my Church' (2 OCT 26)
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