π Life Timeline
1416
Born in March 27, 1416 AD, Paola, Italy
1483
suffering from illness, invited him to France in 1483
1519
taly and died Apr 2, 1507 at age 91
1519
Canonized β 1519 by Pope Leo X
β Biography
Born c.1416 in Paola, Calabria, southern Italy. From childhood he showed extraordinary piety and love for solitude. At 16 he fled home to live as a hermit. Founded the Order of Minims in 1435βso named because Francis called himself 'the least of all.' The rule emphasized absolute poverty (no animal products, no fire in winter), perpetual fasting (except Sundays), and night vigil. Became famous for miraclesβwalking on water, bilocation, raising the dead. King Louis XI of France, suffering from illness, invited him to France in 1483. Francis reportedly cured the king by rebuking him: 'You have sinned against God, and He punishes you.' The king repented and was healed. Francis returned to Italy and died Apr 2, 1507 at age 91. Canonized in 1519. His body remains incorrupt at the Sanctuary of St Francis of Paola in Calabria.
π‘ Patronage
Patron of: Sailors, those seeking to live in poverty, and the Minim order.
π¬ Words of the Saint
I want to be a slave of poverty.
π Key Facts
Born
March 27, 1416 AD, Paola, Italy
Died
April 2, 1507 AD, Paola
Feast Day
Apr 2
Canonized
1519 by Pope Leo X
π Legacy
Francis of Paola's Minim Order spread across Europe. His incorrupt body is one of Italy's great pilgrimage sites. His 80 years on bread and water alone is one of the most extraordinary ascetic achievements in Christian history.