Also known as St. Francis of Paula, or St. Francesco di Paola. Francis of Paola, named after St. Francis of Assisi, was born in 1416 in Calabria, Italy, to devoutly religious parents. After being child barren for years, his parents prayed to St. Francis of Assisi for a child and promised their child would devote him to the Franciscan brotherhood for one year. At 13 years of age, St. Francis of Paola fulfilled his parent's promise and joined the Franciscans. At 14 years of age, while on a religious family pilgramage to Rome, Francis decided to become a hermit in a cave near his home in Paola, Italy. Two others attracted by his austere lifestyle soon joined him. The three soon left the cave for a chapel built by the villagers. The society continued to grow and got the attention of the local archbishop; in 1436, the Archbishop of Conzenza gave his approval. As the unofficial order continued to grow, so too did reports of miracles. |
