SAINT OF THE DAY - ST. FRANCIS OF PAOLA

St. Francis of Paola

He was born on March 23, 1416 in Paola, Cosenza in the Kingdom of Naples. A legend surrounds his birth. His parents were having no children for some time after marriage. They prayed through St. Francis of Assisi for a child and they believed that Francis was born at the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi. Moreover when Francis was a child, he suffered from a swelling that endangered the sight of one of his eyes. His parents again prayed to St. Francis of Assisi for the cure of this swelling by taking a vow that they will sent Francis to a Franciscan Monastery for one year wearing the little habit of St. Francis. He was cured immediately but he was not sent to the Franciscan monastery. Warned by a Franciscan Friar in a dream about this, Francis entered the Friary of the Franciscan Order at the age of 13 for completing the one year vow. He lived in a secluded cave on the sea coast and remained there for six years in prayers. One day he and his companions were not given passage in the boat to cross the strait of Messina to go to Sicily. He laid his cloak on the water, tied one end of his staff as a sail and sailed across the strait Messina with his companions following the boat miraculously. He even foretold the capture of Otranto by the Ottoman Turks and its subsequent recovery by the King of Naples. He founded the order 'Minim Friars' and was approved by pope Alexander-VI. The most noted member of this Order was St. Francis of Sales. Francis of Paola died on April-2, 1507 at Touraine, France.

He was canonized by Pope Leo-X in 1519. When in 1562 a mob of Huguenots in France (members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France inspired by the writings of John Calvin) broke open the tomb of St. Francis of Paola and found his body incorrupt. They dragged his body, burnt it and scattered the bones everywhere. His bones were collected by catholic Christians and distributed them to the various churches of his Order.