The Franciscan Saints

"St. Francis stands as one who made the way of Jesus credible and concrete, both for those called to formal religious life and for men and women living in the ordinary world." Robert Ellsberg has selected over a hundred holy men and women who followed St. Francis of Assisi toward the simple yet profound goal of reflecting the gospel life of Jesus Christ. Beginning with the founders, Francis and Clare and their first generation of followers, they include friars, women religious, and the diverse family of tertiary or Third Order Franciscans, a company comprised of lay people, clergy, and even popes. Writes Ellsberg, "They are linked by a family resemblance. Among the notable features: evangelical zeal, humility and simplicity of life, closeness to the poor, a spirit of prayer, and a certain freedom from the cares of a world preoccupied with greatness, power, and grandiose ambitions."