St. A’s and St. Francis of Assisi
How can we ever express our thanks to a man who helped us integrate our Spirituality with that of all Creation. That to befriend a dog is to experience some of the attributes of God's love, compassion,and friendship. We are one with All creatures, One with the Spiritual vitality of this Earth. How can it be any other way?
I'm not quite sure where to put limits on Francis or Assisi: the cat sanctuary (Parco dei Gatti); the farm sanctuary (Il Sorriso di San Francesco); the dog shelter; the town, the history, the art, the architecture?....
Assisi's pink stone which was exported to San Francisco to build its Porziuncola?
The Spiritual essence that permeates the very stones.... Why is there not greater acknowledgement of the animals that made this miracle possible?
This interpretation of St. Francis, found on the outskirts of Gubbio (the town Francis walked to when he met the wolf), strikes me as a Plea to the Divine for Justice - not just for the wolf but for all Creatures. Francis is down on one knee, supporting the wolf's head, he's on the same level as the wolf - 'we are equals,' the passion, the sadness, the frustration! His hands providing protection & compassion, but also the suffering of Christ and the World. The sculpture strikes me to the Core as it moves us from that place of Serenity we associate with Saints & Prophets to the Reality that if we want change we must do more than pray, we must work for it.... his rolled up sleeves…
Lars Pardo
I first saw the picture as a header for an article on St. Francis and His Canticle of the Creatures published in the St. Anthony Messenger in February 2018 (Cincinnati, OH) and was inspired to find its origin. With half a dozen emails I tracked the source of the picture down – Father Richard Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM, where it is painted onto the stucco wall of the Center. When I inquired, they gave me, and St Augustine’s, permission to use the graphic.
Why does this picture speak to me? Two reasons at least, maybe more…
I see in the picture the Canticle and some of the St. Francis stories from The Little Flowers, and I feel a connectedness to the world around us. Including St. Clare (Chiara Offreduccio) in the picture reminds us that women were part of this movement, indeed St. Clare was a very early follower of St. Francis. I really like St. Clare; she was a tough female, living in the Middle Ages (not a good time to be a woman with thoughts and knowledge!). St. Francis helped her, and she helped him in his work too; she cared for him on his death bed. The Order she founded is still very much in existence – there are 20,000 Poor Clares today. There is much more to tell, but not now…
I hope to see the original one day.
Peace!
John Dolmar
St. Francis in San Francisco: A Pilgrimage Through the Public Art of Beniamino Bufano
Submitted by John Dolmar
The tranquility of the Basilica of St. Francis at night.
Photo by Lars Pardo
Attached is a photo of an icon that I painted of St. Francis. Along with it, a photo of the image from which the icon is derived, believed to have been painted during his lifetime, likely between 1220 and 1224. It’s located in a grotto in Subiaco, Italy.
~ Carole Hansen
Images from Brian Reid
The Portiuncula of St. Francis in the town of Santa Maria degli Angeli, near Assisi.
Photos from Assisi. The Basilica of St. Francis and St. Francis’s Hermitage.
Brad Portin and Mark Wicks, April 2026
