The Encyclopedia of Franciscan Saints and Blesseds

“Let us begin, brethren, to serve the Lord God, for hitherto we have profited little or nothing.” — St. Francis of Assisi

For eight centuries, men and women have heard the call of Francis of Assisi and followed it: friars and cloistered sisters, kings and housemaids, scholars and shepherds, missionaries and martyrs. This encyclopedia gathers their stories in a single volume, arranged through the year by the feast days of the Franciscan Journey calendar.

Here are more than 150 saints and blesseds of the First, Second and Third Orders, from Clare and Anthony to Junípero Serra, Maximilian Kolbe and Padre Pio, alongside lesser-known witnesses: a schoolteacher of Madagascar, a Lebanese Capuchin who died on a death march, and a Detroit porter who told everyone to “thank God ahead of time.”

Each entry offers the essential facts, a concise new biography and a brief thought for reflection. For daily prayer, Secular Franciscan fraternities, parish libraries and all who want to know the friends of God.