Francesco, as he was called, was known for his exuberance and playful spirit. He was known for his love of song, earlier being the song leader of his friends in revelry, later calling himself the Troubadour of the Lord and singing God's praises through the countryside. His mother taught him songs of Provence, where her roots were, and where he got his name of Francesco—the Frenchman. His father was a wealthy merchant in fine fabrics from France, and he wanted for nothing in his youth. He desired to join the life of Knighthood, and participated in at least one of the ongoing battles between Perugia, a nearby town, and Assisi. In one of these battles, he was taken prisoner and kept for a year in prison in Perugia. During this confinement he had plenty of time to think deeply about his life, and his thoughts began to change. He also contracted a fever during this time that affected him later in his life. The different stories of Francis' life differ regarding some of the time-line of the battles and the sicknesses, but what they agree on is that the sickness which began in prison and seemed to return periodically, changed his life. He began thinking of matters of the Spirit and lost his interest in his earlier ambitions of Knighthood. He spent his time in the fields instead of in parties with his friends. At one point when some of his friends were joining the Crusade, he had a brief return to his Knightly ambitions, but a few miles out of town, he heard a voice and returned to Assisi never to dream of knighthood again. [see his Conversion and his Call]
About the San Damiano Cross
His Conversion and his Call
Although Francesco's conversion can be said to have begun in his long time in prison thinking of spiritual matters, his turning away from his knightly ambitions came to a climax along the road towards the Crusades [or in some accounts, when the sickness returned en route to battle] when he heard a Voice asking him, “Francesco, who do you wish to serve, the servant or the Master?” He turned back to Assisi, to his father's dismay, and spent his time pondering the Gospels while deepening his love for God in Creation.
Another turning point for Francis during this time was when he was wandering through the countryside and came across a leper. He previously had a great dread for lepers, but this time he was drawn to him and as he said, saw the face of the suffering Christ in the lepers face. He embraced and kissed the face of the leper. He then began serving the leper community as one of his many ministries. He said what was repulsive became sweet, and what was sweet became repulsive. This was a step down the road to his renouncing things of this world for things of the next.
Finally, one of his wanderings took him to the broken down chapel of San Damiano. There, the Crucifix spoke to him, telling him “Francesco, rebuild my church as you can see it has fallen into ruin.” This call he took literally at first and proceeded to sell his father's fabrics and horse to pay for rebuilding the San Damiano chapel. When his father found this out, he imprisoned him. He was later released by his mother and went to the Bishop Guido, who called for a public rite in which Francesco would return the money to his father. Different versions tell the story slightly differently. Most have Francis giving back the money to his father, and also his clothes, and announcing that he no longer had an earthly father, but only “Our Father who art in heaven.” Another version says his father refused his penitence and demanded that his son be disowned legally, and not have any claim to his inheritance. Either way, he left his home, his family and even his clothes, and became a pauper, returning to San Damiano to repair the church with his own hands, begging in town for the materials. Soon some of his friends followed him, and the movement began.
He clothed himself in a pilgrim's attire and staff, and went about composing hymns, tending to lepers, and begging for stones to rebuild the San Damiano church, then St. Peter's and finally St. Mary of the Angels, Santa Maria degli Angeli, later known as Porzuncola (the little portion). In this church he had his final “call” while attending mass. In the Gospel Jesus called His disciples to posses neither gold nor silver, nor money for their journey, nor two coats, shoes or staff. They were to call sinners to repentance and announce the Kingdom of God. Francis took this literally as a call spoken directly to him. He gave up his pilgrim's attire, shoes and anything else he possessed and took on a tunic of the poorest peasants, tied around the waist with a chord, and began his mission of poverty and preaching repentance.
His story continued, The Rule