Francis of Paola
Francis of Paola | |
|---|---|
Francis by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, from the altarpiece The Immaculate Conception with Saint Lawrence and Saint Francis of Paola | |
| Hermit of St Francis | |
| Born | 27 March 1416 Paola, Calabria Citeriore, Kingdom of Naples |
| Died | 2 April 1507 (aged 91) Plessis-lez-Tours, Touraine, Kingdom of France |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 1 November 1518 |
| Canonized | 1 May 1519 by Pope Leo X |
| Feast | 2 April |
| Patronage | Patron saint of Calabria; Paola, Calabria, Corigliano-Rossano, Altomonte, Botricello, Paterno Calabro, Sicily, Stornarella, San Fili, and formerly of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies; co-patron saint of Naples, Cosenza, Castrovillari, Bitonto, Castelleone di Suasa, Castrolibero, Luzzi, and of Bisignano; Amato; La Chorrera, Panama; Mabini, Batangas; boatmen, mariners, and naval officers and he is the patron saint of the community of Caxangá, in the city of Recife, State of Pernambuco, Brazil. |
Francis of Paola, O.M. (also known as Francis the Fire Handler; 27 March 1416 – 2 April 1507), was a Roman Catholic friar from the town of Paola in Calabria who founded the Order of Minims. He was named after Francis of Assisi and like him (but unlike most founders of men's religious orders) Francis of Paola was never ordained a priest.