FRANCISCAN SPIRIT BLOG
Seven Followers of St. Francis
Blessed Angela Salawa
Angela Salawa was born to a poor family in Krakow, Poland. At the age of 16, she found work as a maid and lived a carefree and worldly life. A turning point came as she was dancing during a wedding reception and suddenly perceived that Christ was standing in the room, seeming to hold her in a gaze of loving reproach. Read more…
Father Daniel Egan
Daniel Egan, a Bronx native, joined the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement in 1935 and was ordained a priest. A turning point in his life came in 1952, as he was preaching in a church and noticed a woman in grave distress. She confessed that she was a drug addict struggling to kick her habit. Read more…
Eve Lavalliere
For years, Eve Lavalliere was the toast of Parisian society, a famous beauty, and the most popular actress on the French stage. Her abominable childhood had ended the day her father, in a drunken rage, shot her mother and then killed himself. Her later fame and wealth could not fill the void. Read more…
Louis Massignon
Louis Massignon, a French scholar, played a key role in promoting the cause of Catholic-Muslim dialogue. The seeds of his vocation were planted in his youth and his avid interest in Arab culture. While conducting research in Mesopotamia he was arrested and charged as a spy. Read more…
Marthe Robin
Marthe Robin was born in 1902 in a small village near Lyons. Her early childhood was happy and unremarkable. When she was 16, however, she showed the first symptoms of a grave disease that would eventually leave her bedridden. Read more…
Father Mychal Judge
On the morning of September 11, 2001, firefighters across New York were summoned to a scene of unimaginable horror: Two hijacked airliners had crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. As firefighters rushed into the burning buildings, they were accompanied by their chaplain, Father Mychal Judge. Read more…
Servant of God Thea Bowman
Thea Bowman was one of the great treasures of the American Catholic Church. Ablaze with the spirit of love, the memory of struggle, and a faith in God’s promises, she impressed her audiences not just with her message but also with the nobility of her spirit. Read more…
