Saint
Francis of Assisi
(1182-1226) was born into a wealthy family at Assisi,
Because
of his wealth, he generally picked up the tab and thus attracted a following of
fun loving, rowdy young men and promiscuous women.
When
armed conflict broke out between the men of Assisi and a neighboring city in 1202, Francis eagerly volunteered for the cavalry, but
wound up getting captured 
after
the first big battle and spent a year in captivity.
Francis
returned to Assisi
hailed as a hero, but unknown to his friends he had undergone a transformation
in his outlook during his captivity. Although he was once again the life of the
party, he was now questioning his reason for existence.
After much contemplation, including vivid dreams and mystic visions, he turned away from the pursuit of all worldly pleasures, sold all his property and donated the money to the Church. He then began a lifelong passion of caring for society's outcasts, the sick and poor, including lepers; a disease that he had always feared until he saw the "Christ Within."
His
wealthy father reacted to his son's new lifestyle by disinheriting him. Thus
Francis lived in utter poverty and even went without shoes. But his humbleness,
extraordinary kindness and love for humanity and the animal kingdom, attracted the attention of other
young men and they also chose to give up worldly pleasures and follow him to
spread the gospel and serve the poor.
Eventually,
as the brotherhood grew, its members traveled to other parts of Europe to
preach, including 
He became known for his love of nature and all God's creatures and was named the patron saint of animals and the environment. This is why the Sanctuary is named in his honor and opened on the Feast Day of St Francis, October 4th, 2002.
Francis had much love for animals with special fondness for the birds. Click Here to read his Sermon to the Birds and Here for The Taming of the Doves.
He liked to refer to animals as his brothers and sisters. Legend has it that wild animals had no fear of Francis and even came to him seeking refuge from harm. Click Here for a story of the Animal's Love and Loyalty to Saint Frances.
In
1224, Francis went up onto a mountain and began a 40-day fast. During that time
he is said to have had a miraculous vision and received the marks of the nails
and spear exactly as they appeared on the body of Jesus during his crucifixion -
the Stigmata.