The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-01
FEAST OF THE PORTIUNCULA.
Origin of the Anniversary Which Members of
the Catholic Church Celebrate Tomorrow.

The anniversary of the Feast of Portiuncula
will be celebrated tomorrow. The Church of
the Portiuncula- is, "the Church of the
Little Gate" local name like that Of 1.-THE Lit
tie Church Around tie Corner'-was one of the
churches at or near Assist, which was repaired
by st. Francis. The real name of the church is
Mary. Queen of Angels The feast proper is
simply commemorative of the anniversary of the
dedication of this church. and which was the be-
ginning of the Order of st. Francis
Induigences were granted to those who visited
the church. and these indulgences were after
wards extended to all other churches of the or
der. The indulgences are granted to those who
visit the churches of the order. Here they ex-
tend from this afternoon at 3 o'clock, until
Monday, at sunset, to those who visit the
Church of the Sacred Heart The conditions are
to go to confession confess ones sins and be
truly penitent for them, receive holy communion,
pray for the welfare of the church and the con-
version of sinners. The order in this city con-
sists of FIVE priests and five brothers They are
all Germans, the superior being Father Francis
Haase. In this country their habit is brown.
In England and Ireland they dress in gray. and
are called Gray Friars.
Francis, of Assist, saint of the Roman Catho-
lie Church, and founder of the order of Francis
cans, was born in Assist, in 1882, and died near
that city Oct. 4. 1926, at the age of forty four
years. His father was wealthy merchant, and,
having made his fortune in France, called his
son francisco. The future saint, as youth, led
a gay life, but when twenty-four years old re-
nounced the world. He formally gave up his
heirsbip to the fortune coming TO him from his
father, empted his pockets, and, stripping him
self of his fine garments, put on the common
clothing of laborer. From this time he
gave himself up to works of piety and charity;
begged in the streets for money to repair the
church, and assisted the masons with his own
hands IN carrying stones. He visited hospitals,
washing the feet and kissing the ulcers of the
lepers His exceeding humility in dress and de-
meanor began to win sympathy for him. rich
merchant in whose house Francis had been a
guest sold his estate, distributed his money to
the poor and came to pray with his friend. A
canon of the cathedral joined them. These
brethren received the dress Of Francis, a coarse
robe of serge, girded with cord, Aug. 16, 1909,
from which day the foundation of the
Franciscan order properly dates. Francis and his
companions first occupied little cottage just
without the walls of the city. As their mem
bers increased, they removed TO the premises of
the Portiuncula, which had been offered them by
the Benedictines, refusing however, to accept
this as gift Francis slept upon the grouns,
with q stone for pillow, ate his scanty food
cold, with ashes strewed upon it, sawed his gar
ments with pack-thread to make them eoarser,
rolled himself in snow to extlnguish the fires OF
sensual desire, obeyed the orders Of his novices,
tasted long and vigorously, and shed tears Sc
freely that he became nearly blind. he preached
wherever he could find hearers abhored dis
putes and controversies and amid the bloody
contentious which desolated Italy in his day
made his followers act everywhere as peace
makers
At length his failing health and growing blind
ness confined him to convent Here his en-
thusiasm became rapture. He had visions. The
Savior and the saints appeared to him, and Cath
olic authority tells of the stigmata the print of
nails in the hands and feet, and of wound in
the side corresponding to similar marks on the
person of the Savior, which Francis brought
away with him from one of these celestial inter,
views. He was canonized July 16. 1923 The
order of Franciscans as early as 1923. by bull
of the Pope, was confirmed as the 6rst among
the mendicant orders