Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-10-10
Dominican Fathers From st.
Louis Bertrand's Sing
High Mass.
Imposing Procession Precedes
Opening of Forty Hours
Prayer
STORIES OF The GENTLE SAINT

Last Sunday was a most holy day
for the clergy and people of st.
Boniface congregation, who cele-
brated with solemn and beautiful
ceremony the feast of the gentle st.
Francis of Assist, the founder of the
Franciscan order, and also the begin
ming of the Forty Hours Alteration.
The solemn high mass at 10 o'clock
was celebrated by a priest of the
Dominican order from st. Louis
Bertrand's, as it has long, been the
custom for the Dominicans to Off
ciate at the Franciscan church on st.
Francis day and the Franciscans at
the Dominican church on st. DOM
inic's day.
After the mass there was an
imposing procession in honor of the
Blessed Sacrament and the begin
ming of the Forty Hours prayer,
which came to a solemn close Tues
day evening. Services were held
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday even
ings with sermon and benediction,
and on Monday and Tuesday morn
ings there was mass and exposition
at $3.50 O'Clock. The feast and
attendant ceremonies attracted so
many that the big church was
thronged at all the services.
st. Francis of Assist is the gentle
saint whose memory is treasured by
Catholics and >Protestants. The
special characteristic of Francis. and
the one which he seemed to have
been most anxious to have his
brothers practice. was simplicity.
Many of the legends in the Flor
etti" show this. Let the reader not
smile at them, but rejoice only in
their picturesqueness. In some of
them We find a gentle humor, as for
instance the story of the angel Wis
ttor who, II he were not an angel,
one would call a rather mischievous
young person. He came one day
disguised as a handsome traveller and
Knocked at the convent door, and
put several inconvenient questions
to brother who, moved by an exag-
gerated asceticism and contrary to
the wishes of his Superior, wanted
TO debar the brethren from eating
meat. The same angel on another
occasion knocked so loudly and so
impatiently at the convent door that
the brother who came to open it
reproved him sharply for his unman-
nerliness and impatience. But of
all the early companions of Francis,
Brother Juniper era Ginepro) is
the one about which the quaintest
stories are told in the "Fioretti."
Francis loved him for his simplicity,
and with a play upon his name, said
he would wish to have a wood of
such" But the reckless liberality
and charity of his brother and his
ehild-like simplicity often placed the
community in an embarrassing posi-
tion. For instance, il he were left
in charge of the church or the con-
vent and a poor person came the
way he would give away the silver
balls and candlesticks, and even his
clothing. keeping only the scantiest
covering, and all "for PHYS sake"
His charity led him to do many
strange deeds, and one of his ad-
ventures is so full of drollery that
IL is worth the telling. A poor sick
brother was one day filled with the
strange longing for a pigs foot.
Juniper, who sat by his bedside, too
impetuous to think a moment,
jumped up, seized knife, and
rushed forth to the wood, where he
found herd of pigs feeding quietly.
He does not seem to have had st.
Francis love for animals, for he
thought nothing of the feelings OF
the victim which was to pay the
penalty of his wonderful charity. He
cut of one of the pigs feet, re-
turned triumphantly and cooked II
for the sick man. He was quite
surprised when the owner of the pig
objected. so he begged pardon so
sweetly that the man In compunction
for having scolded him so sharply,
killed the pig and gave II to the con-
vent-a very welcome addition to
their poor larder. Though Francis
bad this same Characteristic of sim
plicity he was intellectual in the
highest degree and was a skilled
musician and poet. In the days be-
fore he worshiped "his dear Lady
Poverty" he was one of the first
gallants of his city. and he was
called the "Debonnair Francois" In
an old French version OF his life.
Courtesy and politeness distinguished
him always, and the smile on his
face would fill his enemies with com
junction. He loved animals with
passion, and his fine poetic spirit
oxulted In the beauties OF nature. He
sIoke OF the elements as Brother
Wind and Water" and called the
fishes and birds his little brothers
and sisters" and they recognizing his
love for them came To him as friends
and did his bidding
All these traits are the more re-
markable when we consider the age
he lived In. II was the age OF con-
quest. ambition and strife. The
cities OF Italy were building them
selves up with pride and combatiye-
ness, the mobiles were ferocious. the
clergy lived In splendor. Francis
teaching Of humility. poverty and