The physical proximity of these two windows in St Luke's church is very appropriate for, as we shall see, they were just as spiritually close in 12th century Assisi.

The Basilica – and an earthquake
My interest in the two Saints was kindled during a recent holiday in Tuscany and a guided tour of the Basilica of Assisi wherein lie the relics of St Francis. Magnificant Giotto frescoes, depicting the life of the saint, embellish the Basilica walls but in 1997 they suffered severe damage in an earthquake. Several of the frescoes were reduced to rubble but painstaking restoration has now allowed thousands of pieces to be replaced; however, there are several blank areas in the walls and ceiling still awaiting the further sifting of thousands of fresco fragments.

Francis – son of a wealthy cloth merchant
Francesco (‘the Frenchman’) was born in 1181of a Provençal mother while his father was in France. As a lad he helped his father, a wealthy cloth merchant, both in Assisi and on the frequent foreign travels, both within what we now call Italy and beyond.

Disillusionment – but spiritual development
However, youthful impetuosity gained sway and, anxious to ‘gain his spurs’, he joined the fight against the nearby city of Perugia. He was soon imprisoned and fell very ill. When released he returned, disillusioned and humiliated, to Assisi; some said he was suffering a mental breakdown. For several years he wandered the area, blessing those he encountered; more and more his regard for the poor and for lepers developed. It was then that he heard a voice, seemingly coming from a crucifix (still on display) in the semi-derelict church of San Damiano in Assisi. Francis was asked to: ‘Go and repair My House’. Francis interpreted this as a need to physically restore that church.

Family conflict – and the call to spiritually renew the Church
Conflict with his father ensued as Francis sold his father’s cloth to fund the ‘repairs’. Eventually he renounced his inheritance and, in a dramatic gesture, stripped off his rich clothes in the market place! He had realised that the Call was one of Spiritual renewal of the Church. So began a life of poverty, of caring for the sick and of extensive travelling with his band of ‘disciples’ in the search for conversions. He always returned to the communal life near a leper colony in the church of Portiuncula (which still stands) in the boggy, forested valley below Assisi. The Franciscan cult flourished, requiring Francis to travel and monitor the progress of the Order (and bring to heel those who wished to bring changes). Monks brought the Franciscan Order to England in 1224 and it became a powerful influence for reform.

Preaching to birds – stigmata – and Clare
An interpretation of the popular image of St Francis preaching to birds is that it is an allegory for his preaching to his followers, resulting in them ‘flying’ with the Word of God to the four corners of the earth. Francis apparently experienced the Impression of the Stigmata on Mont La Verna in1224, the scars of which remained hidden by him until his death two years later. In 1224, too, Francis visited Clare at Assisi, finding her very ill but still inspired by the example of Francis himself, as she had been from her earliest days.
Francis was canonised in 1228; the 20th century witnessed a widespread revival of the interest in St Francis and he has become a much-loved saint, although there is a tendency to view him too sentimentally!
Feast day: 4th October

Clare – single minded aristocrat – inspired by Francis
Clare was thirteen years younger than Francis. She was born in 1194 into an aristocratic family of Assisi; social conventions, however, dictated that she ‘be seen but not heard’. This did not suit Clare! Her family expected this comely young woman to marry suitably but, at eighteen, she heard and saw Francis preach and was so moved that she took herself to his church of Portiuncala where she renounced her possessions and took to wearing the nun’s habit (Francis later built a church especially for her and her Order of Poor Clares).

The family – Poor Clares travel widely – a needlewoman
According to legend her sister was anxious to join her, but was dragged from the altar by her family. At this her body became miraculously too heavy to lift! Soon her mother and two sisters followed Clare. Although Clare herself never left the church building her nuns, like Francis’ followers, travelled extensively throughout Europe. They lived entirely on alms. Four convents were established in England in the late 13th and 14th centuries. Clare devoted her life to her community and, like Francis, was a lover of Nature. Although she was frequently ill in the latter part of her life, her love for her native Assisi never diminished and was reflected in not only her prayers but in her sewing of altar cloths for its churches (some are on display in the crypt of the Basilica).

Saracens retreat before her – a facial likeness - the Poor Clares today – and a TV personality
Legend has it that when Assisi was twice under Saracen siege, Clare was carried to the battlements carrying a pyx and monstrance containing the Holy Sacrament. At this the enemy armies fled. Have a look at our figure of St Clare; do you see that she stands by the walls of Assisi bearing a monstrance? And by chance she and St Francis seem to gaze at each other in mutual devout respect! Clare died in 1253 and was canonised soon after; her embalmed remains are displayed in the Basilica di Santa Chiara (i.e. Basilica of St Clare); her skull has allowed a scientific reconstruction of her features in the form of a ‘facial mask’. The Poor Clares, although small in number, continue today in many countries as a contemplative order, inspired by the ideals of St Clare and of St Francis.

A legend describes how Clare was able to see and hear Francis preaching even when he was far away and she was in her convent. As a sign of the times: Clare has been selected as the Patron Saint of Television!
Feast Day: 11 August