We are so happy that so many of you are enjoying this beautiful series of reflections by Deacon Jim Byrne.  If you would like your own copy of the complete series, please contact the Rectory office and we will be happy to print one for you.

We are going to take a look at the Main Entrance for the next few weeks.

The Main Entrance into the Church:
Visible in the nave of the church are three large stained-glass panels depicting scenes from the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. These are best viewed when standing or sitting near the altar and looking back towards the church entrance.

Citations:  
All Sacred Scripture is taken from the 
New American Bible at www.usccb.org
Catholic Encyclopedia extracts are taken from www.newadvent.org

Right Panel Story:

In true spirit of religious enthusiasm, Francis repaired to the church of St. Nicholas and sought to learn God’s will in their regard by thrice opening at random the book of the Gospels on the altar. Each time it opened at passages where Christ told His disciples to leave all things and follow Him. 

“This shall be our rule of life”, exclaimed Francis, and led his companions to the public square, where they forthwith gave away all their belongings to the poor. . .  When the number of his companions had increased to eleven, Francis found it expedient to draw up a written rule for them.  

This first rule, as it is called, of the Friars Minor has not come down to us in its original form, but it appears to have been very short and simple, a mere adaptation of the Gospel precepts already selected by Francis for the guidance of his first companions, and which he desired to practice in all their perfection.  

When this rule was ready the Penitents of Assisi, as Francis and his followers styled themselves, set out for Rome to seek the approval of the Holy See, although as yet no such approbation was obligatory.  There are differing accounts of Francis’s reception by Innocent III. It seems, however, that Guido, Bishop of Assisi, who was then in Rome, commended Francis to Cardinal John of St. Paul, and that at the instance of the latter, the pope recalled the saint whose first overtures he had, as it appears, somewhat rudely rejected. 

Moreover, in spite of the sinister predictions of others in the Sacred College, who regarded the mode of life proposed by Francis as unsafe and impracticable, Innocent, moved it is said by a dream in which he beheld the Poor Man of Assisi upholding the tottering Lateran, gave a verbal sanction to the rule submitted by Francis and granted the saint and his companions leave to preach repentance everywhere.  

Before leaving Rome they all received the ecclesiastical tonsure, Francis himself being ordained deacon later on (Catholic Encyclopedia).