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The Radical Conversion of Francis of Assisi

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In the rolling hills of Umbria, where the olive groves whisper ancient secrets and the stone walls of Assisi stand as silent witnesses to history, a young man once dreamed of glory. He was a knight, clad in the ambitions of wealth and honor, a son of privilege who chased the fleeting thrill of worldly acclaim. His name was Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, but the world would come to know him as Francis of Assisi—a name that echoes through the centuries as a beacon of radical love, poverty, and devotion to Christ. At Journeys of Faith, we are drawn to stories like his, tales of transformation that cut through the noise of our modern lives and remind us of the raw, untamed power of God’s call.

Francis’s journey from knight to poverello—Italian for “little poor man”—is not just a historical footnote. It’s a spiritual earthquake, a seismic shift that reshaped the Church and continues to challenge us today. Here was a man who had everything—status, charm, the promise of a comfortable life—and yet, in a moment of divine encounter, he walked away from it all. He traded armor for rags, pride for humility, and self for service. For those of us seeking deeper meaning, for Catholic Christians yearning to understand the heart of our faith through the lives of the saints, Francis’s story is a pilgrimage in itself—a roadmap to the kind of surrender that changes everything.

At Journeys of Faith, we’ve spent decades uncovering the treasures of Catholic tradition, from Eucharistic miracles to the lives of holy men and women like Saint Francis of Assisi. Inspired by our founders, Bob and Penny Lord, who embarked on their own transformative pilgrimage over 40 years ago, we invite you to journey with us into the life of this extraordinary saint. Through his radical conversion, we find not just a historical figure, but a mirror held up to our own lives, asking: What are we willing to let go of for the sake of Christ? Let’s step into Assisi, into the 13th century, and witness the making of a saint whose love for God and creation still burns bright in the heart of the Church.

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