RANCIS GIVES HIS CLOAK TO A BEGGAR. The first window in this beautiful series represents Francis, whom

Providence had destined to found the great Order of Friars Minor, at the height of his worldly ambition, aspiring to Knighthood at the age of twenty one. Son of a rich merchant of Assisi, his ardent soul found anything but satisfaction in measuring out goods to

customers. To satisfy his yearning ambition, he entered upon themilitary career. This pleased his father, since there was glory in sight

· for his family, and he gladly furnished the means for a gorgeous· equipment. Hence the costly garments of the son of Bernardone in this scene, and in the background the attendant holding a restive horse. Francis is seen generously giving his cloak to a beggar, and this act dearly marks a turning point in his life. This incident is thus told by the Saint's biographers.

Ever since his imprisonment in Perugia during the year 1202 -

1203,

the result of the strife between that city and Assisi, Francis was seized with a feeling of unrest from which he could not free himself. "More than ever he dreamed of great deeds, of strange adventures. He too would be a Knight of the Holy Grail, he too would go out into the world, offer his blood for the cause of the Greatest and Highest," and perhaps return home crowned with glory and fame. Like many of the youths of Italy, he would join the forces of Waltcr of Brienne in southern Italy, to fight for the Church and Italian liberty, and receive knighthood at the hands of the leader. "He set about equipping himself for the undertaking in a fashion befitting the greatness of his ambition"; so that his garments surpassed in beauty and costliness those of his companion in arms, Count Gentile, though he, too, was a man of wealth and fashion.

"The day of departure was at hand and Francis was already delighting in the glory of his newly bought equipment, when he happened to fall in with a knight whose shabby dress betokened a straitened poverty. And this to Francis seemed a great shame, that one who belonged to so high a profession should be clothed so meanly. Straightway he made over his own gorgeous mantle and tunic and all his costly apparel to the poor knight".God rewarded this charitable deed of Francis by making known to

him in a dream, during the following night, that he was not to obtain greatness in the service of the world, but in that of his Lord and God. However, he could not dream of the great designs of Providence for him, nor of the great part he and his Order were to

play in the betterment of society. .

RANCIS RENOUNCES THE WORLD.

Here we behold Francis about five years later, Apr. 16, 1207.God's grace has matured his vocation. He stands with his father before Bishop Guido of Assisi and his episcopal court and makes the supreme sacrifice of his life. He renounces the world and dedicates himself publicly and unreservedly to the service of God. Admonished by that" mysterious voice" at Spoleto, Francis abandoned his aspirations for military glory and returned to Assisi, to take up again the threads of his former life. He went back to his father's business, and the youths of the city at once reelected him, on account of his prodigality, captain of their revels. But his heart was neither in his father's business nor in the frivolities of his companions. He commenced to associate with the poor of the city and, encouraged by his good mother Pica, led a life of prayer and penance, giving liberal alms, at times from the goods of his father, to the chagrin of the latter.Finally, upon the return from a long journey, the sensitive PietroBernardone, perceiving that he was earning but taunts and humiliation for the life of his son, sternly resolved to have it out with him. He threatened to disinherit his "wayward" son and hale him before the magistrates of the city for that purpose. Francis, in spite of his filial piety, was equally determined and felt that he was man enough to stand his ground. Since he refused to appear before the commune, having dedicated himself to religion and hence no longer subject to the jurisdiction of the civil courts, his father carried his complaints to the Bishop. Francis obeyed the summons of the Bishop, and when the demands of his father were made known to him, he arose, threw his wallet to his father's feet, handed back even the clothes he wore, and, raising his eyes, declared with a loud voice: “Hitherto I have called Pietro Bernardone father; henceforth I will say in all truth, Our Father who art in Heaven."Never before had such an act of renunciation been made in thatcourt. In their midst stood Francis, divested of all but a coarse hair shirt. His father was nonplussed. The Bishop wept and so did the people. Francis had found his quest, he had found his "Lady Poverty" in a scene, indeed, famous in the annals of the Saints and ever an inspiration for generous youths to follow his example.

. RANCIS INVESTS ST. CLARE.Again five years have passed. By this time the Seraphic spirit

that inflamed the heart of Francis had gained him many followers among the young men, and commenced to extend itself to the maidens of Assisi. Foremost amongst the latter was Lady Clare, who, under the guidance of the Saint,. became the foundress of the Second Order of St. Francis, generally known as the Order ofPoor Clares.

Clare was the daughter of Favorini dei Scifi, who belonged to oneof the noblest families in the territories of Assisi. Distinguished by her birth, as well as by her noble qualities of body and mind, she seemed destined to uphold the traditions of her family and to reign as the mistress of one of the many feudal castles of her native land. But her pious mind. was far from being captivated by the honors and riches and pleasures of i:he world. Every offer of marriage was rejected. Her only desire was to serve God with all her mind and heart. Filled with a holy enthusiasm by the words of St. Francis, to whom she went for instruction and advice, she determined, after serious deliberation, to abandon her earthly prospects and after the example of Francis, to follow more closely in the footsteps of Christ,by adopting a life of poverty and prayer. This resolution she carried out during the night of March 19, 1212. Accompanied by her maid, she left her father's house and went to the little church of the Portiuncola. Here Francis and his Brethren were awaiting her, here she vowed herself to God according to the strict Rule of St. Francis.

It is remarkable how this Order of ladies, throughout the centuriesand amid all the opulence and luxuries of the world, has preserved its original discipline. Once within the enclosure, their faces are butrarely seen again by the world. Living exclusively from alms, they lead a life of penance and prayer. They wear the coarse woolen habit of the Franciscans, go barefooted all year, never eat meat, and fast the greater part of the year. They arise at midnight, to chant the Solemn -Matins and Lauds of the Church and to give at least half an hour to meditation. In this country they have Monasteries in Chicago, New Orleans, Omaha, Evansville, Ind., and Oakland, Cal. They are the pride of the cities that are fortunate enough to harbor them; they belong to the choicest flowers of the Church, and are the Vestal Virgins of Christendom.

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RANCIS THE LOVER OF NATURE.The scene represented in the fourth window is a reproduction

of the celebrated painting of Joseph von Fuehrich. It shows us St. Francis seated in the solitude of Mount Alverna, surrounded by the animals of the forest, who approach him not only without fear, but also seat themselves on his arms and shoulders and press close to him with signs of trust and affection. In this way the artist wished to portray Francis' great love of nature, inanimate as wellas animate.

It has been truthfully said: "St. Francis beheld the Creator in the beauty of created things, and by contemplating them, he rose everhigher to the possession of uncreated l.ove. Detached as he was from all earthly things, he seemed to have gradually returned to the innocence of the first man and to complete harmony with nature surrounding him. As he was full of love and affection for the least of creatures, so did these also show him an affection which reminds us of paradise. It was as though a new sense had been given him, and his heart beat with an intimate understanding of the heart-life of the beasts and birds and all sensitive things. He felt no longer a stranger amongst them. And with this new understanding there came to him a wonderful power over all the wild life. The most timid and ferocious became fearless and tame at his side."

Numerous are the instances in his life in which he showed his love for creatures and his power over them. Beasts of prey, at his word, ceased their depredations, sheep showed their joy when they saw him, birds fluttered joyously at his approach, perched on his hands and arms, listened to him when he spoke to them, and united with him in singing the praise of God. Remarkable is the story of his encounter with the wolf of Gubbio, which is thus told by his biographers: "A savage wolf terrorized the inhabitants of Gubbio. It kept itself in the environs, and no one dared to go out of the city alone, even if he was armed. St. Francis went out to seek the wolf. In his marvelous way, he tamed the beast and brought him into the city in meek and docile mood and had him fed; and from that time the wolf became the pet of the city until he died."

Well known, too, is the Saint’s Canticle of Brother Sun which is"a song of the kinship of all God's creatures and of God's Fatherhood of them all, and of the liberty which the heart of man finds in the vision of this truth."

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R. JUNIPERO SERRA'S FIRST CONVERT.A baptismal scene was desired in this window. Since how

ever, it is not known that St. Francis ever baptized anyone, and since all the windows were to be historical: it is not St. Francis himself who appears here, but one of his sons that had fully imbibed his apostolic spirit, Junipero Serra, the Apostle of California. Though not expressly a missionary Order, the sons of St. Francis have always been conspicuous in missionary fields. This is clear from the fact that already in the first half of the 14th century Franciscan Missionaries traversed all Asia and founded numerous Christian communities.

When, however. the holy founder wrote in his Rule the chapter for Missionaries amongst the Infidels and sent out his first Brethren into foreign lands, he could not, even in his boldest vision, foresee the prominent part his sons, Columbus, Juan Perez, Hennepin, etc., would take one day in the discovery and exploration of the New World and in the conversion of its aborigines. Fr. Junipero Serra with his Spanish Confreres set foot on California soil in 1769. His first convert was the Chief of the Gualamo Indians in the vicinity of San Diego. When the Fathers of the St. Louis Province took charge of the California Missions, Father Clementine Deymann of

. Teutopolis was one of the first ones to be sent there and was. made first superior in 1890. On one of his earlier travels he met Fr. Junipero's "first convert" in the Poor House of Salinas, Monterey Co., . Cal. He took a photograph of the venerable Indian, wrote on its · back a sketch of his life, and sent the same to the museum of St. Josephs College, Teutopolis, Ill. It is this first baptism of Fr. J unipero that appears in this window. Below is a reproduction of the Chief's photo and Father Deymann's sketch. It reads as follows:

Watsonville, Col., Aug. 3rd., 1886. A photograph of Gabriel Gualamo, Chief of the Gualamo Indians. He was Father Junipero Serra's first convert and was baptized at Salinas, Monterey Co., Calif., and is supposed to be between 112 and 142 years old. Records prove him to be over 135. I saw him today in the above mentioned Poor House.

Fr. Clementine Deymann, 0. F. M.N. B.: Old Gabriel died in the Monterey Hospital, March t6th,1890 at the reputed age of 151 years. (Records.)

. RANCIS PREACHES CHRIST BEFORE THE SUL: TAN I At the famous Chapter of Mats, 1219, the foreign Mission enterprise had been formally initiated. Francis chose for himself what was considered the most hazardous one, the mission to the Moslem. He selected Brother Illuminato as his companion. It was the time of the fifth Crusade. The contending armies stood

in Egypt. By peculiar circumstances John of Brienne, brother ofWalter of Brienne, under whose guidance Francis had once contemplated to enter upon the military career, commanded the Crusaders, Melek-el-Kamil the Turks. In the camp of the Christians Francis learned that here, too, the purest ideal rubbed shoulder with the most sordid and he soon grew disgusted with the shameless life of the Crusaders. He was a true Knight and the Knighthood of the Cross meant for him more than a mere war cry.

"Once more setting at naught common prudence", Francis wentover to the Sultan's camp, in spite of the fact that the latter had offered a golden ducat for the head of any Christian. Scarcely beyond the lines of the Christians, he and Brother Illuminate were taken prisoners; their meekness, however, saved their lives. History reports several audiences Francis and Brother Illuminato had with the Sultan. The window depicts such an audience. There is Francis boldly preaching Christ. Brother Illuminato meekly standing to his left. The Sultan in gorgeous Turkish attire is sitting on his throne, listening pensively. Mixed sentiments are expressed on the faces of the courtiers. "The Sultan was deeply impressed by Francis and his message and wished to show his esteem by valuable presents, as indicated by the treasures standing by the throne. But Francis had not come for gold, he had come for souls. Failing in this, he asked permission to return to the Christian camp. The Sultan, dismissing them, begged Francis not to cease to pray for him and ordered his soldiers to conduct the Friars back with courtesy. A legend tells us that the Sultan died a Christian, converted by a Franciscan." - Fr. Cuthbert.

In the sacristy of the Convento Sagro, Assisi, there is preserved a Turkish horn which is said to have been given to Francis by the Sultan, and which the Saint afterwards used to call the people together when he was about to preach.

RANCIS OBTAINS THE PORTIUNCULA INDUL.· GENCE./By granting to Francis the Portiuncula Indulgence

in 1219, the Church changed her traditional discipline as regardsIndulgences. "Up to that time the church had accorded no plenaryIndulgences except on occasion of Crusades." And as to partialIndulgences, "The Church was inclined to restrict them, nor was

it customary to grant them without the obligation of alms." Hencewomen and poor and sick people were deprived of this singular privilege. Yet the heart of Francis went out to them, the favorites of Christ; for their sake he, the rich merchant's son, had become poor 1 for their religious.. and social uplift he worked and prayedincessantly.

This window shows how Francis one night, in his beloved chapel of Portiuncula, pouring out his soul in prayer for the conversion of sinners, was favored with a heavenly vision. Christ appeared to him in great splendor, accompanied by His Blessed Mother and surrounded by Angels. Christ, pleased with the heroic piety of Francis, told him, as God had told Solomon of old, when he was praying for his people - "Ask of Me whatever favor thou pleasest, it shall be granted to you." The heart of Francis was full of but one subject, the conversion of sinners, that the prodigal son, and his name is legions, might arise and go back to his Father and be reconciled. Hence quick came the answer: "Grant, 0 Lord, that all who, contrite and having confessed their sins, shall visit this church, may receive a Plenary Indulgence and pardon of all their sins." Mary, the Mother of Good Hope, seconded the appeal. And Christ answered: "I grant the Indulgence thou askest on condition that it be ratified by My Vicar, to whom alone I have given power to bind and to loose."

Francis' heart flowed over with joy. At daybreak he set out with Brother Masseo for Perugia to put his cause before Pope Honorious the Third. The petition was granted, though it meant a radical change of ecclesiastical discipline. The 2nd of August was the day fixed for the great general amnesty between God and man. For centuries thousands of pilgrims visited annually the little chapel of Assisi on that date, to gain the Portiuncula Indulgence. Later this privilege was extended to all Franciscan churches, at present practically every parochial church enjoys the same.In as much as the Portiuncula Indulgence implies a perfect reconciliation between God and the sinner, the artist has with great propriety introduced in the background the rainbow, the sign of the covenant of reconciliation between God and Noah after the deluge.

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RANCIS THE LOVER OF THE INFANT JESUS. ·\

Soon after his return from the Holy Land, Francis introducedhis realistic way of celebrating the Birth of Christ, and thus brought closer to the hearts of the faithful the message of the Joy and Peace of the Babe of Bethlehem.

To understand better the endeavors of St. Francis, we must keep in mind that, as today, so also at that time "Tyranny, discord, and vengeance reigned throughout Europe and especially in Italy." Francis himself, at one time prisoner of war, had gotten a taste of its bitterness, and nobody yearned more to see peace reestablished than he did. On his sojourn in the East, Francis had, indeed, failed in his mission of peace to the warring Sultan of Egypt, but this failure was more than compensated for by the inspiration he drew from a visit to the Holy Places in Palestine. The mysteries of Bethlehem above all had a charm for him. He conceived a new idea of the message of Joy and Peace, so inseparably connected with the Birth of Christ; now more than ever he considered himself the Herald of the Prince of Peace; and he was determined to get this message before the people in a way as never before: he introduced his way of the Crib Devotion.

His friend Giovanni of Greccio readily cooperated. On his estatenear the city was a grotto; he also furnished the ox, the ass, and the manger. Townsmen, peasants, and shepherds were invited. Towards midnight Francis and his Brethren came to celebrate Solemn Mass. The moment just before Mass is shown in this window. Francis is kneeling in contemplation before the Crib. To his left is his friend Giovanni; newcomers with torches are seen in the back ground, struggling through the woods. "At Mass Francis was Deacon. After the Gospel he stood forth, all enthused, to preach on the text: 'Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy etc.' The crowd felt as though a: hidden mystery was in very deed r e vealed to their eyes: so subtly did the preacher convey to them his own emotions." "Thus he induced individuals, families, cities, and districts to live again in peace and harmony." Even today, when long before dawn on Christmas morning the solemn peals of our Church bells announce the Birthday of Christ and. carry the glad tidings along the highways and byways of life to the remotest and humblest cottage by the wayside, it is the vision of the Crib of St. Francis that draws countless multitudes to fill our houses of worship.

RANCIS INSTITUTES THE III ORDER.Here is a lasting monument of the loyalty and the exalted

patriotism of the young men of Teutopolis in the World War. It will perpetuate the memory of some trying days of this community. The inscription speaks for itself. It reads: "In Memory of Sgt. Ferd. Delker, Member of the III Order, Our World War Victim, Marcheville, France, Nov. toth, 1918. Ferd. Delker was enthusiastic in the service of his country. He had volunteered long before the draft came. In one of his last letters he wrote: "I have no dread to go to the front; I am prepared to sacrifice my life"; and so he did. Himself a sharpshooter, he exposed himself boldly and was singled out by an enemy sharpshooter. He is the only one of our 66 boys in service that fell in action. Also in the service of God young Delker was in the advance. At the age of 18 he joined the ranks of the III Order of St. Francis. It is the beginning of this institution that is represented in this window.The example and the preaching of Francis and his Brethren stirred

all Italy and great numbers sought to join his ranks. Since he couldnot possibly sever the family ties of the married people, he conceived the idea to establish, with the approbation of the Pope, a Religious Order for the people in the world. The plan was executed in 1221, in the Florentine territory. This window represents Francis receiving the first two members--Lucius and his graceful consort Bona Donna. Lucius, like Francis, was the scion of a rich commercial family. They had been friends in b oyhood days.The III Order spread rapidly. It meant not only a revival of religion, but also a social regeneration. It was at the time when Frederick II endeavored to establish his sway over Italy by sowing discord in that country. Peter de Vinneis, his chancellor, wrote to his sovereign: "The III Order of Francis is frustrating our plans. Every man and woman belongs to that Fraternity, and they refuse to fight for us." Of Florence it is said: "In a short time through the influence of the III Order it assumed a new aspect of peace and prosperity." Pope Leo XIII. recognized the inherent vitality of the III Order for social regeneration. He modified its Rule and declared: "My program of social reform is the III Order." The great International Congress of Rome in September 1921, and its gigantic National Convention in Chicago on the 2nd, 3rd, and4th of October of the same year, the 70oth anniversary of its institution, show that the III Order is yet very much alive and very much up-to-date in social reform work. "May the III Order spread in every city and town and hamlet." Benedict XV.

ST. FRANCIS RECEIVES THE STIGMATA.In view of the prevailing tendency of denying the supernatural interests of the soul, this window is probably the most striking one, because it so strongly exhibits the influence of the supernatural upon the natural. Two years before his death, in 1224, a phenomenon was wrought upon the body of St. Francis, up to that time unknown in the history of the Church: he received the Stigmata, the marks of the five wounds of our Lord. Since that time others are known to have had them. Even to.=day there lives in San Giovanni, southern Italy, the saintly Capuchin Friar Padre Pio, who is thus favored.

In this window the artist followed the description by Celano and the painting of Giotto. In the foreground is St. Francis kneeling in prayer on a projecting ledge of Mt. Alverna. In amazement he looksat the winged Seraph with the face of our Lord. In the background I

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is seen Brother Leo, the faithful companion of Francis, emergingfrom a ravine.

Historians thus relate the mysterious occurrence; "Absorbed in prayer, Francis saw descend a Seraph having six wings. In a moment of great agony the Seraph smote him, as the Angel smote Jacob of old. The vision having disappeared, the marks of the Crucifixion began to show themselves. The right side was marked with a red scar, blood flowing from it. His hands and feet were pierced with fleshy nails. They were formed of a mass of nerves that was loose, and could be moved in the wound. Their round black heads showed within the palms of the hands and on the insteps of the feet. Their long points, bent and, as it were, beaten with a hammer, protruded on the back of the hands and under the soles of the feet." - (Le Monnier.)

The Stigmata of Francis were seen by many. Among them wasCard. Conti, later Pope Alexander IV. "He could never forget the sight" and called them "the seal of the High Priest Jesus Christ impressed upon one of His servants."

Naturally the spot was sacred to Francis, as it has remained eversince to his Brethren. Himself unable to perform the act on account of the wounds, Francis bade Bro. Pacifico to consecrate the stone over which the Seraph had stood, even as Jacob had consecrated the stone of his vision: washing it and anointing it with oil. Today it is seen encased in a grille in the Chapel of the Stigmata, and twice a day the Friars of the place proceed to the Chapel in solemn procession to venerate the sacred spot.