St. Francis of Assisi: Soldier, Saint, Veteran

Just because St. Francis of Assisi is considered today one of the greatest saints in the history of the Catholic Church doesn’t mean he came to that greatness overnight. It took a while.

It all started when he served as a soldier in the Italian army in the bloody Battle of Collestrada in Umbria, Italy. Even after the battle, which took a huge toll on him, emotionally and physically, he still had visions of grandeur that did not include serving God. Far from it.

St. Francis was born in 1182 into a wealthy family. His father, Pietro di Bernardone, was a successful cloth merchant. St. Francis worked in his father’s shop and even traveled with him on business trips to France on occasion. 

Being part of the successful family operation certainly came with advantages that young St. Francis enjoyed. He had a reputation for being quite the partying socialite and had no problem spending his family’s money. Not surprisingly, given his self-centered lifestyle, St. Francis eventually began to exhibit restlessness. Little did he know at that point in his life that God was tugging on his heart. 

If he did recognize it at some level, he ignored it. He set his sights on more worldly aspirations. He decided to become a soldier to help defend his beloved Assisi in its war against nearby Perugia. How did that work for him? Not very well. His life was about to change drastically.

The ancient towns and tiny villages of Umbria that dot the breathtaking landscape today in the rolling hills of central Italy look so welcoming and peaceful that you would never suspect their history to be so dramatic and violent. Adding to the picturesque nature are the high stone walls surrounding every quaint borgo, no matter how large or small. 

The walls add to the ancient charm, of course; it is so charming that at times you feel as if you are on a movie set. But centuries ago, they were built for a much different purpose. 

Cities were erected on hills surrounded by walls as a matter of survival. Prior to its unification in the mid-1800s, Italy had a storied history of being divided into countless small kingdoms or fiefdoms, often under the strong influence of foreign powers. Battles such as the one for control of Collestrada were practically a way of life. 

A fortress with a higher vantage point meant that the townspeople could not only see the enemy coming but also might have a chance to protect their territory.

The tiny hamlet of Collestrada was built in 1099 and once contained a hospital that served pilgrims traveling to Rome. The hospital became a leper colony in 1202. 

At that time, the town was placed under the control of Perugia. The bloody conflict between Assisi and Perugia, known as the Battle of Collestrada, occurred the same year. St. Francis was about twenty-one years old when he took up the call to arms and fought for Assisi. 

Assisi lost, and her forces were captured. St. Francis was imprisoned in Perugia for a year, contracted malaria, and then was finally ransomed by his wealthy father. Afterward, he was in such sorry shape physically that he spent the year 1204 recuperating. 

During this time of recuperation, St. Francis had a powerful dream in which he heard a voice tell him to “Follow the Master, not the man.” 

One day, he was led by the Spirit to pray in the tiny church of San Damiano in Assisi, almost in ruins and abandoned by everyone. He prostrated himself, supplicating and devout before an icon of Christ crucified and, touched in an extraordinary way by divine grace, found himself totally changed. 

While he was so deeply moved, suddenly the image of Christ speaks to him, moving his lips. “Francis,” He says to him. “Go, repair my house, which, as you see, is all in ruins.” 

His life was changed; he started to repair churches  and then help the poor and sick, inspiring  others to abandon their lives as they were and join him.

These pre-conversion challenges St. Francis faced make him so relatable. How many of us have thought we had it all figured out, only to realize that God has a much different plan? 

Even though, at that stage of his life, it was more likely ego than nobility that drove his decisions, St. Francis did have a desire on some level to make a difference and make his family proud. He had a lot of time on his hands to think about his future, and he decided that his days of trying to be a military hero weren’t over. He would learn the hard way that his next lofty goal, to suit up as a knight and fight for the papal army in Southern Italy, would not be the shining moment for which he hoped. It would, however, be what was necessary to give the world the great St. Francis of Assisi.

St. Francis had traveled less than 30 miles on his way to battle when he fell ill again at Spoleto and returned home. 

It was soon after that he had a powerful dream and heard a voice telling him, “Follow the Master, not the man.” His conversion began during this defeat. He finally fully surrendered to God at that moment, and he became a soldier for Christ.

Since St. Francis’ conversion, hundreds of thousands of St. Franciscan religious and lay people have made great impacts on the world around us. Francis had a special love of animals and respect for life and God’s creation and shared that with others. 

America wouldn’t have been discovered in 1492 without the courage of a lay Franciscan, Christopher Columbus, who sailed across tumultuous waters to the New World. There are currently 20 Franciscan universities and colleges in the U.S. and countless priests, nuns, and lay Franciscans have shared the Good News of Jesus Christ for centuries. 

As we remember our Veterans this month, during this Jubilee Year of St. Francis and the 250^th Anniversary of our country, let’s remember that no matter what battle we are in, no matter how worn down and beaten we are, God’s got our backs and can turn it around for the good — if we just trust Him and surrender.

NOTE: Portions of this article are excerpts taken from Teresa Tomeo’s Italy’s Shrines and Wonders: Discovering Sacred Spaces and Fascinating Places in the Life of St. Francis of Assisi published by EWTN Publishing.

Teresa Tomeo hosts Catholic Connection on EWTN Radio and is the founder of T’s Italy. She lives part-time in Italy, where she has led pilgrimages and tours. She has written more than 15 books, including Italy’s Shrines and Wonders, Vol. II, which traces the life of St. Francis of Assisi through Italy. She also hosts the EWTN Learn series “Saints in Italy” and “The Unknown St. Francis of Assisi.”