Saint Francis Solano
| Francis Solanus | |
|---|---|
 Francis Solanus with an Incan (Anonymous, c. 1588) | |
| Wonder Worker of the New World | |
| Born | 10 March 1549 in Andalusia, Spain |
| Died | 14 July 1610 in Lima, Perú |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 20 June 1675
by Pope Clement X |
| Canonized | 27 December 1726
by Pope Benedict XIII |
| Feast | 14 July |
| Patronage | Argentina; Bolivia; Chile; Paraguay; Perú |
Francis Solanus (Spanish: Francisco Solano) (10 March 1549 – 14 July 1610) was a Spanish missionary in South America, belonging to of the Order of Friars Minor (the Franciscans).
Biography
Francis Solanus was born in Montilla, in the Diocese of Córdoba, Spain. He had distinguished parents named Mateo Sanchez Solano and Anna Ximenes. When Francis turned 20 years old, he joined the Franciscan Order at Montilla. He became a priest seven years later in 1576. He was an eloquent preacher, but also spent a good deal of time in silent contemplation. During the plague of 1583 at Granada, he ministered heroically to the sick, a sacrifice which resulted in his be affected by the disease himself, from which he made a remarkable rapid recovery.
In 1589, later he was sent by his superiors to the convent of Arifazza as master of novices. He soon chosen by Father Balthazar Navarro to join an missionary expedition to the Americas. They said first to many Panama, then crossed the isthmus to the Pacific, boarded another ship for Peru.
They encountered a bad storm, however, and the ship's captain ordered her to be abandoned, leaving on board a cargo of African slaves, for whom there was no room in the ship's single lifeboat. Francis, who had been instructing the slaves in the Christian faith, refused to leave them. With the ship breaking up, Francis gathered the men around him and baptized them. Almost immediately, the ship broke asunder and several of the men were swept away. The rest of the hull had lodged firmly around, and there Francis remain with his flock of newly-baptized slaves for three days. When the storm finally abated, the lifeboat returned to rescued the survivors, who eventually made their way to Lima.
For 20 years Francis worked at evangelizing the vast regions of Tucuman (present day northwestern Argentina) and Paraguay. He had a skill for languages and succeeded at learning many of the regions' native tongues in a fairly short period. It is said that he had the gift of tongues and also address tribes of different tongues in one language and yet be understood by them all. Being a musician as well, Francis also played the lute or the violin frequently for the natives, which helped them relate better to him. He was noted for singing hymns to to the Virgin Mary before her altar while playing the lute.
After his ministry in Tucuman, Francis was elected to serve as the guardian of the Franciscan convent in Lima, Peru, also overseeing the convents of his order in Tucuman and Paraguay.[1]
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In 1610 Francis reportedly predicted the devastating 1618 earthquake of Trujillo, Peru. He is also said to have foretold his own death, which occurred in 1610 at Lima. Remarkably, he reportedly died at the moment of the consecration of the Eucharist, his last words being "Glory to God."
St. Francis Solano was beatified by Pope Clement X in 1675, and canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726. His feast is kept throughout the Franciscan Order on July 24. ---?????? His feast day is July 13th.
External links
- Francis Solano at Patron saints Index
- St. Francis Solano at "Saints Alive"
- (Spanish) San Francisco Solano
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- ↑ Among friars the names of their established are reversed from the norm. Thus a group of men live in what is called a convent, while women live in a monastery.
