1. RANCIS GIVES HIS CLOAK TO A BEGGAR.
The firstwindow 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. Tosatisfy his yearning ambition, he entered upon the
military 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, hewould 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.
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2. 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 Pietro
Bernardone, 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 that
court. 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.

3. . 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 of
Poor Clares.
Clare was the daughter of Favorini dei Scifi, who belonged to one
of the noblest familiesin 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 ofChrist,
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 centuries
and amid all the opulence and luxuries of the world, has preserved
its original discipline. Once within the enclosure, their faces are but
rarely 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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4. «
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 well
as animate.
It has been truthfully said: "St. Francis beheld the Creator in the
beauty of created things, and by contemplating them, he rose ever
higher 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 theSaint’sCanticle of Brother Sunwhich 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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5. 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.
Junipero 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.)

6. . 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 timeof thefifth Crusade.The contending armies stood
in Egypt. By peculiar circumstances John of Brienne, brother of
Walter 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 went
over to theSultan'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 theConvento Sagro, Assisi, there is preserved a
Turkish hornwhich 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.

7. RANCIS OBTAINS THE PORTIUNCULA INDUL.·
GENCE./By granting to Francis the Portiuncula Indulgence
in 1219, the Church changed her traditional discipline as regards
Indulgences. "Up to that time the church had accorded no plenary
Indulgences except on occasion of Crusades." And as to partial
Indulgences, "The Church was inclined to restrict them, nor was
it customary to grant them without the obligation of alms." Hence
women 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 prayed
incessantly.
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.

8. l
RANCIS THE LOVER OF THE INFANT JESUS. ·
Soon after his return from the Holy Land, Francis introduced
his realistic way of celebrating theBirth ofChrist, 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 friendGiovanni of Greccio readily cooperated.On his estate
near 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 revealed
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.

10. 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 preachingof Francis and his Brethren stirred
all Italy and great numbers sought to join his ranks. Since he could
not 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
boyhood 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, and
4th 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.

11. S
T. 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.=daythere 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 looks
at the winged Seraph with the face of our Lord. In the background IJ
is seen Brother Leo, the faithful companion of Francis, emerging
from 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 was
Card. 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 ever
since 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.