Why is St. Francis of Assisi patron of the environment? - The Record Newspaper

Why is St. Francis of Assisi patron of the environment? - The Record Newspaper

A statue of St. Francis of Assisi is pictured outside an animal hospital in Prince Fredrick, Md., July 22, 2021. His feast day is celebrated Oct. 4. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller) (OSV News) — St. Francis of Assisi was declared a saint nearly 800 years ago, just two years after his death. Not until much more recently — about 50 years ago — was the beloved 13th-century Italian friar called the patron of ecology. “John Paul II makes that proclamation…