St Francis of Assisi - Part 2 - The Soldier

By David Torkington -
Pietro Bernadone, the father of St Francis, was proud of his son’s business skills.  He was proud too that he was  popular with his peers. He looked on with admiration to see the sons of the local aristocracy vying for his friendship and favour along with the other ‘lager louts' of his day. Father and son had dreams and the money that they made together made these dreams seem to be within their grasp. The age was already dawning, indeed it had already come, when a tradesman of substance could rise up beyond his origins. He could take his place with the minor aristocracy and have some say in the running of the world where his forebears had lived as little more than minions for more than a millennium.  read on

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