The Day the Bell Tolled

Santo Stefano church, Assisi, Italy. Legend has it that the bells of this simple church, built in the 12th century, rang spontaneously on October 3, 1226, when Assisi’s most famous son, Saint Francis, died. Image by Chris Light Along with Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Francis was designated Patron saint of Italy. He later became…

Uno Strumento di Pace

An Instrument of Peace This post is dedicated to longtime reader Bonnie, who recently asked me to publish the entire Simple Prayer for Peace by St. Francis in Italian. “One of the ways I study Italian is by learning prayers,” she shared, which reminded me of how much I enjoy that method of learning as…