Francis Solanus

Infobox Saint
name=Francis Solanus
birth_date=10 March 1549
death_date=14 July 1610
feast_day=14 July
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church


imagesize=250px
caption=Francis Solanus with an Incan (Anonymous, c. 1588)
birth_place=Andalusia, Spain
death_place=Lima, Perú
titles=Wonder Worker of the New World
beatified_date=20 June 1675
beatified_place=
beatified_by=Pope Clement X
canonized_date=27 December 1726
canonized_place=
canonized_by=Pope Benedict XIII
attributes=
patronage=Argentina; Bolivia; Chile; Paraguay; Perú
major_shrine=
suppressed_date=
issues=

Francis Solanus ( _es. Francisco Solano) (10 March 1549 – 14 July 1610) was a Spanish missionary in South America, belonging to 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 twenty years old, he joined the Franciscan Order at Montilla. Several years later he was sent by his superiors to the convent of Arifazza as master of novices. He sailed from Spain to the Americas in 1589 where he went to Peru via a ship on the Pacific side of the Panamanian isthmus.

For twenty 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 claimed that he could also address tribes of different tongues in one language yet be understood by them all. Being a musician as well, Francis also played the violin frequently for the natives, which helped them relate better to him.

After that came Francis' election to guardian of the Franciscan convent in Lima, Peru. Further, he filled the office of "custos" of the convents of his order in Tucuman and Paraguay. (Among friars the names are reversed. Hence a group of men live in what is called a convent, while women live in a monastery).

In 1610 it is said he predicted the devastating 1618 earthquake of Trujillo, Peru. He is also said to have foretold his own death, which occurred in 1610 at Lima, Peru. St. Francis 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.

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External links

* [http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintf32.htm Francis Solano] at [http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/indexsnt.htm Patron saints Index]
* [http://www.stthomasirondequoit.com/SaintsAlive/id296.htm St. Francis Solano] at "Saints Alive"
* [http://www.arzobispadodelima.org/santos/sfsolano/index.html San Francisco Solano]