Why Franciscan University Needs to Build a Beautiful Chapel, by Peter Kwasniewski

The year is 1205. The young Francis kneels before Our Lord in the humble chapel of San Damiano in the Umbrian valley, where he had taken refuge from the world. Francis later reflected on this encounter, praying: “We adore you, Lord Jesus Christ, in all your churches throughout the world, and we bless you, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.”

In these simple yet profound words, we have a true reflection of Francis, a man of prayer. The little poor man of Assisi, steeped in the Liturgy of the Church, had borrowed these words from the sacred liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday. As I said elsewhere, quoting St. Francis’ most excellent recent biographer Fr. Augustine Thompson, O.P., “The issue he found most pressing was not poverty, not obedience, but proper reverence for the Eucharist.” ….