Name ______Date ______

Saint Frances of

Directions: Read the biography and answer the questions.

Saint Frances was born into a noble Roman family in 1384. She wished to enter the religious life as a , but her parents arranged for her to be married to a nobleman, Lorenzo de Ponziani, when she was twelve years old. Together with her husband they had three children. When Lorenzo went off to fight in wars, Frances was put in charge of their household. It was a difficult time in Rome in the 14th century. The plague struck and many people died of illness including two of Saint Frances’ children. She transformed a wing of their home into a hospital and bought the medical supplies needed to care for the sick. When she had used all of their money in service to the poor, she and her sister-in-law travelled the city knocking on doors to beg for more money to help them. As a married woman and mother, she founded a religious order of who were not religious sisters but practiced a similar prayer life. She was known to have spiritual visions of heaven, hell, , and her guardian angel. Many healing miracles were attributed to her care.

1. How did Saint Frances help the people suffering from the plague in Rome? ______

2. Saint Frances of Rome was married, but she tried to live a prayerful life like religious in a convent. In what ways can you live more like a or a nun? ______

3. Saint Frances of Rome is the of automobile drivers because of a story of her guardian angel lighting her way with a lantern during her travels. Who do you know that is a new driver or that drives a car often and is in need of her prayers? ______

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