Saint Francis of Paola (1416-1507) and Order of Minims

Saint Francis was a friar and founder of Order of Minims.
His parents were pious: they prayed for years, through the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi, for a son.

As a child he showed a preference for abstinence and prayer.
Aged 13 he was placed in a convent and was taught to read. He abstained from wearing linen or eating meat.
Aged 14 he went on a pilgrimage with his parents to the Portiuncula at Assisi and then on to Rome.
Aged just 15 he became a hermit. He made a cave and stayed alone for 6 years devoting himself to prayer and self-mortification…

In 1436, aged now 20, he was joined by 2 other devoutly inclined persons. 3 cells and a chapel was built by local people. The 3 sang divine prayers every day in the chapel. A priest from the village celebrated mass with them. This marked the beginning of the order Hermits of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Within 17 years the numbers had grown. In 1454 a large monastery and church were sanctioned by the Archbishop of Cosenza.

Francis and his companions sought to live unknown and hidden from the world.
To the 3 rules of Evangelical council - poverty, chastity and obedience they added fasting for Lent.

On May17th 1474 Pope Sixtus IV gave his approval to the order.
On July 28th 1506 Pope Julius 11 simplified the name of the community to Order of the Minims.

Saint Francis died at Piessis on April 2nd aged 91

The order soon spread to France, Germany and Spain and continues to exist today.

minims -meaning - least of the faithful – many at the beginning were laypersons not priests

Sources
Wikipedia
The Encyclopedia of Saints by Howard Loxton