1. Francis Solanus was educated by the Jesuits, but felt drawn to the poverty and penitential life of the Franciscan friars.
11 Facts About Francis Solanus
1. 2.
Francis Solanus was then sent to the friary of Our Lady of Loreto in Seville for his seminary studies.
3.
Francis Solanus was ordained in 1576, a ceremony his mother was unable to attend due to her poor health.
4.
Francis Solanus was then named Master of Ceremonies for the community.
5.
Still a lover of simplicity, Francis Solanus made a small cell for himself by the chapel of the friary, made of clay and reeds.
6.
Francis Solanus was eventually given a license as a confessor.
7.
In 1589 Francis Solanus sailed from Spain to the New World, and having landed at Panama, crossed the isthmus and embarked on a vessel that was to convey him to Peru.
8.
The crew and the passengers abandoned the ship, but Francis Solanus stayed with the slaves that were on board.
9.
Francis Solanus had a skill for languages and succeeded at learning many of the regions' native tongues in a fairly short period.
10.
Francis Solanus was beatified by Pope Clement X in 1675, and canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726.
11.
Francis Solanus is patron of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Peru.