Saint Francis Fasani (August 6, 1681—November 29, 1742) was an Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 saint

Saint

A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...

.

He was a friend of Blessed Antonio Lucci.

Early life

He was born Giovanniello Fasani in Lucera

Lucera

Lucera is a town and comune in the Province of Foggia, in the Apulia region of southern Italy.-Ancient era and early Middle Ages :Lucera is an ancient city founded in Daunia, the centre of Dauni territory . Archeological excavations show the presence of a bronze age village inside the city boundaries...

, Apulia

Apulia

Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...

, on August 6, 1681, the son of Giuseppe Fasani and Isabella Della Monaca.
Fasani began his studies at the Franciscan

Franciscan

Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

 friary of the Friars Minor Conventual at Lucera. He entered the Order of Friars Minor Conventual and took the names of Saints Francis and Anthony. Friar Francis Anthony professed his vows in 1696.

Religious Life

Having professed his vows, the young Friar Francis Anthony began theological studies in Agnone

Agnone

Agnone is a city and comune in the province of Isernia, in the Molise region of southern Italy. Agnone is known for the manufacturing of bells by the Marinelli Bell Foundry. It is 22 miles northwest of Campobasso. The city of Agnone is complemented with other populated centers like Fontesambuco,...

 and continued them in the General Study Centre at Assisi

Assisi

- Churches :* The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi is a World Heritage Site. The Franciscan monastery, il Sacro Convento, and the lower and upper church of St Francis were begun immediately after his canonization in 1228, and completed in 1253...

, close to the tomb of St. Francis, where Friar Francis Anthony was ordained to the priesthood in 1705. While in Assisi, he completed his theological studies in 1707. From 1707 until his death in 1742, Fr. Fasani continued to live at Lucera and endeared himself to the faithful of that town and all of Daunia

Daunia

250px|thumb|Example of Daunian ceramics.The Daunia is a historical and geographical region in Apulia, southern Italy, mostly coincident with modern Province of Foggia...

 and Molise

Molise

Molise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...

. Fr. Fasani also fulfilled many duties in the Franciscan Order, being a respected teacher of scholastic philosophy and a revered master of novices and the professed. In 1709, he received a graduate degree in theology and, from that time on, Fr. Fasani was known to all as "Padre Maestro" ("Father Master"), a title which is still attributed to him today in Lucera.

External links

• Saint Francesco Antonio Fasani Patron Saint Index