ST FRANCIS SOLANO
This Saint, who was rightfully named "the Apostle of America", is one of the greatest missionaries that the Franciscan Order has produced. He was born at Montilla Spain, where he grew up under the eyes of his pious parents, and was educated by the Jesuits.
At the age of twenty, he put on the Franciscan habit at the friary in his native town. He was ordained a priest, and took up preaching, at the same time practicing all the religious virtues with seraphic fervour. He preached first in Spain, then in America, where he found a large field for apostolic work awaiting him. In 1589, he set sail for the New World. The ship which was carrying him sank during the crossing. Francis jumped into the sea, holding his crucifix in his hands, and swam ashore. Later, a vessel took him to Lima, where there was a monastery of his Order. Several days later, he set out for the Tucuman, about 1800 miles from Lima. His amazing apostolate influenced areas as far distant as the vast reaches of Paraguay.
God performed numerous striking miracles on his behalf, in fact, they filled his life in uninterrupted sequence: he cured the sick, restored the dead to life, and sometimes crossed rivers on his cloak. Each of the numerous peoples of Tucuman and Paraguay had their own language; Francis learnt them all so well that he could speak them like the natives. He brought back thousands of sinners, and converted an incalculable number of pagans to the Christian faith. He died on July 14, 1610.
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