Bl. Agnello of Pisa
The founder of the English Franciscan province, Blessed Agnello, was admitted into the Order by St. Francis himself on the occasion of his sojourn in Pisa. He was sent to the Friary in Paris, of which he became the guardian, and in 1224, St. Francis appointed him to found an English province; at the time he was only a deacon. Eight others were selected to accompany him. True to the precepts of St. Francis, they had no money, and the monks of Fecamp paid their passage over to Dover. They made Canterbury their first stopping place, while Richard of Ingworth, Richard of Devon and two of the Italians went on to London to see where they could settle. It was the winter of 1224, and they must have suffered great discomfort, especially as their ordinary fare was bread and a little beer, which was so thick that it had to be diluted before they could swallow it. Nothing, however, dampened their spirits, and their simple piety, cheerfulness and enthusiasm soon won them many friends. They were able to produce a commendatory letter from Pope Honorius III, so that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Steven Langton, in announcing their arrival, said, "Some religious have come to me calling themselves penitents of the Order of Assisi, but I called them of the Order of the Apostles." In the meantime, Richard of Ingworth and his party had been well received in London and hired a dwelling on Cornhill. They were now ready to push on to Oxford, and Agnello came from Canterbury to take charge of the London settlement. Everywhere the Friars were received with enthusiasm, and Matthew Paris himself attests that Blessed Agnello was on familiar terms with King Henry III. Agnello is thought to have died at the age of forty-one, only eleven years after he landed at Dover, but his reputation for sanctity and prudence stood high amongst his fellows. It is stated that his zeal for poverty was so great that "he would never permit any ground to be enlarged or any house to be built except as inevitable necessity required." He was stern in resisting relaxations in the Rule, but his gentleness and tact led him to be chosen in 1233 to negotiate with the rebellious Earl Marshal. His health is said to have been undermined by his efforts in this cause and by a last painful journey to Italy. Opon his return he was seized with dysentery at Oxford and died there, after crying out for three days, "Come, Sweetest Jesus." The cult of Blessed Agnello was confirmed in 1892; his feast is observed in the Archdiocese of Birmingham today and by the Friars Minor on the eleventh.
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Bl. Agnello, It is no coincidence that Pope Francis I is chosen on your feast day. May he become a great saint and a leader of the church like you.
Dear Saint,
Transfer the zeal for Christ over the Cardinal who will be our next Pope. Kindly strengthen the Conclave that the spirit of the Lord envelops and prompts the cardinals to Gift the Holy church with a Holy Pope at this Easter. Let a Francis of Assisi be the one who will Shepherd the sheep of the faithful. Amen.
Please pray for Jacob that he finds peace and the right path, for Michelle that doctors can slow the progression of her dementia and for all cancer patients that they deal with their disease with grace and dignity. Thank you, dear Lord for making me cancer free.
Dear Bl. Agnello, I admire you a lot for your tenacity and courage. Please continue to pray for me.
It is strange that the wording "only a deacon" would be used for Blessed Angello of Pisa, since it was "only a deacon" who sent him to England.
St Agnello of Pisa, I thank God for the blessing of reading and knowing about you on this web-site. What I would like to remember you by is your devotion to true learning that is pure, true and honest. Through your efforts and focus on God and your simplicity you founded what has grown into one of the most prestigious institutions of learning in the world. Dear saint i love learning too. Inspire me to love and live in a "humble manner". Give me prudence and frugality. Help my family to come together to honour our mother in the day of remembrance, at Mass and fellowship. May you be there to bless the day. Free me from too much attention to criticism and fault-finding. Amen.
Dear St. Agnello, You are a sweet saint, yet firm in holiness! Please pray for me!
Please continue to pray for Japan.... We can already see God in action.there. God bless all.
I was looking for St Agnello.We have a large area called St Agnells in our town,(Hemel Hempstead) and I wondered who this saint was.I think St.Agnello is the one. Thank you.