Many know of the affinity St. Francis of Assisi had for animals and nature, but did you know he also had a love of spiritual realities? The Portiuncula, the chapel he famously rebuilt, was first constructed in the fourth century in honor of Our Lady of Angels, and St. Francis believed that although the kingdom of heaven is everywhere, the Portiuncula was visited more frequently by heavenly spirits. When St. Francis received the stigmata, a member of the seraphim appeared to him in a vision holding a crucified man between his wings. A depiction of this event from the School of Amiens can be found in the permanent collection at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. It’s worth visiting in honor of St. Francis’ Oct. 4 feast day. Enjoy the rest of the museum’s religious collection, which includes additional paintings of St. Francis, angels, the Holy Family and other saints.
September is a fitting time to celebrate Our Lord in the Eucharist, especially during the Diocese of Charlotte’s Eucharistic Congress each year. St. Paul VI once said, “Perpetual Adoration extends its influence far beyond the individual adorers, touching their homes and families and reaching out to the parish community and beyond.” Between the start of Perpetual Adoration by people and important dates in the stories of Eucharistic saints, this month holds plenty of ways to keep devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist going strong, even after the experience of the Eucharistic Congress.