Francis of Paola

Born 27 March 1416 in Paola, Calabria, he was named after Francis of Assisi, whose path he would echo in unexpected ways. He founded the Order of Minims, carving out a place in the Church's landscape without ever seeking ordination — a rare move for someone leading men in religious life. His contemporaries called him Francis the Fire Handler, a title that stuck for reasons the sparse record leaves to imagination. He died 2 April 1507, having built something that outlasted him without climbing the hierarchical ladder most founders ascended.