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How did St. Francis of Assisi attract his first followers?

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Bonaventura Berlinghieri: St. Francis and Scenes from His Life — St. Francis of Assisi *St. Francis and Scenes from His Life*, tempera on panel by Bonaventura Berlinghieri, 1235; in the Church of San Francesco, Pescia, Italy.

St. Francis of Assisi attracted his first followers primarily through his personal example of a life dedicated to poverty, penance, and preaching. After experiencing a profound spiritual conversion—marked by his renunciation of worldly goods and his commitment to repairing churches—Francis began preaching to the townspeople.123

Although he was a layperson without an official license to preach, his message and his literal imitation of the life of Christ resonated with others. He lived according to a simple, apostolic lifestyle, and as he traveled and preached, he was soon joined by disciples who were drawn to his spirit and his commitment to the Gospel. By 1209, he had gathered 11 followers, and together they traveled to Rome to seek the approval of Pope Innocent III for their rule of life, which officially established the Franciscan order.21