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What did St. Francis of Assisi hear while praying at the chapel of San Damiano?
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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.
While praying at the ruined chapel of San Damiano, St. Francis of Assisi heard the crucifix above the altar command him: "Go, Francis, and repair my house which, as you see, is well-nigh in ruins."1
Taking this instruction literally, Francis initially set out to physically repair the chapel building, though the experience served as a pivotal moment in his conversion to an apostolic life of poverty.1