Thomas of Celano

Thomas of Celano was one of the early Franciscans

Historians – by recording what has happened in our world – influence future generations. One such historian and writer was the great Thomas of Celano – a Franciscan friar who wrote three hagiographies on St. Francis of Assisi.

Born around the year 1190 in Celano – a town in the Abruzzo region of Italy – Thomas is said to have known Francis of Assisi personally. He joined the Franciscan Order in 1215, 11 years before the death of Francis. In 1221, Thomas became a missionary. He travelled to Germany to spread word about the order. Eventually he became custos of the Rhineland Province.

Celano, Italy

The first tome of his three hagiographies on St. Francis of Assisi, called The Life of Blessed Francis, Thomas wrote in 1228, the year of Francis’ canonization. The tome had been a commission by Pope Gregory XI. Almost 20 years later, Crescentius of Jessi – the minister general of the Franciscans – commissioned Thomas’ second hagiography of Francis. This particular work was titled as The Memorial of the Desire of a Soul Concerning the Deeds and Words of Our Most Holy Father Francis. Lastly, in 1254, Thomas began a study of Francis’ miracles – another commissioned work by a subsequent minister general of the Franciscan Order – Blessed John of Parma. This study took Thomas about three years to complete.

Thomas of Celano was custos of the Rhineland Province

Thomas of Celano’s intellectual output is not limited to his writings on St. Francis. Amongst other well known works, Thomas also most likely wrote the Life of St. Clare of Assisi and the hymn Dies Irae or Day of Wrath. He died some time between 1260 and 1270 in the Italian town of Tagliacozzo where he was working as a spiritual director at a convent of Clarisses. He is buried in Tagliacozzo’s Church of San Francesco.