The Franciscan blogosphere is buzzing with the news that the Cross from which Christ spoke to St. Francis of Assisi, is returning to the chapel of San Damiano!
During his period of conversion, Francis was known to visit some of the chapels that dotted the Italian landscape around Assisi. Many were in ill-repair, one of them was the chapel of San Damiano. Francis was said to have been drawn to the icon cross of Christ Crucified that was hanging in the chapel. The painter of the Byzantine style cross is unknown, but experts estimate its creation took place around 1100 AD.
The story goes that when Francis entered the chapel, and knelt before the cross, he heard the voice of Jesus Christ coming from the image on it. The Crucified Christ said to Francis: “go and repair my house, which as you can see is falling into ruins.” Francis immediately assumed that the Divine command referred only to the chapel he was in. He leaped to his feet, gave some coins to the priest in residence there, to keep the votive lamp burning in front of the cross, and then set off to purchase building materials. And the rest is, as they say, history. After rebuilding San Damiano, Francis went on to rebuild several other countryside chapels. Christ would soon lead Francis to the realization the his call was not just to repair a few chapels, but to repair the whole spiritual edifice known as the Catholic Church. The Franciscan movement he founded would draw thousands of individuals to join him. Among them, a young woman by the name of Clare of Assisi, and other women as well. They became known as the Poor Ladies of Assisi. We know them today as the Poor Clares.
Francis installed Clare and her sisters in San Damiano, and they became the custodians of the crucifix. Later, after the death of St. Clare, a basilica church was built within walls of Assisi, to house her remains. The Poor Clare community also moved into Assisi, for safety, and they brought the crucifix with them. The San Damiano Cross has been on display within the Basilica of St. Clare for many years. Now it is being returned to San Damiano, it is going home.