Franciscan+friars

Begun by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1209, the Franciscan Monks are also refferred to as the **Order of Friars Minor**. They seek to follow most directly the manner of life the Saint led. This Order—actually divided among three separate groups—is a [|mendicant] religious [|order] of men tracing their origin to [|Francis of Assisi]. The three separate groups, each considered a [|religious order] in its own right, are the **Observants**, most commonly simply called "Franciscan friars," the [|Capuchins], and the [|Conventual Franciscans]. They all live according to a body of regulations known as "The Rule of St. Francis".

- Along with the Dominicans, Franciscans were are mendicant order, and focused on educating and tending to urban areas rather than rural areas. - They are important to our class because they wee a popular movement, and represent a new approach to monastic life and an new apostolic ideal.