Saint Francis of AssisiSt. Francis of Assisi is known throughout the world as a nature lover. In fact, many artistic depictions of the saint show him in lavish natural settings, but it wasn't until 1979 that Pope John Paul II declared Francis a patron saint of the environment. It was not until late in St. Francis' life that he was truly able to find a connection with God, whom he called the creator, in all aspects of life. beings who abuse nature. In what may be the first “ecological statement” outside of the Bible, Francis said: “These creatures provide for our needs every day; without them we could not live and through them the human race greatly offends the Creator every time we fail to appreciate such a great blessing. " - Legend of Perugia 43" (http://www.franciscans.org.au/spirituality/) St. Francis was not always as hippie as this passage suggests, and his father discouraged the life that Francis lived. Francis was born in 1181 into a wealthy family. His father was a clothing merchant and changed his son's name from Giovanni to Francesco at the time of his baptism. Legend has it that Francis was born in a stable, but this may have been fabricated in an attempt to make his life more Christ-like. Growing up, Francis was not the most studious of children.