Our healing garden at Northampton Cathedral welcomed a new addition on Friday 13th September. The Diocese of Northampton received a statue of St Francis of Assisi as a gift from the St Francis Children’s Society. Bishop David asked for the statue to be placed in the garden to represent St Francis’ link to nature and peace. The plinth for the statue was made possible by the generosity of the parishes across Northampton through second collections in 2023 and 2024, as well as a music fundraising event in 2023.
St Francis of Assisi was a man who was born into a rich family and was surrounded by luxury. He was baptised with the name Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, however he was nicknamed Francis by his father. St Francis became a soldier and was a prisoner of war. Once returning from war, St Francis was frequently ill and whilst suffering from a fever he encountered a vision of God which helped him to abandon his self-centered ways and become a devoted Christian. As a result of this vision Francis decided to live a humble life despite the vast amount of possessions he had gained from a privileged upbringing. He would often sleep outdoors or in caves and his clothing was a simple tunic tied around his waist by a rope. He gathered followers and rebuilt churches, helped the poor and declared the sanctity of all life. The principle of sanctity for all god’s creations, whether human, animate, or inanimate, is the source of his reputation as a lover of nature.
“I hope that people will feel welcome to visit the Healing Garden, which provides a sanctuary for all, to see the new statue in place and enjoy the peaceful environment”.
Danielle Dixon, Safeguarding Coordinator
To welcome the statue of St Francis to the Northampton Cathedral, Bishop David will bless the statue on the 3rd October, to commemorate the Feast of St Francis of Assisi (4th Oct) at 4:30pm. If you would like to learn more about the Healing Garden and the statue of St Francis of Assisi, CLICK HERE.
