Jacoba of Settesoli was a follower of the Italian saint Francis of Assisi

Francis of Assisi

Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...

. She is also called Jacqueline de Settesoli, or Brother Jacoba, as Francis had named her. Having heard Francis preach, she sought his guidance on how to be charitable. She was the mother of two sons, grandmother of several children, all of whom she outlived. He told her not to abandon her family, so she joined the Third Order of Saint Francis

Secular Franciscan Order

thumb|rigth|Lapel pin of Secular Franciscan Order.The Secular Franciscan Order is a community of Catholic men and women, of any of the Rites in communion with Rome , in the world who seek to pattern their lives after Christ in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. Secular Franciscans are...

, a community of lay people. When he travelled to Rome, Francis would stay as her guest. At his request, she was present with him at his death.
Her remains are in the crypt of the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi

Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi

The Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor—commonly known as the Franciscan Order—in Assisi, Italy, the city where St. Francis was born and died. The basilica is one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy...

, near those of Francis. Her feast day

Calendar of saints

The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...

is 8 February.

External links

• Brothers and Sisters of Penance of St Francis FAQ (lists Jacoba at the end)