In September 1224, Friar Francis of Assisi, together with his trusted brother Leo, retired to Mount La Verna to spend a period of prayer and penance. It was a time of crisis due to disagreements within the Order, and through prayer and fasting Francis wished to find confirmation of his desire to identify himself totally with Christ.
On September 17, 1224, on that sacred mountain, the Crucifix imprinted on Francis' heart and body the signs of the stigmata.
