St. Bonaventure

A Tuscan boy healed of a childhood illness through the prayers of Francis of Assisi, Bonaventure entered the Franciscans, taught at Paris alongside his friend Thomas Aquinas, and at thirty-five was elected minister general of the order, a role in which he is honored as its "second founder." His Itinerarium Mentis in Deum — Journey of the Mind to God — is a masterpiece of medieval mysticism.

As minister general, Bonaventure navigated the fierce internal disputes tearing the Franciscan Order apart, steering a moderate course between those who demanded absolute literal poverty and those who sought relaxation of the Rule. He wrote the official life of St. Francis, which became the order's authoritative account, and his theological works earned him the title "Seraphic Doctor."

Named a cardinal and bishop of Albano by Pope Gregory X, Bonaventure helped prepare the Second Council of Lyon in 1274, working to reunify the Eastern and Western Churches. He died during the council itself and was buried with the honors of a prince of the Church. Thomas Aquinas, learning of his friend's death, is said to have wept.