THE SAN DAMIANO CRUCIFIX

 St. Francis’ Prayer before the Crucifix

 

“Most High, Glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my mind,
give me right faith, a firm hope and perfect charity,
so that I may always and in all things
act according to Your Holy Will.
                        Amen.”  

One day as Francis was praying in the little dilapidated church of San Damiano, he heard a voice: “Francis, repair my church which you see is falling into ruin.”  The voice came straight out of a large painted crucifix which hung from the wall.  Francis took these words literally and so immediately set out to re-construct the little church outside the walls of Assisi. 

An unknown Umbrian artist painted the Crucifix Icon in the 12^th Century.  There is strong Syrian influence and history tells us that there were some Syrian monks in the area. 

It was painted on wood (walnut) to which cloth had been glued.  It is approximately 190cm high by 120cm wide and 12cm thick.  More than likely it was painted to hang over the altar at San Damiano since the Blessed Sacrament was not usually reserved in non-parish churches and chapels in those times, especially in those that had been neglected or abandoned as San Damiano was. 

In 1257, after Clare’s body had been transferred, the Poor Clares left San Damiano for San Giorgio and took the crucifix with them.  They carefully kept it for 700 years in the cloister chapel. 

In Holy Week of 1957, it was placed on public view for the first time over the new altar in San Giorgio’s Chapel in the Basilica of St. Clare of Assisi.