St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi Pumpkin Bread
This is the BEST pumpkin bread and is what fall tastes like! It freezes wonderfully.
350 Degree Oven Makes 2 large loaves - 2 buttered large loaf pans
2/3 c. Butter, softened
2 2/3 c. Pure Cane Sugar
4 large Eggs, beaten
1 regular size can (15 oz.) Pumpkin
2/3 c. Water
3 1/3 c. Non GMO Flour
½ t. Aluminum Free Baking Powder
2 t. Baking Soda
1 ½ t. Sea Salt
1 t. Cinnamon
½ t. Cloves
In a medium mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and add the sugar and beat until fluffy.
Add the beaten eggs and stir in the can of pumpkin.
Stir in the water.
Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, stirring to combine well.
Pour into the two lightly buttered loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 75 minutes.
When a toothpick inserted into the center of loaf comes out clean, they are done! Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. After ten minutes, loosen the loaves carefully and turn them out of the pans and allow to cool completely on the wire rack.
St. Francis of Assisi
Feast Day: October 4th
Patron of: Catholic action.
Francis Bernardone was born at Assisi, Italy in 1181. Francis liked to live the good life and this was not difficult since his father was a wealthy merchant. Francis was also a brave knight who was imprisoned when he was captured after a battle. It was during this imprisonment that St. Francis began to hear the call of Christ in his heart. Francis felt called to serve the poor of Assisi. He decided that he had to become like the poor in order to serve them. One day he was praying in a church that had fallen into disrepair, the Church of San Damiano. The crucifix before Francis came to life and said, “Go and repair my Church.” Francis began working to fix the building but as time went on, he understood that Christ had called him to rebuild and reform the Catholic Church. His way of life began to attract followers and three years after he began serving the poor, his companions numbered twelve.
They went to Rome to seek the approval of Pope Innocent III for their new religious order. Pope Innocent III listened to them, but told them he could not approve their order because he felt their lifestyle was too harsh. Francis and his friends were deeply saddened, but left and began to pray. Later that night, the pope had a dream where he saw a church falling in; a young man with his back turned, was holding up the Church of St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome. The young man turned and it was St. Francis! The pope, realizing the significance of this dream, sent a messenger to find Francis and bring him back to him. He told St. Francis of the dream and said he would approve the Franciscan Order because he felt God had spoken.
The Franciscans devoted themselves to poverty, penance and preaching. They played a major role in reforming the Catholic Church and fighting Protestant heresies that had taken hold in Italy. St. Francis is the first saint to have received the gift of the stigmata; the wounds in the hands, feet and side like those suffered by Christ on the Cross. St. Francis did so much for the Church. He died at the age of 44, joyful and humble. He was canonized two years later.
This Pumpkin Bread was chosen to honor St. Francis because he did not eat meat and it would have been a feast to him.
