On 27th April 2026 I will set out from Florence to walk the Via di Francesco to Assisi and on to Rome. The walk is 322 miles long and very hilly! I am walking to mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi and to support the St Francis Leprosy Guild. You can find out more about the Way here.

St Francis of Assisi (c.1181–3 October 1226) was an Italian mystic, poet and friar who founded the Franciscan religious order. He lived a life of poverty, becoming a beggar and itinerant preacher. Francis was also a pilgrim who undertook long journeys on foot. In 1219, during the Fifth Crusade, Francis went to Egypt where a Crusader army had been encamped for over a year besieging the walled city of Damietta. He met Sultan, Al-Kamil, a nephew of Saladin, in the hope of securing peace and reconcliliation. Francis is known for his love of creation making him a saint for our times of war, conflict and environmental crises.

One of the turning points in Francis' early life was his encounter with a man suffering from leprosy. As a youth from a wealthy family the sight of someone suffering with this illness would fill Francis with fear and disgust. He would often turn away and walk in the opposite direction. One day while riding his horse in the countryside Francis spotted a someone with leprosy. His instinct, as always, was to turn back however, on this occasion Francis dismounted his horse, and warmly embraced the afflicted man. This meeting was to be a pivotal point in his life.

As a medical student in India I saw the devastating consequences of this disease. I am therefore walking the Way of St Francis to raise funds for the St Francis Leprosy Guild. If you would like to support them in this important work please see the information below.

Thank you.



Phil McCarthy, Hearts in Search of God project lead