The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee celebrated the feast day of St. Bonaventure recently by detailing his importance to the Franciscans, the order he joined in 1243.

“While completing his studies in Paris, he befriended St. Thomas Aquinas and also St. Louis, King of France,” the diocese posted on Facebook. “St. Bonaventure served as the superior of the Friars Minor for 17 years, bringing peace and order in a time of growth and expansion. His influence was so great that he is often referred to as the second founder of the Franciscans.”

St. Bonaventure was born in 1217 in Bagnoregio. He was very sick as a child, but his religious beliefs were strengthened after he recovered. He is said to have held the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi responsible for his recovery, Britannica says.

St. Bonaventure studied at the University of Paris before he joined the Franciscans. He considered the pursuit of truth a form of divine worship and a path to the love of God, Britannica explains.

He studied, wrote, and taught extensively. Pope Gregory X appointed Bonaventure to serve as the Cardinal Bishop of Albano, Italy, in 1273. Bonaventure died on July 15, 1274, and Catholics celebrate his feast day on the anniversary of his passing.

Pope Sixtus V declared Bonaventure a Doctor of the Church in 1587. A pope can bestow the “Doctor of the Church” title on a person who has made significant and lasting contributions to the Church, Crossroads Initiative explains. Throughout the history of the Catholic Church, only 37 people have been granted this title.

Crossroads Initiative says there are three requirements one must meet in order to be considered for the title: “holiness that is truly outstanding, even among saints”; “depth of doctrinal insight”; and “an extensive body of writings which the church can recommend as an expression of the authentic and life-giving Catholic Tradition.”

Italian friars who came to America to establish a Franciscan University did that when they founded St. Bonaventure University in New York, the university says on its website. The school was dedicated on the Feast of St. Francis in 1858. It was appropriately named after St. Bonaventure, the patron saint of Franciscan studies and learning.

In the early 1900s, the college became the home of the School of Franciscan Studies, as well as the Franciscan Institute, the website says.

The diocese posted one of his quotes — “Let meditation of Christ's life be your one and only aim, your rest, your food, your desire, your study" and closed with a simple request. “St. Bonaventure, pray for us!”