Gateway saint.

St. Francis of Assisi.
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I think it is just fine that the very first little friar minor is sometimes 'trivialized' as a patron saint of pets, or guru-ized as the great saint of the ecology.  Francis is a gateway saint.  He attracts all types of people.  Many are attracted to him simply because of how he is depicted in art - from great frescoes to greeting cards and cartoons, or through monuments erected in his honor - be they great basilicas or bird feeders.  Much of the iconography depicts the legends surrounding his life which often inspires people  to inquire further into his mission.  In turn, many have embraced the Catholic faith through his influence, and some have been inspired to leave everything to follow Christ in the footsteps of the Saint as a Franciscan.  The Holy Spirit moves in mysterious ways.
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