Which religious order was founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1209?

The religious order founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1209 was the Franciscans. Francis began preaching a life based on the Gospels, repentance and radical poverty after hearing a sermon on Matthew 10:9, which instructs the apostles to travel without money or possessions.

Francis soon attracted companions, including Bernard of Quintavalle. The small brotherhood lived simply, travelled through Umbria and preached to ordinary people rather than withdrawing entirely into monasteries. Francis sought approval for the group from Pope Innocent III, and the movement grew rapidly across Europe.

The order is formally known as the Order of Friars Minor, from the Latin Fratres Minores, meaning “Lesser Brothers.” Franciscans became one of the major mendicant orders of the medieval Church, combining preaching, education and service with a commitment to poverty. Clare of Assisi also founded the related Poor Clares for women.

The Franciscans are sometimes confused with the Dominicans, another major mendicant order founded in the early 13th century. Dominicans were especially associated with preaching and theological study, while Franciscan identity centred strongly on evangelical poverty and imitation of Francis’s life.