St. Francis of Assisi, who was born in the late 12th century in a small region in Italy near Tuscany called Umbria, was a man ahead of his time. If he were alive today, Francis Bernadone, the son of a wealthy merchant, might very well be at the forefront of the fight against global warming.

Many people know St. Francis as the patron saint of animals. But did you know that he also is considered the patron saint of ecology?

In 1979, Pope John Paul II said the holy man was "an example of genuine and deep respect for the integrity of creation." In 1992, bishops in the United States published a paper, "Renewing the Earth," in which they established St. Francis' concern for the environment. Like today's environmentalists, the bishops wrote that Francis saw himself as part of the ecosystem.

We also can credit the saint with the popular, Christian practice of honoring the Christ Child's birth in Bethlehem by constructing a manger during the Christmas season. In 1223, Frances told a friend he wanted to celebrate the Nativity in a new manner so people could see the hardships the Holy Family faced the night Christ was born.

A simple stable was constructed with live animals and a child lying on the straw near the village of Greccio. It was the first-known re-enactment of the Nativity. People came to the midnight Mass where Francis read the Gospel story of the Nativity and preached to the congregation.

You can read about the life of St. Francis of Assisi at the Women for Faith and Family Web site at www.wf-f.org/StFrancisAssisi.html.

Make your own Nativity scene with instructions I found in the December/January 2008 edition of Family Fun magazine.

Supplies you will need

[naviga:font face="ZapfDingbats"]4[/naviga:font] Two 3-inch terra-cotta pots

[naviga:font face="ZapfDingbats"]4[/naviga:font] One 3-inch terra-cotta saucer

[naviga:font face="ZapfDingbats"]4[/naviga:font] Two 1Z\v-inch wood balls and one Z\x-inch ball

[naviga:font face="ZapfDingbats"]4[/naviga:font] Acrylic paint in three colors and a sponge brush

[naviga:font face="ZapfDingbats"]4[/naviga:font] Enough fabric to make three 8-inch squares in different colors and patterns

[naviga:font face="ZapfDingbats"]4[/naviga:font] Black marking pen

[naviga:font face="ZapfDingbats"]4[/naviga:font] Glue

[naviga:font face="ZapfDingbats"]4[/naviga:font] Raffia or straw

[naviga:font face="ZapfDingbats"]4[/naviga:font] Embroidery floss

[naviga:font face="ZapfDingbats"]4[/naviga:font] Scissors.

Paint the pots and saucer in three different colors to complement your fabric and let dry.

Cut three 8-inch squares of fabric and set aside.

Use a black marking pen to draw facial features on the wood balls.

Glue the two larger balls to the bottom of the pots and let dry.

Fold the fabric pieces in half and place over the top of the balls. Wrap embroidery floss around the balls to hold in place.

Take the last piece of fabric and fold it to look like a blanket wrapped around a baby. Glue the small head in the center so it looks like a child wrapped in a swaddling blanket.

Glue some pieces of raffia or straw inside the saucer and place the baby on top.