The Real Brother Juniper

Saint Juniper (~1210 AD – 1258 AD) was one of the original followers of Saint Francis of Assisi and was received into the order by St. Francis himself. St. Juniper was also known as, “the renowned jester of the Lord.” Of St. Juniper, St. Francis quipped, “Would to God, my brothers, I had a whole forest of such Junipers.”

St. Francis tasked Juniper with expanding the order in Gualdo Tadino and Viterbo, which he did with great success. St. Juniper is buried at Ara Coeli Church in Rome. The day of his feast is January 29th. Several stories of Saint Juniper are recounted in the Little Flowers of St. Francis (1390 AD)