The Loneliness and Longing of Saint Francis: A Hollywood Filmmaker, a Medieval Saint, and a Life-Changing Spirituality for Today

Gerry Straub was a successful Hollywood producer when he found himself alone inside a Franciscan church in Assisi. The avowed atheist had little inkling of the radical turn his life was about to take as he began a journey of conversion that would carry him from the heights of career success to the poorest places on earth. His spiritual guide would be a medieval saint with a powerful, yet sublimely simple message for a contemporary world.

Straub s dramatic story is a modern-day pilgrimage into the prayerful heart of St. Francis of Assisi. The initial jolt of self-discovery Francis was chasing Lady Poverty, while I was chasing Brother BMW gave way to the gradual realization that conversion is a slow, grace-filled process, filled with ups and downs of everyday life. Winding his own spiritual and physical journey along Francis path, Straub discovers first-hand what it might have meant for Francis to live among the homeless, to encounter lepers, and to spend hours in contemplative prayer. His story encourages each of us to look inward and to personally discover how the spirituality that inspired Pope Francis can shape our own spiritual journey. An inspiring, life-changing read.Gerard Thomas Straub