It began with a small beggar, a little man with no academic training, no worldly power, no discernible skill beyond his peers. St. Francis of Assisi simply wanted to imitate Christ in humility and peace, and tell the world to do the same.

800 years later, we can look back and see that his example changed the Church and world. Not only did he create the largest religious order in Church history (something that inevitably had its affect on the day-to-day life of the Church), the brothers that did join were extraordinary in their own right. In honor of Francis week, I’ve come up with 22 contributions that the Franciscans have provided to the world. You’ve probably heard some of them, but I’m guessing you’ll be surprised by a few of them!