Born in Pisa in 1195, BLESSED AGNELLO was received into the Franciscans by St. Francis who later chose Agnello to establish the first Franciscan province in England. Although Agnello went on to become an advisor to King Henry III, he never forgot his Franciscan roots and was admired for his austerity, strict observance of the Franciscan Rule and his kind nature. In his later life, Agnello established a school for friars in Oxford that played an important part in helping to establish the University.