3 Saints Who Loved the Outdoors

St Francis is well known for his love of creation. Ss Charles de Foucauld and Giles, not so much, but they both loved God's nature.

From Aleteia

By Daniel Esparza

... and how they can guide your soul-care. As you wrap up this summer, consider stepping outside not just for leisure, but for renewal.

Nice weather invites us outside — into sunlit parks, dry mountain trails, warm winds and quiet evenings. The season softens the usual rush and opens space to move differently, pray differently, even think differently. For those longing for rest, clarity, or simply a slower rhythm, the Church offers more than rules and readings. It offers companions.

These three saints, each drawn deeply into the outdoors — not for escape, but for encounter — show us how time outside can become time with God. Their lives, marked by simplicity and reverence for creation, offer inspiration for shaping our own summer in small but meaningful ways.

St. Francis of Assisi (Feast: October 4)

Francis is often remembered as the gentle saint who talked to birds, but his love for creation wasn’t sentiment. It was theology. He saw every creature, every tree and stone, as a reflection of the Creator. His Canticle of the Creatures praises the sun and moon not as metaphors, but as real members of God’s family—Brother Sun, Sister Moon.

He wandered the Italian countryside barefoot, blessing fields, embracing lepers, and preaching beneath the sky. Francis teaches us to see the natural world not as scenery, but as sacred text — written by a loving hand.

Try this: Take a barefoot walk in grass or sand. Pray Psalm 104 slowly. Let yourself notice beauty without rushing past it.

Saint Charles de Foucauld (Feast: December 1)

After years of disillusionment, Charles found faith — and then followed it into the vast silence of the Sahara. He lived as a hermit among the Tuareg people in Algeria, learning their language, adopting their culture, and choosing presence over preaching. The desert, severe and striking, became the setting for his quiet imitation of Christ.

Charles’ life reminds us that time outdoors doesn’t always mean retreat—it can mean radical hospitality, listening, and humble witness. He saw God not only in the beauty of the landscape but in the dignity of his neighbors.

Try this: Rise early one morning and step outside before the world wakes. Watch the light shift. Offer your day to God in silence.

St. Giles (Feast: September 1)

Little is known for certain about Giles, but he is remembered as a 7th-century hermit who lived in the forests of southern France. He chose solitude among animals and trees, far from cities and acclaim. According to legend, he survived on herbs and goat’s milk, seeking not isolation but intimacy—with God, with nature, with stillness.

Giles invites us to rediscover the sacred in simplicity. His life speaks to those who feel overwhelmed, unseen, or overstimulated. Sometimes the holiest thing we can do is step away—not forever, but just long enough to listen.

Try this: Spend 10 minutes outside without your phone. No music. No photos. Just listen. Let it be prayer.

These saints don’t offer a checklist for holy living. They offer an attitude: one of attention, humility, and gratitude — not only in chapels, but in fields and deserts and dawn light. As you move through this summer, consider stepping outside not just for leisure, but for renewal.

The world, after all, is full of sacraments waiting to be noticed.