St. Francis of Assisi communicated to his Order love for the Immaculate Conception together with that of holy poverty

Source: Google Books

Having gathered, in 1219, more than five thousand of his religious around the chapel of the Portiuncula (Our Lady of the Angels), the cradle of the Order, he entrusted them to the heart of Mary, ordered them to celebrate, every Saturday, a votive Mass in honor of the Immaculate Conception; he urged them to proclaim everywhere the glories of this tender Mother and established them as the intrepid defenders of all her privileges.

The Order admirably fulfilled this glorious mission. The illustrious Duns Scotus, a son of Saint Francis like Saint Bonaventure and Saint Anthony of Padua, having achieved, at the University of Paris, the most brilliant triumph, all its Doctors took a solemn oath to defend the Immaculate Conception, and from that moment devotion to this august privilege of Mary grew until the day of its dogmatic proclamation.

Pius IX desired that the sons of Saint Francis should wear on that day the golden and silver lily as a reward for their unalterable love for Mary Immaculate, while he himself, also a son of Saint Francis through the Third Order, crowned her with the beautiful diadem of the Immaculate Conception.

Thus did God reward the humble Francis of Assisi and his entire Seraphic Order for their filial love for the Queen of Heaven.