800 Years After St. Francis

Sep 20

October 3rd will mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. Because his holiness was renown throughout all of Europe, he was canonized less than two years after his death on July 16, 1228, by Pope Gregory IX.

Although 800 years have passed when St. Francis’ earthly life came to an end it seems to me that the life of this simple man from a small backward town in Italy still resonates with so many in our very complex and over stimulated world.

He was born into a family of means and lived a very comfortable life compared to the majority of people. His desire for more and his craving for being recognized by the Lords and elite of his society lead him to aspire to be a knight. It didn’t take long for him to realize that that was not going to be his future. Still filled with the desire for more his journey led him to begin to wrestle with the only One who could ever begin to quench his cravings.

As we know, he chose to live “without anything of his own” so he could truly have the freedom to pursue God in this world. In his newfound freedom, he chose to embrace the leper, at whose sight, before his conversion, “nauseated [him] beyond measure.”

More can be said about St. Francis than is possible in this column: St. Francis and the Christmas crib, the first person to receive the Stigmata, his meeting the Sultan in Damietta, Egypt, how he inspired St. Clare of Assisi to become an extraordinary saint in her own right. The list goes on. If you would like to learn more about the life of St. Francis or Franciscan Spirituality, please visit the “Franciscan Resources” page on our Parish Website or by scanning the QR Code. Here you will find a number of books about St. Francis. You can also explore a variety of
articles on the page “Custodians of the Tradition.” These short articles are rich in Franciscan Theology.

Franciscan Resources — St. Francis of Assisi Parish LBI

Pope Leo XIV proclaimed a special Jubilee Year from January 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027, in honor of this 800th anniversary. It is a moment of grace for the Church and for all people of goodwill. It sounds like a perfect time for all of us to learn a bit more about St. Francis of Assisi.

Through the centuries, Franciscans have always held a prayer service to honor St. Francis’ death. It is called the Transitus as we recall his passing, or “crossing over,” from this world into eternal life. The word “transitus” is derived from the Latin verb “transire” which means, “to go across.”

On Saturday, October 3rd after the 5 PM Vigil Mass, we will celebrate the Transitus of St. Francis at 6:30 PM in St. Francis Church, Brant Beach.All of our Sunday Masses on October 4th will celebrate the Feast of St. Francis, the Titular Saint of our parish.

Preceding these celebrations, there will be the Blessing of the Animals at 10 AM on October 3rd on the front steps of St. Francis of Assisi Church.

I hope you can join us as we celebrate the gift of St. Francis to us, the Church, and to the world.

May God continue to bless us with Peace and All Good.