A Franciscan Jubilee Year for the 800 th Anniversary of the Passing of St. Francis
A Franciscan Jubilee Year for the 800th Anniversary of the Passing of St. Francis
Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a Special Franciscan Jubilee Year from January 10, 2026 through January 10, 2027 to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the passing of St. Francis of Assisi. This Jubilee has a deeply personal meaning for us here at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, because the spirituality of St. Francis is not just part of our history - it is at the heart of our parish life today.
Our parish is blessed to be guided by the Franciscan Friars, who carry forward the charism, mission, and joyful Gospel witness of St. Francis. Through their leadership, we continue to hear Francis’s greeting: “The Lord give you peace,” not as a polite phrase but as a real invitation to encounter Christ and His reconciling love.
In his letter announcing the Jubilee, Pope Leo wrote:
“The Lord revealed to me that we should say this greeting: ‘May the Lord give you peace.’ … Peace is not a formula of courtesy, but the certain proclamation of Christ’s victory over death.”
This theme of peace is profoundly Franciscan and profoundly needed in our own moment of history. During the Jubilee Year, the faithful throughout the world are invited to rediscover the simplicity of the Gospel, to renew their commitment to mercy, and to embrace reconciliation with God, with others, and with all creation. For our parish community, this Jubilee invites us to lean even more deeply into the charism that shapes our worship, our service, our prayer, and our outreach.
A Jubilee Prayer
Pope Leo concluded his letter with a beautiful prayer for the intercession of St. Francis during this Jubilee:
Saint Francis, our brother,
you who eight hundred years ago
went to meet Sister Death as a man at peace,
intercede for us before the Lord.
You recognized true peace in the Crucifix of San Damiano;
teach us to seek in Him the source of all reconciliation
that breaks down every wall.
You who, unarmed, crossed the lines of war
and misunderstanding,
give us the courage to build bridges
where the world raises up boundaries.
In this time afflicted by conflict and division,
intercede for us so that we may become peacemakers:
unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ. Amen.
As a parish under the patronage of St. Francis and as a community formed and shepherded by the Franciscan Friars, we are uniquely positioned to receive this Jubilee with joy, gratitude, and hope. In the months ahead we will share more about how our parish will celebrate this year of grace, including opportunities for prayer, catechesis, and works of mercy.
May St. Francis, our patron and brother, continue to teach us the Gospel he lived so well and lead us ever closer to Christ, the source of true peace.