St. Francis of Assisi

Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a special Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi to mark the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death in 1226. We are encouraged to visit Franciscan sites for a plenary indulgence and to focus on peace. 

Everything in Pope Leo XIV’s first major teaching document of his pontificate, Dilexit te, can also be found in the life of St. Francis of Assisi, who loved no one and nothing more than God and the poor. 

A timely question, as pets and animals are blessed on Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. The answer is: We really don't know.

Divine Mercy; Mary Immaculate; intercession for the Holy Souls; serving the Church where the need is greatest. In light of the Marian charisms, we’re coming up on one of the spiritually richest weeks of saints and feasts in the Church’s entire calendar.

Following are three examples from The Little Flowers of St. Francis. In each of these examples, the Merciful love of God - manifest in His willingness to forgive sins - is the central theme.

In the High Middle Ages, the theme of the merciful love of God was certainly not the exclusive property of St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Catherine of Siena, and the Dominicans. The early Franciscans also contributed to the Church's meditations on Divine Mercy in their own distinctive way.

One of the principal intentions of St. Francis's own prayers should sound familiar to Divine Mercy apostles. This is no surprise.

Let's reflect on why the Church's missionary task should be at the forefront of our minds and hearts.