By Christina Bagaglio Slentz, Ph.D.
Commemorating the eighth centenary of the passage of St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Leo XIV has established an extraordinary Jubilee Year from Jan. 10, 2026, to Jan. 10, 2027.
Though this Jubilee year is addressed especially to members of the Franciscan Families and those that observe the Rule of St. Francis, as described by the Order of Friars Minor, “The grace of this special year is also extended to all the faithful without distinction who, with their spirits removed from sin, visit in the form of a pilgrimage any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship dedicated to St. Francis in any part of the world.” This means anyone may participate in making a pilgrimage this Jubilee year, right here in our very own diocese.
Pilgrimage in the Diocese of San Diego
Our diocese itself is connected to St. Francis of Assisi, as our namesake, San Diego (a.k.a. St. Didacus), was a lay brother in the Franciscan Order of Airizafa. Arriving in our region in November of 1602, Spanish Captain Sebastián Viscaíno named the bay and surrounding land for San Diego because his feast day was close on the calendar. As a result, the first mission in California was established bearing the name of this humble Franciscan brother, known for his work as an evangelist and miraculous healer.
Within our diocese, several parishes also share a relationship with St. Francis of Assisi and the Franciscan Family. Bishop Michael Pham has therefore decreed these churches as designated pilgrimage destinations:
- Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá and its St. Francis Chapel
- Immaculate Conception in Old Town, shepherded by Franciscan priests (OFM)
- Old Mission San Luis Rey and the San Luis Rey Parish in Oceanside, also led by Franciscans (OFM)
- Anthony of Padua in Imperial, as St. Anthony of Padua was a Franciscan
- Didacus, a Franciscan
- Francis of Assisi, Vista, naturally!
You can find more local Jubilee news as it becomes available to include links to these pilgrimage parishes on the diocesan website at https://sdcatholic.org/diocesan-decree-for-the-year-of-st-francis-of-assisi.
Beyond the garden statue
Many of us encounter “birdbath” presentations of St. Francis each day, walking past yards where the saint is poised among the creatures he is known to have lovingly recognized as brothers and sisters. While it is true that St. Francis of Assisi was named the Patron Saint of Ecology in 1979 by St. Pope John Paul II, he was canonized in 1228 by Pope Gregory the IX because of his holiness, rooted above all in a love of Jesus, the Church and the poor.
With this in mind, this Jubilee year offers an opportunity to journey deeper into the richness of Franciscan spirituality and to strive to live like this holy man.
Helpfully, Mission San Luis Rey has assembled many Jubilee resources on their website, which can be found at the orange QR code or at bit.ly/MSLRJubileeFrancis. (Note, the link is case sensitive.) The Franciscan School of Theology, housed at the University of San Diego also has a YouTube channel with videos providing an extensive education on Francis at https://www.youtube.com/@franciscanschooloftheology.
In the spirit of pilgrimage, in addition to making the physical journey to one of these designated churches, a plenary indulgence will be granted to those who:
- Partake in sacramental confession to be in God’s grace in the eight days before or after visiting
- Participate in Mass and receive Eucharistic Communion
- Renew his/her profession of faith, through the recitation of the Creed, to reaffirm one’s Christian identity
- Recite the Lord’s Prayer, reaffirming the dignity of children of God
- Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father
The Third Order Regular of St. Francis (TOR) explains that Jubilee pilgrims should spend a reasonable period of time in pious meditation upon arriving at a designated church. They should strive to follow the example of St. Francis, raising prayers to God for Christian charity towards one’s neighbors in the hope that harmony and peace may spring forth in the hearts of all people. In addition to reciting the Our Father and the Creed, they suggest offering invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare and all the saints of the Franciscan Family. Saints to include:
- St. Hildegard, pray for us!
- St. Clare, pray for us!
- St. Bonaventure, pray for us!
- St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us!
- San Diego, pray for us!
- St. Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us!
These practices should accompany a sincere turning toward God as well as a deeper participation in the sacramental life of the Church.
Pray with Pope Leo!
Pope Leo wrote the following prayer for this Special Jubilee Year:
St. Francis, our brother, you who 800 years ago
went to meet Sister Death as a man at peace,
intercede for us with the Lord.
In the Crucifix of San Damiano you recognized true peace;
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 erects borders,
In this time plagued by conflict and division,
intercede so that we may become peacemakers,
unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ.
Amen.
