In view of the Centenary of St. Francis' Easter that we will experience in 2026, the General Committee of the Franciscan Family invites all national Franciscan Families to organize public events of various kinds to bring the Poor man of Assisi-Poverello to the streets and squares of the world, thus evangelizing through the spirituality of the Seraphic Father.
The Committee, through a letter addressed to all Franciscan Families, gives suggestions on how to organize an event and what to concretely devise even with a pinch of creativity.
Some practical tips:
Amongst the objectives to be achieved is that of making Francis known to those who have not yet "encountered" him in their lives: a beautiful opportunity for the Franciscan Family to make its own contribution to evangelization as an outgoing Church.
The theme suggested by the Ministers General of the Franciscan Family is "Francis, man of peace, brother of all", but each national Franciscan Family can evaluate other themes, considered more suitable for its own reality. The Guidelines of the Conference of the Franciscan Family and the Charismatic Nuclei provided by the General Committee in 2022 can be of help.
It is important to start working on this project a long time in advance, so that you can create good relationships between the members of the Committee and the other service groups, contact the people you want to get involved or the institutions to get the chosen locations, as well as to be prepared for the success of the event.
Contributions (articles, photos, short videos) on the events held will be published on the http://centenarifrancescani.org website.
For more information download:
Letter from the General Committee of the Franciscan Family: Italiano - English - Español - Français - Polski - Português
Practical guide to organizing an event
FAQ
The Franciscan Centenaries are a journey of faith and reflection that the entire Franciscan Family has undertaken to celebrate together the 800th anniversary of St. Francis' Easter and the most significant moments of the last years of his life.
This path, which runs over four years, began in 2023 and aims to deepen some fundamental aspects of Franciscan spirituality. The main themes of the Centenaries include: the Rule and Christmas in Greccio (1223-2023), the Gift of the Stigmata (1224-2024), the Canticle of the Creatures (1225-2025) and Francis' Easter (1226-2026).
The Franciscan Centenary is addressed to the entire Franciscan Family: friars, nuns, lay people and all those who, inspired by the example of Francis of Assisi, wish to live his spirituality and mission.
The Centenary also represents an opportunity to make concrete and visible the testimony of a spirituality that, although deeply rooted in history, is always open to the future, bringing the message of St. Francis to all the places where the need for peace, fraternity and love is strongest.