Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Pope Leo XIV proclaimed a special Jubilee Year to mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, from January 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027. Part of celebrating this Jubilee year might include reading the decree from Pope Leo XIV. It's free. You can read it in three or four minutes. And it's a great introduction to what this year is all about.

What is a Jubilee Year? The Jubilee Year is rooted in the Jubilee described in Leviticus. A Jubilee Year is a time when God's mercy is proclaimed, debts are forgiven, and hearts are called back to freedom and trust in the Lord. In St. Francis, we see this Jubilee spirit lived fully through a life that comes from the gift and offering of oneself in humility to God’s Divine Providence.

Pope Leo XIV, on the occasion of this Jubilee Year, grants a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the intentions of the Holy Father). All members of Franciscan religious orders and the faithful can obtain plenary indulgences for visiting any conventional Franciscan church or place of worship anywhere in the world dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi.

What is a Plenary Indulgence? A plenary indulgence is a special grace in the Catholic Church that removes all the temporal effects of sin, even after sins have been forgiven. It's a reminder that God doesn't just forgive us; He restores and heals us completely. This practice grew out of the early Church's penitential tradition and was more clearly defined over time. In the year 1300. Pope Boniface VIII proclaimed the first Jubilee, offering a plenary indulgence to pilgrims as a sign of God's abundant mercy.

Steps to obtain a Plenary Indulgence:

1. Visit, in the form of a pilgrimage, any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship named after St. Francis or connected to him for any reason. (Like St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church!)
2. Spend time in meditation and prayer, focusing on the example of St. Francis, his love for all, and his zeal for peace among people
3. Pray the following: Our Father, Nicene Creed, Invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare, Saints of the Franciscan Family, and for the Intentions of Pope Leo XIV
4. Detach yourself from all sin, even venial
5. Participate in sacramental confession
6. Receive Holy Communion

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. – Pope Leo XIV

God Bless.

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