800 Years in the Making
Dear Parishioners,
This year is a truly special and grace-filled moment for our parish. Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a Special Jubilee Year in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, marking the 800th anniversary of his death. As a parish named for St. Francis—and the only one in our diocese—this Jubilee Year has particular significance for us.
Special Jubilee Years are celebrated to mark important moments in the life of the Church. This Jubilee brings to a close the Franciscan centenary commemorations, including the first Nativity scene at Greccio and St. Francis’ reception of the Holy Stigmata. Above all, it is an invitation to renew our faith and more closely imitate Christ, following the example of the Poverello of Assisi.
As with all Jubilees, the Church offers the gift of an indulgence, which helps heal the temporal effects of sin for those who are properly disposed. For this Jubilee Year, a plenary indulgence may be received by the faithful who receive confession and Holy Communion, pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, and:
• Make a pilgrimage to a Franciscan church or place associated with St. Francis
• Spend time in prayerful meditation, asking for hearts rooted in charity, peace, and harmony
• Conclude with prayer, including the Our Father, the Creed, and invocations to Our Lady, St. Francis, St. Clare, and all Franciscan saints
Indulgences may be gained for oneself or offered for the souls of the faithful departed. See our indulgence guide in the Faith Formation section below.
Our parish is currently discerning how we will celebrate this Jubilee Year in a meaningful way, and how we might share this special grace with our whole diocese as well. More details will be shared soon.
May St. Francis intercede for our parish and help us grow in holiness and love of Christ.
Father James Schibi, Pastor
Faith Formation for Jubilee Year
Indulgences and the Year of Saint Francis of Assisi
This year, Pope Leo the XIV has called a special jubilee year. Ordinary Jubilee years occur every twenty-five years. As was the case with last year’s, Pilgrims of Hope. Special Jubilee years however, can be announced marking special anniversaries. This year has been designated the year of St. Francis of Assisi. A Special Jubilee in honor of the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, marking the culmination of earlier eighth centenary celebrations including the creation of the first nativity scene in Greccio, and the impression of St. Francis’ Holy Stigmata.
Jubilees normally grant indulgences for specific pilgrimages or activities that prayerfully consider the Jubilee’s intention. It is important therefore to understand what an indulgence is, what it does and does not do, and how it can be properly received by those participating in the Jubilee’s intention. As put by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, an indulgence is:
“The remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sin whose guilt has already been forgiven. A properly disposed member of the Christian faithful can obtain an indulgence under prescribed conditions through the help of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints. An indulgence is partial if it removes part of the temporal punishment due to sin, or plenary if it removes all punishment.” (CCC 1471)
It is helpful here to also rely on the Catechism to understand what is meant by temporal sin, which is:
“Purification of the unhealthy attachment to creatures, which is a consequence of of sin that perdures even after death. We must be purified either during our earthly life through prayer and conversion which comes from fervent charity, or after death in purgatory.” (CCC 1472)
The Catechism also reminds us that “the faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead.” (CCC 1471).
But what does this mean, does the indulgence just erase the debt of temporal punishment? No. St. Thomas of Aquinas has helped us to understand how indulgences work when he said in his Summa “he who gains an indulgence is not, strictly speaking, absolved from the debt of punishment, but is given the means whereby he may pay it.” (Summa, Q25, Art.1, An 2.)
There are some prerequisites for obtaining indulgences. Indulgences are extra-sacramental, meaning they do not replace the existing sacrament of penance. A person must therefore receive sacramental absolution from the guilt of sin, and then through the indulgence, as St. Thomas tells us, receive the means whereby one may repay the debt of temporal punishment. In addition to being free from the guilt of mortal sin, confession and communion are usually required for plenary indulgences.
For this year’s Jubilee of St. Francis, Holy Mother Church has called its faithful, “each according to our own possibilities, to imitate the Poverello (Poor man) of Assisi, to mold ourselves as much as possible on the model of Christ.” (Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary, 16.01.2026). To facilitate this possibility a plenary indulgence has been granted “to all the faithful without distinction,” who have met the requirements discussed above and those outlined below:
1. Visit in the form of a pilgrimage to any Franciscan conventual church, or place of worship or connected to him for any reason.
2. Devoutly follow the Jubilee rite or spend at least a reasonable period of time in pious meditation and raise prayers to God so that, following the example of Saint Francis, “feelings of Christian charity towards their neighbors and authentic vows of harmony and peace among peoples may spring forth in their hearts.”
3. Conclude meditation with the following:
- + Our Father
- + The Creed
- + Invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Clare and all the Saints of the Franciscan Family.
Matthew Weller – SFA Theologians Guild Leader