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Letter of the General Committee of the Franciscan Family

FRANCISCAN CENTENARIES

GENERAL COMMITTEE OF THE FRANCISCAN FAMILY
Rome, May 31, 2025
Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

To all National Franciscan Families

Dear brothers and sisters of every national Franciscan Family,
The Lord give you peace!

We, the Franciscan Family, are currently experiencing years of grace and deep reflection, stimulated by the Centenaries of the Rule, the Greccio Crib, the Stigmata and the Canticle of the Creatures.

In 2026, we will commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi.

The 8th centenary of the Easter of St. Francis can be a chance to bring the Poverello of Assisi into “the streets and squares” of every part of the world, exposing his life, mission and spirituality to those unfamiliar with his story. We have a powerful opportunity to draw others into the Franciscan Spirit. As the Franciscan Family, we join together to creatively share St. Francis with every person we meet in every place possible.

Organizing something together will also be a prophetic sign of unity and hope, responding to the call of the universal Church in this Jubilee year. Francis of Assisi was the ultimate pilgrim of hope.

The General Committee of the Franciscan Family for the Franciscan Centenaries is offering to help in international efforts, where it is possible to organize events open to all, involving every national Franciscan Family. The General Committee would like to initiate a dialogue among us and with those who are not Franciscans, to plan an event that would build fraternal relationships and make St. Francis of Assisi even more widely known.

HOW TO ORGANIZE AN EVENT

a) Establish a coordinating committee composed of representatives from all the Orders of the Franciscan Family: OFM, OFMConv, OFMCap, TOR, OFS, CFI-TOR, Poor Clares.
Collaboration among the various members of the Franciscan Family not only unites and multiplies efforts, but can also generate new creativity born of fraternal encounter.

b) This committee will be responsible for:

  • Deciding the objectives and theme.
    The general objective is to reach a broad audience, mainly composed of non-Franciscans and of different age groups: children, youth, adults, elderly.
    The theme suggested by the General Ministers of the Franciscan Family is:
    Francis, man of peace, brother to all
    However, each national Franciscan Family may consider other themes more suited to its own concrete reality.
    The guidelines found in the letter from the Conference of the Franciscan Family and the thematic cores provided by this General Committee in 2022 may be helpful.
  • Deciding where to hold the event and for how many days (1, 2, 3...).
  • Deciding the program and activities to be carried out.
    Activities may include: round tables; forums; meetings/discussions with Franciscan and non-Franciscan experts; workshops; exhibitions; performances; moments of prayer; activities for children and/or families; poetry, art and music contests, possibly involving schools.
  • Approving a budget for the costs of the various activities and preparing all informational materials.

c) Create an Organizing Secretariat to handle logistics; necessary permits; preparation of possible contracts; contacts with speakers and artists; recruitment and coordination of volunteers; execution of the event.

d) Create a financial team to handle sponsorships and expenses.

e) Create a Communications Office to manage internal and external dissemination within the Franciscan Family; handle social media to promote all programming.

It is important to begin working on this project well in advance, to build good relationships among committee members and other service groups, contact people who wish to be involved or institutions to secure chosen venues, and be well prepared to successfully carry out all planned activities.

We offer some links to websites where you can see how national or regional Franciscan Families organize events “in the streets and squares,” including videos and photos, to inspire what we suggest from the General Committee for the Franciscan Centenaries:

The true priority is to give space to Franciscan creativity and imagination, to reach as many people as possible in our cities and connect them with St. Francis and his message, which is more relevant today than ever.
For our Franciscan Family, this can be a beautiful opportunity to contribute to evangelization, as a Church going out to every brother and sister thirsty for the Gospel—credible stories of the Gospel, like that of St. Francis and of so many who have embraced his charism over these eight hundred years.

Finally, we remind you to send contributions about what you will carry out in your countries (articles, photos, short videos) to the Franciscan Centenaries website:
👉 http://centenarifrancescani.org

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