Vatican Designates Special Jubilee Year of St. Francis
Story by Shelley Wolf
This spring, St. Francis of Assisi Church in New Haven, part of Blessed Michael McGivney Parish, kicked off its observance of the Jubilee Year of St. Francis with a visit from Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne.
Before the Mass, the Archbishop blessed the church’s central doors, decorated with images of St. Francis of Assisi and wild animals, to commemorate this site as one of many pilgrimage sites in the Archdiocese of Hartford where Catholics may obtain special graces.
The event was part of the larger Jubilee Year of St. Francis, which has been declared by the Vatican, and is being observed by Catholics all over the world. The special jubilee began on Jan. 10, 2026, and continues through Jan. 10, 2027.
The Jubilee Year of St. Francis marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, who died on Oct. 3, 1226.
The special jubilee year is intended to encourage Catholics to model on the beloved saint, who continues to inspire with his enduring example of humility, simplicity, peace, care for the poor and care for creation.
Born into a wealthy family, Francis renounced earthly riches to live a humble life in service to God. His love for Christ led him to seek to rebuild the Church, to embrace the poor and marginalized, to recognize the image of God in all creation, and to establish bonds of peace within all human persons.
“Others were drawn to his way of living, and so St. Francis founded the first Franciscan Order (Order of Friars Minor), the Second Order (Poor Clares), and the Third Order Regular. Today, religious and lay members of these communities serve the spiritually and materially poor in hospitals, orphanages, schools, social service outreaches and retreat centers across the globe.
Over the centuries, the saint’s legacy has continued to have a profound effect. Upon his election to the papacy, Pope Francis explained his choice of name to a group of journalists, praising Francis as “the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation.”
For the Jubilee Year of St. Francis, Pope Leo XIV designated Franciscan-led communities and St. Francis-patronized churches as pilgrimage sites where visitors can earn a plenary indulgence for themselves or the souls in Purgatory.
To receive the plenary indulgence, Catholics must pray at a designated Jubilee church, obtain a sacramental confession (within 20 days), receive the Eucharist, and pray for the pope’s intentions.
The decree also requires visitors to pray an Our Father and the Creed. In addition, visitors must seek the intercession of the Blessed Mother and Franciscan saints for global charity, harmony and peace. And they must have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin. The homebound and caregivers may participate spiritually, if not in person.
Franciscan-led communities in the archdiocese include: St. Joseph Parish, Winsted; St. Patrick-St. Anthony Parish, Hartford; St. Paul Parish, Kensington; and St. Martin of Tours Parish at St. Joseph Church, Canaan, St. Mary Church, Lakeville, and Immaculate Conception Church, Norfolk.
Churches under the patronage of St. Francis of Assisi include: St. Francis of Assisi Church, St. John Paul the Great Parish, Torrington; St. Francis of Assisi Church, St. Junipero Serra Parish, South Windsor; St. Francis of Assisi Parish, New Britain; St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Naugatuck; and St. Francis of Assisi Church, Blessed Michael McGivney Parish, New Haven.
For a list of pilgrimage sites, click here.
