From June 22 to 27, 2026, the Foederatio Europae Mediae et Orientalis (FEMO) held a spiritual retreat in Italy in the form of a pilgrimage following the footsteps of St. Francis. Five friars from the Province of St. Anthony and Bl. James of Strepar in Poland (Cracow) took part in the event.
The pilgrims visited places closely associated with the life of St. Francis of Assisi. They visited the Hermitage of the Sacro Speco of St. Francis near Narni, as well as the sanctuaries of Poggio Bustone, Fonte Colombo, and Greccio. In these places, marked by prayer and the presence of St. Francis, they celebrated daily Mass, reflected during spiritual meditations, and spent time in both personal and communal prayer. They also walked the same paths that St. Francis himself traversed centuries earlier.
The retreat culminated in the pilgrims’ visit to the Sacred Convent of Assisi. At the tomb of St. Francis, they celebrated Mass and thanked God for the time of spiritual renewal they shared and for the pilgrimage they made together.
Friar Piotr STANISŁAWCZYK
