Friday, May 24, 2024, marked the 771st anniversary of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. This year, the solemnity was made particularly memorable by the presence of a relic from the Friars Minor Sanctuary of La Verna showing the blood of St. Francis. The relic was displayed from Evening Prayer of May 23 to Evening Prayer of May 24.
The Mass for the solemnity was presided over by the Minister General, Friar Carlos Alberto TROVARELLI. Those attending the solemn liturgy included representatives of area civil institutions, men and women religious in Assisi, local citizens and members of the Union of Superiors General. The Mass took place at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi.
It was truly a celebration with an ecclesial flavor: commemorating the Dedication referred to our being Church, following St. Francis; being Church in the sense of being the Body of Christ and being a sacrament of unity for the world. In this regard, one should mention how Friar Carlos concluded his homily: “In this Solemnity of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Francis, we celebrate not only the beauty of this sacred place, but above all, the foundation that holds up the entire edifice: the spiritual stature of one man, Francis, who in his fragility lived the mystery of Christ, pointing the way to a new humanity. We entrust ourselves to St. Francis so that he may remind us how we should commit ourselves to building up the Church with the simple witness of our lives.”
For the full text of the homily go to: https://www.sanfrancescopatronoditalia.it/notizie/fede/festa-della-dedicazione-della-basilica-di-san-francesco-53491
Friar Giulio CESAREO
