On July 15, 2026, the Feast of St. Bonaventure, Most Holy Trinity–St. Mary Church in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, USA, inaugurated CANTICO, a self-guided Franciscan prayer circuit inspired by the Canticle of the Creatures. Launched during the Year of St. Francis, marking the 800th anniversary of the transitus of St. Francis of Assisi, the initiative remains open to pilgrims and visitors and will continue through October.
The church is served by the Conventual Franciscan Friars and the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Assisi. It is among the Franciscan places of worship where the faithful may undertake the pilgrimage established for the Year of St. Francis. From January 10, 2026, through January 10, 2027, a decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary grants a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, to the faithful who make a pilgrimage to a Conventual Franciscan church or another place of worship dedicated or otherwise connected to St. Francis.
The inauguration of CANTICO on the Feast of St. Bonaventure reflects the Franciscan theologian’s understanding of creation, beauty, and the human senses as privileged pathways to knowing God. Through sacred art, poetry, reflection, contemplation, and prayer, the experience invites visitors to rediscover creation as a path to the Creator.
At the heart of the initiative is the Canticle of the Creatures, composed by St. Francis near the end of his life and regarded as the first great poem written in the Italian vernacular. Throughout the church, twelve panels feature artwork by Piero CASENTINI from the Shrine of San Damiano in Assisi, together with passages inspired by the Canticle.
Visitors may follow the prayer circuit at their own pace, moving from one panel to the next in a manner similar to the Stations of the Cross. By scanning QR codes with a smartphone, they can listen to reflections by Sister Caryn CROOK, OSF, a Franciscan sister and ecologist whose meditations explore the relationship between creation, humanity, and the Creator through the spirituality of St. Francis.
The pilgrimage concludes with an invitation to write a personal prayer intention and place it before the statue of St. Francis. Open to parishioners, pilgrims, school groups, visitors, and those rediscovering their faith, CANTICO offers an opportunity to experience the beauty of creation as St. Francis did: as a gift that leads us to the Creator.
For more information:
Most Holy Trinity–St. Mary Church
Friar Richard RICCIOLI, OFM Conv., Pastor
138 Montrose Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11206
718.384.0215
mainoffice@trinity-stmary.org
Parish website
CANTICO – Diocese of Brooklyn Catholic Gatherings
Kevin A. KEENAN, Director of Communications, Province Our Lady of the Angels in the USA
