Historical Note:
The Franciscan presence on the island of Sardinia dates back to 1230, as reported by an early historical document that says the friars were present in the local province of Cagliari. However, it is believed that the first Franciscans arrived in 1220 in the mountain town of Monte Rasu located in the province of Sassari. Blessed Friar John PARENTI is believed to be buried there. He was the first Minister Provincial of Spain and later, when St. Francis died, succeeded him as the Minister General of the Order (1227-1232). Later, other friaries arose on the island, governed by a Custos dependent on the Minister Provincial of Tuscany. At that time, Sardinia was the eighth Vicariate of that Province. The first friary was erected in Monte Rasu in 1236. It was followed by friaries in the towns of Sassari (1250); Oristano (1252); Cagliari-Stampace (1274); Iglesias (1324) and Alghero (1376).
The Stages of the Fraternal Visit
On August 14-22, 2024, the Minister General, Friar Carlos A. TROVARELLI, made his first fraternal visit to the friaries of Sardinia. He visited all four friaries currently present on the island, namely, the friaries in Cagliari, Sassari, Oristano and Alghero. There are twenty friars living and working among those friaries.
Cagliari and Iglesias (August 14-17)
The first stop on the trip was the friary in Cagliari, which houses six friars. The friars are entrusted with the pastoral care of the Santissima Annunziata Parish Church, where they reside, and the nearby San Francesco d’Assisi Parish Church. The Minister Provincial celebrated Mass with the friars and the faithful at both parish churches, giving him a chance to spend some time with the parishioners.
In 1861, the friars were expelled from the ancient Friary of San Francesco di Stampace. However, they eventually returned home to Cagliari in 1911, when they were entrusted with the Santissima Annunziata Parish Church. It became an autonomous parish in 1920. The friars’ other parish presence at the San Francesco d’Assisi Church was intended as an ideal replacement for the destroyed San Francesco di Stampace Church. The current parish building, inaugurated in 1963, is the site of many pastoral and charitable activities.
During August 15-16, the visit to Cagliari continued with a pilgrimage to the Basilica of Nostra Signora di Bonaria, the main patron saint of Sardinia, where a precious representation of the Virgin with Child is venerated. The image arrived by sea in 1370. After you pass through the historic district of the city, with its cathedral, royal palace, town hall and famous Bastion of San Remy, you reach the sea, with a wide view of the Gulf of Cagliari. Another noteworthy sight is the Punic necropolis in the city, one of the largest and oldest in the entire Mediterranean.
On August 17, the Minister General visited the Gothic-style San Francesco Church in Iglesias, a town the friars left in 2016. The presence of the friars in Iglesias dates back to the early days of the Franciscan Order. The friars were living there during the rule of the Republic of Pisa, which ended with the arrival of the Catalans [Crown of Aragon] in 1324. While in Iglesias, the Minister General was met by a group of faithful who formed an association to care for and manage the church and the friary after the friars left. In addition, he met with His Eminence Cardinal Arrigo MIGLIO, Apostolic Administrator of Iglesias.
Oristano (August 17-20)
During the afternoon of August 17, the Minister General visited the San Francesco Friary in Oristano, which until 2017, had been the curia of the former Province of Sardinia. Moreover, in 1534, it was once the curia of the Custody of Tuscany. Three friars currently reside there; another three friars from the same community are now living in healthcare facilities. The visit began with Mass in the neoclassical San Francesco Church, which houses the precious Suffering Crucifix of Nicodemus (late 1300s). The Province of Sardinia dedicated itself to that crucifix in 1912. The original ancient Gothic church is still partly visible in the adjacent building owned by the state. It was replaced by the current circular neoclassical building in 1847. In 1875, the friars repurchased part of the ancient friary and have lived there ever since.
The Minister General also visited some sick confreres in various facilities around Oristano, namely, the Most Reverend Paolo ATZEI, Bishop Emeritus of Sassari, and Friars Carlo ATZEI and Costantino PIRAS.
The next day, August 18, the Minister General visited the Monastery of Santa Chiara belonging to the Urbanist Poor Clares. Seven sisters live there. They carefully look after the ancient monastery and church. The monastery was originally built in 1343 and clearly preserves the traces of its ancient foundation and subsequent restorations and expansions. The next day, the Minister General celebrated Sunday Mass with the Poor Clares and the local faithful.
Finally, the Minister General visited the Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral in Oristano, located a few steps from our friary. It is the episcopal seat of our confrere, the Most Reverend Friar Roberto CARBONI, OFM Conv., Archbishop of Oristano, Italy.
Sassari and Alghero (August 20-22)
Some historians say the Franciscans first came to the city of Sassari in 1220. Its Santa Maria di Betlem Church was built somewhere between 1270 and 1290. The church has undergone profound changes and transformations over the centuries. The current version was built in the Renaissance style with a dome, between 1829 and 1834. Our confrere, Blessed Francis ZIRANO, who was martyred in Algiers in 1603, was beatified in Sassari on October 12, 2014. Blessed Francis used to live in Sassari and left there to free Christian slaves in Algeria.
The community in Sassari is composed of five friars. The rooms in the friary are large and partly restored. They require further restoration. The church, which is currently undergoing restoration and consolidation, is partially open to the public. On August 21, the Minister General celebrated Mass there with some faithful, gathered around the image of the sleeping Virgin, which was on display for the recent feast of the Assumption of Mary. The image was surrounded by a number of giant, majestic wooden “candles,” called candelieri. They had been carried into the church on the shoulders of men who had been participating in a procession conducted on August 14, in honor of Mary.
The final stop during the Minister General’s fraternal visit was the San Francesco Friary in Alghero. It was originally erected by friars from Catalonia between 1324 and 1330. Its church is in the Gothic-Catalan style and dates back to 1364. In 1593, it suffered a partial collapse and was rebuilt in its current form with Renaissance influences. In 1863, the friars were expelled from the friary, but returned in 1940. Their work of evangelization, charity and culture contributed to the development of the city and the creation of many volunteer associations. The friary in Alghero currently has three friars. While there, the Minister General met with the Most Reverend Mauro Maria MORFINO, Bishop of Alghero-Bosa, Italy, who was invited into the friary. The fraternal visit to the friars and friaries of Sardinia officially concluded on August 22 during morning Mass celebrated with a beautiful group of faithful.
The Minister General was welcomed everywhere with simplicity and joy. His visit gave hope to the friars working at the four presences on the island, supporting the witness they give and the pastoral work they do. Thanks to each of them for their exquisite hospitality. May the Franciscan presence on the island experience a new flowering of spirituality and vocations.
Friar Silvano BIANCO
