From October 2 to 4, 2026, the Conventual Franciscan friars of the Czech Republic, together with the entire Franciscan Family, commemorated the 800th<\/sup> anniversary of the transitus<\/em> of St. Francis of Assisi. The jubilee celebrations took place in various friaries and shrines and included prayer events, liturgical celebrations, commemorations of the Transitus<\/em>, cultural happenings, and fraternal gatherings. These events were complemented by numerous initiatives organized as part of the Year of St. Francis, proclaimed to mark this important anniversary.<\/strong><\/p>\n Prague: The Franciscan Festival\u2014The Culmination of the National Celebrations Brno: Celebrations in the Presence of the Apostolic Nuncio Opava: The Transitus <\/em>and a Concert Inspired by the Writings of St. Francis Jihlava: Giving Thanks for the Gift of Franciscan Fraternity Cvil\u00edn: Jubilee Pilgrimage and Blessing of the Animals A Message That Never Grows Old Friar Bohdan HECZKO, OFM Conv.<\/p>\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From October 2 to 4, 2026, the Conventual Franciscan friars of the Czech Republic, together with the entire Franciscan Family, commemorated the 800th anniversary of the transitus of St. Francis of Assisi. The jubilee celebrations took place in various friaries and shrines and included prayer events, liturgical celebrations, commemorations of the Transitus, cultural happenings, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":105189,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[132,115,148],"tags":[434,2300],"class_list":["post-105193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-federations","category-femo-en","category-news","tag-czech-republic","tag-franciscan-centenary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105193"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105197,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105193\/revisions\/105197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong>The most significant event of the jubilee celebrations in the Czech Republic was the Franciscan Festival, held in Prague from October 2 to 4. Friars, religious sisters, members of the Secular Franciscan Order, and numerous faithful gathered at places associated with the Franciscan presence\u2014particularly the Conventual Franciscan friary next to the Basilica of St. James. The Festival\u2019s busy program included lectures, discussions, prayer events, concerts, exhibitions, theatrical performances, and activities for children. One particular highlight was the celebration of the transitus <\/em>of St. Francis on Saturday, October 3, in the Chapel of St. Francis at the Basilica of St. James. The joint celebrations of the Franciscan Family in the Czech Republic concluded on Sunday, October 4, with Mass in the Church of Our Lady of the Snows. The Franciscan Festival was about more than commemorating a historical event; it was also about rediscovering the continuing relevance of the Franciscan message of peace, fraternity, and evangelical simplicity.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>In Brno, the friars started their festivities on Saturday, October 3, with the celebration of the Transitus<\/em> commemorating St. Francis\u2019 passage from this life into eternity. The event featured chants performed by the Schola Gregoriana of St. Michael. On Sunday, October 4, the Solemnity of St. Francis, the friars in Brno welcomed a distinguished guest: the Most Reverend Archbishop Eugene Martin NUGENT, Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic, who presided over Mass in the Church of Saints John the Apostle and John the Baptist. This was his first visit to Brno since beginning his diplomatic mission in the country. The Nuncio\u2019s presence gave the celebrations a special solemnity. In his homily, he thanked God for eight centuries of Franciscan life and witness. He recalled the generations of friars, religious sisters, and laypeople who, following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, have proclaimed the Gospel and placed themselves at the service of those in need. He also emphasized that the message of St. Francis does not belong solely to the past but is still alive and more needed than ever in today\u2019s world. People today continue to long for peace, seek meaning in their lives, and face divisions and uncertainty about the future. The Nuncio observed that, for precisely this reason, the world still needs \u201cdaughters and sons of St. Francis\u201d\u2014people who bear witness to simplicity, fraternity, solidarity with the poor, care for creation, and, above all, peace. He concluded his homily by urging those present to bring love where hatred reigns, build unity where division exists, and become instruments of God\u2019s peace in the face of conflict. The Mass featured singing by the Brno Youth Schola. After Mass, a fraternal agape meal was served in the Chapter hall. During the meal, the faithful had an opportunity to meet the representative of the Holy See and talk with him in an atmosphere of cordiality and Franciscan joy. The Nuncio\u2019s visit was one of the most significant moments of the jubilee celebrations and served as an encouragement to live out one\u2019s vocation with renewed zeal.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The friars serving at Holy Spirit Church in Opava also prepared a program for the jubilee celebrations. On Saturday, October 3, they celebrated the Transitus <\/em>, inviting parishioners and all members of the Franciscan Family to participate. On Sunday, October 4, the Schola Gregoriana Sacerdotale gave a concert featuring musical compositions based on the writings of St. Francis. The concert provided a meaningful cultural conclusion to the festivities. Those in attendance also had the opportunity to receive the plenary indulgence associated with the feast of the patron saint of the Franciscan Family.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The jubilee celebrations also included events at the friary in Jihlava. On Sunday, October 4, the local community welcomed the Most Reverend Anton\u00edn BASLER, Auxiliary Bishop of Olomouc, Czech Republic, who presided over the solemn Mass. The friars, together with the faithful, thanked God for the gift of Franciscan fraternity and prayed for reconciliation among people and a deeper communion rooted in love. After Mass, the participants gathered in the friary\u2019s Chapter hall and cloister for a time of fellowship and fraternal conversation.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Shrine of Cvil\u00edn, near Krnov, also took an active part in the celebrations during the Year of St. Francis. On May 10, 2026, it hosted a jubilee pilgrimage of thanksgiving. One of the most important moments of the pilgrimage was the solemn entrance of the relics of St. Francis into the Shrine. The day\u2019s program included the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the recitation of the Rosary, Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration accompanied by prayers for healing. The Brno Youth Schola provided the music. On Sunday, October 4, the Solemnity of St. Francis, the traditional blessing of the animals took place at the Shrine. The faithful brought their four-legged friends to join in thanking God for the gift of creation and to remember St. Francis as the patron saint of nature and ecology and the protector of all creatures.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The jubilee celebrations in the various Conventual Franciscan communities demonstrated how the legacy of St. Francis of Assisi remains alive eight centuries after his death. Prayer, liturgical celebrations, music, pilgrimages, and gatherings called to mind the values that St. Francis of Assisi embodied throughout his life: peace, reconciliation, fraternity, respect for creation, and the joyful following of Christ. These values continue to inspire not only the Franciscan Family but also many of the faithful throughout the world today.<\/p>\n