Eight Hundred Years: A Holy Year in the Life of the Church
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If, eight hundred years after a man's death, millions across the world still remember him, how deeply that life must have taken root! Francis went to God on 3 October 1226. Less than two years later, on 16 July 1228, Pope Gregory IX raised him to the altars, and the very next day the foundation stone of the great basilica in his honour was laid.
From 2023 to 2026 the Franciscan family has been celebrating a series of "Eighth Centenaries": in 2023, the approval of the Rule and the crib of Greccio; in 2024, the stigmata at La Verna; in 2025, the Canticle of the Creatures; and in 2026, his death — the Transitus. This 800th anniversary is the summit of them all.
"Transitus" — Why Not Simply
"Death"?
Franciscan tradition calls his death the Transitus — the "passing over." Just as Jesus "passed from this world to the Father" (Jn 13:1), Francis passed through death into life. So every year on the evening of 3 October, lamps are lit in Franciscan houses throughout the world and his final hours are remembered in prayer. An order of service is on page 31.
How Can Our Parishes Celebrate?
Key Dates
3 October — The Transitus, evening vigil
4 October — Feast of St Francis of Assisi
16 July 1228 — Canonisation
- A Transitus prayer hour on the evening of the 3rd of every month.
- Every family praying the Peace Prayer at the same hour.
- A parish drive to plant 800 saplings — "for Sister Mother Earth."
- A meal shared with the poor — the "Poverello Table."
1226 – 2026: Footprints Across Eight Centuries
1226 — The Transitus
On the evening of 3 October, Francis goes to God at the Portiuncula.
1228 — Canonisation
On 16 July Pope Gregory IX declares him a saint; work on the basilica begins.
1230 — A New Tomb
His body is transferred to the new basilica in Assisi.
1253 — Basilica Consecrated
Pope Innocent IV consecrates the basilica, later adorned with frescoes of the Giotto school.
1818 — Tomb Rediscovered
His tomb, hidden for centuries, is found again during excavations.
1939 — Patron of Italy
Pope Pius XII names him patron of Italy together with St Catherine of Siena.
1979 — Patron of Ecology
Pope St John Paul II proclaims him heavenly patron of those who promote ecology.
1986 — Assisi Day of Peace
On 27 October world religious leaders gather in Assisi to pray for peace.
2013 — The Name 'Francis'
For the first time in history a pope chooses the name Francis.
2015 — Laudato Si'
An encyclical takes its title from the opening words of the Canticle of the Creatures.
2020 — Fratelli Tutti
The encyclical on fraternity is signed at Assisi on 3 October.
2026 — 800th Anniversary
The culmination of the Eighth Centenaries — 800 years since the Transitus.
Did You Know?
Francis was never ordained a priest. Out of humility he remained a deacon.
Today the worldwide Franciscan family — friars, sisters and secular Franciscans — numbers in the hundreds of thousands.
"Begun by the grace of God, still going on today."
