An Italian Secular Franciscan couple who raised 10 children has been recognised as venerable by Pope Francis. The Bernardinis are the third married couple in the history of the Church to receive this title (they were preceded by Blessed Luigi and Blessed Maria Beltrame and St. Louis and St. Zelie Martin.) Eight of the Bernardini …
May 2025: Venerable Sergio and Domenica Bernardini (1882 & 1889) Read More »
The Formation Secretariat offers this guide to celebrating the the Franciscan 8th centenary in 2025. 800 years of the Canticle of Brother Sun (PDF)
Benedict-Joseph Labre was born in Amettes (France), diocese of Arras, the eldest of a family of fifteen children. Labre’s uncle, a parish priest, gladly received him, and undertook his early education for the priesthood. At the age of sixteen, Benedict-Joseph approached his uncle about becoming a Trappist monk, but his parents told him he would …
April 2025: Benedict-Joseph Labre (1748-1783) (April 16) Read More »
Well4Africa News and Annual Report (PDF)
On 25 February 2025, Pope Francis announced that José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros, a doctor, scientist, and man of deep faith, known as the “Doctor of the Poor, will be canonized. A date for the celebration is expected to be determined in the coming months. The canonization of José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros is a significant event …
Canonization of Blessed José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros Read More »
Blessed Angela Salawa, the youngest of ten children of Bartholomew and Eve Salawa, was born on September 9, 1881. The large family, despite owning a farm and earning an income from blacksmithing, led a very modest life, often on the verge of extreme poverty. However, they never lacked faith and piety. It was a family …
March 2025: Blessed Angela (Aniela) Salawa (1881-1922) – (March 12) Read More »
Christianity was introduced to Japan in the sixteenth century by Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, resulting in approximately 300,000 baptized believers by century’s end. This promising beginning faced setbacks due to rivalries among missionaries and political intrigues from the Spanish and Portuguese, as well as power struggles within the Japanese government, resulting in the suppression of …
February 2025: Japanese Franciscan Tertiaries – Martyrs (Feb. 6) Read More »
We offer the intercessions for the Liturgy of the Hours prepared by the Commission for the Cause of the Saints and approved by the Presidency for use in individual prayer or during fraternal meetings. EN INTERCESSIONS FOR LITURGY OF THE HOURS (PDF)
In 2025, we will celebrate the 800th anniversary of the composition of the Canticle of Brother Sun. In the spring of 1225, shortly after his experience at La Verna, St. Francis of Assisi chose to spend fifty days at the Monastery of San Damiano, where St. Clare and the first Poor Sisters lived. During his …
Opening of the Eighth Centenary of the Canticle of Brother Sun Read More »
This Tertiary pope of the 13th century, a friend of St. Bonaventure, was a true son of St. Francis, known for his love for the holy places in Palestine and his efforts to promote peace. Born Theobald Visconti in Piacenza in 1210, he distinguished himself through his virtue and academic success, particularly in canon law, …
