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January 2025: Blessed Aloysius Stepinac (1898-1960)

Top photo: Sarcophagus of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac behind the main altar of Zagreb Cathedral. (iStockphoto/Getty Images) Aloysius Stepinac came from a peasant family, born in Brezarici near Krasic (Croatia) on May 8, 1898. He was the fifth out of eight children, and his mother always prayed that he might one day become a priest. In...

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2026: 800th Anniversary: opening ceremony, booklet, Pope’s letter, indulgences

On January 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, which houses the Porziuncola, was the center of the celebrations marking the 800th anniversary of the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi (1226–2026). The entire opening ceremony was streamed live on the official channels of the Seraphic Province of St. Francis of Assisi...

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Batthyany-Strattmann memorial in Güssing, Austria. © C.Stadler/Bwag; CC-BY-SA-4.0

January 2026: Blessed László Batthyány-Strattmann (1870-1931)

László Batthyány-Strattmann was born on October 28, 1870, in Dunakiliti, Hungary, the sixth child of a family of ancient Hungarian nobility. In 1876, the family moved to Kittsee-Köpcseny in present-day Austria due to the constant threat of flooding on the Danube. When László was twelve, he lost his mother, who died at the age of...

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Year of Transitus opens with live broadcast Jan. 10

The 800th anniversary of the Transitus of St. Francis will open on January 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. with a live broadcast from the Porziuncola Chapel in Assisi. The Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, which houses both the Porziuncola and the Chapel of the Transitus, will serve as the centre of the celebrations...

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