The Year of Francis begins as the Church marks 800 years since the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. Discover why his life and Gospel witness still matter today.
Francis of Assisi died in 1226, near the small chapel he loved most, the Porziuncola.
He did not die in a grand church or monastery. He asked to be laid naked on the bare earth. He asked for the Passion of Christ in the Gospel of John to be read to him. He sang psalms. And then, quietly, he went home to God.
Near the end of his life, broken in body, nearly blind, and exhausted by years of prayer and hardship, Francis did not fear death. He welcomed her as a sister - “Sister Bodily Death.”
He embraced his own death as a final act of union with Jesus. It was his way of conforming himself completely to Christ, who had given everything on the Cross.
How a person dies often reveals how they have lived.
Francis died as he lived: poor, free, trusting, and completely surrendered to God.
On 10 January, the Franciscan family around the world and the Church in Assisi gather in prayer to open the Eighth Centenary of the Death of Saint Francis of Assisi, marking 800 years since his passing in 1226.
The world today looks very different from the one Francis knew. And yet, pilgrims still come to Assisi from every corner of the globe, drawn by the life of one small, unlikely man.
But why?
Francis still matters today because he lived the Gospel without compromise.
He chose poverty over comfort, peace over power, and love over fear. He did not admire the Gospel from a distance, he allowed it to shape every part of his life, even to the point of sharing in Christ’s wounds.
Francis founded a worldwide family of friars, sisters, and lay people, now spread across every continent. But his influence reaches far beyond those who wear a habit. His life continues to speak to anyone longing for a simpler, more honest way of following Christ.
Eight hundred years after his death, in today’s broken world, his witness still challenges us to live the Gospel without compromise.
What does Francis still mean for us today?
Francis reminds us that holiness is possible, that joy can exist alongside suffering, and that peace begins with the conversion of the heart. He shows us that the Gospel is not meant to be admired, but lived, even when it costs us something.
A Year to Walk Alongside Francis
Over the coming months, I’ll be sharing reflections on a man I knew very little about until a few years ago. Many people recognise the name Saint Francis of Assisi, but beyond the garden statue or birdbath, they often know very little about the real man behind the name.
I’ll be sharing stories from his life, his family, his moments of conversion, his early companions, and reflections on the places in Assisi that shaped him. Throughout the year, I’ll also share the stories of other Franciscan saints who carried his vision forward in their own time and place.
This is an invitation to walk slowly and prayerfully through a year shaped by Franciscan wisdom that I have learnt along the way.
The Invitation
While praying before the crucifix in the ruined church of San Damiano, Francis heard Christ say:
“Francis, go and rebuild my Church.”
At first, Francis understood this literally. He rebuilt ruined chapels with his own hands before slowly realising that Christ was calling him to something deeper: not the rebuilding of stone walls, but the rebuilding of hearts and lives.
This year, the same invitation is extended to us.
Go and rebuild what God desires to restore within you.
Go and rebuild the places where trust and relationships have weakened in your life.
Go and rebuild holiness in the very ordinary details of your daily life.
Eight hundred years after Francis met Sister Death, his life still points us to Christ and to live the Gospel without compromise.
The journey with Francis begins today.
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