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Plenary Indulgence on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the “Nativity scene at Greccio”
From the 8th December 2023 till the 2nd February 2024 in every Franciscan church On the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the "Nativity scene of Greccio", the Apostolic Penitentiary granted a plenary indulgence to all the faithful who, from 8 December 2023...
‘Regula Bullata’: Franciscans celebrate 800 years of evangelical creativity
As the Franciscan family celebrates the 800th anniversary of the Rule of St. Francis on 29 November, Fr. Luke Gregory of the Custody of the Holy Land reflects on the evangelical creativity and freshness that the ‘Regula Bullata’ represents for the entire Church. In...
Pope encourages Franciscans to live out their charism in the world
As the Franciscan Family marks the 8th Centenary of the confirmation of the Rule of St. Francis, on 29 November 1223, Pope Francis invites Franciscan friars and sisters to renew their vocation of bringing the Gospel of poverty and fraternity to today’s world. Pope...
Incarnational Spirituality
"Why did God become man?” This soul-searching question has occupied the hearts of many Christians through the ages, including saints such as Francis of Assisi. God taking human flesh – the incarnation (carne = flesh) – is a mystery calling us to deeper reflection, to...
Shine, listen, be unafraid
World Youth Day may be an event for young people, but Pope Francis’ final message to the pilgrims at the closing mass on 6 August 2023 is one that all of us can take to heart. “What will we take back with us as we resume our daily lives?” he asked the pilgrims. He...
Co-Patrons of the Custody
God sends us companions on our spiritual journey, for us as individuals and for us as an organisation or ministry. For our Custody, St Anthony has been our patron saint from the beginning. Why St Anthony you might ask? Well, it goes back to 1957 when Friar Vergil...
Touching the lives of the poor with St Anthony’s Touch
Have you wondered why St Anthony is associated with bread? It is the power of his intercession. One legend is that when a boy drowned near the Basilica of St Anthony in Padua, his mother in her desperation called out to her beloved saint to restore her son’s life,...
Inspired by the Holy Spirit
The celebration of the Easter season is a time when we reflect on the mystery of Jesus’ supreme sacrifice. He gave his life to win us our salvation. The empty tomb fulfils his mission on earth. What joy we all experience in the knowledge that we have been saved and,...
Brother Francis and Brother Rabbit
In the first official biography of St Francis of Assisi, the author Thomas of Celano, one of the Saint’s first companions, wrote: “Once while he (Francis) was staying near the town of Greccio, a certain brother brought him a live rabbit caught in a trap. Seeing...