The Year of St. Francis — a special jubilee celebrated from 10 January 2026 to 10 January 2027 — marks 800 years since the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi. Pope Leo XIV proclaimed the jubilee as an ideal continuation of the 2025 Holy Year, and it is addressed especially to the Franciscan family: the First, Second and Third Orders, together with all the faithful who follow the spirit of the Poverello.
What is the Transitus of St. Francis?
St. Francis died at the Portiuncula in Assisi on the evening of 3 October 1226, at the age of about 44. Franciscans call his death the Transitus — "the passing over" — and keep it each year with a vigil on the evening of 3 October, reading the account of his final hours. Eight hundred years later, the anniversary is being celebrated with a full jubilee year centred on the themes of humility, poverty and peace.
When does the Year of St. Francis run?
The jubilee opened on 10 January 2026 and closes on 10 January 2027. It is the 29th holy year in the history of the Church, and it began only four days after the close of the 2025 Jubilee of Hope. A decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary grants a plenary indulgence throughout the whole year.
How to obtain the jubilee indulgence
Under the usual conditions — sacramental confession, Holy Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father — the faithful receive the plenary indulgence by visiting, in the form of a pilgrimage, any Franciscan conventual church or any place of worship dedicated to St. Francis anywhere in the world, renewing their profession of faith with the Creed and reciting the Lord's Prayer. The elderly, the sick and those who cannot leave home may obtain the same indulgence by spiritually joining the jubilee celebrations.
Who celebrates the Year of St. Francis?
The jubilee belongs first of all to the Franciscan communities — the Order of Friars Minor, the Capuchins, the Conventuals, the Poor Clares and the many congregations inspired by the Rule of St. Francis — but parishes under Franciscan patronage, shrines and individual faithful around the world are taking part. For a parish, a jubilee year is a natural moment to renew vestments and liturgical furnishings.
Franciscan vestments for the jubilee year
The most recognisable Franciscan sign is the TAU cross — the symbol with which St. Francis signed his letters and blessed the sick. Our Franciscan chasuble with the TAU cross is made in ecru; the same design is available in red with a gold TAU and in purple.
Vestments bearing the image of the Poverello are a fitting choice for Franciscan churches: see our chasuble with the image of St. Francis and the hand-embroidered St. Francis chasuble (112H), with a matching St. Francis stole. The Franciscan family also venerates St. Anthony of Padua, St. Clare and St. Padre Pio — see the St. Anthony chasuble, the St. Clare chasuble and the Padre Pio chasuble.
Under the chasuble, Franciscan friars wear the Franciscan priest alb. Every piece is made to order in our atelier and can be embroidered with the TAU or the image of a Franciscan saint — browse the full chasuble and stole collections.
Practical notes for parishes
Hand-embroidered vestments take several weeks to make, so parishes planning celebrations for the closing of the Year of St. Francis on 10 January 2027 should order in good time. For help choosing cuts and fabrics, see our guides to building a priest's vestment wardrobe and the complete guide to Catholic vestments.
Read more about the Church's coming holy years in our guide to upcoming jubilees and holy years.
