The month of October is a special one for us here at Franciscan Media, the parent company of this magazine. This is the month when we celebrate the feast of St. Francis.
This year, though, we have even more to celebrate with the beginning of events to mark the 800th anniversary of the Later Rule, the foundational document of the Franciscans. The centennial will be marked over the course of four years by certain events throughout the ministry of Francis. The first of these is Christmas at Greccio, which was first celebrated in 1223. Next year will focus on the stigmata, followed by the Canticle of the Creatures in 2025, and, finally, the death of St. Francis in 2026.
But there is even more to celebrate. The US Franciscans will take a big step with the formation of the new Our Lady of Guadalupe Province. The new province is the result of years of planning to bring together six of the US provinces from across the country into one.
Over the months and years to come, we will be sharing stories of these events and the many works of the friars, all in the spirit of St. Francis.
