St. Francis of Assisi honored in Sabino celebration in Italy

The Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia held an Eucharistic celebration at the church of S. Sabino, presided over by Archbishop Renato Boccardo, to commemorate the eighth centenary of St Francis of Assisi’s death. The service recalled the legendary dream Francis experienced in Spoleto, which tradition says redirected his life toward a spiritual quest. Clergy and laypersons, including members of the Pievania choir and the Franciscan Secular Order, attended, and the homily focused on the Gospel of Matthew’s message about “the little ones.”

In a scholarly analysis, researchers examined Francis’s early conversion, highlighting his public “spogliazione” in Assisi where he stripped off his aristocratic clothes before a crowd, symbolizing his break with his father’s expectations and his embrace of poverty. The study also referenced earlier acts of charity in Rome and encounters with lepers as pivotal moments in his spiritual development.