Franciscan pilgrimages for St. Francis anniversary

In early July 2026, six Franciscan brothers from four Polish provinces completed a pilgrimage to Italy, tracing St Francis’s historic route through Villach, Rome and other holy sites as part of their novitiate formation. Later that month a nationwide youth pilgrimage set out from Sisak, Croatia, converging in Asiz on 2 August and coinciding with the Pope‑opened “GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting” in St. Peter’s Basilica on 6 August.

The 37th International Youth Festival (Mladifest) opened in Medjugorje on 1 August and will run through 6 August, drawing more than 50 000 young pilgrims from over 70 countries and about 500 priests. Held under the theme “Ad fontem! / Na izvor!” to mark the 800th anniversary of St Francis’s death, the program includes masses, rosaries, catecheses, testimonies and candlelit processions, all simultaneously translated into 18 languages. Pope Francis (referred to as Pope Lava XIV in his message) urged participants to seek the truth that frees them and to avoid “transient happiness.” The festival will conclude with a sunrise Mass on the hill of Križevac on 5 August, and accommodation in Medjugorje and nearby villages is reported as almost fully booked.