The following letter was sent to the lay faithful of the Archdiocese of San Francisco in May 2026 for the Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi.
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
Pope Leo XIV has decreed that from January 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027, “a special Year of Saint Francis shall be proclaimed, in which every faithful Christian, following the example of the Saint of Assisi, shall become a model of holiness of life and a constant witness of peace.”[1]
As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has stated, we are called to be witnesses of peace by boldly proclaiming the dignity of the human person and working for the protection of all human life. In this Year of Saint Francis, may he help us to see the beauty of life in all of creation, and in particular, in the weakest and most vulnerable among us.
Our Franciscan religious communities offer online resources to help the faithful deepen their relationship with God through Franciscan spiritual practices.
I am very pleased to share with you that for the first time in 800 years, relics of St. Francis of Assisi will be coming from Italy to the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption later this year sponsored by the Knights of St. Francis of Assisi. We are making final preparations to receive and display the relics for all to venerate. More details will follow in the coming weeks.
In honor of this special year on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the Transitus (death) of Saint Francis, I have designated several locations where the faithful may make a pilgrimage and pray devoutly to fulfill the conditions for receiving a plenary indulgence[2]:
- National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi
- Mission Dolores Church
- Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in East Palo Alto
- Mission San Rafael
- Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption
I encourage the faithful to participate in this special year of St. Francis and avail themselves of the many graces in this time of spiritual renewal in the Church.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone
Archbishop of San Francisco
[1] Angelo Cardinal De Donatis, “Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary on the occasion of the Eighth Centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, by which a special Jubilee Year is proclaimed, with associated Plenary Indulgences, 16.01.2026,” (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2026).
[2] To gain a plenary indulgence, in addition to excluding all attachment to sin, even venial sin, it is necessary to perform a prescribed work designated by the Church (such as praying the stations of the cross in a church or visiting one of the designated pilgrimage sites) and fulfill the following three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Pope.
