LOS ANGELES — When God told St. Francis in the early 13th century to "go and repair my house" — the Portiuncula chapel near Assisi, Italy, that had fallen into disrepair — who could have guessed that the ripples caused by that action would one day reach Southern California.
Francis, a rich man who embraced poverty and had a heart for the poor, begged and sold items for materials to rebuild the Portiuncula.
But that's not all of what was refurbished.
The saint asked God and Pope Honorius III for a special indulgence for those who visited the chapel. It was also there that St. Francis founded the Order of Friars Minor and later died in a small room that still exists today.
Now, as Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed 2026 as the Jubilee Year of St. Francis, Archbishop José H. Gomez has declared 15 sites in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as pilgrimage destinations, ensuring that L.A. Catholics don't have to travel all the way to Assisi to participate in the commemoration.
In a letter released on March 25, Gomez encouraged local Catholics to take part in the archdiocese's official jubilee events marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, including pilgrimages to area Franciscan parishes and sacred sites, prayer services, and community activities throughout the year. The archdiocese set up a special site for the observance: lacatholics.org/year-of-st-francis.
"During this time of grace, the Holy Father invites us to reflect on the witness of St. Francis and to grow in holiness through prayer, conversion, and works of charity," Gomez wrote.
"In this way, may this year deepen our love for Jesus Christ, strengthen our care for creation, and renew our commitment to peace."
As part of this observance, those who embark on the pilgrimages and meet certain spiritual conditions may receive a plenary indulgence, which removes the time a person might have spent in purgatory due to his or her sins, which have already been forgiven by God.
Many of the pilgrimage sites were chosen because of their ties to St. Francis or his Franciscan order. Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, the oldest California mission in the archdiocese, was founded by St. Junípero Serra, the Spanish missionary priest who was a Franciscan.
The Monastery of Poor Clares in Santa Barbara is the religious order named after Francis' "spiritual sister," St. Clare of Assisi, while St. Lawrence of Brindisi Church in Watts is run by the Capuchins and named after the Franciscan saint.
The altar at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles features a relic of Francis sealed into it.
In a recent Angelus column, the archbishop noted the "deep spiritual ties that connect us with St. Francis" and how he can still bring us peace in a divided world.
"St. Francis used to greet people with a little prayer: 'May the Lord grant you peace,'" Gomez said. "As we reflect on his witness and teachings during this jubilee year, let us renew our commitment to bring the Lord's peace into all of our relationships and to work to promote reconciliation and understanding among our neighbors."
With a papal decree in January, Leo proclaimed a "Special Year of St. Francis" that will extend through Jan. 10, 2027. In his remarks, Leo hoped that the special jubilee year would promote a spiritual calm in a world currently tormented by war, starvation, and persecution.
"I wish to join spiritually with the entire Franciscan Family and with all those who will take part in the commemorative events, hoping that the message of peace may find a profound echo in the Church and society today," Leo wrote.
As part of the jubilee, the remains of St. Francis were moved from his tomb and exposed for public veneration from Feb. 22 to March 22 at the basilica bearing his name in Assisi, Italy — a rarity considering the saint's bones have seldom been publicly displayed. Hundreds of thousands signed up and waited in lengthy lines to get an up-close and personal view of the saint.
On Oct. 4, Francis' feast day will once again be a national holiday in Italy after lawmakers reinstated the celebration, which was repealed in 1977.
"It's an exciting year; I don't think any of us would have anticipated that Pope Leo would have declared this," Father Jonathan St. Andre, vice president for Franciscan Life at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, told OSV News. "We figured the pope would go to Assisi; there would be different events. But to make this a jubilee, and to offer an indulgence ... is just remarkable."
Full list of archdiocese jubilee sites
Santa Barbara Region
- St. Mark's University Church: 6550 Picasso Rd., Isla Vista
- St. Francis of Assisi Church: 1048 W. Ventura St., Fillmore
- Old Mission Santa Barbara: 2201 Laguna St., Santa Barbara
- Mission Santa Inés: 1760 Mission Dr., Solvang
- Poor Clare Monastery: 215 E. Los Olivos St., Santa Barbara
San Fernando Region
- Poverello of Assisi Retreat Center: 1519 Woodworth St., San Fernando
- Provincial House and Chapel (Glory to God): 13367 Borden Ave., Sylmar
- Mother Gertrude Balcazar Home: 11320 Laurel Canyon Blvd., San Fernando
- Poor Clare Missionary Sisters: 13026 Angeles Trail Way, Kagel Canyon
Our Lady of the Angels Region
- St. Francis of Assisi Church: 1523 Golden Gate Ave., Silver Lake
- St. Lawrence of Brindisi Church: 10122 Compton Ave., Watts
- Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels: 555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles
San Gabriel Region
- Mission San Gabriel Arcángel: 428 S. Mission Dr., San Gabriel
- San Francisco de Asís Church: 4800 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles
San Pedro Region
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Church: 440 Massey St., Hermosa Beach
This story was first published by Angelus, the multimedia news platform of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It has been reprinted here with permission.
