{"id":44878,"date":"2026-04-09T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/explorecatholic.nl\/nieuws\/los-angeles-archdiocese-announces-pilgrimage-sites-indulgences-for-st-francis-jubilee\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T15:00:00","slug":"los-angeles-archdiocese-announces-pilgrimage-sites-indulgences-for-st-francis-jubilee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/explorecatholic.nl\/en\/nieuws\/los-angeles-archdiocese-announces-pilgrimage-sites-indulgences-for-st-francis-jubilee\/","title":{"rendered":"Los Angeles Archdiocese announces pilgrimage sites, indulgences for St. Francis Jubilee"},"content":{"rendered":"

LOS ANGELES \u2014 When God told St. Francis in the early 13th century to \u201cgo and repair my house\u201d \u2014 the Portiuncula chapel near Assisi, Italy, that had fallen into disrepair \u2014 who could have guessed that the ripples caused by that action would one day reach Southern California.<\/p>\n

Francis, a rich man who embraced poverty and had a heart for the poor, begged and sold items for materials to rebuild the Portiuncula.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not all of what was refurbished.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Now, as Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed 2026 as the Jubilee Year of St. Francis<\/a>, Archbishop Jos\u00e9 H. Gomez has declared 15 sites in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as pilgrimage destinations, ensuring that L.A. Catholics don\u2019t have to travel all the way to Assisi to participate in the commemoration.<\/p>\n

In a letter released on March 25, Gomez encouraged local Catholics to take part in the archdiocese\u2019s 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring 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,\u201d Gomez wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this way, may this year deepen our love for Jesus Christ, strengthen our care for creation, and renew our commitment to peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Many of the pilgrimage sites were chosen because of their ties to St. Francis or his Franciscan order. Mission San Gabriel Arc\u00e1ngel, the oldest California mission in the archdiocese, was founded by St. Jun\u00edpero Serra, the Spanish missionary priest who was a Franciscan.<\/p>\n

The Monastery of Poor Clares in Santa Barbara is the religious order named after Francis\u2019 \u201cspiritual sister,\u201d St. Clare of Assisi, while St. Lawrence of Brindisi Church in Watts is run by the Capuchins and named after the Franciscan saint.<\/p>\n

The altar at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles features a relic of Francis sealed into it.<\/p>\n

In a recent Angelus column<\/a>, the archbishop noted the \u201cdeep spiritual ties that connect us with St. Francis\u201d and how he can still bring us peace in a divided world.<\/p>\n

\u201cSt. Francis used to greet people with a little prayer: \u2018May the Lord grant you peace,\u2019\u201d Gomez said. \u201cAs we reflect on his witness and teachings during this jubilee year, let us renew our commitment to bring the Lord\u2019s peace into all of our relationships and to work to promote reconciliation and understanding among our neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a papal decree in January<\/a>, Leo proclaimed a \u201cSpecial Year of St. Francis\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d Leo wrote.<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 a rarity considering the saint\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

On Oct. 4, Francis\u2019 feast day will once again be a national holiday in Italy after lawmakers reinstated the celebration, which was repealed in 1977.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an exciting year; I don\u2019t think any of us would have anticipated that Pope Leo would have declared this,\u201d Father Jonathan St. Andre, vice president for Franciscan Life at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, told OSV News. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Full list of archdiocese jubilee sites<\/h2>\n

Santa Barbara Region<\/strong><\/p>\n