Celebration of the Canticle 2025

On the 21st September, 2025, the 61st "Celebration of the Canticle" took place in the Sanctuary of San Damiano, a particularly significant edition because it was within the framework of the VIII Centenary of the Canticle of the Creatures. 

 The event brought together the faithful, friars and pilgrims to give thanks with Francis of Assisi to the Lord through the praise of creatures, in the same Church of San Damiano where the Saint composed the verses in the winter between 1224 and 1225. As the Letter for the Eighth Centenary recalls, "the Canticle is a synthesis of the way in which Francis saw reality, and together we still want to sing it with joy of spirit!" 

At the beginning of the celebration, a passage from the Franciscan Sources on the composition of the Canticle, read in the Garden of Canticle, where 800 years ago St. Francis wrote those verses. After the reading, the procession left for the atrium of the church of San Damiano, where Mass was celebrated under a bright sun that welcomed all the participants. 

The Minister General, Br. Massimo Fusarelli, OFM, presided over the Eucharistic celebration. During his homily, Br. Massimo recalled the wisdom and timeliness of the Canticle of the Creatures: "The Canticle of St. Francis was born from this prophetic intuition... true praise to the Creator cannot ignore listening to the suffering of the most fragile". "Here then the Canticle of the Creatures teaches us... the grammar of relationships... Francis sees a network between creatures who come from God and return to Him." "The Canticle of the Creatures, born from the heart of Francis here in San Damiano 800 years ago, is more relevant than ever... everything is called to reconciliation." 

At the end of Mass, the handover took place between the Guardian of San Damiano, Br. Mauro Botti, referent of the Centenary of the Canticle, and the Guardian of the Porziuncola, Br. Massimo Travascio, referent of the Centenary of the Easter of St. Francis: Br. Mauro gave Br. Massimo the parchment containing the text of the Praises to God Most High and the Canticle of the Creatures, which he had received in turn at La Verna in the autumn of 2023, at the end of the Centenary of the Stigmata.  

Afterwards, the participants were able to visit the exhibition "The cry of the creatures" at the Sanctuary of San Damiano: an exhibition dedicated to the work of Gino Covili, who from the 5th July to the 12th October presents the pictorial cycle inspired by the Canticle of the Creatures and offers a path of meditation on the link between the human being, creation and God the Creator. 

 Throughout the day, moments of prayer, meditation and song were proposed, emphasising how Francis's praise embraces the whole of creation and invites each person to live reconciliation with God, with their sisters and brothers and with creation.  

 The commemorative Letter reminds us that "everything is connected, everything is related: everything is Trinitarian" and invites us to meditate also on the deepest passage of the Canticle: "Praised be you, my Lord, through our sister bodily death". 
An opportunity for faith and reconciliation that relaunched the ever-present message of universal fraternity and care for our common home. 

 To deepen the spiritual and pastoral significance of the event, the Letter for the VIII Centenary of the Canticle of the Creatures is available. 

Read Minister General Homily:  Italiano 
See all photos on Flickr