The Franciscan Family in Luzon, Philippines, gathered to celebrate the 8th Centenary of the Stigmatization of St. Francis of Assisi. Around 500 Franciscans, both religious and lay, flocked the Immaculate Heart of Mary College in Parañaque City, Manila, to reflect and celebrate the gift of the stigmata on September 14, 2024.
One of the highlights of the celebration was a talk by Sr. Van Arseneta, FMIJ, who was the former director of the Franciscan Institute in Asia. Her presentation, “From Wounds to New Life,” focused on the transformative power of suffering and how it can lead to profound spiritual renewal. According to her, “the centenary celebration brings us to new heights, offering a profound exploration of how the wounds we endure—both physical and emotional—can become pathways to new life.” Drawing from both the life of St. Francis and her own personal reflections, she emphasized that suffering, when embraced in faith, can lead to transformation. Celebrating the Stigmata of the Seraphic Francis is a mystery that unites the Beloved to the Lover by the power of true Love.
Participants were reminded by Sr. Arseneta, FMIJ, that as Franciscans “the wounds of St. Francis remind us that there is no suffering too great, no burden too heavy, that cannot be transformed by the love of God,” she added also that the “La Verna experience reflects Francis’ search for silence and solitude highlighting his intention to deepen his communion with God.”
The celebration ended with a Eucharistic Celebration presided over by the Chair of the Inter-Franciscan Ministers Conference of the Philippines, Fr. Dominic Christopher Lim, OFMConv. Coinciding this two-day celebration was a Franciscan Vocation Jamboree.
Br. Makki Cruz, OFM
