On the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis, the student friars and formators of the OFM Conference of St. Jerome (from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia), together with those of the Croatian Province of St. Jerome of the Friars Minor Conventual and the Croatian Capuchin Province of St. Leopold Bogdan Mandić, went on pilgrimage to the city of Assisi. It was the first time that almost all the student friars (72 in total), together with 7 formators of the Franciscan Family of the region, reached the Poverello-the Poor Man's hometown together.
The pilgrimage began on Friday, 27th February in the early hours of the morning: the pilgrims arrived in Assisi around 3 p.m., to go immediately afterwards to Rivotorto (where St. Francis lived with his friars from 1209 to 1211), before moving to the Porziuncola. In the shrine, the Mass was presided over by Br. Danijel Nikolić OFM, master of the Bosnian student friars. After the Eucharistic celebration and the prayer of Vespers, the friars had the opportunity to visit and spend some moments of personal prayer in the small house where the first friars of the Order lived, as well as in the church built above it to protect it from deterioration. The students then spent the evening in fraternal company, exchanging impressions and ideas.
The following day, the friars were welcomed at the Holy Friary by Br. Vilček Novački OFMConv, from the Croatian Province of St. Jerome. After praying over the mortal remains of the Seraphic Father, they went to the side chapel of St. Bonaventure, where they renewed their profession of faith and received the blessing of the pilgrims. Later, Br. Vilček donated small symbolic gifts: wheat seeds and some soil.
Afterwards, they reached the Benedictine church of St. Peter in Assisi: here the Eucharist was presided over by Br. Renato Galić OFM, vice-master of the Herzegovinian student friars, while the homily was given by Br. Franjo Vuk OFM, master of the student friars of Zagreb.
Subsequently, taking advantage of their free time, the pilgrims had the opportunity to visit Santa Chiara and pay homage to St. Charles Acutis, and then return to the Porziuncola for the prayer of Vespers together with the Italian friars.
The following day, Sunday the 1st March, the friars left for their countries of origin, not without a stop in Padua to visit two saints particularly dear to them: St. Anthony of Padua and St. Leopold Bogdan Mandić. In the Basilica of St. Anthony, the Eucharist was presided over by Br. Stjepan Brčina OFMConv, master of the conventual student friars, who also gave the homily. They then visited the shrine of St. Leopold, where they remained for some time in personal prayer and meditation.
Finally, the pilgrims continued their journey home, thus concluding this pilgrimage in the Jubilee Year of St. Francis.
Br. Toni Divković, OFM
Province of Holy Cross (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
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