10 September 2024 will mark the 800th anniversary of the arrival of the first friars in England.
As a Franciscan Family in the world, we are celebrating the 800th anniversary of the last period of St Francis' life, marked by a crisis in his relationship with the Order, a time of personal temptation and the last two years of his preparation for death. A very intense period in which St Francis matured to his full stature as a man and as a Christian.
The approval of the Rule and the Christmas lived in Greccio opened him to live in La Verna a profound communion with Christ through the Stigmata. At San Damiano, wounded in the body and now blind, his prayer exploded with the Canticle of the Creatures, and it was in this spirit that he went to meet "Sister Death" at the Porziuncola in 1226.
It is certainly no coincidence that the first Franciscan mission to England took place in 1224, precisely at this unique time in the Poverello's life and before the Stigmata. It was born, as it were, from his wounded heart, strong in his love for the Gospel and for humanity.
Francis had already sent his friars to various parts of Europe to live and proclaim the Gospel. England, at the time under the reign of Henry III, was a territory ripe for evangelisation and spiritual reform. The arrival of the first friars in Dover on 10 September 1224 was therefore an important event in the religious and cultural history of the country.
We know that the group was led by Agnello di Pisa, a friar of great devotion and organisational talent. Other friars travelled with him, including Albert of Pisa, Richard of Ingworth and others. Their presence was peculiar and new: they wore simple clothes, walked barefoot and lived in poverty. This way of life quickly attracted the attention of many people and their presence spread rapidly throughout the island. We can say that the first Franciscan mission to England in 1224 marked the beginning of a period of great growth and influence for the Order in the country. The Franciscan Friars were able to establish a permanent presence and made a significant contribution to the religious, intellectual and social life of medieval England.
In a time of "great temptation", Francis was able to create such a novelty of life and mission. He did not withdraw into himself, but went out to meet others, crossing borders.
The recollection of the 800th anniversary of the arrival of the Friars Minor in England, as we celebrate the Franciscan centenary, reveals to us even more his light and strength.
As we commemorate the anniversary of this arrival, we look to the future to continue our presence in England, today also through the new international fraternity that is about to be founded in Stratford, on the outskirts of London. Between memory and new beginnings. We are still going on mission.
