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A historic pilgrimage that would have seen St. Francis of Assisi's return to the Holy Land after 800 years has been put on hold due to the escalating conflict in the region. The trip, scheduled from September 30 through October 5, would have seen a group of 10 Franciscan pilgrims (friars and lay) bear the relic of the blood of St. Francis to significant sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
In an interview with the Diocese of Assisi, Fra Matteo Brena, Commissioner of the Holy Land of the Friars Minor of Tuscany, expressed his excitement to be a part of St. Francis’ return to the Holy Land after eight centuries. The trip would have come just days after the Franciscan Friars of the Custody of the Holy Land celebrated the 800th anniversary of the impression of the Stigmata of St. Francis, September 17.
Fra Brena compared the 2024 pilgrimage with the 1224 journey of St. Francis, noting that the “Poverello” – or “the poor one” as Franciscans call their patron – also had to contend with conflict during his pilgrimage, in the form of the Crusades. He commented:
"We are leaving with a great desire in our hearts: to be that 'little remnant' that can be the bearer, in this new dramatic moment for the Middle East, of a sign of consolation and a word of hope. ‘From the wounds, new life’ was the slogan of the eighth centenary of the stigmata of Saint Francis and we, bringing to Jerusalem and Bethlehem the relic of his blood that flowed from the signs of the passion on his body, try to tell those brothers and sisters that it is possible to inhabit the wounds with hope and with a desire for the future.”
Excitement for the historic pilgrimage was stymied, however, when the conflict escalated to a point that flights began to be canceled. It was then that the Franciscans of the Sanctuary at La Verna – where the relic is housed – announced that the pilgrimage had to be placed on hold.
In a Facebook post, they explained that they were forced to “surrender to circumstances.” They were, however, adamant that the pilgrimage would commence as soon as flights resumed:
When they are able to hold the pilgrimage, the delegation of four friars and six lay people – representatives of the Franciscan Youth and the Secular Franciscan Order – will travel between Jerusalem and Bethlehem to bring the blood of St. Francis to Christian communities. The Tuscan delegation will visit and pray in some of the fundamental places of the incarnation, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus; including the Basilica of Gethsemane.
The Basilica of Gethsemane is also in the midst of a celebration, as it turned 100 years old in 2024. Fra Brena explained:
“This year, among other things, the Basilica of Gethsemane celebrates its centenary since it was built in 1924, together with the Basilica of the Transfiguration, by the Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi, who died in 1960 in Rome in the convent of the Delegation of the Holy Land. We will therefore also be included in the initiatives of this centenary.”
