To honour the 8OOth anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi, Pope Leo declared a special Jubilee 'Year of St Francis' in 2026, asking all Christians to follow St Francis' example in "holiness of life and a constant witness of peace."
Apostolic Penetentiary 2026.
To celebrate this important year, the Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst has published a resource for reflection and prayer, developed by the Office of Mission and Pastoral LIfe at the Chancery with the Sandhurst Care for Creation Team.
With the publication of this resource, the Diocese invites people to rediscover the witness of St Francis and to draw his spirit of simplicity, peace, compassion and care for creation in to their own lives and prayer.
In his exaltation, Laudato Si' Pope Francis described St Francis as, "the example par excellence of care for the vunelrable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically."
St Francis of Assisi remains deeply relevant today because his life speaks to some of the most pressing concerns of our time: care for creation, peace, poverty, fraternity and a simple, Gospel-centred life.
His vision was not about admiring creation from a distance, but recognising our relationship with God, one another and the whole of creation.
In 2026, Pope Leo XIV reflected that Francis still draws people to him “eight hundred years after his death” because he was willing to abandon familiar ways and find a path more consistent with Jesus. Pope Francis likewise described him in Laudato Si’ as “the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically.” His witness offers a timely reminder that Christian discipleship is lived through simplicity, compassion, peace and care for our common home.
This resource is deisgned as an A5-sized booklet.