Pilgrimage to Assisi

ASSISI, Italy – It was Pope John XXIII who in 1962, visited this medieval town to make a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Francis and proclaimed that “we are truly at the gates of paradise.”

Like Todi, Assisi is in the Umbrian province of Perugia and sits over 1,400 feet above sea level in a mountain range that has a breath-taking view of a centuries old landscape carved out of the rosy-white stone of Mount Subasio. Its architectural structures, the elegant and peculiar movement of the masses give the whole complex a symbolic value – that of an unshakeable fortress of faith, notes the book “Assisi – Art and History.”

Assisi is where St. Francis and St. Clare were born. Both saints are revered by Catholics and Christians alike. St. Francis was born in 1182 to a rich cloth merchant Pietro di Bernardone of the Moriconi family and Madonna Pica. As a young man, St. Francis was a  man of the world, vain, extravagant and heir to a business empire. In 1202, he joined the forces defending Assisi in a war with Perugia and was taken prisoner. St. Francis regained his freedom after a year and returned to his life of luxury. At 23, he became ill but recovered to join another military expedition. While with the army, St. Francis again fell sick and in a moment of high fever, heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Go back to your city where you will be told what to do.”

St. Francis went back to Assisi and having discovered the Lord, dedicated himself to meditation and prayer in the caves near the town. In 1206, he was again spoken to by God while praying before the crucifix in the crumbling little Church of San Damiano. “Go Francis, restore My house which as you can see, is falling into ruins,” the voice said. St. Francis then sold his wordly possessions to raise money for the reconstruction of the church.

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St. Francis was determined to lead by example. He wore the smock of an Umbrian peasant with a hood on his head and a cord tied around his waist. When St. Francis had gathered 11 followers, he requested authorization from the Pope for a rule of life with his brothers. In 1209, St. Francis founded his first convent and established the order of the Franciscan friars. Two years later, he organized the order of the Poor Clares for women. In 1224, he received the stigmata while praying on the side of Mount Averna. In 1226, St. Francis died singing Psalm 141. Two years later, he was proclaimed a saint by Pope Gregory IX. Throughout his life, St. Francis was known for his devotion to the Lord, without owning anything and living in chastity. There are several examples of miracles traced to St. Francis’ intercession.

Walking around Assisi, we met up with several Filipino priests one of whom Fr. Milestone Japin of Cebu has lived in the town for 22 years. Visiting the Basilica of St. Francis, finished in 1230, was an experience. We entered the Lower Church through the double portal at the entrance and marvelled at the frescoes on the ceiling and walls, one of which portrayed St. Francis in his sermon to the birds. We took a staircase down to the crypt where St. Francis’ remains are buried. The tombs of his four disciples, Leo, Rufino, Angelo Tancredi and Masseo are in niches on the stone walls of the crypt. The Upper Church is in Gothic style, a single nave split into four sections. The greatest artists of the 13th and 14th centuries, including Giotto, Turriti and Cimabue, labored to provide a beautiful sequence of frescoes and decorations.

We prayed at the Oratory of San Francesco Piccolino, built in the stall where St. Francis was born, and the church constructed from the ruins of his family’s home. Inside the church is a dark and narrow cell where St. Francis was incarcerated by his father after declaring his vow of poverty. We viewed an exhibit of the relics of Sts. Francis and Clare, including tunics, sandals and locks of hair.

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We also visited the Basilica of St. Clare, completed in 1265. There are eight tablets depicting milestones in St. Clare’s life on the walls leading to a crypt where she was buried. Finally, we went to the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, about 300 meters from the foothills of Assisi. Inside the basilica is the Cappella della Porziuncola, a little chapel built in the fourth century which was where St. Francis stayed with his first companions for three years until 1209 and where he established the order of Poor Clares. In the courtyard of the basilica is a statue of St. Francis surrounded by a thorn-less rose bush.

During our visit, we learned that the Franciscan rosary has seven mysteries – the declaration of the Angel to the Blessed Mother, the visit of the Blessed Mother to Elizabeth, the birth of Jesus, the adoration of the Magi, the finding of Jesus in the temple of Jerusalem, the meeting with the risen Jesus and the crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven. After reciting the seventh decade, another two Hail Marys are said to arrive at 72, a number which represents, according to tradition, the age reached by the Blessed Mary upon her assumption into heaven. The Franciscan rosary ends with an Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Glory Be, the prayer Hail Holy Queen and the concluding prayer – “O God, who in the glorious resurrection of your Son, you have given joy to the whole world, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary grant that we may enjoy life without end, through Christ our Lord, Amen.”

Assisi is about a three-hour drive north of Rome and is a religious haven for pilgrims.