Denver to Celebrate 800 Years of St. Francis of Assisi
As the Church marks 800 years since St. Francis’ death, Denver Capuchin Franciscans invite Catholics to rediscover his radical witness of peace, simplicity, fraternity, service to the poor and surrender to Christ in an age of division, conflict and distraction.
Preacher of the Gospel. Lover of animals. Patron saint of Colorado.
In just a few weeks, the Catholic Church will honor one of its most beloved saints: St. Francis of Assisi. This year, though, those celebrations carry special weight as the Church marks 800 years since his death, traditionally commemorated on October 3 with the Transitus and on October 4 with his feast day.
Beginning in January, the Church has observed a Jubilee Year of St. Francis. Since then, countless pilgrims have traveled to Franciscan churches, missions, retreat centers and pilgrimage sites around the world to honor the great saint and receive a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions.
Locally, Annunciation Parish in Denver, administered by the Capuchin Franciscans, is inviting parishioners and pilgrims to come to know the great saint and to learn from his example in the modern age with a two-day festival at the beginning of October. Attendees even have the opportunity to earn two plenary indulgences — one on Oct. 3 and one on Oct. 4, under the usual conditions.
“St. Francis reminds us that before someone is my opponent or problem or somebody to disagree with, they are my brother or sister in Christ. So we can have disagreements, but at the end of the day, we are called to be in relationship to one another. That’s one way of being a peacemaker,” said Father Chris Gama, O.F.M. Cap., pastor of Annunciation Parish in Denver.
Beyond peacemaking, Father Gama said, St. Francis teaches surrender — he gave up everything he owned to follow Jesus — and shows how to encounter real and lasting peace in Jesus.
“He’s an echo in our modern world to create brotherhood instead of an enemy, to choose peace instead of division, to live with less and to love the poor, and to put Christ back at the center of our lives,” Father Gama told the Denver Catholic.
The jubilee and the upcoming feast day are more than mere remembrances, though, Father Gama explained. They’re opportunities for grateful and prayerful reflection, considering how God continues to bring about grace through one saint’s life.
“It’s looking backward and remembering not only what happened 800 years ago to Francis, but also looking within our modern times to the grace that’s being operative to allow God to renew it in us today,” he reflected. “God gave the Church and Francis tremendous graces, but God is not done working. One of the questions God has raised for me during this year is: Are we willing to renew ourselves by the power of Christ and his Gospel, and to live it radically again? This year has been a year of remembering the blessings that God has given and giving thanks to God and returning to that renewal.”
Part of that renewal in mission means getting off the sidelines and jumping into the arena, he continued.
“It’s easy to be a spectator in our faith. My hope is that we don’t walk away and just salute our hats to St. Francis, but that his life challenges us,” Father Gama expressed. “We have the opportunity to forgive one another now, to be peacemakers now, to serve the poor now, to simply better our lives now, and to give ourselves more completely now. My hope is that people don’t just remain spectators.”
As St. Francis’ feast day approaches, Annunciation Parish is giving local Catholics plenty of opportunities to get involved in prayer, each of which offers the possibility of earning a plenary indulgence, to boot.
Beginning October 3, on the vigil of St. Francis’ feast day, the parish will offer an anticipatory Mass and confessions, followed by a bilingual Transitus of St. Francis, a special Franciscan prayer service akin to a funeral marking St. Francis’ passing into the heavenly kingdom.
The unique service will include Eucharistic Adoration, a candlelit procession through the neighborhood with a statue of St. Francis, Night Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, reflections on St. Francis’ life and teaching and a blessing with a relic of the saint.
On October 4, the feast of St. Francis, Annunciation will offer several Sunday Masses in English and Spanish, each followed by a blessing of animals, a tradition in many U.S. parishes tied to the saint’s care for creation and the famous stories of his preaching even to animals. Between Masses, food and fun will be available outside the church.
“I invite any Catholic, any person of faith or goodwill to come and celebrate this festival at Annunciation,” Father Gama said. “You don’t have to be a Franciscan to be inspired by St. Francis, but 800 years after his death, his message of simplicity, peace, fraternity, care for the poor and radical surrender to Jesus Christ speaks powerfully to our world, and we need him more than ever.
“So come pray with us. Bring your family; bring your pets. Receive the graces that God wants to give in this jubilee year and experience what St. Francis still has to teach the Church today,” Father Gama concluded. “Come for the encounter. Come for a renewal of your spirituality, and see what God wants to do in your life today.”
The Feast of St. Francis at Annunciation Parish
WHERE: 3601 Humboldt Street, Denver, CO 80205
Note: Street parking only. Be sure to arrive early to find a parking space and find your way to the church.
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Anticipatory Mass (Spanish)
TIME: 6:00 p.m.
Note: Confessions will be offered beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi (Bilingual)
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 4, 2026
Sunday Mass (English)
TIMES: 8:00 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.
Sunday Mass (Spanish)
TIMES: 9:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.
Note: Each Mass will be followed by a blessing of animals in the courtyard.
