8 Shrines and Pilgrimage sites in the USA to visit during the Franciscan Jubilee Year

On the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi in 1226, Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a special jubilee year along with plenary indulgences. See full article from EWTN News HERE. To celebrate this special year, here are 8 or more pilgrimage sites in the USA to visit during the Franciscan Jubilee Year

1. National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, CA

The contemporary ministry of the National Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi invites pilgrims, visitors, and all people of faith to encounter God’s love in its sanctuary of quiet and prayer. Moreover, the Shrine offers a rich experience of the sacramental life of the Church for the Catholic faithful who come seeking spirituality, faith, and grace.

The Shrine Church, a place of sanctity, beauty, and quiet, rejoices in its beautiful architecture, colorful murals and stained-glass windows, and holy relics of the Franciscan saints Francis and Clare of Assisi and Anthony of Padua.

The church itself is open from 10:00 AM through 5:00 PM every day, during which time the Capuchin Franciscan rector is present to welcome pilgrims and visitors.

2. Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, DC

The Franciscan Monastery is home to the Holy Land Franciscan Friars, whose purpose is to support the Holy Land, its people and its holy sites.  The Franciscan Friars’ work in the Holy Land is vital. As Pope Francis says, “We will not resign ourselves to imagining a Middle East without Christians.” We preserve the holy places and make it possible for Christians to remain in the land of Jesus.

3. Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, NM

In 1598, Franciscan Friars entered what is now New Mexico. These priests accompanied the Spanish colonists, who had migrated north from Mexico City.

The current church was built in 1714. This new church was named in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Santa Fe.

4. California Missions

Saint Junípero Serra took the name Junípero from the Franciscan friar, Brother Juniper, who lived from 1210-1258 in Italy and was received into the Order of Friars by Saint Francis of Assisi himself. Francis would often pun, "...my brothers, that I had a whole forest of such Junipers."

Saint Junípero Serra was a Spanish Franciscan friar and missionary who lived from 1713-1784. He desired to travel from Spain to Mexico as a missionary. He landed in Veracruz in 1749 and traveled by foot on the Camino Real to reach Mexico City.On the journey he suffered a swollen foot, which plagued him the rest of his life, but did not stop him from traveling up the coast of California founding 9 of the 21 California Missions from San Diego to San Francisco. Serra was an intelligent and learned man, yet he had great humility and a desire to serve the poor

5. Franciscan Center, FL

Since 1970, the Center has welcomed thousands of people. Over the past 5 years, they have welcomed an estimated 3-4,000 guests to the Center. In the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, they continue to welcome everyone who seeks spiritual growth through a deeper relationship with God in a place of peace, community, healing, and joy.

6. Graymoor the Holy Mountain, NY

Nestled in the hills of the Hudson River Valley in Putnam County, 50 miles north of New York City, Graymoor’s picturesque grounds, shrines and chapels are open dawn to dusk, year round, for the public and people of all faiths to enjoy. From the summit of Mount Atonement, marvel at the sweeping vista and the beauty of a replica of Michelangelo’s Pieta. A few steps away find the tranquility of the St. Francis Chapel, with its altar that once marked the spot where St. Francis of Assisi received his holy stigmata in 1224.

7. Mission Nombre de Dios, FL

In late August 1565, a Spanish fleet commanded by Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés sighted land on the feast of St. Augustine of Hippo, August 28. Upon landing, Father Francisco López de Mendoza Grajales, chaplain of the expedition, celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving. This was the first Catholic Mass of Thanksgiving in what is now the United States, establishing the first parish and planting the roots of the Catholic faith in the New World.

In 1587 Franciscan missionaries formally established Mission Nombre de Dios. It became the foundation for evangelization throughout Spanish Florida and is recognized as the oldest mission in the continental United States.

8. Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, AL

Within the beautiful and peaceful countryside of North Central Alabama, stands the magnificent and brilliant Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of the Angeles Monastery.  Inside this massive and impressive structure visitors are awestruck by the enormous 8-foot monstrance.  There the Lord is present, exposed in the Most Blessed Sacrament, as if He is seated on His glorious throne.  Perpetually before Him in humble contemplation is the Poor Clare of Perpetual Adoration Nuns praying for the salvation of souls.  The Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word are honored to provided for the sacramental and spiritual needs of the Shrine.

St. Francis has made a lasting impact on the United States from coast to coast. Franciscans were present at the first Thanksgiving Mass in Florida in 1565. The Franciscan missionary, St. Junipero Serra, established 21 missions on the West Coast. Italian immigrants brought their devotion to St. Francis with them to New York and throughout the Midwest.

We are grateful to Pope Leo for this Franciscan Jubilee Year and hope that St. Francis will continue to bring souls to Jesus during pilgrimage to these holy sites.

We hope you will join us for our Annual Lenten Mini-Retreat centered around the Franciscan Jubilee Year on March 12 at 3 PM Eastern time via Zoom with Father Christopher Iwancio OFM Cap. NASPA Board Member and President of Modern Catholic Pilgrim

On the occasion of the Jubilee, Pope Leo XIV wrote the following prayer: