St. Francis Relic Brings Prayer for Sick, Care for Creation to Philippine City

A pilgrim relic of St. Francis of Assisi brought Catholic faithful together for prayer for the sick, elderly, families and consecrated persons as it visited the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception community in Maligaya Park, Novaliches, Quezon City, from September 24 to 27.

The visit formed part of “Lakbay ni Francisco,” a pilgrimage bringing the relic to Catholic communities across the Philippines during the Franciscan Jubilee Year commemorating the 800th anniversary of the Transitus, or death, of St. Francis in 1226.

On September 26, the community’s novena in preparation for the October 4 Solemnity of St. Francis was offered particularly for the sick, elderly, homebound, families, consecrated persons and members of the wider Franciscan Family.

The day began with a Conventual Holy Mass celebrated by Fr. Cherubim Panilong, FI, and offered especially for the sick, elderly and those unable to leave their homes. The celebration included the Anointing of the Sick, followed by individual veneration of the relic.

Families, consecrated persons and members of the Franciscan Family also took part, bringing their personal intentions and the needs of their loved ones to prayer. For those who are elderly or sick and unable to undertake a pilgrimage themselves, the presence of the relic offered an opportunity to encounter the spiritual legacy of the “Poor Man of Assisi” within their own community.

Following the visit, a relic of St. Francis under the custody of the Sisters will be exposed for public veneration from September 28 to October 4.

The Novaliches visit is part of a wider commemoration of the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ death, observed by the Franciscan Family and Catholic communities as an opportunity to remember his life and witness eight centuries later.

Through “Lakbay ni Francisco,” the pilgrim relic is being brought to parishes, religious communities and other Catholic institutions, allowing people to encounter Franciscan spirituality in their own local settings.

The pilgrimage also highlights themes closely associated with St. Francis, including simplicity, fraternity, compassion, peace and care for creation. St. Francis is recognized by the Catholic Church as the patron saint of ecology, and his spirituality has influenced Christian reflection on humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

Pope Francis drew particular attention to St. Francis in his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, presenting him as an example of a life marked by care for creation, concern for the vulnerable, simplicity and fraternity.

For Catholic communities involved in care for creation initiatives, the pilgrimage offers an opportunity to connect environmental responsibility with Christian spirituality. The journey of the relic invites the faithful not only to venerate a tangible reminder of St. Francis but also to reflect on how his witness to gratitude, simplicity, fraternity and respect for creation can be lived today.

As the relic travels among Catholic communities in the Philippines, the Jubilee commemoration brings the legacy of St. Francis closer to ordinary parishioners and religious communities, linking the memory of the saint with contemporary concerns for the sick, the vulnerable, human fraternity and the care of the common home.