Franciscan University Hosts Jubilee Pilgrims Honoring St. Francis

STEUBENVILLE, OHIO — Franciscan University of Steubenville welcomed Pope Leo XIV’s proclamation of 2026 as the Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi in honor of the 800th anniversary of his death. To celebrate this extraordinary jubilee, Franciscan University has designated several chapels on campus as pilgrimage destinations throughout the year and will host a major academic conference on St. Francis in the fall.

 “We look forward to a year filled with grace and blessings,” said Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, president of Franciscan University. “Although it has been 800 years since St. Francis’ death, he still captures the hearts and imaginations of the people of God. As a Franciscan university, we welcome the opportunity to invite pilgrims from near and far to celebrate the witness of St. Francis, Mirror of Christ, and grow in the Franciscan charisms of peace, conversion, and joyful discipleship.”

 According to the official decree, this extraordinary jubilee year will be celebrated for the next 12 months, during which time the faithful are invited to “follow the example of the Saint of Assisi, becoming models of holiness of life and constant witnesses of peace.” 

 In this sacred time of grace, the Apostolic Penitentiary grants a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions—sacramental confession, reception of the Eucharist, and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father—to those who participate devoutly in this jubilee. The decree extends this gift to “all the faithful without distinction who, with hearts detached from sin, visit, in the form of a pilgrimage, any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship anywhere in the world dedicated to St. Francis.” 

 Father Pivonka said, “Franciscan University is excited to serve as a pilgrimage destination during this jubilee year. We have designated three chapels on campus as jubilee pilgrimage sites where Catholics may come to receive this plenary indulgence: our historic Portiuncula Chapel, the recently renovated Christ the King Chapel, and the Sacred Heart Chapel in our state-of-the-art Christ the Teacher academic building.” 

 Pilgrims who fulfill the conditions outlined by the Church at these sites may receive the special indulgence granted for this jubilee. 

 In addition to serving as a pilgrimage site, the University will hold a major academic event this fall. From November 5–7, 2026, Franciscan University will host the “Sister Death–Gate of Life” Conference, marking the anniversary of St. Francis’ death and entrance into eternal life. Drawing on the words of his first biographer, Thomas of Celano, who recorded St. Francis’ joyful embrace of death as “Welcome, my Sister Death!”, the conference will explore Franciscan perspectives on death, the Christian understanding of the end of life, and the ongoing relevance of Franciscan spirituality across disciplines and vocations.

 The weekend-long conference will feature keynote presentations by distinguished Franciscan scholars, including Rev. J. A. Wayne Hellmann, OFM Conv, Rev. Thomas A. Piolata, OFM Cap, and Sister Margaret Carney, OFS, and will include scholarly papers and discussions on St. Francis’ life and legacy, Franciscan tradition, and Catholic and Franciscan views on health care, care for the dying, and enduring Christian hope.

 “Through events like this, our students and the wider Catholic community will have the opportunity to engage deeply with Franciscan spirituality and reflect on its meaning for their lives,” said Father Jonathan St. André, TOR, vice president for Franciscan Life.

 Franciscan University invites all the faithful to join in these Jubilee Year of St. Francis observances, to seek the abundant graces offered in this extraordinary time, and to be renewed in faith, hope, and love through the witness of St. Francis.

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 Widely recognized as the leader of the renaissance in Catholic higher education called for in Ex corde Ecclesiae, Franciscan University of Steubenville is one of only 16 faithfully Catholic universities in the U.S. endorsed by the Cardinal Newman Society out of the nation’s 230 Catholic colleges and universities.

 Franciscan University, founded in 1946 by friars of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Province of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance, integrates excellent academic programs with a dynamic faith environment to serve over 3,977 students—2,845 on campus and 1,132 online from all 50 states and 17 countries.

 The Be Light Strategic Plan 2024-2027 guides Franciscan University of Steubenville as it seeks to be “a city on a hill and a light to the world, striving to rebuild the Church and sanctify the world by educating and forming disciples of Jesus Christ who act as leaven in transforming the culture” while living out our core values of encounter, conversion, and community.

Franciscan’s 89 percent first-year retention rate shows that when students come to Franciscan they stay, drawn to its Christ-centered campus culture and integration of faith and reason in the classroom.

 Ranked in the top tier of Midwest universities by U.S. News & World Report since 1998, Franciscan offers over 100 programs of study including 45 undergraduate programs all grounded in Franciscan’s acclaimed Catholic core curriculum, 2 doctoral programs, 10 graduate programs, and 14 online programs.

 Franciscan was instrumental in Steubenville making the 2023 list of “10 of the Best Cities in America to Raise a Catholic Family” in Crisis magazine. The University was also awarded four stars in Money magazine’s “The Best Colleges in America 2023,” based on quality, affordability, graduation rates, financial aid, and alumni salaries.

 Home to the largest undergraduate Theology Program in the U.S., Franciscan also has a well-regarded Priestly Discernment Program, which has seen over 250 members ordained to the priesthood since 1985.

 The University’s newest academic programs include mechanical engineering, software engineering, criminal justice (bachelor’s and master’s), biochemistry, cybersecurity, a master’s in Catholic studies, a DMin in Evangelization and Catechetics, a PhD in Sacred Theology, and an entrepreneurship program that combines business best practices, leadership formation, and Catholic social teaching.

 A study abroad program in a beautifully restored 14th-century Carthusian monastery in Austria attracts up to 200 students each semester, broadening their horizons intellectually and spiritually through pilgrimages to historic and sacred sites.

 For more about Franciscan University of Steubenville and its mission to educate, evangelize, and send forth Spirit-filled disciples of Jesus Christ, visit Franciscan.edu or connect with Franciscan on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.