Giotto di Bondone, Scenes from the Life of Saint Francis, 4. Death and Ascension of St. Francis (Wikimedia Commons)
St. Francis of Assisi continues to capture the imagination of Catholics like few other saints: Thousands of Franciscans serve those in need, churches mark his Oct. 4 feast day with animal blessings and statues of his likeness adorn gardens all over the world. Though fewer Catholics know about it, St. Francis’ death is also memorialized every year. Transitus, which means “passage” in Latin, is an annual Oct. 3 evening service in which Franciscans mark the passing of the founder of their order. |
Transitus |