On July 4, Franciscans celebrate the memory of St. Elizabeth (Isabel) of Portugal, Secular Franciscan (1271-1336), known in her lifetime as a great peacemaker. (In the United States, her feast is observed on July 5 since July 4 is Independence Day.)
On July 1, all Catholics in the United States join Franciscans in celebrating the memorial of Saint Junipero Serra (1713-1774), the "Apostle of California." (Elsewhere, his feast day is August 28, his date of death.)
On June 30, the Franciscan family honors the memory of Blessed Ramon Llull, a Secular Franciscan scholar committed to mission to the Islamic world (1232-1316).
What does it really mean to live a penitential life today? For members of the Secular Franciscan Order—or anyone drawn to Franciscan spirituality—this question echoes through centuries of tradition, personal devotion, and communal renewal. St. Francis and the Third Order: The Franciscan and Pre-Franciscan Penitential Movement offers a rich historical and theological exploration of this path, grounding the contemporary Third Order in its earliest roots.
On June 19 Franciscans recall the memory of Venerable Matt Talbot (1856-1925), an Irish Secular Franciscan considered a patron of men and women struggling with alcoholism and other forms of addiction.
On June 13, countless people celebrate the memory of one of the most popular Franciscan saints, Anthony of Padua (1191/5–1231).
On May 30 the Franciscan family celebrates the memory of St. Camilla Battista da Varano (1458–1524), a noted Poor Clare humanist and spiritual writer.
Interested in deepening your knowledge of the Franciscan Intellectual-Spiritual Tradition? Check out these summer offerings (2025) from the Franciscan Institute of St. Bonaventure University.
To mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, the Centre for Catholic Studies (CCS) at Durham University will hold its third international Franciscan Studies conference, Life and Love Transfigured: Exploring New Horizons in the Franciscan Tradition, from April 14 to April 16, 2026.
