Jubilee Year of St. Francis brings rare relic, historic art to San Francisco

To celebrate the Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi and the 250th anniversary of Misión San Francisco de Asís — a historic Catholic Church in San Francisco also known as Mission Dolores — the Knights of St. Francis of Assisi along with the Archdiocese of San Francisco, the national Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, and the Benedict XVI Institute are hosting a rare exhibit.

From Oct. 16 to Nov. 28, the public is invited to visit San Francisco’s Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption to view a special relic of St. Francis, pieces of art, and models of the historic 21 missions in California, and to pray before an illuminated manuscript of the “Canticle of the Creatures” commissioned by the Benedict XVI Institute.

The relic available to venerate is a first-class relic of St. Francis’ blood taken from the side wound of the stigmata he received, which is kept in La Verna, Italy. After experiencing a visitation from a crucified angel on Sept. 14, 1224, St. Francis developed wounds in his hands, feet, and side. The Franciscan friars of La Verna have guarded St. Francis’ blood for 800 years.

The art pieces in the exhibit include Dono Doni’s late-Renaissance Franciscan devotional painting “Stigmata of Saint Francis” and “Crucifixion of Saint Francis,” the Cimabue painting of “Saint Francis of Assisi” by Cenni di Peppo, the famous painting of the veil of St. Clare, Adamo di Cladaro’s “St. Francis,” and the 17th-century anonymous painting “St. Francis Watched Over by the Angels.”

“Itʼs incredible that itʼs in our city,” Angela Alioto, founder of the Knights of St. Francis, told ABC7 Eyewitness News Bay Area in an interview. “And I absolutely believe itʼs in our city because weʼre the city of St. Francis.”

Father Saul Tambini, OFM, from the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi, Italy, added: “We have to celebrate St. Francis because we know how much the Franciscan presence deeply shaped this place.”

Earlier this year, Pope Leo XIV decreed that from Jan. 10, 2026, to Jan. 10, 2027, “a special Year of St. Francis shall be proclaimed, in which every faithful Christian, following the example of the saint of Assisi, shall become a model of holiness of life and a constant witness of peace.”

Catholics around the world have honored this jubilee year in several different ways. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco designated several locations where the faithful can make a pilgrimage in order to receive a plenary indulgence — bearing in mind that all the conditions for receiving a plenary indulgence must be met.

While there are six total missions within the broader San Francisco Bay Area region — including Mission San José in Fremont, Mission Santa Clara, Mission Santa Cruz, Mission San Rafael, and Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma — only Mission Dolores resides directly inside the city of San Francisco. It was founded on June 29, 1776, when the first Mass was celebrated, and was formally dedicated on Oct. 9, 1776, by Father Francisco Palóu and St. Junípero Serra.

There are a total of 21 missions in the state of California spanning a 600-mile trail known as El Camino Real — stretching from San Diego in the south to Sonoma in the north. They were founded between 1769 and 1823 by Franciscan friars, starting with St. Junípero Serra and were built by the Spanish empire to secure the California coast, spread Catholicism, and integrate Native American populations into Spanish colonial society. Most are still standing today and function as active Catholic parishes, museums, and historical landmarks open to the public.