Feast of Our Lady of the Angels (Portiuncula) Aug 2

[cappie]

The Franciscan Family keeps the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels! 

This is the patronal title of the Blessed Virgin under which St. Francis placed the Order. St. Francis had great devotion to Our Lady under this title due to his repairing of the little chapel of the “Portiuncula” (little portion) in the woods outside Assisi and becoming devoted to it as a place of prayer and meditation in which the earliest brothers gathered and St. Clare was first received into her vows, where St. Francis had a number of visions on Our Lady and the Angels and received the famous privilege of the “Pardon of Assisi” from the Pope.

Finally, it was at the Portiuncula also that Francis greeted Sister Death and passed to the Lord in the year 1226.

St. Francis felt that the Portiuncula was a place filled with God’s grace. In 1216, at the request of St. Francis, the Pope granted special privilege (plenary indulgence – a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins) to all those who would visit the little chapel.
Although limited to noon on August 1st to midnight on August 2nd, the privilege continues to be granted to this day; not only to those who visit the Portiuncula, but to anyone who visits any church where the friars live and minister. To receive this privilege (for yourself or for someone else – living or deceased), in addition to the visit, one must receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation within several weeks of the feast, go to Mass and receive the Eucharist, recite the Our Father and Apostles Creed, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.

[Seven77]

Happy Feast day!

Thank you for sharing, Father. Spending many years in a Franciscan parish gave me a devotion to St. Francis. I especially like to think of his great devotion to the Holy Eucharist and Our Lady. This is often overlooked when people talk about St. Francis. Anyway, I have a great love of Our Lady of the Angels and celebrate the feast as well as I can.