(ZENIT News / Assisi, 03.23.2026).- The public veneration of the mortal remains of St. Francis of Assisi concluded on Sunday, March 22, in the Lower Church of the Basilica of St. Francis. This month-long event drew more than 370,000 pilgrims from around the world to Assisi. It was an extraordinary and unprecedented moment, uniting men and women, young and old, children and adults, families and individuals, in a grand, joyful, and intimate gathering of Francis’ people.
«We were a brotherhood gathered around Francis,» said Friar Marco Moroni, OFMConv, Custos of the Sacred Convent. «A brotherhood of 370,000 people congregated here, along with many others from around the world. A serene and devout brotherhood, seeking to find, in the image of those poor and fragile bones, the fullness of a life animated by the Spirit, which continues to bear fruit.»
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“Many have asked me,” said Friar Giulio Cesareo, OFMConv, Director of the Communications Office of the Sacred Convent, “if I expected such a significant turnout, and I must say that I did: I had no doubt that so many would be there to meet Francis. However, something I truly did not expect was the atmosphere of serenity and joy that characterized the pilgrimage and veneration in the Basilica: silence, patience, cell phones in pockets… and yet, there were the remains of Francis and the frescoes by Giotto.” The only explanation for all this is that none of us actually came to see Francis, but rather that he – alive — called us to speak with him. Our hearts and minds! Therefore, this is an opportunity to thank, also on behalf of the team at the Press Office of the Sacred Convento, the numerous journalists and communication professionals from national and international publications: we experienced great collaboration and a high degree of professionalism. I am convinced that one of the keys to the great reception of the exhibition was precisely this transparent, broad, free, and organized communication.
This month of veneration has been a time of profound and meaningful encounters, centered on the figure of the Saint. The Community of Friars of the Sacred Convent has also experienced a breath of fresh air and energy, welcoming brothers from all over Italy and from distant countries such as Brazil, the United States, Tanzania, India, Korea, and the Middle East. The event also marked the opening of new forms of communication, such as the production of the music video for the exhibition’s anthem, «On This Hill,» available on YouTube.
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For the occasion, significant renovations were carried out at the Sacred Convent complex to eliminate architectural barriers and make the visit fully accessible to everyone. The focus on inclusion allowed for an authentic and shared experience, in keeping with the spirit of Francis, who began his journey of conversion by reaching out to the most vulnerable, the least fortunate, and the marginalized.
The final press conference was attended by Friar Marco Moroni, Custos of the Sacred Convent; Friar Giulio Cesareo, Director of the Communications Office; Valter Stoppini, Mayor of Assisi; Stefania Proietti, President of the Umbria Region; Friar Riccardo Giacon, Treasurer of the Sacred Convent and responsible for the event’s logistics; Friar Rafael Normando, Coordinator of the Basilica and the volunteers; Francesca Di Maolo, President of the Seraphic Institute of Assisi, who spoke on behalf of people with disabilities; and Friar Elias Marswanian, representing the friars who visited the Sacred Convent during the month of veneration. The meeting was moderated by journalist Vania De Luca, Vatican correspondent for Tg3.
370,000 participants in the veneration, more than 100,000 in the more than 170 celebrations in the upper nave of the Basilica, hundreds of volunteers and collaborators, and more than 300 journalists from approximately 130 national and international publications: these figures describe the atmosphere that was generated this month around the Basilica of San Francisco.
The exhibition was not an isolated event, but part of the Franciscan eighth centenary — which adopted the motto «Saint Francis Lives» at the Basilica — a journey that began last year with the creation of the 2026 calendar for the magazine «Saint Francis, Patron of Italy,» also titled «Saint Francis Lives.» This journey arose from the conviction that Francis remains present among us, the seed that, falling to the earth precisely in his death — a metaphor for self-giving — has borne and continues to bear fruit. Among the most important milestones of this journey is the monthly collector’s edition (February 2026, with more than 100,000 copies printed), which summarized 800 years of Franciscanism in 160 pages, rediscovering the figure of Saint Francis as a living and inspiring presence for all who follow his message. The pilgrims collected more than a thousand copies a day, with peaks of up to 2,000 in the Hall of Peace of the Sacred Convent.
The last solemn and public celebration of that month of veneration was the Eucharist presided over by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna and President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, in the upper floor of the Basilica.
«It is a great joy for the Community of Friars,» added Friar Marco Moroni, «that Cardinal Zuppi closed the ceremony. This demonstrates, once again, that it was an experience of the Church, in particular the Italian Church, which has been renewed around its Holy Patron as a community of prayer.»
