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The Minister of the Province of Umbria and Sardinia Francesco Piloni presided over the solemn Eucharist
03 October 2024
The Offering of Flowers: a solemn celebration of St. Francis’ Crossroads Day
On the morning of October 3, the Minister of the Province of Umbria and Sardinia, the Br. Francesco Piloni, presides over the solemn Eucharist to open the Transit of St. Francis in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, together with numerous preliminary works from Sicily and all regions of Italy.
Flower offering procession
The solemn celebration was opened with the traditional procession of Friar JacopaThe Mayor of Assisi, representative of the Municipality and the “Historic Shipyard” of Marino (Rome) and the Pro-Loco of Santa Maria Degli Angeli and the local Confraternities. During the procession the flowers were given and then they were offered at the end of the celebration in the Transit Chapel.
The numerous participation of pilgrims and faithful from all over Italyespecially from Sicily which is the region chosen this year to offer the oil that fuels the lamp at the Tomb of the Saint. The celebration was with him The Porziuncola Choir directed by Br and with him on the organ with Maestro Jacopo Zembi.
oppression, understanding and expression
«Welcome to “death sister”! – began in the address fr. Francesco Piloni -. These are the words of Francis, spoken here, in the last hours around the Porziuncola. Francesco happily goes to meet her. I want to collect the last years of Francesco’s life with three words that play a little with each otherbut they tell him: oppression, understanding and expression. Pressure: Francis goes up to La Verna because he is oppressed by the fact that his brothers rejected him. So he goes in search of God’s voice at La Verna that he had lost, that he had lost… but instead an understanding occurs. God gives divine answers! He responds with it the sense of the nails in his flesh. In front of our impressions, your understanding.
In understanding his flesh there is a mixture of opposites. Love and pain, light and dark. This is our walk after him. The last word is: sentence. Francesco’s life is a reflection of those who found us, who conquered us. The highest verb is: to eat. A love that breaks like a seed underground, dies and bears much fruit, like Alfonsina Fileti, our Brother Jacopa! Life is losing someone. Francis is the epitome of love.”
The Silver Rose was delivered
During the celebration The Br. Massimo Travascio Custos of the Porziuncola officially awarded the “Brother Jacopa – Silver Rose 2024” award to Sister Alfonsa Fileti (Here is the information and photos of the ceremony that took place the first morning) who offered, as did Brother Jacopa, the ash cloth, the candles, most of the accioli and the incense.
Finally, the fraternities, the mayor and the authorities brought the flowers and other gifts to the small church of the Transito.
The celebration will continue with Solemn Vespers during which the story of the Journey of the Poor Man from Assisi will be remembered and read.
For the live broadcast:
Assisi
Chorus Porziuncola
Guardian of the Porziuncola
Francesco Piloni
Jacopa’s brother
Jacopa dei Settesoli
Massimo Travascio
Portiuncula
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