Franciscans in Pennsylvania are Getting Ready for the Feast of the Portiuncula

Mother Cabrini Parish, Shamokin, Pennsylvania

Mother Cabrini Church in Shamokin, Pennsylvania is staffed by Conventual Franciscan friars. The current pastor there is Friar Dennis Grumsey; his successor who will arrive later this year will be another Conventual Franciscan friar.

With this deep rootedness in the Franciscan way of life, it is not surprising that the parish celebrated the feast of the Portiuncula on August 2nd. The event – which had been organized by the Secular Franciscan Order – included a prayer service at Mother Cabrini and a social get-together with refreshments in the church hall.

The Portiuncula near Assisi, Italy

The Portiuncula is an ancient little chapel that is now found inside the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels, about 4 kilometres down the mountain slope from Assisi, Italy. When St. Francis of Assisi came upon the church, which at that time was abandoned and in disrepair, he settled there and began restoring it. He felt drawn to the church, sensing that it was often visited by angels.

Friar Dennis Grumsey

Francis prayed fervently to Mary the Mother of God while living in the Portiuncula. St. Bonaventure writes that it was there that Francis "was granted the true spirit of the Gospel by the intercession of the Mother of mercy." Today, Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence on the feast day of the Portiuncula if they perform certain requirements that include confession, prayer, and the reception of the Eucharist at Mass.

(Sources of all related images on webpage and homepage: www.mothercabrini.net and www.wikipedia.org.)