Renato Frappi writes about his experience with St Francis of Assisi: On 24 and 25 February, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Assisi on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis. I experienced those two days as very profound, especially the veneration of Francis’ mortal remains. I have always considered Francis as a man who made an enormous contribution in many domains, from culture to the visual arts, from ecology to Italian literature. But this time, I did not stop at “that” Francis. As I stood in line with many other pilgrims to see his mortal remains, I thought about his life and his radical choice, which was profoundly different from that of most of those who venerate, esteem and love him today, myself included. His existence was so austere and joyful, yet rich in Spirit and relationships, that it can often seem unattainable, unparalleled.

As I gazed for a few moments at those poor bones that everyone can now venerate, I felt a strong attraction within me to this small but great man who renewed the Church and gave confidence and hope to the poorest and most unfortunate. I rediscovered how urgent it is to put Jesus and the Gospel back at the centre, to cultivate a relationship with Him for a life of faith, to know Him through His Word, to be a reflection of His constant presence in history, to be able to recognise in each other and in creation the action of the Spirit that always leads to the preservation of fraternal and universal communion. It was an important and profound experience for me, made even more joyful by the other exceptional companions I met in Assisi: Chiara, Francis’ sweet and strong companion, and Carlo Acutis, the young man in love with the Eucharist. What grace there is in Assisi!