Bishop Accrocca leads nocturnal pilgrimage in Assisi

Bishop Felice Accrocca led thousands of pilgrims on a nocturnal walk through Assisi on Saturday, October 3. The pilgrimage began at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli and followed the route taken by friars and the people of Assisi to carry the remains of Saint Francis after his death.

The procession included stops at San Damiano, Santa Chiara, and Piazza del Comune before concluding with a midnight Mass at the Basilica of Saint Francis. Participants joined in songs, prayers, and the Rosary during the walk. Accrocca was accompanied by Fra Marco Moroni, the custodian of the Sacred Convent, along with Mayor Valter Stoppini, Umbria Region President Stefania Proietti, and Dario Sallustio.

During a stop in Piazza del Comune, Accrocca spoke about a story from Thomas of Celano’s second biography. He described how Francis arranged for the mother of two friars to receive the first copy of the New Testament she could afford by selling the book to support her. Accrocca noted that this act demonstrated how Francis's faith and hope resulted in charity, which he described as the bond of perfection.