Hundreds Gather for 800th St. Francis Transitus Vigil

About 700 people gathered at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Manhattan on Saturday night to observe the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. Roughly half of the attendees were aged 30 or younger.

The vigil included a 90-minute program featuring hymns and stories from the life of St. Francis read by Franciscan friars. During the service, a spotlight was directed at a statue of the saint positioned before a first-class relic from Assisi. At least 25 people waited in line for confession during the observance.