Did you know you can receive a plenary indulgence on Aug. 1 and 2?
Aug. 2 is the feast of Our Lady of the Angels of Portiuncula, a particularly important devotion in the Franciscan tradition.
It marks the day Saint Francis of Assisi’s Portiuncula church, or “little portion” church was dedicated after Christ called him to “rebuild My church.”
He rebuilt this former Benedictine chapel himself in the fourth century.
Pope Innocent III gave Saint Francis permission to form his religious order, which resided in the Portiuncula. Because of his strong devotion to the Blessed Mother, the saint dedicated the chapel to Our Lady of the Angels.
St. Francis of Assisi spent much of his life at this location, eventually dying there. The chapel now stands inside the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi, Italy.
In a vision in July of 1216, Jesus, Our Lady, and angels presented him with the “Pardon of Assisi,” which the Church recognizes today.
Jesus said to him, “Francis you are very zealous for the good of souls. Ask me what you want for their salvation.”
Lying prostrate on the ground, Francis responded, "Lord, I, a miserable sinner, beg You to concede an indulgence to all those who enter this church, who are truly contrite and have confessed their sins. And I beg Blessed Mary, your Mother, intercessor of man, that she intercede on behalf of this grace."
Jesus responded, "It is a very great thing that which you ask Me; but you are worthy of even greater things, Friar Francis, and greater things you will have. So I accept your request, but I want you to go to my Vicar, to whom I have given the power to bind and loose in Heaven and on earth, to ask him on my behalf for this indulgence."
Francis then went to Pope Honorius III, who approved this indulgence.
Here’s how to obtain the "Pardon of Assisi," or the Portiuncula indulgence:
- Visit a Catholic Church between noon on Aug. 1 and midnight on Aug. 2.
- Go to Confession (within 20 days).
- Receive Holy Communion (within 20 days).
- Pray the Apostles Creed, the Our Father, and pray for the Pope’s intentions.
Note: To obtain a plenary indulgence, detachment from all sin is required. If a soul is not detached, a partial indulgence applies.