Message from Rev. Fr. Francis Rozario, OFM

It is with a heart full of gratitude and joy that I welcome you to the 8th Centenary Year of St. Francis of Assisi. Eight hundred years have passed since our beloved Francis departed this world, yet the echo of his life continues to reach us with extraordinary freshness and power. His simple greeting — “The Lord give you peace” — remains as needed today as it was in the piazzas of medieval Assisi.

Here in our parish of St. Anne’s, Ponda, we have embraced this Centenary Year as a family. It is our prayer and our intention that every family, every young person, every senior citizen and every visitor who crosses the threshold of our church during this year will encounter something of the Franciscan spirit — that spirit of simplicity, joy, fraternity and deep love for God and for all of creation.

Walking in the Footsteps of Francis

St. Francis did not transform the world through position or power. He transformed it through presence — by being fully available to God and to the person standing before him. He embraced lepers when others crossed to the far side of the road. He preached to birds because all of creation was, for him, a reason to praise God. He rebuilt a crumbling chapel with his own hands because he heard Christ calling him to something real and concrete.

This Centenary Year invites us to ask: what is Christ calling each of us to rebuild? Perhaps it is a relationship grown cold. Perhaps it is a habit of prayer that has been neglected. Perhaps it is a commitment to simplicity in our consumption, or a deeper solidarity with those who are poor and marginalised in our community. Whatever it may be, the example of Francis assures us that even the smallest act of fidelity to God is never wasted.

An Invitation to Every Family

I extend a particular and heartfelt welcome to the families of our parish. The Centenary Year is not only for those who are deeply formed in Franciscan spirituality — it is for every household, every child preparing for the sacraments, every couple building a home, every grandparent who carries the faith from one generation to the next. Francis himself was formed by a family, shaped by friendship and community, and sent forth from within a particular place to touch the whole world.

May this Handbook serve as a companion for your journey through the Centenary Year. Within its pages you will find resources for prayer and reflection, information about our parish events, and an invitation to deepen your own relationship with God in the spirit of St. Francis. I encourage you to use it often — alone, with your family, or in your small faith community groups.

Let us journey together through this holy year with open hearts, generous hands and the simple joy that Francis carried with him wherever he went. May the Lord give you peace.