Transitus Service Honors St. Francis of Assisi in Lewiston

LEWISTON---From the earliest days of the Franciscan Order, the followers of St. Francis of Assisi have gathered on the anniversary of his death to celebrate his Transitus (passage from earthly life into everlasting life).

On Monday night, October 3, Secular Franciscans from around Maine joined the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist at the Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul in Lewiston for a Transitus service.

The service was a beautiful and inspiring commemoration of his death that was handed down by one of his brother friars, Brother Bonaventure, who witnessed his death in 1226. Held in the evening, it celebrated the light that St. Francis was and is to the world. The service was not only a memorial, but a recognition of the life and spirit that remains in our midst today and provided an opportunity for those gathered to consider how we, too, can be a light for our world and all creation.

The service, which was also livestreamed, was sponsored by the St. Francis (Lewiston) and Holy Family (Norway) Secular Franciscan fraternities. Franciscans ritually remember the passing of St. Francis as a reminder to renew our own commitment to follow Christ in the way of the poor man of Assisi.