UST’s St. Francis Project Commemorates 800th Anniversary of Saint's Death

Pope Leo XIV has named January 2026 to January 2027 a "Special Year of St. Francis" to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Saint's death. A time for "authentic spiritual renewal," the Franciscan Jubilee Year was inaugurated on January 10, 2026, with a decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See.

"St. Francis: 800 Years of Adventure at the University of St. Thomas" is an initiative that, in union with the larger Catholic Church, UST faculty and staff seek to renew in the campus community in the desire for a deeper understanding of St. Francis' legacy, not only through historical or theological study, but through creative, scientific, artistic, philosophical, and communal explorations.

Francesca Guerri, Ph.D., Dean of the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences & Global Studies and Assistant Professor of History, said, by engaging with St. Francis and the Franciscans from many perspectives, she hopes the community will rediscover how his experience can illuminate and enrich our personal lives and the life of our University.

"The 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi invites our University community to pause before one of the most luminous figures in Christian history and to recover, with fresh eyes, the meaning of faith as an encounter that renews life," she said.

The St. Francis Project planning committee is engaging in a formal Call for Proposals for the entire UST community. They are inviting faculty, students and staff to participate in this campus-wide project to explore the significance of St. Francis and his legacy from interdisciplinary perspectives - spiritual, historical, artistic, philosophical, theological, cultural, scientific and global. Participants may propose course modules, campus exhibition integration, experiential projects, and any type of collaborations and sponsorships.

"I am excited to participate in an event that brings the UST and Houston community together to explore the life of St. Francis through different disciplines and perspectives, in true liberal arts tradition," said Maia Larios-Sanz, PhD, interim dean of the Division of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics. "Given St. Francis' writings on the kinship between humans, other living creatures, and the natural world, as well as his call to environmental stewardship, it felt important to include the sciences in this event."

Other planned events for Fall 2026 include a conference that brings together scholars from a wide range of fields to explore the enduring and timely relevance of St. Francis of Assisi, October 15-18, 2026. In addition to several other distinguished panelists, three internationally renowned scholars have confirmed their participation: Timothy Verdon , canon of Florence Cathedral and former director of the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, a leading international authority on Christian art; Augustine Thompson, O.P. , distinguished professor at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology at Berkeley and one of the foremost historians of St. Francis and early Franciscan history; Maria Pia Alberzoni, professor of Medieval History at the Catholic University of Milan and a leading scholar of Franciscan women.

Dr. Eric Mabry, associate professor of Theology and fellow of the Core, said this event is exciting because it is bringing people together.

"The word which I have found that brings them all together is communion," he said. "Communion with colleagues, communion with St. Francis, communion with the Holy Father, and communion with the mission of our University. This project distills and expresses the intellectual vibrancy of our Catholic culture on campus. It is a privilege and delight to share in this project, especially insofar as it is a vivid and concrete extension of our mission as a Catholic university. Crescamus in Christo!"

He called Dr. Guerri "a visionary, her joyful leadership" and Dr. Guerri celebrates the extraordinary work of the committee. the committee members are eager to share about the life of St. Francis.

"Today, Francis continues to speak to us," Dr. Guerri said. "His witness confronts the tension between faith and the prevailing mindset of the world, calling for a freedom rooted not in possession or power, but in openness, poverty of spirit, and obedience to the truth."

A full list of event details, including the call for proposals and information about the conference can be found on the St. Francis event page.

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Committee Members: Francesca Guerri, Maia Larios-Sanz, Thomas C. Behr, Ana-Lisa Gonzalez, Chris Wolfe, Anthony M Joseph, Eric A. Mabry, Mirela Oliva, Lisa Holdsworth, Fr. Eduardo Rivera, Erik J van Versendaal, James Kelly, Manolis Ulbricht, Emiliana E. Aquila, Stefania Giovingo, Manuel Alejandro Fernandez, Skylar Phillips, Gabriela Barros.