From Assisi to El Paso: 800 Years Later, Francis Still Walks With Us
by Lily Limón, El Paso District 7 Representative
As my husband, Joe, and I approached Assisi in 2007, I looked with wonder at the land that St. Francis lived and walked upon daily. I could hardly wait to get off the bus and walk along those same paths. The visit was magical as we toured the town and then visited his remains in the crypt beneath the main altar of the lower church at the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. It was then and there that I became fascinated by his life, his mission, and the incredible gifts he left us.
Being around Franciscans is a daily encounter, as our parish, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in El Paso, TX, is ministered by friar priests from the Province of Our Lady of Consolation and La Provincia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe of Mexico. They serve as our spiritual leaders, administrators, and friends. And it is beautiful to see the friars in their grey habits with the cord with three knots. A gift St. Francis left us, his brothers.
Pope Leo XIV declared January 10, 2026 to January 10, 2027, the special Jubilee Year of St. Francis in observance of the 800th anniversary of his death. As a Franciscan parish, we celebrate the legacy of St. Francis and commit ourselves to serving in his footsteps. Our commitment to our migrant brothers and sisters continues today: each month, St. Francis Bread for the Poor provides food boxes to those in need in our community, and through the various ministries we offer, we perform corporal acts of mercy.
As the City Representative of El Paso, Texas, for District 7, I had the honor of reading a city proclamation on April 28, 2026, commemorating the 800th anniversary of the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi. Thanks to Friar Miguel Briseño’s guidance on the wording, we were able to capture the essence of what St. Francis means to us. Friar Miguel was joined by Friar Jarek Wysoczanski and numerous parishioners at El Paso’s City Hall to receive the proclamation. Friar Miguel presented the mayor and council with a prayer card that he read, and everyone in the chambers joined him. After the proclamation, we hosted a celebratory reception.
I have had the privilege of reading about St. Francis, his life, education, and rebelliousness that led to his living the life of a hermit and then becoming the leader of an incredible group of men who gave up all they owned to walk in Jesus’s footsteps. Humility, poverty, service to others, caring for the sick, spirituality, and living to honor and praise the Lord are the Gospel principles we believe in and live by.
Today, St. Francis is recognized worldwide as the patron saint of the environment and environmental activism. As I drive through the district I represent, I often stop by when I see a statue of St. Francis in a garden to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for all the gifts he gave us. His love for nature and animals, and for all that comes forth from the hand of God, is the great legacy he leaves us.
