Sacred art, relic of St. Francis’ blood arrive in San Francisco for Jubilee celebration

A relic of St. Francis of Assisi’s blood and sacred art depicting the saint have arrived from Italy for public display at San Francisco’s Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption.

The exhibit opened Oct. 16 and will run through Nov. 28, according to Catholic San Francisco, the archdiocese’s publication. It is part of the Jubilee proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV to mark 800 years since St. Francis’ death, as Zeale News previously reported.

The blood relic comes from the wound in St. Francis’ side and is normally kept at La Verna, Italy, where he received the stigmata — wounds corresponding to those of the crucified Christ. Franciscan friars from La Verna and Assisi accompanied the relics to San Francisco.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia privately visited the collection Oct. 9 for the opening of the blood relic and the Cimabue painting, according to Catholic San Francisco.

The collection includes a painting of St. Francis by the Italian artist Cimabue, which Catholic San Francisco described as the saint’s original coffin cover. Other works include a Renaissance painting of St. Francis receiving the stigmata and an anonymous 17th-century painting of the saint watched over by angels.

Visitors can also pray before an illuminated manuscript of St. Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures.

The exhibit also marks 250 years since the founding of Mission San Francisco de Asís, one of California’s 21 missions. Models of all 21 missions, created for the 1939 World’s Fair on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay, reproduce their original exteriors and include information about each site.

The Knights of Saint Francis of Assisi organized the exhibit with the archdiocese, the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, the cathedral, and the Benedict XVI Institute, according to the publication.

Before the public opening, a private gathering Oct. 14 brought parishioners, donors, and civic leaders together to celebrate St. Francis and the city’s history. Guests included San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, and Assisi Mayor Valter Stoppini.

The Jubilee continues through Jan. 10, 2027. As part of the observance, Catholics can obtain a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions by making a pilgrimage to a Franciscan conventual church or a place of worship dedicated to St. Francis.