Franciscans celebrate patron’s Transitus

The Transitus of St. Francis, the vigil of the feast of St. Francis, was celebrated Oct. 3 in the Porziuncula at the National Shrine of St. Francis in San Francisco’s North Beach. Father John De La Riva, OFM Cap, is pictured at the service. The second photo shows the chapel, a replica of the original church built by St. Francis of Assis, Italy, before the service. A night to remember the death of the saint on Oct. 3, 1226, the Transitus is traditionally celebrated on that date by Franciscans around the world, according to franciscanmissionaries.com. Transitus is a Latin word that means passage or crossing over. “In every account written on the death of St. Francis, it is remembered that he crossed over from life on earth to eternal life with the Lord, full of great joy and song,” the website says. (Photos by Lorena Rojas/San Francisco Católico)