• 8 December: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

    Tota Pulchra

    Since medieval times, the Church has preserved a profound veneration for Mary, celebrating her conception without sin as early as the 11th century. This feast, placed at the heart of Advent, illuminates the expectation of the Messiah by recalling the unique bond between the Mother and the Son: Mary, shaped by the Spirit as a new creature, is presented by tradition as the one foretold in the promise made to the first parents, the woman destined to share in the victory over evil and to give birth to Emmanuel.

  • April 22: Blessed Francis Venimbeni of Fabriano

    In the steps of Saint Francis of Assisi

    Francis Venimbeni was born in Fabriano (Ancona, Italy) in 1251 to Compagno, a physician, and Margherita. After completing his studies in philosophy, at the age of 16 he entered the Franciscan Order. He undertook his novitiate in the town of Fabriano. One day, he wished to go to Assisi to gain the indulgence of the Porziuncola, with the desire to meet Brother Leo, the most well-known of Saint Francis’s companions.