Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi

Desiring the Spirit of God at work among us

 

You are welcome at Father of Mercy Chapel

YEar of St. Francis of Assisi Jubilee site

We are thrilled to announce that the Diocese of Steubenville has designated our Father of Mercy Chapel as a pilgrimage site for the Diocese. This special recognition places Father of Mercy chapel among the churches where the faithful can journey in prayer and receive the graces of this Holy Year of St. Francis of Assisi.

Our address is: 369 Little Church Rd. Toronto, OH 43964

Chapel Open Hours:

Sunday: 6:30 am - 6 pm

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 5:30 am - 6 pm

Wed: 7:15 am (Mass) - 6 pm

Saturday: 6 am - 4 pm

* Summer hours are later in the morning - check Chapel webpage for details

Jubilee Year Indulgence

On the 800th anniversary of the passing of St. Francis into eternal life, Pope Leo XIV is offering Catholics an extraordinary opportunity to seek God’s grace in a powerful way. By proclaiming a Jubilee Year of St. Francis and offering an indulgence, the pope is calling on the faithful to transform their lives and become “a model of holiness” in the example of St. Francis of Assisi.  You can read Pope Leo's letter declaring this special time here.

As a Jubilee pilgrimage site, Father of Mercy chapel offers a place of spiritual renewal. Visitors who come in a spirit of prayer and devotion may receive a plenary indulgence through acts performed at the chapel. 

A Jubilee Plenary Indulgence can be gained once each day when making a pilgrimage to a designated sacred site. Indulgences can always be applied either to oneself or to the souls of the deceased, but they cannot be applied to other living persons.

Receiving a plenary indulgence during the Franciscan Jubilee Year: 

  1. Visit in the form of a pilgrimage any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship named after St. Francis or connected to him.
  2. Spend time in meditation and prayer, focusing on the example of St. Francis, his love for all and his zeal for peace among people.
  3. Pray the following: Our Father, Nicene Creed, Invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Francis of Assisi, St Clare and the saints of the Franciscan family
  4. Pray for the intentions of Pope Leo XIV
  5. Detach yourself from all sin, even venial.
  6. Participate in sacramental confession.
  7. Receive Holy Communion.
 

The homebound and their caregivers can also receive a plenary indulgence provided they are detached from any sin and intend to fulfill the three usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father) as soon as possible. They must join spiritually in the jubilee celebrations of the Year of St. Francis, offering their prayers and sufferings to God. 

I'd like to support the sisters

Prayer for the Jubilee Year of St. Francis by Pope Leo XIV:

Saint Francis, our brother, you who eight hundred years ago
went to meet Sister Death as a man at peace,
intercede for us before the Lord.

You recognized true peace in the Crucifix of San Damiano,
teach us to seek in Him the source of all reconciliation
that breaks down every wall.

You who, unarmed, crossed the lines of war
and misunderstanding,
give us the courage to build bridges
where the world raises up boundaries.

In this time afflicted by conflict and division,
intercede for us so that we may become peacemakers:
unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ. Amen.