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Every July, the spiritual family inspired by the Capuchin Reformation stops to celebrate their history, identity and mission. The Capuchin Family Day is traditionally celebrated on July 3, coinciding with the date of the Pontifical Bull Religionis Zelus of 1528, which marked the official approval of our Reform.
A year of deep significance
The 2026 edition is not just another celebration. It is located in a unique historical moment: the Holy Franciscan Year, on the 800th anniversary of the Transit of San Francisco. In addition, we are in the middle of preparation for the 500th anniversary of the Capuchin Reformation (1528-2028), a spiritual pilgrimage that seeks to rediscover the freshness of our origins.
The center of reflection: The Testament of St. Francis
The central theme proposed for this X Capuchin Day is the eighth centenary of the writing of the Testament of our Seraphic Father, written shortly before his death.
For us, the Capuchins, the Testament has a vital value:
- Compass and mirror: It is not a simple legal document, but the “magnifying glass” through which we look at the Rule and the mirror in which Francis shows us how to live the evangelical ideal.
- Historical identity: Since the beginning of the Reformation, the first friars were known as the “brothers of the Testament”, since they used it as the living commentary to be authentic disciples of Jesus.
- Creative Fidelity: We welcome this text as the first spiritual exposition of the Rule, which invites us to return to the essential: the minority, the authentic fraternity and the joyful “sine proprio”.
How to celebrate this Day?
The objective of this meeting is to revive the spirit of belonging and favor collaboration between the more than one hundred Institutes of Consecrated Life, lay groups and fraternities that make up our extended family. To this end, three axes of action are proposed:
- Pray and give thanks: Organize moments of liturgical prayer or Eucharistic celebrations with nearby communities of the spiritual family.
- Meeting and dialogue: Promote spaces to share life freely, such as a fraternal meal or an excursion, to get to know our realities and local challenges.
- Missionary collaboration: Plan some concrete action or joint work, no matter how small, that strengthens our shared mission.
A call to hope
This Day reminds us that “we are still on our way.” It is an invitation not to tire of believing that the dream of the Gospel is possible today. As a Capuchin family, we invoke the strength of the Holy Spirit to embrace the future with hope, keeping the memory of Francis alive to put our charisma at the service of the Church and the poorest.
Let’s get started, brothers! Because fidelity consists of renewing every day our passion for the present and our gratitude for the common history.
File to celebrate the day:
