News

The Society of St. Francis (SSF) in Sri Lanka gathered for its Preparation Retreat at Lakeplain, Wawetenna, as members prepared to celebrate the 800th Anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi (1226–2026). The retreat brought together bishops, the Archdeacon, clergy, and lay members for a time of prayer, reflection, and renewal.

The Society of St. Francis is an Anglican Franciscan religious community founded on the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi. Its members are committed to living the Gospel through lives of prayer, simplicity, humility, peace, and service, following the Franciscan charism within the Anglican Communion.

The year 2026 marks 800 years since the Transitus (passing into eternal life) of St. Francis, a worldwide Franciscan Jubilee that invites Christians to rediscover his witness of reconciliation, care for creation, and faithful discipleship in a divided world.

A special highlight of the retreat was the ministry of Bro. Michael Saminathan SSF, a professed brother from Sri Lanka and the Diocese of Kurunagala, who shared his personal Franciscan vocation and preached throughout the retreat. His messages encouraged participants to embrace lives of humility, joyful service, and deeper commitment to Christ in the spirit of St. Francis.

The retreat concluded with a renewed sense of fraternity and mission, as the Franciscan family in Sri Lanka looks ahead to joining the global Church in celebrating the Franciscan Jubilee of 2026.