Join us for private prayer and meditation:
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
2026 Dates: May 30 | June 29 | July 27 | August 10 | September 23 | October 5 | November 16 | December 14
All welcome • No reservation needed
Bringing a Group? If you’d like to schedule a pilgrimage visit for your parish, ministry, or prayer group on a different date, please contact us at philippians2foundation@gmail.com.
Pope Leo XIV has declared 2026 a special Jubilee Year in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. In response, the Diocese of Richmond has named St. Clare of Assisi Retreat Center as an approved pilgrimage site for this sacred celebration marking the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’s death. Between January 10, 2026 and January 10, 2027, pilgrims may visit our sacred grounds to receive a Plenary Indulgence under the usual conditions.
The Board of Directors at St. Clare of Assisi Retreat Center is thrilled and deeply humbled by this designation as an official pilgrimage site. This recognition invites the faithful to experience the spiritual richness of pilgrimage right here in Hampton, Virginia. We are planning special open house days throughout the Jubilee Year, coordinated with Franciscan saints’ feast days.
What is a Jubilee Year? A Jubilee Year is a special time of grace in the Church, marked by pilgrimage, prayer, and the opportunity to receive a Plenary Indulgence. This particular Jubilee Year celebrates the life and witness of St. Francis of Assisi, whose radical love for Christ, care for creation, and embrace of poverty continue to inspire millions.
As defined in the Code of Canon Law and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, an indulgence is “a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven.” (Can. 992; CCC 1471).
An indulgence removes the temporal punishment (consequences) for sins that have already been forgiven by God.
Think of it this way: When you sin and go to Confession, God forgives the sin itself (the guilt), but there are still consequences or “debts” that need to be paid—either in this life through prayer and penance, or after death in Purgatory. An indulgence wipes away those consequences.
Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be Thy name; They kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
To the Blessed Virgin Mary:
To St. Francis of Assisi:
To St. Clare:
To All Saints of the Franciscan Family:
as written by Pope Leo XIV for the Jubilee Year of St. Francis
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.
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