ASSISI, THE BIG DAY, PART I: PRAYER TIME WITH SAINT FRANCIS
The morning of Wednesday, February 25 was bright, clear, and sun-splashed as I awoke in Assisi and prepared for my visit to the lower basilica to stand before the remains, the bones, of our beloved Saint Francis and, if there would be time, I did not know how much, to pray with the Saint who inspired my parents to give me Frances (the feminine spelling) as a second name.
I was actually quite emotional – and surprised at that fact – and then I decided maybe it was simply that I was overjoyed to be able to do something that no one had done in the last 800 years since the saint died. His remains have been privately venerated in the past but this is the first time in those eight centuries that his remains have been made available for the public to venerate.
On my way –
I walked down Via San Francesco on my way to the lower basilica where my appointment to join others in a group was at 11:30. Fortunately I got there some 20 minutes before that because we were all led to a very large tent-like structure and brought inside according to the time stamped on our reservation and the language we had chosen. I was in a group of maybe 50 or so English-speaking people from China, Tanzania, India, the U.S. and several other countries. An American Franciscan, Fr. Lasky, who actually lives in Rome at the Seraficum, was a wonderful guide for our group, giving introductory remarks inside this tented structure and then asking if anyone had a question. A man next to me absolutely took my breath away when he told Fr. Lasky he was on his way to entering the Church and then asked: How can I empty myself to be like Saint Francis?!
Everyone to whom I told this was absolutely floored at the beauty and depth of his question.
At the appointed time we entered the basilica, first into a chapel where father explained much of the history of the basilica and the life of Saint Francis. Minutes later. he let us to where Francis’ remains were visible in a raised plexiglass covered coffin. Our line slowly made its way up to the coffin where, to be honest, there was very little time for prayer. I paused maybe longer than I should have, saying a quick prayer and trying to preserve everything in my mind, trying to envision Francis as he would have been in his habit 800 years ago.
Before arriving in Assisi, I had imagined that we would all be seated in pews where we would have some minutes in prayer, maybe even for a rosary, but that was not to be. I later learned that 1500 faithful visit Saint Francis every hour and that on the first day his remains were venerated, February 22, 18,000 people passed through the basilica. It’s thus understandable people could not be given 20 or 30 minutes before their beloved Francis.
We did have time to take in the beauty of the stunning mosaics adorning the walls and Fr. Lasky answered questions and explained many of the frescoes depicting Francis‘s life. After this, we were brought into the cloister where I simply spent some quiet time in the beauty of that area before going to confession. Six to eight priests hear confessions in various languages all day. As soon as you enter the room you’re asked what language you speak. I said English and the line was long so I said I also speak Italian and there was no one in that line.
I then went into a room where you could make a reservation to go to Mass (yes, reserve, but just during this veneration period). There was also a desk where you could get a stamp for the booklet you received just before the visit started. Chatting with a gal at the desk, I told her I had come to Assisi on a personal visit but also mentioned I would be posting my story and some pictures on a blog I do for EWTN and that, that very afternoon, I would be recounting my Assisi experience on my live weekly radio show. She knew EWTN very well and called someone in the press office, thinking they would help arrange an interview with a Franciscan priest for my EWTN radio show.
The next thing you know, I am sitting with a wonderful young man who worked in the press center called San Francesco Vive… Saint Francis Lives On. 
That young man, Andrea, will have a big role in the second part of my Assisi story.
Joan's Rome 