Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, Custos of the Holy Land, and the Franciscan Monastery friars cordially invite you to the 16th Annual Mass and Gala celebrating The Year of St. Francis of Assisi. Declared by Pope Leo XIV, this holy year marks the 800th anniversary of St. Francis's "Transitus" (entrance into heaven) and offers a plenary indulgence to monastery pilgrims. The Gala unites our friars, benefactors, and everyone with a deep commitment to sustaining the Franciscan and Christian presence in the Holy Land while preserving this sacred corner of the Holy Land in America.

Arrive early to tour the verdant gardens or the upper and lower church. At 4:00 PM, Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, will celebrate Sunday Mass for All Saints' Day for Gala attendees. Our gifted vocalist and organist, Sophia & Paul Griffin, will aid our devotion with their inspiring talent and also delight us again during dinner. After Mass, hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be enjoyed in the beautiful, cloistered garden —rarely open to the public. Next, we shall cross the street to St. Francis Hall for a delicious three-course meal. Our emcee, Dr. Matthew Bunson of EWTN News, will lead our program, which includes awarding the Grato Animo Medal to our new Apostolic Nuncio, the Most Reverend Gabriele Giordano Caccia. Towards the end of the program, we will draw the winner of our first-annual VIP pilgrimage raffle. We will wrap up the evening with after-dinner drinks and additional desserts.

NEW THIS YEAR: THE YEAR OF ST. FRANCIS VIP PILGRIMAGE RAFFLE

One of the charisms of the Holy Land Franciscans is to welcome pilgrims to the Holy Land but the number of pilgrims has been few due to war. In a spirit of hope and a desire to share the land where God became man, we are holding our first ever VIP Pilgrimage Raffle, giving away two spots on a 2027/2028 VIP pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Leading this pilgrimage will be our friars along with historian, Dr. Matthew Bunson of EWTN News.

RAFFLE PRIZE IS TWO SPOTS ON A FRANCISCAN HOLY LAND VIP PILGRIMAGE

Each sponsorship includes TWO raffle tickets and each dinner ticket includes ONE raffle ticket.
You may purchase additional raffle tickets.
You do NOT need to be present at the dinner to win!
We will livestream the raffle pull to our Holy Land Franciscan YouTube channel at approximately 9:00 PM.
In addition to the VIP Pilgrimage for two, airfare will be covered up to $3,000 per person and the Franciscan Monastery will pay the winning raffle taxes.
If safety or travel conditions in the Holy Land prevent travel by the end of 2028, a pilgrimage to another Franciscan destination will be offered instead.
Odds of winning: 1:5000
Licensed by the D.C. Lottery & Charitable Games Control Board

SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION:

PURCHACE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IN THE GALA PROGRAM:

PAYING BY CHECK SAVES THE FRANCISCAN MONASTERY THE 2.9% CREDIT CARD FEE OR 1.9% ACH FEE CHARGED BY GIVEBUTTER AND STRIPE.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE GOOD WORK OF THE HOLY LAND FRANCISCANS!

If you have any questions, please contact Development Director, Sue Lohsen, at sue@myfranciscan.com or our development team at events@myfranciscan.com.

THE YEAR OF ST. FRANCIS MASS & GALA - SUNDAY, NOV. 1, 2026

Click the Donate and Tickets button to purchase Gala sponsorships, tickets, and acknowledgements, in addition to VIP Pilgrimage Raffle tickets and bundles.