Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed an extraordinary Jubilee Year in honor of the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, to be observed from Jan. 10, 2026, through Jan. 10, 2027. During this special year of grace, the faithful are invited to deepen their conversion, embrace the spirit of peace and humility that marked the life of St. Francis, and renew their witness to the Gospel in the world today. This extraordinary Jubilee also commemorates eight centuries of Franciscan witness — a legacy that continues to shape the Church’s mission of charity, care for creation and solidarity with the poor.
In the spirit of this Jubilee, I would like to present a reflection upon the history of the San Damiano Crucifix, a sacred element intimately related to the life and legacy of St. Francis of Assisi. The material in this reflection was included in the homily I presented in a Mass at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi on Sept. 14, 2024, as part of a pilgrimage of members from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
To enhance your understanding of this reflection, I would suggest that you engage the internet and utilize a search engine to locate an original image of the San Damiano Crucifix.
History of the San Damiano Crucifix
The San Damiano Crucifix is the large Romanesque rood cross that hung in an abandoned chapel near Assisi. While still in his early 20s and seeking his place in the world, St. Francis of Assisi was praying before this cross when he heard the voice of the Son of God commanding him “Go, repair my Church, which as you see is falling completely in ruin.” St. Francis believed that the image of Jesus Christ in the crucifix miraculously spoke these words to him, and he was awakened to a new zeal. He first concentrated on repairing the chapel in San Damiano and other nearby churches. But he came to see that this call to “repair” the Church was not to renew buildings but to found a religious community (the Order of Friars Minor) dedicated to renew the faith and holiness of the People of God.
The name of the artist who created the crucifix is not known. It was fashioned around the year 1100, and it is strikingly iconographic in character. Because of this, many identify the artist as a Syrian monk, since there were known to have been a number of members of this community in the area at the time, and several of them were trained in the holy art of iconography, the prayerful skill of “writing” (i.e., painting) images and symbols that both inspire and teach the religious meaning of sacred events.
In the year 1257, the members of the religious community founded by St. Clare of Assisi left San Damiano for San Gorgio, taking the crucifix with them. It was placed in public view for the first instance in modern times in Holy Week of 1957, over the new altar in the San Gorgio’s Chapel in the Basilica of St. Clare of Assisi. The crucifix resides there today.
The Symbolism of the Icon
The largest figure is Jesus Christ, represented both as wounded and strong, standing upright and resolute. The bright white of the Lord’s body contrasts with the dark red and black around it and, therefore, accentuates the prominence of Jesus. Thus, the most prominent element of the figure of Christ is not merely a corpse but of God himself, incorruptible unto eternity and the source of life, radiating the hope of the Resurrection. The Savior looks directly at us with a compassionate gaze, regal and triumphant. He does not hang on the cross but rather seems to be supporting it, standing in his full stature. His hands are not cramped from being nailed to the wood but rather are spread out serenely in an attitude of both supplication and blessing, which the artist has further emphasized by the tranquil and gentle expression of Jesus. Ultimately, while the San Damiano Crucifix does capture the painful essence of such a violent death upon a cross, it also conveys a promise and foretaste of the Light of the Resurrection and New Life.
The next largest figures are the five witnesses of the Crucifixion and witnesses of Jesus as Lord. On the left side of the cross are the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist, to whom Jesus entrusted his mother. On the right side of the cross are St. Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James and the centurion who in St. Matthew’s account of the Gospel asks Christ to heal his young servant. Both the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Mary Magdalene have their hands placed on their cheeks to reflect their grief and anguish.
There also are three smaller figures who are represented as witnessing the Crucifixion. On the lower left side of the cross is Longinus, the traditional name of the Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus with a lance. In the lower right side of the cross is Stephaton, the traditional name for the soldier who offered Jesus the sponge soaked in vinegar wine. Peering over the left soldier of the centurion on the right side of the cross is a small face. A close look reveals the image of the young servant whom Jesus miraculously cured.
Near the border of the cross on the right side, just below the level of the knees of Jesus Christ, is found an image of a fowl. Some contend that the bird is a rooster and it is intended to recall the denial of St. Peter, who wept bitterly at the sound of the crowing of the cock. Still others maintain that the bird is meant to depict a peacock, which is symbolic of immortality.
At both ends of the crossbar are six angels who are represented as marveling over the event of the Crucifixion. Their hand gestures indicated that they are engaged in discussion about this wondrous event of the sacrifice of Jesus and calling us to marvel with them.
At the foot of the original San Damiano Crucifix, there once were portraits of the patron saints of Umbria, the region surrounding Assisi. Those patron saints were St. John the Evangelist, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Rufino, St. John the Baptist, St. Peter and St. Paul. Time and exposure had weathered these images and worn them away. Because of this, some modern reproductions of the San Damiano Crucifix have left this area vacant. However, other modern reproductions of the Crucifix have substituted images of the most beloved saints of the Franciscan Order: St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua and St. Bonaventure.
Near the top of the cross is the image of Jesus, now fully clothed in a regal garment and carrying the cross in the form of a triumphant scepter. He is depicted as climbing out of the tomb and entering the heavenly courts. There are 10 angels crowded around the figure of the risen Christ. Five of them are shown with their hand extended in a welcoming gesture to Jesus, who himself has his hand raised in the form of a greeting.
At the very top of the cross there is a depiction of the Hand of God reaching down from the Kingdom of Heaven with two fingers extended. This is to be understood as the blessing of God the Father upon the saving sacrifice of his Son. The divine nature of this extended hand also is meant to symbolize that the Risen Lord Jesus now sits exalted in power and glory at the right hand of his Father.
