When Saint Francis heard those words from the mouth of the Lord, speaking through the San Damiano crucifix in a small, dilapidated church, he took them to mean simply rebuilding that little church outside Assisi. It was in the Portiuncula that he founded the Friars Minor; there that he clothed Clare in the religious habit and began the Order of Poor Clares; and there that Francis yearly gathered the friars in chapter to discuss the rule and renew their dedication to the Gospel life. And it was at the Portiuncula where St. Francis died in 1226.
That first tiny Portiuncula, a holy place and the center of St. Francis’ activity, is recreated here on Heavenly Acres, LLC in Ozark, Ohio as a grace-filled haven for quiet meditation and eucharistic adoration. Nestled in a grove of trees opposite Immaculate Conception Cemetery, the Portiuncula beckons visitors to “come and spend an hour with the Lord” in prayer.
This small chapel completed in on October 4th, 2024, the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, like St. Francis’ 13th-century original, has become a place of adoration, conversion, and prayer. The simple beauty of the small stone structure reverberates with the power of the Lord’s presence. The stillness, imbued with the peace of the Lord’s tender concern, draws visitors in and focuses attention on the eucharistic Lord.
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