Divine Inspiration: The Legacy of the St. Francis Missal

Centre Street Building, Level 3, Manuscript Gallery

In August 2026, to commemorate the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi’s death, the Walters Art Museum will once again showcase The St. Francis Missal, a legendary 12th-century manuscript and relic of touch of St. Francis.

Visitors will also experience over a dozen additional art objects that contextualize the book and explain its importance, including manuscripts; paintings; and works made of glass, ivory, and ceramic. The exhibition will include details of the Missal’s two-year conservation in 2017 funded by the Mellon Foundation as well.

According to early accounts, in the year 1208 St. Francis and two of his followers were debating what God’s plan for them might be. Unable to decide, they sought answers at the church of San Nicolò in Assisi. Francis opened the book on the altar three times at random. In every case, the text on the page urged renouncing earthly goods. This pivotal moment laid the foundation for the Franciscan order. The manuscript in the Walters collection, known today as the St. Francis Missal, is traditionally believed to be the very book consulted by St. Francis of Assisi and his companions.

An inscription in the Missal lends support to the legend that surrounds it, as the inscription chronicles the book’s creation for the church of San Nicolò and also mentions the book’s patron, Gerard of Ugo, who is documented in Assisi in the late 12th century. Due to the manuscript’s possible contact with the saint, Franciscans worldwide consider the St. Francis Missal to be a relic of touch, and every year many make pilgrimages to Baltimore to be in its presence.