Since 2003, Saint Francis has sent nearly 50 students on life-changing pilgrimages to Assisi and Rome, where they walked in the footsteps of Saints Francis and Clare and experienced the heart of the Church. Until recent years, the cost for students has been partially subsidized by an anonymous donor, but that funding source is no longer available.

The most stable and sustainable way to assure funding for future student pilgrims is through an endowment. Thus, a group of Saint Francis employees and retirees who have also been pilgrims—assisted by Saint Francis Institutional Advancement staff—is working to sponsor the USF Student Pilgrimage Benefit Auction with the hope of starting a $25,000 Student Pilgrimage endowment.

The auction will take place online from 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 17 through 8 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22. The auction web page is currently available for preview and will go live Oct. 17 at 8 a.m. Items include hand-knitted garments, delicious desserts or breads received monthly for a year, gift certificate packages for local venues and restaurants, a condo for a week in Florida and more! Some of these items will be on display in Brookside during Homecoming weekend, Oct. 13 and 14, so if you’re on campus, stop by and take a look! Straight donations can also be made on the auction site.

The USF Student Pilgrimage Benefit Auction will be open to Saint Francis employees, alumni, retirees and anyone with a connection to USF. For more information or to donate, contact Katie Bell, Saint Francis assistant director of annual giving (and former student pilgrim) at 260-399-7700, ext. 6419 or kbell@sf.edu.