Saint Francis of Assisi National Holiday October 4 OK’d

Rome: A Senate panel on Wednesday approved re-instituting a national holiday for St Francis of Assisi, one of Italy’s two national saints along with St Catherine of Siena, on his feast day of October 4, making it law.

According to Ansa News Agency, since the law has yet to be published in the Official Gazette, the first time the holiday will be celebrated will be next year. The feast day of St Francis had been a public holiday until it was abolished in 1977.