Saint Francis was grievously ill and nearing his end. He asked the Brothers to carry him down from Assisi to Saint Mary of the Angels where he wished to die. On the way, they stopped and turned round so that he should face towards his native town. He gave the city his last blessing and thanked God for all the good He had bestowed on it and on its inhabitants.

The funeral procession on its way to Assisi, stopped at San Damiano, in order that Saint Clare and her sisters might see their father for the last time. They kissed the wounds on his hands and wept piteously at their great loss. Then, amid a crowd of people carrying torches and olive branches, the relics of the saint made their triumphal entry into the city.