There are collection boxes in the church marked for Hurricanes Relief Donations.

San Juan Archbishop, Roberto Gonzalez, O.F.M., a Franciscan Friar from Holy Name Province, has requested our help to alleviate the su ering of the people of Puerto Rico.

All funds received by the ministry sites of Holy Name Province before October 22 will be matched by the Province and sent to Archbishop Gonzalez for direct assistance to those who have lost so much.

Please be as generous as you can, and thank you for helping our brothers and sisters in their time of need!

To date the Church of St. Francis of Assisi has collected over $11,000 for hurricane relief which will become $22,000 with the match! Thank you to everyone who has donated!  There is much that needs to be done in Puerto Rico, please add your help to the money we have already collected.

You can make your dedicated donation here.

In these  first two Christian millennia, countless peoples have received the gift of faith, brought it to  flower in their daily lives and handed it on in the language of their culture. Whenever a community receives the message of salvation, the Holy Spirit enriches its culture with the transforming power of the Gospel.

The history of the church shows that Christianity does not have simply one cultural expression, but rather, ‘remaining completely true to itself, with unswerving  fidelity to the proclamation of the Gospel and the tradition of the church, it will also reflect the different faces of the cultures and peoples in which it is received and takes root.’ In the diversity of peoples who experience the gift of God… the church expresses her genuine catholicity and shows forth the ‘beauty of her varied face.’

A king had a wedding feast for his son and many were invited, but they refused to come. This is what today’s Gospel is about. It ends: “Many are called but few are chosen.” You may ask yourself, “What is this all about? It doesn’t make sense.” Focus on the word “invited” and the reality that God invites us. He invites us to be part of  “the way, the truth and the life” that Jesus shows us. But with an invitation, there is a need to respond. We are called to respond daily by the way that we live and follow the Gospel way of life. At some point in our life, we said “yes” and were Baptized and Confirmed, but it necessary to give this “yes” daily- each of us fulfilling our vocation whatever that may be. When we say “yes” each day, we come to know that we are “chosen.”

The weekend of October 28-29, we will have our annual “State of the Parish” presentation. We began this meeting to let everyone know the number of registered people in the parish, the various ministries, the blessing of many volunteers, new ministries and nances. This meeting will show how we continue to grow, what challenges we face in the future, and a closer look at our finances. There is much that goes on behind the scenes and this will give you an idea of what we deal with every day. We have so many blessings and are grateful to God, especially for you, our faithful parishioner. Come and learn more.

Next Sunday at 2 PM, our Fatima, Spain and Lourdes Pilgrimage will be meeting to go over the details of the Pilgrimage and this will give everyone a chance to meet each other. We have 55 people going on this Pilgrimage. It is sold out!

-Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M.

The St. Francis Knitters is a group of volunteers who make knitted and crocheted items for the guests of the St. Francis Breadline and others in need of a warm hat or scarf. They welcome new members to join in the ministry, even if you can only work from home.

If you are interested, please contact Edward Trochimczuk, Director of Volunteers,
at 212-736-8500, Ext. 361.

The Knitters are always looking for donations of dark colored yarn which you can drop off  at the reception desk in the lobby of the Parish House.