January, 2018 - Saint Francis of Assisi

Channel of Peace: Stranded in Gander on 9/11

Click the image below to RSVP to this event on Eventbrite:

THE Migrant Center, LGBT+ Ministry & Young Adult Ministry of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi present:

A Special Book Event with author Kevin Tuerff:

CHANNEL OF PEACE: STRANDED IN GANDER ON 9/11

Hear Kevin Tuerff talk about his book and the true story of being stranded in Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11, which inspired the Broadway hit, “Come from Away!”

Also, Kevin will speak about his Pay It Forward project as well as his present work for immigrants and refugees.

RSVP and attend to receive a special Broadway ticket deal to see “Come from Away!”

All who attend will be given a promotional code to receive a discount on tickets to see the show in March. More details at the event, so pleace come!

RSVP here on Eventbrite

Blessing of Throats on the Feast of St. Blaise

We will have the blessing of throats for the Feast of St. Blase on Saturday, February 3, after the 8:00 and 11:00 AM and 4:00 and 5:15 PM Masses.

The Pastor’s Corner

Last Sunday we heard Jesus say, “the kingdom of God is at hand.” In today’s Gospel he shows that the kingdom is indeed at hand: he teaches with authority and he drives out an unclean spirit from a man in the synagogue. The kingdom is happening before the very eyes of his listeners. Jesus is using the authority and power that has been given him to broaden their idea of God and to teach them that they don’t have to be afraid of unclean spirits and the power of evil because they have a greater power available to work with them. He uses his power to make lives better. It is so important to make the ways and the attitude of the Lord Jesus our way of handling the various situations that we come across daily.

On Sunday, February 11 at 3 PM, we will host a presentation by Kevin Tuerff who was on Air France heading to the US the evening of 9/11. His plane and 67 others were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland. 7,000 people were fed and housed by the people of this small town. Kevin will relate his story and what he learned from it. The story is the basis for the Broadway musical, Come From Away. His book will be available for purchase. It will be an inspiring presentation and is free. Click here for more information and to RSVP.

Don’t forget that next week we will have a Week of Prayer in honor of Our Lady, Untier of Knots. There will be special prayers after the 11:30 and 4:30 Masses. If you have any intentions that you would like included during these Week of Prayer, ll out one of the envelopes in church and drop it o at the reception desk.

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

P.S. We will have the blessing of throats for the Feast of St. Blase on Saturday, February 3, after the 8:00 and 11:00 AM and 4:00 and 5:15 PM Masses.

January 28, 2018

Click here for the weekly bulletin for Sunday, January 28, 2018

Treasures from Our Tradition: Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls

This is the year of St. Paul, and so one of the most visited churches of Rome is also one of the most beautiful: the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Like so many other churches, it was founded by the master-builder (or financier) Emperor Constantine about the year 315. Paul was martyred outside the walls of the City of Rome at a place called Tre Fontane, probably on June 29, in the year 65, perhaps the first anniversary of St. Peter’s crucifixion. Christians buried him in a quiet place about two miles away, and visited to pray. Constantine was running low on bricks, apparently, because the first church was tiny. In 386 it was demolished and today’s basilica begun. This vast and towering space looks much the same today as it did in the fourth century.

The centuries have not been kind to ancient Rome, but until the early 1800’s, St. Paul Outside the Walls survived beautifully, perhaps because it has been assigned for nearly a thousand years to Benedictine monks. It was therefore a vibrant place of daily prayer even through the centuries when Rome was a poor and nearly abandoned city. In 1823 a great fire resulted from a botched repair job to lead on the roof, and St. Paul’s was destroyed. It is said that the whole world contributed to its restoration. Even the Russian czar and the viceroy of Egypt gave alabaster, malachite, and lapis lazuli for the pillars and the tabernacle. Several of the precious mosaics were able to be restored, bringing the ancient basilica back to life. One of the great treasures of the basilica is a set of prison chains, said to have been worn by the Apostle in the last days before his martyrdom. Unlike other Roman churches, St. Paul’s stands in a garden-like suburban neighborhood, surrounded by stately palm trees, gardens, and parks.

Rev. James Field

January 21, 2018

Click here for the weekly bulletin for Sunday, January 21, 2018

Spring 2018 Adult Education course offerings open for registration

The Adult Education center at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi offers courses in theology, scripture, spirituality, history, literature, and a variety of other topics. The classes are all tought by highly qualified people in their field.

Who takes these courses?

The courses are taken by any adult who wants to deepen their understanding of the Catholic Faith. Most are Catholic, but all people are welcome and often people who are not catholic take our courses because of their interest in the topic. Catechists, lectors, eucharistic ministers take our courses. Young people and retirees take these courses. There is something for everyone!

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS OPEN CLICK HERE.

You can also click HERE for a PDF list of the courses that will be offered. Brochures are available in the church also.

Take a look, invite a friend, expand your mind!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Schedule

On Monday, January 15, 2018 our nation will commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Masses will be celebrated at 8:00 and 11:30 AM.

There will be no confessions, and the church offices will be closed for the day.

Treasures from Our Tradition: Ordinary Time

“Ordinary Time” began for us this week. On the old calendar, the feast of the Presentation, still more than two weeks away, was the last day of the Christmas season.

Sadly, Bethlehem is hardly a place of peace on earth these days. The ancient Christian community has been largely uprooted by political strife. The Church of the Nativity stands (barely) in remarkable disrepair and disorder in Manger Square. The roof is crumbling, the major doorways are blocked, the wiring is faulty, and the worship life is disrupted by quarrels among Eastern Christians.

The church was founded by the Emperor Constantine in 325, destroyed in a Samaritan revolt in 539, and rebuilt by the Emperor Justinian. When the area came under Muslim control in 638, the holiness of the church was respected, and in return Christians allowed Muslims to pray in the south aisle, a right still upheld. Earlier in that century, invading Persians were ordered to destroy all churches, but when they saw the magi carved over the doorway of the Church of the Nativity, they spared it out of respect for their ancestors who bore gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the same city.

The Crusaders restored and redecorated the church by the twelfth century, and it is their plan that survives. Down a few stone steps is a stone grotto with a silver star marking the place of Christ’s birth: when the star was stolen in 1847 it triggered an international crisis that exploded into the Crimean War. Since 1852, the church has been shared by the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian Churches. The Greeks are in charge of the grotto, but don’t enjoy the best of friendships with the Armenians. Catholics have the care of the Chapel of the Manger, and avoid the squabbles by a separate entrance to the Franciscan monastery church of St. Catherine.

Pray for peace in Bethlehem!

-Rev. James Field

Change to Mass Schedule in New Year

Starting this month we made a small change in our weekday Mass schedule:

The noon-hour Masses are now celebrated at 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM
(the 1:15 Mass will be eliminated).

So since Tuesday, January 2, 2018, the Mass schedule for Monday to Friday is:

7:00, 7:45, 8:30, 11:30 AM, 12:30, 4:30 and 5:30 PM.

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