Christmas welcome from St. Francis of Assisi Church, New York

Blessed Christmas, everyone. During this holy Christmas season, we celebrate the Birth of Jesus. Thank you for joining us. At this blessed time and every day, St. Francis of Assisi Church welcomes the Christ who comes among us in you.

Come all ye faithful, joining us with family and friends come all who are alone. Come you have recently lost someone close to you. Come you who are with someone special. No matter where your life journey has led you, come to this celebration.  Come… Christ is here, and you are welcome.

Come you who are treasured parishioners. Come most welcome guest. Come, you for whom it has been some time since you have entered a church. Come you who are of another faith tradition. Come you who are you seeking a faith tradition. Come… Christ is here, and you are welcome.

Come, all ye faithful, Single, Married, Divorced, or Widowed. Come you who are Gay or Straight. Young and old, rich or poor come, do not delay. Come… Christ is here, and you are welcome.

Come you who have experienced abuse or violence or natural disaster. Come all who have been hurt in the past and feel unable to move on. Come you who are struggling in life, financially, emotionally, or spiritually. Come you who have been away. Come you who have been living in darkness, be light with us. All are welcome to come in Christ. Come with shepherds, magi, angels, saints, and sinners. Together we walk in the joyful hope of our God’s welcome! Come… Christ is here, and you are welcome.

2020 has been a difficult journey for many of us. Yet, we are truly blessed and humbled to be sharing in this joyous moment together. We celebrate the birth of Christ, the Son of God, who was born long ago in Bethlehem and is still among us today. Let us, in the silence of our hearts, wish our family and friends those near or far away, the living and the deceased, a Blessed Christmas. (allow for some silence)

In a manger, in a town far away, among shepherds, and in the dark of night, Jesus was born. Our salvation dawned. We celebrate this great feast of God’s love: a love so great that God sent his Son to dwell among us. Let us again hear the song of the angels.  Come… let us adore him together.

During the final weeks of Advent, we have listened to John the Baptist. Like some of those hearing him for the first time, perhaps we found ourselves asking a genuine listener’s question: “What must we do to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord?” On a personal level, we may find a way to pour oil on the troubled waters of a tense and fractured relationship; to ask pardon from someone hurt by a broken promise; to soften the hardheartedness that makes it so difficult for us to offer or receive forgiveness after a quarrel. Perhaps there are injustices on a larger scale, at home or further afield, on which we should take some action. Would now be a good time to take a stand for what is right? We live in an age of increasing ecological awareness, and we recognize that our planet has suffered serious damage, caused by human exploitation of the good things of Creation. Do we need to extend our concern for the oppressed and the vulnerable and include the Earth itself? In addition, what of the pandemic? Do we realize our obligation to stay safe by following protocols recommended by the CDC and the NIH? We are not alone during this crisis. These are thoughts for listening to the Word of the Lord through the prophetic voice of John the Baptist.

by David McBriar, O.F.M.

For Christmas this year, we have added doves to our Christmas trees in the sanctuary. Each dove is a symbol of our prayer, our hope, and our remembering.

Some doves bear the names of people who are suffering from this pandemic: Those who have died from the virus, those struggling with the virus right now, and those who are out of work due to the economic impact of the pandemic.

Other doves bear the names of the humble heroes who continue to put themselves in harms way to make sure the rest of us are OK during this difficult time:  medical personnel, first responders and essential workers.

Here are the names submitted by members of our community to be remembered:

Angie Edwards
Gloria Gannon
Norma Ordonezp
Angel Julbe
Maria Mercado
Joan Melone
Andre Solomon
Mark Broadway
Louise Hansen-williams
Gloria Gannon
Andrea Zeluck
George W Hunkele
Daniel Lynch
Nery
Bronislawa
Teresa E Frees
Adam Brenner
Fabienne Krotkine
Nurses of The Cleveland Clinic
Shilpa Shah
Andrew
Ramonita Ramos
Mary Kunert
Diane Deverau Long
Andrea Figueroa
Pauline
James Schmittlrr
Michael Reilly
John Kunert
Victor Morales
Asterio Martin
Walter
Cherie La Pelusa
Dr Costanza

The Christmas flowers and wreaths which adorn our church at Christmas are offered to honor the birth of Christ and to glorify God. Thank you to everyone who donated toward our Christmas decorations.

In Memory of:

Carlina Apolinaris Acevedo
Francisco Castro Astacio
Dennis and Kathy Borecki
Brown Family
Robert Carter
Bertha and Charles Degnan
Deceased members of the Diaz family
Thomas and Theresa Dolan
Mary Dunleavy
James Dunleavy
Michael Dunleavy, Sr.
Anna Dunleavy
Dunleavy Family
Caroline M. Fagan
Deceased members of the Fisco Family
Deceased members of the Foley Byrne and Quirke Walsh Families & Poor Souls of all times
Thomas Aquinas Gilbride
Joan Dorothy Gilbride
Ruth Anne Gilbride
Peter and Ferdynand Hanusek
Edward and Cecila Harlan
Liz Healy
Billy Heuser
Jane R. and Charles Janiak
Lizurej and Kolej Family
Ania Lozowska
Padre Santiago Mallen, CSSR
May Kathleen Mark
Richard Mark
Helen McKeon
Joan Melone
Lafcadio Molina
Rt. Rev. Paul Moore, Jr.
Bill and Morgan
Giti Neuman
George Lee Rexing
Victoria, Owen and Donovan Robertson
George Soresco
Paul Starzey
Anne Taylor
Kenneth Taylor
Suzanne Veljovic
Dorothy Wendt
Charles Wildes, Sr.
Jennie Wildes

And for the Special Intentions of:

Providencia Castro Apolinaris Gilbride
Michael Thomas Gilbride

The Bread and Wine for the Christmas Masses was donated in memory of:

Robert Carter

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