Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey and provide feedback. It is important for us to know a little bit more about you in order to better serve you.

–-Fr. Joe, The Friars and Staff

Dear Sisters & Brothers at St. Francis of Assisi Community-

As we make our way through the various members of the community here in the parish and hear their “voices” in this bulletin space, it’s my turn this week! I’m writing to let you know, if you haven’t heard yet, the news that our group of Franciscans known as The Most Holy Name of Jesus Province, is, this week, formally becoming a part of a new, coast-to-coast province of OFM Franciscans in the United States.

This unification, coming together, merger of the six provinces in the United States into one, new one has been in the works for several years now. As you can imagine to bring six organizations, religious communities together has been a lot of work! We’re grateful for the very talented friars and the many lay staff and consultants who have dedicated countless hours to re-imagine how our religious community can best serve in the many places where we minister across the country as well as, hopefully, “thinking outside the box” to determine how we are called to live together and minister in new ways and new places in the coming years.

This week Fr. Julian and myself will travel with other members of our friary to Kansas City, Missouri for this Chapter of Unity – the establishment of the new canonical entity or province and the ending of the existing provinces. It’s an exciting time and, also, one filled with many questions, which will be answered in the months and years to come. Our new province will have the name, Our Lady of Guadalupe Province, and will have its main headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

Some of the functions of the new province will be based here in New York City, such as the main fundraising office, the national vocation office and the treasurer’s office. Other offices will be in some other locations that will meet other concerns and needs.

For us here in the parish, not a lot will change but we will be seeing some new friar faces as some new members join our community and they may be able to assist with the ministries in the parish.

We will continue to rely on your prayers of support and encouragement as we go forward!

Peace & All Good,

-Fr. Barry

The Church of St. Francis of Assisi will observe a holiday schedule on:

Monday, October 9, 2023
Mass – 12:00 PM only
There will be no confessions.

The church offices will be closed for the day, including the St. Francis Adult Education Center.

Dear Friends of St. Francis of Assisi Church –

I’m the Minister of St. Benedict the Moor Fraternity, one of over 600 fraternities in the Secular Franciscan Order in the U.S., with many more worldwide. My Fraternity was founded here, at our Church, in 1965, and has been blessed by the many volunteer opportunities our community offers. Never heard of the Secular Franciscan Order? Not a problem! Here’s a capsule history. In the early 13th century, St. Francis of Assisi established three orders. The first was the Order of Friars Minor and the second was the Order of St. Clare. St. Francis also saw the need to establish a third order, the Secular Franciscan Order, for people who wished to live Franciscan lives in the secular realm.

My fraternity has thirty professed members, women and men who observe the Gospel by following the example of Saints Francis, Clare, and Benedict himself. The formation process leading to Profession takes three years and is divided into three phases: orientation, inquiry, and candidacy. In our Church, members of St. Benedict the Moor Fraternity volunteer are ministers of hospitality, Eucharistic ministers, lectors, and other volunteers. Some of the most important contributions of Secular Franciscans, however, are perhaps the most discrete – they preach not with words, but by example, in their workplaces, with their families, and among friends, neighbors, and acquaintances.

St. Benedict the Moor’s parents were taken as slaves from Africa to Sicily, where they became devout Catholics. Benedict was born in 1526 and became a Franciscan at age twenty-one. His spiritual erudition far outweighed his lack of a formal education, and Benedict became Master of Novices and then Guardian of his Friary in Palermo. He died in 1589, having spent his entire life in Sicily. His life of servant leadership is an inspiration for us all. I hope by now you have seen the new statue of St. Benedict the Moor, which was donated by my Fraternity. Carved from lindenwood and finished with oil paints by artists in northern Italy, the statue was dedicated at Sunday Mass on January 15th, 2023, on the eve of Martin Luther King Day.

One of our Church’s most beloved artworks is the Great Mosaic, which includes five Secular Franciscans: St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Louis of France, St. Frances of Rome, Christopher Columbus, and Dante Alighieri, poet laureate of the Franciscan Order. Interesting company! Can you find them?

Paul Francis Beelitz, Minister, St. Benedict the Moor Fraternity (SFO)
Volunteer Lector, Eucharistic Minister,
and Livestream Studio Operator
stbenedictmoorfraternity@gmail.com