The missionary par excellence, Fr. Francis Koch, succeeded Fr. Ludger Beck as pastor but stayed less than two years. He had inherited a debt of $76,000 which he worked hard to reduce. The neighborhood was changing radically around Saint Francis Church. The modest frame buildings of the German residents were transformed almost overnight into theaters, taverns, saloons and dance halls. Behind the church on West 32nd Street was the famed house of prostitution known as “House of All Nations.” On the same street, closer to Sixth Avenue, was the infamous “Tenderloin Club” which gave its name to the district. On one wall, created out of discarded horse race tickets, were letters which spelled out “LOST HOPES.”

The people were all moving out and the parish appeared doomed as a spiritual center. Rumors circulated that the church might be closed and the site disposed of.  The “Nightworkers’ Mass,” which was first offered at 2:30 AM on March 20, 1904, is given credit for turning the tide around when a new clientele began to pour through the doors of Saint Francis Church.

Father Francis Koch had initiated the “Nightworkers’ Mass” in response to the request of Mr. Thomas Meehan, a new correspondent of the Herald syndicate, who approached Fr. Francis in the name of 200 Catholic men who worked at The New York Herald. Fr. Francis was extremely tired after 29 years of ceaseless missionary work in America. At the “Night-workers’ Mass” on August 14, 1904 he announced his
decision to return to his old home in the friary of Fulda, Germany, and devote the rest of his days to quiet reflection in preparation for eternity.

“My life has been so filled with stirring scenes in the last 29 years, that I shall be glad of an opportunity for rest and quiet near the tomb of Saint Boniface,” he told his parishioners.

Fr. Francis sailed on the RMS Pannonia on November 15, 1904 with Bishops McDonnell of Brooklyn and Colton of Buffalo, who were on their way to the Holy Land and Rome. Fr. Francis carried with him an exquisite chalice presented to him as a gift from the New York “Nightworkers.” Fr. Francis did not remain inactive in Fulda for very long. He returned to America and worked for 15 more years, surpassing every other American priest in the number of churches which he built, primarily in northern New Jersey.

–

This series of articles on the history of our parish is adapted from the writings of Fr. Flavian Walsh, O.F.M., Pastor from 1985-87.

Chapter 3: In the Light of the Master

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Hunger and thirst are intense experiences since they involve basic needs and our instinct for survival.  There are those who desire justice and yearn for righteousness with similar intensity. Jesus says that they will be satisfied, for sooner or later justice will come…

Jesus offers a justice other than that of the world, so often marred by petty interests and manipulated in various ways. Experience shows how easy it is to become mired in corruption, ensnared in the daily politics of quid pro quo, where everything becomes business…

True justice comes about in people’s lives when they themselves are just in their decisions; it is expressed in their pursuit of justice for the poor and the weak… (True justice) is shown especially… toward those who are most vulnerable: “Seek justice, correct oppression, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.”

Hungering and thirsting for righteousness: That is holiness.

I believe in keeping busy. I inherited that German/Slovak quality of making sure that you stay busy. I still believe in it, but over the years I have also discovered that I enjoy being quiet and taking time for reflecting on life. In today’s Gospel we meet Martha and Mary. Martha is the perfect host, making sure all the details are taken care of. Mary is a little different – she enjoys sitting and listening to Jesus. Martha is frustrated and it seems that she may be overworked. Jesus tries to calm her down, telling her that relaxing and paying attention to Him is good for her. I’m not sure how this went over with Martha, but it is good advice.

Cardinal Dolan recently celebrated Mass at the Shrine of Saint Frances Cabrini in Washington Heights. Mother Cabrini is the patroness of immigrants and refugees. Afterwards he wrote the following message:

“I was moved as I recalled her work among Italian immigrants in the United States in the 19th and early 20th century. This work impresses me today as the Church continues to welcome immigrants from so many countries, particularly in these troubling uncertain times.

“It saddens me to admit that many, some even in the Church, opposed Mother Cabrini’s work. It troubles me that today in too many places hate and malice are directed against immigrants and refugees- in both words and actions.

“As a Pastor, I pray that understanding, respect and love might grow in dealing with newcomers to our land. I am proud of the welcoming that our parishes, schools, charitable and healthcare ministries have and do provide.”

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

We’d like to invite our parishioners to help sponsor our Sundae Sundays this summer.

Sundae Sunday typically occurs on the 3rd Sunday of each month from June to September.

For more information, please email Edward Trochimczuk at etrochimczuk@stfrancisnyc.org or call him at 212-736-8500 Ext. 361.

Below is a table comparing June 2018 collections to our current June 2019 collections.

As you can see our collections have gone down and we are not making our budget.

We need everyone to do their part to keep St. Francis on firm financial ground.  The best way to use this is to make your offering using our online giving system.

You can sign up for online giving HERE.

We ask all of our members and visitors to offer the equivalent of ONE HOUR of their weekly salary per week to support the mission of the church.  This comes to a tithe of 2.5%

Thank you to all of you who are already doing your part.

“And who is my neighbor?” is the question asked by the scholar of the law to Jesus. The answer probably came as a surprise to this man because Jesus tells the story of the “good” Samaritan. Remember, there was a mutual hated between the Jews and the Samaritans and vice versa. Jesus chooses a Samaritan to be the hero of this story. What happens is familiar to us but to the scholar, there was much to think about because it involved a “good” Samaritan and this was a person who went out of his way for a stranger. Quite a response.

There are several ways to participate in the Commemorative Book that is being prepared for our 175th Anniversary. Check online for a flyer about the St. Francis Church 175 Anniversary Commemorative Book or look at the form that was included in the weekly bulletin (or pick up one in the lobby). There will be pages with family greetings, memorial pages, pages for ads, and a pet section. All sponsorships must be submitted before the end of this month.

Next May’s Pilgrimage to the Passion Play and Alpine Europe is full. There are still some openings for this November’s Pilgrimage to the Shrines of France. There are no more single rooms available, but rooms for two people are available. Information and registration forms are available at the Front Desk.

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