Dear Community and Friends of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi,

May the Lord give you peace.

We had a wonderful gathering to Contemplate the Passion. With nearly 70 people present: we shared the reading of Matthew’s Passion account, reflected on images or ideas that touched us from the text, listened to one another, and engaged in lively discussions. Thanks to all who participated in the experience. Special thanks to the Converge ministry that hosted this event.

This week we hear the story of the raising of Lazarus from John’s Gospel. We are invited to enter into the experience, to feel the sorrow of Martha, Mary, and Jesus. The call to Jesus from Martha and Mary is: “the one whom you love is sick.” Jesus declares to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus calls Lazarus forth from the tomb and entrusts the mission of unbinding him to those gathered. As we have journeyed together these days of Lent, we realize we are loved as Lazarus was loved. We have been called forth from our places of darkness and death to light and life. We need one another to free us from what binds us. Our pilgrimage is into ever greater love.

On Thursday, the 30th, please join us for our Pardon and Peace reconciliation service. This is a graced opportunity to come forth and be unbound. The gracious gift of God’s healing forgiveness is ever-present. We can celebrate it together as a community of faith. This is an excellent preparation for our experience of Holy Week.

This year during our Celebration of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, we invite anyone who wishes to come forward to have their feet washed. The foot washing of the disciples was their call to mission. Jesus tells them, “As I have done for you, so must you do for one another.” We are all called to share in the mission of the Gospel.

Finally, we have begun our thirteen Tuesdays in honor of St. Anthony. Please join us each Tuesday. The Novena prayers are available on our website and hard copies in the church. You can come in person, participate online, or simply pray the novena alone. Some may want to gather with family or friends to pray this novena.

Blessings and peace,

Fr. Tom, ofm

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion • April 2

Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 pm

Sunday Masses: 8:00 AM, 9:15 AM (Korean), 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM and 5:00 PM

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Monday – Wednesday • April 3, 4, and 5

Daily Masses: 7:30 AM, 12:00 PM, and 5:30 PM

Confessions: 8:00 – 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 4:30 – 5:30 PM

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Holy Thursday • April 6

Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Washing of the Feet and Procession to the Repository: 6:00 PM

Confessions: 8:00 – 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

There will be no confessions once the Triduum begins until the Tuesday after Easter

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Good Friday • April 7

The Seven Last Words: 12:00 Noon
Guest Preacher: Rev. Canon Michael F. Delaney, Episcopal Priest

Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion: 3:00 PM

Stations of the Cross: 5:00 PM

No Confessions on Good Friday

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Holy Saturday • April 8

The Great Vigil of Easter: 7:00 PM

The Upper Church will remain closed until 6:30 PM.

No confessions on Holy Saturday.

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Easter Sunday • April 9

Masses: 8:00, 9:15 (Korean), 11:00 AM, 12:30 & 5:00 PM

No confessions on Easter Sunday.

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Easter Monday • April 10

Mass at 12:00 PM only

There are no confessions on Easter Monday and the church offices are closed.

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All of our Liturgies will also be available on Livestream on our website and on our Facebook page.

Dear Community and Friends of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi,

May the Lord give you peace.

Thank you for your generous response to the Cardinal’s Annual Stewardship Appeal. We are at $17,000 of our $73,000 goal; please give as your means allow to help sustain the mission of the Archdiocese. We particularly want to support the work of Catholic Charities.

This weekend we spend some time with the experience of the man born blind as told in the Gospel according to John. He gradually comes to realize that it is Jesus who has opened his eyes. Many were disbelieving, and many who would have preferred that he remain blind. Some see “sin” as the cause of his blindness. As we are on our pilgrimage of transformation, we also realize that there are limits to our vision. With the man born blind, we seek the healing that comes from the encounter with Jesus to open our eyes so that we might see ever more clearly. Perhaps we have limited vision due to culture, tradition, church, or experiences of abuse. We seek to see the presence of the Lord in our life experiences. As we share in his vision, we are liberated for the mission of the Gospel. I invite you to pray with this text considering how we might see things through the lens of compassion and inclusion.

As we celebrate Pope Francis’ ten years as the Bishop of Rome, we see in him a man who continues to invite us to a new vision of the Reign of God. His concern for our participation in creation, his love of the Gospel, and his engaging all of us in a synodal process are blessings for the life of the church and the world. He desires to hear all people’s dreams, hopes, and brokenness. He calls us to be shepherds with him in seeking the broken and the lost. He imagines the church as a field hospital where we triage the many people who have experienced the struggles of life. He calls us to a new way of knowing ourselves as church, and through listening to one another, wash away the mud from our eyes that we might see the graced person who walks with us. With God’s grace, we may see greater equity of ministry by women in the church, the realization of the gifts that people who have suffered fractured relationships of divorce bring to the community, and the talents of our LGBTQ+ members. We need everyone around the table and everyone on the journey. Perhaps our task this week is to open our eyes to recognize the gifts of the people in our lives and our community. With the newly sighted man of the Gospel, we give thanks.

Finally, I invite you to check out the banners at the 32nd Street entrance. The banners have text from the Gospels of the Sundays of Lent. The lengthy scaffolding time was disastrous for our plants, and we will begin planting as the weather changes.

Thank you for all you are for the Church and community!

Blessings and peace,
Fr. Tom, ofm