First Friday Mass and Sacred Heart Devotion
Please join the UGNAYAN Filipino Ministry for the First Friday Mass and Sacred Heart Devotion!
Friday, March 7
6:15 PM
Lower Church
All are welcome! Magsama-sama tayo!
The First Friday Mass and Sacred Heart Devotion dates for the rest of 2025 are:
- April 4
- May 2
- June 6
- July: date to be announced (postponed due to Independence Day)
- August 1
- September 5
- October: date to be announced (postponed due to Transitus)
- November 7
- December 5
You can reach the UGNAYAN Filipino Ministry at St Francis of Assisi at filipinoministry@stfrancisnyc.org.
USCCB Action Center says: Urge Congress to Protect the Persecuted!
This action alert comes from the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) Action Center. You can find more information and contact your Congress members here.
“[I]t is the historic policy of the United States to respond to the urgent needs of persons subject to persecution in their homelands. . . . Congress further declares that it is the policy of the United States to encourage all nations to provide assistance and resettlement opportunities to refugees to the fullest extent possible.”
These opening lines of the Refugee Act of 1980—the law creating the statutory authority for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)—communicates the importance of responding to the needs of those forced to flee their homes because they are persecuted on the basis of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Carrying out the Gospel’s mandate to care for the “least of these” (Mt. 25:31-46), the Catholic Church has served refugees in the United States since well before USRAP’s creation.
Today, no refugees are being resettled through USRAP. This ban impacts thousands of refugees who had already been fully processed, undergone extensive security checks, and approved for refugee status by the federal government while outside of the United States. This includes many persecuted Christians, as well as Afghans who had been approved for special immigrant visas because of the assistance they provided to the U.S. mission and U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan.
The indefinite suspension of USRAP is the result of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 20. The order requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit a report by April 20, 2025, regarding whether refugee resettlement is in the national interest. However, the order leaves the decision about whether to resume refugee resettlement to the President alone, without any timeline stated for that decision.
On January 24, the State Department issued suspension notices to domestic resettlement agencies, including the USCCB, impacting their ability to carry out services under the Reception and Placement (R&P) Program. The R&P Program provides crucial assistance to refugees and Afghan special immigrant visa holders during their first three months in the United States to support their successful integration and help them to achieve self-sufficiency as quickly as possible. Services provided through the R&P Program include help finding initial housing, securing employment, enrolling children in school, scheduling medical appointments, and English language classes.
The chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, addressed the suspension of USRAP on January 22, stating: “Indefinitely halting refugee resettlement is unmerited, as it is already proven to be one of the most secure legal pathways to the United States.”
CANCELLED: The Life and Spiritual Theology of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
CANCELLED: The Life and Spiritual Theology of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
Come join us in this Lenten journey as we explore the life and works of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, a French Carmelite from Dijon, France. We will cover major episodes of her life, family, and the development of her spiritual theology especially in the developments of the themes of praise of glory, the Trinity, her retreat work and guidance to others. We will examine excerpts from her diary, letters, and poems to help facilitate this task. Finally, we will consider what wisdom we can gain from these works for our own life today.
Instructor: Mary J. Gennuso, Phd.
This course has been cancelled for this semester.
Lent Soup and Scripture 2025
Come! Fill your hearts and bellies…
Join us as we gather to reflect on this season of Lent, quieting ourselves so we may better hear God’s message for us.
• Days•
Mondays, March 3 – March 31
• TIME •
6:30pm-8:00pm
• LOCATION •
The Francis Room
The Soup is on! Join us for one, two, three or all four reflections.
This is a free event but since soup is being served, we are asking for free will donations to offset the costs of the meal. Please register below to let us know that you are coming.
ALL ARE WELCOME!
Adult Education Spotlight: The Life and Spiritual Theology of St. Titus Brandsma
The Life and Spiritual Theology of St. Titus Brandsma
Come join us in this Lenten journey as we explore the life and works of St. Titus Brandsma. We will cover his diverse life as a Carmelite priest, teacher of mysticism and philosophy, and Catholic journalist, and his passion for truth and human rights which put him at odds with Nazi ideology, and eventually led to his martyrdom at Dachau. We will examine excerpts of his various writings and life events, as well as those who knew him at various stages of his life, to better understand his spiritual evolution and what we might learn from him for today.
Instructor: Mary J. Gennuso, Phd.
Saturday March 15
1pm-4pm on Zoom
Fee: $30.00
Ash Wednesday 2025
Ash Wednesday is March 5th this year. Here is our schedule of Masses, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and distribution of Ashes. Let us begin the journey of Lent together.
Mass:
7:30 AM
12:00 PM
4:30 PM (en español)
5:30 PM
6:30 PM
Imposition of Ashes at church:
We will impose ashes in the Lower Church from 7:00 AM to 6:30 PM. Ashes will also be distributed in the Upper Church after the 6:30 PM Mass.
Sacrament of Reconciliation:
8:00 to 9:00 AM
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
+
“Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel”
Laudato Si Circle: Prayer for Creation
Prayer for Creation
Lord God of all creation, may the richness and beauty of the natural world never cease to uplift and sustain us. May we constantly be aware of how our actions affect the environment and strive to create a fairer and more sustainable world. May we always be grateful for nature’s gifts, and may we continuously work to preserve and cherish them.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
As we move into Lent and Easter, the Creation Corner will come out once a month. Stay tuned! For more information about the Laudato Si Circle here at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, email stfrancislaudatosi@gmail.com.
Day of Fasting and Prayer for Migrants/Día de Ayuno y Oración por los Migrantes
The Church of St. Francis of Assisi is an urban ministry center staffed by the province of Our Lady of Guadalupe and their partners in ministry.
Last fall, nearly 700 Franciscan friars came together to form the new Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a historic moment for Franciscan life in the United States. The Province chose Our Lady of Guadalupe as our patroness because of her ties to North America. Her compassion and advocacy for people who are oppressed and suffering calls us to live in solidarity with people who have been marginalized. This call for a Day of Fasting and Prayer for Migrants this Thursday, February 20, 2025 is from the Provincial Council of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
As we witness what is happening on the immigration front in our country and the fear and angst that many families are experiencing, we approach our Lord with humility in prayer for refugees, migrants and people who are displaced in this world. We prayerfully encourage you to join us in observing our Provincial Day of Fasting and Prayer for Migrants for comprehensive, just and compassionate immigration reform and for all immigrants, this Thursday, February 20, 2025.
This coincides with World Day of Social Justice, proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2007 and observed for the first time in 2009. This observance and the Provincial Day of Fasting and Prayer for Migrants are powerful reminders that “a society for all” must be based on social justice and respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all as daughters and sons created in God’s own image.
At our recent provincial synod in Kansas City, the Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe committed ourselves to “welcome, protect and accompany migrants,” as stated in priority (#2) of our synod report, which reads: “The Gospel compels us to respond to the needs of the poor, marginalized (including women), and vulnerable persons, and our common home.” We invite you to pray this Litany for Day of Fasting and Prayer for Migrants, available in English and Spanish.
Mientras somos testigos de lo que está sucediendo en el frente de la inmigración en nuestro país y el miedo y la angustia que muchas familias están experimentando, nos acercamos a nuestro Señor con humildad en oración por los refugiados, migrantes y personas desplazadas en este mundo. Con este fin, el consejo provincial les invita a observar un Día Provincial de Ayuno y Oración por los Migrantes el Jueves, 20 de febrero.
Esta invitación coincide con el Día Mundial de la Justicia Social, proclamado por la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas en 2007 y observado por primera vez en 2009. Esta observancia y el Día Provincial de Ayuno Y Oración son recordatorios poderosos de que “una sociedad para todos” debe basarse en la justicia social y el respeto por los derechos humanos y las libertades fundamentales de todos como hijas e hijos creados a imagen de Dios.
Participar en un día de ayuno y oración se alinea con las prioridades delineadas en nuestro reciente sínodo provincial en Kansas City, donde nos comprometimos a “acoger, proteger y acompañar a los migrantes”, como se indica en la prioridad (#2) de nuestro informe sinodal. Dice: “El Evangelio nos obliga a responder a las necesidades de los pobres, marginados (incluidas las mujeres) y personas vulnerables, y nuestro hogar común”. Os invitamos a todos a rezar esta Letanía del Día de Ayuno y Oración por los Migrantes, disponible en inglés y español.
Recent News & Events
-
Flowers and Intentions in Honor of St. Anthony May 25,2026 -
-
-
Laudatory Si Committee: May Denim Collection April 30,2026 -
Mother’s Day Remembrances April 20,2026 -
Starts May 7: Spring Book Club April 7,2026