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Join us for THEOLOGY ON TAP: MASS 101

Wednesday, May 23rd at 6:30 PM
(The talk will begin around 7:00 PM)

The Australian
20 West 38th Street
Between 5th & 6th Avenues

Speaker: Fr. Santo Cricchio, OFMÂ Conv.

What actually happens at Mass? Why do we go? What do we get out of it? What keeps us coming back?

Join the Young Adult Ministry at St. Francis of Assisi for a lively discussion of Mass:101

We’ll kick things off with our speaker, Friar Santo and break out into small groups to discuss, meet new people, and enjoy some yummy food and drinks.

About Fr. Santo:

Friar Santo entered the Franciscans (Order of Friars Minor Conventual) in Ellicott City, Maryland in1984.

He completed his theological and pastoral at the Washington Theological Union and received a Masters of Theology.Â On October 12. 1991 he was ordained a friar-priest in Baltimore, Maryland.

From 1991 to 1996 he served as an associate pastor of Most Holy Trinity Church, a Latino parish in Brooklyn, NY.Â From 1996 to 2001 as associate pastor of St. Clement Mary Parish in Baltimore, Maryland.Â In the summer of 2001 through the spring of 2005 he served as one of five associate campus ministers at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

In the summer of 2000 Friar Santo became a Reserve Chaplain for the United States Navy.Â As a Navy Chaplain he has served the men and women of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. He was deployed in service to Operation Enduring Freedom in Dijibuiti for a year.Â Upon completing his deployment Friar Santo returned to Brooklyn as Pastor, and together with a great pastoral team merged two parishes into the combined identity of Most Holy Trinity-St. Mary, a trilingual parish. After eight years of ministry in Brooklyn he was transferred to the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Georgia where he continued to ministered to the Latino community until the summer of 2017.

Currently he is using his Post 9/11 G.I. Bill to earn a Masters in Clinical Social Work from Fordham University.Â As of 2018, Friar Santo will have completed thirty-three years of religious profession as a Franciscan Friar, twenty-six of which as a friar-priest and sixteen as a Navy Reserve Chaplain.

This is a Young Adult Ministry Event. It is open to all NYC young adults in their 20â€²s and 30â€²s!

20th Annual St. Francis Korean Community Bazaar

The Saint Francis Korean Community invites you to the 20th Annual Bazaar
for the Breadline and to provide a drinking well in Zambiaon

Sunday, May 20, 2019
10 AM to 5 PM
Broadway between 31st & 32nd Streets

A drawing will be held at 4 PM and winners will be announced on our website, stfrancisnyc.org.

Raffle Tickets are on sale now at the Reception desk: 1 for $2 & 6 for $10.

Treasures from Our Tradition: Pentecost

The disciples gathered on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection were not keeping their first Pentecost. For them, Pentecost was the fiftieth day after Passover, a feast of the first fruits of the harvest. It was the second most important feast of the year. Today, Jews gather on the eve of the feast to study scripture and the law, and after the feast begins at sundown, spend the day in joyful social gatherings. The meaning of the celebration is the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, so for Christians the connection to the gifts of the Holy Spirit is obvious.

In Sicily and in the Pantheon in Rome, today the descent of the Holy Spirit is enacted with a stunning ritual. Some churches there have an â€œeyeâ€ in the roof open to the sky, called an oculus. After the Gospel today, thousands of rose petals fall from the oculus onto the assembly. Churches and homes are decked in greenery and flowers to express the new life the Holy Spirit brings on this, the â€œbirthday of the church.â€

-Rev. James Field

Â© J. S. Paluch Co.

Caution: Spirit at Work

If Pentecost celebrates the gifts of the Spirit, it can tempt us to separate the Spirit from the Father and Jesus. Sometimes we think of the Father as the God of the Old Testament, Jesus as center of New Testament, and the Spirit as God of the present age, almost as if the Father and Jesus were enjoying their retirement. Actually, all three persons share one God-life. Instead of three gods debating the fate of the universe, we have one God who is over all and in all.

The Spirit has been active in all ages. The prophets were empowered by the Spirit to proclaim Godâ€™s word to Israel. Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit led Jesus into the desert at the beginning of his ministry. (Search the word â€œspiritâ€ in the four gospels and it appears 75 times.) Jesus was filled with the Spirit as he preached and worked miracles. Then at Pentecost the disciples were filled with the Spirit.

So what about Pentecost?

It is really about using our giftsÂ and sharing the good news. TheÂ Spirit gives us the power, courage,Â and energy to do this. The Spiritâ€™sÂ gifts are meant to be shared. TheÂ prophets could not help proclaimÂ Godâ€™s message. Jesus shared allÂ he knew with his disciples. TheÂ disciples went out to the world toÂ spread the news of Jesusâ€™ deathÂ and resurrection. So we, too, are given gifts to be shared.

The greatest gift we have been given is the news of our salvation. This feast reminds us to share that with others. We may do that by example, as when we worship together, forgive others, give to the poor or help someone in need. We can also share that news by teaching our children about God and his love for them, teaching them to pray, or sharing our faith with other adults. As we come to realize how much God has done for us and how close he is to us, we will want to share that with others. Obviously, we canâ€™t make everyone believe in Jesus. But how sad would it be if someone we know was looking for the truth and we neglected to offer it?

-Tom Schmidt

Â© J. S. Paluch Co.

Evangelii Gaudium: Chapter 4, The Social Dimension of Evangelization

â€œIn order to sustain dialogue with Islam, suitable training is essential for all involved, not only so that they can be solidly and joyfully grounded in their own identity, but so that they can also acknowledge the values of others, appreciate the concerns underlying their demands, and shed light on shared beliefs. We Christians should embrace with affection and respect Muslim immigrants to our countries in the same way that we hope and ask to be received and respected in countries of Islamic tradition. I ask and humbly entreat those countries to grant Christians freedom to worship and practice their faith, in light of the freedom which follows of Islam enjoy in western countries. Faced with disconcerting episodes of violent fundamentalism, our respect for true followers of Islam should lead us to avoid hateful generalizations, for authentic Islam and proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence.â€

Thirteen Tuesdays in Honor of St. Anthony

The traditional â€œThirteen Tuesdaysâ€ before the Feast of St. Anthony begin on Tuesday, March 20.

Devotions to St. Anthony are prayed after every Mass starting at 7:45 AM.

Please join us !

The Pastor’s Corner – Sunday, May 20, 2018

A Blessed and Happy Pentecost!

We are all familiar with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, fear of the Lord, counsel, fortitude, knowledge and piety. In Paulâ€™s Letter to the Galatians, he speaks of the â€œfruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience,

kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.â€ These gifts and fruits have been given to us, mortal human beings. They are given to us, not just for ourselves, but help us live a full Christ life. Do you use these gifts and fruits each day or are they waiting to be used? They donâ€™t disappear, but they can be hidden, waiting to make a difference in your life. What a blessing that God cares for us so much that He showers us with these gifts and fruits. Which gifts and fruits do you use the most; which the least?

This Sunday our Korean Community is holding its annual Bazaar on Broadway between 31st and 32nd Streets. There is deli- cious Korean food and Korean treats. There are many booths with clothing and other items. If you have never sampled Korean food, this is an excellent opportunity to try the various types that are cooked at the Bazaar. There is a raffle and you can get tickets there. They will be there from 10 AM to 5 PM, so stop over and treat yourself. Much dedication and hard work goes into this Bazaar each year. Thank you!

Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M.