Laudato Si Circle Tip of the Week to Care for our World 7-7-2024
Art for Our Sake
You still have time to catch the Coal + Ice exhibition at the Asia Society Museum on view through August 11th. This is a Photography and Video exhibition that brings together artists from around the world to help us visualize the climate crisis – causes, consequences, and creative solutions.
The Museum partnered with over 30 organizations to bring this to us and many of these organizations’ efforts are ongoing such as the Climate Wall at the American Museum of Natural History, the Billion Oyster Project, Brooklyn Grange, and WALTER which stands for Working And Learning Together Electronics Recycling. To learn about all these organizations visit asiasociety.org/coalandice .
The Museum is located on 70th Street and Park Avenue and is open Tue thru Sun 11-5. Admission is Free on Fridays and otherwise $15 or less.
“These collaborations aim to inspire deeper engagement and meaningful dialogue on how the climate crisis affects our global and local communities.” from the exhibition brochure
For more information about the Laudato Si Circle here at St. Francis or to share your own tip of the week, email: stfrancislaudatosi@gmail.com
Click here to go to our page on the website for St. Francis Church.
Daily Mass is moving to the Lower Church for the Summer
Our daily Masses Monday through Friday are moving to the Lower Church for the summer starting Monday, July 1, 2024 and will remain in the lower church until after Labor Day.
Why do we move Mass to the lower church in the summer?
It has been our tradition for the past several years to celebrate the daily Masses Monday through Friday in the lower church to save a significant amount of money on our summer electric bills. Cooling the upper church with air conditioning is an expensive proposition. The lower church is much less costly to cool and since the number of people who attend our daily Masses fit in the lower church, we move the Masses there. This allows us to shut off the air conditioning in the upper church until the weekend for Saturday and Sunday Masses. Typically, this saves the church tens of thousands of dollars in electricity over the course of the summer. We feel this is good stewardship of your donations and it is good for the environment.
Will there be AC on during the Saturday and Sunday Masses?
Yes! We will have a cool worship space in the upper church for Masses on the weekends when we have our largest crowds.
Can I still pray in the Upper Church?
Yes, upper church will remain open for private prayer, and it usually stays relatively cool despite the AC being off, since there are not large numbers of people entering and leaving.
Can I help with St. Francis’ summer electric bill?
Actually, yes please, we could use the help! All of us know the crunch of additional electric bills in the summer. The church is no different except we have a huge open space to cool, and it is expensive. If you would like to make an additional special donation to help offset the summer electric bills it would be a big help and we would greatly appreciate it. We try hard to keep our church open for prayer, keep it clean, well maintained and welcoming. Your donation helps us continue to keep this house of prayer open and accessible… and cool!
Laudato Si Circle Tip of the Week to Care for our World 6-30-2024
I’m Not Here Right Now
One vacation you could take that won’t cost you anything is a vacation from your phone and social media. For a designated period of time, unplug and unwind. Maybe you’ll like it so much you’ll do it on a regular basis. Your friends and family will get used to the idea and they may even try it themselves. See what it feels like to be in the world without distraction. How are your encounters with people different? Do your senses of taste and smell sharpen? Ask yourself what this has to do with the climate crisis.
“When media and the digital world become omnipresent their influence can stop people from learning how to live wisely, to think deeply and to love generously…we should be concerned that, alongside the exciting possibilities offered by these media, a deep and melancholic dissatisfaction with interpersonal relations, or a harmful sense of isolation, can also arise.” Pope Francis (LS47)
For more information about the Laudato Si Circle here at St. Francis or to share your own tip of the week, email stfrancislaudatosi@gmail.com
Evening of Prayer for Peace in the Holy Land
Faith Leaders from Metro New York and New Jersey will be gathered to offer prayers for Peace in the Holy Land. This evening will feature prayers, songs, poem readings and reflections centered on peace that all people of goodwill hope for.
Thursday, June 27, 2024
6:00 PM
Upper Church
The Laudato Si Circle here at the Church of St Francis of Assisi has been very busy lately.
The Laudato Si Circle here at the Church of St Francis of Assisi has been very busy lately.
On April 27th in honor of Earth Day and Arbor Day they hosted “Let It Begin with Trees” which was both a presentation and a hands-on experience of caring for trees. Assemblymember Tony Simone stopped by to say hello and the group went out into the neighborhood to care for some of our city’s trees. They cleaned up the beds, aerated the soil, hung signs, and laid mulch.
Then on May 25th, a group gathered together for a walk on the Highline. After receiving a blessing from Fr. Joe the group headed out in perfect weather to simply be together in nature and experience this gem of a park in the heart of New York City.
Stay tuned for more events coming up in September.
If you would like more information about our ministry, please email: stfrancislaudatosi@gmail.com
Laudato Si Circle Tip of the Week to Care for our World 6-23-2024
Chic, Smart, and Trendy
According to the UN, the fashion industry is responsible for more global emissions than aviation and shipping combined. In NYC, 6% of residential waste is clothing, shoes, and textiles. How we shop and care for our clothing has a huge impact on the environment and building an earth-friendly wardrobe is more than fashionable. You can save money in the long-run by choosing quality over quantity. Choose natural fibers instead of synthetics which are made from petroleum. Above all, keep the clothing you already own out of landfills. Swap with friends. Donate, trade, or sell clothes to organizations like Dress for Success https://newyork.dressforsuccess.org/; Crossroads Trading https://crossroadstrading.com/; Buffalo Exchange https://buffaloexchange.com/; or Beacons Closet https://beaconscloset.com/. Wearable collections https://www.wearablecollections.com/ will accept and deal with clothes in ANY condition.
Now that is good fashion sense.
“It is our humble conviction that the divine and the human meet in the slightest detail in the seamless garment of God’s creation.” Pope Francis (LS9)
Expect to hear more from us about the fashion industry and the climate crisis. For more information about the Laudato Si Circle here at St. Francis email stfrancislaudatosi@gmail.com
For more information about the Laudato Si Circle here at St. Francis or to share your own tip of the week, email stfrancislaudatosi@gmail.com
Feast of St. Anthony – June 13th
We invite everyone to join us for the Feast of St. Anthony, Tuesday, June 13. This year, we are honored to be welcoming the relics of St. Anthony which will come to our church for the feast from the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy.
We will be celebrating our beloved saint throughout the day with bread being distributed at our 32nd street entrance, the relics in the National Shrine of St. Anthony (lower church), as well as a sacred space and our St. Anthony religious articles shop in the San Damiano Hall. The schedule is as follows:
Veneration of the Relics
8am – 6:30pm
National Shrine of St. Anthony (Lower Church)
Distribution of Blessed Bread
8am – 6:30pm
32nd Street entrance to the church.
Masses
7:30am
9:00am
10:30am (French)
12:00pm
2:00pm (Spanish)
4:00pm
5:30pm (Festive Mass, also available on Livestream below)
Rosary
1:00 pm
Upper church
Confession
7:30am – 9:00am
11:00am – 1:00pm
4:00pm – 6:00pm
St. Anthony Religious Articles shop
8:00 am – 5:30 pm
San Damiano Hall
Watch our Festive Mass on Livestream, 5:30 PM, June 13, 2024 here:
United in Love: Pre-Pride Festive Mass
Join us for our annual
United in Love Pre-Pride festive Mass
Saturday | June 29 | 4:00 p.m.
“Inspired by our faith in Jesus Christ,
and rooted in the charism of St. Francis of Assisi,
we actively welcome all people.”
This is the first declaration in our parish mission statement. It is how our community at St. Francis thinks and acts.
We are again celebrating this welcome to all people at our United in Love Pre-Pride Festive Mass.
This is a Weekend of Prayer for and with our LGBT Brothers and Sisters.
We take this opportunity each year for our whole parish community to remember that the Lord invited all people to follow him, regardless of race, ethnicity, economic background, gender or sexual orientation.
It is also an opportunity when we can invite to Mass any of our friends who many not feel welcome at the table of the Lord for whatever reason, but especially if they are gay or lesbian. Take the opportunity to bear witness to the unconditional love of God by reaching out and inviting back a brother or sister who hasn’t been home in a while.
AFTER MASS CELEBRATION OPEN TO ALL
It has been our long tradition to have a celebration on the roof of the Francis House after this Mass for our LGBT+ Ministry (or in the San Damiano Hall in case of inclement weather). This year, for the first time, we are opening this gathering to the entire parish community to make this truly a celebration of the inclusive love of our Church of St. Francis of Assisi community. All are welcome to this celebration. Please use the form below to sign up. The $20 fee covers the cost of the food and soft drinks we will provide. It is a BYOB event. Please bring wine or beer or some other beverage of your choice.
Parish Picnic in the Park
Pack your favorite blanket, fill your picnic basket,
and join other members of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi
or summer day along the beautiful Hudson River.
Converge @St.Francis is organizing our first ever St. Francis of Assisi Parish Picnic in Riverside Park.
This is a BYO event. Bring your own lunch and beverages and come either with a few friends or by yourself because we will all be spending the afternoon together. St. Francis will have signage and balloons to designate our area. Bring a beach chair, or just a blanket to be comfortable, and if you have room pack your favorite game or a deck of cards and come!
Click HERE for information about Riverside Park and what is permitted and not permitted. There are restrooms in the park.
RIVERSIDE PARK @ 150th STREET
13 JULY| 11 AM – whenever…
This is a free event open to all… but please let us know you are coming so we can communicate with you as we get closer to the day.
Recent News & Events
-
-
-
Oct. 3: Blessing of the Animals August 25,2026
-
Sept. 27: FrancisFest 2026 August 25,2026
-
-
