The Rite of Acceptance will be celebrated this Sunday
The Rite of Acceptance is the first ritual that punctuates the journey of people who are entering fully into the Catholic Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). During this ritual, converts are introduced to the community and initiated into the Liturgy of the Word. It is a time when a person goes from inquiring into our faith somewhat privately to proclaiming publicly that they desire to learn the Gospel from Christ himself among us. During this Rite they “meet the family” by being introduced to the community during Mass and after this point they join the “family dinner” each week by coming with us to Mass on Sunday.
At this Rite we also hand over to the converts our most cherished blessing: the sign of the cross. We hand over this ancient ritual to them and we commend them to the protection of the Lord who Himself will lead his new disciples to the waters of Baptism, to Confirmation and to the Eucharist.
We will celebrate this Rite at the 5 PM Mass on Sunday, November 2oth.
Join us at the Mass and at our after Mass hospitality to welcome our candidates.
Here are photos of the Rite of Acceptance from 2021. Photos courtesy of Keith Kemp.
Days of reflection for Priests
Due to lack of registrations our Priest Days of Reflection have been cancelled for 2023.
For more information or to find out about potential future Priest Days please contact Fr. Michael Carnevale, OFM at Carnevale1@me.com
THE CHURCH OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI invites you to
A MORNING OF RECOLLECTION FOR PRIESTS
Mondays
12 / 5 • 2 / 27 • 5 / 1
9: 45am – 12:00 pm
(coffee and pastries & lunch provided)
San Damiano Hall
129 W 31 Street • NYC
CANCELLED.
We apologize for the inconvenience however the Dec. 5th priest reflection has been cancelled. Please join us for the February and May reflections.
Kevin Mullen, OFM
December 5, 2022
Fr. Mullen has served as the 16th Provincial Minister of the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province, the largest province of the Order of Friars Minor in the U.S., since 2014. A native of Paterson, N.J., Fr. Mullen’s pastoral ministry includes nine years at parishes in Bergen County, N.J., as pastor and parochial vicar, and nine years as rector and guardian at St. Anthony Shrine in Boston, Mass. During his 46 years as a Franciscan friar, Fr. Mullen has held several administrative and leadership positions for the Province, Order of Friars Minor, and Franciscan institutions of higher education. He holds a doctorate degree in moral theology from Catholic University of America in Washington, and a master’s in divinity from Washington Theological Union.
CANCELLED.
We apologize for the inconvenience however our priest reflection days have been cancelled for 2023.
Kenneth Himes, OFM
February 27, 2023
Kenneth Himes, OFM is a professor of theology at Boston College. His research and writing focus on ethical issues in war and peacebuilding, the development of Catholic social teaching, and the role of religion in American public life, as well as fundamental moral theology. He is a past president of the Catholic Theological Society of America and the editor of Modern Catholic Social Teaching (Georgetown University Press).
CANCELLED.
We apologize for the inconvenience however our priest reflection days have been cancelled for 2023.
Dan Horan, OFM
May 1, 2023
Daniel P. Horan, OFM is the Director of the Center for Spirituality and Professor of Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Theology at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, IN. He previously held the Duns Scotus Chair of Spirituality at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He is a columnist for National Catholic Reporter and the author of fourteen books including the award-winning Catholicity and Emerging Personhood: A Contemporary Theological Anthropology (2019) and The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton: A New Look at the Spiritual Influence on his Life, Thought, and Writing (2014).
Veterans Day Observance 2022
The Church of St. Francis of Assisi will observe Veterans Day on Friday, November 11th, with one Mass at 12:00 PM.
There will no confessions and the church offices and adult education center will be closed for the day.
We offer our thanks, appreciation and pray for all those who have served our country in the armed forces, especially those who were injured in the line of duty. May your bravery and courage not go unrewarded!
Mass to Remember our Deceased Friars
Join us Saturday, November 5th at 1:00pm, as we gather for a Memorial Mass remembering all of the deceased friars who have served here.
Come and give thanks for the 300+ men who have helped make this place what it is today!
Special All Soul’s Day Mass was again a moving remembrance
On November 2 at 7 PM our church was again filled with people who came to remember their lost loved ones at a special Mass of Remembrance. We hold this Mass each year and it gives people a chance to come together to pray and remember their loved ones with their photos in the sanctuary, candles lit, incense rising to God, and beautiful music. Fr. Tom Gallagher, our pastor, presided at the Mass last night and gave a beautiful homily which reminds us that as Christians we know that our loved ones are with the Lord and still with us.
This Mass is particularly important to people who live far from family and friends that pass away and can’t share in the rituals that hold us up in times of grief and sadness. So we share those rituals together in our own sacred space with our community at St. Francis.
If you would like to watch the 2022 Mass of Remembrance, we have posted it here:
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