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Each year the Church of St. Francis of Assisi provides events and resources to help our members and visitors preparing for the Coming of the Lord and the celebration of Christmas.  We invite everyone to plan how they will celebrate this sacred season and prepare the way of the Lord.

Here are the major events and resources which the staff has prepared to help us celebrate this Advent:

Each year at St. Francis the staff provides our members and visitors a book of daily reflections to their prayer and meditation during the sacred seasons of Advent and Lent.  These booklets are distributed at Mass in advance of the season while supplies last.

This Advent we will be reflecting together with Janet Schaeffler OP’s book Waiting in Wonderous Expectation.

Even when we aren’t in the stronghold of a pandemic, waiting is always with us, says Janet Schaeffler. But Advent waiting is active, she says. Here she offers ways to make room in our lives to “be the good that others are waiting for.”

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COCOA WITH JESUS: Advent Scripture Sharing

Grab some hot cocoa and join friends from our LGBT and YA ministries as we take a closer look at the scriptures of Advent. These meetings will take place on three Sundays of Advent:

November 28, December 5 & 12
at 4:00pm
in the Clare Room.

Everyone is welcome
We will finish in time for everyone to join us for the 5pm mass. 

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JOURNEY THROUGH HANDEL’S MESSIAH: An Advent Day of Reflection

Explore the scriptures, the music and the faith behind the most influential oratorio in the English-speaking world. The spiritual journey that George Friedrich Handel invites his audience to take marries the prophecies from the Hebrew Scriptures with the Gospels and Epistles. We will uncover nuances in the Advent and Christmas sections that will deepen our own journey of faith in Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. 

Our very own cantor, Liam Mulligan, will lead us in this exciting afternoon of music and knowledge.

Saturday, December 4
2:30 PM
San Damiano Hall

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Keep Someone Warm at Christmas with NEW HOODIES AND SOCKS

Let’s give back this holiday season!  We are asking everyone who can to donate new hoodies and/or socks for the St. Francis Breadline guests. They will be distributed at Christmas.

Please bring a large or x-large hooded sweatshirt and/or athletic socks. These items can be placed in the boxes by the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph by Friday, December 17th. 

We thank you in advance for your generosity. 

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CAROLS WITH THE CHOIR

Our Carols with the Choir Concert is one of the most exciting musical events at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi. This beautiful afternoon includes performances from our music ministry, cantors, string quartet and more. Sing along with the choir to some of your favorite Christmas Carols. You don’t want to miss it!

Join us Sunday, December 19th, at 3pm.

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CHRISTMAS MASSES:

click here for the Presider schedule for Christmas week, December 20 – December 25, 2021

Christmas Eve, December 24th:
4:00 PM, 5:30 PM, Midnight

Christmas Day, December 25th:
8:00 AM, 9:15 AM (Korean), 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM
please note there are no evening Masses on Saturday

New Year’s Weekend

New Year’s Eve, December 31st:
5:30 PM

New Year’s Day, Feast of Mary the Mother of God, January 1st:
11:00 AM Mass

Our evening Mass at 4:00 PM will be an anticipatory Mass for the
Feast of the Epiphany celebrated on Sunday, January 2nd this year.

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ALL ARE WELCOME!
COME LORD JESUS!

Beginning the first Sunday of Advent our Mass and Confession schedule will change slightly.

Here will be the new schedule which will take effect Sunday, November 28, 2021.  The changes are in bold:

Sunday Masses:

• • Saturday (Vigil): 4pm
  • Sunday Masses at: 8:00 AM,
  • 9:15 AM (Korean),
  • 11:00 AM,
  • 12:30 PM
  • 5:00 PM.

Daily Masses:

Monday through Friday at:

• • 7:30 AM
  • 12:00 Noon
  • 5:30 PM

Saturday at 11:00 AM

Confession :

Monday – Friday:

• • 8:00 to 9:00 AM
  • 11:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
  • 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Saturday: 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Our monthly after Mass meet and greet returns this Sunday after the 5 PM Mass.  Join us for a glass of wine or a soda and some snacks and meet members of the community and the staff. This is a great way for existing members to reconnect and for new people to get to know our community a little better.

Since we are serving refreshments we will follow restaurant rules for these monthly events.  Please be prepared to show proof of vaccination to come to the meet and greet.

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 21st.

Join us at the Mass and at our after Mass hospitality to welcome our candidates.

Here are photos of the Rite of Acceptance from last year.  Photos courtesy of Keith Kemp.

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The friars and staff at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi would like to wish all of our parishioners, visitors, friends and families a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving.  (Our holiday schedule is below.)

It is right to give thanks to God for all of the blessings we receive each and every day: for the gift of creation in all its wonder, the gifts of the fruits of the earth that sustain us, the gift of all of the animals, wild and domestic, that share this world with us, and for the gifts of our family and friends.

At St. Francis we are especially grateful for all of the wonderful people who make up our community here on 31st street.

And of course, it is always right and just that we give thanks to the Father for the gift of Christ Himself, the good shepherd who loves us all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 118:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

Let Israel say:
“His love endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say:
“His love endures forever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say:
“His love endures forever.”

When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
he brought me into a spacious place.
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemies.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in humans.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.

Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the Lord has done.

The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.

The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.

Lord, save us!
Lord, grant us success!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.
The Lord is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.

You are my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

Our Holiday schedule is as follows:

Thanksgiving day:

Mass at 12:00 PM

There are no confessions Thanksgiving Day

The parish offices and Adult Education Center is closed.

Friday after Thanksgiving:

There is a full schedule of Masses: 7:30 AM, 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM
and Confession: 8:00 to 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM to 12:00 Noon and  4:00 PM to 5:00 PM

The parish offices and Adult Education Center is closed.

Last week we emailed everyone a survey asking for your input on the best times for our midday and evening daily Masses.  This is part of the staff’s effort to include the community in decisions that affect us all.  We had nearly 300 respondents.

The results of the survey indicate that Noon is the most convenient time for most people for a midday Mass and 5:30 is the most convenient time for an evening daily Mass.

In response to your input we will be moving the evening 5 PM Mass to 5:30 PM beginning the first Monday of Advent: November 29, 2021.