Theology on Tap: Spiritual but not religious
The Young Adult Ministry of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi is hosting “Theology on Tap: Spiritual but Not Religious” on
Thursday November 7th
at 6:30 PM gathering, 7:00 PM talk
O’Reilly’s Pub, 2nd floor
54 West 31st Street
New York, NY 10001
“I’m spiritual, but not religious.” It’s an often heard self-description these days, but what does it mean? What is “religion,” anyway? And what is “spirituality”? Can you have one without the other?
Fr. William Beaudin, O.F.M., our speaker for the upcoming “Theology on Tap,” would argue that, yes, you can be spiritual without being religious and religious without being spiritual, but there are reasons to seek to be both.
SPECIAL $20.00 BUFFET
For this event, we have arranged for a special $20 buffet dinner (plus 20% tip) for anyone interested. Drinks not included.
The buffet will include:
Penne, Spinach & 4 Cheese (V)*
Chicken Parmigiana
Shepherd’s Pie
Onion Rings (V)
Roasted Brussel Sprouts (V)
Mixed Organic Green (V)
*(V) = vegetarian
Please Note: Ala carte dinner will not be available to order for this event.
Please come ready to pay $24.00 to the Church of St. Francis in cash, check or by Venmo if you will be ordering the buffet. Credit Cards will be accepted at the bar for your bar tab.
This is open to all young adults in their 20’s and 30’s.
Click here for a PDF of our Fall 2019 Young Adult Ministry Calendar.
Open Wide Our Hearts, A Pastoral Letter on Racism from the United States Catholic Bishops 5
For a nation to be just, it must be a society that recognizes and respects the legitimate rights of individuals and peoples. These rights precede any society because they flow from the dignity granted each person created by God. We are reminded of this fundamental truth in the earliest passages of the book of Genesis: “God created mankind in his image; In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
Pope Benedict XVI noted: “As a spiritual being, the human creature is defined through interpersonal relations. The more authentically he or she lives these relations, the more his or her own personal identity matures. It is not by isolation that (a person) establishes his/her worth, but by placing her/himself in relations with others and with God.” We are meant to love God with our whole being, which then overflows into love for our neighbor, “Whoever loves God must love his/her brother/sister.”
(to be continued)
Veterans Day Observance 2019
The Church of St. Francis of Assisi will observe Veterans Day on Monday, November 11th, with one Mass at 11:30 AM.
There will no confessions and the church offices will be closed for the day.
We offer our thanks and appreciation to 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!
The Pastor’s Corner – Sunday November 10, 2019
I have always been amused by today’s Gospel story about the woman who was married to seven brothers and there were no children from any of the marriages. Tragic that there were no children, but amused at the story itself. Life after this life is something we all wonder about, but we do not know what God has prepared for us. I myself have heard from a number of people in hospitals who had “near death experiences.” They all mentioned seeing one or more of their loved ones either beckoning them to come forward or sending them back. They also described a feeling of peacefulness. There are a number of books written about the same subject; they all said basically the same thing about their experiences at that “near death” time. Interesting and enlightening.
Today, I am with 42 of our St. Francis Pilgrims in France. Saturday morning we had Mass at the Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere. In 1643, the people in the town of Annecy asked the Virgin Mary to intercede for the town to be spared from the black plague. In thanksgiving, they built this basilica dedicated to her. We then toured Tours, stopping at historical sites. On Sunday, we will be going to the Chateau Cenonceaux, then to Chateau Amboise and later Mass at the Basilique de St. Martin. Tomorrow we travel to the famous Chartres Cathedral with its magnificent stained glass windows that were not destroyed during World War. We will going to the Normandy Beaches and have Mass at the American Cemetery there. We pray for you each day at Mass.
-Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M.
All Souls Day Mass of Remembrance
Our annual All Souls Day Mass of Remembrance will be celebrated on:
Monday, November 4th at 7:00 PM
This is because All Souls Day falls on a Saturday and our special liturgy would otherwise conflict with our Saturday evening Vigil Masses for Sunday.
This annual liturgy is an opportunity to remember our loved one who we have lost. We invite everyone to bring a photo of your loved one which will be placed in the sanctuary during the Mass.
We know that many people in our community come to New York from other places in the country and around the world, and at times our members and visitors cannot travel home for the funeral of a loved one who has died. We hope this liturgy allows people to pray together with members of the Church and remember those lost at a Mass dedicated to commemorated our faithful departed.
Please join us for this special annual celebration.
All Saints Day: Friday, November 1
Friday, November 1, is the Solemnity of All Saints.
In addition to our regular weekday Mass schedule (7:00, 7:45, 8:30, 11:30 AM; 12:30,
4:30, 5:30 PM), the 4:30 and 5:30 Masses on Thursday, October 31, will also be celebrated as Vigil Masses for All Saints Day.
Open Wide Our Hearts, A Pastoral Letter on Racism from the United States Catholic Bishops 4
How do we overcome this evil of rejecting a brother or sister’s humanity, the same evil that provoked Cain’s sin? What are the necessary steps that would lead to this conversion? We find our inspiration in the words of the prophet Micah: You have been told, O mortal, what is good,
and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God. (Mi 6,8)
To do justice requires an honest acknowledgement of our failures and the restoring of right relationships between us. “If we acknowledge our sins (God) is faithful and just and will
forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.” To love goodness demands pursuing “what leads to peace and to building up one another.” It requires a determined effort, but even
more so, it requires humility; it requires each of us to ask for the grace needed to overcome this sin and get rid of this scourge.
(to be continued)
The Pastor’s Corner – Sunday November 3, 2019
We hear about the famous Zacchaeus in today’s Gospel. He was the chief tax collector and a wealthy man, and probably not a popular individual. It is interesting to follow how he could not see Jesus and so he ran ahead and even climbed a tree. Jesus sees him and to the surprise of the crowd, invites Zacchaeus to come down out of the tree and tells him that he is going to stay at his house. You can only imagine the reaction from the crowd. We get an idea of the reaction when they begin grumbling and say that he is going to the “house of a sinner.” Zacchaeus now has a chance to tell Jesus what positive things he is going to do: give half of his possessions to the poor and if he has extorted anyone, he will repay the person four times over.” Something beyond reason has happened to Zacchaeus… all of because of Jesus’ non-judgmental, accepting approach.
On Monday evening at 7:00 PM we will celebrate our annual All Souls Mass of Remembrance. Bring a photo of your loved one to place before the altar during the Mass. This is a special Mass
especially for those who were not able to attend the funeral of a loved one or those who died recently. See the announcement here.
This Wednesday, November 6, I will leave with 42 Pilgrims to visit some of the shrines and historical sites in France. We will have in many of these places and we always pray for those back , our benefactors, and our friends for health and blessings. fly to Geneva and travel into France from that direction. Please us in your prayers for a safe and inspiring pilgrimage.
-Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M.
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