The Church of St. Francis of Assisi has long dedicated itself to ongoing faith formation of Adults through our Adult Education ministry.
Our Spring 2025 courses are now listed online and are open for registration here.
Subjects range from theology, biblical studies, spirituality, church history, music, literature and poetry. Here are the titles of the courses for this upcoming semester:
While we try to keep our registration fees low (generally about $10 per hour of instruction) we also understand that for some this can be a burden. We do not want anyone who wants to attend a class to be prohibited by economic hardship. Please contact Fr. Brian Jordan, OFM, for information on scholarships: [email protected]
The sacred season of Lent began with the reception of ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday. Throughout these forty days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we will gather every Friday to pray the Stations of the Cross, walking spiritually with Christ on His journey to Calvary.
In Holy Week, we receive blessed palms on Palm Sunday, April 13, recalling Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Our journey through the Passion leads us to the most solemn and joyful moment of the liturgical year: the Easter Vigil, where we welcome catechumens and candidates into full communion with the Catholic Church.
At the heart of the Easter celebration stands the Paschal Candle, a radiant symbol of the Risen Christ — the triumph of light over darkness. This candle, lit from the Easter fire, remains present throughout the liturgical year at Sunday Mass, baptisms, funerals, and other sacred moments, reminding us of Christ’s enduring presence.
Your support keeps the Church of St. Francis thriving as a beacon of light and a welcoming community. Let us share the spirit of Easter joy!
Since its founding, our beloved Church of St. Francis of Assisi has remained steadfast in its mission: to proclaim the Good News of the Resurrection, to spread the love and mercy of Christ, and to walk in the footsteps of our holy father, St. Francis. In this spirit, we continue to be a church for all people — a place where the doors remain open to welcome everyone, regardless of background, gender, ethnicity, or financial means. Here, all who seek hope and renewal find a home.
Within these sacred walls, countless souls have encountered Christ through the Sacraments, rejoiced in times of joy, and found comfort in moments of sorrow. And the grace of two vital ministries, our Spiritual Direction Ministry and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, provide profound encounters with God’s love. Others find inspiration and renewal through the beauty of our Masses, sacred music, and faith formation programs where people gather to share their faith with open hearts.
These past winter months have been particularly challenging for us financially. As you know, maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all who seek solace and community at St. Francis of Assisi Church comes with significant costs. Despite our best efforts to conserve resources, our electricity, heat, and water bills remain exceptionally high.
As Easter approaches — a season of renewal and hope — I invite you to support our mission of faith, service, and unity through this year’s Easter Appeal. Your generosity directly sustains our church, enriches our vibrant liturgies, and strengthens our essential pastoral programs.
As the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once wrote, “The greatest grace of a gift, perhaps, is that it anticipates and admits of no return.”
Your selfless generosity is a true reflection of the love and sacrifice we celebrate this Easter.
On behalf of the Franciscan Friars, our parish staff, and all who worship at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, we wish you a joyful and blessed Easter 2025!
This action alert comes from the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) Action Center. You can find more information and contact your Congress members here.
“[I]t is the historic policy of the United States to respond to the urgent needs of persons subject to persecution in their homelands. . . . Congress further declares that it is the policy of the United States to encourage all nations to provide assistance and resettlement opportunities to refugees to the fullest extent possible.”
These opening lines of the Refugee Act of 1980—the law creating the statutory authority for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)—communicates the importance of responding to the needs of those forced to flee their homes because they are persecuted on the basis of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Carrying out the Gospel’s mandate to care for the “least of these” (Mt. 25:31-46), the Catholic Church has served refugees in the United States since well before USRAP’s creation.
Today, no refugees are being resettled through USRAP. This ban impacts thousands of refugees who had already been fully processed, undergone extensive security checks, and approved for refugee status by the federal government while outside of the United States. This includes many persecuted Christians, as well as Afghans who had been approved for special immigrant visas because of the assistance they provided to the U.S. mission and U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan.
The indefinite suspension of USRAP is the result of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 20. The order requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit a report by April 20, 2025, regarding whether refugee resettlement is in the national interest. However, the order leaves the decision about whether to resume refugee resettlement to the President alone, without any timeline stated for that decision.
On January 24, the State Department issued suspension notices to domestic resettlement agencies, including the USCCB, impacting their ability to carry out services under the Reception and Placement (R&P) Program. The R&P Program provides crucial assistance to refugees and Afghan special immigrant visa holders during their first three months in the United States to support their successful integration and help them to achieve self-sufficiency as quickly as possible. Services provided through the R&P Program include help finding initial housing, securing employment, enrolling children in school, scheduling medical appointments, and English language classes.
The chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, addressed the suspension of USRAP on January 22, stating: “Indefinitely halting refugee resettlement is unmerited, as it is already proven to be one of the most secure legal pathways to the United States.”
Lord God of all creation, may the richness and beauty of the natural world never cease to uplift and sustain us. May we constantly be aware of how our actions affect the environment and strive to create a fairer and more sustainable world. May we always be grateful for nature’s gifts, and may we continuously work to preserve and cherish them.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
As we move into Lent and Easter, the Creation Corner will come out once a month. Stay tuned! For more information about the Laudato Si Circle here at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, email [email protected].
Even if an appliance is “off,” if it’s plugged in, it’s still using electricity, and you’re still paying for it. It’s called Phantom Power, and we all use it. Think about your toaster not toasting all day long. Or the cell phone charger plugged in with the end dangling, waiting for us to come along. One simple way to start saving energy and money is in the kitchen. Get a surge protector and plug in anything that doesn’t require a clock — toaster, kettle, coffee grinder, charger. When you leave for the day or for any other extended period, you can turn it all off with a flip of a switch. When you do, you could say a little prayer for all those currently without electricity.
Inconvenient? Yes.
What’s the use of a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on. — Henry David Thoreau
For more information about the Laudato Si Circle here at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, email [email protected].
The Church of St. Francis of Assisi is an urban ministry center staffed by the province of Our Lady of Guadalupe and their partners in ministry.
Last fall, nearly 700 Franciscan friars came together to form the new Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a historic moment for Franciscan life in the United States. The Province chose Our Lady of Guadalupe as our patroness because of her ties to North America. Her compassion and advocacy for people who are oppressed and suffering calls us to live in solidarity with people who have been marginalized. The statement below is from Provincial Council of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We are including it here in its entirety.
The Provincial Council of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe is responding to the changes to U.S. Immigration Law and Policy and to the mass deportations happening across the country. They are asking for a just and compassionate approach in protecting the dignity of all. This response aligns with their year-long Franciscan Synod, which concluded in January, in which they have recommitted themselves to responding to the Gospel’s call to care for the needs of the poor, marginalized, vulnerable persons, and our common home.
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Jan. 29. 2025
As Catholic Christians in the Franciscan tradition we add our voices to countless other Church and public leaders who are deeply troubled by, and opposed to, the drastic changes to U.S. immigration law and policy contained in the executive orders and proclamations issued by the new administration last week. As we understand them, they seek to effectuate “the largest deportation program in American history,” to end refugee resettlement, to revoke humanitarian parole grants and to end birthright citizenship. Such a course of action, we believe, will result in severe and unnecessary negative consequences that will harm the most vulnerable among us.
Our opposition is based in our Judeo-Christian faith tradition which, from the Hebrew Scriptures, through the Christian Scriptures, and down to the most recent papal and Church statements, call us to welcome the stranger and to exercise justice and compassion when responding to those who are vulnerable. Catholic social teaching demands that we recognize that all human beings are created in the image of God and therefore possess an inherent and inalienable dignity and respect. The human rights that flow from the dignity of each human person include the right to migrate in the face of severe violence or desperate poverty.
While we agree that the U.S. immigration system has—for too long—needed significant changes and updating, the direction being taken by the new administration will, we believe, cause more harm than good—such as tearing families apart, moving us toward a police state, sowing fear, chaos and confusion among the many hard-working and law-abiding immigrants who have been part of our communities for so many years, and inviting further demonization of immigrants.
Therefore, with many religious communities in the United States, we urge Congress and the Administration to:
As a nation, let us choose a path forward that effectively secures our borders, even as it protects the dignity of all who come to our shores, through an immigration system governed by mercy and justice.
Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Bring solace to those across the world forced from their homes
Fleeing poverty, violence, and strife.
Protect them in their tribulations,
Strengthen them as they build new lives,
Fill our aching world with your grace and compassion.
Mother of All,
You see beauty and holiness in each of us:
Open the hearts of those who cannot yet see
The dignity of your children seeking refuge.
Unite us to welcome the stranger in your name,
Grant us the courage to break down walls that divide us,
And guide us as we advocate for justice and peace. AMEN.
Provincial Council
Franciscan Friars
Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Lawrence J. Hayes, O.F.M.
Mark Soehner, O.F.M.
John Eaton, O.F.M.
Erick López, O.F.M.
Roger López, O.F.M.
Sam Nasada, O.F.M.
Rommel Pérez, O.F.M.
José Rodríguez, O.F.M.
Edward Tlucek, O.F.M.
Artwork: Br. Kevin Hamzik, OFM
El Consejo Provincial de la Provincia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe está respondiendo a los cambios en la Ley y Política de Inmigración de EE.UU. y a las deportaciones masivas que están ocurriendo en todo el país. Están pidiendo un enfoque justo y compasivo para proteger la dignidad de todos. Esta respuesta se alinea con su Sínodo Franciscano, que concluyó en enero, en el cual se han comprometido nuevamente a responder al llamado del Evangelio para atender las necesidades de los pobres, marginados, personas vulnerables y nuestro hogar común.
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29 enero 2025
Como Cristianos Católicos en la tradición Franciscana, unimos nuestras voces a las de innumerables líderes de la Iglesia y del público que están profundamente preocupados y se oponen a los drásticos cambios en la ley y política de inmigración de EE.UU. contenidos en las órdenes ejecutivas y proclamaciones emitidas la semana pasada por la nueva administración. Según los entendemos, buscan llevar a cabo “el programa de deportación más grande en la historia de Estados Unidos”, poner fin al reasentamiento de refugiados, revocar las concesiones de libertad condicional humanitaria y poner fin a la ciudadanía por nacimiento. Creemos que tal curso de acción resultará en consecuencias negativas severas e innecesarias que dañarán a los más vulnerables entre nosotros.
Nuestra oposición se basa en nuestra tradición de fe Judeocristiana que, desde las Escrituras Hebreas, pasando por las Escrituras Cristianas, hasta las declaraciones papales y de la Iglesia más recientes, nos llama a acoger al extranjero y a ejercer justicia y compasión al responder a aquellos que son vulnerables. La enseñanza Social Católica exige que reconozcamos que todos los seres humanos son creados a imagen de Dios y, por lo tanto, poseen una dignidad y respeto inherentes e inalienables. Los derechos humanos que fluyen de la dignidad de cada persona humana incluyen el derecho a migrar frente a la violencia severa o la pobreza desesperada.
Si bien estamos de acuerdo en que el sistema de inmigración de EE.UU. ha necesitado durante demasiado tiempo cambios y actualizaciones significativas, creemos que la dirección que está tomando la nueva administración causará más daño que bien, como separar familias, movernos hacia un estado policial, sembrar miedo, caos y confusión entre los muchos inmigrantes trabajadores y respetuosos de la ley que han sido parte de nuestras comunidades durante tantos años, e invitar a una mayor demonización de los inmigrantes.
Por lo tanto, junto con muchas comunidades religiosas en los Estados Unidos, instamos al Congreso y a la Administración a:
Como nación, elijamos un camino a seguir que asegure efectivamente nuestras fronteras, incluso mientras protege la dignidad de todos los que llegan a nuestras costas, a través de un sistema de inmigración gobernado por la misericordia y la justicia.
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe,
Lleva consuelo a aquellos en todo el mundo que se ven obligados a abandonar sus hogares
Huyendo de la pobreza, la violencia y el conflicto.
Protégelos en sus tribulaciones,
Fortalécelos mientras construyen nuevas vidas,
Llena nuestro mundo dolorido con tu gracia y compasión.
Madre de Todos,
Ves belleza y santidad en cada uno de nosotros:
Abre los corazones de aquellos que aún no pueden ver
La dignidad de tus hijos que buscan refugio.
Únenos para acoger al extranjero en tu nombre,
Concédenos el valor para derribar los muros que nos dividen,
Y guíanos mientras abogamos por la justicia y la paz. AMÉN.
Consejo Provincial Frailes Franciscanos Provincia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
Lawrence J. Hayes, O.F.M.
Mark Soehner, O.F.M.
John Eaton, O.F.M.
Erick López, O.F.M.
Roger López, O.F.M.
Sam Nasada, O.F.M.
Rommel Pérez, O.F.M.
José Rodríguez, O.F.M.
Edward Tlucek, O.F.M.
Arte: Br. Kevin Hamzik OFM
Many of our parishioners are worried about immigration enforcement and ICE as a result of the recent Presidential decrees. These guidelines from Catholic Charities can help you know your rights in an encounter with ICE. The guidelines are available in English and Spanish.
Muchos de nuestros feligreses están preocupados por la aplicación de las leyes de inmigración y por ICE como resultado de los recientes decretos presidenciales. Estas pautas de Caridades Católicas pueden ayudarlo a conocer sus derechos en un encuentro con ICE. Las pautas están disponibles en inglés y español.
Solar energy is through the roof! It’s getting cheaper and exceeding expectations. China is out in front most dramatically, installing more solar panels than any other country and at an alarming rate. They’re getting creative too — or daring. Satellite pictures reveal one installation in the Kubuqi Desert that when looked at from above forms the outline of a running horse. The U.S. follows in a strong second place, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, and India too is advancing. Solar panels in deserts provide shade and windbreak. They allow moisture to accumulate beneath and are becoming little nurseries of new growth of grasses and other small plants and species. There are four deserts here in the U.S.
Efforts to promote a sustainable use of natural resources are not a waste of money, but rather an investment, capable of providing other economic benefits…diversified and innovative forms of production which impact less on the environment can prove very profitable. — Pope Francis (LS 191)
For more information about the Laudato Si Circle here at St. Francis email [email protected].
Las misas en español son los domingos a las 10 de la mañana en la iglesia inferior. Confesiones en español también están disponibles los jueves de 11 AM-12 PM y de 4:30 a 5:00 de la tarde.
Con gran placer les comunicamos que la Iglesia de San Francisco de Asis esta ofreciendo bautizos, bodas, y servicios en español por el Padre Brian Jordan. Por favor marque al 212-736-8500, Ext. 232, o envie un correo electrónico a [email protected]. ¡Visitenos los domingos a las 10:00 AM para la misa en español!
