Chapter 3: In the Light of the Master

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

The world tells us exactly the opposite. Entertainment, pleasure, diversion and escape make for the good life. The worldly person ignores problems of sickness or sorrow in the family or all around him: he averts his gaze. The world has no desire to mourn; it would rather disregard painful situations, cover them up or hide them. Much energy is expended on fleeing from situations of suffering in the belief that reality can be concealed. But the cross can never be absent.

A person who sees things as they truly are and sympathizes with pain or sorrow is capable of touching life’s depths and finding authentic happiness. He or she is consoled not by the world but by Jesus. Such persons are unafraid to share in the suffering of others; they do not flee from painful situations. They discover the meaning of life by coming to the aid of those who suffer, understanding their anguish and bringing relief… They feel compassion for others in such a way that all distance vanishes…

Knowing how to mourn with others: That is holiness.

Below is a table comparing December 2017 collections to our current December 2018 collections.

As you can see our collections this year were below last year.

We need everyone to do their part to keep St. Francis on firm financial ground.  The best way to use this is to make your offering using our online giving system.

You can sign up for online giving HERE.

We ask all of our members and visitors to offer the equivalent of ONE HOUR of their weekly salary per week to support the mission of the church.

Thank you to all of you who are already doing your part.

Who are the members of Holy Name Province?

There are 325 Franciscan Friars in Holy Name Province serving people of God in a wide variety of settings – colleges, parishes, ministry centers, and diverse social ministries along the East Coast. Today we continue the mission of Saint Francis to make the message come alive in our contemporary world. We live in , suburbs and rural areas. Our backgrounds are diverse and our ministries are varied; most of us serve in pastoral roles, while others work in education, social ministry, administration, and manual trades.

What is our mission?

The core of Franciscanism is in living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ within the Church according to the Rule of Life proposed and observed by Saint Francis of Assisi to preach this message to every creature. This is our purpose and mission. Our message is very simple: God loves each of us totally and unconditionally.

What makes the Franciscan Friars different?

The Franciscan Friars have always been thought of as “of the people and with the people.” Living in community is a core value and often helps the Friars put things a more “down to earth” perspective. The Friars never see themselves as better than anyone, and therefore they
are not usually judgmental and are very accepting of everyone, those who are in the faith community and those who are not.

All Are Welcome is at the core of Franciscan hospitality.

The Church of St. Francis of Assisi has a new look on the web!

Right before Christmas 2018 we launched our new website.   The new modern design gives visitors to our website the same experience across platforms: from their desktop computer to their smartphone.

We also hope that the new design makes it easier for new people to our church to get a sense of who we are and what we do, as well as give long time parishioners easy access to information that they need.

The layout is a big departure from what we had for the last 10 years.  So for those of you who were used to the old site, it may take a little time to get used to navigating the new site.

Mass and Confession Times

The most frequently sought information, the Mass Schedule and the Confession Schedule, are able to be reached from the “hamburger menu” at the top right as well as sitting prominently in the new section on the homepage called “We are here for you.”

Our Many Ministries

We have 15 major ministries at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi that serve our people and the wider community in a variety of ways, from teaching our Catholic faith, to peer based ministry groups, to helping people with immigration issues.  Our new site makes our ministries much more prominent on our site.  Take some time to see what our church does year round.

Find us and Contact Us

Directions to the church are right at the bottom of the homepage and now have a dynamic link to Google maps, so people can find us very easily.  There is also a quick link to email or call the church.

Presider and Confessor Schedule

The Presider and Confessor schedule, which many people consult to find out when certain friars are saying Mass or hearing Confession is accessible both from the Mass Times page and the Confession times page.  The link to the daily Mass readings is also on the Mass Times page.

Online Giving

Our online giving tool can also be easily reached right on the homepage in the “Giving” section so that you can make your donations with a credit card or bank account with ease. Remember you can set up your giving to be repeating or you can make a one time donation.

Security

Behind the scenes this new site offers users the latest security measures to protect their data when you sign up for a class, purchase a Mass card or fill out a form for information.  The security of our people’s data was a major concern when we designed the new site.  And the Church of St. Francis of Assisi never sells or shares your information with any other charity.  That is our commitment to you.

Please take some time to explore the new site.

There are a few more pages which will be appearing in the near future.  We hope you like our new look.

Thank you

The Church of St. Francis of Assisi contracted Square Cloud Web Design to rebuild our website.  Chris Richter, owner of Square Cloud, designed and built St. Francis’ last website which served us very well for almost a decade.  He did a great job with our current website.  We are grateful for the work he has done.  His technical ability and sense of style and design resulted in our new look and feel, while giving us the capabilities and security we were looking for.

Chris is not only our web designer, but Chris was also Baptized at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in 2010 after attending our RCIA.

Thank you Chris!

Chapter 3: In the Light of the Master

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

These are strong words in a world that from the beginning has been a place of conflict, disputes, and enmity on all sides, where we constantly pigeonhole others on the basis of their ideas, their customs and even their way of speaking or dressing. Ultimately it is the reign of pride and vanity, where each person thinks he or she has the right to dominate others. Nonetheless, impossible as it may seem, Jesus proposes a different way of doing things: the way of meekness.

Christ says, “Learn from me; for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” If we are constantly upset and impatient with others, we will end up drained and weary. But if we regard faults and limitations of others with tenderness and meekness, without an air of superiority, we can actually help them and stop wasting our energy on useless complaining. St. Therese of Lisieux tells us that “perfect charity consists in putting up with others’ mistakes and not being scandalized by their faults.”

We have all been to weddings and wedding and it is always the hope that will run smoothly. Can you image to a wedding and the wine runs out? an embarrassment! This is the situation the Gospel today, the Second Sunday Ordinary Time.

Mary and Jesus are at the wedding and Mary’s is to go to her son and tell him the situation. At first, we feel that Jesus wants nothing to do with what has happened, then six stone jars are brought in, each filled with 30 gallons water. When the headwaiter draws from one of the jars, he is at the quality of wine. This is the first “sign” that Jesus did. There are more to come.

Tomorrow, we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. His dream for a more inclusive world, one that is not divided by race or or power or economic situation. This dream has application to
our world today. Even though there has been progress, deep divisions injustices still exist. They do not exist in just one place, are everywhere – some prejudice is even in each one of us.
There is much work to be done. Even though we are aware of these, as Christians we have the responsibility to be “different” not add to the evil influence of prejudice. Today, people are
categorized so quickly. There are good and bad individuals among groups. The second reading today speaks about “differences” exist. St. Paul sees these as ways that God’s people might be
served better, each person using his or her own God given abilities. is a vision that is helpful for us to understand and live out in day to day lives.

-Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M.

The original St. Francis Church which had served so well for over 50 years was torn down. The demolition work on one of New York’s oldest midtown landmarks began on May 27, 1891 and the cornerstone of the new edifice was laid on September 27, 1891 by Archbishop Michael Corrigan. Every German Catholic Society was represented. Many priests were present, including the former pastor, Fr. Eugene Dikovich.

Bishop Winand Wigger of Newark, NJ

Bishop Winand Wigger of Newark, NJ also attended with mixed emotions. He had been born in a small house directly opposite St. Francis Church, on the site occupied by the present Greeley Arcade at 134 West 31st Street. The demolished church had been the church of his childhood, and his brother had long served as a trustee of St. Francis parish.

A year later the new church was ready for dedication, and the solemnities were set for July 17, 1892. On that glorious Sunday morning, Archbishop Corrigan blessed the edifice and consecrated the three altars, after which Bishop Leo Haid, O.S.B., Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina and Praeses of the American Cassinese Congregation of the Benedictines, celebrated a Solemn Pontifical Mass. Bishop Wigger, a former altar boy of St. Francis parish, preached the homily and after reviewing the history of the parish, exhorted the people to faithfully support the parish and all its wonderful good works.

The new St. Francis Church, dedicated in 1892.

This series of articles on the history of our parish is adapted from the writings of Fr. Flavian Walsh, O.F.M., Pastor from 1985-87.

What is a Franciscan Friar?

The Franciscans, also called the Order of Friars Minor, are members of the the Catholic religious order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi over 800 years ago. We seek to follow the manner of life that Saint Francis led. Our Order is a mendicant religious order of men who depend on the charity of the people we serve for our livelihood. “Mendicant” come from the Latin word mendicans, or “begging.”

This new order founded by Saint Francis was prompted by a need to reinvigorate the life of the Catholic Church. At the present time, the Franciscan Friars number 17,224 worldwide with over 500 novices or “friars in training.”

Often you will see O.F.M. after a friar’s name and wonder what it means. It stands for Ordo Fratrum Minorum or Order of Friars Minor, more commonly called the Franciscans.

What is a Franciscan Province?

A Franciscan Province is a geographic area of the country or world where the Friars of the province live and work. In a large country there may be several provinces.

What is Holy Name Province?

Holy Name Province is the largest of seven provinces in the United States belonging to the Franciscan Order. It covers the eastern seaboard with some locations beyond. The Provincial headquarters are located here at St. Francis Friary in New York City.