St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church

Steeped in a rich and vibrant history of service and growth, St. Francis of Assisi has been serving the needs of Catholics for almost 125 years and welcomes young and old from all walks of life into our faith and social community. St. Francis prides itself on being a family-friendly church. We believe that all members of our church community are important to the celebration of the Eucharist.

We invite you to learn more about the parish by exploring this website. Please visit the “Our Parish” section to learn more about the church and its rich traditions. You can also learn how to exercise your stewardship of time and talent in one of the wonderful parish ministries by visiting the “Parish Ministries” section. Some of the many ways that you can become involved include: being an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion or Lector, singing in our choir, serving the needy through the Ministry to the Poor, or by joining our Senior Associates group. For the youngest members of our parish family, opportunities to get involved include serving Mass as altar servers and Children's Ministry, a group which coordinates a variety of activities including weekly Children’s Liturgy of the Word, Christmas Nativity Program, and May Crowning.

We invite you to join our parish community by filling out the online registration form. Someone from our Newcomers Group will contact you shortly thereafter. As one family we come together to know, love, and serve the Lord as instruments of his peace.

Also,

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Parish E-bulletin.

Reverend Michael J. Schneller
Pastor

Uptown Canticle by Father Michael
Sunday, July 12, 2020

Winston Churchill, the British statesman, was a guest at a dinner in a private home. The dinner hour arrived and the guests made their way to the dining room. Churchill moved to a chair along the side of the table. Mortified, the hostess was quickly at his side, gesturing to the empty chair waiting for him. "Mr. Churchill," she said, "your seat is at the head of the table." To which Churchill responded in typical Churchill style. "Madame," he said, "wherever I sit is the head of the table." And with that -- the Great Man sat down where he was.

This is a rare quality in political leaders. In reality it's a human trait, not a political one. Yet in the rarefied world of politics, where there is by definition a handful of nationally prominent politicians at any given moment, possessors of Churchill's "head of the table" trait stand out. Powerful people know that they do not have to make an effort to appear powerful. With ease, they carry the aura of authority around them. Such was the case with Jesus. Never the politician, he taught with  authority often recognized by the people.
 
In the middle of summer, we continue reading from the Gospel of Matthew (Cycle A). Today we begin chapter 13, sometimes referred to as the chapter on parables. Matthew has Jesus teach seven parables in this chapter. The Hebrew word for “parable” means wisdom saying or proverb. Matthew’s story of the parable of the sower says that Jesus “sat” by the shore, but when the crowds grew too large he moved to a boat where he “sat” as well. That particular verb (“sat”) recalls the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus also “sat” to teach. The verb indicates the authority of a true teacher—one who sits to dispense wisdom. This is not your ordinary itinerant professor.
 
Today’s parable of the sower is rooted in antiquity with the image of scattering seed on the ground, which would have preceded plowing. Today even gardeners often sow seed by plowing first, planting the seed, then covering the seed with soil. But such is not the world of antiquity.
 
The parable invites us to stop and consider several questions: What kind of seed are we? Were we scattered on rocky soil or fertile? Will we bear fruit? If so, how much—thirty, sixty, one hundred fold? The seed scattered on rocks can scarcely move itself to the fertile soil. Is it the fault of the seed landing among thorns in an inhospitable environment? Then again, what about the seed that finds itself in fertile soil? Isn’t it our responsibility to grow and produce fruit?
 
We invite you to reserve your seat for the celebration of Eucharist to sit with Jesus and listen to our wisdom teacher. Let us pray for the grace to grow where we find ourselves and to produce as much fruit as possible. One day there will be a harvest and we shall experience new life. Such is the paschal mystery.  I want to commend those attending for following the guideline to wear a mask except when receiving Holy Communion and to thank you for assisting in sanitizing the pews for the next mass. During these past weeks our parish was blessed to have the families of our second graders celebrating their First Eucharist. Please take a moment to view the poster in the church vestibule of all our First communicants and continue to pray for them. We are hoping that as we move pass the pandemic, our parish will be able to celebrate a class communion in the future.
 
In making a reservation for mass, Mass RSVP please observe the guidelines in this bulletin and on our
parish website. If you are not a registered parishioner, use this occasion to be among the members of the flock of St. Francis of Assisi. You can register on our website https://www.stfrancisuptown.com/join
 
For those parishioners we cannot accommodate in the church or who are fearful to gather with us, Archbishop Aymond has given permission to distribute Holy Communion after mass outdoors. He strongly suggested that we not give Holy Communion to people in vehicles. He recommends that we do so outside where people can form a communion line and observe social distancing. Therefore, this weekend after each mass, weather permitting, I will be available to distribute Holy Communion in the front lawn of the rectory. I suggest that as you approach me to receive the Body of Christ you pray the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father.
 
Please remember that Archbishop Aymond has dispensed the people of the Archdiocese from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass. If someone is vulnerable and not feeling well, we ask that you not celebrate Mass in church with other people. Baptisms, Weddings and funerals is limited to 100 worshipers. 
 
We will continue to live stream the 9:30 am Mass on Sunday from church. We have returned to celebrating daily mass in church. Monday, Wednesday through Friday mass is at 8:30 am and Tuesday at 6:00 pm. No reservation is necessary for daily mass. We will no longer live stream daily mass.
 
As we enter the hurricane season, let us implore the intercession of Our Lady of Prompt Succor to hasten to help us and our patron St. Francis of Assisi to make us instruments of the Lord’s peace.