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,

Thanks for visiting and please check out our Facebook page or subscribe to our weekly
Parish E-bulletin.

Reverend Michael J. Schneller
Pastor

Uptown Canticle by Father Michael
Sunday, August 2, 2020

Every three years Archbishop Aymond consults the clergy of each deanery in appointing a dean who represents him within the deanery. The Archbishop appoints the dean to this part-time position for a three-year term renewable for a second term at the discretion of the Archbishop.  In June 2020, Archbishop Aymond called to offer me the position of Dean for the Uptown Deanery. He informed me that I received the most votes from the priests of the deanery. I was hoping to reach retirement in time to avoid ever having to serve in this position. This additional responsibility does not include an increase in salary. My letter of appointment is printed in this bulletin. Fortunately, in May 2020 I offered my resignation as chaplain of De La Salle High School after completing seven years of service.
 
The role of the dean includes a variety of functions. Those functions include but not limited to the following: promoting and coordinating common pastoral activity within the deanery including the areas of liturgy, administration and the priests personal spiritual renewal and continuation formation in ministry; seeing to it that the priests of the deanery diligently perform their duties and lead lives in harmony with ordained ministry;  visiting the parishes of the deanery in accord with archdiocesan guidelines; installing new pastors in the parishes of the deanery and convening and presiding and encouraging attendance at regularly scheduled Deanery meetings.
 
The clergy of the Uptown Deanery usually meet on the third Wednesday of every other month beginning in September. St. Francis of Assisi will be the host parish for these meetings. We gather for a fellowship luncheon followed by a discussion of issues and concerns of our deanery and the archdiocese. The Council of Deans meet with Archbishop Aymond four times a year. My first meeting will be September 8, 2020. As I begin this new aspect of my priestly life and ministry, please remember me in prayer that I may serve the Archbishop and the priests and laity of the Uptown Deanery to the best of my ability.
 
I also want to inform you of another appointment by Archbishop Aymond. He has appointed Deacon Tom Kratochvil to serve in St. Angela Merici Parish in Metairie. Two of the deacons in that parish are beyond retirement age. Deacon Tom will be able to share pastoral ministry with his wife Diane in their home parish. We pray that God will bless him abundantly as he begins his diaconal ministry there on August 1, 2020.  No news about a deacon to be assigned at our parish. The Permanent Diaconate Office assures me we are at the top of the list.
 
After three weeks of hearing Jesus preach and teach in parables, we now move into the next chapter of Matthew’s gospel. This weekend we encounter Jesus as he performs the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.
 
Bread is such a simple but profound sign for the Eucharist.  It does not occur naturally, but requires human effort.  Grain must be crushed to form flour.  The baker mixes flour with water or some other liquid to form dough and adding yeast to the dough to make it rise.  Then the baking begins and we finally have a loaf of bread, sustenance that will fill us up and last.  The human effort required to make bread is significant, and it involves time, all of which perhaps explains why so many of us simply buy bread today.  Even so, there are not many things that taste better than a good loaf of homemade bread.
 
When we consider that Jesus multiplied the loaves so that all could eat, we recall that he acted as the prophet Elisha of old.  He also foreshadowed his own Last Supper and the Eucharistic gift he would leave his followers.  As a result, even today we take bread, bless it, break it, and give it.  In so doing we celebrate and consume Jesus himself, who was broken for us and given to us.  As the Eucharist sustains us on our earthly journey, we live the paschal mystery.
 
We are not to hoard the bread of life or the word of God, but instead we are to invite all we meet to some to the feast. We should not be concerned with scarcity. At the table of the Lord, we find abundance and more than enough to satisfy the hunger of all.
 
We invite you to join us for the celebration of the Eucharist this weekend by making a reservation for the feast.
 
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.
 
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.