WHO WE ARE
We are adopted brothers and sisters of Jesus, the Son of God and Son of Mary. We belong to the family of faith established 2000 years ago by Jesus Christ himself. We believe this family includes all the holy patriarchs and prophets of Israel, the holy apostles and martyrs of Christ (Gk. “anointed savior”), the souls who have left this life but await eternal life, and those of us still living on earth who hope to live forever as a family with God.
We are believers in the promises God made to Abraham and Moses, and in Christ’s promise to be with us always. We believe in the Ten Commandments revealed to Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai, and in the Beatitudes revealed by Christ in His Sermon on the Mount. We believe our Eternal Father is divine, that the Virgin Mary is human, and that Christ is divine and human. We believe that just as the priests of Israel offered lambs in sacrifice to God at the Temple in Jerusalem, Christ now offers Himself as the Divine Lamb of sacrifice into the arms of our Eternal Father in teh Heavenly Jerusalem, doing so for our redemption from Satan and our salvation from eternal death.
We believe there is a place for you in our family of faith, and we are eager to welcome you. The “light is always on” and the “door is always open”, so come on in! We want to meet you and hear your story.
WHAT WE DO
We receive the Lord’s mercy in the sacraments of baptism and reconciliation.
We celebrate the Lord’s mercy in the thanksgiving meal we call “the Eucharist” (Gk. “thanksgiving”) or “Holy Mass” (L. “sending forth”). In the Mass, we believe Christ is truly present: body, blood, soul and divinity.
We imitate the Lord’s mercy in our performance of the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy and the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy.
We fast during Lent from the attractions and distractions of this world on Fridays and throughout Lent in commemoration of Our Lord’s Passion (L. “Suffering”) and death on the Cross.
We feast on Sundays and throughout the Easter season in celebration of Our Lord’s Resurrection from the dead.
We look to the leadership of Saint Peter’s successor in Rome, and to our local bishop, who is a successor of the Apostles. The pope and bishops, assisted by their priests (“elders”/”presbyters”) and deacons, lead the Christian faithful, including members of religious orders and married couples, on the pilgrimage to Heaven.
HOW WE DO IT
The seven sacraments “L. “signs”):
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist
- Reconciliation
- Anointing of the sick
- Holy Orders
- Matrimony
The seven Corporal Works of Mercy:
- Feed the hungry
- Give drink to the thirsty
- Clothe the naked
- Shelter the homeless
- Visit the sick
- Visit the imprisoned
- Bury the dead
The seven spiritual Works of Mercy:
- Counsel the doubtful
- Instruct the ignorant
- Admonish sinners
- Comfort the afflicted
- Forgive offenses
- Bear wrongs patiently
- Pray for the living and the dead
Our parish is named in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, a 13th century deacon and mystic. Saint Francis was deeply devoted to Our Lord and to the poor. Our patron was so devoted to Our Lord that Francis miraculously received the wounds of Christ on his own body. He was so devoted to the poor that he adopted poverty as his own way of life.
Our parish was established in 2010, having been a mission since 1961.
