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.

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Parish E-bulletin.

Reverend Michael J. Schneller
Pastor

Uptown Canticle by Father Michael
October 24, 2021
 

Today we continue our Year of the Eucharist and St. Joseph series on the Mass. We focus upon on The Eucharistic Prayer – the “Great Prayer” of the Church. Having heard and encountered the Lord through the Liturgy of the Word, we now rightly respond to God in the Liturgy of the Eucharist with praise and thanksgiving, for as St. James tells us, we must be “doers of the word and not hearers only” (James 1:22)
 
The Eucharistic Prayer is the “center and high point of the entire celebration,” through which “the whole congregation of the faithful joins with Christ in confessing the great deeds of God and in the offering of Sacrifice” (GIRM 78).  This central prayer of the liturgy is why we frequently refer to the entire celebration as Eucharist (a Greek term) which literally means “to give thanks”. Although this prayer is spoken mostly by the priest, we, the gathered faithful, are in no way spectators. What we are doing is actively offering our very selves in thanksgiving for all God has done to save us. We join our prayer to that of Christ who speaks through the priest .
 
The Church has many different Eucharistic Prayers that may be used at Mass, but all have common elements:
 
¨ Opening Preface Dialogue of priest and people in which he invites us to what we all are about to do together with Christ through him – give thanks!
 
¨ Thanksgiving: in the name of the whole people of God, the priest glorifies God the Father and gives thanks for all God has done to bring our salvation to fulfillment in Christ.
 
¨ In the Holy, Holy, Holy we join the angels and saints to give praise and glory to God as we chant Hosanna rejoicing because of Christ’s victory and preparing to offer ourselves with Him in His Passion.
 
¨ Invocation of the Holy Spirit (Epiclesis) will come down upon the gifts we offer that they may be consecrated/transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ AND that we who receive Christ will be transformed for our own salvation and the salvation of the world.
 
¨ Institution Narrative recalls the words and actions of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper through which he offered to us His Body and Blood and gave the command: “Do this in memory of me.”
 
¨ By the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1333).
 
¨ Memorial of Christ (Anamnesis) we fulfill Jesus’ command to do this in His memory, making His Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension are made present and effective for us now! The grace and love of God poured forth in these saving events are present now.
 
¨ Offering (Oblation) by the faithful present and the whole Church the Christ – the sacrificial victim – and themselves in loving sacrifice to God, our Father.
 
¨ Intercessions: we pray for the whole Church in heaven and on earth, her needs, and the salvation of all.
 
¨ Doxology: concludes through the glorification of God and the affirmation and assent of all through the “The Great Amen Prayer!”
 
The Eucharistic Prayer, therefore, leads us miraculously beyond space and time – earth is joined to heaven and past, present, and future become one in our celebration, enabling us at each Mass to be with Christ at His sacrifice on the Cross (past) and with Christ and all the angels and saints at the heavenly banquet (future).
 
Active participation in the Eucharistic Prayer means fixing our hearts and minds upon God in thanksgiving and in offering our lives to God as Christ has done. This is what it means to be a Eucharistic People! Through our continued participation in this “Great Prayer” may we conform ourselves more and more to Christ and with Him offer our lives for the salvation of all the world.
 
This month’s Catholic Update is the Eucharist, A Short History by Alfred McBride, O Praem.  As a priest of the Nobertine Order, he holds a diploma in catechesis from Lumen Vitae, in Belgium, and a doctorate in religious education from The Catholic University of America. He walks us through six stages in the history of the Eucharist in the Western Church. Click here: https://liguori.uberflip.com/i/525231-eucharist-a-short-history-c0610a/0  to read this Catholic Update online.