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Last Sunday we had 20 children make their first communion here, and it was fantastic to see them and their parents, even under the strange and different circumstances we’ve known over these past several months. The behind-the-scenes planning for the day was excellent, with staff coming together to ensure that everyone had their temperature checked, had a mask, and stayed at a proper social distance. There were also procedures in place for receiving communion, and for entering and exiting the church.
There is an enormous amount of effort and planning that goes into every liturgical event these days. Over these past few weeks, we have had weddings and funerals, and we will soon add communal baptisms. And we will continue with first communions at Mass – except for next weekend in which we will receive those adults who were to be welcomed into the Church at Easter. We hope to soon invite a limited number of people to mass outside in the columbarium garden as well.
In whatever planning we do, we realize that it will not add up to what we were before all this began. On a typical pre-virus weekend, St. Francis drew on average around 3,200 people at all five weekend Masses. Those weekendsnow seem long ago and far away. All churches now find themselves in the position of looking at everything differently: facilities use, scheduling, event planning,programming, pastoral care, sacraments, health and safety measures, and more. We are in transition to something we do not yet know. I know
that these days are especially challenging for both of our schools, as we plan for the opening of a new school year in just a few weeks.We will continue to keep you informed as to our planning, and please know that in all of our planning, safety and health remain priorities. For all services inside the church, we require masks. We hear sometimes in these days about “rights” not to wear a mask, with some saying that “no one can tell me to wear a mask.” Sometimes this is tied into religious rights, which is often misunderstood to mean “I can do whatever I want.” What’s missing in this is that religious liberty is never about “doing what I want” but is always tied into the common good, the wider community, and that is our approach here. We wear masks for the well-being of the people around us, as we together as a community of faith recognize the threat of a global pandemic, and do our part as a community to help ease that.
Thank you again to all those who contribute financially to St. Francis, either by signing up for Faith Direct (to sign up, call 866-507-8757, our parish ID is NC674), or by sending in donations via envelope to the parish. We are grateful, and blessings on your week!
First Communion
Congratulations to our First Eucharist Candidates who received the Blessed Sacrament for the first time this weekend!
May this day be an initial step for you into a life-long love of the Holy Eucharist. Your Saint Francis family rejoices and celebrates with you on one of the most sacred days of your life.
Genevieve AlvarezEllie AmosGabriella ArgaoRafael ArgaoChidubem AsiabakaNicholas BrammerBrenna CornpropstMirabel DavisPreston FerraraNatalie FreemanElias Garrido
Elizabeth McVayKatelyn NystromTrinity OdinakaAlexander PetrellaMaebh RyanOlivia SequeiraPeyton SitoLuke ThomasAntonio Williams
The Faith and Science Forum
Did you know that St. Francis parish has a group whichdiscusses the joy and wonder of creation? The Faith and Science Forum explores our natural world in multiple ways:
• Rationally: by discussing how faith and science are not logically in conflict.• Experientially: through the awe of natural wonders and scientific discoveries• Spiritually: as expressed in Pope Francis’ Laudato Si that the mystery of nature itself reveals the divine, that the Spirit is active in all matter, that each creature has its own purpose, and that the universe unfolds in God who fills it completely.
The Faith and Science Forum meets every 1st and3rd Wednesdays of the month from 1:00 to 2:30 pm to share information by discussing books, to ask questions, and to support one another in our mutual discovery andappreciation of our common home where Spirit illumines all things.
Our next Zoom meeting will be on Wednesday, August 5th when we will begin discussing Ilia Delio’s book, From Teilhard to Omega. Ilia Delio, a Franciscan Sister, edited this collection of essays which immerse us in the adventure of evolution, opening new windows to our role in the divine mystery and the wisdom needed to forge the future.
If you are interested, please contact Ron Monti at (919) 841-0807 / [email protected] or Tracy Hurley at (828) 773-3152 / [email protected].
Justice and Peace Ministries
The Catholic Church is one of the most diverse institutions in the world. The Diocese of Raleigh is home to many individuals from different cultural backgrounds and traditions whose stories are an invaluable addition to our communities.
Now more than ever, it is important that we as Catholicsdiscuss our distinct faith traditions and appreciate how our differences bring us together.
Join us for a panel discussion with various members of the Triangle Catholic community as they share their unique Catholic experiences. We will have several differentcultural traditions represented.
August 11, 2020, 7:00pm via the virtual technology of Zoom.Hosted by Emerald Izuakor, St. Francis of Assisi parishioner, and Trevor Thompson, Director of Officeof Justice and Peace at St. Francis of Assisi. Also, we will be featuring the art of St. Francis of Assisi parishioner Leticia Álvarez.
Please RSVP for participation at www.bit.ly/SFAcatholicdiversityand you will be sent a link for participation prior to event.
We are proposing two dates in August where we can gather virtually via Zoom to discuss some of what we learning through our reading and watching. ***These books and films have not been officially approved by the Catholic Church for content. We are inviting the community to read them in light of the gospel (and Catholic Social Teaching) and come for a facilitated conversation about their content.
Book Discussion August 10th 7pm-8:30pm
Read one or more of the following books and come ready to discuss what moved you, challenged you, made you think twice? What did you learn? How are you feeling now? How did it inspire you to work towards dismantling the sin of racism?• Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy:Story of Justice and Redemption• Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
• Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me• Bryan Massingale, Racial Justice and the Catholic Church• Debby Irving, Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race • Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give
Film Discussion August 20th 7pm-8:30pm
Watch one or more of the following films and come ready to discuss what moved you, challenged you, made you think twice? What did you learn? How are you feeling now? How did it inspire you to work towards dismantling the sin of racism?• Just Mercy• The Hate U Give• 13th• I am Not Your Negro• Selma• The Best of EnemiesTo sign-up, visit www.bit.ly/sfaracismdiscussion2020, or if you have any questions, contact Trevor Thompson, [email protected]
Parish Life MinistriesSecular Franciscans
By : Ellen Ferrone Franciscans Ellen Ferrone
In the photo from left to right: David Shick, Joan Monti, Deacon Phil Rzewnicki, Anna Rzewnicki, Jeanne Casciere, Michael Oeser, Lynn Oeser, Ben Whitehouse, Gladys Whitehouse, Fr. Steve Kluge, Alexandra Rommel and Lee Cunningham.
Nine Secular Franciscans declared their permanent profession to the order during the Liturgy of the Word on Saturday, June 27, at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Raleigh.
Officiating were Father Steve Kluge, OFM, spiritual assistant to the Padre Pio fraternity, and Lee Cunningham, OFS, fraternity minister. The profession had been postponed from May 16 because of the COVID-19 restrictions.
Fr. Kluge referenced the pandemic in his homily.
“If we submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit, we will get through this no matter how long it lasts. The world needs more Secular Franciscans to be the hands of Christ. You are more courageous than you know because you are saying ‘yes,’ you will be Christ in the midst of all thissuffering,” he said. The Rite of Profession follows threeyears of formation and discernment of the Franciscan life and represents a permanent commitment to living the Gospel life as St. Francis of Assisi did.
The new Franciscans are: Jeanne Casciere, OFS; Joan Monti, OFS; Mike Oeser, OFS; Alexandra Rommel, OFS; Anna Rzewnicki, OFS; Deacon Phil Rzewnicki, OFS; Dave Shick, OFS; Gladys Whitehouse, OFS; and Ben Whitehouse, OFS.
They come from the parishes of Holy Cross, Durham, St Matthew, Durham and St Francis of Assisi, Raleigh.Because of social distancing restrictions, only the newly professed and the presiders were at the ceremony. A celebration hosted by the Padre Pio fraternity will beheld at a later date.
Secular Franciscans are members of an international order that was founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1209.The Padre Pio fraternity is a member of the Brothers and Sister of St. Francis Region that includes North Carolina,South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. Our website is https://ofscentralnc.org/contact-us/
Contact Ellen Ferrone at [email protected]
Education Ministries
Balancing Safety, Health, and Academics
The New NormalMike Watson, Principal
Much in the news of late are the tough decisions being made around the new school year and how the need to balance safety, health, and academics will be imperative for all involved. Even without the politics involved, the myriad individual and community health concerns, thelogistics of safety and academic integrity and quality, and the overall needs of families and communities for a return to normalcy in their lives all add to the fact that there is no clear and right decision for all.
Every aspect of the educational process involves hundreds of small decisions made every day that all must be balanced against each other and considered in serious and thoughtful ways. We don’t envy any of the educational decisionmakers” their sleepless nights and share in the anxiety and self-doubt that comes with these difficult choices.
The Franciscan School, after much guidance from experts, prayerful consideration, and discussion with parents,faculty, and staff has decided to open for in person classes for the upcoming school year. Our plan implements all the social distancing, masking, cleaning and sterilization protocols that we can put into place; all of this making the year unique in so many ways.
To meet the needs of families who do not wish to bring their students back to campus, we are also offering an online option for our families.
As we look to the new normal we remain committed to always putting our people, and their health, safety, and success, as our top priority. We hope and pray for anothergreat year of faith, academics and service here at The Franciscan School.
Please visit our website at www.franciscanschool.org or contact Principal Mike Watson at [email protected] to find out more about our plan and to get insight into the community of excellence.
Education MinistriesBalancing Safety, Health, and Academics:
ServiceHeidi Hobler, Director St. Francis of Assisi Preschool
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” And he said to him, “‘You shall love the lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment.The second is like it, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”Matthew 22:36-39
Despite differences in culture, race, and beliefs, parents around the world generally desire the same thing for their children. They want them to grow up to be happy, healthy, and contributing members of society. As Catholics, we take this one step further and look to instill a love of God and neighbor.
I remember when my twins were born. I didn’t know a lot about being a parent, but I did know that I would always and unconditionally love and support them. I would give them the tools to travel the road before them which would be filled with challenges and successes. I also knew that by teaching them about Jesus, they would be able to better navigate their life’s journeys. I firmly believed that if they were introduced and guided to develop a life of faith they would grow to follow the above words from Matthew’s gospel.My ultimate hope was, and still is, for them to grow to be faith filled adults who are humble, compassionate, and kind. I want them to be thankful of how much they have and be mindful that others are not
always as fortunate. One way that I strive to drive this point home is by takingadvantage of opportunities to serve and help others whenever possible. Service is, I believe, a wonderful way to practice the words echoed in the two Bible verses that we find in Matthew. At our preschool, we try to offer a variety of ways to perform acts of service, even at this young age.
Even if those acts have to be done with hand-over-hand assistance or are only able to be partially completed, children should be allowed and encouraged to help others. At preschool, we regularly build into the calendar specific times when the children will be able to participate in aservice project. Opportunities range from small to big, from on-campus to off-site groups, and from very specific to more open ended.
One of the first projects of the year which coincides with the feast of St. Francis, involves making dog biscuits for the local SPCA. Classes learn that there are not just people who need our help, but animals too. The 4-year old classes participate in hanging the ornaments on the Advent giving trees that are placed around the church. Cards for the homebound are decorated with all of the creativeness that only a preschooler has!
Some service projects involve collaboration with The Franciscan School (TFS) and the church community. Rice and bean kits are put together with some of the students from TFS and preschool. It’s a team effort to scoop, measure, and fill the bags; it’s also a unique opportunity for big kids and little kids to learn and teach eachother!
This past year, with the help of a parent, TFS, the church, and the preschool collaborated on completing a project which benefited the Helene Foundation, an organization helping families in which the
mother is undergoing cancer treatment. What a great example of joining forces to do great things for the community! Another important piece to our focus on service is that the students learn that it’s not just adults or animals who might need extra assistance but other children, just like them. For one particular project in January, our preschoolers make hot cocoa kits for other children whose parents can’t afford such extra treats. I have yet to meet a preschooler who did not appreciate atreat! They have had times in their young lives when their parents have said ‘no’ to extra sweets like hot chocolate. What if your parents didn’t have the means to say ‘yes’ to a special delight like hot cocoa with whipped cream? Even though they can’t see the recipients of their kit makingefforts, they can relate to having and not having a special goodie. By being members of a larger society filled with those who are struggling and at a disadvantage, but particularly because we are Catholic educators and parents, we are obligated to instill in our children the importance of sharing kindness and helping those in need. We must open their eyes to the gift of service, both in bigand little ways. We must teach them that God’s presence is in everyone and everything. All those we touch with generosity, all the selfless acts that we do, and all the grace that we share are ways that we are following in Jesus’ footsteps to eternal life. Although our acts of service this year might look different due to the pandemicaround us, we still plan to find ways to take care of our neighbor as God asks of us.” To learn more about becoming part of our wonderful preschool family and theopportunities we provide, please visit our website at www.preschoolatstfrancis.comor contact Shelley Freeman at: [email protected].
This Week and NextCaring Casseroles
There is always a need for Caring Casseroles! If you can, please consider dropping off according to the schedule below. Caring Casseroles don’t have to be casseroles.They can also be side dishes, soup, stew, chili, grilled chicken, or cooked burgers or pizza slices. Labels should include all ingredients or better yet, include the recipe. If you make a meal that meets specific dietary restrictions(low sodium, gluten free, etc.) please mark it that way--it helps the volunteers distribute meals appropriately.Though we appreciate everything our cooks do, we DO NOT NEED ANY PASTA dishes at this time.Clare Hall drop off by last name:Monday--A-FTuesday--G-KWednesday--L-PThursday--Q-UFriday--V-Z
You are invited to a free Job Connections Zoom meeting
Job Connections will host a Job Networking call via Zoomevery Monday at 4:00pm.https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82682099189?pwd=K2RXbUpDV0RySEZuRy9zYnF6M2tZZz09. Join us and get the help you need to make a new start!
SingleSingleAgain 25th Annual VIRTUAL Retreat
Will be Friday, August 14 and Saturday on August 15, 2020. The theme will be related to “Discerning God’s will or call at this time in your life. Register by August 10 using the Eventbrite link:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/25thannual-virtual-singlesingleagain-retreattickets-108899639754
Cost for Retreat: $35.00 (if you cancel your registration, you will receive a refund minus the Eventbrite fees.)For additional information email Celia at [email protected].
SFA – Book Club
Every 6 weeks, our group, with diverse backgrounds and life experiences, meets to share our common love of reading. The selections are mostly secular and both fiction and non-fiction. Past reads have included World War II heroes, a Seventeenth Century artist, people of Appalachia, and a contemporary Mexican-American family. If you are interested in joining us please contact meand we will send you a Zoom Link the day prior to the meeting for you to join us.
Facilitator: Heidi [email protected](919) 847-1408
At Home with the Word
Reflecting on the Word Lectio Divina followed by small group discussion
Join our Director of Formation, Jenn Fiduccia, for Lectio Divina followed by small group discussion on the upcoming Sunday readings! We will be using Zoom online conferencing and you will be sent a link to join after you register.
TWO COHORTS:
THURSDAYSfrom 7:30 to 8:45pm – Register here:https://forms.gle/nKWBNadq4uKeCgV4A
FRIDAYSfrom 10:00 to 11:15am – Register here:https://forms.gle/zkbFaN751nBqgdVL9
For more information, email [email protected].
Volunteer OpportunitiesTo all our volunteers:Here are a few ways you could help members of our parish:
Caring Connections MinistryIf you’d like to get to know more members of our community, consider joining our Caring Connections Ministry. Sign up to make check in calls to parishioners, send birthday cards or deliver meals. Also, if you would like to receive care, just let us know how to help. To sign up, please visit https://www.stfrancisraleigh.org/offer-or-receive-help/
FaceTime and Zoom
If you’d like to learn how to use FaceTime or Zoom or beconnected to watch our daily and Sunday programs, or ifyou’d like to teach someone over the phone, please visit ourhttps://www.stfrancisraleigh.org/offer-or-receive-help/
Cards and ArtworkIf you’d like to send or receive cards to/from fellow parishioners and establish a connection with other folks who are sheltering in place, or if you have kids who would love to send their artwork to brighten someone’s day or if you’d like to receive some artwork, visit https://www.stfrancisraleigh.org/offer-or-receive-help/
Make a Meal and Deliver Groceries
If you would like to make a meal or help deliver groceries to those in need, please visit: https://www.stfrancisraleigh.org/offer-or-receive-help/
Making a Call
The Parish Life staff is calling parishioners to make surethey are safe and aware of several ministry opportunitiesduring the COVID-19 crisis. If you haven’t gotten your call,stay tuned. If you need help or want to offer help, check out our link at https://www.stfrancisraleigh.org/offer-or-receivehelp/
We will match up needs with offers of help. Currently, itseems most folks are handling the daily changes well, butthat may change over the coming weeks. Please reach outif you need to talk, need some help or just want to hear acheerful voice! St. Francis of Assisi is here for our parishioners.
Thank you!
All of our Parish Life Ministries and the Community Centerwould like to thank you for serving the St. Francis Community.
At this time all other volunteer opportunities are suspended until it is safe for us to come together again. Please check your weekly bulletin for updates. Stay well.Offer Care / Receive Care
https://www.stfrancisraleigh.org/offer-or-receive-help/
