The Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi, declared by Pope Leo XIV, has become a time within the Catholic Church to pray and discern how to follow in the footsteps of the peacemaking friar from the mountains of Central Italy, 800 years after his death.
Consecrated religious women and men model the charism of St. Francis in their ministries in the Philadelphia region, as do Catholic parishes and organizations in their compassionate service and sacramental life.
A pair of parishes in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia bear the name of St. Francis of Assisi, one in Norristown, Montgomery County and another in Springfield, Delaware County.
“It’s the hope that Francis’ story gives us. We’ve really dived into his story,” said Father Richard Smith, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Norristown, describing the saint’s lifelong journey of trial, error and growth in Christ.
“He got it wrong so many times, and yet he still has not allowed those mistakes to stop him from pursuing Christ and to do his best and do better to follow the will of God in his life. I think that’s probably one of the most meaningful, most powerful things that St. Francis gives people,” especially at a parish named for him.
St. Francis Parish has historically made many efforts to serve those on the margins, according to Father Smith, but his parish continually focuses on the central theme of St. Francis of Assisi’s life.
“Let the Gospel be the guiding principle of all that we do in every walk of life,” he said.
“I remember when he says, ‘Always preach the Gospel and when necessary, use words.’ That’s not limited to a particular ministry. It should be an encouragement and almost a governance of always being guided by the Gospel, whether you’re serving at Mass or being a parent at home.”
The saint’s dictum has become “an overarching understanding of what Francis wanted us to do” at the parish, according to Father Smith.
St. Francis’ mission comes to life in an abundance of service-oriented missions within the Philadelphia five-county area.
The Franciscan Volunteer Ministry, a lay arm of the Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, invites Catholics to a life of intentional community, direct ministry and expressed prayer focused on society’s marginalized — the calling that St. Francis of Assisi embraced in simplicity, community, and evangelization through loving action.
One Franciscan ministry in Kensington has been living that mission as a mix of clergy and laity in Catholic solidarity for 46 years.
“We see the face of Christ in every single person that we serve at the Inn,” said Volunteer and Community Engagement Coordinator Kaitlin Slack of St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia’s Kensington section.
The initiative offers meals in its restaurant-style soup kitchen, clean clothing, a barbershop and job center that it operates for the marginalized and those experiencing homelessness.
“Rather than just giving them a meal and sending them home, we’re inviting them into our community and serving them with an emphasis on dignity and respect,” Slack said.
“We have a sign on our door that says, ‘Smile, Jesus is at the door,’ as a reminder for us that every single person we encounter is Christ, and that we should treat every single person that we encounter the way that we would like to be treated. No one is immune from being in the most vulnerable position in their lives.”
Catholic Charities of Philadelphia’s senior affordable housing center in Kensington, St. Francis Villa, was named in honor of the work that St. Francis Inn has done to bring Christ’s love in direct action.
“They were really interested in leaving a permanent legacy. Their work there in feeding the hungry is really beautiful and impactful, and they wanted to see something that would serve even more people. So they asked for our assistance in developing housing up there,” said Suzanne O’Grady Laurito, the Director of Catholic Housing and Community Services for Catholic Charities.
The homes, which opened in 2016, include 40 apartments that provide not only affordable living space, but intentional and Christ-centered compassion among the diverse residents.
“We believe there’s five different languages spoken at St. Francis, so it really is representative of the whole community there,” O’Grady Laurito said.
She marveled at “the way that everyone gets along and is made at home there and looks out for one another,” and how “that gentle compassion that St. Francis was known for really comes through.”
St. Francis famously called people to care for all of creation. EcoPhilly intentionally lives that call in organizing and supporting creation care teams in archdiocesan parishes and Catholic schools. Teams practice environmental stewardship through direct action and advocacy.
>>>SEE RELATED: ‘Year of St. Francis’ to Shine Light on EcoPhilly’s Work in Philly Region
“St. Francis of Assisi kicked off this history of creation care, and it’s taken different forms over the past 800 years,” said Aaron Lemma, the group’s project manager and the chair of the education committee.
“There’s great need in our area. There’s also so much potential for ecological conversion, turning your heart towards the natural world, falling in love with it again, seeing God in it, finding God in it, and learning how to care for it.”
All of these ministries, whether parishes or service organizations, remain rooted in relationship with Christ as they spread their branches in a life of solidarity with God’s creation, both natural and human.
“That was the primary focus of (St. Francis’) life, that relationship with God,” Lemma said.
“As the Holy Father tells us, ‘Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue. It is not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience’” (Laudato Si,’ no. 217).
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