The Parish History of St. Francis of Assisi

The Catholic Community of Saint Francis of Assisi began on April 25, 1982 with 125 families from neighboring parishes, St. Raphael the Archangel and Our Lady of Lourdes. Bishop Joseph Gosman recognized the rapid growth of the Catholic population in the northwest Raleigh area and encouraged the start of the new parish.

During construction, liturgies were held at Leesville Road Baptist Church, Lynn Road Elementary School and in the backyard of the pastor, Fr. English. The picnic table was the altar and parishioners brought lawn chairs and blankets to sit on. In inclement weather, the liturgy moved indoors to the living room.

According to parish legend, there were two choices for the name of the parish, St. Ignatius of Loyola, the patron of Fr. English’s Jesuit order, and St. Francis of Assisi, Franciscan patron of his good friend, Fr. Bob Hudak. If the day of dedicating the land was sunny, the parish would be named after St. Francis. If it was a rainy day, St. Ignatius would be chosen. The day was beautiful and sunny. The Catholic Community of Saint Francis of Assisi was born.

The original sanctuary, dedicated in 1983, held 450 persons. The church was designed to resemble a barn, an inspiration carried out in later construction. The wooden beams in the sanctuary (now Anthony Hall) and the parish office (now Elizabeth Hall) were retrieved from old buildings being razed in the northeast. Telltale marks of their former use are still visible, such as holes where bolts were formerly located.

The original buildings had very limited space for meetings. Sanctuary chairs were regularly moved for receptions, dances, children’s gatherings and faith formation programs. The courtyard, a hub of early parish life, was used for Children’s Liturgy of the Word, receptions, plays, dinners and more.

In July 1987, Franciscan Friars were invited by Bishop Gossman to minister at the parish. Fr. David McBriar became the second pastor of the parish, and Bob Hudak became Associate Pastor. The parish became a leader in social outreach. Everyone was welcomed and made to feel at home.

The parish continued to grow at a rapid rate. Overflow crowds regularly stood outside the church during liturgies. As the parish grew, so, too, did parish ministries. A new Parish Center, now Clare Hall, was dedicated in October 1991. The center was bursting at its seams every night within a year of its completion.

The Early Childhood Learning Center began in September 1991 with Nancy Bourke as the founding director. It has had full attendance since inception and has regularly expanded to meet the needs of our youngest members.

By 1993, the membership numbered 2300 families. With this continued growth of the parish, construction of a new sanctuary became a necessity. Architect Jon Condoret was chosen to design the new worship space because of the natural simplicity of his designs, his ability to use natural light to bring the outside environment into buildings, and his talent for blending the old with the new, creating a new worship space that would “fit” with existing buildings. Brother Frank Kacmarcik, well known throughout the United States, was chosen as our liturgical design consultant. Brother Frank, a Benedictine monk, worked closely with Jon Condoret, David McBriar and Dan Kenna (the parish’s third pastor) for almost two years on the construction of our new sanctuary.

The new space includes a Memorial Garden and Columbarium, a place of great faith, a place of rest for those who have died. Walking through the garden on the way to the sanctuary, we begin to feel God’s presence. We are reminded of the greatest of truths that we are linked together in death as in life. We are passing through, travelers one and all, incorporated in the Body of Christ, one day to be united with God and those we love, never to die again.

The design of the sanctuary echoes our belief that when we gather as a community to pray, Christ is present in each of us. The space encourages not observation, but participation. The floors are ramped; the altar is raised; no pillars block people’s vision. We see all those who gather to worship together, each the Body of Christ. We recognize God in those present in our assembly. We are energized by the liturgy and are called to carry the Word of God in our actions when we leave.

In the midst of construction, Fr. Dan Kenna became the third pastor of the parish in September, 1995. The new facilities were dedicated in 1996.

With the continued growth of the Catholic population in the Diocese of Raleigh, the need for parochial schools became apparent. St Francis of Assisi was named as one of the most desirable locations for a new school. Again, we embarked on an expansion with emphasis on designing the new to blend with the old. There was also an emphasis on creating one faith formation program for all the children and youth of our parish, whether they attended our new parochial school or other schools. The Franciscan School was dedicated in 2000 with Barbara Polston as the founding principal.

Further developments in our parish history include the creation in 2003 of the Safe Environment Program for the protection of children and youth. Because all life is a precious gift from God, we must assure that all persons, especially the young and vulnerable, are treated with dignity and respect and are offered an environment which promotes safety.

In 2004, Fr. Mark Reamer became our fourth pastor. He carries forth the mission of welcoming all who come to us, outreach to the least amongst us, empowerment of the laity, and preaching the word of God, using words when necessary.

In 2006, our new Bishop, Michael Burbidge, began his ministry in the Diocese of Raleigh

The Catholic Community of Saint Francis of Assisi began celebrating its 25th Anniversary with a Year of Jubilee. Our celebration of Growing in Faith Together (GIFT) reached all of our 100+ ministries.

During this banner year, the parish created The Franciscan Coalition which embodies service to those in need, advocacy for social change and education programs. We also, for the first time, celebrated the ordination of a new friar, George Corrigan, in our sanctuary.

The year’s highlight was the GIFT Capital Campaign through which we continue to plan for our future growth. New buildings will be more than bricks and stone. They will be places where we welcome new people to our ministries and to our faith community as the Catholic Community of Saint Francis of Assisi has done since those first 125 families began a small, little parish in the far reaches of Wake County.