the catholic community of st. francis of assisi
2026 Bishop’s Annual Appeal
As a diocesan family, we are invited to join together in supporting the ministries, programs, and outreach efforts that bring Christ’s love into our parishes and communities. Your prayers and participation help strengthen Catholic education, support parish vitality, and extend care to those in need.
Please take time to reflect on how you can contribute to this mission of faith and service.
The Renewal Of Easter Friendship
“It is with the same greeting that, on the evening of Easter, the Risen Lord addressed his disciples, afraid and locked in the Upper Room: ‘Peace be with you,’ that I greet you today. It is not a formula of courtesy, but the certain proclamation of Christ’s victory over death,” – this is how Pope Leo XIV greeted the Ministers General and opened the Conference of the Franciscan Family on January 10th of 2026. It is with this spirit of peace, and the necessary renewal found in all peace, as conflicts resolve and friendships are reborn, that we find ourselves during this Lenten Season.
Father Chris explains, “As we enter the season of Lent, the concept that I have about this Lent and Easter is using the experience of friendship, and the renewal of that connection, as a ‘theme’.” After attending several seminars on ministering to young people, he has come to realize that ‘friendship’ is the common denominator of a truly balanced life, but ‘friendship’ is precisely where many people struggle. “Having very close and deep friends is difficult for many,” he says, adding, “and men struggle the worst, but our young people also find difficulty.”
Ministry Spotlight: Secular Franciscans
Perhaps you’ve heard of the “Secular Franciscans” at St. Francis, and thought, “I wonder what that is? Are they some sort of friar?” Secular Franciscans are ‘secular’, meaning not bound by the full monastic rule of the Franciscans, but are those called to live the Gospel in their daily lives through prayer, contemplation, fraternity, and active service in the world. While not fully committed to adherence to the Rule as brothers and friars, the Secular Franciscan Padre Pio Fraternity at St. Francis is a community of laymen and women who truly do belong to the Franciscan Order within the Catholic Church. The Secular Franciscans were founded by St. Francis of Assisi himself more than 800 years ago. Members remain fully engaged in family life, work, and society, but focus on seeking to follow Christ in these ordinary circumstances according to the Franciscan way of life.
“At St. Francis Parish,” says Sharon Winzeler, the Secular Franciscan minister at our parish, “members of the Padre Pio Fraternity are involved in a variety of parish and outreach ministries. These include serving meals at Oak City Cares, supporting the Brown Bag Ministry, bringing Communion to the sick, knitting prayer shawls, singing in the choir, volunteering with Catholic Parish Outreach, assisting with the livestream of the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, serving on the parish council and supporting other parish ministries.”
