the catholic community of st. francis of assisi
Francis and the Canticle of the Creatures
We continue to celebrate the 800th anniversary of many aspects of the life of Saint Francis here at the parish. Articles on when Francis received the wounds of Christ, or stigmata, and his creation of the tradition of having a creche at Christmas to celebrate Christ’s birth, lead to this penultimate discussion of the ‘Canticle of the Creatures.’’ We are recognizing these events leading up to the larger recognition, next year in 2026, of the anniversary of the death of Francis.
What was the Canticle of the Creatures, and why is it important? “The Canticle,” according to our own Father Jim Sabak, “while used a lot in the pursuit of eco-friendly activities, is more than an ecological statement; it speaks of forgiveness and death!” He points out, “These are the only times that he mentions humanity, and it is again a part of Francis’ conception of relationship. Francis held that there is a cosmic connection between all earthly and heavenly creation because the cosmos is filled with the presence of God. Creation reveals to us the presence of God when his creation is engaged with and used in appropriate and proper ways.”
Volunteer Spotlight: Pam James
Pam James can weave, and not just a great story! Pam has been in Weaver’s Guilds, each with over 200 members, in three different states, Colorado, Texas, and North Carolina, and has been an avid weaver and mixed media artist for a long time. Every two years, there is a convention where she says, “Every well-known weaver attends and is probably teaching a class.” This past year, the convention was in Wichita, Kansas, where she entered a piece in the Mixed Media category and won 3rd Place!
How does this correlate to her work at St. Francis? She weaves her love of art with her leadership of the ‘Care for Creation’ ministry at St. Francis. “I’ve always been a bit of an ‘eco-freak,’” says Pam,” I grew up with the idea that you mustn’t waste. My sister-in-law is kind enough to call me resourceful, but I’m just cheap! I’ve always asked myself, ‘Why would I throw that away? I can use that.’” She exclusively uses ‘recycled yarn’ in weaving, embracing the ‘reuse’ principle of Care for Creation.
Ministry Spotlight: Scouts
At St. Francis, we follow the tradition of many faith organizations in the United States of sponsoring scout troops. Cub Scout Pack 352 is open to boys and girls in grades kindergarten through 5th grade. For those in 6th grade through the age of 18, the Scouts BSA program, Troop 352 and 219, is available. Josh and Angela Riley, who are parents whose children are involved in the scouting program at St. Francis through the St. Francis Community Center, say about the program, “Our leaders and parents help the kids learn to follow the Scout Law, which tells the scouts how to behave and act, not only in meetings but in daily life.” As those who have experience in the scouts know, the Scout Law says a Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. Many of these attributes overlap with a faith tradition, especially at an involved parish like St. Francis.
As the Rileys mention, “Each year the scouts participate in several service projects directly in the community. The younger scouts typically participate in activities such as trash clean-up or food donations. The older scouts have cleaned up several areas around the St. Francis campus, along with several projects for the schools and parish that our Eagle Scouts have done. We encourage the scouts to give back to the community that they are a part of, no matter how small.”
