the catholic community of st. francis of assisi
Jubilee Year of St. Francis
Welcome to a sacred year of reflection, renewal, and joyful celebration as we honor the Jubilee Year of Saint Francis of Assisi. Rooted in the spirit of humility, peace, and deep reverence for all creation, this Jubilee invites our community to rediscover the timeless wisdom of St. Francis and live more intentionally in harmony with God, one another, and the world around us.
Throughout this year, we will come together as a community in prayer, service, and celebration, embracing the Franciscan call to simplicity, compassion, and care for all living things.
Elevated Parish Mission
Join us for the Elevated Parish Mission, a three-night parish-wide experience designed to help you encounter the transforming love of Jesus Christ and discover the joy of living as His disciple.
Through inspiring preaching, dynamic worship, Eucharistic Adoration, and meaningful opportunities for prayer and reflection, the Elevated Parish Mission invites you to deepen your faith and experience the love of Christ in a powerful way. Whether you are just beginning your faith journey or have been walking with the Lord for years, this mission offers an opportunity to renew your heart and grow in authentic discipleship.
Learn more about this transformational community experience!
October 25th-27th
A Franciscan Perspective on Mission in the 3rd Millennium
Since Jesus and the Apostles, the Church has been “on mission.” It was true then and remains true today. It is the purpose of the Church, perhaps best said by Pope Francis: To the extent the Church is missionary, she becomes “church.” In this present age the Church has expressed this divine mission and self-understanding in various documents, describes herself as: “missionary by its very nature” (AG 2), missionary in her “deepest identity” (EN 14), missionary in that it is part of “the very nature of Christian life” (RM 1), and that “to say Church is to say mission” (TEE 16).
But what does that mean for St. Francis of Assisi here in North Raleigh? Are we a missionary parish? As soon as you ask the question, you enter a vocabulary that raises even more questions. Are words such as “evangelization”, “witness”, “outreach”, and more – are these “mission” in and of themselves, or are they but a constituent part, a necessary part of mission? And what is ‘new evangelization’? “Evangelization,” says Father George, “is one of those things that’s a long, winding road, but the answer of how you engage St. Francis of Raleigh is going to be a different answer than how you engage any other parish.”
Crop Walk
The ‘CROP Hunger Walk’ takes place every October in our area to support people struggling with hunger worldwide. These community-based fundraising events support Church World Service’s global mission to advance just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster. Of the funds raised during a CROP Hunger Walk, 25% is returned to the host community to support local efforts to fight hunger.
Started in 1947 after World War II and known as The Crop Project, this effort began when farmers were asked to donate food and seeds to people in Europe and Asia still recovering from the war. This grew into the first CROP Hunger Walks in Bismarck, North Dakota, in 1969, and York, Pennsylvania, the next year. Since then, CROP Hunger Walk events have raised millions of dollars to help eliminate hunger and poverty. St. Francis has participated in these walks for many years.
