» From the Pastor

Meet Your 2023 Pastoral Council – Partners in Ministry

by Fr. John O'Connor OFM | Feb 20, 2023

After successful 2022 Elections in December seven parishioners (Christine Arroyo, Joe Burns, John Cipparone, Cecilia Fellner, Mary Beth Keenan, Ryan Steenberge, and Tom Wood) were installed as new members of our Pastoral Council. Members serve as councilors on a collaborative and consultative body to help our Pastor in keeping the parish on mission amid an ever-evolving, and growing Prince William, Stafford, and neighboring counties. Council members and our friars are partners in ministering...

Online Giving: Do I need to change?

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Oct 10, 2022

What is most important? Giving gratefully in a way in which you are comfortable! If you already give via Pay-Pal or transfer from your bank (check, ACH or EFT) – there is no need to change. You can still create an account with the new Online Giving System from Our Sunday Visitor. Why? It will be the easiest way to give to collections such as disaster relief, Sister Parish in Peru, special collections, and other emerging needs. What if I use envelopes? Again, no need to change. But as someone...

Grateful for you, hopeful for the future

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Oct 5, 2022

I remember the first time as a pastor I had to promote the bishop’s annual appeal in another diocese. It was a $300,000 target that was not a “best effort” campaign. It was a hard number that would either be raised by the appeal or would be made up by taking funds from Sunday Offertory. In that diocese there was no monthly contribution from a parish to the diocese. The annual appeal was the means by which the diocese funded everything from Catholic Charities, seminarian education and...

Protecting Life – a moral issue

by Fr. John O'Connor OFM | Jun 10, 2022

These past few weeks our nation has witnessed once again the terrible and tragic mass killings of our fellow citizens, most recently, young children. Some would have us believe that these tragedies are due to the violent acts of individuals who are mentally ill. That response is a “red herring”. The number of individuals with mental illness is no greater in the US than in any other nation. Some would even suggest that there are other nations with more cases of mental illness than here in the...

Return to In-Person Mass

by Fr. John O'Connor OFM | May 28, 2022

At the end of a long project or journey, we often say that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps that expression is best modified for our pandemic experience with all the waves and surges of COVID variants. One needs to be sure there is no relative motion between the light and the end of the tunnel. It might just be the train headed your way. Our COVID journey is not over, but we are far enough along that we have some assurance there is no train headed our way. And so, we need...

St. Francis House Receives Major Grant

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Apr 25, 2022

April 25, 2022: As we all know, finances have been constrained throughout the parish and community due in no small part to Covid-19. As such, the need for the assistance provided by our Outreach Ministry, St. Francis House, continues to grow. In January, a parishioner forwarded information on a grant opportunity to help with COVID-19 relief. The Human Services Alliance of Greater Prince William County was chosen by the Prince William County government to administer the $10,000,000 of federal...

Masks

by Fr. John O'Connor OFM | Nov 30, 2021

The news of these last few days has unfortunately, reminded us that COVID is still very much a part of our lives. As of this week, COVID cases are up by 30% in our area. The diocese has not made mask wearing mandatory, but in light of this recent news it would seem that the prudent response would be to wear a mask when in public places, including while attending Mass. Even if vaccinated you can still get COVID. Your case may not be as serious, but you can still get pretty sick. And even if...

Evening Prayer in Our Deanery

by Fr. John O'Connor OFM | Nov 15, 2021

The Arlington Diocese is divided up into seven regions called deaneries. Deanery V includes the parishes of Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park and Fauquier County. Bishop Burbidge has asked that each Deanery celebrate Solemn Evening Prayer (in Latin, Vespers) at a parish in the deanery to mark the beginning of Preparation Year I for the diocesan Jubilee Year in 2024. Preparation Year I begins with the First Sunday of Advent. Parishioners from throughout...

Thanksgiving Blessings

by Fr. John O'Connor OFM | Nov 14, 2021

On behalf of the Friars and staff here at St. Francis I wish all of you a blessed Thanksgiving. The feast of Thanksgiving reminds all of us of the importance of moments of gratitude; the value of seeing what is good and right in our world. Let our Thanksgiving be a celebration where we view our world not just in terms of the material things that we have been gifted, but also in the good and meaningful actions that we can do for others, and that have been done for us. May we be aware of God’s...

Elections 2021 – A Message from Fr. John

by VOICE | Oct 11, 2021

A Message from Fr. John Dear parishioners, Very recently we published a message called Faithful Citizenship: Pro-Life. Please take a moment to read this important message as it forms the background to this message. It contains excerpts from the US Bishops document on Faithful Citizenship which goes into more detail as to what issues determine if a person is truly pro-life. As the bishops stated , “ We strongly encourage you to know the candidates and their positions on abortion, Euthanasia....

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