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Women’s Group at St. Francis – 2021

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Oct 12, 2021

St. Francis of Assisi Women's Group - Our Next Meeting Thursday Oct 21 at 10:30 am - Virtual on Zoom Women of all ages are invited to join us for fellowship and discussion two Thursday mornings a month. The Women's Group will begin the year with a small group book study of Danielle Bean's Whisper: Finding God in the Every Day, available through Ascension Press. For more information and to obtain the zoom link for the study please contact Sheila Noble. Whisper: Finding God in the Every Day Do...

From the Pastor

by Fr. John O'Connor OFM | Sep 20, 2021

From our Pastor It would seem that with many here in Northern Virginia having received the vaccine and the news that children may soon be able to receive the vaccine, there may be some light at the end of this dark tunnel called COVID. It is good to see more and more of you coming back to Mass here in our beautiful church. This is all good news. With the start of Religious Education the church was more full than anytime in the last 18 months. The not-so-good news is that our Sunday collections...

Francis of Assisi – the Young Man

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Sep 17, 2021

The first article of the series about St. Francis essentially proposed that what most people think they know about St. Francis of Assisi is a very limited and romanticized version of the “poor man from Assisi.” Such versions often emphasize the Francis who loves animals, who was an ecologist before “ecology” was a word or a concern, and who wrote the “peace prayer.” The first article ended with a challenge: discover the “real” Francis whose story will challenge, inspire, unsettle, amaze, and...

Francis of Assisi – An Introduction

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Sep 17, 2021

Every year – or so it seems – very good biographies of St. Francis of Assisi are published. The ones published in the last 10 years all share some great qualities: readable and increasingly historical – introducing the “real” St Francis of Assisi to the world. You might ask why I say the “real” St Francis? Did you know that statues of St Francis are the second most popular lawn/garden ornament sold every year – right behind pink flamingos. Rather like the popular icon shown above. That is an...

Adult Faith Programs – Sept 2021

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Sep 14, 2021

Adult Faith Program - September 2021 St. Francis of Assisi Parish has a host of programs specifically for Adult faith - to help you become a life-long learner. Consider the list of all the program offerings. Take your next step on the journey of Faith. Deepen your faith and spirituality Are you interested in drawing closer to God and taking your faith to the next level? Join us virtually on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm beginning Thursday, September 16 and take the next steps to a calmer...

What if….?

by Fr. John O'Connor OFM | Sep 7, 2021

This, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, brings back memories of “Where was I on 9/11. ”Indeed it was one of the worst days in our history as a nation. So many lives lost. We lost one of our very own parishioners that day at the Pentagon, David Laychak. On 9/11 2011, I was here in my office at the parish. Parishioners called me to tell me that the World Trade Center was hit. I immediately went to find a TV to see in fact what was transpiring. It soon became clear that we, the US. were under...

The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist – how real? Continued

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Aug 29, 2021

In our previous article we talked about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as the true and ancient teaching of the Church. What was affirmed at the Council of Trent, was just that - an affirmation of what was held from the beginning of the Church. The teaching and belief of the Real Presence has been consistent, but language has not as we talked about in our previous post that centered on the difficulties of using the word “real” in modern conversation and catechesis. The previous...

The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist – how real?

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Aug 29, 2021

In our previous article we talked about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as the true and ancient teaching of the Church. What was affirmed at the Council of Trent, was just that - an affirmation of what was held from the beginning of the Church. The teaching and belief of the Real Presence has been consistent, but language has not. Even in the same language words and their meaning change over time. As time moves ahead, patterns of thinking change. The Ancient Near East (ANE) thought...

Afghan Arrival Help

by Fr. John O'Connor OFM | Aug 24, 2021

Dear Parishioners, As you are probably aware, some 5 thousand Afghan refugees will be placed at Quantico Marine Corps Base. There has been a “call” for help in the way of, diapers, wipes, etc. (please see full list below). We plan to do our part as a parish and will be coordinating assistance for these refugees, through our Francis House outreach center. The following items can be dropped off at the church during the week or when you come to Mass: Portable Pack-n-Play Portable Cribs Diapers...

Out of an abundance of Caution….

by Fr. John O'Connor OFM | Jul 26, 2021

After some discussion, at the recent meeting of the Parish Council, it was decided that we would not do the Labor day Picnic or Francis Fest this year. Because of the recent spike in cases of COVID (Delta Variant), the Council felt that there could be some risk in gathering parishioners for these two events. When it is deemed safe to do so, we will plan an alternative social gathering for the parish. It is very unfortunate that at a time when we have an incredibly effective vaccine against the...