MASS SCHEDULE
Regular schedule for Mass at St. Francis Church.
- Weekends: Vigil Mass on Saturdays at 5 p.m., Mass on Sundays at 7, 8:30, and 11:30 a.m.
- Weekdays: Mass on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday at 7 a.m., Thursday and Friday at 12 noon, First Saturday at 10 a.m.
In addition, the Sacrament of Reconciliation takes place on Tuesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Check the specific schedule for the current week.
SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS
The Solemnity of All Saints occurs on Saturday, November 1. Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. at St. Francis. The parish choir will participate in the Mass.
LIFE ISSUES AND THE ELECTION
The Culture of Life ministry at St. Francis has distributed another issue of Lifelines, this one focusing on the upcoming election for Virginia officials. There are clear-cut life issuies separating the candidates, and the Catholic bishops of Virginia have issued guidelines for Catholic voters. Read the latest Lifelines to learn more about this crucial election.
CHRISTMAS BAZAAR
The St. Francis Christmas Bazaar has returned. It will be held this year on December 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Assisi Hall. There will be food, crafts. gifts of all kinds.
WELCOME TO ST. FRANCIS
We offer a special welcome to visitors to this site and invite you to learn more about St. Francis Parish. There are several ways to stay in touch with what is going on in the parish:
- Sign up to receive news and notifications via text or email from Flocknote
- Read the weekly bulletin, available online
- Check the news section of this website
- And you can learn more about the long history of the parish by checking the history section of this site and taking the tour of the church section as well.
- All parishioners are encouraged to register with the parish. The registration form is available online.
- To contact the parish staff or find directions to the church, visit the contact page of this site.
UPDATED CHURCH TOUR
The parsh wesite includes a virtual tour of the church. That tour has recently been updated to include the renovation of the church interior. We invite you to take a look at this feature.
BECOMING CATHOLIC
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults is the process by which individuals become members of the Catholic Church. Candidates can be those who have never been baptized or those who were baptized in other Christian bodies and now wish to become Catholics. At St. Francis Parish the process begins in September and officially concludes with the Easter Vigil the following year (occurrng in 2026 on Saturday, April 4). Candidates meet with trained leaders, who explain what the Catholic faith is all about, with the Catechism of the Catholic Church forming the basis of instruction. At the Easter Vigil those unbaptized receive the sacrament of baptism; then those already baptized make their profession of faith and are received into the Catholic Church; finally, all of the candidates receive the sacrament of confirmation.
Last year twenty people participated in the OCIA program and became Catholics at the Vigil. The 2025-2026 program begins on Sunday, September 7, and registration forms are available at this link. Anyone interested in becoming Catholic or in exploring the possibiity may contact Hope Ogden in the parish office by emailing her or by phoning her at 540-688-3502.
Erik Curren, who completed the OCIA preparation last year and was received into the Church at the 2025 Easter Vigil, has written an account of his religious journey...
ADULT FAITH FORMATION
Adult Faith Formation mees on Sundays at 10 a.m. in Assisi Hall. Refreshments are served, and all ae invited.
MORNING PRAYER
The St. Francis Schola leads the office of Morning Prayer, including beautiful, contemplative psalm melodies, every Monday and Thursday at 7 a.m. in the church. Parishioners are invited to start the day off with the official prayers of the universal Church.
RENOVATION PHOTO GALLERY
A gallery of photos of the renovation of the interior of St. Francis Church has been posted on this website. As of July 11, 2024, two videos from Harman Construction (which carried out the renovation project) have been added. One shows the renovation in progress, the other, the finished project. There is another gallery with photos of the blessing of the font and the dedication of the new altar held on September 1.
CHAMBER ORGAN AT ST. FRANCIS
Soon after the renovation of the St. Francis Church interior began in July 2023, a chamber (or digital) organ, built by a talented and generous parishioner, was installed in Assisi Hall. The instrument was used for Masses held in the hall, and is now in use in the renovated church. For a description of the organ, images of it, and more information on digital organs, visit the music section of the parish website.
“FORMED” SUBSCRIPTION
With a subscription to “Formed,” every St. Francis parishioner has 24/7 access to the best Catholic content on any device, including your computer, smartphone, and tablet with internet access. “Formed” offers video programs that explain the Catholic faith, explore the deepest meaning of marriage, receive Bible studies on a variety of topics, and listen to inspiring audio talks. Presenters include Dr. Tim Gray, Dr. Edward Sri, Dr. Mary Healey, Chris Stefanick, Dr. Scott Hahn, Bishop Robert Barron, and many more.
It is very easy to begin your free subscription to “Formed”: Go to www.formed.org. Under “How would you like to sign up?” select “I belong to a Parish or Organization.” Enter the parish code: VVW3G4. Enter your name and email address, and that’s it.
THE CROSS OF CHRIST
From the Catecheses by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop
The Catholic Church glories in every deed of Christ. Her supreme glory, however, is the cross. Well aware of this, Paul says: God forbid that I glory in anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! At Siloam, there was a sense of wonder, and rightly so. A man born blind recovered his sight. But of what importance is this, when there are so many blind people in the world? Lazarus rose from the dead, but even this affected only Lazarus. What of those countless numbers who have died because of their sins? Those five miraculous loaves fed five thousand people. Yet this is a small number compared to those all over the world who were starved by ignorance. After eighteen years a woman was freed from the bondage of Satan. But are we not all shackled by the chains of our own sins? For us all, however, the cross is the crown of victory! It has brought light to those blinded by ignorance. It has released those enslaved by sin. Indeed, it has redeemed the whole of mankind!
LEGACY GIFTS TO A PARISH...AND A FREE WILL AS WELL
Legacy gifts reveal our faith to our community as a witness of God’s great love for us. The Catholic Community Foundation of the Diocese of Richmond is excited about its partnership with FreeWill and the valuable legacy giving resources they provide for parishes, schools, and campus ministries. Through these resources, including an online Will platform, the Foundation can ensure that all practicing Catholics have an updated Will with a parish, school, and/or ministry named as a beneficiary or beneficiaries.
In August, the CCF raised $1,366,000 in bequests through FreeWill for parishes and schools using FreeWill! Parishioners across the diocese used FreeWill’s platform to create their Will and named their parish and/or a school as a beneficiary. As of December 31, there were $12,000,000 in bequests through FreeWill. No one imagined just how many people would use the FreeWill platform to create their Will. It really is a testament to the statistic that more than 67% of Americans do not have a Will.
Find out more at the website.