14. St. Francis of Assisi

(mass times & church info last updated 04/04/2016)
Address: 135 W. 31st St. (between 6th & 7th Aves.)
Phone: 212.736.8500
Weekend Mass Times:
Sat: 4pm, 5:15pm (both English, organ & cantor)
Sun: 8am, (English, organ & cantor), 9:15am (Korean), 9:30am (English, Lower church), 11am, 12:30pm (both English, organ & cantor), 5pm (English, contemporary ensemble/choir), 6:15pm (English, contemporary ensemble)
Weekday Mass Times:
Mon-Fri: 7am, 7:45am, 8:30am, 11:30am, 12:15pm, 1:15pm, 4:30pm, 5:30pm (all English)
Sat: 8am, 11am (both English)
First Fridays: Filipino Community Mass, 6pm (Lower Church)
Holidays: 8am, 11am
Confession (English):
Mon-Fri: 7:30am-9am, 11am-1pm, 4pm-5:30pm
Sat: 11am-1pm, 3:30pm-5:30pm
Sun: 8:30am-9:30am, 4:30pm-6pm
Confession (Spanish):
Tue: 11am-12pm, 4pm-5:30pm
Thu: 4pm-5:30pm 
Rosary: Saturdays after the 11am Mass
Exposition:
Mon-Fri: 8:30am-5pm (Lower Church)
St. Anthony Devotions: Tuesdays after all Masses, starting at 8am
St. Jude Devotions: Wednesdays after 8am, 12:15pm, 5:30pm Masses
Mass & Prayers for the Sick: Thursdays 12:15pm
Stations of the Cross: Fridays after the 12:15pm and 5:30pm Masses
Sacred Heart Devotions: First Fridays after the 12:15pm and 5:30pm Masses
Post-Church Activity: Walked all the way down to Chelsea Piers, had beers and burgers at the Brewery, stared at the IAC building
Links:
Official Website
Mystery Worshipper Link
Other Reviews
Organ
About Fr. Mychal Judge
Franciscans in New York
About St. Francis of Assisi


I procrastinated today, as I always do, hesitated to determine which church I would visit today and spent about three hours of the day watching the last episode of Ric Burns' New York documentary. This was the supplementary episode made two years after the original program aired in 1999. It was all about the rise and tragic fall of the World Trade towers.

I wanted to visit St. Peter's, located right next to the WTC site as the show put me in a mood to be down in that sad sad area, but there were no more services this evening. It was getting late, already 5pm and I was wondering which church I would attend. Searching through my list of NYC churches and calling up directory numbers to find a later Sunday service, I finally came upon St. Francis of Assisi. I had visited here a few times before, when I had first moved here - then, as I was finding out now, I had always been able to depend on this church.

That's what I would say about this church, St. Francis of Assisi - it's dependable.

There are a lot of services on the weekend and daily during the week.

Also, there is a memorial to Father Mychal Judge, the NYFD chaplain who died on September 11, 2001, when the towers fell.


*My friend, Jack, came along with me this weekend - hence the nice pictures. I've got to get a camera, this Blackberry camera ain't cutting it.

(07/31/2014)
Additional Photos...

Visited this church on my lunch break today, walked in a few minutes late to the 12:15pm Mass only to discover in the summer time the daily Masses are held in the lower church. I walked around and snapped a few pictures, enjoying the art and quiet of this prayerful building. I then proceeded to the lower church and did that really bad thing where I walked right into the Communion line, (having not been present for the Liturgy of the Word), received the Eucharist, and then walked right back out, but not before taking in the beauty of the art of this part of the building. While there is an entire separate shrine down there dedicated to St. Anthony, the whole lower church is also basically a shrine to the life of St. Francis, complete with Stations of the Cross and a Nativity scene set up year round (two devotional practices I believe St. Francis is responsible for), as well as art behind the altar depicting scenes from the saint's life.

Additionally, here's a video from one of my favorite religious websites that was shot in front of St. Francis church...