St. Francis of Assisi

Columbus, OH

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FAITH IN ACTION

St. Francis of Assisi Parish encourages all to live out
the Social Justice teaching of our faith.
Additional resources can be found at the Office for Social Concerns at the
Diocese of Columbus.
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY

Founded in 1833, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) is a worldwide organization of lay Catholics following Christ's call to serve the poor, the suffering, and the deprived. You can find out more about the SVDP Society at this link.

The St. Francis of Assisi SVDP Conference merged with the
OSU St. Thomas More Newman Center Conference.
Meetings are held monthly on the 2nd Thursday of the month
at 7:00 p.m. in the SFA Parish Hall.

Meetings begin in prayer and spiritual reflection followed by discussion of neighbors' requests for assistance and the way in which we can assist.
We provide spiritual support as well as a needs assessment for
material items requested by neighbors - whether it involves money to assist with rent or utilities, or a reference to agencies that can provide more substantial help.
When we have a 5th Sunday in any month, there is a 2nd collection at both Masses to support our SVDP Conference to help with needs. Additionally you can donate using the QR code to the left. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
If you need assistance OR would like to join the SVDP Society,
please contact:
Doug Cluxton at dcluxton2@yahoo.com or 614-296-5995

St. Vincent de Paul also offers material, financial, and/or volunteer assistance to many organizations.
B.R.E.A.D.
(Building Responsibility, Equality and Dignity)

B.R.E.A.D. was founded by faith leaders, including SFA, from a variety of diverse congregations in the greater Columbus area to empower congregants to advocate for solutions to adversely affected community members. B.R.E.A.D.'s goals are:
1. To identify community problems that network members indicate need to be addressed.
2. To conduct research to find identify workable solutions.
3. To build 'people power' to negotiate with public arenas and officials.
Throughout the year, St. Francis network members meet throughout the year to work toward these 3 goals. This work culminates in the spring at the annual Nehemiah Action event, which takes place on May 13 in 2025. Thousands of congregants and community members, including SFA parishioners, assemble to demonstrate their support to public officials for the workable solutions uncovered in the research process. Since 2020, B.R.E.A.D. network members have negotiated with public officials to increase funding for affordable housing, enact an ordinance to protect mature trees on public lands, implement a violence reduction program in Columbus neighborhoods, and implement restorative practices in the Columbus City Schools.
B.R.E.A.D. Rises!

To get involved, contact the office to reach Helen Anne Sweeney or go directly to the B.R.E.A.D. website linked here.
NNEMAP SPICE PACKETS

Want to add a little spice to your life?
We accept bulk donations of salt, pepper, Italian seasoning mix and plastic snack bags so that we can assemble spice packets to be donated to families in need. Many families in financial difficulties cannot afford the additional expense of spices to add to their food.
These spice packets are given to them when they pick up food boxes
at the NNEMAP Food Pantry.
If you would like to assist by donating items
or in assembling spice packets,
please contact Louisa Celebrezze
at louisagc@yahoo.com or 614-439-5056.
KAIROS PRISON MINISTRY
If you are interested in Kairos Ministries, please contact our office to be put in touch with volunteer Rachel Beebe.
For more information about Kairos, click this link.
ST. FRANCIS CENTER IN MCARTHUR, OHIO

We collect school supplies during the summer and deliver them in August for this very worthy community. 10% of the money collected from the
St. Francis of Assisi Craft Fair also goes to this Center.
Information about the St. Francis Center can be found at this link.
Contact Frank Schneider at francisschneider624@gmail.com or 614-565-9131
CREATION CARE

Click here to link to the Diocese of Columbus Care of Creation webpage.