Today, St. Francis of Assisi Parish is highly regarded within the communities in which we serve. Our mission is to be “a welcoming and compassionate parish, united in the Love of Christ, reaching throughout the community to serve the people of God”. We offer a variety of Faith Formation courses to parishioners of all ages. Both of our communities have talented Music Ministries that encourage all to join us in worshipping the Lord. We invite the local Mendelssohn Club of Albany and acapella groups from the College of St. Rose, host concerts and choral ensembles and hold our annual Lessons and Carols event around the holidays.

To better serve the needs of our communities, we also provide clothing, food (including fresh produce and bread), toiletries, school supplies, furniture and educational programs throughout the week through our St. John’s/St. Ann’s Outreach Center, which is fully supported by our parish and now under the umbrella of Catholic Charities, and the St. James’ Food Pantry. The Center and Pantry service hundreds of families annually during Thanksgiving and Christmas, even providing gifts during Christmas time. The former St. James’ School is now the site of Albany Medical Center’s daycare program and that rental has created financial security for the Church.

To honor the traditions that were previously created by our faith communities, we fellowship by regularly hosting events such as soup-and-bread gatherings and Harvest Festival Dinners, in which members of our congregation host dinner parties, and annually host events such as the Fall Frenzy, Parish Pasta Dinner, Irish Fest and Joint Parish Picnic. Since 2010, we have regularly celebrated the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi with Mass and dinner, bringing both sites together. We also collaborate when celebrating Holy Week annually.

Beyond the parish community, St. Francis of Assisi Parish also reaches the broader community by working with local organizations such as Boy Scout Troop 46 and the Delaware Avenue Neighborhood Association and serving lunch to our senior citizens at the nearby Lutheran church. We also oversee outreach to St. Margaret’s Center and support the Capital Area Council of Churches (CACC) and the Family Promise Program.