Dedication of St. Francis of Assisi Church
Fulton, Maryland
September 17 2026
We gather this night to bless and dedicate this newly and handsomely renovated worship space to the honor and glory of God. We do so as the Church celebrates the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ transitus, his passage from this world into the next, his transit from grace to glory. Let us ask our patron saint to pray with us and for us as we dedicate this church named in his honor.
And let us ask: Could you have a more enchanting patron saint? The Church’s calendar is filled with wonderful saints, men and women who are friends of God from every time and place, saints who represent every calling, every state of life. Yet few claim the affection of believers and non-believers like St. Francis. The stories surrounding him continue to enthrall us: the wolf of Gubbio; the Canticle of the Creatures; his sermon to the birds; the Christmas creche at Greccio; the stigmata he received on Mt. La Verne.
The episode from his life that speaks most directly to tonight’s celebration is, of course, the rebuilding of a rundown church at San Damiano. The year is 1205, and Francis, newly converted, is praying inside a church that was not merely rundown but in fact abandoned. Francis heard a voice speaking to him from the crucifix: “Francis, go rebuild my house, which, as you can see, is falling into ruins.”
Francis understood that it was the Lord himself who spoke to him. And he took the Lord’s words literally. He began hauling stones, begging for materials, and repairing the church with his own hands. While working on the church at San Damiano, Francis made the definitive break with his former way of life, he, the son of a wealthy merchant, and heir to comfortable style of life.
As the work progressed, Francis came to realize that the Lord was asking more of him. Francis was being asked to repair the Church itself that had fallen into disarray due to infidelity and indifference. It would be Francis’ task and those who would follow him to combat the corruption that had crept into the Church. He was being called to bear witness to Christ by a life of poverty, chastity, simplicity & humility, and by caring for the poor, the forgotten, the shunned. He and his companions were commissioned, so to speak, to bring about a massive spiritual awakening so that the Church once again would be built of “living stones” – men and women who followed Christ, men and women who were the “worshippers in spirit and truth” whom God the Father desires.
We may be tempted to think it was all a misunderstanding. The Lord called Francis to rebuild the whole church while, at first, Francis thought that Jesus he was calling him only to rebuild a small, abandoned church. But it was not a misunderstanding. The rebuilt church of San Damiano stood as a sign of the larger Church that Francis and his followers renovated. It stands as a sign of the interior renovation which all of us must undergo.
For we would indeed misunderstand who Francis of Assisi was if we were only to marvel at his amazing life and miss the fact that he was a radical follower of Christ. Indeed, his own life had been renovated, entirely consecrated to Christ. He was living the Christ-life with every fiber of his being. That is why could he hear the voice of the Lord saying, “Rebuild my Church.” That is why he could he undertake the small task that portended the larger mission.
Dear friends, Not unlike St. Francis himself, you have worked hard and sacrificed much so that this church would be repaired and renewed. Supported by the leadership of Fr. DeAscanis, you have spent untold hours planning, raising money, working with architects and builders, paying close attention to detail. This is a godly work, and the results of your collective efforts are here for all of us to see, not only tonight but for generations to come. And for that I am most grateful
But like the church at San Damiano, this renovated church is itself a sign of a deeper renovation, the continual renewal of our hearts in Christ Jesus. Just as the church is consecrated to Christ, so let us be consecrated anew to Christ in the Holy Spirit. Even if we cannot live exactly as St. Francis did, let us resolve to give ourselves entirely to Christ, so live our vocations and fulfill our daily responsibilities with minds and hearts renewed by prayer, penance, by the sacrifice of Christ offered on this altar about to be consecrated, and by our service to the poor and vulnerable in our midst and beyond. Thus, we too will be living stones in the temple of the Lord.
May this place of worship be truly hallowed, and may it be a place where you and your families are hallowed, so that, like Francis, you may bear witness to Christ and lead many to the heart of the Christ and to the heart of the Church, now and for many years to come. St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!