About St. Frances of Rome (Parish of St. Frances of Rome, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony, and Our Lady of Grace) · Bronx, New York
Parish of St. Frances of Rome, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony, and Our Lady of Grace is a merged Roman Catholic parish in the Wakefield neighborhood of the Bronx, New York, served by the Missionary Society of Saint Paul of Nigeria (M.S.P.) and part of the Archdiocese of New York. The parish was formed on August 1, 2015 under the archdiocese's 'Making All Things New' pastoral planning initiative, combining the historic 1898 parish of St. Frances of Rome with the neighboring parishes of St. Francis of Assisi (Baychester Avenue), St. Anthony (Richardson Avenue), and Our Lady of Grace (Bronxwood Avenue). Today the parish celebrates Mass in two churches — St. Frances of Rome (761 E. 236th Street) and St. Francis of Assisi Chapel (4300 Baychester Avenue) — and oversees two still-operating elementary schools.
- Established
- 1898
- Patron
- St. Frances of Rome
- Rector
- Rev. Georginus E. Ugwu, M.S.P. (Missionary Society of Saint Paul of Nigeria)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of New York (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Frances of Rome is a welcoming Wakefield-area parish with a Mass schedule that fits working families — four Sunday Masses (one in Spanish) plus a daily 9 AM Mass Monday through Saturday and Saturday vigil. The parish offers weekly Eucharistic Adoration every Saturday morning, a robust CCD/Religious Education program for children at the Byron Avenue parish center, two still-operating parish schools, and the hospitality of bilingual (English/Spanish) priests readily available for confession or pastoral conversation. The 2015 merger of four historic Bronx parishes under one pastor gives visitors a rich sense of continuity with more than a century of Catholic life in the East 236th Street / Barnes Avenue neighborhood.
Mass times at St. Frances of Rome (Parish of St. Frances of Rome, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony, and Our Lady of Grace)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:15 PM – 4:45 PM at St. Frances of Rome (and upon request; bilingual priests available)
Adoration times
- Saturday 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM in the lower chapel at St. Frances of Rome
History of St. Frances of Rome Parish
The parish was canonically established in 1898 (the first Mass was celebrated on June 13, 1897), making it one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the Wakefield section of the Bronx. Founded by Irish-born pastor Fr. Francis P. Moore, who served until 1928, the parish grew from a tent and a temporary wooden church into a multi-building campus with rectory, two-level church, school, and convent. The present upper church, built directly atop the 1926 lower church, was dedicated in 1967 by Cardinal Spellman, with the architect Paul W. Reilly also designing St. Frances de Chantal in Throgs Neck.
- First Mass: Sunday, June 13, 1897, in a tent (~300 attendees)
- First permanent wooden church dedicated by Archbishop Corrigan, June 23, 1901
- Land at East 236th Street & Barnes Avenue purchased; lower church first used Easter Sunday, 1926
- Upper church designed by Paul W. Reilly; cornerstone 1966; consecrated by Cardinal Spellman March 12, 1967
- Delaware Organ Company pipe organ installed in the upper church
The 2015 Merger — Four Churches, One Parish
On August 1, 2015, the Archdiocese of New York's 'Making All Things New' pastoral initiative merged St. Frances of Rome with the neighboring parishes of St. Francis of Assisi (Baychester Avenue), St. Anthony (Richardson Avenue), and Our Lady of Grace (Bronxwood Avenue) into a single parish staffed by the Missionary Society of Saint Paul of Nigeria. Today the parish celebrates regular worship at two churches — St. Frances of Rome and St. Francis of Assisi Chapel — while Our Lady of Grace and St. Anthony remain available for special occasions but no longer host regular services; the Our Lady of Grace building still houses an active Catholic elementary school.
- Effective August 1, 2015 under 'Making All Things New'
- St. Frances of Rome and St. Francis of Assisi — regular worship sites
- Our Lady of Grace (Bronxwood Ave.) and St. Anthony (Richardson Ave.) — closed for regular services, not yet canonically relegated
- St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School and Our Lady of Grace Catholic School remain open
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
The parish is staffed by the Missionary Society of Saint Paul of Nigeria (M.S.P.). The pastor, Rev. Georginus E. Ugwu, M.S.P., was named to lead the newly merged cluster on August 1, 2015; he had previously served as Temporary Administrator of the Wakefield Catholic Churches (St. Frances of Rome, St. Anthony, St. Francis of Assisi) since July 2014. A native of Nigeria, Fr. Ugwu was ordained for the M.S.P. in 2000 and has previously served in Nigeria, the Central African Republic, Houston, and Tallahassee (where he was chaplain of Florida A&M University, 2007–2014).
- Rev. Georginus E. Ugwu, M.S.P. — Pastor (since August 1, 2015)
- Religious Education Office / DRE — [email protected]; 4330 Byron Avenue
- Parish Office — [email protected]; 4307 Barnes Avenue
Religious Education & Parish Schools
Faith formation for parish children is coordinated through the SFR Parish Center at 4330 Byron Avenue (telephone (718) 324-5340 ext. 4; [email protected]). The parish also retains its commitment to Catholic elementary education through two affiliated schools within the merged cluster: St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School (Baychester Avenue) and Our Lady of Grace Catholic School (Bronxwood Avenue). The Sisters of the Presentation taught in the original parish school for many years.
- CCD & Religious Education — SFR Parish Center, 4330 Byron Avenue
- St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School (Baychester Avenue)
- Our Lady of Grace Catholic School (Bronxwood Avenue)
- Sisters of the Presentation — historical school staffing
Ministries & Parish Life
Parishioners are invited to share their time and talents in liturgical and devotional ministries. Ushers (also called Greeters) serve as ministers of hospitality, welcoming worshipers, taking up the collection, directing the offertory and Communion processions, distributing Mass programs and bulletins, and helping the congregation have a fulfilling worship experience. The parish also nurtures devotional life through the Sacred Heart Litany, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and the Rosary — including a bilingual Adoration and Rosary Booklet linked from the parish website.
- Ushers / Greeters — ministers of hospitality at every liturgy
- Sacred Heart Litany devotion
- Divine Mercy Chaplet / La Coronilla
- Bilingual Adoration and Rosary Booklet
Visit, Contact, and Locations
The parish is anchored by St. Frances of Rome church on East 236th Street, with the rectory/office adjacent on Barnes Avenue, the Mass Center (St. Francis of Assisi Chapel) on Baychester Avenue, and the Religious Education office at the Byron Avenue Parish Center. The parish office can be reached at (718) 324-5340 (fax (718) 324-5373) or [email protected]. Confessions are heard Saturday at 4:15 PM and bilingual priests are available upon request; an elevator has been added to assist those who have difficulty with the foyer staircases.
- Parish Church: 761 East 236th Street, Bronx, NY 10466
- Parish Office & Rectory: 4307 Barnes Avenue, Bronx, NY 10466
- Mass Center (St. Francis of Assisi Chapel): 4300 Baychester Avenue, Bronx, NY 10466
- Religious Education Office (SFR Parish Center): 4330 Byron Avenue, Bronx, NY 10466
- Phone: (718) 324-5340 · Fax: (718) 324-5373
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Francis P. Moore1897–1928
Irish-born founding pastor; celebrated the first Mass in a tent on June 13, 1897; built the first wooden church dedicated by Archbishop Corrigan on June 23, 1901; oversaw the construction of the current lower church (first Mass there Easter 1926); personally painted many of the sanctuary and sacristy murals.
- Rev. Georginus E. Ugwu, M.S.P.2015–present
Named pastor of the newly merged four-parish cluster on August 1, 2015; a native of Nigeria ordained for the Missionary Society of St. Paul in 2000; previously Temporary Administrator of the Wakefield Catholic Churches of St. Frances of Rome, St. Anthony and St. Francis of Assisi since July 2014; former chaplain of Florida A&M University, Tallahassee (2007–2014).