About St. Francis of Assisi · Amherst, Virginia
St. Francis of Assisi is a Roman Catholic parish in Amherst, Virginia, founded in the mid-1990s and now part of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. Tucked into the scenic center of the small town on South Main Street, it serves the Catholics of Amherst County — once a region with no Catholic church at all — along with Sweet Briar College students, migrant farmworkers, inmates at area correctional facilities, and residents of local senior communities. The parish describes itself as a family-oriented, Christ-centered community striving to be an instrument of peace and love through the sacramental life of Jesus Christ and service to others.
- Established
- 1995
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. Rogelio (Roger) Abadano
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Richmond
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi is a tight-knit, family-oriented, Christ-centered community in the heart of small-town Amherst where nearly everything — from the framing of the church to its ongoing upkeep and outreach — has been accomplished by volunteer hands. Members worship together in a small but visible church on Main Street, learn together through Christian Education, RCIA, sacramental preparation, a youth group, and Little Saints, and serve together through a food pantry, prison ministry at Buckingham Correctional Center and the Amherst County Jail, the Jesse Tree giving program, Red Cross blood drives, support for migrant farmworkers, and Catholic campus ministry at Sweet Briar College. Visitors are welcomed, the building is fully accessible, and the parish is small enough that nearly every member has a role in its life.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30–4:50 PM
- By appointment
Our History
The parish traces its origin to October 31, 1994, when Bishop Sullivan celebrated Mass for 17 Catholics at the Anglican Church in Amherst after a group of scattered Catholics invited him to visit. What began as the Catholic Community of Amherst grew through occasional, then monthly, then weekly Masses — first celebrated by Fr. Naro, then by the pastor of St. Mary's in Lovingston — and into a full-fledged parish founded in 1995 under Bishop Sullivan. The community worshipped for years at Ascension Episcopal Church before acquiring and demolishing a 'white elephant' building on a choice lot on Main Street. The present church was built between October 2004 and May 2005 largely by volunteer labor — retired parishioners known as the 'over the hill gang' and a younger 'Saturday crew' — and the $545,000 building was paid off just eighteen months later in 2006.
- 1994 — Bishop Sullivan celebrates first Mass for 17 Catholics at the Anglican Church
- 1995 — Parish formally founded in the Catholic Diocese of Richmond
- 2005 — Fr. Kelly appointed first resident pastor; present church completed in May
- 2006 — Construction loan paid off just 18 months after completion
- Pays-it-forward: supports mission parishes in Norton, VA and Kenel, SD
Parish Information
Current essential details about the parish, its leadership, and contact information.
- Patron: St. Francis of Assisi
- Diocese: Catholic Diocese of Richmond (Deanery 10)
- Pastor: Rev. Rogelio (Roger) Abadano
- Administrator: Very Rev. Joseph Mary Lukyamuzi, V.F.
- Deacon: Deacon Peter Coleman
- Address: 332 South Main Street, P.O. Box 663, Amherst, VA 24521
- Phone: (434) 946-2053
- Office Hours (per diocese): Tues. & Fri. 11–3, Wed. 1:30–3:30
Contact Us & Directions
Office hours and directions are posted on the parish website and the diocesan directory. The mailing address is P.O. Box 663, Amherst, VA 24521, with the church located at 332 South Main Street, right in the center of town.
- Office Hours listed on the parish site: Tues & Wed 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM; Saturday 2:00–4:00 PM
- Diocesan directory Office Hours: Tues. & Fri. 11–3, Wed. 1:30–3:30
- Appointments with the Pastor can be arranged by phone
Staff
Pastoral and ministry leadership listed on the parish website and bulletin.
- Fr. Roger Abadano — Pastor
- Deacon Peter Coleman — assists with Faith Formation, Altar Servers, Sweet Briar Outreach, and the Worship Ministry
- Sandra Horwege — Music/Choir Director; Funeral Planning; Charitable Community Outreach Fundraising
- Karen Clarke — Altar Flowers
- Billie Coleman & Carol Charles — co-chairs of Family Focus / Pastoral Care
- Billie Coleman — Bereavement Support
- Peggy McFadden — Justice and Peace (Social Outreach) and Parish Community Life ministries
- Emily Seawell — Meals-On-Wheels
- Teresa Golden — Gardens
- Jim Clarke — Building and Grounds
- Frank Watkins — Men's Prayer Group
- Lynne Watkins — Women's Book Club
- Reagan Woody & Stephanie Gerber — co-chairs of Little Saints
- Jennifer Mata — Mass Intentions
- Sandra Horwege (Funeral Planning) — (434) 946-7316
Christian Education (Faith Formation)
The Christian Education Committee plans and provides educational activities and events for children and adults. Parish programs include the Parish Religious Education Program, sacramental preparation, RCIA, a youth group, and Little Saints. RICA (RCIA) sessions begin in late September and run through Easter, with new members welcomed into the Church each Easter.
- Religious Education Program for children
- Sacramental Preparation (with Fr. Abadano, the Liturgy Committee, and the choir)
- Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RICA / RCIA)
- Youth Group — grades 6–12, in conjunction with St. Mary's youth group
- Little Saints
- Vacation Bible School (held in June)
Liturgical & Worship Ministries
The Liturgical Ministry Committee plans, implements, and evaluates parish prayer and worship in accordance with diocesan policies. The priest and the Music Minister are members of this committee. Good liturgy takes prayer, thought, and preparation, and the committee gathers to enhance worship experiences for all seasons of the year and to plan special liturgical events.
- Worship Ministry (chaired by Deacon Peter)
- Choir — directed by Sandra Horwege; practices before Mass (e.g. 4:30–4:50 PM)
- Altar Servers
- Altar Flowers (Karen Clarke)
- Funeral Planning (Sandra Horwege)
Christian Formation Sub-Ministries
Day-to-day education and formation ministries staffed largely by volunteer parishioners.
- RCIA / VIRTUS — Deacon Peter (lead)
- Sweet Briar Outreach — Deacon Peter
- Men's Prayer Group — Frank Watkins
- Women's Book Club — Lynne Watkins
- Little Saints — co-chairs Reagan Woody & Stephanie Gerber
Social Outreach (Justice and Peace)
The mission of Social Outreach is to respond to the needs of the poor, deprived, neglected, oppressed, sick, and shut-ins of the parish and the wider community, and to help parishioners become more aware of local social needs. The ministry supports food pantry collections in the church foyer, holiday baskets at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and many other works of mercy.
- Food Pantry — donation shopping cart in the church foyer year-round
- Jesse Tree — Christmas giving program for local families in need
- Prison Ministry — Buckingham Correctional Center and Amherst County Jail (contact Fr. Abadano)
- Sweet Briar College Catholic Campus Ministry
- Migrant Workers Ministry — visits to farms in Amherst and surrounding counties (rosary and fellowship)
- Fairmont Crossing Senior Residence — special ministry visits
- Amherst County Habitat for Humanity — founded by a St. Francis parishioner in 1990
- Bereavement Support — meals, visits, and prayer for grieving or sick families
- American Red Cross Blood Drives (sponsored annually)
- Parish Partnership Program — supports St. Anthony Catholic Church, Norton, VA, and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, Kenel, SD
- Meals on Wheels — Emily Seawell
Parish Community Life
The Parish Community Life Committee promotes Christian community within the parish and strengthens relationships among members. It is a great way for people who are busy during the week to become volunteers, since it requires only a minimum amount of time on the day of each event — committee members set up the social hall, put out the food, and clean up.
- Potluck dinners
- Annual parish picnic
- Monthly wine and cheese celebrations
- Receptions to welcome new members
- Family dinners and parish gatherings
Family Focus & Pastoral Care
Pastoral care and family ministry, including bereavement support for parishioners who have lost a loved one or have a family member who is ill or hospitalized.
- Family Focus / Pastoral Care — co-chairs Billie Coleman & Carol Charles
- Bereavement Support — Billie Coleman (meals, visits, and prayer)
Building and Grounds
Many of the founding members of St. Francis remain active, handling the maintenance of the building and grounds without fanfare. A parishioner-donated piece of land hosts a storage shed and a picnic pavilion, both built with volunteer labor.
- Building and Grounds — Jim Clarke
- Gardens — Teresa Golden
Cemetery — St. Francis of Assisi Columbarium
The parish operates a landscaped columbarium on its grounds, built with volunteer labor in the years after the main church was completed. It is listed in the diocesan directory as Saint Francis of Assisi Columbarium, with its own phone line for inquiries.
- Cemetery Name: Saint Francis of Assisi Columbarium
- Phone: (540) 223-5069
Calendar
The parish posts a monthly calendar and current bulletin on its website. Recent bulletins highlight a recurring children's bulletin, monthly 'mini-mission' food pantry donations (e.g. creamy peanut butter), choir practice, the Crowning of Mary Mass, a Family Kickball game, Vacation Bible School registration deadlines, regular Youth Saturday / Little Saints gatherings, and joint youth events with St. Mary's parish.
- Monthly bulletin published as PDF on the parish website
- Children's bulletins distributed weekly
- Vacation Bible School each June
- Joint youth events with St. Mary's youth group
Jubilee Year of St. Francis — Pilgrimage Site
Under the usual conditions, a Plenary Indulgence is granted to the faithful who make a pilgrimage to any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship named after St. Francis or connected to him, devoutly follow the Jubilee rites (or spend suitable time in pious meditation), and conclude with the Our Father, the Creed, and invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare, and all the Franciscan family saints. The Diocese of Richmond has designated three parishes as local pilgrimage sites for this Jubilee, including St. Francis of Assisi in Amherst.
- St. Francis of Assisi, Amherst — 332 S Main St, Amherst, VA
- St. Francis of Assisi, Staunton — 118 N New St, Staunton, VA
- St. Francis of Assisi, Rocky Mount — 15 Glenn Wood Dr, Rocky Mount, VA
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Naromid-1990s
One of the first priests to celebrate Mass for the Catholic Community of Amherst in its earliest days.
- Pastor of St. Mary's Church, Lovingstonmid-1990s
Celebrated weekly Masses for the Amherst community while it was a mission of St. Mary's.
- Fr. Kelly2005–
Appointed the first resident pastor when St. Francis became a full-fledged parish.
- Rev. Rogelio (Roger) Abadanocurrent
Current pastor; oversees ministries from the parish to prison, migrant workers, and Sweet Briar College.