About St. Francis of Assisi, Delaware Ave. Site · Albany, New York
St. Francis of Assisi Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the City of Albany, New York, formed in 2010 through the merger of two historic urban parishes — St. James (on Delaware Avenue) and St. John's / St. Ann's (in the South End) — and now served across two worship sites in the same neighborhoods. The Delaware Avenue worship site occupies the magnificent 1929 Gothic Revival church originally built for St. James Parish at 391 Delaware Avenue, designed by the Boston ecclesiastical architects Maginnis & Walsh. The parish is a bilingual (English/Spanish) community within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, known for its food pantries, Mary's Corner baby-supply ministry, faith formation program, and outreach to families along the Delaware Avenue corridor.
- Established
- 2010
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel Vallejo-Rios
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi is a warm, bilingual, multi-site Catholic community that has kept two historic Albany churches alive and active through creative merger — combining the South End's harvest festival dinners and Lenten soup-and-bread gatherings with the Delaware Avenue site's faith formation program and 'Fall Frenzy' fundraiser. The parish welcomes students from nearby Albany Law School, operates two food pantries (St. James Food Pantry on Delaware Avenue and the larger St. John/St. Ann's Center in the South End), hosts a Mary's Corner baby-supply site run by the Ladies of Charity, and offers Spanish-language Mass. With a sacramental schedule that includes weekly Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, and communal Anointing of the Sick, it is a community where newcomers, longtime parishioners, immigrants, and neighbors in need are all known and served.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi, Delaware Ave. Site
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday, 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM at the Delaware Avenue site (and by appointment — call the parish office at 518-434-4028)
Adoration times
- Nocturnal Adoration at the Delaware Avenue site: First Friday of each month at 7:00 PM
Parish Identity & Two Worship Sites
St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Albany is a unified Catholic community with two worship sites that grew out of the 2010 merger of St. James Parish (Delaware Avenue) and St. John's / St. Ann's Parish (South End). Each site has its own Mass schedule, traditions, and devotional life, but they share one pastor, one parish council, one faith formation program, and one staff. Parishioners describe the parish as still 'finding its identity' more than a decade after the merger, with leadership working to honor the traditions of both legacy communities while building a common life under the patronage of St. Francis of Assisi.
- Delaware Avenue worship site — 391 Delaware Avenue (at St. James Place), Albany, NY 12209
- South End worship site — 93 Fourth Avenue (at Franklin Street), Albany, NY 12202
- United in 2010 under the patronage of St. Francis of Assisi
History of the Delaware Avenue Church
The Delaware Avenue site is the former St. James Church, whose parish was founded in 1911 after a horseback petition drive by James Warren through the South End and the rural Normanskill area. Bishop Burke approved the purchase of farmland between Delaware Avenue and Revere Street (later renamed St. James Place), and 356 families moved up to form the new parish. A modest red-brick chapel and rectory were built in 1913; the present stone-and-brick Gothic Revival church was designed by Maginnis & Walsh of Boston, with foundations laid in 1927 and dedication in May 1929. The church — with stone-faced brick walls, steel trusses, and 750-seat capacity — remains the architectural heart of the Delaware Avenue neighborhood.
- St. James Parish founded 1911 (356 families)
- Brick chapel and rectory built 1913
- Present church designed by Maginnis & Walsh of Boston
- Foundations laid June 1927; church dedicated May 1929 (750 seats)
The 2010 Merger & Becoming St. Francis of Assisi
In 2010 the Diocese of Albany merged St. James (Delaware Avenue) and St. John's / St. Ann's (South End) into a single parish under a new name — St. Francis of Assisi. The change was administratively imposed and was met with resistance from longtime St. James parishioners, even though the adjacent street is still called St. James Place. Both worship sites have remained open. The first year was led by Rev. John Lanese as administrator, followed by Deacon Raymond Sullivan as Parish Life Director for about five years, and then by lay Parish Life Director Dorothy Sokol (who had previously served as PLD for St. James from 2006 to 2010).
- 2010 merger created St. Francis of Assisi Parish
- Rev. John Lanese — first administrator (2010–2011)
- Deacon Raymond Sullivan — Parish Life Director for ~5 years
- Dorothy Sokol — Parish Life Director (returned 2017); previously PLD for St. James 2006–2010
Mass & Sacrament Schedule
The parish offers a full weekend Mass schedule across its two sites, with a Spanish-language Mass as a regular part of parish life. Reconciliation is heard every Saturday afternoon at the Delaware Avenue site, and Eucharistic Adoration is celebrated monthly as a Nocturnal Adoration on the first Friday.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM (English) — Delaware Avenue site
- Sunday: 9:00 AM (English) — Delaware Avenue site
- Sunday: 10:30 AM (Spanish) — South End site
- Sunday: 7:30 PM — Delaware Avenue site
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:15–3:45 PM at Delaware Avenue (and by appointment)
- Nocturnal Adoration: First Friday of each month, 7:00 PM, Delaware Avenue site
- Communal Anointing of the Sick: each spring and fall (and by appointment)
Sacraments
Parish sacramental preparation is handled through the parish office at (518) 434-4028, with advance notice required for marriage and Baptism preparation.
- Baptism — call after the birth of the child to arrange preparation.
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:15–3:45 PM and by appointment.
- Marriage — contact the parish office 6–8 months before the proposed date; Marriage Preparation Program required.
- Anointing of the Sick — communal each spring and fall; available by appointment and after weekend liturgies.
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is served by a pastor (who also serves other diocesan assignments), a sacramental associate from the Franciscan order, and a lay staff that runs the day-to-day operations, faith formation, music, and food pantry programs.
- Fr. Sean O'Brien, OFM — Sacramental Associate / Minister; Director of the South End St. John/St. Ann's Center
- Jasper Stoller — Parish Administrator
- Lisa Bonomo — Parish Secretary
- Dan Persico — Music Director
- Tim Balfe and Kostantin Tyskun — Musicians
- Kristen Witham — Food Pantry Director (South End)
- Linda Cruz — Food Pantry Director (Delaware Avenue / St. James Food Pantry)
- Pastoral Council and Parish Trustees
Faith Formation
The parish faith formation program is based at the Delaware Avenue parish house and serves families from both worship sites, providing religious education for the children of the parish.
- Faith Formation program housed at the Delaware Avenue parish house
- Parish acts as the Catholic presence nearest to Albany Law School (Newman outreach contact: [email protected])
Outreach & Food Pantries
St. Francis of Assisi runs two food pantries — one at each worship site — and is a hub for the Mary's Corner baby-supply ministry run by the Albany Association of the Ladies of Charity. The South End site also hosts the St. John / St. Ann's Center, a Catholic Charities-affiliated outreach point offering food assistance, furniture, clothing, school supplies, and a GED program.
- St. James Food Pantry (Delaware Avenue) — Director: Linda Cruz; Monday & Wednesday 10:30 AM–12:30 PM; (518) 414-1929
- St. John / St. Ann's Center / Food Pantry (South End) — Director: Fr. Sean O'Brien, OFM; Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10:00 AM–Noon and 1:00–3:00 PM; Welcome Table Tuesday & Saturday 11:30 AM–1:00 PM; (518) 472-9091 ext. 14
- Mary's Corner — third diocesan site of the baby-supply ministry of the Ladies of Charity (opened April 24, 2018); provides diapers, formula, baby food, wipes, clothing, books, and strollers to referred families with children birth–age 4
- Former St. James School building — houses Albany Medical Center daycare program and the parish food pantry
- Referral partnerships with Catholic Charities, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Family Promise, and Healthy Families of Albany County
Buildings & Facilities
The unified parish maintains six buildings across its two sites, a significant stewardship responsibility.
- Delaware Avenue worship site (the 1929 Maginnis & Walsh church)
- South End worship site (the former St. John's / St. Ann's church)
- Delaware Avenue parish house — parish offices and faith formation
- Former St. James School — Albany Medical Center daycare + parish food pantry
- Former South End rectory — residence of two Religious of the Sacred Heart
- St. John's / St. Ann's Outreach Center (Catholic Charities)
Music & Liturgy
Music at the parish is led by a Music Director and a small team of musicians. The Delaware Avenue church's organ has been a focus of repair work in recent years, and a new organ was purchased for the South End site.
- Music Director: Dan Persico
- Musicians: Tim Balfe, Kostantin Tyskun
- Organ restoration at Delaware Avenue; new organ purchased for the South End site
Traditions & Community Life
The parish deliberately preserves traditions from each predecessor community — an explicit effort to honor both legacies while building a common identity. The feast of St. Francis of Assisi (October 4) is celebrated with a Mass and dinner, alternating between the two sites.
- South End: Harvest Festival fundraising dinners
- South End: Soup-and-Bread Lenten gatherings
- Delaware Avenue: 'Fall Frenzy' raffle
- Delaware Avenue: houses the parish faith formation program
- Annual St. Francis of Assisi feast day Mass and dinner (alternating sites)
Contact, Location & Hours
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, email, or in person Monday through Thursday. The office is closed on Fridays. The parish is also present on Facebook.
- Address: 391 Delaware Avenue (at St. James Place), Albany, NY 12209
- Phone: (518) 434-4028
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (closed Fridays)
- Website: http://parishes.rcda.org/stfrancisofassisi/
- Facebook: linked from the parish website
- South End site: 93 Fourth Avenue (at Franklin Street), Albany, NY 12202
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Lanese2010–2011
Administrator of the merged parish in its first year after the 2010 merger.
- Deacon Raymond Sullivanc. 2011–2017
Parish Life Director of the merged parish for about five years, until retirement.
- Dorothy Sokol2017–
Parish Life Director (lay leadership role); previously PLD for St. James from 2006–2010.
- Rev. Rendell TorresMarch 1, 2025–
Announced by Bishop Scharfenberger as Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi (also serving as Rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Pastor of Historic St. Mary's, Albany).