About St. Francis of Assisi · Fulton, Maryland
St. Francis of Assisi is a Roman Catholic parish located at 8300 Old Columbia Road in Fulton, Maryland, in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Since 2021 it has been in a pastorate with neighboring St. Louis Parish in Clarksville, sharing one pastor, Fr. Michael DeAscanis. The parish offers weekend and daily Mass, the Sacraments, faith formation for children and adults, a vibrant music ministry, and a wide range of outreach ministries serving Howard County and the greater Baltimore area. Its long-standing parish motto — 'Let there be no strangers among us' — reflects its commitment to evangelization, community, and service.
- Established
- 1988
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. Michael DeAscanis
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi is a warm, growing Catholic community in southern Howard County that welcomes newcomers, returning Catholics, and anyone curious about the faith. Members can join the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) process to become Catholic, enroll children in the Family Faith Formation program (K-8), serve in liturgical roles such as lector, altar server, or Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, or join the music ministry's adult choir, handbell choir, or youth music program. The parish also offers a rich outreach life — supporting Grassroots Cold Weather Shelter, St. Benedict's Neighborhood Center, the Columbia Pregnancy Center, Mary's Home, and other local charities — giving parishioners meaningful ways to live their faith beyond the parish walls.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday, 7:30 pm
Parish History
St. Francis of Assisi Parish was formed in 1988 as a mission of St. Louis Parish in Clarksville, with Fr. Jack Kinsella as its founding pastor. Early Masses and religious education were held at Atholton High School, and many groups met in parishioners' homes. In 1997, Fr. Dennis Diehl was named pastor and the current church and office space opened in 1998. The Fr. Dennis P. Diehl Faith Formation Center was built in 2009-2010. In 2018 the parish joined St. Louis in Clarksville in a formal pastorate under Msgr. Joseph Luca, and in 2021 Fr. Michael DeAscanis became the current pastor.
- 1988 — Parish founded as a mission of St. Louis, Clarksville, under founding pastor Fr. Jack Kinsella
- 1997 — Fr. Dennis Diehl named pastor; current church/office space completed in 1998
- 2009-2010 — Fr. Dennis P. Diehl Faith Formation Center constructed and named for the second pastor
- 2018 — Pastorate of St. Francis and St. Louis formed; Msgr. Joseph Luca named pastor
- 2021 — Fr. Michael DeAscanis named pastor of the pastorate
Pastoral Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by a pastor, two associate pastors, and a deacon, supported by a large lay staff for faith formation, youth ministry, music and liturgy, and parish operations. Fr. Michael DeAscanis has served as pastor since 2021; he is a former civil engineer, studied at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Maryland and the Pontifical North American College in Rome, was ordained in 2004, and also serves as chaplain of the Catholic Medical Association in Baltimore.
- Fr. Michael DeAscanis — Pastor (since 2021)
- Fr. Rob Katafiasz — Associate Pastor
- Fr. Daniel Andrades — Associate Pastor
- Deacon Bob Smith
- Deacon Frank Sarro — OCIA Coordinator
Faith Formation for Children and Youth
St. Francis of Assisi offers a Family Faith Formation program for kindergarten through 8th grade, designed so that a parent attends each session with their child. Two options are offered: a Sunday morning option (9:00-11:15 am at St. Louis, including the 9 am Mass) and a Sunday afternoon option (3:45-6:00 pm at St. Francis, including the 5 pm Mass). The parish also runs the Order of Christian Initiation for Children (OCIC) and a Special Religious Education (SPRED) program for K-8 children with developmental disabilities, taught by a catechist with a degree in Special Education. Youth Ministry (Pastorate CYM) is available for middle and high schoolers.
- Family Faith Formation (K-8) — morning at St. Louis, afternoon at St. Francis
- Order of Christian Initiation for Children (OCIC) — 15 sessions plus a family retreat
- SPRED (Special Religious Education) for children with developmental disabilities
- Pastorate Youth Ministry (CYM)
Becoming Catholic — OCIA
The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) is the parish's process for adults seeking to become Catholic or to complete their initiation into the Church. It is a communal journey of study, faith-sharing, prayer, and liturgical rites that follows the ancient practice restored by the Second Vatican Council. The process moves through the Pre-Catechumenate (Period of Inquiry), the Rite of Initiation, the Catechumenate, the Rite of Election, the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil, and a period of Mystagogy. Deacon Frank Sarro serves as the parish's OCIA coordinator.
- Contact: Deacon Frank Sarro, OCIA Coordinator
- Steps: Pre-Catechumenate → Rite of Initiation → Catechumenate → Rite of Election → Sacraments of Initiation (Easter Vigil) → Mystagogy
Liturgical and Music Ministries
The parish actively recruits liturgical ministers for every Mass and offers a robust Music Ministry. Sunday and Holy Day liturgies are accompanied by piano under the direction of Director of Music and Liturgy Brandon Henley, with vocal director Rebecca Vanover leading the cantors and adult choir. A handbell choir rehearses weekly and plays monthly, and a Youth Music Program is open to vocalists in grades 3-12 and instrumentalists in grades 6-12. The Saturday 5 pm Vigil Mass is sung acapella.
- Liturgical roles: Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Altar Servers (Grade 4+), Ushers
- Adult Choir — rehearses Thursdays 7:00-8:30 pm, leads 11 am Sunday and Holy Day Masses
- Handbell Choir — rehearses Tuesdays 7:00-8:30 pm, plays monthly
- Cantors and Youth Music Program (vocalists grades 3-12, instrumentalists grades 6-12)
- Brandon Henley — Director of Music and Liturgy
- Rebecca Vanover — Vocal Director and Director of the Adult Choir
Outreach and Service
Outreach is a major part of parish life at St. Francis of Assisi. The parish and its parishioners give generously of their time, talent, and treasure to local and regional ministries serving the poor, the homeless, expectant mothers in crisis, and people recovering from addiction. Annual drives and ongoing volunteer commitments connect the parish to the wider Howard County and Baltimore communities.
- Grassroots Cold Weather and Emergency Shelter (Howard County) — annual food and volunteer support
- St. Benedict's Neighborhood Center, Baltimore — Advent Christmas and blanket drive
- Columbia Pregnancy Center — financial and material support
- Mary's Home — long-term support for expectant mothers and their children in crisis; parish liaison Diane Padden
- Living in Recovery — Sunday Sweets dessert and lunch program for men in addiction recovery
- Grassroots Sunday Meal
- Needle Arts Ministry
- Annual School Supply Drive
- Visiting the homebound
Parish Events and Community Life
Beyond Mass and ministries, St. Francis of Assisi nurtures community through annual events, men's and women's groups, the Annual Christmas Bazaar, and a Fall Festival. The parish also uses Flocknote for digital communication — parishioners can text 'FRANCIS' to 84576 to receive a weekly snapshot of pastorate events and emergency parish text alerts (such as weather closures).
- Annual Christmas Bazaar
- St. Francis Fall Festival
- Men's and Women's groups
- Flocknote — text 'FRANCIS' to 84576 for weekly updates and alerts
- Weekly parish bulletin and parish calendar
Visiting, Newcomers, and Contact
Newcomers and visitors are warmly welcomed. The parish office is open Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and the pastor is happy to meet with those inquiring about the Catholic faith. A Sunday nursery is available for walkers through age 4 during the 9:00 am Mass. The parish is in a pastorate with St. Louis in Clarksville, sharing clergy and some formation programs.
- Address: 8300 Old Columbia Road, Fulton, MD 20759
- Phone: (410) 792-0470
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Sunday nursery for walkers through age 4 during the 9:00 am Mass
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Jack Kinsella1988-1997
Founding pastor; the parish began as a mission of St. Louis in Clarksville. Mass and religious education were originally held at Atholton High School, and many groups met in parishioners' homes.
- Fr. Dennis Diehl1997-2018
Named pastor in 1997; oversaw the completion of the current church and office space in 1998 and the 2009-2010 construction of the Fr. Dennis P. Diehl Faith Formation Center, which is named in his honor.
- Msgr. Joseph Luca2018-2021
Named pastor of the newly formed Pastorate of St. Francis and St. Louis in 2018.
- Fr. Michael DeAscanis2021-present
Named pastor of the St. Francis / St. Louis pastorate in 2021. A former civil engineer, he attended Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Maryland and the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and was ordained in 2004. He also serves as chaplain of the Catholic Medical Association in Baltimore.