About St. Francis of Assisi · Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
St. Francis of Assisi is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Harrisburg serving the Allison Hill neighborhood of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Established in January 1901 by Bishop John W. Shanahan and currently led by its eighteenth pastor, Very Rev. Anthony R. Dill, the parish is one of the oldest in the city and is widely known for the St. Francis Soup Kitchen, which has served more than 200 meals a day, five days a week since 1981. Rooted in the legacy of St. Francis of Assisi and shaped over more than a century by successive waves of immigrants and city growth, the parish remains both a sacramental home for Allison Hill Catholics and a refuge for the poor and unhoused of the wider Harrisburg community.
- Established
- 1901
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Very Rev. Anthony R. Dill
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi is the historic Catholic home of Allison Hill, a fully bilingual (English/Spanish) parish where weekend Masses are offered in both languages and a Friday evening Mass is celebrated entirely in Spanish. Beyond Sunday worship, the parish runs the well-known St. Francis Soup Kitchen, which has been feeding the hungry of Harrisburg since 1981 and depends directly on parishioner volunteers. A long-standing Black Catholic community and the diocesan Black Catholic Apostolate are also rooted here, making St. Francis one of the most intentionally multicultural parishes in the Diocese of Harrisburg — a place where newcomers, longtime residents, the working poor, and the homeless all worship and serve side by side.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Parish History
Founded in January 1901 by Bishop John W. Shanahan after a 1900 census showed nearly 3,000 Catholics in Harrisburg served by only two parishes, St. Francis of Assisi grew out of the East Harrisburg Mission, which had been meeting in the chapel of Sylvan Heights seminary. Rev. James McGrath was appointed the first pastor in 1901, and a new church was built and consecrated by February 1902. Over the next century the parish served as the mother church for St. Catherine Labouré, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, and (in 1958) Holy Family Parish — Holy Family was merged back into St. Francis in 2023. The parish hall was built in 1955, and in 1981 the parish opened the St. Francis Soup Kitchen at 1453 Zarker Street.
- First pastor: Rev. James McGrath, appointed January 1901
- Church consecrated February 1902
- Mother church of three daughter parishes (1940s and 1958)
- Parish hall built 1955
- Soup Kitchen opened 1981
A Bilingual, Multicultural Parish
The first Spanish-language Mass was celebrated here in December 1968, eventually giving rise to the Casa de San Francisco de Asís Hispanic Community. In 1990, with the appointment of Father (later Bishop) Kevin Rhoades as pastor, St. Francis was formally recognized as a fully bilingual parish — a status it retains today, with weekend Masses offered in both English and Spanish and a dedicated Friday evening Mass in Spanish. A Black Catholic community has been present since at least the early 1950s, and the diocesan Black Catholic Apostolate has been based at St. Francis since the 1980s, making it one of the most intentionally multicultural parishes in the Diocese of Harrisburg.
- First Spanish Mass: December 1968
- Bilingual status recognized in 1990 under Fr. Kevin Rhoades
- Black Catholic community present since the early 1950s
- Diocesan Black Catholic Apostolate based here since the 1980s
- Casa de San Francisco de Asís Hispanic Community
Allison Hill — The Neighborhood
St. Francis of Assisi sits at 1439 Market Street in Allison Hill, a historically working-class neighborhood of Harrisburg. The parish has been the spiritual and social anchor of this community for more than 120 years, serving as both a sacramental home for local Catholics and a refuge for the broader Allison Hill community. The pastor's page describes the parish's ongoing role as "a home to the Catholics of Allison Hill, a refuge for the lost, a help to the poor, and a joy to anyone who comes to her."
- Located in Allison Hill, Harrisburg
- 1439 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103
- More than 120 years of continuous ministry on Allison Hill
St. Francis Soup Kitchen
Since 1981, the parish has operated the St. Francis Soup Kitchen from its building at 1453 Zarker Street. The kitchen serves more than 200 meals a day, five days a week, to people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity in the greater Harrisburg area, and welcomes guests from diverse backgrounds with dignity and care. The soup kitchen depends on parish volunteers — both as daily cooks and as helpers distributing meals and clothing and maintaining order — and accepts food donations by appointment.
- Operating since 1981
- 200+ meals per day, 5 days per week
- Physical address: 1453 Zarker Street, Harrisburg
- Volunteer roles: daily cook, meal and clothing distribution, order-keeping
- Accepts food donations (call before delivering)
Religious Education & Sacramental Preparation
Since the parish hall was built in 1955, it has hosted the parish's religious education and sacramental preparation programs. After the parish school closed, those programs continued in the parish hall and remain a central part of parish life. The parish follows the Diocese of Harrisburg's Religious Education Policies and Regulations.
- Religious education / sacramental prep housed in the parish hall (since 1955)
- Former parish school
- Diocesan Religious Education Policies and Regulations followed
Sacraments
Parishioners can arrange Baptisms, weddings, funerals, and ongoing pastoral care by contacting the parish office at (717) 232-1003. The Sacrament of Penance (Confession) is offered every Saturday at 4:00 PM and by appointment; Anointing of the Sick and other pastoral needs can also be arranged through the office.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- Marriage preparation — contact parish office
- Funerals — contact parish office
- Pastoral care / Anointing of the Sick — contact parish office
- Confession — Saturday 4:00 PM and by appointment
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at (717) 232-1003 (rectory line same). For sacramental questions, marriage preparation, funerals, baptisms, or pastoral care, Father Dill or another member of the parish team will respond. The official parish website — stfrancisharrisburg.com — is the best online source for current Mass times, events, and volunteer opportunities.
- Parish office phone: (717) 232-1003
- Rectory phone: (717) 232-1003
- Email (parish office): [email protected]
- In person: 1439 Market St, Harrisburg, PA 17103
- Website: https://www.stfrancisharrisburg.com/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James McGrath1901 –
First pastor; appointed by Bishop Shanahan in January 1901; oversaw the construction and consecration of the church in February 1902.
- Father (later Bishop) Kevin Rhoades
Appointed pastor in 1990; under his pastorate St. Francis was formally recognized as a fully bilingual parish.