St. Francis of Assisi, South End Site

About the Parish

St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Albany, New York, is a unified Catholic community worshiping at two historic sites — the South End Community at 93 Fourth Avenue and the Delaware Avenue Community at 391 Delaware Avenue. The parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and was created in 2010 from the merger of St. James Parish and St. John's/St. Ann's Parish, each of which had deep roots in Albany's immigrant Catholic history.

History of the Parish

The parish traces its origins to two 19th-century Albany congregations. St. John's was founded in 1837 as Albany's second Catholic parish to serve Irish immigrants arriving during and after the Great Famine; a much larger South End St. John's Church was designed by architect Charles Ogden and built between 1903 and 1908. St. Ann's was established in 1867 to serve the German and Irish families of the South End neighborhood; its Gothic brick church at Fourth and Franklin is the oldest structure in today's South End worship site. St. John's and St. Ann's merged in the 1970s to form St. John's/St. Ann's Catholic Church. In 2010, the Diocese of Albany merged that parish with St. James to create St. Francis of Assisi Parish, with the former St. James site renamed the Delaware Avenue worship site and the former St. John's/St. Ann's site renamed the South End worship site.

• 1837 — St. John's founded as Albany's second Catholic parish
• 1867 — St. Ann's Church built at Fourth and Franklin Streets
• 1903–1908 — Larger St. John's Church constructed on Green Street by architect Charles Ogden
• 1970s — St. John's and St. Ann's merge to form St. John's/St. Ann's
• 2010 — Merger with St. James creates St. Francis of Assisi Parish under the Diocese of Albany
• Rev. John Lanese serves as first-year administrator
• Deacon Ray Sullivan serves five years as Parish Life Director
• Dorothy Sokol returns as Parish Life Director in 2017 (d. May 2022)
• Rev. David Mickiewicz serves as current pastor

South End Community (Worship Site)

The South End Community worships in the historic St. John's/St. Ann's Church Complex at 93 Fourth Avenue, at the corner of Franklin Street, in Albany's South End neighborhood. The site carries on traditions such as the popular harvest festival dinners and Lenten soup-and-bread evenings. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 10:30 am.

• Address: 93 Fourth Avenue (at Franklin Street), Albany, NY 12202
• Sunday Mass: 10:30 am
• Confession: by appointment
• Includes the 1867 St. Ann's Gothic brick church
• Includes the former South End rectory, now home to two Religious of the Sacred Heart
• A new organ was purchased for this site in recent years

Delaware Avenue Community (Worship Site)

The Delaware Avenue Community is the parish's other worship site, located in the former St. James Church at 391 Delaware Avenue at St. James Place. This site hosts the parish office, faith formation program, and the parish food pantry, and is the parish's primary Spanish-language Mass location.

• 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
• Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 pm
• Sunday Mass: 9:00 am (English) and 10:30 am (Spanish)
• Houses the parish faith formation program
• Hosts the annual 'Fall Frenzy' raffle

Parish Staff

The parish is served by a small staff led by Pastor Rev. David Mickiewicz, with Fr. Sean O'Brien, OFM, as Sacramental Associate/Minister. The parish office is staffed by Parish Administrator Jasper Stoller and Parish Secretary Lisa Bonomo. Music is provided by Music Director Kristen Witham and musicians Kostantin Tyskun and Dan Persico. Food pantry operations are overseen by Linda Cruz, with Tim Balfe responsible for maintenance of the parish's six buildings.

• Pastor: Rev. David Mickiewicz
• Sacramental Associate: Fr. Sean O'Brien, OFM
• Parish Administrator: Jasper Stoller
• Parish Secretary: Lisa Bonomo
• Music Director: Kristen Witham
• Musicians: Kostantin Tyskun, Dan Persico
• Food Pantry Director: Linda Cruz
• Maintenance: Tim Balfe
• Pastoral Council and Trustees (lay leadership)

Faith Formation and Religious Education

The parish faith formation program is housed at the Delaware Avenue site, continuing a tradition from the former St. James Parish. Families register for classes through the parish office and the program serves the religious education needs of children across both worship sites.

• Faith formation office based at 391 Delaware Avenue
• Coordinated through the parish office at (518) 434-4028
• Email: [email protected]

Music and Liturgy

The parish music program supports worship at both worship sites. Music Director Kristen Witham leads the program along with musicians Kostantin Tyskun and Dan Persico. Recent capital investments include a new organ for the South End site and repairs to the organ at the Delaware Avenue site.

• Music Director: Kristen Witham
• Musicians: Kostantin Tyskun, Dan Persico
• New organ installed at the South End site
• Organ repairs completed at the Delaware Avenue site

Outreach and Charity

St. Francis of Assisi carries on a deep outreach tradition inherited from both predecessor parishes. The parish operates a food pantry out of the former St. James School building and shares that building with Albany Medical Center's daycare program. The St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center is a Catholic Charities site providing food assistance, furniture, clothing, school supplies, and a GED program to people in need.

• Parish food pantry (former St. James School)
• Albany Medical Center daycare co-located in former St. James School
• St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center (Catholic Charities)
• Food, furniture, clothing, and school-supply assistance
• GED program for adults
• Food Pantry Director: Linda Cruz

Parish Buildings and Facilities

St. Francis of Assisi Parish maintains responsibility for six buildings across its two worship sites — a major operational focus for the parish. These include the two churches, the Delaware Avenue parish house (which holds the parish offices and faith formation), the former St. James School, the former South End rectory, and the St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center.

• South End church (St. John's/St. Ann's, 88 Fourth Avenue)
• Delaware Avenue church (former St. James, 391 Delaware Avenue)
• Delaware Avenue parish house (offices + faith formation)
• Former St. James School (now Albany Med daycare + parish food pantry)
• Former South End rectory (residence for two Religious of the Sacred Heart)
• St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center (Catholic Charities)
• Maintenance led by Tim Balfe

Getting Involved

Parishioners and visitors can get involved through the parish's many lay ministries and traditions. Both sites retain beloved customs from their predecessor parishes — the South End's harvest festival dinners and Lenten soup-and-bread evenings, and the Delaware Avenue site's 'Fall Frenzy' raffle. The Pastoral Council and Board of Trustees provide lay leadership, and volunteer opportunities exist through the food pantry and outreach programs.

• Pastoral Council and Trustees
• Harvest festival dinners (South End tradition)
• Lenten soup-and-bread gatherings (South End tradition)
• Fall Frenzy raffle (Delaware Avenue tradition)
• Annual Feast of St. Francis of Assisi Mass and dinner
• Food pantry and outreach volunteer opportunities