About The Port, Capuchin Franciscan Friars · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Port is a Capuchin Franciscan evangelization ministry located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA. Inspired by St. Francis of Assisi’s ‘little portion’ (Portiuncula), it serves as a spiritual and cultural hub offering prayer, art, beauty, and community. Founded in 2020, it began as a storefront ministry focused on young adults and has since expanded its outreach. The Port aims to be a ‘safe harbor’ where people encounter Christ through simplicity, creativity, and service.
- Established
- 2020
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pittsburgh
Why belong here
The Port offers a Christ-centered community rooted in Franciscan spirituality, where people can encounter Christ through prayer, art, beauty, and service. It hosts events like art exhibitions, poetry discussions, concerts, and movie viewings, fostering connections across interests and ages. The ministry invites all to find refreshment and inspiration to live the Gospel in daily life.
Mass times at The Port, Capuchin Franciscan Friars
Confession times
- Tuesday–Friday, Noon–1PM
Our Heritage
St. Francis engaged the world as a brother to all. He sought unity in conflict. Perceived the goodness of the Creator in all of creation. Encountered Christ in the marginalized of his society. And discovered authentic joy in a life of simplicity.
Our Vision
Inspired by the Life of St. Francis, we seek to be a point of connection in our community. We seek to foster opportunities to encounter Christ in prayer, beauty, service and spiritual & intellectual formation.
The Port
The Port in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA is a Capuchin Franciscan evangelization ministry. Early in his conversion, St. Francis of Assisi was given a small chapel that he had rebuilt and called the "little portion," or Portiuncula (Por-zi-OON-coo-la). This became home for the first followers of St. Francis and is the inspiration for our ministry. Our "little portion" is a storefront located on Butler Street. It will be a Franciscan home in our community. We hope to be a point of connection to draw people together across a variety of interests: prayer and spirituality, art and beauty, intellectual formation, athletics and outdoor activity. In choosing the name, we liked the wordplay of "Port"—a place where ships dock to resupply and bring goods before heading back out to sea. The Port serves as safe harbor for people to make connections. We hope that those who come might find refreshment and inspiration to go out and live the Gospel in their daily lives!
The Capuchins
Francis' short, but impactful life was a spark of renewal in his turbulent era, inspiring thousands of followers within a few years of his death. He established communities for men (friars or brothers), women (Poor Clares), and lay people (Secular Franciscans). The Capuchin Franciscans emerged in 1524 as a reform movement to place renewed emphasis on Saint Francis' life of prayer and simplicity. In 1873, Capuchins from Bavaria arrived in Pittsburgh to serve the German immigrant community in Lawrenceville. We became known as the Province of St. Augustine, named for the first church we served in the city and continue to serve today.
Assisi Arts Community (AAC)
The Assisi Arts Community (AAC) exists to support artists as they pursue their vocation, sharing in the creative work of God, of bearing witness to truth, goodness and beauty through his or her work. The Assisi Arts Community (AAC) is an arts and culture initiative of The Port, a Capuchin Franciscan ministry based in Pittsburgh, PA. Formed in the fall of 2020, the AAC began building community among local artists, offering opportunities to gather and to share their work with the public. Today the AAC and The Port hosts a range of recurring events for artists and art enthusiasts alike in the areas of the visual arts, literature & cinema, and music. This includes monthly drawing events, movie viewings, and poetry discussion groups. The AAC also hosts regular concerts, artist forums, exhibits, and artist markets. The group’s name is a nod to Saint Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan order and a poet in his own right. St. Francis was particularly attuned to God’s presence through the beauty of nature. As Saint Bonaventure said, “In things of beauty, he [Francis] contemplated the One who is supremely beautiful, and, led by the footprints he found in creatures, he followed the Beloved everywhere.”