St. Francis of Assisi - Our Patron Saint
St. Francis of Assisi - Our Patron Saint
Saint Francis was born in 1181 in the town of Assisi, about 80 miles from Rome. His father was a wealthy cloth merchant. In his youth, Francis was regarded as passionate and ambitious.
Francis wanted to be a knight. At age 19, he was called to go to war to defend Assisi from the neighboring town of Perugia. He was captured and put in prison. While in prison, he became quite sick. This long illness caused him to think a lot about his life and he felt something important was missing. He still felt drawn to be a knight, but he began to realize that this might not be his path to happiness.
He went back to the battles of war, but was still uneasy about the direction his life was going. One day, Francis visited the abandoned church of San Damiano. He heard a voice coming from the cross hanging over the altar. Francis thought he heard a plea for him to rebuild the rundown church. He started rebuilding the brick and mortar church. His father was angry with him because Francis was using family money to rebuild the church. His father figured Francis had lost his mind. He took Francis to the public square in Assisi and asked the local bishop to demand that Francis give up this project. Francis took off his very fine clothes and renounced all his possessions and inheritance. He wanted to give his whole life to God.
Francis realized that the call to rebuild the church was not just a job of bricks and mortar. Francis knew that he was being called to give new direction to the Church in its spiritual life. From then on, Francis began preaching and teaching about God. He formed a small community of brothers to assist him in his missionary work. They lived very simple lives and depended on God's providence to care for them. Francis became a great lover of the gifts of creation that so beautifully surrounded Assisi. He was a strong advocate of peace among all peoples. He sought to be present to the poor and the sick. In all things, Francis always wanted to follow Jesus Christ. The gospel preached by Jesus was the lifeblood of Francis.
Francis died in 1226, having left a dramatic mark on the whole of Christianity. He continues to be one of the most well known saints.
The designation of the parish under the patronage of Francis of Assisi calls each of us in our own lives to be lovers of creation, respecters of the dignity of all human persons, to work for peace in all its forms, and to seek always to follow Jesus Christ.
The design for the master plan of our church was inspired by the churches and architecture of Assisi, the home of St. Francis. That design includes such architectural details as small round windows at the peaks of the worship center; the use of banding on various levels of the stone for the outside and inside of the building; the inclusion of a bell tower and courtyard; and the use of stone and wood as primary building materials. The small bell gate marking the south entrance to the gathering space contains a rock from Assisi brought back to the parish by Father Steve Orr after a visit to the Italian city.
Features of
our Worship Center
The new worship center and adjoining tower anchor the
parish center. In addition to the church, the second construction phase included
an education center and new administrative space, all connecting to the original
building which is now a parish hall, meeting rooms and preschool.
The worship center is octagonal. Eleven rows of pews with seating for 1,000 surround a central raised altar platform that creates a sense of congregational community. Behind the altar is seating for a 60-person choir as well as space for instruments. The Blessed Sacrament chapel is located on the north side, visible from the worship center through an arched opening with wrought iron gates. The reconciliation chapel is at the base of the tower, and is accessible from the worship center. The gathering space has a glass wall adjoining the worship area, allowing a view through the baptistery.
A cross-shaped roof, supported by four large columns rests over the worship area. A cupola is centered on the roof with windows that shower the space below with soft, indirect light. Clerestory windows and high, round windows on the four end walls balance the natural light. Stained glass windows at floor level include themes associated with nature and Franciscan spirituality. Portions of the Peace Prayer of St. Francis are incorporated into the reconciliation chapel windows. This picture was provided courtesy of Tom Kessler, Photographer and BVH Architects.
The windows in the Blessed Sacrament chapel illustrate the Gospel through the symbol of a grain of wheat: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it cannot bear fruit.” (John 12:24) This concept of Christ’s total gift of self in his death on the cross is central to the notion of Franciscan poverty resulting in “simple joy.” It is expressed in these three windows by the grain of wheat springing out of the earth, the wheat ready for harvest, and the harvested wheat.
Other Franciscan symbols and references are used in the worship center. The “burning sun and silver moon” referenced in St. Francis’ Canticle of the Sun is painted on the ceiling of the cupola. The canticle itself is inscribed on the bulkhead surrounding the worship center. Portions of the ceiling above the worship area, painted deep cobalt blue with gold leaf stars, and the border recall the brilliant fresco ceilings of the Basilica in Assisi.
All of the furnishings and artwork in the worship center are original designs fabricated by craftsmen. They include: wrought iron candle stands, gates, railings, screens and hardware; the tabernacle of bronze, granite and exotic woods; cast bronze stations of the cross; and custom-made entry and chapel doors made of wood. Four niches on the perimeter wall contain hand-painted icons. In the floor at the base of the tower is a time capsule containing memorabilia, and a book of names commemorating the parish youth whose gifts paid for the tower construction.
The exterior character of the church, tower and education center not only carry through the flavor established in the original building, but also reflect features of the Basilica in Assisi, including the multicolored banded masonry walls inside and out; the red roof shingles; gable ends with rose windows and masonry buttresses; arched windows and stone trim.
To provide visual continuity with the original building, the same materials are used in the interior of Phase II. The worship center’s wood-beamed ceiling with wrought iron tie rods match the parish hall ceiling. The floor is covered in large ceramic tiles reminiscent of the stone floors of medieval churches. The altar platform is covered in carnelian granite, used elsewhere on furnishings and the floor. Pews, chairs and custom made liturgical furnishings made of oak complement those used in the original construction.
Baptismal Pool
As you enter the worship center from the gathering space, you see the rock,
of carnelian granite, which designates the baptismal pool. Blessing ourselves
with the holy water at the rock bring s to mind our baptismal commitment and
reminds us that Baptism is our entrance into the Church. In the same way, being
sprinkled with holy water during the Mass calls to mind our baptismal
commitment.
Altar/Ambo
The altar and ambo are made of the same carnelian granite as the rock of the
baptismal pool, linking the celebration of Baptism with the proclamation of
God's word in the Sacred Scriptures and the celebration of the Eucharist.
Entering The Church
Our worship space is a holy and sacred space where we come together
to praise and worship our God. It is a place of prayer, consecrated to this holy
purpose.
Blessed Sacrament Chapel
Our worship space features a chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved
in the tabernacle. The sacrament is reserved to be taken to the sick. It
is also a place where we may come for quiet prayer and meditation. People may
come to the chapel (outside of times when Mass is being celebrated) to spend
time in prayer in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. A sanctuary
lamp burns continuously near the tabernacle indicating the Lord’s presence.
Icons
Our Worship Space contains several icons. An icon is a painted panel with a
representation of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, or a saint or saints. These
images are regarded as windows into the eternal world of revelation and meant to
capture, to a very limited degree, the realities of the Gospel and the ways in
which the person depicted revealed the presence of God through their life. For
many years icons played a similar role in the Eastern churches that statues do
in the West. Recently icons have been used more in the Western Church. It is
important to note that the all veneration and reverence are referred to the one
whose image is portrayed, and not to the image or icon itself. Our most
prominent icon is the San Damiano cross which hangs above the altar platform.
This is a replica of the icon cross which hangs in Santa Chiarra (St. Clare)
Church in Assisi.
San Damiano Cross
This cross is called an icon cross because it contains images of people who
have a part in the meaning of the cross. They are:
Christ Crucified: Christ is represented both as wounded and as strong. He stands upright and resolute.
Major witnesses: The five center figures represent the witnesses of the crucifixion and witnesses of Jesus as Lord. On the left is Mary, mother of Jesus, and John, on the right are Mary Magdala, Mary, mother of James, and the centurion who represents a Christian witness.
Minor witnesses: Two smaller figures represented are Longinus, the Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus with a lance, and Stephaton, the soldier who offered Jesus the sponge soaked in vinegar.
Angels: Six angels are positioned at both ends of the crossbar.
Heavenly welcome: On the top of the cross, Jesus, fully clothed and carrying the cross as a triumphant scepter, is climbing out of the tomb and into the heavenly courts.
Right Hand of God: At the top of the cross is Jesus being raised from the dead to the right hand of God the Father.
Parish History
The parish of St. Francis of Assisi was established on July 11, 1991, by Bishop William H. Bullock. With the rapid growth of the area, the need for a new parish in West Des Moines was very evident. In 1988, Monsignor Edward Pfeffer, then the pastor of Sacred Heart, and Father Edward J. Hurley, Vicar for Finance for the Diocese of Des Moines, were delegated by Bishop Bullock to begin the search for property for a future parish. Land was located on Ashworth Road just east of the intersection with 74th Street. The Diocese purchased 15 acres as the site for the new parish. Fifteen acres of land on Ashworth Road just east of the 74th Street intersection were located & purchased.
Parish boundaries were set, which included territory from the parishes of Sacred Heart, St. Theresa and St. Pius X. Father Stephen L. Orr was appointed as the first pastor. By October 1, 1991, 295 families had registered.
The first Mass of the new parish community was celebrated on Sunday, October 6, 1991, in the ballroom of what is now the West Des Moines Marriott. Over 600 people participated.
Through the kindness of Dowling High School, the school’s became the temporary home for the worshipping community of St. Francis. Religious education programs for youth and adults as well as many parish activities also were held in the Dowling facility. Mercy Hospital offered the use of office space in a building just east of the high school.
Steady growth has marked the development of the parish, from 295 families registered in October 1991, to 621 in October 1994; the parish has grown to over 2200 families in January of 2003.
An intense planning process for building facilities for the parish began in January 1992. The parish, guided by the architecture firm of RDG Shutte Wilscam Birge, developed a vision of program and service needs which were then developed into a master plan for facilities to meet those needs.
That master plan included a church that seats 1000, a gathering space for welcome and hospitality before and after Mass, a parish center, administrative offices, rooms for religious education and meetings, and the possibility of a parish elementary school with a cafeteria, gymnasium and playing fields. The price tag for the master plan was $11 million, obviously beyond the reach of the parish at that time. However, laying out this plan on the property gave assurance that all the components could be built on the land available.
After much discussion, the choice was made to build the gathering space with baptismal area, a worship center seating 500 (which would later be adapted into a parish hall), administrative offices and twelve classroom/meeting rooms. Ground was broken on October 3, 1993, and the completed Phase I facility was dedicated exactly one year later, October 3, 1994.
Following the opening of the Phase I facilities, the parish continued to grow at an even more rapid pace. A preschool for three- and four-year-olds was opened in the fall of 1998.
In February 1997, Bishop Charron appointed Father Orr as Vicar General for the diocese effective in June. Father Edward J. Hurley was appointed the new pastor, and he began his duties in July 1997. Father Chris Fontanini, newly ordained, was appointed associate pastor at the same time.
Planning for Phase II began in October 1997. The parish had grown to nearly 1500 families and the need for space was immediate. The temporary worship center was overflowing, and classroom, meeting and social space was in short supply. St. Francis of Assisi Parish also had entered into an agreement with Sacred Heart Parish in June 1995 to provide access to Sacred Heart School for St. Francis parishioners with the condition that, because this would push Sacred Heart School beyond its capacity, St. Francis would have some classrooms available by the fall 2000 for day school.
Phase II plan included the building of the permanent church with seating capacity of 1000; an administrative office section for parish, religious education and school offices; an education center with classrooms for both a day school and religious education; and remodeling the existing building to provide a parish center, meeting rooms for parish committees, a large meeting room with a capacity of 60 to 80 people, and a permanent location for the preschool.
Groundbreaking for Phase II was on April 25, 1999, and construction began in June. It includes 45,000 square feet at a cost of nearly $6.9 million. A unique feature of the new church is the Peace Tower that was built primarily through the donations of the youth of the parish as a sign that the parish is building for the needs of future generations.
In July 2000, Father Chris Fontanini was appointed as pastor of St. Patrick’s Church in Audubon and Holy Trinity Church in Exira. Father Ray McHenry, newly ordained, was assigned as the new associate pastor of St. Francis.
The architects for the Phase II addition were Bahr Vermeer, Haecker, & Associates of Omaha, Nebraska. Breiholz Construction was again selected as the general contractor for this phase. The architecture for the new addition continued the Assisi theme that was the trademark of Phase I. The church in particular, incorporated large round windows and the bell tower that would be very familiar in Assisi.
In July, 2000, Father Ray McHenry, newly ordained, was assigned as associate pastor of St. Francis, replacing Father Chris Fontanini, who was given his first assignment as a pastor at St. Patrick's Church in Audubon and Holy Trinity Church in Exira.
The First Mass in the new Church was held on Saturday, August 27, 2000. Bishop Joseph Charron was at St. Francis for the Dedication of the Phase II additions, which included the new Church, Education Center, and the remodeled area of the Phase I. Mass during the prior weekends of August before the First Mass were held on chairs in the original Worship Space from Phase I. The altar, San Damiano Cross, and other furnishings from the Worship Space were moved into the new church to be permanent additions to the church. Mass was held on a temporary altar during this transition month.
August, 2000, also saw the opening of St. Francis of Assisi School. 190 students and a full and part-time faculty of 13 began the first year. The students were in grades Kindergarten through Second Grade. The school had been envisioned to have three sections of each grade level. An additional grade level would be added each year until the school grew to have Kindergarten through Eighth Grade.
Growth of the parish continued at an even more rapid rate. Membership in the parish reached 1,700 households during the year 2000, and, with the opening of the new church, quickly grew to 2,100 families by the end of 2001. The parish continued to have a very young membership. 40% of the parish was under the age of 18. As the school continued to grow each year with the addition of a new grade level, the Religious Education program also grew rapidly to fill the new classroom space. Classes were able to be consolidated into Wednesday evenings with the additional space.
Planning for the third and final phase of the Parish Master Facilities Plan commenced just a few months after the opening of Phase II. School and religious education classrooms would have to be added by the Fall of 2004 to keep pace with the additional students. This was also fulfilling the Master Plan that had been set out for the parish. This phase would include the completion of the Education Center by adding a two-story addition at the east end of the complex which would include classrooms, school office, cafeteria, gymnasium, art, science, and music rooms. It was also determined to enlarge the Gathering Area of the Church, add another larger adult meeting room and a new vesting sacristy.
Groundbreaking for Phase III of the facilities plan took place in May of 2003. Bahr, Vermeer, and Haecker were again the architects for this phase, and Breiholz Construction was again selected as the general contractor. Breiholz was the contractor for all three phases of the construction.
Father Ray McHenry was reassigned in July of 2003, and Father Christopher Pisut, newly ordained, became the new associate pastor for the parish. The parish continued to grow in membership as housing in the area continued to boom at a rapid pace.
Dedication for Phase III took place on Saturday, August 21, 2004. Bishop Charron was again with us to bless our new additions, which included new stain glass windows in the church depicting the natural elements of water, fire, earth, and wind. These are elements of St. Francis "Canticle of the Sun." A new bell was placed in the Peace Tower to ring and call the parish to Mass. The bell is a refurbished bell, originally cast in Cincinnati in 1892. It is not known for what church the bell was originally cast, but it was re-inscribed for St. Francis.
With the completion of the final phase of the construction of the Master Plan in 2004, the parish has now grown to include 2,375 households.