On a tree-lined block in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi has stood for more than a century as a spiritual home for generations of Catholic families. Founded at the dawn of the twentieth century by faithful Catholics who wanted a permanent church in their growing community, the parish still gathers the same way it always has: around the altar of Christ, in two languages, for the celebration of the Holy Mass and the sacraments. Today St. Francis of Assisi is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Newark, known for its warm welcome to newcomers, its active Spanish-speaking community, and a parish-run food pantry that serves neighbors in need twice a month.
Mass in English and Spanish
The parish keeps a steady weekly rhythm of Masses for both English- and Spanish-speaking faithful. On Saturday evening the vigil Mass is celebrated at 5:00 PM. On Sunday morning the English Masses are offered at 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM, and the Misa Dominical en Español follows at 12:00 noon. Weekday Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 7:30 AM, with an additional Saturday morning Mass at 8:00 AM. The schedule of Holy Day Masses and other special liturgical celebrations is published in the parish bulletin.
Mass from St. Francis of Assisi is livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel, so that parishioners who are traveling, homebound, or unable to attend in person can still follow along with the liturgy.
Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration
The sacrament of Confession is offered every Saturday at 8:30 AM and again at 4:00 PM, in the hour before the vigil Mass. Confessions are also available by appointment through the Parish Center. The parish asks those who come for Confession to arrive promptly, since the priest will hear the line until the last person has been heard.
On the first Friday of every month, the church is set apart for Eucharistic Adoration. Adoration begins at 8:00 AM and continues through 9:00 AM, then resumes at 12:00 noon and runs until 7:00 PM, giving parishioners a full day to spend in quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
A Bilingual Parish Family
The parish motto, in both English and Spanish, sums up what the community hopes to be: "We have history, but you make it a home. Tenemos historia, pero ustedes la convierten en un hogar." Spanish-speaking members of the parish gather for the noon Mass each Sunday, supported by a separate set of ministries listed under Ministerios Hispanos. These include Lectores, Ministros Extraordinarios de la Sagrada Comunión, and several prayer and formation groups.
Among the Hispanic prayer communities meeting at the parish are Unidos en Su Nombre, a charismatic prayer group that gathers in Spanish; A Los Pies del Maestro, a formation and service ministry inspired by the spirituality of Fr. Ignacio Larrañaga with members committed to Eucharistic adoration, meditation on Scripture, prayer, fasting, and service to the parish at funerals, Holy Hours, and rosaries; and Peregrinos de María, a Marian group that gathers for the rosary, Marian devotions, consecrations to the Blessed Virgin, and prayer. The parish also welcomes Hispanic communities to celebrate the patronal feasts of their home countries, especially Marian devotions such as Our Lady of Guadalupe, Charity of El Cobre, Altagracia, Luján, Chiquinquirá, Coromoto, Suyapa, and Aparecida.
Music plays a central role in both the English and Spanish liturgies. The English Choir rehearses on Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM and leads the music at the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass and at other special liturgies throughout the year. The Spanish Choir (Coro Hispano) rehearses on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM and sings at the Sunday noon Mass. Rehearsals are held in the Choir Room inside the church from September through June, with a break during the summer months.
The Sacraments of Initiation
St. Francis of Assisi prepares Catholics of every age to receive the three Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist.
Infant Baptism is celebrated for children under the age of reason on the second Sunday of the month in English and on the third Sunday in Spanish. Parents are asked to begin the process at least one month in advance, and first-time parents are required to attend a baptismal preparation class. Older children who have reached the age of reason are prepared through a two-year period of catechesis before receiving the Sacraments of Initiation.
First Holy Communion and Confirmation follow the two-year sacramental preparation required by the Archdiocese of Newark. Children preparing for First Communion enroll in the Family Faith Formation Program, which runs from September through May. Confirmation is ordinarily received in the spring of a student's eighth-grade year, with preparation beginning in seventh grade. Students are expected to remain enrolled in Faith Formation continuously from First Communion through Confirmation, and those who have missed years of religious instruction may take remedial catechetical classes.
Adults seeking Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation are prepared through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (O.C.I.A.), the process formerly known as RCIA. Sessions are held on Sundays from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the Lower Church, beginning each September and continuing through the Easter Vigil, when catechumens receive the Sacraments of Initiation.
Faith Formation for Children and Families
The Family Faith Formation Program serves more than 200 children and young people at the parish, recognizing parents as the primary educators of their children in the faith. Trained volunteer catechists assist parents through sound Catholic teaching, prayer, and age-appropriate activities. Throughout the year parents are invited to take part in Family Faith Formation Sessions and parish celebrations designed to foster prayer in the home and strengthen the bond between the domestic church and the parish community. Children are also encouraged to join the children's choir, parish events, and service opportunities as part of their ongoing formation.
Annual participation in Faith Formation is required, not merely as preparation for a sacrament but as an ongoing process of growth in the Catholic faith. Parents are asked to enroll their children each year until they have received the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The Parish Food Pantry
One of the most visible ministries of St. Francis of Assisi is its food pantry, which distributes pre-packaged supplemental bags of groceries to individuals and families in the community. Distribution takes place twice a month on Tuesday mornings from 9:30 AM to 10:00 AM at 114 Mt. Vernon Street. Volunteers help pack, organize, and deliver food to homebound neighbors, and the pantry also runs a Christmas Giving Tree, Thanksgiving food baskets with turkey or ham, and an Easter distribution that includes a chocolate bunny for every child served.
The pantry is funded entirely by donations from parishioners, friends, local schools, organizations, businesses, food drives, and memorial gifts; it receives no government funding. Non-perishable items and monetary gifts may be placed in the weekly collection basket (marked "Food Pantry") or mailed to the Parish Center, and Deacon Victor Conversano Jr. directs the ministry along with a corps of parish volunteers.
Ministries for Every Age and Vocation
Parish life at St. Francis of Assisi is organized around dozens of lay ministries that give members a way to share their time and talents.
- Saint Francis Men's Ministry brings Catholic men together for prayer, formation, and fraternity. Meetings are held on Saturday mornings at 6:00 AM in the Parish Center from September through June.
- Sisters in Spirit is the women's fellowship of the parish, meeting on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM for prayer, talks, and shared experience.
- Crocheting with Faith Ministry creates prayer shawls for those who are ill, grieving, or facing hardship, as well as white blankets for infants being baptized. The group meets on the third Monday of each month at 4:00 PM in the Parish Center.
- Youth and Young Adult Ministry offers young people a chance to encounter Christ through prayer, community, faith formation, retreats, service projects, and social activities from September through June.
- Saint Lazarus Loss & Healing Bereavement Ministry accompanies families who are grieving the loss of a loved one through prayer, presence, and practical support.
- Respect Life Ministry promotes the dignity of every human person from conception to natural death, with a special focus on pregnancy and family support, elder care resources, addiction recovery referrals, domestic violence support, homeless outreach, and Catholic charitable services.
- Altar Servers, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and Ushers serve the Sacred Liturgy at Mass, while the Liturgical Preparation Ministry and the Church Cleaning Ministry care for the worship space itself.
Getting Married at the Parish
Couples preparing for the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony at St. Francis of Assisi are asked to contact the parish office at least six months to a year before their desired wedding date to schedule an initial meeting with the Parish Priest. Once the marriage preparation process has begun, the couple's date can be reserved on the parish calendar.
History, Mission, and Clergy
St. Francis of Assisi was founded more than a century ago by Catholic families who wanted to adore the Lord, celebrate the Holy Mass, receive the sacraments, and hand on the faith to future generations. Their legacy continues today in a parish that proclaims the Gospel and serves as a spiritual home where countless souls have encountered Jesus Christ and grown in holiness.
The parish's mission statement commits the community to the unifying work of the Holy Spirit as it unfolds in the Living Tradition of the Church: to worship God, to be disciples of Christ, and to serve with others, witnessing to the Gospel by serving God and each other, being missionaries of the faith, reaching out to those in need, and being the welcoming arms of Christ to all.
The parish is led by Rev. Fr. Lynx J.M. Soliman, Administrator, with Rev. Monsignor C. Anthony Ziccardi serving as Sunday Assistant and Deacon Victor Conversano Jr. as Respect Life Coordinator and Director of the Food Pantry. Facundo Lopez directs the music ministry, and Milagros M. Lopez directs Faith Formation and Youth Ministry. Day-to-day operations of the parish are managed from the Parish Center at 125 Park Street, where the office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (with reduced Friday hours from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend). The church itself is open daily Monday through Saturday from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM and on Sundays from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Visitors and new parishioners are invited to register through the parish's "I'm New!" page, and online giving is available through the parish's weekly offering page.
Patron and Prayer
The parish takes its name from Saint Francis of Assisi, whose Prayer of Saint Francis is recited at the parish and printed in both English and Spanish on the church's materials. The prayer asks the Lord to make each person an instrument of his peace - to sow love where there is hatred, pardon where there is injury, faith where there is doubt, hope where there is despair, light where there is darkness, and joy where there is sadness.
More than a hundred years after its founding, the parish continues to be a place where, in the words of its founding families, the faithful adore the Lord, celebrate the Holy Mass, receive the sacraments, and pass the Catholic faith on to the next generation.