Mission, Ministry and Interfaith Dialogue
Plant Yourself in Franciscan Soil
Mission: The Office of Mission, Ministry, and Interfaith Dialogue is the spiritual hub on campus that provides opportunities, education, programs, and resources to discover and be shaped by our Franciscan Values to prepare all members of the College to serve and thrive in a global community and help shape a just society.
Vision: The Vision of the Office of Mission, Ministry and Interfaith Dialogue is for every member of the St. Francis College Community - in particular through interdependence, genuine support, service, and spiritual growth - to fearlessly live out the Franciscan way personally and professionally to transform the world!
Core Franciscan Values (LIFE)
Learning
Integrity
Family
Equity
Our Community
We encourage members of all faith traditions to participate in our programs and events, which include Mass, interfaith prayer services, retreats, music ministry, and conversations about spirituality and faith.
Our office also coordinates local service opportunities and offers interested students pastoral guidance. Through these efforts, the College’s Franciscan identity is deepened as its caring mission extends into the wider community.
Ways to Get Involved
Eucharistic Adoration and Mass
The Office of Mission, Ministry & Interfaith Dialogue invites all in the SFC community to join us weekly in the 5th-floor Chapel for Eucharistic Adoration (Mondays at 1:30 p.m.) and Mass (Thursdays at 2 p.m.).
Struggling with Smoking, Vaping, Dipping or Chewing?
SFC is elated to host Nicotine Anonymous meetings every Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Room 6225. Meetings are open to all. For more information, kindly email Brother Greg Cellini or call (718) 489-5260.
Thank God For Monday Podcast
SFC Radio is pleased to air "Thank God For Monday" (TGFM), the weekly talk show about the workplace. Hosted by our own Brother Greg Cellini, the purpose of TGFM is to inspire listeners to take personal responsibility for their professional satisfaction.
Franciscan Service Program
SFC's Franciscan Service Program is committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring them in a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. Our students gain skills and exposure to help explore possible career choices while being good neighbors serving in the community.
GALLERY
Pace e Bene
As a Franciscan institution, we approach the world with joy and gratitude. Sometimes these two values intersect or overlap so closely that we have to think about whether we are joyful because we are grateful or are we grateful because we experience joy in our lives. We know that both St. Francis and St. Clare embodied and reflected joy and gratitude, and we are reminded that we are called to do the same with these gifts that we are offered freely and unconditionally.
Many of you are aware that each academic year we focus on a particular Franciscan value or tenet. This year we have chosen to be guided by a more overarching theme so as to emphasize many of our values. The theme this year is Pace e Bene, which is Italian for "Peace and All Good." St. Clare and St. Francis used this powerful little phrase as a greeting, expressing their desire for each person to be truly at peace, truly good and deeply content. In selecting this as our theme, it is our sincere hope that this focus will profoundly impact the atmosphere of our new campus by establishing it as a place of deep peace and good for everyone in our community. May the Franciscan spirit of Pace e Bene bring our community together in close-knit bonds of friendship as we begin this new chapter at St. Francis College!
Daily Muslim Prayer Times
BRIDGE-BUILDING
St. Francis and the Sultan
"In 1219, St. Francis and Brother Illuminato accompanied the armies of western Europe to Damietta, Egypt, during the Fifth Crusade. His desire was to speak peacefully with Muslim people about Christianity. He tried to stop the Crusaders from attacking Muslims at the Battle of Damietta, but failed. He was arrested, beaten, and eventually taken to the sultan, Malek at-Kamil.
Al-Kamil was known as a kind, generous, fair ruler. At Damietta alone he offered peace to the Crusaders five times, and, according to western accounts, treated defeated Crusaders humanely. His goal was to establish peaceful coexistence with Christians.
After an initial attempt by Francis and the sultan to convert the other, both quickly realized that the other already knew and loved God. They remained for as many as 20 days discussing prayer and the mystical life.
This encounter is a paradigm for interfaith dialogue in our time. Despite differences in religion, people of prayer can find common ground in their experiences of God. Dialogue demands that we truly listen to the other, but before we can listen, we must see the other as a precious human being, loved by God."
- Brother Robert Lentz, OFM
What is the Appeal of Saint Francis and Saint Clare?
22 Ways Franciscans Changed the World
Additional Resources & Information
Franciscan Month
Each October we celebrate our Franciscan heritage with a series of events throughout the month! These events will be included in the college-wide calendar. The entire month helps us to come together as a community and plant ourselves deeper in our Franciscan soil, with particular emphasis on our core Franciscan values of Learning, Integrity, Family and Equity.
Prayer of St. Francis
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me a channel of your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me bring love;
where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Lord, grant that I may not seek to be consoled as to console;
Understood as to understand;
Loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
In pardoning that we are pardoned,
And in dying we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
All Good Things Blog
Click HERE to explore All Good Things, our seasonal collection of reflections written by members of the SFC community. If you are interested in subscribing to this series or contributing a reflection, please contact Tim at [email protected].
Retreats
We currently offer two retreat experiences: an Advent Retreat, and a Lent Retreat. Both of these retreats are delivered in a Zoom format, and they include weekly sessions led by students and ministers throughout the Diocese of Brooklyn. In the past, we have also facilitated a Busy Person's Retreat. If you have an idea for a retreat experience, please let us know! Contact Tim at [email protected] for more information.
Community Service
Following the tradition and example of our college’s patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi, our office is dedicated to empowering students to share their gifts with others and to continuously serve our community in Brooklyn and beyond. This includes helping students fulfill their service requirements by matching them with opportunities throughout the area. Visit our office or email Tim at [email protected] to learn more about service opportunities.
Spaces
Our Chapel, located on the 5th floor (Room 5102), is always open for personal prayer and reflection.
The Interfaith Prayer Room (also known as the Assisi Room), located on the 5th floor (Room 5104), has prayer mats, ablution rooms, and resources for all who want to come and pray.
The Campus Ministry Suite, located on the 5th floor (Room 5109), includes our offices, a huddle room, and our SFC Resource Pantry which is stocked with food items, hygiene products, and a limited supply of clothing.
Chapel Services
Our Chapel, located on the 5th Floor (Room 5102), is open at all times. It is available for quiet prayer and personal reflection for everyone.
Catholic Liturgy is celebrated weekly in the Chapel during the academic year. Our Fall 2023 Mass schedule will be determined as we approach the first day of classes.
If you are seeking information regarding the reception of sacraments, please contact [email protected].
Liturgical Ensemble
We have a liturgical ensemble which welcomes singers and instrumentalists. The ensemble is currently inactive, but please contact Tim at [email protected] if you are interested in having this opportunity reactivated.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
Please visit the Office of Mission, Ministry & Interfaith Dialogue to discuss details of necessary instruction and preparation for the RCIA. Contact us at [email protected].
Scholarship Opportunities
Discover more about our Faith-Based Scholarship and Larkin Luminary Scholarship by clicking HERE.
Connect With Us
Office of Mission, Ministry & Interfaith Dialogue, Campus Ministry Suite (Room 5109)
Staff
Bro. Gregory Cellini, OSF, Director
Contact: (718) 489-5260 | [email protected]
Timothy Nagy, Assistant Director
Contact: (718) 489-2054 | [email protected]
Faith News and Events
October Designated Franciscan Month at St. Francis College
