LENOIR — St. Francis of Assisi Parish celebrated its patron saint’s feast day with a Saturday morning full of furry blessings and an evening dedication of their new memorial courtyard.
Father Alfonso Gamez and Deacon Stephen Pickett started the festivities early Saturday morning with confession and a Holy Hour.
Then a line of feathered and furry guests of all different shapes and sizes formed to receive their yearly pet blessing. Ornery and calm alike, in cages, on leashes or free to roam, predator next to prey, they all gathered on the hill next to the church in good company.
That evening, before the Vigil Mass, the congregation gathered in front of the new Memorial Courtyard. The area used to be a patch of grass and sidewalk, but has been transformed into a sacred space for meditation, reflection and prayer, with a large fountain, benches, statues and flowers. The fountain was installed to commemorate longtime Pastor Father Matthew James Leonard.
“He was our former pastor here from 2000 until 2009,” explained current Pastor Father Alfonso Gamez, Jr. “This is a reminder of the dedication to what our pastors have done. He is the first pastor who served here who passed away, and this is a way for us to show gratitude for the amount of time he spent here serving the parish. In this way we can remember his dedication and sacrifice.”
During more than 20 years of priestly ministry, Father Leonard served at four parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte, including St. Francis of Assisi Church. He pastored St. Margaret Mary Church from 2009 until his death in 2019 at 57 years old.
A St. Francis paso (float) decorated with flowers, had two parish St. Francis of Assisi relics acquired from Italy at the foot of the saint. One, a first-class relic, a piece of bone, and the other was a piece of his staff, a second-class relic. Father Gamez encouraged his flock to rub rosaries and medals onto the relics, a tradition that creates a third-class relic, as well as giving them a physical connection to a venerated saint.
Father Gamez’s homily highlighted the life of St. Francis of Assisi and his connection to the saint. Father Gamez grew up with the Franciscans in Hendersonville, who served at Immaculate Conception Church, but he always felt a fierce devotion to St. Dominic.
“When I was ordained was when they left (the Franciscans), but I actually have more of a devotion to St. Dominic, but they’re contemporaries,” said Father Gamez.
The two saints shared a common vision and were quick friends. St. Dominic once said to St. Francis back in the 13th century, “You are my companion. We will work together, supporting one another toward the same end, and no one will prevail against us."
Customarily, a Dominican preaches to the Franciscans on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, and a Franciscan preaches to the Dominicans on St. Dominic’s feast day, Aug. 8, Father Gamez said.
“I actually tend to be more aligned with the Dominican tradition of spirituality of the faith and living out that charism,” said Father Gomez. “So, I consider myself a Dominican preaching to a bunch of Franciscans.”
The worldly image of St. Francis as a concrete garden statue surrounded by birds and deer does not complete his story, he said.
“Holiness, the life that you and I are called to, may look messy by the world’s standards, but St. Francis shows us that holiness comes about with fidelity,” said Father Gamez. “St. Francis shows us that the Lord does not care about earthly results; He cares about fidelity.”
Mass ended with a procession carrying the paso from the church to the reception hall, where the congregation spent time in fellowship admiring their patron, St. Francis of Assisi.
Parishioner Sylvia Echeverria, a member for 25 years, remembers and misses her original pastor, Father Leonard, but has grown fond of her new shepherd, Father Gamez.
“He is a very, very good person,” said Echeverria. “He is helpful, and he is always there for us.”
— Lisa M. Geraci
