Updated: 10/08/2026​

 

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Mission Ministries Food Drives:  The second-Saturday food drives for our Mission partners are back in action.  These collection events help support the food pantries at The Mustard Seed, Abby's House, the Wachusett  Food Pantry, and the residents at Dismas Farm. The dates for the rest of 2026 are October 10th, November 14th and December 12th. You can also drop off donations whenever you are at the church, but these monthly collections are open to the community as well.  Thank you as always for your generosity, especially in these difficult economic times. 

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​Youth Meeting this Sunday, October 11: The youth will meet this Sunday after worship from 11:30-1:00pm. We will meet in the youth room for games, fellowship, and to kick off the semester! Food will be provided. Parents can pick up a permission form to fill out and turn in for each student. We hope your youth will join us!

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Join the St. Francis Community for Our Oktoberfest Celebration! We invite you to celebrate with us on Saturday, October 17, 6-8 pm!  Originally a wedding celebration in Germany over 200 years ago, Oktoberfest at St. Francis has evolved into a joyful gathering of our community during this harvest season. Come share a delightful evening filled with German-inspired dishes (including vegetarian options), apple cider, soft drinks, and, of course, some German-style beer! Children are welcome (we will have pumpkin decorating available) but please note that adult beverages will be served. Suggested donation is $10 per person and $5 for children. Please sign up in the Narthex by Sunday, October 11.  For any questions please reach out to Dawn Rooke.

 

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The First-Mile Walkers for Crop Walk.  The annual Crop Walk in Holden is on Sunday, October 18th.  As part of the St. Francis team, a small group of walkers has formed a group-within-a-group to walk just the first mile of the event.  Some of us have had various joints replaced and are walking because we can!  (Coincidentally, the one-mile mark between Immanuel Lutheran and the First Congregational Church is at the Holden Urgent Care but that is not a commentary on our fitness to participate.)  If you have 15 or 20 minutes on Saturday, please join us in walking: it's only a mile and if we can do it you can too. If that doesn't fit into your schedule, though, you can donate online at https://events.crophungerwalk.org/chw/team/st-francis-church  or even easier, by scanning the QR code on the table under the screen in the Narthex.

 

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The Mustard Seed: St. Francis has agreed to provide three additional meals for the Mustard Seed this year.  The dates are October 23, and December 23.   We are looking for bakers and servers for all three meals. Please let Beth Ann know if you are able to help out.

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​Tree Pruning and Shrub Trimming Day: Please bring your hedge trimmers and join us on Saturday, October 24, at 8:00 AM for a morning of landscape maintenance, tree pruning, shrub trimming, and general grounds beautification. The effort will be led by our own Rich Farrell, a professional arborist, who will share his guidance and expertise. Whether you can stay for an hour or the entire morning, your help will make a meaningful difference in maintaining the beauty and welcoming appearance of our parish buildings. We take pride in our church and rectory grounds, and this is a wonderful opportunity to help care for the place we gather for worship, fellowship, and community. For questions, please contact Craig Stanovich at cstanovich@austinstanovich.com. Many hands make light work. We hope you’ll join us as we care for the grounds of our rectory and our church home.