St. Francis de Sales Church

The Church of St. Francis de Sales (closed 2004) was an innovative and socially-conscious multicultural urban parish focused on responding to the needs of the urban poor in Utica, New York.

As Lay Minister for Liturgy, Outreach, and Pastoral Care, I coordinated and collaborated on various aspects of parish-based direct service ministries for persons and families in economic need (food pantry, clothing store) and engaged with associated independent parish-sponsored ministries focused on meeting needs of families in poverty in the local community (e.g. walk-in health care clinic, hospice for the poor, home for at-risk teen women, soup kitchen, refugee resource center). I provided leadership for ongoing development of vibrant multicultural worship services which incorporated Anglo, Vietnamese, and Sudanese Catholic traditions. I was part of team-based pastoral care at local psychiatric center facility, including group religious instruction and bible study. I produced videos to enhance communication about the parish and its work in the local media through public access programming, including recordings of Sunday liturgies. (We anticipated streaming liturgies by over 20 years!) I co-led retreats with young adults seeking immersion experiences in parish ministries and spiritual reflection activities.

Video Playlist

Below are a selection of recordings from 1999 and 2000 which reflect the work and activities of the parish.