The Solemnity of Saint Francis of Assisi was celebrated Oct. 4 at his namesake parish in Orem. Father Garret Edmunds, OFM, presided over the Mass at the parish.
Father Garret Edmunds, the parish's last Franciscan pastor, was joined by Father Nitesh Gomez, the parochial vicar, who served as a concelebrant. During the service, Father Garret expressed his delight at the growth of the parish community.
In his homily, Father Garret noted that the first Catholic priests in Utah were Franciscans. He specifically referenced Father Francisco Atanasio Domínguez and Father Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, who arrived in the region in September 1776 during the Domínguez-Escalante Expedition.
Father Garret described the life of Saint Francis as one rooted in deep Gospel obedience. He noted that Saint Francis was the son of a prosperous cloth merchant and that his conversion was a gradual realization that worldly opportunities for comfort and advancement could not satisfy his heart's deepest hunger.
The liturgy used for the celebration was taken from the solemnity of the saint rather than the liturgy for the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time. Father Garret stated the Gospel asked people to take care of one another and the vulnerable, much like Saint Francis did. He encouraged the community to ask whether their possessions serve love or if love has become subordinate to possessions.
