CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF FAITH

The news of the closing of St. Francis Chapel stunned many in the Diocese of Albany, but it also stirred many memories.

“If they had to charge me for confession, it would still be open,” joked one employee of the Pastoral Center, who also mentioned the ease of going there. “If I was going out to lunch on Wolf Road, I would stop in for its convenience; it was nice to attend.”

“My father loved to shop and when they put that church in Northway Mall, it was a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone,” said another. “So he could do his shopping and go to Saturday night Mass for his Sunday obligation.”

The words convenience and family were a common theme when people talk about the chapel. The decision to close was announced in early January by the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Name Province, who operate the chapel, and was a simple matter of numbers. In 1986, there were 708 friars in the province; that number is currently under 300. And just three friars have professed final vows since August of 2018.

“Closing St. Francis Chapel ... inevitably will bring disappointment and sadness — which are natural emotions because of the long association with the Franciscan friars at these sites. The decision to close the mall ministry was not taken lightly,” said Father Kevin Mullen, OFM, provincial minister of the Holy Name Province and former president of Siena College, in January. “But despite our long history and rich tradition at the chapel, the reality of our declining numbers — and the challenges and strain it places on our ability to fulfill our fraternal mission — made this a pragmatic and necessary decision.”

Added Father David LeFort, vicar general of the Diocese of Albany and rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, “The friars who lovingly shared their ministry with so many Catholic faithful throughout these 50 years provided inestimable gifts: they offered God’s tender mercy to countless faithful throughout many hours each day hearing their confessions and absolving their sins; they offered Masses daily for those unable to find accommodations elsewhere, thus sharing the Eucharistic Lord as food for their daily lives. There are no greater gifts the friars could have offered our people, and for those gifts, we are so very grateful.”

The chapel which was set to close on April 25, shut down for good on March 21 as the COVID-19 outbreak started to take hold in New York State. 
A sign on the door read, “Due to COVID-19, St. Francis Chapel has moved up our closing date. We regret the chapel is now closed. We plan a celebration of 50 years of “ministry in the marketplace” in the near future. The friars lift you and your loved ones in prayer. Please stay healthy and practice good self-care that we may take care of others. Peace and Good, Franciscan Friars.”

Despite the closing, the emotional and spiritual mark the chapel left on area Catholics for the last 50 years is undeniable. Let’s take a look at the history of the chapel and what the Diocese is doing for people who will be searching for a quiet spiritual space or a time for Reconciliation.

THE HISTORY

On this late winter day, the blue sky and brilliant sunshine belied the chill in the air.

Turning into the Wolf Road Shoppers Park on 145 Wolf Road, the shopping mall was like any across any town in America. There is an Outback Steakhouse, hair salons, investment businesses, a Guitar Center and Capital Buffet, which was doing brisk business that early afternoon.
St. Francis Chapel is located smack between Designs in Silk — a custom silk floral arrangements and picture frames store — and Mariner Finance. You could easily miss it, if you didn’t know what you were looking for. But that wasn’t the case on this day, as one person after another — some older, dressed in long winter coats, one wearing all black and still with her restaurant apron on and a middle-aged man in a suit and tie — went into St. Francis Chapel for confession. Inside the chapel, the space is long and narrow, but with an immediate air of peace.

The chapel started its life at Northway Mall and was opened on Dec. 28, 1970.

“St. Francis Chapel’s mission was to go where the people were.  It was established not long after Vatican II.  The mall ministry was an idea of then-guardian of the Siena College friary, Father Boniface Hanley, OFM, who wanted to reach out pastorally to the Albany area,” said Jocelyn Thomas, communications director for the Holy Name Province, in an email. “He thought the Northway Mall at nearby Colonie presented an opportunity. St. Francis Chapel opened there in December 1970, under the direction of Father Fabian Joyce, OFM. Its mission was to provide a convenient place where people could worship while going about their daily lives. Its patrons were varied – business people, shoppers and tourists.” 

Along with Father Joyce, Fathers Malcolm MacDonald, Lawrence McLeod and Conall Hart were part of the early staff. On March 10, 1971, Bishop Edwin B. Broderick blessed the altar as part of the formal dedication; the previous three months it was estimated that 25,000 people had visited for Mass or confession.

“The chapel was initially an attempt to make sacraments and pastoral care readily available,” said Father Mullen.  “The friars’ goal was to go to people rather than having people come to them. It was very creative for the times. The chapel served the people in an innovative way.”

Attendance was high and in the 1970s, the chapel was open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week and there were four Masses a day, eight on Saturday, including Saturday Vigil Mass for Sunday obligation. But despite the chapel remaining a strong draw, stores were leaving Northway Mall in droves as tastes changed and the chapel moved to its current location on Dec. 16, 1998.

In an Evangelist article from when the chapel moved to Wolf Road, Father Callistus Bamberg, OFM, the chapel’s director at the time, said, “When we told them we were just going up the street, they were excited. The old-timers are sad to see the old place go, but everybody seems to be looking forward to the new place.”

Father Bamberg added that it was appropriate for the chapel to be located in a shopping mall because St. Francis spent his life in the marketplace among the people. At the new location, the chapel continued to thrive.

Even before it closed for good, the chapel had three Masses (10 a.m., 12:10 p.m., 6 p.m.) Tuesday-Thursday, two on Friday (10 a.m. and 12:10 p.m.) and five on Saturday (10 a.m., 12:10 p.m. and for Sunday obligation, 4, 5 and 7 p.m.). And confessions Tuesday through Saturday. There were no Masses on Sunday.

“For close to 50 years, the chapel has provided an alternative setting for sacraments – a friendly atmosphere in which to pray,” Thomas said. “It offers the sacraments of Mass and penance, as well as praying the rosary. The friars have been faithful in providing the sacrament of reconciliation, which has been well-received. People have been known to wait in line to have their confessions heard.”

THE FUTURE

Despite the closing of the chapel, the Diocese of Albany remains committed to offering Catholics the sacraments in nearby parishes. Christ our Light Church, on 1 Maria Drive, is just 2.3 miles away from the chapel, a short seven-minute ride, and St. Pius X in Loudonville is 3.9 miles away. Once things return to normal and people can start going back to church for public Masses and confession, many of the parishes of the Diocese will be happy to welcome people who frequented St. Francis Chapel.

“The parishes of the surrounding area will be asked to offer as much as they are able: a heart-felt welcome, ample opportunities for the faithful to confess their sins and receive absolution, and every possible opportunity to offer Masses during which the faithful may participate,” Father LeFort said. 

“Very soon, we will be publishing a list of area parishes’ Mass times throughout weekdays, and times which offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation throughout the week. Our hope is to share as much information as possible to offer comfort and relief to those who, until recently, found the Chapel their spiritual home.”