Abilene is filled with houses of worship but most Abilenians are familiar with the inside of only a handful. A periodic feature in Spirit of Abilene will give you an “Insider’s View” of some of those places you may have driven by many times but never entered.

By LORETTA FULTON

Father Innocent Eziefule, a native of Nigeria, was ordained a priest in the Catholic Diocese of San Angelo in 2013. He was appointed priest at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Abilene effective April 25, 2022.

The 10th anniversary of his ordination as a priest will be celebrated with a Holy Mass of Thanksgiving at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 8, at St. Francis, 826 Cottonwood St. A reception and dinner will follow in the parish hall. 

Father Innocent Eziefule, pastor, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church

NAME: St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
LOCATION: 826 Cottonwood St. 
WEBSITE: https://www.stfrancisabilene.com/
PASTOR: Rev. Innocent Eziefule (pronounced A-zee-ful-A)
ABOUT: The first Catholic Mass in Abilene was celebrated in 1880 in the home of Mr. and Mrs. James E. Condon at North Third and Pine streets. In 1891, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church opened at North Fifth and Beech streets. The first resident priest in Abilene was Father Henry D. Brickley. In July 1917, Father Rudolph A. Gerken, who had been assigned the pastorate of Sacred Heart, began directing the relocation of the church to a new site. In 1918, the old Sacred Heart church building was given to the Mexican population of the city and named St. Francis of Assisi. Father E.J. Cussen followed Father Gerken and served for eight months in 1919. The church was moved to its present location at that time. Father Gerken served both Sacred Heart and St. Francis, followed by Father Henry Knufer. An assistant, Father Benjamin Rodarte, a Mexican exiled priest, was appointed to take charge of St. Francis in 1928. Following his death, subsequent priests, including Father Eziefule, have celebrated Masses in both Spanish and English. The first person baptized at St. Francis was Felipa Lara on June 19, 1906 by Father James Anthony Schauf.

Entrance to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 826 Cottonwood St. Photo by Loretta Fulton

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church sanctuary .Photo by Loretta Fulton

Prayer of Saint Francis in front of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Photo by Loretta Fulton