"The Church of St. Francis of Assisi is the official Latin Rite Parish church of Rhodes. It is next to the Athanasius Gate, between the two districts of Acandia and St. John. On Sundays and Holidays Holy Mass is celebrated in Greek. Thanks to some volunteers, the faithful can follow the Mass in their own language through brochures with the readings translated into 12 languages. After each Mass, Father Luke and his parishioners gather in the hall behind the church or in the garden for a moment of celebration: some of the women take turns baking cakes typical of their countries to offer with good coffee to celebrate together.
The church also hosts sacred music concerts; the first was by the Italian organ player Stefano Pellini. The church was designed in the 1930s with wonderful acoustics, and the sound starting from the altar gets to the end of the church and viceversa.
Historical Data -
On 20th September 1936, in the presence of the Archbishop and the Italian Governor Lago the foundation stone of the church was laid in place. The church, planned by Arch. Bernabiti and built by Engineer Vellini, was completed in 1939. The church is larger than Sancta Maria, and it became the Parish church of the Franciscan Mission in Rhodes, which at the time hosted many Catholics.
The complex – the church, the bell tower and the monastery (including the parish offices, the vestry, the library and some lodgings) with the apse on the southeastern side – is coated with rustic Koskinou stone.
The church façade has three three arches corresponding to the 3 doors. The church has a basilica layout with three naves with flat ceilings, a transept with two chapels at the ends, and a semi-elliptic choir, which gets light from narrow windows. The lateral naves, lower and narrower, are separated from the central nave by pillars; the naves end in chapels and each one has 6 long-arched windows.
The inside of the church is made of different but harmonious materials: the floor is of Kalithea white marble with a grey cross of Gramata marble – the same kind of stone was used to build the pulpit; the window panes are in onyx, the balustrades and the altars in marble, the tables are monolithic blocks of Gramata stone and the tabernacles are in Kamiros stone.
The sanctuary wall frescoes are by Pietro Gaudenzi, who reproduced three important incidents in St. Francis’ life: the Miracle of the Stigmata in the centre, the Preaching to the Birds on the left and the Water Miracle on the right. On the ceiling above the central altar there is a cross, surrounded by the symbols of the 4 Evangelists set symmetrically.
The panels on the lateral altars are also by Gaudenzi, representing the Annunciation and St. Maurice. A local artisan has recently built an iron statue of St. Francis, presently on the right side of the church: the Saint’s statue is surrounded by bramble bushes, palm trees and animals, which particularly draw the attention of the children.
In 1940 the Church was also given its magnificent organ and enriched with 14 terracotta bas-reliefs representing the Via Crucis, sculpted by Monteleone."
SOURCE - (visit link)
"I Romaïo Katholikí Archiepiskopí tis Ródou eínai mia Archiepiskopí tis Katholikís Ekklisías stin Elláda.
Prókeitai gia mia kení Édra pou dioikeítai apó éna Apostolikó Diacheiristí, o opoíos eínai o Archiepískopos Athinón. I kathimeriní diacheírisi tis Archiepiskopís eínai ypó tin efthýni tou Genikoú Efimériou kai eínai Frankiskanós Patéras tis Koustodías ton Agíon Tópon.
I Katholikí Ekklisía tis Elládas: periliptiká stoicheía kai pliroforíes
I Elláda eínai mia chóra me epifáneia 132,000 tetr. chiliométron. O plithysmós eínai perípou 11 ekatommýria. Oi kátoikoi eínai kyríos Orthódoxoi Christianoí (perípou to 95% tou plithysmoú) kai i kýria Ekklisía sýmfona me to árthro 3 tou Ellinikoú Syntágmatos, eínai i "Anatolikí Orthódoxi Ekklisía" i opoía eínai kai i epísimi Ekklisía tou Krátous.
Ypárchei mousoulmanikí meionótita perípou 150.000 atómon sti Thráki (pros ta sýnora me tin Tourkía), mia mikrí Evraïkí koinótita kai diáfores Protestantikés omádes. Diáfores airéseis amerikanikís proélefsis diadídontai se grígorous rythmoús
Oi Katholikoí Éllines, pou eínai perípou 45,000 me 50,000 (0,5% tou plithysmoú), eínai mia thriskeftikí kai óchi ethnikí meionótita. Katholikoí kai Orthódoxoi moirázontai koiná onómata kai epónyma, ópos epísis kai paradóseis, eidiká sta nisiá. I symvolí tis Katholikís Ekklisías stin neoellinikí logotechnía katá ti diárkeia ton teleftaíon aiónon den eínai amelitéa.
Oi allodapoí Katholikoí kátoikoi stin Elláda eínai páno apó 100.000. Kyríos prókeitai gia gynaíkes se miktoús gámous, oi opoíes pantréftikan Éllines ergátes í foitités sto exoterikó. O tourismós eínai énas állos parágontas pou synévale stous miktoús gámous. Oi Polonoí Katholikoí pou diaménoun sto parón stádio stin Elláda eínai perípou 60.000.
Oi Katholikoí Filippinézoi stin Elláda eínai perípou 45.000. Synolikós arithmós pistón: 200.000. I pleionótita ton Katholikón eínai, dystychós, kátoikoi Athinón, mias pólis me perípou téssera ekatommýria katoíkous.
Énas megálos arithmós Katholikón ménei stis Kykládes, sti Sýro (8000) stin Tíno (3000), nisiá pou échoun choriá kai enoríes amigós Katholikés. Ypárchoun Katholikoí stin Kérkyra, stin Pátra, sti Thessaloníki, stin Kavála, sto Vólo kai se pio apomakrysména nisiá ópos sti Ródo, stin Ko, stin Kríti, sti Náxo, sti Santoríni, sti Sámo, sti Chío, stin Kefalloniá, sti Zákyntho, ktl. Ypárchei mia Katholikí ekklisía sto Náfplio, mia álli sta Áspra Spítia (kontá stin viomichanía Alouminíou tis Elládos), i opoía boreí na eínai chrísimi gia tous Katholikoús tourístes pou episképtontai tin Elláda sti diadromí tous pros ti Mýkono, tin Epídavro, tin Pelopónniso, tous Delfoús kai ti Voiotía. Ektós apó tous Romaiokatholikoús pou antiprosopévoun tin pleionótita ton pistón, ypárchoun perípou 3000 Katholikoí Vyzantinoú typikoú kai merikés ekatontádes Arménioi Katholikoí.
Oi dyskolíes pou ypárchoun, pigázoun apó to gegonós óti oi Katholikoí pou den diaménoun stin Athína, eínai diaskorpisménoi se óli ti chóra, p.ch. miktoí miktoí gámoi, synkéntrosi paidión gia katíchisi, diaskorpisménes omádes efívon kai nearón kai álles dyskolíes prósvasis stin ekklisiastikí koinótita. Aftí i diasporá, akómi kai se megáles póleis, kánei kánei dýskolo to leitoúrgima ton ieréon, kathós kai ton ekklisiasmó ton thrískon. To próvlima échei oxyntheí tis teleftaíes dýo dekaetíes, lógo tou meioménou arithmoú ieréon kai thriskevoménon."
PIGI - (sýndesmos epískepsis)