Abilene, Texas, USA

NEWLY ORDAINED DEACONS VAUGHAN AND RHODES

CONGRATULATIONS TO DEACON CANDIDATES DR. DANIEL VAUGHAN AND MR. GARY RHODES who were ordained as Permanent Deacons on Saturday, June 5, 2010 in San Angelo. The newly ordained Deacon Vaughan and Deacon Rhodes will be present at the 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and noon Mass Sunday, June 6th at Holy Family Church. A reception will be held in the foyer of the church following each Mass to enable everyone to congratulate our newly-ordained Deacons. We especially thank our Reception Committee for hosting this event.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DEACON GERALD SCHWALB as he celebrates the 15th anniversary of his ordination to the deaconate on June 23rd. We thank him for his service to our parish.

WELCOME

Sister Xavier, Sister Jyothi, and Sister Raji of India. Sister Jyothi will be assisting at Sacred Heart while Sister Xavier and Sister Raji will be helping here at Holy Family.

THE ANNUAL WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Holy Family Catholic Church would like to honor all parishioners who have been married 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 years and up at 5:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday, September 11, 2010. Couples will have the opportunity to renew their vows at this time. Mass will be followed by a catered dinner in the parish center (nursery will be provided). Please call the church office at 692-1820 to make a reservation.

THE RIGHT OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (RCIA)

is the process by which both unbaptized adults and those who are baptized in other faiths become Catholic. It is also the preparation process for baptized adult Catholics who would like to receive the sacraments of First Communion and/or Confirmation. Participants receive an overview of the Catholic faith as well as have the opportunity to build a faith community. Classes will begin in September and will meet each week on Tuesday evenings from 7:00–8:45 p.m. Childcare is provided. If this process is for you, please call Gail Wheeler at the church office, 692-1820, or email: gail@holyfamilyabilene.org.

TEACHERS AND AIDES NEEDED

Religious Education teachers and aides are needed for the upcoming fall program. If you would like to help with the PK-6 or 7-12 grade classes, please contact Sister Helen or Penny Pope at the church office, 692-1820. Sister Helen is away for the month of June. If you would like to help with PK-6, please leave your name with the office secretary and Sister Helen will contact you when she returns in July. 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Most Rev. Michael D. Pfeifer will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of his ordination as Bishop. All are invited to go and share in a Mass of Thanksgiving at Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Angelo on Monday, July 26, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. A reception will follow the Mass in the gym of Sacred Heart Cathedral. 

EXPERIENCE A CURSILLO

A Cursillo is a short course in Christianity. The Cursillo, which is a Eucharist based retreat, can help the person in developing a deeper understanding of what it means to be fully Catholic, by being fully Christian, in order to exercise their ministry as baptized individuals. The journey starts by attending a weekend that begins on Thursday evening and closes late Sunday afternoon. The cost is $180, which includes your room and meals. The next Women’s Cursillo will be held July 29-August 1, 2010 at Christ the King Retreat Center in San Angelo. For more information, please contact Pajie Cuevas at 695-3721.

SENIOR “HELPING HANDS” NETWORK

A new ministry here at Holy Family Church that identifies the needs of seniors in our parish. Members of the Women’s Wednesday Noon Cursillo Group are sponsors, but we invite everyone to help. Please contact JoAnn Vestal at 854-1452 or 669-3497, if you know of any parishioners who would appreciate a visit, a phone call, an errand run or some task completed.

Bingo Party for our senior citizens of Holy Family this Tuesday, June 22, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Please consider joining us for this fun activity with prizes and refreshments. It will be held in room 108 (Share Group Room) in the church. Rides will be available. Please call 854-1452 for more information. See you there!

2010-2011 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION REGISTRATION

Information has been mailed to all registered families with children between the ages of 4 and 19 years old. Please complete and return these forms to the church office no later than June 14th. The registration fees are the same as last year: PK - 6th grades (Orange Form) fees are $20 per student and $35 for two or more for children 4 years old prior to 9/1/2010. Class preference for PK-6th grades is considered according to the date the registration is received in the church office. 7th – 12th grades (Green Form) fees are $10 per student, and $25 for three or more. Due to printer error the designated colors were reversed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

CHARISMATIC PRAYER GROUP 

Meets each Thursday evening in the Chapel from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Join us in contemporary Praise and Worship, Thanksgiving, Talks on Living Life in the Spirit, Intercessory Prayer, and Healing Prayer. On the third Thursday of each month, a special evening called "Thy Kingdom Come" will be devoted to Charismatic and Contemplative Adoration of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. All are invited! Childcare is provided. For more information, please contact Dee Halbert at 668-6828. 

WELCOME COMMITTEE NEEDS MORE VOLUNTEERS

Welcoming everyone to the Weekend Masses and to answer any questions they may have. We especially need more help at the 9:00 a.m. and the 12:00 p.m. Masses on Sunday. It’s an easy job, but a very important one! Please call Tom or Marian Boecking at 793-2789 if you are interested in helping at ANY of the Masses.

HOLY COMMUNION REVERENCE

The Holy See has established that in public worship there should be uniformity in posture and reverence. For Holy Communion during Mass, the proper posture at Holy Communion is for the communicant to receive communion standing. When approaching Holy Communion, people are to make a bow of the head while the person in front of them is receiving Holy Communion; then they are to step forward and receive Communion in the usual manner. When approaching to receive Holy Communion from the cup, another bow of the head is to be made before approaching to receive the Precious Blood.

TEEN SUMMER SCRIPTURE STUDY “RIPPLE EFFECT!” 

will meet Wednesday nights on June 9, 16, and 30, 2010, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. in the Youth Center. “Can we really impact the world around us”? You can hangout with fellow Catholics and grow in your faith! Your facilitator is Ellen Nasser. 

HANDICAPPED PARKING SPACES

are designated in sufficient number for those who have handicapped parking plates/placards. Others should not use these designated spaces. Please be considerate of those who need to use the handicapped spaces and park in the other areas of the church parking lot. Thank you for your help in resolving this problem.

Please call the parish office and let us know when you will be in the hospital. If you would like to receive the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, you can make an appointment for the priest to administer this at the parish office or immediately after one of the Sunday Masses. Be sure to ask the nurses to contact the parish office as soon as possible if you, your family member or friend need to receive the sacraments. Please note that Abilene Regional Hospital does not notify the church office when our parishioners are admitted. 

HELP NEEDED

The International Rescue Committee has an office here in Abilene. Thank you for all the generous donations made to the refugees from Africa. At this time the greatest need is for transportation to and from church. Many of us are blessed with two or more vehicles. Please consider filling up those empty seats with someone who really wants to get to church and make a new friend at the same time. Also, kitchen items as well as towels and linens are still needed. Please contact Gary and Suzanne Rhodes at 672-6627 (home), 677-6303 (Gary’s work), or 690-0121 (Suzanne’s work). 

CATHOLIC PRISON MINISTRY VOLUNTEERS are needed at Middleton prison unit, North of Abilene. Currently there are classes on Wednesday evenings and Prayer/Communion services Saturday mornings. Volunteers are needed to help in these areas and to do computer work in the prison office. If you are interested, please call Deacon Chuck or Nancy Lambert at 698-0005.

THE ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY: Volunteers are needed at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store at 1241 Walnut Street. If you can spare some of your time to volunteer, please call 677-6871 and talk to the manager. Your help is needed! Thank you.

MEALS ON WHEELS is in great need of additional volunteers. Delivering meals during the noon hour is a rewarding activity for families, individuals, friends and retirees. You select the day of the week that is most convenient for you. The hour or so you spend delivering meals will enrich the lives of the people you visit as well as your own! Training is provided. Please call 672-5050 to volunteer or for questions.

begins Thursday before the first Friday of each month at 7:00 p.m. and lasts until 9:00 a.m. the following morning. The next All Night Adoration will be October 2-3. What better time to pray for our country and for world peace. You may come at any time. However, if you would like to sign up for a set time each month, please contact Jane or Bud Hoff at 698-3162.

Holy Family Catholic Church - 5410 Buffalo Gap Road - Abilene, TX 79606

Phone: 325-692-1820   Fax: 325-698-5131

E-Mail: Church Office    E-Mail: Webmaster