Letters from Fr. Jerry

Dear People of Holy Family,

During this year of many unanticipated events, we are so grateful for how your continued financial support has sustained Holy Family through challenging financial times. Your continued weekly offerings, one-time gifts, and generous responses to fundraising activities are ensuring the health of the parish now and into the future. I am mindful that your sustained support comes during a year in which your own personal finances may have been strained, and that makes me all the more appreciative of your commitment to Holy Family.

Please know that our staff joins me in appreciating your financial and prayerful support to our mission and ministries.

God bless....

Fr. Jerry

Our Holy Father Pope Frances has stirred up a great deal of anger, confusion, controversy, and discussion. He has been quoted as saying that same sex couples ought to be allowed to enter into civil unions. Of course, that sets off alarm bells regarding Biblical and Catholic moral theological teaching regarding homosexual acts.

It would be helpful to look at this more closely and dispassionately. First, the Holy Father spoke of civil laws. The state is an entity separate from the Church. He did not say a church ceremony. Secondly, he used the word union. He did not call it a marriage. As we know and believe, marriage is a sacred bond between a man and a woman. Third, he did not speak at all about homosexual acts or make a change in Catholic moral teaching regarding the nature and meaning of sex acts in the context of a commited marriage relationship and being procreative and unitive. His silence means no change in sexual moral teaching.

We are free to argue with, dispute, or even disagree with the Pope's statement. But, it is important to know what he did and what he did not say.

Fr. Jerry

State of the Parish

As we end 2020 I am happy to report that Holy Family Church has been financially stable. Thanks to the amazing and wonderful support and generosity of you, our people, we have come into the New Year in relatively good shape. We have also benefitted from careful managing of our expenses and a welcome Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan from the government, which I am pleased to report has been forgiven. We did have to repay an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) of ten thousand dollars, but we understand this may be reimbursed.

We continue to offer Masses regularly with our normal winter schedule. We remain at the mandated 25% capacity limit which allows us to seat 379 at the very most. I am happy to report that we have not needed to turn anyone away. The general dispensation from Sunday Mass attendance continues to be in effect as a safety precaution. Masks, social distancing, and hand washing have enabled us to operate safely.

Sacramental Confession (Reconciliation) continues to be offered twice weekly, and funerals and baptisms continue to be celebrated.

We have offered Faith Formation supporting families who are doing teaching in home with online resources. To keep our students safe we have done limited face-to-face youth groups and activities.

We have welcomed a new parish administrator – Mr. Bob King. He has already established himself and is doing a fine job of supervising our parish staff, monitoring our budget, and providing Guiding Lights – a vision for a parish that serves.

We have installed and are operating our new video camera system. It enables us to livestream, and archive for later viewing, our 4:00 pm Saturday Mass, daily Masses, and any other service we wish – baptisms, weddings, funerals, prayer services, children’s programs. It has been a valuable addition – especially in this COVID pandemic world. It will continue to serve our homebound and out-of-towners for many years to come.

Given the many disruptions that the pandemic has caused, we are doing remarkably well. We look forward to the widespread distribution of the vaccine and moving next year back to normal and even better things in Christ Our Lord.

Fr. Jerry Hagen

Pastor

Bob King

Parish Administrator