Welcome to our February 2025 Newsletter. Below you will find what's happening this month. If you have any questions about anything you read here, please just respond to this email or you can use the color boxes throughout that will take you to different sources for more information. Our website also has a calendar on the home page where you can find a quick glance at all that is happening at our parish. Check it out!
February is dedicated to the
Holy Family
Act of Consecration to the Holy Family
O Jesus, our most loving Savior! You Who were sent down from Heaven to enlighten the world by Your teaching and example, and Who did will to pass the greater part of Your holy life in Nazareth, subject to Mary and Joseph, and thereby did hallow the household which was to be the pattern for all Christian families, in Your goodness receive our household which this day consecrates itself to You. Protect and guard us, strengthen us in Your holy fear, establish in our hearts the peace and concord of Christian Charity, so that each one of us becoming like the Divine model of Your family, may be sharers of eternal joy.
O Mary, most loving Mother of Jesus Christ, our Mother, through your love and mercy intercede, that Jesus receives this act of Consecration, and pour out upon us His graces and blessings.
O Joseph, most holy Guardian of Jesus and Mary, help us by your prayers in all our necessities, both of body and soul; that together with the Blessed Virgin Mary and yourself we shall praise and thank Jesus Christ, our Divine Redeemer.
February 2 is traditionally celebrated as the Feast of the Presentation, sometimes called Candlemas. This day we hear in the Gospel about Mary and Joseph taking Jesus into the temple 40 days after giving birth to present Him where they meet Simeon and Anna. Use the button below to learn more about this feast day.
Father Nilo is inviting all to bring candles to Mass this weekend and place them on the table in the church. Father will be continuing a very old tradition of blessing these candles for your personal use at home. Make sure you put your name on them and then you may pick them up after Mass.
Prayer for the Jubilee Year 2025
Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen
To learn more about this Jubilee Year, watch the below and check out this site.
Mommy and Me
Feb. 11 come and join us for a fun Gym Day in the Youth Center. Lots of games and space to run and play for the little ones. We start at 10 a.m. after the 9 a.m. Daily Mass.
We are looking for moms who want to help us with event ideas. If you have a fun or creative idea, please contact Mary Butler at 325-518-2216.
St. Blaise is a bishop and martyr who lived in the fourth century in Turkey and Armenia. Blaise was of noble birth, became a physician, and after being educated in the Christian faith, entered the religious life and subsequently became a fourth-century bishop of Sebaste in Armenia.
Although the right of religious freedom in the Roman Empire had been granted, it had not reached the area of Armenia, and the persecution of Christians still raged. Blaise was apparently forced to flee to the backcountry. There he lived as a hermit in solitude and prayer. Legend has it that hunters found Blaise and hauled him off to prison. A mother came with her young son to visit him as she had heard he was a great healer. Her son had a fish bone lodged in his throat. At Blaise’s command the child was able to cough up the bone. The saint said that anyone who lit a candle in his memory would be free of infection, thus candles are used in the traditional throat blessing.
Agricolaus, governor of Cappadocia, tried to persuade Blaise to sacrifice to pagan idols. The first time Blaise refused; he was beaten. The next time he was suspended from a tree and his flesh torn with iron combs or rakes. Finally, he was beheaded. He was martyred for the faith in 316 A.D. The legendary Acts of St. Blaise were written 400 years later.
On his feast the church recalls a miracle cure associated with him and celebrates the blessing of the throats. He is listed among the Fourteen Holy Helpers who are saints revered as healers. He is the patron saint of throat illnesses, animals, wool combers, and wool trading. He was invoked for throat ailments as early as the ninth century in the Western Church and by the fifteenth century, the blessing of the throat ritual had begun.
The Blessing of the Throats will occur at
Holy Family on Monday, Feb. 3rd at the 9:00 a.m. Mass.
What activities do we offer this month
at Holy Family?
Life in the Spirit Seminar
BE RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT IN THE NEW YEAR!
Finding New Life in the Spirit Seminar will be held in the church beginning January 16th - February 27th. The seven weekly sessions will take place each Thursday from 7:00-8:30 p.m. The seminar has been attended by millions of Catholics and is an introduction to a life lived in the power and joy of the Holy Spirit. It is designed to deepen your prayer life and bring you into a closer relationship with God. Each session will give you a greater awareness of the presence and working of the Holy Spirit in your life—the grace and gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is a beautiful preparation for Lent. Register below or call Maria Rhodes for more information at 325-513-4810.
Men's Spirituality Groups
Do you want to grow closer to Christ? Do you want to deepen your faith and share your faith in action and word? Join us at our weekly meetings! Just show up on Tuesday mornings at 6:30 am or Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm and we’ll all GROW together.
- The Men’s Spirituality Groups will be giving out the book The Fountain of Youth: Confession, the Only Way to Live Forever by Dave Durand on Ash Wednesday in an effort to educate and evangelize. If you would like to donate to this effort, please drop a check off at the Parish Office or call them and do a credit card donation. Just make sure they know it is for the Men’s Spirituality Group book give-away program. If you have questions, please call Dennis at 325-669-6283
- Starting February 4th the Tuesday morning group (6:30 am) will begin watching and discussing the video series The Saints by Martin Scorsese. Saints include Joan of Arc, John the Baptist, Sebastian, and Maximilian Kolbe. Check out your best resources on these saints and be prepared to discuss.
- Bishop Sis has asked Janelle and Dennis O'Connell, as well as Vince Mangano from San Angelo to help lead the very first Diocesan Medical Mission to Honduras in June-July, 2025. We will be there for 1-week and are actively recruiting Catholic Physicians, PA’s, NP’s, and RN’s. We would like to especially recruit Internal or Family Medicine, OB/GYN, and Orthopedic specialists. PLEASE HELP US RECRUIT CLINICIANS for this very first Mission Trip! Projected cost is ~ $3500.00 per person. Bishop Mike is VERY interested in this trip, and he is doing all he can do to make it successful. Pray that we might be instruments of Christ peace and love in this process. Interested clinicians may call us at 325.668.3397 (Janelle) or 325.669.6283 (Dennis).
Feb. 2 is Family Adoration and Fellowship Day.
Join us in the church at 4 pm for Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and Praise Music as we begin the year with prayer. This adoration is specific for families and children. After Adoration, we have a potluck fellowship time in the parish center. You can use the button below to sign up to bring something or just show up with whatever you're craving. We would love to have all of you join us!
Nocturnal Adoration
Each month on the first Thursday, we offer a beautiful time of Adoration before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Please come spend time with Him by signing up for a one-hour shift. Use the button below to sign up. This is a wonderful way to get involved at our parish while spending time with Jesus. You will never regret this time with our Lord. Let's pack the church! If you have any questions, please contact Gerald Phillips at 325-518-5674.
Exodus 90 for Men
The men of our parish are invited to join Exodus 90 on a ninety-day journey to greater spiritual freedom. Focused on daily prayer, acts of discipline to bring order to our lives, and regular fraternity, Exodus 90 has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of men throughout the world. It’s time to take a leap of faith to follow the Lord more fully in our lives, entering more fully into the great adventure God has planned for our lives. Watch the video below that explains more about it. If you have questions, please reach out to Matthew Dane at 325-234-7589. It's not too late to join us.
Young Adults
Our young adult ministry is growing! We are excited to form a leadership team to help coordinate our group. Our most exciting piece of news is the January 2026 SEEK conference will be in Fort Worth. SEEK is a dynamic Catholic Conference for Young Adults and is a life changing experience for many in their faith walk. While it seems far off, reservations are underway, so we are planning a fundraiser to help with the cost of attending. Watch for details!
Otherwise, February will see us leading praise and worship at Family Adoration, gathering for scripture study and a meal, and just having general fun. Would you like to know more about our group? Or host a gathering? Please contact Kate Ferguson at (214) 532-6707 or Victoria Garcia at (325) 518-8050. Thank you!
Knights of Columbus
If you have questions about any of these, please contact Von Clendenen at 806-319-1933
3 on 3 Basketball Tournament: March 16 (see more details coming soon.)
Raffle For Beef (see the flyer above)
Youth Activities: From Angela Garcia (CYM)
Steubenville - Lone Star Steubenville - June 20-22nd -Dallas Texas
What is Steubenville?
This conference is open to all students who will have completed grades 8 through 12 by this summer. We currently have about 20 seats available. If your youth is interested, please let me know as soon as possible. This summer event has the potential to change their life.
Cost for each student will be $200 - 1st payment of $50.00 due Jan 10th (non-refundable), 2nd payment due Feb 21st -$50.00, 3rd payment March 14th- $-100.00
*All money turned in by May 1st
- Two partial scholarships are available- an essay of 250 words on why you would like to attend Steubenville must be written and submitted to Angela by Jan 10th- adg95r@acu.edu
- All money must be turned in by Check- made payable to Holy Family Catholic Church - memo- Steubenville & student’s name
- There will also be fundraisers that youth must participate in
- If you have any questions & interested in attending. Contact Angela. If you have any questions about these events, you can reach Angela at 325-280-8668.
Choir Members
Calling all choir members, cantors, and people interested in presenting the music liturgy for Holy Week... this year we will have a combined choir to provide music for the Holy Week Masses. Contact Ronnie Kidd at 325-668-4295 for more info.
Welcome Social
The Welcoming Committee held a Social to greet new members on January 28. We have been blessed with many new members joining our Holy Family community. The next Welcome Social will be held in April.
Sunday Fellowship
Come over to the Parish Center each Sunday between 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for donuts, coffee, and more. It's a great chance to meet new people and enjoy some time of fellowship. If you can help out by serving one weekend, please use the button below. We really need more volunteers.
LENT will be here before you know it!
Watch for our Mardi Gras Party on March 1. Save the date for good food and dancing. We want to see all of you there!
End of Year Financial Statements
Statements of parishioner contributions for the 2024 year will be mailed in February. Please let the parish office know if your mailing address has changed. If you have any questions about your current contributions, online giving, or any issues related to your parish giving, please contact Amanda in the parish office who processes your contributions. Thank you.
Healing Mass of the Holy Spirit and the Anointing of the Sick
On the Feast of our Lady of Lourdes, Tuesday, February 11, at Abilene Sacred Heart Fellowship Hall, 1618 South 8th Street there will be a Healing Mass and Anointing of the Sick beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the evening. Fr. Albert Ezeanya will be the Celebrant and Preacher. Prayer teams from Holy Family will also be available for those wanting individual prayer. All are welcome! Sponsored by the Diocese of San Angelo Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Contact Dee Halbert at 325-668-6828 for more information.
Holy Family Prayer Chain
Would you like to join our Prayer Chain and become a prayer warrior lifting the intentions of our people to the Lord? We need people who have a heart for intercessory prayer and can be confidential with the prayers that come in. If you'd like to join the prayer chain group, please use the button below. If you would like to submit a prayer request, you can visit our website anytime and use the form there to submit a request for yourself or a loved one.
Rosary in a Year with Ascension Press
Many of you have participated in the popular Bible in a Year and Catechism in a Year Podcasts with Fr. Mike Schmitz. We hope you will join in this year with the newest series on the Rosary. See the link below for more information. We have links below for the Bible and Catechism in a year as well because they are both valuable resources for you. Please check them out.
Check out this article about the seminary where one of our Holy Family Seminarians is starting his journey.