Welcome to our April 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!
April is dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament
Anami Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds, hide me.
Separated from Thee let me never be.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
At the hour of death, call me.
To come to Thee, bid me,
That I may praise Thee in the company
Of Thy Saints, for all eternity.
Amen.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds, hide me.
Separated from Thee let me never be.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
At the hour of death, call me.
To come to Thee, bid me,
That I may praise Thee in the company
Of Thy Saints, for all eternity.
Amen.
“The Eucharist is the secret of my day. It gives me strength and meaning to all my activities of service to the Church and to the whole world.”
– Pope Saint John Paul II
Holy Week
What activities do we offer this month
at Holy Family?
Welcoming New Parishioners
The Welcome Committee has a Welcome Social on 1 April, 6-8pm at the Parish Center. All new members to Holy Family who joined Jan-Mar 2025 were invited. We also began delivering Welcome Bags to new parishioners. These bags included small items from Holy Family to welcome them to their new family. Also, please make note of the updated Welcome Table. We have added an updated message from Father Nilo, History of Holy Family, Information about our parish art and cards for each of our ministries with informational QR codes on each. Thanks to everyone who help with the Welcome Committee and if you are interested in being a part of this exciting ministry, please call Dave Cardwell 502-767-5780 or email him at dave.cardwell@sbcglobal.net.
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.
Easter Egg Hunt
Bring your kids to the Easter Egg Hunt hosted by our Youth after the Noon Mass (around 1:00 pm) in the yard in front of Father's house. Fun for all!
DOSA Listening Session
The Diocese of San Angelo is currently working on a new Diocesan Pastoral Plan. This Pastoral Plan will help to set the priorities of the entire diocese for the next three to five years. We are seeking input from all those within our diocese. We are hosting listening sessions in each deanery in both English and Spanish, as well as gathering information through surveys. The listening sessions for the Abilene deanery will be on April 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Holy Family. All are encouraged to both complete a survey and participate in a listening session, when possible. The survey is available in both English and Spanish. If there are any questions about the process, please contact Alison Pope at apope@sanangelodiocese.org.
Pastoral Council Nominations Open Now
WHO SHOULD SERVE AS PASTORAL COUNCIL MEMBERS?
Pastoral Council Members are directed to be leaders in the parish community. It is important to set some criteria for service on the Council. For this reason, we ask you to consider these ideals when you place a name - or names - in nomination:
A CANDIDATE SHOULD:
- Be an active Catholic, registered at Holy family for one year or longer, at least 18 years of age, attending Mass and receiving the sacraments on a regular basis.
- Show an appreciation for prayer in the life of the Catholic individual as well as the Catholic community.
- Show an interest in and have some knowledge of the history and tradition of the Catholic Church.
- Have a basic understanding of the Church’s ongoing renewal found in the teachings of Vatican II, with a desire to help parishioners better understand and apply these teachings.
- Recognize the necessity of shared responsibility in the work of the Church.
- Be willing to participate in parish life and activities.
- Appreciate the uniqueness of the Catholic Church structure and channels of accountability which is different from that found in other churches and civic organizations.
- Be able to attend seven Pastoral Council meetings annually, generally held in the evening on the second Thursday of the month.
Important Update from Fr. Nilo:
Due to issues with traffic, safety, and complaints from property owners, we can no longer park on Bettes Lane or in the grass and yards of the homes across the street when attending Mass at Holy Family. This has become a hazard for drivers and could prevent emergency vehicles from entering.
Additionally, please be aware that parking in unauthorized areas may result in a ticket from the Abilene Police Department (APD) or your vehicle being towed if parked on private property. To avoid these consequences, we ask that you use the available spaces in our parking lot or the designated spots in the Hendrick parking lot across the street.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our community safe and respecting our neighbors.
God bless,
Fr. Nilo Nalugon
Due to issues with traffic, safety, and complaints from property owners, we can no longer park on Bettes Lane or in the grass and yards of the homes across the street when attending Mass at Holy Family. This has become a hazard for drivers and could prevent emergency vehicles from entering.
Additionally, please be aware that parking in unauthorized areas may result in a ticket from the Abilene Police Department (APD) or your vehicle being towed if parked on private property. To avoid these consequences, we ask that you use the available spaces in our parking lot or the designated spots in the Hendrick parking lot across the street.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our community safe and respecting our neighbors.
God bless,
Fr. Nilo Nalugon
Young Adults
Holy Family Young Adults are leaning into Lent and look forward to Easter joy! We have many blessings to count. We were honored to share Ash Wednesday on campuses with Bishop Sis (and the Knights of Columbus) at McMurry, HSU and ACU. We are grateful for their warm welcome to the Catholic community! The young adults hosted Sunday Fellowship on March 23 and began raising funds to attend the SEEK Conference. We were touched by the outpouring of support from our parish community - THANK YOU!
Our next fundraising event is a Pickleball tournament, and we want YOU to come play on Saturday, April 26, in the Youth Center Gym, (time to be determined)! This is open to all ages, and no equipment or experience is required. We will have some special guest pickleball players - you won’t want to miss it! To register, please see the form below, and/or see our table after masses on April 6 and 13.
Almsgiving in the Classroom
All families are invited to help us with our food drive this Lent. Students can bring items to their classes either Sundays from 10:30-11:45 am or Wednesdays from 6:30-8:00 pm.
Knights of Columbus
Raffle for Beef Winners: Congratulations to our Winners!
$200 Mary Kossbiel
$300 Denee' Lenius
$500 Joseph Lamson
Blood Drive: April 27 Please come to the parish center from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. to donate blood. Your donation can save a life!
Men, you are always welcome to join us on the Third Tuesday of each month at the church Room 104 where we pray the rosary and have our monthly meeting. If you want to know more about becoming a Knight, please contact Von Clendenen at 806-218-6257.
Youth Activities: From Diana Masga (CYM)
Faith Formation classes continue each Wednesday through April 23rd with an end of the year party on the 30th. Thank you for your continued attendance as we finish the year strong.
Please note the last two Stations of the Cross are on April 4 and 11 and then Holy Week begins with Holy Thursday Mass at 6:30 pm, Stations on Good Friday at 12:15 pm and Good Friday Service at 6:30 pm. Easter Vigil will be April 19 at 8:30 and all Easter Sunday Masses will follow the usual Sunday schedule. Please come help prep the Easter eggs for the Easter egg hunt for the children Saturday, April 19 from 11am-1pm in the Youth Center. And then come help on Sunday as we get everything ready for the little kids at 12:45 pm. We are hosting the Easter Egg hunt after the Noon Mass.
If you have any questions or need further information, don’t hesitate to contact Diana at 940-447-1921.
Knights & Dames of the Altar
A Day Training for the Knights & Dames of the Altar ministry (KDA) is scheduled for Saturday, April 5, from 10 AM to 4 PM. Snacks and lunch will be provided. All current altar servers need to attend this training along with new altar servers. Holy Family is excited to offer Knights & Dames of the Altar for boys and girls, ages seven and older, who have already received their First Communion and who are willing to make a special commitment to leadership and service. They will undergo rigorous training, and they are expected to exercise great responsibility. Serving at the altar of God is a huge privilege! Come to the Day Training on April 5 from 10 AM to 4 PM to learn all about KDA. Sign up for training use the button below.
Mommy and Me Events 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. The last weekend for Fellowship will be April 26/27. We will resume in the Fall.
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.
