Abilene, Texas, USA

SISTER REGINA'S address

is Regan Hall, 603 SW 24th St. San Antonio, TX 78207-4696. The direct phone line to her room is 210-587-4260; switchboard is 210-434-1866 Ext. 2260

BACCALAUREATE MASS

BACCALAUREATE MASS will be held on Sunday, May 25th at the 9:00 a.m. Mass. If you will be graduating from high school and would like to participate in the Mass, please call Penny or Nancy at the Church office – 692-1820.

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.

COMMUNION MINISTER TRAINING

COMMUNION MINISTER training will be held on Sunday, May 18th from 2:00-5:00 p.m. in the Church. If you would like to be a Communion Minister for Mass and/or hospital/home please call Jim or Mary Pizzorno – 691-1868. 

2008-2009 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 no later than June 16th. The registration fees are the same as last year: Pre-K - 6th grades fees are $20 per student and $35 for two or more. Children enrolling in Pre-K must be 4 years old prior to 9/1/2008. Class preference for PK-6th grades is considered according to the date the registration is received in the church office. Fees for grades 7th – 12th are $10 per student, and $25 for three or more. If you did not receive registration forms, please contact the church office and the forms will be mailed to you. Additional registration forms are also available in the church foyer. 

MARRIAGE JUBILEE DAY

Bishop Michael Pfeifer, O.M.I., invites all couples who are celebrating their 25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th, 50th and above wedding anniversaries in the calendar year 2008, to join him in a Eucharistic celebration on Sunday, June 1 at 2:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in San Angelo. Certificates will be given to the marriage jubilarians who attend the Mass. The renewal of vows will take place at the beginning of Mass. Family and friends are invited to accompany the jubilarians to this celebration. A reception will follow in the Cathedral gymnasium. If you plan to attend, please call the parish office at 692-1820 by May 27.

Meets monthly to address the spiritual needs of those coping with the death of a loved one. The next meeting will be Saturday, May 17th from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. in the Church building room 121. Sister Helen Rivas, C.D.P., D.R.E. will present “Communion of Saints”. For more information please call Grace O’Connell at 437-3800 or Fran Friesen at 232-7045 for more information. 

EXTENSIVE REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS

Will be made to parish buildings beginning June 2 and continuing throughout June and July. 

After considering different options and bids, the Pastoral and Finance Councils chose to install a porcelain tile floor in the parish center. The new floor will replace the old one which is dangerous and unsafe since it suffers from severe foundational cracks and deterioration. This will cost approximately $55,000. 

In the church building and older classrooms, a contractor will supervise refurbishing restrooms, repairing/replacing cracked or separating inside/outside brick, re-caulking structural joints & skylights, resealing/replacing floor tile, etc. Also leaks in the church need to be repaired and some classrooms need to be painted. In the gymnasium/youth center & offices, recurring leaks need to be repaired. 

Because of all the construction/repair work taking place this summer in our buildings, we will not be able to hold the vacation bible school this summer. Hopefully, all the buildings will be fully operational in time for the fall Religious Education Program. 

Please continue to support the parish with your prayers and generous financial assistance as all these repairs and improvements take place. 

If you are going to be hospitalized, 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 one of the priests to administer this at the parish office or immediately after one of the Sunday Masses. 

Recently, Abilene Regional Medical Center notified our parish office that a list of Catholic patients will not be available any longer. This is a major change in policy. So, be sure to ask the Abilene Regional or Hendrick Hospital nurses to contact the parish office as soon as possible if you or your family member/friend needs to receive the sacraments. 

Both of our parish priests visit the hospitals every week and the Communion of the Sick Ministers also bring the Eucharist.

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). 

A RIDE TO CHURCH IS NEEDED by some of the elderly members of our parish. If you are able to give someone a ride to church for one of the weekend masses, please call Nancy in the church office – 692-1820. 

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.

If you are interested in signing up, write your name in the desired time or contact Budd or Jane Hoff at 698-3162. Adoration begins the last Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. and lasts until 9:00 a.m. the following morning. You may come at any time. For safety purposes, the outside chapel entrance will be locked. Knock and someone will let you in.

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