Happy Thanksgiving

11-24-2019Pastor's CornerRev. Robert J. Deehan, V.F.

What or who do you take for granted? I know, it's hard to think about something you don't think much about! But try… especially at this time of Thanksgiving. There are certainly people and things you and I depend upon that we just expect to be there for us. Maybe it's the person who delivers the newspaper or those who provide emergency services. Mindfulness is important in the process of being thankful. With our busy, frenetic lives, we can go from one thing or person to another and just take, utilize and enjoy without much thought about who and what is behind it's availability and convenience. The immigrant laborer who picked the vegetable or the poor single mother of three who packed your box of chocolates are just two examples. Then, there are those in our own family, parish and neighborhood who serve us in ways we don't think much about – the person(s) who put food on the table, the one who always remembers your birthday, the individual who makes life just a bit easier, cleaner, and more comfortable. May your Thanksgiving be filled with mindfulness, which engenders an uplifted spirit, a sincere gratitude, and a respect for all those whom we might take for granted in the course of our busy lives. I include below a special Thanksgiving Grace, which you can pray before your Thanksgiving meal.

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What are your dreams for Holy Family Parish?

11-17-2019Pastor's CornerRev. Robert J. Deehan, V.F.

What would you like the Catholic Church to be like in 20 years? What would you like Holy Family to be like in 20 years? Many of us would say, I'd like a Church overflowing with bold, generous, committed men, women and children who understand the genius of Catholicism and are striving to live it in every area of their lives. The role that you, your fellow parishioners, our staff and I play here at Holy Family today, tomorrow and in the days ahead will determine what the Church will be like in the future.

God has given us the gift of being able to dream, to look into the future and imagine something different than today, and then, to return to the present and work to make that richly imagined future a reality. It's up to each of us to do that!

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Our Mission of Evangelization

11-10-2019Pastor's CornerRev. Robert J. Deehan, V.F.

Dynamic Catholic has been inspiring Catholics to rediscover the genius of Catholicism through the development of world-class resources and life-changing events for a decade. They will spend the next decade helping parish communities like ours grow and thrive through an initiative called Dynamic Parish. They have invited us to pilot this program in our parish for five years at no cost to us. There are over 15,000 parishes in America and ours is one of just 61 that was selected! During the five years, Dynamic Catholic will invest more than a million dollars in our community through engaging and energizing events, programs, and resources. Parish consultants will walk alongside me and our parish leaders, share best practices and support us at every turn. If you didn't have a chance to view the video from Matthew Kelley and receive the booklet detailing this new initiative, click here. We also have copies of the booklet at the doors of the church for you to take home and read.

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Dynamic Parish

11-02-2019Pastor's CornerRev. Robert J. Deehan, V.F.

Today our parish is announcing the beginning of an exciting new initiative called Dynamic Parish. Dynamic Parish is an effort to help every parish in America not just survive, but to truly become a dynamic parish. It comes to us from the Dynamic Catholic Institute, which was founded in 2008 by Matthew Kelly with the mission of re-energizing the Catholic Church in America through developing world-class resources that inspire people to rediscover the genius of Catholicism. Dynamic Parish seeks to help parishes become truly dynamic through the adoption of best practices and the distribution of these excellent resources. It is designed to help each of us grow in a personal relationship with Jesus, deepen our appreciation of the treasures of our Catholic faith, and strengthen our ability to share the faith with others. Holy Family Parish is only one of 61 parishes across the country to have been selected! In exchange for being part of the first group of parishes, Dynamic Catholic will provide over a million dollars of world-class resources in books, programs, parish best practices, and regular coaching for the parish leadership team for the next five years – all at no cost to our parish.

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