Holy Family Welcomes Fr Harry Tully. Fr Harry is one of the ‘retired’ priests in our deanery who stays quite busy covering for us pastors. Doing so is probably pretty close to a full-time job! I’m very grateful for his willingness and service, not just here at Holy Family, but through the deanery. Fr Harry is no stranger to the New Albany Deanery. He has been pastor of 8 of our deanery parishes and chaplain to IUS during his ministry years. Fr Harry is another living example of your Archdiocese of Indianapolis United Catholic Appeal contributions at work! Among the many areas funded, in part, by support of the UCA is ongoing financial and medical support of our retired clergy. Please keep him in your prayers as he continues to serve the People of God in the New Albany Deanery and throughout the Archdiocese of Indianapolis! I encourage every household to make a pledge and contribution to the UCA.
40 Hours with Mary waiting for Jesus will run Friday, December 3 through Sunday, December 5 as a way to prepare our hearts-minds-souls for the Birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Plan to join.
Last year, Holy Family raised over $10,000 to help build “Homes in Haiti”. The parish is partnering again with Cross Catholic International to build a home (or more!!!) in the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima, Guatemala. Quality, safe, and clean housing is not just a blessing, it is a basic human right. Sadly, many people in large parts of the world do not have such a simple blessing. Six Thousand Dollars will allow for the replacement of a shanty shack with a newly constructed concrete home with a sanitary latrine, washbasin, clean air stove and secure metal door. It would not be luxury living to you and I, but to our Guatemalan brothers and sisters, it be a mansion.
At 7 years old, David (pictured) never slept in a bedroom, or in a proper house. Every night, he would lie down in a dilapidated barn alongside his mother, because there was no room for them in their family’s tiny one-room shack. David’s bed was made among the chickens and farm equipment in a hut built from scraps of wood, metal sheets and plastic tarps.
As Catholics, we recognize Jesus in the Eucharist — and we are also called to see our Savior’s face in the poor. Looking into David’s eyes, we should see Christ in disguise and hear our Lord pleading with us to provide an escape from this terrible situation. In response to this call, Cross Catholic Outreach invites U.S. parishes to bless families like David’s in Guatemala’s Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima by providing safe, stormproof homes to those in greatest need. To achieve our goal, we are teaming up with Father Raúl Monterroso and his incredible Caritas ministry. Fr. Raúl is eager to build concrete block homes for the poorest families in the diocese, but he will need your help to succeed.
More than 2,000 years after Christ’s humble birth, Guatemalan children like David pray for the simple luxury of a safe place to sleep — and this Advent season, your parish can help answer that prayer!
Holy Family Parish can provide a Good Home for a holy family in Guatemala – together!
Holy Family, Full of Gratitude & Thanksgiving, Pray for us.
~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries