First Sunday of Advent
PASTOR’S NOTES for 30 November 2025 – First Sunday of Advent
Excited by the Coming of Christ at Christmas! Loving all the Holiday tunes! Energized by the lights & décor! Enthralled by all the gatherings, parties, and presents! Wonderful. I hope that excitement, love, energy, and enthrallment does bring you closer to Jesus through Mary. Next weekend, we will host our annual 40-Hours Advent Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In the midst of all the busy, slowdown to really savor the reason for the season: Jesus, Emmanuel, God come into the World.
+ Friday 2 December @ 2p until Sunday 4 Dec at the 8a Mass +
Welcome Fr Jose Neri to St Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church, New Albany. He will take on the role of pastoral care on 01 December 2025. Fr Jose was ordained for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis on 03 June 2023. Fr Jose and I are being appointed Pastors In Solidum for pastoral care of St Mary. “In Solidum” means in solidarity or in conjunction with. In essence, Fr Jose and I will be co-pastors for the time being. Fr Jose will move into the role as the primary pastoral minister for St Mary immediately with continued oversight & mentoring by myself. Fr Jose is no stranger to many of you. You may recall him from his days as a seminarian and then Deacon here at Holy Family as part of his last 2 years of study at Saint Meinrad. It will be great to have him back in the New Albany area & deanery. I’m looking forward to working with him and getting him settled in his new role of pastoring (plus I will greatly appreciate his cheerful help!). St Mary is blessed to receive Fr Jose as a future pastoral leader.
We also welcome
Fr Doug Marcotte to our neighbor,
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, New Albany. Fr Doug finished a full term as pastor at St Simon the Apostle Catholic Church on the northeast side of Indianapolis. Prior to that, he was the pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus and St Augustine Parishes in Jeffersonville. It will be great to have him back in the New Albany deanery.
Welcome home to me! Not to be self-centered, but I feel like I’ve been away after all the travel & events of the past month. The month of November was full of amazing experiences – Pilgrimage to France with wonderful, faith-filled people – NCYC, all those teens drawing closer to Christ in the Church – Thanksgiving Day with its family, food, & fellowship. Yet I feel like I’ve been very absent from my Holy Family family. I’m grateful for all that has been enjoyed & experienced, but I’m also content to be home again.
If you have not yet returned your Archdiocese of Indianapolis
United Catholic Appeal – Go Forth – Pledge Card, please consider doing so soon. They may be dropped in the offertory basket, at the parish office, or mailed in directly.
Saturday Dec 6 – Feast of St Nicolas – during the Holy Family 40-Hours of Advent Adoration, will be the last Saturday 8a Saturday Mass here at Holy Family. St John Paul II has decided to add a weekly Saturday 8:30a Mass to their schedule. With the arrival of two sisters from the Catholic religious community of the
Daughters of Mary of Nazareth, they require a daily Mass.
Nothing Less than saints for the Holy Family of God.
Holy Family, heirs to the House of David, Pray for us.
~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries
