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History
Holy Family
Church is called the Mother Church of Auburn, as it is the
first Catholic Church that was build here. The church
building itself is magnificent and awe-inspiring, with
original stained glass windows and Stations of the Cross
imported from Europe. I never realized just how beautiful
our church is until I was fortunate to visit the famous St.
Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Holy Family looks
very much like a smaller version of St. Patrick's Cathedral
but, I think perhaps, is even more beautiful.
Devotions/Liturgies
·
Rosary services and
Benediction during the months of October and May.
·
Day of Remembrance in
November for all who have died during the past year.
·
Morning Prayers every
Wednesday in the rectory at 7:30 a.m. before Mass, followed
by a dish-to-pass breakfast in the rectory after Mass.
·
Retreats at Stella
Maris in Skaneateles once or twice a year.
·
Christmas Pageant with
the children.
·
Palm Sunday
Procession.
·
Holy Thursday washing
of the feet.
·
Traditional 3:00 p.m.
Good Friday service.
·
Easter Vigil Mass
welcoming new members through the RCIA Process, in addition
of Easter Sunday Masses.
·
May crowning of Mary
with the children.
·
Masses offered monthly
at many of the local facilities for the elderly including
Auburn Nursing Home, Bluefield Manor and Schwartz Towers.
Outreach/ministries
The parish has a very active Parish Life/Social Ministry
Committee. This group attends to and organizes social
gatherings and outreach programs for the parish. The
Catholic Shop provides rosaries, statues, prayer cards,
sacramental gifts and other religious items. Clothes Closet
provides free clothing to anyone in need. Both are located
in the school building. This committee is also responsible
for organizing the following: Outdoor Mass and Parish
Picnic in the summer, Crop Walk, Pot Lunch Dinner in the
fall and in the spring, Halloween party for the children,
Christmas pageant for the children, collecting bags of
groceries and supplies 5 to 6 times a year for CSCAP, Family
Fun Day/Bazaar every 2 years, maintain Holy Family Website,
Rides to Church and parish functions for parishioners in
need, planting flowers at the church and rectory, Coffee
Hours, workers for the St. Peter and John soup kitchen once
a month. Money raised by Parish Life/Social Ministry is
donated to various charities such as Matthew House,
Pregnancy Care Center of Auburn, and many others.
Faith
Formation/Youth
There is traditional Sunday morning faith formation
classes for children in grades Pre-K through 8th
after the 9:00 a.m. Mass, in the school building. Liturgy
of the Word is provided for children in the sacristy during
the 9:00 a.m. Mass, which follows the Faith Formation
calendar. Currently there are approximately 70 children
enrolled in the Religious Ed program. There are Baptism,
First Communion, First Penance, and Confirmation classes
available. Training for altar servers is provided with a
trip to an amusement park each summer. The CYO program is
active providing gymnasium and refreshments to all of
Auburn's CYO teams each Sunday, (November through April).
The children of the faith formation program participate in
the Christmas pageant, Christmas youth choir and the Giving
Tree.
Faith Formation/Adults
·
RCIA Program
·
Monthly Echoes of
Faith sessions are open to the community. This is sponsored
by the Catechetical Leaders of Auburn.
Quotes from parishioners
"Holy Family is special to me I think probably for the
same reason that many people feel their church is special --
because it feels like home. It is here that I first learned
of the very real presence of Jesus and it is a great source
of comfort and constancy in life to be able to come to this
very place and know that he is still here with me. I know
that he is with us always and everywhere, and I occasionally
will go to Mass at other churches depending on family
schedules and times. I always feel welcome at whatever
local church I attend as there is always a friendly and
familiar face. Auburn is a wonderful community of people.
But Holy Family will always be my home. My husband and I
both graduated from Holy Family grade school, and we were
baptized, made our First Communion, First Penance,
Confirmation and were married right here in this church.
This is where we knelt with our parents and grandparents and
learned to pray and sing and know that God is with us and
loves us. Families are connected to each other and have
deep roots here. Our children grew up here in this parish.
Here is where we come during the happiest and saddest times
in our life. We would be less than human to assume that any
of us would not feel some attachment to a place and people
that have given us so much comfort and joy. It's only
natural. There is no place we would rather be. We love you
Holy Family."
original September
2005
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