1st Sunday of Lent
Maria Hayes • March 26, 2025
Back in January, I was away for 12 days. The first 7 days were just time away. I took a little road trip, which included stopping by some cathedrals, churches, & chapels as well as other historical & cultural sites. One chapel I visited & prayed at was the Saint Anthony's Chapel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is known for housing the largest collection of relics outside the Vatican, containing more than 4500! While I’m not the biggest relic’s buff in the world, it was an interesting place to pause & pray – not just with “so great a cloud of witnesses”, but literally “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (Cf Heb 12:1).
The second, and arguably much more important, part of my time away was spent on retreat at the Passionist Monastery of St Joseph in Whitesville, KY. The Passionist nuns are a group of cloistered women religious whose whole life is dedicated to and organized around Prayer & Praise of God, so as to grow in personal holiness and to lift up the whole Church for universal holiness. As their name suggests, the Passionist have a particular devotion to Christ’s suffering & death upon the Cross – His Holy Passion. I’ve been blessed to retreat with the Passionist nuns each year now for the last 6 years. Canon law states that bishops, priests, and deacons “are equally bound to make time for spiritual retreats” (Canon 276.2.4). The Church binds, that is, requires, us ministers to set aside dedicated time to spend in prayer with God each year. This is on top of the many other forms of prayer we engage in daily, such as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, meditation, and devotions.
Retreats are not vacations, even while retreats most certainly include getting added rest – spiritual as well as physical – and stepping back from typical daily responsibilities. Yet, they are so importance that the Church actually embeds the clerical right & responsibility to an annual retreat in the Code of Canon Law. Including it in Canon Law also has the added purpose of reminding (insistently!) bishops, priests, and deacons just how important such dedicated time of Retreat with God is, if we are going to minister well for Christ and the Church. I look forward to my annual time of retreat, and I can’t imagine missing it.
I bring up retreats because bishops, priests, and deacons are not the only ones who can benefit by dedicated & intentional times of prayer & Godly encounter. I realize a week of silence at a monastery might not be everyone’s calling, but growing in holiness & relationship with Jesus most certainly is. And yet, it will look differently according to one’s particular vocation and state in life. I do know some laity who make retreats to monasteries, but such persons tend to be the exception rather than the rule. Yet, it is the idea of a universal call to holiness, the need for dedicated time for prayer, and the need to step back from daily pursuits so as to encounter God in some new way, that encourages many parishes to host Parish Missions. A Parish Mission is a kind of retreat for the whole parish family. It is better structured to accommodate the busy life of laity who can’t necessarily step away for multiple days at a time, but who still want to grow in their faith in a sustained way. Rather than just silent personal prayer, Parish Missions are typically a series of spiritual talks or sermons on a certain aspect of the Christian life typically given by a visiting priest or spirit filled lay person.
This week, Holy Family is hosting a 3-night Parish Mission titled: Led by the Spirit with speaker John Beaulieu. Mr. Beaulieu serves Franciscan University, Steubenville, OH as the Director of Evangelization and Formation. He is going to empower us to bring the Holy Spirit more fully into our lives, especially in this blessed season of Lent. While you are not obligated by Canon Law, I do hope you take advantage of this Blessed Opportunity to join us each night, Monday to Wednesday @ 6:30p in the church with an open heart to receive some spiritual rest and renewal.
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Lenten Adoration of the Most Holy Eucharist
didn’t sign up? Don’t worry. Just Show up & Pray!
Nothing Less than saints for the Holy Family of God.
Holy Family, Led by the Holy Spirit, Pray for us.
~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries
Resurrection of Christ by Annibale Carracci, 1593 Louvre
This year, deanery parishes are collaborating to host a single Divine Mercy Sunday Celebration at St. John Paul II Parish in Sellersburg. The event includes Confessions from 2-3pm, a Holy Hour with hymns, scripture reading and reflection, and singing the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and concluding with a reception at 4pm. Jesus said to St. Faustina in a private revelation about the Divine Mercy Feast: " The soul that would go to Confession and receive Holy Communion will obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment... " (Diary, 699). Please join us at St. John Paul II to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, on April 27th!
Blessed Palm Sunday to you. As we enter into to this Holy Week, I invite you to truly make it holy. Yes, I know you still have to go to work and school, the grocery and gas station, but really try to quiet down and cut out all those things that are not truly necessary. And we know the difference. Necessary means required to be done, needed, essential. Maybe one of the best exercises we can engage in this week, is to really evaluate the words & actions of our lives in terms of necessary and unnecessary. If the purpose of our life, our birth, our daily struggle, our sufferings, our successes, our whole life is to know, love, and serve God in this life so as to be with Him forever in the next, we must figure out here and now, what is necessary. Use the added holiness of this week to prayerfully discern over the various pursuits of your life in terms of necessity. For this week, set aside those things that are not necessary so as to be more faithful & focused upon that which is truly necessary. Allow this week to unite you to the necessity of your Catholic Christian Faith, of the Sacrifice of Christ, of His immense Love & Mercy, of our need for God in a godless world. If Lent is Catholic Christians at their best, then Holy Week should necessarily be Catholic Christians fully for Christ. For much of the world and most people, this is just another week. They will go along as if nothing in particular is happening. They will follow their normal routines, engage in their normal activities, pursue their normal professions. Will that be us as well? Is this going to be Wholly a week for Christ and therefore a Holy Week, or will we just make a whole in our normal endeavors to admit Christ’s cross for a moment or to rejoice in the empty hole in the ground, known as tomb. If your faith is more than words upon our lips or a few pious thoughts from time to time, it should be manifest itself in the whole of your life, especially as we enter into Holy Week. We all engage in unnecessary endeavors. I do to! Some unnecessary pursuits could, maybe should, just be abandoned altogether. Yet, unnecessary does not always mean unimportant. There could be unnecessary pursuits given the greater religious significance of this week, that simply allow those unnecessary pursuits to take their proper place, so as to justly recognized the real priority and right relationship with God, neighbor, and self. And learning to know the difference between distractions and definitives will help make you Holy. Lenten Adoration of the Most Holy Eucharist Didn’t sign up? Don’t worry. Just Show up & Pray! Holy Week Schedule Tuesday Mass at 8a Tuesday Stations of the Cross at 6:30p Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7p Altar of Repose & time for quiet prayer with Christ in DAC until 10p Compline & Night Prayer in community in DAC at 10p Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion at 3p Saturday Confessions in the Garden from 8a to 10a (in the church confessional if weather is incremental) Saturday Easter Vigil with Sacraments of Initiation at 8:55p Sunday Mass of the Lord’s Resurrection at 8a and 10:30a [No Sunday 6p Mass] Nothing Less than saints for the Holy Family of God. Holy Family, Led by the Holy Spirit to the Lord’s Suffering, Death, & Resurrection, Pray for us. ~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries
Patrick C. “Pat” Lancaster passed away Wednesday April 9, 2025, just two days shy of his 83rd birthday. He was born in New Albany to the late Muriel and Thomas “Tommy” Lancaster. He was a Kentucky Colonel, a member of the Kentucky Restaurant Association, an animal rescuer and a member of Holy Family Catholic Church. Pat was an entrepreneur and a visionary in the restaurant and catering business. At 21, he expanded the family restaurant business, Tommy Lancaster’s. He launched a catering and tent rental division, which grew into one of the largest privately owned restaurant/catering operations in the country—ranked 8th nationally. They served major events such as Pan American Games, Kentucky State Fair, Keeneland, Louisville Redbirds concessions and political functions, including dinners for President Ronald Reagan, Nelson Rockefeller and Kentucky governors. He took great pride in building on his family’s legacy and became known for his dedication, vision, and impact in the community. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his grandson: Robbie Lancaster, Jr., his nephew: Michael Kapfhammer, his brother: Mike Lancaster, and his brother-in-law: Mike Kapfhammer. Pat is survived by his daughter: Debbie Leist and her husband Steve and their sons: Matthew (Elizabeth), Michael (Emilie) and Maxwell Leist, his son: Robert Lancaster and his children: Garrett (Hila) and Travis Lancaster, his son: Steve Lancaster and his children: Jessica, Alex and Carissa Lancaster, 3 great-grandchildren and one on the way, his brother: Terry Lancaster, his sister: Eva Sue Kapfhammer, his partner of 25 years: Kathy Dunn and his former wife: Jeanie Landgraf.
As we prepare our hearts for the Resurrection of Christ, we invite you and your family to join us for the beautiful liturgies and prayer opportunities offered during Holy Week. Whether you’re a regular at Holy Family or seeking a place to reconnect with your faith, you are welcome here. Below is our full schedule for Holy Week 2025: Tuesday, April 15 Mass: 8:00 a.m. Adoration: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Living Stations of the Cross: 6:30 p.m. (led by our 7th & 8th grade students) Please note: There will be no 6:00 p.m. Mass or Confessions this evening. Wednesday, April 16 Mass: 8:00 a.m. Adoration: 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Thursday, April 17 – Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper: 7:00 p.m. Procession to the DAC and Altar of Repose: immediately following Mass Compline (Night Prayer): 10:00 p.m. Friday, April 18 – Good Friday Good Friday Service: 3:00 p.m. The Parish Office will be closed on Good Friday. Saturday, April 19 – Holy Saturday Confessions in the Garden: 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. (weather permitting; otherwise, in the church) Easter Vigil Mass: 8:55 p.m. Sunday, April 20 – Easter Sunday Masses: 8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Please note: There will be no 6:00 p.m. Mass on Easter Sunday. Join us as we walk with Jesus through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. This sacred week is a time of deep reflection, hope, and renewal — and we look forward to celebrating it with you. The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, April 21.
It's a week-long summer celebration of all things beautiful, bold, and Catholic in the New Albany Deanery. Each day age-appropriate activities will include music, drama, arts & crafts, and more fun! This year, we will focus on the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary and the Apostle's Creed. We can't wait to spend the summer with your child(ren)! To make this exciting ministry successful and safe for our youth and children, many hands and donations are needed. See the bottom of this page for volunteer opportunities. Date: Monday, June 9 through Friday, June 13, 2025 Location: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church (1752 Scheller Ln. / New Albany, IN) Cost: $20 (with a maximum family payment of $60) Deadline for registration is June 2, 2024.
Mark your calendars and gather your team— Holy Family Trivia Night is back and promises an evening full of fun, fellowship, and friendly competition!
Passiontide – the Home Stretch of the Lenten Journey
Due to a power outage, Lenten Eucharistic Adoration scheduled for today has been canceled. We apologize for the inconvenience and encourage you to take time for prayer and reflection at home. Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to gathering in prayer again soon!
Congratulations to parishioner Karen Schueler! St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities has selected Karen Schueler as a 2025 recipient of the Spirit of Hope Award. This will be presented at St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities’ annual “Changing Lives ~ Giving Hope” Gala on Thursday, April 10 th at the Galt House in Louisville. Karen served on the Advisory Council for fifteen years, including thirteen years on the Executive Committee and four years as Council Chair. During Karen’s service the agency experienced tremendous growth. This includes: New programs providing care to those in need. The agency becoming an accredited social service agency. Growth of the St. Elizabeth campus to house more women and children. In her leadership role, Karen always kept the agency focused on our mission. Karen was the agency’s biggest cheerleader and made sure the staff always felt appreciation from the Council. Karen also served on the Development Fundraising Committee and was instrumental in developing relationships that lead to new funding and connecting the agency to valuable community partners. Karen was always working in the background promoting St. Elizabeth attracting those willing to share their time, talent and treasure to support the agency. And while she has stepped down from the Board, she continues to be a huge supporter of the important work of St Elizabeth to women and children in our Kentuckiana area. Karen Schueler is well deserving recipient of the Spirit of Hope! We are very grateful for her and glad she is such a vibrant part of the Holy Family family. + As we have a “mini-celebration” this Laetare Sunday, rejoicing that we’ve passed the half-way point of Lent, there is hint of the rising Son painting the horizon in shades of pink & rose. Hopefully, that is true in your heart & soul, as much as in the Mass vestments this weekend. Jesus through the Spirit wants to lead us into the loving embrace & eternal care of the Father. This graced time of freely chosen sufferings of Prayer + Fasting + Almsgiving help configure us to Christ’s Cross of Good Friday so as to share in His Empty Tomb Sunday. + Special Thanks to all those who helped make our two Holy Family Fish Fry’s a swimming success. A core group of parishioners has led the charge – and monitored the fryers – the last several years. It is greatly appreciated & very delicious. We are also assisted by current 7th grade HFS students & their parents. They assist in the dining area with serving, cleaning, and cashiers, as well as the dessert table (even in Lent a little joy must be found!). Some of the proceeds from the two nights will go to their Washington DC trip at the start of 8th grade. So, thank you for coming out to support both the events, building up the Holy Family family, and enjoy some delicious fish! + Lenten Adoration of the Most Holy Eucharist Didn’t sign up? Don’t worry. Just Show up & Pray! + Nothing Less than saints for the Holy Family of God. Holy Family, Led by the Holy Spirit, Pray for us. ~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries
Resurrection of Christ by Annibale Carracci, 1593 Louvre
This year, deanery parishes are collaborating to host a single Divine Mercy Sunday Celebration at St. John Paul II Parish in Sellersburg. The event includes Confessions from 2-3pm, a Holy Hour with hymns, scripture reading and reflection, and singing the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and concluding with a reception at 4pm. Jesus said to St. Faustina in a private revelation about the Divine Mercy Feast: " The soul that would go to Confession and receive Holy Communion will obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment... " (Diary, 699). Please join us at St. John Paul II to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, on April 27th!
Blessed Palm Sunday to you. As we enter into to this Holy Week, I invite you to truly make it holy. Yes, I know you still have to go to work and school, the grocery and gas station, but really try to quiet down and cut out all those things that are not truly necessary. And we know the difference. Necessary means required to be done, needed, essential. Maybe one of the best exercises we can engage in this week, is to really evaluate the words & actions of our lives in terms of necessary and unnecessary. If the purpose of our life, our birth, our daily struggle, our sufferings, our successes, our whole life is to know, love, and serve God in this life so as to be with Him forever in the next, we must figure out here and now, what is necessary. Use the added holiness of this week to prayerfully discern over the various pursuits of your life in terms of necessity. For this week, set aside those things that are not necessary so as to be more faithful & focused upon that which is truly necessary. Allow this week to unite you to the necessity of your Catholic Christian Faith, of the Sacrifice of Christ, of His immense Love & Mercy, of our need for God in a godless world. If Lent is Catholic Christians at their best, then Holy Week should necessarily be Catholic Christians fully for Christ. For much of the world and most people, this is just another week. They will go along as if nothing in particular is happening. They will follow their normal routines, engage in their normal activities, pursue their normal professions. Will that be us as well? Is this going to be Wholly a week for Christ and therefore a Holy Week, or will we just make a whole in our normal endeavors to admit Christ’s cross for a moment or to rejoice in the empty hole in the ground, known as tomb. If your faith is more than words upon our lips or a few pious thoughts from time to time, it should be manifest itself in the whole of your life, especially as we enter into Holy Week. We all engage in unnecessary endeavors. I do to! Some unnecessary pursuits could, maybe should, just be abandoned altogether. Yet, unnecessary does not always mean unimportant. There could be unnecessary pursuits given the greater religious significance of this week, that simply allow those unnecessary pursuits to take their proper place, so as to justly recognized the real priority and right relationship with God, neighbor, and self. And learning to know the difference between distractions and definitives will help make you Holy. Lenten Adoration of the Most Holy Eucharist Didn’t sign up? Don’t worry. Just Show up & Pray! Holy Week Schedule Tuesday Mass at 8a Tuesday Stations of the Cross at 6:30p Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7p Altar of Repose & time for quiet prayer with Christ in DAC until 10p Compline & Night Prayer in community in DAC at 10p Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion at 3p Saturday Confessions in the Garden from 8a to 10a (in the church confessional if weather is incremental) Saturday Easter Vigil with Sacraments of Initiation at 8:55p Sunday Mass of the Lord’s Resurrection at 8a and 10:30a [No Sunday 6p Mass] Nothing Less than saints for the Holy Family of God. Holy Family, Led by the Holy Spirit to the Lord’s Suffering, Death, & Resurrection, Pray for us. ~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries
Patrick C. “Pat” Lancaster passed away Wednesday April 9, 2025, just two days shy of his 83rd birthday. He was born in New Albany to the late Muriel and Thomas “Tommy” Lancaster. He was a Kentucky Colonel, a member of the Kentucky Restaurant Association, an animal rescuer and a member of Holy Family Catholic Church. Pat was an entrepreneur and a visionary in the restaurant and catering business. At 21, he expanded the family restaurant business, Tommy Lancaster’s. He launched a catering and tent rental division, which grew into one of the largest privately owned restaurant/catering operations in the country—ranked 8th nationally. They served major events such as Pan American Games, Kentucky State Fair, Keeneland, Louisville Redbirds concessions and political functions, including dinners for President Ronald Reagan, Nelson Rockefeller and Kentucky governors. He took great pride in building on his family’s legacy and became known for his dedication, vision, and impact in the community. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his grandson: Robbie Lancaster, Jr., his nephew: Michael Kapfhammer, his brother: Mike Lancaster, and his brother-in-law: Mike Kapfhammer. Pat is survived by his daughter: Debbie Leist and her husband Steve and their sons: Matthew (Elizabeth), Michael (Emilie) and Maxwell Leist, his son: Robert Lancaster and his children: Garrett (Hila) and Travis Lancaster, his son: Steve Lancaster and his children: Jessica, Alex and Carissa Lancaster, 3 great-grandchildren and one on the way, his brother: Terry Lancaster, his sister: Eva Sue Kapfhammer, his partner of 25 years: Kathy Dunn and his former wife: Jeanie Landgraf.
As we prepare our hearts for the Resurrection of Christ, we invite you and your family to join us for the beautiful liturgies and prayer opportunities offered during Holy Week. Whether you’re a regular at Holy Family or seeking a place to reconnect with your faith, you are welcome here. Below is our full schedule for Holy Week 2025: Tuesday, April 15 Mass: 8:00 a.m. Adoration: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Living Stations of the Cross: 6:30 p.m. (led by our 7th & 8th grade students) Please note: There will be no 6:00 p.m. Mass or Confessions this evening. Wednesday, April 16 Mass: 8:00 a.m. Adoration: 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Thursday, April 17 – Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper: 7:00 p.m. Procession to the DAC and Altar of Repose: immediately following Mass Compline (Night Prayer): 10:00 p.m. Friday, April 18 – Good Friday Good Friday Service: 3:00 p.m. The Parish Office will be closed on Good Friday. Saturday, April 19 – Holy Saturday Confessions in the Garden: 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. (weather permitting; otherwise, in the church) Easter Vigil Mass: 8:55 p.m. Sunday, April 20 – Easter Sunday Masses: 8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Please note: There will be no 6:00 p.m. Mass on Easter Sunday. Join us as we walk with Jesus through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. This sacred week is a time of deep reflection, hope, and renewal — and we look forward to celebrating it with you. The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, April 21.
It's a week-long summer celebration of all things beautiful, bold, and Catholic in the New Albany Deanery. Each day age-appropriate activities will include music, drama, arts & crafts, and more fun! This year, we will focus on the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary and the Apostle's Creed. We can't wait to spend the summer with your child(ren)! To make this exciting ministry successful and safe for our youth and children, many hands and donations are needed. See the bottom of this page for volunteer opportunities. Date: Monday, June 9 through Friday, June 13, 2025 Location: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church (1752 Scheller Ln. / New Albany, IN) Cost: $20 (with a maximum family payment of $60) Deadline for registration is June 2, 2024.
Mark your calendars and gather your team— Holy Family Trivia Night is back and promises an evening full of fun, fellowship, and friendly competition!
Passiontide – the Home Stretch of the Lenten Journey
Due to a power outage, Lenten Eucharistic Adoration scheduled for today has been canceled. We apologize for the inconvenience and encourage you to take time for prayer and reflection at home. Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to gathering in prayer again soon!
Congratulations to parishioner Karen Schueler! St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities has selected Karen Schueler as a 2025 recipient of the Spirit of Hope Award. This will be presented at St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities’ annual “Changing Lives ~ Giving Hope” Gala on Thursday, April 10 th at the Galt House in Louisville. Karen served on the Advisory Council for fifteen years, including thirteen years on the Executive Committee and four years as Council Chair. During Karen’s service the agency experienced tremendous growth. This includes: New programs providing care to those in need. The agency becoming an accredited social service agency. Growth of the St. Elizabeth campus to house more women and children. In her leadership role, Karen always kept the agency focused on our mission. Karen was the agency’s biggest cheerleader and made sure the staff always felt appreciation from the Council. Karen also served on the Development Fundraising Committee and was instrumental in developing relationships that lead to new funding and connecting the agency to valuable community partners. Karen was always working in the background promoting St. Elizabeth attracting those willing to share their time, talent and treasure to support the agency. And while she has stepped down from the Board, she continues to be a huge supporter of the important work of St Elizabeth to women and children in our Kentuckiana area. Karen Schueler is well deserving recipient of the Spirit of Hope! We are very grateful for her and glad she is such a vibrant part of the Holy Family family. + As we have a “mini-celebration” this Laetare Sunday, rejoicing that we’ve passed the half-way point of Lent, there is hint of the rising Son painting the horizon in shades of pink & rose. Hopefully, that is true in your heart & soul, as much as in the Mass vestments this weekend. Jesus through the Spirit wants to lead us into the loving embrace & eternal care of the Father. This graced time of freely chosen sufferings of Prayer + Fasting + Almsgiving help configure us to Christ’s Cross of Good Friday so as to share in His Empty Tomb Sunday. + Special Thanks to all those who helped make our two Holy Family Fish Fry’s a swimming success. A core group of parishioners has led the charge – and monitored the fryers – the last several years. It is greatly appreciated & very delicious. We are also assisted by current 7th grade HFS students & their parents. They assist in the dining area with serving, cleaning, and cashiers, as well as the dessert table (even in Lent a little joy must be found!). Some of the proceeds from the two nights will go to their Washington DC trip at the start of 8th grade. So, thank you for coming out to support both the events, building up the Holy Family family, and enjoy some delicious fish! + Lenten Adoration of the Most Holy Eucharist Didn’t sign up? Don’t worry. Just Show up & Pray! + Nothing Less than saints for the Holy Family of God. Holy Family, Led by the Holy Spirit, Pray for us. ~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries