Parishioner Patrick C. “Pat” Lancaster Passes Away

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

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