All Parish Reconciliation
Growth Begins is our Advent theme this year. Growth in the form of healing and forgiveness often begins with reconciliation. We offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation EVERY Monday from 5:30-7:00 PM in Church. During Advent and Lent we also extend the time and include additional priests. Please see the website for these details this Advent.
However, EVERY Advent and Lent we also offer an All-Parish Reconciliation Service. THIS IS THE SACRAMENT of RECONCILIATION. Sometimes when people hear the word service, they don’t think what is offered is the SACRAMENT. Please believe me, it is.
During these services, we gather for an opening hymn. We hear a scripture passage and a homily based on forgiveness, mercy, grace, confession and reconciliation. We then are led through an Examination of Conscience and we pray the Act of Contrition together. Then several priests are available for the more personal and private confession of sins, perhaps a short chat with the priest, who will give a Penance and then closing with the sacred prayer of the Church – Absolution.
Please consider coming to receive God’s grace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation during our ALL- PARISH RECONCILIATION SERVICE this coming Wednesday, DECEMBER 19 beginning at 7:00 PM.
Holy Family Statue Relocated
You will notice work being done in both the Narthex and the Tabernacle area of church to relocate the figures of the Holy Family. I have always found the statues to be a deep source of reflection and prayer but few people seem to notice them to the extent that they are worthy in their current location.
The statues were donated by the late Bob and Wilma Growney, parents of Alicia Sokulski, one of our Academy parents. The artist is James Nicpon from Milwaukee and he was made aware of our identity as a Holy Family, our mission to be a Holy Family, and our constant inspiration by the original Holy Family. So, Mr. Nicpon created this set of figures that has much more detail than the three main figures of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
After much consultation and prayer, I have decided to make the statues more accessible for us and for visitors. My hope is that this more visible location and more attention to them will help us carry out the challenge of being a Holy Family in the spirit of humility and support that the figure of Mary shows, the acceptance and respect that the figure of Jesus shows, and the guidance and admiration that the figure of Joseph shows.
I believe the two most important aspects of the collection are Mary reaching out to Jesus as she always did during her life on earth and continues to do through apparitions all over the world. The second is the depiction of Jesus as an adolescent. There are VERY FEW statues or images of Jesus as an adolescent. Teens are a VERY significant part of our mission here at Holy Family in Inverness and I feel that the new location will remind us of that and be a more noticeable expression of our identity and our inspiration as a HOLY FAMILY.
We hope the figures will be permanently displayed in the Narthex by Christmas. Please take time to pray with them.
Remain in Me
Eucharistic renewal is one of two pillars for our Be More… A Movement of Growth. We are offering many opportunities for Eucharistic renewal, including the encouragement to celebrate this foundational Sacrament of the Catholic Church each weekend and every morning at 9:00 AM if you so wish.
Eucharistic renewal can also be an invitation/challenge for you to learn more, read more and study more about Christ’s gift of himself to you and our community during Mass. One of the programs we are offering is called Remain in Me, a 5-session series beginning Wednesday, January 15. This is a follow up to Cardinal Cupich’s presentation, “Take, Break, Bless and Share.” Eucharistic renewal can also be as simple as reflecting on these four action words in your life, and therefore in the Eucharistic celebration at Mass.