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ALTAR SERVERS

"Therefore in the liturgy you are far more than mere "helpers of the parish priest." Above all, you are servants of Jesus Christ, the eternal High Priest. Thus you altar servers especially are called to be young friends of Jesus. Strive to deepen and foster this friendship with him. You will discover that in Jesus you have found a true friend for life."

                   - St. John Paul II on Altar Servers

Holy Family and St. Emery Parish is always in need of young parishioners who would like to actively participate in Mass in their parish. Altar servers assist the priests and deacons throughout Mass. We welcome all interested boys who have received the sacrament of Holy Communion. Training is required and will be made available at a later date.

If you are interested in this rewarding ministry, please feel free to contact Father Sean Kulacz after Mass or by calling or emailing the parish office for more details.

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ANOINTING OF THE SICK

1499 "By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. And indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ."

                      Catechism of the Catholic Church

Anointing of the sick, formerly known as 'The Last Rites' or 'Extreme Unction,' is now understood as a sacrament administered to anyone who, by illness or advanced age, becomes 'in danger of death.'  The person who is in need of this sacrament should contact the Parish Office, or if unable to do so, a family member should call.  The purpose of the sacrament is primarily to give spiritual strength to the person as he or she fights illness, so as to not lose faith in God while in a weakened state.  It is administered by appointment only.

If you or someone you know is in need of the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, please contact the parish office.

For emergency sick calls, please dial the after hours line and dial extension 251: (203) 336-1835 x 251.

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CATHOLICS IN RECOVERY

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

                   - The Serenity Prayer

Our parish is proud to have a regular support group for Catholics in a 12-Step Program. It is not a replacement for regular meetings, but a place to openly speak the Holy name of Jesus and claim Him as our Higher Power!

Regardless of where you are in your faith and recovery journey, you are welcome. We meet on Thursdays, from 6:30 to 7:45 pm in Holy Family school. Park on the Laurel Street side of the school and use the lower back entrance.

If you have any questions, please contact Chip at (203) 449-5398.

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ENCOUNTER SCHOOL OF MINISTRY

17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. 18 Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

                  Matthew 28:17-20, NABRE

The Encounter School of Ministry has brought a satellite campus to Holy Family Church here in Fairfield, CT. Designed and established from the heart of Encounter Ministries, this school draws from the richness of our Catholic heritage as we seek to teach, equip, and activate disciples to demonstrate the love of God through the power of the Holy Spirit in their spheres of influence. In conformity with the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church, we offer students a dynamic 2-year training program designed to take you to the next level in your ministry.

Please see the "Encounter School of Ministry" page on our website for more information.

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GREETERS

16  Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

                  Romans 16:16, NABRE

We strive to maintain a welcoming environment to all people at our parish, which is only made possible with the help of friendly, knowledgeable, helpful greeters. Their faces are the first that people see when entering the church.

Our greeters are there to welcome people into the church as they arrive, as well as to help direct visitors to information about the parish and our activities.

Anyone seeking to be part of the greeting team or serve the church as an usher should see Fr. Sean after Mass or call the parish office.

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MUSIC MINISTRY

1  Hallelujah!

Praise God in his holy sanctuary;
    give praise in the mighty dome of heaven.
2  Give praise for his mighty deeds,
    praise him for his great majesty.
3 Give praise with blasts upon the horn,
    praise him with harp and lyre.
4 Give praise with tambourines and dance,
    praise him with strings and pipes.
5 Give praise with crashing cymbals,
    praise him with sounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath
    give praise to the Lord!
Hallelujah!

                  Psalm 150, NABRE

The sacred music program at Holy Family and St. Emery Parish draws on the rich and beautiful traditions of the Church: our Catholic musical heritage spanning the centuries from Gregorian chant to contemporary compositions. Our music, both sung and instrumental, is offered as sung prayer to praise God, to enhance the sacred liturgies, and to inspire the faithful. We return our voices, instruments, and talents back to Him who is the Giver of the gifts. It is our mission and goal to bring each soul who sings or hears excellent church music to a deeper love of God, and to, ultimately, render Him greater glory.

If you are interested in praising the Lord with your voice, please contact our music director, MaryRose. No prior musical training or singing experience is required.

The choir meets on Thursday nights from 7:00pm to 8:30pm to rehearse, as well as prior to Mass.

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PROJECT FROM THE HEART

38 Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.

                 Luke 6:38, NABRE

We are retired police wives and other concerned Connecticut citizens who package and mail “WE CARE” boxes to our armed forces in Afghanistan. Over 10,000 packages have been sent since 2002. We are a non-profit organization.  Your help would be greatly appreciated in any of the following ways:

Collect supplies for our Care Boxes within your community, church, boy/girl scout troops, and offices.

Assist us with postage by sending a check to: 

Project From the Heart - HSC

c/o Shirley Sambrook

314 Shoreham Village Drive

Fairfield, CT 06825

Initiate a "Care Packages for Soldiers" project in your school, church or community group.  We would be happy to help you organize the group.

For information and/or to add a name and address of a service member to our recipient list please see the contact information below.

Contact Information:

Mary Lou Edwards

(203) 895-4957

lou.mary1947@gmail.com

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READERS

1  Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name;
    make known among the peoples his deeds!

                  Psalm 105, NABRE

Readers proclaim the Scriptures during Mass. They read aloud the first and second readings from the Sunday Missal and should be prepared to conduct themselves with the attitude befitting this important role. Readers should be modestly clothed, timely, and attentive at Mass.

If you are interested in becoming a reader, please see Fr. Sean after Mass or call the parish office.

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ROSARY GROUP

“Go to the Madonna. Love her! Always say the Rosary. Say it well. Say it as often as you can! Be souls of prayer. Never tire of praying, it is what is essential. Prayer shakes the Heart of God, it obtains necessary graces!”

                  - St. Padre Pio on the importance of the Rosary

Our parish is proud to host a Rosary & Meditation hour with our rosary prayer group on Thursday evenings from 6:00p.m. until 7:00p.m. in Holy Family church.  Please note that the Rosary & Meditation will not take place on Holy Days and holidays. For more information on our rosary prayer group, please contact the parish office. Shirley Baker runs the rosary group.

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SICK AND HOMEBOUND

35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.

                  Matthew 25: 35-36, NABRE

The Sick and Homebound Ministry is committed to provide prayer and Eucharist for those who cannot attend church.  Parishioners  are encouraged to call Deacon Joe with the names of anyone who is unable to attend mass.  Deacon Joe in turn, will advise the pastor of any parishioners who have sacramental needs.

You can reach Deacon Joe DeBiase at (203) 260-7493, or by calling or emailing the parish office.

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CATHOLIC 203

“Youth is for taking risks, good risks, risks full of hope. It is meant to be staked on great things. Youth is meant to be given away, to help others to know the Lord. Don’t keep your youth to yourselves: get out there!”

                  Pope Francis, 37th National Convocation of the

                  renewal in the Holy Spirit, 2014

The Catholic Church is facing what some are calling a "missing generation." In recent years, more than half of all those baptized in the Church stray from the faith, which is leading to an entire generation missing from the Church. In our diocese alone, baptism are down by more than 50% because adults in the millennial generation have left the church. Only 50% of millennials still identify as Catholics and only 3.5% of Catholics in our diocese are young adults.

Catholic 203's mission is to reach those young adults in the diocese and win their hearts for Jesus once more. Young adults interested in fellowship and community should visit catholic203.com for a full list of events happening daily across the diocese.

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CHRISTLIFE

Do you feel like you have a Grand Canyon-sized hole in your heart? Does it seem like you throw marbles in all day, trying to fill yourself up, but still feel empty? Only Christ can fill you. Come and see who He really is.

                 - ChristLife's Website

The mission of ChristLife Fairfield is to "Equip Catholics for the essential work of evangelization. [They] do it through a proven method: discover Christ, follow Christ, and share Christ.

If you’re baptized, you’re called to make disciples. The Church has emphasized this for years. But still, Catholics struggle to do it. For over 25 years, [ChristLife has] used an approach that draws back the fallen-away and evangelizes those who have no faith."

ChristLife helps show you how to make disciples by producing resources for you to use, training you to use those resources, building a network of evangelizers, and caring for their own community.

Please see ChristLife's website for a list of upcoming events, webinars, and retreats.