2015 Apr: ANNUAL PARISH ASSEMBLY

Some 190 parishioners of the Church of the Holy Family gathered at the Tanah Merah Country Club for our Annual Parish Assembly on 26 April. The half –day event centred on the theme “Living My Faith In Community.“

It began with the installation of the bible, after which Chair person Lena Quek welcomed all present. In his opening address, Father Patrick Goh, gave parishioners food for thought, in living their lives in faith as a community. Various groups from the parish such as representatives from the Filipino Community and Family Life Group shared their personal faith journeys.

Attendees then formed groups to discuss ways in which they could Interact and engage the community through their faith. A lively and fruitful discussion followed. This was seen in the presentation and the subsequent question and answer session that followed.

Most parishioners left feeling renewed and energised. All in all the Parish Assembly was a fulfilling occasion.

2015 Mar: CNCC EVENT

Some 79 members from the various Catholic Neighbourhood Christian Community (CNCC) groups of our church attended Stations of the Cross at St Joseph’s Church in Bukit Timah on 22 March. We were joined by 43 students from the adult catechism class, as it was collaboration between the NCC and the Adult catechism groups. Even the heavy downpour, before we began our journey did not dampen our enthusiasm as everyone who had signed up turned up. After the Stations of the Cross, we enjoyed dinner together and even celebrated the birthdays of two members. It had been a long day as our journey began at 4.30 pm and ended at 9.30 but no one seemed to mind.

2015 Feb: PERANAKAN MASS

The tradition of celebrating Lunar New Year mass for the Peranakan community in Holy Family continues with a joie de vivre that would have struck many as infectious as more than 300 parishioners gathered for this joyous occasion. Our resident priests Fr Damian and Fr Donatien were joined by Fr Valerian and Fr Eugene in this solemn celebration which took place coincidentally, on the first day of the Lenten season. Fr Eugene delivered his Homily in Baba Malay and reminded us to always have our focus on the Lord, and not merely be concerned with our practices. He also reminded us to remember the spirit of Lent as we celebrate the Lunar New Year. Fr Donatien, our French priest, read parts of the Eucharastic prayer in Baba Malay, much to the delight and amusement of our parishioners.

2015 Feb: RITE OF ELECTION

Holy Family Church Hosts Rite of Election

Some catechumens and candidates celebrated the Rite of Election on Sunday, 22 February with, His Grace Archbishop William Goh, from 2.30pm to 4pm at Church of the Holy Family. During the Rite, the Church formally enrolls the names of those from all the different parishes in Singapore who will celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist), declaring their intentions and readiness to continue on the final stage of their RCIA faith journey, which began in May 2014. The catechumens, chosen by God, are known, as “Elect”, and blessings and prayers will bolster them as they undergo preparation and scrutiny in the weeks leading up to the Easter Vigil.

2014 Dec: PARISH FEAST DAY

Our Parish Feast Day, The Feast of the Holy Family was celebrated on 27th December, at the 6pm Mass. His Grace, Archbishop William Goh was the celebrant along with our Parish Priests, Fathers Pat, Damien, Don and Chris. Our theme was “Holy Family, a Family for all.” The focus was on the need to be a holy family and not just a family.  Parents need to be loving and to listen to their children and lead by example, was the call made to all of them. As usual the Archbishop drew laughter from the parishioners with his humorous and anecdotal homily. This year too, saw an increased participation by youth and children, all coming together as part of one big family. Fellowship continued over a sumptuous dinner at Roland Restaurant.

2014 Dec: HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING

Both the Youhf and Genesis choirs comprising about 50 members gave a rendition of “O Holy Night and “Silent Night at the Midnight Mass on 24 December. The youths had practised for two weeks to prepare for their performance. They received a standing ovation from an appreciative congregation. The Genesis Choir also led the Christmas Carols. The performance was both refreshing and thought provoking.

2014 Nov: ADVENT 2014

Love, Peace, Joy and Miracle

2014 Oct: MISSION SUNDAY

Mission Sunday became a personal experience for our parishioners this year. For three consecutive weekends from 21 Sept, our church members could pledge their own heartfelt mission on footprints that they pasted on a wall outside our main entrance. Their enthusiastic response brought the theme alive -- “One family on mission – A joy shared.”

2014 Oct: NCC MASS

Our Neighbourhood Christian Communities in our 12 districts came together as one body to celebrate mass and forge friendships on Sunday 12 Oct.

2014 Oct: WEDDING MILESTONE

Thirty six couples renewed their vows at a special mass on 6 Oct. They were celebrating their milestone weddings, whether fifth, tenth, fifteenth ...  in five year increments. Every year after the fiftieth year is also considered a milestone wedding at our parish.

2014 Oct: CHILDREN’S MASS

Children’s Day Mass on Oct 3 was a first in many years at our parish. The joyful gathering of 700, half of whom were children, also spawned a bi-monthly family rosary. The group from the Liturgy of the Word for Children plans to organise such a mass every month or two next year.

2014 Aug: RITE OF ACCEPTANCE

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2014 Jul: YOUTH MASS

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2014 Jul: FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

This August saw 90 children from our parish make their first Holy Communion. An important milestone in the start of their religious journey. A happy occasion for the youths, their families, sponsors and Godparents indeed.

2014 Jun: PENTECOST TRIDUUM

Fr Eugene Vaz helped our parishioners prepare for Pentecost with a special Triduum from 4 to 6 June.

2014 Apr: EASTER TRIDUUM

Parishioners came together to celebrate the joy of Easter.

2014 Mar: PARISH ASSEMBLY

Some 220 parishioners gathered at the annual meeting of the Parish Assembly on 30 March. There was robust discussion about the three parish priorities that were identified the year before  --  helping the less fortunate; integrating parishioners from overseas and supporting families. The group also focused on what it took for them to live their Christian faith in the city.

2014 Feb: ALTAR SERVERS' INVESTITURE

It was a moment to remember for the 70 Altar servers who were officially invested during at a mass in February this year by their Spiritual Director, Father Damian who also welcomed them to the Altar Server’s Society. Fellow Altar Servers from the East District were invited to serve at the mass and witness the investiture too. We are grateful to these young men for dedicating their services to the parish and to God.