Welcome to Holy Family and St. Emery Parish 

THANKSGIVING MASS SCHEDULE

Vigil Mass, Wednesday, Nov 24, 6:00pm, Holy Family Church

Thanksgiving Day, 9am, Holy Family Church

Day After Thanksgiving, 9am, Holy Family Church

(No reservations necessary for the above Masses)

Our office will be closing on Tuesday,  November 24 at 1 pm and will re-open on Monday, November 30.  If you have an emergency, please call the office at 203-336-1835 and dial extension 251. 

If you call the office during that timeframe to make a reservation for one of the two funerals taking place on Wednesay, November 25 or Saturday, November 30, please dial extension 100 and leave your name, address and phone number. 

UPDATED INFORMATION - ROLLBACK TO PHASE 2.1 (NOVEMBER 6, 2020)

As you aware, Governor Lamont has rolled back the State of Connecticut to Phase 2.1, effective November 6.  To be in compliance with the directive, we have reduced the seating capacity in Holy Family to 100 people and in St. .Emery to 25 people.  I would like to invite you back if you feel safe to do so.  Due to the smaller capacity requirements in St. Emery, reservations for Sunday Mass are required on a weekly basis.  Walk-ins will not be allowed if we are at capacity.  We also encourage reservations to be made on a weekly basis for the Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses at Holy Family.  However, because of the capacity of 100 people, we will continue to allow standing reservations for those of you who attend Mass on a weekly basis.  Reeservations details are listed below.

Reservations can be made by calling (203-336-1835) or emailing the Parish office ([email protected]) on Monday through Thursday between 9am and 3pm of the week leading up to Mass.  If you call, you must speak live to a staff member in order to have your reservation confirmed.  If you leave a voicemail message, your reservation is not confirmed until you receive a return call from a staff member.  If you email, your reservation is not confirmed until you receive a reply email from a staff member.  Please note there is no reservation needed for the Saturday morning or weekday Masses.  We ask that you please only make a reservation request for a family member who is attending with you.  All others will need to make their reservation request themselves. We also have guidelines for Mass attendance.  Masks or face coverings are required along with social distancing, the use of hand sanitizer when you enter both Churches and ushers who will guide yyou to your seat.  After each Mass, we sanitize the Church using a fogger for a quick, safe, and efficient way to sanitize.  We are now able to pass the Offertory baskets in both Churches are in need of ushers for assistance at all Masses.  We are also in need of three volunteers to assist at Mass each week, one person for check-in and two ushers to seat people. Please call the office to sign-up.

I want to thank all of you that have been following our Holy Family and St. Emery Facebook page.  I also want to express my gratitude for all who have and continue to mail in your offertory.  

Some other parish updates: Fr. Dious has been working hard designing our new Parish website with Our Sunday Visitor, we hope to have the website go live very soon.  Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is before every Mass.  Our revised Mass schedule is listed below.

Peace and Prayers

Fr. Sean

Public Weekend Mass Times:

Saturday:

8:30am at St. Emery (no reservations needed)

Vigil: 4pm at Holy Family (reservations needed, doors open at 3:15pm for check-in)

Sunday:

  8:30am at Holy Family  (reservations needed, doors open at 7:45am for check-in)

 10:00am at St. Emery (reservations needed, doors open at 9:15am for check-in)

  11:30am at Holy Family (reservations needed, doors open at 10:45am for check-in).

IMPORTANT NOTE:   To help with check-in process please arrive earlier than 10 minutes prior to the start of Mass.  There will be no entry for those arriving later than that. 

ADORATION AND EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT (prior to all Masses)

Saturday 7:45am until 8:25am at St. Emery

                   3:00pm until 3:50pm at Holy Family

Sunday 7:45am until 8:20am Holy Family

                9:20am until 9:50am at St. Emery

              10:45am until 11:20am at Holy Family

REQUIREMENTS:

• All Mass attendees must wear a face covering that needs to be worn from the time you exit your vehicle to the time you return to your vehicle. The face covering can only be removed when you receive Communion.  (Medical reason for not wearing a mask must be communicated to us prior to your attending Mass.  For those with young children under the age of 6, they will need to make their own decision if their child/children need to wear a mask. 
  
  
• Please follow all social distancing markers inside and outside of the Church.
  
  
• Anyone who is not feeling well, has a cough or fever or has recently been around COVID-19, flu, colds or any other virus or bacterial infection should not attend Mass. Please do not attend Mass even if you have the slightest symptom.  Please adhere to this guideline for everyone's protection. The dispensation for Sunday and Holy Days obligation is still in affect. 

ENTRY PROCEDURES FOR WEEKEND MASSES THAT REQUIRE RESERVATIONS:

There will be someone at the landing of the Church entrance to check you in. 

For those attending Mass at Holy Family who have handicapped stickers or use implements to assist them in walking, you may use the side door (closet to the organ) at the back parking lot of the Parish office. Please notify the office when making your reservation so we may have a volunteer open the door when you arrive.

For those attending Mass at St. Emery who have in the past used the handicapped entrance, please notify the office when making your reservation so we may arrange to have a volunteer check you in when you arrive through that side door.

 SEATING:
Once inside, you will be guided to your pew/seat by an Usher.  Once seated, please do not change your seat.

We will live stream our Sunday 11:30am Mass on our Facebook page which is,

Holy Family and St. Emery Parish

Weekday Masses
Monday through Friday in Holy Family at 7:45am.   No reservations needed, but social distance requirements along with face masks are mandatory. No gathering before or after Mass in the Church.

Adoration and the Exposition Of The Blessed Sacrament

7am - 7:40am

 Confessions
Temporarily by appointment only.  Please call the Parish office, 203-336-1835. 

NEW ANNOUNCEMENT - CHRISTMAS EVE & CHRISTMAS DAY MASSES

This year, we have all faced many challenges due to the COVID pandemic.  We've had to change our lifetstyles and have come to realize that in the past, we have taken may things in our lives for granted.  The Holidays will unfortunately have a different feeling to them this year, but the ne aspect that has and should always remain the same is our Faith.

We have given much thought to our Mass schedule for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  We want to be able to accomodate as many people as possible who wish to attend Mass at both Holy Family and St. Emery.  Bishop Caggiano has signed a decree that allows the Christmas Eve Masses to be held earlier in the day this year.  The Mass schedule is shown below:

Christmas Eve:

2:00pm, St. Emery

3:15pm, St. Emery

4:30pm, Holy Family

6:30pm, St. Emery

10:00pm, Holy Family

(Adoration and the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will start 45 minutes prior to each Mass with the exception of the 3:15pm Mass)

Christmas Day:

8:30am, Holy Family

10:00am, St. Emery

11:30am, Holy Family

(Adoration and the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will start 45 minutes prior to each Mass)

Because of the limited seating capacity for both Churches, reservations are a must for all Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses.  We urge you to please make your reservations as early as possible.  The cut-off date for reservations is Tuesday, December 22 for all Christmas and Christmas Day Masses.   You may make a reservation for yourself and only immediate family members attending with you.  Please note if we are near capacity, walk-ins for the respective Mass will not be seated until all those with reservations have been checked in.  Please realize there may not be room for walk-ins.

Please call or email the Parish office between the hours of 9:30am and 3pm Monday through Thursday. We are also in need of ushers and volunteers for the check-in at all Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses.  Please call the office to sign-up.  

Our COVID guidelines and restrictions and regular weekend reservation policies are in effect for the Holiday Masses.

OUR PARISH OFFICE IS STILL CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.  HOWEVER, THERE IS A STAFF MEMBER AVAILABLE EVERY DAY.  PLEASE CALL 203-336-1835 FOR ASSISTANCE.

IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY AND GET THE VOICE RECORDING, PLEASE DIAL EXTENSION 251.

-  WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER CONTINUING TO SUBMIT YOUR WEEKLY OFFERTORY CONTRIBUTIONS AS OUR PARISH NEEDS TO KEEP FUNCTIONING.  YOU CAN MAIL YOUR ENVELOPES TO THE 700 OLD STRATFIELD RD ADDRESS OR DROP THEM IN OUR LOCKED MAILBOX WHICH IS ON THE FRONT PORCH OF OUR OFFICE LOCATED AT 70 LAUREL ST. THANK YOU!