Feast of the Holy Family
Dear Friends in Christ,
Welcome to our weekly Sunday update. This Sunday (January 12, 2025), the First Sunday after Epiphany, is the Feast of the Holy Family. The Gospel reading for this Sunday offers a singular view of Jesus as a child, revealing much about the nature of the Holy Family itself. At the age of twelve, Jesus is not yet a man; but He is knowledgeable and wise beyond His years. He displays remarkable independence and self-assurance by remaining in Jerusalem alone, in order to engage in discussion with the Jewish doctors in the Temple, when His parents head back to Nazareth following the Passover celebration. When His parents find Him, after seeking Him for three days, Mary responds as one would expect, saying, “Son, why hast thou done so to us? Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing?” The boy is unyielding in His response: “How is it that you sought me? did you not know, that I must be about my father’s business?” His mother and father are mystified, but they return with Him to Nazareth. “And his mother kept all these words in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men.”
Calendar of Special Observances
Celebrations are those listed in the Roman Missal of 1962.
DAY, DATE – FEAST (CLASS)
Sunday, January 12 – First Sunday after Epiphany: Feast of the Holy Family (II)
Monday, January 13 – Commemoration of the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ (II)
Tuesday, January 14 – St. Hilary, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church (III) – Commemoration of St. Felix of Nola, Priest and Martyr
Wednesday, January 15 – St. Paul, first Hermit and Confessor (III) – Commemoration of St. Maurus, OSB, Abbot
Thursday, January 16 – St. Marcellus I, Pope and Martyr (III)
Friday, January 17 – St. Anthony, Abbot in Egypt (III)
Saturday, January 18 – Commemoration of St. Prisca, Virgin and Martyr
Feast of the Holy Family
The links provided below can be used to download printable copies of the Proper Prayers for the Feast of the Holy Family with English or Spanish translation. In addition, we offer a link to Dr. Michael P. Foley’s essay on “The Holy Family” from the Christmas 2018 issue of The Latin Mass republished with permission by New Liturgical Movement.
Latin Mass Schedule: Feast of the Holy Family (January 12, 2025)
Charlotte Area Latin Masses
11:30 a.m., Saint Thomas Aquinas
12:30 p.m., Saint Ann
Other Diocese of Charlotte Latin Masses
8:30 a.m., Saint John the Baptist (Tryon)
9:00 a.m., Our Lady of the Angels (Marion)
1:00 p.m., Church of the Epiphany (Blowing Rock)
1:30 p.m., Our Lady of Grace (Greensboro)
Diocese of Charleston Latin Masses
12:00 p.m., Prince of Peace (Taylors SC)
1:00 p.m., Our Lady of the Lake (Chapin SC)
Note:
Travelers are urged to consult parish websites or offices for
up-to-date information regarding possible changes in the regular
schedule of Sunday Mass times.
Latin Mass Schedule: Weekdays (January 13-18)
Charlotte Area Latin Masses
Saint Ann – Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
Saint Thomas Aquinas – Thursday, 7:00 p.m.
Saint Ann – Friday, 7:00 a.m.
Other Diocese of Charlotte Latin Masses
Our Lady of the Mountains (Highlands) – Tuesday, 9:30 a.m.
St. John the Baptist (Tryon) – Friday, 8:30 a.m.
Church of the Epiphany (Blowing Rock) – Friday, 9:30 a.m.
Diocese of Charleston Latin Masses
Prince of Peace (Taylors SC) – Monday-Friday, 12:00 p.m. & Saturday 8:00 a.m.
Note: Travelers are advised to contact parish offices to confirm weekday and Saturday Mass times, since local schedules are sometimes subject to change without notice, especially on or around holidays, holy days of obligation and other special feast days.
Announcements
Epiphany kits, chalk, and salt available at Saint Ann after 12:30 p.m. Latin Mass – If you missed last weekend’s Epiphany blessings, the Carolina Traditional Liturgy Society has limited supplies of blessed chalk, salt, and individual Epiphany water bottles (courtesy of Saint Mark parish) available for pickup. Please stop by our information table at Saint Ann parish after the 12:30 p.m. Sunday Latin Mass while supplies last. Additionally, as a reminder, Saint Ann and Saint Thomas Aquinas (and a few other parishes) also have Epiphany water available at their Holy Water fonts in the narthex while quantities last.
Saint Thomas Aquinas to Welcome Nobertine Father Sebastian Walshe in Late January – Please mark your calendars for January 24th, 25th and 26th (Friday, Saturday and Sunday of next week) as Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish will be hosting a series of talks on those days by Fr. Sebastian Walshe, O.Praem. The presentations will be centered around family life and the Eucharist. Fr. Walshe will also preach at all Sunday Masses, including the 11:30 a.m. Latin Mass. For times and talk topics please see the flyer at the end of this update.
Who are the Norbertines? The Norbertines are a community of monks founded by St. Norbert in France over 900 years ago. Fr. Walshe is from Saint Michael’s Norbertine Abbey in Orange County, California. The priests of Saint Michael’s Abbey have a variety of apostolic pursuits: teaching, crafts, scholarship, art and sacred music among others. Some of the Norbertines also offer Latin Masses in the churches of Southern California. If you are interested in learning more about the Norbertines of St. Michael’s Abbey, watch the videos available via the following links: [What is an Abbey?] [California’s Newest Abbey, Defying the Odds].
The Birthday of St. Philomena – The birthday of St. Philomena was last Friday, January 10th; her feast day is August 11th. Although no longer on the traditional calendar, both her birthday and her feast day are still celebrated widely each year. Her shrine is in Mugnano, Italy. Additional details about the life of this wonderworker may be found via the following link: [Sanctuary of Saint Philomena]
Prayers for Fr. Jones and Fr. Reid
– Please keep Fr. Brandon Jones in your prayers as he settles into his
new assignment as parochial administrator of St. Margaret Mary Parish in
Swannanoa. Fr. Jones served at Saint Ann Parish, celebrating the Latin
Mass, from his arrival in 2020 until his recent reassignment. He will
be greatly missed by all, and especially by the Latin Mass community, at
Saint Ann. Please also pray for Fr. Timothy Reid, pastor of Saint Ann,
who is now faced with having to serve the parish as its only priest for
at least the next six months. Hopefully, when a new class of diocesan priests is ordained in the spring, a second priest will be assigned to St. Ann. In the meantime, Fr. Reid has cautioned that it may be necessary to cancel a daily Latin Mass if he will not be available due to another commitment and a substitute cannot be found to celebrate the traditional rite. He asks for everyone’s patience and especially prayers.
Holy Face Pilgrimage, November 14-25, 2025 – Fr. Lawrence Carney, the Holy Face priest, and local author Patrick O'Hearn will be leading a Holy Face Pilgrimage this November to Malta, Sicily, and Italy, which will include a visit to Rome for the Jubilee Year. The Traditional Latin Mass will be offered and both organizers will offer talks on the Holy Face devotion. For more information click on this link.
Ireland Pilgrimage, April 28 - May 7, 2025 – Fr. Jason Barone, pastor of St. Jude in Sapphire Valley and Our Lady of the Mountains Mission in Highlands is leading a 10-day pilgrimage to the Emerald Isle this spring and will visit several important Catholic sites including Our Lady of Knock, Kylemore Abbey, and St. Kevin’s at Glendalough. As long-time Saint Ann parishioners may recall, Fr. Barone was in residence to Saint Ann several years ago before being assigned to Saint Jude. For more information click on this link.
Consecration of those Governing to the Blessed Virgin Mary –
Fr. Chad Ripperger, a native of Casper, Wyoming, was a member of the
Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter before leaving to establish a society
of exorcists, the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother (Doloran
Fathers). His Consecration of the Election to the Blessed Virgin Mary was featured in past issues of this newsletter. He has now composed a new prayer, Consecration of those Governing to the Blessed Virgin Mary, which may be found at the end of this update or downloaded here.
Holy Face Devotions
Prayers of Reparation to the Holy Face of Jesus are offered each week at the following churches on the indicated days:
St. James (Concord) – Monday, 10-10:30 a.m. (in the cry room)
St. Mark – Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.
St. Thomas Aquinas – Tuesday, 6:00 a.m.
St. Ann – Tuesday, 7:30 a.m. (following 7:00 a.m. Novus Ordo Mass)
St. Michael the Archangel (Gastonia) – Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. (following 8:00 a.m. Novus Ordo Mass)
St. Vincent de Paul – Tuesday, 8:40 a.m.
Holy Spirit (Denver) – Tuesday, 10-11:00 a.m. (following the 9:15 a.m. Novus Ordo Mass)
St. John the Baptist (Tryon) - First Saturday, 9:30 a.m. (after 8:30 a.m Latin Mass)
Note: Days and times may be subject to change due to holidays.
“Jesus, Your ineffable image is the star which guides my steps. Ah, You know, Your sweet Face is for me Heaven on earth” (from Canticle to the Holy Face by Saint Thérèse de Lisieux, the 19th century Discalced Carmelite nun who took the name in religion, Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face).
Latin Mass and Liturgical News
The 40 Days of Christmas by Dom Prosper Guéranger, The Liturgical Year. [A History of Christmas]
The Easter Controversy and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Fr. William Rock, FSSP, The Missive (January 1, 2025). [The Easter Controversy]
Epiphany and Its Customs by Michael P. Foley, New Liturgical Movement (January 3, 2025) [Epiphany and its Customs]
‘Christian Audacity’: Sainte-Marie de la Garde Abbey in France Aims to Signal the Return of Benedictine Builders by Solène Tadié, National Catholic Register (January 7, 2025). [Christian Audacity] [Video of the Proposed Abbey]
A Jesuit Philosopher and a Jesuit Poet: A Thomistic Reading of Hopkins’ “As Kingfishers Catch Fire” by Adam Urbanczyk, St. Austin Review (January-February 2025) [republished by Catholic World Report, January 8, 2025]. [A Jesuit Philosopher and a Jesuit Poet]
Alma Redemptoris Mater: A Monastic Introduction to the Chant by Fr. Bachman, a monk at Clear Creek Abbey (January 9, 2025). [Alma Redemptoris Mater]
The Three Epiphanies of Our Lord (Feast of the Epiphany) by Dom Prosper Guéranger, The Liturgical Year. [Feast of the Epiphany]
Stational Churches of the Christmas Season (Part 3) by Greg DiPippo, New Liturgical Movement (January 5, 2025). [Stational Churches of the Christmas Season (Part 3)]
The New Completed Nativity of the Monastery of Norcia by Fabrizio Diomedi, Liturgical Arts Journal by Shawn Tribe, Liturgical Arts Journal (January 2, 2025). [The New Completed Nativity of the Monastery of Norcia]
Saints and Special Observances
St. Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church was born in Poitiers early in the fourth century, the son of noble parents who were not Christians. He was given a broad-based secular education; but, taking up the study of Scripture, Hilary was motivated to renounce his pagan heritage and seek baptism. The breadth of his learning and ardor of his faith led to his selection as bishop of his native city around the middle of the fourth century. Thenceforth he became one of the principal defenders of orthodox Christianity at a time when heresy abounded.
Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ and claimed he was a created being, was already firmly established in other areas and had also made significant, if largely covert, inroads in Gaul. Hilary exposed the Bishop of Arles as a proponent of the Arian heresy, whereupon Saturninus convened a council at Béziers in 356 for the purpose of ratifying his heterodox views. The Bishop of Poitiers attended the council, intending to denounce Arianism; but he was prevented from speaking by the dominant Arian faction. Denounced to the Emperor Constantius, the defender of Arianism, Hilary was exiled to Phrygia.
While in exile, Hilary devoted himself to the intensive study of Scripture and the writings of the Fathers of the Church, completing certain of his own works, including his treatise on the synods. This monumental study analyzed the professions of faith issued by the Eastern Councils of Ancyra, Antioch and Sirmium, exposing their Arian-influenced deviations from Christian orthodoxy, while doing so in a way that encouraged moderation on the part of Western bishops in their response.
In 359 Hilary was invited to attend a synod in Seleucia composed almost entirely of Oriental bishops holding opinions sympathetic to Arianism. There he set forth the views of Western bishops but had little success in winning converts to their orthodox brand of Christianity. Undaunted he set forth for Constantinople, where heresy reigned supreme, determined to continue the battle for the true Faith. The bishops of the Greek provinces responded by calling on Constantius to end the troublemaker’s exile so that he could return to his own country and leave them in peace.
Hilary returned to Poitiers in triumph in 361 and was able to reclaim his see. Among those who came to welcome him back was his one-time disciple, the future St. Martin of Tours, who would be Bishop of Tours a decade later.
Three years after his return to Poitiers, the bishop traveled to Milan, where he openly challenged Bishop Auxentius. Auxentius, a proponent of the doctrines promoted by the Arians, called on his protector, Emperor Valentinian, to shield him. The emperor ordered Hilary to leave Milan immediately. Returning to Poitiers, never to leave again, the bishop took up the pen which is mightier than the sword to fight on against heresy. His notable works include a Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, the first in Latin to have survived intact; his Tracts on the Psalms; the twelve-volume theological opus now known under the title, On the Trinity; and numerous works of an essentially historical character.
According to St. Jerome, Hilary died in Poitiers in 367. In 1851 Pope Pius formally recognized him as a Doctor of the Church. His feast is celebrated on January 14 in accordance with the traditional liturgical calendar.
Closing Commentary
In closing, we share a commentary extracted from The Liturgical Year of Dom Prosper Guéranger on “The Feast of the Holy Family.” A link to the full text of the great liturgist’s commentary follows the extract.
The Feast of the Holy Family
This Sunday has been chosen by the Church for the celebration of the Feast of the Holy Family; the liturgy of the day, as expressed in the Gospel, harmonizes well with the mystery of the new Feast, for it already carries us forward to the childhood of our Emmanuel and gives us those wonderful words which, after the example of his Blessed Mother, we must ever ponder within our hearts: And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them.
The Feast of the Holy Family is of recent origin. In 1663 Barbara d’Hillehoust founded at Montreal the Association of the Holy Family; this devotion soon spread and in 1863 Leo XIII expressed his approval of a feast under this title and himself composed part of the Office. The Feast was welcomed by succeeding Pontiffs as an efficacious means for bringing home to the Christian people the example of the Holy Family at Nazareth, and by the restoration of the true spirit of family life, stemming, in some measure, the evils of present-day society. These motives led Benedict XV to insert the Feast in the universal Calendar, and from 1921 it has been fixed for this present Sunday.
If we would attain to charity, the bond of perfection which unites all Christians together in the one great family of God, we must pay heed to those virtues which the Epistle puts before us. We must be full of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, and patience; we must bear with one another and forgive one another, after the example of the Incarnate Word. Then the peace of Christ will dwell not only in our hearts, but in those around us, and our homes will truly become like that of Nazareth, where Mary and Joseph were ever singing in grace to the Lord God. [Feast of the Holy Family]
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To Our Readers and All Friends of the Latin Mass: May you be abundantly blessed by God in this joyous season of Christmas.
