Welcome to the Holy Family Parish, a faith-filled community located in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. We are a Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of LaCrosse. We extend a warm welcome to all who attend our church.
The Holy Family Parish of Prairie du Chien has two Churches; St. Gabriel's Church and St. John's Church both located in Prairie du Chien, WI. Holy Family Parish also supports its Catholic elementary and middle school. We hope that you will find our parish and school community a place where your life of faith will be nourished. We also hope that you will share your special talents within the community.
Your prayers, your presence and your talents are most welcome.
Our Mission: The Holy Family Parish is a loving community united by our faith in Jesus Christ. Our prayerful liturgies are community celebrations shaped by tradition of over one hundred years of Eucharistic worship. We welcome all who seek God's love.
The Holy Family Parishes will support this mission by striving to worship God with devotion and celebration while fostering spiritual growth. We commit ourselves to nurturing the parish family while providing a challenging and high-quality Catholic educational program. We will achieve this through stewardship, acts of service, and utilizing our talents to their greatest potential.
There is a meditation on the Seven Last Words of Christ that is a popular meditation. Fr Roman Cessa-rio, O.P. has put together a short essay on each of these seven Last Words. Each week during Lent we will offer Fr. Cessario’s reflection as a guide for our Lenten journey. It is my prayer that these short meditations will help deepen your pilgrimage this year. Have a blessed Lent.
Fr. Jim
THE FIRST WORD: I THIRST
From the wood of a cross sanctified by his blood, God’s own son expresses the purpose of his becoming man. Jesus, one like us in all things but sin, thirsts for the souls of those he came to save. That is, every person on earth, beginning with Adam. Jesus wants to love us and wants us to love him in return. So he thirsts. The thirst that Jesus experiences at his death endures throughout the ages. This last word of Jesus provides a first word for every Christian. No one should begin a day without remember-ing before all else that Jesus thirsts for his or her soul. ‘We love because he first loved us’ (1 Jn 4:19). The priority of the divine initiative takes on human expression in the words of a thirsty, dying man.
CLOSING PRAYER: AD JESUM PER MARIAM: To Jesus through Mary. To learn well the divine truths that Jesus speaks to us from the cross, join the company of the Virgin Mother of God, Mary Immaculate. Let Mary open your hearts to hear whatever Jesus would tell you. As she herself instructs us: Do whatever he tells you (Jn 2:5). In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen
AN EXPERIMENT
This Lent, I would like to offer an option at St. John’s church. It is something some of my priest friends have done or we have seen in various locations throughout the church in our world today. There is a movement in many areas to go to kneeling to receive Holy Communion, and in order to see where our local community is in re-gards to this, we will place a double Prex Deux in the front of St John’s church. The faithful will have the option of standing or kneeling, and the option of receiving on the hand or on the tongue will remain as well. In other words, you may kneel and receive in the hands or on the tongue, or you may stand and receive either in the hands or on the tongue. We will review this practice after Lent to see whether or not the community desires to continue or not.
Remember that Wisconsin (not federal) has a new deduction you can take on your 2014 Wisconsin Income Tax return. You can now deduct your private school dependent student's tuition. This deduction is up to $4000 per student for private school students grades K - 8.
This deduction goes on page 1 line 11 and is coded as 22 on your 2014 WI 1 form. You will need to fill out Wisconsin's Schedule PS to claim it.
Click Here for link to Sched PS
You will also need our School's FEIN number. Please call our school office at 608-326-8624 and we will give you that number.
Holy Family Construction Updates:
Holy Family has started "Building the Future". We are working on using this news box to share with you updates, news and pictures to show our progress through construction. Visit often as we will soon be posting the timeline and photos as we make our way through the project.
Building the Future... Preserving the Past
FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE
Thank you for your interest in Prairie Catholic Schools. St. Gabriel’s campus is our elementary school, and encompasses grades Pre-K though 4th, and St. John’s campus is our middle school which entails grades 5th through 8th. Additionally, on-site daycare is available at the St. Gabriel’s campus.
We know that choosing the right education for your child is one of the most important decisions you face. The entire staff at Prairie Catholic appreciates the fact that you are willing to consider our school, and wish you to know that this is greatly appreciated. The education of our youth is an honor and a great responsibility that we do not take lightly.
A Catholic school offers a unique environment with very special opportunities for its students to grow spiritually. Prairie Catholic is no different. Our setting allows educators to share their faith and values while educating their students, your children. We are committed to helping children grow in faith and love and to display respect and fellowship. Prairie Catholic does not discriminate based on faith and includes many non-Catholic families. These families appreciate our caring, student-centered environment that teaches children to follow Christ’s command to love one another and treat others with respect.
Prairie Catholic provides a strong academic curriculum and a safe learning environment for students to reach their greatest potential. We support each child by recognizing his or her own talents and instilling an appreciation for the gifts of others. This atmosphere fosters a mutual respect for one another.
We encourage, and are committed to, a cooperative partnership between family and school. We seek to work with you as parents, in helping your child become the best they can be. We believe in the mutual relationship of school supporting family and family supporting school.
At Prairie Catholic, we are positive people – learning, loving and living our faith. We aspire to create a place where your child is safe, happy and knows they are special.
We would love to discuss further the opportunities we can offer your child. Please call us for a personal tour at:
Volunteer Sign up Sheet:
Please consider being a parish volunteer. Click Here to bring up a form you can fill in right from your computer and then print out. Send in to either rectory, drop off, or put in colection basket on Sunday. Thank you for your consideration.
