Kaukauna Catholic Parishes

On Sunday, December 29th, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family.  It is a great celebration that enables us to recognize the far-reaching direct effect of the power of a family.

The family is the center and core of who we are, and the family is that powerful gift that will help shape and form who we are and who we will become. The stronger the family and its love and support, the stronger the individual is in discovering his or her gifts and talents. A family that encourages, supports, challenges and walks together through darkness is a family that gives life and hope to all who they come in contact with because they are able to share that love and strength they receive from each other with all those they meet along the way. 

As people of faith, we recognize the core of who we are; we will be shaped by the family we are a part of and how they walk with us. That is why family is so important in the life of the church. It is core for forming and shaping. 

In like manner, we are also a church community or church family.  We seek to do everything a smaller individual family does, but on a grander scale. We choose to be a part of a family that is life-giving, vibrant and will help us become the people God created us to be.

We must always remember that a journey of faith is not something one can do alone. We need each other in order to overcome individual weakness and limitations through the shared gifts and talents of our family. 

Alone, we are but a single voice crying out in a huge world; together, we are a powerful voice that is heard around the world. Now, imagine all the children of God as one family, voices united, heart and soul together and we begin to get an image of the Kingdom of God. So, let us rejoice as a family -- for our individual family that is our core -- for our parish family that is our hope and, for our world family, that is our future – all parts of the body of Christ that, when we come together, will be the fulfillment of God’s plan and God’s Kingdom --all modeled for us by a young woman and a carpenter who responded with open hearts and souls to God’s call and became the HOLY FAMILY to show us the way. 

Peace,  

Fr. Don Everts