HFRCS Newsletter January 7, 2025

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Happy New Year! May 2025 be a year of new opportunities for joy, growth and happiness. The church is celebrating 2025 as a Jubilee Year with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” The jubilee year is a yearlong period of forgiveness and mercy and whose theme is taken from Romans 5: “Hope does not disappoint.” May we all be filled with hope as we enter this new year!

In December, we practiced the virtue of patience, defined as waiting or enduring without complaint. Please see this newsletter for the students who were recognized for exemplifying this virtue. During the month of January, we have been learning about and focusing on the virtue of fidelity, defined as being faithful to promises and commitments.

We started the new year with a snow day! As we begin the season of possible delays, early dismissals and school closures due to the winter weather, it is a good opportunity to ensure that all your contact information is accurate and up to date. Please log in to your FACTS Family Portal account and make sure your contact information is current so that you can receive very important weather-related notifications.

Families interested in receiving financial aid for the 2025-2026 school year must complete a FACTS grant and aid application each year. With rising costs everywhere, we recognize that financial aid makes attending Holy Family a possibility for our school families. Please see the information in today’s newsletter about completing a FACTS grant and aid application. We look forward to assisting you with your financial aid needs!

Archbishop Nelson Perez has sent a letter regarding the future of our archdiocese. In the letter he explains the pastoral planning process and what that means for us who are practicing our faith each week in our parishes. Please take the time to read this very important letter (attached in this newsletter) and see how you can help by participating in local discussion groups this spring.

This week, students who earned academic honors for the first trimester will receive their Honors certificate. These students will also be acknowledged in the Morning Prayer and Announcements by the end of the week. This link will be shared in next Tuesday’s newsletter. We will be acknowledging honors in this way moving forward as we want students to receive acknowledgement closer to the time of earning it. This will be in lieu of reciting names at the end of the school year’s award ceremony.

This Friday, January 10, will be a $1 Student Council Dress Down Day. Students are free to dress down as they like, remembering to adhere to the dress down requirements as stated in our Family Handbook. Those requirements can be found in today’s newsletter.

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

Mrs. Haggerty

We are a family of FAITH!

Remember to go to Mass this weekend.

Congratulations to the following students who were recognized for exemplifying the virtue of PATIENCE. The virtue for January is FIDELITY.

On January 5, 2025, the memorial of Saint John Neumann, Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez published a Pastoral Letter addressed to the faithful of the Church of Philadelphia and to all people of goodwill in the five-county region comprising the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

This Pastoral Letter takes the unique form of an Invitation to participate in encounters over the coming months that will guide our efforts to renew the Church of Philadelphia and especially to reach out in a missionary spirit to those who feel distanced from the Church for a variety of reasons. The intent of the Pastoral Letter can be understood from the titles of its sections:

• Where are we today?
• A pastoral change of heart
• Where does the Church need to be?
• How does the Church need to be?
• Parish renewal and reimagining ministry

A copy of the Pastoral Letter in English is attached.

1. Please take time to read and consider the Pastoral Letter in the context of prayer and discernment. Your ministry on behalf of the Church of Philadelphia is an essential element of the renewal that the Archbishop is seeking. Please be intentional about giving thanks for the ministry with which you have been entrusted, listening to the Lord’s plan for you in that ministry, and interceding for your colleagues in ministry and for the people whom you serve.
2. Please share the Pastoral Letter widely with all the contacts you have made through the work of your ministry. It can be shared immediately with whatever distribution lists you use – every person connected in any way with the Church of Philadelphia is an intended recipient of the Pastoral Letter. Don’t worry that some people will receive multiple copies of the Pastoral Letter from various sources. The wider the distribution, the more effective will be the consultation to which the Archbishop is inviting people through the Pastoral Letter.
3. In particular, please consider sharing the Pastoral Letter personally with family members, friends and neighbors who are baptized Catholic but feel alienated from the Church or from the practice of the Faith, as well as those who are not Catholic but are interested in what Catholics believe and practice. Some of them may see the Pastoral Letter in secular media or other sources, but a personal invitation from you to read and discuss it will have a much greater impact.
4. Please follow the link in the Pastoral Letter to the website, where you can learn more about the consultation process, and sign up to take part in it.

Please pray fervently for everyone who will receive and read the Pastoral Letter, that each person, no matter his or her connection with or role in the Church of Philadelphia at the moment, will be inspired and led to the pastoral change of heart that will enrich and strengthen the mission of the Church and the life of each member of it.

Thank you and May God bless you abundantly during this New Year with peace, health, and happiness.

Women’s Animal Center

Location: 3839 Richlieu Rd, Bensalem

We are collecting items to donate to the Women's Animal Shelter as part of our Catholic Schools Week Service Project. Please see the following link for more information on donation items: https://www.womensanimalcenter.org/make-difference/supply-our-shelter

Donations can be dropped off in the boxes in the office / in the mailroom until Friday, January 31.

Please note that due to the lunch inventory availability and our snow day yesterday, Monday's (Jan 6) hot lunch menu was served today. Today's (Tuesday, Jan 7) menu will be served on Thursday, Jan 9. Wednesday (Jan 8) and Friday (Jan 10) hot lunch menus will remain the same.

Please label all your child's belongings (coats, uniform sweaters, lunch boxes, water bottles, hats, gloves, etc.) We can help reunite lost items with their owners when items are properly labeled. There is a table with "Lost and Found" items in the Large Hall, by the trophy case. The few items that are on that table are those without labels.

See the calendar on the website for more information: https://hfrcs.org/calendar

Please note the following change: January 13 Art Club (canceled) - more information will be available in the next newsletter.

Please see the Family Handbook (page 13) for reference:

In general, the spirit of these guidelines is that students’ clothing should be modest and appropriate to wear to a Catholic school. Changing styles make it difficult to cover every situation. Below are some items that are not permitted. If a parent or student is not sure something is appropriate, it should not be worn.

These styles are not permitted:

• Tank tops, camis, crop tops, or low-cut tops with or without another top or sweater*
• Cut-offs, pajama pants, or hip-hugging pants or shorts
• Torn or ripped clothing • Open-back shoes, Crocs, flip-flops, or sandals
• Clothing with inappropriate language, sayings, figures, or designs These dress items are never permitted, at school or any school-related function: (short shorts (shorter than 1 to 2 inches above the knee), runner-type jogging shorts, revealing tops*, tight-fitting sweatpants, tights/leggings without an appropriate-length skirt over top, low-riding pants or jeans that reveal skin or undergarments. *Shirts with high necklines are the most modest and are therefore recommended at all times.

Our annual Catholic Schools Week Open House is fast approaching! This is a great opportunity to come see what our students have been up to and chat with our staff! We are encouraging all current families to attend, and bring a friend who you think would be a great fit at HFRCS! Please fill out the registration form below so our team can plan accordingly. Hope to see you there!

https://forms.gle/pQFuKCQG52EKRegx8

We are looking for 8th grade volunteers to work at Open House (service hours opportunity). Please reach out to Miss Brittany if your child is interested! brittany.konen@hfrcs.org.

Financial Aid for 2025-2026 School Year

Please see the attached documents for important information about Financial Aid. Even if your family received financial assistance in the past, a new application must be submitted each year.

Due to the number of applications received, the Business Office is unable to follow up on the status of individual family applications. This includes missing information, incomplete applications or families who have not applied. Check to ensure that an application has been submitted if you intend to apply.

Parents must follow up on the status of applications by signing into FACTS Payment Plan/Financial Aid and checking if the application is “Incomplete”. FACTS will list missing documents and send out reminder emails so be diligent. Follow up should continue until the application is marked “COMPLETE” in FACTS Payment Plan/Financial Aid.

DOCUMENTS:

1. A 2023 tax return is required. It is recommended that your 2024 return also be uploaded when completed.
2. A digital copy is the preferred source for uploading. Ask your tax preparer for an electronic copy of your return.

**The Business Office cannot accept pictures of missing tax return pages.

Specific grades have State-mandated screenings (Physical for Kindergarten & 6th Grade and Dental for Kindergarten, 3rd Grade & 7th Grade). Refer to the school website for more information.

Also, signed Medical Treatment Order forms will also be needed if your child needs to take any medication during school hours.

• Jan 14: Meeting 7:00 PM
• Jan 16: Miller's Fundraiser - see flyer for details
  

Father John R. Weber, Pastor

Father Manuel Flores, Parochial Vicar

View the Parish Weekly Bulletin.

Sunday Mass Schedule:

4:00 PM (Vigil Mass), 7:30 AM , 9:30 AM , 11:30 AM , 1:00 PM La Misa en Español

Weekday Daily Mass:

8:30 AM - Monday through Saturday

Holy Days: (subject to change)

5:00 PM (Vigil), 8:30 AM, Noon, & 7:00 PM

The Sacrament of Reconciliation:

Thursday: 6:45 PM - 7:30 PM, Saturdays: 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

The Sacrament of Baptism:

1st and 3rd Saturdays, at 11:00 AM

Monsignor Michael Magee, Weekend Assistant

View the Parish Weekly Bulletin.

Mass Schedule:

• Monday-Saturday: 9:30 AM
• Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PM
• Sunday: 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM
• Holy Days: 6:30 AM, 12 Noon, 7:00 PM (except January 1st which follows a Sunday Mass schedule)

The Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturday: 4:15-5:15 PM or by appointment

Daily Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Saint Joseph Chapel

Monday - Saturday: 8:00 AM–8:00 PM

Sunday: 12:30 PM–8:00 PM

Pot of Gold

The results of the drawing can be found here. The jackpot prize is $54,000!

Kids have been practicing their cheer moves. Girls will cheer at basketball games throughout the basketball season. Please see the Cheer schedule below.

With the Christmas break it has been a few weeks since a newsletter. We have played a lot of basketball in the last few weeks. Please see results below and games for the upcoming week. Congrats to all of the players of the games! Blue highlighted rows are regional teams.

Congratulations to the following players!

CYO Positions Open!

To Volunteer:

• Message Brian McGinley
• Email holyfamilyrcscyo@gmail.com
• Call/text Brian at 215-823-0434

Board Meeting

Next CYO board meeting tentatively set for February 5th at Queen of the Universe parish center

Want more information on CYO sports and activities? Join our CYO Facebook group! Holy Family RCS CYO. You can contact CYO by emailing holyfamilyrcscyo@gmail.com