Lay people associated with our mission

From the Constitutions of the Sons of the Holy Family, n.48

Lay people are associated by full right with the mission of our institute because of the common grace and calling of baptism. They offer excellent support in the furtherence of the cult of the Holy Family, in the Christian formation of families, in the training of children and of the youth, in the missions, and in the apostolic undertakings of our family.

On our part, we offer them a witness of nazarene poverty and work, of simplicity and prudence, of trust in God and restraint, of charity and obedience, of patience and peace, of religious dedication and joy in the Lord while we diligently assist them in spiritual matters. We recognize and further their dignity, their prosper freedom of action, and their consequent responsibility.

SAINT JOSEPH MANYANET: Apostle of the Holy Family and of the Family, Barcelona, Spain: 1833-1901

Saint Joseph Manyanet deepen the call of God in the contemplation of the Holy Family of Nazareth. His mission was to put into practice and announce to the world the Gospel of the Holy Family. His entire life was spent in presenting God’s plan for marriage and the family and in raising children and youth able to shape healthy families, pillars of a new culture of life and love.

Jose Manyanet asserted that “paternity is similar to the priesthood”, therefore his teaching to the parents was that their lives be open to the gospel and that they teach the gospel to their children through the small events of everyday life as is shown to us in the youth years of the life of Jesus at Nazareth.

In the house of the Holy Family, Joseph Manyanet discovered the importance of the family and there learned the culture of life and love for the benefit of the children and youth, the Church and the whole society.

Joseph Manyanet was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2004.

Saint Joseph Manyanet offers a new perspective of the Church's ministry

We offer and propose a way of life:

"A Nazareth in each Home"

"From Nazareth, Jesus teaches a simple and original way:
to be and to live as children of God, subject to Mary and Joseph,
in a family life communion, of work and serving the will
of our heavenly Father."

God gave to Joseph Manyanet a spirituality and mission to enrich the Church. He propagated them by means of his priestly ministry and the Gospel of the Holy Family.

The new perspective of the Church’s ministry is shared by the lay persons in the spirituality and mission of the sons and daughters of Saint Joseph Manyanet. From Nazareth, Jesus teaches a simple and original way: to be and to live as children of God, subject to Mary and Joseph, in a family life communion, of work and serving the will of our heavenly Father.

Upon this two pillars-- helping to grow in harmony as children of God an strengthening communion in the family-- the specific service of Saint Joseph Manyanet is put into practice for the benefit of the families and the whole Church.

In "making of each home a Nazareth" is where the spiritual family of Saint Joseph Manyanet encounters its challenge and its mission field.

History of the Holy Family Association and the Monthly Home Visit

The Holy Family Association was originally established by Pope Leo XIII with the Apostolic brief Neminem Fugit (1892). The purpose and aim of the Association was to spread the devotion of the Holy Family so as to bring families ever closer to Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Pope Pius XI assigned the religious congregation of the Sons of the Holy Family the General Secretariat of the Holy Family Association in 1928.

In the early 1920's, Fr. Salvador Gene, S.F., brought the Holy Family Association in the USA, establishing the Holy Family Monthly Home Visit in the Santa Cruz Parish, (New Mexico).

Each “Coro” (group of families) is formed by 15-30 families, which a “Celador” or “Celadora” (Custodian) appointed to be responsible for the organization of the Coro. This Custodian, with the help of all members of his/her Coro, is responsible for obtaining the Capillita, a little shrine consisting of a statue image of Jesus, Mary and Joseph enclosed in a fine finished wooden niche with a glass front. The Custodian plans a monthly schedule which enables each member family to be visited by the little shrine one or several days of the month for the family devotion.

The family recites the prayers before the little shrine thus establishing a spiritual communion with the Holy Family of Nazareth, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and with the whole Church. Recalling the examples of Joseph as worker, Mary as Mother, and Jesus as Son, prayers are made to obtain grace to live in harmony of thought, will and action.

A special day is set in the liturgical calendar of the Church, the Feast of the Holy Family, during the Christmas season, when all the members of the Holy Family Association go to Mass to celebrate their patrons and to install new members. At this particular Mass, all the little shrines are brought to the parish as a symbol of the unity and togetherness of the families.

On the Occasion of the Feast of the Holy Family, after an Advent Retreat

Praised be the Holy Trinity 
and Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

(Date)


Reverend Pastor...........................................

On behalf of the Holy Family Association I want to thank you and congratulate you for the Holy Family Monthly Home Visit that you host in your parish. Some members of your parish attended the Advent retreat in .................................. on ......................, ....................., to pray and deepen in the Spirituality of the Holy Family. The retreat also served to reflect upon situations and family matters that deeply challenge and sometimes break the communion of the family.

During the retreat some members of the Holy Family Monthly Home Visit asked questions about the celebration of the Feast of the Holy Family and their consecration to the Holy Family. I referred them to their pastors and told them to be available to you in whatever you need to prepare the Feast of the Holy Family in your parish.

As you already know, the members of the Holy Family Monthly Home Visit consecrate themselves to the Holy Family of Nazareth. This consecration is renewed once a year on the Feast of the Holy Family.

With this letter I also send you the consecration form in order to help you prepare this special celebration for families of your parish. God bless you in your task as a Pastor and witness of the Gospel. If you have any comment or question related to the Holy Family Monthly Home Visit or the Holy Family Association, I´ll be glad to share with you the information available.

Yours, in Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Fr. Julio González, S.F.
Pastor of Holy Family Parish
& Santuario de Chimayo, NM.

On the occasion of the Feast of the Holy Family

Praised be the Holy Trinity 
and Jesus, Mary and Joseph!


Dear Pastor and Celadora of the Holy Family:

On behalf of the Holy Family Association and The Holy Family Monthly Home Visit I want to thank you and congratulate you for the Coros of the Holy Family that you and your parish host.

According to the Statutes of the Holy Family Association to be a member of The Holy Family Monthly Home Visit is a way to establish a communion of prayer and life with the members of the Coro, the Parish and the whole Church. Our Holy Father and bishops encourage us to deepen in the spirituality of the Holy Family of Nazareth and to pray together as a Family. The members of the Coro of the Holy Family consecrate themselves to the Holy Family of Nazareth, Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This consecration is renewed once a year by the Feast of the Holy Family.

Included with this letter are the consecration forms in order to help you prepare this special feast for families of your parish. God bless you in your task as a Pastor and witness of the Gospel.

If you have any comment or question related to the Holy Family Association, I’ll be glad to share with you the information available.

Yours, in Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Fr. Julio Gonzalez, S.F.
Pastor of Holy Family Parish
& Santuario de Chimayo, NM.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CONSECRATED TO THE HOLY FAMILY?

Dear Pastor:

The consecration to the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, is a particular way of commitment to serve your parish and all your parishioners. Those parishioners that have asked you to help them in their consecration to the Holy Family don’t come to you with the intention of founding a new committee in your parish or to add more meetings to your agenda.

Parishioners consecrated to the Holy Family might be lectors, acolytes, ushers, extraordinary ministers of the Holy Eucharist, members of the Altar and Rosary Society, Guadalupanas, members of the prayer group, catechists, or just people longing to deepen in their family faith and traditions.

However, we share in the same spirituality: the spirituality of the Holy Family of Nazareth, Jesus, Mary and Joseph. We have come to see the house of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, as the school, the temple and the workshop where we grow together as brothers and sisters in Christ, children of God, members of the Church.

These parishioners that are requesting to be consecrated to the Family of Nazareth by the Feast of the Holy Family know that their consecration to Jesus, Mary and Joseph, is meant to pray for you and to help you and all their brothers and sisters to become what we already are in God’s heart: a family.

Following I enclose information about the consecration to the Holy Family and the Holy Family Association. Please, if you wish to have further information you can contact me:

Fr. Julio Gonzalez
Pastor of Holy Family Parish & Santuario de Chimayo
P.O. Box 235
Chimayo, NM 87522
(505) 351-4360
www.holyfamily@cybermesa.com

THE MONTHLY HOME VISIT: Mission Statement

"To deepen in the Spirituality of Nazareth
praying for one another
and through the contemplation
of the mysteries of the life of Jesus."

Prayer, Ongoing Formation and Mission of the Holy Family Association

The emotional and spiritual growth of the members of the Holy Family Association is aided by the time that we dedicate to:

- prayer
- the study of the Bible
- celebrations of the family and of the community
- assistance to other persons and families

Christian formation and education always includes these four elements: PRAYER, KNOWLEDGE, CELEBRATION and COMMITMENT.

However, there are times when we feel much more ready to participate in some activities than at other times. Hence, while some members of the Association of the Holy Family help other families by participating in projects and activities which bring solidarity, other members deepen their knowledge of the Gospel and of the spirituality of the Holy Family. To each one, however, the same Spirit and the same vocation unites and sustains the “Making a Nazareth in every home.”

The members of the Association of the Holy Family take part in the mission of the Church contributing with its own Nazarene spirituality and prayer, receiving ongoing formation and carrying out projects of solidarity with families in dire need of help.

The members of the Association of the Holy Family are united by prayer, meditation on the word of God and the contemplation on the mystery of Nazareth. They experience their identity as baptized Christians through Bible study and the traditions of the Church, and they demonstrate their vocation as sons and daughters of God by serving first their brothers and sisters (families) who most need their prayer and help. In this way, the spirituality of the Holy Family transforms an area  that is private and personal in to building a church of families where forgiveness, reconciliation and communion are stronger than the contradictions, failures, weaknesses and sins that separate us.

The Monthly Home Visit: Contemplative branch of the Holy Family Association

The Holy Family of Nazareth has entered thousands of Christian homes through the Monthly Home Visit.

The Monthly Home Visit consists in a grouping of families who form a part of the Association of the Holy Family.

The Holy Family little shrine occupies a visible place in each home where the members of the family gather to pray special devotions to Jesus, Mary and Joseph, for their own and other families, for the intentions of the members of the Association and of the Holy Father and the Holy Father.

A Contemplative Association

The members of the Monthly Home Visit form part of a contemplative group of families devoted to the Holy Family of Nazareth. They are formed in a life of prayer, of meditation and of Christian contemplation. In this way, devotion to the Holy Family will not experience the danger of being reduced to the repetition of words and private prayer.

It is not enough for a Christian to be only a person of prayer because Christian prayer is nourished in an encounter with God and with the community. To better understand the spirituality of Nazareth, the members of the Monthly Home Visit participate in Advent and Lenten retreats. They are also offered spiritual direction and workshops on prayer and on the Bible.

Coros of the Holy Family

Each group of 10, 15, or 30 families forms a coro, or society, of the Holy Family. The coros are coordinated by a person called a celadora or celador (custodian). This coordinator supervises the travel of the little shrine to all the homes in his or her care, keeps up-to-date lists of the members and informs the members and the Spiritual Director of the activities, anniversaries and deaths of the members of the coro.

The Monthly Home Visit is a fountain of vitality in the Holy Family Association because its prayer maintains watchfulness and renews all the groups and members of the Association. Because of this, the members of the Monthly Home Visit should always stay informed and learn the work of the Association, especially that which requires the deepest urgency and attention on behalf of the membership.

What is the Holy Family Monthly Home Visit?

The Holy Family Monthly Home Visit encourages the practice of the faith and family values shared by Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Those gathered in prayer around the Holy Family Chapel are guided to a deepening appreciation of their relationship within the family, their neighbor and God.

The purpose of the Monthly Home Visit is to transform each family into a Holy Family and each home into a new Nazareth. The Pilgrim Chapel journeys from one home to another through the arrangement of different groups of families. Each family keeps the Holy Family Chapel for a period of time agreed upon by the families in each group.

THE MONTHLY HOME VISIT: Celadora responsibilities

● The Celadora is responsible for the Little Chapel of the Holy Family and ensures that it travels in a timely manner from family to family each month.

● The Celadora calls the members of the Coro for all retreats, activities and feasts of the Holy Family, including Mass and receptions.

● The Celadora locates the Little Chapel when a member reports that it is running late.

● If a problem arises in the Coro, the Celadora brings up the problem with the General Celadora.

● When a member dies, the Celadora calls the family and offers them the Little Chapel.

● The Celadora brings the Little Chapel for the Feast of the Holy Family.

● The Celadora coordinates the Coro to assist for the Feast of the Holy Family, or in any other activity or retreat in which the Coro is called.

● The Celadora collects money donations from the Coro.

THE MONTHLY HOME VISIT: General Celadora responsibilities

● The General Celadora coordinates meetings, activities and retreats of the Monthly Home Visit, with the Celadoras.

● The General Celadora assists the Cela doras when situations arise that need to be solved in a Coro. May include talking to members or setting up a meeting with the Pastor.

● The General Celadora offers his/her collaboration, and of the Coros, to the Pastor for the Feast of the Holy Family.

● The General Celadora attends Parish Pastoral Council meetings on behalf of the Monthly Home Visit. Also attends national and international meetings of the Holy Family Association, as required.

● When a Coro member dies, the General Celadora helps the Celadora and Coro members to lead prayers of the Rosary for wake service, if requested by the family. The General Celadora asks Celadora to offer the Holy Family Capillita to the family for the services.

● The General Celadora informs the Pastor and the Holy Family Association when a member is very sick or dies.

THE MONTHLY HOME VISIT: Instructions for the Installation of a Coro of the Holy Family

1. Each Coro is formed by 10-30 families.

2. Among the families, a Celador or Celadora (man or woman), is appointed.
That person will be responsible for the Coro, its organization and well-being.

3. To entitle the Coro, a Patron Saint may be chosen.

4. A day, two or three days of the month is assigned to each family.

5. A list of all members, phone numbers, as well as the day assigned to each family, is attached to the little shrine, for the general knowledge of the members.

6. Upon receiving and dismissing the little shrine, the members make the Sign of the Cross, and recite the proper prayers. A candle is lit near the capillita while it visits each family.

7. Once a year, for the feast of the Holy Family, all the Coros meet together to consecrate their families to the Holy Family. All the capillitas are taken to the Chuch for Mass on that day, during which the families recite together the Prayer of Consecration.

8. All the Celadores or Celadoras take up a collection that day among the members in order to support the needs of the Holy Family Seminary. The collection is given to the General Celadora.

9. For the installation of the Coro, the Celador or Celadora will make arrangements with the General Celadora and with the Pastor of the Parish where the members of the Coro are registered.

10. When a member of the Coro dies, a Mass will be offered by the Coro. The celador/a sends a note to the General Celadora, indicating the name of the deceased member, and his/her age. A list of the deceased members will appear in the Newsletter. The members will offer themselves with the Celador or Celadora to pray the Rosary.

March, 2014