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On November 16, 2008, Holy Family Parish in Nazareth, PA celebrated its 100th Anniversary with a dinner at Northampton Memorial Community Center. The parish celebrated its first mass on November 18, 1908, and Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have worked in the parish for 95 of its 100 years, beginning in 1913 with Fr. Griefenberg, MSC, a Missionary of the Sacred Heart from Germany. Even before Fr. Griefenberg arrived, MSC Sisters from Germany were teachers at the parish school when it opened in 1910. Although they were gradually replaced by lay teachers, MSC Sisters continued teaching at Holy Family School until 1991. In addition to the elementary school and the preschool, the parish has several active societies, including the Holy Name Society and the Altar and Rosary Society, both founded by Fr. Griefenberg to help support the parish. Several MSC in the United States have served as pastor of Holy Family, including Fr. Michael Camilli, Fr. Norbert Weber and Fr. John Kavcak, who returned to his home parish in 1999 and served there for seven years. Three Missionaries of the Sacred Heart currently serve Holy Family Parish: Fr. Joseph Tobias, MSC (pastor); Fr. Joseph Muller, MSC (parochial vicar) and Fr. Simione Volavola, MSC (parochial vicar and an MSC from Fiji).
Today, Holy Family has grown to 2,600 families who are very active in their parish and community. The parish boasts a variety of music groups and has activities for people of all ages including prayer groups, the Knights of Columbus, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, youth groups and choirs, religious education classes, special groups for mothers, people who have lost a loved one, and for those who have been widowed or divorced as well as monthly get-togethers for “Golden Agers”. The parish also places a strong emphasis on service to others and offers people several opportunities to get involved, whether it be by visiting local hospitals, providing emergency assistance to people in the surrounding community or helping people who are unemployed gain job skills/network with potential employers. The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart congratulate Holy Family Parish on its 100 years of service to the Church and to the local community.
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