About Church of the Holy Family · Hebron, Connecticut
The Church of the Holy Family is a Roman Catholic parish in Hebron, Connecticut, situated in the Amston section of town on Route 85. It is part of the Diocese of Norwich and, since December 2011, has been yoked with the nearby Catholic Community of Saint Columba in Columbia, sharing pastoral leadership with Father Michael S. Smith while each parish retains its own identity. The parish grew out of a community that first gathered for Mass in January 1987 and, after seven years of fundraising, dedicated its New England-style church building on October 9, 1994. Today it serves Catholic families in Hebron, Andover, Columbia and surrounding towns through worship, religious education for some 550 children, music ministry, outreach and a wide variety of parish groups.
- Established
- 1986
- Patron
- Holy Family (Jesus, Mary and Joseph)
- Rector
- Rev. Michael S. Smith
- Diocese
- Diocese of Norwich
Why belong here
The Church of the Holy Family offers the warmth of a small Catholic parish with the resources of a yoked faith community. Weekend and weekday Masses are celebrated in an intimate 350-seat New England-style church, weekly Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is offered on Tuesdays, and Confession is heard Saturday afternoons. A robust Religious Education program serves more than 550 children from kindergarten through Confirmation, alongside RCIA for adults, an active Youth Ministry, men's and women's retreats, and a wide range of lay-led ministries — from Lectoring and Altar Serving to the beloved Caring Clowns and Music program, Social Outreach, and a Haiti mission partnership.
Mass times at Church of the Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–4:30 PM at Church of the Holy Family (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 4:45–5:45 PM at Church of the Holy Family
About the Parish
The Church of the Holy Family is a Roman Catholic parish in the Amston section of Hebron, Connecticut, within the Diocese of Norwich. Its mission statement describes the community as disciples of Christ who 'live the Gospel through prayer and service, bearing witness to God's love, compassion, and mercy.' The parish welcomes everyone regardless of past faith tradition and invites newcomers to register through the Parish House office.
- Pastor: Rev. Michael S. Smith
- Diocese: Norwich (Willimantic Deanery)
- Yoked with Saint Columba Catholic Church, Columbia, CT (since December 2011)
History
Holy Family was established in 1986 to serve Catholics in Hebron and the surrounding communities. The first Masses were held the weekend of January 10, 1987, drawing more than 700 people even though the church building did not yet exist. After seven years of fundraising, ground was broken on Route 85 in Amston and the 350-seat New England-style church was dedicated on October 9, 1994. In December 2011, Bishop Michael R. Cote yoked Holy Family with Saint Columba in Columbia under the pastoral leadership of Father Michael Smith.
- Established 1986
- First Masses: January 10, 1987 (700+ attendees, no building yet)
- Ground broken after seven years of community fundraising
- Church dedicated October 9, 1994
- Yoked with St. Columba under Fr. Michael S. Smith, December 2011
Parish Staff
Holy Family maintains a small, dedicated staff that also serves the yoked Saint Columba community. The parish office is in the Parish House at 185 Church Street in Amston.
- Rev. Michael S. Smith — Pastor
- Dennis Chanski — Business Manager
- Nicole Bernier — Director of Music
- Ashley Dombrowski — Director of Religious Education
- Roger Demers — Administrative Assistant
- Lois Roy — Parish Sexton
Mass & Sacrament Schedule
Weekend and weekday Masses are offered in English. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons before the Vigil Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration is celebrated Tuesday afternoons. These times are coordinated with the yoked Saint Columba parish to ensure daily Mass coverage across both communities.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM at Holy Family
- Sunday: 9:30 AM at Holy Family (8:00 AM & 11:00 AM at St. Columba; no 11:00 AM June–August)
- Weekday: Tuesday 7:00 PM and Thursday 6:30 AM at Holy Family (Wed & Fri 9:00 AM at St. Columba)
- Reconciliation: Saturday 4:00–4:30 PM at Holy Family, or by appointment
- Adoration: Tuesday 4:45–5:45 PM at Holy Family
Religious Education
The Religious Education Program at Church of the Holy Family is designed to serve every member of the parish and currently reaches over 550 children. The program includes Catholic Religious Education (CRE) from Kindergarten through Confirmation, Adult Education opportunities, and the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) for new members. A Religious Education Committee, composed of parents, teachers, parishioners and the DRE, meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 9:45 AM to set policy and assess the program.
- Catholic Religious Education (CRE) — Kindergarten through Confirmation
- Adult Education opportunities
- RCIA for new adult members
- First Reconciliation / First Eucharist preparation
- Two-year Confirmation preparation (grades 8 and 9)
- Sunday and weekday class options plus a homeschool track
- Director: Ashley Dombrowski (860-228-0096 x3)
Parish Ministries & Service
Holy Family has an unusually wide range of lay-led ministries for a parish of its size. From traditional liturgical roles (Lectors, Altar Servers, Greeters, Eucharistic Ministers) to outreach (Social Outreach, Compassion, Communion for the Homebound) to formation (RCIA, Marriage Preparation, Youth Ministry, Men's and Women's Retreats), almost every parishioner can find a way to participate. Two distinctive ministries are the Caring Clowns and Music program and the Haiti Mission Partnership.
- Adoration — Ruth Twomley
- Arts and Environment — Roberta Murphy
- Compassion Ministry — Jodi Lagassie
- Communion for the Homebound — Sharon Canny
- Haiti Mission — Mary Ellen Ganci
- Hospitality — Christine Turco
- RCIA — Dottie and Peter Moon
- Marriage Preparation — Sue and Mark Roser
- Welcome Committee — Kathy Butler
- Lectoring — Kris Payant
- Men's Retreat — Jim Payant
- Women's Retreat — Diane Nolette
- Social Outreach — Susan Magoon
- Youth Ministry — Michael and Lisa Ciarrocchi
- Altar Servers — Lois Roy
- Greeters — Shauna Barrett
- Caring Clowns and Music — Nicole Bernier
Music & Liturgy
Music ministry is led by Nicole Bernier, Director of Music, who coordinates liturgical music across parish liturgies and also oversees the parish's distinctive 'Caring Clowns and Music' outreach.
- Director of Music: Nicole Bernier
- Caring Clowns and Music ministry (outreach)
Sacraments
The parish celebrates Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Confirmation and Marriage, and brings the Eucharist to the homebound. Marriage preparation follows the Norwich Diocese requirements, and the parish encourages families to contact the office well in advance for weddings, baptisms and faith-formation sacraments.
- Baptism — contact the Parish House (860-228-0096)
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist — via the CRE program
- Confirmation — two-year preparation (grades 8 and 9)
- Marriage — diocesan preparation required; contact Sue and Mark Roser
- Communion for the Homebound — contact Sharon Canny
Parish Life, Retreats & Outreach
Beyond the sacraments, Holy Family hosts annual Men's and Women's Retreats, supports an active Youth Ministry run by Michael and Lisa Ciarrocchi, and maintains a Social Outreach ministry led by Susan Magoon. The community also keeps an ongoing Haiti Mission Partnership coordinated by Mary Ellen Ganci. Newcomers are welcomed through the Welcome Committee.
- Men's Retreat — Jim Payant
- Women's Retreat — Diane Nolette
- Youth Ministry — Michael and Lisa Ciarrocchi
- Social Outreach — Susan Magoon
- Haiti Mission Partnership — Mary Ellen Ganci
- Welcome Committee — Kathy Butler
Getting Involved / Membership
Becoming a registered parishioner is straightforward: download the registration form from the parish's Forms page, pick one up at the Parish House during office hours (9:00 AM–1:00 PM, Mon–Fri), or grab one from the Narthex at church any time. Parishioners are asked to keep the office updated on email, phone, address, births, deaths and marriages.
- Office: 185 Church St., Amston, CT 06231
- Office hours: 9:00 AM–1:00 PM Monday–Friday (except holidays)
- Phone: (860) 228-0096 · Fax: (860) 228-1629
- Registration form available online or in the Narthex
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael Phillippinoprior to Dec 2011
Listed as pastor in earlier Norwich Diocese directories while Holy Family and St. Columba operated as separate parishes.
- Rev. Michael S. SmithDecember 2011 – present
Appointed by Bishop Michael R. Cote to serve as pastor of both the Church of the Holy Family (Hebron) and the Catholic Community of Saint Columba (Columbia) under a yoked arrangement announced in December 2011.