About Holy Family · Russell, Massachusetts
Holy Family Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the town of Russell, Massachusetts, and surrounding hilltowns in the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts. Located at 5 Main Street, the parish celebrates the Eucharist on Saturday evenings and twice on Sunday mornings, and offers a religious education/faith formation program for its children. Its mission statement reads: 'As children of God, our mission is to reflect our relationship with Jesus in living, loving, serving and reaching out to others near and far in communion with all our sisters and brothers.' The parish community gathers for fellowship through events like Sunday coffee and donuts, a summer picnic, community meals, and outreach to a local food pantry and the Our Community Table meal program in nearby Westfield.
- Patron
- The Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Fr. Ron
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts
Why belong here
Holy Family is a welcoming small-town parish where families know one another and parishioners are invited into every aspect of parish life. The community offers weekend Masses, a faith formation program for children led by a dedicated director, and a Pastoral and Finance Council for those with leadership gifts. Members serve as lectors, ushers, choir members, altar servers, and catechists; they gather for coffee and donuts after the 8:15 Sunday Mass, share a summer parish picnic, count weekly collections, and reach out to neighbors through a food pantry collection and a monthly meal at Our Community Table in Westfield.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:15 pm – 4:45 pm
- Sunday 7:30 am – 8:00 am (during Advent/Lent)
- Prayer & Confession 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Advent and Lent)
About Holy Family Parish
Holy Family is a small Roman Catholic parish at 5 Main Street in Russell, Massachusetts, within the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts. The community worships together each weekend, teaches its children the faith, and reaches out to neighbors through food collections and a monthly meal served at Our Community Table in Westfield. Its published mission statement reads: 'As children of God, our mission is to reflect our relationship with Jesus in living, loving, serving and reaching out to others near and far in communion with all our sisters and brothers.' The parish is led by Fr. Ron and supported by a Pastoral Council and Finance Council.
- 5 Main Street, Russell, MA 01071
- (413) 862-4418
- [email protected]
- Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts
Liturgical Year & Holy Week
Holy Family publishes a full liturgical calendar on its website so that parishioners can plan ahead for the great seasons of the Church year. Ash Wednesday is marked with Masses at 8:00 am and 7:00 pm; Fridays in Lent feature Stations of the Cross at 7:00 pm; and Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday is celebrated with the Blessing of Palms at all three weekend Masses.
- Ash Wednesday – 8:00 am and 7:00 pm
- Stations of the Cross – Fridays at 7:00 pm (Lent)
- Passion Sunday Blessing of Palms – Sat 5 pm; Sun 8:15 am & 11:00 am
- Holy Thursday Mass – 7:00 pm
- Good Friday Passion of the Lord – 7:00 pm
- Holy Saturday Blessing of the Easter Food – 11:00 am
- Easter Vigil Liturgy of Light – 8:00 pm
- Easter Sunday – 8:15 am and 11:00 am
Christmas & New Year Schedule
The parish keeps its Christmas Vigil on Christmas Eve at 5:00 pm, Christmas Day Masses at 8:15 am and 11:00 am, New Year's Eve Mass at 5:00 pm, and New Year's Day Mass at 10:00 am. This four-Mass stretch is a centerpiece of parish life for families who gather at the church across the octave of Christmas.
- Christmas Vigil – 5:00 pm
- Christmas Day – 8:15 am and 11:00 am
- New Year's Eve – 5:00 pm
- New Year's Day – 10:00 am
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Holy Family runs a parish-based Religious Education / Faith Formation program for children, with classes meeting most weeks from September through April. The published 2018–2019 schedule lists weekly class sessions (with breaks on holiday weekends) and two 'youth Mass' Sundays in January and April. Parents and parishioners with questions can contact the program's director, Deb Bogoff, directly.
- Religious Education Director: Deb Bogoff — (413) 888-7412
- Faith Formation classes run September through April
- Weekly class schedule with built-in holiday breaks
- Two youth Masses integrated into the program each year
Parish Life & Fellowship
The parish life page makes clear that Holy Family is a community where parishioners are invited to participate — not only at the altar but also in the parish hall and around the picnic table. Coffee and Donuts follow the 8:15 am Sunday Mass each week; the Parish Picnic (with food, games, and fun) is held each August; Fellowship Community Meals bring the parish family together around the table; and counters are needed weekly to tally the collections.
- Coffee & Donuts after 8:15 am Sunday Mass
- Parish Picnic each August
- Fellowship Community Meals
- Weekly collection counters (volunteers needed)
- Pastoral Council
- Finance Council
Ways to Serve in the Parish
The website explicitly invites parishioners to step forward and serve. Fr. Ron's bulletin notes that ushers are needed at every Mass and counters are needed for the weekly collections. Other visible opportunities include proclaiming the Word as a lector, singing in the choir, serving at the altar as an altar server, and teaching in the faith formation program.
- Lectors
- Ushers – needed at all Masses
- Choir
- Altar Servers
- Teacher (Faith Formation)
- Counters – weekly collections
Parish Outreach & Charity
Outreach is named as one of the four verbs in the parish's mission statement (along with living, loving, and serving), and the website gives it its own page. Holy Family collects non-perishable food items for a local food pantry, prepares and serves a meal at Our Community Table in Westfield on the first Sunday of each month, organizes community-service projects through Religious Education, and offers home visits and a prayer line to those who are homebound or in need of spiritual support.
- Food pantry donations (non-perishable items)
- Our Community Table meal – first Sunday of the month in Westfield
- Religious Education Community Service
- Home Visits and Prayer Line
Joining the Parish
Anyone who lives within the parish or who wishes to register as a member may do so by downloading and completing the parish registration form published on the Holy Family website. The form collects family contact information and sacramental records (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage) for the head of household, spouse, and every other person living at the address, allowing the parish office to maintain accurate sacramental files.
- Registration form available on holyfamilyrussell.org
- Family contact and sacramental-history information requested
- Mailing address: PO Box 405, Russell, MA 01071
Bulletins & Updates
The parish posts an online archive of bulletins on the website so that absent parishioners can keep up with announcements, readings, and the pastor's letter. Bulletins are also indexed through John Patrick Publishing's church-bulletin archive service.
- Bulletins page on holyfamilyrussell.org
- Bulletin archive via church-bulletin.org