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Karl
Holtsnider - Farewell Blessings to God's Graceful Servant
When Karl Holtsnider became our Parish Administrator in 1993, he brought with him an "escalation of new ideas and new possibilities," recalls
Monsignor Connolly. This coming weekend, our Holy Family community will gather in gratitude to honor Karl as he prepares to retire.
Our celebration will be held this Sunday, June 22, beginning with a special blessing and tribute at the 9:30 a.m. Mass. Then, a reception in his
honor will be held in the Parish Hall. All are welcome!
We are pleased to present Monsignor Connolly's tribute to Karl, which also will appear in this Sunday's bulletin. And, as Monsignor says, a tribute
to
Karl is also a tribute to Kathy and their family, who have worshipped at Holy Family for more than 36 years.
We begin Monsignor's reflection here and invite you to continue reading on the website. As
Monsignor writes:
This weekend is historic in the annals of Holy Family. On Sunday, we celebrate and honor Karl Holtsnider for his many years of inspiring leadership
as
he approaches his retirement on June 30.
As one of six children, Karl learned very early the spirit of sharing. In his young adulthood, his values were shaped in the Franciscan model with a
great emphasis on the service of the poor. In his intense interest and unique ability in communicating God's message, Karl was co-founder of The
Hour of St. Francis, a weekly radio program for evangelization.
Before it was fashionable, he discerned already the extraordinary power of the media in the life of the Church. Due in no small measure to his
imagination, The Hour of St. Francis evolved into Franciscan Communications which produced a variety of media; music, audio, film,
publishing and interactive educational material. It was at this time that he became the co-worker and valued friend of our own Fr. Tony Scannell. For
their work in this ministry, they received wide recognition and many awards.
In 1993, Karl joined the staff of Holy Family. This was a providential stroke of grace and good fortune since our community was poised for a dynamic
passage of
development.
Please click here to continue to ready Monsignor's
reflection.
And, we hope to see you on Sunday as we salute this graceful servant of God.
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Hooray for "Hollywood" Auction
Volunteers
The event was a success - now it's time to roll the credits!
The chairs of the Holy Family annual auction - with its theme of "The Golden Age of
Hollywood: An Affair to Remember, A Time to Dream" - give a standing ovation to the 350 volunteers who worked on this year's fundraiser.
"They were
the
stars of the event," say the chairs. "We send a big thank you to all the volunteers who gave so graciously of their energy and enthusiasm."
This 18th annual event, held on May 17, featured live and silent auctions, a raffle, dinner and dancing. The event planning committee was chaired by
Andrell and Ed Panconi; Debbie and Danny Bachman chaired the procurement committee; and Aimee and Rudy Gutierrez were chairs of fundraising and
communications.
"We all came together in spirit and in the style of Hollywood to create the elegant experience of classic Hollywood. And, our event raised important
funds to enhance the work of our parish ministries and outside charitable groups. That made it truly an event to remember."
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Allis Druffel - A Gift of Giving and
Guidance
Befitting someone who guided the Holy Family Giving Bank for almost six years, Allis Druffel gave much of herself to our parish and the greater
community we are called to serve.
Now, it is our turn to give our blessings and best wishes to Allis as she moves ahead to answer a "call to work for the environment."
The Giving Bank, Friends Who Care, Fair Trade and the Social Concerns ministries all grew under Allis' guidance as Director of Community Services.
She herself gives much credit to the volunteers, who showed her "the ways people respond to the Holy Spirit for the benefit of others."
"I remember one Saturday before Christmas, when the St. Joseph Center was just filled with food and toys (for distribution to families in need),"
recalls Allis. "I thought, 'how are we ever going to get it all organized?' But, all it took was two days and our wonderful volunteers. It gave me a
great sense of what people can do as a group together."
Allis takes with her memories of the relationships she built with families and individuals who come into the Giving Bank. "It was valuable to get to
know their names, exchange stories, follow each other's lives. Some of my best memories are talking with special individuals and forming
relationships
with them."We bid Allis farewell with a sense of gratitude and a strong commitment to continuing to care for our local and global community.
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View the Vision for our Future
As our Holy Family community proceeds with its plans for A Vision for Parish Leadership, the Holy Family Transition Committee invites you to
stay up-to-date with our progress.
Our most exciting news is the coming of Cambria Smith as lay pastoral associate in mid-August. Plans are being made to introduce Cambria and give her
a warm welcome to our parish at a Mass and reception after Labor Day. In the meantime, Cambria will be visiting from time to time, so please feel
free
to introduce yourself.
And, the Transition Committee welcomes you to learn more by viewing the parish plan, A Vision for Parish
Leadership. You can find articles
about our progress on the website and in the
Sunday Bulletin.
To ask questions or share your support, contact us at 626-403-6182 or
avisionforparishleadership@holyfamily.org.
As the team says, the vision is "alive and thriving!"
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