Home, Sweet Home! The Institute of Christ the King

St.Gianna's Oratory

Welcome to St. Gianna's Oratory (or locally known as Holy Family)

Sacred Heart statue in the courtyard

St. Teresa

What could make 5 little hootiekins super happy?

None other that the familiar face of the most awesome Abbe in the universe!

Sacred Heart altar

Mary's side altar

Side altar of St. Gianna

All of the local people know it as Holy Family and is one of Tucson's historic landmarks so when I said we were going to St. Gianna's Oratory everyone was quite confused.  Amazingly the family that I am staying with had grown up going to Holy Family.   Holy Family Parish is Tucson's oldest parish.  Its first pastor Fr. Lucas of St. Joseph O.C.D. and his associate Fr. Eduardo of the Child Jesus O.C.D. were beatified by Pope Benedict on October 28, the Feast of Christ the King, in 2007.  On August 6, 2010, Bishop Kicanas entrusted the parish to the Institute.

It was particularly refreshing to attend Sunday mass again at an Institute church and also be blessed to be able to attend daily mass there also. All through Sunday mass, I was interrupted by a small whisper asking, "Where is Abbe Alex?  I thought he was going to be here?"  Yes, it even made me a bit homesick and yes, I miss those blue pom poms and cassocks.

Please pray for this fledgling parish and also their new Sacred Heart Society as their first meeting is this Friday morning.

St. Gianna, pray us!

Bl. Lucas, pray for us!

Bl. Eduardo, pray for us!

St. Michael the Archangel pray for us! (as I post this on his feast day)