Holy Family, Newark

By 1971, the parish of Saint Johns-Holy Angels found it necessary to utilize the facilities of the Kingswood United Methodist Church in Brookside and Ogletown Junior High School, today's Kirk Middle School, for parish liturgies and religious education classes to alleviate overcrowding at Saint John the Baptist and Holy Angels churches. In 1974, property was purchased by the Diocese from Our Lady of Grace Home for Children and a pastor was assigned for the Brookside/Ogletown Area. Ground breaking for the new church, social hall, and office complex occurred on March 27, 1977, and The Most Reverend Thomas J. Mardaga, sixth Bishop of Wilmington, dedicated Holy Family Church on March 5, 1978. On July 1, 1979, Holy Family Parish was canonically established as the 53rd parish in the Diocese of Wilmington.

Designed in a modern style, the church features faceted stained glass windows. The colors are darker at the far end of the buiilding and become brighter as they get closer to the altar. The original Sanctuary Cross was made from the wood of the old pews in Holy Angels church, while the Corpus on the cross carved from pearwood and imported from Italy. The centerpiece of the Gathering Space is a statue of the Holy Family.

A building campaign for the new Religious Education Center was undertaken in April of 1983, which opened for classes in the fall of 1984. The Religious Education Program has since grown to include a vibrant Youth Service Ministry and opportunities throughout the year for Adult Education.

An Outreach Office opened in the Fall of 2002. The goal of this ministry is to connect people with the appropriate resources that can help them in their need. The Outreach Office houses the parish food closet and distributes food to people from the surrounding community. The program also participates in the Newark Code Purple program providing shelter, food, and fellowship to the homeless on the coldest winter nights.

Christ the Teacher Catholic School opened in the Fall of 2002. This is the regional school which serves our families along with the parishes of St. Margaret of Scotland, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, and Saint Joseph in Middletown. It has twice been distinguished by the Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School.

Holy Family Parishs celebrated its 25th Anniversary on July 4, 2004 with a special Mass, parish picnic, and a Summerfest Carnival. Summerfest has become an annual event that brings parishioners and the surrounding community together every July. Holy Family is diverse community that strives to be welcoming to visitors and new members of our parish.