Set on Burkittsville Road in the Middletown Valley of Frederick County, Holy Family Catholic Community gathers its members around a simple mission: Love God. Love Others. Make Disciples. The parish shares its pastorate with St. Francis-St. Mary under the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and the daily rhythm of Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, family faith formation, and hands-on outreach shapes a community that takes the words "mission-ready" seriously. Whether members arrive as longtime parishioners, new neighbors, or inquirers considering the Catholic faith for the first time, Holy Family offers a place where they can encounter Christ, serve their neighbors, and pass the faith to the next generation.
Mass, Adoration, and Reconciliation
The celebration of the Mass is the center of parish life at Holy Family. Sunday Mass is offered at 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM, with a vigil Mass on Saturday at 5:00 PM. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 9:00 AM, subject to occasional changes in the priests' schedules that are reflected in the weekly bulletin. The 8:00 AM Sunday Mass is livestreamed online for those unable to be present in the pews, and an archive of past liturgies is available for catch-up viewing. Low-gluten hosts are available for those who need them; greeters and ushers are glad to assist.
Eucharistic Adoration extends the parish's reverence for the Blessed Sacrament across the week. Adoration is held Monday evening from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, Tuesday morning from 6:30 to 8:00 AM, and Friday morning from approximately 9:30 to 10:30 AM, immediately following the 9:00 AM Daily Mass. The parish also gathers to pray the Rosary together every Thursday at 1:00 PM in St. Joseph Chapel, entrusting its families and intentions to Mary, the patroness of the parish.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered three times each week. Confessions are heard Monday from 5:00 to 6:00 PM, Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:00 AM, and Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. The parish describes the sacrament as a great gift of mercy and forgiveness, and confessors are happy to walk anyone through a first confession if they are new to the practice.
Family Faith Formation: A Whole-Parish Approach
Holy Family's approach to faith formation is built around the whole family gathering together. Family Faith Formation (FFF) runs from September through May, with sessions every other Sunday morning from 9:00 to 10:40 AM or every other Monday evening from 6:00 to 7:40 PM. Each session opens with a shared meal and time of fellowship before the group breaks into age-appropriate segments. Children from age three through tenth grade head to classrooms with their catechists, adults gather in Legacy Hall for presentations and small-group discussion, and a nursery is available for the littlest ones. Teens in eleventh and twelfth grade remain with the adults.
The session schedule runs from September through May, with a Family Pilgrimage each fall, a pause over the Christmas season, and a return in February. The flat family registration fee of $350 covers materials and meals, and financial assistance is available so that no family is turned away. FFF is a family program rather than a drop-off: at least one parent or guardian is expected to attend with each child. Catholic-school families are welcome and encouraged to join, and the parish works with them to integrate their children's sacramental preparation into the parish calendar.
The Road to the Sacraments
Sacramental preparation builds on a completed year of faith formation. Children in second grade or older are welcome to register for the First Reconciliation and First Communion programs, which are offered each fall and spring. Each sacrament involves three Wednesday-evening workshops from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, plus a Mass Passport booklet that walks the family through ten Sundays of worship together, with each reflection stamped by a greeter. First Communions are scheduled once a month at Sunday Masses, with dates assigned on a first-come, first-served basis once all requirements are met. A separate registration fee of $50 helps offset material costs.
Confirmation preparation begins in fifth grade and is offered within the Family Faith Formation context. Participants commit to at least six of the eight sessions each semester, and the program tracks with the Archdiocese of Baltimore's guidelines for the sacrament. Adults seeking Confirmation are invited to contact the parish office, often in tandem with the OCIA process.
Holy Family also welcomes new parents to the Baptismal font. Baptisms are held on the last Sunday of each month during the 11:00 AM Mass, and parents are led through a five-step process that includes registration as parishioners, completion of a baptism registration form, selection of godparents, attendance at a baptism class, and a final meeting with the Director of Christian Formation to set the date. At least one godparent must be a practicing Catholic; a non-Catholic Christian may serve as a Christian Witness.
Becoming Catholic Through OCIA
Adults who want to learn more about the Catholic faith, or who are preparing for Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist, walk the path of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). Inquiry sessions begin each fall in a welcoming setting where questions are encouraged and no commitment is required upfront. Classes continue throughout the year. Father Luke Koski, associate pastor, walks inquirers through the process, and an online interest form helps the parish team respond to each situation individually. For adults already baptized in another Christian tradition, the parish guides them toward Confirmation and full communion with the Catholic Church.
Couples preparing for marriage use the parish's 2:24 marriage preparation program, drawn from Genesis 2:24, which takes a closer look at communication, intimacy, children, finances, and faith as the foundation of married life. The Anointing of the Sick is available by appointment during the week or upon request on weekends for those facing surgery, illness, or the effects of advanced age. Communion is brought regularly to the sick and homebound by Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion; parishioners who know someone in need of a visit can contact the parish office to arrange one.
Children, Nursery, and KidCheck
Children are always welcome at Mass, and Holy Family has built programs for every age. At the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass, "Disciples in Training" gathers children in kindergarten through second grade for a kid-friendly walk through the order of the Mass and the Gospel of the day. A nursery next to Legacy Hall is open during the same Mass for children four and younger. Children's ministers are essential to both programs, and new volunteers are welcome; Amanda Douglas, Family Ministry Coordinator, oversees the team.
Safety is built into every program through KidCheck, a check-in software and mobile app used for both faith formation classes and the nursery. Parents set up family profiles, list who may and may not pick up their children, and receive a printed guardian receipt that must be presented at pickup. Text-message alerts allow staff to reach a parent immediately during Mass if needed. For families new to the parish, greeters walk first-time guests through the check-in process and explain the programs available. All adult volunteers working with children complete the Archdiocese of Baltimore's VIRTUS training and background screening before they begin.
Liturgical Ministries and Their Patrons
Each liturgical ministry at Holy Family is paired with a patron saint, an intentional touch that signals how seriously the parish takes the work of preparing the liturgy. Altar Servers, under the patronage of St. Tarcisius, assist the priest and deacon at weekend and Holy Day Masses. The role is open to children and youth in fourth through twelfth grade (minimum age ten) and to young adults, with training provided. Servers must have received First Holy Communion and arrive early in proper attire.
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, under the patronage of St. Peter Julian Eymard, distribute the Eucharist at Mass and bring it to the sick and homebound; they are encouraged to spend an hour a week in Adoration. Greeters, under the patronage of St. Martin de Porres, are the first face of the parish and welcome worshippers, answer questions, and assist with the collection. Lectors, under the patronage of St. Bede, proclaim the readings at Mass and meditate on the Word of God daily. Sacristans, under the patronage of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, care for the sacred vessels, vestments, and books used in the liturgy. Cantors and pianists, coordinated by Music Director John Nelson, lead the music at weekend liturgies.
Volunteers of all ages can sign up through the parish's Get Involved form, which lists altar serving, church cleaning, landscaping, the livestream team, and music ministry among the open opportunities. Greeters under the age of ten must be accompanied by a guardian.
Reaching Out Across the Middletown Valley
Holy Family's outreach is organized around long-term partnerships with organizations that serve the wider community. The parish describes itself as a steward of both local and global missions, with five core partners in the Middletown Valley and Frederick County.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) conference meets at Holy Family on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 PM and provides emergency financial assistance for residents facing eviction, utility cutoffs, and similar crises. Anyone living within Holy Family's parish boundaries can call (240) 439-3932 for support; those elsewhere in Frederick County are referred to St. John's. Middletown Valley People Helping People (MVPHP), a volunteer organization that meets on the Holy Family campus, assists residents of the Middletown school feeder system with a range of needs and partners with agencies and churches throughout Frederick County. The Middletown Food Bank, supported by Holy Family and other community groups, distributes food and personal supplies through its pantry on Main Street; physical donations can be dropped in the Knights of Columbus basket at the Middletown Safeway or in the labeled basket in the church narthex. Brunswick BEACON, an ecumenical nonprofit, runs the Brunswick Food Bank and the Emergency Relief Fund, coordinates an annual school supply drive, sponsors a fall gathering for Brunswick seniors, and supports Thanksgiving baskets and the community Secret Santa program. Birthright of Frederick, an interdenominational pregnancy support organization, offers free pregnancy tests, maternity and baby items, medical referrals, and a 24/7 hotline at 1-800-550-4900 for women in the area.
Catholic Daughters of the Americas adds another layer of parish community life, and a prayer line connects intercessors with submitted requests, which may be named aloud during the 8:00 AM Sunday Mass livestream with the permission of the person being prayed for. Father Michael and Father Luke also publish their homilies as podcasts so that parishioners can revisit the weekend message throughout the week.
Sleepy Hollow and the Parish Calendar
Each fall, the parish hosts the Sleepy Hollow Fall Festival, a community-wide afternoon of food, activities, and fellowship that draws hundreds of neighbors from across the Middletown Valley. The festival is built on parish volunteers and local business sponsors and has become one of the signature outreach events of the year. Throughout the rest of the calendar, parishioners find Alpha, the outdoor Mass celebrating the history of the St. Mary community, the parish pilgrimage, and other seasonal gatherings that bring the pastorate together. Bulletins are posted online each week, and "Worship Fully," a weekly reflection resource, helps parishioners prepare for and live out the Sunday message.
Stewardship and the "Behold Something New" Capital Campaign
Parishioners can give online through Parish Soft (church code MD427) or Faith Direct, and donations of stocks, bonds, and other non-cash gifts can be arranged through the parish office. The "Behold Something New" Capital Campaign directly supports Holy Family itself, funding the replacement of the church's aging air conditioning units and surface mold remediation in the worship space. The campaign is set to conclude in late 2026, and the parish has expressed deep gratitude for the generosity that is making the work possible.
Safeguarding Children and Youth
Every adult volunteer at Holy Family is considered a "substantial contact volunteer" and must complete the Archdiocese of Baltimore's VIRTUS child protection training, agree to a background check, and provide three references (one personal, one family, one professional) before serving in any ministry. The training and screening are renewed every five years. Teens between the ages of 14 and 17 who wish to volunteer follow a separate application process with parental involvement. Kathy Hofer, the parish's VIRTUS coordinator, walks new volunteers through each step. The parish complies fully with Maryland's mandatory reporting laws for suspected child abuse and provides contact information for both the Maryland Department of Human Services and the Archdiocese's Office of Child and Youth Protection.
The Pastorate Leadership Team
Holy Family is led by Father Michael Rubeling, pastor, with Father Luke Koski serving as associate pastor and Deacon Scott Anderson assisting in liturgical and pastoral life. Megan Vera is the Director of Mission, and Amanda Douglas serves as Family Ministry Coordinator. John Nelson directs the music ministry, while Kathy Hofer is the Community Engagement Coordinator and the parish's VIRTUS contact. Office hours run Monday through Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM, with Friday hours suspended during the summer months of June, July, and August. The parish office can be reached at (301) 473-4800 or info@thepastorate.com.
For Catholics in the Middletown Valley and for newcomers exploring the faith, Holy Family Catholic Community offers a steady rhythm of Word, Sacrament, formation, and service. The parish invites anyone who walks through its doors to encounter Christ and to take the next step on a journey that has shaped this corner of Frederick County for generations.