Read our past issues to keep up to date with what’s happening with our Passionist Alumni!
-CrossRoads Bulletin #1, November 2018
-CrossRoads Bulletin #2, February 2019
-CrossRoads Bulletin #3, May 2019 – Reunion Issue
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Holy Family Cristo Rey High School
Welcome to the Neighborhood Reception
On Thursday, October 3, 2019, the Titusville community held a reception to welcome us! Representatives from the City of Birmingham, Jefferson County Commission District 2, the Titusville Development Corporation and the
the Neighborhood Association were in attendance. We are grateful for the warm welcome and support we have received from our friends and neighbors. A special shout out to event sponsors: Davenport and Harris Funeral Home, Elmwood Shell Service, Rocky Heights Printing Company (see photo on right of our new sign), Titusville Development Corporation, Commissioner Sheila Tyson, Councilor Crystal Smitherman, Senator Roger Smitherman, Vincent Perry, Residents and Neighborhood Association Officers, and our talented Reception Planning Committee. We are especially grateful to Dianne Marie Mills, Poet; Andrea Billingsley Whitfield, Ms. Senior Titusville; and Deborah Carson, Mistress of Ceremony. In the words of Ms. Mills, "This is it!"
www.hfcristorey.org/
Passionist Faith and Community: Sharon and Alex Brewer, members of Holy Family Parish in Birmingham, Alabama
Sharon and Alex cherish their faith and community, and it shows. Sharon, a life-long parishioner, was baptized at Holy Family, educated at the parish elementary and high schools, and currently serves as chair of the board of Holy Family Catholic Academy. Alex, a convert to Catholicism, serves on the parish council and offers leadership in a variety of roles. Both enthusiastically contribute to building a family of faith at Holy Family.
passionist.org/parish-life/
A retired professional, Sharon expresses her connection to the parish and the Passionists: “I am the person I am today because of the Passionists.” Her mother, a convert to Catholicism, understood what the Passionists were attempting to build in her neighborhood in the 1970’s.
“My friends attended public school, but mom knew and I came to understand that Holy Family and the Passionists offered so much more. I learned valuable lessons about being the best Christian I could be. The Passionists continue to represent the love of Christ crucified, and I try to example that each day in my life.”
Alex, a former Marine now working in information technology, feels the same connections. “Our former pastor, Fr. Bob (Crossmyer, C.P.), used to say, ‘It’s not about you!’ but about service and outreach to everyone.” Involved with the school and leading an initiative to provide fresh produce for the neighborhood through a community garden, Alex is motivated by the Passionists. “They showed me the way when I became a Catholic and continue to help me to serve and care for others.”
Recently, funds were raised to renovate the parish playground for the children in a new Pre-Kindergarten program. Leaders of the effort, the couple see the playground as mirroring the parish. “The Passionists always viewed the space as belonging to the neighborhood,” Sharon commented. “The playground belongs to everyone, and all are welcome. The Passionists lead the parish similarly: everyone is welcomed to share God’s love and know the community’s care and support.”
Devoted members of the Passionist Family, Sharon and Alex wonderfully enrich our lives and the lives of those to whom they minister.