Here’s the part that blew my mind: Holy Family isn’t just a church. It’s a K-8 school, a preschool, and a community hub all rolled into one. I wandered into the courtyard (totally by accident, I swear) and saw kids doing a science experiment with baking soda and vinegar. One kid’s face was covered in foam, and a nun was laughing so hard she had to take off her glasses.
Holy Family Parish | 245 S. Hidalgo Street, New Braunfels, TX 78130
I mean, how often do you see a nun laughing like that? It’s the kind of moment that makes you think, “Maybe organized religion isn’t all organ music and stern looks.” At Holy Family, faith feels like play. They have a youth group that meets for dodgeball and tacos, which, honestly, sounds like my ideal small group.
The Music Might Surprise You
If you’re expecting a choir that sounds like angels in a cathedral, think again. The music director here, a guy named Dave, plays an acoustic guitar and has this gravelly voice like he just woke up from a nap. But it works. At the Sunday Mass I caught, the congregation sang “Amazing Grace” so loud I felt it in my ribs.
And here’s the kicker: during the homily, the priest told a joke about a duck and a priest walking into a bar. Yes, a duck. There’s a self-awareness here that’s rare. They know faith can be messy and weird, so they lean into the weird.
