Looking Back: 2025
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Photo Albums
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Blessing of Easter Foods
Holy Saturday
April 19, 2025
What's in your Easter basket? Here at Regina Caeli, it was definitely lamb-- as in lamb-shaped cakes, cookies, and whole flocks of butter lambs! Eggs, bread, wine, oil, salt, and even prosciutto were also sighted at this second annual Blessing of Easter Foods. Held on Holy Saturday, the blessing is a cherished custom among Poles, Czechs, and other Eastern Europeans.
Triduum & Easter
April 17-20, 2025
The Triduum liturgy is filled with transcendent moments -- from the stripping of the altar, to the veneration of the cross, to the lighting of the Paschal candle. This year the office of Tenebrae, held at 6:30 on the mornings of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, enhanced Triduum imagery of darkness and light; while a full schedule of six Easter Sunday Masses (in addition to Saturday night's Easter Vigil) increased opportunities for worship.
And this year more than ever, the faithful thronged to the chapel, overflowing pews and hallways! On Good Friday, some families stayed throughout the day, arriving for morning Stations of the Cross and leaving only after the 3:00 PM service had concluded.
May God reward our dedicated priests, servers, choir, Altar Guild members, and all who poured their love and labor into this holiest of weekends! Special thanks to FSSP seminarian Mr. Clay Mathews, who traveled down from Denton, NE in order to assist.
Photo albums:
Holy Thursday
Good Friday
Easter VigilPalm Sunday
April 13, 2025
This year-- and for the first time-- the blessing and distribution of palms took place at the St. Michael Shrine. Enjoy the beauty!
Photo album:
2025 Palm SundayConfirmation
March 26, 2025
Te Deum laudámus-- and many thanks to His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo! Although retired from the office of archbishop, he graciously visited Regina Caeli on the evening of Wednesday, March 26 to administer the sacrament of Confirmation in the Traditional Latin Rite. Thank you also to Fr. Mark Hebert, who assisted; our priests Fr. Van Vliet, Fr. Alloy, and Fr. Feuerborn; our hardworking volunteer catechists; and all who helped to organize the beautiful ceremony and reception.
Last but certainly not least, congratulations to our 41 confirmati-- Abraham, Alexander Jesus, Aurelia, Blaise, David, Dillon, Donna, Elaine, Elizabeth, Ester, Gabriel, Guillermo, Hannah, Isabel, Ivan, Jacob, Jenna, Joe Angel, Jonathan, Josue, Karol, Kyler, Leonardo, Lily, Magdalene, Mary Kathryn, Matthew, Miguel Angel, Moises, Natali, Nicole, Patrick, Peter, Ramon, Ricardo, Rose, Rudy, Victoria, Willie, and Zara!
Read:
Confirmation in the Traditional Rite
Photo album:
2025 ConfirmationA New Archbishop for Galveston-Houston
March 25, 2025
On the Feast of the Annunciation, His Excellency Joe S. Vásquez was formally installed as the third archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. He succeeded His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, whose resignation (required on reaching the age of 75) Pope Francis had accepted on January 20. Cardinal DiNardo remains in Houston to assist the new archbishop.
For more about Archbishop Vásquez, please see his biography at the Archdiocesan website. Details (and beautiful photos!) of his installation are available at the Texas Catholic Herald.St. Joseph's Altar
March 19, 2025
In 2018 transplants from New Orleans introduced the parish to a treasured memory from their past: the feast-day tradition of a St. Joseph's Altar. Tucked into the kitchen of St. Athanasius Chapel, Regina Caeli's first altar was small-- and now look how much the celebration has grown! Embraced by parishioners of every background, the eighth annual St. Joseph's Altar involved a preparatory bread-baking event, generous donations of Italian food, and at least ten huge trays of spaghetti with homemade sauce prepared by the Knights of Columbus. (Whew!) After evening Mass, St. Joseph devotions, and a blessing of the altar, the Sicilian-style feast filled the pavilion and overflowed onto the lawn.
Thank you to Angela Hebert, the Knights of Columbus, and all who helped with this magnificent celebration! Photo album:
2025 St. Joseph's Altar To Build a Church
Parish organizations are feeding Sunday crowds while raising funds for the new church building! Recent initiatives include sales of brisket sandwiches (fourth Sundays, by our Knights of Columbus council), tacos, and pancake breakfasts... In the photo above, a member of Catecismo Hispano prepares a breakfast plate for their fundraiser of Sunday, March 16. The Spanish-language group generously donated proceeds to the Building a Sacred Home campaign.
Lenten Fridays March-April, 2025 
Continuing parish tradition, 6:30 PM Stations of the Cross and a suppertime fish fry (Capital Campaign fundraiser of the Knights of Columbus) marked Fridays in Lent.
The "Regina Caeli Trail"
February 27-28, 2025
Since 2019, Regina Caeli Parish has been happy and proud to host the Sam Houston Trail Riders (Montgomery, TX) en route to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Arriving at sunset to an eager welcome from parish families, they camp overnight right here on the property; and in the morning, Fr. Van Vliet sees them off with a blessing. May God be with them on the trail!
Photo album:
2025 Trail Riders' VisitCandlemas
February 2, 2025 ".. a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel." (Luke 2: 32)
The Christmas season closed to a full house! Pews overflowed at this candle-laden liturgy, which commemorated both the presentation of Jesus and His Mother's purification in accordance with Mosaic Law. Before Mass, a Marian procession recalled Mary's re-admittance to the Temple, while a candle blessing and procession invoked Christ as "a light to the revelation of the Gentiles." After Mass, Fr. Alloy also blessed images of the Christ Child.
Photo album:
2025 CandlemasCapital Campaign Kickoff
January 18, 2025
It was fitting that Regina Caeli launched its
" Building a Sacred Home" campaign outdoors, amid "The Land" loved and gifted by Betty Lee White (1939-2023)! After a lunch of spaghetti and salad, families listened as Fr. Van Vliet and Campaign Committee members explained the urgent need for a larger, permanent church building; and also laid out some preliminary details of the building project itself. To help parishioners further visualize the project, Father then led families on a tour of the church's proposed footprint, correlating existing features with the early drawings and floor plans. Questions and responses flowed. There was an energy in the air-- a happy gratitude for how far this community has come, and a firm faith in God's Will for the future. 
2025 Capital Campaign Kickoff
2025 Epiphany
January 5-6, 2025
"The voice of the Lord is over the waters..." ~Psalm 28
A cold wind blew through the outdoor pavilion on the night of January 5. The faithful wrapped scarves, turned up hoods, buttoned sweaters and jackets-- yet they stood fast throughout the ceremony of blessing water, blessing salt, then intermingling the two. Meanwhile, the voices of schola and choir warmed us, as if from within. 
On the following day, the Feast of the Epiphany was celebrated with two Low Masses and one High, after which gold, frankincense, and myrrh were blessed in commemoration of the gifts of the Magi. Throughout the succeeding Octave of the Epiphany our priests visited and blessed as many homes as they could reach within that limited period. Families also had the option of performing their own ceremonies using blessed chalk, provided by the parish.
For more information about the Epiphany and its traditions, please see our webpage Feast of Epiphany & Epiphany Water.
Photo albums:
2025 Epiphany Water Blessing
2025 Epiphany High Mass