The term “facility” comes from the Latin word facilis, meaning “easy” or in this case, “to make easier.” Thus, our parish facilities exist to make easier or “facilitate” the gathering in of souls for Christ. All our facilities, whether it be our large parking lots or our spacious parish hall, were built for the purpose of assisting our parish apostolates to bring together more people into the fellowship of Jesus Christ and His Church. The center of all our parish facilities is the parish church, and the central focus of that church structure is the tabernacle in the center of the sanctuary which in which resides the the Most Blessed Sacrament.
The Parish Church:
The full seating capacity of our church is 700. It is handicap accessible (a one floor facility). Please let us know if you need assistance being seated due to difficulty walking, or if you would like us to meet you at the door to provide assistance.
While we encourage families with children to sit in the main pews of the church, we do have a quiet room in the back of the church that can be used by parents who feel, at times, that this is required. This room is fed for sound so that the Mass may still be clearly heard.
To the right of sanctuary (if facing toward the front of the church) is our organ and choir area. Some of our Masses will be led in hymns by an organist/cantor or our parish choir.
Near the children’s quiet room is the Confessional room set aside for the Sacrament of Confession.
While we encourage all who are attending Mass to enter through the main door, we do have side exits for more convenience.
When you enter the church, we ask that you maintain a sense of reverence and quiet before and after Holy Mass and at all other times of prayer, since Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is always present in the tabernacle. Please silence your cellular phones and avoid conversations in the pews so that your fellow worshipers may have time for quiet prayer.
Welcome to church, and may you find it a peaceful place to raise your mind and heart to God in prayer.
Our Parish Center
Saint Julie Billiart Church has a large parish hall which can seat and serve up to 200 people at table. The hall is used for large functions hosted by our parish apostolates, such as fundraisers and fellowship gatherings.
The hall is supported by a spacious and fully functional kitchen which has an industrial stove and refrigerator and ample space for parishioners to work side-by-side to prepare all that is required for fun and faith-filled gatherings.
Adjacent to the hall are also spacious and well-maintained men’s and women’s rooms ,which are also handicap accessible.
The parish hall is connected by doors leading from the main church allowing for easy access to events after Holy Mass. The hall also features a large professional-grade video projector for showing movies or uploading videos. The hall has a well-equipped sound system and is fit with heating and air conditioning.
Note: Our parish hall is not for rent by outside groups.
Parish Library
The parish library is a catechetical and spiritual resource available to parishioners of St. Julie Billiart Parish. The library is open from 10 am through 3 pm, Monday through Friday, except for holidays and Holy Days when the parish is closed.
Parishioners are welcome to browse the shelves of books which are divided in sectional themes such as Christology, Mary, the saints, popes, morality, prayer, etc. The library also keeps up a section of DVD’s for Catholic study and pious entertainment. Visitors are expected to sign their books/videos out and leave contact information that will be checked periodically to ensure timely returns. Returns can occur through the parish office or in the “Book Return” slot to the right of the parish center doorway.
Because these books will be used by various people, we ask that all borrowers keep the books/videos in good condition. If a book or video has been accidentally damaged in its use while on loan, please make the parish center staff aware so the item might be repaired, discarded, and replaced.
At St. Julie Billiart we take it as a responsibility to ensure that the books on our shelves are in accord with the authentic teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church. Please inform us if you find any book that is contrary to Church doctrine.
Conference Room:
Inside our parish center, next to our parish office, is a large conference room which serves as an excellent space for accommodating small group gatherings. The room is heated and air conditioned and has two sturdy access doors which when closed allow for private meetings or presentations. This room is easily accessible from the parish center main entrance, making it very convenient for staff meetings, meetings between priests and parishioners, parish apostolate conferences, and for the presentation of religious education to our parish adults. This room leads directly to a hallway with men’s and women’s bathrooms and is a very short walk to our industrial kitchen area in case of the need to transport food and beverages to the conference room.
Parish groups that wish to use the conference room should check the parish calendar and then speak with the parish office to reserve a date and time for its use.
Our Lady’s Grotto:
We invite you take a stroll through Our Lady’s Grotto which in the warmer seasons is lined with lovely plants and flowers leading to a beautiful statue of the Blessed Mother. This space is not only a visual tribute to our Blessed Mother, but also serves in May as a place of weekly gathering for praying the Most Holy Rosary.
The short, circuiting path of this garden is paved with standard 4” X 8” bricks which can be memorialized for your loved ones. The memorial message can be up to three lines per brick and twenty characters per line. All bricks are permanently laser engraved. Please contact the parish office for more information.
Parking:
St. Julie Billiart Parish has two good size parking lots. The smaller, or north-side, lot has spaces for 32 vehicles, 10 of which are for handicap parking. This lot is the best area to use for our elders, as it gives them closer access to the church and the parish center. To enter this parking lot, drivers arriving through our main entrance should bear left around the round-about in front of the church, which serves as a sort of rotary for managing traffic.
Our south-side parking lot is a much larger lot and is accessed by turning right at the roundabout (if one chooses to use the main entrance). This lot has parking for approximately 140 vehicles and because of its large size also has a direct entrance and exit from Slocum Road. This parking lot does not have reserved handicap spaces, so we ask our most able parishioners to use this lot, as it leaves more room in the north lot for our elders and others who have more difficulty ambulating.
Please drive slowly and courteously in the parking lots.