Holy Family Apostolate  (HFA) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, dedicated to providing spiritual, academic and social support for Catholic homeschooling families.  HFA has been offering classes and activities for homeschoolers since 2004. 

 As a Catholic organization, we fully embrace Christ’s teachings.  We believe it is our responsibility to build the body of Christ by homeschooling our children and providing strong Catholic formation.  In this way our children will be prepared to offer themselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him. (Romans 12:1)

HFA offers a Catholic based, one-day a week, tutorial program  for Kindergarten grade through high school.  A pre-school group and a nursery are available for younger siblings.   

Educational Philosophy

HFA believes that students learn best when they are in a creative, flexible environment. We strive to provide a classroom environment where children are free to be themselves.  As a result, our elementary level classes are flexible and not heavily structured.   Middle school classes gradually increase in structure and homework expectations.  High school classes have the most structure and may be counted for high school credit, if desired.  We do not have an accelerated program and are not concerned with keeping children at a certain grade level or matching public schools or private schools.   

Students attending HFA, are grouped according to skill level and maturity.  Students are not separated by individual grades. Since students may be advanced in one subject and struggling in another, HFA strives to offer 3 skill levels for each subject (based on tutor availability).  All levels of a subject are offered at the same time, so parents can choose the appropriate level of each subject for their child. 

Co-op, Drop-off Academy or Umbrella Group:

HFA relies on its members to teach or assist with classes.  We do not hire tutors.  By having mothers (or fathers) as the children’s primary tutors, we are able to clearly demonstrate how to live the Catholic faith through service and love for each other. 

While parents are greatly involved in the operations of HFA, we are not a cooperative in the true sense of the word.  HFA is structured as a small, non-profit business and is governed by a board of directors who have final decision making authority.  We are not a drop-off academy or umbrella group.  In order to comply with current home schooling laws in Maryland, parents must report to a home school umbrella group or to their county board of education.

Location/Facilities/Class Times

Classes are held on Wednesdays from mid-September through May from 9:45 to 2:15.  Opening and closing prayers, lunch and recess are included in the daily schedule. 

Classes are held at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in the Mt. Airy//Lisbon area of Western Howard County.   We rent our space from St. Michael’s and ha ve complete use of the facility, which includes the church,  library, lunchroom, full sized gym, classrooms and a nursery.   St. Michael’s is located at 1125 St. Michael’s Road, Mt. Airy, MD 21771 (HFA is a non-profit corporation and is not affiliated with or sponsored by St. Michael’s Catholic church or the Archdiocese of Baltimore.)

Insurance Information  
Due to insurance requirements, all families participating in HFA must belong to HSLDA - Homeschool Legal Defense Association

Child Protection Information

For the safety and protection of our children and to meet insurance requirements, mothers (or fathers) must attend child protection training from the Archdiocese of Baltimore (STAND Training) and undergo a criminal background check. 

CONTACT HFA at:
Mrs. Lisa Gleason                Mrs. Linda Wholey
301-865-7291                     301-854-2448
gleason84@comcast.net      llwholey@verizon.net