The Church, having celebrated the earthly birthday of St. John the Baptist on June 24, honors the anniversary of his martyrdom on August 29. Besides our Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist is the only one whose birth and death are celebrated in the liturgy of the Church. Through his birth, preaching and baptizing, John bore witness to the coming birth, preaching and baptism of Christ, and by his suffering he revealed that Christ also would suffer. As St. Venerable Bede wrote: “He preached the freedom of heavenly peace, yet was thrown into irons by ungodly men. He was locked away in the darkness of prison, though he came bearing witness to the Light of life and deserved to be called a bright and shining lamp by that Light itself, which is Christ. “To endure … [Read more...]
Update on the Restoration
Just to keep you informed about our Building Fund and Restoration, I wanted to give you a few updates. Many have noticed the black devices on the wall. They are part of a large-scale analysis of why the plaster is failing. They are networked to a central server to help the contractor figure out what is causing the failures. They were installed in February, and they were supposed to have sufficient data by the end of June. The next step is an analysis of the data and the recommendation of a way forward. The contractor, the architect, and/or the subcontractor are all on the hook for this. I was in contact with them this week. Many have also inquired about the broken kneelers. Our normal handyman, Wilton, doesn’t have the expertise to do this. But we have hired a carpenter to … [Read more...]
Confessions
Confessions will be heard at the normal parish times in the "bride's room," which is the room adjacent to the rest room near the front of the church. Monsignor Nalty will be seated with his back facing the door. You can use the kneeler six feet behind him or the chair six feet in front of him. If you use the kneeler, please use a provided sanitary wipe to sanitize the kneeler before you leave. Saturdays 3:00 – 3:45pm St. Stephen Sundays 9:30 – 10:15am St. Stephen … [Read more...]
First Friday Mass this Week
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form will be celebrated on First Friday, June 5, 2020 at the Marian Altar in St Stephen Church. There is no need to sign up for this Mass or for any of the daily Masses at St. Stephen or St. Henry Church. … [Read more...]
Saint Vincent DePaul Society
This is a great organization that supports so many needy people in so many ways. They meet on the 2nd Tuesday each month after Mass at Saint Stephen and are looking for new members. Watch the spotlight video below to hear Laura Finnegan discuss what the group does for its clients and so much more! … [Read more...]
The Eight Gates of Jerusalem
Monsignor's homily on May 3 referenced the eight gates of Jerusalem. He focused on two of the gates in particular, the Sheep's Gate. Sometimes referred to as the Lion’s Gate for the carved lions guarding the way, it is most likely the entrance through which Jesus was taken into the city after his arrest. It is also known as Saint Stephen’s Gate as St. Stephen was martyred right outside. Monsignor's homily illustrates the enormous significance of this gate. … [Read more...]
Online Collections Announcement
In this time of “no collections”, Good Shepherd still has significant expenses for, among other things, utilities, insurance and salaries for our dedicated staff. Here are two easy ways to donate to Good Shepherd Parish: To make a donation to the general operating expenses using your credit card, click here You will not need to set up an account to donate. To direct your donations more specifically to the Restoration, General Operating Expenses, Poor Box, etc., click here to set up an account via our Online Donation Platform managed by Vanco Services. Of course, donors can always drop off or mail donations to the parish office. If you have any questions or need assistance, contact Dianne Caverly at 504-227-3794 or dcaverly@arch-no.org. … [Read more...]
