Sunday, 28 September is to be set aside as a Day of Prayer for the III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, scheduled to take place in Rome from October 5-19 to treat the topic: The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization. We are invited to pray for this intention during Mass and at other liturgical celebrations, in the days leading to the synod and during the synod itself. In Rome, in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, prayers will be recited each day in the chapel of the icon, Salus Populi Romani. The faithful, individually but above all in families, are invited to join in these prayers. The suggested prayers include the Prayer to the Holy Family for the Synod, composed by Pope Francis, as follows: Prayer to the Holy Family for the … [Read more...]

The Problem with Islam by (Rev. Msgr.) Christopher H. Nalty Please don’t think that I’m trying to become the victim of a fatwa by the provocative title to this article.  But there is a problem with Islam.  All around the world, followers of Islam are engaging in terrible acts of brutality and violence in the name of their religion.  At the same time, there has been condemnation by some more “moderate” Muslims.  Why? A number of years ago, I was visiting one of my sisters, and she invited a friend of hers to dinner with us – a devout Muslim.  In the midst of dinner, he began to challenge me on Christianity and it’s core belief:  The Holy Trinity.  He argued that God is one, to which I agreed; but he denied that God could be “three in one” as we profess in the Nicene Creed.  It’s hard … [Read more...]

The Notre Dame Seminary Gala & Auction will take place on Saturday, October 11, 2014 at the Seminary. Gala guests will meet the seminarians and experience the history and culture of seminary life while enjoying a great evening of food, music and fellowship. Silent and Live Auctions. Black tie optional. All proceeds will benefit Notre Dame Seminary. For ticket/sponsorship information, please contact the NDS Development Office at (504) 866- 7426, ext. 374, ylacour@nds.edu or by visiting our website at www.nds.edu. … [Read more...]

August 21, 2014 Be advised that we had a great day today. We planned to feed 200 people and cooked enough food too do that. However today we had 212 guests at the Rebuild Center. Thanks to our cook team which consisted of the following: Mary Ann Bohlke, Becky Brocato, Dana D'Anzi, Dorothy Forly, Hunter Harris, and Daniel LeBlanc. Then today, Thursday we had a great group to help serve the guest which were: Dana D'Anzi, Dorothy Forly, Marjorie Frederic, Joyce Griener, Hunter Harris, Alice Lastrapes, and Daniel LeBlanc. Our Thursday team came in and cut items for the green salad and bread to be served with the baby lima beans and sausage that had been cooked on Wednesday. The meal we prepared fed 202 guests and the last 12 were served a sandwich, Oh!  They also got an ice cream … [Read more...]

“A family that prays together...” A Family That Prays is a powerful weekend designed to enrich marriages, faith & family. Spouses will grow closer in their sacrament while their children will explore a deeper understanding & encounter with God. The retreat culminates on Sunday when families are brought back together for a memorable family experience led by Archbishop Hughes! The retreat is held at the St. Joseph Abbey in Covington and it begins on Saturday, November 1st at 8:30am and ends after lunch on Sunday. Space is limited. If you would like to register or more information, call Jason Angelette at (504) 830-3716 or visit www.faithandmarriage.org. … [Read more...]

St. Stephen Catholic School had its first day of classes on Tuesday, August 14, and we had our first weekly school Mass the next day on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at 8:30 am.  I wish each parishioner could come to at least one school Mass (which is normally at 8:30 am on Friday) during the year to see what well-behaved, enthusiastic and attentive students we have at St. Stephen’s. Unfortunately, many of the families that attend St. Stephen Catholic School do not live in the parish and, therefore, attend Mass at their home parish.  However, you do know some of our students (and former students) who participate as altar servers at our Saturday 4:00pm Vigil and Sunday 10:30am Mass.  Those young men are representative of the quality of the students that we … [Read more...]

“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me!”  (Mt. 25:40) One of our most important ministries in Good Shepherd Parish is cooking for those who are homeless, and then serving them at the Rebuild Center on Tulane Avenue.  I’ve been acquainted with the Rebuild Center for years because my Mother cooks for them once a month.  In the parish we cook every other Wednesday in the morning, and then we serve the following day for the noon meal.  In 2013 we served 3,050 meals at the Rebuild Center, and we are on track to surpass that in 2014!  Below is the email I received from Dan LeBlanc about last week: “Yesterday was a good day for the guests at the Rebuild Center.  Our cooking team on Wednesday did a great job, and a word of thanks to them: … [Read more...]

Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II are to be canonized today, the Feast of Divine Mercy, in a ceremony at the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome presided over by Pope Francis.  Of the 264 deceased Popes, 80 have been declared to be saints.  While this might seem like a large percentage, we have to remember that 52 out of the first 54 Popes were canonized, so that only leaves 18 more out of the next 210!  The odds have gotten harder after the Church left the ages of martyrdom and persecution.  The last Pope canonized was Pope St Pius X on May 29, 1954, and that event was so important that a large mural of the new Pope Saint was added to the inside of St. Stephen Church to memorialize the occasion. I think three aspects of the first “joint Pope canonization” in history bear … [Read more...]

The Family Life Apostolate will offer a writing workshop for people seeking annulments in the Catholic Church or for people responding to an annulment. The workshop will be held at the North Shore Pastoral Center in Covington. The series will be for five Tuesdays, January 28, February 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2014 from 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. The materials for the series cost $25.00, to register or for more information, call Family Life Apostolate, 504-861-6243.   … [Read more...]