Friday, June 7, 2024 Margaret Alacoque was born in Burgundy, France on 22 July, 1647. From her early childhood Margaret showed intense love for the Blessed Sacrament, and preferred silence and prayer to childish amusements. During her time before the Blessed Sacrament, Christ even made Himself visually apparent to her. This did not surprise her, because she thought others had the same Divine assistance! Although tempted by the luxuries and distractions of the world, Margaret Mary entered the Visitation Convent in 1572, where her visions became known. Because of her perceived “special status,” she was subjected to many trials to prove her vocation. She showed obedience, humility, and invariable charity towards those who persecuted her. Margaret Mary was inspired by Christ to … [Read more...]
Upcoming Ordinations
Priest Ordination On Saturday, June 1, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Louis Cathedral, Archbishop Aymond will ordain Deacons Austin Barr, Jorge Gomez, and Cuong Tran to the presbyterate for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. You are cordially invited to attend the ceremony. Priests and deacons are asked to bring their vestments. … [Read more...]
Our Lady of Good Counsel Special Mass April 26, 2024 at 5pm
April 26, 2024 is the traditional Feast Day of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Although we usually have a special Feast Day Mass at Good Counsel, the 5:00p Mass at OLGC on Sunday, April 28, 2024 will honor the Blessed Virgin Mary in a special way. … [Read more...]
Requiem Mass Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 11 am
It is with the most profound sadness that we inform you of the death of our longtime Director of Religious Education, our dear friend, Phillip Bellini. Phillip had such a tremendous love of the Catholic Faith and a zeal for the Salvation of Souls that he devoted his entire life to teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 15 years of which he did in our parish. He will be greatly missed by his friends, our parishioners and everyone to whom he taught the Catholic Faith over the last 35 years. Eternal Rest grant unto to Phillip, O Lord, and let Perpetual Life shine upon him! May he Rest in Peace. Amen. … [Read more...]
Message of the Holy Father, Pope Francis for Lent 2024
Through the Desert God Leads us to Freedom Dear brothers and sisters! When our God reveals himself, his message is always one of freedom: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Ex 20:2). These are the first words of the Decalogue given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Those who heard them were quite familiar with the exodus of which God spoke: the experience of their bondage still weighed heavily upon them. In the desert, they received the “Ten Words” as a thoroughfare to freedom. We call them “commandments”, in order to emphasize the strength of the love by which God shapes his people. The call to freedom is a demanding one. It is not answered straightaway; it has to mature as part of a journey. Just as Israel in the desert still … [Read more...]
Receiving Holy Communion at the 10:30am Mass
As most of you who attend the 10:30am Mass know, we recently have begun allowing parishioners to receive Holy Communion on the tongue while kneeling at the altar rail. This was the “normal” manner of receiving Holy Communion prior to the Second Vatican Council, and many of you appreciate the reverence that it brings. Just to be clear, no one is “required” to receive the Holy Eucharist in this manner. If you would like to receive the Blessed Sacrament in the hand while standing, that option is offered by the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion in the side aisles. … [Read more...]
St. Blaise Throat Blessing after 4 pm Mass
Saturday, February 3 is the Feast of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr. St Blaise was the bishop of Sebaste in Armenia who was martyred in the year 316 AD. The oldest accounts tell us that Blaise was a physician at Sebaste before he was made bishop. In the 4th century persecution of Licinius, St. Blaise was taken prisoner. After suffering various forms of torture he was beheaded. The most popular story attributed to St. Blaise occurred while he was in prison, when he cured a young a boy who was in danger of choking to death because of a fishbone in his throat. That story, and the fact that St. Blaise was a doctor, made the saint very popular for intercessory prayer for throat ailments. At an early date, the veneration of this Eastern saint was brought into Europe, and Blaise became … [Read more...]
Christmas Giving Tree
This year your generosity to the Society of St Vincent du Paul meant that 43 families got food baskets for a Christmas meal. Out of those families, 25 got gifts as well with 71 children receiving their gift requests from our tree, a total of 241 gifts! With you our monetary donations we were able to provide $75 gift cards to each of the 48 families so they can purchase turkey, ham, rolls, etc. … [Read more...]
Mother of God, Mother of the Church
January 1, 2024 Some fundamentalist Christians become offended when Catholics refer to the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. But it’s not a complicated teaching. If (a) Mary is the mother of Jesus, and (b) if Jesus is God, then, therefore, (c) Mary is the Mother of God. There is no escaping the logic here. However, saying Mary is the Mother of God, does not mean that she is older than God or the source of her Son’s divinity. Rather, Mary is the Mother of God in the sense that she carried in her womb the divine person of Jesus Christ, and that her body provided the genetic material for His body. Although most Christians understand Jesus Christ as both fully God and fully human, the term Mother of God must be understood through its origins. Orthodox Christians and … [Read more...]
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe
November 26, 2023 On this Solemnity, “kingship” takes on another dimension, the leader takes on the trials and tribulations for those that follow. In that leadership, all who follow are transformed into His children finding redemption in the forgiveness of our sins. Christ exemplifies this while hanging on the cross, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Are we willing to lead those within our family with such fidelity and trust in God?. … [Read more...]