Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) – This is a series of classes for those who are interested in either becoming Catholic or those who are curious about the teachings of the Catholic Church.  Catholics who have not had religious instruction in a long time would also benefit from these classes.  The classes meet every Wednesday night at 7:00pm beginning September 5, 2012 (exclusive of Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks) until Easter in the rectory. The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) is an association established in 1562 in Rome for the purpose of providing religious education. In its modern usage, CCD is the religious teaching program of the Catholic Church for school age children to learn the basic doctrines of their faith, especially as they prepare for First Holy … [Read more...]

A local group of Catholic women organized a Blue Envelope Campaign which resulted in over 52,000 letters mailed from New Orleans to elected officials in Washington. The letters urged them to support legislation to overturn the HHS Mandate. The group, America Code Blue: Reporting Our Nation's Religious Freedoms, has three goals. Inform and storm Congress with letters, educate people in the pews, and attract media attention to this issue. With Archbishop Aymond's support and encouragement to involve the local parishes, the effort has been a huge success. Parishioners have expressed deep gratitude in learning more about the HHS mandate and the opportunity to unite their voices against the mandate. One voice united with thousands of others resonates loudly. Our goals in New Orleans have … [Read more...]

With his Apostolic Letter of October 11, 2011, Porta Fidei, Pope Benedict XVI declared that a "Year of Faith" will begin on October 11, 2012 and conclude on November 24, 2013.  One simple way to celebrate the Year of Faith is available on this website:  www.flocknote.com/catechism.  If you put in your email address, you will automatically receive a daily email for each day of the Year of Faith with a brief selection from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  By the end of the Year of Faith, you will have read the entire Catechism!! … [Read more...]

It appears that a number of people believe that the Center of Jesus the Lord is closed. The Center of Jesus the Lord Charismatic Renewal Center continues to operate at 1236 N. Rampart St. in the old Carmelite Monastery. Fr. Lance Campo is the Director; Fr. Denzil Perara is in residence; and Deacon Rodrigo Fonseca are our clergy staff.  In the future the Center will be moving to Our Lady of Good Counsel. The date of the move will be publicized when all of the details are finalized. For information about the upcoming events or ministry of the “Center,” please call Helen/Sheila at 529-1636. … [Read more...]

[What follows is a clarification from the Holy Father that you might consider handing along to any of your Catholic friends who are divorced and remarried] During the World Meeting of Families held from May 30 – June 3, 2012 in Milan, Italy a Brazilian family raised the issue of divorced couples who have remarried and cannot avail themselves of the Sacraments. Pope Benedict XVI affirmed that “this is one of the great causes of suffering for the Church today, and we do not have simple solutions. Naturally, one very important factor is prevention. This means ensuring that, from the beginning, the act of falling love is transformed in a more profound and mature decision. Another factor is that of accompanying people during marriage, to ensure that families are never alone but find authentic … [Read more...]

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During the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, Americans shone the light of the Gospel on a dark history of slavery, segregation, and racial bigotry. The civil rights movement was an essentially religious movement, a call to awaken consciences. In his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in 1963, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. boldly said, “The goal of America is freedom.” As a Christian pastor, he argued that to call America to the full measure of that freedom was the specific contribution Christians are obliged to make. He rooted his legal and constitutional arguments about justice in the long Christian tradition: “I would agree with Saint Augustine that ”˜An unjust law is no law at all.'”¦ A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An … [Read more...]

I am rarely prouder of our parish as a whole than when I witness its generosity to the poor. I see it in our volunteers who come to daily to help with our ministry to the poor. I see it in our parish St. Vincent de Paul Society, who cooks for the poor at the Rebuild Center. I see it in our parish staff, who is so patient with the many people who come to our door or call for assistance. But last week I received a letter than made my day. You might remember that Cross Catholic Outreach came to parish while I was on retreat in January of this year. And they did a mission appeal. They let me know last week that our parish had donated over $6000 to their ministry that helps the world's needy and poor.  Wow.  That's so wonderful. And it makes me happier that 97% of Cross's money goes directly … [Read more...]

Religious liberty is not only about our ability to go to Mass on Sunday or pray the Rosary at home. It is about whether we can make our contribution to the common good of all Americans. Can we do the good works our faith calls us to do, without having to compromise that very same faith? Without religious liberty properly understood, all Americans suffer, deprived of the essential contribution in education, health care, feeding the hungry, civil rights, and social services that religious Americans make every day, both here at home and overseas. What is at stake is whether America will continue to have a free, creative, and robust civil society-or whether the state alone will determine who gets to contribute to the common good, and how they get to do it. Religious believers are part of … [Read more...]

Medical/Scientific Concerns Last week, I briefly presented the Church's teachings on the artificial contraception through examining societal concerns. This week I want to briefly examine the medical/scientific concerns. Although there are many ways of engaging in artificial contraception, the most popular method is the oral use of artificial hormones, including estrogen and progestogen. Collectively known as “the Pill,” these medications inhibit female fertility. In August of 1960 the first contraceptive pill, Enovid, was launched for sale in the USA. The mass-marketing of the drug was so successful that within one year of the product's launch, over 1 million American women were using it. Let me begin by stating that there is no way that this short article can cover all aspects of the … [Read more...]