Thanks to all who attended the presentation and book signing Tuesday night. As I'm sure you're aware (if you weren't before the evening), George Weigel has been working at the heart of the Church for quiet a while. He has excellent insights into the world from a Catholic point of view. He's going to be back in town in February, and I'm trying to twist his arm for a return visit. I'm hoping my agreeing to feed him Buccatini all'Amatriciana will be enough!  Stay tuned... I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to Elio Todano of Elio's Wine Warehouse (6205 South Miro Street, New Orleans, Louisiana  70125) for donating the wine and parishioner John Rowland of Southern Hospitality Catering (3259 Chippewa Street New Orleans, LA 70115) for donating the cheese. If you're wondering why we … [Read more...]

It's my birthday!  My name is Joseph Michael and I weigh 7 lbs. 1 oz. and am 21 inches long! Mom took very good care of me!  Thank you so much for all of your prayers. Because you prayed for me, I got the best of all gifts----LIFE!On behalf of the Good Shepherd Parish Pro-Life committee, I want to thank you for joining us in this journey of life for our spiritual baby adoption. … [Read more...]

RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) began last week, but it's not too late to start attending classes.  If you're not Catholic, if you're a lapsed Catholic, or if you're interested in learning more about what it means to be Catholic, please call Phillip Bellini at 899-1378. … [Read more...]

As part of the rebuilding of St. Stephen School, the Good Shepherd Parish will be installing a natural gas powered electrical generator which will enable us to run all of the systems in the school gym, the school cafeteria and kitchen, and the rectory in the event of a power outage. In the event of a hurricane, St. Stephen will be able to be shelter those unable to evacuate. Obviously, our first priority will be to our staff and our parishioners. … [Read more...]

I don't know if anyone sent in a Katrina reflection to the Clarion Herald; they didn't give us a whole lot of notice. But I guess I can offer a bit of my own. As some of you know, I was working at the Vatican when Katrina hit New Orleans. But it turned out that I flew into town on the Saturday before the storm on the last Delta flight before the airport was closed for the hurricane. My Dad was having his last week of radiation treatment for a small cancer in his throat, and I took some vacation time to be with him and my Mom. It was an eerie feeling walking off of a plane into a closed airport. And my Dad told me that he thought we might have to evacuate. The next morning, since I was jet-lagged, I woke up at 4:00a. One look at the weather radar made me know that we had to evacuate. My … [Read more...]

August 22 The Feast of the Queenship of Mary – the Coronation – was established in 1954 by Pope Pius XII in a document called Ad Caeli Reginam. The original date for this feast was chosen as May 31st, but was later moved to the octave day of the feast of the Assumption, August 22nd. The Catholic faith states as a dogma that Mary was assumed into heaven, and is with Jesus Christ, her Divine Son. Mary should be called Queen, not only because of her Divine Motherhood of Jesus Christ, but also because God has willed her to have an exceptional role in the work of eternal salvation. Jesus Christ as Redeemer is Lord and King. The Blessed Virgin is Queen, because of the unique manner in which she assisted in our redemption, by giving of her own substance, by freely offering Him for us, by her … [Read more...]

It's really a Holy Hour, isn't it? Because Jesus told his disciples “Could you not wait with me one hour?” (Mt. 24:40). It wasn't 45 minutes. And that's been on my mind since we started our Holy Hour on Tuesdays before our 6:00pm Mass. The problem is that we've been starting the Holy Hour at 5:00pm, and we have to end it by 5:45pm so that we can set up for the 6:00pm Mass. Although those who attend can stay in prayer for an hour, the servers and I shortchange the Lord for 15 minutes! So I've changed the schedule. Now we'll begin our Holy Hour at 4:45pm; the Eucharist will be exposed for an hour. Please join us! … [Read more...]

Thanks to all who helped with the cooking, set-up and break-down of the Funky Fusion Fajita luncheon in the cafeteria last Sunday! Special thanks to Hunter Harris, Renee Torina and Kathy Fayard for organizing, and for Dan, Dana, Urtha, Bob, Joyce, Laura, Sister Joe, Ramona, Lilly, Dixie, Barbara, Inez, Lennie and Matthew, the St Ann crew and John for the meat. And to many others! In the end we served over 120 people the dish that beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network. Father Leo also signed myriads of books and aprons promoting his “Grace Before Meals” movement to bring the family back around the dinner table. Just a note that my cut finger (actually six stitches!) is healing well, and it was no hindrance to my cooking and slicing forty pounds of flank steak single-handedly last Sunday! … [Read more...]

On Wednesdays from 6:00pm – 7:00pm, Our Lady of Good Counsel Church is open. Parishioners are invited to pray the Rosary and other prayers to ask Our Lady to aid us in preventing any more damage from hurricanes or as a result of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. … [Read more...]

Does the picture look familiar? And the cross? This is actually a photograph taken in the early 1900's showing the original steeple cross. We had seen the plans, but never an actual photograph.  Thanks to John Pecarrere for finding this photo on www.old-new-orleans.com/NO_StStephens.html. It's hard to see, but the oak trees in front are saplings! … [Read more...]