Excerpts from the Christmas 2009 Homily of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI Urbi et Orbi Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI - Christmas Day, 2009 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and throughout the world, and all men and women, whom the Lord loves! "A light will shine on us this day,the Lord is born for us” (Roman Missal, Christmas, Entrance Antiphon for the Mass at Dawn) The liturgy of the Mass at Dawn reminded us that the night is now past, the day has begun; the light radiating from the cave of Bethlehem shines upon us. The Bible and the Liturgy do not, however, speak to us about a natural light, but a different, special light, which is somehow directed to and focused upon “us”, the same “us” for whom the Child of Bethlehem “is born”. This “us” is the Church, the great … [Read more...]

The teachings of the Church on IndulgencesMany of us have a poor understanding of some of the Church's teachings on sin, forgiveness and punishment for sins. We know that we sin. And we know that we can be forgiven if we confess our serious sins (which we are obligated to do as Catholics once a year). But sometimes we don't remember that we will have to suffer some temporal punishment in Purgatory for sins that we have committed – even if we have confessed them. But there is a remedy for that, and it's a powerful one. Jesus gave the Church the power, through St. Peter and his successors, to take away that temporal punishment. The Catholic doctrine of the Communion of Saints teaches that this work of cleansing or sanctification does not have to be done entirely by the person directly … [Read more...]

A Statement from Most Rev. Gregory Aymond, Archbishop of New OrleansDuring this flu season, I wish to remind everyone to use reasonable caution while celebrating Mass.  At the Sign of Peace you may extend your hand as usual or the “Sign of Peace” can be expressed verbally without physical contact.  Those who chose to use verbal expression only, should be treated with respect and understanding.For communion, Jesus Christ is fully present in the consecrated Eucharistic bread and wine.  Catholics are not required to take communion from the cup.  If someone has a cold or flu symptoms, it would be advisable to refrain from the cup.I am also asking pastors to make provisions for clergy and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to cleanse their hands before and after communion. Most … [Read more...]

There will be a reception and a viewing of the new cross on Friday, November 13 from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. at the studios of Thomas Bruno located at 3501 Tchoupitoulas Street.  The reception is open to all parishioners.  We want to especially thank our “Spirit Givers,” whose generous contributions made it possible to have such a beautiful reminder of our faith on top of the tallest steeple in New Orleans.  Many gave “In Memory” of someone else, so here is the list of the names that will be on the cross:Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Ballard, IIIIn Memory of the Bergeron & Boudreaux FamiliesPhilip & Ella BoudreauxMatalain & Emma CarvilleRobert & Druscilla CharleboisChisesi FamilyIn Memory of Mae Colgan ClementinoThe Howell Crosby FamilyRonnie DemilioIn Memory of Louis J. Derbes, … [Read more...]

The cross now standing in the back of our church (I hope it's there as I write this!) is the culmination of nearly a year of work. As many of you know, cross now on the steeple lost an arm during Hurricane Gustav. When the arm came down, we found that it had been made of steel piping wrapped with cypress wood and covered with a copper flashing. Although certainly durable and well made, the cross didn't have any great artistic value. When I arrived here on November 1, 2008 , one of the items on my desk was the insurance estimate for either repairing or replacing the cross in an amount of $30,000. In examining the estimate, I noticed that only about $500 was for the cross itself, and the rest of the money was for the labor and the crane. I thought: “why would we spend $30,000 to replace a … [Read more...]

The Legion of Mary is an association of Catholic laity that was founded in Dublin, Ireland in 1921, and today numbers in excess of 10 million members worldwide.  It is the largest apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church. Active members serve God under the banner of Mary by practicing the Spiritual Works of Mercy.  In weeks to come, we will have another presentation by members of the Legion in our parish, as we are hoping they become the driving force behind a parish census and Catholic outreach. … [Read more...]

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Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God. The conviction that human life is sacred and that each person has inherent dignity that must be respected in society lies at the heart of Catholic social teaching. Calls to advance human rights are illusions if the right to life itself is subject to attack. We believe that every human life is sacred from conception to natural death; that people are more important than things; and that the measure of every institution is whether or not it enhances the life and dignity of the human person. (US Bishops: Faithful Citizenship - Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium, 1999). 40 Days for LifeSeptember 23 – November 1 40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that draws attention to the evil of abortion through the use of a … [Read more...]

There will be a party for all ages following the 10:30am Sunday Mass on All Saint's Day, November 1st. If you have any questions or are interested in helping out, please contact Kate Cousino at 891-6708 or email ceitagh@gmail.com. About the Saints In preparation for the feast, here is a look at some of the Saints significant to our own parish: Outside, across from the ramp, you may have noticed a new statue. This is a statue of St. Henry, patron saint of the childless, the handicapped, and those rejected by religious orders. Henry lived around the turn of the first millennium. Henry was a Duke of Bavaria and received the crown of Holy Roman Emperor from the hands of Pope Benedict VIII. His life was marked by great piety and he once attempted to abdicate his throne and retire into a … [Read more...]

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