Religious Education programs are going well. I'm happy to point out that two of our religious education programs are up and running. Our RCIA program has fifteen people studying the Catholic Faith on Wednesday nights. Our Church history course is picking up steam. We have thirteen people learning the history of the Catholic Church. I'm sure more will attend this vibrant course. We have room for more!Future programs. It's an exciting time! Our CCD program will be starting on September 27. Three children from our school will be taking RCIC classes beginning in October to become Catholic, please pray for them. Our youth ministry, The Dead Theologians Society, is beginning its membership drive for high school age teens!Phillip Bellini, DRE   … [Read more...]

Why Does the Priest “have his back to us”?Those of us who grew up in a totally post-Vatican II environment are accustomed to hearing about the Pre-Vatican II Mass as the one where “the priest had his back to the people.” That's a true description, but it's not entirely accurate. The priest only had his “back to the people” in the same sense that the person on the front row of the church “has his back” to the person in the second row of the church, and the person in the second row “has his back” to person in the third row, and so on. In the pre-Vatican II Mass, everyone is facing in the same direction. Everyone in the church is facing east.Have you ever noticed that the churches in our parish – St. Henry, Our Lady of Good Counsel and St. Stephen – are located on the downtown side of … [Read more...]

There are many exciting projects ongoing in our parish. This past Tuesday we had a huge crane arrive to bring me up the 215 feet so that I could do an initial inspection of our steeple cross in preparation for mounting our new cross. Our steeple looks to be in very fine shape and we will be moving forward with the preparations to replace our broken cross. Our new cross is coming along very nicely. It is cast bronze and based on the original cross design for our church from Favrot & Livaudais dated June 12 1905. Please click here to see project pictures including crane shots from  the top.We are also continuing to repair the structural damage at the Blessed Pauline house, one of our parish properties on Constance St. On Monday of the coming week, we will begin to replace the faulty … [Read more...]

by St. Alphonsus de LiguoriO my afflicted Mother! Queen of martyrs and of sorrows, thou didst so bitterly weep over thy Son, who died for my salvation; but what will thy tears avail me if I am lost? By the merit, then, of thy sorrows, obtain me true contrition for my sins, and a real amendment of life, together with constant and tender compassion for the sufferings of Jesus and thy dolours. And if Jesus and thou, being so innocent, have suffered so much for love of me, obtain that at least I, who am deserving of hell, may suffer something for your love. "O Lady," will I say with St. Bonaventure, "if I have offended thee, in justice wound my heart; if I have served thee, I now ask wounds for my reward. It is shameful to me to see my Lord Jesus wounded, and thee wounded with Him, and myself … [Read more...]

In recent weeks, the Church has celebrated three feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary: the Assumption, the Queenship and the Nativity. This week, we recall Our Sorrowful Mother, also known as Mater Dolorosa in Latin. The notion of Mary as the “sorrowful Mother,” has its origin in the Biblical prophecy of Simeon at the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, where he states to Mary: “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2:34-35). Over the centuries, the Church has recognized popular devotion to seven sorrows of Mary: (1) the Prophecy of Simeon over the Infant Jesus (Lk 2:34); (2) the Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family … [Read more...]

As stated in last week's bulletin Father Leo Patalinghug and Msgr. Nalty came out victorious in their “throwdown” challenge against Chef Bobby Flay. This will be the last bulletin announcement about it, but the episode will run again on Sunday, September 20 at 10:00pm CST on the Food Network (channel 67 on Cox). If you liked it, write the Food Nework and ask for more! … [Read more...]

Memorial of St. John VianneySt. Stephen's ChurchTuesday, August 4, 2009 at 7:00pm On the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus last June, the Holy Father inaugurated a “Year for Priests” in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Marie Vianney. This Tuesday commemorates that anniversary, and a special Mass will be celebrated at St. Stephen's to which all priests of the Archdiocese have been invited.St. John Marie Vianney (May 8, 1786 - August 4, 1859) was known popularly as the “Curé d'Ars” (the pastor of the village of Ars, France), and he is the patron saint of parish priests. During his lifetime, he became notable internationally for his priestly and pastoral work in his parish due to the radical spiritual transformation of the community and its … [Read more...]

I first saw this sign on the front door of Ms. Mae's Bar at Magazine and Napoleon, and I loved it! Heck, if a bar can have a dress code, why can't the church!  Summer in New Orleans is a time when we “dress down” to beat the heat. But dressing down doesn't mean we come to Mass in the same clothes we wear on the beach! The sacredness of the Eucharistic celebration urges all of us to dress so as to manifest the importance of what we are doing. Our beautiful church also calls to mind the formality and reverence of the liturgy. I don't see many “violations” but we should all be aware that our clothes don't distract others. If you're in doubt about what you're wearing, ask Ms. Mae, who usually attends the 4:00pm Vigil Mass. Because she looks wonderful!   … [Read more...]

In many parishes, including my home parish of St. Francis Xavier, there is a practice of having a family take a Mass Chalice home for one week to pray each night during that week for priestly vocations.  During this Year for Priests, several parishioners have suggested that we introduce the same devotion, and also to pray for the sanctity of priests.  If you or your family (no matter how large or how small) would like take part in this important mission, please contact the parish office.  Each week's family will receive the chalice at the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday. … [Read more...]

Monday, June 29, is the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. And it is an important day for the Church Universal as well as for our new Metropolitan Archbishop, the Most Reverend Gregory Aymond.  On that date he will be at the Basilica of St. Peter at the Vatican to receive a very special vestment from His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI.  The vestment is called a “pallium,” (plural is “pallia”) and it is a narrow band of cloth woven of white lamb's wool with a ring in the center which rests on the shoulders of its wearer.  The narrow band falls down the front of the chest like a necktie and goes similarly down the back. It is decorated with six black crosses, one on each tail and four on the loop. The pallium has its origin as a liturgical vestment of the Holy Father since at least the … [Read more...]