Requiem Mass for the Unclaimed yesterday

Yesterday, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Lafayette, Bishop Jarrell celebrated a Requiem Mass for the unclaimed remains at the Lafayette Parish coroner's office.

This is an article with some background: http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012204190317

Here is an article on the mass at the Cathedral  yesterday:

http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012204290354

And here is 3 minute video from the events at the cathedral:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQr-BU4KgWg&feature=youtu.be

And here is an article in the National Catholic Reporter:

http://ncronline.org/news/faith-parish/louisiana-cemetery-take-unclaimed-bodies

Below is the press release from the diocese.

Funeral Mass for the unclaimed

LAFAYETTE
            On Saturday, April 28, Bishop Michael Jarrell presided over a funeral Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Lafayette for 93 individuals whose cremated remains have gone unclaimed from the local coroner’s office.  Some of the remains have awaited burial for more than a decade.
            “It’s entirely new in my experience,” stated Bishop Michael Jarrell.  “I’ve never been involved in anything like this, nor have I read about it anywhere else.  This is quite different—a funeral Mass for 93 persons whose remains have been in the coroner’s office just sitting there because they have not been claimed.  It was a wonderful opportunity to show our respect for the dead.”
            Efforts to claim the remains and provide a proper burial were spearheaded by Ms. Kimberly James Boudreaux, Executive Director of Lafayette Catholic Service Centers, Inc.  Prior to the funeral Mass, a wake was held and the Missionaries of Charity led the recitation of the rosary.  Residents of St. Joseph Men’s Shelter served as pallbearers.  Father Chester Arceneaux, pastor of the Cathedral, and officials of St. John Cemetery also worked with Ms. Boudreaux in planning the funeral Mass and burial arrangements.
            Anyone who wishes to help cover the expenses of the funeral are encouraged to send their donations to:  Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 515 Cathedral Street, Lafayette, LA  70501.

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

As part of our answering the challenge of the Holy Father to go out and evangelize utilizing new technologies, we're now offering the homily each week for download. Clicking the link to the homily should download it and automatically start it playing in whatever music player your computer is set up with.

On the technical side, the file sizes are about 5 megs which means it may a minute or two to download on slower Internet connections. It is also an MP3 formatted file which means that these are essentially podcasts. Don't worry if all the technical words don't mean much to you. It means we're using the latest in technology in order to make sure our church parish can reach the most people.

In the past few weeks, we've improved the quality of the recordings. Please let us know if you like the new sound.

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- nearly three years ago. This week, The Fourth Sunday of Easter, is our one hundred and eighty fifth! podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father James Brady.

So, take a listen and let us know what you think. Click here to download the Fourth Sunday of Easter homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Vatican News Widget

We’ve been approved by the Vatican to include their new “widget” on our web page ... as seen on the right half of our website http://www.stlandrycatholicchurch.org . The widget opens a small window with four tabs. Clicking on one provides the latest news from the Vatican, the Pope’s angelus or Regina Coeli address, recent speeches and the Vatican press office’s daily news bulletin. It also pops up windows with the latest information from the Vatican’s YouTube channel and Twitter. Come by our website each day to find out what’s happening in the world wide Church.

Bulletin for the Week of April 29, 2012

The bulletin for the week of April 29, 2012 has been posted. Click here to see it.

The calendar on the website has been updated with all events for the coming week along with prayer intention information and information on the second collection for all of the masses. Take some time to look at our calendar here.

Updates are also being made to our St. Landry Catholic Church blog. You can get to the blog from the church home page under the Bulletins and News section or you can just click here to go to it.

Don't forget, we're also sending out live updates via Twitter. Our Twitter name is StLandryCath. You can see updates by clicking here.

And we're also on Facebook --- friend us! You can see our updates on our page StLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter - New improved sound

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

As part of our answering the challenge of the Holy Father to go out and evangelize utilizing new technologies, we're now offering the homily each week for download. Clicking the link to the homily should download it and automatically start it playing in whatever music player your computer is set up with.

On the technical side, the file sizes are about 5 megs which means it may a minute or two to download on slower Internet connections. It is also an MP3 formatted file which means that these are essentially podcasts. Don't worry if all the technical words don't mean much to you. It means we're using the latest in technology in order to make sure our church parish can reach the most people.

In the past few weeks, we've improved the quality of the recordings. Please let us know if you like the new sound.

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- nearly three years ago. This week, The Third Sunday of Easter, is our one hundred and eighty fourth! podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Deacon Sammy Diesi.

So, take a listen and let us know what you think. Click here to download the Third Sunday of Easter homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for the Week of April 22, 2012

The bulletin for the week of April 22, 2012 has been posted. Click here to see it.

The calendar on the website has been updated with all events for the coming week along with prayer intention information and information on the second collection for all of the masses. Take some time to look at our calendar here.

Updates are also being made to our St. Landry Catholic Church blog. You can get to the blog from the church home page under the Bulletins and News section or you can just click here to go to it.

Don't forget, we're also sending out live updates via Twitter. Our Twitter name is StLandryCath. You can see updates by clicking here.

And we're also on Facebook --- friend us! You can see our updates on our page StLandryCatholicChurch.

The Unsinkable Bell at St. Landry Catholic Church

There has been a lot of news coverage about the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic this week. St. Landry Catholic Church is celebrating a milestone this month as well.

The St. Landry Catholic Church Bell ... called the Immaculate Conception Bell ... was cast 100 years ago this month by the McShane Bell Foundry Company in Baltimore, Maryland.

The McShane Bell Foundry is still operating today and our bell is too!

The St. Landry Bell entered the internet world online just over 2 years ago now.

Information about The Immaculate Conception Bell can be found by visiting the website: http://stlandrybell.org/

From an insert handed out at mass that Sunday written by Monsignor J. Robert Romero:

As parishioners have noticed, our bell, donated to St. Landry Catholic Church by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court Number 119, cast in April 1912, and installed in November 1912, is back in operation. We may remember some time ago it stopped ringing as a result of lightning striking some of the equipment. We were able to get it running on October 30, 2009 using 1960’s technology. Recently, we removed the 1960’s technology and have installed a ‘state of the art’ computer system to manage the ringing of the bell. This allows us to have the one bell do several types of ringing. These are the Angelus, Call to Worship, De Profundis, Hours of the Day, and other times. I would like to update parishioners about these.

Click here to read the rest and download the whole insert: The Bell Insert in PDF form. You'll find prayers related to the bell ringing, art, and details about how the bell helps us in our worship.

Our bell has been popular with many folks following it on Twitter and Facebook and blogs.

You can follow the bell at Twitter: http://twitter.com/stlandrybell

On Facebook, the bell is here: http://www.facebook.com/stlandrybell

And the blog is over here: http://stlandrybell.blogspot.com/

The bell also was written about in various places in the last 2 years.

In the Daily World  in April of 2010, the bell was featured on the front page ...

In Country Roads Magazine, the article can be found by clicking here.

And more photos of the bell, taken by Dr. Richard Harmon, can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thecajun/sets/72157629393698841/

And photos from the trip into the bell tower to repair the bell with Monsignor Romero and Phil Borel can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thecajun/sets/72157629781348585/



It's now 100 years that our bell has been calling parishioners to worship. In these next 100 years, our bell will continue to be heard ... not just in Opelousas, but across the reaches of the world via technology.

Homily for Divine Mercy Sunday - New improved sound

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

As part of our answering the challenge of the Holy Father to go out and evangelize utilizing new technologies, we're now offering the homily each week for download. Clicking the link to the homily should download it and automatically start it playing in whatever music player your computer is set up with.

On the technical side, the file sizes are about 5 megs which means it may a minute or two to download on slower Internet connections. It is also an MP3 formatted file which means that these are essentially podcasts. Don't worry if all the technical words don't mean much to you. It means we're using the latest in technology in order to make sure our church parish can reach the most people.

This week, we've improved the quality of the recordings. Please let us know if you like the new sound.

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- nearly three years ago. This week, Divine Mercy Sunday, is our one hundred and eighty third! podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father James Brady.

So, take a listen and let us know what you think. Click here to download the Divine Mercy Sunday homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for the Week of April 15, 2012

The bulletin for the week of April 15, 2012 has been posted. Click here to see it.

The calendar on the website has been updated with all events for the coming week along with prayer intention information and information on the second collection for all of the masses. Take some time to look at our calendar here.

Updates are also being made to our St. Landry Catholic Church blog. You can get to the blog from the church home page under the Bulletins and News section or you can just click here to go to it.

Don't forget, we're also sending out live updates via Twitter. Our Twitter name is StLandryCath. You can see updates by clicking here.

And we're also on Facebook --- friend us! You can see our updates on our page StLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for Easter Sunday

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

As part of our answering the challenge of the Holy Father to go out and evangelize utilizing new technologies, we're now offering the homily each week for download. Clicking the link to the homily should download it and automatically start it playing in whatever music player your computer is set up with.

On the technical side, the file sizes are about 5 megs which means it may a minute or two to download on slower Internet connections. It is also an MP3 formatted file which means that these are essentially podcasts. Don't worry if all the technical words don't mean much to you. It means we're using the latest in technology in order to make sure our church parish can reach the most people.

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- nearly three years ago. This week, Easter Sunday, is our one hundred and eighty second! podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father James Brady.

So, take a listen and let us know what you think. Click here to download the Easter Sunday homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Father Lafleur Scholarship Fund

Scholarship Information

Scholarship fund started in memory of Lt. Father Joseph Verbis Lafleur

With the help of a North Carolina couple, a scholarship fund has now been started in honor of Lt. Father Joseph Verbis Lafleur, a local World War II military chaplain who perished during service to God and his country in 1944.  The scholarship will be awarded to students of Sacred Heart School in Ville Platte; which Father Lafleur attended as a boy; to Opelousas Catholic School in Opelousas, where his vocation began; and Vermilion Catholic School in Abbeville, because of Father Lafleur’s dedication to the youth of the area during his assignment as associate pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Church.

Several months ago, Loretta and Alex Theroit were down from North Carolina for a stay in the home they maintain in Denham Springs.  On a visit to a local religious shop, they discovered “But He Dies Not”, a biography on Father Verbis Lafleur.  As they learned more about Father Lafleur’s life and legacy, the Theriots made a generous contribution to the Father Lafleur Memorial Fund and also learned of the efforts to establish an additional scholarship fund in the priest’s memory.  In October 2011, the Theriots offered another donation matching up to $50,000 in local donations.  The Friends of Lt.Father Joseph Verbis Lafleur continue to seek donations to complete the scholarship fund with a principal amount of $100,000.00, and the hope is to have the funds raised over the next year.

Donations can be mailed to:

      St Landry Catholic Church
      ATTN:  Lt. Father Joseph Verbis Lafleur Endowment Fund
      1020 North Main Street
      Opelousas, LA  70570

Mr. and Mrs. Theriot have also generously agreed to donate the funds for this year's (2012) scholarships.  Therefore, the first scholarships are scheduled to be awarded this year in May, with applications due by April 20, 2012 so that they may be reviewed by a committee to select the recipients. The application process is open to any eighth-grade student who wishes to attend either Sacred Heart School in Ville Platte, Opelousas Catholic School in Opelousas, or Vermilion Catholic School in Abbeville. The applicants will be judged on:

• A submitted essay expressing his/her knowledge of the life witness of Lt. Father Joseph Verbis Lafleur
• Involvement/leadership in his/her church parish, school, and community
• Pastor’s testimony of the applicant’s faith, church involvement, character, values, and verification that the applicant is a registered parishioner committed to Mass attendance
• Financial need

Scholarship forms and additional information on the essay portion requirements may be requested by contacting St. Landry Church in Opelousas at (337) 942-6552, Guaranty Glass in Opelousas (337) 948-7700 or (337) 948-6130.  Those who may be interested in contributing to the future assets of the future of the Lt. Father Joseph Verbis Lafleur Endowment Scholarship Fund are also urged to contact the parish office for details on where to send their donations.

Homily for Good Friday

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

As part of our answering the challenge of the Holy Father to go out and evangelize utilizing new technologies, we're now offering the homily each week for download. Clicking the link to the homily should download it and automatically start it playing in whatever music player your computer is set up with.

On the technical side, the file sizes are about 5 megs which means it may a minute or two to download on slower Internet connections. It is also an MP3 formatted file which means that these are essentially podcasts. Don't worry if all the technical words don't mean much to you. It means we're using the latest in technology in order to make sure our church parish can reach the most people.

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- nearly three years ago. This week, Good Friday, is our one hundred and eighty first! podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Deacon Sammy Diesi.

So, take a listen and let us know what you think. Click here to download the Good Friday homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Homily for Holy Thursday

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

As part of our answering the challenge of the Holy Father to go out and evangelize utilizing new technologies, we're now offering the homily each week for download. Clicking the link to the homily should download it and automatically start it playing in whatever music player your computer is set up with.

On the technical side, the file sizes are about 5 megs which means it may a minute or two to download on slower Internet connections. It is also an MP3 formatted file which means that these are essentially podcasts. Don't worry if all the technical words don't mean much to you. It means we're using the latest in technology in order to make sure our church parish can reach the most people.

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- nearly three years ago. This week, Holy Thursday, is our one hundred and eightieth! podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father James Brady.

So, take a listen and let us know what you think. Click here to download the Holy Thursday homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Father Engberink

Father John Engberink, pastor of St. Landry Catholic Church. He built the current church building and was responsible for bringing large groups of orphan train children to Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for the Week of April 08, 2012

The bulletin for the week of April 08, 2012 has been posted. Click here to see it.

The calendar on the website has been updated with all events for the coming week along with prayer intention information and information on the second collection for all of the masses. Take some time to look at our calendar here.

Updates are also being made to our St. Landry Catholic Church blog. You can get to the blog from the church home page under the Bulletins and News section or you can just click here to go to it.

Don't forget, we're also sending out live updates via Twitter. Our Twitter name is StLandryCath. You can see updates by clicking here.

And we're also on Facebook --- friend us! You can see our updates on our page StLandryCatholicChurch.

New Easter Vestments

St. Landry Catholic Church will use new solemn vestments donated to our parish for the sacred liturgies this Easter. The vestments will be used for the first time at the Easter Vigil, which will be celebrated on April 7 at 8 pm. The vestments were donated to our parish in memory of Mrs. Callie Courvelle Palmer by her family. Mrs. Palmer passed away this past year and was a long time parishioner of St. Landry Church. She was especially active in the Altar Society. The vestments were designed and manufactured by Bramante Studio and consist of a chasuble and stole for the priest, two dalmatics and stoles for deacons, and a chalice veil and burse. The vestments were specifically designed to match the decorum and dignity of our beautiful and historic church. We want to thank Mrs. Palmer's family for their kindness and generosity in providing these solemn and beautiful vestments for our worship.

You can click here for dozens of more detailed photographs ... http://www.flickr.com/photos/thecajun/sets/72157629732598087/

Homily for Palm Sunday 2012

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

As part of our answering the challenge of the Holy Father to go out and evangelize utilizing new technologies, we're now offering the homily each week for download. Clicking the link to the homily should download it and automatically start it playing in whatever music player your computer is set up with.

On the technical side, the file sizes are about 5 megs which means it may a minute or two to download on slower Internet connections. It is also an MP3 formatted file which means that these are essentially podcasts. Don't worry if all the technical words don't mean much to you. It means we're using the latest in technology in order to make sure our church parish can reach the most people.

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- nearly three years ago. This week, Palm Sunday, is our one hundred and seventy ninth! podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father James Brady.

So, take a listen and let us know what you think. Click here to download the Palm Sunday homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.