Bulletin for November 24, 2013 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, the end of the Church's liturgical year. This celebration is a reminder to us that Jesus can help us to overcome any problem we might have if we let Him reign in our lives. The primary goal of our life here on earth is to live with God in eternity in the next life, and as Christians this must be our first priority. We make this our first priority by following God's commands as He teaches us through His Church in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, and by cooperating with God's Grace by living a life of virtue and prayer in Faith, Hope and Charity. No matter what the circumstances in our lives here on earth, we always have the hope of eternal life in heaven, and nothing on earth has the power to take that away from us. Today we celebrate this gift God has given to us, and we renew our resolve to live a life on earth worthy of the eternal life God has promised.  Let us praise Christ our King!

Thursday of this week we celebrate Thanksgiving. Mass that day will be at 9am and I hope to see you there.  Although Thanksgiving is a secular holiday, it is certainly religious in its theme. This year, there is much for us to thank God as a church parish and community. The generosity of so many of our parishioners in volunteering their time, talent and treasure has been such a great blessing to me as your pastor, and I am grateful to God for the blessing that each of you are to me in my priestly life and in the furtherance of the mission of St. Landry Church. The growth of our knowledge and love of God the Father through the life of Jesus Christ, His Son, prompting us to serve all in charity by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are blessed with three devoted deacons and a hard working and dedicated staff who make all the good things happening here possible. Thanks to them and all of you. I am very blessed to be your pastor!

My hope is that during this time of the year all of us are able to look back and see the blessings that God has given us as a church community and individually during the year and to thank Him. Of course, some of us have suffered during the year, and many have said "good-bye for now" to loved ones who have passed into the next life. However, even if it has been a difficult year for you individually or as a family, we can still thank God for the hope of eternal life that He has given us, a hope that eases the pain of suffering and death in this world with the belief that we will all be joined together again, without pain or suffering, in God's Heavenly Kingdom. God Bless!

Father James Brady

The Light is on for YOU

On all Wednesdays of Advent---December 4th, 11th, and 18th—from 6:30-8:00pm, we will be offering confessions here at St. Landry, together with all the Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Lafayette. This outreach is called “The Light is On For You,”  and is an effort on the part of our Diocese to highlight the importance of the Sacrament of Confession in the life of Catholics and to make it as easy as possible for every Catholic to come or to return to this great source of God’s mercy and healing love.  You are welcome to come here or to go to any other Catholic parish in the Diocese.  Please make plans to come yourself and please invite others to take advantage of this great opportunity to be reconciled and begin anew your journey in faith this Advent.

The bulletin for the week of November 24, 2013 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 SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 --- four years ago. This week, the Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our two hundred ninety first!! 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 homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for November 17, 2013 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

I have received many comments on the homily last weekend on the Sacrament of Marriage. The comments received have been very helpful to me as your pastor, and they also show that there are many people in our community who indeed did have a misunderstanding of the Church's teaching on divorce, remarriage and being properly disposed to receive Holy Communion. Many thanks to those who took the time to provide input to me on the homily. If you want to share the homily with family or friends, please know that the homily is available on our website (as are all our homilies). In this Pastor's Corner, a follow up on a couple of things may be helpful.

As mentioned last weekend, a civil divorce, in and of itself, does not make one not properly disposed to receive Holy Communion nor does it change one's status within the Church in any way. We are always saddened by divorce in the sense that we always hope for healthy and happy marriages. However, there are times when divorce is necessary, especially for the protection of children or of the spouse from some type of abuse, or in the case of abandonment. However, the sacramental marriage remains valid regardless of any civil proceedings. A sacramental marriage can only be annulled in a church proceeding. It saddens me that some might think that the church is not there to help and support them through a very difficult time in their life, or that the Grace and strengthening power of the Eucharist is not available to them during a time when it may be most needed.

The annulment process is available to all to explore, and should be completed prior to any remarriage. Not all marriages can be annulled, as we know that once a sacramental marriage is properly done, it is indissoluble (that is, cannot be undone). Jesus' own words provide the basis for this teaching: "Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate" (Matthew 19:6). The problem of being properly disposed to receive Holy Communion may occur when one makes the decision to remarry while still married sacramentally, or when one contracts a civil marriage or a marriage in another church community. It is important that one meet with a priest prior to contracting any marriage.

As always, please know that my door is always open to answer any question you may have about marriage. Regardless of whether one is properly disposed to receive Holy Communion or not, all are members of our church community and are loved as Christ would love them. My desire as pastor is to assist anyone who needs information or help in this regard. Please remember to bring this message to your friends and family!
           God Bless!

           Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of November 17, 2013 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 SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 --- four years ago. This week, the Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our two hundred ninetieth!! 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 homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for November 10, 2013 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Tomorrow, Monday November 11, our country celebrates Veteran's Day, a day when we take time to give thanks to those who have served in our armed forces. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has requested that a second offertory be made every three years in support of the Archdiocese of Military Services. This year is the year we make the additional offering. Additional envelopes for the offertory are in the church near the doors and at the back tables for your use.

The Archdiocese of Military Services provides for the pastoral care of our troops and their families, including chaplain priests in active military zones and at our military bases. The Archdiocese does not have the regular support of a stable congregation of worshippers because our military personnel move often due to changing assignments. This is our way of supporting our troops with the pastoral care that they and their families need.

There will also be a Patriotic Rosary sponsored by the Catholic Daughters at 6pm Monday evening in the church. The rosary will be prayed for the intention of all those who serve in the U.S Military, elected officials, religious and for each State of our Union. In this way, we support our troops with prayer. All are invited to join us for this event!

We should all give thanks to God for the sacrifices our veterans have made for each and every one of us. As we are reminded every time armed conflict occurs in our world, in order to protect individual and societal freedoms, including the freedom to practice our faith, an armed force is often necessary. We are thankful for the brave men and women who have served, or are currently serving in our armed forces, and we pray for them and their families. John's Gospel tells us: "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends." We thank God for raising up these men and women who are willing, if necessary, to lay down their life so that others have the opportunity to live a life in freedom and full human dignity. We pray that God will continue to bless our country, and that He bless our veterans and keep them in His care. May we always appreciate what they have done for us!

           God Bless!

           Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of November 10, 2013 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 SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 --- four years ago. This week, the Thirty First Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our two hundred eighty ninth!! podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Monsignor Louis Melancon.

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

Bulletin for the Week of November 03, 2013 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This weekend, we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints on Friday and the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day) on Saturday.  These celebrations remind us of our connection with those who have gone before us and who now intercede for us while we continue our earthly journey.  These days remind us of Jesus' triumph over death in His Resurrection, and give us the basis of the Theological Virtue of Hope, that is, our desire to be in union with God and all the faithful departed at the end of our earthly life.  While we are indeed saddened by the pain of physical separation caused by earthly death, we remember that for Christians life is changed, not ended, and we are reborn into eternal life.

This year, we had a special Memorial Mass on All Souls Day for the intention of those of our community who entered eternal life over the past year.  Those remembered at the mass were members of our parish community at St. Landry, family members of our parishioners, and anyone for whom St. Landry provided a funeral mass or service.  The memorial mass was intended to include prayers for all our dearly departed, regardless of their faith tradition, denomination or church parish affiliation.  It also provided an opportunity for those who may not have been able to attend a funeral of a friend or loved one due to work or other circumstances.  We did our best to notify in writing all families of which we were aware who lost a loved one, and in the bulletin invited all to attend the Memorial Mass and to let us know of anyone who wished to be included.  It is my intention to make this Memorial Mass an annual event for our community.

Much work went into notifying as many as we could about the Memorial Mass as well as planning the liturgy.  Deacon Joubert headed up the project, and we thank him for his good work.  Our office staff, especially Priscilla Guidroz and Lois Joubert, worked to make sure notifications were sent out to families, and our choir eagerly volunteered to provide the beautiful music at the mass.  Ray Dupree and Lafond Ardoin Funeral Home provided assistance with obtaining the display of those specifically remembered.  We thank them and all those who volunteered as ministers for the mass!

Please know of my continued prayers for all our dearly departed and their families.  My hope is that this month of November may be a time of remembrance, consolation and prayer.  The display of those specifically remembered will remain in the church near the statue of our Blessed Mother, the Mother of Consolation, until the Solemnity of Christ the King, our celebration of Jesus' triumph over sin and death.

           God Bless!

           Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of November 03, 2013 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 SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 --- four years ago. This week, the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our two hundred eighty eighth!! 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 homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for the Week of October 27, 2013 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This week we will celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day on Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2, respectively. This time of year we focus on those who have completed their earthly life and have gone before us from this life to the next. On All Saints Day, we thank God for all the saints who have gone before us and have left us models for living our Christian faith, whether they be canonized or not. They now live in the presence of God in eternal joy interceding for us, and are appropriately referred to as the Church Triumphant.

On All Souls Day, we remember those who have gone before us but have not yet reached full union with God in heaven, and we pray for them to enter the Gates of Heaven. They are in purgatory, and are referred to as the Church Suffering (not suffering in the sense of physical pain, but suffering because they lack the complete joy and peace that is given by God in heaven). These souls are also referred to as the Church Expectant, as one day they will know full union with God.

As always, it is touching to see so many of you cleaning and repairing the graves of your family members in the cemetery, remembering that those who went before us are not dead, but rather are still a living part of our Church, and the place that houses their earthly body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, should be cared for by us who remain. We will pray for them at a Memorial Mass on All Souls Day (Saturday, November 2) at a special 10am Mass. We thank Lafond Ardoin Funeral Home for their help in assisting us in coordinating this Mass, and I hope that you are able to join us then for remembrance and prayer. We will also have our annual blessing of the cemetery that same day after the 4pm Mass.

A reminder that All Saints Day is a Solemnity and a Holy Day of Obligation, so we are obliged to attend Mass that day just as if it was a Sunday. The schedule Masses are as follows:
              Thursday, October 31 - 5:30pm
              Friday, November 1 - 8:40am (Opelousas School Mass); 12:05pm and 5:30pm.

Because All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation, if one misses Mass that day without good reason, it is considered, objectively, a serious matter and one should not receive Holy Communion without first making a Sacramental Confession. In addition, please note that our parish offices will be closed Friday in celebration of All Saints Day.

           God Bless!

           Father James Brady


BLESSING OF GRAVES
October 26th, Saturday       5:30pm Myrtle Grove Cemetery
October 27th, Sunday         2:00pm Bellevue Memorial Cemetery
November 1st, Friday        12:15pm Garden of Memories & Serenity Memorial Garden
November 2nd, Saturday After 4:0 0pm Mass St. Landry Cemetery

WRAP WEEKEND
This weekend the Catholic Daughters will be handing out white ribbons after all the Masses. The program is
called W.R.A.P. which stands for "White Ribbons Against Pornography." The color white is the symbol of
purity. With the advent of the internet age, large amounts of information has become readily available, both
good and bad. This includes pornography, which has permeated the internet since its beginning. Pornography
has many victims, from the participants to the viewers, and causes many problems for them on many different
emotional and psychological levels, and can especially affect children. W.R.A.P. is intended to raise  awareness of this danger; but awareness is just a first step. There must also be action, and for parents the key word for action is "vigilance," especially in protecting children. Let us pray for those who participate in pornography and for its end, but let us also make sure that we are vigilant in the protection of our children from its harmful effects by monitoring and policing what our children see and hear!

The bulletin for the week of October 27, 2013 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 SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 --- four years ago. This week, the Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our two hundred eighty seventh!! 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 homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

St. Landry Catholic Church Cemetery Tours this weekend

Saint Landry Catholic Church Cemetery Tours this weekend - Saturday 6 Pm, 7 Pm, 8 Pm. And again on Sunday 2 Pm and 3 Pm. Photos from last weekend here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thecajun/sets/72157636621301526/

Bulletin for the Week of October 20, 2013 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Last weekend, we introduced the annual Bishop's Service Appeal (BSA), and a message from Bishop Jarrell was presented at all of our weekend Masses.  The Bishop's Service Appeal funds services and programs that we, as a parish, cannot afford to pay on our own.  By pooling the resources of all the individual church parishes in the diocese, services can be provided to the poor and vulnerable that would not be feasible for any individual church parish to provide.  In addition to aiding the poor and the vulnerable among us, the appeal supports other diocesan works, such as the education and support of our seminarians and the continued education of our priests.  St. Landry is blessed to have a seminarian studying for the priesthood, Ben Pitre (as always, please keep him in your prayers) who directly benefits from the donations made to the BSA.  St. Landry could not afford to pay for his education and training, but with funding from the BSA, his education and training is possible.

      The BSA pledge cards/envelopes will remain in the pews and at the doors of the church for your use.  Donations to the appeal can be made in the same manner as last year. First, for those who use offertory envelopes, you will receive special envelopes for the appeal in the mail with your regular envelopes, and the donations can be placed in the offertory at any Mass.  Second, for those who do not use envelopes for the regular offertory, the envelopes in the pews and at the church doors can be used and placed in any offertory at any Mass.  Third, for those who prefer to send the donation directly to the diocese, there are instructions on how to do so on the same envelopes located in the church.  When making a donation in this manner, please make sure that St. Landry is marked on the envelope so that we are able to track whether or not we have met our goal for the appeal.  Finally, donations can be made online at www.diolaf.org.

      Last year, we were a little short of our goal for the appeal. Of course, our hope is that our parish will reach the goal this year in support of the many good programs provided by the diocese to St. Landry and to the people of our diocese. Many thanks for your generosity!

           God Bless!

           Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of October 20, 2013 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 SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Bishop's Services Appeal

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 --- four years ago. This week, the Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our two hundred eighty sixth!! podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Bishop Michael Jarrell.

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

Bulletin for the Week of October 13, 2013 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Beginning next week, we will place baskets at the church entrances to be used for non-perishable food collection for those in need. The baskets will remain in the church until after Thanksgiving. This collection of food items is intended to help ICONS, our local food pantry which is sponsored by an interfaith consortium, to provide for those in need during the upcoming holiday season. In addition we will also have an offertory at our Thanksgiving Day Mass to support ICONS' mission to provide food to those who are in need. Each week we will collect the food items donated and transport them to the ICONS facility located here in Opelousas for distribution.

Obviously, as Christians we are called to love and provide for our brothers and sisters who are in need, and the most basic need is that of food. In each act of charity we do, we learn to see the Face of Jesus in everyone we meet, knowing that what we do for each other, we do for Him. Conversely, what we do not do for our brothers and sisters, we did not do for Jesus Himself! Let us always pray for an end to hunger and poverty in our community, our country and in the world. But let us also make sure we do what we can to help end hunger, beginning here in our own community.

           God Bless!

           Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of October 13, 2013 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 SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 --- four years ago. This week, the Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our two hundred 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 homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for the Week of October 6, 2013 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

As we enter the month of October, we begin a month devoted to our appreciation of those who have gone before us to the next life. The Cemetery Tours will begin next weekend and will continue the following weekend. Many of you will be cleaning up tombs and we will be sprucing up our cemetery. Our celebration will culminate with our celebration of All Saints Day on November 1st and All Souls Day on November 2nd. Besides our usual blessing of the cemetery on November 2nd after the 4pm Mass, we have added a special Mass that morning which we hope will become an annual celebration.

The Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, November 2nd at 10am. It will be a Memorial Mass where we will pray for all our faithful departed, but the specific Mass intention will be for those who passed away this past year. We have had approximately 65 of our fellow brothers and sisters who have gone to the next life, and we want to remember them, their families, and their friends in prayer. We thank God for the gift of their life, and we pray for the repose of their souls and the consolation of family and friends.

Next weekend, we will publish a list of those who will be remembered at the Mass. This list will contain those for whom we've had funerals here at St. Landry and those whose death we were informed of through our ministry to the bereaved. We are happy to add any other people who passed away last year. If there is someone you would like to have added, please call the office to let us know. We will include all who died through September 30th of this year. Those who pass away this month will be included in next year's Mass. We will publish a final list in the bulletin for the weekend of November 2nd and 3rd.

We are taught in the Bible that praying for the dead is a righteous act (2 Maccabees 12: 43-46). Let us pray together for those who have gone before us, and for each other's consolation for the physical separation we have now until we all meet in God's Kingdom. I hope all are able to make it on November 2nd for the Memorial Mass.

           God Bless!

           Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of October 06, 2013 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 SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homilies for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 homilies are 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 --- four years ago. This week, the Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our two hundred eighty third and two hundred and eighty fourth!! podcasts to be posted. The homily at 8AM is given by Deacon Dwayne Joubert and the 10AM is given by Deacon Sammy Diesi.

So, take a listen and let us know what you think. Click here to download the 8AM homily and click here to download the 10AM homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for the Week of September 29, 2013 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Jesus' words after the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, and after he had washed His disciples’ feet:  [If] I washed your feet...then you must wash each other's feet....What I just did was to give you an example:  as I have done, so must you do."  Jn 13: 14-15.  As Jesus teaches us, our worship of God in the Eucharistic celebration does not end after Mass, but rather is just beginning.  We receive in the Eucharist the grace to live our Christian lives in serving God and each other.  This service extends outside the walls of our church to our neighbors.  We help others by serving in our church and helping those in need.  Thus, our worship of God and our spiritual lives are incomplete without this service.  Traditionally, we have categorized service in the gifts of "time, talent and treasure."  Last week, we spoke of "treasure," that is, monetary gifts to our church and to other charities.  This week, with our Ministry Fair, we focus on "time and talent."

Our annual Ministry Fair is an opportunity for us to see the various ways we can serve here at St. Landry and to consider giving our time and talent for the church's ministry.  There are opportunities for service individually and in a group or social setting.  There's something for everyone.  Since service is the primary function of a deacon, Deacons Diesi and Joubert will preach the homily this weekend about the importance of service in our spiritual life.  Please stop by the Ministry Fair after Mass!    

           God Bless!

           Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of September 29, 2013 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 SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 --- four years ago. This week, the Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our two hundred 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 homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for the Week of September 22, 2013 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Enclosed in our bulletin this weekend is our annual financial report for last year and our budget for the upcoming year.  I have worked with the Finance Council to provide you with an accurate and easily understandable presentation of our church finances.  As pastor, I am accountable to you for the proper use of the funds given in support of our church, and these reports are a way of keeping you adequately informed of the financial status of our church family.  Many thanks to the Finance Council for its work and assistance in this endeavor!  Overall, our financial status is stable and getting better.  As I've mentioned in my previous yearly financial reports to you, one goal we've had as a community is to put St. Landry on firm financial footing, and at this point we have achieved that goal.  Many thanks to you for your support, as it would not have been possible without you!

As is indicated in the budget, there is a large project included under "Repair and Maintenance" to replace the underground pipes for our air conditioning system in the church.  This is a project that has been needed for some 20 years, but we have been unable to afford it.  As mentioned last year, the pipes are some 50 years old and have been leaking.  The leaking has worsened over the last year.  The project to replace the pipes will begin in the next month or two after we receive all necessary approvals, and should be completed by Christmas.

Over the last three years, we have been able to save enough money to pay for this project without incurring any debt.  A portion of this has come from our increase in the weekly offering.  However, a large portion has come from special donations we received over the last year, without which the project would not be possible.  The two major donations came in the form of a gift from the Estate of Joseph Wyble and the donation of the Titard Family home.  Many thanks to the Titard Family and Mr. Wyble and his family for their generosity and kindness in remembering St. Landry.

These special gifts to the church are a way to express gratitude for the service of the church to us and our community throughout our lives, and to perpetuate the mission of the Church in providing proper worship of God in the liturgy and service to our neighbors.  Similar to memorials, it is a tangible gift that leaves a spiritual legacy to help those still on their earthly journey.  There are many ways one can provide a gift to the church in their estate planning, including wills, bequests, trusts, life insurance policies or the gift of a family home.  If you are so moved, please remember a gift to the church in your estate planning, and if you have any questions we can certainly help you with the process.

Thanks again for your generosity over the past year and your continued support!

           God Bless!

           Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of September 22, 2013 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 SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 --- four years ago. This week, the Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our two hundred eighty first!! 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 homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for the Week of September 15, 2013 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

For the next two weekends, we will have our annual stewardship reports and information on service opportunities. Next weekend, September 21st and 22nd, we will begin with my annual report to you regarding the state of our church community, publication of our financial report and budget, and our goals for this coming year. The following weekend, September 28th and 29th, we will conduct our annual ministry fair, coordinated by our deacons, which will provide information regarding our service and social groups within the parish, and provide an opportunity to join those groups in their service to God and neighbor.

Please know of my appreciation to all of you for your support of St. Landry in time, talent and treasure during the last three years. So many of you have generously given and entrusted the gifts with which God has blessed you to St. Landry for the work of ministry. This year, besides our usual financial reports and guidelines for discernment of monetary gifts to the church, we also provide information regarding other ways to give, including memorials gifts. The following is intended to provide information about the nature of a memorial gift (especially as it enhances our spiritual life), and to provide examples of some of the recent memorial gifts that have been given.

Memorials are tangible gifts given in response and remembrance to a gift first given from God to us, usually a person or an event that has touched our lives and helped us to know Jesus more closely. It is a way to thank God for that gift in a tangible way, and to perpetuate the spiritual legacy of the person or event. There are memorial gifts in our church building in many places, from the beautiful stained glass windows to the statues of saints, which remind us of specific events of theological significance such as The Resurrection of Our Lord (the center stained glass in the sanctuary) or saints who have shown us how to live a life in Christ (the various saint statues in the church). These things remind us how we can live a life in Christ by the events or people they depict.

Over the last few months, we have received several memorial gifts for beautification or preservation of our church and liturgy, and these memorial gifts have enabled us to either restore items we use in worship or administration of the church, or to obtain items used for more beautiful worship. Recent memorial gifts include the badly needed restoration of our older and historical sacramental books from the Doucet Family in memory of their beloved sister, Cecile, who passed away last year. The children of Ed and Martha Moise provided the gift of the beautiful restoration of our altar and paschal candle stands, which had not been professionally cleaned in some 50 years, in thanksgiving for Ed and Martha's 50 years of marriage. The estate of Aline Lafond, who recently passed away, provided a memorial gift for her "beloved St. Landry," which will enable us to restore our processional cross and the six candleholders we use during the high liturgical seasons, thus completing the restoration of all of our candle holders. We have recently received a memorial gift for beautiful Sunday vestments which we hope to begin using in the near future. We have also received money donations in memory of a person, which we note in the bulletin if the donor permits, for use by the church as she may need.

These memorials have enabled us to more beautifully worship God, while at the same time acknowledging the gift that God first gave to us in the person or event remembered. It also helps to support the church by providing for things that we would not usually include in our regular budget. Many thanks to all those who have helped St. Landry in this way, be they an individual or family. If you or your family need information on how a memorial might be given, or for memorial ideas, simply call the office and we will be happy to assist.

           God Bless!

           Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of September 15, 2013 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 SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace in Syria

Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace in Syria

The Holy Father has called for a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria back on September 7, 2013. To read a statement from the US Conference of Bishops, please click here. For more related items including the Holy Father’s statement, please click here.

Homily for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 --- four years ago. This week, the Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our two hundred 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 homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for the Week of September 08, 2013 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

The Annointing of the Sick is a sacrament instituted by Jesus in Sacred Scripture in the Book of James:  "Are there any who are sick among you?  Let them send for the priests of the Church, and let the priests pray over them, annointing them with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick persons, and the Lord will raise them up; and if they have committed any sins, their sins will be forgiven." (James 5:14).  The Annointing of the Sick (sometimes referred to as "Last Rites") is given to those who begin "to be in danger (of death) due to sickness or old age."  In case of doubt about whether the circumstances warrant the sacrament, the sacrament is to be administered.  We receive many calls at St. Landry to provide this sacrament, whether it be someone preparing for a medical procedure, someone who is hospitalized, or someone who is a resident in a nursing home.  The sacrament has brought great consolation and relief to many people in our community.  The sacrament helps us to configure the suffering caused by the illness or injury to Jesus suffering on the Cross for the salvation of the world.  It also gives us consolation in the time of difficulty by helping us to understand and accept the suffering because it has this salvific effect, just as Jesus' suffering saved the world.  It helps us to realize that we have a role in the salvation of the world, and suffering is a part of it, so it aids us "to carry our cross" by giving us the Grace to do so.

I hope that all take advantage of this sacrament when needed.  You need only call the church and myself or Monsignor will be glad to administer it.  As a practical matter, it is good not to wait until the last minute to request it.  Some people are of the mistaken belief that it should only be administered just prior to one's passing from this life to the next.  However, it can be administered any time when someone is seriously ill (or has a serious condition) or is of a certain age (around 70, depending on the person's general health).  Anyone who is homebound or in a nursing home can be annointed regularly (usually every few months).  Please let us know if you have a loved one who needs to be annointed and we will be happy to administer the sacrament.  Waiting until the last minute can be a problem, as there are times when both Monsignor Melancon and I are unavailable.  We've had a couple of close calls due to waiting until the last minute.  In this case, it is certainly better to be safe than sorry!  Also, please know that if there is an emergency and someone requires hospital care at Opelousas General, there is a priest on call each day for annointings.  Therefore, if you are unable to reach myself or Monsignor Melancon at the office, let the hospital staff know that you would like the priest on call to come for an annointing, and they will know how to contact him.

Let us thank God for the goodness He gives to us in all the Sacraments, making sure that we dutifully dispose ourselves to receive them and fully cooperate with the Graces received in them!

           God Bless!

           Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of September 08, 2013 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 SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 --- four years ago. This week, the Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our two hundred 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 homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for the Week of September 01, 2013 - and the Pastor's Corner - August 29, 2013

The Pastor’s Corner 

Happy Labor Day to all!  As Christians, we especially celebrate this weekend because we recognize our labor as something redeemed by Christ.  In other words, labor is not just toil and sweat that is a result of our fallen world, but in being redeemed labor also has a salvific effect.  Put simply, work done well is good for the soul.  There are no bad jobs, only jobs done badly.  Let us thank God for the dignity of labor and always strive in our endeavors to do the best job possible with the talents God has given us!

Below you will find the announcement for our annual Lt. Fr. Joseph VerbisLafleur Memorial Mass next Saturday at 10:30am.  I hope you are able to attend.

See you there!

           God Bless!

           Father James Brady

LT. FATHER JOSEPH VERBIS LAFLEUR MEMORIAL MASS

The ‘Friends of Lt. Fr. Lafleur’ request your presence to commemorate the 69th Anniversary of the death of Lt. Father Joseph Verbis Lafleur, Chaplain-United States Army Air Corps, on Saturday, September 7, 2013 at 10:30am Mass at St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, LA. The Celebrant and Homilist will be Very Rev. James A. Wehner, S.T.D., Rector/President of Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans, LA.

Joseph Verbis Lafleur was born in the Louisiana town of Ville Platte on January 24, 1912. Later, he would move with his family to nearby Opelousas, where he faithfully served as an altar boy at St. Landry Church during his youth; and where he also celebrated his first Solemn Mass following his ordination to the priesthood for the Diocese of Lafayette in 1938. Fr. Lafleur’s first and only diocesan assignment was to St. Mary Magdalen Church in Abbeville but he soon joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and was sent to serve at Clark Field in the Philippine Islands before the United States entered the War.

During his service, Father Lafleur was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart, and Bronze star for his valor. He was taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese, and on September 7, 1944, he and several hundred other prisoners were killed when the ship upon which they were being transported was torpedoed. Father Lafleur's body was never recovered, but memories of survivors report that he was last seen aiding others to escape the sinking ship. The year 2013 marks the 69th anniversary of his death.

All are invited and encouraged to attend the Memorial Mass on September 7th. Learn more about Father Lafleur by visiting http://www.fatherlafleur.org for further information and by purchasing the newly published book "But He Dies Not” available in Catholic bookstores in Lafayette.

The bulletin for the week of September 01, 2013 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 SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 --- four years ago. This week, the Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our two hundred seventy eighth!! 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 homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for the Week of August 25, 2013 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This week, we are happy to welcome Deacon Dwayne Joubert to full-time ministry in our parish!  Obviously, Deacon Joubert has been very active in his ministry as a deacon since his ordination to the diaconate last year, and as a lay member of our church parish prior to that time.  However, he now will be employed full-time in service to St. Landry.  Deacon Joubert and his wife, Mary, and daughter, Sarah are Opelousas natives and long time active parishioners here at St. Landry.  Please keep them in your prayers as they make this transition.

 Deacon Joubert will continue to minister in the same manner as he has in the past, that is, liturgical coordination, altar server training and scheduling, youth group coordination, and the myriad of other functions he volunteered to do for our church.  In addition, he will now be the coordinator for our cemetery re-organization.  The goal of the cemetery re-organization is to provide long term financial stability for the cemetery, while at the same time preserving its beauty and historical heritage.  He will work with me as well as the Cemetery Committee to achieve this goal.  It will be a time intensive task, and we thank Deacon Joubert for being willing to undertake it.

The ability to hire Deacon Joubert is directly due to the generosity of Joseph Wyble, a parishioner of St. Landry Church who moved away as a young man some 60 years ago, but never forgot his home.  He recently passed away and left a substantial donation in his estate for the maintenance of the cemetery.  Let us thank God for Mr. Wyble's generosity, and remember him and his family in our prayers!

           God Bless!

           Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of August 25, 2013 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 SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 --- four years ago. This week, the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our two hundred seventy seventh!! podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father Andrew Moses from Papua/New Guinea. You can read details about his work there by reading the pastor's corner here.

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

In service day for our altar servers

Our servers participated in their annual "in service" Saturday morning! After a few hours of prayer and training, the group headed outside for grilled burgers and hotdogs. A good time was had by all!