Homily for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Father Verbis Lafleur

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 --- over five years ago. This mass, Twenty Third Sunday In Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and forty 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 homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for the Week of September 7, 2014

The Pastor’s Corner 

This weekend on Sunday, September 7, 2014 at the 10am Mass we will celebrate a Memorial Mass in memory of Lt. Fr. Joseph Verbis Lafleur. The Rev. Msgr. Jefferson DeBlanc, V.E., pastor of Our Lady of the the Sacred Heart Church in Church Point, and former pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Church here in Opelousas, will be the main celebrant and homilist.  We celebrate a Memorial Mass each year for Fr. Lafleur on this date, which this year falls on a Sunday.  This provides a wonderful opportunity for our entire parish to learn about and celebrate the life of Fr. Lafleur, a man whom I believe is a Saint and who walked the very aisles of our church not that long ago.  Although the special Memorial Mass will be at the 10am Mass, the homilies at all masses this weekend will be about Fr. Lafleur and his extraordinary life.

Fr. Lafleur came from Ville Platte to Opelousas and St. Landry Church as a child and spent some of his formative years here.  Shortly after his arrival, Fr. Lafleur was sitting at our sacristy steps and met Msgr. Colliard, our pastor from 1919 to 1950. The rest is history!

After serving as an altar server here at St. Landry, he left for the seminary under the sponsorship of Fr. Colliard and St. Landry Church.  After being ordained a diocesan priest for the diocese of Lafayette, he served a short time in the Lafayette Diocese at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Abbeville (where he is still fondly remembered for his piety and work with the youth there).  He then began to serve as a chaplain in the United States Army in the Pacific Theatre during World War II.  Fr. Lafleur was captured by the Japanese and was imprisoned, where he ministered to his fellow prisoners.  The story of Fr. Lafleur's life is extraordinary, especially in his selflessness, kindness and bravery, all the while he himself was being treated cruelly.  In the end, he specifically gave his life on a sinking ship so that others could live.  His life story has been published in a book titled "But He Dies Not," which will be available for purchase from the Friends of Fr. Lafleur at the Memorial Mass.

Of course, there is great devotion to Fr. Lafleur in our parish, including the beautiful monument in the front of the church.  To this day, family members of Fr. Lafleur remain active members of our parish. Fr. Lafleur is certainly a significant figure in our church parish history and a part of our spiritual patronage that we should all cherish.  Let us enjoy the celebration of his life this weekend, become inspired by it, and try to imitate the Christ-like virtues he modeled for us.

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of September 07, 2014 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.

Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time - Homily

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 --- over five years ago. This mass, Twenty Second Sunday In Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and forty 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 August 31, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Last weekend, we began our newly organized CCD program for our young people.  As you may recall, three years ago we decided to discontinue the CCD summer program because of lack of participation and effectiveness, so CCD was offered to our children through the programs conducted at the other three parishes in Opelousas, namely Holy Ghost, Our Lady Queen of Angels and Our Lady of Mercy.  The option to participate in these other programs is still available to our families that choose to do so.

Our newly constituted program instructs our children who are entering the first grade through their junior year in high school.  The program is divided into two parts:  the elementary children are instructed at home by their parents and meet once a month in Valentin Hall between the 8am and 10am Masses for testing, parental instruction and questions, and to receive the new assignments for the following month.  The junior high and high school students meet on Sunday afternoons prior to the 5pm Mass for regular in-class instruction.

The revival of the CCD program is an exciting event for our parish, as it indicates growth in our parish family and the need to provide this service to our families with school age children.  We are very excited about the program, especially the home instruction component, which will provide a great benefit to not only our children, but to the parents and entire family as well.  Deacon Joubert is leading the program, and we want to thank him and the volunteers from our parish who have made the program possible!  Please keep them, the parents, and the children participating in the program in your prayers.

Speaking of Deacon Joubert, we are also excited that this year he will be teaching two sections of high school religion at Opelousas Catholic.  These classes are scheduled in the morning and will be one section each of the freshman classes and one section of the sophomore classes. We thank him for his willingness to serve our children in this capacity.  Please keep him in your prayers that he effectively teaches  our children about the salvation Jesus offers them, and that he continues to be a good role model for our youth.

Finally, with the beginning of the school year, we should note that one of our parishioner's daughters, Jennifer Miller, the daughter of Curt and Jeannette Miller, will begin to teach at Notre Dame Seminary this Fall.  Jennifer has studied at the Pontifical Universities of the Angelicum and the Gregorian in Rome, as well as the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Rome.  She received her doctorate with a thesis on Moral Theology from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.  She has accepted the position of Professor of Moral Theology at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, where she will teach seminarians, including seminarians from our diocese.  We thank her for her service to the Church in this most important calling, and we also thank her parents and family for providing the "fertile soil" for her vocation to be fulfilled.

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of August 31, 2014 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 21st 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 --- over five years ago. This mass, Twenty First Sunday In Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and forty 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 Week of August 24, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

In the next few weeks, we hope to complete the brick sign that has been installed on the short stretch of the street just after the corner that connects N. Union Street to N. Main Street.  The brick work is nearly completed, and we plan to install an engraved granite sign in the brick frame.  Many have asked questions over the last few weeks about what the construction was; and if it is a sign, what's it going to say?  The sign will simply say "St. Landry Catholic Church."

      As a matter of history, the plans to install a marquee sign for the church have been long in the making.  When I first arrived here four years ago, several of our parishioners suggested that we should take advantage of one of the busiest corners in the city by making sure people not from Opelousas driving through town knew what the church building was, that is, the name of the church and the faith of the congregation.  The people of Opelousas, of course, know St. Landry Church and refer to her affectionately as "The Big Church;" However, there are many who travel from Sunset to Washington who may not be familiar with our beautiful church building.

      It was true that we had no marquee sign for the church, so we began to look at the project more in earnest about two years ago.  We selected the location because it was a busy street and would have the best visibility since it would be set above the road.  The sign could be set far enough back so that it would not block the view needed to safely check for traffic when exiting the parking lot.  One of our parishioners, who does not wish to be recognized by name, offered to pay the expenses for construction of the sign.  Since we are in the historic district, there were certain limitations on the size of the sign and its composition, so we submitted the plans to the historical committee and they were approved.  Finally we began the process of selecting a contractor, and we are so happy that Lenard Bertrand was able to do the project.

      The "sign project" has been discussed at the Parish Advisory Board meetings for some time...as a matter of fact, the monthly report on the status of the sign construction has been a running joke at meetings because it has taken so long to finally get to construction.  I am so glad we are finally near completion of the project.

      I think the sign turned out beautifully, not only because it is of high quality, but also because it is consistent with the beautiful architecture of the buildings on the church grounds and it fits the personality of our church community:  Traditional and Welcoming.  We thank Deacon Diesi for heading up the project, the parishioner whose generosity made the construction possible and Lenard Bertrand for constructing the sign. 

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of August 24, 2014 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 20th 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 --- over five years ago. This mass, Twentieth Sunday In Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and fortieth 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 17, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Our annual Memorial Mass for Fr. LaFleur will take place on Sunday, September 7, 2014 at the 10am Mass.  This year the anniversary of Fr. LaFleur,s death falls on a Sunday, and this gives us the opportunity for our entire community to learn about the extraordinary life of Fr. Lafleur.  Below is an invitation to you to attend.  Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this celebration of the life of a saint for whom St. Landry Church is "home."

LT. FATHER JOSEPH VERBIS LAFLEUR MEMORIAL MASS

 The ‘Friends of Lt. Fr. LaFleur’ request your presence to commemorate the 70^th Anniversary of the death of Lt. Father Joseph Verbis LaFleur, Chaplain-United States Army Air Corps, on Sunday, September 7, 2014 at the 10:00am Mass at St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, LA. The Celebrant and Homilist will be The Very Reverend Monsignor Jefferson DeBlanc, Pastor of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in Church Point, Louisiana, and Episcopal Vicar for the West Region of the Diocese of Lafayette.

Joseph Verbis LaFleur was born in 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.  St. Landry Church is also where he celebrated his first Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving 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, during which he sought and was granted permission to join the U.S. Army Air Corps.  He was sent to serve at Clark Field in the Philippine Islands before the United States entered World War II.

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. His memorial monument in front of St. Landry Church serves as our tangible remembrance of his life, as he indicated that if he died during his service to our country that he desired to be buried at St. Landry Church. He is also remembered in the chaplain's memorial in Arlington National Cemetery.  The year 2014 marks the 70th 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 or by purchasing the book chronicling his life, "But He Dies Not,” available in our church office or at Catholic bookstores in Lafayette

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of August 17, 2014 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 19th 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 --- over five years ago. This mass, Nineteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and thirty nineth 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 10, 2014 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This week we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother on Friday, August 15.  In the Assumption, we celebrate our Blessed Mother being taken up to heaven body and soul, a day which we ourselves look forward to at the Second Coming.  It is a holy day of obligation, meaning that we are obligated to attend Mass that day just as if it were Sunday.  We have a special mass schedule for this day, beginning with a vigil mass on Thursday, August 14 at 5:30pm.  Masses on Friday will be at 8:40am (school mass), 12:05pm and 5:30pm.  In celebration of this holy day, our offices will be closed.

In addition, school starts this week and we welcome back all the students, faculty and staff at Opelousas Catholic. We also pray for students, teachers and staff at other schools or who are schooled at home. The beginning of the school year brings excitement to all as we think of our young people continuing the journey of their education, not only an education in academics, but also their growth in faith and human maturity. Of course, they are growing physically, and it always amazes me how much our children grow each summer!

As we begin this school year, let us pray that our children and teachers have a safe and successful year, developing the talents given to them by God for use in service to Him and our neighbor. May they, and we, continue to grow in religious maturity, that is, in the growth of faith, hope and charity over the coming nine months.

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of August 10, 2014 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 Eighteenth 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 --- over five years ago. This mass, Eighteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and thirty 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 3, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

  It is good to be back home!  I want to thank all those who helped while I was away on vacation:  Msgr. Melancon and Fr. Leger, our three deacons and of course our staff.  All seemed to run smoothly and I very much appreciate their help in allowing me to get a little break.  As we begin to prepare for the coming year, there are many exciting things going on in our parish, and I just wanted to mention a few that are coming up.

Initially, as you are aware, we will begin work pursuant to the Sanctuary Project Campaign.  For now, the campaign is going well and I am confident we will reach our goal.  Please continue the good work in getting the word out about the campaign!  I will give a more formal report when we have our stewardship weekend and yearly financial report during the weekend of September 20th and 21st.  At that time, we will better know the time frames for when the work will begin and be completed on each project.

In addition, we will have a Faith Rally for Opelousas Catholic and her five owner-parishes, which are St. Landry, Holy Ghost, Our Lady of Mercy, Queen of Angels and Immaculate Conception (Washington).  This Faith Rally has been tentatively scheduled for Saturday, October 18, 2014 from 9am to 1pm at Opelousas Catholic.  All parishioners and their families (it is intended for those in the sixth grade or older) are invited to celebrate a united Catholic Community in Opelousas, and this includes not only families that attend Opelousas Catholic, but all families of these five church parishes, including our families who school at home or at public schools.  Please mark your calendar for this special event, as music, faith sharing, and nationally renowned speakers are tentatively scheduled for the event.  More details will be coming as plans become more final.

Finally, I am excited to announce that we will begin to provide more formal ministerial services to our parishioners who live at the New Life Center.  Although the details are still being worked out, we are excited to be able to work with our brothers and sisters at New Life, and we hope they look forward to working with us!  Once the details are ironed out, we will ask for volunteers to assist in the different ministries and activities, so in the mean time please keep your heart open to helping with this ministry.

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of August 03, 2014 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 Seventeenth 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 --- over five years ago. This mass, Seventeenth Sunday In Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and thirty 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.

Bulletin for the Week of July 27, 2014 and the Deacon's Corner

The Deacon’s Corner 

In the Gospel today the Holy Spirit tells us what the kingdom of heaven is like. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into baskets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

       On the great Day of Judgment we will be judged according to the way we live our lives. On that day the sheep will be placed on His right and the goats on the His left. Grace is given to us, if we accept it, to choose the life Jesus wants us to live or reject it. We can gain our heavenly reward by making our ordinary actions for the love of God and keeping ourselves in the state of grace.

     At our baptism we are given Sanctifying grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit so we can live as members of God’s holy people. Sanctifying grace gives our souls a new life, that is, a sharing in the life of God himself. Grace is divine life in our soul. By it, Christ lives in us and we in Him. St. Paul says, “It is now no longer I that lives, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2, 20). Sanctifying grace makes us holy, a temple of the Holy Spirit, adopted children of God and gives us the right to heaven.

     We also need actual grace from God in our daily lives to give us the strength to do what is right. Actual grace is the supernatural help of God which enlightens our minds and strengthens our will to do good and to avoid evil. The principle ways to obtain grace are prayer and the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist.

     Let us all strive to obtain our heavenly reward each and every day by loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. By loving we will never do anything that is against the teachings of Jesus.  Let the Holy Spirit be our guide at all times.

      Deacon John W. Miller

     

The bulletin for the week of July 27, 2014 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 Sixteenth 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 --- over five years ago. This mass, Sixteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and thirty sixth podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father Austin Leger.

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 July 20, 2014 and the Deacon's Corner

The Deacon’s Corner 

While he’s on vacation, Father Brady has invited each of the Deacons of the parish to contribute to the bulletin in the section normally reserved for the Pastor’s Corner… It’s my turn…

In this weekend’s gospel reading, Jesus shares the parable of the Sower of the seeds with his followers. We are reminded that God sows good seeds continually, but that they are always being threatened by those bad seeds that are sown by Satan. We must be vigilant in protecting and nourishing those good seeds that are sown so plentifully.

   This summer has been very fruitful in our youth ministries here at St. Landry. Our very first Vacation Bible School was a big success. It was a joy observing our young people grow in their faith during this weeklong summer camp. I hope that even more of our youngsters are able to participate next summer! A few weekends ago fourteen of our teenagers attended the Steubenville on the Bayou Youth Conference in Houma. Once again, the pleasure of seeing the young people allow themselves to fully participate was well worth the sleep deprivation that the weekend demands. The speakers were amazing. The music was great. But overwhelmingly the participants shared their favorite parts of the conference as Confession, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Mass! Amazing, isn’t it? Steubenville Conference is a great way for our young people to jump start their spirituality. We must do what we can to keep this energy alive!

    Looking forward to the fall season, we are very excited about the beginning of a revised CCD format for our students and their families. Lots of prayer and planning have gone into this endeavor. Father Brady is committed to assisting families in educating their children in our Catholic faith through this home based program of religious instruction for elementary aged students. The high school program is also re-vamped and will consist of weekly classroom instruction. And there is more to come.

    Each weekend I can’t help but notice the increase in the number of young voices and yes, even a few crying babies at Mass… Praise God! He is providing us with the good seeds we need to grow as a parish community. Our children represent the future of our church. Please join me in praying that we are open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit as he provides us with the fertile ground we need to foster the spiritual nourishment that our good seeds require.

Have a Safe and Christ Filled Summer,

      Deacon Dwayne Joubert

     

The bulletin for the week of July 20, 2014 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 Fifteenth 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 --- over five years ago. This mass, Fifteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and thirty fifth podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father Austin Leger.

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 July 13, 2014 and the Deacon's Corner

The Deacon’s Corner 

As most of you may already know, our pastor, Father James Brady is on a well deserved vacation.

As a young and irresponsible person, when my parents were away or when my boss was away, I would think that “when the cat’s away the mice will play” and then I would realize after a very short period of time how important they were in my life. How they would care for me, direct me by helping with life questions and giving me reassurances when I was in doubt. They were the rock that my house was built on.

Of course you and I are not young and irresponsible as we once were and already know the value of our Pastor. We see first hand how important he is to our spiritual well being. He truly is the shepherd of our parish. If not for our priest, there would be no mass and communion. There would be no sacrament of Confession and of course there would be no Anointing of the Sick. Without our priest we would be lost.

I was always taught that a good leader was one who could delegate authority well and diplomatically. Father Brady definitely does this. He has allowed all of his deacons the opportunity to exercise our ministry when needed. For me personally, he has afforded me the opportunity to visit the hospital and the nursing homes within and even outside our parish. He understands the importance of visiting the sick and the elderly. He understands the need for Outreach and that is to reach out to all peoples young and old, the healthy and the not so healthy. His goal, like most good Catholics, is to help others grow in their relationship with God. And we do this not only in what we say but in what we do and how we live our lives.

So Father Brady, enjoy your vacation and know that all of us at St. Landry Catholic Church truly appreciate you and are praying for you.

      May God bless you,

      Deacon Sammy Diesi

     Fr. James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of July 13, 2014 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.

Fourteenth 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 --- over five years ago. This mass, Fourteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and thirty fourth 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 July 6, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This weekend we celebrated Independence Day, July 4, 1776. At this time we celebrate the founding of our country. Over the course of almost 240 years, our country has grown from the thirteen original colonies to 50 states, and she has seen ups (the great growth of our economic prosperity to the extent that poverty, as it was once known, has been re-defined) and downs (the injustice of slavery and abortion), as well as events that were a mix of both (multiple wars where we've lost loved ones willing to die for our freedom, while at the same time being uplifted by their willingness to do so).

Despite the current movement away from the founding principles of our country (as well as our Catholic teaching as it relates to virtue and morality), we are certainly blessed to live in a country where we are able to freely exercise our faith. We have been blessed by ancestors who have handed on to us a legacy of freedom on many levels, a legacy no other modern society has provided for its citizens. In that regard, let us thank God for those who had the foresight and inspiration to establish a society with so many freedoms, thank God for those who throughout our history have defended these freedoms (and given their lives for them) by service in the armed forces, and renew our devotion to God who has given us such a great blessing. We have been given an opportunity to live a life few other people in human history have been given, and as such we have a greater responsibility to take advantage of these freedoms and use them for God's greater glory, especially in living out our Catholic Faith. Let us continue to pray for our country to become more just, let us do what we can to make our country more just, but also let us thank God for the wonderful blessing of being a part of this great country. May God Bless America!

This weekend we also say good-bye to our summer seminarian, Ben Pitre. Although we hate to see him leave us, we are happy for him as he leaves for North American College in Rome to continue his studies for the priesthood. We thank Ben for his service to us and we wish him the best in the pursuit of his vocation. Be sure to say good-bye to him after mass this weekend; or after the 8am and 10am masses, join him for a cup of coffee in the south sacristy. Ben, know of our prayers that God continue to bless you in your vocation!

Finally, this weekend and next I will be out on vacation. Please keep me in your prayers for safe travel, and know that you will remain in mine. Take care and God Bless!

     Fr. James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of July 06, 2014 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 Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

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 --- over five years ago. This mass, Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, is our three hundred and thirty 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 homily from St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana.

Bulletin for the Week of June 29, 2014 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Last weekend marked my fourth anniversary of being your pastor.  How time flies!!  As with any church community, we've had our joys and sorrows over the last four years, as well as our successes and bumps in the road. Over the last year, we've said "good-bye" to people we love with hope of seeing them again in Heaven, and we've welcomed with joy new members baptized into our church.  We've had all the experiences in between:  First Confessions and Communion, Confirmations, Weddings, Anointings of the Sick.  We've even participated in our seminarians journey to priesthood with the Admission to Candidacy celebrated this weekend at the 10am Mass with Bishop Jarrell.  We've embarked upon our Sanctuary Project Campaign, and we've continued to make improvements to our buildings and plant.  We've also had to bundle up at Mass in this most cold winter when the air system was down.

   In all these things, however, my hope as your pastor is that in these experiences, whether joyful or not, that by the power of the Holy Spirit we've all grown closer to Jesus over the last year, and through that relationship, closer to God our Father, as we journey towards our destination of eternal life.  In the end, that's all that really matters.

I want to thank all of you for making my job as pastor a joy. My assignment to St. Landry and all of you have been a great blessing to me. Your patience and support has been wonderful, and is very much appreciated.  You all have made me a better person and priest over the last four years, and have taught me much. Our parish has changed much over this time, and my hope is our St. Landry Church community will continue to adapt to meet all your spiritual needs on your journey in life. Thanks again!

     Fr. James Brady

PILGRIMAGE TO ROME - MARK THE DATES!

We have planned a pilgrimage to Rome and other parts of Italy in the Spring of 2015 from March 16th to 26th.  In 2013, we went to France and visited places of significance to our spiritual heritage here at St. Landry, including the tomb of St. Landry himself and the places where many of the saints depicted in our church lived and worked, like St. Bernadette, St. Margaret Mary Alocquet, St. John Vianney,  Therese of Lisieux and others.  This pilgrimage will focus more on the Universal Church, centered in Rome, the City of Seven Hills.  Besides the tour of Rome and the Vatican Museums and religious sites (including attendance at the weekly Papal Audience (dependent on Pope Francis' schedule)), it will include trips to the Abbey at Montecassino (founded by St. Benedict), Assisi (St. Francis and St. Claire), St. Padre Pio's Tomb, and Florence (optional, but highly recommended).  Brochures with more detailed information are located in the church for your review, and there will be an informational meeting on Wednesday, July 30 at 6pm in the Valentin Hall Dining Room.  Hope to see you there.
     

The bulletin for the week of June 29, 2014 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 Corpus Christi

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 --- over five years ago. This mass, Corpus Christi, is our three hundred and thirty 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 June 22, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Sunday after the 10am Mass we will have a special devotion to the Eucharist in celebration of this feast. Following Mass we will have a Eucharistic procession in the church and then silent Eucharistic adoration for the afternoon. Benediction and reposition will take place at 4pm. I hope everyone is able to spend some quiet time in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament Sunday afternoon. The Eucharist is the "source and summit" of our sacramental faith, and our devotion to Jesus cannot be complete without devotion to His presence in the Blessed Sacrament. It is also significant to note that in years past behavior in our churches generally reflected the reverence we should have when in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. It seems we were more properly attired, were quiet, and were attentive to the fact that we were in the presence of God when entering a Catholic Church. This reverence was also an act of good manners in that those praying were not disturbed or distracted in their prayers by others. Reverent behavior is a reminder to us of the awe we should have in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and God's great love for us, His creatures, in calling each of us to live a life in Christ. This weekend, as we celebrate Corpus Christi, let us also reflect on our behavior in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament not only this weekend, but at all times we are in a church or chapel, and if we need, to adjust our behavior to properly honor and reverence the presence of God in the Eucharist.

In addition to the special celebration today, in Opelousas we have many opportunities for quiet reflection and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Besides the times when our church is open, Valentin Hall Chapel is open during business hours. We also have 24 hour adoration every First Friday beginning at 7am and continuing until the 8am Mass Saturday morning. Queen of Angels’ adoration chapel is open perpetually, so it is always available for quiet prayer. Our Lady of Mercy also has a visitation chapel (code is needed, just call their office) which is always available. We are blessed to have so many opportunities for quiet prayer with Our Lord. Families that pray together, especially those with children, experience a greater peace and unity that only God can give, especially when we remove the distractions of our daily lives for just a short period of time to focus on Him. Let us all make a renewed effort to increase our prayer, especially in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, so as to better serve God and our community!

     Fr. James Brady

PILGRIMAGE TO ROME - MARK THE DATES!

We have planned a pilgrimage to Rome and other parts of Italy in the Spring of 2015 from March 16th to 26th.  In 2013, we went to France and visited places of significance to our spiritual heritage here at St. Landry, including the tomb of St. Landry himself and the places where many of the saints depicted in our church lived and worked, like St. Bernadette, St. Margaret Mary Alocquet, St. John Vianney,  Therese of Lisieux and others.  This pilgrimage will focus more on the Universal Church, centered in Rome, the City of Seven Hills.  Besides the tour of Rome and the Vatican Museums and religious sites (including attendance at the weekly Papal Audience (dependent on Pope Francis' schedule)), it will include trips to the Abbey at Montecassino (founded by St. Benedict), Assisi (St. Francis and St. Claire), St. Padre Pio's Tomb, and Florence (optional, but highly recommended).  Brochures with more detailed information are located in the church for your review, and there will be an informational meeting on Wednesday, July 30 at 6pm in the Valentin Hall Dining Room.  Hope to see you there.
     

The bulletin for the week of June 22, 2014 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 Trinity 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 --- over five years ago. This mass, Trinity Sunday, is our three hundred and thirty 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 June 15, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

We celebrate today The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, or "Trinity Sunday."  We often refer to God as The Most Holy Trinity, so it may seem a bit odd that this weekend we celebrate "God."  The question could be asked, "Don't we celebrate God every weekend?"  And of course, indeed we do!

However, this Sunday we celebrate God's revelation to us of His form united in Three Persons:  The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit.  Prior to the Incarnation, we were only able to relate to God in a very general way, as He was revealed in the Old Testament.  But now, through the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus and the coming of The Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we can better understand and be in relationship with God in this Revelation of the The Trinity.  We see God as a loving Father (The Prodigal Son) and Jesus as the brotherly example to imitate to be in right relationship with God, and then receiving the Grace of the Holy Spirit to live that life in right relationship with God.  Prior to the human life of Jesus we were unable to relate as personally to God as we can now in prayer and in how to live a life in Him.  Today, we celebrate this greatest of Mercy that God has given to us in Jesus' life, death, resurrection, ascension and Pentecost!  Let us resolve to come to better know the Love of God the Father by imitating the life of His Son by the Power of the Holy Spirit!

     Fr. James Brady

PILGRIMAGE TO ROME - MARK THE DATES!

We have planned a pilgrimage to Rome and other parts of Italy in the Spring of 2015 from March 16th to 26th.  In 2013, we went to France and visited places of significance to our spiritual heritage here at St. Landry, including the tomb of St. Landry himself and the places where many of the saints depicted in our church lived and worked, like St. Bernadette, St. Margaret Mary Alocquet, St. John Vianney,  Therese of Lisieux and others.  This pilgrimage will focus more on the Universal Church, centered in Rome, the City of Seven Hills.  Besides the tour of Rome and the Vatican Museums and religious sites (including attendance at the weekly Papal Audience (dependent on Pope Francis' schedule)), it will include trips to the Abbey at Montecassino (founded by St. Benedict), Assisi (St. Francis and St. Claire), St. Padre Pio's Tomb, and Florence (optional, but highly recommended).  Brochures with more detailed information are located in the church for your review, and there will be an informational meeting on Wednesday, July 30 at 6pm in the Valentin Hall Dining Room.  Hope to see you there.
     

The bulletin for the week of June 15, 2014 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 Pentecost

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 five years ago. This mass, Pentecost, is our three hundred and thirtieth 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 June 8, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Today we celebrate Pentecost Sunday.  Pentecost is our celebration and remembrance of the coming of the Holy Spirit to each of us, giving us the Grace to imitate Jesus in living our lives.  Jesus told the apostles that he would send His Spirit, Who would teach them all things.  The Holy Spirit teaches us all things as well, and prompts us to love God and each other as Jesus did.  Our devotion to living a life in Christ should be total, not partial.  Of course, none of us has reached a point of complete imitation of Christ, so we continue to examine our lives and change, or convert, in accord with the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  The first rule of knowing we are living in accord with The Holy Spirit is that we follow all things that Jesus commanded us, beginning with the commandments as taught by Jesus and His Church.  In doing that, we can learn to love as Jesus loved.

After today, we return to what is known as "Ordinary Time."  The primary liturgical color returns to green and the paschal candle will be moved back to the baptistry to be used for baptisms and funerals.  The term "ordinary" is not meant to diminish this time of year as if it is not important to our spiritual growth, but simply indicates that we are not in one of the special Church Seasons that has a particular emphasis on the life of Christ, such as Advent and  Christmas (The Incarnation), and Lent and Easter (The Paschal Mystery).  Rather, we focus on learning about our faith and the things Jesus commanded us by learning what he taught in His public ministry and how He lived as an example to us.  

Next Sunday, we will celebrate God revealing Himself in the life and teachings of Jesus as The Most Holy Trinity.  This revelation allows us to better understand God the Father in the life of His Son Jesus, as well as the gift of Grace to imitate Jesus' life by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The following weekend we will conclude our special feasts by celebrating God being with us until the end of time in the Eucharist, which is known as Corpus Christi Sunday, or The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.  Please remember we will have a Eucharistic Procession in the church after the 10am Mass in celebration of this gift, with Eucharistic adoration continuing that day until 4pm, at which time there will be Benediction.  Please make plans to spend an hour with Jesus on this very special day!!

After these celebrations, we will remain in Ordinary Time until the Church New Year, the 1st Sunday of Advent. As always, we should continue to learn about Jesus and our faith through Sacred Scripture and the sacramental liturgies, especially Mass and Confession. Our journey towards Christ should be constant and consistent, regardless of the time of year!

     Fr. James Brady

WELCOME SEMINARIAN BEN PITRE

Ben is a lifelong parishioner of St. Landry Church.  He graduated from OCS in 2002 and from LSU in 2006 with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering.  As a member of the NROTC while attending LSU, he was commissioned as an Ensign in the US Navy upon graduation.  He served five years in active duty which included a three and a half year assignment to the submarine USS Olympia stationed in Pearl Harbor, HI.  Ben entered seminary formation in 2012.  In May of this year, Ben graduated from St. Joseph's Seminary College in Covington with a B.A. in Philosophy and will begin his theological studies in July at the Pontifical North American College in Rome for the remaining four years of his formation prior to ordination.  Ben is the son of Ben and Suzanne Pitre, also parishioners of St. Landry.      

The bulletin for the week of June 08, 2014 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 Ascension of the Lord

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 five years ago. This mass, Sixth Sunday of Easter, is our three hundred and twenty 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.