Homily for the Epiphany 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 --- over seven years ago. This mass, Epiphany of the Lord, is our four hundred seventy sixth podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father Jerry Mesley

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 January 8, 2017 and the Pastor's Corner

PASTOR’S CORNER:

We come to the end of the Christmas Season on Monday of this week when celebrating the Baptism of the Lord. The Baptism of Jesus reminds us of our own baptism. By our Baptism the Gates of Heaven are thrown open to us and we receive the Grace to live a Christian Life. However, we must cooperate with our Baptismal Grace, that is, we must accept the Grace and act upon it. God never forces Himself into our lives. The heart of our life as Christians is that we freely give ourselves to God for His purpose.

Although Grace is a free gift given by God and as such it is nothing that we merit or can earn, we can dispose ourselves to receive fully His Grace by undertaking prayer, the study of our faith and practicing virtue. In this way, we are "formed" into the life of Christ. Christian Formation is a combination of study, prayer and worship (both formal at church and in the lives we lead) that directs and leads us towards Christ.

Our church parish provides opportunities for such activities. We have two Come, Lord Jesus! groups that meet on Tuesday's at 6pm and Wednesday's at 5:15pm. These groups combine prayer and scripture study that focuses on the Mass readings for the following Sunday. For men, we have "That Man is You," a program directed by Deacon Joubert that meets Wednesday mornings at 6am. We also have a formal bible study directed by Deacons Joubert and Diesi which meet at 10am and 6pm on Mondays respectively. Also, I highly recommend a yearly retreat for all as part of our continuing formation. It is a time of quiet and reflection, something critical to a good spiritual life. A men's retreat from our parish is held each year at Our Lady of the Oaks in Grand Coteau (usually at the end of March), and there are woman's retreats as well. In addition to these things, we also have charitable and fraternal organizations, such as The Catholic Daughters and the Knights of Columbus who provide plenty of opportunity to put our faith into action in activities such as the monthly breakfast at New Life Center. We all should have activities that help us continue to learn about Jesus and express our beliefs in our actions.

Many, Many Thanks!!
With the beginning of Ordinary Time this week, we again thank all those who made our celebration of Christmas so beautiful here at St. Landry. The music was wonderful throughout, and we thank our musicians and singers: The Adult Choir and their director J.P. Porrier, the Youth Choir and their director, Rafael Henry; and Marla Faust, Stacey Caffery and Millie Boudreaux. Our Altar Society did a wonderful job in decorating the church, and they were coordinated by Deacon Joubert and Jane Savoy. We thank our various ministers at the liturgies, our readers, extraordinary ministers, servers and sacristans who volunteered their time and made adjustments to their personal schedules to serve us. We thank those who donated to the flower fund, making it possible to beautifully decorate our sanctuary and church. Thanks to all!!

Centennial Campaign Follow Up
Last week I indicated that instructions for pledge payments would be provided in THIS WEEK’S Pastor’s Corner. Unfortunately due to holiday closures we were not able to obtain the instructions. PLEASE see next week’s bulletin for the instructions. Again, our apologies for any inconvenience!

Fr. Brady

The bulletin for the week of January 08, 2017 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 Mary Mother of God

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 seven years ago. This mass, Mary Mother of God, is our four hundred seventy 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 January 1, 2017 and the Pastor's Corner

PASTOR’S CORNER:

"Happy Mary, Mother of God!!" On this day, that sounds a bit strange, as opposed to "Happy New Year!!" However, that is the feast day that we celebrate on January 1st each year. The celebration is not as much about our Blessed Mother as it is about the fact that Jesus is indeed God in His Divine Nature (Jesus has two natures, both human and divine). Because Jesus is God, our Blessed Mother is the Mother of God. The celebration of this feast is intended to strengthen our faith about the two natures of Jesus, both divine and human, to celebrate the fact that God Himself has visited us on earth, and to properly understand the special role our Blessed Mother was given in God's plan of salvation.

As we continue to celebrate Christmastide this weekend, we will celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord next Sunday, January 8. Traditionally, this feast was celebrated on January 6, ending the "twelve days" days of Christmas. However, we now celebrate it liturgically on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8. "Epiphany" comes from a Greek verb meaning "to reveal."  In Jesus' life, God has given to us the fullness of Divine Revelation.

Therefore, the Epiphany celebrates God's revealing or manifesting Jesus' identity as true God, Messiah, and Savior of the world. It not only commemorates the fact that Jesus appeared to save us, but that God revealed the identity of Jesus to the world. The Gospel reading for the day is from the second chapter of Matthew, where the magi from the east seek the newborn king of the Jews, and of course, find Him and pay Him homage.

As we continue to celebrate the joy of Christmas for the remaining time in the Christmas season, we are reminded in the Epiphany that God not only sent his Incarnate Son as our Lord and Savior, but that He did so in a way that we could recognize, understand and follow Him in the way of truth and peace. Like the magi, our mission is to seek Him, come to know Him, and pay homage to Him not only with our words, but also by living our lives in the way Jesus taught us!

CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN - VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE!

Many thanks again for the generosity of all who pledged donations to the Centennial Campaign!  Due to the overwhelming response to the campaign across the diocese, the processing center for the pledges and setting them up for reminders has gotten behind in their work.  Therefore, many of us who set up our pledged donations to begin early in 2017 may not receive reminders for a couple of months.  I want you all to be aware of this in case you are expecting confirmations and/or reminders this week, and also to ask for your patience as the processing continues.

Next week we will provide instructions on how to make your donation without reminders until the pledge reminders can be sent (and make sure it is credited to both your pledge and St. Landry Church!) if you would like to do so.  If you choose to wait until reminders are sent, then your first reminder will have the total pledged up until the time of the reminder (for example, if your pledge was $50 per month to begin January of 2017, and your reminder cannot be set up and sent until February 2017, then the reminder will contain the donation for January and February, that is, $100). Our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause, and thanks again for your patience!!

Fr. Brady

The bulletin for the week of January 01, 2017 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 Christmas

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 seven years ago. This mass, Christmas, is our four hundred seventy 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 the Week of December 25, 2016 and the Pastor's Corner

PASTOR’S CORNER:

Merry Christmas!! Today we begin our celebration of Christmas, and over the next 8 days celebrate the Octave of Christmas, which is a special eight day celebration of the Nativity of our Lord.  The octave ends on the Feast Day of Mary, the Mother of God (January 1st). Of course, we celebrate Christmas day in  a special way since we commemorate the day of the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.  We will continue to celebrate the Christmas Season until the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, which this year is January 9, 2017.

Remember that much of the secular world will be finished with Christmas by tomorrow morning.  However, we continue to celebrate the Mystery of the Incarnation for more than two weeks. Our Blessed Mother reflected on the marvel of the Incarnation in her heart (Luke 2:19). So should we.

At this time of year, it is always good to give God thanks for the gifts he has given to us, the first and foremost being His Son, from whom all graces flow and who is the source of our salvation. We should also take into account the particular gifts we have received in the past year and thank God for them. Each and every one of us has at least been blessed with the gift of living another year here on earth, with the opportunity to grow in our knowledge and love of God.

In my case, there is the specific gift that St. Landry Church and its people have been to me. I want to thank all of you for your support of me in my vocation and as your pastor. The last six and a half years have been a joyful time for me, and I am lucky to be here. You have been supportive in every initiative we have undertaken, and have been patient with me when I make mistakes. I know that you have helped me to become a better priest and pastor. The longer I am here, my appreciation for God's gift of being a pastor here only deepens. I want to especially thank our staff, who have been absolutely wonderful in their help to me and our parish.

I also want to thank you for your generosity, especially over the last few weeks, not only in the Centennial Campaign, but in the cards, food, and the Christmas gifts you have dropped by the rectory.  Your outpouring has been both generous and humbling. I will try to thank you individually when we see each other. In the meantime, please know of my thanks and appreciation for the Christmas gifts and for all you have done for me and our parish!

Thanks again, and may God Bless you in this Christmas Season!!!

Fr. Brady

The bulletin for the week of December 25, 2016 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 Fourth Sunday of Advent

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 seven years ago. This mass, Fourth Sunday in Advent, is our four hundred seventy 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 December 18, 2016 and the Pastor's Corner

PASTOR’S CORNER:

As the time for celebrating the birth of our Savior approaches, we should intensify our preparation and anticipation of celebrating the Incarnation of our Lord. This Fourth Sunday of Advent reminds us we have a mission here on earth, and that mission may not be what we expect. In our Gospel reading today, we hear how Joseph was going to quietly divorce our Blessed Mother after finding her with child, but changed course after God spoke to him in a dream, so he took her into his home and fulfilled his mission as husband and foster father of Jesus.

One goal of our life on earth is to fulfill the mission God has given to us, whether it is wife, husband, single person, mother, father, priest or religious. God created us for this mission, but he made us free, so we are able to accept or reject the role He has given us.  If we allow God to speak to us through prayer and the life of Jesus, then we can discern what is truly good for us in our lives and live a life at His direction. Whatever mission God has for us, He will provide the Grace to accomplish it. Once we determine what God is asking, then we decide whether or not to accept His invitation. During this last week of Advent, as we prepare for and anticipate the coming of Jesus to the world, in our prayer let us put ourselves in a position to hear God’s voice and accept the Graces Jesus gives us to fulfill our mission.

Sabbatical
As most of you know, June of this year marked the 10th Anniversary of my priestly ordination. What a great gift the priesthood has been to me, especially because it has led to my pastorate here at St. Landry Church. A priest is able to take a sabbatical after every 10 years of service, and it is recommended that a priest take at least one sabbatical during the time of his priestly service.  In that light, I will be taking a sabbatical beginning shortly after the first of the year and concluding the first week of May.  During that time, I will be participating in the sabbatical program at the Institute for Continuing Theological Education located at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy.

A sabbatical program is intended to help a priest reflect on his vocation, be further educated in scripture and theology, enrich his understanding of the world and our faith by travel and a retreat, help him to see his faults and weaknesses in his priestly service, and take concrete steps to improve on them.  It is also intended to provide renewed energy and zeal in his priestly service.  Since my service is to you, as I will discuss in the homily this weekend, I would like feedback about your needs, or what you think would be good for our parish community.  My email address is jbrady@diolaf.org, and I ask if you would like to provide input, that you send it to me at that address prior to my departure on January 5.  It is a very exciting time for our parish, and I look forward to continuing my service to our community upon my return.

One of the obstacles to taking a sabbatical is the availability of replacements for the priest while he is gone. We are so blessed to have both Monsignor Melancon and Fr. Jerry Mesley to cover the priestly needs of our parish during the sabbatical, and to have Deacons Diesi and Joubert to assist in the pastoral needs of our community during that time. A sabbatical would also not be possible without an outstanding staff, and I am thankful that we have such a staff!

Fr. Brady

The bulletin for the week of December 18, 2016 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 Third Sunday in Advent

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 seven years ago. This mass, Third Sunday in Advent, is our four hundred seventy 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 December 11, 2016 and the Pastor's Corner

PASTOR’S CORNER:

Today, we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. "Gaudete" is the Latin word for "rejoice." This weekend, we "lighten up" a little bit from the work of our Advent preparation to anticipate and rejoice the coming of the gift of The Incarnation at Christmas. This continuing gift of Christ is already present now in the lives we lead in imitation of Christ. The gift comes again this year in our continued change to more closely configure our lives to Jesus' life, that is, in our continuing conversion. To mark this celebration in our liturgy, the ministers will wear lighter colored vestments rather than the usual Advent violet, so rose colored vestments will be used this weekend.  Considering this is a time when we should rejoice because of the events that give rise to our salvation, it is good to remember that our goal is to live our Christian vocation with joy. At times, we might feel like our faith is a burden, but in reality it truly frees us from slavery to sin and frees us to grow closer to God.  So while remembering and preparing for the joy and peace of our life in Christ, let us be sure to continue to be vigilant and to make spiritual preparations for His coming at Christmas!!  We should always rejoice and give thanks to God for the gift of faith that he has given to each of us in our journey of life!

Speaking of "Rejoicing," Many Thanks for Your Generosity in The Centennial Campaign!
As you all know, last weekend was "commitment weekend" for the Centennial Campaign.  Your generosity exceeded all expectations!!  Shame on me for underestimating our ability and willingness.  It is amazing when we all choose to do what we can and not worry about what we cannot!  Last weekend, we received $168,000 in pledges and donations to the campaign, bringing the total for the campaign to $528,000!!  I can't thank you all enough for your support of the many good things the campaign contributions will bring to both our diocese and our church community here at St. Landry.  Next weekend, in preparation for my sabbatical we will talk about our community and where we hope to go from here when I return in May.  I do believe there are many wonderful things that our parish can do to serve all of you better and for us as a church to serve all our brothers and sisters around us.  As you know, no matter what happens we can always grow closer to Jesus in our minds, hearts, bodies and souls in every experience in life, good or bad.  For now, let's enjoy this good experience!!

For your information, the Centennial Campaign volunteers will continue to follow up with those who requested more information and those who have not yet been able to make a decision.  The formal active phase of the campaign will end on December 31, 2016.  Thanks again!!

Fr. Brady

The bulletin for the week of December 11, 2016 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 Second Sunday in Advent

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 seven years ago. This mass, Second Sunday in Advent, is our four hundred seventy 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 December 4, 2016 and the Pastor's Corner

PASTOR’S CORNER:

Today we celebrate the Second Sunday in Advent as we continue to prepare and anticipate the coming of our Lord at Christmas, which is the "The Mystery of the Incarnation." We also look to the future, remembering the Second Coming of Jesus, and renew our efforts to be vigilant, as we do not know "the hour or the day."

In our Gospel reading today, John the Baptist heralds the coming of the Lord, exhorting us to prepare the way for Him by repentance and the forgiveness of sins. If we allow God to forgive our sins and to heal the wounds our sins have caused us, then there is "more room" to receive fully the Spirit of Jesus. We remember God's twofold Mercy, that is, the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of His Grace to overcome future sins.  Obviously, Sacramental Confession is highly recommended during Advent, and we will continue to have not only our regularly scheduled times for Confession, but also an additional time each Wednesday evening from 6:30pm until 8pm. I hope you are able to do a thorough examination of conscience and to receive the fullness of God's Mercy in the Sacramental Graces given in Confession during Advent.

Thursday, December 8 - Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception - Holy Day of Obligation
This Thursday, December 8, is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.  It celebrates the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother, preparing her to carry Jesus’ human nature in her womb.  It is a holy day of obligation, which means that we are obliged to attend Mass that day just as if it was a Sunday.  Masses for The Immaculate Conception will be Wednesday evening with the vigil Mass at 5:30pm, and then Tuesday at 8:40am (Opelousas Catholic School Mass) and 12:05pm. Please note that because of the Opelousas City Christmas Parade, there will no 5:30pm Mass on Thursday evening.  If you need to attend Mass on Thursday evening, Our Lady of Mercy will have an evening Mass at 5:15pm.

Centennial Campaign Commitment Weekend!
As mentioned over the last few weeks, this is Commitment Weekend for our Centennial Campaign. The campaign has gone very well, and I cannot express in words how much I appreciate the generosity and kindness of those who have pledged and donated to the campaign.  At Masses this weekend, we will have our "in pew" commitments for those who have not yet had an opportunity to give to the campaign.  My belief and practice is that every person who walks through the doors of our church is cherished and loved in the same way, regardless of how our society outside our church community may see or label.  God has the same love for all, and we should imitate and practice that same love.  Any gift that is given is important both for our church community and for the person. Our strength as a community is in the number of people who are willing to participate and doing what they can without worrying what they cannot.  My hope is that we are able to remember these things as we each make our gift to the campaign.  Thanks again!

Reminder - Giving to those in Need during the holiday season
Finally, a reminder that boxes are out for collection of food, clothes and toys for those in need. Your generosity, whether by way of material goods or a monetary donation, is very much appreciated!

Fr. Brady

The bulletin for the week of December 04, 2016 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.

First Sunday in Advent

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 seven years ago. This mass, First Sunday in Advent, is our four hundred seventieth 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 November 27, 2016 and the Pastor's Corner

PASTOR’S CORNER:

This weekend, we continue our journey towards Christ with the beginning of our liturgical year. Today, the 1st Sunday of Advent, marks our liturgical “New Year,” which appropriately begins with our preparation for and anticipation of receiving the gift of Jesus at Christmas. The Nativity of Our Lord marks the beginning of Jesus’ earthly life, the life of Our Savior that leads to the salvation of the world. The remembrance of these events is intended to help us all re-focus on Christ and His Church by entering more deeply into the mystery of the Incarnation, that is, the mystery of God becoming Man. The first step in preparing to receive Christ fully was heralded by John the Baptist, Jesus' forerunner, who preached repentance and forgiveness of our sins in order to "prepare the way of the Lord" in our hearts.

In that regard, the Diocese of Lafayette is once again sponsoring “The Light is on for You” campaign. During Advent, St. Landry Church will have its “light on for you” on Wednesdays from 6:30 until 8pm for Confessions. Confession is a beautiful sacrament often under-utilized by Catholics. Confession gives us an earthly and tangible experience of God's Divine Mercy, which is not only the forgiveness of our sins, but also the Grace to overcome them and live a life fully in union and in peace with Jesus. As the words of absolution say, God grants us "pardon and peace." Confession allows us to tangibly experience God’s mercy in the forgiveness of our sins, and His Grace gives us the strength to cast off the burden of sin to live in true freedom and know Him ever more deeply. Confession will prepare us to receive Jesus more fully at Christmas, so I hope we all take advantage of the Sacrament of Confession during the Advent Season. Please know of my prayers that all of us are blessed with the greatest gift of all at the end of this Advent Season, the gift of Jesus peace and a deeper relationship with Him!

Centennial Campaign Commitment Weekend
Finally, a reminder that our Centennial Campaign commitment weekend is next weekend, December 3rd and 4th. So far the campaign has gone extremely well, and we are moving nearly to our goals.  Many thanks to all of those who have given to the campaign!!  If you have not yet considered giving to the campaign, I ask that you do so during this week in preparation for next weekend.  As you know, the success of our campaign depends on all donations, and no donation is "too small."  Our Sanctuary Campaign was based on the same principle: that all of us have the same dignity and importance in our community; that all are loved and cherished; and that all have an obligation to participate in supporting our community to the extent that they can!

Again, Thanks to our Volunteers!
With the beginning of the new liturgical year, I want to once again thank all those who have helped at the church this year by volunteering to serve our community. Last weekend we had our annual appreciation dinner for our volunteers and ministers, which went very well. I want to especially thank Deacon Joubert and Yvonne Normand for coordinating the event. Without the generosity in time that our volunteers give, from the beginning of the week early on Monday morning to the closing of the church building after the 5pm Mass Sunday evening, our volunteers do so many things that help our church community. The variety of gifts and talents that have been given to our parishioners and then used to support our community is so important for our continued ability to thrive and live life in Christ. Please know of my appreciation for your dedication and generosity, and my hope that all of us will continue to be generous with the time, talent and treasure that God has given to us.

Fr. Brady

The bulletin for the week of November 27, 2016 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.

Thirty Fourth 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 seven years ago. This mass, Thirty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our four hundred sixty 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 November 20, 2016 and the Pastor's Corner

PASTOR’S CORNER:

What an exciting time for our parish, but a very busy time.  From the Festival de la Grande Eglise to The Cemetery Tours to All Saints and All Souls Day and our Annual Memorial Mass.  In the background of all these event have been the Valentin Hall Renovations, The Centennial Campaign and the blessing of locating and receiving Fr. Verbis Lafleur's chalice.  Here's an update on how our current activities are going.

Fr. Lafleur's Chalice
I promised at masses that I would let you know how Fr. Lafleur's chalice was located and received, so here it is.  Several weeks ago, Fr. Tom Voorhies, Pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Ville Platte was able to make contact with Fr. Carl Beekman, a priest of the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois and someone with whom Fr. Voorhies was familiar.  Some of you know Fr. Beekman as he lived in our diocese for several years and eventually entered the seminary and was ordained a priest.

When Fr. Lafleur died his heroic death in the waters just off the Philippine Islands, his chalice, which had been left behind with his family for safekeeping, was given to his nephew, Wilfred Sylvester, who was in the seminary and was also ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lafayette.  Fr. Sylvester left the chalice to now Fr. Beekman should he be ordained, and Fr. Beekman was ordained and took possession of the chalice.  Fr. Voorhies became aware of this and checked with Fr. Beekman about returning the chalice to Fr. Lafleur's childhood parish, Sacred Heart in Ville Platte.  Fr. Beekman, who I spoke to last week, was willing to do this.

Upon hearing this news, myself and Richard and Carrol Lafleur (Fr. Lafleur's nephew and niece-in-law) traveled to Cary, Illinois by car, picked up the chalice and brought it home.  We were able to use the chalice, very fittingly, for our All Saints Day and All Souls Day Masses.

What a wonderfully generous gift this was by Fr. Beekman.  As I mentioned to some of you, a priest's chalice is akin to wedding rings for married couples, so it was something very special to Fr. Beekman.  Please keep him in your prayers and thank God for his generosity!  In the near future, we intend to return the chalice to Sacred Heart in Ville Platte for safekeeping.  When needed for special occasions in the future, it will be available for us to borrow.  Thanks to Fr. Voorhies for locating the chalice, Richard and Carrol Lafleur for traveling to retrieve it, and most of all to Fr. Beekman for his kindness and generosity!

Construction Update
We have nearly completed the renovation work on the second floor of the hall, and it has turned out beautifully.  The parking lot is complete and fully functional except for some work to be done on the fence and sidewalks, and it will be of great service to our parish both in access to the hall and to the church building.  Over the next week, construction will begin on the first floor on the kitchen side of the building, and myself and Deacons Diesi and Joubert will move into our new offices on the second floor.

The next two phases of construction will cause the most inconvenience to you and our operations, so I ask for your patience.  For now, Priscilla Guidroz (our receptionist and archivist) and Lois Joubert (our bookkeeper) will be located on the first floor on the north side of the building.  The entire area from the entrance hall to the kitchen will be under construction, and the back door to the kitchen will be unavailable for use.  The chapel will remain open for visitation during business hours.  We are doing what we can to accommodate all with the facilities that we have available.  Please be sure to schedule any use of the facilities with Priscilla as far in advance as possible!

Campaign Update
Last week we began the telephone solicitation phase of the campaign.  We continue to move towards our goal.  At the time of this writing we are rapidly approaching, if not already exceeded, $300,000 in pledges.  Many thanks to all who have made both donations and pledges to this point!

Volunteer Banquet
Don't forget our volunteer banquet set for Sunday evening, November 20th, at 6pm at the Opelousas Catholic Cafeteria.  All volunteers who gave of their time and talent to our church community are invited.  Look forward to seeing you all there

Fr. Brady

The bulletin for the week of November 20, 2016 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.