Homily for Holy Family

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 the Holy Family, is our three hundred and sixtieth 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 28, 2014

The Pastor’s Corner 

Merry Christmas!!  Today we begin our celebration of Christmas, and over the next 8 days celebrate the Octave of Christmas, ending on the Feast Day of Mary, the Mother of God (January 1st).  Of course, we celebrate today in a special way, it being the day of the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  However, we continue to celebrate the Christmas Season until the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord on January 11, 2015.  Just another reminder that much of the secular world will be finished with Christmas by tomorrow morning, but 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.  Please also remember that the feast day of Mary, the Mother of God (Jan. 1st) is also a holy day of obligation, so we attend Mass that day just as if it were a Sunday.  I look forward to seeing you all then.

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 four 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 to me to be 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. The number of cards, the amount of food, and the Christmas gifts you have dropped by was 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, not only during the past few weeks, but ever since I arrived.

Thanks again, and may God Bless you in this Christmas Season, that you may receive the Graces God the Father gives to you in the Incarnation of His Son, that you may cooperate with them through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that you may come to know Him ever more deeply in the upcoming year.

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
NEW YEAR’S DAY MASS SCHEDULE

December 31, 2014, Wednesday @ 12:05pm

(Regular weekday Mass)

Feast of Mary, Mother of God Vigil Mass
December 31, 2014 Wednesday @ 4:00pm

Feast of Mary, Mother of God/New Year’s Day
Thursday, January 1, 2015 @ 9:00am and 5:00pm

     

The bulletin for the week of December 28, 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 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 five years ago. This mass, Christmas, is our three hundred and fifty 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.

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 five years ago. This mass, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, is our three hundred and fifty 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 December 21, 2014

The Pastor’s Corner 

Today we celebrate the fourth and final Sunday of Advent.  As the time 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 of our "call" by God to a mission here on earth, just like our Blessed Mother at the Annunciation in our Gospel reading today.  The goal of our life on earth is to fulfill the mission God has given to us, whether it be as wife, husband, single person, mother, father or religious.  God created us for this mission, but he made us free, so we are able to accept or reject the role God has given us in His overall plan of salvation as well as His plan for OUR salvation.  If we allow God to speak to us through the life of Jesus, not only this week, but at all times, then we can discern what is truly good for us in our lives.  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 in Advent, as we prepare for and anticiplate 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.

This week we also begin to celebrate Christmas.  Of course, we celebrate Christmas Day on Thursday in a special way, it being the birthday of Jesus.  However, we continue to celebrate the Christmas Season until the Baptism of the Lord, which is celebrated on January 11, 2015.  For the most part, the secular world will be finished with Christmas by the day after.  We, on the other hand, will 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.  Let's not just enjoy Christmas Day, but the Christmas Season.

During the Christmas Season, we will celebrate The Holy Family, Our Blessed Mother, The Epiphany and the Baptism of our Lord in the weeks following Christmas Day.  We are given these Holy Days to strengthen our faith in The Incarnation and ponder the gift of God's love in the human nature of His Son.

Enjoy reflecting on the gift God the Father has given us in His Son.  Enjoy reflecting on the gift Jesus has given us in His Life, Death and Resurrection, the events that have led to our salvation.  Enjoy reflecting on the gift of the Holy Spirit, who prompts and empowers us to live a life in imitation of Christ.  Ponder the gift of eternal life (our one true Hope) given to us if we follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  Let us, as a community, not follow the world in allowing Christmas to end after December 25, but rather keep the Christmas spirit in our hearts all year by continuing to celebrate and reflect on the great gift we have all received at Christmas: the gift of God Himself dwelling among us and leading us to eternal life with Him.

For all those who are out of town for Christmas, know of my prayers for you and wishes for your Merry Christmas!

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

Christmas Season Mass Schedule

Wednesday, December 24, 2014 @ 8:00am in Valentin Hall Chapel
(Regular weekday Mass)

Christmas Vigil Mass
4:00pm, Wednesday, Dec. 24 – Adult Choir
(Prelude music begins at 3:30pm)

Children’s Christmas Vigil Mass
6:00pm Wednesday, Dec. 24 – Youth Choir

Instructions for children bringing gifts:
Meet at the inside of the main entrance of the church at least 10 minutes before Mass to line up and process into church.
Please bring a new, unwrapped gift for a child.

Children will process in with Father Brady before Mass begins.
As the children come to the altar area, they bow before the altar, place their gift where shown,
and then return to the pew with their family.

Christmas Day
9:00am, Thursday, Dec. 25 - Cantor
Note:  This is the only Mass on Christmas Day


MARY, MOTHER OF GOD/NEW YEAR’S DAY MASS SCHEDULEDecember 31, 2014, Wednesday @ 12:05pm
(Regular weekday Mass)

Feast of Mary, Mother of God Vigil Mass
December 31, 2014 Wednesday @ 4:00pm

Feast of Mary, Mother of God/New Year’s Day
Thursday, January 1, 2015 @ 9:00am and 5:00pm

     

The bulletin for the week of December 21, 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 Third 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 five years ago. This mass, the Third Sunday of Advent, is our three hundred and fifty 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 December 14, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner - and Christmas Season Schedule

The 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 lighter colored vestments can be used 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. 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!

New Memorial Plaques of Previous Pastors

Please note the two new bronze plaques that were recently installed in the vestibule of the church.  They honor two of St. Landry’s earlier priests who served the faithful of the Opelousas Post.  They honor Louis du bourg de Saint Sépulchre, a Capuchin friar from France who served from 1776 to 1778, and Louis Marie Grumeau, a French Dominican friar who served from 1779 to 1783.  Both died while at Opelousas and both were interred in the church.

These plaques join two other plaques that were installed in 1991 in honor of Father Louis Buhot, the first diocesan priest to serve St. Landry from 1801 to 1813, and Jean Michel Prudhomme, donor of much of the land for the 1798 church building.

Special thanks to John Harper for his research and design of the plaques and to the St. Landry Catholic Cemetery Tours Committee for generously financing this project!

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

Christmas Season Mass Schedule

Wednesday, December 24, 2014 @ 8:00am in Valentin Hall Chapel
(Regular weekday Mass)

Christmas Vigil Mass
4:00pm, Wednesday, Dec. 24 – Adult Choir
(Prelude music begins at 3:30pm)

Children’s Christmas Vigil Mass
6:00pm Wednesday, Dec. 24 – Youth Choir

Instructions for children bringing gifts:
Meet at the inside of the main entrance of the church at least 10 minutes before Mass to line up and process into church.
Please bring a new, unwrapped gift for a child.

Children will process in with Father Brady before Mass begins.
As the children come to the altar area, they bow before the altar, place their gift where shown,
and then return to the pew with their family.

Christmas Day
9:00am, Thursday, Dec. 25 - Cantor
Note:  This is the only Mass on Christmas Day


MARY, MOTHER OF GOD/NEW YEAR’S DAY MASS SCHEDULEDecember 31, 2014, Wednesday @ 12:05pm
(Regular weekday Mass)

Feast of Mary, Mother of God Vigil Mass
December 31, 2014 Wednesday @ 4:00pm

Feast of Mary, Mother of God/New Year’s Day
Thursday, January 1, 2015 @ 9:00am and 5:00pm

     

The bulletin for the week of December 14, 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 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 five years ago. This mass, the Second Sunday of Advent, is our three hundred and fifty sixth 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 7, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

As we move into the Second Week of Advent, the theme of our Gospel reading shifts from vigilance to preparing the way of the Lord so that we can fully receive the gift of Christ at Christmas.  The movement of our hearts this week should be one of repentance and seeking the forgiveness for our sins, as preached by John the Baptist.  In that regard, we as Catholics are privileged to have the Sacrament of Confession (also referred to as the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance).  During Advent, in preparation for receiving the Grace God wants to give us in Jesus' Incarnation, Sacramental Confession is highly recommended.  Besides the opportunity for Sacramental Confession in each of our four parishes in Opelousas at their regularly scheduled times, please remember that there will continue to be the diocesan wide program, "The Light is on for You," every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8pm in every church in the diocese.  The experience of God's Mercy in Sacramental Confession is something we should regularly desire and seek, especially during this seasons of Advent and Lent.  It should be noted that because of "The Light is on for You" program, the citywide Penance Service, which usually occurs on the Monday before Christmas at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church, will not be held this year.    

Many thanks to all who donated goods and money over Thanksgiving for those who are in need. The outpouring was generous, so please know of the appreciation of those who will be helped during the holiday season.  However, we continue to have need in our community throughout the holiday season, so the boxes in the church by the doors will continue to be left out for donations.  Primarily, donations are needed for clothing, non-perishable food and toys for families in need.  Thanks again for your help!

Finally, with the end of the calendar year we are also approaching the end of the first half of our fiscal year. In September we published a budget for expenses for the upcoming year along with anticipated revenue. The Finance Council also asked that a weekly goal for our offertory be established and that the actual weekly offertory be published each week so that all could keep up with how we are doing on a weekly basis.  As you can see, we are a bit behind on the goal set for our weekly offering.  As you make your Christmas list this year, please remember St. Landry and also consider an increase in your regular offering in the new year. Please know that every offering is appreciated, and our hope is to continue to make progress in improving the beauty of our worship, the maintenance and improvements of our beautiful buildings, and to provide better pastoral services to all in need, especially those who are most vulnerable. Know of my thanks in advance for your generous response!

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of December 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.

Homily for the First 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 five years ago. This mass, the First Sunday of Advent, is our three hundred and fifty fifth podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Deacon Dwayne Joubert.

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 30, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The 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 Christ 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 that regard, the Diocese of Lafayette is once again sponsoring “The Light is on for You” campaign. During Advent, all church parishes within our diocese will have their “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 Mercy, which is not only the forgiveness of our sins, but also the Grace to overcome them and live a life fully in union with Christ. 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 a deeper relationship with Christ!

With the beginning of the New Year, I want to 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, and all those who participated by bringing  food for the dinner.  Without the generosity of 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 a community 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.

.Speaking of giving thanks, as many of you know, I was in Baton Rouge last weekend to celebrate with my parents and family Mom and Dad's 60th Wedding Anniversary.  It was a beautiful event and Mom and Dad very much enjoyed the afternoon.  They wanted me to thank you for them, and I want to thank you for myself, for your prayers and support while they were in the hospital and after,  while they were in recovery.  Your prayers were answered in the affirmative!  Mom and Dad are back home and their health continues to improve.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate how often you all have asked about their well being and let me know you were praying for them.  It has meant a lot to me and to them.  Thanks again!

Finally, as you may have noticed, our statue of St. Jude was missing the last few weeks, but is now back in the church repaired and freshly painted.  Someone from our community, who would like to remain anonymous, volunteered to do the work, and I think it turned out beautifully.  Please keep the volunteer in your prayers and be sure to take a look at the beautiful work on the statue.

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of November 30, 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 Christ the King

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, Christ the King, is our three hundred and fifty 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 November 23, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

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

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

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

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of November 23, 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 33rd 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, the Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and fifty 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 November 16, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This weekend our Gospel reading is the parable of the "talents" (a "talent" is a coin having a high but varying degree of value, depending on what metal was used to make the coin) in Matthew 25:14-30.  In the parable, the master entrusts to his servants a different number of talents before leaving on a journey.  Upon his return, his servants account for the talents given to each of them.  As we near the end of our liturgical year, when we focus on the end of our life here on earth and the judgment to come when we move into the next life, it is important to remember several things that we are taught in this parable.

First, we are all given talents in this life to be used, with the help of God's Grace, for the building up of God's Kingdom.  All of us are asked to participate in Jesus' mission of salvation, and our participation is important to His mission and our own salvation.  Second, the talents given to us are valuable.  Our world values things for the greater or the lesser, and some things are not considered valuable at all.  However, in God's eyes, every single person is given talents of the same great value, because the value of salvation cannot be measured by earthly standards.  That's the reason we all have the same dignity in Christ Jesus, even if our earthly lives are very different.  Third, we are all called to use our talents to help increase God's kingdom on earth.  The talents with which we have been entrusted are gifts from God to be used for His greater glory.  We have a responsibility to use them for that purpose, and if we live a perfect life, they will be used for that purpose alone.  Fourth, at judgment we will be held accountable  for the use of the talents given to us.  After all, they were gifts freely given to us by God after we had sinned and fallen from His Grace.  In thanksgiving we should return them to Him after using them for the purpose given, that is, our salvation and the salvation of others.  Let us pray that we remember what God has given to us, and then use these gifts to help build up the Body of Christ here on earth.

Last weekend, I was out of town in Baltimore, MD for a presentation on causes of saints given at the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) annual conference.  The purpose was to help us in determining a proper direction for The Friends of Fr. LaFleur in promoting Fr. LaFleur’s cause.  As you know, we as a community have done many things to promote devotion to Fr. LaFleur and spread the work of his heroic and holy life.  We hope to be able to determine a more concrete plan to do things that will make it more likely that a cause for his sainthood will be opened in the future.  Hopefully, the time was well spent and our hope to one day open and pursue a cause for the canonization of Fr. LaFleur will be realized.  Many thanks to Msgr. Melancon and our Deacons for holding down the fort!

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of November 16, 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 Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

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, Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, is our three hundred and fifty second podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Monsignor Louis Melancon.

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

Bulletin for the Week of November 9, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Last weekend, we celebrated the feasts of All Saints and All Souls.  Because All Souls day fell on a Sunday this year, we celebrated the liturgy for it instead of our usual Sunday liturgy.  This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the basilica of St. John Lateran, one of the four major basilicas in Rome.  For your information, the four major basilicas are St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, St. Peter, and St. Paul Outside the Walls.  They are all stunning works of beauty, and if you are ever able, it would be quite enriching to visit them.  The Dedication of St. John Lateran is a major feast and also replaces the Sunday liturgy this weekend since November 9 falls on a Sunday.  We might ask the question, "Why do we celebrate the dedication of St. John Lateran in the place of our usual Sunday liturgy when other feasts are either passed over or moved to another day?

Obviously, the Church considers the feast of this dedication to be very important.  It is not important because of the church building so much as what it represents.  The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the Pope's cathedral as Bishop of Rome.  The feast of the dedication represents our understanding of the primacy of the Chair of Peter as well as our unity with it.  The Pope is a bishop just like any other bishop in some respects, and therefore is one with them, and thus all of us.  At the same time, however, we recognize the Pope's special place in unifying us in one Faith and one Truth as taught to us by Jesus.  This is the pillar of our Church and Faith:  that we can be sure of being on the right path to Christ in being given the Church to lead and guide us to the Truth.  It underpins our Faith, and gives us confidence in living it.  Without this unity, we could easily deteriorate into different beliefs than the Truth and lose the confidence to live in the right Faith.  Without it, we would not have our peace in Christ.  For this gift of a unified Faith we thank God today.

On another note, there are a couple of odds and ends about which I want to keep you posted.  First, on the Sanctuary Project Campaign work, the tile for the sanctuary floor has been received in New Orleans, so everything is going according to plan so far.  An issue did come up with having to install the altar prior to laying down the flooring, which we are working out now.  Some of what we had planned may have to change depending on when we receive the new altar.  Also, we will begin construction on the bathrooms this week, beginning with the outside bathroom.  Once it is completed, we will then begin work on the inside bathroom, so that at all times we will have at least one working bathroom.

Regarding the brick sign on the south side of the parking lot, we have ordered the granite, and it is in line for production.  We hope that it will be ready for installation some time in November or early December.

Thanks to all whose help and support have made these projects possible.

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of November 09, 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 All Soul's Day

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, All Soul's Day, is our three hundred and fifty 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 November 2, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

There are a lot of things going on in our parish over the next few months about which I want to keep you apprised.

This weekend we celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day.  We will have a Memorial Mass at 10am Sunday for all those in our community who died over the last year and for their families.  The poster with the names of those who passed into eternal life last year is located in the sanctuary of the church in front of the Blessed Mother Altar, as she is the Mother of Consolation.  Please know of my prayers for the consolation of all those who mourn the loss of a loved one, and please keep them in your prayers.  We will continue to celebrate this remembrance for the next few weeks until the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, as usual we will focus on helping those who are in need during the Thanksgiving holiday season.  We will again place baskets at the doors of the church during the month of November for food donations.  The donations will be sent to ICON for distribution to those in need in our community.  Please bring non-perishable food to help those in need.

In addition to food donations, we are also going to leave the baskets at the doors during the month of December to collect clothing donations.  As winter approaches, there is a greater need for adequate clothing.  Please  help with  donations of new or lightly used clothing for adults and children of all ages.

We are also excited to announce that we have obtained the services of a choir director for our youth, Mr. Rafael Henry.  Mr. Henry is the choir director at St. Leo Parish in Lafayette and teaches at J.S. Clark Middle School.  The organizational meeting for the choir is Thursday, November 6 at 5:15pm in the church.  All high school age youth are welcome to come and participate.  Hope to see you all there!

Finally, myself and Deacon Joubert (who is the real chef in this operation) will be participating in a gumbo cook-off to benefit John Paul the Great Academy.  The event will be held on Saturday evening, November 15 at 6pm at Vermillionville in Lafayette.  Many priests of the diocese, many of whom you know, will be participating.  It should be a fun time for all.  Please come out and support a good cause, and, of course, vote for me!!

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of November 02, 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 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- over five years ago. This mass, The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and fiftieth podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father James Brady.

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

Bulletin for the Week of October 26, 2014 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

What a beautiful weekend for our Cemetery Tours last week! Last weekend was picture perfect, and the tours were a great success over the last two weekends.  There was much preparation and hard work put into this year's tours by many people.  We thank the Cemetery Tour Committee and all those who supported, assisted and helped in making this year's tours such a great success. We also want to thank all who came and took the tour, both parishioners of St. Landry Church and our visitors. Proceeds from the tours are used for cemetery maintenance, as this month we remember and reverence those who have gone before us and have handed down to us their faith, culture and wisdom.

In that regard, we are at the time of year when we remember those who have passed into the next life before us. We especially remember our deceased loved ones on All Saints Day, which is November 1, and All Souls Day, which is November 2.  Two things we should be reminded of during this time.  First, if you have family members who are buried in St. Landry Cemetery, please check on their tombs, and if necessary, spruce them up or repair them.  Our cemetery is beautiful, and we hope to maintain that beauty through the continued effort to maintain the tombs properly.  We hope that families will continue the tradition of reverencing their ancestors by proper maintenance of their tombs.  Second, our cemetery was built at a time when families maintained the tombs of their family members as well as the grounds. Because of this, cemetery endowments were not deemed necessary, so our cemetery has no endowment for perpetual maintenance.  As a church parish, we maintain the cemetery without charge of a cemetery maintenance fee, and the cost of maintaining the grounds for some 4,000 tomb sites is, to say the least, substantial.  Therefore, please consider a donation for cemetery maintenance.  Special envelopes are in the church for this purpose.  Thanks so much!

Please also note the special liturgies we will have next weekend.  All Saints Day, which is this coming Saturday, is not a Holy Day of obligation.  However, we should make the effort to attend this wonderful celebration of all the saints God has created.  Our All Saints Mass will be at 9am on Saturday in the church.  Because of this celebration, there will not be Mass at 8am Saturday morning in Valentin Hall Chapel.  Our annual Cemetery Blessing will then take place after the 4pm Saturday Mass, beginning at approximately 5:15pm.  Finally, our annual All Souls Day Memorial Mass will be at the 10am Mass on Sunday, November 2.  Please see the bulletin insert for more information.  Hope to see you at these special liturgies!!

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of October 26, 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 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- over five years ago. This mass, The Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and forty 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 October 19, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This weekend, we will introduce the annual Bishop's Service Appeal. A message from Bishop Jarrell will be presented at all of our weekend Masses. The Bishop's Service Appeal funds services that we, as a parish, cannot afford. By pooling the resources of all the individual church parishes, we are able to provide services that are not feasible for any individual church. In addition to aiding the poor and the vulnerable among us, the appeal supports many other works. One example is the education and support of our seminarians. St. Landry is blessed to have a seminarian studying for the priesthood, Ben Pitre (as always, please keep him in your prayers). St. Landry could not afford to pay for his education and training alone, but with the funds from the appeal, his education and training is possible.

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

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

And one more thing that touches us all ...

Fr. J. Wilson Matt passed away peacefully last week at the age of 96 in New Iberia.  He had been living in the priest's nursing home, Consolata, located in New Iberia.  Prior to that, he lived in residence here at St. Landry.   Fr. Matt lived a full and active life that touched the hearts of thousands as he spread the joy of Christ through his nearly 74 years of ministry as a priest.  He was certainly a gift to our community, and along with my personal experience of him, I've heard many stories about him from many of you.  Many of our young adults have fond memories of him riding his bike down the halls of Opelousas Catholic to the delight of the students.  Along with his funeral, which I was able to attend, Opelousas Catholic had a Memorial Mass for him last week.  At both Masses, his trademark song, "This Little Light of Mine," was sung with great fervor by all in attendance.  We thank God for the gift of Fr. Matt to us and to our diocese.  Along with our fond memories of him, let us continue to pray for his eternal rest.

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of October 19, 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 28th 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, The Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and forty eighth podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father James Brady.

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

Bulletin for the Week of October 12, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

The Cemetery Tours begin this weekend on Saturday and Sunday, and will continue next  weekend.  We should remember the spiritual purpose of the tours, which is our prayer and devotion for those who have gone before us who left us a legacy of Faith in Christ Jesus. This legacy includes the Faith that has been handed down to us from the time of the apostles, as well as the things they've done to help us tangibly in our worship today, such as establishing our church parish and constructing the beautiful church which we have the privilege to worship in today.

We remember that the promise of Christ is eternal life, and His Resurrection (and thus our resurrection) on the Last Day is both in body and spirit. We treat the bodies of those who have passed from this life to the next with reverence because it is a Temple of the Holy Spirit while alive on earth, and also because it will be raised up in glory on the Last Day.  Therefore, the funds raised by The Cemetery Tours are used to maintain, repair and beautify our historic cemetery.  It is important that in reverence we properly maintain our cemetery because those who have gone before us have handed down the faith to us that was handed on to them by the generation before, and we are the beneficiaries of our ancestors teaching us our faith by both word and deed.  Our devotion to this endeavor is evidence of that continuing Faith in the resurrection and our appreciation for what has been done for us by our ancestors!

As mentioned in last week's Pastor's Corner, please remember in your prayers and give praise to God for the saints who came before us and pray for those in purgatory as we celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day on November 1st and 2nd, respectively.  In addition, our cemetery blessing will take place on Saturday, November 1 after the 4pm Mass, and our annual Memorial Mass will be November 2 at the 10am Mass.  I look forward to praying with you during these days of remembrance.

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of October 12, 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 Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- over five years ago. This mass, The Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and forty 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 Week of October 5, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

As we enter the month of October, we begin a month devoted to our appreciation of those who have gone before us into the next life. The Cemetery Tours will begin next weekend and will continue the following weekend. During the month, many of you will be cleaning up tombs, and our staff will be sprucing up our cemetery for the various activities. Our celebration will culminate with with All Saints Day on November 1st and All Souls Day on November 2nd. We will have our annual blessing of the cemetery on November 1st after the 4pm Mass, and our annual Memorial Mass for those recently deceased on Sunday, November 2nd at 10am (All Souls Day).

At the Memorial Mass, we will pray for all our faithful departed, but the specific Mass intention will be for those who passed away this past year. We have had approximately 75 of our fellow brothers and sisters who have gone to the next life for whom we celebrated funerals this year, and we want to remember them, their families, and their friends in prayer. We thank God for the gift of their life, and pray for the repose of their souls and the consolation of their family and friends.

As usual, this month we will display in the church a list of those who will be remembered at the Memorial Mass. This list will contain those for whom we've had funerals here at St. Landry and those whose death we were informed of through our ministry to the bereaved. We are happy to add any other of your relatives who passed away last year. If there is someone you would like to have added to the list, please call the office to let us know by October 12.  We will include on the list all that our records show died through September 30th of this year. Those who pass away this month will be included in next year's Memorial Mass. We will also publish a final list in the bulletin for the weekend of November 1st and 2nd.

We are taught in the Bible that praying for the dead is a righteous act (2 Maccabees 12: 43-46). Let us pray together for those who have gone before us, and for each other's consolation caused by the pain of physical separation, with the hope that the pain will be relieved when we all meet in God's Kingdom.

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of October 05, 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 Twenty Sixth 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, The Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and forty sixth podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father Raymond Nwabueze.

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 28, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This weekend, we welcome the Reverend Raymond Nwabueze, OP, of the Dominican Province of Nigeria for our annual mission weekend. Our mission weekend is intended to remind us of how blessed we are in our society with material goods, and that as a Universal Church we are all connected with our brothers and sisters throughout the world and should generously share our resources with each other. Through our diocese, we are given an opportunity each year to financially support a mission located in another country, a community that through no fault of its own is located in an area that is not as blessed with the material well being and financial prosperity that we have been given.

One of the works of Fr. Nwabueze's order is the formation of priests.  It is interesting that in Nigeria vocations are generally plentiful (not only priestly vocations, but all religious vocations), but there are not enough resources to train them all.  Here in our country (as in most Western countries), it is the opposite:  we have the resources to train priests, but not enough candidates for the priesthood!  Our diocese, as well as the church in the United States, has benefited from the generosity of the Nigerian faithful as they have provided priestly vocations to our diocese.  In a very real way, your generosity this weekend helps to support vocations in our diocese.  

Fr. Nwabueze will be here this weekend and will preach at all the masses about the mission and works of the Dominican Fathers and Brothers of the Province of Nigeria, so I hope you are able to welcome him and also hear and respond generously to his message and request for help.  In this regard, the second offertory this weekend will be to support Fr. Raymond’s mission.

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of September 28, 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.