Bulletin for the Week of March 23, 2014 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This weekend we continue our discussion about the nature of sin. Last week, we spoke of sin in general terms, and that sin separates us from God. Ever since Adam and Eve took the bite of the apple, we have needed God to lead us, if only we were not afraid to be led and would trust Him. Trusting God without fear and letting Him lead us to goodness is the way we maintain our right relationship with Him. As free beings with a Fallen Nature, however, it is a struggle to do so, especially when we encounter hardship.

Today we will analyze what makes a good act. In order to do so, we should examine the object of the act (the goal or desired result), the intention of the act, and the circumstances under which the act is done. In order for an act to be completely good, all three of these things must be good. When this happens, then the act is considered "perfect." If any of the three are not good, then they are considered imperfect, and thus lacking of some goodness, and are sinful if we knowingly commit them. Even if our object is good, though, our way to achieve the goal must also be good. We've all heard the saying: "The ends don't justify the means."

Through thoughtful reflection about the things we do, examining the object, intention and circumstances, we hope to live more fully a life of goodness in the way God has taught us. Next weekend, we will welcome Fr. Thomas R. Bouterie from Food For The Poor. During Lent, we focus on prayer, almsgiving and fasting, and our Church provides opportunities for these activities. Next weekend provides an opportunity for almsgiving, helping those, who through no fault of their own, are in need of basic necessities. We look forward to welcoming Fr. Bouterie and assisting him in his ministry to the poor.

     Fr. James Brady

St. Landry Church Lent Activity Schedule

Weekday Mass Schedule
Monday – Friday at 12:05pm; Saturday 8am (Church)
**********************************************
Confession Schedule
Monday – Friday from 11:30am to 12pm
Saturdays from 2:30pm to 3:30pm
Sundays 4 to 4:45pm
Citywide Penance Service – Monday, April 14, 6-7pm
**********************************************
Stations of the Cross
Fridays at 5:15pm in the Church
Followed by soup and bread dinner in Valentin Hall **********************************************

Additional Weekly Activities

All Activities are in Valentin Hall

Tuesdays at 6pm – Lenten Gospel Study. The study is in a modified “Come Lord Jesus!” format designed for Lent.

Wednesdays at 6am – “That Man is You!”

Wednesdays at 5:15pm – “Come Lord Jesus!” Group


Adult Confirmation Class – Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation for adults (21 years of age or older) will be provided on Monday evenings.  The Sacrament will be administered at the Easter Vigil (April 19 at 8pm).  Please call Deacon Diesi at the office (942-6552) for more details.

The bulletin for the week of March 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 Second Sunday in Lent

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 four years ago. This week, the Second Sunday in Lent, is our three hundred and fourteenth 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 March 16, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Many thanks to all for the success of our parish mission last week!  It was great to see so many praying and learning together.  What a great way to start our Lenten Season!!  We especially thank Deacon Randy Hyde for his stirring story of the working of Christ in his life and his helping us how to learn to "Embrace Calvary." We also thank Deacon Joubert for his efforts in coordinating and providing for the logistics of the mission. The purpose of the mission is to help us come to know Jesus more deeply during Lent, and by acknowledging the healing power of His Mercy, to be able to imitate Him more deeply in our lives.  Properly lived, Lent will bring us greater joy when we come to Good Friday and Easter.

For those of you who were unable to attend the mission, please know that the mission talks can be heard on our website.  We thank Andrew Guidroz, our site manager, for recording and making these talks available for all.

"What's wrong with us?"  That's the question Deacon Hyde asked at the beginning of his homily last weekend while introducing the mission.  We heard in the first reading last weekend the Story of the Fall of Mankind, when Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent and then ate of the forbidden fruit.  Because of this, sin entered the world.  As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we will explore the nature of sin over the next two weeks in the Sunday homilies.  This weekend, we will explore the nature of sin in general, beginning with Adam and Eve.  Next weekend, we will examine how we are to evaluate specific acts for their goodness or their sinfulness.  Understanding the nature of sin and how to evaluate or examine our own actions is critical to being able to properly repent of the things we have done wrong, and then to make sure that we truly imitate Jesus in all His Goodness.

May God continue to bless us on our Lenten journey!

     Fr. James Brady

St. Landry Church Lent Activity Schedule

Weekday Mass Schedule
Monday – Friday at 12:05pm; Saturday 8am (Church)
**********************************************
Confession Schedule
Monday – Friday from 11:30am to 12pm
Saturdays from 2:30pm to 3:30pm
Sundays 4 to 4:45pm
Citywide Penance Service – Monday, April 14, 6-7pm
**********************************************
Stations of the Cross
Fridays at 5:15pm in the Church
Followed by soup and bread dinner in Valentin Hall **********************************************

Additional Weekly Activities

All Activities are in Valentin Hall

Tuesdays at 6pm – Lenten Gospel Study. The study is in a modified “Come Lord Jesus!” format designed for Lent.

Wednesdays at 6am – “That Man is You!”

Wednesdays at 5:15pm – “Come Lord Jesus!” Group


Adult Confirmation Class – Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation for adults (21 years of age or older) will be provided on Monday evenings.  The Sacrament will be administered at the Easter Vigil (April 19 at 8pm).  Please call Deacon Diesi at the office (942-6552) for more details.

The bulletin for the week of March 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.

Lenten Mission Night 3 - St. Landry Catholic Church

Here is the audio for the third and last night of the Lenten Mission at St. Landry Catholic Church, given by Deacon Randy Hyde. Click here.

Lenten Mission Night 2 - St. Landry Catholic Church

Here is the audio for the second night of the Lenten Mission at St. Landry Catholic Church, given by Deacon Randy Hyde. Click here.

The mission continues on Wed (March 12) with a mass at 5:30 PM and the mission talk from 6 PM to 7 PM.

Lenten Mission Night 1 - St. Landry Catholic Church

Here is the audio for the first night of the Lenten Mission at St. Landry Catholic Church, given by Deacon Randy Hyde. Click here.

The mission continues on Tues and Wed (March 11 & 12) with a mass at 5:30 PM and the mission talk from 6 PM to 7 PM.

Homily for the First Sunday in Lent

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 four years ago. This week, the First Sunday in Lent, is our three hundred and tenth podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Deacon Randy Hyde.

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 March 09, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This past week we began the Lenten Season, a time of prayer, almsgiving and fasting. During the Lenten Season, we focus on many things, such as repentance and the forgiveness of sins and increased prayer, almsgiving (charity) and fasting (discipline).  Sin, whether it be our own sin or the sin of others, is the cause of suffering in the world, beginning with the Sin of Adam. Suffering caused by the sin of others is "innocent" suffering, whereas suffering because of our own sins can be referred to as "culpable" suffering. We all have a mix of innocent and culpable suffering as we have all sinned and are all burdened by Original Sin. Jesus, Our Savior, had all innocent suffering because He was Divinely conceived and committed no sins. All His suffering was due to the sin of humanity, that is, us. Suffering is a mystery and can be difficult to understand. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do good things happen to people we think are bad? We take solace that Jesus redeemed all suffering, and gave it a purpose, namely our salvation and the salvation of the world.

This weekend our Lenten Parish Mission, presented by Deacon Randy Hyde, will be introduced at all of the Sunday Masses. The mission will address the issue of suffering and how we can "Embrace Calvary."  The mission will then take place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, March 10, 11 and 12.  Mass will be offered at 5:30pm each night, and will be followed by the mission talk beginning at 6pm. Please mark your calendar and make every effort to attend, as learning how to embrace the sufferings of Jesus at Calvary is one of the most important things as Christians we can do, as by doing so we can better understand Jesus’ Love for us and our response to that Love.  Hope to see you there!

A reminder that there are many additional opportunities for prayer and study during Lent here at St. Landry, and these activities were listed in a bulletin insert last weekend and are contained on the calendar in this bulletin.  We hope you are able to participate in these activities as we journey through Lent and move towards the immediate events that led to our salvation, the Death and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior.

     Fr. James Brady

St. Landry Church Lent Activity Schedule

Weekday Mass Schedule
Monday – Friday at 12:05pm; Saturday 8am (Church)
**********************************************
Confession Schedule
Monday – Friday from 11:30am to 12pm
Saturdays from 2:30pm to 3:30pm
Sundays 4 to 4:45pm
Citywide Penance Service – Monday, April 14, 6-7pm
**********************************************
Stations of the Cross
Fridays at 5:15pm in the Church
Followed by soup and bread dinner in Valentin Hall **********************************************
Lenten Mission
“Embracing Calvary”
Presented by Deacon Randy Hyde
Introduced at Sunday Masses, March 8th and 9th
Mission: March 10th, 11th and 12th
Mass at 5:30pm; Mission begins at 6pm
**********************************************

Additional Weekly Activities

All Activities are in Valentin Hall

Tuesdays at 6pm – Lenten Gospel Study (Note: Begins March 6, the Thursday after Ash Wednesday).  Also, the group will not meet March 11 due to the Parish Mission, but rather will meet that week on Thursday, March 13 at 6pm).  The study is in a modified “Come Lord Jesus!” format designed for Lent.

Wednesdays at 6am – “That Man is You!”

Wednesdays at 5:15pm – “Come Lord Jesus!” Group


Adult Confirmation Class – Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation for adults (21 years of age or older) will be provided on Monday evenings.  The Sacrament will be administered at the Easter Vigil (April 19 at 8pm).  Please call Deacon Diesi at the office (942-6552) for more details.

The bulletin for the week of March 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.

Ash Wednesday Mass Times

Ash Wednesday Mass Times

8:40 Opelousas Catholic All School Mass
12:05 Mass
5:30 Mass

Homily for the Eighth 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 four years ago. This week, the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and ninth 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 March 2, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This week we begin the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent is a time when we reflect on our struggles in this life, and we watch Jesus show us the way to eternal life. I am once again looking forward to making this Lenten Journey with you.

Lent recognizes that we still struggle in our earthly life despite the fact that our Savior died and rose from the dead. Salvation is ours, but we still struggle in this life until our passing into eternal life. The reason for this is that God will not impair our freedom to make us follow Him.  Our love of God and our neighbor is a choice, and a choice is no choice if we are not free to make it.  Scripture tells us that we are all sinners, and our sins always affect us and others negatively.  Sin produces our struggle in this life, whether it be our own sins or the sins of others that affect us.

During Lent, we will examine the nature of sin in a series of homilies after our parish mission next week, which will help us to learn how to "Embrace Calvary."  The Lenten Parish Mission will be given by Deacon Randy Hyde and will be introduced next weekend at all Masses, followed by the mission on March 9, 10 and 11 at 6pm in the church.   Mass will precede the Parish Mission presentations at 5:30pm for those who may not have had an opportunity to attend Mass during the day.

Enclosed in this bulletin is an insert containing the Liturgical Schedule for Lent, as well as additional opportunities for prayer, study and fellowship during the Lenten Season.  We hope that these activities can help all of us to grow closer to Jesus during the season of Lent and to celebrate the joy of Easter more deeply.  In recognizing our own sinfulness in Lent, we better understand the gift from God the Father in the life, suffering and death of His Son, so that in the Resurrection we celebrate at Easter we can better appreciate the gift of eternal life despite our sins.  Hopefully, we will then be more open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to live better lives!  Praise to our Lord Jesus Christ!!

     Fr. James Brady

St. Landry Church Lent Activity Schedule

Weekday Mass Schedule
Monday – Friday at 12:05pm; Saturday 8am (Church)
**********************************************
Confession Schedule
Monday – Friday from 11:30am to 12pm
Saturdays from 2:30pm to 3:30pm
Sundays 4 to 4:45pm
Citywide Penance Service – Monday, April 14, 6-7pm
**********************************************
Stations of the Cross
Fridays at 5:15pm in the Church
Followed by soup and bread dinner in Valentin Hall **********************************************
Lenten Mission
“Embracing Calvary”
Presented by Deacon Randy Hyde
Introduced at Sunday Masses, March 8th and 9th
Mission: March 10th, 11th and 12th
Mass at 5:30pm; Mission begins at 6pm
**********************************************

Additional Weekly Activities

All Activities are in Valentin Hall

Tuesdays at 6pm – Lenten Gospel Study (Note: Begins March 6, the Thursday after Ash Wednesday).  Also, the group will not meet March 11 due to the Parish Mission, but rather will meet that week on Thursday, March 13 at 6pm).  The study is in a modified “Come Lord Jesus!” format designed for Lent.

Wednesdays at 6am – “That Man is You!”

Wednesdays at 5:15pm – “Come Lord Jesus!” Group


Adult Confirmation Class – Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation for adults (21 years of age or older) will be provided on Monday evenings.  The Sacrament will be administered at the Easter Vigil (April 19 at 8pm).  Please call Deacon Diesi at the office (942-6552) for more details.

The bulletin for the week of March 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 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 four years ago. This week, the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and 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 February 23, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Over the last few weeks our Church has been in the news in light of a United Nations report regarding the protection of children. The report was very negative towards the Church, and I think it fair to say that it was a "hit piece" designed to malign the Church and to try to alter Her Faith and teachings. Needless to say, in the past there were wrongs committed by both clergy and lay people in the Church, and for that we as a community have apologized, taken corrective action to make sure it does not happen again, and to the best of our ability helped and supported the victims and their families.

Here at St. Landry, as in all parishes in the Diocese of Lafayette, a Safe Environment Program has been implemented for all clergy, employees and volunteers who work with our children (this same program is also at Opelousas Catholic). The program includes criminal background checks and yearly training regarding proper boundaries, detection and reporting of any potential problem. The program is a "gold standard" of education of clergy, employees, volunteers, parents and our children for the safety and protection of our young people. Despite the existence of serious and systematic abuse problems in our society in general (the problem is not just a Catholic Church problem, but rather a societal problem; just ask any of us who work in this area), other institutions including schools (both public and private) and churches, for the most part, have not implemented such a program. To date, the program has been very effective, albeit no program is perfect.

However, the United Nations report went further than just addressing the protection of children, and addressed matters of our faith that it thinks should be changed, including our teaching on marriage and the dignity of life from conception to natural death. Rather than taking a shot at the United Nations regarding its lack of diligence regarding other serious and, unfortunately, commonplace crimes against children that occur worldwide, including the use of "children soldiers," slave trafficking, child labor, and child prostitution (not to mention the problems of poverty, healthcare and education), or by noting the well documented corruption that the United Nations has had through the years, I think it more fruitful to reflect on what the report teaches us about our world and our role in it as Catholics.

First, we have discussed in homilies over the past year or two the widening of the gap between secular morality (the morality of our society) and our Catholic morality (what the Church teaches us is moral) in the United States, with particular examples being the new health care law (Obamacare) and the recent Supreme Court decisions on marriage. We can now safely say that this widening of the gap is not only in the United States, but also worldwide. Second, we can see that in this widening of the gap that secular governments and authorities will attempt to force Catholics to accept their morality by the use of their power over those they govern, even if it violates legitimate religious beliefs. Third, in the attempt to force secular morality upon us, we will be impugned because of our religious beliefs, whether being called or thought of as bigots (as happened during the debate on marriage) or unenlightened/ignorant as is common in secular media commentary. At some point, if this widening of the gap continues, we may be made to make certain choices between the practice of our faith or submitting to laws that require us to violate our religious beliefs.

Our response as Catholics is simple, but may be difficult. The widening of the morality gap is being caused by changes in secular morality instituted by governments. Our morality is rooted in Our Savior, Jesus Christ, and what He taught us. His teachings have not and will not change, because they are the Truth. We are not at liberty to change God's teachings, nor will we try. Our job is to simply live by them in imitation of Our Savior, not trying to make Jesus into who we want Him to be, but rather letting Him make us into who He wants us to be. Catholics have always been good citizens in just societies, and the less just a society becomes, the more tension increases between governmental authorities and the Church. This is nothing new, as it has occurred repeatedly in societies all over the world since the founding of our Church by Jesus Himself some 2000 years ago, and at times has led to persecution.

For now, our mission remains the same: To know our faith and to live it so that we can be with God in eternity, resisting the temptation to "go along" with societal norms that violate our faith. We must properly educate our young in word and especially in deed so they will also be able to live and be firm in the faith given to us by Jesus. We cannot compromise our faith, because eternal life is the most important and precious gift we have been given by God. We must not be afraid or ashamed of our faith, but rather know it and share it, especially by loving each other as Jesus loved us. As good citizens, we also do what we can to make our society more just and truly good by the changing of hearts and minds. Let us resolve to continue to remain firm in the Truth taught to us by Jesus and His Church!.

     Fr. James Brady

The bulletin for the week of February 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 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 four years ago. This week, the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and 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 February 16, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Last weekend we addressed the United Nations report regarding the Catholic Church, primarily addressing what the Church has done for the protection of children.  This week, we address the issue of the United Nations declaring that the Church should, among other things, change it's teaching regarding marriage and the dignity of life from conception until natural death.

First, we have discussed in homilies over the past year or two the continued widening of the gap between secular morality (the morality of our society) and our Catholic morality (what the Church teaches us is moral) in the United States, with particular examples being the new health care law (Obamacare) and the recent Supreme Court decisions on marriage. We can now safely say that this widening of the gap is not only in the United States, but also worldwide. Second, we can see that in this widening of the gap that secular governments and authorities will attempt to force Catholics to accept their morality by the use of their power over those they govern, even if it violates legitimate religious beliefs. Third, in the attempt to force secular morality upon us, we will be impugned because of our religious beliefs, whether being called or thought of as bigots (as happened during the debate on marriage) or unenlightened/ignorant as is common in secular media commentary. At some point, if this widening of the gap continues, we may be made to make certain choices between the practice of our faith or submitting to laws that require us to violate our religious beliefs.

Our response as Catholics is simple, but may be difficult. The widening of the morality gap is being caused by changes in secular morality instituted by governments. Our morality is rooted in Our Savior, Jesus Christ, and what He taught us. His teachings have not and will not change, because they are the Truth. We are not at liberty to change God's teachings, nor will we try. Our job is to simply live by them in imitation of Our Savior, not trying to make Jesus into who we want Him to be, but rather letting Him make us into who He wants us to be. Catholics have always been good citizens in just societies, but the less just a society becomes, the more tension increases between governmental authorities and the Church. This is nothing new, as it has occurred repeatedly in societies all over the world since the founding of our Church by Jesus Himself some 2000 years ago, and at times has led to persecution.

For now, our mission remains the same: To know our faith and to live it so that we can be with God in eternity, resisting the temptation to "go along" with societal norms that violate our faith. We must properly educate our young in word and especially in deed so they will also be able to live and be firm in the faith given to us by Jesus. We cannot compromise our faith, because eternal life is the most important and precious gift we have been given by God. We must not be afraid or ashamed of our faith, but rather know it and share it, especially by loving each other as Jesus loved us. As good citizens, we also do what we can to make our society more just and truly good by the changing of hearts and minds. Let us resolve to continue to remain firm in the Truth taught to us by Jesus and His Church!

     Fr. James Brady

The bulletin for the week of February 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 Fifth 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 four years ago. This week, the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and 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 February 9, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This coming week, on February 11, the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, we will celebrate the World Day of the Sick.  This weekend, we will commemorate this day by celebrating the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick at the Saturday, 4pm Vigil Mass for all of those who have a serious illness or are infirmed due to age.

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

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

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

     Fr. James Brady

The bulletin for the week of February 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 the Presentation 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 four years ago. This week, the Presentation of the Lord, is our three hundred and 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 February 02, 2014 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

With the beginning of the new year, a spring time of sorts comes early to our parish - the beginning of sacramental preparation of our children for their First Confession and First Communion, of our young adults for their reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation, of many couples preparing for Holy Matrimony in what will be a busy schedule of weddings throughout the year, and of many parents preparing for the Baptism of their children. We have 17 of our children preparing for their First Confession and First Communion, 18 of our young adults preparing for Confirmation, and we will celebrate approximately 30 weddings throughout this year.  We have one seminarian, Ben Pitre, who will continue his studies in the Fall at the North American College in Rome, Italy preparing for Holy Orders and thereafter serving as a priest of our diocese.  Next weekend, we will administer the Anointing of the Sick in conjunction with the World Day of the Sick at the 4pm Saturday, February 8 Mass, for all those who are in need and would like to receive the sacrament.  Please see the announcement in this bulletin for details on it.  Anointing of the Sick, of course, is available at any time for those in need.  Just call the office to set up a time for a visit.

It is a good time for us, a parish community, to reflect on the goodness of God in giving us the gifts of the sacraments, which are channels of grace that help us to live the Christian vocation given to each of us. Please remember in your prayers all those preparing to receive sacraments this year, their families and our church community, as these times are definitely times of joy and thanksgiving for all!

     Fr. James Brady

The bulletin for the week of February 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.

Daily Mass at 12:05 pm Cancelled - Wednesday January 29, 2014

Daily Mass at 12:05 pm cancelled - Wednesday January 29, 2014

The road conditions are still very bad out there this morning. There is plenty of ice around St. Landry Catholic Church as well. Today, keep in your prayers the many support personnel who must travel in these conditions - fire fighters, police, health care workers.

Weather conditions look to be better for noon time Thursday. Stay warm and safe.

Sleeting - daily mass cancelled - January 28, 2014

Due to safety concerns, we will cancel noon time mass today at St. Landry Catholic Church. Stay safe everyone!

Homily for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- over four years ago. This week, the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and 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 January 26, 2014 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

We hear today in our Gospel reading from St. Matthew the call of first apostles.  It brings to mind God's call to vocations in general, that is, to both marriage and religious vocations, but also more specifically vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.  Over the last several decades there was a decline in the number of men and women entering into these vocations in the more developed parts of the world. However, the number of vocations have been generally good in the less developed parts of the world. More recently, for us in Louisiana and in the United States, the number of vocations have generally increased, and that is a good sign. In our parish we are blessed to have a seminarian studying for the priesthood, Ben Pitre. Please keep him in your prayers.  Although God is the One who calls people to a particular vocation, one sign of a healthy parish community is that it provides fertile ground for religious vocations.

It should be remembered that every person entering a religious vocation comes from a family. Although the call to a religious vocation is ultimately made by the Holy Spirit, families provide the fertile soil where consideration of a vocation can take place and develop. In a very real way, the priests and religious you encounter are a reflection of our families and our society. This is why a strong and devout family life, beginning with healthy marriages and good parental example, is so important. One problem with religious vocations is that many of our young people never consider it, as they are not encouraged to do so within the family. That is a shame, as the religious life, from my experience, is a wonderful life-giving gift and can provide great joy and peace to the person living it. In our prayers for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life, let us all be reminded of our duty to provide fertile soil and proper encouragement by both word and deed in helping to cultivate religious vocations.

There will be a vocations supper for men considering the priesthood on February 26 at 6:30 pm in Lafayette at the diocesan offices.  If you know of someone interested in the priesthood, please encourage them to attend the dinner by calling me at the parish office, or if they would like, I am most happy to meet with them and answer any questions they have.

     Fr. James Brady

The bulletin for the week of January 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.

Corrace Hollier receives the Bishop's Medal and Service Award

January 16, 2014

Mr. Corrace Hollier
Opelousas, Louisiana

Dear Mr. Hollier:

With the recommendation of Father James Brady, I am very pleased to present to you the enclosed Bishop's Medal and Certificate. I am grateful for your devoted service to your Church and your community.

I have learned from Father Brady that you have been a life-long parishioner of St. Landry Church, and along with your wife, Hazel, have been active parishioners since the time of your marriage. At the current age of 93, you have served the parish as an usher since you were 21, for a total of some 72 years of service. To this day, you and your wife continue to attend the 4:00 p.m. Vigil Mass and you continue to serve as an usher. Your continuous and dedicated service for nearly three-quarters of a century to St. Landry Church is commendable and I gladly award you with the Bishop's Medal and Certificate. Father Brady will present the medal to you.

I offer you my gratitude and the gratitude of the whole Church in the Diocese of Lafayette for all you do for God and His people. You serve God with much dedication and love, and for this I am truly grateful to you.

May God continue to bless you and your family. With prayers for your good health and for all God's blessings, I am

Sincerely yours in our Lord,


Most Reverend Michael Jarrell
Bishop of Lafayette

Homily for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

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

The Pastor’s Corner 

Last week we discussed our Baptism and what it means to us.  In our Baptisms, we are all given the Grace to live a good and holy life in Christ, and if we cooperate with that Grace, will receive the reward of Eternal Life in Heaven.  It does not mean that our life will be easy while we live on earth, but if we do live a good and holy life here then we will receive the gift of eternal joy and peace.  As we begin a new year and our children return to school, we are reminded of two things:  The gift that they are to us and the sanctity of life.

In that regard, I mentioned last week that we will be reconstituting our CCD program this Fall for our children in a format relying on home study and parental teaching, since it is the parent's primary duty to educate the children with whom God has entrusted them. It is in this way that we give our children an understanding of their faith, a gift that will last a lifetime.  Parents will be provided support from the church in monthly meetings, and weekly lessons will be taught by the parents in their home at a convenient time.  One benefit of the program is that the times are flexible and parents can choose the times that best fit their family schedule. The informational meeting for this program will be Sunday, February 16, 2014 at 2pm in Valentin Hall.  Some parents may feel that they are not suited well for this kind of instruction, however please do not be hesitant or intimidated.  God has placed your children in your care, so He certainly has confidence in your abilities.  So do we!  As a church community, we will provide the training and support needed.  The informational meeting on February 16 is just that, to provide information about the program.  Therefore, if you think you might be interested, please come and find out about it.

On Wednesday of this week we also will mark the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which required states to legalize abortion.  Since that date, some 50 million children were never given the opportunity to be baptized and live the life God intended to give them, something we may take for granted.  Science is slowly but surely catching up to what we've always known in faith, that life begins at the time of conception and should be nurtured and protected, just like any human being who has been born.

None of us alone has the power to overturn the law, but we do have a vote and we can make our feelings known to others.  This week I will be travelling to Washington, DC with a group of Seniors from Opelousas Catholic to participate in the March for Life so that we can witness to the dignity of life, from conception to natural death.  Not all are able to make a trip to Washington, so there is an opportunity to witness at our local March next Saturday, January 25th, beginning at 10am at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church.  I will be back in time to participate in the local march, and I hope to see you there!

     Fr. James Brady

The bulletin for the week of January 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 Baptism 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 four years ago. This week, The Baptism of the Lord, is our three hundred and 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 January 12, 2014 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This weekend we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus, which reminds us of our own baptism. In our Baptism the Gates of Heaven were thrown open to us and we received the Grace to live a Christian Life. However, we must cooperate with our Baptismal Grace. We can do this by undertaking prayer and the study of our faith in order to know better and grow closer to Christ in our words and deeds. As pastor, I believe our community at St. Landry should provide reasonable means for all of us to be "formed" into the life of Christ. Christian Formation is a combination of study, prayer and worship that directs and leads us towards Christ in the lives that have been given to us.

In that regard, I am excited to announce four new programs that will be introduced over the next few months that will be directed towards our formation and the spiritual welfare for all in the parish. We will reconstitute our CCD program this Fall for our children in a format relying on home study and parental teaching, since it is the parent's primary duty to educate the children with whom God has entrusted them. Parents will be provided support from the church in monthly meetings, and weekly lessons will be taught by the parents in the home. The informational meeting for this program will be Sunday, February 16, 2014 at 2pm in Valentin Hall. Please mark your calendar if your family is interested in this program.

In addition, we will begin 3 other programs in Lent that we hope will continue after the Lenten Season. We will begin two prayer groups, one for men and one for women. For men, we will begin the "That Man is You" program and it will be directed by Deacon Joubert. The meetings will be weekly and are tentatively scheduled for 6am on Wednesday mornings. For women, we will have a prayer group in the "Come, Lord Jesus" format, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday evenings at 5:15 pm. Finally, for those baptized adults who have not received the sacrament of Confirmation, we will have an Adult Confirmation Class led by Deacon Diesi on Monday afternoons, with Confirmation taking place at the Easter Vigil on April 19, 2014.

     Fr. James Brady

The bulletin for the week of January 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 Epiphany - 300th Podcast!

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 four years ago. This week, The Epiphany, is our THREE HUNDREDTH!! 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 5, 2014 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

As we continue to celebrate Christmastide this weekend, today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. Traditionally, this feast was celebrated on January 6, ending the "twelve days" days of Christmas. We now celebrate it liturgically on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8.

"Epiphany" comes from a Greek verb meaning "to reveal." Therefore, the Epiphany celebrates God's signs revealing to us 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 Jesus' identity 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 God 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 by living our lives in the way Jesus taught us.

Next weekend, we will celebrate the Baptism of our Lord after which we will return to "Ordinary Time" liturgically. With the beginning of Ordinary Time, we 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, Curt Miller, and Marla Faust/Megan Wilkes. Our Altar Society did a wonderful job in decorating the church, and they were coordinated by Deacon Joubert and Betty Foret. 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. Our suppliers could not have been easier to work with or more helpful in every way: Jim Durio Florists and Lastrape's Nursery. And of course, our wonderful office staff and maintenance crew did a wonderful job over the course of the holidays. Thanks to all!!

     Fr. James Brady

Special Thanks

     Special thanks to the American Bank and Trust Company for providing our parish calendars. They have been doing this for years!!

     Please remember to thank them whenever you can.

The bulletin for the week of January 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 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 --- four years ago. This week, Mary Mother of God, is our two hundred ninety ninth!! podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Monsignor Louis Melancon.

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

Homily for the Feast of the 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 --- four years ago. This week, the Feast of the Holy Family, is our two hundred ninety eighth!! 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.