Homily for the 22nd 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 six years ago. This mass, 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our four hundred first (401st!!) podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father James Brady.

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

Bulletin for the Week of August 30, 2015 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Fr. Lafleur Memorial Mass
We are so pleased to announce that Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for Military Services (in other words, the worldwide leader of the the Catholic chaplains who serve our military personnel and their families whose headquarters is located in Washington, D.C.) has agreed to come to St. Landry and be the main celebrant and homilist at our annual Fr. Lafleur Memorial Mass on Monday, September 7, 2015 at 6:30 pm.  Bishop Jarrell has indicated that he also will be in attendance at the Mass as will many priests of our diocese.  We especially hope that those who have served as military chaplains will be able to attend.  As always, all are invited for this special event, and I hope especially that parents will bring their children to experience the beautiful liturgy as well as hear one of our preeminent church leaders who is both a patriot and a man of God.  Please mark your calendars!

Sanctuary Construction
Hopefully, by the time you are reading this Pastor's Corner the tile in the sanctuary will be completely installed and the work in the sacristies nearly complete.  If not, I hope it is close to being done!  As you know, besides the work in the sanctuary and sacristy, we have been able to renovate both bathrooms and install valves in the air conditioning system that will make it possible to run at least part of the system in the event of a water leak.  Much has been accomplished over the last few weeks, and we continue to thank God for the blessings he has bestowed upon us in giving success to the work of our hands.

In that regard, we will be obtaining furnishings for our sanctuary in the very near future.  Several of you have asked about what is needed for the sanctuary in light of the construction, so we provide here a "wish list" of things that are needed for the sanctuary in order to properly furnish it.  Where possible, we have included the cost of the item.  If you are interested in giving in this manner, please call Fr. Brady (ext. 107) or Deacon Joubert (ext. 104) for more information.  The "wish list" is:

Presider's Chair (please call Fr. Brady for information);
Deacon's Chairs - 2 (please call Fr. Brady for information);
Sanctuary Chairs for Servers/Concelebrants - 12 ($300 each);
Sanctuary Kneelers - 12 ($150 each);
Rugs - 2 (please call Fr. Brady for information);
Formal Cruet Set ($300).

Thanks again for your generosity in the campaign and patience during construction!

Welcome to Fr. Jerry Mesley
Finally, we are pleased to announce that Fr. Jerry Mesley will be coming to live at St. Landry beginning this week and until his usual departure back to New Mexico in February.  Fr. Mesley is well known to many of you because of his many years of service to our area during his yearly trips to south Louisiana. We are so pleased to have the blessing of Fr. Mesley's presence during the next few months.  Please be sure to welcome him when you see him around the church.

            Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of August 30, 2015 has been posted. Click here to see it.

The calendar on the website has been updated with all events for the coming week along with prayer intention information and information on the second collection for all of the masses. Take some time to look at our calendar here.

Updates are also being made to our St. Landry Catholic Church blog. You can get to the blog from the church home page under the Bulletins and News section or you can just click here to go to it.

Don't forget, we're also sending out live updates via Twitter. Our Twitter name is StLandryCath. You can see updates by clicking here.

And we're also on Facebook --- friend us! You can see our updates on our page SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- over six years ago. This mass, 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our four hundredth (400th!!) podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father James Brady.

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

Bulletin for the Week of August 23, 2015 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

At the time of this writing, the sanctuary floor is partially installed, and I think that it looks beautiful.  The red carpet has been completely removed and replaced, and I think the new colors look great!  I hope by the time this bulletin is published, that all the new flooring will be nearly completed.  Our planned timing is that we will be putting the finishing touches on the project this week and that it will be completed sometime during the week.

One of the regular questions that has come up in the five years that I've been pastor is whether or not there are tombs located under the main aisle carpet that had been covered when the carpet was installed.  We checked...and there are no markings on the floor under the carpet.  I forgot to take pictures...let the conspiracy theories begin!!

At the last Parish Advisory Board Meeting we elected new officers to serve for the upcoming year.  Sharon Ortego was elected Chairperson (Sharon served as Vice-Chair last term), Harry Ragas was elected Vice-Chairperson, and Lori Briggs was elected Secretary for a second year.  Our outgoing chairperson is Dirk Boudreaux who remains on the council. Thanks to all of them for their willingness to serve our church parish!

Registration continues for our sacramental preparation programs (1st Communion (2nd Grade) and Confirmation (High School Juniors)) as well as our CCD catechism program for first grade through high school juniors.  Please be sure to register if you plan to enroll for the classes.

Music at the 5 pm Sunday Mass

Our youth choir has been singing once a month since Christmas, and it has developed to the point where it will be able to provide the music for our 5 pm Sunday Mass every weekend.  It is an exciting development for us and we look forward to hearing our young people using their God given gifts to praise Him with their voices and help to praise Him as well!

In that regard, this Sunday will be the last Mass for Curt Miller to provide the music at the 5 pm Sunday Mass.  Curt has done a wonderful job and we want to thank him for bringing his talents and gifts to our church and providing music that has enhanced our worship over the years.  If you see Curt, please be sure to let him know how much we appreciate his efforts.

            Father James Brady


LT. FATHER VERBIS LAFLEUR

A MEMORIAL MASS honoring Fr. Lafleur will be celebrated on 9/7/15 @ 6:30 PM… Main Celebrant and Homilist will be Archbishop Timothy Broglio from the US Military Archdiocese. Please make every effort to attend!

      Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of August 23, 2015 has been posted. Click here to see it.

The calendar on the website has been updated with all events for the coming week along with prayer intention information and information on the second collection for all of the masses. Take some time to look at our calendar here.

Updates are also being made to our St. Landry Catholic Church blog. You can get to the blog from the church home page under the Bulletins and News section or you can just click here to go to it.

Don't forget, we're also sending out live updates via Twitter. Our Twitter name is StLandryCath. You can see updates by clicking here.

And we're also on Facebook --- friend us! You can see our updates on our page SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- over six years ago. This mass, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and ninety 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 August 16, 2015 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Last weekend was a wonderful experience for our church community.  The altar, by all accounts, is beautiful and fits into our church sanctuary in both size and style.  As with any project of this nature, there were some bumps along the way, and all who were involved were devoted and flexible in their roles in making the installation possible.  As with any undertaking of this size, there are many people to thank.

So we thank those who helped last week in making the altar installation a success and our liturgy dedicating it a meaningful and touching event for so many.  Insofar as logistics and installation are concerned, we owe a debt of gratitude to the following, without whose hard work and dedication the installation would not have been possible:

• Courvelle Toyota, who provided logistical support for the installation;
• Leonard Bertrand General Contractors, Inc. who provided the preparatory work;
• Carpetland, Inc., who provided preparatory work;
• Phil Borel, sound expert, who provided logistical support;
• J.C. Stone Experts, out of Houston, Texas, who installed the altar;
• The Gatz Home and Garden, St. Michaels, MD from whom we purchased the altar and helped design it;
• Deacon Joubert, who coordinated the installation with the contractors;
• Our office staff, who took on extra work in administrating The Sanctuary Campaign;
• Our maintenance staff, who also took on extra work and provided support to the contractors while on the premises; 
• Fr. Jaison and our brothers and sisters at Holy Ghost, who provided a place for our daily Masses during installation.

Insofar as the Dedication Mass is concerned, we want to acknowledge and thank Bishop Jarrell for his willingness to come and celebrate with us, and also the following:

• Deacon Joubert for coordinating the liturgy and the reception after on our end;
• Deacons Miller and Diesi for their attendance and support;
• Fr. William Blanda and Deacon Jay Bergeron, the bishop's masters of ceremony;
• Our altar servers, readers and other lay ministers who did a wonderful job with a different liturgy;
• Our choir, who provided beautiful music for the liturgy;
• Andrew Guidroz, who was the photographer during the liturgy;
• Our Altar Society (Group 3), who managed to completely clean the church after the installation in time for the Mass.

But most of all, we thank God for his kindness and blessing to us, and you, the members of our parish community, without whose prayers and generosity none of this would have taken place.  Many, Many Thanks!

NEW PHONE SYSTEM
Last month, we installed a new phone system to better serve you.  When you call, please listen to all the options, as you are now able to dial directly all of our office personnel, and if they are not available, to leave a voicemail for them.  The extensions are on the recording, and they will also be placed in the bulletin.  So far, the system has worked well, although there have been a few bugs which we are working to correct.  For now, if you have a problem with the system, please let us know so we can correct it.

      Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of August 16, 2015 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.

Altar Dedication - Homily

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- over six years ago. This mass, the Altar Dedication, is our three hundred and ninety eigth podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Bishop Michael Jarrell.

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

Homily for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- over six years ago. This mass, 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and ninety 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 August 9, 2015 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

This weekend Bishop Jarrell will dedicate our new altar at the 10 am Mass.  It is a very exciting time for our parish! Please join us for the Rite of Dedication as well as the reception that will follow in the Valentin Hall kitchen. The solemn rite of dedication we will celebrate was formerly called the "consecration of an altar," but is now referred to as the "dedication of an altar."  In the rite, the altar is dedicated for the special use of our parish celebrations of the Eucharist.

The word consecration literally means "association with the sacred." The term has various nuanced meanings in different contexts.  A synonym for "to consecrate" is "to sanctify," or to set apart and  make holy.  Obviously, the most important thing we do as a community is worship Jesus as he taught us in the Eucharistic celebration, and we will dedicate the altar specifically for this special purpose.  A beautiful part of the Prayer of Dedication sums up that for which we hope:  Lord, we stand before you in prayer and ask "that you bless this altar built in the house of the Church, that it may ever be reserved for the sacrifice of Christ, and stand for ever as the Lord's table, where your people will find nourishment and strength."

Every dedicated altar has a first class relic of a saint imbedded in it.  It is most preferable, of course, that a relic from the patron in the parish (in our case St. Landry) be used.  We do not have available a relic of St. Landry, so we have chosen to embed in the altar a relic of St. Vincent de Paul.  The relic of St. Vincent de Paul was chosen because he and St. Landry have a common French heritage and they both gave great service to and had great love for the poor.

Next Saturday, August 15, is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Usually it is a holy day of obligation, but since it falls on a Saturday this year the obligation is suspended. As usual, we will have Mass that morning at 8 am, but because of the solemnity, the Mass will be celebrated in the church rather than the Valentin Hall Chapel.

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

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

OF PARTICULAR NOTE…

Our 12:05 WEEKDAY MASSES for 8/10-8/14 will be celebrated @ Holy Ghost Catholic Church to accommodate our Sanctuary Flooring project! Special thanks to Fr. Jaison and the Holy Ghost staff for their gracious hospitality!

      Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of August 09, 2015 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 18th 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 six years ago. This mass, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and ninety 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 August 2, 2015 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

(While Father Brady is away on vacation, he has invited the three Deacons of our parish to be guest contributors. This week we are happy to hear from Deacon Dwayne Joubert!)

Greetings fellow parishioners! I hope that your summer is going well and that you have been able  to find some time for rest and rejuvenation with your families. It is hard to believe that by this time next week many of our area students will already have had their first day of classes! How time flies. I pray that the new school year is fruitful for all.

As most of you know, for the past two years I have been a full time member of the staff here at St. Landry. Over that time my duties have varied and last school year I actually spent time in the classroom as a part time Religion Teacher at Opelousas Catholic in addition to my responsibilities here in the parish. As the demands of our growing parish have increased, Father Brady encouraged me to relinquish that responsibility so that I can be freed to assist him in coordinating the many projects that are underway and are on the horizon for our community. I do intend to continue to assist the administration at OC in any way possible, but the bulk of my time will be spent here in the parish.
In addition to assisting in coordinating  the physical plant projects, my duties include, but are not limited to Director of Religious Education, Youth Coordinator, Liturgy Coordinator and Cemeterian.
The youth programs in our parish are largely in their early stages and continue to grow!. Last school year we re-introduced CCD instruction for our students. About nine months ago our newly formed Youth Choir sang at their first Mass.  We sponsored trips for our youth to attend the Abbey Youthfest as well Steubenville on the Bayou Youth Conference again this year. A couple of weeks ago we held our 2nd Vacation Bible School.  None of these activities would be possible without  the support and prayers of our Pastor and YOU our parish community!   There is more to come… We intend to begin monthly Youth Group Gatherings on Sunday evenings beginning in September. In January of 2016, we are assisting Diocesan efforts in hosting a Youth Rally at Opelousas Catholic (more on that later!), and our Youth Choir’s participation in our liturgies will continue to increase.

This is a very exciting time for our parish and I am humbled to have the opportunity to be a part of it! I continue to grow in my love for you, the parishioners of Saint Landry, and I feel your prayerful support as I try my best to minister to your needs.

My prayers remain with you,

      Deacon Dwayne Joubert

NEW ALTAR!

Installation of our NEW ALTAR is scheduled for the week of 8/3-8/7… This is a very exciting time for us as a Church Community! Bishop Jarrell will be with us to celebrate 10 AM  Mass and Consecrate the Altar on August 9th! There will be a reception following the Mass in Valentin Hall.

WEEKDAY MASS LOCATION!

Our 12:05 WEEKDAY MASSES for the weeks of 8/3-8/7 & 8/10-8/17 will be celebrated @ Holy Ghost Catholic Church to accommodate our New Altar installation and Sanctuary Flooring project! Special thanks to Fr. Jaison and the Holy Ghost staff for their gracious hospitality!

The bulletin for the week of August 02, 2015 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 17th 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 six years ago. This mass, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and ninety 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 July 26, 2015 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

(While Father Brady is away on vacation, he has invited the three Deacons of our parish to be guest contributors. This week we are happy to hear from Deacon Sammy Diesi!)

Of course I am sure that most if not all of you are aware that our pastor Father Jim Brady is on a well-deserved vacation, so me and my fellow deacons were asked by him to fill you in on our duties and ministry responsibilities. Through the wisdom of our pastor, he has delegated different assignments to all of his deacons. Deacon John explained to you last week about his ministry in teaching R.C.I.A. (Right of Christian Initiation for Adults) and teaching his bible classes and next week Deacon Dwayne will fill you in on his many duties and responsibilities. For me, my duties and responsibilities are to reach out to the sick and the aged through hospital and nursing home ministry. Like all clergy, there is no doubt that me and my fellow deacons love what Father Brady has afforded us to do.

Of course as clergy we always need the help of all parishioners especially our laity. It would be wonderful if I could visit all the sick and aged weekly but that would be impossible so we have volunteers who help out with bringing communion to those in the hospital and the homes of those who are shut-in. One thing that you as parishioners could further help with would be to notify the church office when you have a family member or close friend in need of a visit and or anointing. We are so blessed as a parish to have two priests, Msgr. Melancon and Father Brady, who are all too accommodating to do anointings.

Please know that it is my joy to serve you the parish of St. Landry Catholic Church in my role as a deacon but never underestimate your role in helping us bring more souls closer to Christ by what you do and say as a Catholic Christian in the community of believers and also non-believers.

God bless you,

      Deacon Sammy Diesi

NEW ALTAR!

Installation of our NEW ALTAR is scheduled for the week of 8/3-8/7… This is a very exciting time for us as a Church Community! Bishop Jarrell will be with us to celebrate 10 AM  Mass and Consecrate the Altar on August 9th! There will be a reception following the Mass in Valentin Hall.

WEEKDAY MASS LOCATION!

Our 12:05 WEEKDAY MASSES for the weeks of 8/3-8/7 & 8/10-8/17 will be celebrated @ Holy Ghost Catholic Church to accommodate our New Altar installation and Sanctuary Flooring project! Special thanks to Fr. Jaison and the Holy Ghost staff for their gracious hospitality!

The bulletin for the week of July 26, 2015 has been posted. Click here to see it.

The calendar on the website has been updated with all events for the coming week along with prayer intention information and information on the second collection for all of the masses. Take some time to look at our calendar here.

Updates are also being made to our St. Landry Catholic Church blog. You can get to the blog from the church home page under the Bulletins and News section or you can just click here to go to it.

Don't forget, we're also sending out live updates via Twitter. Our Twitter name is StLandryCath. You can see updates by clicking here.

And we're also on Facebook --- friend us! You can see our updates on our page SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- over six years ago. This mass, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and ninety fourth 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 July 19, 2015 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

(While Father Brady is away on vacation, he has invited the three Deacons of our parish to be guest contributors. This week we are happy to hear from Deacon John Miller!)

As of the twenty sixth of June of this year, I have had the honor of serving as deacon in the Roman Catholic Church for thirty eight years. I was the first deacon in the Opelousas area witnessing many weddings, baptizing countless babies, and grownups, and served under a number of great Pastors.

At the present time, my duty at St. Landry Church is the coordinating of the R. C. I. A. program. In the past years we have had the opportunity to welcome many converts into the Church.

Recently, I decided, it was time for me to no longer serve as Deacon during the celebration of the Mass, and devote most of my time to teaching religion. I enjoy serving but there comes a time when one must realize it is time to step down because of physical inabilities.

Fr. Brady recently asked me to begin a bible study class. This is the one thing that I enjoy very much and of course I was anxious to do so. The classes are held on Mondays. One class begins at ten thirty in the morning and the same class will be at six in the evening for those who are unable to attend the morning class. Starting in September we will begin an advanced bible study class. These will also be held on Mondays at the same time as the classes we are having now. The information on the dates will be announced in the bulletin later on this year.

Anyone who may have questions concerning these classes can contact me at 942-2911. I will be more the happy to help you.

      Deacon John Miller

Festival de la Grand Eglise!

On October 10, 2015,  the St. Landry Church Parish community will be hosting the inaugural Festival de la Grande Eglise… (The Festival of the Big Church). Please start spreading the word now to any family and friends who may be interested in joining us on that day to celebrate a homecoming of sorts, as well as get a look at the renovations to our church which should be completed by that time. The festival will have plenty of activities for the young and old alike!  

AMAZING CHURCH!

In a recent online article, 15 Amazing Churches In Louisiana That Will Blow You Away! topping the list at No. #1 is our own  St. Landry Catholic Church! Here’s the link: http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/louisiana/churches-la/

The bulletin for the week of July 19, 2015 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 15th 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 six years ago. This mass, 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and ninety three podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father James Brady.

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

Bulletin for the Week of July 12, 2015 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Before I leave for vacation this afternoon, I just want to update you on the Sanctuary Campaign and the progress of the work.  The work on our two bathrooms has been completed and they are now updated with new tile and appointments.  Many have remarked to me that they had been coming to church here for years and did not know that we had two bathrooms!  The second bathroom is around the corner from the  outside door to the inside bathroom.  The inside bathroom is now much more handicapped friendly after having installed a ramp to get in the outside door, installing a larger inside door, and mounting bars inside the bathroom.  In order to make more room in that bathroom, we moved the baby changing station to the outside bathroom.  The door on the outside bathroom is still a bit tough to fully open and close, but we have a new door on order that will be installed in the near future.  The bathrooms are now all properly marked and we thank Keith Bono for providing the signs.  I think the bathrooms turned out beautifully and the work was definitely a needed update.  From now on, both bathrooms will be opened during weekend Masses.

Insofar as the new altar and the flooring are concerned, installation of the altar will begin on Monday, August 3.  It should be completed by the end of the week.  On Sunday, August 9 Bishop Jarrell is going to come and consecrate the altar at the 10 am Mass.  After Mass, we will have a reception in the Valentin Hall kitchen with light refreshments.  That Monday, August 10, the contractors will begin to install the new flooring, both the tile in the sanctuary and the carpet in the aisle and foyer.  The flooring may not be finished by the end of the week, but will be finished enough so that we can have Mass in the church the weekend of August 15-16.  If necessary, they will finish the floor work the following week.  During those two weeks (Aug. 3-7 and Aug. 10-14) we will have our daily Confessions and 12:05 pm Masses at Holy Ghost.  We thank Fr. Jaison and our brothers and sisters at Holy Ghost for their kindness, generosity, and hospitality!

Once we finish the flooring, then we will continue the campaign work on the sound system, lighting, sacristies, appointments and pew repair.

We did receive three more gifts to the campaign, and would like to acknowledge them here:

• Ryan and Pamela Hooks, In Thanksgiving for their children and grandchildren
• Pat. D. Brown
• The LeBlanc Family, In Memory of Marcel and Patricia Leblanc

As I mentioned above, I'll be leaving for vacation this afternoon and will be out the next two weekends, returning for Masses the weekend of August 1-2.  We will hit the ground running with the altar installation and flooring upon my return.  Again, thank you all so much for your generosity during the campaign, and please keep me in your prayers over the next couple of weeks.  You can be assured you will be in mine.

      Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of July 12, 2015 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 14th 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 six years ago. This mass, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and ninety 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 July 5, 2015 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

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

Despite the current movement away from both the founding principles of our country and our Catholic teaching on virtue and morality (this issue will be addressed in this weekend's homily in light of recent Supreme Court decisions), we are certainly blessed to live in a country where we are able, for now, to freely exercise our faith.  We have been blessed by ancestors who have handed on to us a legacy of freedom and self-governance, a legacy no other modern society has provided for its citizens.

In that regard, let us thank God for those who had the foresight and inspiration to establish such a society, thank God for those who throughout our history have defended and given their life for the way of life we are able to live in their service in our armed forces, and let us renew our devotion to God who has given us this great blessing.  We have been given an opportunity to live a life few other people in human history have been given, and as such we have a greater responsibility to take advantage of these blessings and use them for God's greater glory, especially in living out our Catholic Faith.  Let us continue to pray for our country to become more just, let us do what we can to make our country more just, and let us thank God for the wonderful blessing of living as citizens of this great country.  May God Bless America!

Trees got a "haircut" - Many Thanks!
As many of you have noticed, our beautiful oak trees around the church received a "summer-time haircut."  We have to prune the trees every few years so that they do not damage our buildings and, obviously, for reasons of safety.  Some have expressed concern about the health of the trees in light of the pruning.  Rest assured, according to our arborist, everything has been done that is necessary to properly maintain the trees.  The "haircut" was made possible by the generosity of A.B. and Jan Courvelle, and we are grateful for their generosity and kindness.  Many Thanks!!

      Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of July 05, 2015 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 13th 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 six years ago. This mass, 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and ninety first podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father James Brady.

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

Bulletin for the Week of June 28, 2015 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

The homily this weekend will focus on our young children.  It might be entitled, "Crying Babies, Crying Babies!  What to do?"  One of the joys of the growth of our parish has been our new parishioners who are parents of young children.  There is a certain "life" that is brought to a community when young children are present.  Many commented about their presence at our parish picnic and the joy that their presence brought to our hearts.  Our programs, such as Vacation Bible School, are growing each year (Reminder: Vacation Bible School registration is going on right now).  Pope Francis recently addressed the issue of crying children, referring to children’s tears as “the best sermon.”  The Pope also told parents of young children that “children cry, they are noisy, they don’t stop moving. But it really irritates me when I see a child crying in church and someone says they must go out. God’s voice is in a child’s tears: they must never be kicked out of church.” (emphasis added)

However, many parents of young children have asked what they should do if their child begins to cry at Mass?  The issue for them is to figure out how to be courteous and thoughtful of others during Mass, as well as reverent in the church.  That issue will be addressed in the homily this weekend, as well as how others in the congregation can respond in a charitable way by listening to what the Pope tells us is "the best sermon."  A good article on this was published last year in the Catholic Herald (UK) which is still available online.  I tried to get permission to reprint the article, but was unable to do so, so here's the link:

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2014/09/12/what-should-you-do-when-a-child-starts-crying-during-mass/


How Time Flies!
Last week marked my fifth anniversary of being your pastor. How time flies!! As with any church community, we've had our joys and sorrows over the last five years, as well as our successes and bumps in the road. Over that time we've said "good-bye" to people we love with the hope of seeing them again in Heaven, and we've welcomed with joy new members to community who were baptized into our church.  We've had all the experiences in between: First Confessions and Communion, Confirmations, Weddings, Anointings  of the Sick, etc.  My hope, as your pastor, is that in all these experiences, whether joyful or not, we've all grown closer to Jesus over the last five years as we ourselves continue our journey towards the destination of eternal life. In the end, that's all that really matters.

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

Sanctuary Project - Please mark the date!!
I am very excited to announce that we have a date for the installation of our new altar, and therefore a date for its consecration.  The altar will be installed during the week of August 3, 2015, and the consecration will take place at the 10am Mass on August 9.  Bishop Jarrell has graciously agreed to preside at the consecration.  A reception will follow the consecration Mass.  The following week, our new flooring will be installed in the sanctuary, the aisle and the foyer.  More information will be provided next week to update you on our Sanctuary Campaign construction.

Again, Many Thanks!  

      Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of June 28, 2015 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 Twelfth 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 six years ago. This mass, 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and ninetieth podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father James Brady.

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

Bulletin for the Week of June 21, 2015 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Happy Father's Day! Many thanks to all our devoted father's who lead and guide their families by teaching and example.  The ultimate goal is to make our way to Christ, and thus to God, the Father. We pray that in their fatherly vocation they always stay focused on true good for their families, which is the salvation of the souls entrusted to their care. Again, Happy Fathers Day!

At St. Landry Church, our patron St. Landry serves as a "father" of sorts to our church family. We celebrated the feast of our patron, St. Landry, on June 10. He is a wonderful patron for us in both his teaching and example, and as we learn more about him, we can learn more about what our goals should be as a church community.  His life has a great similarity to what Pope Francis is calling us to be, servers of God's people, both in word and deed.

It is important to note that there were actually four St. Landrys: (1) Saint-Bishop Landry of Sées (c.405 – 480), in the Basse-Normandie region of France; (2) Saint Landry of (Soignies) Belgium also known as Saint Landry of Metz (c. 622 – 700); (3) Saint Landry of Savoy, (1012 – 1050) was a Benedictine monk of Novalise in Savoy; and (4) Saint Landry, Bishop of Paris, also known as St. Landry the Confessor. Our church in Opelousas is named after this fourth St. Landry.

In 650, during the reign of Clovis II, Saint Landry succeeded Audobertus as Bishop of Paris. During the famine of 650-51, Saint Landry sold all of his personal possessions, as well as some of the furniture and sacred vessels of the church, to feed the poor. In 651, Saint Landry, Bishop of Paris, founded a hospital, dedicated to St. Christopher, near the Cathedral of Notre Dame (which hospital later developed into the Hôtel-Dieu de Paris). This hospital is still in operation today, and on our parish pilgrimage two years ago we were able to see the building.  Shortly after our visit, it was decided that the building could no longer be used as a hospital, so it will serve another purpose in the future.

Saint Landry built the original church of St. Germain l'Auxerrois, which became the parish of the kings of France. Saint Landry served as Bishop of Paris until his death, which occurred in 661. He was buried in the Church of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois in Paris, and today you can see his statue and frescos painted in St. Landry’s Chapel at Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois (we saw these on our pilgrimage, as well).

Let us remember to ask our patron to intercede for us in prayers for our church parish, as well call upon his intercession in time of need.  St. Landry, pray for us!!
 Father James Brady

WELCOME SEMINARIAN MICHAEL VIDRINE

The staff and parishioners welcome Mr. Michael Vidrine as our summer seminarian. Following is his brief bio.
I was born on April 10, 1996 to Darlene and Kirby Vidrine. I grew up in Palmetto, with 5 brothers and 3 sisters, attending St. John the Evangelist church parish in Melville. I was home schooled until high school, then I attended and graduated from John Paul the Great Academy in Lafayette. In the fall semester following my graduation from high school, I started at St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, where I just completed my first year of seminary. If it is the Lord's holy will, I will be ordained a priest in the summer of 2022, but in any case, I am very grateful to be at the beautiful church of St. Landry for my first summer assignment.

APPRECIATION

This weekend marks the 5th anniversary of Father Brady as our Pastor and Shepherd. May the Lord continue to bless our parish with him as Pastor. Please join us for coffee, juice and donuts, in the south sacristy, after the 8:00 am and 10:00 am Masses. If you are not able to do so, then greet Fr. Brady outside the Church after all Masses.

      Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of June 21, 2015 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 Eleventh 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 six years ago. This mass, 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and eighty 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 June 14, 2015 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Although we have been celebrating Ordinary Time at our daily Masses, this is the first Sunday that we've celebrated a Mass in Ordinary Time in our Sunday liturgy.  This is an indicator that we are now solidly into the summer season, and with that comes our summer activities here at the church.

Our young people will be travelling later this month to "Steubenville on the Bayou" in Houma, which will be held from June 26th-28th.  Deacon Joubert will be leading the group, with the able assistance of his wife, Mary, and our seminarian, Michael Vidrine.  There still may be room available if any of our young people ( those who are entering 9th grade through those who have just graduated) are interested.  Please contact Deacon Joubert if you would like to go or would like further information.

Our Vacation Bible School will be the week of July 13th through July 17th.  It is a week of learning about the bible and our Catholic faith for our elementary school age children.  It is both educational and fun.  Please call the office or Deacon Joubert if you would like to register or need additional information.

Finally, RCIA registration will begin later this summer.  If you know anyone who is interested in becoming Catholic, please encourage them to attend the program.  The program is also helpful for those who simply want to learn more about their Catholic faith or those who would like to be Confirmed (there is a shorter Adult Confirmation program that begins after the first of the year as well).  The RCIA program extends through the Fall and Winter, and those in the program will receive their Sacraments at the Easter Vigil Mass in March.

Sanctuary Light

Now that our sanctuary light has been re-installed, I'd like to provide a few notes about it's history, and to thank those who provided the previous sanctuary light.  The previous sanctuary light, which has been used for more than a decade, was donated by Mrs. Lorraine Dupuis, In Memory of B.D. Dupuis.  We thank the Dupuis family for their generosity and kindness in donating the sanctuary light.  It hasn't been retired, though.  It will still be used in the chapel in Valentin Hall, where we have our First Friday Eucharistic Adoration, weekly Saturday morning Mass, and is also a place for people to come and pray during the day.  The re-installed sanctuary light now hanging was originally donated by the Sandoz Family.  It was restored by one of our parishioners, and the bracket was donated by Lucius Doucet and Rose Boulet.  Many thanks to all!

Sanctuary Campaign

Two weeks ago I mentioned in my homily that last weekend we would finish our Sanctuary Campaign acknowledgments.  I was wrong...we had a number of donations in the last week of the campaign that necessitated us doing one more acknowledgment insert this weekend (a good problem to have!).  With the additional donations, we did exceed $150,000 for the campaign.  Again, Many Many Thanks!

      Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of June 14, 2015 has been posted. Click here to see it.

The calendar on the website has been updated with all events for the coming week along with prayer intention information and information on the second collection for all of the masses. Take some time to look at our calendar here.

Updates are also being made to our St. Landry Catholic Church blog. You can get to the blog from the church home page under the Bulletins and News section or you can just click here to go to it.

Don't forget, we're also sending out live updates via Twitter. Our Twitter name is StLandryCath. You can see updates by clicking here.

And we're also on Facebook --- friend us! You can see our updates on our page SaintLandryCatholicChurch.

Homily for Corpus Christi

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

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

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

Bulletin for the Week of June 7, 2015 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, commonly referred to as "Corpus Christi." In this solemnity, we celebrate the continuing gift God gives to us in the Eucharist, the gift of His very own Presence, His very own self.  It is the gift that feeds us and strengthens us to cooperate with His grace to live a Christian life.

Sunday after the 10 am Mass we will have a special devotion to the Eucharist in celebration of this feast. Following Mass we will have a Eucharistic procession in the church and then silent Eucharistic adoration for the afternoon. Benediction and re position will take place at 3:45 pm. I hope everyone is able to spend some quiet time in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament Sunday afternoon. The Eucharist is the "source and summit" of our sacramental faith, and our devotion to Jesus cannot be complete without devotion to His Grace and presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

It is also significant to note that in years past behavior in our churches generally reflected the reverence we should have when in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. It seems we were more properly attired, were quiet and were attentive to the fact that we were in the presence of God when entering a Catholic Church. This reverence was also an act of good manners in that those praying were not disturbed or distracted in their prayers by others. Reverent behavior is a reminder to us of the awe we should have in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and God's great love for us, His creatures, in calling each of us to live a life in Christ. This weekend, as we celebrate Corpus Christi, let us also reflect on our behavior in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament not only this weekend, but at all times we are in a church or chapel, and if we need, to adjust our behavior to properly honor and reverence the presence of God in the Eucharist.

BISHOP JARRELL RESIGNS

As many of you know, all bishops, upon their 75th birthday, must submit a letter of resignation.  Bishop Jarrell, a native son of St. Landry Church and bishop of our diocese, turned 75 last month and has submitted his letter of resignation.  For now, nothing will change until the letter of resignation is accepted, and we do not know exactly when that will be.  It is a good time for us to reflect on the gift that the apostolic tradition and episcopacy is to us in general, but also specifically the gift that Bishop Jarrell has been to us and our diocese.  He has guided our diocese with a steady hand for some 13 years, exhibiting both prudence and wisdom.  His love for the people entrusted to him has been evident in his tireless devotion year in and year out.  Every now and then I get a glimpse of his life and schedule when trying to schedule something with him, and wonder how he does so much with both vigor and good cheer.  Despite the demands on him, he has always been generous with his time and service.  He will be greatly missed by our diocese and by me personally.  One particular gift  to me was my assignment here at St. Landry, for which I will always be grateful to him.

For now, Bishop Jarrell still has work to do until his resignation is accepted.  However, during this time we should thank God for the gift that he has been to us and pray for his smooth transition when the time comes.  We should also keep in prayer during this time our new bishop as yet unknown.

      Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of June 07, 2015 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.