Bulletin for the Week of February 1, 2015 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, and of our young adults for their reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation. We have approximately 20 of our children preparing for their First Confession and First Communion, and about 20 more of our young adults preparing for Confirmation.  This time of year is a good time for us as 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 and mission 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 great joy and thanksgiving for all of us!

There are several other upcoming activities about which you should know.  We will administer the Anointing of the Sick at the 4pm Mass next Saturday, February 7 in conjunction with the World Day of the Sick (which is The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes on February 11).  Please see the announcement below for details about it.  Anointing of the Sick, of course, is also available at any time for those in need.  Just call the office to set up a time for a visit.

Lent is also just around the corner (Ash Wednesday is February 18), so we should be making preparations for our prayer, almsgiving and fasting.  Weekly activities that we currently have at St. Landry that can help us with our prayer life during Lent, or any other time of year, are:

Tuesdays at 6pm:  Come, Lord Jesus! (Prayer and Scripture Study focused on Sunday's Gospel      Reading);
Wednesdays at 5:45am:  That Man Is You! (Presentation and Discussion on Men's Spirituality);
Wednesdays at 5:15pm:  Come, Lord Jesus! (Prayer and Scripture Study focused on Sunday's First Reading).

In addition, we will be adding this year a traditional Bible Study Class on Monday evenings at 6pm.  An introduction to the course will be held at 6pm in Valentin Hall on Monday, February 9.  The course will be introductory and designed to be helpful to beginners and those who regularly study the bible.  The course is Jeff Cavin's "A Quick Journey Through the Bible," which provides an introduction and overview of the bible from a Catholic perspective.

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 Sunday afternoons, with Confirmation taking place at the Easter Vigil on April 19, 2014.  Please call Deacon Diesi at the office for more details.  Let's hope that in these activities we can come to greater knowledge and love of Our Savior during the Lenten Season.

World Day of the Sick

The week after next, on February 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, we will mark the World Day of the Sick.  The focus of this remembrance is prayer for healing and the redemptive value of suffering.  In conjunction with this day, we will offer Anointing of the Sick at the 4pm Mass on February 7 for those who suffer from a serious illness or are infirmed due to age.  If you or someone you know would like to receive the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, please make plans to come to this Mass.  If one is unable to walk up to Communion at regular Masses, then they should sit in the pews marked and reserved at the front of the church.  This is a wonderful way for us as a community to support and pray for those who suffer from illness or the burden of years, and for them to receive the Grace of strength to bear their burden in the light of the salvation of the world and the hope for eternal life.

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of February 01, 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 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 five years ago. This mass, The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and sixty fifth podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father James Brady.

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

Bulletin for the Week of January 25, 2015 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

On Thursday of last week we marked the 42nd anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which required states to legalize abortion. Since that date, some 50 plus million children were never given the opportunity to live the life God intended to give them, something we may take for granted.  Science is slowly but surely catching up to what we have always known in faith, that life begins at the time of conception and should be nurtured and protected from that time, just like any human being who has been born.  In this day and age, the value of human life and its dignity is not fully recognized by the world in general, nor in our society in particular.  It would be naive and foolish to believe that many of our recent tragic events which we all mourn as a nation, whether it be terrorism or school shootings, are not related to this lack of respect for human life in general.  Let's do our best in word and action to help change the minds and hearts of all, to respect and cherish all human life as the gift from God that it is, and to respect and dignify all people not only in the big things, but in the little things.

The Catholic Church has been in the forefront of the movement to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. More importantly, though, our Church has been in the forefront of trying to change the minds and hearts of individuals and our society about abortion.  We do this in several ways, not the least of which is to publicly protest the injustice of abortion.  In that regard, last week a group of students from Opelousas Catholic and other groups from our area traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Pro-Life Rally and March for Life.  The March for Life is the longest sustained annual civil rights protest in our nation.  Not all of us can travel to Washington, D.C. each year, so many of us also participated in our local march here in Opelousas this weekend.

On a more personal level, and in Christian charity, we all have a duty to help those who participate or have participated in abortion to see the immorality of the act, be they the mothers, the fathers, the doctors or the nurses.  If we know someone considering an abortion, we should try to persuade them to give life to their child.  We should not be afraid to voice the right thing to do and try to persuade their hearts and minds.  Additionally, we have a duty to help those who have participated in abortion to heal, especially on a spiritual level, as no sin is greater than God's mercy.  Project Rachel is a diocesan program designed for men and woman who have participated in abortion and tries to provide healing of the wound left by the abortion.  If you know of anyone who might benefit from this program, please inform them of the program's availability so that they, who often are also victims of abortion because of the harm it has done to them, might begin the healing process.  For information, they can call our office or contact the Diocese of Lafayette directly.

Let us do what we can to help our society become more just and loving in its respect of the dignity of all people to whom God has given the gift of life!

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of January 25, 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 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 five years ago. This mass, The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, is our three hundred and sixty 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 18, 2015 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

 Next weekend, we begin Catholic Schools Week, a national celebration of Catholic Education particularly celebrating our Catholic Schools.  The kick-off for the week will be at our 5pm Sunday Mass next weekend, at which time students at Opelousas Catholic will provide the music.  We hope you are able to attend!  Each of our children has a right to a Catholic Education, and this takes several forms: in our Catholic Schools; in home-schooling; and in CCD programs. During Catholic Schools week, we especially celebrate the gift that AIC and Holy Ghost Schools have been to our community, and that Opelousas Catholic continues to be to our community.

Now is also a good time to remember that the first and primary educators of our children are parents.  Proper education of children is both the right and obligation of parents.  It is important that parents transmit to their children by both word and deed the faith that was handed down to them.  Especially important is the teaching by "deed," that is, by example.  No matter what is said or taught about our faith, if there is not a serious and committed effort to practice the faith to go along with the words, the message will be undercut or not taken seriously by our children.  Children may hear what is said, but they more closely watch what is done.  Good parenting requires both, so let us make it our resolve to give both to our children!

The End of an Era at Opelousas Catholic:  Mr. Perry Fontenot

As you may have noticed, a few weeks ago we had a bulletin insert regarding the principal's position at Opelousas Catholic.  The Chancellor of Opelousas Catholic, Msgr. Keith DeRouen, asked that all the local parishes include in their bulletin a notice of job opening for that position because after some 14 years of service Mr. Perry Fontenot, our current principal, has decided to retire at the end of this semester.  Mr. Fontenot began his tenure at a time when Opelousas Catholic was struggling in many areas (as were many private schools), and he has worked diligently over his time as principal to help OC grow and prosper.  He has been devoted in his service to Opelousas Catholic and its children and families.  He has also been most gracious and pleasant to work with in my time as pastor here.  There is no doubt that he leaves Opelousas Catholic in better shape than it was when he arrived, and we are very grateful for his leadership, stewardship and service to our community.  We wish Mr. Fontenot good luck in any future endeavors he may have, and if you get a chance over the next few months, be sure to thank him for his service!

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of January 18, 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 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 five years ago. This mass, The Baptism of the Lord, is our three hundred and sixty third podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Father James Brady.

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

Bulletin for the Week of January 11, 2015 - and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

We come to the end of the Christmas Season today in celebrating the Baptism of the Lord.  The Baptism of Jesus reminds us of our own baptism.  By our Baptism the Gates of Heaven are thrown open to us and we receive the Grace to live a Christian Life.  However, we must cooperate with our Baptismal Grace, that is, we must accept the Grace, as God never forces Himself into our lives.  We dispose ourselves to receive His Grace by undertaking prayer and the study of our faith and by practicing virtue.  In this way, we are "formed" into the life of Christ.  Christian Formation is a combination of study, prayer and worship (both formal and in the lives we lead) that directs and leads us towards Christ.

Our church parish provides opportunities for such activities.  We have two Come, Lord Jesus! groups that meet on Tuesday's at 6pm and Wednesday's at 5:15pm.  These groups combine prayer and scripture study that focuses on the Mass readings for the following Sunday.  For men, we have the "That Man is You" program directed by Deacon Joubert and meets Wednesday mornings at 5:45am.  Also, I highly recommend a yearly retreat for all as part of our continuing formation.  We have two groups, one men's and one women's, who make the retreat each year at Our Lady of the Oaks in Grand Coteau.  The dates of the retreats are in early March for the men and the week before Mother's Day for the women. Please call Andrew Guidroz for the men's retreat at 351-0732 and Yvonne Normand at 308-3474 for the women's retreat.  Let's make 2015 a year of faith for each and every one of us!

The Sanctuary Project Update

Just a note about the progress of the work on the Sanctuary Project.  I am happy to inform you  that we have completed the outside bathroom and it is ready to use.  It turned out beautifully, and we look forward to having the inside bathroom looking as good.  In that regard, we will begin construction on the inside bathroom this Spring.  It will not be usable during construction, so during that time we will use the outside bathroom.

On the flooring and the altar, our time frame has changed a bit.  The flooring experts recently recommended that we install the altar first and then tile around it so that the weight of the altar is not on the tile, as this could affect the expansion joints between the tiles.  Therefore, we are designing and ordering the altar now, and it will take 4-6 months to arrive.  Therefore, the tile may be installed closer to Summer time.

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of January 11, 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 Epiphany

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- over five years ago. This mass, The Epiphany, is our three hundred and sixty 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 4, 2015

The Pastor’s Corner 

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

As we continue to celebrate Christmastide this weekend, we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord this Sunday. Traditionally, this feast was celebrated on January 6, ending the "twelve days"  of Christmas.  However, we now celebrate it liturgically on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8.  "Ephiphany" comes from a Greek verb meaning "to reveal."

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

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

A Word of Welcome to Fr. Jerry Mesley

I am pleased to announce that Fr. Jerry Mesley will be coming to live at St. Landry for the next month or two prior to his departure to New Mexico.  Fr. Mesley is well known to many of you because of his many years of service to our area during his yearly trip to south Louisiana.  We are so pleased to have the blessing of Fr. Mesley's presence during his time here, and please be sure to welcome him when you see him around the church.

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

The bulletin for the week of January 04, 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 Holy Family

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

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

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

Bulletin for the Week of December 28, 2014

The Pastor’s Corner 

Merry Christmas!!  Today we begin our celebration of Christmas, and over the next 8 days celebrate the Octave of Christmas, ending on the Feast Day of Mary, the Mother of God (January 1st).  Of course, we celebrate today in a special way, it being the day of the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  However, we continue to celebrate the Christmas Season until the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord on January 11, 2015.  Just another reminder that much of the secular world will be finished with Christmas by tomorrow morning, but we continue to celebrate the Mystery of the Incarnation for more than two weeks.  Our Blessed Mother reflected on the marvel of the Incarnation in her heart (Luke 2:19). So should we.  Please also remember that the feast day of Mary, the Mother of God (Jan. 1st) is also a holy day of obligation, so we attend Mass that day just as if it were a Sunday.  I look forward to seeing you all then.

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

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

I also want to thank you for your generosity, especially over the last few weeks. The number of cards, the amount of food, and the Christmas gifts you have dropped by was both generous and humbling.  I will try to thank you individually when we see each other.  In the meantime, please know of my thanks and appreciation for the Christmas gifts and for all you have done for me and our parish, not only during the past few weeks, but ever since I arrived.

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

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

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

December 31, 2014, Wednesday @ 12:05pm

(Regular weekday Mass)

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

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

     

The bulletin for the week of December 28, 2014 has been posted. Click here to see it.

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

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

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

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

Homily for Christmas

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

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

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

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Advent

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

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

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

Bulletin for the Week of December 21, 2014

The Pastor’s Corner 

Today we celebrate the fourth and final Sunday of Advent.  As the time celebrating the birth of our Savior approaches, we should intensify our preparation and anticipation of celebrating the Incarnation of our Lord.  This Fourth Sunday of Advent reminds us of our "call" by God to a mission here on earth, just like our Blessed Mother at the Annunciation in our Gospel reading today.  The goal of our life on earth is to fulfill the mission God has given to us, whether it be as wife, husband, single person, mother, father or religious.  God created us for this mission, but he made us free, so we are able to accept or reject the role God has given us in His overall plan of salvation as well as His plan for OUR salvation.  If we allow God to speak to us through the life of Jesus, not only this week, but at all times, then we can discern what is truly good for us in our lives.  Whatever mission God has for us, He will provide the Grace to accomplish it.  Once we determine what God is asking, then we decide whether or not to accept His invitation. During this last week in Advent, as we prepare for and anticiplate the coming of Jesus to the world, in our prayer let us put ourselves in a position to hear God's voice and accept the Graces Jesus gives us to fulfill our mission.

This week we also begin to celebrate Christmas.  Of course, we celebrate Christmas Day on Thursday in a special way, it being the birthday of Jesus.  However, we continue to celebrate the Christmas Season until the Baptism of the Lord, which is celebrated on January 11, 2015.  For the most part, the secular world will be finished with Christmas by the day after.  We, on the other hand, will continue to celebrate the Mystery of the Incarnation for more than two weeks.  Our Blessed Mother reflected on the marvel of the Incarnation in her heart (Luke 2:19).  So should we.  Let's not just enjoy Christmas Day, but the Christmas Season.

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

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

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

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

Christmas Season Mass Schedule

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

     

The bulletin for the week of December 21, 2014 has been posted. Click here to see it.

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

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

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

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

Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

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

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

Bulletin for the Week of December 14, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner - and Christmas Season Schedule

The Pastor’s Corner 

Today, we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. "Gaudete" is the Latin word for "rejoice." This weekend, we "lighten up" a little bit from the work of our Advent preparation to anticipate and rejoice the coming of the gift of The Incarnation at Christmas. This continuing gift of Christ is already present now in the lives we lead in imitation of Christ. The gift comes again this year in our continued change to more closely configure our lives to Jesus' life, that is, in our continuing conversion. To mark this celebration, in our liturgy lighter colored vestments can be used rather than the usual Advent violet, so rose colored vestments will be used this weekend.

Considering this is a time when we should rejoice because of the events that give rise to our salvation, it is good to remember that our goal is to live our Christian vocation with joy. At times, we might feel like our faith is a burden, but in reality it truly frees us from slavery to sin and frees us to grow closer to God. We should always rejoice and give thanks to God for the gift of faith that he has given to each of us in our journey of life!

New Memorial Plaques of Previous Pastors

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

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

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

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

Christmas Season Mass Schedule

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

     

The bulletin for the week of December 14, 2014 has been posted. Click here to see it.

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

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

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

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

Homily for the Second Sunday in Advent

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

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

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

Bulletin for the Week of December 7, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

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

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

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

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of December 07, 2014 has been posted. Click here to see it.

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

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

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

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

Homily for the First Sunday of Advent

Homilies are now available to download and listen to!

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

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

The current week's homily is available on a link on the front page of the website next to the link for the current week's bulletin. On the page with the prior bulletins, the corresponding homily will be sitting side by side with its bulletin. We started on the anniversary of the start of the Catholic Church, Pentecost Sunday --- over five years ago. This mass, the First Sunday of Advent, is our three hundred and fifty fifth podcast to be posted. The homily is given by Deacon Dwayne Joubert.

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

Bulletin for the Week of November 30, 2014 and the Pastor's Corner

The Pastor’s Corner 

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

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

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

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

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

      God Bless

      Father James Brady

     

The bulletin for the week of November 30, 2014 has been posted. Click here to see it.

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

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

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

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