Uptown New Orleans Catholic Church on Napolean Avenue - Monsignor Nalty
Rectory 504-899-1378 | Fax 504-899-0480
School 504-891-1927
ststephenpar@archdiocese-no.org
From the Pastor – October 1, 2022
The Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” (Lk 17:5)
By the time the Apostles have gotten to the 17th Chapter of Luke’s Gospel, they’ve seen Jesus do a lot of things. They’ve seen a miraculous catch of fish. They’ve seen Jesus expel demons. They’ve seen Him heal a mother-in-law, a leper, a paralytic, a man with a withered hand, a servant, a woman with a hemorrhage, a crippled woman and a man with dropsy. They’ve seen Jesus calm a storm, feed 5000 people and raise two children from the dead. At this point, they realize that Jesus has some pretty serious authority. And out of all the things they can ask for, they ask him for one thing: “increase our faith.”
What is it about “faith” that is so important to the Apostles? There are two ways that we understand faith in the context of the Apostles. It’s an obedient trust in God, and it’s an understanding of the content of what we believe through Divine Revelation. And the Apostles knew that they needed both. They needed a more confident trust in God, and they needed more understanding of the signs that Jesus was performing. And it was the one thing they wanted.
As we celebrate Respect Life Sunday this weekend, we might ask for the same thing. Most of us haven’t spent a lot of time researching the history of Divine Revelation, but we understand what our Catholic faith teaches about the crime of abortion. It’s not complicated at all. Every biological textbook in use in each university in the world tells us that human life begins at conception. That’s not a matter of faith; that’s a biological fact. Each of us began the same way. We weren’t a different person when we were in the womb; we were just a smaller person. And what does Divine Revelation tell us about human life? The 5th Commandment says: thou shalt not kill. We know that there are certain times when a killing might be justified – like in self-defense. But there is no justification for the killing of innocent children. It’s not a “choice.”
And we also can ask for the second understanding of faith: obedient trust in God. That’s why married couples love each other without holding back. That’s why a pregnant woman sees her baby as a blessing, rather than an “intrusion.” That’s why a mother who has had an abortion experiences such pain and sorrow, and must be embraced by the Church as one of its wounded members.
And that’s why those of us with no stake in the argument take part in the greatest moral struggle of our time. We know that every human life is precious, unique, with a God-given soul. That is why we pray and sacrifice for all those involved in abortion. That is why we take an active part in the pro-life movement —to help women make the right choice for life. That is why we vote for pro-life candidates who will support pro-life judges. We are called to know our faith, and most of all, we are called to live it.
(Rev. Msgr.) Christopher H. Nalty
msgr.nalty@gmail.com
Religious Education
We offer C.C.D. (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) classes for grades 1 – 3. Classes meet on Sunday mornings 9:20-10:20, beginning September 18, and follow the academic calendar. Please register with the parish office or Phillip Bellini at pbellini@archdiocese-no.org.
What We Believe:
The Beauty of the Catholic Church
Adult education classes begin Wednesday, September 14 at 6:30pm. The Catholic Church is extraordinary. Founded by Christ himself, the Catholic
Church is where we encounter God in his Word, his sacraments, and his saints. The Church faithfully proclaims the fullness of faith, leaving no truth out. It proclaims the fullness of life, leaving no person out. It calls all to repent and to believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the source of all life and salvation. Maybe you’ve been Catholic your entire life. Maybe you’re just beginning to explore the Catholic Faith. Wherever you may be in your journey, you will be profoundly moved by the beauty and the richness of the Catholic Church.
R.C.I.A. is a process of reflection, prayer, instruction, discernment, and formation for those who wish to come into full communion with the Catholic Church. Catholics are also invited to attend to further their religious education. Classes begin Thursday, September 22 at 7:00pm.
Masses
St. Stephen
Saturday Vigil at 4:00 pm
Sunday at 8:00 am and 10:30 am
Sunday at 5:00 pm at OLGC
Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC)
Center of Jesus the Lord
Charismatic Mass
Sunday at 10 am
Weekdays Masses
Monday – Friday 6:30 am St. Henry
Tuesdays 6:00 pm St. Stephen
First Fridays 6:00 pm Latin Mass
First Fridays 7:00 pm (OLGC)
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Tuesdays 4:45 – 5:45pm St. Stephen
Thursdays 7:00 – 8:00am St. Henry
First Fridays 8:00 – 9:00pm OLGC
Confession Times at Good Shepherd
Saturdays 3:00 – 3:45pm St. Stephen
Sundays 9:30 – 10:15am St. Stephen
Sundays 10:00 – 10:30am OLGC
First Fridays 6:30 – 7:00pm OLGC
St. Francis of Assisi – Blessing of the Pets
October 9 at Noon
Feast Day – October 4
Many of the stories that surround the life of St. Francis of Assisi deal with his love for animals. Part of his appreciation of the environment is expressed in his Canticle of the Sun, a poem written in Umbrian Italian in perhaps 1224 which expresses a love and appreciation of Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Mother Earth, Brother Fire, etc. and all of God’s creations personified in their fundamental forms. Francis’ attitude towards the natural world, while poetically expressed, was conventionally Christian. He believed that the world was created good and beautiful by God but suffers a need for redemption because of the primordial sin of man. He preached the universal ability and duty of all creatures to praise God (a common theme in the Psalms) and the duty of men to protect and enjoy nature as both the stewards of God’s creation and as creatures ourselves. On Sunday, October 9th, all pets are invited into the courtyard between the church and the school at 12:00 noon, after the 10:30am Mass for the Blessing of the Pets. Please make sure that your pets can play “nice” before bringing them over!
Rosary Congress Basilica of St. Stephen October 3-4, 2022
The first Rosary Congress was held in Poland. Pope John Paul II wanted to visit his native country in 1979. The government with sanctions made the visit impossible. A prayer group went to God in prayer. Through inspiration they came to pray 7 days and nights, with Masses, Eucharistic Adoration and the Rosary hourly at their National Shrine to Our Lady of Czestochowa. On the seventh day, all government sanctions were dropped. The Pope was allowed to visit his native country.
In 1988, The Rosary Congress came to the United States. John Downs, a quadriplegic, was inspired to organize the first Rosary Congress at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington, D.C. Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is patroness of the United States. Imitating the Polish people who prayed at their National Shrine, Our Lady of Czestochowa. All who attended were encouraged to bring this Rosary Congress back to their towns and cities, enabling many to experience these powerful prayers.
In 1989, a New Orleans delegation attended the Second Rosary Congress at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. This idea was brought back to the city. Many organized prayer groups, families and Adoration Chapels in the area agreed to help make this first Rosary Congress a success. The Rosary Congress will be at the Basilica of St. Stephen next Monday, October 3 and Tuesday, October 4. Please sign up in the back of church to take one of the slots to pray next week!
Willwoods Married Couples Retreat
October 8-9, 2022
Would you like to break away with your spouse and spend quality time enriching your marriage? Then join us on our upcoming Married Couples Retreat at the newly renovated St Joseph Abbey’s Christian Life Retreat Center in Covington, LA.
A Married Couples Retreat does not mean that someone is failing but rather it is a falling into the arms of our Lord. It is a weekend dedicated to giving you and your beloved the opportunity to find rest, strength, and enrichment, which is something we all need! A once a year commitment to attending a retreat as a couple is a great habit that will bless and deepen your love for God and each other! You may download a flyer here.
To register call (504) 830-3716 or visit www.FaithandMarriage.org . A suggested donation is requested but not required. Scholarships are available. Cost should never be a reason why a couple cannot make a weekend!
REMINDERS!
WEEKDAY MASS: On Federal holidays the morning Mass at St. Henry Church is moved from 6:30am to 8:00am. Such will be the case on Labor Day, Monday September 5, 2022
SCHOOL MASS: When the school Mass falls on a First Friday, it will be moved to the Thursday before that Friday. Such is the case next week.
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
August 15, 2022 is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but it is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year because it falls on a Monday. Mass will be celebrated at 6:30am at St. Henry Church.
After the Ascension of Jesus, Mary aided the beginnings of the Church by her prayers. In her association with the apostles and several women, we also see Mary by her prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation.
Finally, the Immaculate Virgin preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians: “In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death.”
(THE PARISH OFFICE IS CLOSED FOR THE FEAST)
Retreat for Women Facing Infertility
If you struggle with infertility, you may feel like you’re in a lonely, desert place. But you are not alone! The Archdiocese of New Orleans and Springs in the Desert are partnering to offer a one-day retreat for women on Saturday, August 27 at St. Pius X Catholic Church. Wherever you are on the path of infertility, we invite you to join us for reflections on different aspects of the infertility experience, to receive encouragement and some practical suggestions for strengthening your relationship with God and your spouse, and to pray and share community with others on this same path. The retreat will take place on Saturday, August 27 – St. Pius X Catholic, New Orleans, from 9am until 3pm – Lunch and a light breakfast are provided. Please join us for Mass at 8am in the Church
Learn more and register at https://springsinthedesert.org/nola/ It is our honor to walk with you!
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