Archives for May 2013

The Christmas Season officially ends after the Mass of the Baptism of Our Lord.  At this point I want to thank all of those who made this Christmas Season so special at Good Shepherd Parish.  Foremost among you are the priests who offered Mass while I was on retreat, those who served the Masses, the lectors, the Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, the music ministry and the Altar Society.  Also, thanks to all who donated poinsettias to decorate our beautiful sanctuary: Academy of the Sacred Heart Students & AlumnaeRalph R. Alexis Jr.Rosemary Baeher, Carl J. Galle Jr., Cecelia Muth, James BorrowsBoudreaux & Bergeron FamiliesBetpouey - Dwyer FamiliesMrs. Betty Blum, Mrs. C. VelasquezCleaver & Frederick FamiliesMae ClementionCollier & Gwin FamiliesJames R. … [Read more...]

Excerpts from the Christmas 2009 Homily of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI Urbi et Orbi Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI - Christmas Day, 2009 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and throughout the world, and all men and women, whom the Lord loves! "A light will shine on us this day,the Lord is born for us” (Roman Missal, Christmas, Entrance Antiphon for the Mass at Dawn) The liturgy of the Mass at Dawn reminded us that the night is now past, the day has begun; the light radiating from the cave of Bethlehem shines upon us. The Bible and the Liturgy do not, however, speak to us about a natural light, but a different, special light, which is somehow directed to and focused upon “us”, the same “us” for whom the Child of Bethlehem “is born”. This “us” is the Church, the great … [Read more...]

The teachings of the Church on IndulgencesMany of us have a poor understanding of some of the Church's teachings on sin, forgiveness and punishment for sins. We know that we sin. And we know that we can be forgiven if we confess our serious sins (which we are obligated to do as Catholics once a year). But sometimes we don't remember that we will have to suffer some temporal punishment in Purgatory for sins that we have committed – even if we have confessed them. But there is a remedy for that, and it's a powerful one. Jesus gave the Church the power, through St. Peter and his successors, to take away that temporal punishment. The Catholic doctrine of the Communion of Saints teaches that this work of cleansing or sanctification does not have to be done entirely by the person directly … [Read more...]

A Statement from Most Rev. Gregory Aymond, Archbishop of New OrleansDuring this flu season, I wish to remind everyone to use reasonable caution while celebrating Mass.  At the Sign of Peace you may extend your hand as usual or the “Sign of Peace” can be expressed verbally without physical contact.  Those who chose to use verbal expression only, should be treated with respect and understanding.For communion, Jesus Christ is fully present in the consecrated Eucharistic bread and wine.  Catholics are not required to take communion from the cup.  If someone has a cold or flu symptoms, it would be advisable to refrain from the cup.I am also asking pastors to make provisions for clergy and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to cleanse their hands before and after communion. Most … [Read more...]

There will be a reception and a viewing of the new cross on Friday, November 13 from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. at the studios of Thomas Bruno located at 3501 Tchoupitoulas Street.  The reception is open to all parishioners.  We want to especially thank our “Spirit Givers,” whose generous contributions made it possible to have such a beautiful reminder of our faith on top of the tallest steeple in New Orleans.  Many gave “In Memory” of someone else, so here is the list of the names that will be on the cross:Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Ballard, IIIIn Memory of the Bergeron & Boudreaux FamiliesPhilip & Ella BoudreauxMatalain & Emma CarvilleRobert & Druscilla CharleboisChisesi FamilyIn Memory of Mae Colgan ClementinoThe Howell Crosby FamilyRonnie DemilioIn Memory of Louis J. Derbes, … [Read more...]

The cross now standing in the back of our church (I hope it's there as I write this!) is the culmination of nearly a year of work. As many of you know, cross now on the steeple lost an arm during Hurricane Gustav. When the arm came down, we found that it had been made of steel piping wrapped with cypress wood and covered with a copper flashing. Although certainly durable and well made, the cross didn't have any great artistic value. When I arrived here on November 1, 2008 , one of the items on my desk was the insurance estimate for either repairing or replacing the cross in an amount of $30,000. In examining the estimate, I noticed that only about $500 was for the cross itself, and the rest of the money was for the labor and the crane. I thought: “why would we spend $30,000 to replace a … [Read more...]