Now that the “stay home” orders have been lifted for the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans, we are resuming public Masses. St Stephen Church will look a bit different from the last time you saw it because we are limited in how many people can attend Mass. What that means is that two-thirds of the pews have been “roped off,” so that you can stay 6 feet away from the persons in the pew in front of and behind you. It will be your responsibility to maintain that same distance from those who are in the same pew as you. We are asking singles to please use the side aisles to allow groups of related people to use the main, larger pews. To allow the distribution of Holy Communion to be done in a safe manner, we will only have two ministers distributing. One will be in the normal … [Read more...]
Archives for June 2020
Confessions
Confessions will be heard at the normal parish times in the "bride's room," which is the room adjacent to the rest room near the front of the church. Monsignor Nalty will be seated with his back facing the door. You can use the kneeler six feet behind him or the chair six feet in front of him. If you use the kneeler, please use a provided sanitary wipe to sanitize the kneeler before you leave. Saturdays 3:00 – 3:45pm St. Stephen Sundays 9:30 – 10:15am St. Stephen … [Read more...]
The Immaculate Heart of Mary – June 20, 2020
The Blessed Mother was a true contemplative. Three times in Sacred Scripture we hear about Mary reflecting on events in her life. The first time was at the time of the Annunciation when the Angel Gabriel greeted her with the title “full of grace.” Mary then “pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” (Lk 1:29). Later, after the birth of Jesus, the appearance of the angels and the visit of the shepherds, Mary “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” (Lk 2:19). Then, after Jesus was found in the temple and told Mary, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house.” (Lk. 2:49), Mary again “kept all these things in her heart.” (Lk 2:51). Just as devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a special form of devotion to the Person of Jesus, so the devotion to the … [Read more...]
Prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Friday, June 19, 2020 Margaret Alacoque was born in Burgundy, France on 22 July, 1647. From her early childhood Margaret showed intense love for the Blessed Sacrament, and preferred silence and prayer to childish amusements. During her time before the Blessed Sacrament, Christ even made Himself visually apparent to her. This did not surprise her, because she thought others had the same Divine assistance! Although tempted by the luxuries and distractions of the world, Margaret Mary entered the Visitation Convent in 1572, where her visions became known. Because of her perceived “special status,” she was subjected to many trials to prove her vocation. She showed obedience, humility, and invariable charity towards those who persecuted her. Margaret Mary was inspired by Christ to establish a … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – June 14, 2020
Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.". (Jn 6:51) Today’s Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (“Corpus Christi” in Latin) is a fairly recent addition to the Church calendar, dating from only the 13th century. We know that the Body and Blood of Christ are present at every Mass, but this special feast to honor the Body and Blood of Christ owes its existence to the petitions of a Belgium nun named Juliana of Liège from the 13th century. From a young age, Juliana had a great love for the Blessed Sacrament and longed for a special feast in its honor. Her desire was increased by a vision she had of the Church under the … [Read more...]
From the Pastor – June 7, 2020
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. (Jn 3:16) Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Do you realize that almost all of the “solemnities” and “feasts” of our Church point to an “earthly” event? Think about it. They’re either focused on an event in the life of Christ (His incarnation, His birth, His death, His resurrection, His ascension) or an event in the lives of His Mother, St. Joseph or one of His followers – the Saints. But only one celebration in the Church calendar points to something that can only be described as “other worldly.” That’s Trinity Sunday. It points to a Heavenly Reality – the reality that God is three persons in one God. It’s a mystery that has … [Read more...]
First Friday Mass this Week
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form will be celebrated on First Friday, June 5, 2020 at the Marian Altar in St Stephen Church. There is no need to sign up for this Mass or for any of the daily Masses at St. Stephen or St. Henry Church. … [Read more...]
Ordination of Priests for the Archdiocese of New Orleans!
On Saturday, May 30, 2020, at 10:00 AM at the St. Louis Cathedral, Archbishop Aymond ordained to the Priesthood Sylvester Ugbada Adoga, Luis Carlos Duarte Gonza?lez, and John Daniel Yike for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. All can view the Ordination Mass at www.thedailymass.com. … [Read more...]
