Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday and Lent Schedule Changes

Sunday, February 16, 2025 8 am and 10 am Sunday, February 23, 2025 8 am and 10 am Mardi Gras Day Mass at St. Henry at 8:00 a.m. There will not be Adoration or Mass on Tuesday evening. Ash Wednesday The distribution of ashes will take place at 8:00 a.m. at St. Henry and 12:00 noon and 6:00 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Stephen. Before the 6:00 p.m. Mass in the church there will be a Holy Hour of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament beginning at 4:45 p.m. … [Read more...]

Stations of the Cross

There will be Stations of the Cross and Confessions on Fridays of Lent at the Basilica of St. Stephen with Confession at 5:30pm and the Stations at 6:00pm.  Remember that Msgr. Nalty is also in the Confessional from 3:00-3:45 pm on Saturdays and 9:00-10:15 am on Sundays. … [Read more...]

5 Benefits of Frequent Confession

It's almost Lent! This season provides us as Catholics an opportunity to "repent and believe in the Gospel." One of the ways we can best do this is by going to Confession, where we have the opportunity to accept the many graces God has in store for us through this beautiful – and often underutilized – Sacrament. But Lent isn't the only time to make Reconciliation part of your schedule. Frequent Confession has so many benefits, including: Confession helps us to better “know thyself.” St. Augustine and countless other saints and doctors of the Church talk about the importance of knowing ourselves well. Through coming to know ourselves better, we realized how fallen we are, and how badly we need God’s help and grace to get through life. Frequent Confession helps remind us to rely on God … [Read more...]

Palm Branches Needed

Each year the blessed palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday are burned to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday. We will burn them on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. Since the palms are blessed, burning is the suitable way to dispose of them. We’ll start asking for them them in February. … [Read more...]

From Americans United For Life

This past legislative session, the pro-life movement faced many challenges including pro-abortion ballot initiatives and legislation targeting pregnancy resource centers. However, several states stood firm in their courageous defense and advocacy for life. For the fifth year in a row, Arkansas is at the top of the Life List as the most pro-life state in America. Continuing in its momentum from last year, Louisiana comes in second after enacting numerous life-affirming laws, including a law that protects unsuspecting pregnant women from the fraudulent provision of chemical abortion drugs. Tennessee secured its spot as the biggest mover on the Life List, advancing from 13th to 6th. The state enacted strong protections against abortion trafficking of minors and allocated funds to pregnancy … [Read more...]

Ya’ Mama was Pro-Life, dawlin’!

On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court legalized abortion throughout the United States in its companion decisions Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. Since that time, millions of children have lost their lives, and millions of women and families have been wounded by abortion. On June 24, 2022, the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned Roe v. Wade, and we praise God for the great opportunity state and federal legislators now have to protect pre-born children. While God, in His mercy, ended the nearly fifty-year nationwide regime of abortion on demand, right now state and federal laws, in many instances, are still hostile to pre-born children. So, great prayer and advocacy is very needed. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), no. 373, designates … [Read more...]

Feast of St. Stephen Mass

Monday, December 26, 2024 at 6 PM175th Anniversary Please join us for Mass on the Feast of St. Stephen, Protomartyr on December 26, 2024 to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the founding of our parish. The Mass will also be the celebration of the Permanent Diaconate, so many of our permanent deacons will be present with their families. Saint Stephen Parish was erected in 1849 by Bishop Antoine Blanc, who invited the Vincentians (Congregation of the Mission) to administer the parish. After outgrowing the original small church built in 1851, the parish made plans to erect a new church on a design worthy of its present needs and of the future prospects of the parish. On November 21, 1871, the cornerstone of this church was laid by Archbishop Napoléon-Joseph Perché. Construction was … [Read more...]

Christmas Concert at the Basilica

Phyllis Treigle | Trey Cassels| Melissa Brocato Louis Hackett | Patrick Tuck | Brian Morgan The Basilica Choir Sunday, December 15 at 4:00pm. Admission is free, but a freewill offering will be accepted to support the upcoming restoration of the organ. … [Read more...]

Immaculate Conception

Holy Day of Obligation Monday, December 9, 2024 6:30am at St. Henry Church 12:00 noon at the Basilica of St. Stephen The dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:  The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin (Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 1854: DS 2803). This doctrine was revealed through the Scriptures (Mary was “the absolute fullness of grace”) and the long Sacred Tradition of the Church.  But it was finally declared as dogma on December 8, 1954, exactly nine months before the celebration of the birth of Mary on September 8. The doctrine is quite … [Read more...]

Thanksgiving Baskets

The St. Vincent de Paul Society would like to thank everyone for your help in providing Thanksgiving Baskets to FORTY needy families in our parish. Thank you for your GENEROUS support! … [Read more...]