St. Stephen Catholic School has its first day of classes on Monday, August 12, and we have our first weekly school Mass on August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at 9:00 am. I wish each parishioner could come to at least one school Mass (which will normally be at 9:00 am on Fridays) during the year to see what well-behaved, enthusiastic and attentive students we have at St. Stephen’s. Unfortunately, most of the children that attend St. Stephen Catholic School do not live in the parish and, therefore, attend Mass at their home parish. However, you do know some of our students (and former students) who participate as altar servers at our Saturday 4:00pm Vigil and Sunday 10:30am Mass. Those young men are representative of the quality of the students that we … [Read more...]

Attention Married Couples! You are invited to the ultimate summer date night, the Faith & Marriage Apostolate’s 15th Annual Diocesan-Wide Supper and Substance on Fri., July 26th, from 5:30pm - 8:30pm at Mid City Lanes Rock 'N' Bowl on S. Carrollton Ave in New Orleans! This ultimate summer date night includes a powerful presentation from Jean & Janice Charbonnet, a TOTALLY 80’s dance experience from the band, L’Eighties Night, drinks at the bar, an array of classic Southern Louisiana cuisine to enjoy, and of course bowling throughout the night! To purchase your tickets or for sponsorship opportunities go to FaithandMarriage.org. … [Read more...]

Ignacio López de Loyola was born in Spain in 1491, the youngest of 13 children. In 1506, he adopted the last name "de Loyola" in reference of the Basque city of Loyola where he was born.  In 1509, Ignatius took up arms under the Duke of Nájera and participated in many battles without injury to himself.  However, on May 20, 1521, in a battle against the French, a cannonball wounded both of his legs.  During his recuperation at Loyola, Ignatius read the Life of Christ by Ludolph of Saxony, a commentary on the Gospels with extracts from the works of over sixty of the Fathers of the Church; the book influenced his whole life.  Ludolph proposes that the reader place himself at the scene of a Gospel story and visualize the scene in a simple contemplation. During his recuperation at Loyola, … [Read more...]

God our Father, We give you thanks and praise for fathers young and old. We pray for young fathers, newly embracing their vocation; May they find courage and perseverance to balance work, family and faith in joy and sacrifice. We pray for our own Fathers around the world whose children are lost or suffering; May they know that the God of compassion walks with them in their sorrow. We pray for men who are not fathers but still mentor and guide us with fatherly love and advice. We remember fathers, grandfather, and great grandfathers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love. Amen … [Read more...]

Many of you know that our parish, largely through our St. Anthony Poor Box, feeds the poor at the Rebuild Center on almost every Thursday of the month. The meals are cooked at Our Lady of Good Counsel rectory, and then volunteers serve the food at the Rebuild Center. The list below shows how many people we have fed a nutritious meal since the beginning of this year, nearly 3000! Thanks for all you do to feed the poor through your donations to the St. Anthony Poor Box! If you would like to assist directly in cooking and feeding the poor, please call the parish office, or email Eddie Connick at edwinconnick@gmail.com. … [Read more...]

Friday, June 7, 2024 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 … [Read more...]

Priest Ordination On Saturday, June 1, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Louis Cathedral, Archbishop Aymond will ordain Deacons Austin Barr, Jorge Gomez, and Cuong Tran to the presbyterate for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. You are cordially invited to attend the ceremony. Priests and deacons are asked to bring their vestments. … [Read more...]

April 26, 2024 is the traditional Feast Day of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Although we usually have a special Feast Day Mass at Good Counsel, the 5:00p Mass at OLGC on Sunday, April 28, 2024 will honor the Blessed Virgin Mary in a special way. … [Read more...]

It is with the most profound sadness that we inform you of the death of our longtime Director of Religious Education, our dear friend, Phillip Bellini. Phillip had such a tremendous love of the Catholic Faith and a zeal for the Salvation of Souls that he devoted his entire life to teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 15 years of which he did in our parish. He will be greatly missed by his friends, our parishioners and everyone to whom he taught the Catholic Faith over the last 35 years. Eternal Rest grant unto to Phillip, O Lord, and let Perpetual Life shine upon him! May he Rest in Peace. Amen. … [Read more...]

Through the Desert God Leads us to Freedom Dear brothers and sisters! When our God reveals himself, his message is always one of freedom: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Ex 20:2). These are the first words of the Decalogue given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Those who heard them were quite familiar with the exodus of which God spoke: the experience of their bondage still weighed heavily upon them. In the desert, they received the “Ten Words” as a thoroughfare to freedom. We call them “commandments”, in order to emphasize the strength of the love by which God shapes his people. The call to freedom is a demanding one. It is not answered straightaway; it has to mature as part of a journey. Just as Israel in the desert still … [Read more...]