St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church 105 Bonnabel Blvd. Metairie, LA 70005 www.scschurch.com Pastor: Fr. Tim Hedrick Parochial Vicar: Fr. Andrew Gutierrez Office Hours: Monday — Friday 8:30 am — 4:30 pm Parish Phone: 504-835-9343 Parish Fax: 504-835-1525 Parish Emergency Line: 504-833-8507 St. Vincent de Paul Assistance: 504-267-9507 Mass Schedule Monday — Friday 9:00 am Wednesday 5:30 pm Saturday (Vigil) 4:00 pm Sunday 7:00 am 9:00 am 11:00 am *(Childcare Available) 5:30 pm * Childcare/Nursery is located in the Melancon Center. Sacrament of Reconciliation Monday 8:30 am Wednesday 8:30 am and 5:00 pm Friday 8:30 am Saturday 3:00 pm Or By Appointment Devotions Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration (Chapel) Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena (Tues 9:30 am in Church) Rosary (Mon — Fri 8:15 am in Church) Rosary (Mon 6 pm in Church) St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School 400 Codifer Blvd. Metairie, LA 70005 www.scsgators.org Principal: Mrs. Kimberlie Kilroy School Phone: 504-831-1166 School Fax: 504-833-8982 Hearing assistance devices are available in Church. Please see an usher if you need one. “Centered on Christ, Ablaze with Love!” St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church May 10, 2020 Fifth Sunday of Easter Established in 1921
Transcript
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church
105 Bonnabel Blvd. Metairie, LA 70005
www.scschurch.com
Pastor: Fr. Tim Hedrick Parochial Vicar: Fr. Andrew Gutierrez
Office Hours: Monday — Friday 8:30 am — 4:30 pm
Parish Phone: 504-835-9343 Parish Fax: 504-835-1525 Parish Emergency Line: 504-833-8507 St. Vincent de Paul Assistance: 504-267-9507
Mass Schedule
Monday — Friday 9:00 am Wednesday 5:30 pm Saturday (Vigil) 4:00 pm Sunday 7:00 am 9:00 am 11:00 am *(Childcare Available) 5:30 pm * Childcare/Nursery is located in the Melancon Center.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Monday 8:30 am Wednesday 8:30 am and 5:00 pm Friday 8:30 am Saturday 3:00 pm Or By Appointment
Devotions
Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration (Chapel) Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena (Tues 9:30 am in Church)
Rosary (Mon — Fri 8:15 am in Church) Rosary (Mon 6 pm in Church)
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School
400 Codifer Blvd. Metairie, LA 70005 www.scsgators.org
Principal: Mrs. Kimberlie Kilroy
School Phone: 504-831-1166 School Fax: 504-833-8982
Hearing assistance devices are available in Church. Please see an usher if you need one.
“Centered on Christ, Ablaze with Love!”
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church May 10, 2020
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Established in 1921
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Mass Intentions Saturday, May 9 4:00 pm Edna Manguno Brasset † Roland Chaisson † Angele Chaplain † Adam C. Dicks † Fr. Tim Hedrick Charlotte C. Montgomery † Mercedes Randazza † David Reinhardt † Sherri Ann Tircuit † Janice Taylor Weidner † 5:30 pm Erinee Floyd † Sunday, May 10 7:00 am Mrs. John N. Comfort, Sr. † 9:00 am Toni Causin † 11:00 am Joyce Catoir † Alice Gomez † Jessie K. Ladner † Hugh David Lynch, Sr. † Elaine Mancuso † Warren, Sr., & Mark Normand, Jr. † Parish Family Randy Perrone † Dr. Mark J. Peters † Mercedes Randazza † David Patrick Reinhardt † Dr. Cynthia Thomas Margarita Torres † Carol Zanca † 1:00 pm Mildred Burress † 3:00 pm Gail S. Ford † 5:30 pm Parish Family Monday, May 11 9:00 am Josie Landry Tuesday, May 12 9:00 am Arthur Gorman † 5:30 pm Joyce C. Palermo † Wednesday, May 13 9:00 am Margarita Torres † 5:30 pm Julian Landry Thursday, May 14 9:00 am Karen Landry 5:30 pm Donna Bennett † Friday, May 15 9:00 am Jonathan Catoir †
Memorials The Sanctuary Candles are In Memory of Virginia Meyers and In Memory of Margarita Torres
The Chapel of the Holy Innocents Candle is In Memory of Mercedes Randazza
The Our Lady of Fatima Candles are In Memory of Warren Henry
Contact Frances Skiffington at 834-1709 or [email protected] for dedications.
Prayer & Worship
Our Mission
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Parish exists to form and send forth
a community of disciples of Jesus Christ who witness by
joyfully living the Gospel.
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Parish News
New Parishioners: Welcome! Please extend a warm welcome to St. Catherine of Siena’s newest parishioners. We look forward to their involvement in parish life:
• William and Denise Hoffman • Willie and Megan Nelson • Stewart Rush and Jordan Hahn COVID-19 Response Information Visit scschurch.com/covid19 for the current SCS-related news:
• Encouraging Scripture Passages • COVID-19 Prayer List • I Want to Help Others • I Need Help from SCS • Things Still on at SCS • Cancelled Events • How to Keep Holy the Sabbath • Online Giving • Takeout Food Options at SCS • Looking For a Job? • Need Someone to Listen?
Sunday Mass Livestream: May 10 For those who cannot attend or should not attend either the indoor or outdoor Masses this weekend, we will still livestream Mass from SCS on our YouTube Channel on Sunday, May 10, at 9 am. If you have not already done so, please subscribe to our SCS YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/c/stcatherineofsienaparish. If you miss the broadcast, you can watch the recording of the Mass anytime throughout the day. If you prefer to watch the livestream from our website, you can do so on the following page: www.scschurch.com/live. Monday Evening Rosary for Healing: May 11 The Monday 6 pm rosary for healing is taking place by means of a dial in conference call: dial 978-990-5000; access code, 458110. Parish-Wide Emails Fr. Tim and Fr. Andrew achieved a goal that they had been working toward of being able to send parish-wide emails to help ensure that everyone in the SCS community receives monthly news updates. At this time, a weekly email is being sent to all parishioners. Once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, an email with parish highlights will be sent once a month. Please call the church office if you are not currently subscribed and would like to begin receiving the emails. In Sympathy Please pray for the repose of the soul of Dr. Gary Francis Carroll and Jacqueline Marie Legrand. Eternal rest grant unto Gary and unto Jacqueline, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.
May 2-3, 2020 General Collection $13,180.50
Weekly Electronic Giving $8,080.00
Poor Box $1,451.00
Total Collection $30,360.50
Thank you for financially supporting the mission of St. Catherine Parish. We appreciate your generosity. 7% of the weekly
collection is used for missionary outreach.
Weekly Online Giving $7,649.00
Letter from Fr. Tim Hedrick I am happy to announce that Michelle Alley has been hired as our Director of Liturgy & Sacraments. While this position will be new for her, Michelle is no stranger to SCS. For 15 of the last 17 years, Michelle has served either on our parish staff (DRE) or school staff (Religion Teacher). We are happy to welcome her back to our parish staff! Aside from serving our staff, Michelle has been a very active volunteer with ministries such as Alpha, Vacation Bible School, School Board, Choir, Rosary Altar Society, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Adult Faith Formation Team, Women's Club, Confirmation, and the Parish Leadership Team. When she starts on July 1 as our Director of Liturgy & Sacraments, Michelle will be responsible for coordinating all aspects of parish liturgies, baptisms, marriages, and funerals. Additionally, she will oversee sacramental records and safe environment for the church and school. Please join me in praying for Michelle as she transitions back to our parish staff. We are looking forward to welcoming her back to SCS! Sincerely in the Lord, Fr. Tim Welcome, Michelle Alley
Michelle Buisson Alley graduated from the University of New Orleans with a BA in Education in 1986. She began teaching at St. Benilde School in 1986 and at St. Catherine of Siena School in 1988 before moving to Baton Rouge. In Baton Rouge, she volunteered in the Parish School of Religion at St. Thomas More Catholic Church and eventually accepted a position as Director of Liturgy in 2001. She returned to New Orleans in 2004. She received Basic Certification in Religious Education through the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 2007 and began teaching Religion
at St. Catherine of Siena School. Michelle completed two years of spiritual, intellectual, human, and pastoral formation offered through the Institute for Lay Ecclesial Ministry program at Notre Dame Seminary and in May 2015 was commissioned as a Lay Ecclesial Minister. Michelle has been married to her husband, Chris, for 31 years and they are parents to Chris, Jr. (and his wife, Anne), Rebecca (and her husband, Brandon), Brenna, Mikey, and Christa. In July of 2015, Michelle joined our ministry team as the Director of Religious Education at St. Catherine of Siena Parish until 2018. After serving as the Coordinator of Religious Education at St. Ann for two years, Michelle is returning to St. Catherine of Siena in a new role as the Director of Liturgy & Sacraments.
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Parish News
Weekday Eucharistic Adoration Now Available Eucharistic Adoration is available in the church Monday-Friday, 9:30 am-5:30 pm. Eucharistic Adoration is taking place in the church instead of the Adoration Chapel to allow people who want to pray before the Eucharist to spread out. Please consider wearing a mask when praying in church. Regular Confession Schedule has Resumed The regular reconciliation schedule has resumed. Please wear a mask when entering the confessional. Please be mindful of social distancing while waiting for confession. First Communions at St. Catherine of Siena A few students are receiving their First Holy Communion at each Mass. Second grade parents should have received a separate email with instructions about how to sign up. If you have any questions, please contact Fr. Tim in the church office. Parish School of Religion 2020-21 Registration Registration for our Parish School of Religion is now open for the 2020-2021 school year. Our Lower School program for grades Kindergarten-4th will remain with the same model as this past year beginning on Sunday, September 13. Our Upper School program for grades 5-10 will take on a new model beginning with our summer session, Monday-Friday, July 20-24. Registration for the Upper School Program is due Friday, June 12. For more information and the registration forms, visit our website at scschurch.com/psr. For any questions, contact Fr. Andrew in the parish office. Confirmation Registration Registration for High School Confirmation for the 2020-2021 school year is now open. Teens who are in their junior or senior year in high school are eligible to prepare for this Sacrament. Visit scschurch.com/confirmation for the registration packet, dates, and more information. For any questions or concerns, please contact Fr. Andrew in the parish office. Local Restaurants Serving Takeout at SCS To support local restaurants and their employees, SCS is allowing several restaurants with SCS ties to set up remote locations in our parking lot. Please consider supporting them during this difficult time. The list of take out food being served is being updated daily. For details, visit scschurch.com/food or call the church office. Download the Clarion Herald App for Free Every page of every Clarion Herald issue is available online at the Clarion Herald website, clarionherald.org, or by going directly to the e-edition of the Clarion Herald, clarionherald-la.newsmemory.
Parish Census Continues A group of parishioners has undertaken the task of calling all parish families to check on how they are doing and update their infor-mation to keep our records accurate. If you are not a registered parishioner and would like to join, you may be interested to know that there is a fillable New Parishioner Registration Form at scschurch.com/downloads. St. Catherine of Siena Men of St. Joseph
A strong emphasis of the recent Archdiocese of New Orleans Men’s Conference was the importance of small groups where men pray together and encourage one
another to be the spiritual leaders of their families. The St. Catherine of Siena chapter of an organization dedicated to invigorating the spiritual lives of Catholic men and, by their positive influence, the spiritual lives of their families, friends, and coworkers, continues to meet from 6:30-7:30 am on Wednesday mornings. Participants must make their own coffee at this time, since the Men of St. Joseph currently are meeting my means of Zoom conferencing, but the commute is easier! Contact Don Engler, 908-2392 or [email protected], to be added to the email list of those receiving the link to the Zoom meeting, or for information. Church Bells Ringing Nightly for Medical Personnel Archbishop Aymond has asked all churches to ring their bells daily at 6 pm as a reminder to pray for doctors, nurses, and healthcare providers during this difficult time. When you hear the church bells ring, please stop and offer a prayer for those caring for the sick. Online Giving: Thank You!
Thank you to the many parishioners who have started using ONLINE giving in support of St. Catherine of Siena and our ministry. Online giving is now set up such that contributors are able to donate to the general collection, or to the Field of Dreams, and also to
change their donation at any time. Donations can be scheduled as one-time or recurring gifts and can be made by checking account (ACH), Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Debit Card, or Check Card. The registration link is at scschurch.com/give. Please contact Fr. Andrew, [email protected], if you need assistance with online giving.
Spiritual Needs of St. Catherine of Siena Parish Please say the St. Catherine Prayer daily in May for the following intentions: • For all those suffering physically, psychologically, emotionally,
or financially from the COVID-19 pandemic, that they may find complete healing, peace and hope, and that they may see the love of Jesus in and through the SCS community; for medical personnel and first responders, that they be protected and refreshed in their tireless efforts for the stricken; and for prudence for those in leadership.
• In gratitude for the ways that God is using the disruption of our routines to draw us ever closer to Him, and for the health of those who have recovered from illness.
• For all of us who are unable to receive the Eucharist, especially the members of our RCIA and First Communion classes, that this temporary delay in receiving the sacrament may intensify our hunger and appreciation for it.
• For the priests, deacons, staff and ministry leaders at SCS, that they are guided by the Holy Spirit as they discern the next steps in the journey of the SCS community of faith and are protected in their service of our parish; and for Fr. Ronnie, that he may be filled with Christ's grace and peace.
Field of Dreams Capital Campaign Total Cost of the Field of Dreams $2,750,000
Donations Collected and Pledged $1,678,575
Goal Remaining $1,071,425
Thank you for your generosity! For more information about the Field of Dreams, visit: www.scschurch.com/field.
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Parish Snapshots
An Act of Spiritual Communion My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
NEW—Outdoor Masses this Weekend: May 9-10 Every week we seem to be getting some good news! This week's good news is that both the Governor and the Archbishop have allowed outdoor Masses to be celebrated. This weekend for Mother's Day, we will offer three outdoor Masses in the parking lot:
Saturday, May 9, at 5:30 pm Sunday, May 10, at 8 am Sunday, May 10, at 10 am
These outdoor Masses are in addition to the indoor Masses. In order to help us prepare for Mass, we are still asking that you RSVP if you plan on attending one of the outdoor Masses. Because these Masses are outside, there is no maximum number of people who can attend as long as we follow the guidelines issued by the Governor and the State Fire Marshal. Below are guidelines for attending outdoor Masses and receiving Communion at outdoor Masses. General Guidelines for OUTDOOR Mass Attendance:
• It is OK to dress comfortably, but modestly, for the outdoor Masses.
• It is OK to wear a hat and sunglasses and to have an umbrella. • It is OK to bring a bottle of water with you to stay hydrated. • The Governor and Archbishop encourage all who attend to wear
a mask. • Please walk or ride your bike to SCS. If you must drive, please
park along the street, in the Melancon Center parking lot, or in the Majoria Drugs parking lot. (Thank you, Majoria Drugs!)
• DO NOT PARK on the neutral ground! We want to be good neighbors.
• We will have 500 chairs set up in the parking lot. You are wel-come to bring your own more comfortable chair or blanket if you would like.
• Immediate family members are allowed to sit close to each other, but there must be six feet of distance between one household and another household.
• Be mindful of social distancing and maintain six feet of distance from others at all times.
• The sign of peace may be expressed by means of a smile and/or a nod of the head. No physical sign of peace will be exchanged.
• When Mass is over, please do not gather in groups; continue to maintain social distancing.
• Although we will be outside, please remember that we are gathering for the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This means that we should have the same attitude and behave the same way as if we were in the church building. Please help us to maintain a spirit of reverence and prayer. Please do not allow children to walk around.
• Church restrooms will be open if needed.
Masses in Church, Limited Attendance: May 9-15 Continuing what was started last week, we will offer Mass in Church at our regular Mass times. These Masses must have very limited attendance in order to comply with the governor's regulations.
Saturday, May 9, at 4 pm (65 and older) Sunday, May 10, at 7 am (65 and older)
Sunday, May 10 at 9 am (Livestream and First Communions only) Sunday, May 10, at 11 am (65 and older)
Sunday, May 10 at 5:30 pm
We ask that you sign up for the Mass that you can attend. Please submit the name of each individual whom you are registering to attend Mass. Once the maximum number of people is reached for a Mass, the form will not allow you to sign up for that Mass. Please only sign up for one indoor Mass per week. General Guidelines for Mass Attendance IN CHURCH:
• Please park in the Melancon Center parking lot. • Please enter the front door near the bell tower to check in. • Please wear a mask during Mass aside from receiving
Communion. • Limit one family per pew. Every other pew in the Church will
be roped off. • Be mindful of social distancing and maintain six feet of distance
from others at all times. • The sign of peace may be expressed by means of a smile and/or
a nod of the head. No physical sign of peace will be exchanged. • When Mass is over, please do not gather in groups in the
Narthex and continue to maintain social distancing. Guidelines for Receiving Holy Communion IN CHURCH:
• Please bring hand sanitizer to use before receiving Communion. • During Communion, please maintain social distancing in the line
by spacing out six feet from the person in front of you. • Communion will be distributed by means of the sacred Host
only. There will be no distribution from the chalice. • Out of consideration and concern for others, we ask everyone
to receive Communion in the hand rather than on the tongue. • When approaching the priest for Communion, place your hand
flat atop your other hand. The priest will place the Host on your hand and then let go of the Host to avoid any contact with your hand.
If you have any questions, please contact Fr. Tim or Fr. Andrew. Those without computer access can call the parish office at (504) 835-9343 to sign up. We look forward to worshiping our Lord with you!
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Two-Minute Testimony: Jennifer Collins
Introduce yourself. Tell us your story. Seems easy, mundane, and simple enough. Ten years ago…no problem. Recent years…that is, as they say, a horse of a different color… My name is Jennifer Collins. Deep breath. In my former life, I was a leader, with a bold personality. (That’s PC for big and bossy.) There was not much I was afraid of, I volunteered blindly for just
about anything, had six kids on a teacher’s salary while my husband (Keith) went to medical school, started a family business (unknowingly) three months before Katrina, and built a life that many would have thought perfect. (It wasn’t perfect, smoke and mirrors, Keith used to say, but I must admit, it was pretty amazing.) Through it all, I trusted God, and thought I was fully relying on Him and His plan for my life. After all, I was a Religion teacher by trade, I had this. (Cough, cough.) Now I know, I had no clue what truly surrendering to God meant. On May 15, 2015, my day started typically. Early morning workout, got four kids off to school while the two collegiates slept in, I went to daily Mass while Keith went to see the doctor for what we were sure was a gall bladder issue. I learned a new word that day: Cholangiocarcinoma and after what can only be described as the longest and most surreal day of my life, this corner was where I spent most of the night. After the children and Keith went to bed, I snuck out of our bedroom and curled myself into a ball in this corner of our house and cried/wailed as quietly as I could. I didn’t want to go outside in case Keith or any of the children woke up and were looking for me so it was the farthest corner of the house where I could still see the stairs and my bedroom door yet still regain my composure should I hear them. I was writhing in agony all night long, asking God, “Why” and “How” this could happen to us. I bartered with God, offering my own life in exchange for Keith’s, rationalizing that so many children and families needed him so much more than I could ever be needed. I honestly think I would have sold my soul to the devil to have been able to save Keith’s life and to give my children their father for whatever extra years I could have given them. I was desperate, so filled with despair I just knew I would never, ever have a day of joy again in my life. I was low, lower than I could ever thought I could be. I was wrong. If you were a parishioner here at SCS (or anywhere in the surrounding area), you know what followed. Three and a half months of exquisite agony. Days wrought with literal pain and paralyzing fear but also covered with deep faith and the hope that only comes from the gift of our Savior in the form of his death and Resurrection. We were carried by the prayers of more people than I could ever imagine, people who hadn’t prayed in years, packed Adoration chapels, prayer groups, rosaries, etc. To this day, it is impossible to express and fathom the power of those prayers. It was a phenomenon I can’t explain, but it was so anointed and Spirit-filled, just thinking about it brings chills to my body and tears to my eyes. As we endure this new COVID-19 world of mourning alone, I know how blessed we were, and how blessed Keith was to have been lifted to heaven on the wings of such sacred love. A miraculous blessing, yes, but on August 29, 2015, I was left to go on without him. And this brings us back to the “low” and the weight of something as simple as introducing myself. I can distinctly remember two separate instances when I burst into tears just trying to introduce myself to a group after Keith’s death. Both were in 2016, one at my first Lord Teach Me to Pray meeting and another at an SCS Planning meeting with the Music committee. Sweet Mrs. Joan Lococo had to introduce me to the group because when it came to my turn in the circle, I could utter no sound, I couldn’t even say my name. I could only fight back tears. (Mrs. Joan had known intense suffering in her
life. She knew exactly where I was in my grief and she carried me that day. There are angels among us…everywhere.) Who was I? While most people saw a strong, faith-filled woman, I can tell you in the days, months and years after Keith’s death, I was everything I didn’t want to be. I was a widow. A sole parent, partnerless with six children. I was unemployed, having been advised to swiftly sell a business that Keith and I spent our entire married lives building. I was a fun sponge, enjoying nothing, enduring everything. When I did go to events, no one could “ghost” better than me - an hour in and I was out. Group texts sent me reeling. Nothing was funny to me and I didn’t care about anything. I had no energy, no exuberance. There was no greater victory than getting in bed at night. I was bitter. I heard everything from the perspective of my grief - songs, scripture, expressions, they could all send me spinning. Social media was abhorrent to me. People complaining about getting older, griping about pithy annoyances, or even worse, celebrating their anniversaries. My favorite - “Happy Anniversary Honey! I couldn’t do this life without you!” Me: YES AS A MATTER OF FACT YOU COULD, you just wouldn’t want to dummy. (See, I told you I was bitter.) I was weak. A shell of the confident person I was in my former life, doubting my every decision, falling to pieces when a light bulb needed to be changed. I didn’t care about anything except for my kids but it was exhausting caring for them. I lacked passion or purpose, doing only what I was supposed to do or needed to do rather than what I wanted to do. I had no idea who the person was in the mirror every day and I certainly couldn’t introduce her to anyone. But I kept seeking God. The only thing I knew was God was not getting rid of me. I did everything, listening and searching for anything, any piece of wisdom or truth that could help me understand why this happened to me and my family and how I could go on living as God wanted me to live. I did this by attending daily Mass, Lord Teach Me to Pray, praying faithfully with my Tuesday Rosary group (a group started by friends when Keith was sick that still meets faithfully every Tuesday morning). I made myself go back to my Thursday prayer meeting after taking off a whole semester. I attended parish missions, and followed speakers like Matthew Kelly, Lisa Brenninkmeyer, and Jeff Cavins. I cried in the Adoration chapel. I took more notes and filled more journals with inspiration from sermons, songs, and readings at Mass than the early disciples of Christ (maybe). I surrounded myself in my home with images, statues, and verbiage that brought me peace and comfort and left little room for questioning the faith of the household, or at least the head of household. (Often to the angst and rolling eyes of my children. Sorry, not sorry. Ha!) And slowly, so very slowly, I began to rise. While there were so many saving graces that brought me back to life, how I came back to singing might be the easiest way to illustrate my resurrection. At about the two and a half year mark, (and yes, it takes that long and longer) I started to feel more like a person rather than a shell. I started to look up in church rather than down. Mrs. Joan who sang at every morning Mass for 40 years was moving across the lake to be closer to her family and Fr. Tim asked me to help Michelle Alley with the singing sometimes. I resisted at first, but then said yes, to one day a week. One day a week became two and then soon I stopped saying no to Lorraine (Hess) who had been asking me to sing with her at 5:30 Mass. I looked forward to those Masses and found purpose in giving back to God and SCS. And then in the summer of 2019, our music director, Stephanie, asked for volunteers to help cantor the weekend Masses throughout the summer. Fr. Tim actually picked up the phone and called me to
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Two-Minute Testimony: Jennifer Collins “ask” me to please at least respond to her email. So (after a good two weeks of hemming and hawing) I did. I told her I thought I would be available on June 16th, 23rd, and July 28th totally thinking she would use me for ONE of those dates. You guessed it...she put me down for all three days. I had to sing, by myself, in front of a packed church at 11:00 three times. And on Sunday June 16th, Danny Douglass walked into church, saw me waiting at the podium and looked at me like I had two heads. Yep, I had volunteered to sing for Father’s Day. Just typing those words, fills me up. I didn’t even realize what I had done until three days before (while in Tennessee recording See the Miracle) and while the panic started to set in, and Lorraine offered to take the Mass for me, I prayed and begged God to rid me of all anxiety and to give me the peace and strength that only He can give, and the ability to serve Him as He wanted me to serve. Pope Benedict said, “The world promises you comfort but you were not made for comfort, you were made for greatness.” I am not by any means suggesting that I was great that day, but I know that God put me there. He pulled me out of my comfort zone and called me to witness to HIS greatness. Made me stand at that podium alone and show everyone in our precious church the power of His great love, His mercy, and His salvation. On Father’s Day, a day we dreaded every year since 2015, I sang every note with joy and no tears. I was His instrument, His vessel, used for only His glory, not mine. God is so good.
And so here I am. I am still a widow and a sole parent. I will always grieve the loss of my husband and the beautiful life we shared together. But I have lifted my eyes to the heavens (Sound of Music) and am discovering daily, who God intended me to be. I know His plans for me are only for good (Jeremiah 29:11). My journey to this place was wrought with intense suffering, unbearable humility, with more moments on my knees than I can even remember. I lost my husband, my business, my identity and life as I knew it, and then still found myself struggling with curveballs and landmines that come at us all as we try to live in this chaotic world. It took mourning those losses, it took running to God, cursing God, surrendering to God, weeping with God, questioning God, persevering with God and finally, embracing God and every trial and suffering that came my way, to finally find true joy. “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” - Nehemiah 8:10 God’s joy has allowed me to find victory in that corner of my house, in the choir microphone, in my family and our new life, in myself, and most importantly in God, my faith, and whatever is to come. I know that many more trials lay ahead of me, but with God, I have come through the fire, I have “moved mountains,” I have and am still “seeing the miracles” and with God as my strength, through it all, I will keep rising.
If you would like to share your testimony please contact Joni in the church office
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Archdiocesan News Woman’s New Life Clinic News Please SAVE THE DATE for this year’s Woman’s New Life Clinic (WNLC) Gala for Life. The event is slated for Friday, October 2, at Club XLIV, Champions Square. Born to Run is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 21, North Boulevard Town Square, Baton Rouge. The WNLC spring newsletter, Vita, reports that 794 new clients received professional counseling, pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and more; 505 women chose life after visiting WNLC; 352 women received free ultrasounds; and 4 women were counseled for adoption assistance. Are you or is someone you know struggling with a past abortion? WNLC offers free, confidential, professional counseling for women and men. Call 831-3117. It’s never too late to begin the road to healing.
Please Pray for the Members of the 2020 Priesthood Ordination Class This year’s priesthood ordination is set for Saturday, May 30, at St. Louis Cathedral. Please pray for the following men who are in their final preparation for ordination to the priesthood: Dcn. Desmond Ndikum, Dcn. John Joseph Bourque, Dcn. Miller Gomez, Dcn. Andrew Nguyen, Dcn. Rusty Bruce, Dcn. Daniel Duplantis, Dcn. Mathew Dunn, Dcn. Andrew Killeen, Dcn. Cesar Sanchez, Dcn. Sam Bond, Dcn. Aristeo Berrum, Dcn. Juan Carlos Garcia, Dcn. Sylvester Adoga, Dcn. John Yike, Dcn. Javier Suarez, and Dcn. Luis Duarte.
Letter from the Archbishop The past few years have been extremely trying times for us in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The resurgence of the clergy abuse crisis has been particularly challenging, especially as it has played out regularly in the local media. Most importantly, again, I extend daily prayers to those who are victims and survivors. May God give you healing and renewed hope. This issue coupled with ongoing budget challenges has created an impossible situation. After much prayer and consultation, we have made the difficult decision to pursue Chapter 11 reorganization. I, along with a team of advisors, believe that reorganization will create an opportunity for us to renew our commitment to the faithful and the New Orleans community by restructuring our financials, increasing our transparency and creating a path forward in hopes that we can continue and strengthen our core mission: bringing Christ to others. This reorganization will affect only the archdiocesan administrative offices. The prospect of more abuse cases with associated prolonged and costly litigation, together with pressing ministerial needs and budget challenges, is simply not financially sustainable. Additionally, the unforeseen circumstances surrounding COVID-19 have added more financial hardships to an already difficult situation. Filing for Chapter 11 does not mean the Archdiocese of New Orleans is closing, and we will certainly continue to pay our bills responsibly. This only affects the archdiocesan administrative offices and will not affect the individual parishes, their schools, schools run by the various religious orders, or ministries of the church. Rather, this will allow for our administrative offices to continue and, by the grace of God, emerge better prepared for the future. Very importantly, taking this action will allow us to address remaining clergy abuse claims, all of which stem from allegations dating back several decades ago, in a way that will allow funds to go directly to victims. No money from parish collections will be used to resolve claims. Parish funds are separate from archdiocesan accounts and the pastor decides how those are used for parish ministry. Through prayer and reflection, I believe that this path will allow victims of clergy abuse to resolve their claims in a fair and timely manner. My daily prayer is that this independent process brings about healing for those who have been harmed as a result of abuse by members of the clergy. The healing of victims and survivors is most important to me and to the church. It is my commitment to do our very best to provide clarity about the implications of this reorganization. I ask for your patience as we work toward a path of renewal. Again, rest assured that individual parishes, their schools, schools run by the various religious orders, and ministries of our church will not be affected by this reorganization. I encourage you to visit our website www.nolacatholic.org/renew for updates, announcements and resources. God is faithful, and he will guide us in this process. It is my prayer that through His grace, the Archdiocese of New Orleans will emerge from this experience stronger with a renewed commitment to our mission. In closing, I ask for your support and prayers during this challenging time. Please keep our clergy, religious, lay staff and those who are working to support us through this process in your prayers. I humbly ask too for prayers for me during this challenging time. We hope to bring this reorganization to a conclusion as soon as possible. Throughout this time, we will remain focused on Christ, His will for us and our commitment to lead and serve God’s people in a spirit of humility. Wishing you God’s blessings, I am, Sincerely in Christ, Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond
Sacramental Preparation Baptism — Baptisms take place after 11 am Mass each weekend. Contact Marion Eigenbrod, [email protected], to begin the preparation process. Information about baptism is posted at scschurch.com/baptism, as is a PDF of the baptism paperwork. Confirmation (Teen) — Confirmation will be celebrated for 11th and 12th graders in February. Classes begin in September. For more information, please contact the church office. Confirmation (Adult) — Adult Confirmation is celebrated each year on Pentecost Sunday with the Archbishop. Classes take place in the Spring. For more information, please contact Joni Maurer, [email protected]. Marriage — Please contact a priest at least eight months before the wedding and before making arrangements. Anointing of the Sick — Upon request for the seriously ill, infirm, and those undergoing major surgery. Please contact the parish office when someone is homebound or hospitalized and in need of the sacrament. Funerals — Please contact a priest before making arrangements with the funeral home.
Joining our Parish Welcome to St. Catherine of Siena Parish! Anyone interested in joining the parish, please fill out a gold registration form located in the gathering area of the Church and return it to the parish office. Register online by visiting scschurch.com/welcome, completing the form found under “I Want to Join,” and emailing it to Debbie at [email protected].
Bulletin Deadline To be considered for publication, bulletin notices must be received in the parish office, via email to [email protected], by Friday at noon, nine days before the Sunday for which the notice is intended.
