Think you are too old to learn? Not so, says David Donaghue, founder of Chautauqua New Orleans, a nonprofit that began offering a variety of “condensed” courses of learning in the fall of 2011. Donaghue considers Chautauqua “a university without walls,” a place where learning is for learning’s sake, not for the sake of grades.

Prayer life for seniors. While the retirement years sometime allow seniors more time to do the things they’ve always imagined would nurture themselves physically, emotionally and spiritually, a deeper prayer life is not something that will automatically happen unless seniors make a decision to include regular prayer as part of their daily routine, said Dominican Sister of Peace Dorothy Trosclair, director of the Archdiocesan Spirituality Center.

Touching lives with compassion and God’s presence is what Genny and Chubby Marks and other extraordinary ministers of holy Communion do during weekly visits with the homebound in St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Metairie.

He may have retired from teaching in the classroom three years ago, but Christian Brother Amedy Esquibeo continues to interact with the students at Christian Brothers School in City Park. Every morning, the 85-year-old monitors the front of the school as parents drop off their boys, and on pizza days Brother Amedy collects the money from students.

Excitement is mounting in the local faith community – and not just among Catholics – about the impending Blessed John Paul II Exhibit “I Have Come to You Again” scheduled to stop in New Orleans Feb. 4-May 11, 2013, at Notre Dame Seminary’s Schulte Hall.

La libertad religiosa continúa siendo una prioridad para los obispos de Estados Unidos, especialmente a la luz de los mandatos federales de salud y la pendiente sentencia de la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos sobre la constitucionalidad de la ley de salud.

Deadline: Submissions due Thursday (10 days before each issue) calendar@clarionherald.org (504) area code unless noted May 20-29 SCHOOLS ST. RITA, Home and School Association-sponsored skate night, May 22, 6-8 p.m., Airline Skate Center.

DREs shine their light for children New Orleans I read the beautiful article on Brenda and Luke Tromatore from Our Lady of Prompt Succor in Chalmette (“A half-century of love and passing on the faith,” May 12 Clarion Herald).

“Could you not keep watch for one hour?” – Mark 14:37 What is an hour of our time worth? In a week there are 168 hours, and all Jesus is asking us, just like he asked Peter, is for one of those hours, to be with him, to pray with him.

Pope Benedict XVI said knowing that Catholics around the world pray for him has given him strength and confidence since his election seven years ago. “From the first moment of my election as the successor of Peter, I always have felt supported by your prayers, by the prayers of the church, especially in the most difficult moments,” he said May 9 at his weekly general audience.

On April 29, the Catholic Youth Organization/Young Adult ministry acknowledged Catholic youth for their outstanding service to the archdiocese. Among the awards was the national St. Timothy Award, the highest award the Archdiocese of New Orleans can bestow upon a high school senior for his or her “exemplary Christian service, Catholic leadership and good moral standards.” Archbishop Gregory Aymond gave out the awards at St. Louis Cathedral.

Brother Martin High School will hold its annual Crusaders Miracle All-Star Weekend on May 19 at Farley Field. Separate baseball clinics will be held for youngsters ages 6-12 years and 13 years -and-over from 9:30-10 a.m., which will include batting cages, fielding and throwing drills.

Don’t tell my wife, but … I am ready for a return trip to Omaha. On my last visit to the College World Series, LSU beat Texas in 2009, 2 games to 1 in the championship series. Long after LSU’s Louis Coleman got the final out, I took a walk around Rosenblatt Stadium.

Yes, Barbe defeated both Jesuit and Archbishop Rummel to win its sixth Class 5A championship. And, yes, Teurlings Catholic, a team that was banished from the playoffs due to a fighting incident – only to be let back in – shattered Holy Cross’ dream of winning the Class 4A title by a convincing 11-1 score.

Holy Rosary Academy and Holy Rosary High School will move from their current location at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish on Esplanade Avenue to the site of the former Our Lady of Lourdes School on the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Freret Street in New Orleans, the Office of Catholic Schools announced May 10.