The following information is the latest available information for church weddings at various parishes and high school chapels in the Archdiocese of New Orleans as of December 2017. Contact the parishes or schools to schedule wedding dates and for policies.

Congratulations! The Catholic Church joyfully anticipates the opportunity to celebrate this life-changing sacrament with you. St. Paul tells us the Sacrament of Matrimony is the image of Christ’s love for his Church.

By Mary T. Carty, Contributing writer Bridal Registry Time is ticking; so much to do, so little time. The number of details involved in planning a wedding probably totals in the hundreds, and may even top 1,000 considering some of the essential items listed in wedding planning books.

Approximately 1,400 couples are married each year in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Planning the perfect wedding is a job that calls for prayer and preparation. The archdiocese requires a 6- to 8-month engagement period for couples to reflect prayerfully on their relationship and their readiness for marriage.

Deacon Dave Farinelli, Catholic Counseling Service Bridal Registry Often we find ourselves in some quandary without a usual answer. When we seek answers, someone will invariably suggest that we “think out of the box.” Even with this suggestion, we aren’t certain how to do that.

John Garvey, Guest Column Bridal Registry Richard Wilbur died in October. He was, Dana Gioia said, the finest poet of his generation and the greatest American Christian poet since Eliot. Here’s an example of why I liked him so much.

The end of each semester always brings surprises. Snow in Louisiana? Here in St. Louis, we’re still waiting for our white Christmas. But for me, the surprises are always my students. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned as a teacher is that sometimes it doesn’t matter how perfectly you plan a class.

The Clarion Herald’s 2017 Elite Football Team was selected by Ron Brocato and photographed by Ron Brocato, Frank J. Methe and Peter Finney Jr. RUNNING BACK Landen Bates Holy Cross, 5-10, 190 Senior RUNNING BACK Kendall Collins De La Salle, 5-9, 172 Junior RUNNING BACK Corey Williamson St. Paul’s, 5-11, 225 Senior QUARTERBACK Julien Gums De La Salle, 5-9, 216 Senior TIGHT END Seth Caillouet Abp.

By Beth Donze On Halloween – the day that literally means “the eve of All Saints” – students at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in Kenner had the privilege to encounter one of the most beloved saints of their time: St. John Paul II, who served as pope from 1978 to 2005.

Making a Difference Imagine hearing a knock at your front door. As you open the door, to your great surprise you see a baby lying in front of you. Without hesitation, you immediately pick up the infant and bring her out of the cold night and into the warmth of your home and heart.

Prayer to Our Lady of Prompt Succor O Mary, Mother of God, who amid the tribulations of the world, watch over us and over the Church of your Son, be to us and to the Church, truly Our Lady of Prompt Succor.

“It’s not about what I want. It’s not about what we want. It’s about what God wants,” Father Steve Bruno said his friend Father Joseph Cazenavette repeatedly told him during his courageous bout with cancer that took his life Dec. 3 at age 50.

Principal Mark Williams lit the first candle called “the Prophet Candle” on the outdoor Advent wreath Dec. 4 to start the Christmas season at Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero. Ten students from each grade level were chosen to represent their class, gathering in the quad area for the presentation.

Cabrini High science teacher Ann Smart was awarded the Louisiana Science Teachers Association (LSTA) “Outstanding Secondary Science Teacher of the Year Award” Dec. 1 at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) New Orleans-area Conference.

By Beth Donze The cold drizzle on Dec. 6 was no match for the 58 sixth graders from St. Margaret Mary School in Slidell, who energetically disembarked from their school bus to devote a full morning of service on behalf of the homeless and hungry.

Larry Oney knows poor. As the seventh of Bubba Oney’s 11 children, he grew up in Lake Providence in north Louisiana, a member of a sharecropping family that had no money but plenty of rules for survival.

By Peter Finney Jr., Clarion Herald Bishop Dominic Mai Luong, the first bishop of Vietnamese descent in the United States and the founding father of the Vietnamese Catholic community in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, died Dec. 6 in Orange, California, where he had served as auxiliary bishop since 2003.

Deadline: Submissions due Thursday (10 days before each issue) calendar@clarionherald.org (504) area code unless noted Dec. 17-Jan. 27 EVENTS CHRISTMAS CAROLING IN JACKSON SQUARE , annual event in front of St. Louis Cathedral, Dec. 17, 7 p.m. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Free event; song sheets provided for carols by candlelight.

The early signing period in college football kicks off in a few days. And, in the class of 2018, LSU’s Ed Orgeron has gone big. And, I like it. Since the 2000 season, LSU football has won at least eight games, every year.

Following reports that U.S. President Donald Trump planned to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Pope Francis expressed his concern that such a move would further destabilize the Middle East.