News - December 2011 RSS Feed

In an effort to continue his team’s training sessions on rainy days, Mark Marley, the cross country coach at St. Agnes School in Jefferson, would have his runners do “laps” by climbing the stairs of their three-story school building.

The new multi-colored garden that welcomes visitors to St. Catherine of Siena School is more than something pretty to look at. Its vibrant hues express a color-coded rainbow of emotions, courtesy of the youngsters who planted it.

Tired of seeing so many young lives shattered by circumstances beyond their control – whether it was a substandard school, a family destabilized by poverty, illness, divorce or death, or a neighborhood beset by violence – Jesuit Father Paul Sheridan decided to create his vision of the antidote in 1977.

The following is a letter from Troy Henry, chairman of the Board of Directors of St. Augustine High School, that outlines an agreement reached regarding the governance of the school: December 21, 2011 Re: Resolution of Governance Dispute Dear Parent or Faculty Member: The Board of Directors of St. Augustine High School ( the “Board”) is pleased to inform you that the prior disputes between members of the Board and the St. Joseph Society of the Sacred Heart, Inc. (the “Josephites”) regarding governance at St. Augustine High School (the “School”), and the related litigation have been resolved.

Deadline: Submissions due Thursday (10 days before each issue) calendar@clarionherald.org (504) area code unless noted Dec. 25-Jan. 7 PARISHES ST. PETER CLAVER, Christmas Eve caroling 11:30 p.m. followed by midnight Mass.

¿Fue la idea de mover el Centro de Jesús el Señor de su ubicación actual en la calle Rampart, a la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Buen Consejo, algo que había sido debatido por un buen tiempo? Sí. Recientemente hemos estado evaluando nuestras propiedades para determinar cuáles están saludables y en buena forma, aquellas que están en necesidad de reparación y aquellas que en última instancia, están más allá de la reparación y no es una inversión prudente en este momento.

Congratulations, winners! The Council of Catholic School Cooperative Clubs sponsors the annual Keep Christ in Christmas poster, essay and poetry contest. The Office of Catholic Schools selected winners in three divisions: grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12.

Prayer should not center just on asking God to fulfill one’s hopes and desires, but must include praise, thanks and trust in God’s plan which may not match one’s own, Pope Benedict XVI said. The way Jesus prayed to his Father “teaches us that in our own prayers, we must always trust in the Father’s will and strive to see all things in light of his mysterious plan of love,” he said during his weekly general audience Dec. 14.

Merry Christmas! As we celebrate the great feast of Jesus’ birth, it occurs to me that Catholic schools celebrate Christmas all year long. That’s because Catholic schools are sacred places, where education revolves around more than computers and books.

Why do we start Mass (and all prayers) with the sign of the cross? Catholics begin and end all prayers by signing themselves in the shape of the cross. While this is something that often distinguishes Catholic Christians from non-Catholic Christians, it is biblically based.

It would be a shame if Alabama ruined LSU’s BCS party. The Tigers have pieced together one of the greatest regular seasons in the history of college football. LSU defeated three BCS bowl teams away from home, including Alabama in Tuscaloosa Nov. 5.

She was 6 years old, shy and poor, and this was the week before Christmas and her father was in prison. In Charles Dickens’ classic, “A Christmas Carol,” Tiny Tim was physically disabled and impoverished, but at least he had two parents who loved and cared for him.

2012 Eucharistic adoration (all times 7-8 p.m.) Feb. 2.: St. Clement of Rome, West Esplanade at Cleary avenues, Metairie March 1: Transfiguration of the Lord, 2212 Prentiss at Elysian Fields avenues, New Orleans (former St. Raphael Church) April 12: St. David, 5617 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans May 3: St. Luke, 910 Cross Gates, Slidell June 7: St. Francis of Assisi, 631 State St., New Orleans July 5: TBA in Algiers/Plaquemines deanery Aug. 2: St. Joan of Arc, 529 West 5th St., LaPlace Sept. 6: St. Peter Claver, 1923 St. Philip St., New Orleans Oct. 4: St. Joseph Abbey, 75376 River Road, St. Benedict

The push for vocations in the Archdiocese of New Orleans is in motion. Not only does Archbishop Gregory Aymond give a shout out for vocations everywhere he speaks, but Father Steve Bruno, director of the Office of Vocations, and Todd Amick, director of the Office of Eucharistic Renewal, also have planned monthly eucharistic adoration for vocations throughout the archdiocese.

For the past 25 years, a group of women, now numbering close to 100, have been praying for vocations with a monthly Mass, rosary and light lunch. On Dec. 7, the Marians of New Orleans celebrated their quarter-century of existence with a recitation of the glorious mysteries of the rosary, a special Mass and Christmas luncheon at St. Pius X Church in New Orleans.

The Christmas season is a season of total, unrestrained gift. As we recall the birth of the Babe of Bethlehem, it is interesting to note that although we celebrate his birthday and desire to give him gifts, the true gift comes from God himself, who gave us his only Son.

Archbishop Gregory Aymond called the decision a double blessing. Faced with massive renovation costs at its current Rampart Street location, the Center of Jesus the Lord, a Catholic charismatic community, will move into Our Lady of Good Counsel Church and rectory, which had been closed by the Archdiocese of New Orleans in a reduction of worship sites under a post-Katrina strategic plan.

A recent notification received in late August by the administration at Our Lady of Holy Cross College from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges putting the college on six-months’ probation does not signal that it is in trouble.

Did you know there is a center where anyone, not just the uninsured or underserved population, can get free checks on blood pressure, blood sugar levels, cholesterol and individualized instruction on nutrition, exercise and healthy living?

Dominican Sister Maeve McMahon knows a thing or two about children. She came to New Orleans from Ireland 30 years ago as a young nun to “make a difference in the lives of children.” She grew to love New Orleans as a teacher and principal at St. Leo the Great School in Gentilly and as president of Marian Central Catholic Middle School, and she opened a pilot school only two weeks before Hurricane Katrina struck.