News - November 2019 RSS Feed

Cabrini High School celebrated Mother Cabrini Week Nov. 11-15 to honor St. Frances Xavier Cabrini’s feast day on Nov. 13. Mother Cabrini was declared “Blessed” by Pope Pius XI on Nov. 13, 1938, and was canonized by Pope Pius XII on July 7, 1946, becoming the first U.S. citizen to be canonized a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.

Waiting takes many forms in daily life. Waiting in rush-hour traffic stretches the virtue of patience. Waiting for responses to emails and social media posts is part of the endless traffic of human communication.

Two years ago, speaking before a Vatican sponsored international symposium titled “Prospects for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons and for Integral Disarmament,” Pope Francis said we cannot fail to be “genuinely concerned by the catastrophic humanitarian and environmental effects of any employment of nuclear devices.

Christmas caroling in Jackson Square – a New Orleans tradition since Patio Planters of the Vieux Carré began sponsoring the celebration in 1946 – is an event that extends far beyond the Christian community. Thousands of locals and tourists, each holding a lit candle, squeeze flame-to-flame inside Jackson Square in front of St. Louis Cathedral and sing timeless Christmas hymns.

How good was Cabrini’s volleyball squad, winners of the Division III state championship? Consider that the Crescents defeated 11 teams that qualified for the state tournament, including three division champions, and that’s all that needs to be said about the caliber of talent assembled by head coach Kasey Dennies.

During the days prior to my sister’s and brother-in-law’s wedding, our children had many questions about the sacrament of marriage, and, of course, about their roles as ring bearers and flower girls. We were very happy to see their excitement and, most importantly, to see them witness their stunning aunt and her groom exchange vows.

For the third consecutive year, states in the Gulf South of the U.S. rank near the bottom of a 2018 “social justice” index that measures poverty, racial disparity and immigrant exclusion, the Loyola University New Orleans Jesuit Social Research Institute (JSRI) announced Nov. 21.

While filing out of Joe Yenni Stadium last Friday as part of the human wake left behind by Archbishop Rummel’s incredible, come-from-behind 35-34 victory over Catholic League counterpart St. Augustine, I overheard someone commenting that St. Aug needs to form a soccer team.

First praying for the conversion of Russia and now for anyone who requests prayers, members of the Our Lady of Fatima Monday Night Rosary Group have been faithful prayer warriors every Monday night for 60 years.

On Nov. 20, volunteers from the Edmundite Social Mission ministry at St. Peter Claver Church in New Orleans distributed 370 bags of holiday provisions to clients of St. Peter Claver’s community food pantry. “They may have to purchase a few more items, but their Thanksgiving meal is mostly accommodated,” said parishioner Sylvia Bloom of the bags lining numerous long tables in the former school cafeteria. The offerings included macaroni and cheese, stuffing, butter, milk, cranberry sauce, green beans, peas and corn, as well as fresh produce such as apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, potatoes, onions and cabbage.

Only recently have I begun seeing the reds and yellows of the trees, the temperatures begin to fall, and the season for hot chocolate commence. It’s in stark contrast to St. Louis – where snow fell only a few weeks ago. Here, back home in the south, fall comes in quickly and softly, surprising us with its arrival and swiftly evacuating, retreating in the face of winter.

It was 1982, and Concepcion Pequeño of Kenner was dying. Concepcion’s husband Joaquin had passed away 10 months earlier, and, now, the widow and mother of nine adult children was consumed with just one thought: Who would care for her 25-year-old daughter Norma, her youngest, who was born with Down syndrome in 1957 and had lived with her parents for her entire life.

To celebrate the conclusion of Black Catholic History Month, the archdiocesan Office of Black Catholic Ministries hosted “From Whence We Come: A Black Catholic Pilgrimage” Nov. 23.

For LSU, the Georgia Bulldogs have always been a litmus test. Earlier this season, LSU coach Ed Orgeron was asked when the Tigers became quarterback Joe Burrow’s team? “The Georgia game,” said Orgeron.

St. Anthony of Padua,  healing Mass Dec. 4, 7 p.m Celebrant: Dominican Father Mariano Velez. Healing service follows. 4640 Canal St., New Orleans.

INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) – For seven weeks, 10 teenagers from the youth group at St. Raymond-St. Leo the Great  Parish in New Orleans practiced a special “step dance” tied to the message in Psalm 119:113: “Steady my feet in accord with your promise; do not let iniquity lead me.”

Queridos hermanos en la vida nos encontramos a menudo con esperas y esperas. No es lo mismo la espera del padre que en la sala de un hospital aguarda que le comuniquen el nacimiento de su hijo que la del soldado que en la trinchera aguarda el comienzo de la batalla.

Estamos en la temporada de Adviento. ¿Tuvo alguna tradición de Adviento con su familia mientras crecía? Sí, siempre tuvimos una Corona de Adviento en nuestro hogar. Animaría a las familias a considerar la incorporación de la Corona de Adviento en un momento de oración, antes de la cena, o antes de acostarse. Solo toma unos cinco minutos, pero es un momento en que una familia puede reunirse y compartir su fe, hablar y orar.

We are entering the season of Advent. Did you have any Advent traditions in your own family growing up? Yes, we always had an Advent wreath in our home. I would encourage families to consider incorporating the Advent wreath into a time of prayer before supper or before bed.

Calling migration “one of the principal moral issues” facing humanity today, Pope Francis thanked the government and people of Thailand for the way they’ve welcomed migrants and refugees, but he urged greater efforts to protect migrants and poor Thais from human trafficking.