The rules under which a high school student acquires and retains eligibility to participate in athletics under the auspices of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association are stringent. And more often than not, they are tweaked in the never-ending quest to attain a “level playing field.” The nearly 400 principals in January made a few significant alterations which LHSAA executive director Kenny Henderson featured in his latest commentary on the association’s Website (www.lhsaa.org).

Going to Mass and receiving the Eucharist should make a difference in the way Catholics live, Pope Francis said; they should be more accepting of others and more aware of their sinfulness. “If we don’t feel in need of God’s mercy and don’t think we are sinners, it’s better not to go to Mass,” Pope Francis said Feb. 12 at his weekly general audience.

A bus carrying administrators from the University of Notre Dame stopped at Our Lady of Prompt Succor School in Westwego Feb. 11 to spotlight the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), a 20-year-old initiative that enables more than 180 rising Notre Dame post-grads annually to pursue a master’s degree in education while receiving on-the-job training as teachers at Catholic elementary and high schools.

A $2.5 million proposal jointly presented to the Casey Family Foundation by 38 faith communities, including 12 Catholic church parishes, to support church-based peace initiatives in the Greater New Orleans area is an important step in addressing violence and other social ills, said project coordinator Joseph Givens.

Baton Rouge Bishop Robert Muench was a New Orleans seminarian at St. Joseph Seminary College in St. Benedict in 1960, and for some odd reason, he seems to remember August the most. In St. Pius X Hall where he lived, there was no air conditioning.

The Catholic Foundation of the Archdiocese of New Orleans has named Josephine Everly, senior development officer at the Greater New Orleans Foundation, as director of major gifts. Everly, a native of New Orleans, has more than 17 years of development experience.

Sister of the Holy Faith Elizabeth (Liz) Curtis, who taught in several schools of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, died Jan. 24 in Fairfield, Calif. She was 67 and had served for 46 years in religious life.

In Belgium, the parental permission slip covers a new field trip. Not long after learning cursive, an 8-year-old with a terminal illness or some intractable disability now can write a letter – in perfect penmanship – asking a doctor to kill him, with his parents’ permission, of course.

What are your thoughts on the bribery conviction of former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin? It certainly is a personal tragedy for our former mayor and for his family. For our city and for our world, it’s always heartbreaking and tragic when someone entrusted with the good of the community, for whatever reason, uses that public service for his own profit.

St. Paul’s School had seven future collegiate athletes sign on National Signing Day. Zachary Albright, will run cross country and track and field for Princeton University and major in finance; Mitch Brumfield, will play football for Southeastern Louisiana University; John Frey, will play lacrosse for Rhodes College and will study pre-med; Marcus Gaines will play football for Louisiana Tech University; Don Lipani will run for Louisiana State University and major in finance; Andre Marshall will play football for Louisiana College and is pre-med; and Tanner Stuard, will play football for Louisiana College and will major in fire science.

St. Mary’s Dominican High School Senior Stephanie Reuter (Metairie) was among the honored local A+ Athletes for scholastic achievement, athletic ability and overall community and school involvement. A+ Athletes is a unique campaign sponsored by WWL-TV Channel 4, Ronald McDonald House Charities and local McDonald’s owner/operators.

The archdiocese celebrated World Day for Consecrated Life last Saturday. Are you concerned about the number of vocations to the religious life? It is a concern, but we must realize that God is faithful.

Hay dos caminos: uno de la vida y otro de la muerte; pero muy grande es la diferencia entre los dos caminos.” (Didaje) En estos domingos previos a la cuaresma, escucharemos el Sermón de la Montaña. No son frases bonitas, sino una invitación, o un desafío a tomar una decisión por Jesus y su reino.

Una vez al año el Apostolado Hispano celebra la Misa Mariana unificar la comunidad Hispana en el dia de nuestra Señora de Guadalupe patrona de las Américas. La celebración tomo lugar en St. Lawrence the Martir Church, lugar donde se encuentran las  oficinas del Apostolado.

Oh, if the walls of Newcomb Hall on the Tulane campus could speak! Built in 1918, the historic building has been home to numerous studies and currently houses the school’s language department during the day and Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans’ English as a Second Language program for adults from various countries at night.

“Education is integral to the mission of the Catholic Church to proclaim thegood news,” Pope Benedict XVI said in 2008. Words such as these from Pope Benedict and now Pope Francis about living the faith in our daily lives have impelled educators nationwide to explore ways to strengthen Catholic identity across curricula in Catholic elementary and high schools.

The state’s five outpatient abortion clinics – two of them in the Archdiocese of New Orleans – should be subject to “common-sense regulations” similar to those governing other medical professionals and facilities, said Benjamin Clapper, executive director of Louisiana Right to Life.

In appreciation for their “wisdom, leadership and long years of membership” at St. Paul the Apostle Church in New Orleans East, Louis Alexander, Yvonne Johnson and Yvonne Bechet were recognized Jan. 19 at the 10 a.m. Mass with the Martin Luther King award.

Deadline: Submissions due Thursday (10 days before each issue) calendar@clarionherald.org (504) area code unless noted Feb. 16-23 EVENTS DISCALCED CARMELITE SECULAR ORDER, meeting, Feb. 16, 2 p.m., Mount Carmel Convent, 420 Robert E. Lee Blvd., New Orleans.

Dominican Father John Restrepo, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church in New Orleans, had major back surgery in January, and the last Mass he was able to celebrate was on Jan. 12. For nearly a month, he recuperated in the St. Anthony priory, trying to regain his strength.