Imagine coming to the United States from Egypt, barely speaking English, and five years later, being named a valedictorian at St. Paul’s School in Covington. That’s 18-year-old, Egypt-born Yehia Elkersh’s story in a nutshell.

Eight Sisters of the Holy Family representing a total of 500 years in religious life will celebrate jubilees of religious profession at a 10 a.m. Mass June 10 at St. Maria Goretti Church in New Orleans.

Holy Name of Jesus Church, towering in its Tudor Gothic magnificence on St. Charles Avenue at the front door of Audubon Park, has been described as the “Church on the Park.” The parish, established in 1892 not long after the World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition of 1884 and 1885, celebrated its 125th anniversary May 28.

The bride was fashionably early, beaming in the back of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in New Orleans while standing with her parents on May 27. It was her 36th birthday – an occasion of joy by itself – but the Mass that was to be celebrated by Archbishop Gregory Aymond was a lot more than met the eye.

A workshop May 20 conducted by the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) signaled the reorganization of the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ Commission for Persons with Disabilities and training for parish disability advocates.

Celebrating their “ Senior Year and Beyond ,” members of the class of 2017 at St. Mary’s Dominican High School enjoy the finale of the school’s term with the traditional 15-minute bleacher swap where students in each class, dressed in their class colors of blue (seniors), red (juniors), yellow (sophomores) and green (freshmen), take their turn to move to their new bleacher position for the coming school year.

On Saturday, May 20, the Cabrini High School Class of 1967 celebrated their 50-year class reunion almost exactly 50 years to the date of their graduation from Cabrini on May 21, 1967. The reunion began with a 2 p.m. prayer service lead by Deacon Uriel Durr, the school’s chaplain, where they recited the novena in honor of Mother Cabrini.

St. Scholastica Royalettes Dance Team participated in the Universal Dance Association (UDA) Camp held at the New Orleans Hilton Riverside Hotel  June 1-4. The team earned first-place home routine, a superior trophy for all routines learned at camp and was named “Drill Down Team” high point winner.

Lloyd Dennis, a 1968 graduate of St. Augustine High School, knew exactly what the number 80 meant. The inescapable reality of “probability” was not lost on a Purple Knight who loved math and science.

As I was trying to discern what God wanted me to write about, I walked into my 16-year-old son’s bedroom to discover a military calendar hanging on the wall. It highlighted young men and women in combat fatigues, fighter jets, an aircraft carrier battle group and plenty of American flags.

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Christians are called to be “sowers of hope,” consoling and defending the poor and anyone in need, Pope Francis said. As Christians prepared to celebrate Pentecost June 4, Pope Francis used his weekly general audience May 31 to speak about the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen the hope of believers and to send them forth to instill hope in others.

Months of preparation for the 29 members of the First Communion Class at St. Joan of Arc Church in LaPlace culminated recently with their receiving the Eucharist from Father Patrick Collum, pastor, and Father Matthew Johnston, parochial vicar.

En la administración pastoral de la archidiócesis, usted tiene la ayuda de 10 pastores que han sido nombrados “decanos” en cada una de los 10 decanatos de la arquidiócesis. ¿Puede explicar cuál es el papel de ellos?

A historic church is not exactly like a fine wine. In fact, due to the elements of wind, rain, termites and the relentless southeast Louisiana humidity, an aging New Orleans church usually is no match for the elements.

In the pastoral administration of the archdiocese, you have the help of 10 pastors who have been appointed “deans” of each of the archdiocese’s 10 deaneries. Can you explain what their role is? Deans are given the Latin title of “Vicar Forane,” which is why you often will see the initials “V.F.” behind their names.

Saying each had heard the spiritual drumbeat of a vocation to the priesthood in a different manner, Archbishop Gregory Aymond ordained five men as priests for the Archdiocese of New Orleans June 3 at St. Louis Cathedral.

Ursuline Academy’s 2017-18 scholarship recipients were honored May 8 during the annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony. Thirty-eight students received award certificates from Dr. Karen McNay, Academy president.

St. Scholastica Academy is the only school in Louisiana to have met the requirements by the American School Counselors Association to become RAMP Certified in 2017, one of only three RAMP-certified schools in Louisiana.

St. Charles Catholic High School in LaPlace extends congratulations and thanks to Franciscan Brother Gerald Hopeck, who teaches ninth and tenth grade religion and conducts the liturgical choir for school Masses.