Christians are called to detach themselves from power, reject violence and sacrifice themselves for God and others out of love, Pope Francis said. Christians must live the way Christ chose to: not as “persecutors, but persecuted; not arrogant, but meek; not as snake-oil salesmen, but subservient to the truth; not impostors, but honest,” he said June 28 during his weekly general audience.

The African Conference of Catholic Clergy and Religious in the United States (ACCCRUS) will hold its annual convention July 26-29 at the Maison Dupuy Hotel in New Orleans. The conference theme is “Building Intercultural Competency for African Priests and Religious in the United States,” said Father Francis Offia, a native of Ekwulumili, a farming village in eastern Nigeria, who serves as parochial vicar of St. Luke the Evangelist Church in Slidell and is the local coordinator of the conference.

Archbishop Gregory Aymond announces the following appointments: FACULTY Reverend Lance Campo, as a member of the Notre Dame Seminary faculty and formation staff, effective July 1, 2017. SCHOOL PRESIDENT Reverend Patrick Wattigny as President of Pope John Paul II High School, while remaining pastor of St. Luke, Slidell.

The Clarion Herald won eight awards last week at the 2017 Catholic Media Conference in Quebec City, Quebec, including honorable mention for “Newspaper of the Year” in the largest circulation category.

World Refugee Day, June 20, came and went with hardly a notice. I almost missed it. Sadly, little mention was given in the secular and even religious world to the unprecedented refugee crisis endured by countless fellow human beings who have fled their homes with little more than the shirt on their back.

Given the often-skewed statistics that marriages frequently end in divorce – actually, for couples practicing the Catholic faith, that percentage is drastically reduced – it’s no wonder engaged couples might be fearful of making a lifetime commitment to each other.

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

The 54th annual Golden Wedding Anniversary celebration, sponsored by the Family Life Apostolate of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, was held June 11 at St. Philip Neri Church in Metairie. All couples married during 1967 were invited to attend, and 217 couples accepted the invitation, with clergy, relatives and friends of the jubilarians in attendance.

Four Jesuits of the USA Central and Southern Province were ordained to the priesthood June 10 by Archbishop Gregory Aymond at Holy Name of Jesus Church in New Orleans. The new priests are Fathers Stephen M. Pitts, a native of New Orleans; Sylvester G. Tan; Marcus C. Fryer; and Sean M. Salai.

While in Rome attending the ecumenical vigil celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Northshore resident Patti Mansfield knew she would be given a seat on the main stage – as someone who had been present at the dawn of the movement in 1967.

Summer deadline (We’re biweekly): 10 days before each issue. calendar@clarionherald.org (504) area code unless noted June 23-July 16 EVENTS LOUISIANA CATFISH FESTIVAL, June 23, 4:30-5 p.m. booth blessing with festival continuing until 11 p.m., June 24, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; June 25, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Country store, souvenir booth, catfish platter booth, hot dog booth, sweets and nickel booth, games and more.

Los obispos de los Estados Unidos, se reunieron del 13 al 16 de junio para nuestra reunión de verano en Indianápolis. A continuación, se muestra el resumen de la reunión: ➤ 1. Los obispos de los Estados Unidos enviaron saludos al Papa Francisco, asegurándole nuestra fidelidad y oraciones.

“I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows this day, you will deny three times that you know me” (Luke 22:34). We’re all familiar with Jesus’s foretelling of Peter’s denial, especially since we’ve only recently encountered it in the Easter readings.