To the people of the Archdiocese of New Orleans: In the name of the religious women and men of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, I want to convey our deep gratitude to you for your generosity in the 2018 collection for the National Religious Retirement Fund.  

The final words at Mass – “Go in peace” – are an invitation to Christians to proclaim God’s blessings through their lives, not an opportunity to go outside and speak ill of others, Pope Francis said. Through the Eucharist, Jesus “enters in our hearts and in our flesh so that we may express in our lives the sacrament we received in faith,” the pope said during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square April 4.

On April 4, a ground-breaking ceremony was held for a new cemetery and funeral home in Covington. St. Lazarus of Bethany Memorial Garden and Grace Funeral Home are a collaboration between the Archdiocese of New Orleans and Service Corporation International (SCI), a leading provider of funeral, cremation and cemetery services in America.

ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON, Home and School Association general meeting, April 17, 7 p.m. in the SEAS church. Details: 208-8935. Also, Home and School Association, “Baby Shower,” April 19 after the school Mass. To honor unborn babies that have been spiritually adopted by each class. Donated shower items go to ACCESS Pregnancy Resource Center of the archdiocese.   

Christian Brother Brother Raymond Bulliard, president of St. Paul’s School, recognized 36 members of the current junior class for their outstanding achievement on the ACT Test, earning a composite score of 30 or above. The juniors commended for their accomplishment included kneeling, in row one, are: Waleed Sultan, Jack Schwartz, Peter Bertucci, John Paul Bourgeois, Blake Ramsey, Frankie Durio and Josh Devier.

St. Mary’s Dominican High School honored student athletes for 2017-18 winter sports with the Lou Reilly Memorial awards for continually trying to improve their skills and who have listened to their coaches and teammates.  Each recipient was recognized for encouraging those playing while she is not in the game, and when playing, gives her full effort at each moment. The student athletes themselves have a nominating vote in the selection of the award, but coaches have  final decisions.

Ursuline Sister Rosemary Meiman ’46, archivist, Christy Jackson Zurcher ’00 and Dr. Emilie Gagnet Leumas, director of archives and records for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, at the recent tour of the old Ursuline Convent Museum.

Alexandra Martin and Brandon Dillon earned a Catholic Youth Leadership Award scholarship from Ascension of Our Lord, Knights Of Columbus Council 9623. They were presented a plaque and a check at a Knights of Columbus 9623 meeting March 26 and will advance to the next level of competition.

St. Mary’s Dominican High School senior Victoria Liu received the Joseph Adams Senior Scholarship from the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (SHH), an honor society for high school students studying Spanish or Portuguese. 

Hope Haven at St. John Bosco PACE Center in Marrero has extended its hours to Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Antonio Dias, executive director of PACE, said the added hours will allow West Bank PACE participants, age 55 or older, and their caregivers “a more convenient and viable option for services.”

Holy Cross senior Brennan Suffern has received three military appointments to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He was nominated by U.S. Congressman Cedric Richmond. Brennan is a member of the Holy Cross Student Council, National Honor Society and Quiz Bowl team.

St. Paul’s HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) Club, which encourages careers in health sciences, finished second in a leadership convention, receiving the “Happening Award” as the Outstanding HOSA chapter.

Two young baseball players caught the eye of a volunteer playground coach named Firmin Simms. At the time, Raymond and younger brother Daniel Staub were playing on a Cub Scouts softball team. Simms was so excited about the two prospects that he sought out their father, Ray Sr., a coach at Nicholls High School in the Bywater area of New Orleans.

Joyfully we continue our  Easter celebrations in the knowledge that Jesus has risen and that we have been redeemed. But, we ourselves have also undergone a transformation. In reaffirming our baptismal promises, we make a conscious choice to believe and practice our faith.

High school students, specifically upperclassman, are often unsure of their identity. The future is marbled with the fear of not fitting into a societal mold, and reassurance is needed to strengthen their adherence to a career goal.  On March 21, Mount Carmel Academy alumnae visited their alma mater to showcase the benefits and challenges of diverse careers. Many students were excited to hear what their futures could look like.

New Orleans is steeped in saints, but local Catholics might be hard-pressed to name more than a handful of them. Seven individuals with New Orleans connections – six women and one man – are either recognized saints or on the road to sainthood: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini; St. Katharine Drexel; St. Rose Philippine Duchesne; Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos; Venerable Cornelia Connelly; Venerable Henriette Delille; and Margaret Haughery.

At the annual Chrism Mass on March 27, Archbishop Gregory Aymond blessed the sacramental oils that will be used throughout the Archdiocese of New Orleans in the coming year.

Christ is risen! Truly, he is risen! Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death. We know that God has the final word. And that word is love. For “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:8). The kingdom of God which Jesus ushered into the world is at hand. But, and this is an all important critical “but,” we must repent, and believe in the Gospel. Walking in the footsteps of Jesus we must to the best of our ability think, feel, speak and act as he did. And we need to do it now. For this day, this moment, is the time of fulfillment (Mark 1: 15).

A few days after miraculously leading the Israelites out of Egyptian oppression, God led the people of Israel into the wilderness and gave them a deeper glimpse into his identity.  Speaking to Moses, God declared, “I am the Lord, your healer” (Ex 15:26).

The recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida, has compelled school administrators to evaluate the effectiveness of their emergency plans and how they protect students. To get ideas on new ways to improve their plans, 50 school administrators from public and private schools gathered March 26 in Kenner for the “Active Shooter Preparedness Workshop for Administrators” conducted by Dr. Jan Lancaster and Greg Lapin.