In order to provide pastoral leadership for the people of God in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Archbishop Aymond has made the following appointment: Mr. Wayne Castillo, as Director of the Office of Racial Harmony, effective immediately.

El Arzobispo Gregory Aymond pronunció el siguiente discurso el 6 de diciembre a más de 350 personas, en la celebración anual del 75 almuerzo de Navidad del Consejo de Clubes Cooperativos de la Escuela Católica: El profeta Miqueas, nos da una guía de lo que el Señor requiere de nosotros: “Hacer lo correcto, amar tiernamente y caminar humildemente con Dios”.

Archbishop Gregory Aymond delivered the following address Dec. 6 to more than 350 people at the 75th annual Christmas luncheon of the Council of Catholic School Cooperative Clubs: The prophet Micah gives us a guide for what the Lord requires of us: “To do what is right, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with God.” As Catholic school teachers and administrators, and as parents, God asks us to mold our children’s hearts so that they can do what is right in the eyes of God, love tenderly and walk humbly with God, recognizing their gifts in humility and using them to care for others.

By Peter Finney Jr., Clarion Herald Inside the parish hall of St. Gabriel the Archangel Church in New Orleans, the personal stories flowed as freely as the tears. One by one, descendants of the 272 enslaved men, women and children sold as a group in 1838 to a Louisiana plantation by the Jesuits who ran Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., partially to relieve the school’s debts, described what it was like upon learning, through the meticulous records kept and maintained for nearly 200 years by the Society of Jesus, their hidden and bitter family story.

By Jacqueline Dantagnan, Guest Column Clarion Herald Mahatma Gandhi, a peaceful civil rights activist, once proclaimed, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” This fall, Archbishop Chapelle High School students were challenged to be that change.

By Karen Baker, Contributing writer Clarion Herald Christopher West brought his “project of the heart” to Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Mandeville on Dec. 2, and almost 250 people were there to learn more about how to embrace and live God’s divine plan for man and woman.

St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Destrehan will host an Advent mission, “Formation of the Christian Heart,” by Susan Muto, Ph.D., Dec. 12-14, from 7-9 p.m.; and Dec. 13-15, 9-11 a.m. Muto is co-founder and executive director of the Epiphany Association and dean of the Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

By Beth Donze Their exposure to non-potable drinking water has been linked to at least a dozen premature deaths and to an array of ongoing health problems, but with domestic legal options exhausted to get justice for the residents of Flint, Michigan, a group of Loyola law students decided to take Flint’s grievances to a global stage.

Throughout the fall, from September through November, the archdiocesan Office of Pastoral Planning and Ministries used the weekly NolaCatholic e-Bulletin – which is sent to all priests and parish offices – to offer suggestions on how parishes might implement the synod’s priorities and goals.

Waiting. It’s an action that some of us come to dread. As children, we may associate it with punishment: “Just wait until we get home.” Or, it can be a mixture of excitement and anticipation: “You’ll just have to wait and see what Santa brings you.” It’s also an action that we must learn.

By Patricia Murret, Contributing writer Clarion Herald The late Maedell Hoover Braud, who worked at Loyola University New Orleans for more than 30 years as an administrative assistant in the College of Arts and Sciences, has left a $10 million legacy gift to the university that will be used to provide scholarships for undergraduates and law students.

There’s a leadership class being taught this fall in New York City. The instructor is one Elisha Nelson Manning IV of Isidore Newman School, who is giving a clinic on how to look adversity in the eye and be a pro’s pro.

University Lab vs. De La Salle for the Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Prep Classic Division II football championship matches two prep powers with different, and interesting, backgrounds. The two will meet in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Friday, Dec. 8, in a 3:30 p.m. game to decide to whom the trophy goes.

St. Mary’s Dominican High School’s robotics teams brought home wins from the State Qualifier competition. The Dominican Valkyries were Motivate award finalists. The Dominican Indiana Janes took finalist place for the Connect award, the Think award and the Innovate award as well as the Motivate award and qualified for the state competition.

As I was putting the turkey in the oven at 3:45 a.m. Thanksgiving morning – thanks to a wake-up call from my 13 1/2-year-old maltese Chloe – I reminisced about my love for Thanksgiving. Instantly, I am transported as a child in the home of my grandmother Olga, with the aromas of turkey baking and oyster dressing on the stove and oyster patties in mini pastry shells straight from McKenzie’s wafting in the air.

Eighty delegates throughout the Archdiocese of New Orleans met Dec. 2 at the Hispanic Apostolate to discuss the role of Latinos in the Catholic Church at a diocesan V Encuentro meeting, the last local meeting before a regional V Encuentro Feb. 22-24 in Miami.

Each human being is created in the image and likeness of God, yet so often people desecrate that image with violence as seen in the treatment of Myanmar’s Rohingya minority, Pope Francis said. “Today, the presence of God is also called ‘Rohingya,’” the pope said Dec. 1 after meeting, clasping hands with and listening to 16 Rohingya who have found shelter in Bangladesh.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has daily online resources for Advent and Christmas prayerful preparation. In addition to a clickable online Advent calendar with suggested readings, there are daily reflections, prayers, suggested activities, a printable bilingual calendar (and a second one for Latino families), English/Spanish lectio divinas for the Sundays in Advent and the four feast days during the Christmas season.

Deadline: Submissions due Thursday (10 days before each issue) calendar@clarionherald.org (504) area code unless noted Dec. 9-Feb. 9 SCHOOLS ST. MARY’S DOMINICAN HIGH SCHOOL , 20th annual Breakfast with Baby Jesus on Saturday, Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. until 12 noon in Alumnae Hall.

By Ron Brocato, Sports Led by Most Valuable Player award recipient Devonte Allen (24), St. Paul’s won its second Allstate Sugar Bowl CYO Basketball Classic championship on Dec. 2 by virtue of a 46-44 victory over defending CYO champion De La Salle.