PASTOR’S CORNER JANUARY 25-26, 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,
The Bishop has requested that each parish implement two Catholic devotions. In his letter to the priests he states:
“In the Church’s long history, many spiritual and devotional practices have served the faith of Catholics and served to build up the community of the Body of Christ. The Church has long encouraged and fostered such devotions and realized their importance. These devotions serve to catechize the faithful, emphasize the important Church Dogmas, and create a burning love for the sacraments and sacramentals to which they are connected.
I am asking every priest to foster two traditional devotions in each parish of the Diocese of Lafayette. Some parishes already have. I refer to the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on First Fridays of the month and First Saturday Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Today, we face so many challenges to our Catholic Faith, we should appeal to the two foundational persons in God’s plan for the redemption of the world. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, gave His life that we might have everlasting life. The Blessed Virgin May, who gave birth to the Redeemer, is the first evangelizer and who tells us as she told the steward at the wedding feast of Cana, “Do whatever He tells you”. Mary also guides us through a meditation on the chief teachings of the Catholic Faith every time we recite the rosary.
In our day, we all have witnessed defections from the true faith established by Jesus Christ, built on the rock of Peter and the witness of the Apostles. The lure of constant entertainment, churches that preach a gospel foreign to the one handed down to us and witnessed to by the martyrs and saints as well as simple apathy lead many astray. Even many Catholics who remain, lack faith in the true presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist or in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church founded from the mouth of Jesus Christ while He was still on earth. Too often we witness the total disregard for the sacredness of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God. Mass shootings and countless abortions are the results of a society that has lost faith and no longer has God in daily life.”
Therefore, we will begin having First Friday and First Saturday Mass and devotions. Friday Mass will be at the usual time of 7:15am. Immediately following Mass, we will pray a devotion to and Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. First Saturday Mass is only on the first Saturday of the month and will be prayed at 8:00am. Immediately following Mass, we will pray a devotion to and a Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Rosary is prayed thirty (30) minutes before Mass. Confessions are heard on Friday at 6:45am and on Saturday at 7:30am.
