Catholic Churches of West St. James

The power has been out at OLOP since noon and we don’t know when it will come back on, but we will have Mass at 6:00 even though it might be without A/C, lights and sound.
Please spread the word. Thanks!

Light of Christ Women's Ministry will meet today at 6pm in the hall at OLOP

Good morning! Reminder: registration for Summer Faith Formation ends next Monday, April 19th. You can register online or at the Pastoral Center. Please note: many classes have filled, but you can register and be added to the waiting list. Also – if your child paid last summer, but did not attend due to Covid, you still need to register them to attend this summer.

Please visit canecatholics.com for all your Holy Week resources.

Triduum Streaming Mass Schedule
Holy Thursday 6pm
Good Friday 3pm
Easter Vigil 8pm

Easter morning Mass 10am

If anyone can not view the bulletin digitally and would like to receive a printed copy please email your name and mailing address to Kaye at [email protected] or call the Pastoral Center so we accommodate you.

Please remember the bulletin is available through Flocknote and on canecatholics.com

With the worldwide outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), we are confronted once more with the fragility of our lives, and again we are reminded of our common humanity; that the peoples of this world are our brothers and sisters, that we are all one family under God.

God does not abandon us, he goes with us even now in this time of trial and testing. In this moment, it is important for us to anchor our hearts in the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. Now is the time to intensify our prayers and sacrifices for the love of God and the love of our neighbor. Let us draw closer to one another in our love for Him, and rediscover the things that truly matter in our lives.

United with our Holy Father Pope Francis, let us pray in solidarity for our brothers and sisters here and around the world who are sick. Let us pray for those who have lost loved ones to this virus. May God console them and grant them peace.

We pray also for doctors, nurses, and caregivers, for public health officials and all civic leaders. May God grant them courage and prudence as they seek to respond to this emergency with compassion and in service to the common good.

In this time of need, I invite you to comment the name(s) of your loved one who has been effected by this pandemic below as we seek together the maternal intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Today the Holy Father invited us all to pray together with him tomorrow Thursday, March 19, 2020, the Luminous mysteries of the Rosary. This will be done worldwide at 9pm local Roman time (3pm local time.)

Pray the Rosary with Pope Francis on March 19 - Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network Today the Holy Father invited us all to pray together with him tomorrow Thursday, March 19, 2020, the Luminous mysteries …

Sacramental Directives from the Bishop as March 17, 2020:

All parishes in the Diocese of Baton Rouge are asked to limit baptisms to private and small family celebrations. Fresh water should be used for all baptisms and drained immediately thereafter.

Funerals are to be celebrated only with immediate family (parents, spouses, siblings, children, and grandchildren), clergy and funeral staff present. Funeral Masses and services in the Church are NOT allowed. It is recommended that the Funeral Liturgy Outside of Mass and/or the Rite of Committal be celebrated at the graveside or at the funeral home according to pastoral need.

Weddings are to be celebrated only with the bride, groom, celebrant, two witness and immediate family (parents, siblings, and children) present. Mass should not be celebrated.

Delivery of communion to those at home, in nursing homes or in other healthcare facilities on a regular basis should be discontinued indefinitely; this does NOT apply in danger of death or when a person is in need of viaticum. Ministers should take proper precautions to protect themselves and those they serve in any of these visits.

Our Lady of Peace Perpetual Adoration Chapel will be closed today beginning at 4:00 pm until further notice. More updates will be posted as available. Keep praying for our country as we need it more then ever. 🙏

Bishop Michael Duca of the Diocese of Baton Rouge has announced the suspension of public celebrations of Sunday and daily Masses in all parishes and Catholic institutions in the diocese effective tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

The suspension is in effect until further notice. There are over seventy church parishes and other Catholic institutions in the 12 civil parishes that comprise the boundaries of the diocese. Additional details on how this decision will affect the celebrations of sacraments and other aspects of parish life will be determined and communicated in the next few days. As always, priority consideration will be given to the directives of Governor Edwards and to public health officials who have our best interests in mind. The Bishop said, “Let us pray that the Holy Spirit gives us a spirit of Hope in the Lord, who will sustain us even in these unprecedented times.”

The Pastoral Center will remain open for normal business hours. Information given to us is rapidly changing and we are trying to keep you informed as quickly possible. Please be patient with us during this time.

The following have been cancelled or postponed until further notice in St. James Parish:
• Senior Centers closed until further notice
• Transit services will be limited until further notice
• Keep It Moving Fitness Classes are postponed until further notice
• Department of Human Resources Emergency Assistance Program will be limited until further notice
• Library’s Easter Party has been cancelled

We are encouraging all parishioners to sign up for Flocknote as this will be the way we make last minute communications about COVID-19 and cluster changes.

To sign-up for Flocknote:
Text CANE to 84576 or
visit us online at flocknote.com/canecatholics
You can sign up with your home phone
number.

Call the office -265-3953 for help.

Flocknote

As per Bishop Duca the Catholic faithful of the Diocese of Baton Rouge are dispensed from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass beginning this weekend, March 14/15 until April 13, 2020. We are specifically encouraging those who are elderly, sick, experiencing symptoms of illness, or who are at high risk of illness, not attend Mass, for your safety during this time. Daily Mass and weekend Masses will go on as scheduled. Please attend at your own discretion.

We are encouraged to discontinue all unnecessary gatherings of parishioners such as council meetings, auxiliary meetings, etc and to consider cancelling large social events like parish festivals, missions and seated meals.

Pursuant to the Governor of Louisiana's order closing public schools in the State Louisiana beginning March 16 until April 13, all Catholic schools in the diocese of Baton Rouge and Faith Formation in our cluster parishes follow the same school closure schedule.

Further directives may be issued as warranted. Please do not hesitate to contact the Pastoral Center if you have any questions or concerns.

Healing Mass at St. James has been rescheduled for Friday, March 20 at 10am. There will no daily Mass on this day.

The Diocese of Baton Rouge announced several temporary changes to the Mass because of concerns about the coronavirus.

Those changes, announced Tuesday night, include the following:

Those who receive communion "do so in their hands instead of on their tongues."

Taking communion from a communal cup, or chalice, "is temporarily suspended except for priests and deacons."

The sign of peace will be exchanged "without physical contact."

Please don't hesitate to call the Pastoral Center if you have any questions or concerns.

Join us in praying the prayer below for those who are in need especially parishioners of our cluster who are dealing with the illness, pain, and suffering. We ask God to heal them and those around them.

Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for the gift your Son. Even in his suffering, he chose to do your will. I ask for the strength to unite my suffering with Christ for the remission of my sins and the sins of whom I love. Give me the courage and patience to endure all for the love of your Son. Give me hope, love, and support to help me through these troubling times. Grant me healing in mind, body, and spirit. Fill me with the strength of your Holy Spirit. Keep me firm in faith and serene in hope, so that I may be an example of patience and a joyfully witness to the power of your love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Good morning!

Father John and Finley Allen will be attending ACTS retreat this weekend at St. John. The retreat coordinators are asking that we send themletters of encouragement, prayer, appreciation, or anything uplifting you maywant to share with them. They will be given these letters to read during their freetime at retreat. Please send the letters to this email address [email protected] and include their name in the subject line.

They do not know that we have been asked to do this so it should be a pleasant surprise! Please feel free to tell a friend!

Feel free to call the Pastoral Center if you have any questions!

Thanks!