News - April 2023 RSS Feed

As many of you may not know, St. Peter’s Food Pantry has been delivering food to the community every 2 weeks, either directly to families in St. Peter’s and St. Hubert’s parishes or to the Ministry of Care. We have reached a critically low inventory on hand and would like to ask for these critical items. Here is the list of items needed: Pasta Sauce, Spaghetti packs, Peanut Butter- any size, Rice, 4 Pk Fruit cups, Knorr Rice side dishes, Knorr Pasta side dishes, Instant Potatoes- Regular or Idahoan Flavored packs if possible Thanks as always for your support in helping those around us. As always if you have a family in immediate need, we can put food together to assist that day. God Bless Y’all, Joel Ocmand, Social Justice Committee

Today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter is traditionally called Good Shepherd Sunday because the Scripture Readings, especially the Gospel, invites us to reflect on Jesus as the Good Shepherd. In each of the three-year Lectionary cycle, the Gospel is taken from the tenth chapter of Saint John’s Gospel. The chapter sets the framework for Jesus’ teaching about Himself as the Good Shepherd.

Next week we will take up the Catholic Home Missions Appeal. Home mission dioceses are those dioceses in the United States, its territories, and former territories that cannot provide basic pastoral services without outside help. Basic pastoral services include Mass, the sacraments, religious education, and ministry training for priests, deacons, religious, religious brothers, and lay people. Today, nearly 40% of dioceses in the United States and its territories are unable to fund the essential pastoral work their communities need. In the state of Louisiana, the dioceses of Houma-Thibodaux, Lake Charles, Alexandria, and Shreveport receive grants from the Catholic Home Missions Appeal. Your support of this appeal helps them meet these faith formation and sacramental needs. Please prayerfully consider how you can support this appeal.

Today, on this Second Sunday of Easter, we also celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. Pope Francis, as he preached his first homily as the Pope said, “Mercy is the Lord’s most powerful message…It is not easy to trust oneself to the mercy of God, because God’s mercy is an unfathomable abyss—but we must do it.” Pope Francis continued, “He has the ability to forget, which is special: He forgives our sins, He kisses you, He embraces you, and He says to you, ’Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on, sin no more.’ Only that counsel does He give you.”

Happy Easter! Rejoice! This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!! Today, we begin the Easter Season—our 50-day meditation on the mystery of Christ’s Resurrection. Our Gospel today tells us about the disciples’ discovery of the empty tomb. It concludes by telling us that they did not yet understand that Jesus had risen from the dead. Thus, the details provided are not necessarily meant to offer proof of the Resurrection. The details invite us to reflect upon a most amazing gift—that is faith in Jesus and His Resurrection.