Looking back at the weekly messages of Father Paul Counce, first published in The Carpenter, our weekly Parish Bulletin
Published: October 08, 2017
With October upon us a very busy time of year is now at our doorstep. A number of very important things happen this month, and it’s good to list a few of the highlights here.
First of all, as I mentioned at last week’s liturgies, the priests of the Diocese of Baton Rouge gather the first week of October at Manresa, to make our annual retreat. We most of all concentrate on being as spiritually close to Christ Jesus as possible, knowing that this makes us the most effective ministers for you as well as advancing our own salvation. But we also put in a great deal of time praying for you and yours, for we take our job as shepherds in our parish assignments very, very seriously. We hope you have kept us in your prayers as well.
This weekend (October 7-8) our Ladies of the Cathedral also sponsor their annual “Country Store,” selling arts and crafts on Saturday morning while the Farmer’s Market and Arts Market are in full swing on Cathedral Square. They continue inside our Parish Hall after all weekend Masses. It’s not too early to start thinking about your holiday gifts and stocking stuffers: make sure you plan to swing by the Country Store again this year!
On Tuesday, October 10, at 6 pm in the Parish Hall, we’ll also have another one of our periodic Parish Pot Luck Suppers. If you’ve come in the past, you know how enjoyable these gatherings of parishioners and friends are. If you haven’t yet joined us, please mark your calendar and plan to come share a dish that evening: you’ll discover that what you contribute – a salad, side dish, bread or dessert – is more than made up for in the food and fellowship you receive! You don’t have to RSVP or anything: just make or buy something to bring – that’s what “pot luck” means, after all! – and then show up at 6 pm with your appetite and a smile on your face!
An even bigger celebration is coming up on Sunday, October 22, at and after our 12 noon Mass. It’s GRAND Day, when we especially welcome grandchildren and grandparents to a special Mass and party afterwards! (Since everybody is someone’s grandchild, this means that everybody is invited!) Our Eucharist is geared especially toward little ones and their families, and the free fun afterwards in our Hall and on Cathedral Square puts everyone in a great mood. The petting zoo and pony rides are popular, as are the face-painting, hamburgers and hot dogs, and ice cream. Music, a train to ride, and even “Bubbles the Camel” are guaranteed to make it a few hours of fun for everyone! Make sure that this is something you invite your whole family to come and enjoy!
At the end of October comes the Solemnity of All Saints on Wednesday, November 1. It’s a holy day of obligation, so we’ll have Mass here at the Cathedral at both 7:30 am and 12 noon, but we’ll also have our annual special Cemetery Blessings, at 4 pm at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery on Main Street behind the old Goudchaux’s building, and at 7 pm at historic Highland Cemetery on Oxford Street near the South Gates of LSU on Highland Road. Please remember your departed loved ones in prayer during November, the month of the Holy Souls, and in particular do your part in maintaining their tombs and gravesites – in whatever cemetery their remains lie at rest – until we all meet in heavenly peace together.
Sincerely in the Lord,
Fr. Paul
