~ New Parishioner Registration ~
NEW ONLINE REGISTRATION &
CENSUS UPDATE
New parishioners and parishioners who need to update their census information can now fill out the online registration form. For parishioners, this will be a tool to let the office know if your phone numbers, email, or address has changed. Click Here
~ Happy Mother's Day ~
Thank you, dear Lord, for our mothers. Mothers who were brave enough to give birth, who loved through many growing-up years, who taught about God and love and being good, who often got no thanks, whose ears could hear the slightest cry, whose eyes didn't miss much either, whose hands held and bathed and picked up, whose heart was often broken, who always forgave and forgot, who encouraged when things went badly, who always had time to listen, who worked so hard to make things go, who make the world so much better, who deserve our love on Mother's Day and every day even for eternity.
Heavenly Father, Bless all those You have entrusted with motherhood. Inspire them to follow the example of Mary, the mother of Our Lord and follow in her fidelity, humility, and selfless love. May all mothers receive Your Grace abundantly in this life, and may they look forward to eternal joy in Your presence in heaven. Amen
PSR (Parish School of Religion) With the conclusion of PSR for another school year, I want to thank the parents who made the effort to bring their children to class on Sunday mornings. We hear a lot of advice, in our society about preparing for retirement. The obligation to prepare our children to practice the Catholic faith is something as parents that we agreed to do at their Baptisms. Sending our children to Catholic School or to PSR is one way that we can work toward fulfilling that obligation. So, thank you to those parents who take advantage of the opportunity to send your kids to PSR.
PSR is made possible by the generous volunteers, usually parents themselves, but not always of children that currently attend PSR themselves. We could not do it without their consistent effort that becomes a loving gift to all of our children. Thank you to those who teach, assist in the classrooms, and prepare and collect the attendance sheets. May God Bless all of you for your generosity! ~Deacon Bill
2013 Confirmation! This message is intended to alert the children, and their parents, who hope to be confirmed in the spring of 2013. We do not have a date yet but because Easter is early there are quite a few options for the Sundays after Easter. Pentecost Sunday would be great but it is likely the day that St. Joseph School will have their graduation. We will announce the date as soon as we get it from Bishop Duca.
What you can do now, in preparation for Confirmation, is choose a sponsor, choose a Saint’s name, and begin to work on your service hours. Sponsors must be 16 years of age, confirmed themselves, and be a practicing Catholic. The Saint’s name should be a Saint that means something to you. You may keep your baptismal name instead of choosing a Saint’s name. However, if your baptismal name is not the name of a Saint, this is a god opportunity to choose one. Finally, as you begin to think of ways to earn service hours remember that middle school youth can help at Vacation Bible School from July 9 13
R.C.I.A. It is a good time to encourage anyone who is thinking about becoming Catholic to contact Deacon Bill in the church office A new series of sessions will begin in August but it’s not too soon to get the process started, especially if you have been divorced and are remarried. Please don’t let remarriage or divorce prevent you from pursuing your interest. It’s not as difficult as some folks have described it. ‘
There is no commitment required for a person to look into joining the Church. Please invite family members or friends who might be interested.
~ Bread for the Journey ~
The next men’s ACTS retreat is May 31 to June 3. For most guys who are still working that means one day off from work and three nights away from home. It will cost you a weekend. Understandably, this is a bit of a sacrifice. It’s also a step out of our comfort zone...
The National Right to Life has announced the winner of the Diocese of Shreveport Pro-Life Oratory Contest. Area high school juniors and seniors gave presentations on the tragedy of abortion, euthanasia, infanticide or fetal stem cell research.
Megan Shepherd , a senior at Loyola College Prep and member of the St. Joseph High School Youth Group, won first place for her speech. Megan pointed out the irony that scientists would love to find life on the planet Mars, yet they do not even recognize life in the womb here on Earth. She also compared abortion with the Holocaust and lamented that we are killing our future generations. Megan went on to compete at the state level in Baton Rouge last weekend where she placed 3rd overall.
State Director of the Oratory Contest, Susan Flanagan, commended each of the contestants for speaking out in defense of life. “These students are so inspiring,” she said. “They obviously have given these issues a lot of thought and research and have reached the conclusion that life at every stage should be protected.” Local judges, also very complimentary of the outstanding student speakers, were Steve Casey, Les Justus, and Lacey Wallace. Bishop Michael Duca was also on hand to applaud the teenagers for their courageous stands for life. Congratulations Megan!
~ Don't Miss A Moment ~
Men’s ACTS Retreat There are only a few spaces left for the next Men’s ACTS Retreat, May 31 - June 3. Last week, many registrations were received and spots are going fast. Registration forms are available in the Gathering Space as well as on the St. Joseph Website. Registration will close once we reach 30 registrants. Please prayerfully consider attending this powerful retreat.
Retreat for Lectors The Diocese of Shreveport is offering a one day retreat for those who serve as Lectors at Mass. This retreat will be held on Saturday, May 19, from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, at the Catholic Center. There is no charge for this event, however, please register by calling the Catholic Center (868-4441).
Retreat for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion The Diocese of Shreveport is offering a one day retreat for those who serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. This retreat will be held on Saturday, June 9, from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, at the Catholic Center. There is no charge for this event, however, please register before June 4 by calling the Catholic Center (868-4441).
St. Joseph Guild will meet on Tuesday, May 15 at 10:00 am for Mass, followed by lunch and Bingo in the FLC.
Rosary CDs Available in Church and School Office Students from St. Joseph School, St. John Berchmans School and Loyola College Prep, and Bishop Duca came together to recite and sing the Rosary. This recording was done as a benefit for the Gallegos Family. CDs are $20, and are available in the Church and School offices.
Mission Possible A camp for Catholic, High School Guys (those entering high school to graduated seniors) is scheduled for June 1-3. This dynamic weekend is for high school guys wanting to play hard and pray hard. Mass, ropes course, zip line, maze and guest speakers will make up the weekend. This camp will be held at the Outdoor Wilderness Learning Center (near Ruston). Register online at www.shreveportvocations.com . The cost is $25.
Vacation Bible School 2012! Mark your calendars now for a great week at St. Joseph! This year’s theme is Babylon, David’s Courage in Captivity; the journey will take us to great places! VBS will be July 9-13 . Registration will open soon. Contact Julia Norton at the office if you would like to volunteer! (Note Corrected Date)
Planning Ahead: VBS ( July 9-13, 2012 ) and EDGE Camp (July 16-20, 2012).
~ 2012 High School Mission Trip ~
Pine Ridge, South Dakota Click Here to make a donation (Select the High School Youth Group Box)
Upcoming Events
May 15 The Guild Mass, Meeting and Lunch 10:00 am
May 16 Men of St. Joseph 6:30 am SR
May 16 Young Adults Bible Study 6:00 pm B
May 16 M.A.L.E. Spirituality 7:00 pm A
May 17 EDGE Theology of the Body 6:00 pm B
May 19 Retreat for Lectors at Catholic Center 9:00 am
*If you would like to watch the Rededication Ceremony then right click on the link above, select "Save Target As," and save it the file on your computer.
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