St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church

JOIN US FOR A CONSECRATION TO ST. JOSEPH

33 DAY PREPARATION STARTING WED. May 19th ENDING SUNDAY JUNE 20th FATHER’S DAY!
CONSECRATION WILL BE AFTER 10:30 MASS
 

 For daily recordings during the preparation visit the SMM Consecration to St. Joseph page.

“If Joseph was so engaged, heart and soul, in protecting and providing for that little family at Nazareth, don’t you think that now in heaven he is the same loving father and guardian of the whole Church, of all its members, as he was of its Head on earth?” -VENERABLE POPE PIUS XII

We will be using the book “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father” by Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC. You may purchase this online at www.consecrationtostjoseph.org in paperback or e-book or locally at Mule’s Religious & Office Supply on David Dr.

Group discussions are optional but encouraged and will be held on Tuesday evenings in the Discipleship center from 7:00 PM-8:15 PM on the following dates: 5/18, 5/25, 6/1, 6/15 No registration is required. For more information, you may call Patsy at 504-813-4327 or email her at mailto:pricau@cox.net.

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Mass obligation to be restored June 6
(Please note exceptions for those who are vulnerable, homebound, hospitalized, etc)

May 1, 2021 To all Clergy, Religious and Laity of the Archdiocese of New Orleans:

Mass dispensation

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, When God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, we recall that the third Commandment is to keep holy the Lord’s Day. The Jewish community took this very seriously. Not only did they see it as an expectation from God that they worship together on the Sabbath, but to also avoid work and spend quality time with God and with others. It is important that we understand this concept because it is the root of what we now know today as the “obligation for Catholics to participate in Mass every Sunday.”

This “obligation” to celebrate Mass on Sunday need not be seen simply as “you must go”; instead, it is God saying, “Come to me and worship as a community. Come, hear my Word in the Scriptures, receive the Risen Christ in the Eucharist and reserve time for me and those whom you love.” The obligation is an invitation from God to grow in love with him and to better know ourselves as Catholics, and he awaits our response.

I remain grateful for the creativity and ministry of our clergy who have continued to make Mass and the sacraments available to their parishioners throughout the pandemic. I am humbled by the desire of so many who have already returned to Mass each Sunday. For you and for your faith, I give thanks to God.

As we look to the future, on June 6, the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, better known as Corpus Christi, the obligation will be restored in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. On this day, we will celebrate God’s loving invitation to set aside Sundays to receive his gift of the Eucharist with one another and to spend quality time with those we love. This is how we respond to Christ’s invitation to “come to the table.”

After consultation with medical experts and our priests, there is agreement that with proper precautions, this is an appropriate time to take these actions. If you remain concerned, I encourage you to contact your parish for the specifics of their COVID precautions.

It is understood that there are those for whom returning to Sunday Mass is impossible. Those who are homebound or who live in nursing homes or hospitals as well as those who are sick or vulnerable, or who are fearful because of underlying health conditions are excused from attending Mass in person on Sundays. However, those who cannot attend are invited and encouraged to participate via television or online with livestreaming and to make an Act of Spiritual Communion.

For those of us who have now begun to more frequently shop, socialize, go to the gym and participate in other activities outside of our homes and have not yet returned to Mass, I encourage us in a special way to consider the Lord’s invitation to “come back to the table.”

I know that for many, the pandemic has been a time of spiritual renewal, a deeper appreciation for the Mass and a desire to receive Christ in the Eucharist. Through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we encounter the Risen Christ who waits to meet us there. This is why as a family we gather at the table to be nourished with God’s Word and by the gift of the Eucharist.

Please join me in celebrating the Eucharist on June 6th.

Wishing you God’s blessings, I am

Most Rev. Gregory M. Aymond Archbishop of New Orleans

Click here for the Archbishop's Letter.

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To help us journey and pray through the year of the Eucharist and St. Joseph. Subscribe to stay tuned:

Archdiocese content (click here)
https://nolacatholic.org/eucharist

• Art Contest
• Eucharistic Lecture Series
• Understanding the Mass
• Prayers to St. Joseph

Important Notice April 6, 2021

Beginning Tuesday April 6th Father Chris will be live streaming the 8:30 AM morning Mass.  We are working to get the settings so that the live stream and past live streams will be available here on the website, but issues have arisen.  Mass will begin at 8:30, as will the live stream.  Should you not be available to watch the live stream it will be saved to Father's Youtube channel for later viewing as with all his past videos.
Your patience with all of this is greatly appreciated as we add this feature to the website.
To watch a live stream in real time click here. Once concluded, that Mass will go to the archive.
For the archive of live stream Masses click here.
Father's YouTube channel that has been in use the past year -click here.

 



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Monthly Explanation of the Mass: 

The Presence of Christ in the Word

The proclamation of God’s Word at Mass is central to our Eucharistic celebration: “The Church is nourished spiritually at …The celebration of Mass in which the Word is heard and the Eucharist is offered and received forms but ” (Introduction to the Lectionary, 10).
 
When the Scripture readings are proclaimed, it is Jesus Christ himself who speaks to us and invites us into dialogue with Him. The Gospel is the high point of the readings – everyone stands (symbolizing the resurrection) and sings the Alleluia (except during Lent), greeting and welcoming Christ who is present with us. God speaks to the Church, the community at large, and to the individual person. Mass is the privileged place where God speaks to us!
 
The Church encourages us to prepare for Mass by praying with the Sunday readings throughout the week, so that God’s Word might grow and live within us more deeply – thus enabling us to know his voice and hear Him more clearly at Mass and in our daily lives.

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Online Mass Celebrated by Father Chris

If you have issues viewing Father Chris' daily Mass on the SMM website or if Mass for the current day does not appear here, please go to his YouTube Channel by clicking here. 

Additionally- For those physically attending Mass at SMM- PLEASE!!! remember COVID-19 guidelines.

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Parish School of Religion

The Parish School of Religion Program is for students in 1st-11th grades who are not currently attending a Catholic elementary or high school. 
Due to the pandemic, classes will not meet in person every week. Rather, as the first educators in faith of their children, parents will oversee the online guided instruction provided by the textbook publisher and supplemented by the PSR teachers. Students will complete one lesson per week on their own time and submit the completed work through the PSR email address smmpsr@arch-no.org

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To contact the Victims Assistance Coordinator, Joey Pistorius
call (504) 861-6253 or email VAC@archdiocese-no.org.

Archbishop Aymond Letter of Promulgation

Someone, somewhere is using a gmail account that purports to belong to Father Chris. An email from that address is circulating requesting assistance.  Do not respond to any such emails as they appear to be a phishing scam. 

Arms Wide Open (AWO)

For the past two years our Arms Wide Open (AWO) Bereavement Ministry has ministered to families as they cope with the loss of a loved one.  Our members contact the family of the deceased to assist with planning the funeral Liturgy, and, if possible, attend the funeral.   We also keep in touch with the family of the deceased to offer prayers and spiritual support for the year following the funeral.  We are seeking compassionate parishioners to join us in this Ministry.  If you can help or would like more information, email the parish office. mailto:smmchurch@arch-no.org    

During this difficult time in history, economic challenges face us all.  
If you are able, please consider using our online-giving feature.
Recurring donations help us plan and give us financial stability.
Click here to go to the Online-Giving Page.

 

St. Mary Magdalen Parish Mission Statement

St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church is called to foster a welcoming community, to form disciples for Jesus Christ and to joyfully evangelize.

Unifying Vision: Walking together with Christ, igniting the Spirit within, living God’s Call.

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St. Mary Magdalen Catholic School
NOW REGISTERING-All grade levels
PK 1 - 7th grade
Please contact the office 
for more information
504-733-1433

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 PARISH ADVOCATES for PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

SMM Parish Advocates for Persons with Disabilities are Shirley Bertucci and Cindy Graham.  In keeping with the mission of the Archdiocesan Commission, we at SMM want to ensure that individuals with disabilities and their families are full, active participants in all aspects of our church community. 
If you or a family member is a person with a disability and: 

• Would like to know about accessibility at SMM
• Have questions or concern about inclusion in our parish
• Have suggestions about how we can improve participation in the life of our parish as a person with a disability,

we want to hear from you. Please contact Shirley Bertucci shirlb2c@cox.net or Cindy Graham  grahamo@cox.net

 

SUPPLIES FOR SEMINARIANS

The KC Ladies Auxiliary are continuing their drive to collect toiletries and school supplies for the seminarians who attend Notre Dame Seminary. This is done throughout the year. Please drop off these items and supplies in the box located by the Cardinal St. door.

 

ALTAR SOCIETY NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

The SMM Altar Society is looking for volunteers of all ages to help with the weekly light cleaning of the church (mainly dusting in Sanctuary, Sacristy, statues, etc).  Volunteers are assigned to a team that commits to help one weekend a month (teams rotate). Call Kitty Marzoni at 812-8648 for more information or to sign-up to help.