Temporary Church ScheduleSunday
8:30 - 8:50 AM - Confessions 9:00 AM - Mass 10:30 - 10:50 AM - Confessions 11:00 - Mass Monday 8:00 AM - Mass Tuesday 4:30 - 6:00 PM - Church Open for Prayer 5:00 - 5:50 PM - Confessions (screen only) 6:00 PM - Mass Wednesday - Friday 8:00 AM - Mass Saturday 8:00 AM - First Saturday Mass in Latin 3:30 - 3:50 PM - Confessions 4:00 PM - Mass |
Prayer to Blessed Virgin Mary for ProtectionO Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick. At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus' pain with steadfast faith.
You, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide as you did at Cana of Galilee, so that joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father's will, and to do what Jesus tells us: He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen. We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas - we who are put to the test - and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen. -adapted from Pope Francis' Prayer |
Entering Phase 3 at OLOL
On September 11 Governor Edwards signed the order allowing Louisiana to enter Phase 3 of reopening. This means that we can have attendance of up to 75% of our seating capacity as long as members of different households sit at least 6 feet apart, which is about 225 people for us. That's enough for any regular Mass except Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, and Easter Sunday, so we'll stop posting the sign up sheets for Mass. We will continue to provide hand sanitizer at the entrance and ask everyone to wear a mask in Church, unless you qualify for one of the exceptions:
For the full text, go here.
- "Any individual who will not come in contact with any other individual (outside of their immediate household members) or who will be able to maintain strict social distancing of six feet apart from any other individual (outside of their immediate household members);
- Any child under the age of eight, however all children between the ages of two and seven years old are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering with Subsection (A) of the Section;
- Any individual with a medical condition that prevents the wearing of a face covering;
- Any individual who is consuming food or drinks;
- Any individual seeking to communicate with someone who has or is suspected of having a communication disorder;
- Any individual giving a speech for broadcast or to an audience;
- Any individual temporarily removing his or her face covering for identification purposes; and
- Any athlete participating in organized athletic activities."
For the full text, go here.
Coronavirus Resurgence, Masks, and Going to Mass - 7/16/20
We've not only seen a resurgence of the Coronavirus in general, but we have several parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church go into quarantine recently with symptoms, so I'm encouraging everyone to pay attention to Governor Edward's new social distancing directions. Please keep in your prayers everyone suffering with this virus, especially our parishioners and families.
Churches are still allowed to have up to 50% of seating capacity, but I've capped our attendance at 150, which is about 33% of capacity, and we're putting out some extra chairs so people can spread out more.
Governor Edward is also requiring people to wear masks at businesses and spaces open to the public, with a few exceptions:
"1) Any individual who will not come in contact with any other individual (outside of their immediate household members) or who will be able to maintain strict social distancing of six feet apart from any other individual (outside of their immediate household members);
2) Any child under the age of eight, however all children between the ages of two and seven years old are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering in accordance with Subsection (A) of this Section;
3) Any individual with a medical condition that prevents the wearing of a face covering;
4) Any individual who is consuming food or drinks;
5) Any individual seeking to communicate with someone who is hearing impaired;
6) Any individual giving a speech for broadcast or to an audience; and
7) Any individual temporarily removing his or her face covering for identification purposes."
In accordance with these guidelines, we're asking people to wear masks when they come in and leave Church, but you can take them off, if needed, while you're in the pew and at least 6 feet apart from other households. When you come up for Communion you can take off your mask, since the Minister or Extraordinary Minister will be wearing a mask. We'll try to have masks available for anyone who doesn't have one. We also encourage everyone to use the hand sanitizer or wash their hands with soap and water when coming in or leaving Church.
It's imperative that we find ways to attend Mass, and not just through the internet. Actively uniting ourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is the center of Christian life and prolonged absence from the Eucharist is very bad for our spiritual lives, which is why we've been opening the Church mornings (9-11 AM) and evenings (4-7 PM) Tuesday-Friday. If you can't come to weekend Mass, try to come to weekday Mass. This may continue for a long time, so we must find ways to stay close to Christ.
Churches are still allowed to have up to 50% of seating capacity, but I've capped our attendance at 150, which is about 33% of capacity, and we're putting out some extra chairs so people can spread out more.
Governor Edward is also requiring people to wear masks at businesses and spaces open to the public, with a few exceptions:
"1) Any individual who will not come in contact with any other individual (outside of their immediate household members) or who will be able to maintain strict social distancing of six feet apart from any other individual (outside of their immediate household members);
2) Any child under the age of eight, however all children between the ages of two and seven years old are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering in accordance with Subsection (A) of this Section;
3) Any individual with a medical condition that prevents the wearing of a face covering;
4) Any individual who is consuming food or drinks;
5) Any individual seeking to communicate with someone who is hearing impaired;
6) Any individual giving a speech for broadcast or to an audience; and
7) Any individual temporarily removing his or her face covering for identification purposes."
In accordance with these guidelines, we're asking people to wear masks when they come in and leave Church, but you can take them off, if needed, while you're in the pew and at least 6 feet apart from other households. When you come up for Communion you can take off your mask, since the Minister or Extraordinary Minister will be wearing a mask. We'll try to have masks available for anyone who doesn't have one. We also encourage everyone to use the hand sanitizer or wash their hands with soap and water when coming in or leaving Church.
It's imperative that we find ways to attend Mass, and not just through the internet. Actively uniting ourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is the center of Christian life and prolonged absence from the Eucharist is very bad for our spiritual lives, which is why we've been opening the Church mornings (9-11 AM) and evenings (4-7 PM) Tuesday-Friday. If you can't come to weekend Mass, try to come to weekday Mass. This may continue for a long time, so we must find ways to stay close to Christ.
Phase One of Reopening and Mass Attendance
Governor Edwards will move Louisiana into phase one of reopening effective May 16, meaning that some businesses can reopen, although social distancing is still in effect. For us, this means that Churches will be able to have Mass with up to 25% of their seating capacity. Here’s what we’ll be doing at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church:
Online Mass: We will continue to stream Mass every day, according to our regular schedule. We’ll stream the earliest Mass each day, which will be 8 AM Monday-Friday, 8 AM First Saturday and 4 PM other Saturdays, and 9 AM Sunday.
Mass Attendance: We will keep the online sign up system, to help us spread out attendance so everyone’s not all at one Mass. We’ll have 75 spots open for Saturday vigil Mass and both Sunday Masses, although 25% of capacity is about 100 people, so we’ll have some leeway if extra people show up. Since this should accommodate our entire congregation, we won’t be doing Mass outside.
Weekday Masses: Mass on Monday through Friday will be capped at 15 people, to accommodate those who are more at risk and aren’t comfortable coming to Mass with a full crowd. We are still encouraging those who are most at risk, like seniors and people with underlying conditions, to stay at home.
Social Distancing at Mass: We will close every other pew, and people in different households should sit at least 6 ft. apart. the hymnals will be picked up to avoid spreading germs through them. We’re also asking people to wear masks to Church.
Communion: There are spots marked on the floor every 6 feet for the Communion line. In the beginning only Fr. Bryan and Dcn. Craig will be distributing Communion, and we will sanitize our hands before Communion and wear masks while distributing. We will not be distributing the Precious Blood.
Cleanup: We’ll be recruiting people from each Mass to wipe down the pews and other surfaces that people may have touched in between each Mass.
I’m looking forward to seeing all of you at Mass. If you can’t come to Mass but still want to receive Communion, contact us and we’ll either bring Communion to you or schedule another time for you to come to Church and receive.
Online Mass: We will continue to stream Mass every day, according to our regular schedule. We’ll stream the earliest Mass each day, which will be 8 AM Monday-Friday, 8 AM First Saturday and 4 PM other Saturdays, and 9 AM Sunday.
Mass Attendance: We will keep the online sign up system, to help us spread out attendance so everyone’s not all at one Mass. We’ll have 75 spots open for Saturday vigil Mass and both Sunday Masses, although 25% of capacity is about 100 people, so we’ll have some leeway if extra people show up. Since this should accommodate our entire congregation, we won’t be doing Mass outside.
Weekday Masses: Mass on Monday through Friday will be capped at 15 people, to accommodate those who are more at risk and aren’t comfortable coming to Mass with a full crowd. We are still encouraging those who are most at risk, like seniors and people with underlying conditions, to stay at home.
Social Distancing at Mass: We will close every other pew, and people in different households should sit at least 6 ft. apart. the hymnals will be picked up to avoid spreading germs through them. We’re also asking people to wear masks to Church.
Communion: There are spots marked on the floor every 6 feet for the Communion line. In the beginning only Fr. Bryan and Dcn. Craig will be distributing Communion, and we will sanitize our hands before Communion and wear masks while distributing. We will not be distributing the Precious Blood.
Cleanup: We’ll be recruiting people from each Mass to wipe down the pews and other surfaces that people may have touched in between each Mass.
I’m looking forward to seeing all of you at Mass. If you can’t come to Mass but still want to receive Communion, contact us and we’ll either bring Communion to you or schedule another time for you to come to Church and receive.
Outdoors Mass on Sunday, May 10
On Sunday, May 10, at 6 PM we’ll have an outdoors Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. With the new guidelines from the state allowing for large outdoor gatherings, while still observing social distancing, we can have Mass outside with limiting the number of people, and allow more people to come and celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We’ll use the front porch on the rectory as the sanctuary, and people can sit in the parking lot in front of the rectory, leaving the other side of the lot for parking.
Seating: Seating will be in the parking lot in front of the rectory. Each family will have to bring there own chairs, and there should be at least 6 feet between each household. If you bring a tent, you’ll have to set up on the outside edge. Members of the Knights of Columbus will help coordinate seating.
Preventative Measures: We’re encouraging everyone who comes to wear a face mask. We’re also encouraging anyone who is sick or in an at risk group to stay home. We’ll still stream Mass in the morning, at 9 AM, as usual.
Distribution of Communion: There will be no Communion line. Instead, the ministers will put on face masks, sanitize our hands, and bring Communion around to each group. The Precious Blood will not be distributed.
As our plan developes, or if the weather forecast changes, updates will be made here.
Seating: Seating will be in the parking lot in front of the rectory. Each family will have to bring there own chairs, and there should be at least 6 feet between each household. If you bring a tent, you’ll have to set up on the outside edge. Members of the Knights of Columbus will help coordinate seating.
Preventative Measures: We’re encouraging everyone who comes to wear a face mask. We’re also encouraging anyone who is sick or in an at risk group to stay home. We’ll still stream Mass in the morning, at 9 AM, as usual.
Distribution of Communion: There will be no Communion line. Instead, the ministers will put on face masks, sanitize our hands, and bring Communion around to each group. The Precious Blood will not be distributed.
As our plan developes, or if the weather forecast changes, updates will be made here.
Public Mass Back On! Limit of 10 People.
Archbishop Aymond has just announced that we can once again have public Mass in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, with some restrictions. Mass is limited to 10 people, those who are vulnerable or not feeling well should refrain from attending Mass, we should still observe social distancing even during Mass (except for those living in the same household), the Precious Blood will still not be offered, people are encouraged to wear a mask and clergy to wear a mask during Communion.
At Our Lady of Lourdes, we will go back to our regular Mass schedule, listed on the sign up sheet, but we’ll add Masses if they fill up quickly. Remember that everyone is still dispensed from the Sunday obligation, so I encourage people to attend weekday Masses instead where possible and make sure that all of the Masses are filling up. We have an online sign up sheet; if you aren’t comfortable with technology, you can ask a friend or relative to help you or to sign up for you, and all members of a family should be signed up. We’ll have cases of Clorox wipes available for people to sanitize the spot where they’re sitting, and hand sanitizer at the entrance.
We will continue streaming Mass for those who are unable to physically attend; Masses that will be streamed are 8:00 AM Monday - Friday and 9:00 AM Sunday, as well as First Saturday mass at 8:00 AM.
The confession schedule will be as follows: Monday-Friday at 5-6:00 PM, Saturday at 3:30-3:50 PM, and Sunday 10-11:00 AM. All confessions will be behind the screen with no physical contact.
At Our Lady of Lourdes, we will go back to our regular Mass schedule, listed on the sign up sheet, but we’ll add Masses if they fill up quickly. Remember that everyone is still dispensed from the Sunday obligation, so I encourage people to attend weekday Masses instead where possible and make sure that all of the Masses are filling up. We have an online sign up sheet; if you aren’t comfortable with technology, you can ask a friend or relative to help you or to sign up for you, and all members of a family should be signed up. We’ll have cases of Clorox wipes available for people to sanitize the spot where they’re sitting, and hand sanitizer at the entrance.
We will continue streaming Mass for those who are unable to physically attend; Masses that will be streamed are 8:00 AM Monday - Friday and 9:00 AM Sunday, as well as First Saturday mass at 8:00 AM.
The confession schedule will be as follows: Monday-Friday at 5-6:00 PM, Saturday at 3:30-3:50 PM, and Sunday 10-11:00 AM. All confessions will be behind the screen with no physical contact.
Announcement for Triduum and Easter
Special Indulgence for Good Friday
Bishop Gomez and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have invited everyone to join them in praying the Litany of the Sacred Heart, streamed by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, at 2:00 PM Central Time. Those who join in this prayer will be able to get a special Plenary Indulgence. For full details CLICK HERE!
Announcement for Palm Sunday, Etc.
Message From Archbishop Aymond
Please see this beautiful and consoling message from Archbishop Aymond.
Lent and Holy Week Schedule
For the Lent and Holy Week schedule, CLICK HERE!
Special Blessing and Indulgence from Pope Francis
This Friday, at Noon local time, Pope Francis will give a special blessing, the Urbi et Orbi, for the City and the World, and Plenary Indulgence to everyone participating. It will stream live on www.vaticannews.va.
What is an Indulgence?
Announcement from Archbishop Aymond
Vatican News
What is an Indulgence?
Announcement from Archbishop Aymond
Vatican News
Pray for Archbishop Aymond
Archbishop Gregory Aymond, the Archbishop of New Orleans, has tested positive for Covid-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms. He has self-quarantined, but will continue to be present on to people on Facebook and the Archdiocese of New Orleans website. Please keep him in your prayers.
Video Message from Archbishop Aymond
Schools Distributing Meals for Children
Sixteen Archdiocese of New Orleans Catholic Schools are hosting “Grab-‘n’-Go” meal centers, including Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic School in Chalmette. Meals are distributed on a first come first served basis to any children under 18 whose family go to pick up the meals between 10 AM and Noon every weekday until April 13. It’s not required to attend the school or have an ID, but all children receiving meals must be present.
For full details, see the original article.
For full details, see the original article.
Archbishop Aymond Designates March 27 a Day of Prayer and Fasting
Archbishop Aymond has designated Friday, March 27, as a day of prayer and fasting throughout the Archdiocese of New Orleans “seeking God’s healing and compassion in the crisis.” He is asking for all of us to join in additional prayers and to fast from food or other things to increase our hunger for God.
He asks us to especially keep in our prayers those who are ill.
The full text of Archbishop Aymond’s letter.
He asks us to especially keep in our prayers those who are ill.
The full text of Archbishop Aymond’s letter.
Pope Francis Calls for Worldwide Rosary
Pope Francis is promoting a worldwide Rosary for an end to the pandemic of the Coronavirus on Thursday, March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph. The idea is for every Catholic throughout the world to pray the Rosary, the Luminous Mysteries, at 9 PM, so that there is an unbroken chain of prayer for 24 hours across the globe. Pope Francis said:
” Every family, every member of the faithful, every religious community: All of us spiritually united tomorrow (Thursday) at 9 pm in praying the Rosary, the Luminous Mysteries. Mary — Mother of God, and Health of the Sick, to whom we direct the Rosary, under the loving gaze of St. Joseph, Protector of the Holy Family, and our families — brings us to the luminous and transfigured Face of Christ and his Heart.
And we ask that he especially protect our families, in particular the sick and those who care for them: doctors, nurses, and volunteers, who risk their lives in this service.”
” Every family, every member of the faithful, every religious community: All of us spiritually united tomorrow (Thursday) at 9 pm in praying the Rosary, the Luminous Mysteries. Mary — Mother of God, and Health of the Sick, to whom we direct the Rosary, under the loving gaze of St. Joseph, Protector of the Holy Family, and our families — brings us to the luminous and transfigured Face of Christ and his Heart.
And we ask that he especially protect our families, in particular the sick and those who care for them: doctors, nurses, and volunteers, who risk their lives in this service.”
Archbishop Aymond's Letter of March 16
Effective immediately, all public Masses, liturgies, and Church events in the Archdiocese of New Orleans have been canceled. With President Trump and Governor Edwards asking that there be no gatherings of over 10 people to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus, the Archdiocese has decided that no public Masses may be held. Also canceled are the upcoming Wednesday evenings of Confession and all public prayer gatherings.
The Church will be opened from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM every day of the week so people can come pray privately in the Church.
The Church office will be closed until further notice, but we will still be available to help people who are in need. If you need help getting food or other necessary supplies, please call the Church office at (504) 682-7070 or email me at bhoward@arch-no.org.
I will still offer a private Mass every day at 8:00 AM for the intention of the Mass, for healing for all the sick, and for an end to the spread of the Coronavirus.
The Lord calls us to place our faith in Him, and promises us that He won't send us a trial without also giving us the grace we need to overcome it. Through the rest of this season of Lent, and until this pandemic is over, we must unite our sufferings, big and small, to the Cross and pray every day for God's help.
See the full text of Archbishop Aymond's Letter.
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, pray for us.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
The Church will be opened from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM every day of the week so people can come pray privately in the Church.
The Church office will be closed until further notice, but we will still be available to help people who are in need. If you need help getting food or other necessary supplies, please call the Church office at (504) 682-7070 or email me at bhoward@arch-no.org.
I will still offer a private Mass every day at 8:00 AM for the intention of the Mass, for healing for all the sick, and for an end to the spread of the Coronavirus.
The Lord calls us to place our faith in Him, and promises us that He won't send us a trial without also giving us the grace we need to overcome it. Through the rest of this season of Lent, and until this pandemic is over, we must unite our sufferings, big and small, to the Cross and pray every day for God's help.
See the full text of Archbishop Aymond's Letter.
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, pray for us.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.