September 6, 2015 - Twenty –Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Rev. M. Keith LaBove, Pastor Parish Website: www.stpat.org

stpat.org@gmail.com

Office Hours

Monday – Thursday: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm; Friday 8:30 am – 12 noon

Celebration of the Eucharist

Saturday: 4:00 pm – Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 am Monday through Friday: 7:30 am

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturday: 3:00 – 3:30 pm and Weekdays: 7:15 am

Baptisms

Seminars are held every other month - register

by calling the office. At-tendance is suggested

during pregnancy.

Anointing of the Sick The Church recom-

mends this sacrament for those who are grave-

ly ill or in danger of death. Call the priest to

arrange a visit.

Weddings

Arrangements must be made at least six

months in advance to allow time for prepara-

tion and planning.

406 East Pinhook Road Lafayette, LA 70501-8727

Phone: (337) 237-0988

Welcome to St. Patrick Church

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 6, 2015

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK

Saturday, September 5--Vigil of the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 4:00 PM: Mike Guilbeau; Cecil & Eva Mae Hebert

Sunday, September 6--Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:30 AM: Lorraine Day; Phil Simon; Bud & Euna Arceneaux; Joseph & Eldie Woods; Robert Chastant & Evelyn; Eddie Upton 10:00 AM: Parishioners of St. Patrick’s Monday, September 7--Labor Day 7:30 AM: Rev. Msgr. Charles Mallet (living);

Joyce Lavergne Ducote

Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs

to the kingdom? — James 2:5

Tuesday, September 8--The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 7:30 AM: Dr. Nicholas Olivier Wednesday, September 9--St. Peter Claver, Priest 7:30 AM: Dr. Tommy Comeaux & Dorinne; Col. Clark Comeaux & Catherine (living); Col. Kimberly Fedele (living) Thursday, September 10--Weekday 7:30 AM: Earline & A. J. Bernard Jr.; Sadie & Pete Lalande; Ben & Mary Thibeaux Sr. Friday, September 11--Weekday 7:30 AM: Dr. Charles Stewart Altar Flowers In loving memory of: Dr. Tommy Comeaux & Dorinne

Non-Liturgical Devotions Daily Rosary: Monday - Friday 6:55 a.m. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena: Tuesday 7:15 a.m. Rosary for Priests: Wednesday 7:00 a.m. Chaplet of Divine Mercy: Thursday 7:15 a.m. Pro-Life Rosary: 1st. Friday of the month 7 a.m. Shamrocks—Friday, September 11: Donna Guilbeau; Susan Cain; Andre Arceneaux; Martha Thompson. On September 24th, Pope Francis will address a joint session of Congress. EWTN will provide coverage of his address to Congress.

Prayer for Hurricane Season

O God, Master of this passing world, hear the humble voices of your children. The Sea of Galilee obeyed your order

and returned to its former quietude. You are still the Master of land and sea. We live the shadow of a danger over which we have no control: the gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy, overstep its conventional boundaries, invade our land and spread chaos and disaster. Dur-ing this hurricane season we turn to you, loving Father. Spare us from past tragedies whose memories are still so vivid and whose wounds seem to refuse to heal with the passing of time. O Virgin, Star of the Sea, Our Beloved Mother, we ask you to plead with you Son in our behalf, so that spared from the calam-ities common to this area and animated with a true spirit of grat-itude, we will walk in the footsteps of your divine Son to reach heavenly Jerusalem where a stormless eternity awaits us. Amen. Bishop Maurice Shexnayder

3rd Annual Blue Mass All parishioners and friends of St. Genevieve Catholic Church are cordially invited to join our first responders from around Acadiana for St. Genevieve’s 3rd Annual Blue Mass, on Friday, September 11, at 12 noon (corner of Evangeline Thruway & East Simcoe St). We pray for those in law enforcement, fire safety and emergency medi-cal personnel and all first responders, we remember those who have fallen and support those who serve. For more information or for any questions, please call Janel Durio (337-234-5147). St. Anthony Catholic Church— Annual Fall Dinner 615 Edison Street, Lafayette St. Anthony Catholic Church will hold their Parish Fund-raiser on Saturday, September 12, 10:00 a.m.—2 p.m. Baked chicken dinners with rice dressing, sweet peas, yams, and a roll will be available for a donation of $7.00 In addition there will be an “Old Time Sweet Shop” and “Health and Wellness” free blood pressure screening; check your height, weight and BMI; free wellness infor-mation/literature. Call 234-4428 the day of the dinner. Our Lady Queen of Peace – National Black Catholic Men’s Conference Fundraiser Dinner Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church is hosting a Fundraiser for the 2015 National Black Catholic Men’s Conference. Tickets are now available for their “Chicken or Pork Steak Dinner” being held on Sunday, September 13, at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, 145 Mar tin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Lafayette. Tickets are $8.00 each and the dinner includes a BBQ Pork Steak or Leg Quarter, Rice Dressing, 2 Sides, and a Dinner Roll. Dinners will be available for pick-up from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Please call for tickets (233-1591) by September 9th. The Fall Cardinal Newman Lecture Series continues at Our Lady of Wisdom Church and Catholic Student Center on Tuesday, September 29, at 6:30 p.m. featuring “The Truth About Money” presented by Frank Hanna III, Entre-preneur and Catholic Philanthropist. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required for the Newman Lecture. Integrity of Heart Men struggling with sexual compulsivity and/or an addic-tion to pornography now have a confidential support group right here in Lafayette. Weekly meetings are held for an hour and fifteen minutes. STRICT CONFIDENTIALITY is observed by all members and a Confidentiality Statement is signed by each member after an initial meeting with the facilitator. Call and leave a confidential message at 337-944-9860 and the group facilitator will return your call and give you more information.

Mass for Chaplain Lafleur Archbishop Timothy Broglio, Archbishop of Military Services, USA, will offer the annual memorial Mass in St. Landry Catholic Church (1020 N Main St. in Opel-ousas) for Chaplain Fr. Verbis Lafleur. The Mass will be on Labor Day, Monday, September 7 at 6:30 pm. Retired military chaplains of the Lafayette diocese have been invited to concelebrate with Archbishop Broglio along with numerous Diocesan priests and Bishop Mi-chael Jarrell. Father Lafleur, who offered his first Mass in St. Landry Church, volunteered as a chaplain from St. Mary Magdalene in Abbeville, at the outbreak of World War II. Stationed in the Philippines, he became a prisoner of the Japanese. He was killed when the pris-on ship he was on was torpedoed and died trying to save his fellow prisoners. A statue commemorating this heroic act stands in front of St. Landry Church. The memorial Mass is held each year. Holy Hour for Vocations Please join us for our monthly “Holy Hour for Voca-tions and for the Spiritual Renewal of All Priests” on Monday, September 14 (due to Labor Day Holiday), from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 406 E. Pinhook Road. Recitation of the Rosary begins at 5:30 p.m. All are welcome to join in these prayers for vocations and perseverance of vocations to the priest-hood and religious life, sponsored by the Serra Club of Lafayette. Join EWTN for Pope Francis’ Visit to the U.S! EWTN will provide live coverage of the Holy Father’s Masses, national addresses and the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. EWTN will be there every step of the way so you don’t miss a moment! Visit www.ewtn.com for more information, up-to date schedules and online streaming. Canonization of Blessed Junipero Serra The Serra Club of Lafayette is planning a Mass to be held on Wednesday, September 23, at 5:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in honor of Blessed Junipero Serra’s Canonization. The Mass will be followed by a Holy Hour for Vocations and the Spiritual Renewal of Priests sponsored by the Serra Club. All are invited.

STEWARDSHIP OF THE PAST WEEK Our Response to God’s Generosity to Us Offertory……………………..$ 6,812.00 Thank You! The second collection this weekend is for our Building Fund.

Date

Saturday, September 12 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 13 8:30 a.m.

Sunday, September 13 10:00 a.m.

Lectors

Harold Guilbeau Susan Cain Michael Doumit

Eucharistic Ministers

George Eaton Rosalind Allen Candis Thompson

Suzanne Lavergne Maggie Sonnier Sandra LaGrange

Leroy Abshire Barbara Abshire Jean Arceneaux

Altar Servers Janell Venable Glenn LaGrange Andre Arceneaux

Ushers

Dana Guidry Joyce Stelly

Rachelle Trahan Keith Toups

Robin Roy Lionel Jeanmard

Liturgical Roles for September

Readings for the Week

Monday Col 1:24 — 2:3; Ps 62:6-7, 9; Lk 6:6-11

Tuesday Mi 5:1-4a or Rom 8:28-30; Ps 13:6; Mt 1:1-16, 18-23 [18-23]

Wednesday Col 3:1-11; Ps 145:2-3, 10-13ab; Lk 6:20-26

Thursday Col 3:12-17; Ps 150:1b-6; Lk 6:27-38

Friday 1 Tm 1:1-2, 12-14; Ps 16:1b-2a, 5, 7-8, 11; Lk 6:39-42

Saturday 1 Tm 1:15-17; Ps 113:1b-7; Lk 6:43-49

Sunday Is 50:5-9a; Ps 116:1-6, 8-9; Jas 2:14-18; Mk 8:27-35

From the Pastor’s Desk

This week, I encountered two letters concerned with violence. Let’s all agree that violence is not a good thing, seldom justifiable, and all too common. Some have said that violence is the last resort of the incompetent, and all too often that is true.

The first letter I received is actually included as an insert in this week’s bulletin. It’s a letter from our own Bishop, reflecting on the epidemic of violence that seems to be sweeping our nation. We here in Lafayette are particularly aware of this since the horrific theatre shooting in our own community. And the violence continues as police and others are targeted by the malicious and misguided. The Bishops calls us to both prayer and action. The conversation must continue regarding how to make our people safer, and that includes political change, no matter the power and unrelenting propaganda of the special interest groups.

Among other things, I believe we were all made aware of how the effects of acts of violence spread far be-yond a given victim. Only a tiny percentage of the people of Lafayette were in the theatre that night, only a few of those were shot, yet this horrific act of violence has damaged and diminished us all. I was also struck by the Bish-op’s mention of the connection between violent speech and acts of violence. It is striking how un-civil the civil discourse has become in our country, where the truth is irrelevant and prejudice and racism infect most public conversations. In our worship of the First Amendment, we have forgotten that just because one has the right to say something does mean that it is right to say it. The dignity of human persons must be respected.

The second letter I saw was Pope Francis’ letter regarding special accommodations for mercy during the upcoming Jubilee Year. His goal was clearly to exclude no one from access to the mercy of God, especially those on the margins of society. By making sacramental absolution more available for the heinous act of abortion, he seeks to allow those who have sinned to find peace and reconciliation, through the forgiveness offered by a mer-ciful God. There is also a recognition here that the violent act of abortion harms the mother as well. While every act of violence does violence to the perpetrators, there is perhaps a special kind of hurt and grief in store for the mother who procures an abortion, a wound in need of healing and mercy.

I find myself amazed at those who object to this extension of mercy, as if Pope Francis is somehow being ‘soft on abortion’. To offer forgiveness for a sin is not approval of the sinful action. Quite to the contrary, offering forgiveness affirms the sinfulness of the action, for what else do we forgive, but sin?