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THE CONFESSOR A Publication of St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church

VOLUME 30, NUMBER 5 MAY 2020 www.steddy.org

World Day of Prayer for Vocations Good Shepherd Sunday (May 3), also

known as the World Day of Prayer for

Vocations, is a day each year when we pray

with extra concern that God will send more

laborers into His harvest. We keep in prayer

and express our support for those clergy,

religious and consecrated seculars who are closest to us in

our parish: Fr. Gerald Seiler; Fr. Kevin DeLerno; Deacon

Steve Koehler; Deacon Tim Meaut; Sister Julia Stump,

Sister Elizabeth Hebert and Sister Loan Nguyen.

Prayer for Vocations O Holy Spirit, Spirit of wisdom and divine love, impart

your knowledge, understanding, and counsel to all that

they may know the vocation wherein they can best serve

God. Give them courage and strength to follow God’s holy

will. Guide their uncertain steps, strengthen their

resolutions, shield their chastity, fashion their minds,

conquer their hearts, and lead them to the vineyards where

they will labor in God’s holy service. Amen.

May 10

Parish News

Archbishop Aymond has appointed Fr. Seiler as pastor

of St. Genevieve Parish in Slidell. Fr. Joseph Man Tran,

currently pastor of St. Matthew the Apostle Parish in

River Ridge, will be the new pastor here at St. Edward.

These changes will take effect on Wednesday, July 1.

St. Edward Church is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Confessions are available at 5 p.m. Monday through

Friday and at 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

Visit our website at www.steddy.org for a video of our

daily private Masses celebrated for the intentions of our

parishioners.

Additionally, WLAE TV broadcasts daily Mass from

St. Louis Cathedral each weekday at 12:05 p.m. and on

Sundays at 11 a.m. EWTN also broadcasts Masses each

day at 7 a.m., 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Please continue to support your Church. During this

challenging time, your contribution envelopes may either

be mailed in or placed in the Parish Center mail slot.

Thank you for your continued generosity.

Due to the coronavirus, all parish and school events

have been cancelled until further notice. Check our

website frequently for updated information:

www.steddy.org

You may also visit the Archdiocese of New Orleans

website at:

https://clarionherald.org/following-coronavirus

Although the Parish Center is closed until further

notice, our staff continues to monitor the phone message

line. You may call the office (888-0703) and leave a

message.

The adoration chapel is also closed until further notice.

Let Our Adoration Never Cease!

Although life is different now and many things have

changed, some things never change. God’s love is

constant and unending! St. Paul urged the men of Athens

that “they should seek God, in the hope that they might

feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from any of

us, for in him we live and move and have our

being.” (Acts 17:28)

Although our adoration chapel has had to close until

further notice, our prayers need not stop and our love for

Him who died for us should never cease. God has allowed

this time of our being stripped of many things that

preoccupy us. He calls us to stop, “be still and know that

He is God.” (Psalm 46:10)

Let us all use our time wisely. As many of us are

learning to reach out to be present to our friends and

family through the technology of Zoom or Facetime, you

are also invited to “SEE” Jesus through live streaming

adoration! If you are online, you can go to

www.virtualadoration.home.blog or go to EWTN

Adoration. Gather your family and join in a quiet holy

hour before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and let Him

anchor you in greater faith, hope and trust. Peace be with

all of you!

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2021 Confirmation Registration

High school juniors and seniors wishing to

receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at

St. Edward in 2021 must register by making

an appointment with Trevor Huster, the Director of

Religious Education. The deadline for registration is

Monday, August 31.

In preparation for this sacrament, all candidates must

participate in classes, a retreat, service hours and an

interview. To make an appointment, or for further

information, please contact Trevor Huster at 888-0703 or

by email at thuster@steddy.org.

Become a Catechist

Approximately 50 children in 1st through 11th grades

will sign up at St. Edward this fall to learn more about

Jesus and the Catholic faith. Catechists are needed to help

young students learn and grow in the Catholic faith. As

catechists nurture the faith of our young, they learn and

grow as well! All instructions and materials are provided

for you. Average class sizes range from 6 to 12 students.

As one long-time catechist put it, “I learn so much from

the children!”

Classes are held once per week (on Mondays from 4:15

to 5:30 p.m.), begin on August 12 and end in May. If you

would like to explore the possibility of becoming a

catechist, please contact Trevor Huster, our Director of

Religious Education, at 888-0703 or thuster@steddy.org.

The teaching of Jesus is that we possess things in order

to be of service to others, and by serving others, we serve

our Heavenly Father. When we reach out to help someone

in need, we feel good inside. It is the Christian Way. It is

also joyful, and the Holy Spirit is at work in us. We then

discover the wonderful truth that it is in giving that we

receive.

Order of St. Louis Medallion

Awards Ceremony Postponed

The Archdiocese of New Orleans’ Order of

St. Louis Medallion awards ceremony,

previously scheduled in May, has been

postponed. Once it is rescheduled we will

publish the names of the St. Edward

parishioners who will receive this award honoring their

years of dedicated service to our parish.

Introducing Formed.org, an online service of-

fering Catholic books, audio talks, movies, documentaries

and studies. Let’s make the most of your time at home to

better understand, live and share our faith! This service is

provided to you as a St. Edward parishioner at no charge.

Register yourself for access with these 4 easy steps:

***Go to www.formed.org; click Sign Up; select "I

belong to a parish or organization"

**Select your parish: Enter zip code 70001 and select

St. Edward the Confessor from the dropdown menu

**Register with your name and email address.

St. Edward the Confessor Parish Prayer

Heavenly Father, we praise and thank

You for calling us to be Your people.

Pour down Your grace and mercy upon our parish.

Send Your Spirit to renew us

and open our hearts to Your will.

Bring us together; make us one family in You.

Lord Jesus, we offer and consecrate

our beloved parish to Your Sacred Heart,

through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our Mother.

We, the people of St. Edward the Confessor Parish,

acknowledge that You and Your Church

are the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Forgive us our sins and help us to forgive others.

We reject the empty promises of the world.

Lord, it is You we choose to serve.

We pray for our priests, deacons, and religious;

for our school and parish ministries;

for our families, our youth,

the sick, the lonely and the elderly.

We pray for the needs of all our parishioners

and for our own special intentions. (pause)

Jesus, meek and humble of Heart,

make our hearts like Yours!

St. Edward the Confessor, pray for us.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

Be our protection against the wickedness

And snares of the devil;

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;

And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,

by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and

all evil spirits who prowl about the world

seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

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Holy Spirit Novena

The first novena to the Holy Spirit took place in the

Upper Room between the Ascension and Pentecost

Sunday, with the Blessed Mother and the Apostles and

disciples who were gathered there. Our world today is in

dire need of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit! Please join

our parish community in preparation for the Feast of

Pentecost, and pray the Holy Spirit Novena with us

following all Masses beginning Friday, May 22

through Saturday, May 30. Copies will be available in

back of church.

If Masses are still cancelled because of the coronavirus

situation, the novena may be prayed privately.

Social Justice - Respect Life

Respect Life Contest Winners The respect life art contest entries were on exhibit in the

cafeteria in March. All art depicted a pro-life message and

showed the creativity and talents of each artist. Winners

(art pictured at left) were: Laila Hoang (1st Place),

Gabriella Romero (2nd Place), and Isabella Gibson (3rd

Place). Honorable mention were Madison Adams,

Addison Kirkpatrick, Kayleigh Jollands and Alaina

Coleman. Thanks to all for participating.

SPIRITUAL ADOPTION PROGRAM

Developing Spiritually Adopted Baby

Well, your little baby now weighs six ounces.

He has fingernails and eyelashes. He has his

own unique fingerprints, which will remain the

same until he dies. His taste buds are working. His sense

of hearing is developing and present at 14 weeks. There

are no major developments anymore. Your spiritually

adopted baby is already well-formed, internally and

externally. All he needs now is time to gain weight and

grow strong. What a miracle he is!

Sacred Heart Home Enthronement

Promises of Jesus for souls devoted to His Sacred

Heart:

Fifth Promise: I will pour abundant blessings on all

their undertakings.

For more information on enthroning your home to the

Sacred Heart of Jesus, contact Yvette Fouchi at 874-9225.

ALUMNI NEWS

Thomas “TJ” Burgess ‘20 recently

received the Judy Stewart Social Justice

Award at Brother Martin. Recipients,

nominated by their classmates, are

caring and selfless students who embody

the ideals of Brother Martin’s Charism

and social justice. Congratulations TJ!

1st Place—Laila Hoang

2nd Place: Gabriella Romero

3rd Place: Isabella Gibson

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St. Edward the Confessor Church

4921 West Metairie Avenue

Metairie, LA 70001

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Month of May Recalls

Special Devotion to Mary As the Church continues to bask in the glory of the

Easter season, rejoicing in the resurrection of our Lord,

while eagerly looking toward Pentecost and the coming of

the Holy Spirit, it is fitting that we also enter into a month

traditionally devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Some, who largely misunderstand Catholic devotion to

our Blessed Mother, might consider such a focus on her in

this month curious. After all, they might claim, doesn’t

that attention distract us from God—in Father, Son and

Holy Spirit? By reflecting on Mary’s place in our lives

and in our faith, however, we cannot help but be directed

back to God.

To see one of God’s most vibrant examples of this, we

look back, not to Easter but to Advent. Consider the

Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. On Mary’s

arrival, the baby in the womb of the previously barren

Elizabeth leaps for joy. From within the womb, St. John

the Baptist recognized Christ’s presence within the body

of His Blessed Mother and John began his own ministry

proclaiming the coming of the Lord by leaping in joy.

Even at this earliest point, it was clear that through

Mary the faithful can most readily recognize and reach

her Son — the Son who is God. Through Mary, we have

one of our most direct and personal connections to our

Lord. Indeed, rather than distracting us from Jesus, as

Saint John Paul II so often put it, by honoring the Mother,

we cannot help but reach the Son.

In the coming month, focus on your devotion to Mary

and her uniquely special connection to Jesus. Perhaps

make an effort this month to pray the Rosary.

So as we prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day on May 10,

let us not forget to remember and honor our Blessed

Mother in this special month.

GENERAL PARISH INFORMATION

PARISH STAFF

Pastor: Rev. Gerald L. Seiler, Jr.

Parochial Vicar: Rev. Kevin T. DeLerno

Deacons: Steven J. Koehler

Timothy G. Meaut

School Principal: Dr. Thomas E. Becker, Jr.

Director of Religious Ed.: Trevor D. Huster

ADDRESSES , TELEPHONES AND E-MAIL

Parish Office: 4921 West Metairie Ave.

Metairie, LA 70001-4466

(504) 888-0703; (504) 455-5443 FAX

E-mail: stedward@steddy.org

Parish Website: www.steddy.org

School: 4901 West Metairie Ave.

Metairie, LA 70001-4496

(504) 888-6353; (504) 456-0960 FAX

E-mail: stedschool@steddy.org

School website: www.steddyschool.com

SUNDAY MASS SCHEDULE

Vigil (Saturdays) at 4 p.m.

Sundays at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 12 noon and 4:30 p.m.

WEEKDAY MASS SCHEDULE

Mondays through Fridays at 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturdays at 8:30 a.m.

Holy Days of Obligation follow special schedules. See weekly bulletin.

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Saturdays at 2:30 p.m., Sundays at 4 p.m., Monday through Friday at

5 p.m., and by appointment.

THE CONFESSOR

The deadline is 9 a.m. on the first Monday of each month. Send

information to Joanna Whitcomb (jwhitcomb@steddy.org).

The Knights of Columbus free throw contest winners—

these St. Edward students won at the district level and are

going on to state—Jacob Zavala and Brandt Frey.

Congratulations!

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

Act of Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, I believe that You are present

in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You

above all things, and I desire to receive

You into my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment

receive You sacramentally,

come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace You as if You were already there and

unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me

to be separated from You.

Amen