Heather Blades, purchasing assistant for the Diocese of Baton Rouge Child Nutrition Program, honed her skills and made the connections needed to become more effective in her passion of ensuring that students receive the nutritious meals they need to develop their spirits, minds, and bodies at the School Nutrition Association’s 52nd Legislative Action Conference in Washington, D.C.
St. Joseph Academy and Catholic High School, both of Baton Rouge, recently concluded their 2024 Challenge Season on March 22. The schools vied with each other in a Can Week collection drive to see which school could raise the most cans and monetary donations for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. The can drive was followed by a Challenge Day of competitive games in which each winner’s school was awarded points. The schools also received points for meeting their goals in the can drive. The annual event is a much anticipated one because the winning school takes homes the coveted trophy. While SJA sought to have a three-peat, CHS claimed the trophy with final score of 11-6. The biggest winner was the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, whose leadership says the event is one of the biggest food drives of the year. Both schools met their goals in this year’s can drive. CHS collected enough food poundage and monetary donations to provide 34,427 meals for families in need. SJA raised enough food poundage and monetary donations to provide 28,352 meals. Both schools provided a combined 62,779 meals for families in poverty. Photos provided by Benjamin Bailey | Catholic High School
Churches throughout the Diocese of Baton Rouge celebrated the beginning of Holy Week on Palm Sunday, March 24, with the waving of palm branches and processionals at the beginning of Mass. At St. Aloysius Church in Baton Rouge the faithful gathered by the church’s bell tower located off Stuart Ave., with their palm branches for a procession into the church. St. Aloysius Pastor Father Randy Cuevas blessed the palm branches, and the people, with the sprinkling of holy water. With the entry into Holy Week, the diocese will observe the passion of Christ, which leads up to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection at Easter. Photos by Debbie Shelley | The Catholic Commentator
More than 1,000 people visited St. George Church in Baton Rouge on March 13 during an historic tour of a relic of St. Jude the Apostle in the United States.
St. Alphonsus Liguori Church in Greenwell Springs hosted its St. Joseph Altar on March 17. Many people attended the event, and the church attributed the success to the numerous volunteers who helped prepare the altar. Photo provided by St. Alphonsus Liguori Church.
St. Aloysius Church in Baton Rouge hosted its St. Joseph Altar on March 18-19. On March 18, the altar was blessed, a Tupa Tupa Skit was performed, and attendees were served a spaghetti dinner. The viewing of the altar continued the next day, the Solemnity of St. Joseph. St. Aloysius students also viewed the altar. Photo by provided by St. Aloysius Church
Dan Burke, president and founder of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation and author of more than a dozen books on Catholic spirituality, will speak on two occasions next month in Baton Rouge.
The Johnnie and Cheryl Santangelo Family of Independence hosted a St. Joseph Altar in honor of Father Mark Beard on Sunday, March 10. The day included the "Tuppa Tuppa" or the reenactement of the Holy Familiy seeking shelter, the washing of hands, the presentation of scapulars, honoring of Father Beard and serving of the meal. Photo provided by Cheryl Santangelo
With Holy Week upon us, I recalled in the past when I had received a call from a Secretary of a Church I had attended with the invitation to be one of the 12 folks to get their feet washed by the Pastor on Holy Thursday!
The fourth-grade class of St. Jean Vianney School in Baton Rouge, along with one of the student’s grandmother, Pam Riebert, hosted a St. Joseph’s Altar on March 19, the fest of St. Joseph. This year, the 4th-grade parents and staff members served the traditional meal of macaroni and cheese and meatless pasta to everyone who viewed the altar. Photo by Rebecca Courtney | St. Jean Vianney School
St. Joseph Cathedral hosted a St. Joseph Altar on Tuesday, March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph. Many viewed and prayed at the altar during the day. Bishop Michael G. Duca blessed the altar at the noon Mass. After Mass, attendees enjoyed a traditional St. Joseph meal in the cathedral’s community center. Thibault Fajoles of Paris, France, and currently the artist-in-residence at St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans, was scheduled to give an organ concert that evening. Photos by Debbie Shelley | The Catholic Commentator
Organizers of 40 Days for Life, which ends March 24, need additional volunteers to maintain a prayerful presence for the protection of unborn life outside of Planned Parenthood, 3825 Government St., Baton Rouge.
Nationwide Invitation to Prayer for the End of Abortion and for the Protection of Women and Pre-Born Children On March 26, 2024 the Supreme Court of the United States will hear oral arguments in a case that has the potential to make a major impact in the widespread accessibility of chemical abortion (abortion pills). Archbishop Broglio and Bishop Burbidge have announced a nationwide invitation to prayer.
A living portrayal from the pages of the Bible will take place when Our Lady of Pompeii Church,14450 Hwy. 442, Tickfaw holds its Last Supper Re-enactment on Palm Live Re-enactment of Leonardo DiVinci's "Last Supper" on Sunday, March 24, 7 p.m.
Father Reuben Dykes, pastor of Mater Dolorosa Church in Independence, blesses the crowd at the opening ceremony of the Independence Sicilian Heritage Festival on Saturday, March 9. Photo by Richard Meek | Hammond Daily Star
One hundred and thirty years ago, the first seven leprosy patients transported by river barge from New Orleans arrived at Indian Camp Plantation in Carville, La. Outraged by an exposé article in the Times Picayune about local leprosy treatment houses, the people of New Orleans demanded that the “pest houses” be moved outside the city limits. In 1894 the state legislature enacted Act 85, which decreed that anyone with leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, should be quarantined to a certain location.
The St. Louis IX Art Society will present a Lenten mission chamber concert at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 865 Hatchell Lane, on Monday, March 18, 7 – 8:30 p.m. The event, which will feature liturgical preaching, sacred music, and Eucharistic adoration, is free and open to the public.