Immaculate Conception

In lifting the dispensation, the directives of September 25, 2020, remain in effect allowing for 75% of church occupancy. Pastors will continue to adhere to state guidelines regarding the number and manner of attendance. The only change in the directives concerns the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days.

Bishop Provost reminds those who are ill, immune deficient, symptomatic, in a state of anxiety over contracting the illness, or at high risk due to chronic conditions, that they are already dispensed by the law from the obligation to attend Mass.

Precautions that have been in place will remain, including sanitizing church parishes, the use of face masks and hand sanitizer, and the practice of social distancing. In doing so, there is no greater risk for contracting COVID-19 at church than when someone is at the grocery store, at work, or any other public setting.

The faithful who are unable to attend Mass are urged to make holy the Lord’s Day and to pray, read the Scriptures, and take part in acts of charity.

For questions or clarifications, please consult the Dean of your respective Deanery.

• Central Deanery — Very Reverend Matthew Cormier, V.F.
• East Deanery — Very Reverend Keith Pellerin, V.F.
• South Deanery — Very Reverend Rojo A. Koonathan, V.F.
• West Deanery — Very Reverend Edward Richard, V.F.

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 in 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.  
During this hurricane season, we turn to You, O 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 your Son on our behalf, 
so that spared from the calamities common to this area and 
animated with a true spirit of gratitude, 
we will walk in the footsteps of your Divine Son to
reach the heavenly Jerusalem where a storm-less eternity awaits us. 
Amen.

 By the Most Reverend Maurice Schexnayder, Second Bishop of Lafayette  Written in 1957 following Hurricane Audrey

Bible Study classes hosted by Bishop Glen John Provost resumed in November with the Men’s Bible Study meeting on Friday, November 6, and the Ladies’ Bible Study gathering on Wednesday, November 4. The 2020-2021 series is based on the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Genesis.

Remaining dates for the Men’s Bible Study will be December 4, February 5, March 5, April 9, and May 7. The Ladies’ Bible teachings will continue February 3, March 3, April 7, and May 5. Note there is no meeting in January for the ladies.

Circumstances surrounding back-to-back hurricanes, namely power and communication outages, delayed the resumption of the classes originally set to begin in September. 

Both meetings take place in the Ave Maria Hall across the street from the Cathedral. Please note: no meals will be served. State protocols for the safety of participants will be followed — temperatures will be taken, face masks must be worn, and social distancing will be used for seating. 

For more information on the Bible Study classes, call 337-888-6026 during regular office hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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