Fr. Alexander Albert - Pastor
Susan Derouen - Secretary
Patti Bonin - Religious Education
Office Hours*
Mon, Tues, Thurs: 8:00 am-Noon
Wed: 8:00 am-Noon, 1:00-5:00 pm
*Fr. Albert takes appointments outside
office hours. Please call to schedule.
1510 Church St.
Jeanerette, LA 70544
Phone: 337-276-4576
Press 1 for emergencies
Fax: 337-276-5804
stjohnev@stjohnjeanerette.org
www.stjohnjeanerette.org
@stjohnjtown
Weekend Masses
Saturday: 3:00 pm Confessions
4:00 pm Mass
Sunday: 8:00 & 10:00 am
Weekday Masses*
Tuesday 6:00 pm
Wednesday 12:05 pm
Thursday 6:00 pm
Friday 12:05 pm
Saturday after 1st Friday 8:30 am
Intentions
Tue, Jan. 19 6:00 pm Dalton Sonnier (His 2nd anniversary)
Wed, Jan. 20 12:05 pm Mary Fay Freshley
Thu, Jan. 21 6:00 pm M/M Maurice Silverman; Buddy Clement (His 2nd anniversary); Mary Fay Freshley
Fri, Jan. 22 12:05 pm Leatrice Marquette
Sat, Jan 23 8:30 am No Mass
Sat, Jan 23 4:00 pm JoAnn LeJeune
Also remembered in prayer: Junius/Lauriel Legnon; Jerome Migues; Stephen E Gauthier; Diane/Karey Landry, Dean Derouen, Angeline “Jo” Simoneaux; M/M Bourque, Daniel Bourque, Curless Tabb, Nelson Guillotte, Richard/Laura Verret, Myrtle L Prince; Walter, Jr/Walter, Sr/Lena Fitch; Steven Blanchard; Marie/Ted/M/M T J/Cleveland Moore, M/ M Ulysse/ L J/Neta Landry, M/M Eno Maturin, Peter Bouton, Julius Bourque; Gerard Eldridge; Beryl Bonin, Claire B Myers, Bonin Family; Zelma (37th anniversary)/Bernice Naquin, Larry Ohler; Whitey/Mildred B Hebert, Arleen H Guillot, Ray B Fletcher, Sr.; Louella/James O’Donnell, Gail O Theriot; Irene (Her 12th anniversary)/Dave/Richard Landry; Sonny/Sylvia/ Clarence Guardia, Sr., Joseph/Jules Songne, Della/Lloyd Amy, Guardia/Songne Families; Eugenie/Antoine/Freddie Migues, Leatrice Marquette, Edward Miller, III, Lottie/Joe, Sr/Peggy/ Arthur Harris
Sunday, Jan 24 8:00 am Mark (His 59th birthday)/Keith/ Neuville Sonnier
Also remembered in prayer: Marvin “Ga”/Perry Hebert, M/M Arthur Hebert, M/M Whitney Hebert; M/M Ray Louviere & Family; Brent Breaux; Mary Fay Freshley; Audrey Abshire (2nd anniversary on January 29); Jacqueline Therese LeJeune Burke (Her birthday on January 14)
Sun, Jan 24 10:00 am Parishioners of St. John the Evangelist Church
Also remembered in prayer: Eric )/(Alison)/Loretta Mouret; Mary Alice Foco, Ava Foco Perry; Steven Blanchard, M/M Ted/M/M T J Moore & Cleveland, M/M Ulysse/ L J/Neta Landry, M/M Eno Maturin, Julius/Peter; Margaret Roberts; Elodie Leger Bodin
Please Pray for Our Beloved Dead
Edward Miller, IV
Spiritual Life & Worship
Sacraments
-
Baptisms
are celebrated once a month. Registration
and class attendance are required; please call the
parish office.
-
Weddings
, please contact us at least 7 months
before your desired date. Visit the website
www.stjohnjeanerette.org/getting-married-at-st-john
to see the process.
-
Anointing of the Sick
is given by request to those
who are “in danger of death.” This can be from age,
injury, or illness. Please don’t wait until the last
minute! Call as soon as you receive a serious diagnosis.
For emergencies, call the office and press ‘1’ when
prompted.
Sanctuary Lights: January 17
Church: Stephen E. Gauthier
Chapel: Margaret Roberts
Pray for our Military:
Brett Amedee, Dyllan Blanchard, Barry Clements,
Jeremy Dube, Lance Dube, Matthew Gottschalk,
Kenneth Lancon, Bernard LeBlanc, Major James S. Long,
II, Ross Mata, Andrew Meyer, Katherine Milar, Alden
Milar, Fernand Paul Muffoletto, Blake Prados, Michael
Prados, Sherel Sinitiere, II, Neil Stevens, Jr., Travis
Theriot; Jennifer Thibodeaux, Paul Thibodeaux
A Stewardship Moment
Christian stewardship begins with the call to
discipleship and in today’s Gospel we discover
those first individuals who sought out Jesus and
wanted to listen to him, learn from him and stay
with him. Today, Christian stewards search out the
hidden presence of Jesus in their own lives every
day. They know Christ is the “Messiah” who will
one day bring about a perfect restoration to a
troubled world. What is one thing we can do to be
better stewards of Christ’s life in us?
Formation & Education
After two special columns, we return this week to our journey through Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII. In our
last installment, we heard about the importance of fair wages for those who work and about the importance of protecting the those who are desperate from being taken advantage of. Again, this interest is not necessarily anti-capitalism or anti-business, but simply pro human dignity. Unions and minimum wage laws can be helpful for this purpose and they can also be abused. At the time this encyclical was written, they were generally more helpful than harmful. Whatever the case, the Church’s concern is always that the economy serves human beings rather than the other way around.
As Pope Leo puts it, man “cannot give up his soul to servitude, for it is not man’s own rights which are here in question, but the rights of God.” This brings him to the importance of the Sunday obligation. We often forget that the 3rd Commandment isn’t just about going to Mass, but also includes the obligation to rest. Especially when we’re talking about the economy, this translates to an important reminder that we are meant for more than mere labor. How often do people feel like they are caught in the rat race? How many people live with excessive stress because they are in a culture that treats overworking as something praiseworthy? God’s commandment to rest is put in place for a few reasons: to give us time to worship him, to protect physical and mental health, and to remind us of human limitations. Do not forget that the first sin of Adam and Eve was to eat the fruit so they could “be like gods.” When we push ourselves too far in an attempt to be superhumanly productive, we are indirectly rebelling against the fact that we are not God, that we are limited.
I do want to point out that the Sunday rest is still a part of the commandment and the Church expects us to follow it. We also recall that Jesus warned against the hypocrisy of being too legalistic about it. Working on a Sunday is sometimes necessary, especially for emergency personnel and those who provide key infrastructure (water, electric, communications). Also, when someone has to choose between working on a Sunday or losing their job, it’s not a sin if they work. The sin would belong to the person who forces their employee to work without serious reason. Making more money is not a good reason to work on a Sunday. There are also some unusual arrangements that can honor the principle while not literally closing every Sunday. Many industries use a 14 day on 7 day (or more) off rotation. I think this is less than ideal, but it probably isn’t always sinful because it does try to give them rest on a regular basis. The longer a company makes someone work without a day or two off, the more sinful it will become. Regardless, for any Sundays during the 14 days working, both employer and employee should honor at least some period of time give in devotion to God. Normally, this means going to Mass, but where that is not possible we are still required to do something to honor God: rosary, scripture, reading, an extended period of personal prayer - something.
While talking about rest in general, the pope also reflects on daily rest. He points out that how long we work each day should be based on how difficult and intense the work is. He specifically names miners and other manual laborers as an example of those who should have shorter hours because of how hard it is on the body. This includes factoring in the time of year: heat and cold are major factors in how hard work can be. This also applies to recognizing the difference between man, woman, and child. Work should be adapted to the circumstances of the person working and some jobs are not suitable for some people. This has nothing to do with who is better or worse, but with a real acknowledgement of the difference and variety in the human condition. Children should not be forced into hard manual labor at a young age and so miss out on both a healthy childhood and a good education. This teaching helped influence the eventual creation of child labor laws in some countries, including our own. This principle also means that employers should account for things like pregnancy and childbirth. Pope Leo XIII does say that women are “not suited for certain occupations.” He does not list which those are. He is also speaking in general terms. I imagine he is thinking about the general difference in strength and endurance between men and women. He’s probably imagining that, generally speaking, women aren’t going to be doing mining work or similar tasks. He, like any reasonable person, would certainly be able to recognize exceptions to this. Remember that, when he wrote this, women were often forced to work long hours in dangerous factories for low pay. The pope does not mean that women are less capable and he certainly doesn’t mean that the work women do is less important. He mentions “home-work” and the raising of children, which he clearly sees as more important than making money. He in no way condemns women who work outside the home and we should not do that either. Still, this was a different time and a different economy, so the application varies. What matters is the specific principle that employers and employees should both take account of the specific circumstances and difference for different people - men, women, children and within each category. Acknowledging that difference is not sexist or ageist, it’s just part of reality.
- In Christ, Fr. Albert
Rerum Novarum VII
Pastor’s Column
Community Life
Bible Study
Come Lord Jesus is a bible study
program that meets every Tuesday
night at 6:30 in the parish Hall or
Thursday Morning at 9:30 am at the
Parish Hall. Please call the office if
you’d like more information.
Free Online Faith Formation
Go to Formed.org and select “I belong to a parish or
organization.” Use our zip code to find our parish and
register for free access to lots of high-quality online faith
materials.
Join the Knights!
If you would like to join the KC’s please
call the office. There next meeting will
be held on February 10 at 6:30 pm at the
Parish Hall
Catholic Daughte
rs
If you would like to join the Catholic
Daughters, please call the office. There
next meeting will be held on February
10 at 6:30 pm at the Parish Hall.
Nine Days for Life
January 21-29
Nine days for Life is a novena for the protection of
human life. Each day’s intention is accompanied
by a short reflection and suggested actions to help
build a culture of life. Resources for leaders,
including novena printables, graphics, and sample
announcements are available at
https://www.respectlife.org/leaders-resources
Dinner with Fr. Albert
Fr. Albert is listing his availability to visit with his
parishioners and get to know them better. If you
want to go to a restaurant, he will gladly pay for
himself. It is also a chance to have your home
blessed and/or have him meet family members
who might not go to Church. Please consider
inviting him to dinner (or to watch football). You
can also ask about availability on other days.
Sat, Jan 23 after 4pm Mass
Sat, Feb 13 after 4pm Mass
Sat, Feb 27 after 4pm Mass
Continuing Precautions
We are in modified Phase II of Covid precautions.
Between the 3 regular Masses, we should have
room for everyone to attend. During this time,
attending Mass during
any day of the week
will also
count for Sunday obligation.
South Deanery “March For Life”
Please join us in praying for an end to abortion on
Friday, January 22. There will be a silent
Eucharistic procession from the Grotto on Main
St. to St. Peter’s Church beginning at 6:00 pm
followed by a Mass for Life. There will also be a 5
day Rosary congress following March and Mass.
CCD News
(Classes are 11am in Parish Hall)
Wed, Jan 20, 2021 6-8pm Family Night
Sun. Jan. 24, 2021 Confirmation & 1st Comm
Sun. Jan. 31, 2021 Confirmation & 1st Comm
You can now give online!
Visit stjohnjeanerette.org/online-giving to sign
up. One-time and recurring gifts are available. You
can also choose to give to specific collections. You
can also find information on the website about
using an app to give via your smartphone.
Update on St. Joe’s
We are still deliberating on the future of the
property for the old St.
Joseph school (which
includes the old convent
and chapel). Some have
mentioned museums or cooperating with other
government programs. We are looking into these.
Another suggestion was to use it for a Catholic
homeschool program. I don’t know if there is any
interest, but I’m willing to support it if there is.
Does this interest you or families you know?
Check out CatholicSchoolhouse.com to learn
more and let me know what kind of interest there
is.
-Fr. Albert
Hiring Cantor at St. John, Jeanerette
Starting in January, St. John the Evangelist in Jeanerette is
in need of a cantor for the 8am Sunday morning Mass.
Additionally, we are seeking someone capable of leading
communal praise and worship events on a monthly basis. If
you are someone you know is interested in applying for
either position or both, please contact the office at
337-276-4576 or by email at stjohnev@stjohnjeanerette.org.
Qualifications needed are:
Ability to read music
Ability to sing loudly, clearly, and well
Working knowledge of Catholic hymns and chants
Familiarity with the structure of the Mass
Willingness to attend trainings online or in person to
develop skills
Also desirable: Experience with leading communal
prayer
Pay will be per Mass/Engagement and can be negotiated
based on experience and travel requirements.
Offertory
January 9/10 Regular Collection $3173.00
Tithe.ly through the week of January 8 $148.03
Second Collections
January 17 Church in Latin AmericaJanuary 31 Insurance Fund
Candles/Holy Water Bottles For Sale
Case of Candles——————32.00Individual Candles—————3.00 Holy Water Bottles—————1.00
Outreach & Evangelization
Stewardship
Managing God’s Gifts to Us
How to Evangelize?
How do I spread the faith? There is the basic formula: be a
friend, make a friend, bring a friend to Jesus. Start by
praying for the person who want to encounter Jesus.
Occasionally, tell them sincerely and specifically how Jesus
makes a difference in your life. Don’t nag. Offer to pray
with them out loud and in person. Answer questions if you
can, but don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.” Just make
sure you go find the answer and follow up later.
Poor Box
Thank you all for contributing to the Poor Box. We will
keep all poor box funds set aside for those in need.
Anyone looking for financial help should schedule an
Bulletin #396450
St. John the Evangelist
Contact: Susan Derouen
337-276-4576
stjohnev@yahoo.com
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