Triduum begins with Holy Thursday Mass at 7:00 p.m. carries over to Good Friday Liturgy at 3:00 pm and then culminates in the Easter Vigil Mass at 8pm on Holy Saturday (the beginning of Easter). Easter Day Masses are Easter Sunday at 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 at St Joseph and 10:30 am mass at St Anthony

Learn more about your Faith during the holiest time of the year with EWTN's movies, documentaries, concerts, children's programs, and much more! Join in the celebration of Mass from Rome and Washington DC. Get program details at ewtn.com

For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. - John 20:9

Author Andrea Provenza Madden has written a book explaining the history and meaning of the St. Joseph Altar. St. Joseph Church & Shrine of Gretna was one of the sixty Altars chosen to be displayed in my book- titled- “Glorifying the Lord through the traditions of the St. Joseph Altar”. This 8 x 10, 194 colored page hard-bounds book shows pictures from the 1900s to current time , from Northwest La. and South La. If interested in the purchase of this book contact :318-455-1845 or aprovenzabakery@gmail.com.

With professional instruction, Natural Family Planning has proven itself to be safe, effective, and a moral way for couples to plan their families. It is a method which respects the meaning of human sexuality as God created it and thus marital love is enhanced and strengthened. This class series the Office of Marriage and Family Life is offering in the SymptoPro™ Method of Natural Family Planning will be conducted by Kelly Donahue of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The dates of the class series are May 3, May 17, May 31 and June 28, 2019. Hours are 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM. The classes will be held in the Most Holy Trinity Family Life Center in Covington. The cost is $100 and includes all classes and materials. Preregistration is required.

In this novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help (also known as Our Mother of Perpetual Help from this icon pictured on the left) we pay tribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary in asking for her assistance. This picture of the Blessed Mother with her Divine Son above has helped her provide strength, comfort and even miracles to the faithful for centuries! .......... Oh Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever invoke your powerful name, the protection of the living and the salvation of the dying. Purest Mary, let your name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, Blessed Lady, to rescue me whenever I call on you. In my temptations, in my needs, I will never cease to call on you, ever repeating your sacred name, Mary, Mary. What a consolation, what sweetness, what confidence fills my soul when I utter your sacred name or even only think of you! I thank the Lord for having given you so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But I will not be content with merely uttering your name. Let my love for you prompt me ever to hail you Mother of Perpetual Help. Mother of Perpetual Help, pray for me and grant me the favor I confidently ask of you. (Then say three Hail Marys).......... First placed in the Church of San Matteo in Rome in 1499, the picture was thought to be lost at one point after Napoleon’s armies sacked that church in 1798. Fortunately, however, it was in the care of the Augustinian fathers until Pope Pius IX ordered that the icon be given to the Redemptorist order at the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome in 1866 for public viewing once again. Since then it has been copied and venerated in churches and homes all over the world. Note in this picture how Jesus, while safely cradled in his mother’s arms, looks anxiously at St. Gabriel the Archangel, who holds the cross and nails for His Crucifixion. (St. Michael the Archangel, at left, holds the lance, spear, and the vessel of vinegar and gall for our Lord's Passion as well.) The Blessed Mother looks at us solemnly, perhaps as if in contemplation of her beloved Son’s future Passion and death for our salvation! Remember that when we pray this novena to our Lady of Perpetual Help, that we are not choosing to worship her over her Divine Son. She is "our Mother on the order of grace,” according to a Vatican II document, and all the graces Mary gives us come directly from our Lord. She is always ready to intercede with Him on our behalf, but never for anything contrary to His wishes. As long as we approach her as we do Him, with sincerely humble and contrite hearts, we can count on her aid and guidance. Mary’s last spoken words in the Gospels concerned her Son when she said at the wedding feast at Cana “Do whatever he tells You” (John 2:5). If we persevere in our intentions to do Christ’s will for us, we are doing hers as well.

Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat, scheduled for April 26-28, 2019, is a retreat to help those women and men who are hurting from an abortion or miscarriage. The retreat is confidential and non-judgmental. All faiths are welcome. The cost is $190/person, but financial assistance is available. Priest Facilitator is Fr. Robert Cavalier. For more information, please contact the retreat facilitators: Pam Richard –(504) 460-9360/ richj504@bellsouth.net or Donna Scheuermann-(504)258-9183/ or donnas@1791.com.

This weekend, our special collection supports the Catholic Home Missions Appeal. Nearly half our country is considered mission territory. This appeal helps our brothers and sisters here in the United States who do not have access to basic pastoral services like Mass, the sacraments, and religious education. Through your support, the Catholic Home Missions Appeal helps these mission dioceses form vibrant faith communities and strengthens the Church at home. Please be generous.

Notre Dame Seminary will host an Art Show on Saturday, April 27, 2019, from 5:00 PM-9:00 PM in Schulte Auditorium. Art from Notre Dame Seminarians, St. Rita's Catholic School Students, as well as local and national artists will be on display. Proceeds will benefit Red Cloud Indian School. For more information, contact David Bailey by email at dbailey@nds.edu.

Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." - John 20:29

All are invited to a Healing Mass and Anointing of the Sick on Sunday, April 28, 2019, at 1:00 PM at St. Mary's Assumption Church. You may visit the National Shrine of Blessed Seelos at 919 Josephine St., New Orleans before and after Mass.

All those interested in becoming a mentor at St Anthony School or in assisting us in the Isaiah 43 Mentorship Program, please come to the informational meeting Monday April 29 at 6:30 pm in the St Anthony Cafeteria. We can use volunteers also in assisting us in soliciting local businesses for gift cards and/or grants to provide food and entertainment to mentors and mentorees.

The Office of Justice and Peace, Office of Racial Harmony, and Isaiah 43 Program are hosting their monthly Peace Prayer Walk on Tuesday, April 30, 2019. We will gather at 6:00 PM at St. Martha Parish located at 2555 Apollo Ave., Harvey, LA 70058. All are invited to attend as we follow Pope Francis’ calling to be in the community to encounter and dialogue with others to promote peace. For more information, contact Kristina Gibson at (504) 310-8772.

In this novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help (also known as Our Mother of Perpetual Help from this icon pictured on the left) we pay tribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary in asking for her assistance. This picture of the Blessed Mother with her Divine Son above has helped her provide strength, comfort and even miracles to the faithful for centuries! .......... Oh Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever invoke your powerful name, the protection of the living and the salvation of the dying. Purest Mary, let your name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, Blessed Lady, to rescue me whenever I call on you. In my temptations, in my needs, I will never cease to call on you, ever repeating your sacred name, Mary, Mary. What a consolation, what sweetness, what confidence fills my soul when I utter your sacred name or even only think of you! I thank the Lord for having given you so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But I will not be content with merely uttering your name. Let my love for you prompt me ever to hail you Mother of Perpetual Help. Mother of Perpetual Help, pray for me and grant me the favor I confidently ask of you. (Then say three Hail Marys).......... First placed in the Church of San Matteo in Rome in 1499, the picture was thought to be lost at one point after Napoleon’s armies sacked that church in 1798. Fortunately, however, it was in the care of the Augustinian fathers until Pope Pius IX ordered that the icon be given to the Redemptorist order at the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome in 1866 for public viewing once again. Since then it has been copied and venerated in churches and homes all over the world. Note in this picture how Jesus, while safely cradled in his mother’s arms, looks anxiously at St. Gabriel the Archangel, who holds the cross and nails for His Crucifixion. (St. Michael the Archangel, at left, holds the lance, spear, and the vessel of vinegar and gall for our Lord's Passion as well.) The Blessed Mother looks at us solemnly, perhaps as if in contemplation of her beloved Son’s future Passion and death for our salvation! Remember that when we pray this novena to our Lady of Perpetual Help, that we are not choosing to worship her over her Divine Son. She is "our Mother on the order of grace,” according to a Vatican II document, and all the graces Mary gives us come directly from our Lord. She is always ready to intercede with Him on our behalf, but never for anything contrary to His wishes. As long as we approach her as we do Him, with sincerely humble and contrite hearts, we can count on her aid and guidance. Mary’s last spoken words in the Gospels concerned her Son when she said at the wedding feast at Cana “Do whatever he tells You” (John 2:5). If we persevere in our intentions to do Christ’s will for us, we are doing hers as well.

There are many things you can do to help end abortion, and we provide ten suggestions here, based on some of the most proven and effective pro-life strategies.

Come join the St Vincent DePaul Society or come volunteer to help the poor in our parishes.

Learning to Read as Prayer Without Ceasing Dr. Jennifer Heil, Professor of Literature at St. Joseph Seminary College Wednesday, May 1st Lectio Divina, the prayerful reading of Scripture, has a long-standing tradition in the Catholic Church, but we need not think of reflective reading as limited to the Bible alone. Drawing on the wisdom of great writers, this talk will outline both how they teach us to read better–whatever book we pick up–and how this deeper reading leads us to more loving and contemplative living. Register for Dr. Heil’s Talk at: www.les-nds-heil.eventbrite.com

The National Day of Prayer is an annual day of observance held on the first Thursday of May, designated by the United States Congress, when people are asked "to turn to God in prayer and meditation". Each year since its inception, the president has signed a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. Event for Gretna to be held at 2nd and Huey P Long in front of City Hall. May 2 from Noon to 1:00 pm. Theme: Love One Another