You are Invited to join Fr. Gary Copping on Special Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe April 27-May2, 2023 Our Lady of Guadalupe offers a pilgrimage experience without the jetlag of traveling to Europe or the Holy Land. Only a twohour flight from Houston, Mexico City is home to some of the most beautiful churches and shrines in all of the Americas. Spend a day at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, beginning with Mass in the modern Basilica, where the Miraculous image on the Tilma of St Juan Diego is featured above the main altar. Atop the hill behind the basilica, called Tepiac, you will see the original chapel built on the site of Our Lady’s apparition. During your stay in Mexico, you will also visit Tulpetlac, also known as the Church of the Healing, which is the site of Our Lady’s fifth apparition and where St. Juan Diego’s Uncle was cured; the Metropolitan Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in Latin America; the Holy Family Church, where you will pray at the tomb of Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, the Jesuit martyr; and the beautiful city of Puebla to visit St. Dominic’s Church, with it’s magnificent Chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, and to visit the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, where you will view the incorrupt body of St. Sebastian of Aparicio. Of course, no trip to Mexico would be complete without a visit to the pyramids of San Juan Teotihuacan where you will see the pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. Don’t Miss this Incredible Opportunity! Book your Guadalupe Pilgrimage Tour today! Call Catholic Journeys (800) 715-6670 or visit https://www.catholicjourneys.com/mxcopping $2,599 per person Includes *Roundtrip airfare from New Orleans (Prices available from other cities.) *5 nights at Le Meridien Mexico City (or similar) *Breakfast and Dinner Daily *Wine and Bottled Water with Dinners *Lunch everyday, except day of arrival and departure *All Transfers as per itinerary via Private Motorcoach *Sightseeing and all admissions fees *Local English Speaking Guide *Luggage handling (1 piece per person at hotels) *Flight bag & Travel document portfolio *Daily Mass and Spiritual Activities Coordinated with Fr. Gary Copping

The Missionaries to the Family initiative consists of three stages: Discernment, Formation and Service. The Discernment stage explores a person’s calling, desire and fit for becoming a Missionary to the Family. The Formation stage provides professional training to the missionaries to help them fulfill their calling. The Service stage follows Formation and empowers the missionary in their mission work within or around the parish. Formation consists of three types of formation over one year’s time: Theological Spiritual Practical Theological formation is provided by the McGrath Institute for Church Life (MICL) at the University of Notre Dame and consists of four online courses. Spiritual and Practical formation is provided by Paradisus Dei through a combination of in person retreats and online coursework. Missionaries should expect to spend approximately two hours per week on the online courses. The Formation year begins with a retreat at Notre Dame in August. The second retreat’s location varies by class year, and the final Commissioning retreat weekend is hosted at the University of Notre Dame.

The City of Gretna presents the 2022 Back to the River Fall Concert Series and Back to the Gretna Drive-In Movie Nights at the Gretna Amphitheater, Huey P. Long Avenue at the river. ADMISSION is FREE for all events. See schedules below: BACK TO THE RIVER FALL CONCERTS FRIDAYS – 6:00 PM 10/14 Da Rockits 10/21 The Wiseguys 10/28 Brandon Bennett “Elvis My Way” Enjoy food from our food truck vendors as well as beer and wine for purchase. BACK TO THE GRETNA DRIVE-IN SATURDAYS – 6:30 PM 10/15 Cars 3 10/22 Encanto 10/29 Hocus Pocus (Come dressed as your favorite character or in your favorite Halloween costume.) Concessions (cotton candy, snowballs, nachos, etc.) will be available for purchase as well as food truck fare. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Movies start at dusk.

The journey of the silver rose begins each year in March and ends on Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. During that time, Silver Roses travel from town to town along eight routes throughout North America. Several of those routes begin in Canada and end in Mexico. The Silver Rose Program began in 1960, when the first rose – a real, live one – was blessed by a bishop in Ontario. The rose then traveled to New York and then to Texas where it was taken across the border into Mexico. The rose ended its pilgrimage at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Monterrey on Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. To better ensure future annual trips, a silver rose was ultimately made. Today, due to the popularity of the program throughout the North American continent, eight silver roses travel unique routes. In 2001, when Carl Anderson, Past Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, expanded the Silver Rose Program, he commented: “Through [the Silver Rose Program] we honor not only Our Lady of Guadalupe and express the unity of the [Knights of Columbus], but we also reaffirm the Order’s dedication to the sanctity of human life. It is to the Blessed Mother that we turn in prayer as we work to end the Culture of Death that grips our society. As we think in terms of ‘One Life, One Rose,’ it is most appropriate that we turn to Our Lady of Guadalupe who made known her will through Juan Diego and the miracle of the roses.” All members of the community are encouraged join Knights of Columbus Archbishop Blenk Council 1905 at St Joseph Church & Shrine in Gretna LA on Monday October 10th at 6:00 pm to pray for a civilization of love and culture of life in our own country and throughout the world.

Interested in Catholic Youth Groups for 5th through 12th Grades? Click on this article for information.

St Anthony Church & Magnificat Westbank Chapter celebrates St Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio). There will be veneration of 1st Class Relics on September 23, 2022 starting with Mass with School Children at 8:30am. Church will be open all day with Veneration & Blessing with Relics. Prayer teams available. Recitation of the Rosary: 10:00am, Noon, 2:00pm, 4:00pm. Divine Mercy Chaplet 3:00pm. Mass at 6:00pm. St Anthony Catholic Church; 924 Monroe St Gretna LA 70053

Pregnant and parenting moms in need are in our parishes and our neighborhoods. As Pope Francis reminds us, our parishes need to be “islands of mercy in the midst of a sea of indifference.” Everyone in the parish community should know where to refer a pregnant woman in need. For more information on how to help, visit https://nolacatholic.org/protecting-the-unborn

The Spiritans (officially Congregation of the Holy Spirit) send their thanks for the generous response by the people of St. Joseph Parish and St Anthony Parish to their mission-sharing visit on the weekend of August 6-7, 2022 and for the gracious welcome given to Father Jean-Pierre Tambwe, CSSp, representing the Spiritans. Be assured of the prayers of the Spiritans worldwide for you, and for your intentions, and we ask for your continued prayers for us and for our shared ministries to God's people everywhere. Do please continue to keep the missions of the Church in your hearts, the work of the Spiritans in mind, and the never-ending need to proclaim and witness to the Gospel in your own lives.

God designed marriage as an "intimate partnership of life and love" (see Gaudium et spes, no. 48). In God's design, marriage is a unique union of one man with one woman "for the whole of life" (see Canon 1055, The Code of Canon Law). Marriage is oriented to the good of the spouses and to the creation and nurture of new human life (see Gaudium et spes, no. 48). Making decisions therefore, about when and how many children to have in marriage is a sacred responsibility that God has entrusted to husband and wife. This is the foundation of what the Church calls, "Responsible Parenthood," the call to discern God's will for your marriage while respecting His design for life and love. The Catholic Church supports the methods of Natural Family Planning (NFP) because they respect God's design for married love. In fact, NFP represents the only authentic approach to family planning available to husbands and wives because these methods can be used to both attempt or avoid pregnancy. When learning about NFP, it is important to know that: Natural Family Planning is an umbrella term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid conception. These methods are based on the observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman's menstrual cycle. Some natural methods include use of fertility monitors to better understand the time of the wife's fertility. Married couples using NFP to postpone conception abstain from intercourse and genital contact during the fertile phase of the wife's cycle. No drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are used to avoid pregnancy. Married couples who use NFP to attempt a pregnancy, make use of the fertile window--the optimum time when conception is likely. NFP reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, promotes openness to life, and recognizes the value of the child. By respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage, NFP can enrich the bond between husband and wife. (Standards for Diocesan Natural Family Planning Ministry, p. 23) ---- https://www.usccb.org/topics/natural-family-planning

Someone is sending out a text message saying that they are Rev Gary Copping and is in need of a favor. DO NOT FALL FOR THIS SCAM! This is not Fr. Gary.

Scandal, division, disease, doubt. The Church has withstood each of these throughout our very human history. But today we confront all of them, all at once. Our response in this moment is pivotal. In the midst of these roaring waves, Jesus is present, reminding us that he is more powerful than the storm. He desires to heal, renew, and unify the Church and the world. How will he do it? By uniting us once again around the source and summit of our faith—the Holy Eucharist. The National Eucharistic Revival is the joyful, expectant, grassroots response of the entire Catholic Church in the U.S. to this divine invitation. Sign up for the Heart of Revival newsletter today and learn how you can get involved: http://www.eucharisticrevival.org

"Greetings! My name is Sterling Stafford, and I've loved worshipping with you at St. Joseph and St. Anthony. I'm spreading the word about the mission I'm joining August, called Christ in the City. (https://christinthecity.org/) I was drawn to serve with CIC because I love helping the people who go unseen in society. I'll be serving the poor and homeless in Denver, CO by meeting them on the streets with compassion, service, and care, just as Jesus did. I have to raise $10,000 to fund this amazing mission, and I'm looking for people who'd like to help me support the homeless. If you're interested in donating or simply learning why this mission is so good, please call or text me at 504-982-3339 or email slingshots123@gmail.com. You can also donate or learn more about me and my vision at my personal link, https://christinthecity.org/sterling/ . When I share conversations and meet with the homeless, who struggle daily to find hope and dignity in life, Jesus shows me His loving and generous heart for all people, especially the poor. I know the same will happen if you join. With God's Peace, Sterling Stafford

During the German-Amercian Cultural Center's Maifest celebration, a couple who are videographers came by and did extensive on-camera interviews about their beer garden and museum

WE'RE HIRING JOIN OUR TEAM Office Manager Responsible for ensuring optimal dayto-day operation of the organization and project management. Minimum Qualifications A college degree in relevant field or 2 years of experience in administrative support and/or management. Organizational skills and team management experience Send Your Resume or questions hfranklin@westbankpregnancy.org APPLY NOW! Perks Contribution to a life-saving mission! 28-hours a week part-time Salaried position with generous paid time off, including paid holidays. +++ In addition to the job, we are also looking for medical professionals who may be able to commit to volunteer a few hours a week for our center. If you know of any pro-life RNs and OBGYN doctors and ultrasound techs, please help me be connected to them.

CONSECRATION OF PARISHES TO THE PIERCED HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY OH SACRED HEART OF JESUS, you have loved humanity to the extreme of allowing yourself to be pierced, becoming a living fountain where abundant graces of salvation and of conversion flow. From your open Heart flows, with power and strength, the Blood and the Water which purify, transform, vivify and liberate us.  It is from your Pierced Heart, visible sign of your love, that life flows as an ever-flowing torrent of grace which brings fecundity to the world. It is from your Heart opened by the lance, and moved by your love and mercy, that the Church, –your Spouse, your Mystical body and our Mother–, is born filled with your grace, holiness and fecundity as a perennial sacrament of your presence and seed of your unending Reign. Today, as pastor of these parishes and in communion with the faithful entrusted to me, I consecrate to your Most Sacred Heart, the parishes of St Joseph Church and St Anthony Church . We acknowledge, by this act of consecration, our desire to live in communion of love with your Eucharistic Heart, center and pillar of the life of the Church. We dispose ourselves to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, who seeks to transform us and to give to us a heart like Your own. May we enter into the school of your Heart so as to acquire the virtues of humility and meekness; of obedience and self-denial; of generosity and sincere charity. Protect us from all sin, selfishness, error and indifference. Living within your Heart and allowing ourselves to be transformed by your love, may these parishes be a channel of grace, light, truth, justice, peace, mercy and charity for the world so in need. Consecrated to your Heart, we dispose ourselves to fulfill your merciful designs and to construct with authentic holiness and with fruitful, apostolic work, the civilization of love and life: the Reign of your Heart. OH IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, spiritually pierced at the foot of the Cross as a result of your perfect and indissoluble communion with the Heart of Jesus. Your Heart was also opened in order to receive, in virtue of your spiritual maternity, the Mystical Body of Christ, born from the Pierced Heart of your Son. Your Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart, receives the Church in the person of St. John the Apostles so that you may take care, nourish, protect and accompany Her, with the same dedication which you had with your Son.  To you, Virgin Mother, the Pierced Heart of Christ commissioned to protect with your attentive, maternal Heart, the Church, destined to advance the Kingdom of God in history, in the face of great battles and dangers. Today, the parishes of St Joseph Church and St Anthony placing themselves in the person of St. John, receive with profound gratitude, your maternal mission in the life of the parish and in the life of each faithful. We consecrate ourselves to your Immaculate Heart and we ask you, who are the living school of total consecration and dedication to the Heart of Jesus, to teach us to love the Heart of your Son without divisions; to listen to Him with complete openness and docility; to obey Him with diligence and exactness; to actively cooperate with responsibility in the designs of His Heart in the historic moment in which we live. Guard us and defend us in your Immaculate Heart, sure refuge of sinners. Protect us from all that can separate us from the love of the Heart of Christ and from His Will.  Defend us, with your maternal care, from all the dangers against our eternal and present life.  OH HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY, Hope of Humanity! Today, these parishes consecrate themselves completely to the love of your Hearts.  Today we dispose ourselves to lift on high, as if on a luminous banner, the names of Jesus and Mary.  From our littleness, we desire to participate in the merciful designs which the Pierced Hearts are manifesting in the Church and in humanity. Having been consecrated to the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary, we renew with greater love, fidelity and zeal, our commitment towards the call for a New Evangelization received from our Holy Father, Pope St. John Paul II. We renew our commitment towards holiness and coherence of life and to the faithful and enthusiastic proclamation of the truth, taught to us by the Magisterium of the Church. May this consecration result in fruits of conversion, charity, justice, peace, generosity and mercy in each one of us. May the Two Hearts establish their reign of love in each heart, in the priests, religious, laity committed in service and in each one of us, for the greater good of the entire Church. Amen.

Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) is a three-day retreat weekend based on the Paschal Mystery where teens and young adults are invited to enter into a deeper, loving, and personal relationship with Christ through activities, prayer, and small group discussions. TEC is a retreat experience with an approach designed for teens and young adults who have completed at least the second semester of the sophomore year of high school. In summer of 2022, there are two opportunities to attend a TEC retreat. TEC 142 will be held June 25th-27th, and TEC 143 will take place July 30th-August 1st. All retreats are held at Rosaryville Retreat Center in Poncha-toula, LA, and the cost to attend is $120. To register to attend a summer TEC retreat, visit www.tecneworleans.com/applications. Questions? Email tecneworleans@gmail.com.

The Altar Server Awards Mass was held on June 1 at St. Rita Church in New Orleans. This year’s recipients were: Carter Magness – St. Anthony Ivana Sercovich – St. Joseph Congratulations and thank you for your service and dedication to both of our churches.

Dear Parishioners, On behalf of Unbound, thank you very much for welcoming us to your parish. Our hearts are full of gratitude for the generosity you have shown to the children, youth and the elders in our sponsorship program. Through your willingness to partner with Unbound, your parish community has taken steps toward a closer walk with Jesus in the name of the poor. We pray that members of your parish community who answered the call to sponsorship will be richly blessed by their experience. TABLE OPTIONS PREMIUN TABLES OF 6 GOLD LEVEL – ROUND TABLE OF 6 – LEVEL I SEATING $500.00 SILVER LEVEL – ROUND TABLE OF 6 – LEVEL II SEATING $300.00 BRONZE LEVEL – OBLONG TABLE OF 8 $ 160.00 INDIVIDUAL SEATS $20.00 Makes checks payable to Gretna Community Association and mail to PO Box 2681 Gretna, LA 70054 For more info, please call 504-432-7618 All checks must be received by June 13, 2022 to be included in the program.

Honorary Chairman Rudy Smith Councilman District 1 Guest Speaker Rev. Dr. Orin D. Grant, Sr. St. Paul Baptist Church Music Ministers St. Paul Worhsip Team Dinner prepared by St. Cletus Knights of Columbus Sponsored by Gretna Community Association and St. Cletus Knights of Columbus. 28th anniversary prayer dinner June 21, 2022 - 7pm TABLE OPTIONS PREMIUN TABLES OF 6 GOLD LEVEL – ROUND TABLE OF 6 – LEVEL I SEATING $500.00 SILVER LEVEL – ROUND TABLE OF 6 – LEVEL II SEATING $300.00 BRONZE LEVEL – OBLONG TABLE OF 8 $ 160.00 INDIVIDUAL SEATS $20.00 Make checks payable to Gretna Community Association and mail to PO Box 2681 Gretna, LA 70054 For more info, please call 504-432-7618 All checks must be received by June 13, 2022 to be included in the program.

Congratulations to: Francesca Arostegui, Adam Gattuso, Trenton Johnson, Mylena Le, Emma LeBouef, Alora McCastle, Dakota Miller, Alina Murillo, and Hollis Thierry on their First Communion (4/30/22) and Hanna Miller, Kevin Morvant, and Erica Evans on their recent reception of The Sacrament of Confirmation (3/16/22).