The 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
This week, I am heading to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament north of Birmingham, Alabama for my annual retreat.
Priests are required, by law, to make a retreat each year. One could ask why priests need a retreat? At least in the Diocese of Alexandria, we have mostly smaller parishes and most of our priests are not so busy that they can’t find time daily for prayer and study. But a retreat is something different than the usual - even if the usual is really good. A retreat is more than continuing education and more than an opportunity to rest. It’s meant to be a time for opening one’s heart to the Lord in an ongoing and vulnerable way. That’s not usually possible when we have other things on our minds or on our schedules. It’s not a break, it’s work.
For many of us, the ACTS retreat has been that sort of thing for us. Those of us who have been on retreat in the past few years know that it can be a blessing and a kickstart to a new chapter in one’s spiritual life.
In Louisiana, many of us will find that our hunting and fishing outings give us a retreat-like experience for a few hours. We’re alone. It’s quiet. Hopefully, we’ve silenced the phone and taken our rosary or a bible or a prayer book from the shelf in the parish hall and we use our time in nature to ask the Lord to guide, to direct, to heal, to encourage and to correct us. Hopefully, we recognize that the busyness of our lives is far more dangerous than carbs or even than texting behind the wheel. Constant stimulation and excess obligations are scientifically proven to shorten our lives and, certainly, to reduce our sanity. But even if we have free time and the opportunity for quiet, we have to build up a capacity to do something useful with it… How many of us struggle with quiet? How long does it take in the morning before we look at our phones or turn on the TV? Rest and quiet, in and of themselves, aren’t enough. Without a spiritual life, free time is no more beneficial than busyness.
I’ll be away this week, praying and asking the Lord to make me a better pastor to all of you. But I have to remind myself constantly that the best way for me to be a good pastor is for me to be a good disciple. I’m certainly not immune to the world around us. I struggle with being a workaholic and over-concerning myself with results and outcomes. My other big prayers this week will be about listening to the Lord. The retreat center I’m visiting has lots of room for long walks in nature. For me, that’s the best way to listen to the Lord.
I hope you’ll remember me (and the many other priests who are making their retreat this week or next) in your prayers. I also hope you’ll think about some ways that you can make a day or an afternoon a kind of mini-retreat in the context of your day-to-day life…
God is so good to us. He has given us the sanity of a small town to live in. He has given us a close Catholic community where we have to choose to live our faith. It’s not easy or automatic. That’s a gift that too many “cultural Catholics” don’t have.
On a somewhat separate note, I want to remind everyone that I am VERY open to feedback about my skills and decisions as your pastor! I really mean it.
One of the odd things about being a priest is that the good and holy respect shown to the vocation of the priesthood causes people to reserve advice and criticism which may be genuinely helpful to the priest. If, for example, you have some criticism about my preaching - style, content, delivery, whatever - PLEASE feel free to share it. Obviously, I’d appreciate you sharing it with courtesy and in a constructive way… But my preaching isn’t for me, it’s for you. If you feeI that I talk too fast or my sermons are too intellectual or too practical or too long or too short, I want to know! The same with my administrative skills or counseling skills or my liturgical sense. I always like to be introspective this time of year and now that I’ve been at this for 20 years, it’s hard to think about priesthood from any perspective other than as a pastor. Your perspective matters to me!!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30 pm In memory of Pat & Marleigh Bullard, Patrick Thomas, and Eva & R L Reynolds/family
- Sun 8:00 am (Traditional Latin Mass) PRO POPULO for the living & deceased members of our parish
- Sun 9:30 am In memory of Vicki Morelli/family
- Mon-Thu - NO MASS (Fr Ryan on Retreat)
- Fri 5:30 pm In memory of Lillie ”MaMe” Jumonville/family
- Sat 5:30 pm In honor of Andrew Magoun/family
- Sun 9:30 am In memory of deceased members of the Roy and Johnson families/S Johnson
Altar Candles this week are burning for special intentions of Blanche and Prentiss Wilks
Flowers on the altar this weekend were given by the family of Vicki Morelli in celebration of her life.
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) | EMHC(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/18 5:30p | - | A Dawson | C VanderVieren |
| 10/19 9:30a | Michael, Finley, Ashlyn | Youth - Thomas Meyers | - |
| 10/25 5:30p | - | A Farlow | M Ernst |
| 10/26 9:30a | Kathleen, Evelyn, Daniel | D Hamilton | - |
Upcoming Events
- Confessions every Friday & Saturday from 5p until Mass and Sunday from 9a until Mass
- Sunday Morning Catechism in the Hall (with Coffee & Donuts) after the 9:00a Mass during the School Year unless otherwise indicated
- Pastoral Council meeting monthly on the third Wednesday at 6p unless otherwise indicated
- Oct 20-23 No daily Masses as Fr Ryan will be on Retreat.
For Your Information:
FORMED.ORG has weekly features at https://watch.formed.org/this-week-on-formed. Remember to sign in using our parish’s zip code (71282) at https://signup.formed.org
ROSARY GROUP meets on Monday at 5:30 p.m. to pray the Rosary. Everyone is invited to join in prayer. For more information, contact Louise Magoun (318-341-2403), coordinator.
MAUSOLEUM Construction on the Mausoleum will begin in late Spring 2026. It is possible to purchase spaces at any time. Our sales representative, Garth Daniels, can be reached at (318) 295-4409. If you have any questions or you know of anyone else interested in making a purchase, please encourage them to speak with Garth or call the church office.
PARISH CENSUS CAN BE FILLED OUT ONLINE This entire month we’re trying to get everyone to fill out a census page. Even if you’re not a parishioner and only come to Mass here on occasion, we’d love to be able to be in touch with you! You can fill out one of the sheets at the back of the Church OR you can go to https://www.saintedwardtallulah.church/census
JOIN US FOR THE ROSARY BEFORE MASS on Saturdays and Tuesdays. About half an hour before Mass, the community will informally pray the rosary together. Feel free to come to Mass a few minutes early and honor our Lady with her most recommended devotion.
ANGEL TREE 2025… Dana Hamilton and Dana Dukes who will give leadership to our Angel Tree 2025 project are beginning their search for families who are in need of help with children for the upcoming Christmas season. If you know of such a family, would you provide the name of the adult responsible for the children and a contact number to either the chairperson or the church office so that additional information can be obtained. For those who may be new to the Angel Tree project, we usually provide an article of clothing and a toy, personal items such as toothbrush, hair brush, etc and a religious book for each child in a chosen family and additionally provide a food basket for the family.
FOURTH QUARTER SOCIAL is scheduled for Sunday, November 23 following Mass! Mark your calendar and plan to bring your favorite potluck dish as we celebrate Thanksgiving. The Committee is composed of Skeeter and Blanche Wilks, and Louise Magoun chair persons, and Leslye Ellerbee, Susan and Johnny Gilfoil, Sherry Lynn and Timmy Harris, Michael Lancaster, Billy and Ginny Marsh, William and Sharyn Marsh, Hannah McCartney, Sug Regan, Skipper and Christy Guizerix.
PRAYER FOR HURRICANE SEASON Our Father in Heaven through the intercession of our Lady of Prompt Succor, spare us during the Hurricane Season from all harm. Protect us and our homes from all disasters of nature. Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hastened to help us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen (Hurricane Season runs from June 1 through November 30)
Our Return to the Lord
| Weekly Budget FY 2025-2026 | $ 2,500 |
| September Budget | $ 10,000 |
| September Collections | $ 20,135 |
| September Expenses | $ 10,115 |
| October Budget | $ 10,000 |
| October 12 Collection | $ 2,590 |
| October Collections To Date | $ 7,068 |
Stewardship Today’s theme is perseverance – Moses keeping his hands upraised throughout the battle, Paul urging Timothy to stay with the task of preaching and teaching, and the widow appealing to the corrupt judge. To be faithful stewards of God’s gifts, we too, must persevere in the roles to which we are called.
SECOND COLLECTION is for World Missions and this year the focus is on the Church in Vietnam.
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Charlotte Marsh (Oct 18), Tori Kivett (Oct 25), Mariza Paz (Oct 26)
Happy Anniversary Courtney and Billy Nadeau (Oct 24)
In Our Daily Prayers…
Please let us know of anyone who is ill or hospitalized and would like to receive a visit from Father. Also, help us keep our prayer list up to date by advising us of those who should be added or removed.
For our Pope, Leo XIV, our Bishop, Robert Marshall; and our Diocesan leaders, our President, Governor, Mayor and national, state and local elected representatives
Our parishioners who are sick, shut-in, under full-time care and for those who care for them, and for those otherwise in need of our prayers: MaryKathryn & Nap Book, Connie & Dan Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Leslye Ellerbee, Susan & Johnny Gilfoil, Margaret & Pat Gilfoil,Terry Farlow Hall, Sidney & Mary Jane Johnson, Frances & Bill Kennedy, Ed Mills, Susie Murphy, Bobby Reynolds, Mike & Sue Rome
Our friends and relatives who need our prayers: Ashley Alexander (Regan), Graham Allen (S Gilfoil), Marie Farlow Bellard, Anna and John Luke Bigelow, Martha Book, Kay Boolos (S Gilfoil), Dick & Sue Boyd (S Gilfoil), Chris Breard (Gilfoil), Gayle Brown (Dukes and Oliver), Sarah Cannon (Gilfoil), Fran Castile (Keene), Caroline and Albert Christman, Jeannie & Donald Collins, Teresa Carney Condra, Jami Cook (Wilks), Gene Cox, Carol Dipert (Rome), Mac Donaldson (Ellerbee), Mike Farlow, Patty Farlow, Judy Fortenberry, April Franklin (Wilks), Fred and Cathy Fulton, Morgan and Alex Gilfoil, Thom Gilfoil, Wyly Gilfoil (Gilfoil), LaVonne Givens, Charlotte Green, Rita Hargrave, Family/Friends of Cynthia Hicks, Evie Hilburn (Lancaster), Patricia Lively (Wilks), Lonnie Hollowell (Naya), Charles Howington, Callie Halbach Hyams, Will Irby (P Gilfoil), Diane Johnson, John Kurfiss (Watts), Carla Leese (S Gilfoil), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Caroline Marcello (Watts), Michelle McGuire(Gilfoil), Kiely McKellar (S Gilfoil), Mona Martin (MA Gilfoil), Boyce Miller,Cole Norris, Randy Parker, Russell and Betty Petersen, David Peterson, Quintin Purvis, John Neill, Bailey, Scott, and Tiffney Rome, Sara and Jess Shields (Keene), Debbie Kedrick Sims, LeeAnn Rome Tranchina (Rome), Randy Watts, Jr.
Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Preston Collins, Henry Ellerbee, Lilly Falgout, Jag Gilfoil, Matilda Johnson, Caroline Marsh, EmmyLu Marsh, Charlize Richardson, Carter Sullivan, Walker Sullivan, Chandler Wood, Marsh Wood
