The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
Thoughts from Fr. Ryan
As with Last Week’s Commemoration of All Souls, today’s Mass - the Solemnity of the Dedication of the Cathedral-Bascilica of St John Latteran - calls us to think about the nature of our Church.
Halloween, All Saints’, and All Souls’ illustrate the Church’s Nature as a Community of Individuals joined together in a shared purpose, a shared identity, and a shared chosenness. The Feasts of the dedications of Churches - whether that’s our own local Church of St Edward which we celebrated in early October or the grander Feasts celebrating St Mary Major, the Chair of Peter, and St John Latteran - call for us to think about the Church as a visible institution tied to a definite and concrete place, time, style, and culture.
The Church is not and was never meant to be just some vague, invisible idea. The Church isn’t a notion. The Church is established. Jesus talks about “building” it on the person of Peter and on His inspired realization that Jesus “is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” In choosing the person of Peter and not merely the ideas that God gave Him, Jesus grounds the building of His Church in visible, physical, tangible reality.
From the very beginning of Judeo-Christian history, God demanded that the Faith of the Jews be tangible and touchable. In Exodus, God goes to significant lengths to describe, in excruciating detail, the design of the place of worship (the Tent of Meeting), the adornments of that place (gopherwood tables, priestly vestments, golden vessels, incense, candle stands, etc), the offerings themselves (specific types of bread, wine, herbs, and animals of specific age, breed, and health). When the time comes for Solomon to build the temple, God again is painfully specific about what it should look like. Our first reading from the Prophet Ezekiel makes clear that the design of the temple - specified by God - is symbolic of Heaven and also essential for understanding the Jewish Faith. When Jesus arrives, He, too, specifies how prayer should be offered and how the Holy Eucharist should be done “in memorial of Him.”
The design of Churches (at least until the 20th century) was highly symbolic and every detail from the arrangement of the doors to the appointments of the sanctuary and their alignment to a compass was prescribed and considered important. It is telling that the 20th century - the most horrifically anti-human century in our history - coincides with a rejection of the right understanding of worship, the building of ugly Church, and the fact that nearly 75% of Baptized Catholics in the Western World do not believe that Sunday Mass is worth getting out of bed for on a regular basis. We all know that feeling of walking into a pretty Church or witnessing a “reverent” Mass as something fundamentally different than walking into an auditorium-style Church with Fr Entertainer. Even if we can’t explain it, we just know there’s something different. Is it any wonder that so many young people are flocking to the Latin Mass and so many older priests are reticent of that.
The Church is not just a set of ideas - it is a visible institution, willed by Christ, to teach, offer worship, and govern the Faithful toward eternal Life! The Feasts commemorating great Churches point to the concrete time, place, and way in which the Holy Spirit intends to move in our lives. I made some folks angry on a pilgrimage years ago when they sang a hymn before a Mass I was celebrating in the Roman Church of St Peter in Chains. We were at an altar containing a glass box in which the handcuffs that the Apostle Peter was chained with were. The hymn they sang was “We walk by Faith and not by sight.” In my sermon, I said, “the hymn was lovely - but it was wrong! We are in a Church in which we can SEE the Faith that guides us. The Church is VISIBLE!” Of course, I added that the hymn is scriptural (II Cor).
Still, it’s important for us to realize that Christianity is NOT a religion of the mind and heart only. That mentality derives from 19th century American Methodism which filtered into 20th century Southern Baptist theology (through Billy Graham & Jim Baker) into a kind of modern amalgam of “generic American Christianity” from which the idea of a private religion and a “personal relationship with Jesus” are meant to replace loving the Lord with our WHOLE heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Jesus never intended for Christians to make it up as they go along or to read and interpret the Bible on their own. The Bible came from the Church! Why? Because the Church was established by Jesus to save souls and the Church decided that a Bible would be helpful in accomplishing that mission. SO as we celebrate this feast, we thank God for our Church!
Mass Intentions for the Coming Week
- Sat 5:30 pm In celebration of Joseph McFall (birthday)/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 deceased members of the Bolton and Howington families/Howington
- Mon NO MASS
- Tues 9:30 am In memory of Jackie Jumonville (death)/family
- Wed 9:00 am In celebration of Bernadette McFall (birthday)/family
- Thu 9:00 am In celebration of Brian McFall (birthday)/family
- Fri 5:30 pm In memory of Nettie and Philip Scurria/family
- Sat 5:30 pm In memory of Mary Ernst (birth anni)/family
- Sun 9:30 am In memory of Inez DeMoss (birth anni)family
ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning in memory of Becky, Beverly and Edgar Lancaster
Assistants at Holy Mass
| Date | Servers | Lector(s) | EMHC(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/8 5:30p | - | P Wilks | N Ernst |
| 11/9 9:30a | Courtland and Cooper | M Lancaster | - |
| 11/15 5:30p | - | VanderVien | M Rome |
| 11/16 9:30a | Annie, Thomas Meyers, Katelynn | Youth - | - |
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
- Nov 11 Veteran’s Day celebrated honoring military veterans in the United States
- Nov 19 Pastoral Council meeting at 6 p.m. in the Church Hall. All are invited to attend.
- Nov 23 Potluck Brunch following Sunday Mass. All are encouraged to attend.
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 will begin in 2026. 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 to call the church office.
ANGEL TREE 2025 Dana Hamilton and Dana Dukes who will oversee out Angel Tree 2025 program. They are searching now for families with children who are in need of help for the holidays. If you know of such a family, please contact either of the Danas or the Church Office with contact information for the adult guardian responsible for the children. For those unfamiliar to the Angel Tree project, donors usually provide an article of clothing, a toy, an age-appropriate religious item or book, and personal items (toothbrush, hair brush, etc) for each child. The parish will also provide a food basket for each 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 led by Skeeter & Blanche Wilks and Louise Magoun with assistance from Leslye Ellerbee, Susan & Johnny Gilfoil, Sherry Lynn & Timmy Harris, Michael Lancaster, Billy & Ginny Marsh, William & Sharyn Marsh, Hannah McCartney, Sug Regan, and Skipper & Christy Guizerix.
PASTORAL COUNCIL will meeting on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the Church Hall. Appointed members of the Council are: Kathleen Ellerbee, Norman Ernst, Jamie Howington, Elizabeth Naya, Mike Rome, and Shannon Wood. Appointed as Trustees by the Bishop are Michel Lancaster and Cathy VanderVieren. Appointed by the pastor to serve as Finance Council Chair is Darryl Ellerbee. All members are requested to make a special effort to attend. All are welcome to attend and contribute to the discussion.
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 |
| October Budget | $ 10,000 |
| October Collections | $ TBD |
| October Expenses | $ TBD |
| November Budget | $ 12,500 |
| November 2 Collection | $ 4,272 |
| Collections To Date | $ 4,272 |
Stewardship In St Paul’s writings to the Thessalonians, he prays that they may be strengthened “in every good deed and word. “ May we, too, be strengthened and empowered to use our time and talents for the good of others.
SECOND COLLECTION this weekend is to support the work of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA
Let us Rejoice in the Lord!
Happy Birthday Maura McCarty (Nov 10), Randy Dukes (Nov 11), Brian Johnson (Nov 11), Max Paz (Nov 13), Cathy VanDerVieren (Nov 13)
Happy Anniversary Marie & Norman Ernst (Nov 10)
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, Lori Sullivan
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, 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
