St. Pius X Catholic Parish 

1. Archbishop Aymond has extended indefinitely the dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass. This means that you do not have to attend Mass. If you are not feeling well or you might be vulnerable to contracting the virus because of age or health, it is best if you remain safe at home.

2.If you do attend Mass you must wear a mask.  Remember this is more about protecting others than ourselves so wearing a mask is really an act of Christian charity to our neighbor.

3.Hand sanitizer dispensers are available at all the church entrances.

4.Masses are strictly limited to 100 people.  In order to control this in an organized way, you will need to sign up to attend weekend Masses (you do not need to sign-up for weekday Masses anymore). We will post weekend Mass sign-ups every Wednesday.  We will return to the regular schedule of Masses.

5.Our maintenance staff will sanitize the church after each Mass.  If you are able to bring some cleaning materials from home and assist after Mass, that would be very helpful.
 
Thank you to everyone for your consideration during this time of the pandemic.
 
Peace.
 
Fr. Pat

Click here for the June 6th Mass

Click here for the June 7th Masses
 

The death of George Floyd is indeed a very sad tragedy. We pray for his eternal rest in God’s kingdom and consolation for his family and friends. 

Mr. Floyd’s death reminds us that we are called to believe in the dignity of each person because each person is created by God. This belief leads to respecting every individual, regardless of race, religion, political affiliation or any other difference. 

In the Gospel, there is no room for racism, violence or hatred. 
What makes this tragedy even more unconscionable is that a law enforcement officer, who has pledged to protect and to serve, is the person who took Mr. Floyd’s life. No matter who we are or what power we have, Jesus calls us to a deep, abiding respect of every person. 

If there are protests, we plead for peaceful nonviolent protests. In several cities, some have protested against violence but used violence to do it. That does not show respect for the dignity of other people or their property. Revenge should never be a part of our lives; yet, at the same time, we are necessarily angered and saddened by what has taken place in Minneapolis. 

This is an opportunity for us to give thanks to God and affirm our law enforcement in New Orleans and throughout our state. Obviously, our law enforcement training through the NOPD and through law enforcement agencies in other cities and parishes, as well as the state police, upholds the dignity of each person and the treatment of each individual in a nonviolent way. 

Likewise, our protests usually are peaceful and nonviolent. That is the right thing to do, and, perhaps, we can be an example to other cities and states.

Archbishop Gomez’s full statement follows:

The killing of George Floyd was senseless and brutal, a sin that cries out to heaven for justice. How is it possible that in America, a black man’s life can be taken from him while calls for help are not answered, and his killing is recorded as it happens?

I am praying for George Floyd and his loved ones, and on behalf of my brother bishops, I share the outrage of the black community and those who stand with them in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and across the country. The cruelty and violence he suffered does not reflect on the majority of good men and women in law enforcement, who carry out their duties with honor. We know that. And we trust that civil authorities will investigate his killing carefully and make sure those responsible are held accountable.

We should all understand that the protests we are seeing in our cities reflect the justified frustration and anger of millions of our brothers and sisters who even today experience humiliation, indignity, and unequal opportunity only because of their race or the color of their skin. It should not be this way in America. Racism has been tolerated for far too long in our way of life.

It is true what Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, that riots are the language of the unheard. We should be doing a lot of listening right now. This time, we should not fail to hear what people are saying through their pain. We need to finally root out the racial injustice that still infects too many areas of American society.

But the violence of recent nights is self-destructive and self-defeating. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost. Let us keep our eyes on the prize of true and lasting change.

Legitimate protests should not be exploited by persons who have different values and agendas. Burning and looting communities, ruining the livelihoods of our neighbors, does not advance the cause of racial equality and human dignity.  

We should not let it be said that George Floyd died for no reason. We should honor the sacrifice of his life by removing racism and hate from our hearts and renewing our commitment to fulfill our nation’s sacred promise — to be a beloved community of life, liberty, and equality for all.

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Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Archbishop José H. Gomez, racism, Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism.