| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday, March 26, 2026
At the recent meeting with Pope Leo XIV, permission given to rename the soon to be renovated Cathedral Rectory: the Pope Leo XIV Center for Evangelization
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Pope Leo XIV meets with Archbishops Checchio & Aymond along with Gayle Benson; a taste of New Orleans
Pope Leo XIV Gifted with the Prayers and a "Taste" of New Orleans
On March 23, Most Reverend James F. Checchio Archbishop of New Orleans along with Archbishop-emeritus Gregory Aymond and Mrs. Gayle Benson met with Pope Leo XIV in his private library in the Apostolic Palace. The 35-minute meeting was marked by warm dialogue and meaningful exchanges. Joining the delegation meeting with Pope Leo was Saints and Pelicans Senior Vice President of Government Relations Greg Bensel and Mrs. Benson’s brother, Wayne LaJaunie.
During their conversation, the group discussed the unique family connections between Pope Leo XIV and the city of New Orleans, with particular emphasis on the historic St. Louis Cathedral. The discussion also touched upon the health and vitality of the Catholic community in New Orleans, the work being done to promote the causes of the Servant of God Henriette DeLille and Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, as well as other matters relevant to the archdiocese. The Holy Father was particularly interested in the area Catholic Schools and expressed gratitude for the cooperation offered by the State of Louisiana in assisting our children with the opportunity of choosing a Catholic education. Throughout the meeting, the Holy Father discussed his deep family roots in New Orleans and his appreciation for the strong culture of faith in Louisiana.
In a particularly inspiring point in the meeting Archbishop Checchio presented the Holy Father with a Spiritual Bouquet from the priests, deacons and Catholic school students of the Archdiocese of New Orleans that totaled tens of thousands of hours of prayer for Pope Leo and his intentions over the upcoming year. Along with the Spiritual Bouquet, the Holy Father received a “taste of New Orleans” as a gift from the local church including a bag of local coffee, locally made pralines, a recipe 
Photo credit: Vatican Mediafor Shrimp Remoulade from Galatoire’s Restaurant, a Christmas ornament featuring St. Louis Cathedral, a commemorative medallion from Saint Pope John Paul II’s 1987 visit to New Orleans and several books about St. Louis Cathedral and the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Mrs.
Benson included a personalized New Orleans Saints jersey featuring the #14. In turn, Pope Leo blessed the group and personally handed each attendee a blessed rosary.
A key point in the conversation was Mrs. Benson’s update on the current renovation and restoration of the St. Louis Cathedral. The Holy Father thanked her and all the benefactors of this worthy and important endeavor for the Archdiocese and the city of New Orleans.
Archbishop Checchio received the Holy Father's permission to name the upcoming renovation of St. Louis Cathedral rectory into the Pope Leo XIV Center for Evangelization in honor of the Holy Father and his family who lived in New Orleans for nearly 300 years and attended Mass at the Cathedral, a gesture that moved the Holy Father deeply.
Mrs. Benson expressed her hope that the Holy Father would visit New Orleans during a future United States visit, highlighting reasons why the city should be a priority for a U.S. papal journey.
Following the audience, the group proceeded to the U.S. Embassy of the Holy See to meet with Ambassador Brian Burch. They discussed potential programs between the Holy See and the city of New Orleans.
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Official announcement from the Archdiocese of New Orleans
ARCHBISHOP CHECCHIO ASSUMES ROLE AS ARCHBISHOP OF NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Today, Wednesday, February 11, 2026, it was announced that Pope Leo XIV formally accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond, Archbishop of New Orleans formally making Most Reverend James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA, the 15th Archbishop of New Orleans.
This announcement marks the formal retirement of Archbishop Aymond, who, at 76 years old, has served in his role as Archbishop of New Orleans for one year past the mandatory retirement age for bishops. Pope Leo XIV appointed Archbishop Checchio Coadjutor Archbishop of New Orleans on September 24, 2025. He was formally welcomed by the local Church with a Mass of Welcome on November 18, 2025.
Since arriving in the area, Archbishop Checchio has spent time visiting parishes, schools and ministries around the archdiocese to meet the people and become more familiar with the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He has embraced the local culture by celebrating the Christmas season with Mass at a local parish and caroling in Jackson Square, attending Saints games, and even riding on a float in the Sugar Bowl parade and watching a Mardi Gras parade.
“These three months since my arrival in New Orleans have gone by very quickly as I learn more about our local Church and seek to understand how God is calling me to best serve this beautiful part of His vineyard,” said Archbishop Checchio. “It is fascinating that the faith has been so active here in Southeastern Louisiana for so long! The contributions of the many priests, religious men and women and the lay faithful over the years are a testament to the interconnectedness of faith in public life in our Archdiocese of New Orleans - something within which we should take great pride.”
As the universal Church observes the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent, the Archdiocese of New Orleans begins a new chapter as Archbishop Checchio will celebrate his first Mass at St. Louis Cathedral as Archbishop of New Orleans at 12 noon on Ash Wednesday, February 18. During that Mass, he will be seated in the cathedra, the chair of the archbishop, for the first time, which is a symbol of his teaching authority. All are welcome to attend the Mass, and it will be televised live on WLAE and livestreamed at thedailymass.com.
Monday, January 12, 2026
When you inaugurate a new Mayor in New Orleans you start with a Catholic Mass
Helena Moreno celebrates eve of inauguration with Mass
It took until the eve of her inauguration, walking down the center aisle at St. Louis Cathedral, with a gospel choir behind her, for it to sink in for Mayor-elect Helena Moreno: on Monday, she’d become the 63rd mayor of New Orleans.
“Out of nowhere, like this emotion swelled within me,” Moreno said, speaking to reporters after her inauguration Mass on Sunday. “And that was the first time the moment really hit me.”
Moreno will be sworn in on Monday at the Saenger Theater. She becomes mayor after a tumultuous three-month transition and has said she plans to get City Hall back to basics on infrastructure and permitting.
On Sunday, Moreno hosted a free culture festival in Lafayette Square with food trucks, local entertainers and booths from community groups. Later that evening, her inauguration hosted a traditional Mass at St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square.
Moreno’s inauguration committee, chaired by Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson, held a Mass at St. Louis Cathedral.
The Franklin Avenue Baptist Church Choir greeted Moreno’s guests with bellowing hymns. Attendees included a diverse mix of city leaders, incoming City Council members, campaign donors, former mayors and Republican state legislators. Outgoing Mayor LaToya Cantrell did not attend but was present at the inauguration ceremony on Monday.
Speaking to reporters after the Mass, Moreno said she prays every night that she’ll be a “humble servant.”
“My faith is deep within me,” she said. “I keep his guidance always very close. I know the path that got me here is one that certainly was guided by someone.”
Saturday, November 15, 2025
Gearing up for the formal welcome of Coadjutor Archbishop James Checchio for the Archdiocese of New Orleans
James Checchio as Coadjutor Archbishop of New Orleans Checchio
On Sept. 24 it was announced that Pope Leo XIV had appointed Most Reverend James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA Coadjutor Archbishop of New Orleans.
What's a Coadjutor Archbishop?On Nov. 18, Archbishop James F. Checchio will be formally welcomed to his new office as Coadjutor Archbishop of New Orleans.
The word coadjutor means “helper” or “assistant.” A coadjutor archbishop serves alongside the current archbishop in a sacred partnership and holds the right of succession, ensuring a seamless continuation of pastoral care and spiritual leadership. Archbishop Checchio will assume this office through several sacred rites, through which the Church prays that his service will be marked by wisdom, compassion and deep faith. In our case, Coadjutor Archbishop Checchio will work with and assist Archbishop Aymond until Archbishop Aymond formally retires from his ministry as bishop.
Who is Coadjutor Archbishop Checchio?
Coadjutor Archbishop Checchio is a native of Camden, New Jersey, and was named the Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen by Pope Francis on March 8, 2016. He was ordained and installed as the Fifth Bishop of Metuchen on May 3, 2016.
Before being named Bishop, he served as rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome from January 2006 to January 2016, after serving as vice rector there for two and a half years. He studied at North American College, Rome, and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Camden, N.J. on June 20, 1992.
Coadjutor Archbishop Checchio has a degree in Sacred Theology, a Master of Business Administration, and doctorate in Canon Law. Find his complete biography online at https://nolacatholic.org/archbishops.
The Rites of Welcoming a New BishopThe Vigil
On the eve of the Mass of Welcome, Archbishop Checchio will gather with the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the archdiocese, along with his family, friends and bishops from across the country. Together, they will pray for the Church and for the new coadjutor archbishop as he prepares to assume his new responsibilities.
Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity
During the Vigil, Archbishop Checchio will make a profession of faith, declaring his belief in all that the Catholic Church teaches, proclaims and holds to be true. Then, placing his hand upon the Book of the Gospels, he will make an Oath of Fidelity through which he promises obedience and loyalty to Pope Leo and his successors, and to serve with charity, diligence and fidelity to the Gospel.
The Mass of Welcome
A new archbishop is welcomed through the celebration of the Eucharist, the source and summit of the Christian life. During the Mass of Welcome, Archbishop Checchio will begin his new ministry and be accepted as a successor of the apostles sent to the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
The Apostolic Mandate
As a sign that an archbishop’s authority is received from the Pope himself, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Holy Father’s personal representative to the United States, will read the Apostolic Mandate, by which Pope Leo XIV appoints Archbishop Checchio as coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans. The original document, known as a Papal Bull, will be presented to Archbishop Aymond and the College of Consultors, and then shown to the assembly. This public act affirms that the appointment truly comes from the Holy Father and shows the archbishop’s communion with the universal Church.
Greeting by Archdiocesan Representatives
As the Mass continues, representatives from every corner of the archdiocese, clergy, religious and laity, will come forward to greet Archbishop Checchio. Civic leaders and members of other faith communities will also offer their welcome. This gesture symbolizes the warm embrace of the entire community, expressing joy, trust and shared hope in the leadership of their new spiritual shepherd. It reflects the unity of God’s people and the collaborative spirit that characterizes the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Having been welcomed and accepted by the people of God, Archbishop Checchio will join Archbishop Aymond at the altar, continuing the Mass, as together they will carry forward the mission of Christ and lead with a shepherd’s heart.
Solemn Vespers honoring Coadjutor Archbishop Checchio is Monday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. at St. Dominic Church in New Orleans. The faithful are invited to join in prayer in the church that evening.
The Mass of Welcome will be at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at St. Louis Cathedral. Due to seating limitations, the Mass is by invitation only. The Mass will be broadcast live on WLAE-TV and live streamed at nolacatholic.org and the dailymass.com.
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
A prayerful solemn service of remembrance at St. Louis Cathedral as Archbishop Aymond greets President Biden
Archbishop Gregory Aymond
Last night, I had the solemn honor and privilege of joining with area interfaith clergy and representatives to welcome President Joe Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Governor Jeff Landry and his wife Sharon Landry, Mayor Latoya Cantrell and many other civic officials to St. Louis Cathedral to pray for our community in the aftermath of the New Year's Day terrorist attack. We mourned those who lost their lives and honored them with a memorial, prayed for healing for those who were injured, and prayed for first responders and medical professionals serving them and all of us. Today we continue to pray and place our faith, hope, and trust in the love and mercy of our Lord. It was a moving service and one truly representative of our community. I am grateful to all who worked to put this service together and truly honored and humbled that the President chose to spend the evening with us in prayer. As we sang together in parting last night, "let there be peace in our earth!"
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Archdiocese of New Orleans to host one of the Eucharistic Processions ahead of the National Eucharistic Revival
The Eucharist: Body, blood, soul and divinity
Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond
Archdiocese of New Orleans
The Archdiocese of New Orleans has a special connection to the 10th National Eucharistic Congress, which will be held in Indianapolis July 17-21. You weren’t born yet, but the 8th National Eucharistic Congress was held in New Orleans in 1938.
Yes! I remember as a student reading about the 8th National Eucharistic Congress at City Park Stadium, and one of the striking things to me is that there has been only one other National Eucharistic Congress since then, and that was in 1941 in St. Paul. That’s 83 years ago! When the bishops of the United States voted in 2021 to make plans for a three-year eucharistic revival, we were dealing with a sobering reality. A Pew Research Center study in 2019 indicated that only about a third of the people who describe themselves as Catholic believe that the Eucharist is the true body and blood of Jesus Christ. Among Catholics who attend Mass at least once a week, about 6 in 10 believe Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. Nevertheless, there have been other recent studies that are more optimistic. We hope the revival will be a time of healing for the entire country as well as an opportunity for the church to evangelize and rekindle the understanding of the sacrament of the Eucharist.
Wasn’t the archdiocese ahead of the rest of the country in focusing on the power of the Eucharist?
Actually, we were about a year ahead! We designated 2021 as the Year of the Eucharist, and we offered regional eucharistic gatherings that included homilies, talks, sacred music, and praise and worship music and adoration. I think our Year of the Eucharist was very successful in raising awareness of our Catholic belief that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith, and that Jesus Christ – body, blood, soul and divinity – is truly present in the Eucharist. We’re delighted to join with the rest of the country this summer in proclaiming that same message. I think our parishes are doing a great job continuing their devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. We are encouraging parishes and schools and individual families to attend the congress in Indianapolis because there will be amazing talks and liturgies and ways for people to adore the Eucharist. Anyone who might be interested in attending can call Christopher O’Neill, who is the director of the Office of Marriage and Family Life, at (504) 861-6243 or coneill@arch-no.org. The congress organizers also have a well-resourced website at www.eucharisticcongress.org.
One of the features leading up to the congress will be four eucharistic processions in different parts of the country, and the Archdiocese of New Orleans will be included.
Yes. We are very excited that our city has been chosen to host one of the eucharistic processions in June, several weeks prior to the congress. The southern arm of the pilgrimage will be named after St. Juan Diego, who had a great devotion to the Eucharist. He made his own little pilgrimage every day, rising before dawn and walking 15 miles to Mass. The St. Juan Diego pilgrimage will depart from the tip of Texas in Brownsville, go through Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ), wind around the Gulf of Mexico and pass through New Orleans and the southeastern part of the United States on its way to Indianapolis. We plan to celebrate Mass on Sunday, June 9, at 9 a.m. at St. Louis Cathedral and then have a procession around Jackson Square following Mass. Also, on Friday, June 7, there will be a eucharistic procession from Notre Dame Seminary to St. Rita Church a few blocks away, where we will have music performed by The Vigil Project and also have opportunities for confession and adoration.
What are some of the historical tidbits you picked up about the 8th National Eucharistic Congress in New Orleans?
We know that preparations for the Congress were made many months in advance. Archbishop Rummel gave several lectures, and the cathedral was renovated. There were even temporary altars set up for visiting clergy in hotel lobbies and at the Municipal Auditorium. One of the huge projects of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women was collecting donations, including jewels, to create a monstrance that held the consecrated Eucharist. We all know of Tad Gormley Stadium as a football and track field, but it was turned into a huge outdoor church. At the beginning of the first Mass, Pope Pius XI addressed the crowd from Rome with a six-minute speech via short-wave radio. The most memorable event was an 80,000-person, 2.7-mile procession from Canal and Salcedo streets – the intersection near Warren Easton High School – to the stadium. People who had homes along the route had been encouraged to plant flowers that would bloom in the papal colors – yellow and white. There was even a Goodyear blimp overhead! There were 32 school marching bands, and, at the end, Cardinal George Mundelein of Chicago, who was the delegate of Pope Pius XI, rode on a Mardi Gras-style float, kneeling before the monstrance. The procession took about five hours and ended with adoration of the Eucharist by the crowd waiting in the stadium.
Sunday, May 21, 2023
5 Transitional Deacons ordained Saturday in New Orleans at St. Louis Cathedral
Servant-leadership is at heart of the diaconate
Pictured above: Receiving the Book of the Gospels during their May 20 ordination to the transitional diaconate are (from left): Deacons Austin Dean Barr, Jorge Eduardo Gomez, Cuong Minh Tran, Paul Oyie and Lawrence Wumya. (Photos by Frank J. Methe and Cheryl Dejoie-Methe, Clarion Herald; additional photos from the day can be viewed on the Clarion Herald’s Facebook page)
By BETH DONZE
Clarion Herald
As five seminarians took their first big step toward becoming priests through their ordination to the transitional diaconate, Jesus’ cautionary words about the humility expected of the clergy – recorded in St. Matthew’s Gospel – echoed through the recesses of St. Louis Cathedral at their May 20 Mass of Ordination.
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you,” Jesus tells his apostles, warning them to not get caught up in any feelings of superiority or clericalism that might arise in their leadership of God’s people.
“Just so,” Jesus goes on to say in the Gospel, “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The calling of transitional deacons to be humble and holy servant-leaders was the joyful theme of the Mass, with the following ordinands promising to conform themselves to the “image of Christ”:
Deacons Austin Dean Barr, Jorge Eduardo Gomez and Cuong Minh Tran will serve as deacons – and, ultimately as priests – for the Archdiocese of New Orleans; Deacons Paul Oyie and Lawrence Wumya were ordained to serve as future priests in the Archdiocese of Tororo in Uganda and the Diocese of Yendi in Ghana, respectively.
Pathways to service
During the homily, Archbishop Gregory Aymond told the men that their reception of Holy Orders and promises to serve those on the margins as ministers of charity meant that they were saying, as Jesus did, “‘I come to serve, and not to be served.” The archbishop encouraged the new deacons to say a prayer at the end of each day: “Jesus, I come to serve and not to be served – how well did I do today?”
Archbishop Aymond said the five candidates had heard “Jesus whispering to their hearts and saying, ‘Come follow me. I need you.’” Yet, despite having embraced the same vocation, their journeys of discernment were unique, the archbishop observed:
• For Deacon Barr, a lifelong parishioner of St. Anselm Church in Madisonville, a three-day retreat combining silence, adoration and prayer ignited his vocation to the priesthood when he was a freshman at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette. That experience, which shifted his career plans away from becoming an occupational therapist, invoked in him “a divine feeling of really being loved.” Deacon Barr began dis
cerning a potential priestly calling through daily Mass, confession and eucharistic adoration. Deacon Barr will spend his four-month transitional diaconate internship at St. Dominic in New Orleans.
• The trauma, at age 12, of seeing his twin brother Miguel get struck by a car in a near-fatal accident jump-started the prayer life of Miami-raised Deacon Gomez. He began praying the rosary for the first time, discovering “an intimate peace” and the lifting of his fear and anxiety. The gift of a youth Bible from a Catholic priest – and the priest’s suggestion to read the Gospel of St. Matthew and the Acts of the Apostles – led to Deacon Gomez’s more active participation in his church parish as an altar server, youth group and St. Vincent de Paul member. In college, when Deacon Gomez learned that the Archdiocese of New Orleans was in need of priests who could speak both English and Spanish, he answered the call. He has been assigned to St. Margaret Mary in Slidell for his transitional diaconate internship. 
• Deacon Tran’s path to Holy Orders began at age 7, while attending the home Masses celebrated by his visiting uncle, a Catholic priest based in Texas. His vocation was nurtured in his hometown of Marrero – at St. Agnes Le Thi Tranh Church, Visitation of Our Lady Elementary School and Archbishop Shaw High School. Deacon Tran gained vocational clarity when Archbishop Aymond held up his late pastor’s chalice and asked the congregation, “Who will follow in his footsteps?” Deacon Tran’s vocation was further bolstered on a visit to his priest-uncle, during which he accompanied his uncle on visits to the sick and was exposed to the priest’s daily schedule of adoration, Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. Deacon Tran will serve his transitional diaconate internship at St. Catherine of Siena in Metairie.
• Ugandan-born Deacon Oyie’s yearning to serve the church surfaced in 2014, during a 150-mile pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. Charles Lwanga and the 22 Ugandan Martyrs. Deacon Oyie has been assigned to St. Benilde in Metairie for his transitional diaconate internship.
• The strong Catholic marriage modeled by his parents, along with his mother’s continued faithfulness after be
ing widowed in 2017, inspired Deacon Wumya’s vocation to the priesthood while growing up in a predominantly Muslim community in Ghana. Deacon Wumya was touched by the sight of villagers having to bless themselves with ashes on Ash Wednesday, due to the shortage of Catholic priests in his homeland. He will spend his transitional diaconate internship at St. Joseph Church and Shrine in Gretna.
Rite explained
The archbishop told the congregation that during the forthcoming Rite of Ordination, he would pray over the candidates, lay hands in them and call on the power of the Holy Spirit to consecrate them into the office of the diaconate – just as Jesus’ apostles did when they realized they needed men of great faith and humility who were willing to assist them at the altar and serve needs in the community.
“Two thousand years later, we do exactly the same thing. Priests and bishops today need co-workers,” Archbishop Aymond said, thanking the five ordinands for answering “a radical yes” to God’s calling to serve the church.
After the five men were called to the foot of the sanctuary, Father Colm Cahill, director of vocations for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, testified that each had been “found worthy” of being ordained to the diaconate by those who had formed them in seminary and in the community.
Next, the five Elect promised Archbishop Aymond to be deacons of “humble charity” as they assisted priests and the Christian people; to be proclaimers of the faith in word and deed; and to embrace the gift of celibacy as a sign of – and aid to – their singular focus on Christ and his church.
Because one of their diaconate responsibilities will be to lead the community in prayer, the ordinands promised to gird themselves in the daily praying of the Liturgy of the Hours “with and for the people of God” and “for the whole world.” Each also pledged obedience to their episcopal leaders, both present and future.
“May God, who has begun the good work in you, bring it to fulfillment,” the archbishop prayed.
As a sign of their submission to God’s will and to invoke the help of God and the saints in carrying out their service to “all the troubled and afflicted,” the ordinands prostrated themselves on the sanctuary floor as the Litany of Supplication was sung. After rising to their feet, they kneeled before Archbishop Aymond, one at a time, for a silent laying on of hands.
The archbishop recited the Prayer of Ordination, which alluded to the ancient roots of the diaconate. In the early days of the church, the apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit, appointed “seven men of good repute” to help them in daily ministry and at the eucharistic table, so that priests could devote themselves more fully to prayer and preaching of the word.
Calling on the Holy Spirit, Archbishop Aymond prayed that “every evangelical virtue” would flourish in the new deacons – unfeigned love, concern for the sick and poor, unassuming authority, innocence and spiritual discipline – and that their imitation of Christ would encourage others to do the same.
As outward signs of their new leadership roles, the deacons were vested with the stole and dalmatic. Each received a leather-bound Book of the Gospels, while being instructed by Archbishop Aymond to “believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.”
Hands-on internships
In July, the newly-minted transitional deacons will begin a four-month internship at their assigned church parish, followed by a final semester of study at Notre Dame Seminary in anticipation of their ordination to the priesthood in June 2024.
The internships will give the transitional deacons hands-on experience in being prayer leaders, assisting the priest at Mass, taking Communion to the sick and dying, baptizing, witnessing marriages and burying the dead.
Each deacon took time after the Ordination Mass to reflect on what they had experienced:
• Deacon Barr, 26, said one of the most “emotional” moments of the day took place early on, when he saw his friends and family in the pews during the entrance procession. As a deacon-intern at St. Dominic, “the thing I’m most looking forward to is helping Father (Wayne Paysse) with the liturgies – doing adoration, benediction,” he said. “And it will be interesting to learn how a big and thriving parish like St. Dominic runs.”
• The bilingual gifts of Deacon Gomez, 27, will be called on to serve the growing Hispanic community at St. Margaret Mary. He said he felt all the saints in heaven “cheering us on” during the Litany of Supplication, including the support of his favorite saint, St. Josemaria Escriva – the 20th-century Spanish priest who founded Opus Dei. “St. Josemaria was the one who always promoted the universal call to holiness that reminds all of us to be saints,” Deacon Gomez said.
• Deacon Tran, 24, said he is looking forward to putting his seven years of seminary academics into action, especially his new opportunities to preach homilies and lead Scripture and sacramental seminars as a deacon-intern at St. Catherine of Siena. While lying prostrate on the cathedral floor during the Litany of Supplication, he said he felt “an outpouring.” Emptying oneself, noted Deacon Tran, “is the symbolism of the whole diaconate – celibacy, giving up my whole life for the people of God.”
• Deacon Oyie, 27, and Deacon Wumya, 33, will return to their respective Catholic communities in Africa following their graduation from Notre Dame Seminary and ordination to the priesthood in 2024.
Deacon Oyie said he wants to be a “sign of hope” when he ultimately becomes a priest for the Archdiocese of Tororo, Uganda. As a deacon-intern at St. Benilde, he hopes to focus on families. “The family is the beginning of everything in the (wider) family of the church – everything starts from there," he said.
Deacon Wumya, a future priest for his native Diocese of Yendi, Ghana, said he could sense “something moving in me” during the Litany of Supplication and the laying on of hands. “I’m going to dedicate myself as a minister of service – that’s my identity; that’s what I’ve been called to do,” he said, looking ahead to his diaconate internship at St. Joseph Church and Shrine on the Westbank.
New responsibilities
Archbishop Aymond told the deacons that they were taking on a “three-fold” ministry:
• As ministers of charity, they are expected to actively seek out where the church “needs to go” by ministering to those on the margins, such as the poor, the sick, those hurt by racism, prisoners on death row and immigrants seeking a new life.
“I like to say that the deacon is called to be (the church’s) conscience,” summed up the archbishop.
• Secondly, deacons are to be “the voice of Christ” through their teaching and preaching of the Word. Archbishop Aymond reminded them to proclaim the Gospel “with great enthusiasm and integrity,” and to teach not their “own message,” but God’s, through prayerful preparation of their homilies.
• The deacons’ other role involves assisting the priest at Mass and with the sacraments, distributing holy Communion to the sick and dying, baptizing, witnessing marriages and burying the dead.
“All these things you will do in the name of Christ,” Archbishop Aymond told the new deacons, encouraging them to find strength in their promises of daily prayer, obedience and chastity – “so you not only preach the Gospel, you are the Gospel; you are the Good News!”
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Funeral arrangements announced for Bishop Fernand Cheri
Most Reverend Fernand Cheri, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, was called home to the Lord on Monday, March 21, 2023.
Funeral arrangements are as follows:
Solemn Vespers:
Friday, March 31,2023 at 5 pm at Notre Dame Seminary
Visitation:
Friday, March 31,2023 from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm at Notre Dame Seminary
Visitation:
Saturday, April 1,2023 from 9 am - 11 am at St. Louis Cathedral
Funeral Mass:
Saturday, April 1,2023 at 11 am.
Please keep Bishop Cheri, his family, and all who mourn his death in your prayers. May he rest in peace.
From,
Most Reverend Gregory Aymond, Archbishop of New Orleans
** Notre Dame Seminary is located at 2901 S. Carrollton Ave. in New Orleans.