Ms. Janet Schluter retired as of May 2020.  We congratulate her for faithfully working as the St. Christopher the Martyr Parish secretary for over 33 years!  We are sincerely grateful to Janet for her years of dedicated love and service to parishioners and to the clergy over the years and would like to honor her with a retirement party on Saturday, August 15, at 5:00 p.m. in the Parish Center directly following 4 p.m. Mass.  Please join us in celebrating this special occasion!

Mary Schmitt, July 28, 2020

Each month, the Knights of Columbus present this award to recognize a deserving family for their outstanding contributions to St. Christopher Parish and School. The Tommy and Terry Canale Family has been selected as the August 2020 Family of the Month.  Tommy and Terry regularly attend daily Mass and the Adoration Chapel and are Eucharistic ministers, both in church and for the homebound.  They were very involved in purchasing the "Jesus of Health” statue found in the alcove of our church where the choir sings, and they organized the St. Joseph Triduum for several years for our parish.  They assist in sanitizing our church and are also very active in the Charismatic Movement in the New Orleans area and do speaking engagements.  The Canales are another great example of a family that is willing to assist with their talents when and wherever they are needed.  We are so grateful for the Canales' tireless commitment to serving God within our parish and thank them for sharing their love and faith.  May God richly bless them!

The Adoration Chapel is open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Regular and substitute adorers are needes for all time slots, and expecially during  Tuesday, 9 a.m.-10 a.m., and Thursday and Friday, 12 p.m.-1 p.m.  Wondering how to spend an hour in adoration?  You can preview the upcoming Mass readings, say a rosary, read the Bible, or select a book from the shelves to read.  Call Jerry Cox at 458-3152 or Marlene Baquie at 913-5911 if you would like to be a weekly or substitute adorer.

Any student entering the 11 ^th grade this fall and wishing to make their Confirmation at St. Christopher in 2021 needs to attend an introductory meeting on Tuesday, August 25, at 6:30 p.m. in the Parish Center.  The meeting will last approximately one hour.  The student along with at least one parent must attend.  Please e-mail, call, or text Vance Ott (504-400-8318) with any questions or concerns.  Feel free to share this information with anyone you think may be interested in being confirmed at St. Christopher.

Registration is now open for the 2020-21 schedule of “In Silence” retreats at Saint Joseph Abbey.  The first retreat takes place Labor Day weekend, September 4-6, 2020.  A series led by the Abbey’s Fr. Ephrem Arcement, O.S.B., “In Silence” is intended to help adults find spiritual renewal and awakening by entering more deeply into the silent depths of God’s presence through exploring the life and writings of the mystics of the Christian tradition.  The theme this year is “In Silence with the Cloud of the Unknowing.”  For additional dates and to register, visit www.saintjosephabbey.com/in-silence.

We congratulate our sons and daughters confirmed by Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond on Monday, June 22, 2020. Please pray for each of them as they continue on their faith journey, strengthened by the grace of this great sacrament.

If your parish organization is resuming meetings, please notify the rectory at scmrectory@outlook.com.

Attention:  We would like  to be able to stream Masses live.  YouTube requires 1,000 subscribers before live streaming is possible, so please hit the red SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to our YouTube channel as soon as possible and ask your friends and family to do so as well.  Thank you!

We are now offering online giving for your convenience and safety, especially during this interim period when public masses  have limited attendance.  We pray for all our parishioners and know that several are experiencing financial hardship. We hope that those of you who are able will consider continuing to support our church by visiting our Giving page or by mailing your offering to the rectory:  309 Manson Avenue, Metairie, LA 70001.  Thank you for your continued generosity.

Now that the church is open again, we welcome food donations, which may be placed in the foyer of the church or brought to the rectory.  Many people are requesting assistance.
We are in need of items such as cereal, grits, and oatmeal and cans of fruit, beans, soup, tomato sauce, and Chef Boyardee.  We also need ramen noodles, rice, and pasta mixes, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, and pasta.  For this  month, we have an adequate supply of peanut butter and jelly, dried beans, and canned vegetables. 
The boxes we give out are 12 x 12 x 18, so we are limited to regular-size items, not large, and we do not have the space to handle refrigerated products.  Please help us by checking “current best by” dates.  We thank you on behalf of our parishioners who are in need.  We will help as many as our food and finances will permit.  May God bless all of you and keep all of us healthy.
If you are in need of assistance, call 831-7692 and leave a message.  We will return your call.
 

With the global spread of COVID-19 financially impacting the ministry of the U.S. church, the #iGiveCatholic online giving platform activated its national website March 26 to begin accepting donations from individuals and businesses in support of parishes, schools, and ministries of 39 dioceses across the country.

In the wake of the cancellation of all public Masses in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, you may live-stream Mass at St. Louis Cathedral at your convenience at https://thedailymass.com/mass/.  The streams are for Mass at 12:05 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m. on Sunday.

Flowers and sanctuary lights for 2020 are available.  There are several open weeks for the flowers on the altar and for sanctuary lights.  What a beautiful way to remember relatives or someone special (living or deceased)!  You could say “Congratulations,” “Happy Birthday,” or “Happy Anniversary.”  Please call 504-837-8214 to reserve a weekend.  The cost is $40, made payable to “St. Christopher Altar Society."

2020 envelopes are ready to be picked up.  They have been placed in the front
of church on the left-hand side.  If you do not have envelopes and wish
to start using them, please call the rectory, 504-837-8214.