Welcome! Thank you for visiting us at Saint Bernadette Church, which is a Roman Catholic parish located in Bayou Vista - between Patterson and Berwick, Louisiana, in the Diocese of Lafayette .   St. Bernadette Church continues the Sacramental Traditions of Jesus Christ as handed down by the Apostles, we strive to live lives of Communion and Participation as we seek to fulfill the mission bestowed upon us by Christ. Our Pastor is Father Thainese Alphonse.

The Liturgy of the Word for the Fourth Sunday of Easter  

    This Fourth Sunday of Easter is also called Good Shepherd Sunday. In todays Gospel, Jesus describes his relationship with his followers as similar to the relationship between a good shepherd and his sheep. As a good shepherd will risk and lay down his life in order to protect his sheep, Jesus willingly sacrifices himself for the sake of his sheep.
    As the sheep are known by the Good Shepherd, the Father knows Jesus and Jesus knows the Father. There is an essential unity between the Father and the Son. The freedom with which Jesus acts when he lays down his life is rooted in the unity that he shares with his Father.

Following the Shepherd or Hireling?

    An atheistic journalist on one occasion was visiting a leprosarium run by a group of religious sisters. When he entered a certain ward, he noticed a sister moving from one patient to another, cheerfully attending to each one with a nurturing love that was absolutely admirable. Unable to restrain his curiosity, he walked up to the religious and said, "Sister, I wouldn't do this job even if you gave me a million dollars." The sister smiled and replied, "Neither would I my friend," and with that she continued tending to her patients.

    The journalist was absolutely dumbfounded. Then and there, he rejected his atheism. To quote his very own words, "A God who can inspire a human being to such dedicated and selfless service, in such revolting circumstances and with such good cheer cannot but be true. I believe in God." Such is the radical difference between a Good Shepherd and a hireling. One does his work because he wants to, the other does it because he has to; one has his heart in it, the other does not.

Why Do We Do That?

    Every time we enter the Church, we all dip our fingers in the Holy Water font near the doors and make the Sign of the Cross. WHY?

    Our source of entry into the Church of God was by passing through the waters at Baptism. As we bless ourselves with Holy Water coming into the Church, we are reminding ourselves of the gift of our Baptism where we received new life in Christ. These few drops of Holy Water refresh that life as we touch them to ourselves. If we bless ourselves with contrite hearts (feeling remorse or penitence) and ask God for His mercy, the Holy Water can wash us from our venial sins.

"By this Holy Water and by Your Precious Blood, wash away all my sins, O Lord."

    In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus compares himself to a good shepherd who knows and cares for his sheep. This image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is one of the oldest images of Jesus in Christian art. The Good Shepherd cares for the world and its people which are His greatest gifts of Creation.

   Talk with your family about how your family is already caring for each other as well as other people and the world we live in. Talk, too, about ways your family can do better, especially ways that would improve our church family here at St. Bernadette. How can you and your family contribute to St. Bernadette Parish regularly in order for our parish to continue growing in faith?

    Our last Faith Formation class is next Wednesday, April 24^th. This is not, however, an ending or pause of our Catholic obligations to continue to participate and grow in faith until next school year. In order to really establish and keep a strong relationship with Christ, we must remain active in our Faith Formation Family so that we can continue to build our parish community.

    My prayer, along with all of our Faith Formation Volunteer Leaders, is that we continue seeing you all each weekend as we celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I've been told many times by our parishioners that they feel great joy when our youth participate at church - greeting and assisting at the doors, ushering, altar serving, reading, singing with the choir, presenting the precious gifts to the altar, handing out the sermon, passing out bulletins, etc. They are the future of God's Church. The children have expressed that they LOVE to do these things, they just need family support. That is exactly what we are here for - to support you in any way. Know that when you register your child for Faith Formation classes, you are registering your entire family. We are here to help you raise your children in faith. There are so many obstacles in life. Please don't hesitate to let us know how we can help you and your family fulfill our Catholic obligations. What can we do to increase the practice of faith at home to include praying together, reading the Bible together, talking about faith, and, most importantly, participating in Sunday Mass?

    God Bless! Becky Wiggins, DRE

How do people start attending church? The readings this Sunday challenge us to live as witnesses to the Resurrection, embodying the hope and renewal it signifies. This resurrection of Jesus is not just a historical event; it is a reality that has the power to transform our lives today. By rising from the dead, Jesus has conquered sin and death, opening the way for us to live in newness of life. As witnesses to the Resurrection, we are called to share the message of forgiveness and hope with the world. Jesus' instruction to His disciples to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations is also a mandate for us.     Open your heart to the power of the Resurrection. Allow it to renew you in spirit and truth so that you can walk in the light of Christ with confidence in His love and mercy. Together, let all of us at St. Bernadette share the Good News of His Resurrection with all we meet, inviting them to join us as we come into a deeper encounters with the Risen Lord.

Are you desiring to become Catholic and participate in the Sacraments instituted by Christ?     Already baptized Catholic but have not completed all of the Sacraments for Initiaton?     Would you just like to know more about the Sacraments?     Reach out to Father Thainese this week to begin your Journey of Faith

The Mass Explained This week we continue our series called The MASS Explained. When someone wants to show you their affection and friendship, they invite you to their home. There are two important things which occur next: conversation and a meal. In the celebration of the Mass, it is Jesus who invites us to participate in his friendship, during which we also encounter these two important moments: conversation, which is when Jesus speaks to us through his Word and we respond with our prayers; and a meal, when Jesus offers us the Eucharistic banquet giving us his Body and Blood.

The MASS Explained #3

    Now that we've entered the church and reminded ourselves of the gift of our Baptism, we are ready to enter the pews for worship. To honor the true presence of Jesus Christ in the tabernacle, we genuflect (touch our right knee to the floor) or bow deeply in a spirit of prayer and as a sign of adoration of the Lord. Since the focus is on the altar, you will notice that at other times during the Mass, the priest and ministers bow as they cross the sanctuary.

The Introductory Rite - Part 1

    Setting the tone and theme of the Mass, the Introductory Rite unifies the diverse members of the faithful into ONE community of faith. Here is where we are prepared for worship and invited to enter into the mystery of the liturgy.

- Entrance Procession:
    The celebrant and other ministers enter in procession as the congregation sings an opening hymn or the entrance antiphon is recited.

- Veneration of the Altar:
    The priest kisses the altar, a symbol of Christ at the heart of the assembly, as a sign of reverence/veneration.

- Sign of the Cross:
    The Mass begins by all making the Sign of the Cross which is both a true blessing from God and a true commitment from us to follow the Lord. The celebrant extends a greeting to the people in words taken from Scripture. (St. Paul's epistles in the beginning.)

The Mass Explained

Bible Quiz #35 from the Book of Genesis Chapters 22 - 26 -ANSWERS

1. What was Abraham's answer to Isaac's question, "Where is the sheep for the holocaust?"- God himself will provide the sheep for the holocaust (22:8).
2. Where did Sarah die? - Kiriatharba - Hebron (23:2).
3. Who did Abraham buy the land from to bury his wife? - Field of Machpelah in the land of Canaan (23:19).
4. Who was Rebekah in Abraham's blood relation? - Abraham's brother Nahor's granddaughter (24:15).
5. Where did the servant find Rebekah? In the spring.
6. Who allowed Abraham's servant to take Rebekah as wife of Isaac? - Laban, brother of Rebekah (24:51).
7. How old was Abraham when he died? - 175 years(25:7)
8. What was the lie Isaac told about his wife to Abimelech? - Rebekah was his sister (26: 9).
9. What was the place where a kind of peace accord was made between Isaac and Abimelech? - Beersheba.
10. What is Septuagint? (Refer to January 28 bulletin.) - It is the oldest surviving Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, traditionally believed to have been written by 72 Jewish scholars sometime during the 3rd B.C. Since Greek was the common language of the Roman Empire, the Septuagint was popular among Jews living under Roman rule.

Thanks to the following participants:
Sammy Viola, Brenda Nelson, Kenny Zimmer, Barbara Cothron, Allen Hebert & Luke Johnson, Kathleen Louviere, Renee' Garris, Albert Solet, Debbie Hannagan, Lois Bosworth, Julia Hepler, Mrs. Alberta LeBlanc, Catherine Cali, Landry Family, Theresa Babin, Mary Jo Beadle, Susan Legendre, Brannon Family, Christina Wallace

Hail, holy Queen enthroned above, oh Maria. Hail, mother of mercy and of love, oh Maria. Triumph all ye cherubim, Sing with us ye seraphim. Heaven and earth resound the hymn. Salve, Salve, Salve Regina. The beautiful tradition of May Crowning reflects the beauty of the 5th Glorious Mystery of the Holy Rosary which it evokes. Honoring Our Lady, Queen of Heaven and Earth, honors her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ Who first crowned her as His Queen. Adorning Our Lady with a crown of flowers is a custom of great devotion to Our Holy Mother and recalls the beauty of her love for us during difficult times in the world.   Our Lady always guides as a loving Mother. Her Immaculate Heart and her maternal beauty will always triumph over the ugliness of sin and suffering. As we crown the Blessed Virgin on Mother's Day, we ask that she intercede for us to her Son. Read more...

Sharing in the Blessedness of Christ

Holiness demands a constant effort, but it is possible for everyone because, rather than a human effort, it is first and foremost a gift of God, thrice holy. The Apostle John remarks: See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. It is God, therefore, who loved us first and make us his adoptive sons in Jesus. Everything in our lives is a gift of his love: how can we be indifferent before such a great mystery? How can we not respond to the heavenly Father's love by living as grateful children? In Christ, he gave us the gift of his entire self and calls us to a personal and profound relationship with him. Consequently, the more we imitate Jesus and remain united to him the more we enter into the mystery of his divine holiness. We discover that he loves us infinitely, and this prompts us in turn to love our brethren. Loving always entails an act of self-denial, "losing ourselves," and it is precisely this that makes us happy….

  In truth, the blessed par excellence is only Jesus. He is, in fact, the true poor in spirit, the one afflicted, the meek one, the one hungering and thirsting for justice, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemaker. He is the one persecuted for the sake of justice. The Beatitudes show us  the spiritual features of Jesus and thus express his mystery, the mystery of his death and Resurrection, of his Passion and the joy of his Resurrection. This mystery, which is the mystery of true blessedness, invites us to follow Jesus  and thus to walk toward it. To the extent that we accept his proposal and set out to follow him—each one in his own circumstances—we too can participate in his blessedness. With him, the impossible becomes possible and even a camel can pass through the eye of a needle; with his help, only with his help can we become perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect.

  Pope Benedict XVI
  2005—2013

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The Beatitudes - Matthew 5:1-12

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration

One of the greatest graces for our parish is Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in our chapel.

To quote Pope John Paul II; "We come here to meet the Heart of Jesus pierced for us, from which water and blood gush. It is the redeeming love, which is at the origin of salvation, of our salvation, which is at the origin of the Church. Now still today, the living Christ loves us and presents His Heart to us as the source of our redemption… We are called not only to meditate and contemplate on this mystery of Christ's love; we are called to take part in it. It is the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, the center of our Faith, the center of our worship of Christ's merciful love manifested in His Sacred Heart, a mystery which is adored here night and day. In the Eucharist – this is also the meaning of perpetual adoration – we enter the movement of love from which all interior progress and all apostolate efficacy springs."

Mother Teresa taught "When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host you understand how much Jesus loves you now."

If you would like to participate in adoration please contact Becky Wiggins at the rectory for more information.
Real Presence Eucharistic Education and Adoration Association

Examination of Conscience for Adults

This examination of conscience is not intended merely as a checklist to be used prior to confession. The purpose of this examination is to help souls to know what actions or attitudes are sinful and the gravity of the particular sin. The hope is that this knowledge will serve to keep people from committing these sins.

* Three things are necessary for a sin to be mortal: 1. Serious matter (things listed on this sheet); 2. Knowledge or firm belief that the act is seriously wrong prior to committing the act; 3. Full consent to the will.

All three of these conditions must be present simultaneously for a sin to be mortal. This means that if you did not know the act was seriously wrong, then you are not guilty of having committed a mortal sin. If you did not will the act, e.g., if you were forced or if it was in a dream, you are not guilty of having committed a mortal sin.

All mortal sins committed since your last confession must be confessed by both type and number, i.e., the title of the sin and how many times it was done. If there is a mortal sin from the past that was forgotten and has not been confessed, it should be confessed at your next confession. It is not necessary to confess venial sins, but it is a good and pious practice.

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Catholics Come Home

There's an old saying that goes, "Once a Catholic, always a Catholic." Maybe you have been away from the Church for a little while or quite some time, but somehow you now feel a tug at your heart calling you back home to the Catholic Church. That's why we're here.

Whether or not you know you want to return to the Catholic Church, we're here to help you take that second look. That mysterious pull inside you, driving you to look into your faith once more, comes directly from God. Your Heavenly Father is yearning for a relationship with you again, in the Church founded by Jesus 2000 years ago. He's waiting for you with open arms. 
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USCCB - Pro-Life Activities

Laws that permit or promote abortion, infanticide, human cloning, destructive embryo research or physician-assisted suicide ignore the sanctity of each human life and undermine the foundation of a just and healthy society. As citizens and people of faith, each of us should actively advance our convictions in the public square in every legitimate and ethical way. We should rededicate ourselves to upholding the sanctity of human life, and hold those elected to represent us to the same standard.
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Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics

This voter's guide helps you cast your vote in an informed manner consistent with Catholic moral teaching.

This voter's guide identifies five issues involving "non-negotiable" moral values in current politics and helps you narrow down the list of acceptable candidates, whether they are running for national, state, or local offices.
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