An updated Adoration Schedule is in the vestibule. We have many open hours available for you to spend time alone with Jesus. Call the office to let us know what time you are choosing.
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 Pentecost Sunday
The season of Easter concludes with today's celebration, the feast of Pentecost. On Pentecost we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem; this event marks the beginning of the Church. John reminds us about the integral connection between the gifts of peace and forgiveness and the action of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus greets his disciples with the gift of peace. Jesus then commissions his disciples to continue the work that he has begun: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." He breathes the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and sends them to continue his work of reconciliation through the forgiveness of sins.
First Reading
Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11
The Holy Spirit descends upon the apostles gathered in Jerusalem.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 104:1,24,29-31,34
God's Spirit renews the earth.
Second Reading
1 Corinthians 12:3b-7,12-13
We are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gospel Reading
John 20:19-23
Jesus appears to his disciples and gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit.
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, "Peace be with you."
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained."
John 20:19-23
A WORD FROM THE PASTOR
Treasure Within
An old beggar lay on his deathbed. His last words were to his young son who had been his constant companion during his begging trips. "Dear son," he said, "I have nothing to give you except a cotton bag and a dirty bronze bowl which I got in my younger days from the junk yard of a rich lady." After his father's death, the boy continued begging, using the bowl his father had given him. One day a gold merchant dropped a coin in the boy's bowl and he was surprised to hear a familiar ring. "Let me check your bowl," the merchant said. To his great surprise, he found that the beggar's bowl was made of pure gold. "My dear young man," he said, "why do you waste your time begging? You are a rich man. That bowl of yours is worth at least $30,000.00."
We Christians are often like this beggar boy who failed to recognize and appreciate the value of his bowl. We fail to appreciate the infinite worth of the Holy Spirit living within us, making each of us His Temple and sharing His gifts, fruits, and charisms with us.
How beautiful is the thought that the Holy Spirit lives within us! Saint Paul reminds the Corinthian community of this fact when he asks, "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" (I Cor 3:16). It is the Holy Spirit who develops our intimacy with God. "God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Rom 5:5). "No one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit" (I Cor 12:3). Moreover, we know that it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us to pray (Rom 8:26). By the power of the Spirit, we also know the Lord Jesus through His Church.
Pentecost Sunday is the birthday of the Church, for it was the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and Mary that brought the Church into full active life on earth, and it is the Holy Spirit who still enlivens, enlightens, guides, and sanctifies the Church. The Holy Spirit will continue to do these things and more until the end of the world.
There was once an Eskimo who used to take his two dogs for a bet-fight in the town square. One was a black dog the other was white. The people gathered week after week to see the dogs fight and bet heavily on the outcome. On some days, the black dog won, and on others the white prevailed. No matter which dog won, the Eskimo made money. The secret behind his duping of the people was that he would feed well the dog which he wanted to win. Do you feed your spiritual self and keep it strengthened by the daily anointing of the Holy Spirit to win over the carnal person?
On this major feast day, we are invited to experience and appreciate the transforming, sanctifying, and strengthening presence of the Holy Spirit within us. This is also a day for us to renew our promises made to God during our Baptism and Confirmation, to profess our Faith, and to practice it.
1. He prays with us -"...comes to the aid of my weakness..." Romans 8:26
It is comforting to know that when we pray, we are not alone. The Comforter whom Jesus sent helps us. It is like having Jesus sitting with us when praying. The Holy Spirit is literally our prayer partner.
2. He prays for us - "...intercedes..." Romans 8:26. Because the Holy Spirit is our prayer partner, He doesn't just join us in prayer. The Spirit prays for us. He prays for us on our behalf before God. The Spirit knows we need help praying..
3. He interprets what we are feeling - "...with inexpressible groanings..." Romans 8:26. We need help praying because we have emotions that can get in the way. There are many times when we are praying and words don't completely express what we are feeling. We have these emotions and the Spirit knows these emotions.
4. He looks for our feelings - "...searches
hearts..." Romans 8:27.
Jesus didn't ascend into heaven for nothing. He may have been seated, but he hasn't been idle. After crushing the head of Satan's resistance at the D-Day of Calvary, it was from heaven's throne that Jesus launched his last-days offensive. It began at Pentecost, when he poured out the Holy Spirit. One of the main objectives for the ascension: "It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come. But if I go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7).
5. He helps us to really pray - "...according to God's will." Romans 8:27.
We don't always pray for God's will. And even when we do, we don't always do that very well. The Holy Spirit helps to align our will with God's will in prayer.
Jim Erwin,
Evangelical Journalist
When the Holy Spirit moves, His presence is always marked by His power. This presence of the Spirit inspires us to become true witnesses and empowers great waves of evangelization.
When a move of the Holy Spirit comes from within our youth, there are countless reasons for us to rejoice as we look towards a brighter future for the Church.
With this in mind, I wanted to share our choir's text thread about the beautiful display of our youth's faith in action this past Sunday.
Thank you for following the Holy Spirit's guidance as you stopped to sing with us. This display of faith inspires us to be better at allowing the Spirit to move through us as well. You are truly a blessing to our St. Bernadette Parish!
God Bless! Becky Wiggins, DRE
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 #7
The Liturgy of the Eucharist - Part 1
The Liturgy of the Eucharist is the high point of Mass. It corresponds to the words and actions of Jesus at the Last Supper where he is finally and uniquely made present to us in the Mass through bread and wine that is transubstantiated into his body and blood. The complete change of the substance of bread and wine into the substance of Christ's body and blood by a validly ordained priest during the consecration at Mass is complete, so that only the accidents of bread and wine remain.
- Preparation of the Altar and Presentation of the Gifts:
As our priest begins to prepare the altar, representatives of the people bring forward the bread and wine along with monetary gifts for the support of the Church and care of the poor. An offertory song may be sung at this time.
- Prayer Over the Gifts:
Helping those assembled to get ready for the tremendous Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ, the priest praises God and prays a blessing prayer offering the bread and wine to God. He then washes his hands as a symbolic gesture of purification.
- Invitation to Prayer:
The priest invites the faithful to pray "that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father." The faithful prayerfully respond, "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church."
Bible Quiz # 36 The Book of Genesis Chapters 27-30 ANSWERS
How did Jacob deceive his father to get blessings? - Wearing the clothes of
his brother Esau and covering his hands and hairless parts of his neck with the
skins of the kids (27:15&16)
Who took away the birthright of Esau? - Jacob (27:36).
Where did Rebekah send Jacob to escape from Esau? - Laban
Who is Laban? - Son of Bethel and brother of Rebekah (28:5)
What is the name Jacob gave to the place where he had a dream? - Bethel (28:19).
Where did Jacob meet Rachel? - When Rachel was coming with her father's sheep for water to the well (29: 9-14).
Who did Jacob want to marry, and who did he end up marrying? - Jacob
wanted to marry Rachel, but married Leah first as planned by Laban (29:25-30)
Whom did Jacob love most? - Rachel.
Who is Joseph? - Born of Jacob and Rachel (30:23)
How and why did Jacob have large flocks? - Because Laban had given sturdy ones to
Jacob (30:42).
Thanks to the following Bible Quiz participants:
Barbara Cothron, Susie Daugherty, Kathleen Louviere, Michelle & Paul Tholen, Melinda Frederick, Brenda Nelson, Landry Family, Catherine Cali, Lois Bosworth, Julia Hepler, Debbie Hannegan, Alberta Leblanc, Becky Wiggins, Mary Jo Beadle, Christina Wallace, Allen Hebert & Luke Johnson, Theresa Babin, Renee Garris, Kenny Zimmer, Rachel Torres, Susan Legendre, and the Brannon Family & Ella Walker
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.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
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.
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."
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.
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. Please Read More...
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. Please Read More...
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. Please Read More...
Weekly Reflections
Today, throughout the world, our Church celebrates the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus' first followers and upon all of us.
One of the greatest ways that the Holy Spirit is potentially active in your life is through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Through that Sacrament, the Holy Spirit draws you to the Father and enables you to see and understand His perfect will, living more fully in union with the Son as a member of His Body.
As we celebrate the great Solemnity of Pentecost, reflect, today, upon the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. If you want to be open to the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your life and receive the many gifts you need for your journey of faith, then begin with the most fundamental gift. Begin with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Ponder the words Jesus spoke in our Gospel today and know that by entrusting the grace to forgive sins in His name to His first priests, Jesus was also calling you to embrace that gift. The Holy Spirit wants you to be cleansed of all sin. Allow Him to do so and you will be amazed at all the grace that follows.
My glorious Lord, You promised to send the Holy Spirit upon us to lead us into all Truth and to reconcile us to the Father. You were faithful to that promise at Pentecost and now continuously bestow the Holy Spirit upon all who believe. Holy Spirit, please come upon me, especially by forgiving my sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and by filling me with Your sevenfold Gifts. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen
RCIA
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
Faith Formation
Regular attendance at Mass is an essential part of showing your child what being a Catholic is about.
To Our St. Bernadette Family -
At the end of February, Most Reverend J. Douglas Deshotel, D.D., issued a decree regarding the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Diocese of Lafayette.
Get Involved-
Catholics have a long history of action - feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, caring for the poor, praying for souls. Are you doing all you can to help? If not, find out if there is a parish ministry that could use your time, talent, or treasure. Catholics are meant to make a difference.
Bishop Services Appeal 2024 - Uniting as the Body of Christ
"Take and eat; this is my body."
– Matthew 26:26
When the host is raised after its blessing as Jesus did at the Last Supper, there is that beautiful, mysterious and sacred moment when it becomes our Lord's Body right before our eyes and in our hearts. Imagine what happens when, with that same faith, we place our own personal treasure in Jesus's hands: it becomes transformed into something that transforms.
This faith is what we are called to in the Bishop's Services Appeal: to trust that with us and through us, God transforms our gifts into what the lost and broken need most.
We may not all be able to physically feed or shelter or care for or minister to all those who need to be served. What we can do is support life-giving ministries through prayer and a personal offering of resources. The BSA helps us to ensure that the most essential services continue to reach the most vulnerable in our Diocese.
Please join in Uniting as the Body of Christ so that the very Real Presence of Jesus is evident in you and your charitable works.
Knights of Columbus Council 6211 is located in Bayou Vista, La. We are currently recruiting new members from the Parish.
Monthly Meetings for the Bayou Vista Knights Council are held on the 1st Wednesday of every month at 7:00 p.m.
Location for the meeting is at 113 Sunset Rd, Bayou Vista, LA 70380. KC Council 6211 Contact Info... Knights
of Columbus Info...
St. Bernadette Parsih Pastoral Council and Finance Committee
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….
One of the greatest graces for our parish is Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in our chapel. 
