In the spring of 1951, Mr. Norman made known to Archbishop Joseph Francis Rummel his plans to further develop his Aurora properties and that the need for establishing a new church parish was great.  Archbishop Rummel and Mr. Norman were both very devout Catholics, highly respected, and astute in handling complex business deals.  Mr. Norman was extremely generous and he and his wife had previously donated land for what is now known as Our Lady of Holy Cross College.  They now wanted to donate a large tract of land to the Catholic Church for construction of a permanent church and parochial school.  At the time, Aurora Gardens had about 200 homes, with Catholics numbering 136 adults and 113 children.  Huntlee Village had about 290 homes, with Catholics numbering 256 adults and 142 children.

After several months of negotiations and study, the details of which make for quite interesting reading but too lengthy for this web site, Archbishop Rummel made his decision and on June 5, 1952 informed the pastor of Holy Name that a new Parish would be carved out “for the Catholic residents in the area known as Aurora Gardens and Huntlee Village.”

Next installment:  St. Andrew gets a pastor, a name, and a temporary church building and celebrates a historic Christmas in 1952.

Diversity Ministry – invites all parishioners to the celebration of African American Diversity Weekend, January 28th and 29th as we celebrate and honor Venerable Henriette Delille, a descendant of slaves of old New Orleans and one of the founders of Sisters of the Holy Family.  The celebration will be highlighted by a presentation at the 9:30 am mass, followed by a red beans and rice and sweet potato brunch in the cafeteria.  We encourage each of you to attend and bring your families.

Algiers Food Bank in Need Again – The food bank sponsored by United Churches of Algiers is again in need of food for the poor and needy of Algiers.  Donations of food are off sharply and the food bank shelves are low.  Please consider bringing a non-perishable food item each Sunday to Mass or any week day and placing it in the box in the church lobby.  Peanut butter, jelly, macaroni and cheese, canned meats, tuna, cereal, and powdered milk are in special demand.  Also remember that any money you place in the envelopes marked “Poor Box” is given each month to charitable organizations serving the poor, elderly, and homeless.  As always, the Community Action committee thanks you for your continued support and prayers.

The Parish Mass Book for the 2012  year is now open.  Parishioners who wish to have masses said for their loved ones may come to the rectory.  Masses will be honored on a first come first serve basis.  Only one intention may be taken for masses except for the 4:30 Saturday Vigil Mass and the 11:00 Sunday Mass.  The donation is $5.00 per mass, per intention.  Requests for the Sanctuary Candle will also be taken.  The donation for the Candle is $10.00.

Chorister Registration Form 2011

We are preparing for liturgical changes in our celebration of Mass. To begin the process we will insert some of the new ways of praising God and participating. We hope that you will understand the changes and be prepared for our Advent transition. The Missalette may be used to follow along but familiarizing yourselves now will make it easier to follow.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, our new ways of celebrating Mass will be more meaningful and more inspirational.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Paul

Confirmation – There will be a meeting for the parents of all young people of our parish in the 10th grade or above who wish to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in the fall of 2012.  Please come to the cafeteria on February 7th, 2012, at 7:00 PM and bring a copy of your child’s Baptismal certificate and the $40.00 fee which covers the cost of the class materials and the retreat in the fall.

First Holy Communion – On Thursday, February 9th, at 7:00 PM, all parents and their children who are receiving their First Holy Communion this year should gather in church for a short prayer service and meeting.  The parents will receive the books that will help them to prepare their children for the reception of this most Blessed Sacrament and additional information about the retreat for the children and the day of the First Communion Mass.

Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults -  Adults interested in becoming Catholic are prepared for baptism through the RCIA process.  If someone you know is interested in becoming a Catholic or learning more about what the Catholic faith teaches, please contact the Religious Education Office at 393-0140 or the Rectory at 393-2334.

-Being an ambassador of St. Andrew the Apostle School and the church parish.

-Serving as lay ministers in service to Catholic Education and helping the church parish fulfill their teaching mission in Jesus Christ.

-Using your God-given talents and abilities to help fulfill the mission.

-Becoming interested in our mission to ensure the future success of St. Andrew.

If you think you have something to offer, elections are in April.  All applications must be submitted by April 29th.  Applications can be picked up at the school office.