When Incarnate Word Sister Imelda Moriarty boarded the plane for San Antonio at the end of WWII, she knew  she might not see her mother and her six siblings in County Kerry, Ireland, again. In those pre-Vatican II days, the congregation’s rules for missionary educators were  strict.

As a person who always wanted things done “yesterday,” Msgr. Crosby W. Kern, the rector of St. Louis Cathedral and moderator of the Clarion Herald, took the attitude that once a decision was made, there was no reason to dawdle in carrying out the task.

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Personal sufferings, disappointments and a strong prayer life gave Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos an uncanny ability to identify with fellow Catholics as they confessed their troubles. That came across Nov. 18 in the play, “Seelos: Doctor of Souls,” written and performed by local actor Casey Groves at St. Mary’s Assumption Church, home of Blessed Seelos’ national shrine.

Advent’s liturgical preparation for Christmas calls Christians to renew their faith in the reality of God’s great love and to make a commitment to bringing his love to the world today, Pope Benedict XVI said.

In his Dec. 5 address at the 70th annual luncheon of the Council of Catholic School Cooperative Clubs, Archbishop Aymond emphasized the importance of Catholic education in imparting Catholic values and also about the 2013 archdiocesan celebration of the Year of Family and Faith.

Janie Taylor makes her first professional return to New Orleans as a dancer in the lead role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in Delta Festival Ballet’s 31st annual production of “The Nutcracker,” Dec. 21-23 at Tulane’s Dixon Hall.

Celebrating Mass, sharing dinner and discussing faith topics in a relaxed setting. What better way is there for adults to explore Catholicism? The Magnificat House of Discernment, a place of where young women can observe religious life and learn about various orders, began these monthly evenings in October in a series called “Mmmmm…” – which stands for Mass, meal and more.

Academy of Our Lady will reach a milestone Dec. 11 on its journey to a new high school campus for girls. At 9:30 a.m., Archbishop Gregory Aymond will celebrate a Mass at Immaculate Conception Church, and a groundbreaking will follow at 11:15 a.m. at the new site nearby at 5655 Westbank Expwy.

Dr. Jan Lancaster, superintendent of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, announced on Dec. 4 the closure of Cathedral Academy in the French Quarter. The closure will be effective at the end of the academic year in May 2013.

Recientemente se celebró una Misa de clausura por el Año de la Renovación, que trató de explicar con mayor detalle el misterio y el don de la Eucaristía. ¿Cómo siente que fue el año de la catequesis?

Deadline: Submissions due Thursday (10 days before each issue) calendar@clarionherald.org (504) area code unless noted Dec. 8-16 EVENTS ST. LUCY MASS, 85th annual Mass honoring patron saint of eye diseases, Dec. 8, 4 p.m., St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 1139 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans.

On Dec. 2, Redemptorist Father Richard Thibodeau, pastor of St. Mary’s Assumption Church, blessed a new baptismal font commissioned by anonymous donors and crafted in Italy. The font mirrors the 1858 church’s German baroque style and incorporates numerous elements of its architecture.

For more than a decade, local Catholics have lent their most beloved creches for display inside 19th-century St. Alphonsus Church during the first week of Advent. This year’s display, unveiled  Dec. 2, touts 76 creches of all sizes and designs, and includes Nativity scenes from countries including Germany, Russia, Thailand, Zambia and Israel.

The young church needs plenty of tender, loving care, and so do those who minister to the young church. That’s why a contingent of youth ministers from the Archdiocese of New Orleans joined hundreds of their colleagues from across the country and around the world at the National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry Nov. 29-Dec. 1.

Is Drew Brees on a sudden descent as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL? The answer is, of course not. Brees turns 34 on Jan. 15. Father time has yet to catch up with Brees. But several issues have contributed to Brees’ seven interceptions in the Saints’ last two games.

Brother Martin fell a point shy of winning its first CYO Basketball Tournament championship in eight years when Newman’s Kyle Lewis tipped in his brother Kendall’s missed jumper to give the Greenies their first title, 58-57.

Catholic football powers in New Orleans have won 13 football championships in Louisiana’s highest classifications dating back to 1933, when Jesuit won the penetrations battle over Byrd, 2-0, in a scoreless game.

BATON ROUGE, La. – A state judge ruled Nov. 30 that the Louisiana Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program, more commonly known as the voucher program, that was passed during the 2012 Louisiana legislative session last spring is unconstitutional because the state cannot use funds set aside for public education to pay for children in failing school to attend non-public schools.

Two documents furthered the general pastoral purpose for which Pope John XXIII called the Second Vatican Council. They were the “Constitution on the Church in the Modern World” and the “Decree on the Laity.” The first of these was by far the most contentious.