• Youth Ministry
• Bible Study 
• RCIA 
• Pre-Cana 
• Religious Ed (Pre-K - 12th) 
• Re-Membering 
• Parish Library

Youth Ministry 

Saint Luke Youth Ministry - SLY

Director: Chris Lorusso 

St Luke Youth Ministry is made up of a Junior Youth Ministry for teens in grades, 6 though 8, and a Senior Youth Ministry for teens in grades 9 through 12.  Each group meets once a month. The Sr. High meets on the first Sunday of each month and the Junior High meets on the second Sunday of each month. Both meetings are held in Room 10 at 7:00pm.  All youth in our parish as well as neighboring parishes and non-Catholics are also welcome to join.

The purpose of our Youth Ministry is to provide an opportunity for young people to discover themselves and their church in a positive Christian atmosphere.  Activities vary monthly, but include spiritual, service and social elements.  Activities include dances, field trips, conferences, retreats, sports activities, and community service projects as well as spiritual and moral topics of discussions in the meetings.  The group is affiliated with the archdiocesan CYO/Youth Ministry and participates in activities such as youth rallies, service projects, and the biannual national Catholic Youth Conference.

SLY interacts with other ministries at St. Luke to encourage young people to participate in the life of the faith community.  These activities include the annual Halloween Carnival for the young of all ages of the parish, serving Thanksgiving  Dinner to the senior citizens of the parish, providing help at the Parish Picnic, Living Way of the Cross and Easter Sunrise service, the Annual Graduation Mass, The Youth Ministry offers a "Day of Baby-sitting" at Christmas time so parents can have a shopping day, and SLY assists at other Parish functions throughout the year.

The SLY bulletin board and information table is located in the community room by the kitchen.  Calendars and handouts on the table are free for the taking. Call the Youth Office if you need additional information.
 

 Bible Study

Morning and evening Bible Study groups meet on a weekly basis. All the adults of our parish are invited to join these small groups for prayer, study and faith sharing. In keeping with the Liturgical Calendar, Lectionary based study guides are used.

Christian Initiation (RCIA)

Christian Initiation prepares candidates for union with the Catholic Church by full initiation ( Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist ). Preparation takes the form of an ongoing study of the Gospel message as expressed in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. 
(The RCIA Process)

The Christian Initiation team is comprised of the director and sponsors who are spiritual companions to the candidates.  The team participates in catechetical classes, seminars, and conferences. One of the leaders usually serve on the Archdiocesan Christian Initiation Committee.

Since each candidate has unique needs with regard to time, the inquiry and catechetical periods may vary in duration for each person. The process may last from six to eighteen months. The period of a year is usually the norm. Inquiry sessions are available at a convenient time. Catechetical sessions for candidates and their sponsors are held on Tuesday evenings at the church.

People wishing to participate in the Christian Initiation ministry for adults or children as candidates or sponsors should contact the director for more information. 

Pre-Cana

The Pre-Cana Ministry at St. Luke is designed to satisfy the Archdiocesan requirement for pre-marital instruction for couples desirous of being married in the Catholic Church.  Couples may attend one of three programs available. The Archdiocese of New Orleans sponsors two of the programs: "Engaged Encounter' (set up much like a Marriage Encounter week-end), and a "Day for the Engaged" (a group session led by a panel of experts in various fields). A third program is provided by St. Luke and is called "Evenings for the Engaged."

In this parish program a couple planning to be married meets in the home of a sponsor couple. The program emphasizes the importance of good communication in marriage. Each weekly session lasts about an hour and extends over a six week period. The couple discusses such topics as communications, expectations, sexuality, God and Sacrament of marriage .

This is not a "how to" course, but rather an opportunity for the sponsor couple to share their living of the Sacraments of Marriage with a couple getting ready to embark on the same journey.  Couples who would like to share the story of their good marriages with other couples preparing for marriage, please phone the Pre-Cana leaders identified at the beginning of this booklet. Materials, outlines and training are provided. A desire to share your faith and marriage experience is all that is required. The rewards are great.

Religious Education: Pre-K through 6th & 7th through 12th

About 800 students are currently enrolled in our religious education program from grades pre-kindergarten through 11th. The program strives to proclaim Christ's message, build community, develop good prayer and worship habits, and to motivate children to serve others.

St. Luke sponsors the continuing education and accreditation of its volunteer catechists and honors them at as annual Teachers Appreciation Dinner.   Religious Education Ministry also provides Retreats, Sacrament Preparation classes and Children's Masses.

A Religious Education Board was formed in July 1996. Its ten members represent a cross-section of our parish family, including teachers and parents. They meet regularly on a monthly basis. A mission statement is available upon request.

Re-Membering

Re-Membering is a ministry which re-acquaints those who have been inactive or separated from their Catholic faith with the beliefs and practices of the Church. The program consists of "updating", which provides an opportunity to discuss one's faith, past church experiences and practices of today's' Catholic Church and "catechises", which instructs in areas which are uniquely Catholic. Special emphasis is given to the Sacraments, Church Doctrine and the Bible.

If you or someone you know has been away from the Church and is interested in returning to the Sacraments or if you are simply interested in updating your faith knowledge please call the ministry leader. 

The Parish Library

We think one of St. Luke’s best kept secrets is the wonderful library of books available to parish members. Volunteers, Jackie Rabalais and Suzie Rieman, have spent many hours helping to list and categorize the 700-plus books that have been donated over the life of the parish. As you would expect, most are of a religious nature. These books are available for "check out" by parish members and are located in the church office.Unlike the books in the chapel, the library books may be taken home and read or studied at leisure.

Our long-range goal is to have a really up-to-date Resource Center for the parish that will include not just books, but videos and tapes. Our heartfelt thanks to Jackie and Suzie for all their hard work and devotion to this tremendous project.