I received the following e-mail letter from a visitor to our parish and decided to print it for all of you to see as my pastor's column for the week.  I appreciate so much about the parish including (and maybe firstly) the vibrant way Mass is celebrated and the hospitality that is offered to fellow parishioners and visitors alike.  Here it is:

Father Elser, I just wanted to say thank you for providing me with such a wonderful church to offer Mass for me when I visited our cabin near the Village.  I came in this past weekend for vacation and was very pleased to see there was a Catholic Church so close by.  I was also very happy to see so many parishioners attend Mass on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. The church itself is very beautiful and welcoming to all.  As not all churches offer Confession on Sunday, I was very relieved to be able to receive the sacrament before Mass.  The visiting priest was very enjoyable with his homily, too. Overall I felt that I got exactly what I needed while in town.  Sometimes Catholic churches outside of south Louisiana are somewhat watered down and more Protestant than Catholic.  Thank you again for giving me a home away from home when I am there in your area.