Fr. Robert T. Cooper


A Priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans



statements from
fr. cooper



4.1.23



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

A Statement from
Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper
to the Parishioners of Divine Mercy Parish







A Time of Farewells, Transition, and New Beginnings



Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

On Saturday, March 25, 2023, His Excellency, The Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond, Archbishop of New Orleans, announced my appointment to become the next Pastor of Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Mandeville, Louisiana. This means that effective July 1, 2023, the ways of the Lord will take me to the Northshore, to a parish in the heart of the pretty pines of Mandeville. Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church was founded on June 18, 1988, by Archbishop Philip M. Hannan. The parish has been served for the past nine years by The Most Reverend John-Nhan Tran who was recently appointed by His Holiness, Pope Francis, as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

While this announcement calls forth a variety of emotions, as it means I must leave all of you, the good people of Divine Mercy Parish, I do want to thank Archbishop Aymond for his paternal solidarity and for his confidence in me by requesting that I accept my third pastorate. It is humbling to be given this new responsibility by the Shepherd of our local Church, and I thank our Archbishop for the great example of pastoral solicitude, paternal care, and personal witness that he has given to both the priests and the people of God in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

As I have often commented, my four years of service as the Pastor of Divine Mercy Parish, even though they have been relatively brief, have been years of immense grace for me. I have encountered in this remarkable parish family an extraordinary depth of Catholic faith, strongly connected to sacred Tradition, and lived practically in the homes of the faithful. With our focus on Jesus Christ, we have been able to cooperate with His grace to build up the Church in significant ways. So much has happened and so many memories will continue to live on in my heart! Jesus has been with us in His Word, Sacrament, and in our parish family. In union with Our Lord, we have shared joys and sorrows, challenges, and difficulties (including the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of Hurricane Ida) with mutual love and confidence. With open minds and hearts, we have accepted and responded to our Lord’s loving call to reconciliation and holiness. The message of Fatima is clear: “prayer, penance, and conversion.” This will lead us to repair the brokenness in our own lives and bind up the wounds of the world. The words of Jesus to His disciples resound this day in my heart: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete” (John 15:11).

I express my particular gratitude to those who have worked most closely with me in the pastoral care and the administrative responsibilities entrusted to me as your Pastor. The parish’s parochial vicars, deacons, and pastoral staff, who are my closest coworkers in the vineyard, welcomed me warmly from the day I arrived and have always responded with loyalty and generosity. The members of the clergy, staff, and key volunteers have embraced me with familial love, mobilized with unwavering trust and commitment in all my pastoral projects and provisions, and most importantly, have loved me into the priesthood—and for that, I am truly thankful to God. Collaborating with these men and women has been nothing but a pure gift from a loving and merciful God who surrounds us with the people we need to complete the mission He has given us. Although much of their work remains in the background, they have helped me to be in fellowship and solidarity with you, as much as possible, and to carry out, as best as possible, the great diversity of my duties and responsibilities.

I also extend my gratitude to all of the faithful who serve the mission of Christ and His Church in the various ministries of Divine Mercy Parish, especially those who make great sacrifices in the work of Catholic education at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School and in the administration of the spiritual and temporal affairs of the parish. Your humility and love for the Church does not allow me to name each of you one by one, but I hope that all of you know how thankful I am for the gift you have made of yourselves. Moreover, I trust that each of you, especially my closest collaborators in the vineyard of the Lord, will receive back a hundredfold in God's blessings. My heart is full of gratitude to God for letting me be His coworker in His wonderful field of Divine Mercy Parish, especially in the care of souls and in the promotion of several grace-filled projects and initiatives.

How can I adequately say goodbye? Probably the best way is simply to express concisely what I have been trying to do over the past four years—to be completely empty of self (to avoid the temptation to see myself, instead of Christ, as the protagonist in the works of pastoral charity), so that Christ Jesus—and He alone—can shine through me towards you. And please know that you, for your part, have been a “transparent window” of Christ for me. I have strived to proclaim the Good News of the victory of Love over hatred, the victory of Grace over sin, and the victory of Life over death. I have often invited each of you to cultivate a faith illuminated by the Word of God, which calls us continuously to conversion. I have also been reminded of the grace of the Eucharist, which nourishes the Christian commitment to the most deprived and the hope of our blessed immortality. Of all the Beatitudes, my favorite has always been, “Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). I have tried my whole life to be a person that is consistent and pure, without agenda, honest and charitable. The intention of my ministerial approach was simply to help each of you see that I, too, am struggling to cooperate with the gift and call of God—to let go of pride and fear, to accept the ways God keeps me humble and often uses me when I do not understand or even agree. The challenge of the Christian life seems to be learning to be “self-reflective” without becoming “self-absorbed.” May God grant us the grace to continue in this effort!

At this point in time, the Lord is calling me to exercise a new ministerial assignment. Today, I entrust myself to your prayerful support and spiritual solidarity that I may fulfill generously and well my new pastoral responsibilities. God will always provide, even despite our own limitations and inadequacies. For this reason, I am confident that the hand of Divine Providence is directing my course so that I may always be a humble instrument in service to the Lord. I place my whole heart, together with the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, into the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the glorious pierced Heart of Jesus, I am confident that I will find the zeal and wisdom that I will need to carry out the new responsibilities to be confided into my hands. Confident that the bond of friendship formed between us will continue to unite us in the love of the Church, I commend myself to your prayers that you would obtain for me the gift of spiritual discernment and the wisdom necessary to accomplish my new ministerial responsibilities in a manner that will be selfless, prudent, effective, and charitable.

As we undertake these final months together, I thought it might be appropriate to reflect with you on what it means to share in the ministerial priesthood of Jesus. The priest, united to Christ, lays down his life out of love for the Lord and others. The priest seeks and finds the presence of Christ in every person, in every situation, in every circumstance—no exception. The priesthood is not a “job” or “career.” The priesthood is a total surrender of oneself out of love. The priest is aware that he is a priest not because of his great abilities or personal merit, but because he has been called by God for a unique role in the Church. God does not choose the ready He makes ready the chosen. “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to bear fruit that will remain” (John 15:16). The priest goes to wherever he is sent to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ because wherever there are ears to listen, there the Gospel must be preached. The priest surrenders his whole being to those he serves, not as a master, but as a friend. The priest is an instrument of unity, aiding those wishing to grow closer to Christ. The priest’s task is not to get in the way between Jesus and the faithful, but to be a guide. The priest is indispensable when it comes to celebrating the Sacraments, but a specific priest is never indispensable. The Priesthood of Jesus Christ has existed before any priest alive today, and it will continue to exist after every priest alive today has gone home to the Lord. I pray that, in my time with you, I have followed the example of St. John the Baptist and simply pointed the way to Christ for you, so that you can experience the power of His love and mercy, that you can make Him the center of your life, and that you can know the joy that He longs to give you. If by the grace of God, I have been able to do this, then I can know that, whatever the future may bring, I have faithfully responded to His call.

My words seem tremendously poor and inadequate. It is only a frail attempt to give expression to the sentiments of a heart filled with gratitude and love. I look forward to the opportunity to thank each of you more properly than I can at this moment for your collaboration, prayers, friendship, and support. I am grateful for all of you—for all that you have done for me, all that you have meant to me, and all that I know you will continue to be for me. In the end, I can only ask your forgiveness for my failures as your spiritual father, and from the depths of my heart, thank all of you who have loved me and supported me in my priestly ministry. I am a sinner, redeemed but still on the way to salvation. This is why I have often asked you to pray for my continued conversion, and I ask you to do so again as I prepare to move on to the next stage of my ministry. Conscious that the bonds of love formed by the Spirit will never die and will always keep us united, I promise you, dear friends, to carry your intentions daily to the altar of the Lord. Even though I am deeply saddened in leaving each of you and this wonderful family of faith that forms Divine Mercy Parish, I go to my new assignment with joy, trusting in God's providence in all things. I ask for your prayers, that I may fulfill generously and well my new pastoral duties.

Over the past sixteen years of priesthood, I have cultivated a deeper appreciation for St. Paul, and part of that is because, just as he tried to preach the Gospel to the gentiles, I have tried in a shamefully poorer way to do that here at Divine Mercy Parish. Since he is the Saint that I am still striving to be, my only affinities with him are in his love of the Master, and his love for his people. That love was evident at Miletus when he said farewell to the elders he had summoned from Ephesus as he was embarking for Jerusalem. “And when he had spoke thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they all wept and embraced Paul and kissed him, sorrowing most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they brought him to the ship” (Acts 20:36-38). I am only going to Mandeville and not to Jerusalem however, I do kneel like St. Paul as I prepare to leave, with happy tears of thanks for having been among you.

May God the Father, in His infinite mercy and love, make the fruit of my time as your Pastor to be the faithful union of our hearts with His heart, the Sacred Heart of His incarnate Son, so that we may always find our joy and peace in serving Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. In this time of farewells, transition, and new beginnings let us hold each other in prayer. To God alone be the glory, to God alone be the honor, to God alone be the power, forever and ever…Amen!


12.31.22



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper





A Message on the Death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI





Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:


I join the Church in mourning the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The death of any Pope is a time of sadness for the Church Universal. The death of our Holy Father, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, is surely a time of intense grief for our local Church. Yet it is also a time of hopeful expectation as we place our trust in the Lord who promises the Kingdom of God and the Resurrection of the body for those who have followed him in this life. The faithful witness of his life and ministry, his theological and spiritual writings, and his almost hidden and prayerful example in recent years have provided the Church with a rich legacy. As such, the death of Pope Benedict XVI invites us to enter a time of remembrance and prayer. We pray for the repose of his soul and for the forgiveness of his sins so that he might see God face to face in the beatific vision of Heaven.


Soon after the death of Pope Saint John Paul II, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected the 264th successor of Saint Peter on April 18, 2005 and chose the name Benedict XVI. His papacy testifies to both a scholarly churchman, having extensively studied theology and philosophy, and pastoral sensitivity. When elected pope at age 78, he didn't anticipate traveling the globe given his age, but he quickly understood that the best way to reach the people of God was to go to them. During his pontificate, Benedict visited 24 countries on six continents. On February 28, 2013, Pope Benedict announced his resignation, becoming the first pope in almost 600 years to resign from the papacy. On that day he explained that, due to his advanced age, he no longer had the strength to properly exercise the Petrine ministry.


Pope Benedict’s experience as a priest and an "expert" at the Second Vatican Council was immensely valuable and fundamental to his life. The rapid succession of his numerous, detailed publications has also continued as the years have passed, serving as a reference point for Catholics and especially for those involved in advanced theological studies. His role as President of the Commission for Drafting the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the six years of intense work (1986-92) behind its preparation are one of his many outstanding achievements.


The President of the Italian bishops’ conference, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, stated “We assure remembrance in prayer in our churches, in the knowledge, as he himself had reminded us, that ‘no matter how hard the trials, difficult the problems, heavy the suffering, we will never fall out of the hands of God, those hands that created us, sustain us and accompany us on the journey of existence, because they are guided by an infinite and faithful love.’”


I request that all parishioners of Divine Mercy Parish pray for the repose of the soul of Pope Benedict.



7.4.22



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper





A Message on the Mass Shooting at the July Fourth Parade in the Chicago Suburb of Highland Park





Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:


I offer my prayers on behalf of the parishioners of Divine Mercy Parish to the families and friends of those killed and the victims who were critically wounded at the mass shooting at the July Fourth parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park this morning. The gunman apparently opened fire on parade-goers from a rooftop using a rifle that was recovered at the scene. News reports from mid-afternoon Monday state that 6 people are dead and over two-dozen individuals suffered gunshot wounds and other serious injuries. I express my gratitude to law enforcement and other emergency personnel who were first on the scene of this heinous crime, and whose actions undoubtedly saved additional lives. I offer prayers that the individual responsible for this carnage may be captured, justice served, and wholeness prevail.


This senseless violence, against innocent parade-goers celebrating our nation’s Independence Day, again horrifies our consciences, as there seems to be no end to the bloodshed overwhelming us. Something remains fundamentally evil in our society when locations where people congregate to engage in festivities and the everyday activities of life can, without warning, become scenes of violence and contempt for human life. The plague of senseless violence remains unchecked and spreads across our country.


Things must change! Hearts must change! As a people of faith, we continue to pray for all the victims, and for healing in the many communities stricken by mass shootings and senseless violence. But action is also needed to end these abhorrent acts. I call on the Lord of Life to help us restore and rebuild respect for life in our nation, to end this unspeakable carnage which keeps repeating itself in a heartbreaking manner, and to bring our country back to Jesus – one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.



6.24.22



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper





Overturning Roe v. Wade





Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:


On this the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the United States Supreme Court finally issued its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization today, upholding Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, overturning Roe v. Wade on a 6-3 vote, and delivering the pro-life cause its most transformative victory since Roe unleashed nationwide abortion-on-demand in 1973. Justice Samuel Alito delivered the opinion of the Court, which was joined by Chief Justice John Robert and Associate Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barret. The ruling declares Roe “egregiously wrong from the start.”


“Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences,” Alito wrote. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”


For us who are pro-life, the overturning of Roe v. Wade is an answer to prayer, the correction of a Supreme Court decision 49 years ago that failed to protect the most basic human right, the right to life. In 1973, the U.S. bishops called the Roe v. Wade decision “erroneous, unjust, and immoral.” It was a tragic and sweeping decision which denied the child in the womb the right to life and led to the deaths of millions of unborn children in our nation. The Roe v. Wade decision has also led to the further erosion of the value of human life, even the allowance for partial-birth abortion, near infanticide, as well as a diminishment of respect for the lives of other vulnerable people, including the disabled and the terminally ill, as seen in euthanasia and assisted suicide.


While we weep for the 63 million precious lives that were lost the past 49 years, we rejoice alongside every witness in heaven over the victory that transpired today for the unborn. We also give thanks to the Lord that our nation’s justices were able to stand strong despite tremendous pressure and threats of personal peril as they overturned the evil that was Roe v. Wade. Though there is still more work ahead to continue the fight, we pause to recognize the magnitude of this decision — and give all glory to God for this victory.


Though we celebrate the reversal of Roe v. Wade, such a reversal will not end abortion in our nation — it pushes the battle back to the states. Permissive abortion laws will continue or increase in many states. We will need to continue to advocate for legislation to protect the unborn and to help their mothers. And we will need to continue to work for the evangelization of our culture since in many ways since Roe v. Wade, what St. John Paul II called “a culture of death” has grown and spread. We evangelize by proclaiming, living, and serving the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of life, the Gospel of love and mercy. We serve the good of society when we teach and educate and form consciences about the dignity of every human person, at every moment and in every condition. We serve the Gospel of life when, motivated by love, we care for the poor, the marginalized, migrants and refugees, the elderly, the suffering, and all who need assistance. We must continue to stand ready to assist and accompany any woman or couple facing unexpected or difficult pregnancies.


I hope and pray that the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade will mark a new beginning in our nation. In the short term, it will undoubtedly elicit angry protests. I pray that, in the long term, it will help to awaken the conscience of our nation to the sacredness of all human life. May the Lord strengthen us in our commitment to the Gospel of life! May He bless our nation with a new culture of love and solidarity, a culture that respects the dignity of every human person from the moment of conception until natural death!



5.24.22



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper





On the Elementary School Massacre in Uvalde, Texas





Dear Parishioners and Friends of Divine Mercy Parish:


Our country has suffered another horrific school shooting that has claimed the lives of many innocent children and two adults who fell victim to a young gunman’s rage. Once again, our nation is heartbroken, this time over an incident of senseless violence at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. We are overwhelmed with sadness over this devastating tragedy and its resulting loss of innocent life. We grieve with those who lost children and loved ones, and we ask God for healing for those who were injured. As people of faith, we condemn the evil of violence and pray for the gift of peace.


Words of outrage are not enough to express our condemnation of this evil done to little children who simply went to school this morning. Expressions of sorrow scarcely touch the depth of families’ grief tonight. There is nothing we can say today to comfort the parents, siblings, and grandparents whose lives were left in ruins by this senseless violence.


However, because I believe in Jesus, I am convinced that sin and death are defeated and darkness will never prevail over the light of the resurrection. Because I believe in eternal life, I trust that the senseless murder of these innocent children is not the final thing to be said about them. If the Gospel is true, then it is true in all times and in all places, including in Uvalde. If God is with us, then He is with us even in those times and places where it seems that death and darkness have prevailed.


Jesus loves the little children. He tells the disciples to move aside and make room for them, and He takes the children in His arms and blesses them. In your prayers, make room for the children of Uvalde—all of them, and of all ages—and pray for all victims of violence that the Peace of Christ will be known and welcomed.


I ask the parishioners and friends of Divine Mercy Parish and all people of goodwill to join together with me in prayer for the victims of this shooting and their families, for all the public safety responders, and for the southwest Texas communities stunned by this unthinkable incident. May our witness of prayer and solidarity help move people to action leading to meaningful changes that promote school safety and the safety of all people from the scourge of violence and encourage the building up of a culture of life. And may the God of all love and compassion bring consolation and healing to those whose lives were shattered by this horrible incident.



3.23.22



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper





Praying for Arabi





Dear Parishioners and Friends of Divine Mercy Parish:


It is heartbreaking to see the devastation and destruction brought by the tornados that tore through the Eastbank and Westbank of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area, particularly in Arabi and the surrounding communities. I pray for those who have been injured, for those who have lost their lives, and for their grieving families and communities.


May those who have been impacted by this storm find peace, comfort, and hope in our faith and in God’s endless love. I also pray for the emergency responders and those who have begun the work of providing for the needs of the impacted in these communities in the recovery efforts. I entrust all my brothers and sisters in harm’s way to our Blessed Mother, and I ask for her continued protection and for her intercession in comforting those who are suffering.


If you would like to assist with the Tornado Relief effort, please place a donation in the collection basket marked “Tornado Relief” or make an online donation to our Disaster Relief Fund. Thank you for your generosity and prayers for those affected by the storm.



3.18.22



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper





Consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary





Dear Parishioners and Friends of Divine Mercy Parish:


For nearly a month, the world has watched in horror the devastating effects of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. This unjust and unnecessary war has shocked and frightened the world, most especially the people of Ukraine. This war must cease!


For our part, we are called to support our brothers and sisters in whatever way possible and in particular by our prayers for peace. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has decided to offer Prayers of Consecration for Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25, 2022, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. As the Holy Father consecrates these nations to Mary during a penitential service in Rome, the same act of consecration will be offered at the Marian Shrine in Fatima, Portugal by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski.


I encourage all parishioners of Divine Mercy Parish to share in this consecration by offering prayers on March 25. In particular, I urge our parishioners and school children to intentionally unite in a time of prayer imploring God’s mercy through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary to bring about an end to this conflict. It would be most appropriate to pray the rosary and other Marian devotions together as an act of spiritual solidarity with those who are enduring this time of great bloodshed and suffering.


Divine Mercy Parish will offer the Prayer of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at all Masses on the weekend of March 26th and 27th. There is a great need for the gift of peace and reconciliation, and we will be commending all those who are suffering at this time to Our Lady, knowing that she will present all her suffering children to Our Lord.


May the God of Peace come to our aid. Our Lady of Kiev, pray for us!



3.6.22



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper





New Times ... Same Jesus!





Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:


I remain grateful to Archbishop Aymond for appointing me as the Pastor of Divine Mercy Parish since July 1, 2019. I am also thankful for the prayers and support that I have received from each of you as faithful parishioners of our beloved parish.


After much prayer and appropriate consultation with the Clergy, Parish Staff, and members of the Pastoral and Finance Councils, it seems pleasing to the Holy Spirit and to me to announce the following changes to our Mass and Baptismal Schedule at Divine Mercy Parish effective the weekend of

April 2nd and 3rd:


• The 7:00PM Spanish Vigil Mass on Saturdays will be abrogated. Spanish Mass will be celebrated at 12:30PM on Sundays.


• The 6:00PM Sunday evening Mass will be moved one hour earlier to 5:00PM to help facilitate other events/ministries on Sunday evenings.


• Baptisms will be celebrated on the first Sunday of the Month at 2:00PM. Private baptism will still be permitted on Saturdays and Sundays. Baptisms will not be permitted between Sunday Mass times.


• Saturday night weddings will be permitted in the Church building effective June 1, 2022.


• All other Mass times will remain unchanged.


I continue to ask for your prayers and support as we move forward as a family of faith in fulfilling the mission of God here in North Kenner. May our Eucharistic Lord remain the center of our lives as a Church and parish family!



2.24.22



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper





Pray For Ukraine





Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:


The horrific and unprovoked attack on Ukraine is an act of great evil. Placing my trust in Jesus Christ, the Author and Prince of Peace, I pray for an urgent ceasefire and a withdrawal of Russian forces. The "senseless slaughter" of war ("a risk from which there is no turning back" that destroys the present and threatens the future of people) is in the words of Pope St Paul VI: “a crime against God and against humanity itself.” With peace nothing is lost, with war everything can be lost. “War is always a defeat for humanity. It is an expression of barbarism and a rather ineffective tool for resolving misunderstandings.”


In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Let us embrace the fact that this world and the troubles we face in it have been overcome, and rest in the knowledge that our Lord has the power to move in any and every situation. As we watch war unfold in Ukraine, let us ask for God’s grace and peace to rule in the hearts and minds of all involved.


May all people of goodwill call for a united determination to choose the way of peace and an international resolve among all nations to secure long term agreements for stability and lasting unity. Let us join the call from our Holy Father, Pope Francis, for an International Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace on Ash Wednesday, March 2, 2022.


May the everlasting arms of the Lord hold the people of Ukraine in this time of great fear and may leaders of the world be inspired by the wisdom and courage of Christ.



2.27.22



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper





Violence In Our Midst





Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:


Like many of you, I have been watching in shock, disbelief, heartbreak, disappointment, and, yes, anger, at the numerous news reports of extreme violence (armed carjackings, attempted kidnappings, I-10 shootings) that plagues our beloved city. Never in my most disturbing nightmares would I have imagined individuals being carjacked, accosted, and critically injured while pumping gasoline at Costco. Never would I have ever imagined men, women, and children being shot weekly on the interstate system. Never would I have imagined a mom being shot bringing her children to soccer practice. The recent surge in violence is heart wrenching!


Our families are torn by violence. Our city and neighborhoods are destroyed by violence. Our faith is tested by violence. Violence – in our homes, our schools and streets, our nation and world – is destroying the lives, dignity, and hopes of millions of our sisters and brothers. Fear of violence is paralyzing and polarizing our city. The celebration of violence in much of our media, music, and even video games is poisoning our children. Beyond the violence in our streets is the violence in our hearts. Hostility, hatred, despair, and indifference are at the heart of a growing culture of violence. Verbal violence in our families, communications, and talk shows contribute to this culture of violence. Pornography assaults the dignity of women and contributes to violence against them. Our social fabric is being torn apart by a culture of violence that leaves children dead on our streets and families afraid in our homes. Our society seems to be growing numb to human loss and suffering. A nation born in a commitment to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is haunted by death, imprisoned by fear, and caught up in the elusive pursuit of protection rather than happiness.


It doesn't have to be this way. It wasn't always this way. We can turn away from violence we can build communities of greater peace. It begins with a clear conviction: respect for life. Respect for life is not just a slogan or a program it is a fundamental moral principle flowing from our teaching on the dignity of the human person. It is an approach to life that values people over things. Respect for life must guide the choices we make as individuals and as a society: what we do and won't do, what we value and consume, whom we admire and whose example we follow, what we support and what we oppose. Respect for human life is the starting point for confronting a culture of violence. Person by person, family by family, neighborhood by neighborhood, we must take our city back from the evil and fear that come with so much violence. We believe our faith in Jesus Christ gives us the values, vision, and hope that can bring an important measure of peace to our hearts, our homes, and our streets.


We cannot ignore the underlying cultural values that help to create the environment where violence grows: a denial of right and wrong, education that ignores fundamental values, an abandonment of personal responsibility, an excessive and selfish focus on our individual desires, a diminishing sense of obligation to our children and neighbors, a misplaced priority on acquisitions, and media glorification of violence and sexual irresponsibility. In short, we often fail to value life and cherish human beings above possessions, power, and pleasure. Fundamentally, our society needs a moral revolution to replace a culture of violence with a renewed ethic of justice, responsibility, and community. New policies and programs, while necessary, cannot substitute for a recovery of the old values of right and wrong, respect and responsibility, love, and justice. God's wisdom, love, and commandments can show us the way to live, heal, and reconcile. "Thou shalt not kill … Thou shalt not steal" are more than words to be recited they are imperatives for the common good. Our faith challenges each of us to examine how we can contribute to an ethic which cherishes life, puts people before things, and values kindness and compassion over anger and vengeance. A growing sense of fear and failure must be replaced by a new commitment to solidarity and the common good.


Our criminal justice system is failing. Too often, it does not offer security to society, just penalties and rehabilitation to offenders, or respect and restitution to victims. Clearly, those who commit crimes must be swiftly apprehended, justly tried, appropriately punished, and held to proper restitution. However, correctional facilities must do more than confine criminals they must rehabilitate persons and help rebuild lives. The vast majority of those in prison return to society. We must ensure that incarceration does not simply warehouse those who commit crimes, but helps them overcome the behaviors, attitudes, and actions which led to criminal activity. The answer is not simply constructing more and more prisons, but also constructing a society where every person has the opportunity to participate in economic and social life with dignity and responsibility. People must answer for their actions. Those who harm others must pay the price, but all our institutions must also be held accountable for how they promote or undermine greater responsibility and justice.


I close this reflection with a word of support and appreciation for those on the front lines in the war against violence. At a time when heroes seem scarce, these people are real heroes and heroines, committing their lives to the service of others, standing against a tide of violence with values of peace and a commitment to justice. I commend police officers who daily confront violence with fairness and courage, and I support those who minister to them and their families. I also offer a word of encouragement to parents who daily confront the cultural messages that influence their children in a way that is so contradictory to basic values of decency, honesty, respect for life, and justice.


Let us embrace the challenge of Pope St. John Paul II in his message to young people, when he calls them and all of us, to be "communicators of hope and peace." Let us hear and act with new urgency on the words of Jesus: "Blessed are the peacemakers they shall be called children of God."



2.11.22



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper





Livestream Masses Ending





Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:

In March of 2020, we entered into a new world of livestreaming Masses at Divine Mercy Parish due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After much prayer and appropriate consultation, I have decided to discontinue this effort on March 1, 2022, based on two factors.

First, more parishioners are returning to Church to attend Mass in-person so our online viewership is very minimal, even in the current COVID-19 climate. Secondly and more urgently, we need to return to communal worship and the reception of the sacraments. The components of the Mass are communal and personal. They are rooted in Jewish worship. The Liturgy of the Word fulfills and replaces worship in the synagogues, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist fulfills and replaces the Temple sacrifices with the One Sacrifice of Jesus. The reception of Jesus during Communion—His body, blood, soul, and divinity—prepares us to return to the world and to love others as Jesus loves us and this cannot be replaced by viewing the Liturgy virtually.

Let’s examine this for a moment in the context of St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.

“Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6–11)

Biblical commentators believe this is one of the earliest New Testament texts concerning the divinity of Jesus Christ. It is often called a Christological hymn, and it is believed that the early Christians would chant these words in the liturgy as a type of Creed. The part that grabs my attention these days is about “every knee bending and confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord.” I envision a great choir kneeling, proclaiming, and confessing the Lordship of Jesus.

There really is something powerful about worshiping our Lord on bended knee. Fr. George Rutler recently wrote about a Desert Father around 300 A.D., Abba Apollo, who had a vision of Satan: “The devil has no knees. He cannot kneel he cannot adore he can only look down his nose in contempt. Being unwilling to bend the knee at the name of Jesus is the essence of evil.” (cf. Is. 45:23, Rm. 14:11). As creatures, we are made to adore the Lord. As creatures of body and soul, we are made to adore with bended knee. As social creatures, we are made to do this together, communally.

Just as we need to adore, and we need to adore with bended knee, so we also need to be together. And, at some point, that means coming back to in-person Masses. Chesterton said this: “A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.” As I think about that, and our current circumstances, I am tempted to paraphrase it this way: “A dead thing can go with the livestream, but only a living thing can go against it.” Swimming upstream takes effort. Calling people back to Mass will take an effort on the part of the entire Christian community.

As pastor, I am grateful to Deacon Larry, Austin, and our friends at Hope and Purpose Ministries for helping us over the past two years to video, edit, and livestream the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass during unpredicted times. We will continue to use our upgraded technology in the Church building to make Sunday homilies and other events available either through recordings or livestreaming as a tool for evangelization and catechesis. Sunday homilies are currently posted to the parish website (www.divinemercyparish.org/ipadre-audio-homilies) so that the mysteries of the faith and the guiding principles of the Christian life expounded from Sacred Scripture may be made available to a wider audience. While this catechetical tool can never be a substitute for attending Mass, it is fruitful insofar as it advances the spiritual journey of the faithful towards the beatific vision.

Let us hear the words of Pope Francis: “This is the Church in a difficult situation that the Lord is allowing, but the ideal of the Church is always with the people and with the sacraments — always … The Church, the sacraments and the people of God are concrete.” The faithful’s relationship with God must also stay concrete, as the apostles lived it, as a community and with the people of God, not lived in a selfish way as individuals or lived in a “viral” way that is spread only online. “May the Lord teach us this intimacy with Him, this familiarity with Him, but in the Church, with the sacraments, with the holy faithful people of God.”


2.8.22



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper





The Appointment of the Most Reverend Shelton J. Fabre as the Archbishop-designate of the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky





Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:


The appointment of His Excellency, The Most Reverend Shelton J. Fabre, as the 15th Bishop of the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky is a singular blessing for the people of God of that splendid community of faith. It is also a great loss for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, which Bishop Fabre has served with extraordinary distinction for the past nine years.


Archbishop Fabre is highly admired by the clergy, religious, and lay faithful who know him for all of his dedicated leadership in parishes, for his teaching responsibilities as a bishop, and for a wide variety of administrative services that he has governed in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. He approaches every situation with the heart and mind of a pastor, always asking how we can do more for the people of God.


With a promise of my personal and sincere support, with my admiration and affection, I truly thank the Lord for the life and ministry of Archbishop-designate Fabre in advancing the message and the mission of Jesus throughout his episcopal ministry. I express my heartfelt congratulations as he accepts a new responsibility of service from our beloved Holy Father, Pope Francis.


~ The 8th day of February in the Year of our Lord 2022 the Memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita.



10.12.20



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper





Uniting to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Reparation for Sins





To the Parishioners and Friends of Divine Mercy Parish:


Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,


The Church in the Archdiocese of New Orleans suffers from the wounds of many scandals in recent weeks. The continuous wave of revelations has been sickening and disheartening for so many as we confront the suffering of victims, the wickedness of predators, the lack of zealous determination to root out evil in our lives, and the corruption and lukewarmness that not only tolerate such filth and infidelity but sometimes augment it. The Body of Christ continues to experience the weight of these scandals and is in need of Divine Mercy in order to be healed and renewed. In these dark days in which our hearts are broken, bruised, and beaten, we must unite our hearts with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.


Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus arose from the apparitions of Jesus in 17th Century France to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. Jesus asked that the faithful receive Him in the Eucharist frequently, especially on the First Friday of the month, and observe a Holy Hour, in reparation for human ingratitude and indifference in the face of all that He endured in His Passion for our salvation. Significantly, especially in light of the scandalous wounds to the priesthood, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is also designated as a special means for the sanctification of priests.


Devotional life does not replace what the Catechism of the Catholic Church presents as the four “pillars” of our faith, that is: the creed, the sacraments, a moral life “in Christ” and prayer. However, just as God has a human “heart for us” in the person of Jesus, we have to have “a heart for God” to respond to His divine love and the sacrifice of His Sacred Heart for us on the Cross.


This is connected with the concept of “reparation,” which can be defined as “making amends for a wrong done or for an offense, especially for sin, which is an offense against God.” Just as the sinless Jesus made reparation for our sins on the cross, we, too, in union with Him, can make reparation for all the sin that is in the world.


The enormity of reparation for the recent scandals in our Archdiocese owed to the heart of Christ, and the healing of victims/survivors, can only be fulfilled by what He Himself makes possible by His sacrificial death and pierced side on the Cross, as we pray, “Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us, and help our priests to be truly holy and upright in all they do.”


In the 1928 encyclical “Miserentissimus Redemptor” (“On Reparation to the Sacred Heart”), Pope Pius XI explained why Catholics should offer reparations to Christ’s Sacred Heart:


"The creature’s love should be given in return for the love of the Creator, another thing follows from this at once, namely that to the same uncreated Love, if so be it has been neglected by forgetfulness or violated by offense, some sort of compensation must be rendered for the injury, and this debt is commonly called by the name of reparation."


Reparation also should be understood in the context of the Church being the Mystical Body of Christ. St. Paul described that Christ took on the sins of humanity when He suffered and died upon the Cross. As the Body of Christ, when one person suffers, the entire body also suffers. That is why the Church prays collectively for the sins of all humanity. In the Confiteor at Mass, for example, we pray for each other for the forgiveness of sins that we have committed. And while we do this individually, there is a communal dimension as well.


Some may ask why Catholics should pray and fast in reparation for sins they did not commit. We must recall that Christ offered Himself even though He was innocent for our sins. It is His love and obedience to the Father that makes up for our disobedience. We can join in His sinless offering for the sins of others.


So many of us who are clergy and religious have perhaps forgotten, or else never really been formed by, personal devotions proper to our state in life that are meant to deepen our love for Christ and our intimacy with Mary and the saints, and to inspire in us a real zeal for virtue, self-sacrifice, and pastoral charity. It is imperative in the midst of today’s many challenges to faith and its practice that we rediscover and rekindle Catholic devotional life in a way that is scripturally based and theologically sound. Faith must engage the heart and the mind.


A statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will remain in the sanctuary at Divine Mercy Parish during these dark days to remind us to seek to unite our hearts as a parish family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In this time of great sorrow, let us increase our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: for the forgiveness of sins, for the purification and sanctification of the priesthood, in reparation for all the scandals and sacrileges in the Church, and for the healing of victims and all those affected by recent transgression.


Those who know Church history are aware that throughout the centuries there have been periods of infidelity and iniquity in which spiritual cancer spread throughout the members of Christ’s Mystical Body, the clergy, religious orders, the laity, even the papacy. They also know that in response to such pervasive sinfulness, God was not indifferent and inert. Where sin abounded, His grace super-abounded, witnessed above all in the saints, movements, and devotions that He Himself inspired to bring the Church to her knees in prayerful conversion.


Fidelity is the only adequate response to infidelity, and holiness to sin and corruption. Just as there should be no room in the priesthood for those who would harm the young, so there should be no room for those who are determined to live corrupt, double lives. Hope comes from the recognition that God never abandons His people but remains with us speaking to us in prayer, purifying us through penance, sanctifying us through His sacraments, and desiring to draw good even out of the evil we have committed and endured.


May God grant us the grace to always be a people of hope! “Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us, and help our priests to be truly holy and upright in all they do.”



10.9.20



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper





Responding to the Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis and the Disturbing Misconduct in the Life of the Priesthood





To the Parishioners and Friends of Divine Mercy Parish:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

Like Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, so have I wept for the Church, for the laity, and for the innocent victims who have endured so much suffering and pain. The recent reports of clergy sexual abuse coupled with the reports of disturbing sexual misconduct in the very “House of the Lord” has brought great sadness to my priestly heart. As ministers of Christ and His Church, priests promise to lead morally upright lives. Betrayal of those promises deeply wounds the Body of Christ, especially anyone who was violated and all those affected by such immoral actions. Emotions of disbelief, anger, and numbness are understandable in the face of these revelations, sentiments which I personally share with you. Such behavior on the part of the clergy is despicable, reprehensible, and absolutely unbecoming of a man of God.

I know for many people trust in the Church has been eroded because of similar historical scandals, and that trust has now been further diminished. It is unfathomable that, given all that victims have suffered and the Church has endured given all of the work that has been done and continues to be done to protect children, to demand accountability, to provide a safe environment, and to ensure the integrity of the priesthood, still evil has its way. Nevertheless, be assured that the Church cannot and will not tolerate any sexual abuse or misconduct on the part of any cleric.

This is a time for penance in reparation for sins against faith and morals it is a time of sackcloth and ashes for the horrendous sins that have been rampant in our Church for so many years it is a time where we beg for the Lord's grace, once again entrusting ourselves to His mercy, choosing Christ who is our light amidst the darkness, so that together we may move forward with truth, justice, and renewed faith as committed disciples of Jesus. Amidst the darkness of the sexual revolution and all that it has brought about, the Church must decisively return to the truth, dignity, and beauty of human sexuality.

In closing, I ask all of us to remember to pray and stay close to the heart of Jesus, to ask for the humility of Jesus and the gift of loving others as Jesus loves. We must pray for all victims of sexual abuse in our culture today, for their healing and their encounter with Jesus Christ, who can bring healing to them. We must pray for the clergy of the Church, that the Holy Spirit will stir into flame the gifts He has bestowed on them, help them to be faithful to Christ and the Gospel, and to be true servants of the faithful with the heart of Christ. We must pray for the Church, our Mother, that is holy, though having sinners in her midst, and suffers for the offenses of all her members.

In lifting up all affected by these situations, we also lift up one another in prayer, trusting in the healing and reconciliation that only the Lord can give. Be assured of my prayers for you and your families, even as I depend on your good prayers for the renewal of my own priestly life and ministry. In this time of darkness, may we put our faith, trust, and love in Jesus who is our Savior and Redeemer, the one who will free us, and may we live in His truth and light!



8.26.20



From the Office of the Pastor of
Divine Mercy Parish

Reverend Father Robert T. Cooper





On the Threat of Hurricane Laura





To the Parishioners and Friends of Divine Mercy Parish:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

Louisianians and Texans are yet again facing the impact of a powerful and catastrophic hurricane. As Hurricane Laura prepares to move with deadly force through Southwestern Louisiana and Southeastern Texas, we lift up in prayer all of those who will be impacted, asking Almighty God to guide the steady hands of first responders and to widen the hearts of all who are able to be generous to neighbors facing danger, grief, or displacement of any kind during this state of emergency.


While the fury of this Hurricane Season continues, I am reminded of the disciples’ plea to Jesus as a violent storm threatened their lives: ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ (Mk 4, 38). At a time like this, when human lives are disrupted and the mystery of suffering becomes a painful reality for so many, we implore to the one who ‘commands even the winds and the sea’ (Lk 8, 25) to give them strength and protection.


As the impact of Hurricane Laura becomes clearer, Divine Mercy Parish and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School will work closely with local dioceses, Catholic relief entities, and with other organizations to assess the needs on the ground and provide generously for our neighbors in their time of need. Please join me in prayer and fasting for all those who are in the direct path of Hurricane Laura.


Our Lady of Prompt Succor … Hasten to help them!





Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Parish
Office of the Pastor
1501 W. Causeway Approach
Mandeville, Louisiana 70471



frcooper@arch-no.org | Phone: 985-626-6977