Our Patron

St. John Berchmans

New Mosaic near the entrance of the Multi Room
dedicated Nov 26, 2008
Feast of St John Berchmans

Because of the closure of a church in another state, their collection of mosaics, including some lesser know saints, like our patron, St. John Berchmans, needed to find a new home. A letter was written to all the churches in USA with St. John Berchmans as a patron, with a photo of the mosaic accompanying it, offering the mosaic to the first pastor who agreed to purchase it and take care of shipping and handling. Fr. Peter was the first to respond. The four foot by three foot mosaic weighs approximately 250 pounds and is real art, more contemporary, student-friendly, Catholic, and permanent. The image of our patron depicts St. John wearing the cassock this patron saint of altar servers would wear as a Jesuit scholastic, while attentively listening and writing in his notebook.

As a young student always eager to learn, John was naturally endowed with a bright intellect and a retentive memory, devoting much time to study. What further distinguished him from his companions was his piety and faith. John performed ordinary actions with extraordinary perfection, purity, obedience and admirable charity.

Our students will see this image of the patron saint of their school and our parish. He is the patron saint of altar servers and an ideal patron for our students who are eager to learn and deepen their faith. St. John Berchmans (1599 - 1621).

Fourteen years after he was canonized a saint, the Jesuit community in Shreveport established, in 1902, our parish and a high school (now Loyola College Prep) and had the church consecrated in memory of their newly canonized saint, St. John Berchmans.

Litany to St. John Berchmans

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BELGIUM, 1965, the 100th anniversary of Berchmans' beatification

Litany to St. John Berchmans

Our Pastor, Fr. Peter B. Mangum,
standing in front of
the tomb of St John Berchmans
in Sant' Ignatio Church in Rome.
He is holding two relics of our patron,
which he brought back to Shreveport!

Fr. Peter standing in the room of St John Berchmans, in Rome.

St John Berchmans carrying a man
stricken by the plague in Rome, 1621.

Litany to Saint John Berchmans

Feast Day: November 26th. Patron of altar boys and youth

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

Response: pray for us.

Holy Mary,
St. John Berchmans, whom the Lord preserved from evil,
St. John Berchmans, who did all things well,
St. John Berchmans, faithful in little things,
St. John Berchmans, devoted server at Holy Mass,
St. John Berchmans, obedient to your parents,
St. John Berchmans, submissive to your teachers,
St. John Berchmans, model for your companions,
St. John Berchmans, who from the earliest childhood chose the Blessed Virgin as guardian of your chastity,
St. John Berchmans, who so tenderly called Mary your Mother,
St. John Berchmans, zealous promoter of devotion to Mary,
St. John Berchmans, mirror of the religious life,
St. John Berchmans, lover of the Blessed Sacrament,
St. John Berchmans, lover of the missions,
St. John Berchmans, lover of mortification,
St. John Berchmans, faithful to your holy Rule,
St. John Berchmans, faithful imitator of St. Aloysius,
St. John Berchmans, ornament of the Society of Jesus,
St. John Berchmans, model of students,
St. John Berchmans, patron of youth,

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

V. Pray for us, Saint John Berchmans,
R. That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray

Grant, we beseech You, O Lord God, that we Your servants may follow, in Your service, the example of innocence and fidelity by which the angelic St. John Berchmans consecrated to You the flower of his youth, through Christ Our Lord.
R. Amen.

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