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Blessings of local and area cemeteries, in addition to Masses scheduled in observance of All Saints and All Souls Day, have been announced by area churches.
Cemetery blessings include:
St. Joseph #1 on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 2 p.m.;
St. Joseph #2 on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 2 p.m.;
Mother of Mercy on Sunday, Nov. 6, following each Mass (5 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.) and Anticipated Mass on Nov. 5 at 5 p.m. Mass.
St. Leo on Sunday. Oct. 30, at 3 p.m.;
St. Edmund on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 1:30 p.m.;
Arceneaux Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 3 p.m.;
Assumption on Sun. Oct. 30, following 10 a.m. Mass
Leger Cemetery on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 3 p.m.
St. Theresa on Sunday, Oct. 30, following 10 a.m. Mass;
St. Benedict on Sunday, Oct. 30, following 8 a.m. Mass.
The schedule for All Saints Masses is:
St. Joseph Church - Monday, Oct. 31, Vigil Mass at 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 1, Masses at 8:15 a.m. (RCE), 12 noon, and 5:30 p.m.;
Mother of Mercy - Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 6 p.m.
St. Leo Church - Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 6 p.m.
St. Edmund - Monday, Oct. 31, at 6 p.m.
Assumption BVM - Monday, Oct. 31, at 6 p.m.
St. Theresa Church - Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 8:15 a.m.
Indian Bayou UMC - All Saints Day Service of Remembrance on Sunday. Nov. 6, at 10:45 a.m.
All Souls Masses:
St. Joseph Church - Wednesday, Nov. 2, in St. Joseph Cemetery #2 at 6:30 a.m.;
Assumption BVM - Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 8 a.m.;
St. Benedict - Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m.; Anticipated Mass on Monday, Oct. 31, at 6 p.m.

At the request of officials from Rayne Guest Home, the city council took no action Monday on a request to waive the elevation requirements for the new $8.5 million expansion project.
Monday’s special meeting had been called specifically to decide that issue after council members tabled it following a drawn-out discussion at the Oct. 10 regular meeting.
“I got a phone call at about 2:30 this afternoon asking that we leave this on the table for now,” said Mayor Charles “Chuck” Robichaux. “They said they haven’t had a chance to talk with FEMA yet.”
At issue is a city ordinance which requires all new construction in the city to be elevated to a height of at least 1 foot above the crown of the adjacent roadway — in this case, Robert Street.
The current nursing home facility is 2 inches above the crown, but was “grandfathered in” because it was already in existence when the ordinance was adopted in 1975.
Guest Home owners contend that the slope that would be required to “connect” the expansion to the “old” facility would present a problem for residents, especially those in wheelchairs or who are “mobile challenged.”
Council members fear that granting the waiver could hurt the city’s standings with the National Flood Insurance Program — resulting in higher flood insurance premiums for residents — and FEMA — resulting in a possible reduction or loss of federal funding.
“I really don’t think one variance would hurt us too much,” said Mark Daigle, Flood Plain Manager for the city, “but where do you stop after that? You’re setting that precedent.”
The issue is expected to be decided when the council meets in regular session on Nov. 14.
In the only action taken during Monday’s special session, the city joined Crowley and other municipalities located along Bayou Plaquemine Brule in requesting federal and state government assistance to secure the installation of a permanent, continuously reporting “Bayou Stage Gauging Station” on the bayou near Interstate 10 or Louisiana Highway 13 and “to provide for the development of all necessary hydrologic and hydraulic modelling required to forecast and report stages at frequent intervals on a daily basis.”
Robichaux explained that he had received a letter from Crowley Mayor Greg Jones asking for support in the project.
“As you know, most of the water that inundated Crowley — and us to some extent — was due to the Mermentau River and the bayou backing up,” Robichaux said. “This equipment would closely and accurately monitor the depth of rising water in the bayou.”
There is no cost to the city associated with the project.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Iota for David Robert Frey, 58, who died Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, at his home surrounded by his loving family.
Fr. Randall Moreau, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Mermentau, will be officiating for the services with Fr. Jude Thierry, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Iota, con-celebrating. The family is requesting visiting hours be held on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursday from 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home in Iota. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Interment will be in St. Jules Cemetery in Tee-Mamou.
David is survived by his wife, Peggy McGee Frey of Iota; one daughter, Genie Frey St. George and her husband Jeremy of Lake Charles; one son David Curtis Frey and his wife Janie of Iota; his mother, Sybil Klumpp Frey; one stepson, Michael John J. Guidry and his wife Grace of Lafayette; one grandson/son, Bryce C. Hancock; two sisters, Angie Reed and her husband Phillip of Iota and Shelley Frey of Iota; two brothers, Danny Frey and his wife Alice of Iota and Kenny Frey and his wife Richelle of Eunice; three granddaughters Isabella Ray, Sophia Guidry, Victoria Guidry; two grandsons, Tyler and Johnathon Guidry; and one godchild, Michael Reed.
He is preceded in death by his father, Robert Lee Frey; his paternal grandparents, Albert and Lena Frey; and his maternal grandparents, Cyrus and Pauline Klumpp.
Condolences may be sent to the family by www.geesey-ferguson.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home of Iota.