Apparatus for effecting fluid-solids contacting wherein a bed of stationary or downward moving ferromagnetic particles are contacted within a contacting chamber with a fluid which passes through the bed in a cross-flow manner, said bed being structured or stabilized, by a magnetic field, the improvement which comprises providing louver means attached below at least one of the openings of the contacting chamber, said louver means which extend upward and outward from the openings in the direction of the incoming gaseous fluid and the balance of the louver extending outward and downward toward the incoming gaseous fluid stream. Also disclosed are processes for using the improved louvered magnetically stabilized crossflow contactor including processes for removing particulates from gaseous streams, flue gas desulfurization processes and the like.