Catholic Connection March 2017

Connection The Catholic

Vol. 26, No. 8 March 2017

Medical Miracle Shreveport Catholic Doctor Reaches Out to Brazilian Family Seeking Help for Their Daughter

March 2017 1

Connection The Catholic

Publisher Bishop Michael G. Duca Editor Jessica Rinaudo Contributors Katie Aranda Shelly Bole Lisa Cooper Bishop Michael Duca Kim Long Lucy Medvec Kelly Phelan Powell Fr. Rothell Price

Rosalba Quiroz Jessica Rinaudo Deacon Bill Roche Katie Sciba Randy Tiller Mike Van Vranken Dr. Cheryl White John Mark Willcox

Editorial Board Kim Long Fr. Matthew Long Kelly Phelan Powell Dianne Rachal Christine Rivers Deacon Mike Whitehead John Mark Willcox Mission Statement The Catholic Connection is a monthly publication funded by your Diocesan Stewardship Appeal; mailed to every known Catholic household in the Diocese of Shreveport. Our Mission is to advance knowledge and understanding of our Catholic Faith among the faithful. We seek to foster the application of Christ’s teachings and our Church’s mission in our daily lives and to encourage our sense of Catholic identity within our family, parish, and diocesan faith community.

Subscriptions & Address Changes Contact: Jessica Rinaudo, Editor Email: jrinaudo@dioshpt.org Write: Catholic Connection 3500 Fairfield Avenue Shreveport, LA 71104 Call: 318-868-4441 Fax: 318-868-4609 Website: www.thecatholicconnection.org

The Catholic Connection is a member of the Catholic Press Association.

The Diocese of Shreveport complies with Virtus’s Protecting God’s Children program. Classes are offered every second Wednesday of the month at the Catholic Center in Shreveport. To report child sexual abuse by a cleric or church worker in the Diocese of Shreveport, call Glennda Lawson.

Hotline is 318-294-1031 and your local law enforcement agency.

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D

uring the 2017 Lenten season, parishes throughout the diocese are taking the opportunity to welcome back those who were “once Catholic” through the program “Calling Catholics Home.” If you are a Catholic who has been away from the Church for a while, this invitation is for you. Our faith community misses you and is incomplete without you. No matter how long you have been away, and for whatever reason, we invite you to consider renewing your relationship with the Catholic Church.

Please join us for informal sessions and an update of the Catholic faith. The sessions are conducted in a support-group format with speakers including local lay people, priests, deacons and Bishop Michael Duca. Everyone is welcome.

Please keep this program in mind while visiting with friends and family who might be fallen away Catholics.

This six week program will take place at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Parish Hall, located at 939 Jordan Street in Shreveport, on Tuesdays, beginning February 21, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. For more information, contact Kathy Snelling at 318-423-0112, or go to www.callingcatholicshome.com. •

bishop’s march calendar MARCH 1 Ash Wednesday Mass; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 8:15 a.m.

Ash Wednesday Mass; LSU-S, Shreveport; 11:00 a.m.

MARCH 3 Catholic Center Staff Retreat; St. Jude Parish, Benton; 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

MARCH 5 Mass; St. Joseph Parish, Shreveport; 8:00 a.m.

Mass; St. Joseph Parish, Shreveport; 9:30 a.m.

Rite of Election; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 2:30 p.m.

MARCH 6-7 Louisiana Interchurch Conference Annual Assembly; Monroe MARCH 8 7th Annual Pro-Life Banquet; Shreveport Convention Center, Shreveport; 6:00 p.m.

MARCH 9 Notre Dame Seminary & St. Joseph Seminary Board of Trustees; St. Joseph Seminary, Covington MARCH 11 Catholic Youth Day; St. Paschal Parish, West Monroe

MARCH 12 Quiz Bowl; St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Ruston MARCH 15 Jesus the Good Shepherd Youth Group; Monroe; 6:30 p.m.

MARCH 17 Stations of the Cross; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 5:30 p.m.

MARCH 19 St. Joseph Altar Mass; St. Pius X Parish, Shreveport; 11:00 a.m.

MARCH 21 Theology on Tap; Monago Fieldhouse Bar and Grill, Monroe; 6:30 p.m.

MARCH 23 Ignatius of Loyola Film; Alice Holoubek Theatre, Shreveport; 6:00 p.m.

MARCH 28 Calling Catholics Home; St. Michael the Archangel Chapel, Shreveport; 6:30 p.m.

MARCH 31 Stations of the Cross; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 5:30 p.m.

contents

march 2017

columns What Will You Do When Jesus Knocks? by Bishop Michael Duca......................... 4-5 Mike’s Meditations: An Experience with God by Mike Van Vranken.................. 6 In Review: Resisting Happiness by Matthew Kelly reviewed by Jessica Rinaudo ................................................................................... 7

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Faithful Food: The Seen and Unseen Shaping Our Lives by Kim Long................ 8 Domestic Church: Begin Praying for Your Future by Katie Sciba......................... 9 From the Pope: Hope Does Not Disappoint from VIS...........................................10 Navigating the Faith: Lenten Fasting Through the Ages

by Dr. Cheryl White ....................................................................................................11

Second Collections for March & April by Fr. Rothell Price ....................................12 Vocations View: My Blessings in the Diaconate by Deacon Bill Roche ................... 13 Vocations View: Diaconate FAQ ............................................................................... 13 Kids' Connection: Saint Brigid of Kildare .......................................................... 24

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features Medical Miracle: Shreveport Catholic Doctor Reaches Out to Brazilian Family Seeking Help for Their Daughter

by Lisa Cooper ........................................................................................................ 14-15

news Schools "Change" Lives for Catholic Charities Clients by Lucy Medvec.............16 Catholic Schools Week ..........................................................................................17 Students of the Year Named at Catholic Schools .............................................17 Irish Heritage Brought to Life with St. Brigid Feast by Kelly Phelan Powell ............18 Shreveport Mom and Daughter March for Life with Love by Katie Aranda ......19 The Harm of Pornography and Hope Beyond Addiction: Addicts

by Katie Sciba ...........................................................................................................20

18 on the cover

Connection The Catholic

Vol. 26, No. 8 March 2017

Ignatius of Loyola Movie Coming to Diocese of Shreveport by Randy Tiller .....21 7 Reasons for Laypeople to Explore the UD Catholic Formation Program in Our Diocese from the University of Dallas............................................................... 22 Hispanic News by Rosalba Quiroz ..........................................................................23 School News ...........................................................................................................25 Around the Diocese ...............................................................................................26-27 Across the Globe: Holy Father's Message for Lent from VIS .................................28 3 Minute Lenten Reflections on Diocesan App by Shelly Bole ............................29 Mark Your Calendar ...............................................................................................30 March Calendar ....................................................................................................31

Medical Miracle Shreveport Catholic Doctor Reaches Out to Brazilian Family Seeking Help for Their Daughter

March 2017 1

Melyssa Braga and her family with Dr. Ghali and Dr. Palmieri who performed Braga's surgery.

March 2017 3

la reflexión Del Obispo por Obispo Michael G. Duca

¿Qué Harás Cuando Jesús Toque a tu Puerta?

A

rrepiéntete y cree en el Evangelio” es una de las exhortaciones que se puede usar para la imposición de cenizas y que encierra hermosamente el significado del desafío espiritual en la temporada de Cuaresma. Cada año trato de renovar en mí una imagen del camino que espero tomar durante la Cuaresma. Creo que he llegado a uno que simple y claramente ilustra nuestra meta espiritual durante esta temporada.

Imaginen que durante esta temporada de Cuaresma Jesus viene a nuestra casa para visitar. Claro que la casa que visitará está en lo más profundo de nuestro ser y la pregunta es, “¿Qué tan hospitalarios seremos?

Para algunos, cuando Jesús toque a su puerta no lo escucharán. Si están en esta mentalidad Dios no entrará. Aunque si aceptamos que estamos duros como callos para las cosas espirituales, debemos preocuparnos por escuchar el toque de Jesus. Esa pequeña preocupación es Dios que llega y nos invita a buscarlo en la oración, mostrarle como abrir la puerta a Su misericordia y amor.

Algunos de nosotros escuchamos el toque y el llamado a cambiar nuestras vidas, pero en vez de responder a la puerta, apagamos la luz y cerramos las cortinas diciéndole a Jesús que no hay nadie en casa. Este es el hombre o mujer que no quiere cambiar. Le gusta su vida egoísta y pecaminosa. Todos estamos en esta posición algunas veces y si esta Cuaresma nos encontramos sin alguna práctica de Cuaresma, y viviendo como siempre, entonces nosotros somos esa persona. Pero Jesus no es cualquier visitante que se va a cansar y se va a alejar. No, Jesús va a continuar tocando, picando nuestra consciencia y, cuando vaciemos nuestra vida egoísta, sin satisfacción, nos rendiremos y entregaremos a Dios, que está siempre esperando a la puerta.

La manera que la mayoría responderemos a la puerta nos da una excelente imagen para la Cuaresma. La mayoría estaremos esperando a Jesús y tendremos la sala, y tal vez la cocina bien limpias para darle la bienvenida. Pareceremos los mejores anfitriones, pero nos sentiremos incómodos cuando veamos que Jesús que queda viendo por el pasillo a otro cuarto que tenemos con la puerta cerrada. Ese es el cuarto que no está limpio y en el que mantenemos una parte de nuestra vida separada, una parte de nuestra vida que no está todavía abierta a parecerse a Cristo. Ahí está nuestro pecado favorito o una herida profunda que da combustible a nuestra vergüenza, a nuestra rabia y a nuestra falta de perdón. Este es el cuarto de nuestro pecado de inseguridad que alienta nuestra vanidad, el cuarto de nuestros placeres egoístas, de nuestra naturaleza arrogante y prejuiciosa. Este es el cuarto de nuestro miedo y donde guardamos parte de nuestra vida en la oscuridad, lejos de la luz sanadora, del perdón y del amor de Cristo. Aquí es donde la Cuaresma nos debería llevar: a abrir esta puerta a los ojos de Jesús para que lo que está en oscuridad pueda salir a la luz.

Nuestro Espejismo es mantener esta parte secreta, pero recuerden el Nuevo Testamento nos narra a Jesús Resucitado pasando por puertas cerradas. Jesús, de hecho ya está ahí, esperando que confiemos en Él. Esta Cuaresma escucha la exhortación de Miércoles de Ceniza, “Arrepiéntete y cree en el Evangelio.”

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Escoge una práctica de Cuaresma que comience a profundizar tu conversación con Cristo. Si es un pecado serio, busca el confesionario, abre las puertas a ese cuarto cerrado y deja que la luz amorosa y el perdón de Cristo iluminen y disipen la obscuridad de tu vida. Comienza a ir más regularmente a la confesión y permanece fiel a las dificultades diarias de la tentación. Si has estado lejos de la Iglesia, regresa a casa y descubre el gozo de ser un miembro activo de una parroquia y poder recibir una vez más el mismo cuerpo y sangre de Cristo en tu ser. Si el orgullo está encerrado en tu cuarto cerrado, entonces pide a Dios que te de humildad y escoge una práctica de Cuaresma de servicio al pobre o a alguien en necesidad en tu vecindario o en tu propia familia. Deja ir la arrogancia, deja de juzgar a los demás y encuentra maneras de entender el sufrimiento de otros y las dificultades para que la arrogancia y los prejuicios puedan ser remplazados por la compasión y el amor.

Abramos las puertas de nuestro Corazón esta Cuaresma. En oración invita a Jesús en lo más profundo tu ser y pide que la luz de su amor y su misericordia iluminen todos esos lugares de obscuridad que has mantenido cerrados y escondidos. ¡No tengas miedo! Reforma tu vida y escucha la Buena Nueva. Abre el cuarto de la obscuridad en tu vida y deja entrar la LUZ. •

bishop’s REFLECTION

by Bishop Michael G. Duca

What Will You Do When Jesus Knocks?

R

“

epent and believe in the Gospel.” This is one of the exhortations that can be used for the imposition of ashes and it beautifully sums up the meaning and spiritual challenge of the season of Lent.

Each year I try to renew in myself an image of the journey I hope to take during the Lenten season. I think I have come up with one that is simple and clearly illustrates our spiritual goal during this season.

Imagine during this season of Lent that Jesus is coming to our house for a visit. Of course the house he is to visit is within our deepest self and the question is, “How welcoming will we be?”

For some, when Jesus knocks at the door they will not even hear the sound of his knocking. If you are Bishop Duca truly in this state of mind then God cannot reach you. But if we are even thinking that we might have become that callous to spiritual things, then know that you are hearing the knocking. That small concern or awareness is God breaking through and inviting you to seek Him out in prayer, to show you how to open the door to His mercy and love.

Some of us hear the knock and the call to change our lives, but instead of answering the door we turn off the lights and close the drapes telling Jesus no one is home. This is the man or woman who does not want to change. They like their sinful or self-centered lives. We are all in this position at times and if this Lent we find ourselves with no Lenten practice, instead just living as we always do, then this is us. But Jesus is not just any guest who will eventually get tired and go away. No, Jesus will continue to knock, prick our consciences and, as we become empty from our superficial, self-centered lives or unsatisfied by a life of sin, eventually we will give in and give over to God, who is always waiting at the door.

Jesus will continue to knock, The way most of us will answer the door prick our consciences ... gives us an excellent eventually we will give in ... image for Lent. Most of us will be expecting Jesus and will have the living room and maybe even the kitchen all clean as we welcome Jesus in. We will appear to be the most open host, but become a little uneasy when we see Jesus looking down the hall to another room with a closed door. That is the room that is not clean and where we keep a part of our lives separate, a part of our life not yet reformed or likened to Christ. Here is our favorite sin or a deep wound that fuels our shame, anger and unforgivness. This is the room of our insecurities that fuel our vanity, the room of our self-centered pleasures, of our arrogant and judgmental nature. This is the room of our shame, fear and where we keep the part of our life in the dark, away from the healing and forgiving light of Christ’s love. Here is where Lent should lead us: to open this door to the eyes of Jesus so that what is in the darkness can

come into the light.

Our illusion is that we keep this part secret, but remember the New Testament accounts of Jesus after the resurrection that Jesus passed through locked doors. Jesus in fact is already there, waiting for us to trust Him. This Lent take the exhortation of Ash Wednesday to heart and “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

Choose a Lenten practice that will begin the deepening of your conversion to Christ. If it is a serious sin, then seek out the confessional, open the doors to that closed room and let the light of Christ’s forgiving love shine in and dispel the darkness of our lives. Then, start going more regularly to confession and stay faithful to the daily struggle to fight temptation. If you have stayed away from Church, come home again and discover the joy of being an active member of a parish and of once again receiving the body and blood of Christ into your very self. If pride is locked in our closed off room, then ask God for humility and choose a Lenten practice of service to the poor or to someone in need in your neighborhood or your own family.

Let go of your arrogant judgment of others and find ways to understand others’ sufferings and struggles so that arrogance and judgment can be replaced with compassion and love.

Let us throw open the doors of our heart to Christ this Lent. In prayer invite Jesus into your deepest self and ask that he shine the light of his love and mercy into those places of darkness that we keep closed and hidden. Do not be afraid!

Reform your lives and hear the Good News. Open up the room of darkness in your life and let in the LIGHT. • March 2017 5

mike’s meditations

by Mike Van Vranken

An Experience with God

A

sk most Christians why they participate in the season of Lent, and many will respond with some explanation that they want to get closer to God. A holy endeavor indeed, but how is this accomplished? I have found that the only way to get closer to the One True God – or better yet – the only way to experience the One True God, is to annihilate all the other gods in our lives. And this takes work, intentional effort, disciplined struggle.

Those other gods are clingy little rascals. They don’t let go very easily and they are persistent and relentless Van Vranken in their efforts to never leave us. We set aside these 40 days determined to destroy them so we can then be alone with our Creator and Savior, get to know Him better and yes, experience Him even in our busy lives.

Sometimes we view this journey of Lent like we do a summer vacation.

We so strongly desire to be at the beach that we totally ignore the journey that gets us there. We numbly and mindlessly go through the motions of packing clothes, driving cars or riding in airplanes until we finally arrive at our destination. We waste those hours or even days of travel and often engage in them as if they are agonizing and painful.

Whatever we might have gained in the journey itself is lost forever.

The same can happen as we travel through Lent. We fast, we pray more than normal; we may give generously to the poor, or help someone who is sick or disabled. We try to gossip less and forgive more and we abstain from anything from food to Facebook. And through it all, we hope to arrive at Easter with a stronger relationship with God. Yet within the process, He is begging us to experience His presence, His love and His goodness all along the way.

What are some ways we can experience the one and only God and, at the same time, crucify those imposter gods and travel toward our celebration of the Resurrection?

When you fast this Lent, each time you skip a meal, ask God for the wisdom to recognize where you have been over-indulgent in your life.

Maybe it’s with food or drink, maybe clothes or cars. Whatever He shows you, experience His gentle response and ask Him to help you purge those gluttonous tendencies out of your life for good.

If praying more is a resolution, spend time each day listening to God more than talking. Ask Him what you can do for Him today rather than telling him what He can do for you. As He places thoughts and ideas on your heart, take time to feel His love, taste His goodness, see His kindness, hear His mercy and smell the aroma of His presence.

As you give to the poor, look at their many faces of need, then realize, each of these is the face of Jesus. Place yourself in their lives in such a way that whatever you are doing for them, you know you are doing for God Himself.

Gossip is a god we all need to exterminate. As you remind yourself that words can either inspire or destroy, imagine God filling you with 6 Catholic Connection

His own words, which He has told us are life and health to those who find them (Proverbs 4:22). With the god of gossip eliminated, you have only His intimate words to share with others.

Forgiving those who have harmed you. God’s mercy is the reflection of who He is. When you show mercy, you are not only acting like God; you are experiencing His very nature. How does it feel to do what the almighty Himself does?

Abstinence. What in your life right now is so important that you engage in it even though it slowly pulls you from your communion with God? Whatever it is, nail it to the cross this Lent. Then use the precious moments it releases back to you to visit with God and bask in His presence, allowing Him to penetrate your entire being.

This year, refrain from focusing on the process as if it is some necessary activity like riding in a car or flying across the country. Discover that it is not the activities of these 40 days that change our lives.

Instead it is the experiences with God on the journey of Lent that bring new meaning to the joy of Easter. Cherish those experiences. Relish them.

Hang on to them. Learn from them. And within those experiences, allow Him to change you. Then, find yourself on Easter Sunday walking hand-inhand down the road to Emmaus with the risen Christ – strolling through life with the Son of the living God. • Mike is a writer, teacher, and co-author of the book, Faith Positive in a Negative World. You can contact him at www.mikevanvrankenministries.org

in REVIEW reviewed by Jessica Rinaudo

Resisting Happiness by Matthew Kelly

R

esisting Happiness by Matthew Kelly is a book for helping you, through God, become the very best version of yourself. It explores why people do things to resist happiness: everything from sabotaging our eating habits, to skipping prayers to even allowing ourselves to be bored at Mass are covered in this book.

Kelly uses examples and stories from his own life to illustrate his ideas, pointing out ways to both move past resistance and build a better spiritual life. He gives examples of concrete things we can do each day to improve our relationship with God, with those around us and our own personal happiness.

Each short chapter tackles some aspect of this. For example, there are chapters on “Resisting God,” “Ordinary Things” and “The Power of Habits.” Each chapter ends with a Key Point – usually a challenging thought or question for us to consider in our everyday lives – and Action Steps.

Kelly begins the books by talking about what resistance is and how we let it take over our lives.

“What is resistance?” Kelly muses, “It’s that sluggish feeling of not wanting to do something that you know is good for you, it’s the inclination to do something that you unabashedly know is not good for you, and it’s everything in between.

It’s the desire and tendency to delay something you should be doing right now.”

Kelly not only poses challenges for us to consider in our own lives, but asks us to consider the messes in other people’s lives. He makes his point by sharing how he was asked to visit nursing homes with his spiritual mentor, John, when he was 16. By stepping out of his comfort zone and listening to others, both the other people and himself grew in their appreciation for life.

He also suggests that a key to moving past resistance and embracing life is to

develop a deep love of learning. Keep a pen and paper with you, he suggests, and write things down when you learn them.

The chapters in this book also follow alongside stories of Kelly’s own spiritual journey with his mentor, John. John challenged Kelly in his teenage years not only to become more spiritual, but to find ways to exercise his faith at home and in the world. Kelly uses those lessons to help tie the whole book together. These stories of Kelly’s youth are all good and interesting ones, but there are also stories of his later life and business that come off a little too self-promoting, often dropping his business name and website. But those references are few, and the material is otherwise good.

While most chapters in this book build on one another and support his main idea, some do temporarily wander off topic. His sections on active listening in particular seem to stray from his main topic of resistance, but they still bring up good points and techniques for improving these parts of our lives.

Kelly does always get back to the point though.

Some of his most powerful chapters are on how we form habits, what we hunger for, and developing a better life through various kinds of fasting – big and small.

He tackles how Catholics resist going to confession, even though we feel so much better afterwards.

As he wraps up the book, Kelly urges us to think about our own talents and how we can use them to serve in ministry.

“The one thing God needs from you in order to launch you into mission is availability,” wrote Kelly. “Make yourself available to God and incredible things will happen.”

He concludes by encouraging gratitude, telling us to move past the critics in our lives and to never get discouraged. •

“Once you understand that God has an incredible dream for you, once you grasp that God wants you to become thebest-version-of-yourself and help others to do the same, and once you start to listen to the prayers of the Mass with all this in mind, you very quickly discover that there is genius in Catholicism.”

– Matthew Kelly in Resisting Happiness

Resisting Happiness is availble to borrow from the Slattery Library inside the Catholic Center, and available for purchase from DynamicCatholic.com and Amazon.com.

March 2017 7

faithful FOOD

by Kim Long

The Seen and Unseen Shaping Our Lives

M

arch is an important month in our family. St. Patrick’s Day is one of the “high holy days” for us. We try to put aside our busy schedules and obligations and carve out a weekend to celebrate our Long Irish-ness. It is also Lent, and that brings its own special rythym to our home and family. There is one more reason that March is important – it is the month of my oldest son’s birthday. This month he will be 40-years-old. It feels like he was born only yesterday, just cutting his first tooth, talking, walking and all the other milestones we cherish and record in photographs and commit to memory.

We lived in a town bordered by a levee which served to keep our small town safe from the mighty Mississippi River.

My little son and I climbed the levee many days, feeling like we had scaled Mt. Everest or Mt. Sinai. It felt like we could see everything in the world. We pointed

things out to one another: a bird in flight, a gnarled tree against the sky, a cloud shape shifting before our very eyes, and always the wind, which March is known for, blowing our hair, carrying our laughter with it, taking our kite to a ridiculous height. We stayed up on the levee until thirst or hunger drove us to the narrow winding street below.

As we descended there was a real sensation of going from one world to another. Things we felt but could not see – hope, freedom, beauty, the Divine – stayed with us for long stretches of time. And when we could not feel them as strongly, we climbed up the levee again, trusting renewal would come. Sinai indeed.

One of my son’s favorite suppers is chicken and dumplings. This was not a dish I recall Mom serving, rather when I spent the night with my grandmother she would open a can of Sweet Sue Chicken and Dumplings and we would

Kim's Chicken & Dumplings Ingredients: • 1 large bag of chicken thighs • Salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste • 2 cans cream of chicken soup • 2 cans cream of onion soup • 2 cans chicken broth •1 teaspoon poultry seasoning • 1 package of flour tortillas, cut into strips Directions: 1) Defrost chicken and season with salt and pepper and garlic powder.

2) Place in a heavy skillet with enough oil to cover bottom of pan.

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3) Turn flame on low and cook chicken very slowly until tender and beginning to fall apart. You can add chicken broth or a little water to prevent sticking.

4) In a large pot, combine soups, broth and poultry seasoning.

5) Let this heat and then add your cooked chicken. Stir well and often so it doesn't stick.

6) Once everything is heated thoroughly, add flour tortillas.

7) Let simmer on a low heat until dumplings are ready.

eat it warm from the stove. The first time I tried making them “from scratch,” I ended up with a pot of chicken swimming in thick white gravy. And while it tasted good, it wasn’t the best looking dish I had ever set on a table. I pressed on and with time, effort, advice and much less stirring, I finally achieved a more than passable method and could be counted on to produce a good dish.

This became my son Cliff’s favorite dish. Indeed turkey and dressing were not his preference for Thanksgiving; instead he asked me to make chicken and dumplings. So there it was on our feasting table. Mamaw told me I was spoiling him, but if my baby boy wanted chicken and dumplings, well, he got them.

I have experimented with different kinds of dumplings over the years, floury puffs to some that were almost like noodles, to the kind I use now, flour tortillas. They. Never. Fail.

So as his birthday draws near, I make my shopping list and think of that long ago day when we flew a kite on the levee and when things both seen and unseen shaped our lives.

“So we fix our eyes on not what is seen but what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

2 Corinthians 4:18 • Kim Long is the Director of Religious Education at St. Mary of the Pines Parish in Shreveport.

domestic CHURCH

by Katie Sciba

Begin Praying for Your Future

W

e hadn’t met. I hadn’t seen his face or heard his name.

We wouldn’t go on a date for another seven years, but I was just 12-years-old when I fell for Andrew.

As a kid, I was perpetually wide-eyed and open-eared to my big sister Jen and I followed her advice to the letter. In the middle Sciba of a chat, Jen lit up with an idea, “You should start praying for your future husband, Katie!” My adolescent cheeks burned with embarrassment at the thought of a relationship beyond a distant crush. Seeing me blush, she pressed, “No really - if God calls you to get married, then your husband’s out there somewhere and you could pray for him now.”

It was thrilling to consider. Somewhere, at that exact same minute, he was out there living his life. The idea of praying for him years before even knowing who he was gave me a sense of commitment and hope. Suddenly I saw my struggles in light of my future vocation. Striving for chaste dating relationships in high school and college had a purpose beyond momentary self-restraint. I wanted to develop spiritually on my own to allow God to work in my soul so I could eventually follow His will to my husband.

But just in case God steered me to a different kind of veil, I kept my efforts in mind for a possible future convent, too.

I did my best to make it routine. I prayed for his protection on the way to the movies or football games on the weekends, that whatever he was doing that night he would make good decisions and be kept safe. I prayed for him during Mass. I prayed for us both - that we’d be wise and faithful, hopeful in trials and receptive to God’s grace.

I know this is a cliffhanger.

We met. “I’m Andrew Sciba.” Oh hello.

Verses to Pray for your

Future (or Present)

Spouse

Those of us called to marriage aren’t called to a general vocation, but to a particular person; which means it’s our job to cover their hearts in prayer and ask for the grace to see them as God does. Pray these verses for your future or current wife or husband to ask the Lord’s wisdom and protection on their souls.

I knew the day we started dating it was just a matter of time before we’d be married. I knew God had answered years of prayer by protecting and walking with Andrew and that I finally had a face to go with my intentions.

The advice Jen gave me those years years ago was invaluable. Through it I gained a sense of Andrew’s soul plus the understanding that it was possible for me to love him before I knew him. What’s amazing is that Andrew was also praying for me, and all that time I was blessed by prayers of which I was totally unaware.

Think of how marriages would be spiritually armed if we taught our kids to pray for their future spouses years in advance. Think of how our own marriages would be totally different if we kept it up after the wedding.

Even outside of a vocational situation, entrusting the future of your work, your family, your life, to God’s care is the way to cultivate a sense of humility. It’s an act that confesses that God’s will and plan are immense and that they absolutely include the loving best for your soul.

Whatever you wonder about, whatever you worry about, give it to Jesus. • Katie Sciba is married to Andrew and together they have four children (with another one on the way). She is the author of thecatholicwife.net.

For Purity

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and steadfast spirit within me.”

(Psalm 51:10)

For Joy

“Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fulness of joy.” (Psalm 16:11)

Shared Forgiveness

“Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

(1 Peter 4:8)

For Healing

“Out of my distress, I called on the Lord. The Lord answered me and set me free.” (Psalm 118:5)

In Thanksgiving for Your Spouse

“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”

(2 Corinthians 9:15) March 2017 9

from the POPE from Vatican Information Services

Hope Does Not Disappoint General Audience 2.15.17

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n the catechesis of this general audience, Pope Francis returned to the theme of hope, this time in the light of St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, in which he urges them to be proud. But what does this refer to? As the Holy Father remarked, “Since childhood we are taught that it is not good to boast. And it is right, because boasting of what one is or what one has betrays, aside from a certain arrogance, also a lack of respect for others, Pope Francis especially those who are less fortunate than ourselves.”

What, then, is it right to be proud of? And how is it possible to do this, without offending, without excluding anyone?

In the first case, we are invited to be proud of “the abundance of grace with which we are pervaded in Jesus Christ, through faith. Paul wants to make us understand that, if we learn to interpret everything with the light of the Holy Spirit, we realize The the Lord has poured that everything is grace, His Spirit, which is God's everything is a love, abundantly into gift! Indeed, if our hearts, as creator, as we pay attention, we see that – in guarantor, precisely so as history, as in our to nurture faith within us life – we are not alone in acting; and to keep this hope there is, above alive. all, God … Who creates every thing as a gift of love, Who weaves the fabric of His plan for salvation and Who fulfills it for us, through His Son Jesus.

We are requested to recognize all this, to welcome it with gratitude and to make it become a reason for praise, blessing and great joy. If we do this, we are at peace with God and we experience freedom. And this peace then extends to all environments and all the relationships of our life: we are at peace with ourselves, we are at peace in the family, in our community, at work and with the people we meet every day on our journey.”

But Paul also encourages us to be proud even in our troubles, which is more difficult for us and can seem to have nothing to do with the condition of peace I have just described.

10 Catholic Connection

“Instead it constitutes the most authentic and truest presupposition”, Francis emphasized. “Indeed, the peace that the Lord offers and guarantees to us must not be understood as a lack of worries, disappointments, scarcity, or reasons for suffering. If it were thus, if we succeeded in staying at peace, that moment would soon come to an end and we would inevitably return to dejection. The peace that springs from faith is instead a gift: it is the grace of experiencing that God loves us and that He is always by our side, and that He never leaves us alone even for a moment of our life. And this, as the Apostle affirms, gives rise to patience, because we know that even in the hardest and most troubling moments, the Lord’s mercy and goodness are greater than any other thing and nothing can tear us from His hands and from communion with Him.” This, then, is why “Christian hope is solid, and this is why it does not disappoint. It is not based on what we can do or be, or even on what we can believe in. Its foundation, that is the basis of Christian hope, is the most faithful and secure possible; that is, the love that God Himself has for each one of us. It is easy to say: God loves us, we all say this,” commented the Holy Father. “But think a little: every one of us is capable of saying: I am sure that God loves me. It is not so easy to say it, but it is true. It is a good exercise to say to ourselves: God loves me. It is the root of our security, the root of hope. And the Lord has poured His Spirit, which is God’s love, abundantly into our hearts, as creator, as guarantor, precisely so as to nurture faith within us and to keep this hope alive. God loves me. ‘But in this horrible moment? God loves me. I, who have done these bad things?

God loves me.’ No-one can take this security away from us.

And we must repeat it like a prayer: God loves me. I am sure that God loves me. I am sure that God loves me.”

“Now we understand why the Apostle Paul urges us always to be proud of all this. ‘I glory in God’s love, because He loves me’. The hope that is given to us does not separate us from others, nor does it lead us to discredit them or marginalize them,” the Holy Father explained. “It is instead an extraordinary gift for which we are called to be channels, with humility and simplicity, for everyone. And therefore our greatest pride will be having as a Father a God Who does not have preferences, Who excludes no one, but Who opens His house to all human beings, starting from the last and the most distant, so that as His children we learn to console and support each other. And do not forget: hope never disappoints.” •

navigating the Faith

by Dr. Cheryl H. White

Lenten Fasting Through the Ages

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness; Photo: Brooklyn Museum

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s we enter the season of Lent, it is helpful to pause and reflect on both its purpose, how it is expressed, and to know we are joining a long tradition of Christian observance dating to the early Church. Lent has always been a time of self-examination, penitence and self-denial, and of course one of the most significant ways this has been accomplished is through fasting and other means of mortification of the flesh. Various acts of piety have developed across the centuries of the Faith, but we can trace the deliberate observance of Lenten self-denial to at least the mid-second century, to St. Irenaeus of Lyons. In his writings we find reference to this season of preparation, but he does not make it clear that the period of fasting and discipline lasted more than a few days, or if it was intended only for catechumens preparing to be baptized at Easter.

Later, we find it in the record of the Council of Nicaea (325) that the bishops formalized the familiar 40-day season as we know it. Again, however, it appears that it may have been originally intended only for those undergoing catechesis to receive the sacrament of Baptism. The significance of the 40 days rests with Jesus’ fast in the wilderness. Over time, the Lenten fast became an expectation of all within the Church. Until the late sixth century, the season of Lent always began on a Sunday. Among the liturgical and calendar changes introduced by Pope St. Gregory the Great (pope from 590 – 604), was the moving of the first day of Lent to a Wednesday (Ash Wednesday). This secured the exact number of 40 days in the Lenten season, excluding Sundays, which were feast days. Pope St. Gregory the Great is also credited with the ritual which gives Ash Wednesday its name, with the imposition of ashes as a Biblical symbol of repentance and mortality: “You are dust, and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19).

When Catholics today undertake a Lenten fast, it probably does not compare to the extreme expectations of the medieval Christian, who ate nothing until after mid-afternoon, and then typically only one small meal. During Holy Week, medieval Christians subsisted on what might have been no more than two or three full meals the entire week. Also, the Lenten fast for most western Christians of the Middle Ages would have involved an absolute ban on meat, as well as dairy

products. Since it was the time of the “taking away of flesh” (carne levare), this seems to be the most commonly cited origin of our word “carnival,” describing the celebrations just before the beginning of Lent.

The total exclusion of meat from the diet (not just Fridays as modern Catholics might be accustomed to!) obviously required the Christian to acquire protein from other sources. Historically, fish has been allowed as part of even the strictest Lenten fasts, since in Genesis the fish and birds were created on the fifth day, with creatures of the earth on the sixth day. Social histories of Christian Europe reveal something quite interesting to the modern Church: the Lenten fast was actually shared as a community sacrifice. Entire communities came together to feast when appropriate, and there is remarkable evidence of gathering to support each other through the days of fasting. The world known by the medieval Christian was considerably smaller, therefore communities were more connected, and of course, the Church was the absolute center of society. Sharing the Lenten fast as a community only served to highlight the joy of Easter and make it all the more glorious.

Other Lenten observances have been practiced across the centuries, including more literal and extreme types of flesh mortification.

From St. Jerome in the fourth century comes rather descriptive accounts of these practices, including the wearing of a “hair shirt” or the “sackcloth” mentioned in Scripture as a means of performing penance. The historical record reveals that Christians across the centuries were drawn to these practices particularly during Lent and Advent, and there are of course many rather interesting but radical examples of people undertaking such flesh mortification for extended periods of time.

So, as we enter another Lenten season, an awareness of the continuity of our practice unites us to the faithful of the centuries that came before, and this should help strengthen our resolve to place our focus more on the purpose of deprivation and sacrifice. It is to draw us into the mystical suffering of Jesus, and to live in the great mystery of our salvation once again. • March 2017 11

second COLLECTIONS

by Fr. Rothell Price, Vicar General

Second Collections for March & April SUPPORT THE

CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES COLLECTION

Holy Father’s Relief Fund sends aid to Jesus in the victims of natural disasters. When people ask where is the Church and what is the Church doing to benefit people in need, our response, through Catholic Relief Services is, “here we are.” Help Jesus in disguise. Give generously to the Catholic Relief Services Collection.

PONTIFICAL GOOD FRIDAY COLLECTION FOR THE HOLY LAND Announcement Dates: April 2nd & 9th Participation Dates: Good Friday, April 14th he Pontifical Good Friday Collection supports the people of the Holy Land and the pilgrims who visit. A portion of the funds are directly allocated to educational and ecclesial projects in the Middle East. The rest of the funds support ministries and programs entrusted by the Holy See to the Holy Land Franciscans who have been serving there for 800 years.

Last year’s Pontifical Good Friday Collection: • Supported 29 parishes, four homes for orphans, three academic institutions • Helped keep schools open for 10,000 pre-K through grade 12 students • Supported 120 men preparing to be priests or brothers • Helped rehabilitate 80 homes for Christian families • Provided senior care facilities in Bethlehem and Nazareth • Created 1,500 jobs in the Holy Land for Christians • Preserved 54 shrines connected with the life of Jesus and the prophets Please give generously to the Pontifical Good Friday Collection. Our Holy Father, Francis, strongly encourages our participation in this collection. Through it ON you join with Catholics GOOD FRIDAY around the world to stand in solidarity with the Church in the Holy Land. Your contribution to the Pontifical Good Friday Collection makes you an instrument of LORD MAKE ME AN peace in a troubled land.

INSTRUMENT Thank you for your OF YOUR PEACE sacrificial offering on A Pontifical Collection Good Friday. •

T HELP

esus

IN DISGUISE CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES (CRS) COLLECTION Announcement Dates: March 12th & 19th Collection Date: March 25th & 26th upport the Catholic Relief Services Collection: HELP JESUS IN DISGUISE. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” (Rev. 3: 20) The Catholic Relief Services Collection, occurring on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, gives Price us the opportunity to extend our devotion to the Lord Jesus throughout the entire year by coming to the aid of the least of his brothers and sisters in times of natural or human-caused calamity.

The Catholic Relief Services Collection helps six different Catholic agencies to answer the knock of Jesus in disguise around the world. The USCCB’s Department of Migration and Refugee Services feeds Jesus’ hunger in suffering refugees. Their Catholic Relief Services give water to quench Jesus’ thirst. Their Catholic Legal Immigration Services offer legal assistance to Jesus in struggling immigrants. Their Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church reaches out to comfort Jesus’ loneliness in isolated workers. Their Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development advocates on behalf of Jesus in the poor and marginalized. And their Copyright © 2016, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Photo credit: © Sam Tarling/CRS.

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12 Catholic Connection

SUPPORT

CHRISTIANS IN THE HOLY LAND

COMMISSARIES OF THE HOLY LAND IN THE UNITED STATES: 1400 Quincy Street NE, Washington, DC 20017 3140 Meramec Street, St. Louis, MO 63118 | PO Box 69, San Miguel, CA 93451 • MyFranciscan.org

Fr. Rothell Price, Vicar General, is the Director of Second Collections.

vocations View

by Deacon Bill Roche

My Blessings in the Diaconate

Diaconate FAQ Q: Who is a deacon?

A: A deacon is an ordained minister of the Catholic Church. A deacon, in virtue of his sacramental ordination and through his various ministries, is to be a servant in a servant-Church.

Deacon Bill Roche and Deacon Larry Mills carry in the oil for Chrism Mass.

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hen I was a youngster, I thought about the priesthood, but being a priest was never a serious consideration after I entered high school. I never expected to be ordained.

So admittedly, I was a bit surprised when I felt a calling to the permanent diaconate about 16 years ago. I believe that God was calling me to step out of my comfort zone and embark on a new part of the journey I had been traveling throughout my life. It was a dramatic change – one that has been very good for me personally. I believe I am a better person than I was 16 years ago, but I am still a work in progress.

I was ordained in May of 2005. I was hired as the Director of Faith Formation at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Shreveport in December of that year. I count among the many blessings of my ministry and job that I have gotten to know so many kind and caring people.

My many blessings include: • The ACTS ministry (first adopted

by St. Joseph in 2011) has been a great experience and has helped the parish.

• Through a small men’s prayer and

spiritual development group, I have been able to form and develop great friendships, as well as challenge my prayer life.

It has been very fulfilling to be a part of people’s faith journeys through RCIA. Like all Catholic Christians, deacons are called to holiness. As ordained persons, we have to be visible and prayerful. Yet, as servants, we need to be on the sidelines or behind the scenes.

We stand front and center when we baptize, officiate at weddings, proclaim the Gospel and preach, but it’s not about us. At Mass, we stand next to the priest. However, we are as much in awe of the liturgy of the Eucharist as every faith-filled person in the pews.

We may be preaching, but the message is also one that we need to hear.

God surprises me frequently, usually by the people He puts in my path. If I seem to be helping someone, I am growing through that encounter, so I am also being helped. When I seek help, there are people who are more inclined to open their doors for me because of my ordination. The diaconate has truly been a win-win situation. •

Q: What are the various ministries of the deacon?

A: As ministers of Word, deacons proclaim the Gospel, preach and teach in the name of the Church. As ministers of sacrament, deacons baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages and conduct wake and funeral services. As ministers of charity, deacons are leaders in identifying the needs of others, then marshaling the Church’s resources to meet those needs.

Q: May married men be deacons?

A: Yes. The Second Vatican Council decreed that the diaconate, when it was restored as a permanent order in the hierarchy, could be opened to “mature married men,” later clarified to mean men over the age of 35. While a married man may be ordained, an ordained man, if his wife should die, may not marry again without special permission.

Q: How do I find out more about becoming a deacon?

A: The best place to start is with your pastor, who can put you in touch with Deacon Clary Nash, Director of the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Shreveport by calling 318-868-4441, or cnash@dioshpt.org.

Article adapted from nccbuscc.org/deacon

The Diocese of Shreveport is planning to begin a new formation for the permanent diaconate beginning September 2017. The deadline for inquiries into the new formation is April 3.

For more information, contact Deacon Clary Nash, formation director, at 318868-4441, or at cnash@dioshpt.org.

March 2017 13

Dr. Celso Palmieri (far right), talks with the Braga family. Palmieri was instrumental in bringing the family from San Paolo, Brazil to Shreveport, Louisiana to treat 3-year-old Melyssa's myxoma tumor. (Photo Courtesy of LSU Health Shreveport)

Medical Miracle Shreveport Catholic Doctor Reaches Out to Brazilian Family Seeking Help for Their Daughter

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by Lisa Cooper

hen Loyola parent and St. Joseph parishioner Dr. Celso Palmieri saw the face of Melyssa Delgado Braga while looking through online publications from his native country, Brazil, he felt compelled to get involved. Braga’s family posted a plea seeking help to get their daughter to America, where she could find treatment for a large, rare facial tumor. Dr. Palmieri, associate professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at LSU Health Shreveport, took a screen shot of Melyssa and sent it immediately to his colleague and department chairman, G.E. Ghali, DDS, MD, FACS, who said right away that they could help the little girl.

Within an hour, Palmieri found the Bragas on Facebook, and told them the good news. In the course of his correspondence with them, Palmieri discovered that the family had been able to raise enough money through donations to cover their travel expenses. He also discovered an underbelly of predators who sought to take advantage of the family. “The family had people contacting them, offering their help 14 Catholic Connection

if they could have control of the money,” Palmieri stated. He continued, “They even had people who wanted the money in exchange for smuggling Melyssa through Mexico, or drop her off in front of a hospital in Houston,” under the false premise that this is America, where people would simply see her on the street and take her in to help her. From the time of his initial communication with the Bragas, he sent them links to the LSU Health Shreveport website and to his department in hopes of assuring them of his and Dr. Ghali’s credibility and sincerity. It was on the night before the Bragas were to arrive in Shreveport, that Palmieri discovered something surprising.

Speaking of Caroline, Melyssa’s mom, he said, “She called the night before we were to pick them up from the airport and asked for a picture of me. I realized she had never opened the links I sent.”

When he asked her about why she hadn’t followed up on the information he provided, Caroline said that she never felt a need to.

She said she had a peace about Palmieri’s offer and trusted God through the entire process.

Once in surgery, Palmieri served as Ghali’s assistant in removing what turned out to be a five-pound myxoma tumor from the jaw of three-year-old Melyssa.

When asked about the possibility of the tumor’s returning, Palmieri said he is confident that there is “almost no chance” of that. With the exception of a small wound that is still healing, the only real setback for Melyssa after having been relieved of such an enormous weight is the necessity of having to learn to balance differently so that she can walk fluidly again.

Although this story, which has now been covered across the globe, has pushed Palmieri and Ghali into the world-wide spotlight, Palmieri says it was the compassion he had for Melyssa the moment he saw her that prompted him to work to meet an immediate need. He never expected such notoriety.

Sharing about how his faith prompted him to act on Melyssa’s behalf, Palmieri acknowledged that he has been “blessed with a skill and blessed to have received an excellent education and experience in Brazil, at Parkland Hospital in Dallas and here at LSU Health in Shreveport. I felt I needed to give something back.”

For the Palmieris, giving back has been a family affair. The Palmieri family went

together to meet the Bragas at the airport, and Palmieri’s wife Ingrid, a computer analyst, would spend time she had away from work serving the Bragas and helping to make the family feel at home here.

“Because they did not have a car here, [Ingrid] would drive them to the grocery store or take them to run errands,” says Palmieri.

Noting the effect his involvement has had on his children, Palmieri says, “It’s important to me that my children see my faith through my actions and not just through my words.”

Palmieri’s son, Loyola junior Felipe, spent last summer putting this principle into practice as a volunteer at a Muscular Dystrophy Association camp, where he served as the daily caretaker for a camper with MD. The Palmieris are intentional about teaching their children the importance of living their faith.

“Giving money is easy compared to being involved,” says Palmieri, “but your time and attention are what people need most.”

When it comes to living his faith, Palmieri takes a practical approach. “I don’t worry about changing the world.

I probably won’t,” he says, “but if I can change the life of just one person, I have lived my faith well.” •

“I don’t worry about changing the world. I probably won’t, but if I can

change the life of just one person, I have lived

my faith well.”

LEFT: Before LSU Health Shreveport faculty successfully removed a myxoma tumor from 3-year-old Melyssa Braga.

(Courtesy of the Braga family). ABOVE: Braga with her mother Caroline after successful removal of the tumor.

March 2017 15

local NEWS Schools “Change” Lives for Catholic Charities’ Clients

by Lucy Medvec

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pare change may not seem like a lot of money at first, but when over 1,000 Shreveport Catholic school students work together, their coins can truly “change” lives in the community.

During Catholic Schools Week in January, students from Loyola College Prep, St. John Berchmans School, and St. Joseph School collected over $2,660 for Catholic Charities of North Louisiana through their “Coins for Change” drives that were held at each school.

Classes within each school competed against each other to collect the most change with Loyola’s sophomores, St. John’s 4th graders, and two Pre-K4 classes at St. Joseph School, emerging as coin champions. All funds raised from the coin drives will go towards CCNLA’s Emergency Assistance Program which assists families with the payment of their rent or utility bills in order to avoid eviction or shut-off of utilities.

While Loyola and St. John students participated in straightforward coin collections, St. Joseph School took it up a notch by participating in a school-wide “Penny War.” The premise was that pennies were worth positive points, while silver coins and paper money were negative points.

The class with the most positive points would be the winner, so students would donate their negative points (money) to the other classes in order 16 Catholic Connection

to diminish their totals. According to Greg Beauclair, Development and Marketing Director for St. Joseph School, the Penny War brought out the competitive side of SJS students.

“We had collected a total of $600 through Thursday,” said Beauclair, “but on Friday, the students had doubled that total with their donations.

Everyone was waiting until the end to see who would win.”

The Pre-K4 classes at St. Joseph School donated over 7200 pennies alone, with well over 20,000 pennies collected from all three schools during the week.

Lucy Medvec, Director of Development and Communications for Catholic Charities likes the idea of student coin drives because “it shows students that if everyone gives some amount of money, no matter how much, it all goes together to create a greater impact.”

Medvec hopes to make the “Coins for Change” drive an annual part of Catholic Schools Week and to include students from schools throughout the diocese. Local restaurants Raising Cane’s and Rotolo’s Pizzeria donated prizes for the winning classes, but overall the winners of the coin drive will be the clients who benefit from the students’ generosity. •

Catholic

Schools Week C

atholic Schools Week took place January 29 - February 4. During that week our six Catholic schools participated in special events to highlight the benefits of a Catholic education, which included communities of faith, knowledge and service.

Photos from left to right: Fr. Lijo and Jesus the Good Shepherd School principal Lisa Patrick at the school’s annual Basketball Shootout. St. John Berchmans student participates in their annual Cardinal Krewe Games. St. Joseph School eighth graders publicly display their Catholic school pride. Eastern deanery students join together in an All Schools Mass with Bishop Michael Duca. St. Frederick High School students take part in a living rosary.

Students of the Year Named at Catholic Schools The Students of the Year Awards Program is designed to recognize outstanding elementary, middle and high school students. This program, patterned after the Teacher of the Year Awards Program, is an excellent opportunity to recognize from each school system those students who have demonstrated excellent academic achievement, leadership ability and citizenship. The Students of the Year Awards Program is sponsored by the Louisiana State Superintendent through the State Department of Education and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Congratulations to the following district winners: 5th Grade: Garret Taylor Jesus the Good Shepherd School 8th Grade: Sarah Briery First Baptist Church School 12th Grade: Carrigan English Loyola College Prep Congratulations to our Diocesan Student of the Year winners 2016-2017:

Clockwise from top left: Garrett Taylor, 5th Grade, Jesus the Good Shepherd School; Ellie Kate Jackson, 8th Grade, St. Joseph School; Carrigan English, 12th grade, Loyola College Prep March 2017 17

Irish Heritage Brought to Life with St. Brigid Feast at St. Mary of the Pines

by Kelly Phelan Powell

K

im Long, Director of Religious Education (DRE) at St. Mary of the Pines Parish in Shreveport, is one of those rare and wonderful souls who dream big, then roll up their sleeves and get to work. “I was the rabble rouser,” she laughed, describing the beginnings of the annual celebration of the Feast of St. Brigid of Kildare, now in its third year, that has become one of the parish’s most anticipated events. She and a committed group of women volunteers have carved out a fun, meaningful new tradition for people of Catholic faith and Irish ancestry.

As DRE, Long took part in planning the parish’s multicultural festival. As St. Mary of the Pines has a well-established Hispanic population, Latin and Hispanic traditions are a big part of the celebration. And while everyone enjoyed the festival, parishioners whose families were less recent immigrants of European origin felt that they had little to contribute. Long said it was parishioner Anne Eid who gave her the idea while they were discussing a St. Joseph’s altar.

“When are we going to do something for the Irish? My maiden name is Kennedy!”

Eid said, and the beginnings of the Feast of St. Brigid took root.

With permission from Fr. Francis Kamau, Long and a group of volunteers, including Mary Cadwell, Rachel Cobb, Jennifer Lee, Cindy McGowan and 18 Catholic Connection

Mary Alice Owen, among others, formed a committee and began not only planning a celebration, but also learning more about their Irish heritage, language, folk songs and recipes. They referred to themselves as “Daughters of Brigid” and met regularly to practice céilí, traditional dances in which dancers arrange themselves in formations of two to 16 people.

The historical details of Brigid’s life are notoriously difficult to establish, but according to Hugh de Blacam’s essay in “The Saints of Ireland,” she was born around 450 A.D. The illegitimate child of a pagan chieftain named Dubthach and his Christian slave, Broicsech, Brigid was probably baptized and reared in the Catholic faith by her mother. At around age 10, her father removed her from her mother’s slave quarters and raised her in his own household.

Brigid took Dubthach’s riches and gave generously to the poor. Enraged, her father threatened to sell her to the King of Leinster. But the king, a Christian, understood her charity and convinced Dubthach to free his daughter. Once free, she was expected to marry, but instead, she marred her own face to make herself less desirable to would-be husbands. Brigid and her companions organized communal consecrated religious life for women in Ireland. Her community eventually

settled in what we know today as Kildare, or “Church of the Oak,” after the monastery she founded there.

Long and the other Daughters of Brigid have incorporated many traditions into the feast celebration. For instance, during the Mass processional, the women parishioners of Irish ancestry form the “Court of Brigid,” with adult women wearing sashes bearing their family’s county of origin and little girls donning blue crushed velvet capes after Brigid’s own legendary “cape of blue.” The children also carry bouquets of flowers to place around the icon of St. Brigid.

The Mass for the Feast of St. Brigid includes several other uniquely Brigidine components. Included in the processional is a Brigid’s Cross, traditionally woven from rushes. Long and parishioner Roishene Johnson recited the Mass readings in both English and Gaeilge (the Irish language, often referred to as “Irish Gaelic”). The sanctuary was adorned in green, with an oak leaf, an acorn and a flame representing Kildare, the seed of knowledge and the love of Christ, respectively.

At the céilí following Mass, Long and a number of others performed the legend of Irish pirate queen Grace O’Malley as “mummers,” performers who tell a story through song, dance and rhyme. Tim Glennon and Ceara Johnson played and sang Irish songs, and the Daughters of Brigid danced a céilí as well. No Catholic celebration is complete without delicious food, and Irish favorites like Limerick ham, brown bread, cabbage, potatoes and sausage were a huge hit with children and adults.

“Brigid is very much a saint for our time,” Long said, emphasizing St. Brigid’s traditions of hospitality, environmentalism and the pursuit of knowledge, all of which are particularly important in the tumultuous present.

Anyone interested in joining the Daughters of Brigid and/or volunteering for the Feast of St. Brigid in January 2018 can reach Long at celticdre1@bellsouth.net, or (318) 687-5121. •

Shreveport Mom and Daughter March for Life with Love in D.C.

by Katie Aranda

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ho would have imagined that my daughter and I would be at the March for Life in Washington D.C. this year? Not me!

My best friend from college, who lives four hours from D.C., wrote on her Facebook page the week of the march that she was organizing a group to go to the march. I jokingly wrote on her post that I wanted to go. Then she called and I briefly entertained the idea before thinking of all the reasons I couldn’t go. My husband teasingly said I could go… if I took all four of our kids. As we discussed it further, we decided that it was important for our family to support those who cannot speak for themselves in the largest pro-life march in the country, especially at a time when our country is focused on marches. He had already been to a D.C. March for Life, so he graciously gave his blessing for our six-year-old daughter, Genevieve, and me to go. After quickly arranging childcare and booking flights for a three day trip, we were off on an adventure!

It was an adventure of love…love for your neighbor, the unborn, family, stranger, young and old. Even as we exited the plane in D.C., people immediately wanted to become friends.

Genevieve had announced on the plane

to anyone who would listen that we were going to the “March for Life.” At the airport one lady from Montana gave me her number just because we would both be at the march. Groups of young people were praying in the stairwells as we walked to our hotel room the night before the march. Despite the gravity of abortion, people at the march were joyful, friendly, and peaceful. The message for life enveloped everyone.

Energizing the crowd, speakers spoke of a “movement of love, not anger. A movement of compassion, not confrontation.”

Vice President Pence emphasized that “life is winning in America” and gave hope to marchers. Genevieve (who thought we were actually going to march like in a band) and I walked with my best friend Lisa, her husband, and their four children. It was frigid, but people smiled and didn’t complain. Genevieve, my Louisiana girl, whispered as we were walking, “Mommy, I don’t want to move to D.C. It’s too far from the equator.” Nonetheless, she marched on.

Strangers handed out snacks to help families with little ones. Songs were sung.

Rosaries were prayed. There was no hatred on the streets. I saw people hugging women who held signs proclaiming, “I regret my abortion.” I saw older people, young adults, people with disabilities, Catholics, non-Catholics, large families, small families marching for a worthy cause. There was an atmosphere of love and hope.

Genevieve and I soaked in the experience. We saw signs reminding us of the sacredness of life. Signs speaking of the beauty of adoption reminded me of our own adopted children. We thank God for courageous birthmothers and birthfathers who bless families with an incredible gift. We saw signs reminding us that everyone has value and God loves us all. I was reminded of the girls from Heart of Hope (our local maternity home for young women) who struggle and defy all odds, and of children and adults

with disabilities who are loved and love beyond measure. I was reminded of all the orphans who thirst for love. We marched not just for the unborn that day, but for all life. When I asked Genevieve “Why do we march”? Her answer was simple, but true. “Mommy, we march for life.” • March 2017 19

The Harm of Pornography and Hope Beyond Addiction: Addicts Series written by Katie Sciba under guidance of Fr. Sean Kilcawley, STL

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his is the second article in a four-piece series on pornography; the first can be found in the January 2017 edition of the Catholic Connection, or online at www. thecatholicconnection.org.

“Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties” (Catechism, 2354). Pornography is found in sexually descriptive literature, movies with explicit scenes, images and videos. Though it is more often used by men, women too can be lured into consumption.

As a multi-billion dollar giant, pornography promises fantasy, yet leaves users and loved ones in pain. Despite its distortion of humanity, there are arguments that pornography is harmless or healthy.

“It’s a problem because every human person is created in the image of God, who is a Communion of Persons; our imitation of that communion is expressed through the sexual union between a husband and wife,” says Fr. Sean Kilcawley, STL, theological advisor for IntegrityRestored. com. “Pornography is wrong because it exploits that which is sacred.”

And it’s an exploitation that attracts, confuses and harms. What can begin as curiosity or childhood exposure can develop into an addiction.

Dr. Kevin Skinner is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) and Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist (CSAT).

According to his professional experience, pornography addiction is “the compulsive attempt(s) to meet legitimate emotional needs through viewing pornography and seeking sexual gratification…” It involves repeated “failure to resist impulses to view pornography,” preoccupation with “fantasy, sexualized thoughts,” acting out in spite of consequences and increased tolerance requiring “more frequent or intense pornography…”

Both consumption and addiction are on the rise with society’s increased use of technology, and researchers have become more interested in its consequential effects.

The draw to “use” for a porn addict is 20 Catholic Connection

no different than that of a drug addict.

Pornography use, like cocaine, releases high levels of dopamine, a neurological chemical responsible for positive feelings and rewarddriven behavior. Pornography use also releases oxytocin and vasopressin, chemicals involved in memory and bonding.

These forces of nature make pornography addiction a challenge to combat, even when the addict is desperate for sobriety.

Withdrawal symptoms like persistent headaches, difficulty concentrating, irritability, depression, anxiety, jitters, low libido, insomnia and even suicidal thoughts can last from a week to several months depending on the level of addiction.

But pornography affects more than the brain. It wounds the hearts of consumers, often leading to depression, disinterest in marital intimacy, isolation, shame and loneliness – which can trigger acting out.

“Even basic connections with others become difficult,” said Matt Fradd, CEO and founder of The Porn Effect, “One guy came to me and said he couldn’t look women in the eyes anymore.”

The shame associated with porn use makes one prone to secrecy, which not only isolates a person socially, but also makes him susceptible to psychological damage, according to FighttheNewDrug.org.

“What I see most commonly is denial that it affects family,” said Fr. Kilcawley.

“Addicts aren’t as in tune with their spouses or children because there’s an objectification that reduces family to just things that live with you.” But kids notice when their parent becomes clean. “One man told me his little boy said, ‘I like the new daddy,’

after he had been clean for two months. He was able to tap into a part of his fatherhood that he didn’t know he was missing.”

The harm is evident, but hope for healing is abundant. According to Fr. Kilcawley, the “three pillars of recovery” are seeing a CSAT, seeking spiritual direction, and participating in an accountability or 12-step group. A list of CSATs in your area can be found at IITAP.com and there are several sexual addiction therapists beyond state lines willing to Skype or phone-in with clients.

“There are people who pray every day and they still look at porn,” Matt Fradd said.

“There is a natural component to addictions and if you ignore it, you can’t make much headway.” Which is why a healthy spiritual life coupled with therapy is a more thorough approach than one or the other alone.

“It’s not helpful to tell someone who’s clinically depressed to cheer up, just like it’s not helpful to tell a porn addict to just stop,” said Fradd. “They need professional help and support.”

One of the most important ways to heal from pornography addiction is to understand why it exists, personal triggers and associated emotional trauma. Below are resources for those seeking recovery. Every pornography addict must be assured of the hope of real healing and the love Jesus Christ has for him or her personally. God will offer the grace to step forward in recovery; and beyond the pain and challenges awaits a life of clarity and peace. •

Resources – Books

• Treating Pornography Addiction

by Dr. Kevin Skinner • Out of the Shadows by Dr. Patrick Carnes • Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction

by Dr. Mark Laaser • Integrity Restored: Helping Catholic Families Win the Battle Against Pornography by Dr. Peter Kleponis •The Porn Myth by Matt Fradd

Resources – Online

• AssessingPornAddiction.com • IntegrityRestored.com • AddoRecovery.com • SA.org (Sexaholics Anonymous) • CovenantEyes.com •The RTribe App and the Victory App • The Integrity Restored Podcast

Ignatius of Loyola Movie Coming to Diocese of Shreveport

by Randy Tiller

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LOCATION:

gnatius Press announced the new theatrical release of Ignatius of Loyola, Solider, Sinner, Saint on December 1, 2016. Due to the past relationship our diocese has with Ignatius Press, the Diocese of Shreveport was one of the first to be offered the opportunity to book a showing for this film.

Not since the release of Mary of Nazareth and Restless Heart has there been such an epic Catholic film of this scope, quality and grandeur. The last full-length feature film on St. Ignatius of Loyola was produced over 70 years ago.

Filmed on location in Spain with an extremely talented cast of Spanish actors, the story of Ignatius, his tumultuous life, passions, sinfulness, conversion and ultimately virtuous life bursts onto the screen and into the minds and hearts of the viewers, illuminating the life of St. Ignatius like never before.

The story of St. Ignatius is as relevant today as it was more than 500 years ago.

And now, our diocese is able to offer an opportunity to view this powerful story in the Holoubek Theatre at the Catholic Center, located at 3500 Fairfield Avenue in Shreveport.

This outstanding Catholic film is being brought to our diocese for the purpose of evangelization and

DATE/TIME:

FOR TICKET/INFO, CONTACT:

entertainment.

The diocese is offering this film on three different days and times so that everyone will have an opportunity to view it. Although there is no admission charge, donations are accepted. Your generosity makes it possible to continue bringing such events to our theatre.

Showings will be as follows: • Wednesday March 22, at 2:00 p.m.

• Thursday, March 23, at 6:00 p.m.

• Friday, March 24, at 8:30 a.m. for middle and high school students. (The producers advise the film is not suited for under 13 years of age).

Souvenir bookmarks will be handed out at each showing as a memento of the screening. Patrons will also have the opportunity to purchase DVDs for sale at the theatre after the screening. They will only be available at the theatre, not online or at other locations until its general release after April 2017.

Some interesting facts: In 1521, Ignatius was struck by a cannonball in the legs. One leg was merely broken, but the other was badly mangled. After suffering for a month, his doctors warned him to prepare for death. Ignatius began to improve and part of one leg was amputated. During his healing, Ignatius began to read De Vita Christi (The Life of Christ). The book would inspire Ignatius' own spiritual exercises.

Other men joined his exercises and became followers of Ignatius. The group began to refer to themselves as “Friends in the Lord.” Pope Paul III received the group and approved them as an official religious order in 1540. They called themselves the Society of Jesus.

Some people who did not appreciate their efforts dubbed them “Jesuits” in an attempt to disparage them. Before Ignatius died in 1556, his order established 35 schools and boasted 1,000 members.

For more information about the movie, contact Randy Tiller, 318-8684441, or rtiller@dioshpt.org. •

Lenten

Reconciliation Schedule

Wednesday, March 15 Cathedral of St. John Berchmans 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 16 St. Joseph Parish, Shreveport 6:30 p.m.

Monday, March 20 Holy Trinity Parish 5:00 p.m.

Tuesday, March 21 St. Jude Parish 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 22 St. John Berchmans School 8:15 a.m.

Loyola College Prep 9:30 a.m.

St. Pius X Parish 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 23 Mary, Queen of Peace Parish 6:00 p.m.

Monday, April 3 St. Mary of the Pines Parish 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 4 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish 6:30 p.m.

Christ the King Parish 6:45 p.m.

Thursday, April 6 Sacred Heart Church, Shreveport 6:30 p.m.

March 2017 21

7 Reasons for Laypeople to Explore the UD Catholic Formation Program in Our Diocese from the University of Dallas

at their own pace. Take a course for a 10-week session and see how it goes; then, when you’re ready for more, go for it!

Courses are offered through an educational partnership with the University of Dallas, which brings its intellectual resources to the life of the local Church. The university consistently enjoys a spot on U.S. News & World Report’s list of the top 10 Catholic colleges in the West and is recommended by the Cardinal Newman Guide. The university also organizes the annual Dallas Ministry Conference, which draws nearly 5,000 attendees.

The more you grow in knowledge of the faith, the more you’ll grow in your life of service, both personally and professionally.

As Pope Francis shared in one general audience, “You may know the whole Bible, you may know all the liturgical rubrics, you may know all theology, but from this knowledge love is not automatic: loving has another path, it requires intelligence, but also something more. ... There is no true worship if it is not translated into service to neighbor.”

Earn a Certificate of Theological Studies upon completion of the program. This continuing education certificate from the University of Dallas recognizes that you’ve worked hard and grown intellectually, spiritually and professionally — and you’re ready for mission. Now we go together to “make disciples for all the world” (Mt. 28:19).

Interested in learning more about the Diaconate Intellectual Formation Program? Contact Deacon Clary Nash, director of the Permanent Deacon Formation Program, at 318-219-7303, or cnash@dioshpt.org. The program is open to both lay ministers and aspiring deacons. Classes start fall 2017. •

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moment of silence can be a rare thing in this day and age — and a few minutes to catch your breath even rarer. Our days are full of buzzing phones, pinging social notifications, meetings and surprises — not to mention those hectic Sunday mornings tumbling into the pew just as the entrance chant begins. What if you had the opportunity to slow down? To take in that moment of silence while growing in faith, service and community?

Now, there’s a new way to do just that through a new Catholic formation program in the Diocese of Shreveport from University of Dallas for both laypeople and aspiring deacons. Here are seven reasons to explore the new program: Journeying in faith with a community is always more transformational than we think. If you’re looking for a “boost” in your spiritual life, this program brings believers together to learn more about the Lord and His church. You will experience a unique level of communication among faculty and peers who support, challenge and illuminate one another at every turn.

You get to learn from the University of Dallas’ nationally

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recognized theology faculty. The professors have served on the “front lines” of ministry in leadership positions and bring their experience into their teaching, like Professor Jim McGill, an expert in applied ministry who also has 40-plus years’ experience directing adult religious education programs in parish settings.

“The more you grow in knowledge of the faith, the more you'll grow

in your life of service, both personally and professionally.”

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If you haven’t yet undertaken a comprehensive study of your Catholic faith, now is the time. The four-year program covers a broad scope of topics, including Christian spirituality, sacred Scripture, the Catholic Church in America, the history of liturgy and bioethics.

Don’t worry if four years sounds like a big commitment. Aspiring deacons take all four years of formation in sequence, but laypeople can participate

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hispanic NEWS por Rosalba Quiroz

Invitación Durante la Cuaresma

Calendario del Mes de Marzo

uaresma es el tiempo litúrgico en el que nos preparamos para la Pascua. La Cuaresma dura precisamente cuarenta días, comenzando con el Miércoles de Ceniza (este año el 1º de marzo) y termina el Jueves Santo (este año el jueves 13 de abril). Es aquí en el Jueves Santo que también comienza el Triduo Pascual. Acompañamos a Jesús en su Pasión, Muerte y Resurrección. Los cuarenta días nos recuerdan de muchos acontecimientos bíblicos: 40 días de ayuno de Jesús en el Desierto, 40 años del pueblo de Dios en el desierto, 40 días que Moisés transcurrió en el Monte Sinaí, 40 días de diluvio.

El tiempo de Cuaresma es tiempo de conversión, de arrepentimiento, de fuerte evangelización para llevar al Bautismo a los no Cristianos; y para la preparación evangélica de los bautizados. Es tiempo de reconciliación con Dios y con el prójimo.

La Cuaresma nos invita a una purificación e iluminación mediante la práctica del sacramento de la Reconciliación y la mayor frecuencia del Sacramento de la Eucaristía.

Es tiempo de penitencia y conversión, es una invitación continua a convertirse en el Señor con todo el corazón. Esta conversión culminará con la celebración del Sacramento de Penitencia, como mejor modo de prepararse para la fiesta de la Pascua.

Durante el tiempo de Cuaresma no se permite adornar con flores el altar -excepto en algunas solemnidades o fiestas-. No se canta el aleluya ni el Gloria en la misa, sino hasta la Vigilia Pascual.

Las semanas se dividen desde el primer Domingo de Cuaresma hasta el quinto y ya el sexto domingo es el Domingo de Ramos donde comenzamos la semana de la Pasión del Señor. Durante este período los ornamentos del Altar y del sacerdote son de color morado.

-Por SCTJM. Página de internet: Corazones www.corazones.org/biblia_y_liturgia/temporadas/cuaresma/cuaresma.htm Las parroquias con Ministerio Hispano te invitan a unirte a un grupo de estudio, una vez a la semana por cinco semanas. Este estudio es parte del proceso te ayudará a prepararte durante la Cuaresma para mejorar tu vida espiritual. Si no perteneces aun a algún grupo, ¿Qué esperas? Únete llamando a tu párroco o coordinador(a) de tu comunidad y se parte del proceso del V Encuentro Nacional de Ministerio Hispano en los Estados Unidos. •

2 Reunión en preparación para retiro Emaús Mujeres, Monroe, LA, 6-9p.m.

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3 Retiro de Cuaresma empleados de la diócesis.

Parroquia de San Judas. Centro Católico cerrado.

8 Pro-Life Banquet prolifedioshreveport@dioshpt.org Shreveport Centro de Convenciones, 5 p.m.

9 Reunión de preparación para retiro Emaús Mujeres, Ruston, LA, 6-9p.m.

16 Reunión de preparación para retiro Emaús Mujeres, Bossier City, LA, 6-9p.m.Convenciones, 5 p.m.

22 Misa Crismal, Catedral de St. John Berchmans, Shreveport, 6p.m. (el Obispo bendice los Santos Oleos que se usarán durante todo el año para los Sacramentos).

24 Triduo Pascual (Pasión, Muerte y Resurrección de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo)

MINISTERIO HISPANO CATÓLICO - DIÓCESIS DE SHREVEPORT Rosalba Quiroz, Directora 1-800-256-1542, Ext. 265; o (318) 219-7265; rquiroz@dioshpt.org Gabriela Willis, Secretaria (318) 219-7257; gwillis@dioshpt.org Fidel Mondragón, Apoyo Pastoral (318) 751-1661, fmondragon0509@yahoo.com

Cristo Rey, Bossier City

425 McCormick Street Misa: Domingos 3pm Lunes, Martes, Jueves y Sabados 7pm Ricardo Rivera (318) 572-7629

Santo Tomás Aquino, Ruston

810 Carey Avenue Misa: Domingos 2:30 pm

Nta Sra del Perp. Socorro Farmerville

600 E. Water Street Misa: Sabados 7:00 pm Claudia Wade (318) 282-9971

Sagrado Corazón, OakGrove

San Pascual,W. Monroe

201 Purvis Street Misa: Domingos 5pm Feliciano y Rosa Alviso (318) 428-2137

711 N. 7th Street Domingos 2:30 pm Lorena Chaparro, (318) 267-4018

San José, Mansfield 305 Jefferson Street

Domingos 3pm

Sta María de los Pinos Shreveport

1050 Bert Kouns Ind. Loop Misa: Domingos 11:30 am Carmen Bradford (318) 455.2300

Sacerdotes: Bossier - P. Rigo Bentacurt (318) 754-6104; Farmerville/W. Monroe - P. Luis Jost (318) 243-0115 Oak Grove - P. Mark Watson (318) 559-1276; Ruston - P. Blane O’Neill (318) 255-2870 March 2017 23

Kids' Connection!

This Month We Learn About saint Brigid of Kildare

who was she?

St. Brigid was born into slavery in 451 in Ireland.

As she grew, she perfomend many miracles, which included healing the sick and feeding the poor.

There are many accounts of her giving away food, only to have it miraculously replenished. She established a monastery in Kildare that was served by young women who took care of an “eternal flame” there. With the help of seven others, Brigid created communal religious life for women in Ireland and became an abbess. It is also said that Brigid created a school of art. She was friends with St. Patrick, and the two of them, along with St. Colmcille, are the patron saints of Ireland.

Word Find ABBESS

HEALING

MIRACLES

CLOAK

ILLUMINATIONS

MONASTERY

FLAME

IRELAND

RELIGIOUS LIFE

GENEROUS

KILDARE

ST PATRICK

24 Catholic Connection

St. Brigid's Cloak

One of the most common stories told about Brigid concerns her cloak. She asked King Leinster for land for a convent. He denied her and Brigid prayed that the Lord soften the king’s heart. She asked if he would give her as much land as her cloak could cover. He agreed. Four sisters took up a corner of the cloak and ran in different directions.

The cloak grew and covered a huge piece of land.

The king relented and gave her the land she wanted.

school NEWS

St. Fred's Participated in Literary Music Rally

SJB Hosted Religion Scholars Bowl

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t. John Berchmans School hosted its 8th annual Religion Scholars Bowl on February 2 as part of Catholic Schools Week.

Students in grades third through eighth from each school competed in teams during the day-long event featuring questions, activities and skits about the Catholic faith. The students were from Jesus the Good Shepherd School (Monroe), Our Lady of Fatima School (Monroe), St. Frederick High School, 7th and

8th (Monroe), St. Joseph School (Shreveport) and St. John Berchmans School (Shreveport). Bishop Michael Duca and principal Jo Cazes awarded the first place medals to the seventh grade team. St. John Berchmans looks forward to hosting this annual event as it has become a great way for Catholic school students from North Louisiana to meet and enjoy fun competition with one another and to bring about a sense of community.

"Live the Vision" at St. Joseph

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s part of their Continuous School Improvement Plan, St. Joseph Catholic School launched “Live the Vision” on January 27, in a daylong celebration of learning and teambuilding activities. Each student, K3 – 8th grade, and all staff members were divided into eight different colonies. Each colony

is given a different color, saint and virtue. The colonies will work together individually and as a team to earn points by performing acts of service, spirit, excelling academically and through athletics. Points are added to each colony’s total, and at the end of the year, “The Colony Cup” is awarded to the colony with the most accumulated points.

t. Frederick High School had four students participate in the district literary music rally. From left to right: Anna Grace Gill, Ara Mercado, Cale Guillory and Caroline Florsheim. Congratulations to these students.

Perkins Wins Spelling Bee

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ongratulations to Tyler Perkins for winning first place in the Our Lady of Fatima Spelling Bee. Tyler will go on to compete at the All Parish Spelling Bee in March.

JGS Students Competed in Scholars Bowl

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group of 12 students from Jesus the Good Shepherd School, ranging from grades three to six, competed in the 8th Annual Religion Scholars Bowl at St. John Berchmans School in Shreveport during Catholic Schools Week. The students competed in a daylong event featuring questions, activities and skits about the Catholic faith.

March 2017 25

around the DIOCESE

Zwolle Parents of the Year

Pippin Wins Pro-Life Oratory Contest

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ongratulations to St. Joseph, Zwolle’s 2017 Father and Mother of the Year, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Ezernack. Pictured with them is St. Helen Circle Captain, their daughter, Colleen Britt.

World Marriage Day at JGS

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he Pro-Life Oratory Contest was held February 7 at the Catholic Center. The oratory contest is an annual event that offers an opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to speak on a topic related to pro-life. This year’s contest winner is Alexis Pippin, who represented the youth group from the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans. Alexis will present

her speech on March 8 at the Bishop’s Pro-Life Banquet at which time Bishop Duca will award her a $500 check for her accomplishment. It was a great event with a lot of enthusiasm shown by all participants. The diocese is grateful to Katherine Jaynes, who served as event coordinator and facilitator, and to Mary’s House for organizing this year’s contest.

Cheerleaders Donate Bags of Love

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esus the Good Shepherd Parish in Monroe celebrated World Marriage Day 2017 on February 11 with a dinner honoring couples married for either half decades or decades. Anniversaries ranged from five years to 69 years.

Darnell Wins Poster Contest

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t. John Berchmans’ JV cheerleaders made and donated “Bags of Love” to the adult male and female residents of Providence House on Saturday, February 11.

The bags contained scented lotions, 26 Catholic Connection

shower gels and body sprays along with chocolates!

Pictured: Charlotte Fulco, Maya Beasley, Melissa Murray, Brooklynn Thompson, Alexandra Kerr, Anaya Germany, Isabella Cascio, Ella Acree.

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annah Darnell was the winner of the Knights of Columbus “Keeping Christ in Christmas” poster contest.

She was selected as the district winner and will move on to the state competition.

Multicultural Tasting Event at St. Joseph Parish, Shreveport

Giving Witness to College Students at Tech

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he Association of Catholic Tech Students (ACTS) welcomed Brad Bourgeois to speak about “Staying Catholic in College.” A Tech alum and former Catholic radio show host, Brad, his wife and five children, currently live in Monroe and are members of Jesus the Good Shepherd Church. ACTS loves to host speakers. If you or someone you know would like to speak to Catholic college students at Louisiana Tech, give us a call at 318-251-0793.

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Taste of St. Joseph,” a multi-cultural potluck, was held January 29 to share and experience the food of the different nationalities of the church family. Favorite dishes that represented parishioners’ cultures were served. Many members set up tables and wore clothing of their cultures and nationalities. “

Surprise Visit from St. Lucy's Reaches Out to Nursing Home Fr. Thomas Elavunkal

SEAS Group Valentines Gathering

... May He dispel every plan of terror and death, so that no

many many ever dare spill the blood of his brother.

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t. Lucy’s annual Christmas ministry shares the love of God with the residents of Wyatt Manor Nursing Home. Through the parish’s Angel Tree, the residents’ Christmas is blessed with gifts and fellowship. Pictured is the Stricklands, a participating family.

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riends and former parishioners of Fr. Thomas Elavunkal (center) were surprised by his recent visit to the Diocese of Shreveport. Fr. Thomas returned to India last May, but returned for a short visit.

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he Youree Fellowship group of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton celebrated an early Valentine dinner with food, fellowship and fun. The group meets monthly for a spiritual presentation, dinner and camaraderie.

March 2017 27

across the GLOBE from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

face of Christ. Each of us meets people like this every day. Each life that we encounter is a gift deserving acceptance, respect and love. The word of God helps us to open our eyes to welcome and love life, especially when it is weak and vulnerable. But in order to do this, we have to take seriously what the Gospel tells us about the rich man.

Lent is the favorable season for renewing

our encounter with Christ, living

in the sacraments, and with our neighbor. in his word,

2. Sin blinds us

Holy Father's Message for Lent

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ear Brothers and Sisters, Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of Easter, Christ’s victory over death. This season urgently calls us to conversion.

Christians are asked to return to God “with all their hearts” (Joel 2:12), to refuse to settle for mediocrity and to grow in friendship with the Lord. Jesus is the faithful friend Who never abandons us.

Even when we sin, He patiently awaits our return; by that patient expectation, He shows us His readiness to forgive.

Lent is a favorable season for deepening our spiritual life through the means of sanctification offered us by the Church: fasting, prayer and almsgiving. At the basis of everything is the word of God, which during this season we are invited to hear and ponder more deeply. I would now like to consider the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (cf. Lk 16:19-31). Let us find inspiration in this meaningful story, for it provides a key to understanding what we need to do in order to attain true happiness and eternal life. It exhorts us to sincere conversion.

1. The other person is a gift

The parable begins by presenting its two main characters. The poor man is described in greater detail: he is wretched 28 Catholic Connection

and lacks the strength even to stand.

Lying before the door of the rich man, he fed on the crumbs falling from his table.

His body is full of sores and dogs come to lick his wounds. The picture is one of great misery; it portrays a man disgraced and pitiful.

The scene is even more dramatic if we consider that the poor man is called Lazarus: a name full of promise, which literally means “God helps.” This character is not anonymous. His features are clearly delineated and he appears as an individual with his own story. While practically invisible to the rich man, we see and know him as someone familiar.

He becomes a face, and as such, a gift, a priceless treasure, a human being whom God loves and cares for, despite his concrete condition as an outcast.

Lazarus teaches us that other persons are a gift. A right relationship with people consists in gratefully recognizing their value. Even the poor person at the door of the rich is not a nuisance, but a summons to conversion and to change. The parable first invites us to open the doors of our heart to others because each person is a gift, whether it be our neighbor or an anonymous pauper. Lent is a favorable season for opening the doors to all those in need and recognizing in them the

The parable is unsparing in its description of the contradictions associated with the rich man. Unlike poor Lazarus, he does not have a name; he is simply called “a rich man.” His opulence was seen in his extravagant and expensive robes. Purple cloth was even more precious than silver and gold, and was thus reserved to divinities (Jer 10:9) and kings (Jg 8:26), while fine linen gave one an almost sacred character. The man was clearly ostentatious about his wealth, and in the habit of displaying it daily: “He feasted sumptuously every day.” In him we can catch a dramatic glimpse of the corruption of sin, which progresses in three successive stages: love of money, vanity and pride.

The Apostle Paul tells us that “the love of money is the root of all evils” (1 Tim 6:10). It is the main cause of corruption and a source of envy, strife and suspicion. Money can come to dominate us, even to the point of becoming a tyrannical idol (Evangelii Gaudium, 55). Instead of being an instrument at our service for doing good and showing solidarity towards others, money can chain us and the entire world to a selfish logic that leaves no room for love and hinders peace.

The parable then shows that the rich man’s greed makes him vain.

His personality finds expression in appearances, in showing others what he can do. But his appearance masks an interior emptiness. His life is a prisoner to outward appearances, to the most superficial and fleeting aspects of existence.

The lowest rung of this moral degradation is pride. The rich man dresses like a king and acts like a god, forgetting that he is merely mortal. For those corrupted by love of riches, nothing exists beyond their own ego. Those around them do not come into their line of sight. The result of attachment to money is a sort of blindness. The rich man does not see the poor man who is starving, hurting and lying at his door.

Looking at this character, we can understand why the Gospel so bluntly condemns the love of money: “No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or be attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money” (Mt 6:24).

3. The Word is a gift

The Gospel of the rich man and Lazarus helps us to make a good preparation for the approach of Easter. The liturgy of Ash Wednesday invites us to an experience quite similar to that of the rich man.

When the priest imposes the ashes on our heads, he repeats the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”. As it turned out, the rich man and the poor man both died, and the greater part of the parable takes place in the afterlife. The two characters suddenly discover that “we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Tim 6:7).

We too see what happens in the afterlife. There the rich man speaks at length with Abraham, whom he calls “father” (Lk 16:24.27), as a sign that he belongs to God’s people. This detail makes his life appear all the more contradictory, for until this moment there had been no mention of his relation to God. In fact, there was no place for God in his life. His only god was himself.

The rich man recognizes Lazarus only amid the torments of the afterlife.

He wants the poor man to alleviate his suffering with a drop of water. What he asks of Lazarus is similar to what he could have done but never did. Abraham tells him: “During your life you had your fill of good things, just as Lazarus had his fill of bad. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony.” In the afterlife, a

kind of fairness is restored and life’s evils are balanced by good.

The parable goes on to offer a message for all Christians. The rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers, who are still alive. But Abraham answers: “They have Moses and the prophets, let them listen to them.”

Countering the rich man’s objections, he adds: “If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead.”

The rich man’s real problem thus comes to the fore. At the root of all his ills was the failure to heed God’s word.

As a result, he no longer loved God and grew to despise his neighbor. The word of God is alive and powerful, capable of converting hearts and leading them back to God. When we close our heart to the gift of God’s word, we end up closing our heart to the gift of our brothers and sisters.

“Lent is a favorable season

opening doors to all those in need and recognizing in them the face of Christ.” for

Dear friends, Lent is the favorable season for renewing our encounter with Christ, living in his word, in the sacraments and with our neighbor. The Lord, who overcame the deceptions of the Tempter during the 40 days in the desert, shows us the path we must take. May the Holy Spirit lead us on a true journey of conversion, so that we can rediscover the gift of God’s word, be purified of the sin that blinds us, and serve Christ present in our brothers and sisters in need. I encourage all the faithful to express this spiritual renewal also by sharing in the Lenten campaigns promoted by many Church organizations in different parts of the world, and thus to favor the culture of encounter in our one human family.

Let us pray for one another so that, by sharing in the victory of Christ, we may open our doors to the weak and poor.

Then we will be able to experience and share to the full the joy of Easter. •

3 Minute

Lenten Reflections in Diocesan App

by Shelly Bole

S

ocial Media has quickly become a venue for evangelization, catechesis and Bible study. Two years ago the diocese moved into the app world with the CatholicConnections app.

Last year we launched three minute Lenten reflections featuring adults, lay and clergy from all over the diocese. The 3 Minute Reflections will begin on March 1, Ash Wednesday, with a message from Bishop Duca. Each week a new reflection, focusing on the Sunday readings, will be added.

In addition there will be weekly tips for encouraging families to experience Lent together.

Our app, also links you to the following: • Diocesan calendar • Catholic Connection magazine, • Audio and/or text of daily readings • Saint of the day • The Divine Office • Catholic News Service If you have not yet explored CatholicConnections, it can be found in both the Google play and the Apple app stores by searching for “CatholicConnections.”

Encourage your friends and family to download the app and begin following the diocesan and universal life of the Church.

March 2017 29

mark your CALENDAR 3/3

St. Pius X Parish's Annual Lenten Fish Fry St. Pius X Parish will begin its annual Fish Fry Dinner on March 3, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Fish will be available every Friday through Lent, except Good Friday. Cash or check, take out or dine in. Available in the Parish Hall side entrance, off of Hwy 71. For more information, contact the church office at 318-222-2165.

3/12

Lenten Mission at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans All are invited to join the Cathedral for their Lenten Mission with Fr. Matthew Long, March 12 - 15. The mission will begin on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. after Mass, and on Monday–Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. The mission’s theme is “The Christian Exodus.” For more information, contact the Cathedral office at 318-221-5296.

3/17

St. Vincent Academy Alumnae St. Patrick's Day Tag Day Fundraiser Celebrate students at the annual St. Vincent Academy Alumnae Tag Day Scholarship Fundraiser! This St. Patrick’s Day Celebration will be held on March 17, at the Catholic Center, 3500 Fairfield Ave. in Shreveport, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Proceeds from the event benefit the children and grandchildren of SVA alumnae who are attending Loyola College Prep. Anyone 21 years and older is welcomed to attend. Tickets are $25 and include food, door prizes and lots of Irish fun. RSVP to Mary Salvail at marylsalvail@gmail.com, or 318-560-7274.

3/17

Lenten Retreat with the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows Come and withdraw from your daily cares to spend some time with God and other college students. Mass, prayer, adoration, talks and confession will lead you into a deeper understanding of Jesus’ passion in the company of his sorrowful mother. Retreat is for single Catholic women ages 17-35, and will take place at the St. Joseph Convent, located at 440 Browns Bend Road in Alexandria, LA. To register, go to www.ols.org/news/newsvideo/retreats/

3/19

St. Joseph Altar in Mansfield This year Saint Joseph’s Altar in Mansfield is on March 19.

There will be a blessing of the altar and the meal after the 11:00 a.m. Mass. For more information, contact the church office at 318-872-1158.

3/19

St. Joseph Altar in Shreveport The blessing of the altar will take place after 9:30 a.m.

Mass on March 19 with a festive meal from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. The meal will include spaghetti, fried fish, stuffed artichoke, omelet, assorted desserts and a take home bag of Italian Cookies for your midnight snack! If you would like to volunteer your time, make a donation or furnish a dessert, please call the church office at 318-865-3581.

3/19

Lenten Mission at St. John the Baptist Fr. Lou Guardiola will present a Lenten Mission at St. John the Baptist Parish entitled, “The Church is the Ark of Salvation” March 19 - 21 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Fr. Lou is a member of the Fathers of Mercy in South Union, KY. Everyone is invited. St. John the Baptist Parish is located at 1130 San Antonio Ave. in Many. For more information, contact the church office at 318-256-5680.

2 0 1 7 D i o c e s a n s t e wa r d s h i p A p p e a l

I / We would like to contribute to the Diocesan Stewardship Appeal with a total yearly pledge of: $10,000 $7,500 $5,000 $3,500

$2,500 $2,000 $1,500 $1,000

Please send monthly reminders to:

$800 $750 $650 $500

$400 $350 $300 $250

At this time I / we are enclosing:

$200 $150 $100 $_______

$_____________

Print Name________________________________________________________________________________

Diocese of Shreveport The Catholic Center 3500 Fairfield Avenue Shreveport, LA 71104 www.dioshpt.org

30 Catholic Connection

Address___________________________________________________________________________________ City______________________________________________________State_________Zip Code____________ My / Our Church Parish______________________________________________________________________ Signature__________________________________________________________________________________ You may make a credit card payment online at: www.dioshpt.org (Click on Stewardship)

MARCH

2017

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

SATURDAY

26 27 28 1 2 3 4 Theology on Tap, Monago Fieldhouse, Monroe, 6:30pm

APPEAL SUNDAY

ASH WEDNESDAY

Catholic Center Closed for Staff Retreat

2nd Collection: Aid to the Church in Central & Eastern Europe

St. Casimir

St. Katharine Drexel, virgin

ASh WEDNESDAY MARCH 1

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Shreveport Bishop Duca's Theology on Deadline for the Catholic Youth Principals Pro-Life Banquet, Tap, Buffalo Wild April Catholic Day, St. Paschal Meeting, Shreveport Wings, Bossier Parish Center, Connection Catholic Center, Convention City, 6:30pm West Monroe, 9am Center, 6pm 10am St. Frances of Protecting Sts. Perpetua & Rome, religious Felicity, martyrs God's Children, Catholic Center, 6pm

Rite of Election, Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, 2:30pm First Sunday of Lent

Rite of Election MARCH 5

St. John of God, religious

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Monroe Principals Meeting, Eastern Catholic Center, 9:30am

Quiz Bowl, St. Thomas Aquinas, Ruston, 1pm

Daylight Savings Time Begins

St. Patrick, Bishop

St. Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop & doctor of the Church

Second Sunday of Lent

Catholic Youth Day/ MArch 11

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Third Sunday of Lent

St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

St. Ignatius of St. Ignatius of Theology on St. Ignatius of Loyola Movie Loyola Movie, Tap, Monago Loyola Movie, for students, Fieldhouse, Catholic Center, Catholic Center, Catholic Center, 6pm Monroe, 6:30pm 2pm 8:30am St. Turibuis of Blessed Oscar Mogrovejo, Romero, bishop bishop & martyr

The Annunciation of the Lord

2nd Collection: Catholic Relief Services

26 27 28 29 30 31 1 Fourth Sunday of Lent

St. Ignatius of Loyola Movie / March 22-24 LOCATION: DATE/TIME: FOR TICKET/INFO, CONTACT:

2nd Collection: Catholic Relief Services

Annunciation of the Lord / MARCH 25 March 2017 31

Connection The Catholic

DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT 3500 Fairfield Ave.

•

Shreveport, LA 71104

Fairfield

Photo of the Month

Niño de y of the Pines celebrated Santo Filipino parishioners at St. Mar umbus.

Col sponsored by the Knights of Cebú (Holy Child) with a festival

32 Catholic Connection

Photo courtesy of Fr. John Paul

Crispin