November 2020

The Catholic

Connection

The Joyful Issue

Connecting Authentically through Humility & Vulnerability

Vol. 30 No. 4 November 2020

The Guilt of Joy:

In a world of hurt, do we have the right to be happy?

Celebrating Black Catholics Month:

A Closer Look at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament

We Have No King But Caesar:

Celebrating Christ the King, a King of Humility

The Conscience of Shreveport: Celebrating 50 years of Christian Service

NOVEMBER 2020  1

34

26

contents

14

17

25

FEATURES

COLUMNS

10 The Guilt of Joy & the Grace of Silliness

4

From the Pope: The Prayers of the Psalms

14

8

From the Bishop: The Communion of Saints

18

Mike’s Meditations: We Have No King but Caesar

24 26 The Conscience of Shreveport:

Celebrating 50 Years of Christian 30 Service

28 Little Eyes are Watching: Raising 31

Young Disciples

Faithful Food: A Study in Frenzi and Grace

A Reflection on Gratitude

16 Celebrating Black Catholics Month 21

Confusing Times

NEWS 6

Across the Nation

32 Around the Diocese & School News 36

2 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Hispanic News

Mary’s Mission: Thank You, God. I am Free Library Notes

CLOSING 40

Upcoming Events & Seminarian Burses

On the cover: Brooke Richter, Photo by Kierstin Richter

from the editor

Connection The Catholic

By: Kierstin Richter

“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”

Thomas Merton, No Man is an Island.

Thanksgiving generally a joyful occasion. It’s football in the front yard while the turkey is still in the oven. It’s sitting around the living room with your cousins, all grown now with children of their own. But for others, it’s a heartbreaking silence when everyone gathers to say grace and the one who used to lead the prayer is no longer there. It’s an emptiness of seeing the party get smaller and smaller every year. It’s an ache for home.

But it’s also an ache for home in a person. It’s an ache for a time when we could go somewhere as we are and not be questioned.

It’s been a tough year for everyone. Pride has driven wedges between family members and friends and hurt relationships with the need to be right. But you don’t have to agree with someone to love them. We don’t nourish our relationships by competing or comparing.

We tend to expect the ones we love to already be a finished product of themselves while we give ourselves the benefit of the doubt and the grace to grow. We hold other people to higher standards than we hold ourselves. And if we wait for them to be agreeable and pleasant for us to love them, we will never love them. If we wait until we decide if they are worthy of our love, we’ve missed the point of love altogether.

Mother Teresa once said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” The very fibers of our being are dependant on relationship. We are built for love, joy, and connection. When we let pride get in the way, we’ve lost that peace. Be gentle with people. Be gentle with yourself - because we’re all just walking each other home.

So I ask that even among the disagreement and the snide comments this year, among the animosity and the rolling eyes when your opinionated cousin says something you think is ignorant... remember we are all one - that we’re here to love and serve, not to debate and hate. Let people be themselves and meet them where they are. Let us foster a spirit of home where we can all come back and be embraced without hesitation.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving, and may it be filled with love, cozy sweaters, chilly weather, joyful moments, and juicy turkey. May God bless you all and enjoy the November edition of The Catholic Connection. Hopefully by the time this gets to you, the weather will actually feel like fall, and we can enjoy our pumpkin spice lattes rightfully in peace.

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 faith community.

FACEBOOK FACEBOOK.COM/DIOCESEOFSHREVEPORT

INSTAGRAM @CATHOLICCONNECTION

PUBLISHER Bishop Francis I. Malone EDITOR Kierstin Richter CONTRIBUTORS Mike Van Vranken Kim Long Kate Rhea Mary Arcement Alexander Mark Loyet Rosalba Quiroz Kathryn Barattini Deacon Raney Johnson Jane Snyder EDITORIAL BOARD Deacon Mike Whitehead John Mark Willcox Kim Long Kate Rhea Rosalba Quiroz Fr. Matthew Long Dr. Carynn Wiggins SUBSCRIPTIONS & ADDRESS CHANGES Contact: Blanca Vice Email: bvice@dioshpt.org Write: The Catholic Connection 3500 Fairfield Ave. Shreveport, LA 71104 Call: 318-868-4441 Fax: 318-868-4609 www.thecatholiconnection.org SUBMISSIONS Contact: Kierstin Richter Email: krichter@dioshpt.org The Catholic Connection is a member of the Catholic Press Association.

The Diocese of Shreveport complies with Virtus’ 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 your local law enforcement agency and Glennda Lawson, Diocesan Victim Assistance Minister, at 318-294-1031.

NOVEMBER 2020 3

from the pope

The Prayer of the Psalms GENERAL AUDIENCE: Paul VI Audience Hall, Wednesday, 14 October 2020 AS WE READ the Bible, we continually come across prayers of various types. But we also find a book made up solely of prayers, a book that has become the native land, gymnasium and home of countless men and women of prayer. It is the Book of Psalms.

There are 150 Psalms to pray.

It forms part of the books of wisdom, because it communicates “knowing how to pray” through the experience of dialogue with God. In the Psalms we find all human sentiments: the joys, the sorrows, the doubts, the hopes, the bitterness that colour our lives. The Catechism affirms that every Psalm “possesses such direct simplicity that it can be prayed in truth by men of all times and conditions” (CCC, 2588). As we read and reread the Psalms, we learn the language of prayer. God the Father, indeed, with His Spirit, inspired them in the heart of King David and others who prayed, in order to teach every man and woman how to praise Him, how to thank Him and to supplicate; how to invoke Him in joy and in suffering, and how to recount the wonders of His works and of His Law. In short, the Psalms are the word of God that we human beings use to speak with Him. In this book we do not encounter ethereal people, abstract people, those who confuse prayer with an aesthetic or alienating experience. The Psalms are not

4 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

texts created on paper; they are invocations, often dramatic, that spring from lived existence. To pray them it is enough for us to be what we are. We must not forget that to pray well we must pray as we are, without embellishment. One must not embellish the soul to pray. “Lord, I am like this”, and go in front of the Lord as we are, with the good things and also with the bad things that no-one knows about, but that we inwardly know. In the Psalms we hear the voices of men and women of prayer in flesh and blood, whose life, like that of us all, is fraught with problems, hardships and uncertainties. The Psalmist does not radically contest this suffering: he knows that it is part of living. In the Psalms, however, suffering is transformed into a question. From suffering to questioning.

And among the many questions, there is one that remains suspended, like an incessant cry that runs throughout the entire book from beginning to end.

A question that we repeat many times: “Until when, Lord? Until when?” Every suffering calls for liberation, every tear calls for consolation, every wound awaits healing, every slander a sentence of absolution. “Until when, Lord, must I suffer this? Listen to me, Lord!”

How many times we have prayed like this, with “Until when?”, enough now, Lord!

By constantly asking such questions, the Psalms

teach us not to get used to pain, and remind us that life is not saved unless it is healed. The existence of each human being is but a breath, his or her story is fleeting, but the prayerful know that they are precious in the eyes of God, and so it makes sense to cry out. And this is important. When we pray, we do so because we know we are precious in God’s eyes. It is the grace of the Holy Spirit that, from within, inspires in us this awareness: of being precious in the eyes of God. And this is why we are moved to pray.

The prayer of the Psalms is the testimony of this cry: a multiple cry, because in life pain takes a thousand forms, and takes the name of sickness, hatred, war, persecution, distrust...

Until the supreme “scandal”, that of death. Death appears in the Psalter as man’s most unreasonable enemy: what crime deserves such cruel punishment, which involves annihilation and the end? The prayer of the Psalms asks God to intervene where all human efforts are in vain. That is why prayer, in and of itself, is the way of salvation and the beginning of salvation.

Everyone suffers in this world: whether they believe in God or reject Him. But in the Psalter, pain becomes a relationship, rapport: a cry for help waiting to intercept a listening ear. It cannot remain meaningless, without purpose. Even the pains we suffer cannot be merely specific cases of a universal law: they are always “my” tears. Think about this: tears are not universal, they are “my” tears. Everyone has their own.

“My” tears and “my” pain drive me to go ahead in prayer. They are “my” tears, that no one has ever shed before me.

Yes, they have wept, many. But “my” tears are mine, “My” pain is my own, “my” suffering is my own.

Before entering the Hall, I met the parents of that priest of the diocese of Como who was killed: he was killed

precisely in his service to others. The tears of those parents are their own tears, and each one of them knows how much he or she has suffered in seeing this son who gave his life in service to the poor. When we want to console somebody, we cannot find the words.

Why? Because we cannot arrive at his or her pain, because her sorrows are her own, his tears are his own.

“Problems are not always solved. Those who pray are not deluded: they know that many questions of life down here remain unresolved, with no way out; suffering will accompany us and, after one battle, others will await us. But if we are listened to, everything becomes more bearable.”

The same is true of us: the tears, the sorrow, the tears are mine, and with these tears, with this sorrow I turn to the Lord.

All human pains for God are sacred. So

prays the prayer of Psalm 56: “Thou hast kept count of my tossings; put thou my tears in thy bottle! Are they not in thy book?” (v. 9). Before God we are not strangers, or numbers. We are faces and hearts, known one by one, by name.

In the Psalms, the believer finds an answer. He knows that even if all human doors were barred, God’s door is open. Even if the whole world had issued a verdict of condemnation, there is salvation in God. “The Lord listens”: sometimes in prayer it is enough to know this. Problems are not always solved. Those who pray are not deluded: they know that many questions of life down here remain unresolved, with no way out; suffering will accompany us and, after one battle, others will await us. But if we are listened to, everything becomes more bearable.

The worst thing that can happen is to suffer in abandonment, without being remembered. From this prayer saves us.

Because it can happen, and even often, that we do not understand God’s plans.

But our cries do not stagnate down here: they rise up to Him, He who has the heart of a Father, and who cries Himself for every son and daughter who suffers and dies. I will tell you something: it is good for me, in difficult moments, to think of Jesus weeping; when He wept looking at Jerusalem, when He wept before Lazarus’ tomb. God has wept for me, God weeps, He weeps for our sorrows. Because God wanted to make Himself man - a spiritual writer used to say - in order to be able to weep. To think that Jesus weeps with me in sorrow is a consolation: it helps us keep going. If we maintain our relationship with Him, life does not spare us suffering, but we open up to a great horizon of goodness and set out towards its fulfilment. Take courage, persevere in prayer. Jesus is always by our side.

NOVEMBER 2020 5

U.S. Bishop Chairman Calls for Reconsideration of End of COVID-Relief Discussions October 7, 2020 WASHINGTON—Following reports that President Trump has directed Treasury Secretary Mnuchin to cease negotiations on a COVID-relief package, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, urged reconsideration of the decision in light of the acute needs of millions of Americans for immediate assistance.

“Tens of millions of Americans urgently need help today. They need help in getting enough food, paying the rent or mortgage, finding work, affording health care, and accessing good schools. We have been imploring lawmakers since April to address these needs.

“Pope Francis, reflecting in his new encyclical Fratelli Tutti on the parable of the Good Samaritan, writes: Now there are only two kinds of people: those who care for someone who is hurting and those who pass by; those who bend down to help and those who look the other way and hurry off. Here, all our distinctions, labels and masks fall away: it is the moment of truth. Will we bend down to touch and heal the wounds of others? Will we bend down and help another to get up? This is today’s challenge, and we should not be afraid to face it. In moments of crisis, decisions become urgent.[1] “In this moment of crisis, let us build a society that bends down to help those in need. I ask the President to reverse his decision, and for all parties to return to negotiations as soon as possible.”

The following represent additional USCCB advocacy for COVID-relief to address gaps in, and subsequent expiration of, various provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act: Senate and House Committees on Appropriations (April 9, 2020) Senate and House Committees on the Judiciary (April 9, 2020) Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and House Committee on Education and Labor (April 9, 2020) Senate Committee on Finance, House Committee on Ways and Means, and House Committee on Energy and Commerce (April 9, 2020) All members of Congress on moral framework for health care (May 7, 2020) All members of Congress summarizing all COVID-related needs (July 30, 2020) Senate and House leadership on Catholic education (August 5, 2020) President and Congressional Leadership on Additional Relief (September 25, 2020) 6 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

“In this moment of crisis, let us build a society that bends down to help those in need. I ask the President to reverse his decision, and for all parties to return to negotiations as soon as possible.”

across the nation

All news is obtained from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

U.S. Bishops’ Religious Liberty Chairman Applauds Actions of HHS to Ensure Access to Spiritual Care During COVID-19 Pandemic October 21, 2020 WASHINGTON—Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Religious Liberty, applauded yesterday’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR) that, in response to two complaints received, it has taken action to ensure that hospital patients have access to spiritual care during the COVID-19 pandemic. In each case, the hospital in question, citing safety protocols it instituted to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, had denied a request for a priest to visit a patient in order to administer a sacrament – in one case, baptism, and in the other, anointing of the sick. Relying on guidance from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services intended to ensure that patients retain access to spiritual care, HHS OCR worked expeditiously with the hospitals to find a safe way for patients to receive the sacraments.

Archbishop Wenski’s full statement follows: “Jesus Christ, physician of our souls and bodies, gave us the sacraments to convey God’s grace and healing. As Pope Francis has noted, the sacraments are ‘Jesus Christ’s presence in us.’ Without them, we are distanced from God, the source of our being and meaning. So it is of paramount importance that our government, public health authorities, and health care providers strive to respect the liberty of the faithful to receive the sacraments.

“COVID-19 requires us to limit or modify our physical interactions to some degree, in order to reduce risks to physical health. Medical experts play a natural role in this effort but must avoid treating physical interactions in religious exercise as unnecessary or unacceptable risks because they are religious. A true understanding of human wellbeing accounts, as Jesus did, for the health of both body and soul.”

NOVEMBER 2020 7

The Communion of Saints Found in the words of our Creed, we profess that we believe in “the Communion of Saints.” What does this mean?

By: Bishop Francis I. Malone IT MAY SEEM rather strange to state that I have had the opportunity to be buried in four different places. The first place is New Cathedral Cemetery in Philadelphia. At first, this seemed best because my parents and grandparents are also buried there: nice thought that I would be buried near them.

But it occurred to me that once I am buried, I would prefer to be buried in a place where, when people pass my grave, they recognize my name, and pray for me. I concluded a number of years ago that since I have spent most of my life in Arkansas, few people would know who I was, and I’d be missing out on a lot of prayers – on which, by the way, I am depending.

The second place is called “Priest’s Circle.” It’s located in Calvary Cemetery in Little Rock. It’s well known to most of the Catholic community in central Arkansas, and I thought it would be visited often, and I was assured of prayers of visitors and the annual Mass that is prayed at Calvary each November 2. I also thought how nice it would be to be buried next to my uncle, Msgr. Bernard Malone.

But then, as pastor of Christ the King Church in Little Rock, we built a Columbarium next to the adoration chapel, and what a perfect place to be inurned – along with the majority of those whom I pastored over the years. Certainly, I thought, this third place would be “it.” But upon arrival as bishop of Shreveport in January, I was taken by Father Mangum to the pre-designated burial garden for bishops, which already holds the earthly remains of our first bishop, William Friend, and told that the “next spot” was for me. Now, I am fully confident that this fourth place will be it – don’t forget me, please – confident I am that I’ll need all the prayers I can receive from visitors.

These thoughts about my four possible burial plots are prompted by plans the Cathedral has to renovate the garden, 8 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

and I was respectfully asked for my input on the plans. How appropriate that these plans are being made as we approach the sacred month of November – thirty days of prayer each year for our beloved dead. We pray for them, first of all, because they may need our prayers as we read in the Book of Maccabees, “It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead.” But I think there is a more powerful driving force that makes this invitation to pray for them mean so much. Found in the words of our Creed, we profess that we believe in “the Communion of Saints.” What does this mean? Simply: we believe that once we are baptized, we are baptized “into” something, into the Body of Christ, into the Church, into a “communion” with all others who have been baptized, those who have been, by their baptism consecrated and set apart. Death separates us from one another physically, but it cannot separate us spiritually; the dead remain our brothers and sisters, our parents and grandparents, our relatives, and friends. How perfectly beautiful it is that November begins with a day in which we honor ALL of the Saints in heaven, followed by ALL those who follow them into eternal life, especially those in Purgatory, and those in need of our prayers. I never hesitate to tell people to pray for me when I die, but I also never hesitate to pray for those who have died and in whose communion all of us were baptized. November is a beautiful month, not only in the changing of nature around us, but in the reaffirmation that we – here on earth – still journeying to our eternal home, can by our prayers come that much closer to our brothers and sisters in the Communion of Saints.

“May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.”

NOVEMBER 2020  9

THE GUILT OF JOY

&

THE GRACE OF SILLINESS In a world where bad things happen every day, what right do we have to be joyful?

Story and Photo by: Kierstin Richter, Editor “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” -Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities WHEN I WAS twenty-two, on a chilly October night, I sat with a margarita in one hand and an existential crisis in the other. One of my best friends sat in a distant haze and met my eyes with a hint of quiet, confused sadness. I asked if he was okay.

“I’m just having a bad night,” he muttered.

When I asked him why, he unexpectedly spiraled into a heated monologue about global issues and displacement of the poor due to violence or climate issues and collateral damage in the Middle East. I didn’t know how to respond because my biggest issue to think about that night was simply whether or not I was going to talk to the cute guy by the stage. (I didn’t.)

But alas, he sat stewing in anguish over the disturbing reality of our world and his particular, present position in a place where he was safe from it all, but guilty of feeling any sort of joy when he felt he didn’t deserve to.

What I always admired about him was his invaluable sense of the need to change the world 10 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

around him - to make the world a better place.

He had the capacity of a political think tank, and he ruminated over social issues way more than any twenty-two year old should, concerned with global conflict, knee-deep in political issues over eighty percent of the time, and it consumed him entirely. He was paralyzed by analysis.

“It’s not like I can take my eyes off of it,” he said. “How can you ignore it all when the world is literally on fire?”

“Well, do you have any control over any of it?”

I asked him.

“No,” he said. “But it’s kind of my moral responsibility to worry, right? What right do I have to be happy when the world is full of violence and injustice both here and across the world? There are people down the street starving or addicted to drugs, and this is how I’m spending my Tuesday night?”

I wasn’t entirely sure what to say, one, because he was totally killing my vibe, and I just wanted to dance, and two, because I didn’t exactly know either. It wasn’t exactly something I thought about all the time. Did we have the right to be enjoying ourselves here at a meaningless Halloween party? When so many bad things are happening all around us, can we rightfully be happy at all? Is that like rubbing our happiness in other people’s faces? Like we’d offend them?

Shouldn’t we be prioritizing our time to helping

NOVEMBER 2020  11

“

Seewald: Many people feverishly await the future. In many cases, a downright hysteria about the future, filled with feverish expectations, has arisen. Never before has so much been coming to a close, so much beginning.

Occasionally, one may have the impression that, yes, much is also developing in a positive direction but that, on the other hand, this world, as it is, is also a great madhouse.

A world in which a society of pleasure and luxury exists next to growing poverty, a world of wars, of natural catastrophes that visit us more and more frequently, not to mention a world in which there are clear signs of cultural decline, in which there are great losses in insight and wisdom. Never before have there been so many unstable people, so many addicts, so many broken relationships, troubled children, misery - and paradoxically, the demoralization of an affluent society.

Cardinal Ratzinger, you once said that what our time is lacking is not so much the capacity to mourn as the capacity to rejoice. But is it not also becoming increasingly hard for a person to rejoice?

“The loss of joy does not make the world better - and conversely, refusing joy for the sake of suffering does not help those who suffer.”

Ratzinger: Something I constantly notice is that unembarrassed joy has become rarer. Joy today is increasingly saddled with moral and ideological burdens, so to speak. When someone rejoices he is afraid of offending against solidarity with the many people who suffer. I don’t have any right to rejoice, people think, in a world where there is so much misery, so much injustice.

I can understand that. There is a moral attitude at work here. But this attitude is nonetheless wrong. The loss of joy does not make the world better - and conversely, refusing joy for the sake of suffering does not help those who suffer.

The contrary is true. The world needs people who discover the good, who rejoice in it, and thereby derive the impetus and courage to do good. Joy then does not break with solidarity.

There is a new awareness of solidarity, of responsibility for humanity as a whole, of responsibility for creation.

There are movements towards unification and a desire for solidarity to aid people in crisis situations, to promote peace, and overcome misery. That is one thing a citizen of this decade sees and should be grateful for. It is also a very practical indication of the good in man cannot be crushed.

(Ratzinger 35-37).

”

Excerpt from Salt of the Earth: The Church at the End of a 12 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION Millenium, An Interview with Peter Seewald

others as much as we can? If I’m so lucky to be sitting here on a Tuesday night, surrounded by friends and music and excitement, then shouldn’t I also have the moral obligation to do something about those who don’t? It’s not a simple question, so there’s not a simple answer.

First off, joy and happiness, at least in the Christian sense of the terms, are not completely the same. Happiness is a sense of glee, usually from one particular event or stimulus. Joy, on the other hand, is rather a “deep peace which comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within a person, and lasts despite hardship” (catholicexchange. com). Happiness is getting what you want. Joy is being happy even when you don’t.

Peter Seewald asked Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in a 1997 interview if in a world of such disproportionate justice if it is becoming increasingly hard for people to be happy.

(See left for interview excerpt.)

Ratzinger replies that he has noticed “unembarrassed joy has become rarer. Joy today is increasingly saddled with moral and ideological burdens... When someone rejoices, he is afraid of offending against solidarity with the many people who suffer. I don’t have any right to rejoice, people think, in a world where there is so much misery, so much injustice” (Ratzinger 36).

He says this attitude is admirable for its concern for the other, and the sense of moral solidarity, but this perspective is still wrong. Refusing joy doesn’t make the world any better, on the contrary, it does nothing to help it. He says the world needs people who do find joy and thus find the courage to be good. In this search for justice and solidarity, he sees that no matter what, “the good in man cannot be crushed.”

Sit on that for a second. In a world where so many things go wrong, we always try to make it better. We are built for joy. We are made for change. And we are designed for good. For good. Sometimes that takes on different forms for different people. But this remains unchanged: We don’t want to see the world burn.

With this static sense of dread, we sometimes feel bogged down by the immense animosity we see in our world. But as Catholics, are we supposed to sit in sadness about it? Are we called to stew and ruminate in this dread, wondering why the world is the way it is?

Of course not! “It is not fitting,” Saint Francis said, “when one is in God’s service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look.” Even Teresa of Avila pleads, “God save us from gloomy saints!”

It’s in the uncompromising joy that we develop this outward sense of relationship, where we lose that selfconsciousness and live outwardly and joyfully to cultivate

“The atom’s soul is nothing but energy. Spirit blazes in the dullest clay. The life of every man — the heart of it — is pure and holy joy.” -George Leonard relationships with our brothers and sisters. To find joy in another’s joy.

To be unapologetically joyful is paramount to being a Christian. But being joyful doesn’t necessarily mean being happy. Being joyful is taking the bad parts of life with a smile and a grateful heart. It doesn’t mean we lie and say “Yeah everything is great!” while we feel our life is falling apart. Rather, it’s softly smiling through the pain and saying, “Yeah things are tough, but God is tougher.”

Joy isn’t pretending to be happy when you’re not for the sake of being a smiley Christian. It’s accepting the pain as something to change you and to make you holy.

We don’t lie and say everything is cheery all the time. If it was, we wouldn’t grow. But stewing in our suffering or refusing to feel joy because someone else may be unhappy - that is not the Christian thing to do.

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11 To have this unembarrassed joy is to reflect the spirit of God, which is love. Love is not sitting and sulking. Love is embracing joy and hope and comforting those who need comforting. Joy is the spring from which love comes forth. If we have no joy within us, we are less likely to love. And when we are less likely to love, we aren’t doing God’s work.

Think about it, how likely are you to want to go out of your way to help someone if you’re all gloom and doom? Not very likely. You’d probably rather be curled up on your couch with a bowl of mac-n-cheese watching Shrek. You don’t want to help people out when you’re sad. Because when you’re sad, your priority is your own needs and desires. We turn inward and focus on ourselves, becoming even more self-absorbed, which is exactly the opposite of what the Spirit does for us!

Galatians 5:22 says, “...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness.”

We embody the fruit of the Spirit. We don’t do that by ruminating on how horrible everything is. We become the light. We become the change. We become the hands and feet of Christ to do God’s work here. When I say

God’s work, I mean Love’s work. Charity’s work. Patient work. Insert any word to describe God’s characteristics and boom, you’ve got your plan. “We have God’s joy in our blood,” says Frederick Buechner in Longing for Home.

It’s already in us, coursing through our veins.

“Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God,” says Jesuit priest and paleontologist, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. We are made in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, we are made in the image and likeness of mercy.

Of hope. Of joy. Of love. The very atoms we are made of are bursting with joy. It’s simply the chemical makeup of who we are - who all of creation is. “The atom’s soul is nothing but energy,” says author, George Leonard. “Spirit blazes in the dullest clay. The life of every man - the heart of it - is pure and holy joy.”

When we are joyful, we are more likely to deny ourselves to take up our crosses because we already have everything we need! We find this joy in Christ, in self-denial, in the extension of our hands to help those who are hurting.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says in paragraph 1723, “true happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in human fame or power, or any human achievement… or indeed any creature, but in God alone, the source of every good and all love.” It says this reliance is a “source of wisdom and freedom, of joy and confidence.” (CCC 301). We become wise through authentic experience - especially the connective experience of love and joy.

Silliness opens our hearts to joy. We don’t find joy by looking for temporal happiness. We experience joy when we accept and experience our lives exactly as they are: In Christ, through Christ, and for Christ. https://catholicexchange.com/the-difference-between-joyand-happiness Ratzinger, Cardinal Joseph. Salt of the Earth: The Church at the End of the Millennium. An Interview with Peter Seewald, 1997.

NOVEMBER 2020 13

A Reflection on Gratitude By: Kim Long, Saint Mary of the Pines DRE GRATITUDE, a predictable theme in November, is found everywhere from women’s magazines to cookbooks to sale circulars as well as the Thanksgiving dinner table.

I wanted to examine the concept in a different way. Here is my take on gratitude in the year 2020, which in many respects could be called annus horillibus, or horrible year in Latin, but even in our sadness and bewilderment, we find evidence of the opposing view annus mirabilis, wonderful year, a time where no miracle is small, no answered prayer ordinary, and no blessing left uncounted. We have lived to see another November, to state our thanks and gratitude for the good things we have experienced. And if we need a reminder we can turn to the prophet Jeremiah as he states the following: “For I know well the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to give you hope and a future.” With that in mind, I offer the following reflections.

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Photo: Roman Cathedral, taken by Kierstin Richter

Grace This word has endured attachment and redefinition as too many words have. When I hear this word I think of God and all that he has given to me. I think of those moments which seem to be, indescribable yet palpable, elusive yet a fundamental building block of the believer. Grace perhaps goes beyond the written word and is realized in the experience of opening oneself to the mystery of God and feeling and in that feeling being changed.

Out of His fullness, we have been given grace upon grace.

John 1:16

Receiving This may sound simple, almost a no-brainer however it takes a willingness to be open and that is not something many of us are prepared to do. We are not prepared because we are wicked or bad or stupid rather we fear being open and vulnerable.

Believe me, I understand. Who among us desires to lay ourselves open wide to what the world may send? But if we look at the crucifix can we come to another conclusion, find ourselves in the realm of trust. We can only receive with open hearts and hands. Think about it...

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:23-24

Acceptance This word and I have a troublesome history. For many years I felt it was a grudging admission that I had failed and was resigned to that which I had fought hard against. Today I can see beyond that narrow tunnel vision and begin to understand that it can also mean, as the dictionary clarifies, to accept something that is offered. Not only a relief but it also enables me to see what is ahead, what is possible.

Accept one another just as Christ accepted you, in order to sing praise to God. Romans 15:7

Time Take the time to be present to all around you, and especially to what God holds for each of us not only daily but also moment by moment. Time is a precious gift that has been molded into a currency, with our society frequently employing the phrase “buying time.” Do not be swept up in the sin of busy-ness thinking to make a plan for every second of life, rather revel in the glory of each day as it passes. Learn to appreciate and avail ourselves of the opportunities we are granted daily to build up the body of believers.

Intention The dictionary offers this explanation, an aim or purpose something that is intended. For believers what is the intention but the choice to set our hearts, minds, and lives upon God and all that He holds for us? Sounds simple but in the case of many simple things that does not mean it is easy. In the course of my day, I begin with a thought in mind and most days it is swayed by the attitude and actions of those around me rather than by the One who created us all, so like Peter I take my eyes from God. Let us learn to focus our intentions on the One who made all things...God. In doing so our paths may seem less obscured.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

Total There is a prayer I have come to love credited to St. Ignatius of Loyola. I have not memorized it yet. It rests in my missal and after communion and sometimes before Mass begins I reach for it and pray to mean each word for I believe that is true of nearly every single prayer with which I have ever engaged. In this prayer, I ask God to take all my memory, my understanding, and my will acknowledging that I would have nothing if not for Him and that He alone is sufficient for me.

Many times I cling to those words wanting on some level to give myself to God alone, other times I embrace the totality of grace as seen in my children and grandchildren, in the comfort of a home, in the love of my parish family, in the assurance of God’s love, and the knowledge that I have been crafted by and am loved by God. Where your treasure is, there is your heart also.

Matthew 6:12

Ultimate This is a word that points us to the end of a goal, towards realizing something. I doubt if I “get there” in this life but it is nonetheless a worthy endeavor. To realize the fullness of my life as given to me by God, to realize the love of God as given to me by Jesus, to realize that I was created for a purpose and if I become who God created me to be I will set the world on fire, as St. Catherine of Sienna said, a worthy endeavor indeed.

Perhaps we will not have to wait to the end of our lives to be able to sing along with the Psalmist as he proclaims.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

For I am confident that He who began a great work in you will bring it to completion of the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

Teach us to number our days so as to gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12 NOVEMBER 2020 15

Celebrating Black By: Deacon Raney Johnson IN THE MONTH of November, the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Black Catholic History Month. One parish in the city of Shreveport has particular importance for the history of Black Catholics in the diocese. Nestled in the heart of the historic Allendale neighborhood of Shreveport, not far from downtown, is the third oldest Catholic Church in the city.

Our Lady of Blessed Sacrament Parish was founded in 1923.

It is a small church compared to other Catholic churches in the area but has one of the oldest Catholic communities in Shreveport. Blessed Sacrament is known as a personal parish, which means that it does not have defined geographical boundaries in the same way as other Catholic parishes. It was created as a personal parish for all African-American Catholics in the Shreveport-Bossier area.

Although Blessed Sacrament is a personal parish for AfricanAmericans and indeed all Black Catholics of various ethnicities and nationalities, it does not mean that the parish is only for Catholics who are Black. Personal parishes are open to any Catholic who wishes to attend, just like any other parish. However, personal parishes are created to provide 16  THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

a place of worship for a specific culture, nationality, or rite in the Catholic Church. For example, there are personal parishes in the Archdiocese of New Orleans for Vietnamese and VietnameseAmerican Catholics where the Mass is usually celebrated entirely in Vietnamese. Many personal parishes for African-Americans were created throughout the country during the time of segregation, and many of those parishes still exist to this day.

where they could worship safely and confidently. As Blessed Sacrament approaches its 100th anniversary in three years, it has remained vibrant throughout the growth and development of the city of Shreveport. The parish has the only Mass in the ShreveportBossier area with a gospel choir, which is one important expression of the faith for many Black Catholics. The parish also has an active Council and Court of the Knights of Peter Claver, a group that holds particular importance in the history of Black Catholics, with members who come from around the Shreveport-Bossier area. Blessed Sacrament continues to be a parish where Black Catholics and indeed all Catholics celebrate the Mass together with a unique cultural expression.

Other personal parishes were created after segregation when there was still a need to give African-Americans their own place of worship for various reasons. These personal parishes exist not as places of division and isolation, rather, each one exists to offer the universal Church a diverse expression of the faith that all Catholics can take part in Our Lady of the Blessed and celebrate.

Sacrament has grown along with the Catholic faith in the Diocese The Church always seeks to have of Shreveport, and it continues unity with a respect for diversity, to be a place that celebrates and personal parishes are a way to diversity in the Catholic Church. accomplish this. In Shreveport, It is a parish that generations of Blessed Sacrament parish was Black Catholics in the Diocese of created not because of the evil of Shreveport have called home for segregation and racism, but as a nearly a century. pastoral answer to those two evils.

The parish of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament was founded Picture Right: Fr. Jean Bosco Uwamungu kneeling at the foot of the Blessed to give African-Americans in Sacrament the early 20th century a place Photo: Kierstin Richter

Catholics Month A Closer Look at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish

“These personal parishes exist not as places of isolation, rather, each one exists to offer the universal Church a diverse expression of the faith that all Catholics can take part in and celebrate.”

NOVEMBER 2020 17

WE HAVE NO KING BUT CAESAR Are we ready to run from any idea of Christ wearing gold and sitting on a throne? In order to follow the footsteps of King Jesus, are we eager to walk with the persecuted and outcast?

By: Mike Van Vranken, Spiritual Director

Photo Credit: Still from The Passion of the Christ Movie, Google Images

IN THE MOVIE Brother Sun, Sister Moon, there is a (Matthew 26:52). Maybe they realized we couldn’t resist dramatic scene where priests dressed in jewel adorned a king who would make us number 1, rather than being vestments are incensing a life-sized crucifix with Christ’s last (Matthew 20:16). body covered in a golden stole, and whose head is I have had a love relationship with the Feast of Christ overlayed with the gold and glittery crown of an earthly the King for forty years. Yet, I also king. Looking on are the poor and know that Francis of Assisi could not lame and sick of the city, gazing at an imagine Christ in any way other than image of Christ they have no way of meek and humble of heart (Mt. 11:29). relating to. For this is human royalty He saw the true image of Christ eating with all of its wealth and power, who with the outcast and healing them of never walks with the lowly, sick, their illnesses. This month, can we troubled and outcast. The scene is imagine in prayer the upside-down so troubling to Francis, he cries out kingdom where Christ is our king?

“NO” and runs from the church. It is obvious that the well dressed and Picture our kingdom where the pious clerics had forgotten what citizens are poor financially and poor in Francis knew all too well: Christ’s spirit (Mt. 5:3; Luke 6:20). Is this really kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). the kingdom we choose to live in? How does this image make you feel? Ask Maybe that’s why it took the God for his perspective on this.

Church until 1925 to declare a Feast of Christ the King; In Christ’s kingdom it is those who mourn and weep for fear we would put Jesus on a white horse instead of a donkey (Matthew 21:5). Perhaps we would insert a who are laughing and comforted (Mt. 5:4; Luke 6:21). sword in his hand although he specifically forbade its use Here, in order to receive anything, we have to give it away 18 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

mike’s meditations first, not take it (Luke 6:38). Here, it is the merciful who will obtain mercy. It is the peacemakers who are called children of God, and the meek will be the heirs of it all.

The ones who will be satisfied are those who hunger and thirst for justice (a thorough reading of God’s love story with his people [the Bible] leads to only one conclusion: God’s justice is mercy. And finally, we are all truly blessed when we are persecuted.

So, how about it? Are we ready to celebrate and be thankful for this image of Christ the King? Like Francis of Assisi, are we ready to run from any idea of Christ wearing gold and sitting on a throne? In order to follow the footsteps of King Jesus, are we eager to walk with the persecuted and outcast? Are we prepared to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless?

Are we longing to be peacemakers and justice seekers for everyone? This is all what the kingdom of our King looks like. Are we comforted by it? Or, do we prefer the rich, powerful, jewel adorned Christ instead? One of these images is real. The other is man-made. Which will we follow?

In your prayer time this month, sit quietly with the images of Christ’s counter-culture kingdom and imagine Jesus standing as king before Pilate. Talk to Jesus about what you envision it was like to live with the outcast and poor. Tell him how it makes you feel to desire to live this way; to be last, not first. To be meek and humble, not proud and strong. To mourn and weep, to hunger and thirst, to seek peace and to show mercy and compassion, to give before you ever receive. What are Jesus’ perspectives on all of this? Each day sit with him in thanksgiving and ask him. Then, watch and listen.

Are we prepared to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless? Are we longing to be peacemakers and justice seekers for everyone?

This is all what the kingdom of our King looks like. Are we comforted by it? Or, do we prefer the rich, powerful, jewel adorned Christ instead? One of these images is real. The other is man-made. Which will we follow?

This Thanksgiving, I am very thankful we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. I’m thankful for Jesus, Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis and Francis our bishop, all who show us the way to follow the kingly Christ in a kingdom of meekness, love and service. Let’s celebrate our own citizenship in Christ’s upside-down, counterculture kingdom this month with the joy and hope of Mike Van Vranken is a spiritual director, a member of the teaching the gospel coupled with humility and thanksgiving in our staff for the Archdiocesan Spirituality Center of New Orleans hearts. Seek first the upside-down kingdom of Christ, Formation of New Spiritual Directors, an author and a speaker. and everything else will be given to you (Matthew 6:33).

He can be contacted at mikevanvranken@comcast.net NOVEMBER 2020 19

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CONFUSING TIMES “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” Galatians 6:1 By: Kathryn Barattini, Communications Specialist

THERE IS A LOT of general confusion in the world right now. So many people are making arguments that sound good. After all, most people want to do the right thing.

Almost no one wants to be a hater. The problem is that the words some people use can be deceptive and manipulative. If you would like to avoid being manipulated, it’s good to try a little language experiment to see if an argument holds. What if we substituted the word “fire” for many of the common and impassioned arguments we hear today, and see if they still make sense?

Fire is good. It warms. It cooks. It purifies. It’s beautiful. It has so many uses. How can something as good as fire even be “misused?” How can using something as good as fire ever be used “immorally?” You fire haters can’t tell me how to express my fire love! I LOVE fire. I want to be one with it. I want to stand in the middle of it and let it consume me. It’s my body! Who are you to tell me that’s “wrong?” I want to merge with fire! I AM fire because I choose to be! Of course,

in reality, I’ve always been free to burn myself to ashes. What I want is for you to cheer me doing it. I want everyone to celebrate it! I want to establish self-burning holidays. I want facilities on each corner to provide for everyone’s selfburning needs. How can you even use ANY fire without thinking ALL fire is good? Hypocrites! How dare you! How dare you be filled with such HATE that you refuse to cheer while I burn?

Now some could argue that this is not a fair comparison because everyone knows that we should not hurt our bodies, and we should not. However, is not protecting the soul infinitely more valuable than the body? Jesus, Himself, expresses this very idea, when He uses startling language to get us to see just that: “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your NOVEMBER 2020 21

right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. Matthew 5:29-30 (ESV) Jesus does not want us to self-mutilate our bodies, but He does want us to see that our souls are the most important of all! But how do we know what is right and wrong for our souls? We know by God’s word and the doctrinal teaching of His Church: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 16: 18-19

And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:15-17 (ESV) And again, tax collectors and sinners: Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.

And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:1-7 (ESV)

“Jesus ate with them to meet with them where they Jesus ate with them to meet them where they were and then call them were and then away from sin—not to condone or tolerate them in their sin! Another call them away commonly misused verse is about the woman accused of adultery: Zacchaeus: He entered Jericho and from sin not was passing through. And behold, The scribes and the Pharisees brought there was a man named Zacchaeus. a woman who had been caught in He was a chief tax collector and was to condone or adultery, and placing her in the midst rich. And he was seeking to see who said to him, “Teacher, this woman Jesus was, but on account of the tolerate them in they has been caught in the act of adultery. crowd he could not, because he was Now in the Law, Moses commanded us small in stature. So he ran on ahead their sin.” to stone such women. So what do you and climbed up into a sycamore tree But what about the arguments that sound so convincing—the ones that seem to use the Bible’s own words to justify their arguments? One of these you may hear a lot is that “Jesus ate with sinners!” Yes, He did. But he did it to call them away from their sin!

Every story in the Bible is an example of this:

to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”

And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19 1-10 (ESV)

Tax collectors and sinners: And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

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say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” John 8: 3-11 (ESV) Now of this, some will surely say, “See! See! Everyone sins!

Jesus doesn’t condemn her!” In this instance, Jesus turns the Pharisees’ trap back upon them so they cannot stone the woman, and indeed He does not condemn her; however, he follows His forgiveness by saying “go and sin no more!”

THE DARKNESS HATES THE LIGHT BECAUSE LIGHT IS WHAT ALLOWS ALL TO SEE CLEARLY. THE LIGHT CHASES AWAY THE SHADOWS. He forgives and then tell her not to persist in her sin. The blind hypocrisy of the Pharisees is wrong, and so is the sin of the woman—Jesus embraces neither! This example leads us to probably the most misused quote in the Bible, used to justify why we are not supposed to call any behavior sinful: do not judge. The actual verse is: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7: 1-5 (ESV) This teaching is warning against hypocrisy in judging.

How can we tell others to not steal if we, ourselves, steal every day? The very verse ends with how we should act: first make sure that we are following God’s will and then we can offer advice to others. This verse does not mean that we are not allowed to say that anything is wrong! The Bible is full of teachings about how to help others follow God’s will in Christian charity: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Matthew 18: 15-17 (ESV) “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.

Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” Galatians 6:1 (ESV)

have nor is it ours. Only God can determine what is right or wrong, and He has…in His Word and the doctrine of His Church.

Christ warned His followers that the world would oppose them for supporting His will: “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5: 11-12 (ESV) The darkness hates the light because light is what allows all to see clearly. The light chases away the shadows. The will of God is the light.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (ESV) Don’t be confused by word tricks! The deceptions are many and are everywhere. Remember, you are never a hater if you follow the One who is love itself! You are not filled with hate if you refuse to cheer while others set themselves on fire! This “support” is the opposite of loving your neighbor!

What kind of “love” wants what is bad for another?!

So, take heart—for the battle may be fierce, but already it is won: “Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16: 32-33 (ESV) Kathryn Barattini is a communications specialist and author in Benton, Louisiana.

Even secularists who claim there is no right or wrong, that there is no objective truth, don’t agree with their own argument—if they did, then there would be no such thing as being “politically correct” or “cancel culture” or believing the “wrong” way. The secularists just want the power to determine what is right or wrong, but it is not theirs to NOVEMBER 2020 23

A STUDY IN FRENZY & GRACE By: Kim Long, DRE ONE WOULD THINK that with a name like Thanksgiving that the ensuing day and meal would be oh I don’t know relaxing, gratitude inducing, and holistic. Mass in the early morning so as our priest said on Thanksgiving day the ladies can get home and “ see to the lunch”, a few televised parades, football, and the attractiveness of a menu which seldom changes.

As I think back to my childhood memories of Thanksgiving dinners I am reminded of the scripture verse that says when I was a child I thought as a child. Certainly all my siblings and I wanted to see were the sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top had been removed from the broiler just before they were browned beyond felicity, never giving a moment’s thought to all the effort, planning, and budgeting that went into providing a real feast for us. We stuffed our faces and were expelled from the house to go outside and play. My sister and I were grateful we were not deemed mature enough to help with the washing of the good china my grandmother set the table with. We stuffed dried and crunchy leaves down one another’s shirts, rested on our backs comparing shapes we saw in the clouds, and were filled with the wonder of a basically ordinary childhood.

Today I am the grandmother. I am also absolutely certain that I do not possess the calm and efficient demeanor and seamless productivity of my grandmother, mother, and aunt. In my experience there are two ways to approach this culinary High Holy Day. One way is to plan ahead/do ahead/freeze ahead. This was a method first offered to me in the cookbook entitled appropriately enough “Happy Holidays from the Diva of Do Ahead: A Year of Feasts to Celebrate with Family and Friends” written by Dianne Phillips. I tend to read cookbooks the way I read novels - front to back with lots of underlines. This book was no exception. With timelines, shopping lists, and menus she was the model of efficiency but I could not embrace her entire plan, instead opting to 24 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

bake the cornbread early and freeze it. The other effort I made at planning was a to do list which was revised each morning ad nauseum.

Two tricks I learned from my aunt were to set the table ahead of time and cover it with a clean sheet to keep dust from spoiling it. Along with that she pulled all her serving dishes and wrote the food they would hold on sticky notes.

It works well and saves time when the moment is at hand.

Other than these few time saving measures, I prefer to live on the edge, employing method number two which is to set my clock for 4 am (a time I find it particularly difficult to be thankful for much of anything except coffee...yes coffeestrong, hot, and delicious) and get cooking. Everything seems to be going according to plan so I can cover the pots on the stove and dash off to Mass (this is one Mass I try to always attend....it does help me balance the self generated madness of this cooking marathon). Later at home I vault through the door, my purse and missal to one side and the car keys flung in the opposite direction the smell of the food fills me completely and I drift for a few seconds down the road of time into my grandmother’s own kitchen. Snapping back to reality I finish up my preparations just in time... always just in time.

This year, one of the readings for Mass on Thanksgiving Day is from Sirach and it is a beautiful reminder that we are in God’s care. Here is part of it, “And now bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb and fashions them according to his will!”

Kim Long is the Director of Religious Education at Saint Mary of the Pine Parish

faithful food

THANKSGIVING LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED 1. There is much more happening than cooking, we are recreating a feeling, a time, a place. It is liturgical in nature; recognize that and pray for those present as well as the stranger.

5. Invite your adult children to bring

2.

6.

Let your guests know what time dinner will be served...and stick to it. Unless someone calls or texts with a legitimate reason, eat on time. That will save you much frustration.

3.

If you haven’t been in fairly close contact with extended family and they will be sharing this meal at your table please make an effort to ask their input in the preparation and pull them into the dinner table conversation. They will appreciate feeling included. ”

4. Don’t be shy about being vocal

for blessings and things for which you are grateful. We go around the table at every family dinner sharing the best and worst thing about our day, but on this day we say what we are most thankful for.

some contribution- for my married sons I ask them to bring a casserole or dish they enjoy, for my single ones a bag of ice or a gallon or two of tea or sodas.

Don’t rush the dessert...let your meal settle, clear the table (asking for help) and put on the kettle for coffee or tea. This is after all not a day to hurry.

7.

Weather permitting; take a walk with the little ones. Leaves and pinecones become rare treasures when blown by the November wind.

Help them carry their treasures back home as gifts for their parents.

8.

If everyone can’t be present, text a group photo to them or call putting everyone on speaker letting them know they are missed.

9.

Donate to your church’s food pantry...even in my most frugal years I found it possible.

10. Finally...relax. The meal has been enjoyed and the blessing made for another year. Thanks be to God.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE This is an old standard in many families. Here is my family’s take on this seasonal favorite.

6-8 Servings Wash, wrap in aluminum foil and place on a cookie sheet four to six large sweet potatoes.

Bake at 375 until tender.

Remove from oven, let cool, and peel each potato.

In a food processor or with a stand mixer take potatoes, ½ to ¾ cup brown sugar or powdered sugar depending on your taste.

Add 1 stick of butter, melted Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon cloves, ½ teaspoon nutmeg Blend well. Add a small can of Pet Milk and continue mixing.

Turn into a buttered casserole dish. Top with marshmallows and bake until completely warmed. Run under the broiler of your oven to brown the marshmallows.

Serve piping hot and be prepared to be thanked by all the young ones as well as the young at heart!

It is sweet and served only once a year but it is some kinda good!

NOVEMBER 2020 25

The Conscience of

Shreveport Christian Service Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Story: Jane Snyder, Christian Services Advisory Board Member

26  THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

those who were underserved in our area. As the children came, she noticed they needed shoes and clothing.

Again, donations were sought, and the Christian Service Clothing Program began. As the ministry grew, generous neighbors donated buildings on Sprague Street, Hospitality House opened, and Christian Service began housing men just coming out from prison.

In the early ‘80s, Christian Service started hosting the Poor Man’s Supper, an annual event where only soup, bread, and water were served. This limited menu allowed guests to understand what it felt like to go to bed hungry and raised awareness about the program.

Several local musicians expressed their willingness to help spread the word about the work of Sister Margaret and so began the annual Telethon. Each year during the 16-hour live television broadcast, local talent and personalities helped raise funds on the second Sunday in December.

Sister Margaret McCaffrey (second from left) leads poverty march across the city. Photo: Ralph Fountain, The Shreveport Times, November 18, 1987 (LSUS Archives)

IN 1970, Fr. Murry Clayton, the new priest at St Joseph Catholic Church, invited Sister Margaret McCaffrey to move to Shreveport to assist in helping those in need. She rented an apartment in Ledbetter Heights behind First Methodist Church downtown and soon discovered many of the children in the neighborhood were going to school hungry, so she gathered together some volunteers and began feeding these children breakfast. Christian Service Program was born!

For the next 27 years, Sister Margaret became known as the “Conscience of Shreveport” …. filling the needs of

Soon, Christian Service volunteers were collecting toys, refurbishing them, and hosting Christmas parties for children in need. Sister Margaret had a vision of what the local community needed and was out on the frontlines daily, providing for the underserved.

She attracted many volunteers who served being the “Hands and Feet of Christ,” in the Shreveport/Bossier area.

In 1997, Sister Margaret was diagnosed with breast cancer and died shortly thereafter. Many people thought that Christian Service ended when Sister Margaret died, but that myth was proven wrong. In 1998, the late Fr. Andre McGrath encouraged the Franciscans in Cincinnati to send Brother Giovanni Reid to Shreveport to continue the work of Christian Service.

For 15 years, Brother Gio was the face of Christian Service as a very spiritual

and holy man who worked behind the scenes in this ministry of caring.

In 2014, Christa Pazzaglia of Hope Connections opened a day shelter for those living on the streets in the old United Tile building on Levy Street.

This was a collaborative effort of 12 local nonprofits serving the homeless and seeking to end homelessness.

Hope Connections had a 10,000 square foot building which they offered to Christian Service if they would become the food and clothing piece of this exciting collaboration.

To obtain this ambitious goal, the Christian Service Board of Directors hired Al Moore as its new Executive Director and began a vigorous capital campaign. An architect was hired and after a lot of hard work, prayers and the generosity of many faithful supporters, Christian Service had a groundbreaking ceremony for its new facility on September 28, 2016. Doors opened to serve meals on October 15, 2017. Since 2017, the ministry has continued to grow. Christian Service provides two hot and nutritious meals every day, 364 days a year, 1600 meals a week. The program also provides free clothing and emergency assistance.

This year, Christian Service is celebrating its 50th anniversary while they continue to follow Sister Margaret’s lead in serving those in need with Dignity, Love, and Hope.

Join Christian Service November 15 for their 50th Anniversary Gala and Poor Man’s Supper. It will be held virtually from 5:00 to 7:00 pm with a variety of presentations, prerecorded interviews and musical performances.

NOVEMBER 2020 27

The Loyet Family

Little Eyes are Watching By: Mark Loyet, Director of Pastoral Ministry AS WE APPROACH the American institution and holiday of Thanksgiving, we are always called to reflect upon what we are thankful for. In many families, it is a time honored tradition that, just before sitting down or diving into the Thanksgiving meal, each individual will share something for which they are thankful. Then a prayer follows formally thanking God for the blessing named and acknowledging that every blessing comes from Him. Some families even make this a regular part of their prayer tradition.

I often reflect upon silently, and sometimes include in my prayers with others, the many gifts God has given me.

One thing I am sure of is I am no where near as grateful as I ought to be for how good God has been to me. I have always loved Him and tried to do His will, but He outdoes me in generosity every time and by more than I can measure. I will never be able to thank Him enough.

Today, I want to share with you all one particular blessing which has been one of the most impactful in my life - my mother’s faith. Now of course we all have mothers, and 28 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

likely everyone reading this article is as thankful for theirs as I am. But I want to focus on my mother’s faith because it is something that is unique and could very easily not have been a part of her or my life.

I was born and raised Catholic in St. Louis, MO (a.k.a “the Rome of the West.”) My childhood was fairly normal. We were middle class, I attended public school, and my parents separated when I was 4 years old and later divorced. Sadly, this last fact is/was fairly normal for youth. Fortunately, what was certainly not good in itself, i.e. the divorce, God used for our good. Immediately following the separation, my mother realized that one of the major problems contributing to the breaking of their marriage was their lack of faith and relationship with God. This led her to make an about face and return to the faith of her upbringing. Since I can remember, my mother has attended daily Mass, prayed the rosary daily, volunteered at her parish and in other ministries, and is one of the most genuinely devout people I have ever known.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t always appreciate all of those facts

as a child. You see, she MADE me go to Mass on Sundays and holy days with her. She MADE me pray the rosary with her. She MADE me go with her to take communion to the elderly and sick (okay I have to admit I always enjoyed this because old people always keep sweets around for kids, and I genuinely loved those men and ladies because they were just such loving people). She MADE me do a lot of things that I didn’t want to do and didn’t fully understand as a child. It is important to note that she also MADE me go to school, and to the doctor, etc. etc. Despite me often really hating what was going on or resenting her for it, two facts remained: 1) Deep down I knew she was doing what she deeply believed to be right and her responsibility. 2) Deep down I knew it was right, even as a child. Never could I have honestly said, “This is wrong.”

I also want to point out that for most of my childhood, our parish did not have any sort of youth program whatsoever, other than PSR a.k.a. CCD classes on Monday nights...and they weren’t “fun.” For a couple of years the church tried to pull together a youth group, and I even attended once, but when all they did was play hot potato and talk about planning a hay ride, I decided I was never going back, and I never did. So I didn’t have what we often think of when we say “youth ministry” when I was growing up. And yet here I am.

How did this happen? How can a young man grow up in a “broken home,” with no youth ministry, and not only remain Catholic, but go on to work for the Church? At times I have truly felt like an anomaly as I have watched so many of my friends and even family drift away from the Church.

Well, the answer eventually came to me. At some point years ago, I came to the realization that the profoundly real and lived faith of my mother didn’t merely convince me of the truth of our faith and God’s existence. Her living out the faith was the Catholic Faith made manifest in my life (like an incarnation) in such a way that I cannot help but identify as Catholic, and I truly experienced God Himself through my mother; I came to know Him through her. Needless to say, for this I am very thankful.

Friends, I am sharing this testimony with you for a reason.

Many of you may know that I have been in Catholic youth ministry in various ways for 16 years now, and I was a juvenile probation officer in Texas for 7 years. Youth ministry is absolutely a good thing. But I am here to tell you, it is not the solution to the problem of youth leaving the church today.

As a youth minister, I cannot evangelize a child with only 60-90 minutes a week (youth group) and a couple of trips or retreats throughout the year. If we want our youth to identify as Catholic, love God, and pass this beautiful faith on to their children, they need to be saturated in it. They need to grow up in an environment where prayer, sacraments, service, and Godly community permeate everything. That is what we were

created for. Parents, there is no way to overstate the impact you can and will have on your children’s faith if you make your home the “domestic church” it is called to be. No one on this earth can shape their faith like you can. Now I know this may seem like a daunting task but it is really not as difficult as you might think. Let me simply share with you the recipe my mother used:

1. We prayed together every day (rosary, intentions, meals, etc.).

2. We went to Mass together every Sunday and

Holy Day.

3. We went to Reconciliation together roughly

monthly or more.

4. We talked about and learned the faith together

(saints, scripture, history, etc.) (Note: My mom was not a theologian but she did her best and looked up answers when she didn’t know them.)

5. We served together (communion to the homebound, meals on wheels, visiting elderly, etc.)

6. She allowed me to question and respected my

need to wrestle with the faith so I could grow. She didn’t allow me to skip Mass, but she didn’t belittle or shut me down when I had doubts.

She was patient, did her best to help me, and prayed for me.

7. She did all these things and more even when she didn’t know I was watching. (e.g. If I had a penny for every time I caught her praying on her own, I wouldn’t need to work today.)

Seeing her living out her faith in her own personal life is probably what impacted me the most.

Parents, your children are watching you more than you and even they realize. I cannot promise that this formula will guarantee that your children will all stay Catholic for their entire lives. What I can guarantee is that it will help, and you will have peace knowing you are doing what God has called us all as parents to do. Ultimately, children grow up and have to make their own choices. They will have to take ownership of their faith. The best thing we can do for them as parents is model for them a faith that they will want to make their own, and give them the tools to do so while we still can.

Mark Loyet is the Director of Pastoral Ministry at the Diocese of Shreveport NOVEMBER 2020 29

mary’s mission

Thank you, God. I am Free.

By: Mary Arcement Alexander, LPC NOVEMBER HAS BECOME the month of gratitude thanks to Thanksgiving. What I find interesting is how most people tend to focus more on traveling, food and football than giving thanks. I know I was once that person. As I have aged, God has shown me how much I need to be grateful for every day of the year as well as every day of my life. Each morning, as part of my routine, I write down ten things I am grateful for that day. When I tell people this, most wonder how I come up with ten. Here is the cool part: the more you practice, the easier it flows out of you. For my 50th birthday, I wrote down 50 things and I was pleasantly surprised how easily they all flowed out of me. God is good every day and every day God is good!

He will reveal your list to you in those times of struggle. Either He will bring the thoughts to your mind or He will show you what is right in front of you. All you need to do is pause, be still and silent and let Him show and tell you all He has done and is doing in your life. In those moments, you cannot help but to be grateful.

For the purpose of November’s column, I will focus on one thing that I am most grateful for - my freedom. For the record, I have always been grateful to be free. In my youth, I most certainly took it for granted. I did not realize during my early years just how incredible it is to be free. When asked by a friend to describe my childhood with one word, freedom was the first to come to mind. God blessed me with a great childhood that included growing up in a small town in south Louisiana. It was the 70’s and 80’s, prior to the internet and cell phones (thank you Lord for that!), and as a result, I spent a lot of time outside

30 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

playing and growing in my imagination. My friends and I would spend hours upon hours during the summer months exploring the world around us. We were free to roam, free to play, and free to be children without fear or worry.

Being an American has allowed me certain freedoms; namely, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to vote, freedom to live where I choose, freedom to choose my career, freedom to travel, and freedom to live as a Christian without persecution, just to name a few. What is even more important is the freedom found in Christ. He died on a cross for little ole me. That is an overwhelming thought. It took years before I was able to say, “He died for me.” I have often felt so unworthy, but through His unconditional love for me I now know my worth. He sacrificed His life and gave me ultimate freedom. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to choose Christ daily, which will lead me to spending eternity with Him and our Father in heaven. That, brothers and sisters, is the best kind of freedom. We will never experience this kind of freedom while on earth, for our earthly life is temporary and filled with limitations. When I imagine heaven, I imagine limitless love, joy, peace, grace, freedom and so much more.

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” 1 Peter 2:16 Mary Arecement Alexander is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a private practice in Shreveport, LA.

Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship by Pope Francis Returning again and again to themes he has developed throughout his papacy, Pope Francis speaks of the need for equality and justice for all, cooperation, caring for the most vulnerable, doing the hard work of learning to listen to and accompany others, and caring for the earth that nurtures and sustains us all.

The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion & Purpose

by Matthew Kelly In The Rhythm of Life Matthew Kelly exposes the lifestyle challenges and problems that face us in this age obsessed with noise, speed, and perpetual activity. Kelly’s message rings out with a truth that is challenging and unmistakably attractive. Who you become is infinitely more important than what you do, or what you have. The Rhythm of Life is a brilliant and clear-eyed rejection of the chaotic lifestyle that has captured the world, written with common sense, humor, and extraordinary insight.

The Road to Siena: The Essential Biography of St. Catherine of Siena by Edmund Gardner Long out of print, this new edition has been slightly abridged and generously supplemented with the reflections of other biographers, historians, and artists—who shed fresh light on what we know about an amazing woman.

library notes Kate Rhea, Librarian/ Archivist Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Slattery Library & Resource Center is not currently open to the public.

However, you may e-mail Kate Rhea at krhea@dioshpt.org to request a title and it can be checked out to you. The pick-up location will be in the reception area of the Catholic Center near the Book Drop.

We appreciate your patience as we strive to keep everyone safe and healthy during this time.

Catholic Charities Catholic Charities of North Louisiana has seen a 500% increase in rents paid to those less fortunate in the last three months as compared to this same time last year. We have also paid more than 1.5 times the utility payments for clients for the same timeframe. COVID-19 has heavily impacted North Louisiana, across all parishes - civil and diocesan. With the holidays and colder temperatures near, please pray for those struggling to make ends meet and consider a donation to our organization to help those who need it most.

Visit www.ccnla.org or call 318-865-0200 for more information.

NOVEMBER 2020 31

around the diocese

You’ve Been Boo’d: Our Lady of Fatima 4-H Students Surprise with Treat Buckets

Our Lady of Fatima students do service projects each month, and for October the project was “You’ve Been Boo’d.” They presented treat buckets to people that they felt needed to feel some happy this month.

Thank You John Guerriero for Over 50 Years of Service!

Jesus the Good Shepherd Church would like to recognize John Guerriero, Jr. for over 50 years of dedication and service. Of the many ministries John was involved and led, his passion was RCIA and Adult Faith Formation.

John’s service to his church community will not be forgotten. His wife, Marcia, was always at his side and their devotion to the Catholic faith was an example to all.

Thank you John! You are truly a servant of Jesus Christ.

Jesus the Good Shepherd Celebrates First Communion and Confirmation

Jesus the Good Shepherd celebrated First Communion on September 20 and 27 with Father Keith Garvin. Confirmation was celebrated September 17 with Bishop Francis Malone. Congratulations to all!

32 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Hurricane Delta blows Brian Butler into retreat at St. Joseph School

ULM Catholics Participate in University Mile Run Row 1: Emmeline Brunet, Sage Richoux, Madelyn Duplantis, Addisyn Dartez, Angela Chaisson, Elaine Ezell, Morgan, Lauren LaForge Row 2: David Nguyen, Dustin Nguyen

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seaton Youth Celebrate Fall Kick-Off The SEAS Youth Ministry #raisingdisciples, celebrated their Fall KICKOFF event on October 4th, in the Burleigh Center. The excitement and anticipation for this event was electrifying! The evening was spent enjoying pizza, playing games, karaoke, winning prizes, but most importantly, the fellowship shared between the youth was indeed the main event! Chick-fil-a also provided gift cards, which was much appreciated by every youth who shared in the celebration of this special event!

Congratulations Sydnei Henson!

On October 4, 2020 at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church, Sydnei Henson received her Confirmation. We extend her a big congratulations!

By: Polly Maciulski The year 2020 has certainly had its share of surprises, and sadly, some ugly ones for our Gulf Coast. But the latest storm to threaten our state - Hurricane Delta - actually enriched the retreat experience of the seventh graders of St. Joseph School in an unexpected way.

Brian Butler, executive director and cofounder of Dumb Ox Ministries and author of several books on Saint John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, was already planning to head to Shreveport to give a talk at St. Joseph Church the weekend of October 10-11. But as Hurricane Delta started driving toward Louisiana’s gulf coast, he adjusted his plans to avoid the inclement weather and arrived in Shreveport on Thursday afternoon.

As it turns out, St. Joseph School had been planning a retreat for our seventh graders the very next day on Saint John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body.” When the guy who literally wrote the book on the subject of your retreat winds up at your doorstep, it’s a gift that you open immediately, which is exactly what retreat leader Trey Weaver did. He invited Butler to the retreat, and it was truly a day to remember for our students.

While Butler spoke primarily to the boys with Weaver, he did address the entire class for a time, as well. Mrs. Roxanne Chumley and Mrs. Lauren Merrick led the girls-only portion of the retreat.

NOVEMBER 2020 33

Bishop Malone holds Convocation for All Priests in the Diocese

Top Left: Fr. Kallookalam, CMI; Top Right: Bishop Malone; Middle Left: Fr. Glorioso, Chaplain of Holy Angels

34  THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

St. John Berchmans Library Invites Students to Fall into a Good Book updating and curating. On November 16th, we will begin our fall book fair in an online format through the Junior Library Guild. The fair will be celebrated with book talks in library class and sneak peeks at the books being offered in the weeks leading up to the event. The book fair will also provide an opportunity for parents and grandparents to purchase books for Christmas gifts while giving back to the school community. It is exciting to be able to embark on these tasks with the goal of improving the collection for current and future SJB students.

By: Julia Vanchiere, SJB Librarian STEPPING BACK INTO my alma mater as the school’s librarian has not only been nostalgic, but enlightening.

The library was always an integral part of my education and I am now happy to share my love of reading with our current students. Our newly renovated 4100 square foot library and technology center was an addition to our campus in 2015 and has proven to be a space that encourages students to be immersed in literature. With the ongoing pandemic, the challenge began with ensuring that new requirements were followed while keeping the library an inviting space to read, learn, and explore. My first task was to maximize space for social distancing in communal spaces and to highlight some of the most popular parts of the library’s collection including graphic novels and series.

Communication was another place where the necessities of social distancing brought to light an area for improvement.

One essential piece of the picture was increasing online presence for the library as a space to share resources and connect with families and the community. We

now have a library website, monthly newsletter, and new online catalog system which all provide places to connect students and their families with the library.

Students at SJB are encouraged to engage with stories and become immersed in the world of literature. On a typical library day, each class, K3-5th grade begins in the reading nook as the students listen to a picture book read aloud. This month, the students will be challenged to engage with the books in the library in new ways through a Halloween drawing contest and the introduction of mystery books.

Both invite students to encounter books in a way they may never have considered.

I plan to make more additions to the collection including circulating maker kits, which will allow students to take home books and materials for a craft, an at-home nature exploration, or a STEM activity. These will help promote literacy and inquiry skills along with providing a creative outlet. I am also excited to introduce new ways for students to review and recommend books through the online catalog and Flipgrid. I hope this will encourage students to share their reading and use their voices to build a community of readers that encompasses our whole school.

It is exciting to be able to build and influence the library that was such a central part of my life during middle school. To see the new library website and find out how you can be a part of the exciting growth at St. John Berchmans please visit https://bit.ly/SJB-Library.

As the library continues to build connections with our school community, I have benefited from the hard work of previous librarians and the opportunity to increase the collection with proceeds from scholastic credit. The support of our community through these book fairs has provided new and interesting books that are already popular with our readers.

Analysis of the library collection and the use of statistics have helped identify sections of the collection that need NOVEMBER 2020 35

MINISTERIO HISPANO CATOLICO CRISTO REY: BOSSIER CITY Rev. Fidel Mondragon 318.221.0238 Oficina • Domingo 1:00pm Lunes 7:00pm • Sabado 6:00pm Coordinador Oscar Gomez SAN PASCUAL: W. MONROE Rev. Luis Jost, OFM Domingo: 4:00pm Coordinadora: Lorena Chaparro 318.267.4018 SANTO TOMAS AQUINO: RUSTON Rev. Tony Posadas, OFM 318.225.2870 Oficina • Domingo 1:30pm Coordinator: Luz Martinez • 318.224.0980 NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL PEPETUO SOCORRO: FARMERVILLE Rev. Luis Jost, OFM Coordinadora: Paola Gonalez 817.801.3499 STA MARIA DE LOS PINOS: SHREVEPORT Rev. Rigoberto Betancurt 318.687.5121 Oficina Domingo 11:30am Coordinadora: Alma Mendoza 318.678.9306 SAGRADO CORAZON: OAK GROVE Rev. Joseph Kallookalam, CMI 318.428.2683 Oficina • Cada dos semanas, Domingo 5:00pm CONTACTO DIOCESANO: Rosalba Quiroz, Directora 318.219.7265 rquiroz@dioshpt.org Maria Ivelis Sanchez, Secretaria 318.219.7257 isanchez@dioshpt.org

36 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

“La Comunión de los Santos” Por: Obispo Francis I. Malone

Puede parecer bastante extraño afirmar que yo tenga la oportunidad de ser sepultado en cuatro lugares diferentes.

El primer lugar es el Cementerio de la Catedral Nueva en Filadelfia. Al principio, esta opción me parecía mejor porque mis padres y mis abuelos también están sepultados allí: era bueno pensar que me sepultarían cerca de ellos. Pero se me ocurrió que una vez que esté sepultado, preferiría que fuera en un lugar donde, cuando la gente pase por mi tumba, reconozca mi nombre y rece por mí. Hace varios años concluí que, dado que he pasado la mayor parte de mi vida en Arkansas, pocas personas en Filadelfia sabrían quién era yo y me estaría perdiendo muchas oraciones, de las que, por cierto, estoy dependiendo.

El segundo lugar se llama “Círculo del sacerdote”. Está ubicado en Calvary Cemetery en Little Rock. Es muy conocido por la mayoría de la comunidad católica en el centro de Arkansas, y pensé que lo visitarían con frecuencia, y me aseguraría de tener las oraciones de los visitantes y la misa anual que se celebra en ese cementerio cada 2 de Noviembre.

También pensé en lo agradable que sería ser sepultado junto a mi tío, Monseñor Bernard Malone.

Pero luego, siendo pastor de la Iglesia de Cristo Rey en Little Rock, construimos un columbario junto a la capilla de adoración, y pensé qué lugar más perfecto para ser sepultado, junto con la mayoría de aquellos a quienes pastoreé a lo largo de los años. Ciertamente, este tercer lugar sería “la mejor opción”. Pero cuando llegué como obispo de Shreveport en enero, el padre Mangum me llevó al jardín del sepulcro en la Catedral que está designado para obispos, y que ya contiene los restos terrenales de nuestro primer obispo, William Friend, y me dijo que el “siguiente lugar” era para mí. Ahora, estoy completamente seguro de que este cuarto lugar será el elegido, no me olviden, por favor, porque necesitaré todas las oraciones posibles de los visitantes.

Estos pensamientos sobre la cuarta

opción para mi sepulcro se deben al plan de renovar el jardín y se pidió mi opinión sobre los planes. Cuán apropiado es que se estén haciendo estos planes a medida que nos acercamos al mes sagrado de noviembre: treinta días de oración cada año por nuestros seres queridos fallecidos.

Oramos por ellos, en primer lugar porque pueden necesitar nuestras oraciones, como leemos en el Libro de los Macabeos: “Es un pensamiento santo y saludable orar por los difuntos”. Pero creo que hay una fuerza impulsora más poderosa que hace que esta invitación a orar por ellos tenga un mayor significado. Encontramos en las palabras que profesamos en nuestro Credo que, creemos en “la Comunión de los Santos”. ¿Qué significa esto?

Simplemente que: Creemos que cuando somos bautizados, somos consagrados y elegidos por el bautismo. La muerte nos separa físicamente, pero no puede separarnos espiritualmente, los muertos siguen siendo nuestros hermanos y hermanas, nuestros padres y abuelos, nuestros parientes y amigos. Cuán perfectamente hermoso es que el mes de noviembre comience con un día en el que honramos a TODOS los Santos en el cielo, seguidos por un día en el que oramos por TODOS los que los siguen a la vida eterna, especialmente por los que estén en el Purgatorio y por todos los que necesiten de nuestras oraciones. Siempre pido a la gente que ore por mí cuando muera, y siempre oro por aquellos que ya han muerto y en cuya comunión todos fuimos bautizados.

Noviembre es un mes hermoso, no solo por el cambio de la naturaleza que nos rodea, sino también por la reafirmación de que nosotros, aquí en la tierra, todavía estamos en camino a nuestro hogar eterno, y por medio de nuestras oraciones podemos acercarnos mucho más a nuestros hermanos y hermanas en la Comunión de los Santos.

“Que las almas de los fieles difuntos por la misericordia de Dios Descansen en paz. Amén.”

Agradecidos por la Vida

hispanic news

Por: Rosalba Quiroz, Directora Siempre me gusta escribir algo sobre el agradecimiento en el mes de noviembre en el cual celebramos el “Día de Gracias” y en esta ocasión agradezcamos además de todo, por la vida propia y la de nuestros seres queridos. No importa lo larga o corta que sea nuestra vida pero que sea entregada al servicio de Dios y el prójimo, como la entregó el Beato Carlo Acutis.

Así fue la corta vida de este jovencito Beatificado el pasado 12 de Octubre; Carlo Acutis Adoró a Jesús Sacramentado y su vida es ejemplo a seguir, tanto para los adolescentes y jóvenes, como para los adultos. Nació en Inglaterra el 3 de mayo del 1991 pero a los tres meses fue llevado a vivir a Italia. Sus padres lo amaban pero estaban muy dedicados al negocio y no asistían casi a Misa. Fue su niñera quien le inculcó el amor a Jesús.

Aunque en Italia se recibía la Primera Comunión a los 10 años, él la recibió a los 7 a su propia petición e insistía en ir a Misa diaria.

Era un niño como muchos que disfrutaba jugar, hacer deportes, usar la computadora, y era muy bueno para decir chistes. Sin embargo, era también muy espiritual, amaba a Nuestra Madre María y veía a Jesús como su verdadero amigo. A los 14 publicó un estudio mundial que hizo sobre “Los Milagros Eucarísticos de Jesús”, en el que describe detalladamente hechos donde Jesús se ha presentado vivo en la Eucaristía. Entre muchos países que han reconocido estos milagros están Argentina, Colombia, México, Perú, y Venezuela. Ver aquí su publicación http:// www.miracolieucaristici.org/es/Liste/list.html En su sabiduría de juventud nos dejó frases muy hermosas como estas: “Jesús es mi mejor amigo y la Eucaristía es la autopista que me lleve al cielo” y “Sólo los que hagan la voluntad de Dios serán verdaderamente libres”, entre muchas otras.

Su vida fue ejemplar ya que desde pequeño mostró una gran capacidad en la informática (computación y tecnología), al mismo tiempo que una gran compasión por los pobres y los más necesitados. Murió de una leucemia agresiva el 12 de octubre de 2006, a la corta edad de 15 años. Busquen más sobre su vida ya que es un ejemplo a seguir no solo para los jóvenes sino para todos.

Photo courtesy of Acutis family

Calendario de Noviembre 7 Clase del Ministerio de Intercesión, Cristo Rey, 9-3 p.m.

14

Retiro Equipo Experiencia Cristo, Cristo Rey 10am-7p.m.

30 Seguimiento Emaús Mujeres,

Cristo Rey 6-8p.m.

Gracias Señor por la vida de todos los Santos y te rogamos para que el pequeño Carlo sea declarado un Santo muy pronto.

NOVEMBER 2020 37

Seminarian Burses Thanks to our Recent Donors: (024) (019) (023) (020) (008) (020) (019) (025) (020) (015) (019) (025) (026) (019)

Mr. John G. Semmes ($100) Mr. & Mrs. Kevin M. Flood ($50) E.D. Shaw ($20) Chris A. Ward ($300) Ms. Karen Santora ($100) Law Office of Richard W. Ward ($300) W.A. & E.S. Glenn ($1200) Mr. William J. Marak ($325) Mrs. Rosemary C. Ward ($500) Mr. & Mrs. M. Adron Ebarb ($400) Mr. & Mrs. James W. Coburn ($1980) Mr. William J. Marak ($75) Mr. James J. Sweeney ($10000) Ms. Beth Glenn ($1000)

Completed Burses: (001) (006) (010)

(011) (012) (013) (014) (026)

Fr. Mike Bakowski Memorial Burse #1 ($10000) Msgr. J. Carson LaCaze Memorial Burse #1 ($10000) Memory of Rita Scott from the John Scott Family Burse ($10000) Rev. David Richter Memorial Burse #1 ($10000) Jack E. Caplis, Jr., Memorial Burse ($10000) Mary Evans Caplis Burse ($10000) Bob & Peggy Semmes Memorial Burse ($10000) Sheryl Seal Sweeney Memorial Burse ($10000)

Incomplete Burses: (001) Fr. Mike Bakowski Memorial Burse #2 ($950) (002) Joseph & Antoinette Bakowski Memorial Burse ($2750) (003) Sam R. Maranto Memorial Burse ($1400) (004) Kathryn Atherton Cook Memorial Burse ($350) (005) Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Burse ($950) (006) Msgr. J. Carson LaCaze Memorial Burse #2 ($3832.12) (007) Dr. Carol Christopher Memorial Burse ($1200) (008) St. Jude Parish Burse ($6018) (009) St. John Berchmans Knights of Columbus Council

10728 Burse ($1550) (011) Rev. David Richter Memorial Burse #2 ($3404) (015) Bishop’s Seminarian Burse ($2735) (016) Elaine Malloy Frantz Memorial Burse ($1000) (017) Msgr. George Martinez Knights of Columbus

Council 1337 Burse ($7521.57) (018) Knights of St. Peter Claver Council 144 Burse ($880) (019) Margaret Glenn Memorial Burse ($5580) (020) Dr. James V. Ward Memorial Burse ($3915) (021) Rev. Edmund “Larry” Niehoff Memorial Burse ($2000) (022) Rev. Blane O’Neil, OFM Memorial Burse ($250) (023) Msgr. Edmund J. Moore Memorial Burse ($1020) (024) Rev. Joseph Puthupally Memorial Burse ($600) (025) Kathleen Hightower Memorial Burse ($400)

38 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Livestream Masses Cathedral of St. John Berchmans facebook.com/cathedralofsjb Saturday Vigil: 4 pm Sunday: 8am, 11am, 5:30pm Monday-Friday: 12:10 pm Christ the King Parish Sunday 11:00 am English ; 1:00 pm Spanish facebook.com/ChristtheKingbossier Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish 8:30 am and 5 pm Masses on YouTube channel: JGS DRE Mary, Queen of Peace Parish Sunday 11:00 am - facebook.com/ MQOPBossierCity Our Lady of Fatima Parish Sunday: 9:00 am - facebook.com/ OLFCatholicChurch Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish Sunday 9:00 am - facebook.com/ OLBSShreveport St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Tuesday-Friday: 7:30 am, Saturday: 4:00 pm, Sunday: 11:00 am - seasshreveport.com/livemasses St. George Church Sunday 11:00 am - facebook.com/ MQOPBossierCity St. John the Baptist Parish Sunday 11:00 am - facebook.com/stjohnsmanyla St. Lawrence Church Sunday 10:45 am - facebook.com/St-LawrenceCatholic-Church-Swartz-La-159206814231608 St. Paschal Parish Sunday: 9:00 am on YouTube channel: St. Paschal’s Catholic Church - West Monroe,LA St. Pius X Parish Sunday: 11:00 am - facebook.com/ shreveportstpiusx St. Jude Parish Sunday 8:30 and 11:15 Monday-Friday live 11:30 am facebook.com/ StJudeBossier St. Joseph Parish Sunday: 7:30am, 9:30am, 12:30pm, 6:00pm https://www.christianworldmedia.com/ livechannel/stjosephshreveport

feast days November 1 All Saints Day

November 13 Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini November 18 Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne November 22 Feast of Christ the King November 23 Blessed Miguel Augustin Pro, Priest & Martyr

Upcoming Events November 1 All Saints Day Mass at Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, 8 am, 11 am, & 5:30 pm Missa Cantata November 2 All Souls Day Mass at Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, 12:10 pm & 6:00 pm.

November 15 Christian Services 50th Anniversary Gala and Poor Man’s Supper (Will be held virtually from 5:00 to 7:00 pm with a variety of presentations, pre-recorded interviews and musical performances.

December 13-16 Advent Mission with Fr. Jim Sichko, Papal Missionary of Mercy @ Saint John Berchmans Cathedral Fr. Jim, Papal Missionary of Mercy, will be present at all of the Masses on December 12-13, and will offer our Advent Mission Dec 13-16. This family-oriented mission includes music, storytelling, scripture and prayer! Bring the kids - each talk is geared for every family member! Come be inspired by his stories.

NOVEMBER 2020  39

Connection The Catholic

DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT 3500 Fairfield Ave.

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Shreveport, LA 71104

40 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Catholic Connection USPS 024-824 is published monthly except for July by the Diocese of Shreveport, 3500 Fairfield Ave., Shreveport, LA 71104. Periodicals Postage PAID at Shreveport, LA 71102. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Catholic Connection, 3500 Fairfield Ave, Shreveport, LA 71104.

Tyrone McMiller and Del Harris at the Catholic Center