from the editor
Connection The Catholic
Kierstin Richter, Editor
“So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 Sometimes moving forward can stir up mixed feelings. On the one hand, we’re excited and teeming with anticipation for all the new adventures that lie before us. On the other, we foster some sort of nostalgia for a time gone by, and we’re afraid things will never be the same or memories will be forgotten. But perhaps deep inside, we realize things will be okay, and sometimes, they even turn out great. Some fear they will be forgotten. Some people are, indeed, lost to history, much like the nameless faces in the Yellow Fever Mound - nearly 800 names that may never be spoken aloud again. And then some stories won’t be told until centuries later, much like the men who have been buried at Saint Joseph Cemetery for nearly 137 years, all that time with no marker, no headstone to commemorate them. But time and memory know nothing of legacy. Even if every last person has forgotten your name, you have still rippled an effect that carries on into a changed world for centuries to come. The stories live on. The world silently turns a little differently because you were here. As time marches on and we smile in the face of change, we hold onto the hope of a world as beautiful as the last. Mark Twain once said, “History doesn’t repeat, but it does rhyme.” So much changes, yet so much stays the same. As we open a new year, a new chapter in our lives, we remember the stories that precede us, but we also look to the future in excitement. What new memories will we make? What new stories will we write? So as we venture into a new year, let us remember the stories and the people who have shaped us. Let us remember the times of old and anticipate the times of new. For the days gone by, for the memories we’ve shared, let us toast to a year well lived. Happy New Year, everyone. Let’s make it count.
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
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PUBLISHER Bishop Francis I. Malone EDITOR Kierstin Richter
CONTRIBUTORS Mike Van Vranken Kim Long Kate Rhea Mary Arcement Alexander Mark Loyet Carol Gates Deacon Andrew Thomas Rosalba Quiroz Patti Underwood John Mark Willcox 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 Mary Katherine Arcement, Diocesan Victim Assistance Minister, at 318-584-2411. JANUARY 2021 3
