Bayou Catholic | September 2014 Issue by Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

Bayou

Catholic

The magazine for the people of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

Work of Human Hands Honoring laborers in September

HOUMA, LA ~ SEPTEMBER 2014 ~ COMPLIMENTARY

Together in the

Work of the Lord For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. 1 Corinthians 3:9

For more information, visit: www.htdiocese.org

Fixed 136,400 Broken Hearts

That’s a lot of fresh starts. In 1986, we performed the first open-heart surgery in Southeast Louisiana, thereby filling a critical need for patients in this region. And all along, our dedication to your wellbeing has never wavered. We’ve been here to share in the worry of uncertain moments, along with the elation of recovery. It’s a true calling for all the doctors, nurses, and staff that are proud to call this community home. Visit TGMC.com.

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HONORI NG OUR PAST SHAPI NG THE FUT URE

7/29/14 9:55 AM www.bayoucatholic.com

Contents FEATURES

12 Chapel of the Good Shepherd Bishop Fabre blesses the chapel

20 Msgr. Frederic Brunet retires after 42 years in Chauvin

24 Bread from Heaven Parishioners deliver meals to shut ins

46 Christian Leadership Institute Molding youth to become Christ-like leaders

COLUMNS

Comfort For My People

By Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

14 Pope Speaks By Pope Francis I

15 Question Corner By Father Kenneth Doyle

16 Readings Between The Lines By Father Glenn LeCompte

38 Seeing Clairely By Claire Joller

64 Overtime

By Ed Daniels

IN EVERY ISSUE

Bayou

Catholic

6 Editor’s Corner 22 Heavenly Recipes 26 Our Churches 30 Scripture Readings 42 Diocesan Events GUEST COLUMNS

32 Catholic Student Exchange By Mariella Obiols and Deann Ponciano

48 Campus Ministery at Nicholls By Mary Graham

Mar r i age HOUMA, LA ROBERT

BER 2014

~ SEPTEM

TOGRAPHY

54 Suicide By Father Joshua Rodrigue

ANNOUNCEMENTS

FAUST PHO

43 Sister Carmelita Centanni receives two appointments

56 Food for the Journey Father Joshua Rodrigue speaks Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

On Our Cover During the month of September we are invited to reflect upon the reality and dignity of human labor which is an essential part of our human existence. Both Bishop Shelton J. Fabre and Father Glenn LeCompte write about the dignity of human labor in their respective columns. The bishop says the church teaches us that in our human labor, we exercise that portion of our human nature that reflects the creativity and productivity of God, who created all things. Father LeCompte goes on to say that God is the ultimate employer. God invites the man to cultivate and keep the garden and thereby to work as God works, or more specifically to share in God’s labor. Thus, human work is sacred activity. Cover Photo by Lawrence Chatagnier

Where to find your Bayou Catholic Bayou Catholic magazine can be found at all Catholic churches in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, at the three Catholic high schools in Houma, Morgan City and Thibodaux, as well as the 10 elementary schools throughout the diocese. You may also visit the merchants listed in the Advertisers’ Index to pick up your copy. Those wishing to receive the magazine by mail can call Pat Keese at (985) 850-3132 or write to Bayou Catholic, P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395. Subscription price is $35 annually. For the online edition, go to www.bayoucatholic.com

Bayou Catholic Vol. 35, No. 3 How to reach us: BY PHONE: (985) 850-3132 BY MAIL: P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395 BY FAX: (985) 850-3232 BY E-MAIL: bayoucatholic@htdiocese.org The Bayou Catholic is published monthly, for the people of the Roman Catholic Diocese of HoumaThibodaux by the H-T Publishing Co., P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395. Subscription rate is $35 per year. The Bayou Catholic is a member of the Catholic Press Association, the National Newspaper Association and an associate member of the Louisiana Press Association. National and world-wide news service and photos by National Catholic News Service.

Louis G. Aguirre

editor and general manager

Lawrence Chatagnier managing editor

Index to Advertisers Acadian Total Security .......................33 Advanced Eye Institute ......................17 Bishop’s Appeal ...................................2 Bueche’s Jewelry ...............................25 Cannata’s Creative Catering ..............84 Caro’s Cakes, Inc. ..............................74 Cashio’s Mobile Catering ...................82 Channel 10 .........................................39 Courtesy Automotive .........................36 Courtyard Marriott ..............................75 Diocesan Outreach Line ....................43 Diocesan Website ..............................77 Family Ministries ................................71 Gina’s Catering ..................................79 God’s Promises Books & Gifts ..........67 Gold’n Gifts & Bridal Boutique ...........76 Hampton Inn and Suites ....................69 Haydel Memorial Hospice .................59 Haydel Spine & Pain ..........................29 Headache & Pain Center ...................47 Houma Digestive Health Specialists .. 56

Houma Terrebonne-Civic Center .......73 Johnny’s Men’s Shop ........................72 Knight’s of Columbus Insurance Daniel A. Cabirac ...........................11 LeBlanc & Associates, LLC ................37 Main Street Special Events ................78 Maison Jardin .....................................56 Matt Hagen City Court Judge ............61 Normans Tuxedos ..............................83 Peltier Travel Agency .........................81 Randy Alfred-Judge • City Court ........57 Re-Bath ..............................................49 Rod’s Superstore ...............................19 Seminarian Education Burses ...........51 Spotlight .............................................53 St. Joseph Manor/Cardinal Place ......57 Terminix ..............................................25 Terrebonne General Medical Center ....3 The Cypress Columns .......................68 Thibodaux Physical Therapy .............59 Vision Communications .....................23

Glenn J. Landry, C.P.A. business manager

Peggy Adams

advertising manager

Anna C. Givens

advertising accounts executive

Janet Marcel staff writer

Pat Keese

secretary and circulation

Lisa Schobel Hebert graphic designer

Janet B. Eschete

accounts payable assistant

Meridy Liner

accounts receivable assistant

First Place Winner 2013 & 2014 General Excellence www.bayoucatholic.com

Welcome

Editor’s Corner Louis G. Aguirre Editor & General Manager

Happiness Pope Francis says he has the key to happiness, and wants to shout it from the rooftops: Christians should memorize not only the Ten Commandments but also the beatitudes, which Jesus taught as the path to true happiness. Speaking to more than 6,000 people at a recent general audience, Pope Francis said one repetition of the text of the beatitudes is not

enough to “remember them and impress them on our hearts.” The pope gave the crowd “homework,” asking them to spend time in the coming days reading the text again, from the Bible “which you should have with you.” The beatitudes are not only “the path God indicates as his response to the desire for happiness present in each person and the perfection of the Ten Commandments,” he said; they also are “a portrait of Jesus and his way of life.” In addition to showing people the path to true happiness, the pope said, Jesus gave “us the protocol according to which we will be judged.” “At the end of the world, we will be judged,” he said. “And what will the questions be that the judge will ask?” They are listed in Matthew 25: 35-36: Did you feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

for the sick and visit the prisoner? “Today, your task is to read the fifth chapter of Matthew where the beatitudes are, and also to read the 25th chapter where the questions are that we will be asked on judgment day,” he said. Pope Francis told the crowd “I read the beatitudes and think about how my life as a Christian should be and then, I make an examination of conscience with the 25th chapter from Matthew. Every day I ask, ‘Did I do this? Did I do that? That?’” Living according to the beatitudes and the criteria listed in Matthew 25, he concluded, should fill each Christian with joy because together “they make our Christian life a beautiful and credible witness to the love of God for all the brothers and sisters we meet each day.”

Bayou Spirit

Diocesan Mass honors Acadian culture 7

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier The annual Acadian Mass held at St. Hilary of Poitiers Church in Mathews was concelebrated in conjunction with the feast of the Assumption. Father Roch Naquin was the principal celebrant of the Mass with Bishop Shelton Fabre presiding. Priests of the diocese concelebrated the Mass. Catholics from across the diocese gathered for the Mass which celebrates the Cajun culture of the bayou area.

www.bayoucatholic.com

Comment Comfort For My People Bishop Shelton J. Fabre LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

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Though we have already recently celebrated it, Labor Day is the ‘official close’ of summer activities and at this time in September we again begin to give ourselves over totally to a full range of school activities, work requirements and preparations for the coming fall and winter. Some people turn their thoughts to plans for fall and winter gardens; others hope for a good pecan crop or pray for good weather for the sugar cane harvest. Perhaps we all just long for the cooler days of fall. In addition to all these things, Labor Day and the entire month of September also invite us to reflect again upon the reality and dignity of human labor, which is an essential part of our human existence. As with all things that are an essential part of our lives, the church has much to say about our relationship to God and to one another through the reality of human labor. The church seeks to give us guidance and direction on how we are to appreciate human labor in all of its many manifestations in society. The church teaches that in our human labor, we exercise that portion of our human nature that reflects the creativity and productivity of God, who created all things. As we offer praise and thanks to the God who enables us to meet the task of work, it can be fulfilling to step

back and contemplate all that our work accomplishes and all that our creativity positively brings to life. In our human labor, we undertake our task of being good stewards of God’s creation by subduing and caring for creation, and also by discovering creation’s wonders and benefits for all of God’s children. Through our work, we are able to provide for ourselves and for our families, and also enhance the lives of others since our work hopefully has far reaching positive effects. However, if we honestly assess from our experience the total reality of work, we realize that some elements of our work are not always pleasurable experiences. Sometimes work places demands on us, and not every single day or aspect of work is an experience of being productive or creative. As always, the church examines the total reality of our human experience, and therefore the church in its teaching also deals with that side of work that can be difficult, demanding, and seemingly for no purpose from our perspective. When work in these and in many other ways requires a lot from us, it is our belief that by enduring and responding to some of the hardships of work we join ourselves to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and collaborate in a certain fashion with the Son of God in his redemptive work (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2427). Perhaps it is these experiences in work that give us pause to use the traditional phrase, “I offer it up in

union with Jesus for the benefit of all people.” The Catechism has some really good and concise sections which summarize its larger portions. These summary sections get to the heart of what is very basic church teaching about a particular topic or area of thought. As you refer to the Catechism for information with regard to church teaching about a particular topic, if you do not have time to read the whole portion of the Catechism about that particular topic, then search for the summary section that comes at the conclusion of the section and read that part. In a more concise manner it will give the basic thought of the church and its teaching about that topic. In summarizing the thoughts about human work, the Catechism states in no. 2460, “The primordial value of labor stems from man himself, its author and beneficiary. By means of his labor man participates in the work of creation. Work united to Christ can be redemptive.” While appreciating all that has been stated, perhaps in the end the most important reflection during these days is to simply be thankful that we are able to be creative and productive in our work; to be grateful for the gift of employment. We offer gratitude to God for good health, which allows us to work. We pray for all who seek to find employment in these times, and for those whom work is impaired or not possible due to illness or advanced age. God bless you all in your work, and peace be with you!

The reality and dignity of human labor Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

Comentario

La realidad y la dignidad del trabajo humano

Aunque ya haya sido celebrado recientemente, el Día del Trabajo es el ‘cierre oficial’ de las actividades de verano y en este mes de septiembre comenzamos nuevamente a entregarnos con plenitud a un amplio espectro de actividades escolares, obligaciones de empleo y preparaciones para el otoño e invierno venideros. Mientras algunos se dedican a planificar sus jardines de otoño e invierno, otros ponen sus esperanzas en una buena cosecha de nueces o rezan por un clima propicio para la cosecha de caña de azúcar. Tal vez solamente añoramos los días frescos de otoño. Además de todas estas cosas, el Día del Trabajo y el mes entero de septiembre nos invitan a reflexionar de nuevo sobre la realidad y la dignidad del trabajo humano que es parte esencial de nuestra existencia humana. Así como todas las cosas que forman parte esencial de nuestra vida, la Iglesia tiene mucho que decir sobre nuestra relación con Dios y el uno con el otro a través de la realidad del trabajo humano. La Iglesia busca darnos guía y dirección para poder apreciar el trabajo humano en todas sus diversas manifestaciones dentro de la sociedad. La Iglesia nos enseña que en nuestro trabajo humano, ejercemos esa parte de nuestra naturaleza humana que refleja la creatividad y productividad de Dios, que ha creado todas las cosas. Nuestras alabanzas y acción de gracias a Dios, quién nos da la capacidad de trabajar, nos brindan la satisfacción de poder apreciar y contemplar todos los logros de nuestro trabajo y todo lo positivo que nuestra creatividad nos brinda en la vida. En nuestro trabajo humano llevamos a cabo nuestra tarea de ser buenos administradores de la creación de Dios sometiendo y

cuidando la creación y descubriendo las maravillas de la creación y los beneficios que reciben todos los hijos de Dios. A través de nuestro trabajo podemos proveer para nuestras familias y nosotros mismos, cómo también mejorar las vidas de los demás ya que nuestro trabajo puede tener resultados profundos y positivos. No obstante, si de nuestra experiencia asesoramos con honestidad la realidad total del trabajo, nos damos cuenta que algunos elementos de nuestro trabajo no son siempre experiencias felices. A veces los empleos son

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

exigentes y no todos los días o cada cualidad del trabajo nos brinda una experiencia de productividad o creatividad. Como siempre, la Iglesia examina la realidad total de nuestra experiencia humana y, por tanto, la Iglesia en su enseñanza también trata con esa dimensión del trabajo que suele ser difícil, exigente y sin sentido desde nuestro punto de vista. Cuando el trabajo en estas y otras maneras requiere mucho de nosotros, es nuestra creencia que perseverando y respondiendo a algunas de las dificultades del trabajo, nos unimos a la cruz de nuestro Señor

Jesucristo y ayudamos de cierta manera con el Hijo de Dios en su obra redentora (Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica, no. 2427). Tal vez son estas experiencias en el trabajo que nos dan pausa para usar la oración tradicional, «Lo ofrezco en unión con Jesús para el beneficio de todos.» El Catecismo tiene secciones verdaderamente buenas y breves que recapitulan los segmentos largos. Estas secciones breves entran al meollo de lo que es la enseñanza básica de la Iglesia sobre un tema en particular o un pensamiento. Si usted tiene tiempo limitado cuando lee el Catecismo y busca un tema sobre la enseñanza de la Iglesia entonces busque el resumen que se encuentra en la conclusión de cada sección y lea esa parte. Encontrará que le dará el pensamiento básico de la Iglesia y sus enseñanzas sobre el tema de manera más concisa. En el resumen los pensamientos sobre el trabajo humano, el Catecismo declara en no. 2460, «El valor primordial del trabajo atañe al hombre mismo que es su autor y su destinatario. Mediante su trabajo, el hombre participa en la obra de la creación. Unido a Cristo, el trabajo puede ser redentor.» Mientras apreciamos todo lo que ha sido declarado, tal vez al final la reflexión más importante durante estos días es simplemente estar agradecidos por el hecho que podemos ser creativos y productivos en nuestro trabajo; estar agradecidos por el don del empleo. Ofrecemos nuestra gratitud a Dios por la buena salud que nos permite trabajar. Oramos por todos los que buscan trabajo en estos tiempos y por aquéllos que no pueden trabajar o trabajan de manera limitada debido a enfermedades o la edad avanzada. ¡Qué Dios los bendiga a todos ustedes en su empleo y qué la paz sea con ustedes! Traducido por Julio Contreras, feligrés de la Iglesia Annunziata en Houma www.bayoucatholic.com

Binh luan bang loi

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Sự Thật và Giá Trị Sức Lao Động

Mặc dầu chúng ta đã được nghỉ ngơi trong ngày đó, Lễ Lao Động đánh dấu một mùa hè đầy hứng thú “đã trôi qua” và tháng chín này chúng ta bắt đầu dốc toàn lực cho trương trình học, những đòi hỏi của công việc và chuẩn bị cho mùa thu và mùa đông. Một số người có những kế hoạch về vườn rau/hoa; số khác hy vọng có nhiều trái hồ đào pecan hoặc cầu nguyện cho thời tiết tốt vào mùa gặt mía đường có nhiều kết quả. Có lẽ chúng ta cũng mong thời tiết dễ chịu hơn vào mùa thu này. Thêm vào những công việc vừa kể trên, Lễ Lao Động và toàn tháng chín mời gọi chúng ta nhìn vào sự thật và giá trị của sức lao động, nó là phần tối quan trọng cho vấn đề sống còn của chúng ta. Vì tất cả mọi thứ đánh dấu một phần quan trọng của cuộc sống, nên Giáo Hội lên tiếng nói về sự liên hệ của chúng ta đối với Chúa và mọi người qua sự thật về sức lao động. Giáo Hội cố gắng dành cho chúng ta lời nhắn nhủ và hướng đi để giúp chúng ta chấp nhận sức lao động trong bất cứ hoàn cảnh nào trong xã hội. Giáo Hội dạy rằng lạo động, là chúng ta thực thi một khía cạnh của nhân tính, nó phản ảnh óc sáng tạo và thành quả của Chúa, là Người đã tạo dựng nên mọi thứ. Mỗi khi chúng ta tôn vinh và cảm tạ Chúa vì Người đã giúp chúng ta chu toàn công việc tay chân, điều này có thể làm được khi chúng ta dừng lại và suy tư về thành quả mà công việc đã mang lại và tất cả những sáng tạo tốt đã đem đến cho cuộc sống. Trong sức lao động, chúng ta quyết tâm trở thành những đầy tớ trung tín trong chương trình tạo dựng của Chúa bằng cách chinh phục và bảo vệ môi sinh, và cùng lúc đó khám phá ra những kỳ công và đem ích lợi đến cho con cái Chúa. Qua sức lao động, chúng ta tự nuôi nấng mình và gia đình, và làm tăng vẻ tươi đẹp cho cuộc sống người khác vì sức lao động đó chúng ta hy vọng rằng nó có sức ảnh hưởng lớn hơn. Tuy nhiên, nếu chúng ta thành thật kiểm điểm kinh nghiệm toàn diện sức lao động, chúng ta nhận ra rằng mọi yếu tố về việc làm của chúng ta không hoàn toàn dễ chịu.

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

Đôi khi công việc đòi hỏi quá sức và công việc mỗi ngày hay một khía cạnh nào đó của nó không mang lại kết quả mỹ mãn hay óc sáng tạo. Như thường lệ, Giáo Hội nghiên cứu toàn diện sự thật về sức lao động của chúng ta, và vì thế qua lời giáo huấn đó cũng giúp ta đối diện với những công việc khó khăn, đòi hỏi cao, và cảm tưởng như nó không có mục đích gì rõ ràng. Khi sự thật này xảy ra và trong những công việc khác nữa đòi hỏi rất nhiều ở nơi mình, chúng ta tin rằng vì sự chịu đựng và sự cố gắng bản thân thi công thì chúng ta đang gắn liền với thánh giá của Chúa Giêsu Kytô và cùng cộng tác với Ngài trong một khía cạnh nào đó về sự cứu độ của Con Thiên Chúa (Giáo Lý Công Giáo, số 2427). Có lẽ vì những kinh nghiệm khó khăn này, chúng ta nên dừng lại để dùng câu nói đã quá quen, “Tôi hy sinh để hiệp nhất với Chúa Kytô vì ích lợi cho mọi người.” Sách giáo lý có nhiều phần rất giá trị và chính xác nằm ở phần tóm gọn sau mỗi phần huấn từ. Những phần tóm gọn này nhìn thẳng vào trọng điểm mà Giáo Hội dạy từng vấn đề hay tư tưởng. Khi anh chị em tham khảo sách giáo lý về những gì Giáo Hội dạy mà không có

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

thời gian đọc hết toàn phần thì có thể đọc phần tóm gọn tư tưởng về vấn đề mà anh chị em muốn tìm hiểu. Trong phần tóm gọn, nó cho anh chị em giáo lý căn bản của Giáo Hội về vấn đề đó. Để tóm gọn về sức lao động giáo lý khoản 2460 nói, “Giá trị đầu tiên về lao động xuất phát từ con người, mình là chủ và mang lại ích lợi. Vì công việc tay chân này mà chúng ta cộng tác vào sự tạo dựng. Công việc gắn liến với Chúa Kytô có thể đưa đến cứu rỗi.” Trong khi hài lòng về những gì đã được trình bày, có lẽ sau cùng thì sự suy tư trong những ngày này là chỉ cần có tâm tình biết ơn vì chúng ta đã có óc sáng tạo và thành đạt trong công việc; biết ơn vì việc làm mà chúng ta đang có. Chúng ta tạ ơn Chúa vì sức khoẻ để thi hành công việc. Chúng ta cầu nguyện cho những ai đang tìm kiếm việc làm trong những ngày này, và những ai không làm việc được vì bệnh tật hay tuổi già sức yếu. Xin Chúa ban phép lành trên công việc của anh chị em, bình an của Chúa ở cùng anh chị em! Dòch thuaät: Linh Muïc Pheâroâ Leâ Taøi, Chaùnh sôû nhaø thôø Our Lady of the Isle.

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Church Alive

Chapel of the Good Shepherd Bishop Fabre blesses Pastoral Center chapel

Shortly after Bishop Shelton J. Fabre arrived to shepherd the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux as its Fourth Bishop, he decided that the office which had been designated as the bishop’s office was not meeting his needs. The (former) office is located in the center of the building so it has no windows. The new bishop says he missed the natural light and felt isolated from the other pastoral center staff members. Once he moved to his new office, the thought was “what are we going to do with that office?” says Jimmie Danos, diocesan director of the Office of Building and Construction, who oversaw the construction process of the new diocesan chapel. “For years we have been setting up and making do whenever Mass was celebrated at the Pastoral Center. We had to move chairs and use a table as an altar because we never really had a permanent chapel here. We thought converting the office to a chapel

Story by Janet Marcel Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

would be a good use of the large space. It’s in a perfect area – a central part of the building away from a lot of activity, and it has limited access which means more privacy for those wishing to use it for private prayer. Everything just lined up toward it becoming a chapel.” There was only a limited amount of renovations that had to be done to convert the space into a chapel, says Danos. The entire renovation process took approximately two months to complete. Two new doors were constructed at separate ends of the room and the existing double doors were rendered inactive. All of the hardware was removed from the existing doors and a wooden cross was created and installed over the area where the doors meet in a manner that would not damage them. The walls were painted and new chairs were purchased. The new chapel seats 42 people. Father Michael Bergeron, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church parish in Thibodaux, donated the tabernacle and the candle holders for the altar. Father Vic de La Cruz, J.V., pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church parish in Bayou Black, donated the stand for the Book of Gospels, which is placed in a dignified manner on the rear sanctuary wall

opposite the Tabernacle to help us recall that Christ makes himself present through the proclamation of the Word at Mass, even as he does in the eucharistic elements (see Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, no. 7). “Overall, the project was a collective effort of diocesan staff members, clergy and bishop’s cabinet members who all contributed by drawing from their own experiences and gifts to make the chapel what it is,” says Danos, who acknowledges that he relied on Father Glenn LeCompte’s knowledge of liturgical requirements as the project unfolded. According to Father LeCompte, diocesan director of the Office of Worship, the USCCB document Built of Living Stones (BLS) informs us that church buildings (and this would also be applicable to smaller chapels, such as this one at the Pastoral Center) must be suited to sacred celebrations, dignified and beautiful (no. 18). In addition, BLS says, “The general plan of the building should be such that ‘in some way it conveys the image of the gathered assembly’” (no. 30). “One of the first things Jimmie and I had to decide upon was the placement of the sanctuary furnishings and the chairs for the assembly,” says Father LeCompte. “We settled on placing the sanctuary furnishings just in front of the double doors that lead out into the hallway, because an angled indentation on that side of the room would give us more room for seating and the backdrop behind the altar is one of rich wood. Also, there are shelves behind the altar that allowed us to place the tabernacle and Book of 13 the Gospels in dignified spaces. The room is much wider than it is deep, so by having the altar face the shorter expanse of the room we could place chairs for the assembly in such a fashion that the concept of our gathering around the eucharistic table with the Lord in our midst is connoted by the design. Finally, since the two podiums to be used for the ambo (from which the Scriptures are read) and lectern respectively are practically identical, we decided to place a drape, whose color would change with the liturgical color of the day, of dignified material to give the ambo some prominence. An identical drape will be placed on the altar, over the altar cloth to convey the idea of the connection between Word and Sacrament.” Bishop Fabre says that after consultation, prayer and reflection he decided that the new chapel would have the name “Chapel of the Good Shepherd.” “I chose this name because each and every one of us, as diocesan staff, is called in our ministry to be a good shepherd in an appropriate manner. We dedicate ourselves to serving the needs of the faithful and the needs of parishes, just as the Good Shepherd serves the needs of all his sheep. We are called to serve, and not to be served. Pope Francis has reminded the bishops of the world that as shepherds we are to ‘smell like the sheep.’ I think that this reminder from the part of the Pope to the bishops of the world can also be issued to all involved in pastoral ministry. It is my hope that the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, located at the very center of the Pastoral Center building, will be a daily reminder to all of us to center our lives on Jesus Christ and seek to be good shepherds to God’s people,” says the bishop. www.bayoucatholic.com

Comment The Pope Speaks

V 14

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis, in mourning for the deaths of his nephew’s wife and two small children, thanked people at his weekly general audience Aug. 20 for their prayers. After each of the priests who translate the pope’s words offered him condolences for the tragedy that struck his family, Pope Francis explained to the people: “The pope has a family, too. We were five siblings, and I have 16 nieces and nephews. One of these nephews was in an accident. His wife died along with his two small children -- one who was 2 years old and the other several months.” The pope said that after the crash in the early morning hours Aug. 19, his 35-year-old nephew, Emanuel Horacio Bergoglio, “is in critical condition right now. I thank you, I thank you very much, for your condolences and prayers.” Memories, from the important to the light-hearted, took center stage at the pope’s audience with about 7,000 people gathered in the Vatican audience hall. Seated on the stage, among the visiting bishops, was a delegation representing the players and coaches of the soccer team that has been the pope’s favorite since he was a small child. They brought along the massive Copa Libertadores trophy testifying to their Aug. 13 win in the championship of Latin American clubs.

CNS PHOTO/ALESSANDRO BIANCHI, REUTERS

Matias Lammens, president of Argentine soccer team San Lorenzo, holds the Copa Libertadores trophy as he is greeted by Pope Francis during the pontiff’s weekly audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican Aug. 20.

They also brought a copy of the trophy for the pope to keep. Greeting Spanish-speakers at the audience, Pope Francis gave a special shoutout to the team, “the champions of America,” and a team “that is part of my cultural identity.” On the flight back from Seoul Aug. 18, an Argentine journalist asked the pope what he thought about his team winning. “San Lorenzo is the team my whole family cheered for,” the pope responded. “As children we went, even mom went” to their games. “I remember as if it were today the 1946 season when San Lorenzo had a brilliant team and were champions.” As is customary at the first gen-

eral audience after a foreign trip, Pope Francis shared reflections on his Aug. 14-18 visit to South Korea. “The meaning of this apostolic visit can be summarized in three words: memory, hope and witness,” he said. The church, he said, “is the custodian of memory and hope. It is a spiritual family in which the adults transmit to the young the flame of faith received from their ancestors; the memory of the witnesses of the past become a new witness in the present and hope for the future.” Pope Francis said that his beatifying 124 Korean martyrs and meeting young people from many countries gathered for Asian Youth Day, brought memory, hope and witness together.

Pope thanks people for prayers for his family after crash Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

Question Corner Father Kenneth Doyle

Adam, Eve and original sin

Q. I believe in the evolutionary theory of creation and have never given much thought to its impact on Christianity -- until recently. While talking to a local priest, he mentioned that Adam and Eve were fictional characters who have provided generations with lessons on good and evil and who also provided the foundation for redemption. I agreed, but later it made me wonder about all that follows in the Bible: the concept of original sin, the promise of a savior, etc. And so, simply asked, my question is this: Without the fall of Eve in Eden, where, when and why does the promise of a savior originate? (Virginia Beach, Virginia)

A. The virtually universal view of contemporary Catholic biblical scholars is that the Genesis account of creation is not a textbook of history and scientific fact, but is meant to convey religious truths. The theory of evolution is widely accepted by natural scientists, and in a message delivered in 1996 to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, St. John Paul II said that evolution should be viewed as “more than an hypothesis.” In that same allocution, St. John Paul went on to say that theories of physical evolution of the human species do not contradict Catholic teaching so long as they allow for the spiritual dimension of the human person.

In other words, one is free to believe that while the human species evolved physically over millions of years, that entire process was presided over and guided by God, and God directly created the human soul. As for original sin, I certainly would not call Adam and Eve “fictional characters.” Many scholars do theorize, though, that they were most likely not two specific individuals but represented instead an entire early generation of men and women. As the Second Vatican Council says in No. 13 of “Gaudium et Spes”: “Although he was made by God in a state of holiness, from the very onset of his history man abused his liberty at the urging of the Evil One.” In their view of original sin, the Greek Fathers of the Church held that the sinfulness of our earliest ancestors is carried forward by the choices of every generation -- so that each of us arrives in the world, if not with a genetic predisposition to sin, then at least surrounded by a society in which selfishness seems to abound. Thus, we have a need for the redeemer promised throughout the Old Testament: to balance out that early failure, to open the path to heaven and to enable us to overcome self-interest and to direct our lives outward.

Wedding rings

Q. Is the exchange of rings necessary in a Catholic wedding ceremony? My daughter doesn’t wear any jewelry and doesn’t intend to wear a wedding ring either. What happens in that case? (Ireland)

A. The heart of the Catholic marriage ceremony is the exchange of consent by the couple, and that is all that is really required. The priest or deacon asks the couple the following three questions: “Have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?”, “Will you love and honor each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives?” and (if appropriate) “Will you accept children lovingly from God and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his church?” Then the man and woman pronounce their wedding vows (usually by repeating them, in short phrases, after the priest or deacon.) Technically, that is all that is required for the sacrament. Most often, the vows are followed immediately by 15 an exchange of rings, after the rings have been blessed. In many cultures, rings are widely recognized signs of a lifelong commitment to love and fidelity, but they are not an essential element of the marriage ceremony. So your daughter needn’t worry -- and, financially speaking, the groom will doubtless be grateful.

Questions may be sent to Father Kenneth Doyle at askfatherdoyle@ gmail.com and 40 Hopewell St., Albany, N.Y. 12208 www.bayoucatholic.com

Reflections

Readings Between The Lines

Father Glenn LeCompte

God is the ultimate employer

Once there was a reporter who decided to do a story on people’s beliefs in life-after-death. She went into an office building and asked if she could see the manager for an interview. The manager consented and invited her in. She explained her purpose and posed the question: “Do you believe in life-afterdeath?” Without hesitation the manager said, “absolutely!” The reporter said, “You say that with a lot of certitude. Are

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

you saying that because you are avid about your religious faith?” “No,” the manager said, “I believe in God, but I haven’t practiced my faith with regularity.” The reporter questioned further, “Then what makes you so certain that there is life-after-death?” The manager responded, “Well, I draw my conclusion from being in this office.” “I don’t understand,” the reporter said. The manager replied, “All you have to do is be here at 5 p.m. and you’ll see a bunch of dead people come back to life!” On the first Monday of September our nation celebrates Labor Day. The U.S. Department of Labor claims that Labor Day was the product of the labor movement in the late 19th century, which saw the dawn of industrialization. The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated in New York City on Sept. 5, 1882. Its purpose was to recognize “the contribution of laborers to the strength, prosperity and well-being” of the United States” (www.dol.gov/laborday/ history.htm). Within the realm of Catholic theology, work is considered a sacred activity. The first three chapters of Genesis confirm this. In Genesis 1, God is depicted as working as he puts a chaotic universe into order. The pinnacle of his creative work is the human

being, created male and female, so that they may cooperate with his continuing creative activity (Genesis 1:28-29). God gives a double command here: “be fertile and multiply” and “fill the earth and subdue it.” The joining of the commands to populate the earth and to “subdue it” indicates that part of the purpose for the proliferation of the human race is to facilitate God’s continuing maintenance of creation. The command to “subdue” the earth has often been misunderstood as God’s giving humanity freedom to exploit the earth’s natural resources. Rather, by the command to “subdue” God invites human beings to cooperate with him in the continual process of creating and bringing order to his creation. In Genesis 2, God is depicted as working to create, but the image of God’s generative labor here is depicted differently. Whereas the creation of the cosmos is mentioned in a passing reference, the focus of God’s work is on the creation of human beings (2:5-7, 18-23). The motive given for the creation of the first human being is that “there was no man to till the soil” (2:5). If work is something that God does, it must be a sacred activity, and the man that God worked to create is brought into existence to assist God in his continuing work.

Furthermore, God causes beautiful, food-producing trees to grow from the ground (Genesis 2:9). In 2:15, God invites the man to “cultivate and keep the garden” and thereby to work as God works, or more specifically, to share in God’s labor. Thus, human work is a sacred activity. Unfortunately today, our society tends to see work as a secular activity to be distinguished from sacred activities, such as prayer or worship. Once we conceive of work as a secular activity, the next step is to view work as beyond the governance of morality. Embezzlement, deception of customers, pricefixing, mistreatment of employees, money-laundering, people not fulfilling their work obligations and numerous other business vices all of a sudden become tolerated. When this happens society reverts to chaos, which is the opposite of the result of God’s creative work. In the Bible, work is seen within the total scope of God’s relationship to the world and activity in it. Consider Psalm 104:16-24, in which

God is praised as the Creator, and every creature God makes fulfills a purpose ordained by God. All of these are general truths about life, and among these is the truth that “people go forth to their work.” No matter what it is that keeps you busy, whether it be maintaining a household, looking after grandchildren, doing community volunteer work, lending a willing ear to someone who needs to talk, it is first of all work, and secondly it is sacred. To see our daily work as sacred has several

implications. Labor is an act of worship of God. Because God has given us the ability to work, our use of that ability is an expression of thanksgiving to him. Moreover, work done justly is an act of service of God, inasmuch as the Hebrew word in Genesis 2:15 for “cultivate” is also used in other contexts for priestly service of God (Numbers 3:7-8). Therefore to work is to honor God by serving him in obedience to his command to cooperate with him in the maintenance of his good creation.

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work your is your w o H overn g n y t i l n mora ? to God hristia C of s ard of t stand process n Wha of the rt a p ork as work? your w e e s u ? do yo ngdom n How od’s Ki G p u ng buildi 17

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International

Pope Francis delivers the homily during the closing Mass of the sixth Asian Youth Day at Haemi Castle in Haemi, South Korea, Aug. 17.

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Charity, forgiveness keys to Korean reunification, says pope By Francis X. Rocca and Simone Orendain

18 Catholic News Service SEOUL, South Korea (CNS) -Pope Francis told Korean Catholics that the reunification of their divided peninsula as well as the harmony of South Korean society depend on the practice of Gospel virtues, especially charity and forgiveness. God’s promise to restore unity and prosperity to “a people dispersed by disaster and division ... is inseparably tied to a command: the command to return to God and wholeheartedly obey his law,” Pope Francis said. In a homily Aug. 18, during a Mass for peace and reconciliation at Seoul’s Myongdong Cathedral, Pope Francis said Jesus asked people “to believe that forgiveness is the door which leads to reconciliation.” “I ask you to bear convincing witness to Christ’s message of forgiveness in your homes, in your communities and at every level of national life,” he said. “Thus our prayers for peace and reconciliation will rise to God from ever more pure hearts and, by his gracious gift, obtain that precious good for which we all Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

long,” he said. The Mass was closed to the public. Guests included South Korean President Park Geun-hye, women who were sold into sexual slavery during World War II, North Korean defectors, those whose families were kidnapped and taken to North Korea and 12 clerics from various faiths. Before the Mass, the pope met with seven “comfort women,” who were forced into prostitution by the Japanese before and during World War II. One woman gave the pope a butterfly pin symbolizing their call for justice, and the pope wore the pin during the Mass. Outside the clergy changing room, near a portrait of Mary, was a crown of thorns made of barbed wire from the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. “My visit now culminates in this celebration of Mass, in which we implore from God the grace of peace and reconciliation,” Pope Francis said from an altar decorated with rows of pink and white roses. “This prayer has a particular resonance on the Korean peninsula. Today’s Mass is first and foremost a prayer for reconciliation in this Korean family.”

The pope suggested the need for reconciliation lay not only between South Korea and the communist North, which have been divided since the end of the Korean War in 1953, but within South Korea itself, the world’s 13th-largest economy, where prosperity has brought increasing inequality. “God’s urgent summons to conversion also challenges Christ’s followers in Korea to examine the quality of their own contribution to the building of a truly just and humane society,” he said. The pope urged Korean Catholics to “show evangelical concern for the less fortunate, the marginalized, those without work and those who do not share in the prosperity of the many” and to “firmly reject a mindset shaped by suspicion, confrontation and competition.” “Let us pray, then, for the emergence of new opportunities for dialogue, encounter and the resolution of differences, for continued generosity in providing humanitarian assistance to those in need, and for ever greater recognition that all Koreans are brothers and sisters, members of one family, one people,” he said.

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Personalities “God’s blessings, good luck, and stubborn will,” is what Thibodaux native Msgr. Frederic J. Brunet says when asked to what he attributes his 54 years of active ministry in the priesthood. He was ordained June 4, 1960, at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. His first assignment was as assistant pastor at Mater Dolorosa Church parish in New Orleans. He went on to serve as assistant pastor at Holy Cross Church parish in Morgan City, and St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church parish in New Orleans. In 1972, he was appointed pastor of St. Joseph Church parish in Chauvin, where he remained until his retirement on June 30. “I really just enjoyed what I was doing … I have to give credit to the people of Chauvin; they had a strong faith. I also had a wonderful staff, sisters and good associates. I had 42 years of ‘magic’ in that parish. I had a good time ... I didn’t want to quit,” he says of the years he spent as pastor of St. Joseph in Chauvin. Forty-two years is an 20 unprecedented amount of time to serve in one church parish and to this day Msgr. Brunet remains puzzled as to why he was never moved by any of the four bishops that he served. He recalls being told once that “he was the right man in the right place at the right time.” He says it has been very interesting working with each of the four bishops and that he learned a lot from all of them. “Each bishop is his own person and each one had different ways of approaching ministry. You had to respond to each one differently. Bishop Boudreaux was a complete gentleman, whereas some of the others had more of a work-oriented approach to ministry, and others were more nonchalant or laid back. They all taught me different ways in which to do ministry. Each one taught me a different way to look at a parish and a diocese. They all had different visions and by working to implement their individual visions, I grew in my own ministry.” When Msgr. Brunet first arrived in Chauvin, the parish was $350,000 in debt and couldn’t

Msgr. Frederic

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

‘God’s blessings, and stubborn

Brunet good luck will’

even pay the interest on that. The school had just closed and there were factions among the people. The first thing on his agenda was to figure out how to get the parish out of debt and after meeting with parish leaders, they agreed that a fair as the only way out, because it was not a rich community and they knew they had to get money from the outside. “We worked so hard for months before to get ready and for months after. It wasn’t just a fair; it was a ‘church’ fair. It wasn’t just a monetary success or a social success; it was a ‘church’ success. It was the whole church parish working together. And because it was for the church, the people went all out. It became the pride of the community and we all hated to see it go,” says Msgr. Brunet. “Since it closed there hasn’t been anything to take the place of that fair with respect to unifying the parish, getting to know all

Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” “My portion is the Lord, and I love and accept my portion,” echoes the priest. Msgr. Brunet has served the diocese in many different capacities including as dean of the Terrebonne Deanery, diocesan director of the Cemeteries Office, as a member of the priest and finance councils, and counselor for the tribunal, to name a few. He believes the reason he was chosen to serve the diocese in these ways is because God gave him a lot of versatility in the talents that he has, a pretty good understanding of situations, and because he was blessed with common sense, wisdom, and the ability to get along well with people. Serving in those various capacities, says Msgr. Brunet, was enriching and beneficial since he was able to help other priests and bishops because of what he

‘The last 42 years of my life was a fairytale in Chauvin, and I do miss everybody’

Story by Janet Marcel Photo by Lawrence Chatagnier

the people of the parish, and in preserving the culture of the Cajun people.” After seven successful years of Lagniappe on the Bayou, the parish debt was paid off, and they were able to start saving and making repairs and improvements to the facilities. Msgr. Brunet left the parish with a $2.5 million surplus. Some of the aspects of being a priest that Msgr. Brunet has enjoyed most were the access he had to the people and the response of the people to their faith. “I found that extraordinary. The people had a deep faith. And what we are dealing with as priests is something that is extremely important … their souls.” Looking back over his life as a priest, Msgr. Brunet says he doesn’t think he would change anything. “God gives you the life that’s for you,” he says, recalling a Scripture passage from Lamentations 3:24, “The

learned in his different roles. Now that he is retired he says what he is enjoying most is the rest. At this time he just wants to get his health back on track. “I have more leisure time now. I’m playing more music, learning new songs that I’ve wanted to learn all my life but never had the time, and reading more. I refer to myself as a scholar … I enjoy reading about literature, philosophy, religion and physics.” He also loves reading and writing poetry, playing guitar and golf, eating out, writing, talking with people, singing, and being in a band. He has three brothers and two sisters, all of whom live near him. They plan to get together much more often now that he has retired. “The last 42 years of my life was a fairytale in Chauvin and I do miss everybody. But, I am enjoying the freedom to do the things I want to do when I want to do them.” www.bayoucatholic.com

Heavenly Recipes

Johnny’s

Arroz Con Pollo Story and Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

This month’s heavenly recipe, Arroz Con Pollo, which means “rice with chicken” in Spanish, is from Johnny Antill, a parishioner of St. Anthony of Padua Church parish in Bayou Black. Johnny was born in Central Preston, Oriente Province, Cuba, where his father worked for the United Fruit and Sugar Company. During the 1930s and 40s the sugar mill there was the largest mill in the world. “My grandfather worked at a sugar mill here where he was employed as a sugar chemist. He went to Cuba one spring when the mill there was being built. The company wanted permanent people there so my father and three of his brothers moved to Cuba and worked there,” says Johnny. He and his siblings along with his mother came to the United States in the early 1950s. A few years later his father returned to the states and then went back to Cuba for a few more years. His family owned a large ranch house in Bayou Black not far from where he lives today. “Our family had a large house where we all stayed; we called it a ranch house. Sometimes when people would come to Bayou Black and didn’t have a place to spend the night they would stay there,” he says. Although he began cooking at a young age he doesn’t remember anyone specifically teaching him how to cook. “I can remember when I was in high school my friends and I would get in boats and paddle into the woods and spend the weekend there. I used to bring along an old black iron pot and cook cornbread over a fire in it. That is my first recollection of cooking,” says Johnny. About 35 years ago he retired from Shell Oil Company and started his own instrumentation business for the oilfield industry. “I made a deal with my wife Glenda when I retired from Shell. I told her I would take care of the yard and the cooking if she took care of the books at the shop. It has worked out great for us ever since.” Johnny enjoys cooking for friends and occasionally cooks meals and delivers them to Father Vic DeLa Cruz, pastor of St. Anthony. “I began bringing meals to the priest when Father Josh Rodrigue was pastor at St. Anthony. We got along real well and I would cook for the family at home and put a little extra in the pot and bring some to the priest. Father Vic’s favorite is Arroz Con Pollo,” says Johnny. He enjoys reading cookbooks in the evening for relaxation. Johnny also likes to experiment with some Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

of the dishes he prepares. “If you can find the right ingredients you can cook as well as what is offered in the local Mexican restaurants. The key is finding the right ingredients.” At 76 years old Johnny still goes to work every day. He enjoys spending time with his family and has a son and a daughter who work with him at his instrumentation shop. “You can’t stop; you have to keep moving and working. If you ask me, that’s what keeps me going.”

Arroz Con Pollo

6 chicken leg quarters, cut into six pieces 2 five ounce packages Mahatma yellow rice 1 four ounce jar of sliced pimentos 1/4 cup chopped onions 1/4 cup chopped celery 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 cup pimento stuffed olives (or more if you like) 1 small can sweet peas; drained 1-1/2 cups chicken broth Pinch of saffron Salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Use 10 quart pot that can be placed in the oven. Brown chicken pieces in olive oil. Add onions, celery and one cup broth. Cover pot and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check to see if chicken is cooked. If needed, cook chicken a few minutes longer. Remove chicken from pot and place in a bowl. Add remaining chicken broth to pot. Check for taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add saffron and pimentos. Bring mixture to a boil; add rice and stir. Bring back to boiling, then put pot with cover in oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 20 minutes of baking, add peas and olives to top of mixture. Do not stir. Bake another 10 minutes. When finished baking, fluff rice to mix olives and peas. Place chicken on top of rice. Serve with salad: 1 lettuce leaf 2 pineapple slices 1 teaspoon mayonnaise (to fill center of pineapples) 1 red cherry – on top of mayonnaise Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese

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Church Life

Bread from Heaven St. Lucy delivers meals to area shut ins

In 2012, Aver McKinley, a parishioner of St. Lucy Church parish in Houma, decided she wanted to help the homebound, elderly and needy in her community. McKinley, who has been working as a private caregiver for the elderly since she retired from Chabert Medical Center in 1991, says she has always loved and respected the elderly. She knew that there were residents in the community who didn’t have enough to eat, either because they couldn’t afford it or they couldn’t leave their homes for medical reasons. McKinley spoke to Father Mitch Semar, who at the time was serving as associate pastor of St. Lucy parish, about an idea she had to cook meals and deliver them to the needy of the area. Father Semar thought it was a great idea, so he took it to the bishop, who okayed it. McKinley and Helen Norman, a fellow St. Lucy parishioner, got to work immediately brainstorming, organizing and planning how they were going to make 24 the project a reality. On Jan. 6, 2013, the members of “Bread from Heaven” cooked and delivered its first meals. At that time they were providing meals for about 25 people, says McKinley, and now they have about 65 to 70 people on their list to deliver to every first Saturday of each month. “This ministry is very much needed in our community,” says Father Mitch Semar, pastor of St. Lucy Church parish in Houma. “As a parish community we are deeply rooted in the Word of God and this outreach simply takes Jesus’ words and puts them into action, ‘When I was hungry, you fed me.’ The people who serve in this ministry are incredible! They have a joy about serving and are very committed to what God has called them to do! They buy all the food with their own money and see it as a joy to serve Christ in this way. All of them are great witnesses to the faith and see it as their way of giving back the blessings they have received from the Lord!” A group of approximately 30 people prepare, cook and deliver the meals to the homebound, elderly or anyone they find out is in need of a meal. The group just recently started asking for some donations from local businesses and individuals. They have also placed a donation box in the back of the church. Norman says the meal always consists of a substantial main dish, a vegetable, salad, bread,

Story by Janet Marcel Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

In the photo above Bread from Heaven members Lindsay White, at left, and Aver McKinley deliver a meal to Dorothy Guidry of Houma. McKinley delivers a meal to Lillian Franklin in bottom photo.

Members of Bread from Heaven arrive early in the morning to prepare meals for the many shut-ins of the area. Northern McKinley, a long-time member of Bread from Heaven, at left, delivers a meal to Herman Davis.

dessert and water, but what they serve varies each month. “We keep the hot food separate from the cold and package things like BBQ sauce and salad dressing in small containers,” she says. “I enjoy the meals,” says Herman Davis, who has been receiving the Bread from Heaven meals for a year. “The food is hot and always tastes good. These people are doing a great thing for the community. I hope they are able to keep doing it for a long time. It’s ‘manna from heaven.’” Some of the meals have consisted of white beans and rice, red beans and sausage, macaroni and cheese, baked chicken, spaghetti and meatballs, jambalaya, BBQ ribs, green beans, cole slaw, cornbread muffins, bread pudding, fruit cups, brownies, cookies, etc. Some sort of Catholic literature is also included with each meal they deliver. About seven or eight cars are used to deliver the food. “Bread from Heaven benefits the needs of the community by bringing very good and well-cooked food to many who are hungry, as well as witnessing to the reality that the Catholic Church is alive and

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reaching out to them in their needs,” says Father Semar. McKinley says they find the people they deliver to mostly by word of mouth, but they do evaluate them to determine if they really are in need of it. “They don’t have to be parishioners of St. Lucy and they don’t even have to be Catholic. We have delivered to people all over Terrebonne Parish,” she says. “Being involved in this ministry definitely makes me very grateful for what I have. When we first started doing this, one lady that we brought a meal to actually cried, and that made me want to go at it stronger and stronger.” Everyone in the group works together really well, says McKinley. “They are always ready to volunteer. I never had a problem; whenever I ask for something, no one ever tells me no.” McKinley thanks each and every one who has helped to make this ministry a success. If anyone would like more information about Bread from Heaven or to assist in any way, she invites them to call her at (985) 804-0844.

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Our Churches

Holy Family, Grand

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

Caillou

Holy Family Church parish, located across the street from Bayou Grand Caillou was established on Sept. 6, 1952, with Father Marcel Fourcade as the founding pastor. However, according to a parish history written by Deacon Harold Fanguy who has been serving there for 38 years, the origins of the parish date back to the 1860s when France native Father Jean Marie Denece was assigned to the lower regions of Terrebonne Parish. Before its establishment, the parish was a mission of St. Joseph Church parish in Chauvin and St. Eloi Church parish in Theriot. In the late 1800s, a chapel was built in Dulac in honor of the Holy Family where Holy Family Cemetery No. 2 is now located. The present church, which houses several classrooms that are used by the CCD program, was dedicated in 1982. The Stations of the Cross located in the church were taken from the previous church, which is now Fourcade Hall. The Eucharistic Missionaries of St. Dominic minstered to the people of Holy Family Church parish for 66 years from 1938 until 2004, in the areas of religious education, youth ministry and healthcare.

Friendly, welcoming, generous community

Story by Janet Marcel Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

Father Alexis “Alex” Lazarra, administrator since July 2014, says there are approximately 250 active families currently in the parish with mostly older couples in their 50s, 60s and 70s. Many of the younger people are moving further up the bayou where there are more job opportunities, adds the priest. The parish has a very active Saint Kateri Circle, due in part to the many Native Americans living in the area. It also has a popular annual celebration in honor of Saint Kateri Tekawitha in July, which is attended by many people throughout the diocese. This year 16 Holy Family parishioners attended the Tekakwitha Conference in Fargo, ND, and are already hard at work planning for next year’s conference which will take place in Alexandria, LA. Some of the other organizations and ministries in the parish include a finance council, various liturgical ministries, Knights of Columbus, ministry to the sick, CCD and RCIA. The pastor is currently trying to revive the youth ministry and is also in the process of revitalizing the pastoral council. Deacon Harold Fanguy and his wife Diane also offer a ministry of presence and hospitality in which they

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Our Churches

Holy Family bring communion to people in their homes and just make themselves available to listen to and be with people who may just need someone to talk to. Because many of the parishioners are shrimpers, fishermen and trawlers, another popular event in the parish is the Blessing of the Shrimp Fleet that is held annually before the opening of the May shrimp season. This year, Grand Caillou and Dulac held a joint boat blessing which included a cultural gathering attended by about 200 people the night before the Fisherman’s Mass. “People in the parish come together for the boat blessing and people outside of the community join in, also. Many different cultures are shared through activities like this. I come here every year for the boat blessing and I see the uniqueness of the culture. I see how happy the people are within the context of the church,” says Father Lazarra. The people of the parish are very friendly and welcoming, says Deacon Fanguy. “We have a lot of camps located in the parish that are owned by people from all over the state and beyond. Many of the camp owners come to Mass while they are here, and when they Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

do they always see a smiling face. And, Father Alex always welcomes everyone at the beginning of Mass with a smile that you can see comes straight from the heart.” A testament to how special the parish is, believes Deacon Fanguy, is the many people who have left the area because of the flooding, but still consider Holy Family their parish and still come back for Mass every weekend. Father Lazarra says “It was not difficult for me coming to this parish because these people are so welcoming and generous. I knew the people before I got here, because I have celebrated Masses here before for a previous pastor. I have seen many of the youth at the diocesan youth rally, Steubenville on the Bayou and from playing volleyball at St. Bernadette Church parish in Houma. I was excited to come down here. I am honored and privileged to be part of this community. Hopefully we will all work together to build God’s kingdom here in Grand Caillou.”

Staff Holy Family Church parish staff members seated from left are Virginia Verdin, community functions; Rita Duplantis, DRE and Diane Fanguy. Standing from left are Faye Pellegrin, secretary; Father Alexis “Alex” Lazarra, administrator and Deacon Harold Fanguy.

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Scripture Readings Monday

Tuesday

1 September 2

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Weekday 1 Corinthians 4:6b15 Luke 6:1-5

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Ezekiel 33:7-9 Romans 13:8-10 Matthew 18:15-20

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Micah 5:1-4a Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

Memorial of Peter Claver, priest 1 Corinthians 6:111 Luke 6:12-19

1 Corinthians 7:25- Weekday 31 1 Corinthians 8:1bLuke 6:20-26 7, 11-13 Luke 6:27-38

Weekday 1 Corinthians 9:1619, 22b-27 Luke 6:39-42

Memorial of John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor of the church 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 Luke 6:43-49

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Numbers 21:4b-9 Philippians 2:6-11 John 3:13-17

Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows 1 Corinthians 11:17-26, 33 John 19:25-27

Memorial of Cornelius, pope; and Cyprian, bishop; martyrs 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31a Luke 7:11-17

Weekday 1 Corinthians 12:31â&#x20AC;&#x201D;13:13 Luke 7:31-35

Weekday 1 Corinthians 15:111 Luke 7:36-50

Weekday 1 Corinthians 15: 12-20 Luke 8:1-3

Memorial of Andrew Kim Tae-gon, priest; Paul Chong Ha-sang, and companions; martyrs

Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 55:6-9 Philippians 1:20c24, 27a Matthew 20:1-16a

Weekday Proverbs 3:27-34 Luke 8:16-18

Memorial of Pius of Weekday Pietrelcina, priest Proverbs 30:5-9 Proverbs 21:1-6, Luke 9:1-6 10-13 Luke 8:19-21

1 October 2

Memorial of Jerome, priest and doctor of the church Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23 Luke 9:51-56

Memorial of Theresa of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor of the church Job 9:1-12, 14-16 Luke 9:57-62

Feast of Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, archangels Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 John 1:47-51

and a listing of Feast days and saints

Weekday Weekday Memorial of Vincent Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 de Paul, priest Luke 9:7-9 Luke 9:18-22 Ecclesiastes 11:9â&#x20AC;&#x201D;12:8 Luke 9:43b-45

Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels Job 19:21-27 Matthew 18:1-5, 10

3 Weekday Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5 Luke 10:13-16

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Ezekiel 18:25-28 Philippians 2:1-11 Matthew 21:28-32

September

Holy Father’s prayer intentions

Saints Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Seventh century feast – Sept. 8

Google, public domain

One of 14 Marian feasts set by the universal church in the 1969 revision of the Roman Calendar, Mary’s birthday has been celebrated on this date since the seventh century. This feast was brought to Rome from the East by Christian communities that had been banished by Muslims. Like other ancient Marian feasts such as the Presentation and Assumption, this one commemorates an event in Mary’s life. Later Marian feasts honor her interventions, often occurring through private devotions. The feast does not celebrate the where and when of Mary’s birth, which are unknown, but reminds Christians of God’s fidelity to old and new covenant promises, especially their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, her son.

Saints

Cyprian of Carthage c. 200 - 258 feast – Sept. 16

Google, public domain

General That the mentally disabled may receive the love and help they need for a dignified life.

One of the first great theologians in the church, this Latin father is remembered today for his writings, which are quoted in the documents of the Second Vatican Council. A late convert, Thascius Cecilianus Cyprianus was a lawyer, rhetorician and teacher before being chosen by the people and clergy of Carthage, in North Africa, as their bishop. He was drawn into papal controversies and schisms, but he also was known for pastoral zeal and aiding plague victims. Having survived one Roman persecution, he later was beheaded for refusing to participate in state religious ceremonies. He wrote biblical commentary and treatises on church unity and the sacraments. Cyprian is the patron saint of North Africa and Algeria.

Saints

Wenceslas c. 907 - 929 feast – Sept. 28

Google, public domain

Missionary That Christians, inspired by the Word of God, may serve the poor and suffering.

See www.apostleshipofprayer.net

Educated by his grandmother, St. Ludmilla, Wenceslas became duke of Bohemia (in the Czech Republic) at 15, after his father’s death and an unsuccessful regency by his mother. Though young, he tried to establish the rule of law, improve education, extend Christianity and open Bohemia to the West. But he ran afoul of his nobles, who did not approve of his acknowledging the German king as their overlord, and of his younger brother’s ambition. At a church dedication, Boleslas, the brother, provoked a fight with Wenceslas in which the latter was killed. He was immediately venerated as a martyr. The relics of this patron saint of Bohemia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.

Saints

CNS www.bayoucatholic.com

Special

Catholic Student Exchange A journey of faith, fun, friendship

By Mariella Obiols and Deann Ponciano Catholic Student Exchange (CSE) is a program that allows families to host a foreign student between the ages of 11 and 17 for eight weeks (October-December). Each exchange student attends school, pays their own expenses, transportation and medical insurance. Hosting gives local families and their children the opportunity to learn Spanish and value human relations in their own homes. Traveling and hosting provides valuable learning experiences that cannot be learned in books: new hopes … new adventures … new friendships … new routes. This is the moment to extend our world boundaries and strengthen 32 cultural bonds. Father Ramon Vega and Diane LeBlanc started CSE at St. Elizabeth School in Paincourtville in 1999, with a small group of students. The program extended to Houma-Thibodaux after the Sept. 11 tragedy, thanks to Auxiliary Bishop Oscar Solis, Father Freddie Decal, Deacon Dennis Dupre and his wife Carolyn. Today, the dioceses of Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Lake Charles, as well as dioceses in Wisconsin and Illinois, also benefit from all the programs. We encourage families to participate in CSE programs that will enhance understanding and tolerance among families from different backgrounds. This experience will give families a new dimension into the education that transcends through different boundaries and ways of growing outside of the home environment. Some of the ways families participate in the program are: n Encontrandome con Cristo mission – travel to Guatemalan Highlands during the last week of June under the direction of Father Robert Cruz, diocesan director of the Missionary Childhood

Deann Ponciano and Mariella Obiols

Association, to help build rain water collecting systems, install solar panels, ecological stoves and share with less fortunate families. n LSU-TULANE medical and dental mission in Tecpan, Guatemala, during the last week in May. LSU-TULANE medical students and related fields from other universities set up and work in medical clinics to provide health services, medicines and support. n High school mission in San Vicente Pacaya village, Guatemala, during the last week of January – this mission began with St. Edmunds’ students and families. They helped build water collecting systems; and construct, repair and paint the parish hall, as well as conduct home visits. n Exchange students visiting Guatemala to live with a family, study Spanish and tour interesting places during the summer.

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

n Families travel to Guatemala during Mardi Gras, summer or November to visit Mayan cities, climb active volcanoes, zip line through mountains, fish in the Pacific Ocean, enjoy black sand beaches, appreciate Holy Week Catholic processions and make colorful sawdust rugs. CSE honors our faith and cultural values by bringing families from different countries together and making everlasting friendships. Catholic Student Exchange thanks all the help, support, prayers and work of bishops, priests, Catholic schools and families who have made all of these programs possible. Let us continue extending our family’s faith throughout the world. (Deann Ponciano is the U.S. coordinator for CSE. Mariella Obiols is the Latin coordinator for CSE.)

Pope: Family love gives security and ability to hope for a better world By Cindy Wooden

Catholic News Service

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A healthy society relies on citizens who learn love, responsibility, loyalty, acceptance of others and solidarity from their family relationships, Pope Francis said. “The family is a ‘center of love’ where the laws of respect and communion reign, giving people the ability to resist the forces of manipulation and domination by worldly ‘centers of power,’” the pope said in a message to the Latin American bishops’ congress on pastoral work with families. The congress, which convened Aug. 4-9 in Panama City, focused on the church’s support of families and the role of families in “social development for a full life.” Within the family, Pope Francis said, “one learns and lives relationships based on faithful love until death,” which describes not only the relationship of husband and wife, but also between parents and children and among siblings. “When these basic relationships are broken,” Pope Francis said, it is difficult for people to feel secure enough to open themselves to others. “It is important to encourage families to cultivate healthy relationships and to know how to say to one another, ‘sorry,’ ‘thank you’ and ‘please,’ and to turn to God using the beautiful name, Father.” “Family love is fruitful, and not only because it generates new life,” he said, “but because it broadens the horizon of one’s existence” and gives people a basis for hoping in a better world. The experience of healthy family life “makes us believe, despite any discouragement and defeatism, that peaceful coexistence based on respect and trust is possible.” Within the Christian community, the pope said, families are the key to helping people grow in openness to God and to recognizing him as a loving father. “In the family, faith is absorbed together with a mother’s milk,” he said.

S Y S T E M S, IN

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Special

Archbishops, Bishops and Abbot attend celebration

Bishop Emeritus Sam G. Jacobs, at center, is pictured with archbishops and bishops (front row, from left), Bishop Michael C. Duca, Archbishop Emeritus Alfred Hughes, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre, Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond, and Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz; (second row, from left), Bishop Roger P. Morin, Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, Abbot Justin Brown, Bishop Robert W. Muench, Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi, Bishop Emeritus William R. Houck, Bishop Emeritus Joseph Latino, Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme, Bishop Glen John Provost, and Bishop Michael Jarrell.

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

Cathedral filled for Bishop Jacobs’ Mass of Thanksgiving Story by Janet Marcel Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier Hundreds of people gathered at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma to rejoice with Bishop Emeritus Sam G. Jacobs as he presided at a Mass of Thanksgiving to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood and the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the episcopacy. He was ordained to the priesthood June 6, 1964; and on Aug. 24, 1989, he was ordained to the episcopacy for the Diocese of Alexandria. Bishop Jacobs was installed as the Third Bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux on Oct. 10, 2003. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre concelebrated the Mass along with four archbishops, nine bishops, an abbot, and priests of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. The Mass was attended by deacons, religious, diocesan staff members, family and friends of Bishop Jacobs, along with many of the faithful from throughout the diocese. Bishop Jacobs welcomed those present and thanked them for joining him in giving thanks and praise to God for his many blessings during the past 50 years. He began his homily by saying that he chose the readings for the day because of the meaning they had for him in his life as a priest. In the first reading (Isaiah 61:1-3), he says, Jesus was aware of the Father’s love for him, and the mission he had given him, and Jesus wanted to do the Father’s will. “In my journey, I knew the Father’s love and what my mission was, but something was missing in my life and that something was understanding. What did it mean for Jesus to be the Lord of my life? What did it mean to be empowered by and anointed by the Holy Spirit?” As he struggled with this, Bishop Jacobs says he cried out to the Lord for an answer, and the Lord revealed to him that he had not fully surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. “Once I experienced that moment of grace and was baptized by the Holy Spirit, my life changed. If it wasn’t for that grace moment, I might not be here today. That was the transforming moment in my life.”

The reason he chose the motto, “Jesus is Lord,” says the bishop, is because of that experience. He went on to say that even though we are gifted with the Holy Spirit in our lives through the sacraments, we sometimes we begin to fall short. “We must choose to seek the love of God and to grow in the love of God so that we can be holy as he is holy. We are called to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, even if it doesn’t always make sense for who we think we are.” Bishop Jacobs recalls a moment in his life that helped him clearly understand who he was as a son of God, who he was as a priest and who he was as a bishop. “I was called to give a talk at a Steubenville Conference in Alexandria. The theme of the weekend was the “Fatherhood of God.” As he was asking God what he should say and how he should talk about the fatherhood of God to the young men and women 35 at the conference, he says God told him he should show them, not tell them. “God told me, ‘I want you to embrace a young man and a young woman, and publicly tell them that you love them and I love them,’ so I did. All the young people there responded with tears because they were just looking for someone to tell them they are worthy and that God loves them. It was from that moment on I came to realize in a deeper way that one of the calls God has given me as a priest and as a bishop is to be a spiritual father.” Bishop Jacobs told the congregation he is grateful to God, to his parents, for his years in formation as a seminarian, to all of the people who have been part of his journey, for all the men he has ordained, all the blessings he has been given and the opportunities that he received over the years, and especially to God for showing him so much of his love. Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, told Bishop Jacobs, “It is a privilege for all of us to be here as you celebrate 50 years of priesthood ministry and 25 years of episcopal ministry. You have been truly a good shepherd in the two dioceses in which you have served as bishop and certainly a dedicated priest and a loving person. On behalf of my brother bishops, thank you for your fellowship and fraternity and for always being a part of gatherings as a church and for all that you have done to support us. We are very grateful to you and wish you God’s abundant blessings as you enjoy your retirement.”

www.bayoucatholic.com

Special

Celebration Bishop Fabre addressed Bishop Jacobs by saying, on behalf of all the clergy, deacons, religious and laity of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, “my profound congratulations to you as you mark these very significant anniversaries … and for the many years you shared your priesthood, your fatherly care and abounding love. I’m very grateful that even in retirement you are assisting in so many ways and I pray that you will continue to do that because we are grateful to you for your presence here in the diocese; and for your priesthood. So, in the name of the diocese, in the name of all gathered here and all who love you, congratulations and may God’s blessings be upon you always.” On a personal note, Bishop Fabre also thanked Bishop Jacobs “for the wisdom that you have shared with me personally and the many ways you have supported me since I arrived here.” Bishop Jacobs told the congregation in closing that seeing everyone there brought back a lot of memories. The Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales Choir provided music for the celebration. Following the Mass, there was a reception at the Knights of Columbus Home where many gathered to congratulate Bishop Jacobs.

Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans congratulated Bishop Jacobs during his Mass of Thanksgiving at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. The archbishop thanked him for his many years of service to the church.

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Entertainment

Circadian Shift

Seeing Clairely Claire Joller

T 38

The hum of the universe clips on at a more lively pace just about now where we live. The low, languorous background music for coastal Louisiana summers plays on in a more energetic rhythm beginning in September now that school sessions have started and fall activities begin, regardless of the leftover summertime warmth. Our circadian regularities are interrupted by alarm clocks set for early-morning risings and by bustling routines that might seem downright frenetic compared to just-abandoned summer lethargy. After all, haven’t we become accustomed to taking it both physically and intellectually easy for the past few months? “Summer reading” lists advertise light fare, not requiring much of us emotionally or mentally. Movies released in July are for the most part no-brainers, many of them produced to amuse and dazzle with special effects. Heaven forbid that we should have to actually think when the sun is blazing outside the theater (even though some auditoriums’ inside temps often range in the Fahrenheit fifties and sixties). What distinguishes our autumns from those of our nottoo-distant ancestors is that we don’t necessarily build our seasonal change of routine upon nature’s shifting status. Although September heralded the beginning of harvest time for our great-grandparents, our agrarian past has faded into a present largely removed from the nature of the land’s growing and reaping cycles. Families gathering together to bring in the crops and then preserving for themselves what the land yielded has faded to the extent that we

now devise completely removedfrom-nature activities that mark the months before winter. School’s advent brings with it high school Friday nights in football stadiums watching young men sweating in their heavy padding even though temperatures may hover in the high eighties into the evening. But it’s football season, and we are not to be denied. Ditto college and professional football teams’ games, except for those fortunate enough to play in air-conditioned domed stadiums. Fall football frenzy feels almost natural as hundreds of locals stream to the cool Superdome to watch the Saints play. Hollywood’s and the publishing world’s homage to autumn’s approach is the release of movies and books that are more thoughtprovoking, more emotionally engaging, more issue-oriented.

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

(Egad! Are we quite ready for that?) Few public objections mark the transition to these more fast-paced times of autumn, these days of schedules and increased demands on our time. Perhaps, in some genetically instilled recesses of our memories, we are conditioned to a burst of activity that centuries of past autumns required. I think of my grandmother who “put up” summer and fall pickings, even though she could have bought the same products in her sister’s rural grocery store. But she contentedly continued to practice that time-honored harvest activity that she had witnessed her own grandparents and parents doing year in and year out. Honoring the season by following a football team just doesn’t hold the same atavistic pleasure, but it’s the best I can do.

e n Tu To... In

Quality Family Programming for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux ~ Channel 10* on Comcast of Houma and CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS of Terrebonne Parish ~ Channel 10* on CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS in Thibodaux ~ Channel 10* on VISION COMMUNICATIONS of South and Central Lafourche ~ Channel 10* AT&T U-Verse *Channel 10 is provided by and in cooperation with HTV of Houma. ~ Channel 71, ALLENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TV CABLE of Morgan City

6:30 A.M. 9:00 A.M. 9:30 A.M.

6:30 9:00 9:30 8:30

SUNDAY

Proclaim the Good News/The Rosary Closer Walk Comfort For My People

MONDAY Proclaim the Good News/The Rosary Focus Spotlight

TUESDAY

Proclaim the Good News/The Rosary Live with Passion Proclaim the Good News/The Rosary

WEDNESDAY Proclaim the Good News/The Rosary

A.M. A.M. A.M. P.M.

6:30 A.M. 9:00 A.M. 9:30 A.M. 11:00 P.M.

6:30 A.M. 9:00 A.M. 9:30 A.M.

Closer Walk Live With Passion Comfort For My People

THURSDAY Proclaim the Good News/The Rosary Focus Spotlight Spotlight

FRIDAY

Proclaim the Good News/The Rosary Live With Passion Comfort For My People

SATURDAY Proclaim the Good News/The Rosary The Choices We Face Spotlight

Programs produced by the Diocesan Office of TV Communications. We reserve the right to make program changes. www.bayoucatholic.com

Special

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre goes home for anniversary

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

Bayou Catholic â&#x20AC;˘ Houma, LA â&#x20AC;˘ September 2014

41 Bishop Shelton J. Fabre celebrated a Silver Jubilee Mass recently at his home parish, St. Augustine Catholic Church in New Roads, LA. During the celebration, the bishop thanked all the parishioners who prayed for him through his years of formation in the seminary, his time spent as a parish priest in the Diocese of Baton Rouge and for the years of prayer and support for him during his episcopacy. He referred to the parishioners as “his rock” for being there through good times and bad through the years. The bishop’s family, in particular his mother Theresa, and siblings Gerald and Angelo, and their families were in attendance. Many wellwishers greeted the bishop after the Mass and during a reception that followed. www.bayoucatholic.com

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

n Red Mass, Thursday, Oct. 2, St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, 11:30 a.m. n God and the Human Person, Thursday, Oct. 2, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, 6-8:15 p.m. Speaker, Ms. Katie Austin. n Young Adult gathering, consisting of Adoration, Mass and a social, Friday, Oct. 3, St. Lucy Church in Houma, at 6 p.m. n Food for the Journey, Tuesday, Oct. 7, Quality Hotel, Houma, 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Speaker, Very Rev. Joshua Rodrigue, S.T.L. n Fundamental Theology, Wednesdays, Oct. 8, 15, 22 and 29, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, 6-8:15 p.m. Speaker, Ms. Katie Austin n Woman of God Gathering, Tuesday, Oct. 14, diocesan

6:30-8:45 p.m. Speaker, Rev. Simon Peter Engurait. n Adult Retreat, Saturday, Sept. 20, Lumen Christi Retreat Center Souby Building. Speaker, Mike Patin. n Adore, Wednesday, Sept. 24, Houma Municipal Auditorium, 7 p.m. n Revelation, Tradition and Magisterium, Thursday, Sept. 25, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, 6:30-8:45 p.m. Speaker, Rev. Simon Peter Engurait. n Blue Mass, Thursday, Sept. 25, St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, 11 a.m.

n Healing and Hope retreat with Immaculee Ilibagiza, Sept. 26-27, Maria Immacolata Church. Doors open at 4 p.m. Retreat concludes Saturday at 2:30 p.m. For more information contact Dot Vice at (985)855-2228 or (985)6280752, by email at dotsvice@att. net, or visit www.Immaculee.com. n A Mass honoring two Filipino saints – San Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod will be celebrated by Bishop Shelton J. Fabre, Sunday, Sept. 28 at 5:30 p.m. at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Larose.

Pastoral Center Conference Hall. Meal served at 6 p.m.; events begin at 6:30 p.m. Free event, all women over 18 years of age are invited. n The Old Testament, Thursday, Oct. 16, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, 6-8:15 p.m. Speaker, Deacon John Pippenger. n Jesus in the Gospels, Thursday, Oct. 23, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, 6-8:15 p.m. Speaker, Deacon John Pippenger. n Catholic Charities will be taking applications for its annual Christmas Toy Drive for residents of Terrebonne Parish, Oct. 20-24, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. Bernadette KC Hall, 5522 West Main Street. Terrebonne Parish residents on the Food Stamp program who find themselves financially strapped this holiday season are encouraged to apply.

Items needed to register are: Food Stamp printout, child support printout, proof of birthdates for all children, check stubs and proof of all monthly household expenses. n Adore, Wednesday, Oct. 29, Houma Municipal Auditorium, 7 p.m. n C.E.N.T.S. will be offering the Small Business Course beginning in October through Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. This course is free and is designed to help people who are interested in starting a small business. It will be held one evening a week for nine weeks. A different business topic will be discussed each week. Anyone who is interested in participating may call Brooks Lirette at (985)8760490 to schedule an orientation appointment.

NOVEMBER

n Food for the Journey, Tuesday, Nov. 4, Quality Hotel, Houma, 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Speaker, Rev. Wilmer Todd. n Man of God Gathering, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Tuesday, Nov. 4. Meal served at 6 p.m.; events begin at 6:30 p.m. Free event; all men over 18 years of age are invited. n Fundamental Theology, diocesan Pastoral Center

Conference Hall, Wednesday, Nov. 5 and 12, 6-8 p.m. Speaker, Ms. Katie Austin. n The Trinity, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Thursday, Nov. 6, 6-8:15 p.m. Speaker, Rev. Jules Brunet. n Young Adult gathering consisting of Adoration, Mass and a social, Friday, Nov. 7, St. Lucy Church in Houma, at 6 p.m. n Baptism and Confirmation, diocesan Pastoral Center

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

DIOCESAN

n Man of God Gathering, Tuesday, Sept. 9, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall. Meal served at 6 p.m.; events begin at 6:30 p.m. Free event; all men over 18 years of age are invited. n Grace-full Catechesis: The Call and the Challenge, Thursday, Sept. 11, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, 6:30-8:45 p.m. Speaker, Mrs. Kathy Hendricks. n aNew Experience, Wednesday, Sept. 17, E.D. White High School, 7-9 p.m. n The Call to Holiness, Thursday, Sept. 18, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall,

Conference Hall, Thursday, Nov. 20, 6-8:15 p.m. Speaker, Rev. Robert Rogers. n TEC 73, Friday, Nov. 2123, Lumen Christi Retreat Center Souby Building, beginning at 5:30 p.m. n Native American Mass, St. Charles Borromeo, Point-auxChenes, Friday, Nov. 21, 6:30 p.m. Reception to follow at the KC Home.

EVENTS

Sister Carmelita Centanni, M.S.C.

Sister Carmelita Centanni receives two appointments Sister Carmelita Centanni, M.S.C., Ph.D., is the new victims’ assistance coordinator for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. She replaces Nancy Diedrich, LPC, LMFT, who has been serving in that position since 2007. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre has also appointed her as a member of the Bishop’s cabinet. New Orleans native Sister Carmelita has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology at Berkeley/Alameda, CA, a master’s degree in religious education from the University of Seattle, WA; a master’s degree in education from Louisiana State University and a bachelor’s degree in history and English from Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans. Sister has been serving as the victims’ assistance coordinator for the Archdiocese of New Orleans for the last 12 years. “I welcome Sister Carmelita Centanni, M.S.C., to the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux to serve as our victims’ assistance coordinator. In this position, Sister Carmelita will be involved in being an essential part of our diocese’s ongoing outreach to victims of clergy sexual abuse. I know that Sister Carmelita will bring to this position her expertise as a psychologist, her compassion and understanding, and her great faith as a Marianite of Holy Cross. I am grateful for her willingness to serve in this capacity,” says Bishop Fabre.

Diocesan Outreach Line

In response to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux is offering an Outreach Line (formerly known as the Child Protection Contact Line). The Outreach Line is an effort to continue the diocesan commitment to support healing for people who have been hurt or sexually abused recently or in the past by clergy, religious or other employees of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Outreach Line operates from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. A trained mental health professional responds to the line. Individuals are offered additional assistance if requested.

The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Outreach Line Telephone number is (985) 873-0026. For detailed reporting procedures see: www.htdiocese.org. Click on the Safe Environment tab, then on S.E. Forms and Links.

Línea de Comunicación Diocesana

Con el fin de cumplir con las Políticas de Protección de Niños y Jóvenes de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Los Estados Unidos, la Diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux ofrece una Línea de Comunicación (antes Línea de Contacto para la Protección de los Niños). La Línea de Comunicación es parte del esfuerzo diocesano de comprometerse con el mejoramiento de aquéllos que han sido lastimados o abusados sexualmente recientemente o en el pasado por miembros del clero, religiosos u otros empleados de la Diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux. El horario de la Línea de Comunicación de la Diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux es de 8:30 a.m. a 4:30 p.m., de lunes a viernes. El encargado de esta línea es un profesional capacitado en salud mental. Se ofrece asistencia adicional al ser solicitada.

Línea de Comunicación de la Diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux Número de teléfono (985) 873-0026. Vea el detallado procedimiento de informes en: www.htdiocese.org. Haga clic en Safe Environment y luego S.E. Forms and Links.

Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp Giaùo phaän Ñeå höôûng öùng Hieán chöông Baûo veä Treû em vaø Giôùi treû töø Hoäi ñoàng Giaùm muïc Hoa kyø, Giaùo phaän Houma-Thibodaux ñang chuaån bò ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp (luùc tröôùc laø ñöôøng daây lieân laïc baûo veä treû em). Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp laø moät söï coá gaéng cuûa giaùo phaän nhaèm cam keát haøn gaén naâng ñôõ nhöõng ai ñaõ bò toån thöông hoaëc bò laïm duïng tính duïc hoaëc gaàn ñaây hoaëc trong quaù khöù bôûi giaùo só, tu só hoaëc caùc coâng nhaân vieân cuûa Giaùo phaän Houma-Thibodaux. Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp Giaùo phaän hoaït ñoäng töø 8:30 saùng ñeán 4:30 chieàu, thöù hai ñeán thöù saùu. Moät nhaân vieân chuyeân nghieäp veà söùc khoûe taâm thaàn traû lôøi treân ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi. Nhöõng caù nhaân seõ ñöôïc trôï giuùp naâng ñôõ theâm neáu caàn. Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp Giaùo phaän Soá ñieän thoaïi: (985) 873-0026. Caàn bieát theâm chi tieát veà caùch baùo caùo xin vaøo trang web cuûa ñòa phaän laø www.htdiocese.org. Baám vaøo muïc Safe Environment, sau ñoù tôùi muïc S.E. Forms vaø Links.

www.bayoucatholic.com

State

Unaccompanied refugees Louisiana bishops urge protection of the vulnerable

By Richard Meek

The Catholic Commentator

The Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a statement Aug. 4 that the humanitarian crisis surrounding unaccompanied refugee migrants must be addressed in a spirit that honors the sanctity of the family as well as protecting the vulnerable. LCCB issued the statement as the crisis in Texas and Arizona continues to escalate. It is estimated thousands of young immigrants, mainly from the Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras have illegally crossed the border in the past few months. It has been reported that more than 1,000 of the young immigrants have been relocated to Louisiana. The statement, citing the Gospel, 44 said, “Our Catholic faith calls us to be compassionate to all as a concrete way of respecting the life and dignity of the human person. Such an approach is not conditioned upon one’s immigration status or nationality. In fact, Jesus himself was a refugee and therefore in seeing these refugee children today we are presented with a tangible opportunity to see the face of Christ. “Catholic teaching affirms that it is in the face of the immigrant, the refugee, the asylum-seeker, and the trafficking victim that we see the face of Christ. Jesus definitely states, ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me,’ as a means to teach how we are to give of ourselves for the sake of the most vulnerable (Matthew 25:35). In a pertinent reflection on how we are to welcome children, Jesus proclaims: ‘Whoever receives a child such as this in my name receives me’” (Matthew 18:5). The statement went on to say the current crisis is an opportunity to work toward comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform. However, it reaffirmed Catholic teaching that states all people have the right to conditions

CNS PHOTO/CHAZ MUTH

Cindy Monge, a 19-year-old Silver Spring, Md., resident and immigrant from Guatemala, speaks during a recent news conference in Washington near the White House organized by Casa de Maryland and other pro-immigration reform groups. Several speakers at the event urged the Obama administration to provide relief for all children and their families who have crossed the U.S. border illegally to flee violence in Central America.

worthy of human life. “These would include the opportunity to live in a homeland where one’s life and the lives of his loved ones are protected as opposed to consistently threatened,” the bishops said. “Children who are fleeing violence and seeking safety with family members who are already within our country should be given primary consideration and due process under the law as a way to ensure their well-being. “Similarly, individuals should have access to freedom and the opportunity to live a life of fulfillment as God has designed for each of us.”

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

The bishops reminded policymakers that many of the immigrants are young children as well mothers who are risking their own lives to come to the United States. “We urge all policymakers to avoid using inhumane language and from making unsubstantiated claims as this crisis unfolds,” the statement said. “It is the prophetic call of the Gospel which demands that we treat them with dignity and compassion. We pray for the safety of those individuals involved, as well as a resolution to this humanitarian crisis that is both just and moral.”

Nation By Tom Tracy

Catholic News Service

ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) -Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley challenged all in attendance at the Knights of Columbus convention to be transforming agents in the world and to “connect the dots” between Christ and the suffering. He was one of several bishops at the 132nd Supreme Convention in Orlando who spoke about the need for greater compassion for a flood of child immigrants to the U.S. who have arrived without a parent in recent months. “In our own country in the last 10 months, 60,000 children have left behind the violence of their homelands and risked their lives crossing the border, many of them from El Salvador,” Cardinal O’Malley said Aug. 6, noting that El Salvador is the only nation on earth named for Christ the savior. “It was to pray for them and all those who perished in the desert that a group of bishops went to (the U.S.-Mexico border) in Nogales, Arizona, to celebrate the Eucharist at the border,” Cardinal O’Malley said of the April 1 Mass, during which the congregation remembered the 6,000 or so migrants who have died in the U.S. desert since 1998. “We were amazed at the response,” he said. “I believe most Catholics understood our message, which was that of Pope Francis -- whose first trip as pope was to Lampedusa, Italy, where thousands of immigrants have perished in their attempts to enter Europe.” Pope Francis warns about the “globalization of indifference,” Cardinal O’Malley noted, adding, “We cannot be indifferent to the wounds of Christ manifested in so many ways in suffering humanity.” “May our lives be filled with transfigurations, glimpses of glory and love in surprising places, in unlikely people,” Cardinal O’Malley told the Knights during a morning Mass on the feast of the

Transfiguration. “We will find not strangers but brothers and sisters, and indeed Christ.” In an interview the same day, Bishop Placido Rodriguez of Lubbock, Texas, himself a Mexican-born immigrant who grew up in Chicago, told Catholic News Service he thinks the border crisis reveals a worrisome hardening of American spirit and generosity. “The border crisis of women, mothers and children is a good reminder for all of us that we have lost our compassionate soul as Americans but it also gives us a new opportunity to regain our conscience and regain the compassion of heart, and to look at

‘

We cannot be indifferent to the wounds of Christ manifested in so many ways in suffering humanity.

the whole problem is an opportunity as Americans to be compassionate and understanding,” said Bishop Rodriquez. “I am an immigrant as well, and so I had to learn the language and the culture and so I am also interested in the immigration issue,” added the prelate, who was wearing his Texas cowboy hat in advance of the annual States Dinner the first evening of the Aug. 5-7 convention. As a humanitarian issue, the border crisis has been so overpoliticized that it is hard for Americans to talk or think about it rationally, he said, but it also represents a moment of grace for

Americans to regain their footing as a compassionate people and nation. “At the same time we look at efforts to try to alleviate the pain and suffering of these families and at least in Texas we have activated all the Catholic Charities and churches to respond to this crisis,” Bishop Rodriguez said. “Some have done special collections and others have found many other ways to give a welcoming to all these unfortunate peoples.” He also said the U.S. government must collaborate with Mexican and Central American authorities to stem the flight of people north across the U.S. border. Gangs, poverty, lack of opportunities at home and false rumors have fueled the migration, he said. “If we want to resolve this problem it has to be bilaterally,” Bishop Rodriquez told CNS. “The U.S. and Mexican bishops have always been talking to each other and we produced a (related) pastoral letter but it goes unnoticed by many.” The bishops’ joint pastoral asked for sweeping changes in immigration policies on both sides of the border. Titled “Strangers No 45 Longer: Together on a Journey of Hope,” it was issued in January 2003. In an interview with Bostonbased CatholicTV Network, Miami Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski noted that over the last 10 years, U.S. lawmakers have failed to pass a comprehensive U.S. immigration reform measure despite many opportunities. “It looks like that is not going to happen” during the current Congress either, he said. “That is unfortunate because the problem is not the immigrants, the problem is a broken system.” “Many of us Catholics are only a generation removed from the immigration experience ourselves. We have to have some solidarity and work for a just and fair immigration reform,” Archbishop Wenski said.

‘Wounds of Christ can be seen in suffering of migrants’ www.bayoucatholic.com

Church Alive

Photos by Ramona Portero

Christian Leadership Institute 46

Molding youth to become Christ-like leaders

By Gena Vitale “Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform with the path of Jesus” (Pope Francis). Teenagers look up to actors, singers and sports figures as role models. While some of these public figures can be good influences, there is a plethora of negative role models which can influence the youth today. Yet, the effect of the people in the everyday lives of our youth has a much bigger impact. Family, teachers, clergy, coaches and community leaders have a much stronger ability to mold our youth to become Christ-like leaders in their churches, schools and communities. This is the purpose of the Christian Leadership Institute (CLI), a program sponsored by the diocesan Office of Youth Ministry. The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux has been blessed with many Godhonoring youth role models. Nearly 80 teens from as many as 20 church parishes throughout the diocese gather together for one week each summer for the Christian

Leadership Institute held at the Lumen Christi Retreat Center in Schriever. The CLI prepares youth of the parish with the tangible skills to go out into the community and serve in a multitude of ways. The first retreat was held in 1984

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

and CLI has been producing quality youth leaders ever since. Michael DiSalvo, diocesan director of the Office of Youth Ministry, says, “CLI prepares youth to go out into the community and make a difference.” He adds, “It empowers them to be witnesses of their faith.” Tenth, 11th and 12th graders attend the retreat each year and upon completion provide community service in areas such as mentoring junior high school students, and helping with high school campus ministry and parish CCD programs. Randy LeBouef, draftsman and longtime volunteer for the Office of Youth Ministry, was on hand during the retreat to help with service projects. LeBouef designed a prayer deck to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. This was part of a beautification project for the Souby Building at the Lumen Christi Retreat Center, making it a warm and inviting place to visit. The young volunteers worked hard to build a beautiful place for prayer and worship. LeBouef

“Call us First”

Youth from across the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux gathered for the Christian Leadership Institute (CLI) program sponsored by the diocesan Office of Youth Ministry recently. The youth built a prayer deck and took part in a beautification project at the Father Souby Building on the Lumen Christi Retreat grounds.

says for those that attend, it’s a life changing event. “Those that come want to be there,” he adds. The five-day retreat includes visits from Bishop Shelton J. Fabre and Bishop Emeritus Sam G. Jacobs. Many priests and seminarians are also on hand to discuss subjects like marriage, single life and religious vocations. Youth of the area learn communication skills, conflict resolution, role modeling, mentoring, learning from failure, and prayer and discipleship. Once they have completed the retreat they are encouraged to go out in the community and make a difference. Joseph Shonacher, 11th grader from E.D. White Catholic High School in Thibodaux, says his pastor recommended that he attend the retreat. “CLI is a great experience. I highly recommend it for any Catholic in grades 10 through 12. It is a great way to learn about your faith, learn how to be an effective leader, and meet great new people,” says Schonacher. Through CLI he has made friendships that he feels will last forever. Attending CLI has inspired him to help in his church parish through youth ministry. He says the retreat has deepened his daily spiritual life and now he takes more time to pray and talk with Christ. “I will also use the

skills taught at CLI to be a good leader throughout my everyday life,” says the teen. Rachel Bourgeois is a recent graduate of E.D. White and will be attending LSU this fall. She will take with her the lessons she’s learned during her time with CLI. Bourgeois was a youth leader at the retreat and says that CLI focuses heavily on the importance of community and service. “After I attended my CLI, I decided to dive head first into helping out our diocese in whatever ways I could. CLI taught me how to be a leader, but more importantly than that, it taught me to be a Christian leader,” says Bourgeois. She adds, “CLI is a retreat that truly builds community in our diocese. It helps to build up the youth and empowers them to go out into the community and truly act as servants of the Lord, which allows them to be the leaders we need, Christian leaders.” Schonacher and Bourgeois are just two examples of the quality of our youth in today’s society. When the news reports so much negative about today’s young people, we need to look no further than our own back yard to discover that indeed the young leaders of today will bring to our world a positive future.

Mimi Wilson, OT, PA-C Jimmy N. Ponder, Jr., MD Adolfo Cuadra, MD

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Church Alive

Guest Columnist Mary Graham

O 48

One of my favorite things about the church is how motherly she is in giving direction to us in all circumstances. There is never a need to invent the wheel, just to be creative and attuned to the Holy Spirit in how this direction is carried out. The church, in her wisdom, gives solid direction and a clear vision in how campus ministry should be carried out in the document Empowered by the Spirit, A Pastoral Letter on Campus Ministry issued by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. It reads: “Campus ministry can be defined as the public presence and service through which properly prepared baptized persons are empowered by the Spirit to use their talents and gifts on behalf of the church in order to be sign and instrument of the kingdom in the academic world.” The Holy Spirit, in its generosity, is surely carrying out this mission at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Student Center and community here at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux. If you’ve ever been to St. Thomas, I’m sure you were aware of the constant life and energy this place has. St. Thomas serves as a campus ministry as well as a full-fledged parish. It’s a mixture of people who attended the university and church in the 70s and are now raising their families here, to young families, to graduate students, to students

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

Get involved!

Campus Ministry at Nicholls can use your help who are moving away from home for the first time. Though everyone is at different points in their life and having different experiences, we all come together as one in the mindset and the mission of St. Thomas: to be the sign and instrument of the kingdom in the academic world. Throughout the years, we have been generously blessed in having priests who have led us in our

mission. Father Andre’ Melancon, our current pastor, possesses the youthfulness, energy and charisma it takes to keep up with and lead our community, and I’m sure any one of you who has met him would agree. Coming into his second year, he is encouraging the students and community to live out the mission of campus ministry in numerous ways. These include upcoming mission trips, formation groups, chanted liturgy of the hours daily, weekly speakers, retreats, weekly men’s and women’s groups, social events, outreach to the Greek community, weekly tabling, training in liturgical ministries, praying at abortion clinics, visits to St. Joseph Manor, feeding the poor with the Missionaries of Charity, and having an on campus presence with our “Ask a Priest” time in the middle of campus. A 9 p.m. Mass has also been added to the Sunday liturgies so students have another opportunity to attend. Even during the summer, this Mass continued to flourish.

Our campus ministry board serves St. Thomas in a very special way, dedicating more time, energy and commitment into making sure the students are being served. They are in charge of things like liturgy, social media outreach, music ministry, events coordination, and being leaders themselves in evangelization to the campus. It’s impressive to see the selflessness that these students have for their fellow peers. One of the main highlights to campus ministry is the Awakening Retreat held each semester, which was s t a r t e d by Bishop Emeritus Sam G. Jacobs. Bishop Jacobs states, “The goal of the weekend was to bring young adults into a personal encounter with Jesus, which would make a difference in their lives.” The retreat continues to do this in a powerful way even now and is often a jumpstart to a faith life on campus for many students. It has spread to many other campuses since its beginning and is easily the highlight of the semester. It’s clear to see the love the Holy Spirit has for young people, and it’s beautiful to see how they are responding to its invitation to go deeper into this love. Please pray for our students and faculty this year as they begin the semester! If you are interested in getting involved at St. Thomas, visit www. colonelcatholics.org for a list of events. (Mary Graham was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ, and has been serving in campus ministry at St. Thomas Aquinas for three years.)

Lockport native Brother Ephrem takes solemn profession Monastic profession is a public declaration before God, the church, a monastic community and one’s family and friends to live out the call of baptism in a particular way. The Feast of St. Benedict, July 11, abounded with joy at Saint Joseph Abbey when the Benedictine community, with Abbot Justin Brown presiding, celebrated the solemn profession of Brother Emmanuel John Labrise, O.S.B., and Brother Ephrem Arcement, O.S.B. Lockport native Brother Ephrem (formerly known as Kyle Arcement) is the youngest son of Warren and Nancy Arcement. In 2001, he graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from Saint Joseph Seminary College in philosophy and religious studies, after he had earned a master of arts degree in practical theology from Regent University in Virginia Beach. He then studied at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, finishing with a master of arts degree in theological studies, and entered the monastery in June 2010. This past year, Brother Ephrem completed his studies for a doctor of philosophy degree in spirituality from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Brother Ephrem published his first book, Intimacy in Prayer: Wisdom from Bernard of Clairvaux, in 2013. His dissertation, entitled In the School of Prophets: The

SINCE FAST

Formation of Thomas Merton’s Prophetic Spirituality, will be out in book form in early 2015. He feels he was particularly drawn to Saint Joseph Abbey because of the opportunities to balance the contemplative life with ministry through education, formation and retreat work. Throughout the years, Brother Ephrem has been involved in youth ministry and music ministry in various capacities. He currently serves as vocation director, Abbey librarian, formation advisor and professor in the seminary college where he teaches courses on Scripture and spirituality. Brother Ephrem will be ordained a deacon Sept. 20 and then ordained to priesthood on April 18, 2015.

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre will celebrate a Mass at 9 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 19 at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. This Mass will be in thanksgiving for his 25th anniversary of priesthood and one year anniversary as bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. A reception will follow in the Youth Center.

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Young Voices The sacrament that speaks to me the most along my faith journey is the Eucharist. It is a beautiful sacrament that really comforts me and brings me peace. God comes into my loving heart and loves it more unconditionally. This love guides me on the path to eternal life with him. Matthew Barbier, 17 years old Holy Cross Church parish Central Catholic High School

I think the sacrament that speaks the most to me on my faith journey at this time would have to be the anointing of the sick. Within the past year, I have lost two people that I care dearly about to illnesses. The first being my confirmation sponsor who was also my godmother, who passed away due to certain organ failures; and my boyfriend’s grandmother, who lost her battle to cancer recently. I think the anointing of the sick sacrament is a beautiful sacrament because of the fact that it lets the sick be relieved of their sins and it cleans their soul to prepare for the departure to heaven. Courtney Guidroz, 18 years old Maria Immacolata Church parish Nicholls State University

Which sacrament speaks the most to you on your faith journey at this time?

Allen Lepine, 17 years old St. Hilary of Poitiers Church Parish Central Lafourche High School

The sacrament of confirmation is a very important event in my faith journey at this moment. I was confirmed in May of this year and it made me realize something. It showed me that I have completed a major stepping stone in my faith journey. It also showed me that the Catholic Church is looking to me to help support and spread it’s teachings to others so that they will see the greatness of our God.

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

Hunter White, 18 years old Annunziata Church parish Fletcher Technical Community College

Confirmation speaks out the most to me because it has and will give me the grace to overcome the upcoming trials going into adulthood. Since my confirmation, I have become a true witness of Christ and will defend my faith in both word and deed with guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Seminarian Education Burses

What is a seminarian burse fund? A seminarian burse fund is an invested sum of money where the interest is used in perpetuity to help fund the education of men to the priesthood in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

How does someone establish a seminarian burse fund? Very simply, a burse may be established and named for anyone you choose, be it family, friend, bishop, priest, deacon, religious, etc.

When is a seminarian burse complete? A seminarian burse fund is complete once it reaches $15,000. If you choose to continue to contribute, a new burse will be created for you.

Who do I contact to contribute to or establish a burse fund? To contribute or establish a burse, send funds to Pastoral Center, Attn: Seminarian Burse, P. O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395 or call Jeremy Becker, Director of Stewardship and Development, at 985-850-3155 for more information.

Completed Burses of $15,000 each

Note: those wtih a number stipulates the number of completed burses* - Anonymous - Mr. & Mrs. C. Thomas Bienvenu - Harry Booker - Bishop Warren L. Boudreaux (3)* - Rev. Adrian J. Caillouet - Rev. James Louis Caillouet - Bishop L. Abel Caillouet - Judge/Mrs L. P. Caillouet - Msgr. Lucien J. Caillouet - Abdon J. & Ada B. Callais - Harold & Gloria Callais Family - Paul A. Callais - Peter W. Callais - Vincent & Fannie Cannata - Minor Sr. & Lou Ella Cheramie - Maude & Edith Daspit - Mr. & Mrs. Caliste Duplantis family (3)* - Clay Sr. & Evelida Duplantis

- C. Remie Duplantis - Marie Elise Duplantis - Warren J. Harang, Jr. - Msgr. Raphael C. Labit - Msgr. Francis J. Legendre - Rev. Charles Menard - Dr. & Mrs. M.V. Marmande & Fly - Donald Peltier, Sr. (3)* - Harvey Peltier (30)* - Richard Peltier - The Peltier Foundation (2) - Orleans & Louella Pitre - Msgr. Joseph Wester - Robert R. Wright, Jr. - Rev. Kermit Trahan - St. Bernadette Men’s Club - Diocesan K of C - Endowment Fund - $119,136.90

July 2014 Burse Contributions Anawin Community .......................................... $400.00 Mr. Eledier Broussard ........................................ $100.00 Deacon Connely Duplantis .................................. $25.00

Open Burses with Balance as of 7/31/14 Mr. Eledier Broussard ................. $14,300.00 Sidney J. & Lydie C. Duplantis ........... $13,000.00 Donald Peltier, Sr. #4 ............................ $13,000.00 Msgr. Raphael C. Labit #2 .................. $10,960.00 Harvey Peltier #31 .............................. $10,486.91 Clay Sr. & Evelida Duplantis #2 .......... $10,000.00 C. Remie Duplantis #2 ........................ $10,000.00 Marie Elise Duplantis #2 ..................... $10,000.00 Maude & Edith Daspit #2 .................... $10,000.00 Msgr. George A. Landry ...................... $10,000.00 Elie & Dot Klingman .............................. $8,400.00 Mr. & Mrs. George C. Fakier ................. $7,700.00 Rev. Victor Toth ..................................... $7,000.00 Brides of the Most Blessed Trinity ......... $5,935.00 Rev. Peter Nies ..................................... $5,810.00 Mr. & Mrs. Love W. Pellegrin ................. $5,000.00 Anonymous #2 ...................................... $5,000.00 Mr. & Mrs. Caliste Duplantis Fmly.#4..... $5,000.00 Rev. William M. Fleming ........................ $5,000.00 Mrs. Ayres A. Champagne ..................... $5,000.00 Rev. Kasimir Chmielewski ..................... $4,839.00 Rev. Gerard Hayes ................................ $4,786.00 Msgr. William Koninkx ........................... $4,700.00 Rev. Henry Naquin ................................. $4,251.00 Harry Booker #2 .................................... $4,138.00

Catholic Daughters ................................ $4,080.00 Mrs. Shirley Conrad ............................... $4,000.00 Joseph “Jay” Fertitta .............................. $3,900.00 Kelly Curole Frazier ............................... $3,610.96 J. R. Occhipinti ...................................... $3,400.00 Rev. Guy Zeringue ................................ $3,200.00 Msgr. James Songy ............................... $3,075.00 Mr. & Mrs. Galip Jacobs ........................ $3,060.00 St. Jude ................................................. $3,000.00 Diocesan K of C #2 ............................... $2,894.62 Anawin Community ............................... $2,700.00 Rev. Peter H. Brewerton ........................ $2,600.00 Willie & Emelda St. Pierre ...................... $2,000.00 Rev. H. C. Paul Daigle ........................... $1,900.00 Warren J. Harang, Jr. #2 ......................... $1,700.00 James J. Buquet, Jr. ............................... $1,650.00 Msgr. Francis J. Legendre #2 ................ $1,645.00 Rev. Robert J. Sevigny .......................... $1,600.00 Msgr. Emile J. Fossier ........................... $1,545.00 Dr. William Barlette, Sr........................... $1,525.00 Msgr. Stanislaus Manikowski ................ $1,525.00 Mr. & Mrs. John Marmande .................... $1,500.00 Deacon Robert Dusse’ ........................... $1,450.00 Msgr. John L. Newfield .......................... $1,200.00 Rev. Hubert C. Broussard ...................... $1,050.00

Rev. Clemens Schneider ....................... $1,000.00 St. Joseph Italian Society ...................... $1,000.00 Bishop Warren L. Boudreaux #4 ........... $1,000.00 Msgr. John G. Keller .............................. $1,000.00 Rev. Anthony Rousso ............................. $1,000.00 Deacon Willie Orgeron ............................. $800.00 Jacob Marcello .......................................... $800.00 Ruby Pierce .............................................. $800.00 Deacon Roland Dufrene ........................... $750.00 Juliette & Eugene Wallace ......................... $700.00 Deacon Edward J. Blanchard ................... $660.00 Deacon Raymond LeBouef ...................... $550.00 Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Cannata .................... $500.00 Ronnie Haydel .......................................... $485.00 Deacon Harold Kurtz ................................ $300.00 Richard Peltier #2 ..................................... $300.00 Claude Bergeron ...................................... $250.00 Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Naquin .......................... $150.00 Deacon Connely Duplantis ........................ $125.00 Deacon Pedro Pujals ................................ $100.00 Rev. John Gallen ....................................... $100.00 Deacon Eldon Frazier .............................. $ 50.00 Deacon Nick Messina .............................. $ 50.00 Rev. Warren Chassaniol ........................... $ 50.00

Overall Seminarian Burse Totals: $1,450,813.39 www.bayoucatholic.com

Special

Filipino cardinal visits diocese 52

Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, O.M.I., of the Philippines visited and celebrated Mass at St. Gregory Barbarigo in Houma and Our Lady of the Rosary in Larose recently. The cardinal ordained Father Evelio “ToTo” Buenaflour and Father Ronilo Villamor when he was the bishop of Kidapawan, Philippines. In the photo at right, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre and Cardinal Quevedo are pictured with Father Buenaflour and Father Villamor. The cardinal greeted parishioners after the Masses.

Photos by James Brunet Jr. and Lawrence Chatagnier Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

Large diocesan group attends Tekakwitha Conference

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre (at center), Bishop Ronald Herzog of Alexandria and Father Roch Naquin are seated with local participants who attended the Kateri Tekakwitha Conference in Fargo, ND, recently. Local attendees were Susan Blanchard, Curtis and Dorothy Billot, Ivy and Theresa Boudreaux, Joann Boquet, Betty Daigle, Kandi Dardar, Theresa Dardar, Rita Falgout, Shirley Feet, Marilyn Metzger, Al and Mildred Naquin, Joseph and Barbara Naquin, Edna Parfait, Curtis Pierre, Maria Pierre, Brice Solet, Pierre and Mary Solet, Coy and Pam Verdin, and Peter and Kathy Verdin. Not pictured is Ronald Feet. The 2015 Kateri Tekakwitha Conference will be held in Alexandria, LA. The Kateri Circles of Holy Family and St. Charles the Roch will be directing the conference.

Diocesan Programs This Month “Spotlight on the Diocese” Host: Louis Aguirre With Guests: Very Rev. Joshua Rodrigue, S.T.L.

Pastor, Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales, Assistant Vocations Director

Dr. Faith Ann Spinella

Director, Office of Religious Education

HTV/VISION COMMUNICATIONS, CHARTER COMM. & COMCAST CHANNEL 10 ALLEN’S TV CABLE MORGAN CITY CHANNEL 71 (Digital Channel 30.1-UHF & Channel 7.1-VHF)

www.bayoucatholic@htdiocese.org

Mondays - 9:30 a.m. Thursdays - 9:30 a.m. & 11:00 p.m. Saturdays - 9:30 p.m. If you are not receiving these programs in your area, please contact your local cable provider.

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Our Faith

SUICIDE

plagiarizing the author of life Guest Columnist Very Rev. Joshua Rodrigue, S.T.L.

The recent death of actor and comedian Robin Williams, whose suicide shocked many across the globe, stirred up much discussion on the subject of suicide, depression and faith. It brought back memories for me in my early priesthood when I was faced with having to celebrate the funeral Mass for a teenager who had committed suicide. He was a kind and soft-spoken young man who seemed to appear cheerful around people at school and work. But under that, he carried a hidden and heavy burden of depression. His sudden death was a terrible shock to both his family and community. And for a priest, this is one of the most difficult funerals to celebrate. While still being difficult for families and friends to experience, funerals for elderly people and the terminally ill are expected. The unexpected death of a loved one in an accident or through violence is much more difficult. However, it seems that death by suicide is one of the most trying moments for a family and community to undergo. Often families are left with so many unanswered questions. Theologians have relied upon

St. Thomas Aquinas to help formulate the church’s position against suicide. First of all, we must remember that only God, as the Author of Life, has dominion over life. As paragraph 2280 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states, “Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life. We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the salvation of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of.” Suicide

‘

Can a person who commits suicide go to heaven or do they go to hell?

steals God’s authority over life and death and makes it our own work. Also, suicide is contrary to our natural tendency toward life. Whenever facing a life-threatening situation, a person has a tendency to “fight or flight” to survive. Suicide then is so jarring to people because it is against our very nature. “Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self” (CCC 2281). Finally, a person’s decision must always be considered within the context of the community at large. The decision to end one’s life does not affect just that person. It

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

has far-reaching effects on one’s family, friends and community. Paragraph 2281 of the Catechism continues, “It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God.” The person contemplating suicide at that moment has only their own immediate situation in mind and often does not foresee the future anguish of their loved ones, who carry the grief of that death throughout their lives. Suicide is gravely contrary to love of God, love of neighbor, and love of self and thus is a grave sin. In times past, the church would refuse funeral ceremonies and burial in a Catholic cemetery for those persons who committed suicide as a means of deterring others from this act and as a punishment for breaking God’s law and not cherishing the life God had given them. In the 1917 Code of Canon Law, canon 1240 §1, n.3 stated that church funeral rites were denied to those, “who killed themselves by deliberate counsel.” However, the 1983 Code of Canon Law removed this prohibition in canon 1184 so as not to add greater anguish to grieving of the families. While the church still recognizes the gravity of the sin, she also is called to exercise compassion. We cannot simply say, “He violated the fifth commandment!” Remember, there have always been exceptions even here: self-defense, the death penalty, war. The church has since come to a greater understanding of the psychological, social and cultural circumstances leading someone to take his or her

Robin Williams

own life. Mental instability, depression, anguish, grave fear of hardship, stress from societal demands, suffering, despair, torture, side effects from medication, preserving honor, drug abuse, and the loss of a spouse or child and other factors can lessen the culpability of a person who has committed suicide. Nevertheless, the greatest concern for families who have had a loved one commit suicide is the fate of the person’s soul: Can a person who commits suicide go to heaven or do they go to hell? That is the question on the hearts and minds of family and friends. The church’s teaching is beautifully and compassionately stated to give hope in a time of doubt and grief when she says, “We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The church prays for persons who have taken their own lives” (CCC 2283). God alone is the judge of any person’s soul. And only God knows

the heart and mind of the person who has committed suicide and the circumstances surrounding the death. He has all the pieces of the puzzle to give an accurate picture to render his merciful judgment. If we, who love imperfectly, have such a great love for that person that we would want that person to be in heaven, imagine how much more love the Lord has for our loved one and his desire for that soul to be with him in heaven. The Lord will set forth the means for repairing that broken relationship. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” St. John Chrysostom explains, “He is interested especially in those who have squandered their lives, who are weighed down by their sins, who are filled with shame and no longer have any self-respect. These are the ones he calls to himself, not to punish them but to comfort their sorrows and ease their heavy load.” We entrust our loved ones to the care of the Lord, who is a merciful and just judge. We offer especially

the Eucharist and our prayers for them so that their journey to the Lord’s kingdom may be complete. In the end, no one is immune from the effects of suicide. All of us have had family or friends who have committed suicide or know of someone affected by it. The survivors are often tempted to fix the blame on themselves or others. They become overwhelmed by grief, anger or regrets and are weighed down by if only’s, or should have’s, or why. Instead of taking this pathway, which only adds to the pain and suffering, our Lord asks to bring him hearts that pray, that love, that console and forgive. It is in reaching out to one another that we feel the healing hand of Christ reaching out to each one of us. The future will be difficult for a time; however, we must place our faith and trust in the Lord. Perhaps a story from the life of St. Jean Marie Vianney, will remind us of the hope we are to place in our Lord and the powerful intercession of our prayers on behalf of the dead and the prayers of the saints. A woman was concerned about the salvation of her husband after 55 he committed suicide by jumping off a bridge, and went to visit this holy priest of Ars. When the saint caught sight of the lady, whom he had never met, he approached her and said: “He is saved,” and repeated to her, “I tell you he is saved. He is in purgatory, and you must pray for him. Between the parapet of the bridge and the water he had time to make an act of contrition. Our Blessed Lady obtained that grace for him. Remember the shrine that you put up in your room during the month of May. Though your husband professed to have no religion, he sometimes joined in your prayer. This merited for him the grace of repentance and pardon at the last moment.” We cannot disregard the importance of not losing hope in God’s mercy and offering our prayers for those who have committed suicide so that one day the Lord will gather us all into the peace of his kingdom where, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, (for) the old order has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). www.bayoucatholic.com

Special Events

Food for the Journey is Oct. 7

The diocesan Office of Religious Education sponsors a monthly lunchtime speaker series on the first Tuesday of the month at the Quality Hotel on Hollywood Road in Houma across from Vandebilt Catholic High School. The speaker for Oct. 7 is St. Charles Community native Very Rev. Joshua Rodrigue, S.T.L. Father Rodrigue, pastor of the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales parish in Houma, attended St. Joseph Seminary in St. Benedict and the Pontifical North American College in Vatican City State. He was ordained to the priesthood Aug. 10, 2002. Father Rodrigue did post graduate studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University and Pontifical Athaneum of St. Anselmo in Rome, Italy. He served as pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church parish in Bayou Black from July 2006 until June 2012. He is the assistant director of the diocesan Vocations

Office, diocesan assistant master of ceremonies, chaplain of the diocesan Committee on Scouting, a member of the Priests’ Council, the Permanent Diaconate Committee, and the diocesan Building Commission. He is also a senior professor of theology and an adjunct spiritual director at St. Joseph Seminary in St. Benedict. Those who plan to attend the October 7th event should RSVP with their name, phone number and church parish by Thursday, Oct. 2. To RSVP, email FoodForTheJourney@htdiocese.org or call (985) 850-3178. Doors open at 10:45 a.m. Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. The program begins at Noon with the speaker’s presentation from 12:10-12:45 p.m. Cost is $13 and includes meal, drink and tip. Only cash or checks will be accepted. All are invited to come “eat and be fed.”

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

Very Rev. Joshua Rodrigue, S.T.L.

St. Joseph Manor

Maria Immacolata offers retreat

Retirement Living At Its Best

A Healing and Hope retreat with Immaculee Ilibagiza is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26-27, at Maria Immacolata Church in Houma. Doors open at 4 p.m. Retreat concludes Saturday at 2:30 p.m. For more information contact Dot Vice at (985)855-2228 or (985)628-0752, by email at dotsvice@ att.net, or visit www. Immaculee.com.

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• Married to Denise Marcel Alfred, daughter of the late Judge Cleveland Marcel, Sr. • Practicing Attorney for 36 years • Former Houma Junior High teacher, Nicholls instructor • Parishioner of St. Bridget Church and past president of St. Bridget, St. Bernadette and St. Francis parish councils

• Member of Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce, Knights of Columbus, and Kiwanis Club of Houma • Served as Special Assistant District Attorney and Special Parish Attorney • Voted Best Family Attorney by Courier readers for three years

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Special

LSRC ‘Award for Excellence’ given in memory of Deacon Duplantis The Louisiana Society for Respiratory Care (LSRC) presents an Award for Excellence each year at the state’s educational meeting in Baton Rouge to a respiratory therapist who has exhibited significant qualities of professionalism, leadership and care for humanity. This year’s award was presented in memory of Deacon Connely J. Duplantis, whose life was tragically taken away on Nov. 24, 2013, by a gunman during an armed robbery while he was visiting his parents. Deacon Duplantis, a native of Houma, devoted his entire working career to some aspect of the medical field. He began as a corpsman in the United States Navy and served four years traveling to various countries in the South Pacific. When returning from the military, Deacon Duplantis worked at 58 Terrebonne General Medical Center as an orderly for two years prior to entering respiratory therapy school. Following graduation he began his career in the respiratory care profession which extended for 40 years. He retired from Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center. Besides being devoted to the profession of respiratory care, Deacon Duplantis also was very devoted to his church. He began his service at an early age by serving as an altar boy. Deacon Duplantis was a man who always had a smile. He was kind, gentle and was not satisfied unless he was helping someone. That attitude guided his life of dedication to his church. The humbleness of his personality drew him to church work and led him to become a deacon in the Catholic Church. Deacon Duplantis’ love of service was illustrated by the countless hours he spent at the jail in Houma where he ministered to both juvenile and adult inmates. He had a sincere love for the men that were sorry for the wrong they had done. It filled him up to be with them. When it was announced that Mass would be celebrated at the jail, the inmates would come.

Yvonne Duplantis, at left, accepts the Louisiana Society for Respiratory Care Award for Excellence from Sheila Guidry, LSRC Award for Excellence chairperson, on behalf of her late husband Deacon Connely Duplantis at the annual LSRC state educational meeting in Baton Rouge.

Deacon Duplantis wanted to bring them hope that it was never too late. Deacon Duplantis and his wife Yvonne retired to Gloster, MS, in 2011, where he continued his church ministry as a deacon serving St. Joseph Church parish in Woodville, Holy Family Mission in Gloster and St. Patrick Mission in Fort Adams in the Diocese of Jackson. Deacon Duplantis was also known, without being asked, to help his neighbors by cutting the grass in their yards when they were out of town. Recently, Pope Francis addressed a group of prison chaplains and

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

deacons and asked them to let prisoners know that he prays for them. The Holy Father went on to remind the chaplains and deacons that they “are a sign of Christ’s nearness to these brothers who are in need of hope.” Deacon Duplantis was the type of person who would be in agreement with Pope Francis. He was a true example of the type of person that is needed to represent the respiratory care profession. (This article is part of a speech given by Sheila Guidry, LSRC Award for Excellence Chairperson, at the Louisiana Society for Respiratory Care Annual State Convention in Baton Rouge.)

Religious Education presentation Sept. 11 The diocesan Office of Religious Education is sponsoring a presentation entitled Grace-full Catechesis: The Call and the Challenge by Kathy Hendricks, a national speaker, writer and catechist. The presentation will be Thursday, Sept. 11, from 6 to 8:15 p.m. at the diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall and is free for all who wish to attend. “This presentation promises to be an excellent opportunity for all, regardless of their ministry or participation in the church or in religious education,” says Dr. Faith Ann Spinella, director of the Office of Religious Education. Hendricks is a national consultant for William H. Sadlier, Inc., and a contributing writer for several of their programs. She has worked as a Catholic school teacher, pastoral minister, director of religious education, and catechist in diocesan offices, parishes and schools in Colorado, Alaska, British Columbia and Canada. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Colorado, a master’s degree in adult Christian community development from Regis University in Denver, CO, and certification as a spiritual director from Benet Hill Center in Colorado Springs.

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“Completing the Gift of Life” www.bayoucatholic.com

Special

A day in the life of a

Fisherman Story and Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

The life of a fisherman is not an easy one. Donald Dardar, parishioner of St. Charles Borromeo Church parish in Pointe-aux-Chenes and native of that community, is featured here on a typical day on his shrimp boat. His day usually begins before sunrise and often carries on well beyond sunset. Fishermen also brave the elements daily, the blistering sun, strong winds and thunder storms which can pop up at any time on a summer afternoon. There is always danger present when working on the water whether on the bayous, lakes or in the gulf. One wrong move or a slip on the deck of the boat can lead to a perilous situation. While there are many risks involved, a good season of fishing, for shrimp, crabs or oysters can be rewarding for the fisherman. “I can remember that I used to get so excited before the opening day of shrimp season I couldn’t sleep the night before,” says Dardar. There is something about the optimism of a fisherman. A good fisherman always looks for fertile fishing locations and the prospect of a safe and bountiful harvest.

Faith & Family

Parishioner of the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church Member of Knights of Columbus Board Member of Catholic Charities for over 20 years Married to the former Monique Guidry Father of Brooke-Ashlee and Cassie and Paw Paw of Riley-Grace Son of Dr. Werner Hagen and Mrs. Virginia Hagen

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National

U.S. missionary visits North Korea as silent ‘apostle of peace’

By FRANCIS X. ROCCA Catholic News Service

SEOUL, South Korea (CNS) -Since the end of the Korean War in 1953, no Catholic priest has resided in the North of this divided peninsula, where autonomous religious activity is effectively forbidden. And no enemy of the communist regime there is more detested or fiercely denounced than the United States. Nevertheless, one of the few outsiders to have penetrated the so-called hermit kingdom of the North is an 81-year-old Catholic priest from West Philadelphia. Maryknoll Father Gerard Hammond, 81, who has lived in South Korea since 1960, first crossed over into the North in 1995 and since then has made 51 trips. During Pope Francis’ Aug. 14-18 visit to South Korea, the pope met Father Hammond and personally 62 thanked him for his work in the North. Father Hammond says he goes there as an “apostle of peace, an apostle of hope” -- not to evangelize directly, which the government would not allow, but to bring humanitarian assistance. That assistance came first in the form of food aid; more recently, in the form of medicines for people with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. The government admits Father Hammond and his colleagues, Catholic and Protestant missionaries supported by the U.S.based Eugene Bell Foundation, “because we’re putting people back into the working force,” he said. They have cured more than 70 percent of their patients, he said, compared with a worldwide cure rate of only 48 percent. But for Father Hammond, who still serves as superior general for his order in Korea, a trip across the demilitarized zone is not only a chance to help the needy; it is also a “spiritual experience.” The soft-spoken priest describes the moment of taking a sputum sample from a tuberculosis patient in almost sacramental terms. “You hear the cough of the person,” he said. “You give them

Maryknoll Father Gerard Hammond, a native of Philadelphia who has lived in South Korea since 1960, is pictured waiting to meet Pope Francis during the pope’s meeting with the bishops of Korea in Seoul Aug. 14. Father Hammond said that since 1995 he has made 51 trips into North Korea for humanitarian assistance.

a cup of water, all that symbolism behind it. They drink the water so they can bring the sputum up. They stand there, and they’re also in a most vulnerable position.” “It’s the most contagious moment,” he said. “But that’s what we should be doing as priests anyhow. Why should a married person that’s on the delegation with us or even a North Korean who has a family do that?” Despite this sort of intimacy, Father Hammond says conversations with patients are highly restricted, and never take place out of earshot of government minders. He says he never talks about religion or politics unless asked, and almost never is. Yet, since everyone he deals with there knows him to be a priest bearing medicines marked as donations of the Catholic Church, he says his silent witness serves as a kind of “apostolate of presence.” “You’re present to a people whom you cannot speak to and they can’t

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

speak to you, but it’s the old adage, ‘heart speaks to heart,’” he said. “They see compassion. Well, they’re in a country where they’re told that (the late dictator) Kim Jong Il gives them everything. But then they see, well, in this case he isn’t. So you’re also creating a thought pattern in their own life: ‘What do these people help bring us? What are they doing here?’” Father Hammond is not naive about obstacles to Korean reunification; he speaks in terms of cold-eyed realism about the strategic and economic interests he says make the status quo preferable not only to North Korea but also to China, Russia, Japan and the U.S. Yet he has faith that his efforts are helping promote peace and reconciliation between North and South. The priest says his visits to the North are also pilgrimages to venerate Catholics killed there over the years, including his Maryknoll confrere Bishop Patrick Byrne, who died in 1950 as a prisoner of the communists during the Korean War. Poverty in the North is dire, Father Hammond says, though no worse than what he encountered in South Korea upon his arrival 54 years ago: “thousands of refugees, bridges were down, roads were awful, no running water.” Today, South Korea is the world’s 13th-largest economy, with a per capita gross domestic product almost 20 times as large as the North’s. Since the late 1980s, thanks to a political movement in which the Catholic Church played a prominent role, the formerly authoritarian South has also enjoyed a democratically elected government. Yet prosperity has brought it own woes, the missionary says, which Pope Francis addressed during his visit with repeated calls to help the needy. “I don’t like to say it, but the church is divided here because of the rich and the poor,” Father Hammond said. “With a lot of material progress, the poor get forgotten.”

From Our Archives

Blessings of the Fleet

63 In the photo above Bishop Michael Jarrell, Second Bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, is blessing the fleet at Grand Isle in September 1994. In the bottom photo, the bishop blesses the fleet in Morgan City in conjunction with the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Shrimp and Petroleum Festival in September 2000.

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier www.bayoucatholic.com

Sports

For Nicholls, it’s time to turn on the lights

Overtime

O 64

Ed Daniels

On a summer visit to Nicholls State University, I met the new president. He’s Dr. Bruce Murphy. While I chatted briefly with Dr. Murphy, it was still a missed opportunity. What I should have told Dr. Murphy was this: It is time to go all in on football. If Southeastern Louisiana University can do it, so can the folks in Thibodaux. From 1986 to 2002, Southeastern Louisiana didn’t play football. The University dropped the sport. And, when it returned, it struggled. Until the Lions hired Ron Roberts. Roberts, who led Delta State to the playoffs four times, was hired by Southeastern in December of 2011. Two years later, Southeastern won an FBS playoff game. And, it would be no shock whatsoever if the Lions came into Tulane’s Yulman Stadium in September and defeated the Green Wave. I would also tell Dr. Murphy it would be easy to blame all the problems of the football program on the current head coach and staff. Head coach Charlie Stubbs is a decent, hardworking man who has been a tremendous career assistant at many stops. The fact that Stubbs isn’t from Louisiana, and is a Mormon has nothing to do with the football problems at Nicholls State. And, Dr. Murphy, you are inheriting a football program that has struggled mightily. Jay Thomas was chased off after winning 28 and losing 35 in a tenure that stretched from

The Nicholls Colonels celebrate their 27-23 victory over FBS team Western Michigan in 2013. The Colonels began last season with a 4-2 record and were receiving votes for a top 25 ranking before many key injuries derailed their good start. The Colonels will attempt to build on that early success from last year in 2014.

2004 to 2009. In 2005, Thomas took the Colonels to the I-AA playoffs. Instead of sending Thomas out of town, the school should have erected a statue in his honor. His .444 winning percentage was the best since Sonny Jackson, who coached the Colonels for six seasons. The three coaches before Thomas had winning percentages of .378 or lower. Darren Barbier, who coached the Colonels to the playoffs in 1996, finished with a four year slate of 17 wins and 28 losses. Dr. Murphy, it is time to make a football commitment. Time to say we are going to excel in football. You are retired U.S. Army. Give the order; make the commitment and see it through. That is what it will take to get

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2014

noticed in a town and community of LSU fans. Make a commitment, and win. Because anything less won’t cut it in the ultracompetitive Southland Conference. The Southland is one of the best leagues in the Football Bowl Subdivision. In 2013, Southeastern and Sam Houston qualified for the 16 team playoffs. Doc, I hate to keep making that Hammond comparison, but … In Tangipahoa Parish, they are talking about winning a national championship. That’s heady stuff for a program that was dark for 17 years. Time to turn on the lights, and I am not talking about Guidry Stadium.