Bayou Catholic Magazine August 2017 by Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

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Bayou

Catholic

St. Kateri

honored at special Mass

HOUMA, LA ~ AUGUST 2017 ~ COMPLIMENTARY

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Contents Margaret Orgerson

22 FEATURES Margaret Cooks a:

RICE COOKER JAMBALAYA

By INGREDIENTS:

Janet Marcel

(in a rice cooker) 1-lb. sausage 1 onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped Shallots, parsley, garlic, chopped (to taste) 1 can beef broth 1 can mushrooms 1 tbsp. tomato sauce rice (rice Bycooker Janetcup) Marcel 2 cups

28 Father Josekutty Varghese

celebrates 25 years

DIRECTIONS: 22

26 30

Sausage 26 BayouJambalaya Patrons

This month’s heavenly recipe, sausage jambalaya (in a rice cooker), comes from Margaret Orgeron, a life-long parishioner of St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux. She got the recipe from her co-workers when she was teaching at Thibodaux Elementary School. “I taught school for 25 years. My first year was at Bayou Blue Elementary School then I taught the remaining years at Thibodaux Elementary.” Margaret was married to Deacon Willie Orgeron for 51 years before he passed away in March 2008. Margaret says that cooking is an enjoyable activity for her. “I love to cook. My favorite thing to cook is chicken sausage gumbo. I also like to cook roasts, baked chicken, and I enjoy baking cakes,” she says. Margaret learned to cook from her mother by watching her. “My mother wouldn’t let me touch the stove. When we were first married, Willie was in the Navy and was stationed in California. I would call either my mother or Willie’s mother for directions when I had questions about cooking. I remember cooking rice for the first time. Willie’s mother would measure the amount of water to cook the rice by putting enough water to reach her knuckles. I tried that method and the result was a pot of starch.” Margaret has been the coordinator of Family Life Ministry at the Co-Cathedral for the past 17 years. She lives right across the street from St. Joseph in the back of the church. “I was born and raised on this property. I have gone to St. Joseph Church all my life.” Deacon Willie was, and Margaret still is, very Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

Put all ingredients together in a bowl and mix. Pour ingredients into rice cooker. Do not uncover for 15 minutes after it is cooked. Do not add water. (For shrimp jambalaya, add 1 can tomato sauce). Spray the rice cooker with cooking spray before putting in ingredients.

COLUMNS

Comfort For My People

By Bishop Shelton J. Fabre involved

with

parish lectors, is an extraordinary minister Pope Francisof I the Eucharist, a member of the Catholic Daughters, plus many more. Deacon Willie was Questions also of theFaith principal of St. Joseph Catholic Elementary SchoolWilmer in Thibodaux for 13 By Father Todd years. Margaret feels the church needs to strive to be a welcoming church. “We need to be more welcoming in the church. We Between need to get The the young Readings Lines people of the parish involved. We are losing the younger ones and need to get them back.” She feels strongly By Father Glenn LeCompte about her Catholic faith. “I have a lot of faith. I believe in the power of prayer. I pray the rosary every day before I get out of bed in the morning. Maybe people need to pray more.” Reading with Raymond Margaret is on the doorstep of 82 years and is showing no signs of slowing down. When asked about her age, By Raymond Saadi her reply is “age doesn’t bother me at all.” ministry. She 12 Pope Speaks commentates,

13 14 25

32 Thoughts for Millennials

By Ryan Abboud

IN EVERY ISSUE

Bayou

Catholic

From the Editor

16 Scripture Readings 22 Heavenly Recipes 24 Diocesan Events ANNOUNCEMENTS

33 St. Luke Fall Banquet Oct. 21

35 Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

2017 all Footb

33 Anniversary Couples Mass Oct. 22

On Our Cover A special Mass was celebrated for the feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha at Holy Family Church in Grand Caillou recently. The Bayou Eagles Dancers took part in the procession during the Mass. Photo by Lawrence Chatagnier

Bayou Catholic Vol. 38, No. 2 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

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 Janet Marcel 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

The Bayou Catholic is published monthly, for the people of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux 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.

Lawrence Chatagnier

editor and general manager

Index to Advertisers Advanced Eye Institute ......................................... 66 Asbestos Hazard Notice ....................................... 23 Barker Honda ....................................................... 46 Cardinal Place ...................................................... 31 Catholic University of America Collection ................ 3 Cenac Marine Services, LLC ................................ 67 Charles A. Page & Sons Insurance Agency, Inc. .... 53 Chauvin Funeral Home ......................................... 54 Coastal Commerce Bank ...................................... 55 Courtesy Automotive Group ................................. 52 Data Management Services .................................. 47 Diocesan Outreach Line ....................................... 29 Duplantis Design Group ........................................ 51 Falgout Funeral Homes, LLC ................................. 56 God’s Promises, Books & Gifts ............................ 44 Gulf Coast Orthopedics ........................................ 34 Haydel Spine Pain & Wellness .............................. 15 Headache & Pain Center ....................................... 24 Houma Digestive Health Specialists ...................... 38 KEM Supply House, Inc. ....................................... 45

Kustom’s Autobody, L.L.C. ................................... 60 Leblanc & Associates, LLC ................................... 23 Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center .......................... 51 Patrick Yancey Law Firm ...................................... 32 Premier Offshore Catering, Inc. ............................. 42 Re-Bath ............................................................... 30 Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corp. .... 23 Rod’s Superstore ................................................. 17 Seeca .................................................................... 2 Seminarian Education Burses ............................... 19 Southland Mall ..................................................... 68 St. Joseph Manor ................................................. 17 Strategic Planning – Rediscover the Faith ........ 20, 21 Synergy Bank ....................................................... 61 Taco Bell ........................................................ 39, 57 Terminix ............................................................... 66 TGMC................................................................... 65 Thibodaux Physical Therapy ................................. 62 Thibodaux Regional Medical Center ...................... 37 Watkins, Walker, Eroche & Hoychick ..................... 31

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

Janet Marcel

staff writer/administrative assistant

Brooks Lirette

advertising accounts executive

Lisa Schobel Hebert graphic designer

Meridy Liner

accounts receivable/payable assistant

Awards

CPA First Place General Excellence 2013 - 2014 LPA First Place General Excellence 2015 www.bayoucatholic.com

Welcome

From the Editor

We have settled into the very heart of the summer in south Louisiana. While the past two months have been very rainy, I’m sure there will be some hot summer days ahead for us all in the bayou country of HoumaThibodaux. When looking around the area we live one cannot help but notice the beauty and tranquility that surrounds us. The lazy flowing bayous and lush green vegetation that is abundant here can seem like paradise. Many people work near home, either in the agricultural industry, fishing industry, medical industry, or the oil and chemical industry in our state. While life seems to be all in order around us there is a terrible epidemic of drug overdose and opioid addiction that is growing at a rapid rate. Amid the growing epidemic of drug overdose and opioid addiction, the Catholic bishops have spoken out on the need for prayer for those suffering with addiction. During a press conference at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ meeting this summer in Indianapolis, Bishop Edward Burns of Dallas said, “The closer you get to the Catholic Church, the closer you get to the wounds of Christ. It’s important for us to recognize that we accompany many people who are wounded. It’s the very essence of the church to reach out to those who are wounded.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that opioid abuse is an “epidemic” in the United States. Every day, 91 Americans die of an opioid-related overdose. The drugs include those used in prescription painkillers like oxycodone, codeine and morphine, but also heroin and synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. It was also reported that overdoses have become the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50. Opioids are involved in over 60 percent of overdoses nationwide, the CDC noted, and opioidrelated overdoses quadrupled between 1999 and 2015. It appears that the Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) is beginning to take an active part in combating the opioid epidemic. This past June, for the first time in its history, the F.D.A. asked a drug company to take an opioid medication off the market because of concerns about drug abuse. The drug, Opana ER, a form of painkiller (oxymorphone hydrochloride) has been heavily abused and linked to outbreaks of H.I.V., hepatitis C and a serious blood disorder among people who inject it. The move by the F.D.A. may signal a more aggressive approach against prescription opioids that are found to be widely abused. In June of this year, Bishop Edward Malesic of Greensburg, PA, published a pastoral letter on the opioid crisis. In his diocese in Western Pennsylvania, over 300 opioid-related deaths had ravaged the communities the previous year. In his pastoral letter on the

drug abuse crisis, From Death and Despair to Life and Hope, Bishop Malesic affirmed that in response to the crisis, “we can either sink down into despair or rise up in hope. This is a plague that has come into the homes and families of every city, town, and even the rural areas of our diocese,” he acknowledged. Yet Catholics must choose hope, he added. Locally in our own diocese there is an upward trend in the opioid addicted population. Monique Albarado, LPC, associate director of Assisi Bridge House, a half-way house for men struggling with addictions says, “Currently at Catholic Charities’ Assisi Bridge House, 85 to 90 percent of our residents are opiate dependent. It is good to know that the U.S. Bishops and Catholic faithful are praying for the opiate-addicted population. We approach the disease of addiction holistically through counseling, mental health treatment referrals, the 12 step program and other community supports. Family members are invited to participate in therapy with their loved ones to offer their support and receive ours. We want to heal what is broken so that our clients don’t turn back to these powerful, deadly drugs.” Let us hope and pray that with the treatment available and through the power of prayer, God’s intervention will make a difference in the life of someone who is struggling with this terrible addiction. Remember, after reading Bayou Catholic, pass it on to a friend or relative who might not be attending Mass. It’s one of the great ways to do your part in spreading the Good News!

Lawrence

Lawrence Chatagnier Editor & General Manager

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

St. Kateri Mass Bishop Shelton J. Fabre was the main celebrant of the annual Kateri Mass at Holy Family Church in Grand Caillou, which was concelebrated by priests of the diocese. The Bayou Eagle Dancers took part in the procession during the Mass.

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

www.bayoucatholic.com

Comment

An appointed time for preparation: becoming missionary disciples Comfort For My People

I 8

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

I remember vividly from my childhood when my mother, a school teacher, began to work on lesson plans for the coming school year and started purchasing school supplies for us and for her classroom. This was an indication that the days of summer vacation were coming to an end. The opportunities to play all day everyday with friends in the neighborhood would give way again to a regular school schedule of academic study, tests and other school responsibilities and opportunities. The month of August was a time of transition to a new school year, and with it came an appointed time for preparation. Pope Francis in many ways is helping us recognize we have come to an appointed time in the church. In particular, in 2013 he wrote the Apostolic Exhortation Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium) where he states, “I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the church’s journey in years to come” (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 1). This is an invitation for all members of the church to take an honest look at how well we are truly living as missionary disciples who are capable of transmitting the joy of the Gospel to a world

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

in desperate need of this Good News. This document is a call to regain our missionary identity in which we help equip the faithful to share the life giving news of the Gospel, and accompany others in their journey of growing closer to the Lord and being formed as true missionary disciples of Jesus Christ. In response to Pope Francis’ call, the Catholic Bishops of the United States recently held a national gathering from July 1st through 4th entitled The Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America. It was an opportunity for the Catholic leaders present: to be reminded of the call to missionary discipleship; to take a deeper look at the secular and spiritual landscape of our nation and local communities; to be aware of those who live on the periphery; and to discuss ways dioceses might respond to the needs and opportunities before them. My days spent at this convocation allowed me to reflect upon our own diocesan journey of strategic planning. We spent nearly two years listening and looking deeply at these and other issues and researching best practices. At every step along the way, we spent much time praying and seeking the Lord’s guidance. I am deeply grateful for the ways the Holy Spirit has led us as a diocese, and I can say that we truly do have a way forward that is filled with Hope. At the heart of the strategic plan is a focus on the renewal of church parish life. In accord with Pope Francis’ call, we desire vibrant parishes that are forming missionary disciples. I am grateful for the ways God continues to lead us at this appointed time, and I ask for your continued prayers for the implementation of our strategic plan.

It is good for us to remember that this invitation from Pope Francis to embark on a new journey of growing in our identity as missionary disciples begins personally with each one of us, and the implementation of our strategic plan is ready to assist us. This fall as a diocese we will begin to intentionally respond to this call. We want to help you rediscover the rich beauty of the Catholic faith in deeper ways. There are three particular opportunities that will be available that I would like to highlight: n Beginning September 2017, we will embark upon Rediscover Your Faith, which will be a video resource to answer the most common questions asked about the Roman Catholic faith; n During Advent 2017, we will engage in Rediscover Reconciliation, which will focus on a pastoral letter and a video resource to help you rediscover the great gift of the sacrament of reconciliation and the call for reconciliation with God and each other; n During Lent 2018, we will seek to Rediscover the Mass by way of a video resource that will help you learn more about the Mass. I encourage everyone to participate in some way in these opportunities, either through a group that will be offering these opportunities in your parish, or by watching the videos at home as a family, or with a few friends, another couple, or with a neighbor. In the future, you will be able to learn more about these opportunities on the diocesan website, in the Bayou Catholic magazine, as well as in your local church parish.

“EVANGELIZATION is the mission of the church, not just of a few, but my, your, our mission.”

- Pope Francis

Comentario

El momento asignado para la preparación: La conversión a discípulo misionero

R 10

Recuerdo con claridad cuando en mi niñez mi madre, quien era una maestra, comenzaba a crear sus planes de lecciones al comienzo del año escolar y comenzaba a comprarnos los útiles escolares y materiales para su aula. Esto me indicaba que los días de vacación de verano estaban llegando a su fin. Las oportunidades para jugar todo el día con mis amistades en el vecindario se esfumaban conforme la escuela con sus responsabilidades académicas y exámenes se acercaban. El mes de agosto era el momento de transición para comenzar un nuevo año escolar y con ello comenzaba el momento asignado para la preparación. El Papa Francisco, de muchas maneras nos está ayudando a reconocer que hemos llegado a un momento asignado en la Iglesia. Singularmente, en el 2013 él escribió la Exhortación Apostólica La Alegría del Evangelio (Evangelii Gaudium) en el que declara, «Deseo animar a los fieles cristianos a que comiencen un nuevo capítulo de evangelización acentuado por esta alegría, mientras marcan los nuevos senderos para la Iglesia en los tiempos venideros» (Evangelii Gaudium, no.1). Esto es una invitación a todos los miembros de la Iglesia a que reflexionemos que tan buenos discípulos misioneros somos y si somos eficaces en transmitir la alegría del Evangelio al mundo que necesita la Buena Nueva desesperadamente. Este documento es un llamado para que recobremos nuestra identidad misionera en la que equipamos a los fieles para que

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

puedan compartir la Buena Nueva del Evangelio y acompañar al prójimo en su camino de acercarse al Señor y de ser formado como verdadero discípulo misionero de Jesucristo. Respondiendo al llamado del Santo Padre, los obispos católicos de los Estados Unidos se reunieron entre el primero y el cuatro de julio en una cumbre titulada La Convocación de Lideres Católicos: La Alegría del Evangelio en América. Fue una oportunidad para los líderes católicos presentes de recordar el llamado a ser discípulos misioneros, a escudriñar la situación secular y espiritual de nuestra nación y las comunidades locales, a estar al tanto de los que viven en la periferia y a discutir maneras en que las diócesis pueden responder a las necesidades y oportunidades que tienen ante sí. Pasé mis días en esta convocatoria reflexionando sobre nuestro propio itinerario diocesano de planificación estratégica. Hemos pasado casi dos años escuchando y observando detenidamente estos temas y estudiando las mejores soluciones. En cada paso durante este camino hemos pasado mucho tiempo orando y buscando la guía del Señor. Agradezco mucho al Espíritu Santo por habernos guiado como diócesis y puedo declarar que verdaderamente hemos avanzado con Esperanza. El corazón de este plan estratégico enfoca la renovación de la vida en las parroquias. Según el llamado del Papa Francisco, deseamos parroquias llenas de vida que creen discípulos misioneros. Agradezco a Dios por habernos guiado de tantas maneras en este momento asignado y le pido a ustedes que sigan orando para que podamos implementar

nuestro plan estratégico. Es bueno recordar que la invitación del Santo Padre a iniciar este camino de crecimiento en nuestra identidad de discípulos misioneros comienza personalmente con cada uno de nosotros y sabiendo que la implementación de nuestro plan estratégico está aquí para ayudarnos. Este otoño comenzaremos en nuestra diócesis a seguir este llamado y queremos ayudarles a volver a descubrir la bella riqueza de la fe católica con más profundidad. Hay tres oportunidades que estarán disponibles que quiero recalcar: n En septiembre del 2017, comenzaremos Redescubra Su Fe, un recurso de video que contestará las preguntas más comunes sobre la fe católica romana; n Durante el Adviento 2017, nos concentraremos en Redescubra la Reconciliación, que enfocará una carta pastoral y un recurso de video para ayudarles a redescubrir el gran don del sacramento de la reconciliación y el llamado a la reconciliación con Dios y nosotros; n Durante la Cuaresma 2018, buscaremos Redescubrir la Misa a través de un recurso de video que le ayudará a aprender más sobre la Misa. Animo a todos a participar de alguna manera en estas oportunidades, ya sea a través de un grupo que ofrecerá estas oportunidades en su parroquia, o viendo los videos en casa en familia, o con algunos amigos, otra pareja, o con un vecino. En el futuro, usted podrá aprender más acerca de estas oportunidades en el sitio web diocesano, en la revista Bayou Catholic, así como en la parroquia de su iglesia local.

Binh luan bang loi

Thời gian chuẩn bị: Trở thành người môn đệ truyền giáo

Tôi nhớ rất rõ thời thơ ấu của mình khi mẹ tôi, là một giáo viên, bắt đầu lên các kế hoạch cho năm học sắp tới và bắt đầu mua các dụng cụ học tập cho chúng tôi và cho lớp học của mẹ tôi. Đây là dấu hiệu cho thấy những ngày nghỉ hè sắp hết. Những cơ hội chơi đùa mỗi ngày với bạn bè trong khu phố sẽ nhường lại cho thời khóa biểu học tập thường xuyên của học đường, các bài kiểm tra và những trách nhiệm và những thời điểm khác của trường. Tháng 8 là thời gian chuyển tiếp sang năm học mới, và đó cũng là thời gian để chuẩn bị. Bằng nhiều cách, Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô đang giúp chúng ta nhận ra rằng một thời gian được chỉ định trong Giáo hội đã đến. Đặc biệt, vào năm 2013, ngài đã viết Tông Huấn Niềm Vui Tin Mừng (Evangelii Gaudium), trong đó ngài tuyên bố, “Tôi muốn khuyến khích các tín hữu Kitô giáo bắt tay vào một chương mới của Phúc Âm hóa được đánh dấu bởi niềm vui này, trong khi chỉ ra những con đường mới cho hành trình của Giáo hội trong những năm tới” (Evangelii Gaudium, số 1). Đây là lời mời gọi tất cả các thành viên của Giáo hội có cái nhìn trung thực về việc chúng ta thật sự đang sống như người môn đệ truyền giáo như thế nào, là người có khả năng truyền tải niềm vui Tin Mừng đến một thế giới đang khao khát mãnh liệt Tin Mừng này. Tài liệu này là lời mời gọi lấy lại căn tính sứ mạng truyền giáo của chúng ta, trong đó chúng ta giúp trang bị cho các tín hữu chia sẻ cuộc sống cho đi của Tin Mừng và đồng hành với những người khác trong cuộc hành trình tiến gần hơn tới Chúa và được đào tạo như những người môn đệ đích thật của Chúa Giêsu Kitô.

Để đáp lại lời kêu gọi của Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô, các Giám mục Công giáo Hoa Kỳ gần đây đã tổ chức một cuộc họp toàn quốc từ ngày 1 cho đến ngày 4 tháng 7, mang tên “Cuộc triệu tập các Nhà lãnh đạo Công giáo”: Niềm vui của Tin Mừng ở Hoa Kỳ. Đó là một cơ hội cho các nhà lãnh đạo Công giáo hiện diện: để được nhắc nhở về lời mời gọi làm người môn đệ truyền giáo; để có cái nhìn sâu xa hơn về cảnh quan thế tục và tinh thần của quốc gia và các cộng đồng địa phương của chúng ta; để nhận biết những người sống vô gia cư; và để thảo luận những cách thức các giáo phận có thể đáp ứng những nhu cầu cho họ. Những ngày tôi trải qua trong cuộc hội kiến này đã cho phép tôi suy ngẫm về cuộc hành trình lập kế hoạch chiến lược của chính giáo phận chúng ta. Chúng tôi đã dành gần hai năm lắng nghe và nhìn sâu vào những vấn đề này và các vấn đề khác và nghiên cứu các phương pháp hay nhất. Ở mỗi chặng đường, chúng tôi đã dành nhiều thời gian để cầu nguyện và tìm kiếm sự hướng dẫn của Chúa. Tôi rất biết ơn những cách thức mà Chúa Thánh Thần đã dẫn dắt giáo phận chúng ta, và tôi có thể nói rằng chúng ta thật sự có một con đường phía trước tràn đầy hy vọng. Trọng tâm của kế hoạch chiến lược là tập trung vào việc canh tân đời sống của giáo xứ. Phù hợp với lời mời gọi của Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô, chúng tôi mong muốn các giáo xứ mạnh mẽ đào tạo những người môn đệ truyền giáo. Tôi rất biết ơn những cách thức mà Thiên Chúa tiếp tục dẫn dắt chúng ta vào thời điểm được chỉ định này, và tôi mời gọi Anh Chị Em (ACE) tiếp tục cầu nguyện cho việc thực hiện kế hoạch chiến lược của chúng ta. Thật tốt cho chúng ta khi nhớ rằng lời mời gọi bắt tay vào một cuộc hành

trình mới này của Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô hầu để phát triển căn tính của chúng ta với tư cách là những môn đệ truyền giáo, bắt đầu với mỗi người chúng ta, và việc thực hiện kế hoạch chiến lược được sẵn sàng để giúp đỡ chúng ta. Mùa Thu này, với tư cách là một giáo phận, chúng ta sẽ bắt đầu đáp ứng lời kêu gọi này. Chúng tôi muốn giúp ACE tái khám phá vẻ đẹp phong phú của đức tin Công giáo theo những cách thức sâu sắc hơn. Có ba chủ đề đặc biệt sắp tới mà tôi muốn nhấn mạnh: n Bắt đầu từ tháng 9 năm 2017, chúng ta sẽ khởi đầu với việc Tái Khám Phá Đức tin của ÔBACE, sẽ có cuốn băng video tài liệu để trả lời những câu hỏi phổ biến nhất về đức tin Công giáo. 11 n Trong Mùa Vọng 2017, chúng ta sẽ tham gia vào việc Tái Khám phá Sự Hòa Giải, sẽ tập trung vào một bức thư mục vụ và cuốn băng video tài liệu để giúp ACE tái khám phá hồng ân lớn lao của Bí Tích Hòa giải và lời kêu gọi hòa giải với Thiên Chúa và với nhau. n Trong Mùa Chay năm 2018, chúng ta sẽ tìm cách Tái Khám Phá về Thánh Lễ bằng cuốn băng video tài liệu giúp ACE hiểu thêm về Thánh Lễ. Tôi khuyến khích tất cả mọi người tham gia một cách nào đó trong những chủ đề này, thông qua một nhóm, sẽ đưa ra những chủ đề này trong giáo xứ của ACE, hoặc bằng việc xem các video tại nhà với gia đình, hoặc với bạn bè, với cặp vợ chồng khác, hoặc với người hàng xóm. Trong tương lai, ACE sẽ có thể tìm hiểu thêm về những chủ đề này trên trang web của giáo phận, trong tạp chí Công giáo Bayou, cũng như tại giáo xứ của. Dịch thuật do Lm. Francis Bui, SDD và Thầy Paul Vu, SDD. Tu Đoàn Tông Đồ Giáo Sĩ Nhà Chúa www.bayoucatholic.com

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No matter who you are, make Christ your number one The Pope Speaks

V 12

Vatican City, (CNA/EWTN News) Pope Francis said that everyone – lay or religious – must put their relationship with Jesus above all else; and striving to do this, even imperfectly, will help them to be like Christ to the world. “People need to perceive that for that disciple, Jesus is truly ‘Lord,’ he is truly the center of his life, the whole of his life. It does not matter if, like every human person, he has his limits and even his mistakes – provided he has the humility to recognize them,” the Pope said recently. “Any disciple, a layman, a laywoman, a priest, a bishop: a prioritized relationship. Perhaps the first question we need to ask a Christian is: ‘But do you meet with Jesus? Do you pray to Jesus?’ The relationship.” Pope Francis spoke to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square about the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus in the life of a disciple. Before leading the Angelus, he reflected on the day’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus sends his disciples out to be missionaries for the first time. “In this final part, Jesus emphasizes two essential aspects for the life of the missionary disciple,” Francis said, “the first, that his bond with Jesus is stronger than any other bond; the second, that the missionary does not carry himself alone, but Jesus, and through him the love of the heavenly Father.” The Pope pointed out that these two aspects of discipleship are intricately linked, because

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

DANIEL IBANEZ/CNA

the more a Christian puts Jesus at the center of his heart and his life, the more clearly he radiates the presence of Christ in the world. In the Gospel, we hear Jesus say: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me…” This isn’t to say these relationships aren’t good, but “the affection of a father, the tenderness of a mother, the sweet friendship between brothers and sisters, all this…cannot be put before Christ,” he emphasized. And this isn’t because God wants us to be deprived of love and gratitude for our families, he continued, but because the condition of a disciple requires prioritizing our relationship with Jesus above all else. Doing this, we become Christ’s own representative on earth, his “ambassador,” the Pope said. “To the point that Jesus himself, sending the disciples on a mission, tells them: ‘Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.’” But living in the world, there’s a trap we can fall into, he warned, which is the temptation to be hypocrites, what he called having a “double heart.” “I am a Christian, I am a disciple of Jesus, I am a priest, I am a bishop, but I have a double heart. No, this does not work,” he said. “He should not have a double heart,

but a simple, united heart; that he does not hold his foot in two shoes, but is honest with himself and with others. Duplicity is not Christian.” It is against this that Jesus prays for his disciples that they not fall into the “spirit of the world.” “Either you are with Jesus, with the spirit of Jesus, or you are with the spirit of the world,” the Pope emphasized. Speaking to priests, he said that there is something beautiful they are taught through the experience of their vocation, and that is that the more a priest is near to God’s people, the nearer he will feel to Jesus, and the more he is near to Jesus, the closer he will feel to the people of God. This reciprocity can work for all, however. If you leave everything for Christ, people will recognize Christ in you, he said. And at the same time, this helps you to conform yourself more and more to him, helping you to “purge yourself from compromises and overcome temptations.” Francis concluded his remarks by asking the Virgin Mary, who has firsthand experience of what it means to love Jesus above all else, to help give us “a new meaning to family ties, starting with faith in Him.” “With her motherly intercession, she helps us to be free and happy missionaries of the Gospel.”

Questions of Faith

to a place of worship where we can give our time, talent and treasure and become part of that community of faith. That community does not have to be in the territory where

we live. The pastor might not like the fact that we have switched parishes, but people often do that. Just be faithful to one parish as much as possible.

Please tell me how Catholics justify hospice care, especially withholding food and water from the patient. Doesn’t this starve the patient to death? And doesn’t the heavy medication they use actually cause death?

their pain. This is not meant to hasten the death of the person. They will usually relax and experience a peaceful death. All ethical means to alleviate pain and suffering without intentionally hastening 13 death can be used. Assisted suicide and euthanasia are never morally acceptable options. While we have a duty to preserve life and use it for the glory of God, at the request of the patient or patient’s appointed guardian, life-prolonging procedures that are insufficiently beneficial or excessively burdensome should be rejected. Just because we can extend life for short period, doesn’t mean we should. Patients and families should also receive spiritual support and the opportunity to receive the sacraments, especially the anointing of the sick and the prayers for the dying.

Father Wilmer Todd

Now that my children have grown older and married, I enjoy celebrating Mass with them at a church parish other than the one where I live. I feel awkward when my pastor mentions that he hasn’t seen me at church on Sundays. What am I to do? This is a difficult question because it involves many layers of understanding. First, we Catholics are still trying to get over the “individualistic spirituality” of the 19th Century that stressed a “Jesus and me only” approach to holiness. Overall, people in the 19th Century went to Mass to fulfill their obligation and to receive individual grace. They did not see themselves as the Body of Christ, or as a community of believers. The church before Vatican II had gradually slipped into what we might call a maintenance mode. Catholics were to live the faith by following the rules so they could get to heaven. Unfortunately, pastors did not stress that people should develop a deep relationship with Christ. The “church” was the hierarchy, not the people of God with a purpose and a mission. Vatican Council II stressed that we are a community, the family of God. We have a purpose and a mission. The Council Documents stressed that the laity must see themselves as members of Christ’s body called to holiness and responsible for engaging in the work of the church for the salvation of people and the renewal of the world. Catholics are starting to see themselves as part of a community of faith who worship together and care for each other. They are also willing to share their time, talents and treasure to make their community the best possible witness to God’s presence in their midst. The important thing is that we go

Hospice care is meant for people who are in the state of dying. Usually, they would expect to die within six months. What the hospice personnel will try to do is create a compassionate environment of respect, love and support for the patient and the family. Through this patient centered care, the needs of the whole person, including the physical, emotional, spiritual, social and financial factors will be addressed by everyone concerned. When someone is dying, the body shuts down. At a certain point, the patient might not want to eat or drink. They should never be forced to eat or drink because that may cause more discomfort. We should try to offer food and liquids safely that can provide comforting tastes and moisture to the mouth, even if the patient cannot fully digest it. Give them whatever they want but never insist that they eat or drink. When someone is dying especially from a disease like cancer, they may be in tremendous pain. Hospice patients are often given morphine to relax them and relieve some of

Readers are encouraged to send their questions to our local Bayou Catholic columnists by email to bayoucatholic@htdiocese.org.

www.bayoucatholic.com

Reflections Readings Between The Lines Father Glenn LeCompte

The Scriptures: God’s Word? Taken literally? Part 2

I 14

In this article I will continue my reflections upon a recent Gallup Poll which surveyed the opinions of U.S. adults on the following question: Which of the following statements comes closest to describing your views about the Bible: 1) the Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word, 2) the Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, or 3) the Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man? In my last article I focused on the first of the three foregoing answers and suggested that “taking the Bible literally” at times can obscure an authentic understanding of the Bible’s message. In addition the use of the word “Bible” itself is ambiguous. Since most people do not read the biblical languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek) I presume “the Bible” in the poll refers to a vernacular translation, and translation is always a tricky business. This is a caveat we have to keep in mind, but it is really a topic for another article. Let us consider the third choice in the poll above. It seems to imply that those who choose it discount the authority the Bible has over our lives because 1) it is comprised of things that are “mythical” or “not true” (fables, legends) or 2) the contents of the

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

Bible are a human production and therefore have nothing to do with God’s will. I do not know if this is what in fact every respondent to the poll understood regarding choice number three, but considering it in relation to the other two choices, I think this is a possible understanding. Actually, the statement in and of itself bears some truth about the Bible we can accept. As I pointed out in my previous article, the Bible is a collection of literature in a variety of literary forms, including fable and legend. Judges 9:8-15 is a fable about the forest trees seeking to choose one tree as their anointed king told by Jotham, the younger half-brother of Abimelech whom the people of Shechem want to anoint as king over them. Jotham’s fable reflects a negative opinion of an absolute monarch in favor of corporate rulership among the sons of Gideon. Abimelech kills 70 of Gideon’s sons and when the leaders of Shechem rebel the opposing forces are engaged in a bloody battle. The point of the fable parallels the point of the story about Abimelech; if the anointed leader is not chosen “in good faith” (and in Abimelech’s case, according to God’s will) then those who anointed him can expect the leader will wreak havoc upon them. The fable about trees seeking to anoint a ruler over them is not a story about a factual occurrence, but it conveys a truth held by the sacred author, at least in this story, that kingship is not a more favorable institution than confederate tribal governance. But then, are stories such as the one recounted above about Abimelech, the Shechemites and

Joash to be taken as literal history, and as such is this where the inspired truth of the passage is to be found? The books of Joshua-2 Kings have been called by biblical scholars a “Deuteronomistic History,” because the authors/editors of the material in these books seem to have the aim of evaluating whether or not the characters and events reported in them adhere to the standards of the legal codes in the Book of Deuteronomy. Although there might be a historical foundation to the story, the apparent message to the implied reader is that obedience to the law leads to prosperity and vice-versa. The Deuteronomistic historians based their work on a number of sources, including annals of the kings of Israel and Judah, but their aim was more to explicate, in story form, what fidelity and infidelity to the Covenant means than to report a factual history. As such it is an “interpretive history,” where emphasis is focused on the theological meaning of the event rather than on the event itself. Regarding the phrase in answer number three, “recorded by man,” does this phrase imply that the Scriptures are a mere human invention and therefore not an authoritative guide in matters of faith and morals? If this were the case, why would there have been such a lengthy and collaborative process involved in determining which works would be included in the canon (the Jewish or Christian Church’s list of inspired books)? Yes, the Scriptures have human attributes and were produced by human beings, but there is good reason to believe they were also divinely inspired. Thus,

the Scriptures are like Jesus Christ himself, both divine and human. Answer number two seems to be the most theologically solid answer, but again I have a curiosity about the wording of it, especially regarding the phrase, “not everything is to be taken literally.” In the first place, “not taking everything literally” could mean we give consideration to the literary forms, which may at times be fable, metaphor, simile, etc. For example, biblical scholars tend to refer to the literary form of Genesis 1 and 2 as “creation stories.” They are not scientific or historical accounts of creation, yet they contain truths in the sense that they answer fundamental questions about reality such as: “Who created everything?” “What is the relationship of human beings to the world around them and to their creator?” “Why do human beings marry and procreate?” “Why are human beings male and female?” “What is the relationship between human beings to the earth they inhabit and which God created?” Secondly, “not taking everything literally” could be understood to

mean that people can select out of the Bible what they feel is and is not relevant to their lives. To approach the Bible in this way is both to misunderstand and misuse it. If one believes that the Bible is God’s inspired word, as the first part of answer number two says, then all of it provides guiding principles for our relationship with God and defines what it means to be a Covenant people. Very often, doubting the relevance to us of some parts of the Bible is the result of strong social influences which

Reflection

suggest the Bible is anachronistic in today’s world. However, the Bible contains timeless truths, even if these truths are communicated through ancient situations and literary forms. So perhaps the best answer to the poll is one that is not offered: “The Bible is God’s inspired selfcommunication, expressed in human words, which conveys truth in a variety of ways through literary forms whose purpose must be properly understood.”

Questions

regard ard with e h u o y e v estions ha “out-ofecific sugg -date” or sp of t ta u h o “ W se n Bible is ond to the a that the n you resp a c w o to the ide H ? ay society tod step” with in s? cal verses suggestion and bibli st r e d n u nt to it importa n Why is olation? than in is r e e th a r t on that th contex e propositi th le ib d akes cre spired? n What m ivinely in d re a s re Scriptu

Michael S. Haydel, M.D. FIPP • Michael P. Charlet, M.D., FAAN Daniel R. Clayton, PA-C • Donovan J. Matherne, FNP-C • Brandi B. Degruise, FNP-C

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Monday

ScriptureReadings Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

and a listing of Feast days and saints

Friday

24 July

1 August

Saturday

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12 Romans 8:28-30 Matthew 13:44-52

Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, bishop and doctor of the church Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28 Matthew 13:36-43

Weekday Exodus 34:29-35 Matthew 13:44-46

Weekday Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38 Matthew13:47-53

Memorial of Saint John Vianney, priest Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37 Matthew 13:54-58

Weekday Leviticus 25:1, 8-17 Matthew 14:1-12

Weekday Numbers 11:4b-15 Matthew 14:13-21

Memorial of Saint Dominic, priest Numbers 12:1-13 Matthew 14:22-36

Weekday Numbers 13:1-2, 25—14:1, 26-29a, 34-35 Matthew15:21-28

Feast of Lawrence, deacon and martyr 2 Corinthians 9:610 John 12:24-26

Memorial of Saint Clare, virgin Deuteronomy 4:3240 Matthew 16:24-28

Weekday Deuteronomy 6:4-13 Matthew 17:14-20

Memorial of Saint Pius X, pope Judges 2:11-19 Matthew 19:16-22

Memorial of Saint Augustine, bishop and doctor of the church 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 Matthew 23:13-22

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab 1 Corinthians 15:2027 Luke 1:39-56

Weekday Deuteronomy 34:112 Matthew 18:15-20

Weekday Joshua 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17 Matthew 18:21— 19:1

Weekday Joshua 24:1-13 Matthew 19:3-12

Weekday Joshua 24:14-29 Matthew 19:13-15

Weekday Memorial of the Judges 9:6-15 Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary Matthew 20:1-16 Judges 6:11-24a Matthew 19:23-30

Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist I Thessalonians 2:1-8 Mark 6:17-29

Weekday 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 Matthew 23:27-32

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, apostle Revelation 21:9b14 John 1:45-51

Weekday Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14b16, 22 Matthew 23:34-40

Weekday Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17 Matthew 23:1-12

1 September

Weekday 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13 Matthew 24:42-51

Weekday 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 Matthew 25:1-13

Memorial of Saint Martha Exodus 24:3-8 Matthew 13:24-30

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, priest Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34 Matthew13:31-35

Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, priest and martyr Deuteronomy 10:12-22 Matthew 17:22-27

Sunday

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 2 Peter 1:16-19 Matthew 17:1-9

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a Romans 9:1-5 Matthew 14:22-33

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 Matthew 15:21-28

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 22:19-23 Romans 11:33-36 Matthew 16:13-20

August

You do the living

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Church Alive

Corpus Christi

Eucharistic processions were held celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ or Corpus Christi at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma and at St. Bridget Church parish in Schriever. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre and parishioners processed through the streets surrounding the cathedral. In the photos below, Very Rev. Simon Peter Engurait, V.G., pastor of St. Bridget Church parish, processed with parishioners around the church to the newly renovated perpetual adoration chapel which was rededicated following the procession.

Photos by Janet Marcel Bayou Catholic â&#x20AC;˘ Houma, LA â&#x20AC;˘ August 2017

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

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 to or establish a burse, send funds to the Pastoral Center, Attn: Seminarian Burse, P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395 or call Darby Robichaux at the Office of the Bishop at (985) 850-3124 for more information.

Completed Burses of $15,000 each Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. C. Thomas Bienvenu Harry Booker Bishop Warren L. Boudreaux (3)* Mr. Eledier Broussard 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

June 2017 Burse Contributions

Note: Numbers stipulate the amount of completed burses.*

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 & Family Donald Peltier Sr. (3)* Harvey Peltier (30)* Richard Peltier The Peltier Foundation (5)

Orleans & Louella Pitre Msgr. Joseph Wester Robert R. Wright Jr. Rev. Kermit Trahan St. Bernadette Men’s Club Diocesan Knights of Columbus Leighton Delahaye Mrs. Shirley Conrad Bishop Shelton J. Fabre Elizabeth Hebert Callais Family Fund Rev. Joseph Tu Tran Society of St. Joseph Endowment Fund - $119,136.90

Catholic Daughters ..................................... $450.00 Edna W. Disalvo ..............................................$50.00 Dean Joseph Chiasson .................................$50.00

Open Burses with Balance as of June 30, 2017 Sidney J. & Lydie C. Duplantis ......................$13,000.00 Donald Peltier Sr. No. 4 ....................................$13,000.00 Joseph Strada Memorial ..................................$12,642.63 Msgr. Raphael C. Labit No. 2 ........................$11,320.00 Harvey Peltier No. 31 ........................................$10,486.91 Joseph Waitz Sr. ...................................................$10,100.00 Clay Sr. & Evelida Duplantis No. 2 ..............$10,000.00 C. Remie Duplantis No. 2 ................................$10,000.00 Marie Elise Duplantis No. 2 ............................$10,000.00 Maude & Edith Daspit No. 2 .........................$10,000.00 Msgr. George A. Landry ...................................$10,000.00 Mr. & Mrs. George C. Fakier ............................ $9,600.00 Elie & Dot Klingman ............................................ $9,140.00 Rev. Victor Toth ..................................................... $7,000.00 Msgr. William Koninkx ........................................ $6,600.00 Brides of the Most Blessed Trinity ................ $6,598.00 Rev. Peter Nies ....................................................... $6,000.00 Catholic Daughters .............................................. $5,995.00 Rev. Guy Zeringue ................................................ $5,600.00 Msgr. Francis Amedee ........................................ $5,150.00 Mr. & Mrs. Love W. Pellegrin .......................... $5,000.00 Anonymous No. 2 ................................................. $5,000.00 Mr. & Mrs. Caliste Duplantis Family No. 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 Joseph “Jay” Fertitta ............................................. $4,450.00

Rev. Henry Naquin ............................................... $4,331.00 Harry Booker No. 2 .............................................. $4,138.00 Msgr. James Songy .............................................. $4,075.00 Anawin Community ............................................. $3,700.00 Kelly Curole Frazier ............................................... $3,610.96 J. R. Occhipinti ........................................................ $3,400.00 Mr. & Mrs. Galip Jacobs ..................................... $3,060.00 St. Jude ....................................................................... $3,000.00 Diocesan Knights of Columbus No. 2 ......... $2,894.62 Rev. Peter H. Brewerton ..................................... $2,600.00 Mr. & Mrs. John Marmande ............................ $2,500.00 Warren J. Harang Jr. No. 2 ................................ $2,300.00 Willie & Emelda St. Pierre ................................. $2,000.00 Rev. H.C. Paul Daigle............................................ $1,900.00 Deacon Connely Duplantis .............................. $1,675.00 James J. Buquet Jr. ................................................ $1,650.00 Alfrances P. Martin ............................................... $1,650.00 Preston & Gladys Webre ................................... $1,650.00 Msgr. Francis J. Legendre No. 2 ..................... $1,645.00 Rev. Robert J. Sevigny ......................................... $1,600.00 Rev. John Gallen .................................................... $1,600.00 Rev. Hubert C. Broussard .................................. $1,550.00 Msgr. Emile J. Fossier .......................................... $1,545.00 Dr. William Barlette Sr. ........................................ $1,525.00 Msgr. Stanislaus Manikowski .......................... $1,525.00 Deacon Robert Dusse’ ........................................ $1,450.00 Jacob Marcello ....................................................... $1,400.00 Msgr. John L. Newfield ....................................... $1,200.00

Rev. Anthony Rousse .......................................... $1,200.00

Rev. Joseph Tu Tran No. 2 ................................ $1,094.00 Judge Louis & Shirley R. Watkins .................. $1,050.00 Ronnie Haydel ........................................................ $1,035.00 Rev. Clemens Schneider .................................... $1,000.00 Bishop Warren L. Boudreaux No. 4 .............. $1,000.00 Msgr. John G. Keller ............................................. $1,000.00 Deacon Willie Orgeron ..........................................$800.00 Ruby Pierce ..................................................................$800.00 Deacon Roland Dufrene ........................................$750.00 Edna W. DiSalvo ........................................................$750.00 Juliette & Eugene Wallace ....................................$700.00 Deacon Edward J. Blanchard ...............................$660.00

Deacon Raymond LeBouef ..................................$550.00 Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Cannata ..............................$500.00 Bernice Harang ..........................................................$600.00 Dean Joseph Chiasson ...........................................$400.00 Anne Veron Aguirre .................................................$380.00 Deacon Harold Kurtz ...............................................$300.00 Richard Peltier No. 2 ................................................$300.00 Claude Bergeron .......................................................$250.00 Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Naquin ....................................$150.00 Deacon Pedro Pujals ...............................................$100.00 Deacon Eldon Frazier ............................................... $ 50.00 Deacon Nick Messina .............................................. $ 50.00 Rev. Warren Chassaniol .......................................... $ 50.00

Overall Seminarian Burses Total: $1,652,658.02 www.bayoucatholic.com

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CATHOLIC CHURCHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TEACHINGS?

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ANSWERS TO THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

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THE FAITH

Margaret Orgeron

Margaret Cooks a:

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DIRECTIONS: 22

involved with parish ministry. She lectors, commentates, is an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, a member of the Catholic Daughters, plus many more. Deacon Willie was also the principal of St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School in Thibodaux for 13 years. Margaret feels the church needs to strive to be a welcoming church. “We need to be more welcoming in the church. We need to get the young people of the parish involved. We are losing the younger ones and need to get them back.” She feels strongly about her Catholic faith. “I have a lot of faith. I believe in the power of prayer. I pray the rosary every day before I get out of bed in the morning. Maybe people need to pray more.” Margaret is on the doorstep of 82 years and is showing no signs of slowing down. When asked about her age, her reply is “age doesn’t bother me at all.”

NOTICE In accordance with the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) regulations, each of the 13 Catholic schools, within the parochial school system of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, has a copy of its Asbestos Management Plan on file in the Principal’s Office. Anyone interested in reviewing a particular schools’ Asbestos Management Plan should first contact the school’s principal to schedule a time for the review.

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August

Diocesan Events

www.bayoucatholic.com

n Food for the Journey, Tuesday, Aug. 1, Ellendale Country Club Restaurant, 3319 Highway 311 in Schriever, 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Speaker, Kristin Niedbala. n RCIA Workshop, Saturday, August 5, diocesan pastoral Center Conference Hall, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Speaker, Jim Schellman. Registration fee, $15. For more information, go to http://www. htdiocese.org/rcia. n Holy Hour of Adoration for Men, Sunday, August 6, 7-8 p.m., Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma.

September

n Holy Hour of Adoration for Men, Sunday, Sept. 3, 7-8 p.m., Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. n Annual Diocesan Educators Conference, Tuesday, Sept. 5, E.D. White Catholic High School in Thibodaux.

October

n Holy Hour of Adoration for Men, Sunday, Oct. 1, 7-8 p.m., Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. n Food for the Journey, Tuesday, Oct. 3, Ellendale Country Club Restaurant, 3319 Highway 311 in Schriever, 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Speaker: TBD.

n C.E.N.T.S. will be offering the Small Business Course beginning in August through Catholic Charities Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. There is a $20 nonrefundable fee to attend this course. The course is designed to help people who are interested in starting a small business. It will be held one evening a week for six weeks. Different business topics will be discussed each week. Anyone who is interested in participating may call Paula Ringo at (985) 876-0490 to schedule an orientation appointment.

n Food for the Journey, Tuesday, Sept. 5, Ellendale Country Club Restaurant, 3319 Highway 311 in Schriever, 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Speaker: TBD.

n St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church in Thibodaux will host its Annual Fall Banquet Oct. 21, at 7:00 p.m. in the church community center. This year’s theme is taken from Ephesians 4:11-16, “God’s Design for Growth.”

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Book Reviews

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My Life with the Saints

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By James Martin, SJ Loyola Press $16.95

Not the usual “Lives of the Saints” bios; rather it is the memoir of the author, Father Martin, and how the lives of certain saints impacted his life. Contemporary era saints include: Bernadette, John Paul XXIII, Thomas Merton, Mother Teresa, as well as traditional saints: Joan of Arc, Ignatius ofLoyola (Founder of the Jesuits), Peter, Augustine, Aquinas and others, each related in some way to the author’s life and told in Martin’s introspective and witty style.

By Scott Turow Grand Central Publishers $28 Beginning with the fascinating interrogation of the only witness to a massacre of 400 gypsy refugees, Prosecutor Ben Ten Moon left everything he loved in the U.S. in response to a request from the International Criminal Court charged with prosecuting crimes against humanity. From Holland to Bosnia, Washington and beyond, the story, although fictional was, says Turow, influenced by actual events.

Killers of the Flower Moon By David Grann Doubleday $28.95 The upheaval of the entire Osage Indian nation from their ancient lands to a rocky landscape in Oklahoma proved ironically to be a bonanza for the tribe. Under that rocky surface were untold millions of barrels of oil making every tribe member an instant millionaire. Unfortunately, it also brought killers who sought to take over rights of the landowners. Only a federal police force had the power to capture, prosecute and imprison the culprits … and so was born the FBI under the powerful J. Edgar Hoover.

The Breaking Point By Jefferson Bass William Morrow $26.99 Dr. Bill Brockton, the alias of the co-author, Dr. Bill Bass, famed forensic anthropologist, who created the Body Farm, the real-life lab in Tennessee, is called in by the FBI to help identify the charred remains of a pilot who crashed into a mountainside. Was it an accident, suicide or murder? Meanwhile, Brockton’s nemesis, the killer Satterfield, sends a package to Brockton’s home that opens a Pandora of horrors. www.bayoucatholic.com

St . Gregory Barbarigo

Bayou Patrons

A worker for the unity of the church Story by Janet Marcel Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

Continuing our Bayou Patrons series, this month’s featured saint is Gregory Barbarigo. Gregory was born in Venice to a noble family on Sept. 16, 1625. At the age of 23, he accompanied the Venetian ambassador to Munster for the signing of the Treaty of Westphalia, ending the Thirty Years’ War. While there, he met the apostolic nuncio, Fabio Chigi, who found Gregory to be an exceptional young man, and the two became friends. Gregory was ordained t o t h e p r i e s t h o o d in 1655 and soon after was called to Rome where he ministered to the sick and dying during the plague of 1657. At the direction of Pope Alexander VII (Fabio Chigi), St. Gregory c a l l e d f o r the construction of hospitals and sanitary facilities to help those stricken. Soon after that, the Pope na m ed Gregory bishop in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Rome. He was then assigned to the Diocese of Bergamo, and in 1660 at the age of 35, he became a cardinal and was transferred to Padua where he remained for 33 years. Gregory was famous for his charity. He encouraged learning and founded a seminary for priests, endowing it with an excellent library and its own printing press. Some of the works which were published on this press were sent to Christians in Islamic countries to encourage them in their faith. Gregory also worked diligently toward a reunion with the Greek Church and toward carrying out the reforms set forth by the Council of Trent. As a cardinal, Gregory participated in five conclaves and at one point was considered a serious candidate for the papacy. He died in 1697 and was canonized in 1960 by Pope John XXIII (http://catholicexchange. com/st-gregory-barbarigo-bishop). Gregory Barbarigo was beatified in 1761, and on May 22, 1960, he was canonized by Pope John XXIII. Father Evelio Buenaflor, pastor of St. Gregory Church parish in Houma since June 2012, says that St. Gregory Barbarigo Church parish in Houma, one of the first parishes to be formed after the death of Pope John XXIII in 1963, was named for the pope’s favorite saint with whom he had maintained a lifelong devotion. Father Buenaflor explains that although St. Gregory was Bishop of Bergamo, John XXIII’s home town, the close relationship felt by the pope was more closely related to their shared interest in building church unity. St. Gregory maintained a strong interest in uniting Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholics during his lifetime. John XXIII had a similar deep interest in unifying the church

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

and expressed his interests at the Second Vatican Council, guided and inspired no doubt by the example of St. Gregory Barbarigo. “St. Gregory is my constant reminder to always work for the unity of the church,” says Father Buenaflor. “ As St. Paul tells the community of Corinth, ‘For as with the human body which is a unity although it has many parts, all the parts of the body, though many, still making up one single body, so it is with Christ.’ Our parishioners undoubtedly continue to make our patron, St. Gregory, proud as we continue to value our unity as a community of faith. We continue to ask the intercession of St. Gregory for God to guide us so that we always aim at the well-being of everyone.” St. Gregory is often depicted in art in his cardinal’s robes with a crucifix.

www.bayoucatholic.com

Father “Joe” Varghese celebrates 25 years of priestly ministry ‘I just try to be the best priest I can be’

Story by Janet Marcel Photo by Lawrence Chatagnier Rev. Josekutty “Joe” Varghese, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church parish in Thibodaux since July 2016, recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. He was ordained May 12, 1992. Father Varghese, a native of Kerala, India, was a member of the Indian Missionary Society. He spent the first two years of his priesthood doing missionary work with the tribal people in Northern India teaching adults about the faith. “I cherished my time working with those people. They were very poor; they only had the basic necessities of life, but working among them brought me great joy because they had so much love to give.” While in India, he also ministered in schools and health centers as a member of the Indian Missionary Society. Father Varghese says his parents had the greatest influence on his decision to become a priest. “Ever since I was a child, we were always church going people. The church was very much the center of our family. We always talked about the church and Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

about the priests. During the school year, my mother made me go to Mass every Saturday, celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation and receive Communion. In the summer, my mother made us go to church every morning. At the time, I didn’t understand why she made me do that, but now when I look back after so many years, I see the picture much clearer and what effect it had on me and my decision to become a priest.” If he had not become a priest, Father Varghese says he doesn’t know what he would be. “I was not that great in my studies when I was in high school; it was a struggle for me.” His experience in the seminary was tough also, he says, especially the minor seminary and the study of philosophy. “Some of my professors were not very happy with me; some thought I didn’t have a good vocation. But when I went to the major seminary to study theology with the Dominican Fathers, they really embraced me and helped me to move forward in my studies,” says Father Varghese. “Those four years were really happy for me.” One thing that stands out in his memory about the day he was ordained was the joy he saw on the faces of his parents and the knowledge that his father was

looking forward to him becoming a priest. He explains that the bishop of his diocese would only come to his home parish once every five years or so and couldn’t make it there to ordain him. A friend of his asked another bishop that he knew to ordain him and that bishop agreed to do it. His parish priest took full advantage of having a bishop in the parish, so the visiting bishop ordained him to the priesthood in a ceremony that also included the sacraments of first Communion and confirmation. Father Varghese arrived in Houma-Thibodaux in July 2005 and was incardinated into the diocese Jan. 17, 2014. He says the most challenging aspect of being a priest here in HoumaThibodaux has been overcoming the cultural differences. “The faith is lived entirely different here from the way the faith is lived in India. I come from a place where if you don’t go to Mass on Sunday, it’s a mortal sin and you go to confession. Here, that’s not the case, at all.” Approximately three years after being ordained, Father Varghese contracted jaundice and was told he would most likely die in the next couple of years. “At that time I began to really think about life. I started to question God about why he gave me this sickness. I questioned a lot of things. I went through a lot of treatments and I took a lot of medicine. As I slowly began to realize God was healing me, I finally made peace with him. Now I thank him every day for the life he has given me.” Father Varghese has four brothers and one sister in his family. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, especially Indian music; collecting coins and playing basketball. He also enjoys getting together with the other Indian priests in the diocese for food, fellowship and support. “God has been continuously faithful to me in the last 25 years,” says the priest. “Because I come from a missionary background, I think taking care of others is in my blood. I enjoy being with people, administering the sacraments and helping them. I just try to be the best priest that I can be.”

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 or (985) 850-3172

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 o (985) 850-3172

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; (985) 850-3172

www.bayoucatholic.com

Youth honored with diocesan leadership awards Highest honor and achievement a high school junior, senior or college freshman can receive 30

The Diocesan Leadership Awards, sponsored annually by the Office of Youth Formation (formerly Youth Ministry) for over 30 years, recognize youth who have demonstrated exceptional character, leadership skills, service and Catholic identity in their church parish or school. It is the highest honor and achievement that a high school junior, senior or college freshman can receive. The youth for this award are selected at the church parish and school level. A letter is sent to the pastor of each church parish, the DRE or CRE, and parish

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youth minister, as well as the principals and campus ministers at the three Catholic high schools. The qualifications for selection of each of the candidates are as follows: n must be a witness to others through their involvement with their church parish, school and family by sharing of their gifts of time, talent and treasure; n must share their leadership skills, dedication, responsibility and faith with others in their church parish, school and family;

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n should be involved in diocesan ministry such as Teens Encounter Christ (TEC), Christian Leadership Institute (CLI), aNEW, Youth Rally, Steubenville on the Bayou, etc. n must be active witnesses in their parishes and schools in the ministries and outreach that they participate in day-to-day. Each young person receives a diocesan leadership medal comprised of a white and red banner, image of an eagle, a cross and the diocesan crest, which is symbolic of the award. The white in the banner represents one’s baptism; the red signifies the Holy Spirit and the blood of Jesus Christ. The image of the eagle signifies the many qualities of a leader such as courage, strength, loyalty, self-confidence, passion and perseverance. The cross is one of the most recognizable symbols of Catholic Christian faith. And, the diocesan crest represents the place where the recipients of the award were nurtured to become the outstanding young people they are today. Recipients of the 2017 Diocesan Leadership Awards are: Jade Cisneros, Caleb Hebert, Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales, Houma; Teresa Blake, Dexter Troxclair, St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, Thibodaux; Alexander Clement, Jamey Solet, Annunziata Church parish, Houma; Beau Bordelon, Wrenn Patterson, Holy Cross Church parish, Morgan City; Rebecca Buquet, Kelsey Verdin, Holy Family, Grand Caillou; Kathryn Dufrene, Rene’ Leonard Jr., Holy Savior Church parish, Lockport; Madeline Haydel, Maria Pitre, Maria Immacolata Church parish, Houma; Allie Kraemer, Chastity Rome, Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church parish, Chackbay; Chloe Fillinich, Chloe Reynaud, Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church parish, Golden Meadow; Noah Dryden, Dustin Trosclair, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church parish, Houma; Addie Lefort, Ryan Thibodaux, Our Lady of the Rosary Church parish, Larose; Tori Cheramie, Dallas Folse, Sacred Heart Church parish, Cut Off; Jaden Lowery, Koby Trosclair, Sacred Heart Church parish, Montegut; Peyton Falcon, St. Andrew Church parish, Amelia; Jenna Brunet, Meg Rousseau, St. Ann Church parish, Bourg; Katherine Beyer, Katie Faulk, St. Anthony of Padua Church parish, Bayou Black; Drake Babin, St. Anthony Church parish, Gheens; Kaleb Guidry, Braden Venable, St. Bernadette Church parish, Houma; Maggie Ledet, Beth Olin, St. Bridget

Church parish, Schriever; Bradley Kraemer, Heather Pellegrin, St. Charles Borromeo Church parish, Pointe-aux-Chenes; Emily Adams, Emily Gaudet, St. Charles Borromeo Church parish, St. Charles Community; Katie Burgo, Gavin Eschete, St. Eloi Church parish, Theriot; Tyler Barrios, Mallory Dardar, St. Genevieve Church parish, Thibodaux; Bonnie Gilmore, Wayne Romero Jr., St. Gregory Church parish, Houma; Connor Cheramie, Gabrielle Hodson, St. Hilary of Poitiers Church parish, Mathews; Brett Landry, Lauren Robichaux, St. Joseph Church parish, Chauvin; Gracie Bellanger, Logan Bruce, St. Joseph Church parish, Galliano; Alexis Luke, Brock Wunstell, St. Lawrence Church parish, Chacahoula; Malorie Kraemer, Michael Roux Jr., St. Lawrence Church parish, Kraemer; Madison Mire, David Sampay Jr., St. Louis Church parish, Bayou Blue; Matthew Beauty, St. Lucy Church parish, Houma; Alyssa Arabie, Sarah Boudreaux, St. Mary’s Nativity Church parish, Raceland; Claire Boudreaux, Hayden Cagle, St. Thomas Aquinas Church parish, Thibodaux; Rebecca David, Liam McCloy, Central Catholic High School, Morgan City; Jacob Toups, Eliza Zeringue, E.D. White Catholic High School, Thibodaux; Amber Brondum, Andre Hebert, Vandebilt Catholic High School, Houma. This year’s diocesan awards celebration was cancelled due to inclement weather and the awards were presented in the individual church parishes and schools.

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Thoughts for Millennials

P 32

Ryan Abboud

Prayer:

Heaven’s language

Prayer is one of those subjects of religion in which there seems to be many misconceptions. I know that personally through the years, I have encountered many false notions regarding prayer and the way that many of us approach it. For example, my prayer time usually went a little something like this: I find a quiet spot and kneel down. I begin by talking to God about all of the things I “need,” want and desire. I might throw a few “thank you’s” in there along the way. I close my eyes for a few seconds and wait for a deep, mighty voice to come over me. After a few seconds of silence, I give up hope that I’ll have a “burning bush” moment, and then I’m on with my day. The end. Sound familiar to anyone? After living my prayer life like this for years, it finally hit me that there has to be more to this whole “prayer” thing. It was then that many of the misconceptions that I had about prayer became clear to me. For starters, there’s no such thing as us (humans) initiating our prayer time. Since our God is timeless, even before we get the idea that we’ll sit down for some prayer time, he’s been calling us into that quiet time for a while now. You can think of it like a telephone that is ringing constantly for all 24 hours of the day. That’s God calling us into prayer. Whenever we finally do enter into that prayer, we are merely answering the phone. We are soon greeted by a voice on the other end that has been waiting for us to answer for quite some time. You see, the Lord is eager to hear from us. He desires nothing more than for us to set aside

time to come to him in the midst of our days. All you have to do is pick up the phone. Also, when approaching prayer, I always imagined it strictly as a conversation with the Father (which it is). However, I believe that because I heard prayer described as such for such a long period of time, it caused me to underappreciate the magnificence of it. I saw it is as a casual conversation rather than a union of humanity and divinity through the lines of communication. It left me complacent with the way I interacted with the King of Kings. Because of this mentality, I never saw prayer as a skill to be mastered or a practice to be perfected; I believed that it was simply as easy as talking. But brothers and sisters, it’s not. Our prayer lives are lives that are meant to be crafted and refined through the guidance of the Father, the example of the Son, and the fire of the Holy Spirit. All in all, I invite you to look deeper into the depths of your individual prayer life and search for the areas that need improvement. Just as one would prepare for a trip to a foreign land by learning the native language of the foreign area, consider heaven a foreign land. Prayer is the native language. Pray deliberately, intentionally and often, because “the phone” is always ringing and God is there. (Ryan Abboud is a 2015 graduate of Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma and a junior at LSU in Baton Rouge.)

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Deacon Daniel Blake passes away June 26

Deacon Daniel Blake

Deacon Daniel Blake, who has been serving at St. Joseph CoCathedral in Thibodaux since his ordination to the permanent diaconate in 2015, passed away Monday, June 26 at the age of 53. He and his wife Barbara were married for 26 years, and they have three children, Matthew, Joseph and Teresa. A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux with interment at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Cemetery in Chackbay.

Retired Deacon Alduce Landry passes away July 3

St. Luke fall banquet Oct. 21 This year’s theme: ‘God’s Design for Growth’ St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church in Thibodaux will host its Annual Fall Banquet Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. (doors will open at 6:30 p.m.) in the church community center. This year’s theme is taken from Ephesians 4:11-16, “God’s Design for Growth.” The parishioners of St. Luke are celebrating 32 years of re-establishment and 94 years of existence this year. There will

be a silent auction and other entertainment. Tickets are now on sale in the amount of $20 per person. Tickets can also be purchased at the door. Special pricing for reserved tables are available. For additional information, please contact the Church Community Center at (985)446-0487.

Wedding anniversary celebration for couples Oct. 22 at the Cathedral

Couples married in the Catholic Church who are celebrating 25, 40, 50, 60 and beyond years of marriage this year will be honored Sunday, October 22 during a prayer service at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. A reception will follow in the courtyard.

Couples wishing to participate in this program should contact their church parish before August 25 to register. All registered anniversary couples will receive an inscribed diocesan certificate in their own church parish during a scheduled parish celebration.

q SHOP LOCAL q BUY LOCAL Deacon Alduce Landry

Deacon Alduce Landry, a retired deacon of the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux, passed away Monday, July 3, at the age of 90. He is survived by his wife Margaret; sons Paul, Steven and Brian; and daughter June, as well as one brother and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated at St. Charles Borromeo Church in St. Charles Community with interment at the church cemetery.

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Catholic Community Radio completes new towers and raises power on WQNO 690 AM to pre-Katrina days David Dawson, president of Catholic Community Radio announces that WQNO 690 AM has completed a nearly three-year construction project at its transmitter location in Chalmette, returning the station close to its coverage area before Hurricane Katrina. The legendary broadcast station previously known as WTIX operated at 10,000 watts in its heyday. Over the years, the station changed hands and was a sports talk format when Hurricane Katrina knocked down three of its four towers, twisted the fourth tower and destroyed the transmitter building in 2005. To comply with FCC regulations, the station was forced to lower the power to 2,500 watts, operating on a single tower on an emergency basis for several years. In 2013, the transmitter site and frequency were sold to Catholic Community Radio, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in Baton Rouge. Immediately a study was done to determine the costs of rebuilding the towers and increasing power. The costs for four new towers were prohibitive. However it was determined the power could be increased to 9,100 watts utilizing a two tower array, making it nearly comparable with the coverage area of the Gulf Coast the station enjoyed in the 1960s. There were many challenges rebuilding towers on 34 a long and narrow peninsula in the marshland east of New Orleans. A number of revolutionary designs and anchoring systems were incorporated in this reconstruction project totaling nearly $600,000. A fund-raising drive helped secure half of the finances needed to begin construction and was completed with significant help from local generous contractors.

Kevin J. Allemand receives Himel Service Award Kevin J. Allemand, administrator for the diocesan Archives and Historical Research Center, was the 2017 recipient of the Edward J. and Anna B. Himel Award which is sponsored by the Lafourche Heritage Society for distinguished services. Presenting the plaque to Allemand is Patty Whitney who was the 2016 recipient. The award presentation was held recently at Ellender Library on the Nicholls State University campus in Thibodaux in conjunction with the annual Lafourche Heritage membership meeting. Bayou Catholic â&#x20AC;˘ Houma, LA â&#x20AC;˘ August 2017

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Bayou

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2017 Football

Contents Nicholls State University Colonels

40 E.D. White Catholic High School Cardinals

46 Thibodaux High School Tigers

Central Catholic High School Eagles

43 South Lafourche High School Tarpons

48 Morgan City High School Tigers

Vandebilt Catholic High School Terriers

44 H.L. Bourgeois High School Braves

49 South Terrebonne High School Gators

50 Terrebonne High School Tigers

56 Louisiana State University Tigers

60 Bayou Catholic â&#x20AC;˘ Houma, LA â&#x20AC;˘ August 2017

52 Ellender Memorial High School Patriots

58 Tulane University Green Wave

54 Central Lafourche High School Trojans

59 New Orleans Saints

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Football

2017 Louisiana College Team Schedules Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Saturday, Sept. 2 .............................NORTHWESTERN STATE Saturday, Sept. 9 ...................................... MISSISSIPPI STATE Saturday, Sept. 16 ........................................ Western Kentucky* Saturday, Sept. 23 ............................................... South Carolina Saturday, Sept. 30 ........................................SOUTH ALABAMA Saturday, Oct. 7 ............... University of Alabama-Birmingham* Saturday, Oct. 21 ........................... SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI* Saturday, Oct. 28 ..................................................................Rice* Saturday, Nov. 4 ...............................................NORTH TEXAS* Saturday, Nov. 11....................................FLORIDA ATLANTIC* Saturday, Nov. 18 ..........................University of Texas-El Paso* Saturday, Nov. 25 ... UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO*

McNeese Cowboys Thursday, Aug. 31 .................................................Nicholls State* Saturday, Sept. 9 .............................................. FLORIDA TECH Saturday, Sept. 16 .................................................... Alcorn State Saturday, Sept. 23 ...................................HOUSTON BAPTIST* Saturday, Sept. 30 .........................................Stephen F. Austin* Saturday, Oct. 7 ............................................. Abilene Christian* Saturday, Oct. 21 ......................................INCARNATE WORD* Saturday, Oct. 28 ........................................... Central Arkansas* Saturday, Nov. 4 .................... SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA* Saturday, Nov. 11 .......................... NORTHWESTERN STATE* Saturday, Nov. 18 .............................................................Lamar* *Denotes Southland Conference Games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Southern Jaguars Sunday, Sept. 3 .............................. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE Saturday, Sept. 9 ...................................................Southern Miss Saturday, Sept. 16 .................. University of Texas-San Antonio Saturday, Sept. 23 .................................................. Alcorn State* Saturday, Sept. 30 ................................. FORT VALLEY STATE Saturday, Oct. 7 .............................................. ALABAMA A&M* Saturday, Oct. 21 ..................................................Jackson State* Saturday, Oct. 28 ............................ ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF* Saturday, Nov. 4 ..................................... PRAIRIE VIEW A&M* Saturday, Nov. 11 ..............................................Texas Southern* Saturday, Nov. 25 ................................................ GRAMBLING* *Denotes Southwestern Athletic Conference Games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

*Denotes Conference USA Games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

UL Lafayette Rajun Cajuns Saturday, Sept. 2 ..................... SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA Saturday, Sept. 9 ................................................................. Tulsa Saturday, Sept. 16 ..................................................... Texas A&M Saturday, Sept. 23 ............................................... UL-MONROE* Saturday, Oct. 7 ................................................................. Idaho* Thursday, Oct. 12 ............................................... TEXAS STATE* Thursday, Oct. 19 ............................................... Arkansas State* Saturday, Nov. 4 ................................................ South Alabama* Saturday, Nov. 11 ........................................................... Ole Miss Saturday, Nov. 18 ................................. NEW MEXICO STATE* Saturday, Nov. 25 ................................GEORGIA SOUTHERN* Saturday, Dec. 2 ............................................ Appalachian State*

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*Denotes Sun Belt Conference Games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Grambling Tigers Saturday, Sept. 2 ............................................................... Tulane Saturday, Sept. 9 .............................NORTHWESTERN STATE Saturday, Sept. ........................................16 JACKSON STATE* Saturday, Sept. ...............................23 Mississippi Valley State* Saturday, Sept. .........................................30 CLARK ATLANTA Saturday, Oct. ...................................... 7 PRAIRIE VIEW A&M* Saturday, Oct. ............................................21 ALCORN STATE* Saturday, Oct. ...................................... 28 TEXAS SOUTHERN* Saturday, Nov. ........................................ 4 Arkansas-Pine Bluff* Saturday, Nov. ............................................... 11 Alabama State* Saturday, Nov. .................................................. 25 SOUTHERN* *Denotes Southwestern Athletic Conference Games HOME GAMES IN CAPS Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

N.S. Teddy Winstead, MD, MSPH, FACP Board Certified Gastroenterologist

About our

sports writers Ed Daniels has been sports director at WGNO Channel 26 in New Orleans since 1993. A native of New Orleans, Daniels graduated from Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie and later received a degree from Loyola University in New Orleans. Daniels started in television in 1977 as first sports intern at WVUE Channel 8 in New Orleans. In 2001, Daniels created “Friday Night Football,” the first high school football show in New Orleans. He was named Louisiana Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association in 1997. Jeremy Becker, a native of Thibodaux and resident of Schriever, graduated from Nicholls State University in 1995 with a degree in marketing and in 1997 with a master’s of business administration. While working on his master’s, he was a graduate assistant with the Nicholls Colonel Club and is currently president of the Colonel Athletic Association. Becker is the new executive director of the Nicholls Foundation for Nicholls State University in Thibodaux.

Steve Caldarera, a native of Vacherie, has been the Bayou Catholic’s Tulane columnist for many years. He graduated from Nicholls State University with a degree in communications. Caldarera has experience in announcing sports for radio and doing play-by-play for Nicholls State University. He was the first advertising manager for the Bayou Catholic and currently works in insurance and investments with the Steve Caldarera Group.

Wil Touchet, a native of Houma, LA, graduated from Vandebilt Catholic High School in 1997 and received a bachelor of arts in mass communication from Nicholls State University in 2001. He has been a sports correspondent for The Courier and Daily Comet since 2008 and a Bayou Catholic contributor since 2009. Touchet currently resides in Davenport, IA, and teaches at SS. Mary & Mathias Catholic School in Muscatine.

Visit us e m A G e h t r Afte ur o f o y n A t A LocAtions! • 1107 Grand Caillou Rd. Houma, LA • 5974 Main St. Houma, LA • 377 North Canal Blvd. Thibodaux, LA • 13926 West Main Larose, LA • 1005 Greenwood St. Morgan City, LA • 141 Linda Ann Avenue Gray, LA • 1079 R Hwy. 90, East Bayou Vista, LA • 1228 St. Charles St. Houma, LA • 4720 Hwy. 1 Raceland, LA

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Football

Nicholls State University Colonels

Coach Tim Rebowe

Thursday, Aug. 31 .......................................................McNEESE STATE* Saturday, Sept. 9 ..................................................................... Texas A&M Saturday, Sept. 16 ..................................................PRAIRIE VIEW A&M Saturday, Sept. 23 .............................................................. Sam Houston* Saturday, Sept. 30 ..........................................................................Lamar* Saturday, Oct. 7 ........................................... NORTHWESTERN STATE* Saturday, Oct. 14 ............................................... ABILENE CHRISTIAN* Saturday, Oct. 28 .............................................................Incarnate Word* Saturday, Nov. 4 ....................................................HOUSTON BAPTIST* Saturday, Nov. 11 ........................................................Stephen F. Austin* Thursday, Nov. 16 .............................................. Southeastern Louisiana* *Denotes Southland Conference Games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Will Nicholls football make the jump in 2017?

By Jeremy Becker Prior to the 2016 season, much of the faithful fans of the Nicholls State University football team knew the Colonels were going to be an improved team from past seasons. However, many people outside of the program did not have much, if any expectations for the team. That all changed during the third quarter of the first game when the Colonels took a 14-13 lead over then ninth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in an eventual 26-24 loss. Not only did the game against Georgia raise the level of excitement of the Colonel faithful, but it also raised the level of interest about Nicholls football on both a regional and even a national level so much so that the university’s home page crashed due to the high level of hits. Fortunately for the Colonels, the level of play from the first game was able to carry over for the season as Nicholls finished with a respectable 5-6 record including a winning record of 5-4 in Southland Conference play for the first time since 2005. While the Colonels might have been overlooked last year, based on their success and quality of play, Nicholls will not sneak up on any teams in 2017 especially with some preseason polls having the Colonels predicted to finish as high as third in conference play. Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

Now the Colonels will have to answer a question that they have not been asked for over a decade, can they make the jump to the upper echelon of the Southland Conference? If Nicholls wants to be mentioned with the upper class of the conference, they will not have to wait long as they will open the season at home with McNeese State. Not only will the game allow the Colonels to open their season at home for the first time in six seasons, but the Thursday, Aug. 31st game will be the first time Nicholls opens the season with a conference game in 25 seasons. Getting off to a great start will not only be important for conference play, but for confidence reasons as the Colonels will take on Texas A&M in College Station, TX, the following week for a game televised nationally on ESPNU. Nicholls will then close out their non-conference play at home with Prairie View A&M from the SWAC. For the remainder of the season, the Colonels will host Northwestern State, Abilene Christian, and Houston Baptist while traveling to Sam Houston State, Lamar, Incarnate Word, Stephen F. Austin and Southeastern LA. With the influx of many quality players since head coach Tim Rebowe took over the program just over two seasons ago, the Colonels

will return a large number of players who saw quality playing time last season including a respectable number of 16 starters. One of the most important returning starters is sophomore quarterback Chase Fourcade, who burst onto the scene last year by starting all 11 games at quarterback while throwing for the third most passing yards in a single season in program history (2,482). Additionally, he accounted for 27 touchdowns – 18 passing and nine rushing – and finished fourth in the Southland Conference in passing yards with 257.1 per game. For his efforts, Fourcade was named Honorable Mention All-SLC, freshman All-American honorable mention and sixth in voting for the Jerry Rice Award for offense. One position group that returns the least amount of experience, although a nice amount of depth, is along the offensive line. Juniors Ryan Arceneaux from South Terrebonne and Ryan Hanley, honorable mention All-SLC last year, are the only returning starters and will be looked upon to be the leaders of the group. The running backs will likely be by-committee as there are a number of young and talented backs returning. Sophomores Dontrell Taylor and Kyran Irvin who both averaged over five yards per carry have speed for the long

Central Catholic, Morgan City, graduate Anfernee Poindexter

runs while junior Mason Boudreaux, a South Lafourche product, can get the difficult inside yards with sophomore Donnell Adair, from Thibodaux High, looking to get some carries as well. Once again this year, the wide receiver and tight ends positions will have a number of playmakers. Leading the wide receiver group is the extremely talented junior Damion Jeanpiere, who had 505 yards and six touchdowns last year. Others who will make an impact at wide receiver will be senior Jarrell Rogers, junior Jason Richard from Thibodaux High and sophomore Christian Booker. Also making a big influence with the passing game with both his blocking and pass catching is tight end Stephen LeBouef, a senior from E.D. White. The side of the ball with the most returning talent is on the defensive side as nearly 90 percent of the two-deep depth chart from the third ranked defense in the SLC returns. The position with some great playmakers and depth is

along the defensive line. The most consistent returner is sophomore Sully Laiche, who had 60 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks, one blocked FG and one forced fumble and was named 1st Team All-SLC, freshman All-American 1st Team

One of the most important returning starters is sophomore quarterback Chase Fourcade, who burst onto the scene last year by starting all 11 games at quarterback. and eighth in voting for the Jerry Rice Award for defense. Also along the line will be seniors Larazus Ona and Marcel Andry and junior Kenny Dotson with transfer Tevin Lawson, from TCU adding depth.

Misty McElroy PHOTO

41 Another strong group will be with the Colonel linebackers with senior Hezekiah White heading the pack with sophomore Allen Pittman who led the team with 95 tackles last season looking for another strong season. Pittman was the third Colonel to receive high praise last year as he was 2nd Team All-SLC and 1st Team Freshman All-American. Junior Devin Simoneaux and sophomore Evan Veron complete the starting positions. Arguably the position with the most depth is the defensive backfield who helped to lead the conference with 15 interceptions last year. Leading the group is junior safety Ahmani Martin with junior Corey Abraham at the other safety. The corners will be manned by senior Christian Boutte and junior Darryl Adams with sophomore Anfernee Poindexter, a Central Lafourche product, seeing plenty of action. One area that will be looking for improvement will be

www.bayoucatholic.com

Football

Nicholls

special teams. The one consistent last year was senior punter Tyler St. Germain with sophomore Stefano Guarisco, from Central Catholic of Morgan City, looking to improve on a productive freshman season. New kicker, Lorran Fonseca, a junior college All-American should be an added weapon on both field goals and kickoffs. With 16 returning starters, a large amount of returning depth, a core group of exciting young players, a somewhat favorable schedule and a coaching staff that has mostly stayed intact providing consistency, Nicholls should get ready to leap, as making the jump to being one of the best in the Southland Conference and returning to the FCS playoffs can happen.

E.D. White, Thibodaux, graduate Stephen LeBouef

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Central Catholic Eagles

Coach Tommy Minton

Friday, Sept. 1 ...................................................................................... Pine Friday, Sept. 8 .................................................. ARCHBISHOP HANNAN Friday, Sept. 15 .......................................................................False River* Friday, Sept. 22 ........................................................................... Gueydan* Thursday, Sept. 28 ........................................ LAFAYETTE CHRISTIAN* Friday, Oct. 6 ................................................................. Highland Baptist* Thursday, Oct. 12 .................................................................. VANDEBILT Friday, Oct. 20 ..................................................... HANSON MEMORIAL* Friday, Oct. 27 ......................................................................... Centerville* Thursday, Nov. 2 .............................................VERMILION CATHOLIC* *Denotes District 7-1A games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Expectations remain high as usual for Eagles By Wil Touchet While different players move through the Central Catholic football program year after year, the expectations remain the same. Over the years, the Eagles have put together numerous deep playoff runs, and last season proved no different when No. 12 Central Catholic pushed through to the Division IV semifinals before falling 31-21 to No. 1 Ascension Episcopal. This year the Eagles (8-4 overall and 5-1 in district last season) have 41 players and 10 seniors. They lost 11 seniors from last year’s team. “We are at the point in our program now where our kids know that if they follow the process and put in the work that they expect to win,” Central Catholic coach Tommy Minton said. “You can see they know how to practice and the seniors are leading by actions and holding the young kids accountable. All those things help create a culture of success and winning.” Minton said developing high character players is also a major reason the Eagles have success. “We don’t have a ton of five-star, blue-chip players, but if we can develop some five-star student athletes with five-star character we can have a real good football team,” Minton said. “We want that brotherhood. We want them depending on each other and trusting each other. We feel like if we can do that that we have enough talent where we can win and make a run every year. That is what we

look for. We want to achieve to our fullest potential.” Minton said he is looking for senior running back Chris Singleton to lead the offense this year after he put together a 1,400-yard season in 2016 despite missing three games with an injury. He is also confident in the team’s offensive line. “We are expecting big things from (Singleton) on offense and we are going to have the biggest offensive line we have had since I have been here,” Minton said. “We are going

We don’t have a ton of five-star, blue-chip players, but if we can develop some five-star student athletes with five-star character we can have a real good football team. to average 275 pounds across the line. They have worked hard in the weight room. They are big and physical and can control the line of scrimmage.” After Blake Byrne graduated, the Eagles will have to replace a threeyear starter at quarterback. Sophomores Davidyione Bias, Taylor Blanchard and Ryan Miller are all vying for the job.

“Those three sophomores are all are working there and all three are good athletes,” Minton said. “All three have some strong points, but they also have some things they need to overcome. Someone needs to take over that position.” Minton said junior Dede Gant could be a big-play receiver for the 43 Eagles and three returning starters at linebacker (senior Cooper Leblanc, senior Dominic Skipper and sophomore Nathan Hebb) are the top defensive returners. “They are all good, physical football players,” Minton said. “They are going to have to lead us on defense.” Central Catholic will play against Centerville, Gueydan, Hanson Memorial, Highland Baptist, Lafayette Christian and Vermilion Catholic in District 7-1A this season. “You have to look at Lafayette Christian first because they return 18 starters off a team that was a No. 4 seed in the playoffs last season,” Minton said. “They beat us in the regular season and we beat them in the playoffs. They have some skill kids back. They are an explosive offensive team. Vermilion Catholic is always a strong football team. They have an established program and a new coach (Ossie Blaize). We have a great rivalry with them and they are looking to rebound (after a 4-6 season). We have to look at those teams as the main competition, but it’s always a tough district from top to bottom.” www.bayoucatholic.com

Football

Vandebilt Catholic Terriers

Coach Jeremy Atwell

Friday, Sept. 1 ............................................................................ Thibodaux Friday, Sept. 8 .....................................................................H.L. Bourgeois Friday, Sept. 15 ...................................................... ARCHBISHOP SHAW Friday, Sept. 22 ............................................................South Terrebonne* Friday, Sept. 29 ....................................................SOUTH LAFOURCHE* Friday, Oct. 6 ......................................................................... ELLENDER* Thursday, Oct. 12 ............................................................. Central Catholic Friday, Oct. 20 .................................................................. ASSUMPTION* Friday, Oct. 27 ....................................................................... Morgan City* Friday, Nov. 3 ........................................................................E.D. WHITE* *Denotes District 7-4A games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Sting of playoff loss driving Terriers By Wil Touchet The Vandebilt Catholic High School football team ripped through the regular season at 8-2 overall in 2016 and earned a Division II first round home playoff game against archrival E.D. White Catholic.

And though the Terriers handled the Cardinals 41-7 to open the regular season, E.D. White posted a 24-17 upset playoff win over the Terriers and moved onto the quarterfinals. Heading into this season, Vandebilt, which has

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99 players and 13 seniors (but only seven or eight with varsity experience) and 29 juniors are using the pain of that loss as motivation. “Our guys were hurt. Our staff was hurt. Our school was hurt,” Terriers coach Jeremy Atwell said. “We lost. We didn’t expect to lose no matter who it was. We were the home team in the playoffs and those guys just beat us. We saw ourselves making a little more noise. I think that taste created some motivation because we do not want to feel that way again. We had to learn from that and I think learning from that will be the difference in us getting over the top.”

“We need to get better on the defensive side of the ball. I thought we improved last year, but we need to create more negative plays.”

offense will be sophomore wide receiver Jacorey Wells and junior running back and wide receiver Drew Rios. As for the defense, Atwell said sophomore middle linebacker Chandler Rhodes, senior defensive back Clinton Erny and sophomore defensive back Brennan Patterson are some of the team’s top returning players. “We need to get better on the defensive side of the ball,” Atwell said. “I thought we improved last year, but we need to create more negative plays. We also need to work on special teams. We lost the district championship because we gave up two kickoff returns for touchdowns to Assumption last year.” The Terriers will be back in District 7-4A with twotime defending league champion Assumption, Ellender, Morgan City, South Lafourche, South Terrebonne and E.D. White. Instead of facing E.D. White in the season-opener, the Terriers will now close the regular season against the Cardinals. “This is a tough district and adding E.D. White makes it tougher. They have talent and they are a good football team,” Atwell said. “(Coach) Tony (Paine) has done a great job at Assumption. They are going to be in the mix again. South Lafourche has a new staff and they have talent, and Morgan City has a new staff and they have talent, so they are both unknowns. We just need to finish and expect to win and earn wins and then we are going to get over the hump.” 45

The Terriers lost 25 seniors from last season, and have an experienced offensive backfield led by senior running backs Michael Lecompte and Brennan Rogers. “I don’t know if I can pinpoint one group or one side of the ball as a strength, but we get two really good football players back in Michael Lecompte and Brennan Rogers,” Atwell said. “They know the offense in and out and are real leaders. We do have to replace a couple offensive linemen, but those two guys give us confidence. We may not have one side of the ball or one side or one group that over rates the other. That is just where the program is.” The Terriers also return junior quarterback Andrew Robison, who is already receiving plenty of college interest. “He is a hard worker and when coaches come by I tell them he checks off all the boxes,” Atwell said. “He needs to mature a little bit and grow up and when I say that I mean he is good enough to lead us down the field on nine or 10 play drives. He doesn’t have to hit the homerun every play. I don’t think he has played really well yet. We need him to play within our system and do the things we want him to do. We also need to protect the quarterback and finish on offense and put teams away.” Atwell said a couple other key players on the Terriers

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Football

E.D. White Cardinals Friday, Sept. 1 ...................................................CENTRAL LAFOURCHE Friday, Sept. 8 .................................................................................ERATH Friday, Sept. 15 ........................................................................... St. James Friday, Sept. 22 ................................................................ ASSUMPTION* Friday, Sept. 29 ..................................................................... Morgan City* Friday, Oct. 6 ................................................................ Vermilion Catholic Friday, Oct. 13 ...................................................SOUTH TERREBONNE* Friday, Oct. 20 ................................................................ South Lafourche* Friday, Oct. 27 ....................................................................... ELLENDER* Friday, Nov. 3 .............................................................................Vandebilt*

Coach Chris Bergeron

*Denotes District 7-4A games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Cardinals ready for Class 4A district By Wil Touchet There is a big change on the way for the E.D. White Catholic football team entering the 2017 season. After years of competing in a Class 3A district, the Cardinals

have now been placed in a Class 4A district because of an enrollment increase. Instead of playing in the 3A ranks with Berwick, Franklin, Kaplan, Erath, Patterson and North Vermilion like the previous

two seasons, E.D. White will join the local 4A district – District 7-4A – with two-time defending league champion Assumption, Ellender, Morgan City, South Lafourche, South Terrebonne and archrival Vandebilt Catholic, which

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the Cardinals will now face in the regular-season finale instead of in the season opener. But Cardinals coach Chris Bergeron said his team doesn’t expect to be surprised when they lineup against those 4A teams. “We have always played those teams in the past so we are not unfamiliar with them and our travel will be better,” Bergeron said. “We are staying local. Our furthest trip is South Lafourche so it’s not that bad. I think Assumption is the front runner right now. They bring back a lot of players and won the district the last two years. We just have to control what we can control and take it one week at a time.” The Cardinals, who have 50 players in grades 1012, lost around 20 seniors from last season and have around 20 seniors on this year’s team, which will again compete in the Division II portion of the select playoffs. Bergeron said the E.D. White offense is expected to be a strength led by veterans Brandon Legendre (junior quarterback), senior Nik Shanklin and junior Michael Clement (running backs) and three-year starter Josh Becnel (senior offensive lineman). “One of our strengths going into the season will be the veteran leadership we will have on offense,” Bergeron said. “We bring back eight starters from last year on offense and we get a guy back who played a lot as a sophomore before an injury early last year as a junior (Shanklin). We get back a good veteran group

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on offense. We need leadership from them. We can’t fall into complacency.” On defense, Bergeron said the Cardinals will be less experienced, but will be led by senior linebacker Collin Desandro, senior defensive end Reed Boudreaux, senior defensive back Brady Theriot and junior linebacker Aaron Benfield. “Those guys will need to make sure that the defense lives up to the standard we have set,” Bergeron said. “Defensively we will be a little inexperienced. Our veteran guys on defense graduated and it will be about how quickly our new guys can pick up the system.” Bergeron added that the team must find a reliable kicker after losing a three-year starter and that after last year’s 4-8 overall season, which included a 2-4 mark in district, a victory at Vandebilt in the first round of the Division II playoffs and a trip to the quarterfinals, the Cardinals must be more consistent in 2017. “We were a roller-coaster team last year,” Bergeron said. “I didn’t do a good job of preparing the team to handle the peaks and valleys of the season. We just need to control the things we can control to get better. Coming off another quarterfinal appearance helps. We need to do some of the same things that helped get us there the last two seasons, and we have to stay healthy. With our numbers, a couple season-ending injuries could be catastrophic for us. If the injury bug hits us, we know we won’t be as successful as we can be if we stay healthy.”

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Football

South Lafourche Tarpons

Coach Blake Forsythe

Friday, Sept. 1 ..................................................................... DE LA SALLE Friday, Sept. 8 .......................................................................THIBODAUX Friday, Sept. 15 ............................................................. Central Lafourche Friday, Sept. 22 ..................................................................... ELLENDER* Friday, Sept. 29 ..........................................................................Vandebilt* Friday, Oct. 6 .................................................................... ASSUMPTION* Friday, Oct. 13 ....................................................................... Morgan City* Friday, Oct. 20 .......................................................................E.D. WHITE* Friday, Oct. 27 ..............................................................South Terrebonne* Friday, Nov. 3 ........................................................................ East St. John *Denotes District 7-4A games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Forsythe takes over at South Lafourche

By Wil Touchet After seven years as an assistant high school football coach in the area, and at the age of 26, Blake Forsythe was ready for the challenge of becoming a head coach. And South Lafourche gave him that opportunity. The St. Charles Catholic graduate played for Frank Monica with the Comets and later coached at E.D. White Catholic for five years and worked as the offensive coordinator at H.L. Bourgeois the past two seasons. “I have worked with a lot of great people and worked with a lot of different kinds of kids,” Forsythe said. “I played for Coach Monica at St. Charles, one of the best coaches in the state, and picked up a few things every place I have been. Going into year eight of my career, I believe I am ready to take over this program and move it forward into the future. ” Forsythe takes over for former Tarpons coach Brandon Nowlin, who led South Lafourche to a 3-7 overall mark and a 2-3 district record last season in his one year at the school. The Tarpons have around 85 players ninth-12th grade and 15 seniors on the squad. “For Year 1, we want to establish an offensive and defensive scheme and set some rules and standards that go beyond the football field and the locker room,” Forsythe said. “We want to establish how we are going to act in the hallways and in the community. We want our players to do well in the classroom, Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

get their high school diplomas and go on and be successful and productive members of society. Playing football is just a little bonus that keeps them motivated while they are in school.” Forsythe said the senior class will be one of the strengths of the team. “They are pretty motivated,”

We need to develop a winning mentality, a warrior mentality, that we cannot be beat. Forsythe said. “They also have some pretty good leadership qualities. As they gel a little more and get a little more comfortable with the coaching staff, I think this senior group is going to pull us a long way this season.” Forsythe said he has tried to establish a winning mentality from the time he was hired in early February. “We need to develop a winning mentality, a warrior mentality, that we cannot be beat,” Forsythe said. “We do a pretty good job of it, but we have to figure out how to build some confidence that we can be a pretty good football team and compete with anyone on our schedule.” Forsythe said some of the team leaders are expected to be senior

running back Corbin Allen, junior quarterback Brock Bailleaux, senior offensive linemen Chad Cheramie and Daniel Dickinson, senior linebacker Jeremy Rogers, senior defensive linemen Drake Billiot and Jacob Danos and senior cornerbacks Marquis Francis and Da marcus Caine (who both previously played wide receiver). South Lafourche will compete against Assumption, Ellender, Morgan City, South Terrebonne, Vandebilt Catholic and E.D. White in District 7-4A this season. “What’s great about this district is we are all similarly built,” Forsythe said. “We all have a bayou, Lafourche or Terrebonne, and Morgan City is just a little off of that. Everybody has similar kids and everybody is really competitive and you always see one another. Ever since I started coaching I have played at least a couple of these teams each year. This district is competitive. Anything can happen from year to year. I love this district that we are a part of.” He added staying healthy and gaining the trust of the players will also be important during his first season with the Tarpons. “We are going to have to stay kind of healthy,” he said. “Our numbers are not that high, but the biggest thing is we are going to have to build that trust from the coaching staff to the players. We may do things different but it’s because it’s important. If the kids trust us, I think we will be moving in the right direction to have a successful season.”

H.L. Bourgeois Braves

Coach Carey Melvin

Friday, Sept. 1 ................................................................South Terrebonne Friday, Sept. 8 ....................................................................... VANDEBILT Friday, Sept. 15 ............................................................................. Ellender Friday, Sept. 22 ...................................................................THIBODAUX* Friday, Sept. 29 ................................................................... East St. John* Friday, Oct. 6 ............................................................... Central Lafourche* Friday, Oct. 13 ............................................................................ Lakeshore Friday, Oct. 20 ................................................................... DESTREHAN * Friday, Oct. 27 ................................................................. TERREBONNE* Friday, Nov. 3 ............................................................................ Hahnville* *Denotes District 7-5A games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Consistency paying off for Braves By Wil Touchet Entering his third season as head coach of the H.L. Bourgeois High School football team, Carey Melvin said the one thing he is most proud of is the consistency he has established within the program. The Braves, who have around 70 players, including 17 seniors, lost 17 seniors from last year and are coming off a 2016 season in which they went 4-7 overall, 2-4 in district and made the first round of the Class 5A playoffs for the first time since 2007. “We have been consistent in the weight room and in practice and with discipline and with conditioning,” Melvin said. “We haven’t had a lot of drastic changes. These kids want to win. It just takes the mind set to win. We have interest in our program at our school and that is big. I would like to have two or three more wins a year, but that will come.” Melvin said the Braves players are now very familiar with what is expected of them. “We have seniors who have bought in, but we are a junior-laden team and we have a lot of youth. It has taken a while to change the culture,” Melvin said. “It hadn’t been bad, but was not great. It takes time. These juniors were freshman when I came in and my seniors were sophomores when I came in.” Junior quarterback Connor Verdin will run the Braves offense this season, taking over for former starter Jude Lecompte, who graduated in the spring. “Connor started early on last year as a sophomore in a couple games and got bounced around a little bit. The game was a little too fast,” Melvin said. “But this offseason he put forth great effort getting better and stronger. He is a tough kid and is extremely intelligent and a great leader, both in his actions and vocally. We only go as far as our quarterback goes and I think Connor has a good grasp of our new offense. He won’t have to move around as much as Jude did and has weapons and guys who have playoff experience, not only in football but in basketball, and who are competitors.” Some of those weapons include senior wide receiver Alek Domangue, junior wide receiver Cullen Nyssen, senior running back and wide receiver Terrell Barrow, senior wide receiver Anthony Rainey Jr. and sophomore

offensive lineman Blake East. Barrow and Rainey have played just basketball for the Braves in past seasons and helped the team to deep playoff runs on the hardwood. While Melvin said he likes both his offensive and defensive lines, he said his defensive line is expected to lead the defense and has players who have the opportunity to truly excel. They include juniors Lekeland Bougere and Shaye Billiot, and seniors Chataman Riggs and Carlos Flores. 49 The Braves will again play in District 7-5A along with Central Lafourche, Destrehan, East St. John, Hahnville, archrival Terrebonne and Thibodaux, where Melvin previously coached, as H.L. Bourgeois eyes a return trip to the postseason.

We haven’t had a lot of drastic changes. These kids want to win. It just takes the mind set to win.

“You have to win the games against teams you are matched up well against and you have to win your pre-district games,” Melvin said. “You also have to win a couple district games. That sets you up for a good first-round playoff matchup. You would love to beat Destrehan and Hahnville and East St. John every year, our kids never back down from those teams, but they are tough to beat. They graduate guys and just find guys to replace them. I would love to beat Thibodaux to get that off my back. We had a great comeback against Central Lafourche last year and you know the Terrebonne game will always be a battle no matter what because the kids all know each other and have always played against each other.” www.bayoucatholic.com

Football

Thibodaux Tigers

Coach Chris Dugas

Friday, Sept. 1 ....................................................................... VANDEBILT Friday, Sept. 8 .................................................................. South Lafourche Friday, Sept. 15 .................................................................East Ascension* Friday, Sept. 22 ................................................................. H.L. Bourgeois* Friday, Sept. 29 .................................................................. DESTREHAN* Friday, Oct. 6 ...........................................................................Terrebonne* Friday, Oct. 13 ..................................................................... HAHNVILLE* Friday, Oct. 20 ............................................................................Open Date Friday, Oct. 27 ................................................................EAST ST. JOHN* Friday, Nov. 3 .............................................................. Central Lafourche* *Denotes District 7-5A games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Thibodaux to rely on offensive, defensive lines in 2017 By Wil Touchet The Thibodaux High football team has been known for producing talented skill players in recent seasons. 50 But heading into the 2017 season, Tigers coach Chris Dugas is looking to his offensive and defensive lines to lead the way. The Tigers, who have around 70 players, including 24 seniors, are coming off a 6-5 overall season in which they went 4-2 in district and fell to Mandeville in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs. The Tigers lost 22 seniors off last season’s team. “We have a good group on both sets of lines that are going to help us. It hasn’t been our strong point for a while up front,” Dugas said. “We haven’t had a whole lot of big guys. But now our lines are going to be relatively strong. Our defensive line throughout the spring has been a strong point and our offensive line had a really good spring as well.” Dugas said some of the top returning Tigers defensive linemen are Darius Richard, Tyler Holmes, Tyrick Hills. Other top defensive players for the Tigers are expected to be sophomore linebackers Khalil Brisco and Hunter Trosclair. On the offensive line he highlighted Chris Bolden, who played tight end last year, Colin Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

Torres, Jalen Himel and South Lafourche senior transfer Melik Guidroz, who Dugas said will likely play on both sides of the ball. The Tigers lost star player Amik Robertson, a Louisiana Tech signee who played all over the field for Thibodaux, including some quarterback.

We’ve been right on the cusp of it the last couple of years. We’ve been right there the last three years in a row where we’ve had the chance to play for a district championship. “We’re looking for improvement from our offensive skill guys this year and I think we will get it,” Dugas said. “We had a great group last year with Amik (Robertson) and those other guys contributing. This year we really want to improve on our passing game with our quarterback. We’ve always been

known for running the ball.” Dugas said senior running backs Tanner Guillot and Saharold Holmes are expected to lead the ground game and he is excited about Demarcus Mitchell, a 6-foot3, 220-pound senior transfer from Central Catholic in Morgan City who will likely play quarterback and other positions for the Tigers. “He gives us a big body back there and a big arm,” Dugas said. “He’s also going to play some defense and receiver. He’s a really good athlete. He’s really going to give us a chance to improve upon our passing game by throwing the ball downfield and making the touch throws. He’s a smart kid and does a really good job of running the offense. We’re excited about the position.” The Tigers will again play in District 7-5A with H.L. Bourgeois, Central Lafourche, Destrehan, East St. John, Hahnville and Terrebonne. “We’ve been right on the cusp of it the last couple of years,” Dugas said. “We’ve been right there the last three years in a row where we’ve had the chance to play for a district championship. We’ve played Destrehan for a district championship where we had a chance for a share of it or to win it out right in that game. We’re looking to get over the hump

with those guys. Destrehan is kind of like the Golden Goose. We want to be that first team to knock them off. I think Destrehan is 24-0 in the district since we’ve gotten back together with the River teams. Our goal this year is to beat Destrehan and win a district championship. We’d like to take our playoff run a couple rounds deeper. I know we talk a lot about them but there are a lot of other good teams too.” Dugas said the Tigers have beaten Hahnville in the past but he expects it to be tough again this year and Thibodaux topped East St. John the last three years. He added that he expects the other Bayou teams to be improved. “I think the district from top to bottom is going to be very competitive,” Dugas said. “I’d like to see another team dethrone Destrehan. If we can’t be the team, I think there are some good quality teams that can beat that team.” Dugas said staying healthy will also play a large role in the success of the Tigers this season. “The main thing for us is staying healthy. Last year, we started the season 6-1 and were in a real good position,” Dugas said. “We were in good shape going into Week 8 and we just got really banged up. The last three weeks were complete turmoil for us losing guys. We were down three and four deep in some positions. Three out of the 11 original starters on defense from the beginning of the year were out there against Mandeville in the playoffs. It was the worst year we ever had for injuries. If we can stay healthy, that’s going to be the biggest key for us to compete for a district championship and advance in the playoffs.”

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Football

Morgan City Tigers

Coach Eric Howard

Friday, Sept. 1 ............................................................................BERWICK Friday, Sept. 8 ................................................................Hanson Memorial Friday, Sept. 15 ...........................................................NORTH CENTRAL Friday, Sept. 22 ................................................................... Donaldsonville Friday, Sept. 29 .....................................................................E.D. WHITE* Thursday, Oct. 5 ...........................................................South Terrebonne* Friday, Oct. 13 ......................................................SOUTH LAFOURCHE* Friday, Oct. 20 ..............................................................................Ellender* Friday, Oct. 27 ......................................................................VANDEBILT* Friday, Nov. 3 ......................................................................... Assumption* *Denotes District 7-4A games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Howard sees potential at Morgan City

By Wil Touchet Eric Howard got the exact coaching chance he was looking for. He got a head coaching opportunity at a place close to home and at a place he believes he can build a winner. Howard was named the new Morgan City High School football

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

coach in December. Howard, a Chackbay native with a six-year military background and a Thibodaux High and LouisianaLafayette graduate, comes to Morgan City after working as the defensive coordinator at DeRidder High School last season.

He takes over after former Morgan City coach Scott Tregle resigned following a 3-7 mark last year and an 0-5 district mark. In three years leading the Tigers, Tregle finished with a 9-21 overall mark. The Tigers, who have around

80 players and 15 seniors, have not made the playoffs since 1998, but Howard, who graduated from Thibodaux in 1997, said he sees positional within the program. “My plan is to take us to the playoffs in my first year,” Howard said. “I have some players and that is all you can ask for. We have some athletes. We have a massive junior class this season. We are a little behind on training, but

The kids have been great. They are willing to work. We have been averaging almost 50 kids per workout without freshmen and that is a really good start.

we have some things worked out and we are working toward a really good season. I am changing the culture. I am going to give the kids plenty of love and discipline and the kids appreciate that. Our kids are already believing, so I think we will be fine.”

Howard said he has gotten stellar participation in workouts from the players over the spring and into the summer. “The kids have been great,” Howard said. “They are willing to work. We have been averaging almost 50 kids per workout without freshmen and that is a really good start. They want to win. They are dying to win.” Some of the top players for the Tigers this season are expected to be senior quarterback Ike Escort, senior wide receiver/running back Deondre Grogan, sophomore wide receiver/running back Devonta Grogan, senior linebackers Morrquise Charles and Chris Gant, senior strong safety/running back Kalen Hill and senior free safety/wide receiver Alex Brocata. Morgan City will play in District 7-4A this season along with two-time defending league champion Assumption, Ellender, South Lafourche, South Terrebonne, Vandebilt Catholic and newly added E.D. White Catholic. Howard spent one season as an assistant at South Lafourche and said developing depth and not having many guys playing both ways will be key to having success in the district and possibly beyond. “We have to have some depth,” Howard said. “We don’t want to have a lot of guys playing both ways. We have a great offseason workout plan and are focused on injury prevention. I am a defense first guy and we will be in every game because we are going to play defense, and we have some game-breakers on offense. Our defense will carry us and we will make enough plays on offense to win a heck of a lot more district games than they have in the past.”

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Football

South Terrebonne Gators

Coach Richard Curlin

Friday, Sept. 1 .............................................................. H.L. BOURGEOIS Friday, Sept. 8 ................................................................... TERREBONNE Friday, Sept. 15 .............................................................................. Berwick Friday, Sept. 22 ....................................................................VANDEBILT* Friday, Sept. 29 .........................................................................ssumption* Thursday, Oct. 5 ..............................................................MORGAN CITY* Friday, Oct. 13 ......................................................................... E.D. White* Friday, Oct. 20......................................................................... Belle Chasse Friday, Oct. 27 ......................................................SOUTH LAFOURCHE* Friday, Nov. 3 ...............................................................................Ellender* *Denotes District 7-4A games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Gators coach sees good things heading into season 54

By Wil Touchet After a 2-8 overall season in 2016, longtime South Terrebonne High School football coach Richard Curlin said he has been encouraged

by what he has seen from the Gators so far in 2017. “We have a lot kids returning who got playing time last year so we are excited about that,” Curlin

said. “Spring went well. Some of the kids we were looking at to fill some spots looked really good in the spring.” The Gators, who have 65

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players, including 19 seniors and who lost 19 seniors off last year’s team which went 2-3 in district, will have senior quarterback Andre Blanchard running the offense. “We threw the ball pretty well in the spring, and we feel like we will start off in a better position at quarterback than we did last year,” Curlin said. “We have most of our offensive backfield back and have to replace a few kids on the offensive line and the tight end, but we also have some receivers coming back.”

We cannot turn the ball over. We have to improve in that category because last year we were ridiculous with the turnovers. Curlin said other players expected to be important to the Gators offense are junior running backs Jonathan Smith and Terrance Sims, senior fullback Logan Melancon, senior offensive lineman Nicholas Thomassie and senior wide receiver Davis Arceneaux. He pointed to senior safety Allen Vizier, senior linebacker Luke Lirette and junior linebacker Nick Chauvin and junior defensive lineman Donald Dardar as leaders on the Gators defense.

“Defensively, most of our secondary is returning and so are our linebackers,” Curlin said. “We are going to have to replace a few kids on the defensive line, but we also get our kicker and punter (senior Matt Martin) and he has been doing it for us for a while.” Curlin said the Gators will put an emphasis on taking care of the football this season. “We were horrible in the giveaway department last year,” Curlin said. “We had some games we played close even though we turned the ball over seven or eight times. We had three or four games we could have won if not for turnovers. We cannot turn the ball over. We have to improve in that category because last year we were ridiculous with the turnovers.” South Terrebonne also dealt with the tragic deaths of two of its players – cousins Andraye Verdin and Louis Blanchard – in separate accidents last season. This season the Gators will compete in District 7-4A with two-time defending champion Assumption, Ellender, Morgan City, South Lafourche, Vandebilt Catholic and E.D. White Catholic. “We are excited about having E.D. White in the district this year,” Curlin said. “We have played them off and on over the years and have a good time competing against them. They are always a solid program and are well coached. The bigger your district is the easier it is to schedule. You don’t have to go to Baton Rouge or Lafayette or somewhere to fill your schedule so having a bigger district is beneficial. I think it will be that much more competitive and we are looking forward to it.”

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Football

Terrebonne Tigers

Coach Gary Hill

Friday, Sept. 1 .........................................................................ELLENDER Friday, Sept. 8 ................................................................South Terrebonne Friday, Sept. 15 .................................................................. ASSUMPTION Friday, Sept. 22 ........................................................................... Patterson Friday, Sept. 29 ......................................................................... Hahnville* Friday, Oct. 6 .......................................................................THIBODAUX* Friday, Oct. 13 ................................................................EAST ST. JOHN* Friday, Oct. 20 ............................................................. Central Lafourche* Friday, Oct. 27 ................................................................... H.L. Bourgeois* Friday, Nov. 3 ........................................................................... Destrehan* *Denotes District 7-5A games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Terrebonne coach excited about offensive skill players

By Wil Touchet The offensive skill players at Terrebonne High School have left a positive impression on Tigers head football coach Gary Hill with their commitment over the summer. “I can’t compliment those guys enough,” Hill said.

“Our skill position guys have been around all summer making sure they are getting their reps during 7-on-7’s and in the weight room. They are young with only one senior (wide receiver/quarterback Brennon Guidry), but we are more athletic than we have been there in a while so hopefully our offensive skill guys can lead us.”

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Terrebonne is coming off a 4-7 overall season in which it went 1-5 in district and fell to Destrehan 47-7 in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs. The Tigers have 70 varsity players, including 15 seniors and they lost 15 seniors from last year. Other key offensive players for the Tigers this season will be junior quarterback/running back Keshawn James, senior offensive lineman Tyrese Burton, junior running back/wide receiver Chaz Ward, junior wide receiver Trey Johnson and senior offensive lineman Johnny Carter. On defense, Hill said the Tigers will be relatively young in certain spots, but return a number of experienced players who got in on a lot of action last season. “We only have four seniors on defense, but we played so many young guys that we have a lot of guys with experience,” Hill said. “Our defensive front should be solid if we can stay healthy and hopefully it can help our secondary because most of those guys will be new and we are still looking for some guys to fill some spots back there.”

If we can stay healthy, that always helps you. I think we lost three games last year by less than a touchdown and that was because we had to play so many young kids because of injuries. Hill said senior defensive lineman Tyler Nettleton, Carter, William Robinson, senior linebacker Jace Gatlin and junior linebackers Cullen Butler and Colby Clement will be some of the top defensive players for the Tigers. Hill also said having kicker and punter Mauro Ramirez back for his senior season will be a positive. The Tigers will again play in District 7-5A with H.L. Bourgeois, Central Lafourche, Destrehan, East St. John, Hahnville and Thibodaux. “Other than Destrehan and Hahnville, we had some really competitive ball games last year,” Hill said. “If we can stay healthy, that always helps you. I think we lost three games last year by less than a touchdown and that was because we had to play so many young kids because of injuries. We need to do a better job with mental preparations and teach the little things that help you win close games. We need to get them mentally ready to play at that level of 5A ball and we need to get kids to accept their roles to make the team successful. I am excited to see what happens, because our players have really bought in this summer.”

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Football

Ellender Memorial Patriots

Coach David McCormick

Friday, Sept. 1 ...........................................................................Terrebonne Thursday, Sept. 7 .................................................................GRACE KING Friday, Sept. 15 ............................................................ H.L. BOURGEOIS Friday, Sept. 22 .............................................................. South Lafourche* Friday, Sept. 29 .................................................CENTRAL LAFOURCHE Friday, Oct. 6 ..............................................................................Vandebilt* Friday, Oct. 13 ........................................................................ Assumption* Friday, Oct. 20 .................................................................MORGAN CITY* Friday, Oct. 27 ......................................................................... E.D. White* Friday, Nov. 3 ....................................................SOUTH TERREBONNE* *Denotes District 7-4A games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Patriots want to build on playoff season By Wil Touchet Last season in his first year as head football coach at Ellender High, David McCormick led a Patriots program to a winning record and to the Class 4A playoffs after the team had gone 14-36 overall in the previous five campaigns. Now the Patriots (6-5 overall, 2-3 in district last season, first round playoff loss to Benton) are looking 58 to build on that success. Ellender has 65 players, including 18 seniors and lost 20 seniors from last year, including star player Davontavean “Tay” Martin, who played some quarterback, receiver and defensive back and signed to play receiver at Washington State of the Pac-12. “The foundation was laid last year because of the seniors we had, and they provided great leadership,” McCormick said. “They played a pivotal role for us, and we are looking to build on that.” McCormick said the Patriots will look to continue to get better on defense. Senior middle linebacker Jamire Mott and senior defensive tackle Terrence Gray are expected to lead the way. “We improved on defense last year from the year before, but we are looking to continue to get better,” McCormick said. “We have implemented a 4-3 scheme and we have a lot of young DBs back there. In fact, all four starters from last year signed college scholarships so a lot of it will depend on how fast they pick up on everything. They are catching on during spring and have been in the right position. They just need to move their feet a little faster. That will come with experience.” McCormick said senior running back Reginald Williams, who has college offers from Tulane, Idaho, Nicholls, Northwestern State, McNeese State and others, and junior receiver Tate Ford are expected to be two of the top weapons on offense. “I would say our running back and our wide receivers will be some strengths,” McCormick said. “Offensively, Coach (Jesse) Turner did a great job implementing the spread offense and we are looking to take it to another level this year. We have Reginald Williams at running back and a couple young wide receivers we are Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

looking to spread the ball out to even more. We want to showcase those guys and improve our running game with Reginald as well.” The Patriots will play in District 7-4A this season with two-time defending league champion Assumption, Morgan City, South Lafourche, South Terrebonne, Vandebilt Catholic and newly added E.D. White Catholic. “The addition of E.D. White and Coach (Chris) Bergeron will make it even tougher,” McCormick

It’s never an easy week. But that is what makes it competitive and gets the kids ready for the playoffs. said. “Assumption and Coach (Tony) Paine have won it back-to-back so you have to think they will be back in contention. Vandebilt and Coach (Jeremy) Atwell have the (Andrew) Robison kid at quarterback and he can really throw it. Coach (Richard) Curlin aan South Terrebonne are always competitive and South Lafourche and Morgan City have new coaches so they will look to improve. It’s never an easy week. But that is what makes it competitive and gets the kids ready for the playoffs.” McCormick added that he is still looking for the Patriots to play complementary football. “We are looking for consistency,” McCormick said. “Last year there was not one game where we were consistent on both sides of the ball. We never put together a complete game. We want to score over 28 points a game and keep those other guys under 20 points. That is our game plan.”

Football

Central Lafourche Trojans

Coach Keith Menard

Friday, Sept. 1 ........................................................................... E.D. White Friday, Sept. 8 ................................ CARVER COLLEGIATE ACADEMY Friday, Sept. 15 ..................................................... SOUTH LAFOURCHE Friday, Sept. 22 ................................................................... East St. John* Friday, Sept. 29 ............................................................................. Ellender Friday, Oct. 6 ...............................................................H.L. BOURGEOIS* Friday, Oct. 13 .................................................................... DESTREHAN* Friday, Oct. 20 ................................................................. TERREBONNE* Friday, Oct. 27 ........................................................................... Hahnville* Friday, Nov. 3 ......................................................................THIBODAUX* *Denotes District 7-5A games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Two receivers look to lead Trojans attack By Wil Touchet The Central Lafourche High School football team is hoping to bounce back from a 4-6 overall season, which included a 0-6 mark in District 7-5A, and are looking to a pair of senior receivers to lead the way. Kenneth Poindexter and David Robinson are expected to provide some big-play potential for the Trojans, who have around 80 players, including 20 seniors, and who lost 20 seniors from last season. “We have some great skill guys back in Poindexter and Robinson. They have been great leaders. We are looking forward to watching them grow and seeing what else they can do as they improve and grow,” Trojans coach Keith Menard said. “Robinson is a guy who will have to play some different spots for us and maybe take some snaps at quarterback. We will rely on him heavily. Poindexter can take the top off the defense and make some plays, and our offensive line has some guys coming back and can make some things happen for us.” The Trojans have been working junior Jacob Barker at the No. 1 quarterback spot. “He had a strong spring for us,” Menard said. “We are going to see

how he handles camp and go from there. He will really have to come through for us. We are looking for a lot of good things out of him.” Menard said senior Ethan Cole and sophomore Deon Jenkins are in the lead to earn the most carries at running back and that

It would be nice to be able to score points at the rate we were scoring last year and score 40 points a game.

he is happy to have senior kicker Thomas Loupe returning. “It would be nice to be able to score points at the rate we were scoring last year and score 40 points a game,” Menard said. “But we want to improve our running

game. Last year we could not run the ball well enough late in games to put teams away and had to do some things we didn’t want to do.” Menard said the Trojans defense, 59 led by junior Ryen Weaver, will be young. “We are going to probably being playing a lot of sophomores on defense,” Menard said. “We are going to coach them to play fast and hard. We are going to have to bring them along and see how much they can improve. We have to improve defensively, run to the ball, tackle and stop people and put ourselves in position to get better and put ourselves in position to win games. We just need to play cleaner games overall.” The Trojans will be back in District 7-5A with H.L. Bourgeois, Destrehan, East St. John, Hahnville, Terrebonne and Thibodaux. “You always have to look at the River parish as the teams with the most talent,” Menard said. “But H.L. Bourgeois and Terrebonne are getting better and Chris Dugas at Thibodaux and I have gotten to be good friends and he does a great job. I was proud of how hard our kids played last year, and I don’t expect that to change at all this year.” www.bayoucatholic.com

Football

LSU Tigers

Coach Ed Orgeron

Saturday, Sept. 2 ............................................Brigham Young University Saturday, Sept. 9 ........................................................... CHATTANOOGA Saturday, Sept. 16 ........................................................ Mississippi State* Saturday, Sept. 23 .................................................................. SYRACUSE Saturday, Sept. 30 ............................................................................ TROY Saturday, Oct. 7 .............................................................................Florida* Saturday, Oct. 14 ...................................................................... AUBURN* Saturday, Oct. 21 ........................................................................ Ole Miss* Saturday, Nov. 4 ......................................................................... Alabama* Saturday, Nov. 11 ................................................................. ARKANSAS* Saturday, Nov. 18 .....................................................................Tennessee* Saturday, Nov. 25 ................................................................TEXAS A&M* *Denotes Southeastern Conference Games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

LSU football needs time to be in the top tier of the SEC

By Ed Daniels It was a precipitous decline. From 2001 to 2011, LSU football won four Southeastern Conference championships, two national championships, and appeared in three national championship games. From 2013 to 2016, the Tigers lost 13 SEC games. Ed Orgeron was hired for the fix, but it won’t be quick. It will take time for LSU to develop a top shelf quarterback. It will take time to fix an offense that scored 37 points in four losses. It will take time to re-establish LSU football in the top tier of the Southeastern Conference. 2017 may not be that year. When the Florida-LSU game last season was postponed to November in Baton Rouge, it meant LSU would return to Gainesville in 2017. The Tigers have five SEC road games, including Alabama and Tennessee. LSU opens the season in Houston against BYU, meaning the Tigers have only six home games in 2017. LSU’s climb back up to the top of the SEC is simple, but difficult.

The Tigers must maintain defensive excellence while reviving an offense that has stagnated in big games. A decade has passed since LSU has featured excellence at the quarterback position. Since Matt Flynn led LSU to the national championship in 2007, only Zach Mettenberger, in 2013, has operated at a proficient level. And, LSU’s offensive line, while solid, has been unable to block Alabama’s defensive front seven since the national championship game in January of 2012. LSU’s last first round pick on the offensive line was Alan Faneca in 1998. Alabama has produced three first round picks on the offensive line since 2011. In November, after a 10-0 loss to Alabama, Orgeron acknowledged that LSU’s play up front against the Tide was sub-standard. “We have to have first round draft picks, blocking their first round picks,” said Orgeron. So, can one assistant coach make that much of a difference? Heading into fall camp at LSU, Tiger fans are wondering if new offensive coordinator Matt Canada can make that much of a difference.

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For Orgeron, maybe Canada can be this year’s Dave Aranda. In his first season as LSU defensive coordinator, the Tigers allowed the fewest touchdowns (16) in the Football Bowl Subdivision. LSU held Alabama scoreless for three quarters, held Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium without a touchdown, and allowed only 24 percent of opponents’ trips into the red zone to result in touchdowns. Now, that’s production.

LSU’s climb back up to the top of the SEC is simple, but difficult. The Tigers must maintain defensive excellence while reviving an offense that has stagnated in big games. Canada’s recent history is hopefully a window to LSU’s offensive future. At North Carolina State in 2015, Canada’s offense averaged 33.2 points per game. In 2016, at the University of Pittsburgh, the Panthers averaged 40.9 points a game. When Canada came to LSU to interview for the job, he showed Orgeron video of a 43-42 win over eventual

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STEPHEN FRANZ PHOTO/LSU SPORTS

national champion Clemson. Maybe this is the year that LSU has an offensive epiphany. And, the Tigers are not only wildly entertaining, but big winners. It will take nothing less than excellence to climb the Alabama mountain in the SEC West. Orgeron knows what it takes, and my guess is, he knows what eroded over five years, won’t be fixed in 12 games.

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Football

Tulane Green Wave

Coach Willie Fritz

Saturday, Sept. 2 ....................................................GRAMBLING STATE Saturday, Sept. 9 .............................................................................. Navy* Saturday, Sept. 16 ..................................................................... Oklahoma Saturday, Sept. 23 ............................................................................ARMY Saturday, Oct. 7 ............................................................................ TULSA* Saturday, Oct. 14 ...................................Florida International University Saturday, Oct. 21 ...........................UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA* Friday, Oct. 27 ............................................................................ Memphis* Saturday, Nov. 4 .................................................................CINCINNATI* Saturday, Nov. 11 ...............................................................East Carolina* Saturday, Nov. 18 ...................................................................HOUSTON* Saturday, Nov. 25 ....................................Southern Methodist University *Denotes American Athletic Conference Games HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Under Fritz, Green Wave fans can expect a fight in every contest 62

By Steve Caldarera Coming off of a 4-8 season with only one conference win, the norm here would be for Tulane fans to be moaning, groaning and secondguessing. In the Year of Our Lord, 2017, that ain’t happenin’! Head coach Willie Fritz has lit the fire in a football program that has perennially been doused with doubt. Fritz inherited a decent nucleus of players in 2016 and, with a handful of ready-to-play recruits, shaped the Green Wave into a more competitive group. The Wave did take its lumps giving up 50 points at Tulsa and suffering significant defeats at Central Florida and at home versus Temple. In all other games Tulane was combative and, in particular, victorious big time (3813) in their final game at Connecticut. You have to go way back to 2003 to find where Tulane won their last season-ending game. If that doesn’t spring hope for Tulane in 2017, nothing will. The defense improved allowing nine less points per game last year over 2016. This unit, under defensive coordinator Jack Curtis, aims to be even better in spite of the losses of DT Tanzel Smart and LB Nico Marley. Even with Smart gone, Tulane will start mostly seniors along the defensive front and have adequate depth there. Guys like senior DE Ade Aruna figure to step it up a notch. The linebacking corps will be young, but experience lies in Louisiana products Zach Harris and Rae Juan Marbley, the only senior at that position. The secondary is well-stocked. All-AAC cornerback Parry Nickerson (10 career interceptions) commands while nickel back Jarrod Franklin, a senior, CB Donnie Lewis, and safeties Rod Teamer and Taris Shenall return along with a hoard of backups. Excluding Army and Navy, the rest of the Wave’s 2017 opponents like to throw the football a bunch; so, having this experienced defensive backfield is very encouraging. The propulsive force of the Tulane offense was, is and should be with its quarterback. Once an intimidating Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

position that landed Tulane QB’s in the NFL, Coach Fritz and offensive coordinator Doug Ruse brought in the spread option where, unfortunately, the skill sets of the players to fit that position were daunting and eventually unfit. Fritz hauled in Jonathan Banks,

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a 6-2, 215 pound JC transfer who originally signed with Kansas State as a four-star recruit. In spring practice, Banks won the job over 2016 starter Glen Cuiellette, but still needs to perfect the spread’s zone read and triple option components while improving on the passing game. The Green Wave is still well-suited at running back with seniors Dontrell Hilliard and Sherman Badie returning. Converted QB Darius Bradwell will provide back up along with a couple of capable freshmen. If

Willie Fritz will have his Tulane team ready to play each week even at highly ranked Oklahoma, where the Wave hopes to bring home more than just a big paycheck. the running game moves along well again, it will be because of an improved offensive line. There’s plenty of preseason work to be done here before Tulane kicks it off. In spring practice, TU’s defensive line manhandled the OL. Center Junior Diaz returns from a seasonending injury and, along with right tackle John Leglue, looks solid at his spot. However, the remainder of the offensive line needs major work and is getting a lot of attention in preseason practice. QB Banks has proven he can improvise, but he will need ample protection up front if Tulane is to rush the football successfully again and improve on the passing game. The passing game will require better receivers. While Terren Encalade and Darnell Mooney return with some decent numbers, Tulane will look to freshmen and one JC transfer to bolster this position. Hilliard and Badie are good receivers out of the backfield. At tight end, Charles Jones is coming off of a great spring while Kendall Ardoin has many starts notched under his belt. The tight end position projects to be more than just another blocking body in Coach Fritz’ offensive scheme this year. Placekicker Andrew DiRocco, deciding to graduate early, didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard in his three-year Tulane career. However, his departure opens up a critical need. Red-shirt freshman Coby Neenan and junior Randy Harvey seek employment at PK. Punter Zach Block (41.1 yds./punt) returns. Block also handled kickoffs in 2016. Badie and Hilliard have mucho experience returning kicks. Overall, special teams improved dramatically under Coach Fritz; so, the thinking here is he and his staff will figure it all out again prior to kickoff. The schedule is much tougher point-blank. While Tulane easily pasted Southern U. (66-21) in its home opener last season, the 2017 campaign kicks off against Grambling, a whole different story. This year’s in-state opponent went 11-1 in ’16, won the SWAC and, in its only defeat, had Arizona down 21-3 at the half. The Tigers are chock-full of FBS transfers and will be a

Dontrell Hilliard

significant challenge for the Green Wave. Other nonconference tilts include a date with the Oklahoma Sooners and QB Baker Mayfield in Week 3, Army at home and at Florida International, now coached by Butch Davis. Tulane competes in the AAC West, the stronger of the two divisions and will meet the likes of preseason favorite South Florida (with Charlie Strong as their new head coach), Cincinnati, Tulsa and Houston at Yulman Stadium while visiting Navy, Memphis, East Carolina and SMU. No patsies for you, Tulane! A little bit of offense might have had Tulane victorious in three of their losses in 2016. Still, Tulane was fortunate to outlast UL-Lafayette (41-39) in overtime and the other wins were over three hapless programs. Again, we reckon Willie Fritz will have his Tulane team ready to play each week even at highly ranked Oklahoma, where the Wave hopes to bring home more than just a big paycheck. The Green Wave has a veteran football team, having lost only 17 lettermen and returning 16 starters. To improve on last year’s 4-8 record, Tulane will need to be more opportunistic on offense, more consistent in the kicking game and keep the defensive turnovers coming. Green Wave fans can expect a fight in every contest. You have to win six to go bowling and there is actual belief that this can be accomplished. Those who experienced the 1998 undefeated season are 19 years older, 19 years wiser and know one thing about that season as it applies to the season ahead—that ain’t happenin’! www.bayoucatholic.com

Football

New Orleans Saints

Coach Sean Payton

Monday, Sept. 11 .......................................................... Minnesota Vikings Sunday, Sept. 17 .........................................NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS Sunday, Sept. 24 ........................................................... Carolina Panthers Sunday, Oct. 1 ................................................... Miami Dolphins (London) Sunday, Oct. 15 ..............................................................DETROIT LIONS Sunday, Oct. 22 ............................................................Green Bay Packers Sunday, Oct. 29 ............................................................ CHICAGO BEARS Sunday, Nov. 5 ........................................... TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS Sunday, Nov. 12 ...................................................................... Buffalo Bills Sunday, Nov. 19 ........................................... WASHINGTON REDSKINS Sunday, Nov. 26 ............................................................ Los Angeles Rams Sunday, Dec. 3 .................................................... CAROLINA PANTHERS Thursday, Dec. 7 ............................................................... Atlanta Falcons Sunday, Dec. 17 .............................................................NEW YORK JETS Sunday, Dec. 24 .......................................................ATLANTA FALCONS Sunday, Dec. 31 .................................................... Tampa Bay Buccaneers HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Can the Saints overcome pre-season injuries? 64 By Ed Daniels It was shaping up as one of the best offseasons in recent Saints history. The club had four of the first 67 picks in the NFL draft. In unrestricted free agency, the Saints signed guard Larry Warford, and former NFL MVP running back Adrian Peterson. The Saints signed a pair of Carolina Panthers, wide receiver Ted Ginn and linebacker AJ Klein. The black and gold arrow was pointing up. In the early Vegas win totals for 2017, the Saints’ total was 8.5. Only six teams in the NFC, Green Bay, Atlanta, Carolina, Seattle, Dallas and the New York Giants were higher. But, since, the Saints have been hit with a series of body blows. Center Max Unger injured a foot in offseason work. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley was diagnosed with a heart condition that ended his 2017 season, and could end his career. And, on the second day of minicamp, the club’s best offensive lineman, left tackle Terron Armstead suffered a torn labrum Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • August 2017

MICHAEL C. HEBERT/NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Drew Brees

that will sideline him for four to six months. Suddenly, the decision to draft offensive tackle Ryan Ramcyzk with the 32nd pick in the draft looks prescient.

Saints head coach Sean Payton said that he expected Unger back in time to play some in the preseason. But, the loss of Fairley will be difficult to overcome. In 2016, Nick Fairley played all 16 games, compiling career highs in sacks (6.5) and combined tackles (43). That is production, and interior pass rush, that will be hard to replace. The Saints hope for a return to the playoffs for the first time since 2013 will again hinge on another good to superb season from quarterback Drew Brees. Brees has been remarkably consistent. His touchdown pass numbers since 2012 are 43, 39, 33, 32 and 37. In 2016, Brees completed 70 percent of his throws, and he attempted 673 passes, his highest total ever as a Saint. Brees needs to throw less. In games where Drew Brees threw 36 or fewer times, the Saints were four wins, one loss. Payton has vowed to run the football more. And, this appears to be more than just offseason lip service.

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Football

Saints

By signing Peterson to team with Mark Ingram, and drafting an offensive lineman in the first round for the second time in three seasons, the Saints were clearly making a commitment to running the ball, more. The less time the defense is on the field, the better. Since 2011, the Saints have compiled the following rankings in total defense: 24th, 32nd, 4th, 31st, 31st and 27th. The club spent a first round pick on cornerback Marcus Lattimore, and a second round pick on safety Marcus Williams. With a potent offense (6,816 yards, most in NFL), an uptick of a few spots in the defensive rankings could earn the Saints a playoff spot. As chastised as the Saints were for being a bad defensive team, the NFC champion Falcons weren’t much better. The Saints allowed 67 more yards than the Falcons in 2016. So, 2017 is a pivotal year in New Orleans. Seven wins or less for the fourth consecutive season might trigger an organizational sea change. Sean Payton could depart, and so could Drew Brees, who is expected to play the 2017 season on the final year of a two year contract extension.

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Since 2006, the Saints have had the rarest of NFL triples ... same head coach, quarterback and general manager. A disappointing 2017 could convince ownership it is finally time to hit the re-start button. Eight wins may not be enough to keep one or both around. But, a playoff berth would keep a long running train on the tracks. While Payton is still the clear leader of the franchise, he doesn’t appear to have as many chits in the hopper as in years past. The Saints will not return to the Greenbrier in West Virginia (a Payton favorite) for summer training, and long-time Payton ally, linebackers’ coach Joe Vitt, was not retained in a coaching staff re-shuffle. Since 2006, the Saints have had the rarest of NFL triples ... same head coach, quarterback and general manager. A disappointing 2017 could convince ownership it is finally time to hit the re-start button.

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