Bayou Catholic Magazine January 2020

INSIDE:

Bayou

Catholic Schools Week

Catholic

The official magazine of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

Bishop Fabre visits Holy Father JANUARY 2020 ~ VOL. 40 NO. 7 ~ COMPLIMENTARY

Annual Bishop’s Appeal 20202020 Annual Bishop’s Appeal

Please prayerfully consider a generous donation today.

Ways to Give:

By Mail:

Your gift to the 2020 Annual Bishop’s Appeal will directly assist:

Catholic Schools, Seminarian Education, Religious Education, and Support of our Retired Priests

Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Annual Bishop’s Appeal Office Post Office Box 505 Schriever, LA 70395

At your Parish: Place your envelope in the In-Pew collection on Sunday Your pledge is key to continued growth in ministries that strive to live the Lord’s Mission.

Please make checks payable to Annual Bishop’s Appeal.

Online: Visit our secure online giving site at www.htdiocese.org/bishopsappeal

For more information on how your gift can make an impact please call 985-850-3122

The collection will be held January 25 and 26.

Thank you for your generosity.

Support the Collection for the Church in Latin America Copyright Š 2018 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Photo: Getty Images.

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Contents

Features 28 Testimonial Videos

By Janet Marcel

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Annual Bishop’s Appeal

By Janet Marcel

Columns 8 Comfort For My People

By Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

12

Pope Speaks

Pope Francis I

13

Questions of Faith

By Father Joshua Rodrigue, S.T.L.

14

Readings Between the Lines

By Father Glenn LeCompte

31

Reading With Raymond

By Raymond Saadi

33

A Deacon’s Wife’s Confessions

By Angie Lefevre

46 Overtime

By Ed Daniels

In Every Issue 6 From the Editor 16 Scripture Readings 20 Youth In Action 22 Heavenly Recipes 32 Daily Prayer for Priests,

Deacons and Seminarians

38

Diocesan Events

Guest Columns 23 Joy

By Father Wilmer Todd

42

Hardest day in hospice

On Our Cover

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre visited Pope Francis, the Vatican and Rome on his recent “ad limina” visit. See pages 24-27 for the complete coverage of Bishop Fabre’s “ad limina” visit.

4 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

By Deacon Brent Bourgeois

Announcements 18 Maria Immacolata School to close 30 Catholic Foundation Update 36 #iGiveCatholic recap 37 Vandy president announces retirement 39 Shreveport bishop appointed

Bayou Catholic Heavenly Recipes

How to reach us:

BY PHONE: (985) 850-3132

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7

BY MAIL: P.O. Box 505 Schriever, LA 70395

Melissa Robertson

BY FAX: (985) 850-3232

BY E-MAIL: bayoucatholic@htdiocese.org

The Bayou Catholic is published monthly, for the people of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux by the H-T Publishing Co., P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395.

Subscription rate is $35 per year.

Melissa Bakes a:

QUICK FIX MEAL 22

This month’s heavenly recipe, easy oven baked chicken tew, is from Melissa Robertson, diocesan director of the Office of Human Resources and Safe Environment. Melissa, native of New Orleans, has been living in the diocese for the ast 25 years. She is a graduate of Nicholls State University n Thibodaux. Melissa is celebrating her 20th anniversary with the diocese this month.

Melissa and her husband Rex live in Schriever. The couple as three children, Alaina who is 13 and twins Connor nd Caroline who are 11. Melissa spends much of her time alancing full time work at the diocese and activities with er children, who are very active in sports. She got the recipe rom a coworker years ago who told her it was quick and asy, an essential for a busy mom.

“Every day is different. Typically, I leave the house around :45 a.m. to drop off the kids at St. Genevieve Catholic chool, then head to the office. Some days I pick up he kids from after bell and bring them straight to heir events. I also have help from other parents t the school. The children are involved in soccer, ymnastics, dance and baseball. Most days we et home around 8 p.m. We do all the activities s a family. Rex and I are always there for their

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The Bayou Catholic is a member of the Catholic Press Association, the National Newspaper Association and an associate member of the Louisiana Press Association.

Easy Oven baked chicken stew

Lawrence Chatagnier

editor and general manager

April LeBouef

business manager

INGREDIENTS:

1 chicken, cut up, skin removed Janet Marcel (I use 6-9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs) staff writer/administrative assistant Season with pepper only Brooks Lirette (you can always add a little spice,

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advertising accounts executive

just watch the sodium) 1 can Golden Mushroom Soup Lisa Schobel Hebert 1 envelope dry onion soup mix graphic designer 1/2 can of water Meridy Liner 1 can of mushrooms accounts receivable/payable assistant (I use fresh or you can leave out) 1-2 stalks of celery, chopped Kitchen Boquet Like us on Facebook (if you find you want a darker gravy) or

Find us on the web www.bayoucatholic.org

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put soups and water in a Dutch oven and mix well. Add Kitchen Boquet, if Catholic Where to find your Bayou needed. Coat each piece of chicken in soup mixture.

Bayou Catholic magazine can be found Add mushrooms and celery. Cover place in oven at all and Catholic churches and Catholic schools for 1-1/2 hours or until chicken isthroughout cooked.the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. pick aupstore a copy,bought you may also visit the (For an even quicker meal, Touse merchants who advertise in our issue. Those Rotisserie chicken.) wishing to receive the magazine by mail can

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Jan. 26 - Feb. 1

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

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

a field trip, I have• Bayou the Catholic • 5 January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux flexibility to attend. This is very much appreciated.”

From the Editor

Spiritual New Year’s resolutions

While researching the topic of spiritual new year’s resolutions I found the following article and thought it would be great to share with our readers. It is reprinted with the author’s permission: I think most of us dislike New Year’s resolutions because we know we will somehow “fail” at meeting our high expectations, and we’re usually right. Losing a certain amount of weight, working out at the gym more often, cutting out sugar, etc., are usually futile attempts at making ourselves better in some way.

But what if we attached spiritual resolutions to our lives and somehow connected what we do or don’t do with a deeper meaning and purpose?

Here are 10 ideas for simple, practical ways you can improve your interior life in the new year and beyond. Don’t be afraid to “fail.”

Just keep moving forward and start anew.

Simplify your life This isn’t just about reorganizing your shelves or cleaning out closets.

Those are important and feel free to make that part of your resolution to simplify. But, in a spiritual sense, simplicity involves decluttering our mental and emotional states of being, too.

Start to simplify by cutting out 10 minutes of wasted time each day and using it for something productive. Read one spiritual book per month Let’s face it: Most of us say we “don’t have time” to read anything

more than a fun fantasy novel or browse a fluffy magazine. While these aren’t in and of themselves bad, why not swap some time spent reading something that will inspire you to grow in virtue and rid your life of vice?

Attend a weekend retreat If you plan ahead, you can make the time for a weekend retreat once per year. Yes, it’s going to involve a bit of a stretch with your schedule, but if you commit to it, you won’t regret it. The best part about attending a retreat is that everything is already planned, so all you have to do is block out two days, pay your fee (if applicable), and show up.

Pray a decade of the rosary daily This seriously takes maybe five to seven minutes of your time. Our family prays a decade a day with our kids at night before bed, and we offer an entire rosary on Sundays as part of our Sabbath celebration. The rosary is a very powerful prayer and often calms those who faithfully pray it. Even if you find yourself getting fidgety or distracted, keep pressing forward with it and persevere.

Volunteer This can be for anything. You might discern that volunteering suits your entire family. Discuss with your spouse and children what options seem to be the best fit for where your concerns and gifts are. In my family, our oldest daughter is very concerned with the plight of the poor and homeless. We have fostered this longing to help them by encouraging food drives and collecting donations instead of birthday presents.

Eventually, we plan to volunteer at our local food pantry or homeless shelter.

Keep the Sabbath holy A lot of people consider Sundays to be “just another day” of the week.

Unfortunately, many Catholics have also made Sunday another day to cram in extra work around the house or to run errands. It’s

6 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

because we are otherwise so busy that Sunday is almost a necessity for getting something accomplished.

Spend Sundays together as a family. Worship together, pray together, rest, spend time in quiet, take a nap!

Start a prayer journal This doesn’t have to be complex.

A simple spiral notebook kept at your bedside – or wherever you spend time in prayer – suffices.

Make a daily habit of writing whatever spiritual thoughts inspire you. Sometimes this might be a gratitude list, a simple prayer, a letter to God, or a quote from a saint or Scripture. Revisit your journal when you find yourself in a spiritual slump for encouragement.

Give your failures, weaknesses and sins to God The worst mistake we can make in our spiritual journeys is to give up when we do not meet our expectations or goals. There will be times in your calendar year when you are unable to fulfill your spiritual commitments, perhaps due to an injury, illness, accident, death, or supremely busy period of life.

The point here is to offer up your discouragement, disappointments, and frustrations to God as a prayer.

(Jeannie Ewing is a Catholic spirituality writer. Her books include Navigating Deep Waters, From Grief to Grace, A Sea Without a Shore, For Those Who Grieve and Waiting with Purpose. She is a frequent guest on Catholic radio and contributes to several online and print Catholic periodicals. Jeannie, her husband, their three daughters and one baby boy live in northern Indiana. For more information, visit her website jeannieewing.com.) BC

Lawrence

Lawrence Chatagnier Editor & General Manager

Church Life

American Indian Mass Bishop Emeritus Sam G. Jacobs was the presider of the Annual American Indian Mass celebrated recently at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Pointe-aux-Chenes. The celebration featured sacred drumming and people dressed in American Indian regalia.

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 7

Comment

The great events in January that bring hope and joy

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

With the arrival of the month of January, we enter into what can be experienced in most places as the deepest part of winter. The cold and darkness of winter fully encompass us, and we huddle all the more around places of warmth and light. While the season of Christmas extends for a period of time into the month of January, and we welcome a New Year on Jan. 1, for the most part January is spent recovering from the activities of Christmas Day and the parties welcoming the arrival of a New Year.

However, January is not without its own hopes and joys. Coming off the heels of Christmas and New Year, there are great events in the month of January that should not be forgotten.

On Jan. 8, we honor our Blessed Mother Mary under the title of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, and under this title she serves as patroness of the State of Louisiana. As you are aware, we invoke the intercession of Our Lady of Prompt Succor particularly during hurricane season. However, Our Lady of Prompt Succor can and should be invoked and relied upon whenever we need ‘quick help.’ The story of the devotion to Our Lady of Prompt Succor is an interesting one. The most wellknown part of the story roots itself in the Ursuline Sisters of New Orleans praying for victory over the British in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

The Ursulines and other residents of

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Blessings and peace to all!

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Comfort For My People

New Orleans appealed to Our Lady of Prompt Succor to intercede for them, and indeed the British troops, who far outnumbered the American troops at the battle, were defeated. If you do not know the full story of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, this would be a good time to learn it, and to consider attending the annual celebration on the Feast of Our Lady of Prompt Succor on Jan. 8 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor on State Street in New Orleans.

Also, during this month of January 2020, on both the state and local levels those elected to serve in positions of civil government will be sworn in or inaugurated for their terms of service.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Human society can be neither well-ordered nor prosperous unless it has some people invested with legitimate authority to preserve its institutions and to devote themselves as far as necessary to work and care for the good of all” (CCC no. 1897).

Let us pray fervently for those being inaugurated and invested with civil responsibilities. May God grant to them wisdom, prudence and an ongoing desire to strive always for the common good for all people. Please join me in praying for our civil leaders during this time.

8 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

Another event that has more and more come to be significant in the month of January is the annual March for Life that takes place in Washington, D.C. The annual March for Life has always drawn a good number of young people from our diocese who are willing to embark upon this pilgrimage to Washington, D.C., to raise their voices for those who cannot speak for themselves. The pilgrimage for the March for Life is a wonderful experience of prayer, fun, vocational discernment, visiting monuments in Washington, D.C., community, and of course taking a stand for the sanctity of human life. I am happy to say that this year our diocese again has a large contingency of youth and adults making the March for Life, and I offer my gratitude to all of them. I am also grateful to those who so generously financially support the March for Life, and to all who prayerfully support the March for Life, as well. I will again be attending the March for Life with our youth this year, and will be traveling up with them on the buses. It is always a great opportunity to be with our young people and to take a stand for life alongside them.

The month of January is also the time of the year when the bishops of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee come together for our annual retreat. From Jan. 5-9, I will be attending the annual bishops’ retreat. Please remember to pray for us in a special way during these days of retreat.

Therefore, whatever the month of January finds you involved in, do it all for the great glory of God, and then await what the Lord will do with your efforts! BC

h t n o m e h t r e v e W hat u o y s d n i f y r a u o f Jan r o f t i o d , n i d e involv . d o G f o y r o l g t a e r g e th January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 9

Comentario

Hay grandes acontecimientos en Enero que traen esperanza y alegría

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¡Bendiciones y paz para todos!

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Con la llegada del mes de enero, entramos en lo que pudiéramos experimentar en las mayorías de los lugares como la parte más profunda del invierno. El frío y la oscuridad del invierno nos envuelve totalmente, y nos acurruca todos a los lugares calentitos e iluminados. Mientras el tiempo de Navidad se extiende por un periodo de tiempo en el mes de enero, y damos la bienvenida al Año Nuevo el 1 de enero, la mayor parte de enero es para recuperarnos de las actividades del día de Navidad y de las fiestas de la llegada del Año Nuevo. Sin embargo, enero no se queda sin esperanzas y alegrías.

Saliendo de lo último de Navidad y Año Nuevo, hay grandes acontecimientos en el mes de enero que no deberían ser olvidadas.

El 8 de enero, veneramos a nuestra Santísima Madre María, bajo el título de Nuestra Señora del Pronto Socorro, y con este título, ella es la patrona del Estado de Luisiana. Como has de saber, nosotros invocamos la intercesión de Nuestra Señora del Pronto Socorro particularmente en la temporada de huracanes. Sin embargo, Nuestra Señora del Pronto Socorro puede y debería ser invocada y confiar en ella en cualquier momento en el que necesitamos de una ‘pronta ayuda’. La historia de la devoción a Nuestra Señora del Pronto Socorro es una muy interesante. La parte más conocida de la historia tiene sus raíces en las Hermanas Ursulinas Nuevo Orleans rezando por la victoria sobre los británicos en la Batalla de Nuevo Orleans en 1815. Las Ursulinas y otros residentes de Nuevo Orleans quienes acudieron a Nuestra Señora del Pronto Socorro para que intercediera por ellos, y de hecho las tropas británicas que

sobrepasaban las tropas americanas en la batalla, fueron derrotadas. Si no conoces la historia completa de Nuestra Señora del Pronto Socorro, sería bueno aprender de ella, y considerar asistir a la celebración de la Fiesta de Nuestra Señora del Pronto Socorro en State Street en Nuevo Orleans.

También, durante el mes de enero 2020, tanto a nivel local como estatal, quienes fueron electos para servir en el gobierno civil harán su juramento o iniciarán el término de su servicio. El Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica dice, “Una sociedad bien ordenada y fecunda requiere gobernantes, investidos de legítima autoridad, que defiendan las instituciones y consagren, en la medida suficiente, su actividad y sus desvelos al provecho común del país” (CIC no.

1897). Oremos fervorosamente por quienes son iniciados e investidos con responsabilidades civiles. Que Dios les dé la sabiduría, la prudencia y el constante deseo de lograr el bien común para todas las personas. Favor de unirse conmigo en la oración por los líderes durante este tiempo.

Otro acontecimiento que ha llegado a ser más y más significativo en el mes de enero es la Marcha Anual por la Vida realizada en Washington, D.C. La Marcha Anual por la Vida siempre ha

10 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

congregado un buen número de jóvenes de nuestra diócesis quienes desean embarcarse en la peregrinación a Washington, D.C. para alzar sus voces por aquellos que no pueden hablar por ellos mismos. La peregrinación de la Marcha por la Vida es una experiencia maravillosa de oración, diversión, discernimiento vocacional, visitas a monumentos en Washington, D.C., comunidad, y por supuesto, alzar la bandera por la santidad de la vida humana. Estoy muy contento decir que este año nuestra diócesis otra vez tiene una numerosa posibilidad de que jóvenes y adultos realicen la Marcha por la Vida, y ofrezco mi gratitud a cada uno de ellos. También estoy agradecido con todos aquellos quienes muy generosamente ayudan económicamente para la Marcha por la vida, y por todos aquellos quienes apoyan con su oración también. Yo estaré asistiendo a la Marcha por la Vida con nuestros jóvenes este año, y estaré viajando con ellos en los autobuses. Esta es siempre una gran oportunidad para estar con nuestros jóvenes y alzar la bandera por la vida junto con ellos.

El mes de enero es también un tiempo del año cuando los obispos de Luisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky y Tennessee se reúnen para un retiro anual. Del 5 al 9 de enero, estaré asistiendo al retiro anual de obispos.

Favor de recordarnos en sus oraciones en una manera especial durante estos días del retiro.

Por lo tanto, en donde quiera que te involucres en el mes de enero, hazlo para la mayor gloria de Dios, y entonces espera lo que el Señor hará con tus esfuerzos. BC

Binh luan bang loi

Vài sự kiện đáng chú ý trong tháng Giêng mang lại hy vọng và niềm vui

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Phép lành và bình an cho tất cả mọi người!

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Bước vào tháng Giêng, chúng ta lạc vào với cái gọi là qua kinh nghiệm hầu hết mọi nơi có thể cảm nhận được cái lạnh buốt của mùa đông. Lạnh giá và bầu trời tối đen mùa đông bao phủ chúng ta và nó thúc đẩy chúng ta tìm nơi ấm áp và có nhiều ánh sáng hơn. Trong khi mùa Giáng Sinh lấn thêm vào tháng Giêng, và chúng ta đón mừng Tết Tây vào ngày mùng một, phần còn lại trong tháng chúng ta dùng nó để hồi sức cho những ngày bận rộn của Giáng Sinh và ăn mừng Tết Tây. Tuy nhiên, tháng Giêng không thiếu niềm hy vọng và vui mừng của nó.

Ngoài gót chân mùa Giáng Sinh và Năm Mới còn có những sự kiện trong tháng Giêng mà chúng ta không thể quên.

Mùng tám tháng một chúng ta kính Mẹ Maria với danh hiệu Đức Mẹ Hằng Cứu Giúp và với danh hiệu này Mẹ là quan thầy của tiểu bang Louisiana. Như anh chị em đã biết, chúng ta xin Đức Mẹ Hằng Cứu Giúp che chở chúng ta trong mùa giông bão. Tuy nhiên, chúng ta có thể và nên cầu xin Đức Mẹ Hằng Cứu Giúp phù hộ chúng ta mỗi khi cần Mẹ nhanh chóng. Câu chuyện về lòng sùng kính Đức Mẹ Hằng Cứu Giúp là một lý thú. Câu chuyện được biết đến nhiều nhất có nguồn gốc từ nhà dòng Nữ Ursuline tại thành phố New Orleans khi họ xin Đức Mẹ giúp quân ta chiến thắng quân Anh ở trận đánh tại đây vào năm 1815. Qua sự khấn nguyện của Quý Sơ Ursuline và dân thành phố dâng lên Đức Mẹ Hằng Cứu Giúp thì quả thật lúc đó quân Anh đông hơn quân ta rất nhiều, đã bại trận. Nếu anh chị em không rõ câu chuyện này thì đây là cơ hội tìm hiểu, và tính đến chuyện tham dự Thánh Lễ kính Đức Mẹ Hằng Cứu Giúp vào ngày 8 tháng Giêng ở tượng Đài Đức Mẹ Hằng Cứu Giúp trên đường State tại thành phố

New Orleans.

Cùng lúc đó, trong tháng Giêng, 2020, cả hai mặt tiểu bang và địa phương những vị nào đã thắng bầu cử lần bỏ phiếu vừa rồi sẽ tuyên thệ nhậm chức tại vị theo thời gian mà chức vụ đó cho phép. Giáo lý Công Giáo ghi rõ, “Xã hội dân sự không thể nào có trật tự và thịnh vượng nếu không có một số người dấn thân thực thi nghĩa vụ chân chính bảo vệ xã hội và hy sinh tận tụy năng lực quản lý và bảo vệ quyền lợi của mọi người.” Chúng ta cùng cầu nguyện sốt sắng cho quý vị đại diện dân sự và sự hăng say dấn thân chu toàn bổn phận.

Xin Chúa ban cho họ sự khôn ngoan thận trọng và lòng mong mỏi luôn phục vụ tốt cho mọi cử chi. Anh chị em cùng tôi cầu nguyện cho họ trong thời điểm này.

Một sự kiện khác phải nói là càng quan trọng hơn xảy ra trong tháng Giêng là Diễn Hành Phò Sự Sống hằng năm xảy ra tại Thủ Đô Hoa Kỳ. Diễn Hành Phò Sự Sống luôn có sự tham gia của nhiều giới trẻ sống trong Giáo Phận và chính họ quấn gói hành trình lên Thủ Đô lên tiếng cho những ai không có tiếng nói. Hành trình tham gia Diễn Hành Phò Sự Sống là một kinh nghiệm cầu nguyện tuyệt vời, cũng như mang lại niềm vui và củng cố ơn gọi, thăm viếng các tượng đài tại Thủ Đô, thăm cộng đồng, và đương nhiên lên tiếng bảo vệ sự linh thiêng của sự sống. Tôi cảm thấy vui chia sẻ với anh chi em rằng năm nay địa phận chúng ta có nhiều giới trẻ cùng người lớn tham gia Diễn Hành Phò Sự Sống và tôi rất cảm kích với sự hy sinh của tất cả.

Tôi rất mang ơn anh chị nào đã quảng đại giúp tài chánh cho chương trình Diễn Dành Phò Sự Sống, và những anh chị em khác cùng cầu nguyện cho ý chỉ đó. Tôi một lần nữa cùng các bạn trẻ tham gia Diễn Hành Phò Sự Sống và cùng với họ đi xe đò lên đó. Nó chính là cơ hội tốt cùng với các bạn trẻ đứng lên bảo vệ cho sự sống.

Trong tháng Giêng cũng là thời gian mà các Giám Mục tiểu bang Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky và Tennessee cùng nhau cấm phòng thường niên. Từ ngày 5 đến 9 tôi sẽ đi cấm phòng với các Giám Mục khác. Xin anh chị em cầu nguyện liên lỉ cho chúng tôi trong mấy ngày cấm phòng đó. Vì thế, bất cứ điều gì anh chị em tham gia trong tháng Giêng, làm vì làm sáng danh Chúa, và chờ đợi Ngài sẽ đáp lại qua sự cố gắng mà anh chị đã bỏ ra. BC

January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 11

Comment

Evangelization must start with encountering Jesus, pope says The Pope Speaks

Vatican City, (CNA) Pope Francis called for a “free and simple church” which shares the Gospel without worrying about appearance or profit, but is motivated by an authentic encounter with Christ recently.

“I would like to tell you very simply: The joy of the Gospel comes from the encounter with Jesus,” the pope said.

“When we meet the Lord, we are inundated by that love of which he alone is capable,” he said. This love transforms our whole life, and “the need to announce it arises spontaneously, it becomes irrepressible.”

Pope Francis spoke to participants in an international meeting on Evangelii Gaudium: The Church which goes forth.

The meeting, organized by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, gathered bishops, religious and laity from across the globe to discuss the pope’s 2013 apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium.

In his address, which took place in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, the pope pointed to the example of Mary Magdalene, who becomes the first to share the Good News of the Resurrection.

While Mary Magdalene came to the tomb filled with pain and sadness, her encounter with the risen Lord changed her sorrow into joy, which she in turn shared with the apostles, the pope said.

“The experience of so many people today is not far from that of Mary of Magdala,” he continued. “Nostalgia for

God, for an infinite and true love, is rooted in the heart of every man.”

Evangelizing means meeting these people in the journey of life, Pope Francis said. Those who evangelize “can never forget that they are always on the road, searching together with the others … He knows no enemies, only traveling companions.”

He urged those present not to hold back due to a fear of making mistakes, noting that everyone has weaknesses, but when we prioritize the Good News, we allow God’s grace to work through our imperfect efforts.

If we truly believe that God is love, he said, we come to realize that no effort carried out with love and patient

12 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

generosity on our part will be wasted.

Pope Francis also cautioned against the temptation to discouragement when things do not go as planned.

“Sadness is not a Christian virtue,” he said, giving the example of the early Christians who were persecuted yet maintained joy and did not fall into defeatism.

This can be a difficult task, the pope acknowledged, but keeping the proper perspective allows Christians to return again and again to Christ, the source of their hope.

He encouraged them to pray daily to the Holy Spirit that they may maintain “the missionary ardor that makes life a love story with God.” BC

Comment

Questions of Faith Father Joshua Rodrigue, S.T.L.

‘Mixed marriage’ and baptismal promise If a Catholic marries a nonCatholic Christian, do they have to promise to baptize their children and raise them in the Catholic faith?

Nearly 40 years ago, over 70 percent of the population in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux was Catholic.

In 2019, the Catholic population comprises about 38 percent of the total population of our area. The question posed is relevant since a frequent number of Catholic weddings in the diocese involves couples who are not both Catholic but instead have one spouse being a baptized Christian (Baptist, Pentecostal, etc.) or a different faith (Jewish, Muslim, etc.).

The marriage between a Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic is considered a “mixed marriage.” For those who entered into a mixed marriage before the current 1983 Code of Canon Law, the couples may remember that both parties to a mixed marriage had to promise in writing that the children of the marriage would be baptized and brought up in the Catholic faith. In his 1970 apostolic letter “Matrimonia Mixta,” St. Pope Paul VI modified that

guideline somewhat, and it eventually made its way into the current Code of Canon Law. Presently in our diocese, the Catholic man or woman obtains permission from the priest for the Catholic to marry a baptized non-Catholic after fulfilling the following conditions according to Canon Law: (1) “The Catholic party declares that he or she is prepared to remove dangers of falling away from the faith and makes a sincere promise to do all in his or her power to have all the children baptized and brought up in the Catholic Church;” (2) “the other party is to be informed at an appropriate time of these promises which the Catholic party has to make, so that it is clear that the other party is truly aware of the promise and obligation of the Catholic party;” and (3) “both parties are to be instructed on the essential ends and properties of marriage, which are not to be excluded by either party” (Can. 1125).

Permitting the marriage, the priest attests with his signature on the form that the Catholic party has made the required pledge either orally or in writing and that the non-Catholic spouse is aware of it. The non-Catholic party is not required to promise anything; he or she simply has to be made aware of the pledge that the other spouse has made.

Couples coming from different faith traditions can find it both enriching for their family life but also trying at times. Either during the marriage preparations with the priest or preferably even well before these meetings, couples have discussed both how their own faith life as a couple will be practiced and how their children will be reared in the faith. In most of the circumstances, all works out well during the marriage; however, there is no guarantee that things will work out as the marriage preparation and guidelines envision.

It might happen that, with the arrival of a child, the non-Catholic spouse reevaluates and objects to a

Catholic baptism and rearing. In such a situation, the Catholic spouse may be forced to choose between the harmony of the household and the religion of the child. In this difficult situation, one is reminded of the promise made “to do all in his or her power to have all the children baptized and brought up in the Catholic Church.” Doing all that one can does not include so insisting on the Catholic formation of children that the stability of the marriage is threatened.

Nevertheless, in these circumstances the Catholic party can fulfill his or her obligation, at least in part, in a number of ways. First, the Catholic spouse plays an active part in contributing to the Christian atmosphere of the home. Second, he or she does all that is possible by word and example to enable the other members of the family to appreciate the specific values of the Catholic tradition. Third, the Catholic spouse takes whatever steps are necessary to be informed about his or her own faith so as to be able to explain and discuss it with the other members of the family. Finally, he or she prays with the family for the grace of Christian unity as the Lord wills it.

Ultimately, it is the power of prayer and the power of God’s grace that turn hearts to him. No spouse can be required to do what is humanly impossible and so must turn to divine assistance. Giving good example and authentically living out the Catholic faith can speak volumes and move the hearts of a spouse and children to desire the source of faith, hope and charity. BC

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

January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 13

Reflections

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity provides an opportunity for us to be ecumenical people Readings Between the Lines Father Glenn LeCompte

“I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and they who are mine know me.

As the Father knows me and I know the Father, I also set down my life for the sheep. Furthermore, I have other sheep who are not of this fold; it is necessary for me to lead them also. They also listen to the sound of my voice. There will be one flock, one shepherd. On account of this, the Father loves me, because I set down my life in order that I might take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I set it down on my own. I have authority to set it down and I have authority again to take it up. This commandment I received from my Father” (John 10:10-16, translation

by Father Glenn LeCompte).

Usually called the parable of “The Good Shepherd,” this passage is an extended metaphor that Jesus uses to describe his relationship to his followers. More than a simple metaphor, Jesus’ statement, “I am the good shepherd,” is one of several “I am” statements Jesus makes in John whereby he uses the divine name in referring to himself. In Ezekiel 34:1116, God will replace the bad shepherds of Israel and shepherd the sheep himself. Jesus, who uses the divine name in identifying himself as the good shepherd fulfills this prophecy.

For my purpose in this article, I focus on the last phrase of John 10:16, “There will be one flock, one shepherd.”

Biblical scholar Raymond Brown (Introduction to the New Testament, p. 349) asserts that this statement reflects the fact that “... when the

Gospel (of John) was written, division among Jesus’ followers was a problem.”

As we can see, from a very early time there have been rifts within the Christian Church, but the most serious fragmentations occurred in the 11th century with the schism between the eastern and western church and in the 16th century with the Protestant Reformation. The author of 1 John was scandalized by the division in his community. St. Paul exhorts the Corinthian Christians to do away with the factions in the community which formed around one leader or another (1 Corinthians 1:10-13) or with divisions over differing spiritual gifts possessed by various individuals (12:12-31).

After the East-West Schism in the 11th century, the western church sent missionaries to the east to strive for reunification of the church; the effort met with some, but not total success. This is why we have the Orthodox Churches (still in schism with the west) and the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches, which are in union with Rome. Still, however, there has been tension between the Latin and Byzantine Rite Catholic Churches.

The initial hostility that broke out between Catholics and the Reformers of the 16th century has in some arenas persisted to this day, but in others has softened greatly, primarily due to the Ecumenical Movement. The Second Vatican Council did not begin the Movement, but it made it an official pastoral program of the universal

14 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

church when the Council fathers approved and Pope Paul VI promulgated the Decree on Ecumenism. In fact, at the very beginning of the document the Council fathers state, “The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council.” And the reason they take this position is that, “Such division openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages the holy cause of preaching the Gospel to every creature.”

That Pope Francis is faithfully carrying forward the work appointed to the church by the Second Vatican Council can be seen in an address he made to an ecumenical delegation from Finland on Jan. 19, 2019 (http://www.vatican.va/content/ francesco/en/speeches/2019/january/ documents/papa-francesco_20190119_ ecumenici-luterani-finlandia.html).

In his address the Holy Father makes several important observations about ecumenism.

First, he underscores the integral place ecumenism has in Christian faith when he says, “A shared commitment to ecumenism is an essential requirement of the faith we profess; it stems from our very identity as Christ’s followers.”

Secondly, he characterizes ecumenism as a “journey” that is neither “irreversible” nor “optional.” Referring to ecumenism as a journey, the pontiff points out that it is a movement that gradually progresses toward a destination, even if all the

a

Reflections

theological details have not yet been worked out. The aspects of living Christian faith wherein we can find common ground, “a common service of charity and witness to the faith” should not be impeded because the theological complexities have not been worked out.

Pope Francis maintains, “The theological and ecclesiological issues that still keep us apart can only be resolved in the course of the journey along this common path.” And regarding the theological difficulties the Christian Churches face, “we are called to do what we can to promote encounter and to resolve in charity the misunderstandings, conflicts and prejudices that have tainted our relations for centuries.”

While many Catholics understand the benefit and importance of ecumenical dialog, I sometimes perceive that others within the church are suspicious of it, as if dialog with Protestants could contaminate Catholic

faith. There is no danger if we first understand not only “what” we believe, but “why” we believe what we believe, and why our separated brothers and sisters believe differently than we do (Decree on Ecumenism No. 9). As Pope Francis acknowledges, we must be honest about our differences, that on certain issues we are not in agreement, but that does not mean we cannot talk to one another and work together. In the Joint Declaration on Justification, the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church assert: “Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ’s saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted

by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works.”

In John 17:20-21, Jesus says “I pray not only for (those you gave me), but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may

all be one.” During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan. 18-25) let us join our words to those of Jesus and do what we can to promote the unity of all who believe in Jesus. BC

Reflection Questions v What kind of productive conversations have you had with people of other Christian denominations? v In what ways can Catholics and Protestants work together with Christ in the building of God’s Kingdom? v The Decree on Ecumenism No. 7 states, “There can be no ecumenism worthy of the name without a change of heart.” What changes can you make that can help you to become a more ecumenical person?

It’s your plan.

Let’s make it happen.

banksynergy.com | 985.851.2217 January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 15

Scripture Readings and a listing of Feast days and saints

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1 January

2

3

4

Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Numbers 6:22-27 Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 2:16-21

5 Christmas Weekday 1 John 3:22—4:6 Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25

12

6

13

20

14 Weekday 1 Samuel 1:9-20 Mark 1:21-28

21

Second Sunday in Weekday Memorial of Saint Ordinary Time 1 Samuel 15:16-23 Agnes, virgin and Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 Mark 2:18-22 martyr 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 1 Samuel 16:1-13 John 1:29-34 Mark 2:23-28

26

8

9

10

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious 1 John 3:7-10 John 1:35-42

11

Christmas Weekday Christmas Weekday Christmas Weekday Christmas Weekday Christmas Weekday Christmas Weekday 1 John 3:22—4:6 1 John 4:7-10 1 John 4:11-18 1 John 4:19—5:4 1 John 5:5-13 1 John 5:14-21 Matthew 4:12-17, Mark 6:34-44 Mark 6:45-52 Luke 4:14-22a Luke 5:12-16 John 3:22-30 23-25

Feast of the Weekday Baptism of the Lord 1 Samuel 1:1-8 Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 Mark 1:14-20 Acts 10:34-38 Matthew 3:13-17

19

7

Christmas Weekday Memorial of 1 John 2:29—3:6 Saints Basil the Great and Gregory John 1:29-34 Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the church 1 John 2:22-28 John 1:19-28

27

Weekday Third Sunday in 2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10 Ordinary Time Mark 3:22-30 Isaiah 8:23—9:3 1 Corinthians 1:1013, 17 Matthew 4:12-23

28

15 Weekday 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20 Mark 1:29-39

22 Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children 1 Samuel 17:3233, 37, 40-51 Mark 3:1-6

29

Weekday Memorial of Saint 2 Samuel 7:4-17 Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of Mark 4:1-20 the church 2 Samuel 6:12b15, 17-19 Mark 3:31-35

16 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

16 Weekday 1 Samuel 4:1-11 Mark 1:40-45

23 Weekday 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7 Mark 3:7-12

17 Memorial of Saint Anthony, abbot 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a Mark 2:1-12

24 Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor of the church 1 Samuel 24:3-21 Mark 3:13-19

30

31

Weekday 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29 Mark 4:21-25

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, priest 2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17 Mark 4:26-34

18 Weekday 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19, 10:1a Mark 2:13-17

25 Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle Acts 22:3-16 Mark 16:15-18

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January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 17

Special

Maria Immacolata Catholic School to close at conclusion of 2019-2020 school year Maria Immacolata Catholic School in Houma has educated generations of families in the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux for over half of a century.

However, despite its history and very strong legacy, over the last several years the student enrollment and economic vitality of the school have fallen to a level that is no longer sustainable.

On Sunday, Dec. 1, Father Joey Pilola, pastor of Maria Immacolata Church parish, announced to his parishioners and the school community that a decision had been made to close

the school, effective at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Father Pilola indicated the decision was reached after consultation in late November with the parish council and finance council, as well as the school’s finance and advisory boards.

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre, diocesan senior staff and the Office of Catholic Schools all concur with and support the difficult decision announced by Father Pilola.

“While we sincerely regret that these actions are necessary, we remain dedicated to the mission of Catholic

18 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

education in the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux,” says Suzanne Troxclair, diocesan superintendent of Catholic Schools. “We recognize this is difficult news to hear, but we are blessed to have other strong Catholic schools nearby.”

Troxclair says that the Office of Catholic Schools is working diligently to prepare resources to assist the Maria Immacolata families should they choose to enroll in another Catholic school in the diocese next year. BC

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www.ptcenter-la.com January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 19

Youth

in action Abigail Stewart School: Central Lafourche High School Grade: 12th Church parish: St. Louis, Bayou Blue Describe your family unit: Denise, mother; Andrew, father; Andrew Jr. and Benjamin, older brothers Favorite Hobby: Spending time with and helping others Favorite Movie: I Can Only Imagine Favorite Genre of Music: Older Country

Who has been the most influential person in your life when it comes to embracing your Catholic faith? How has this person influenced you? How can you in turn be an influence on others?

My family has always been the biggest influence in my faith. When I was younger I would go to sleep at my grandma’s house and wake up on Sunday and go to church. I remember sitting in the pew with her neighbor while she went up to give out the Eucharist. My grandma and I also volunteered at the food bank and the medicine bank. I thought she was so special to be able to do something so important like that. I want to one day feel that important. However, as I got older I struggled to find my place in my faith. My seventh grade year I had this

Catechism teacher who worked in big factories doing hard labor and was a Christian rapper, but yet found time to teach a bunch of children about their faith. Then the next year I questioned everything about my faith and myself, right before I went to confession. I was crying and everything, but the CCD director Mrs. Andrea pulled me aside and explained everything. She explained why it was important to go to confession, why we go to church, and why we do everything in our faith.

Seeing her so compassionate and with so much faith calmed me down and

20 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

I finally realized what it really was about. Since then I have volunteered as much as I can with my mom. My mom and I even taught third grade CCD last year and now I’m teaching eighth grade. My mother and I attended the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) two years ago in Indianapolis and really enjoyed the experience. On that trip is when I realized I wanted to teach CCD. I have met so many people who have made my faith stronger. My goal is to teach kids that having faith is what will keep you happy and get you through life. BC

Seminarian Education Burses What is a seminarian burse/endowment fund?

A seminarian burse/endowment 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 HoumaThibodaux.

How does someone establish a seminarian burse/endowment fund?

Very simply, a burse/endowment fund may be established and

named for anyone you choose, be it family, friend, bishop, priest, deacon, religious, etc.

Who do I contact to contribute to or establish a fund?

To contribute to or establish a burse/endowment fund, send funds to the Pastoral Center, Attn: Catholic Foundation, P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395 or contact the Catholic Foundation office at 985-850-3116 or aponson@htdiocese.org for more information.

Completed Burses and CFSL Named Endowment Funds

November 2019 Burse Contributions

Note: Numbers stipulate the amount of completed burses.*

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 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 (2) Endowment Fund - $119,136.90 James J Buquet Jr. Julius & Marie Pauline St. Amant Elie & Dot Klingman Bishop Sam Jacobs Endowment-$32,840.43 Giardina Family Foundation Sem. Endowment-$4,337.62

James J. Buquet, Jr. Family Sem. Endowment-$27,979.95 Diocesan Seminarian Endowment-$3,502,699.11 Mary and Al Danos Foundation Sem. Endowment-$38,621.30 Msgr. Amedee Sem. Endowment-$314,838.43 The Peltier Foundation-$14,482.97 Leo & Ethel Hebert Jane and John Dean Sidney J. & Lydie C. Duplantis Msgr. Stanislaus Manikowski Leon “Ponoke” and Marlene Champagne Sem. Endowment-$2,225.00 Society of St. Joseph-$100 Father Patrick Riviere Sem. Endowment-$27,018.24 Parker Conrad Sem. Education-$15.000.00 Father Brett Lapeyrouse Sem. Education-$3,000.00

Dean Joseph Chiasson.........$100.00 Mr. & Mrs. George C. Fakier.......................................$100.00 Msgr. William Koninkx .........$100.00

Open Burses with Balance as of November 30, 2019 Donald Peltier Sr. No. 4 ........................................$13,000.00 Joseph Strada Memorial ......................................$12,642.63 Msgr. Raphael C. Labit No. 2 ............................ $11,560.00 Claude & Lucy Mahler Family ............................ $11,400.00 Joseph Waitz Sr. ......................................................$11,000.00 Mr. & Mrs. George C. Fakier ............................... $11,000.00 Harvey Peltier No. 31 ............................................$10,486.91 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 Msgr. William Koninkx .............................................$8,000.00 Catholic Daughters ....................................................$7,080.00 Rev. Victor Toth ..........................................................$7,000.00 Msgr. Francis Amedee .............................................$6,850.00 Rev. Gerard Hayes .....................................................$6,686.00 Brides of the Most Blessed Trinity ......................$6,598.00 Rev. Peter Nies ............................................................$6,000.00 Rev. Guy Zeringue .....................................................$6,000.00 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 Joseph “Jay” Fertitta ..................................................$4,450.00 Rev. Henry Naquin ....................................................$4,311.00

Anawin Community ..................................................$4,200.00 Harry Booker No. 2 ...................................................$4,138.00 Msgr. James Songy ...................................................$4,075.00 Kelly Curole Frazier ....................................................$3,610.96 Mr. & Mrs. John Marmande ..................................$3,500.00 J. R. Occhipinti .............................................................$3,400.00 Preston & Gladys Webre ........................................$3,400.00 Mr. & Mrs. Galip Jacobs ..........................................$3,060.00 St. Jude ...........................................................................$3,000.00 Diocesan Knights of Columbus No. 2 ...............$2,894.62 Warren J. Harang Jr. No. 2 .....................................$2,800.00 Rev. Peter H. Brewerton ..........................................$2,600.00 Willie & Emelda St. Pierre ......................................$2,000.00 Rev. John Gallen .........................................................$1,950.00 Rev. H.C. Paul Daigle ................................................$1,900.00 Deacon Connely Duplantis ....................................$1,700.00 Alfrances P. Martin ....................................................$1,650.00 Msgr. Francis J. Legendre No. 2 ...........................$1,645.00 Rev. Robert J. Sevigny ..............................................$1,600.00 Jacob Marcello ............................................................$1,600.00 Rev. Hubert C. Broussard ........................................$1,550.00 Judge Louis & Shirley R. Watkins .......................$1,550.00 Msgr. Emile J. Fossier ...............................................$1,545.00 Ronnie Haydel .............................................................$1,535.00 Dr. William Barletta Sr. .............................................$1,525.00 Deacon Robert Dusse’ .............................................$1,450.00 Rev. Anthony Rousso ...............................................$1,300.00 Msgr. John L. Newfield ............................................$1,200.00

Dean Joseph Chiasson .............................................$1,200.00 Rev. Joseph Tu Tran No. 2 ......................................$1,094.00 Msgr. John G. Keller ..................................................$1,050.00 Rev. Clemens Schneider ..........................................$1,000.00 Bishop Warren L. Boudreaux No. 4 ....................$1,000.00 Edna W. DiSalvo .........................................................$1,000.00 Bernice Harang ...........................................................$1,000.00 Deacon Willie Orgeron ............................................... $900.00 Ruby Pierce ...................................................................... $800.00 Deacon Roland Dufrene ............................................ $750.00 Juliette & Eugene Wallace ........................................ $700.00 Deacon Edward J. Blanchard .................................... $700.00 Deacon Raymond LeBouef ....................................... $550.00 Paul & Laura Duet ....................................................... $550.00 Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Cannata ................................... $500.00 Robert Walsh .................................................................. $500.00 Anne Veron Aguirre ..................................................... $380.00 Deacon Harold Kurtz ................................................... $300.00 Richard Peltier No. 2 .................................................... $300.00 Claude Bergeron ........................................................... $250.00 Rev. Michael Finnegan ................................................ $200.00 Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Naquin ......................................... $150.00 Deacon Pedro Pujals ................................................... $100.00 Rev. Warren Chassaniol .............................................. $100.00 Deacon Eldon Frazier .....................................................$50.00 Deacon Nick Messina .....................................................$50.00 Grant J. Louviere ..............................................................$50.00

Overall Seminarian Burses Total: $1,759,143.02 ~ CFSL Seminarian Endowments Total: $4,105,187.64 January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 21

Heavenly Recipes

Melissa Robertson

Melissa Bakes a:

QUICK FIX MEAL Story and Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

This month’s heavenly recipe, easy oven baked chicken stew, is from Melissa Robertson, diocesan director of the Office of Human Resources and Safe Environment. Melissa, a native of New Orleans, has been living in the diocese for the past 25 years. She is a graduate of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux. Melissa is celebrating her 20th anniversary with the diocese this month.

Melissa and her husband Rex live in Schriever. The couple has three children, Alaina who is 13 and twins Connor and Caroline who are 11. Melissa spends much of her time balancing full time work at the diocese and activities with her children, who are very active in sports. She got the recipe from a coworker years ago who told her it was quick and easy, an essential for a busy mom.

“Every day is different. Typically, I leave the house around 7:45 a.m. to drop off the kids at St. Genevieve Catholic School, then head to the office. Some days I pick up the kids from after bell and bring them straight to their events. I also have help from other parents at the school. The children are involved in soccer, gymnastics, dance and baseball. Most days we get home around 8 p.m. We do all the activities as a family. Rex and I are always there for their games and activities. The children also go to all of the activities and support one another.”

Rex works for a communications company that serves the oil industry. He typically leaves home around 4 a.m. and returns around 5:30 p.m. Sometimes he has to be available for work at a moment’s notice.

Melissa is grateful to be working for the diocese. “Bishop Fabre promotes family life and family time. Working for the diocese has allowed me to flex time to attend family activities.

Whether the children are participating in a school Mass or 22 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

Easy Oven Baked Chicken Stew INGREDIENTS: 1 chicken, cut up, skin removed (I use 6-9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs) Season with pepper only (you can always add a little spice, just watch the sodium) 1 can Golden Mushroom Soup 1 envelope dry onion soup mix 1/2 can of water 1 can of mushrooms (I use fresh or you can leave out) 1-2 stalks of celery, chopped Kitchen Boquet (if you find you want a darker gravy)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put soups and water in a Dutch oven and mix well. Add Kitchen Boquet, if needed. Coat each piece of chicken in soup mixture.

Add mushrooms and celery. Cover and place in oven for 1-1/2 hours or until chicken is cooked.

(For an even quicker meal, use a store bought Rotisserie chicken.)

a field trip, I have the flexibility to attend. This is very much appreciated.”

Melissa and Rex also value the importance of a Catholic education for their children. “Growing up I attended Catholic schools. My parents made sacrifices in order for me to receive a Catholic education. We want our children to be raised and educated in the Catholic faith. Catholic schools are an important component for their academic development as well as their spiritual growth.” BC

Commentary

Teilhard de Chardin: ‘Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God’ Guest Columnist Father Wilmer Todd

Many people confuse happiness and joy. They are both fantastic feelings to experience, but are very different.

Happiness is the delight and fulfillment of the psychology soul, the psyche.

The psyche is the center of thought, feeling and motivation, consciously and unconsciously directing the body’s reactions to its social and physical environment.

Happiness happens through external situations based on other people, things, places, thoughts and events.

We define joy as the delight and fulfillment of the spirit. It comes when we make peace with who we are, why we are here and how we relate to God and others. The French philosopher and scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once said, “Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.” To experience joy we do not have to add anything to our lives. Rather, we have to give up certain behaviors. Here are “10 Things We Must Give up to Experience True Joy.” 1) Give up living in fear. Fear can be good and bad. If we are walking on a road and come across a grizzly bear looking for a meal, fear can be helpful.

Our brain activates the sympathetic nervous system that changes our bodies into a flight or fight mode.

However, living in fear about what might happen is like paying interest on money you didn’t borrow. It burns up energy, it goes nowhere, and keeps us from living in the present.

2) Give up negative self-talk. We

are our worst enemy. We often tell ourselves what we cannot do or we are not good enough, we are not worthy or our past has put us on the wrong road of life. Negative self-talk leads to poor self-confidence, low self-esteem and bad attitudes. Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

3) Give up living in the past. We have all made mistakes in our youth. Don’t carry the baggage of your past with you in life. Let go of the good and bad so you can live in the present.

4) Give up living other people’s dreams or seeking their approval.

Many people spend their lives living other people’s dreams and aspirations.

Everyone is unique. Each person must find out who they are and what God wants them to do in life.

5) Give up resistance to change. The old ancient Greeks had an expression, “Everything changes.” That’s true.

People change, ideas change, the things we use change. In today’s world, the pace of change has speeded up. We seek comfort and security but we have to accept change as a constant reality.

6) Give up comparing yourself with others. Someone will always be smarter, better looking and more successful than we are. When we

always want to be like “him” or “her,” then we are not looking and developing our own God-given gifts and talents. Be yourself totally.

7) Give up your need to impress others. We all want people to like us.

We often do or say things to impress others. Be transparent. Be authentic.

Be the best version of yourself.

8) Give up blaming others or our circumstances. Bad things happen to everyone. People have hurt us and we will continue to be hurt. It all depends what we do with the hurt. No one is dealt a perfect hand in life. We have to stand up, take a deep breath, and move on.

9) Give up complaining or making excuses. With God’s help, we are in control of our lives. Life is not perfect and we should not expect it to be. We are imperfect and so is everyone else.

We have to do the best with what we have.

10) Never doubt that God has a plan for each of us. God has made us different and has given us different talents and abilities. God wants us to use our talents and ability to make our world a better place to live in. We won’t experience that deep joy until we do what God wants us to do. BC

January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 23

Cover Story

‘Ad limina’

Bishop Fabre visits Holy Father

By Bishop Shelton J. Fabre The “ad limina apostolorum” (to the thresholds of the apostles) is a pilgrimage to Rome that each bishop in the world makes every five years.

As the one who serves you as Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, I recently made the “ad limina” to Rome during the week of Dec. 1-7 with the Bishops of USCCB Region V, which encompasses the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee.

During the “ad limina” pilgrimage, a bishop particularly undertakes three things: 1) Celebrates Mass at the Tomb of St. Peter in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, and at the Tomb of St. Paul at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, and at the two other Major Basilicas in Rome, namely St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major; 2) Visits Vatican Congregations to receive information from the Congregations or to address questions to them concerning areas for which the Congregation has oversight, with four required Congregations to visit: a) the Congregation for Bishops; b) the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; c) the Congregation for Clergy; and d) the Secretary of State; and 3) Greets and spends some time in the presence of the pope to share with him some of the gifts and challenges of the diocese where the bishop serves, and gifts and challenges that the church faces in the country from which the bishops come.

Though I had attended a previous “ad limina” as an auxiliary bishop, this was the first time that I did so as the bishop of a diocese. Very Rev. Alex Gaudet, chancellor of the diocese and assistant to the bishop, was also able to accompany me to Rome. I want to share with you the activities that I undertook

Pope Francis greets Bishop Shelton J. Fabre. during my “ad limina” pilgrimage to Rome.

Sunday, Dec. 1 I arrived at the North American College (NAC) in Rome, which had kindly organized some aspects of our pilgrimage and also housed the bishops and others during our time in Rome.

The NAC is a seminary that serves seminarians from the United States who study and enter into priestly formation in Rome. Currently, the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux has two seminarians in formation at the NAC, Joseph Lapeyrouse and Matthew Prosperie. Later in the afternoon, all who had arrived on Sunday for the “ad limina” visit celebrated Mass for the First Sunday of Advent, and later joined the seminary community for evening prayer.

Monday, Dec. 2 In the morning we celebrated Mass at the Basilica of St. John Lateran,

24 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

which is the pope’s cathedral church in his role as Bishop of the Diocese of Rome. At each of the major basilicas visited, there is a specific prayer offered by the bishops following Mass, and at St. John Lateran we prayed for the pope and for all who assist him in his work at the Vatican. Later in the day, we visited the Congregation for Saints, which is responsible for investigating the numerous requests to have people canonized as saints. Several bishops from our region have active requests with this congregation. It is comforting to know that striving for holiness and sainthood is still active and alive, and there are wonderful saintly models from our time. In the afternoon, we visited the Congregation for Promoting Integral Human Development, which focuses on assisting communities and countries to strive for justice, promote positive human development for all people, and call for the care for all

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Cover Story

creation. In the evening, we were invited to dinner at the Pontifical Academy for the Arts and Sciences, which promotes deeper study in aspects of culture, and demonstrates that there is no conflict between official church teaching and the study and findings of science.

Tuesday, Dec. 3 We were blessed to have our audience with His Holiness, Pope Francis. Along with me and the other bishops of our region, Very Rev. Alex Gaudet, Father Joshua Rodrigue, and seminarians Matthew Prosperie and Joseph Lapeyrouse were all allowed to be present at the beginning of the audience to greet the pope. The audience, between only the pope and the bishops, was relaxed and conversational, and the pope was very interested in what is happening in the church in the USA. The pope’s approachability, warmth, support, insights, and humor during our extended audience were wonderful! In the afternoon, we visited the Congregation for Bishops, which is responsible for researching priest candidates to become bishops, managing the assignment of bishops, and for other matters concerning the ministry of bishops. Finally, we ended the day at the Secretary of State, which focuses on addressing all diplomatic matters between Vatican City State and other countries of the world.

Wednesday, Dec. 4 Early in the morning we departed for the Basilica of St. Mary Major, which is the largest church dedicated to Our Lady in Rome. We celebrated a votive Mass for the Blessed Mother, and after Mass chanted the Salve Regina, an integral prayer in the spirituality of priests. Later in the day we visited the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which is focused on assuring in the church around the world a safe environment for children and young people. Later, we visited the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which oversees a number of concerns but chiefly safeguards and interprets application of official church teaching. Finally, we ended the day with an evening meal with the NAC faculty.

Thursday, Dec. 5 Early in the morning we celebrated

Mass at the Altar of the Tomb of St. Peter in St. Peter’s Basilica. We celebrated a Votive Mass for St. Peter, and ended by chanting the Nicene Creed. St. Peter’s Basilica is the principal church of the Vatican, and is one of the largest church buildings in the world. Later in the morning, we visited the Congregation for Religious, which oversees religious communities of men and women around the world, and manages the internal relationships of religious communities as well as their relationships with the Vatican and with dioceses. We next visited the Congregation for Catholic Education, which oversees Catholic institutions of education, such as Catholic schools and universities. Thursday afternoon, with a small break in my schedule, I was able along with Father Alex, Matthew Prosperie and Joseph Lapeyrouse to walk and visit churches and shops that surround the Vatican.

Friday, Dec. 6 On our last day in Rome, we began the day by visiting the Congregation for Clergy, which has oversight for concerns regarding priests and deacons, as well as seminaries and seminary formation. Later in the morning we visited the Congregation for Divine

Worship, which has oversight for the official liturgies and liturgical books that we utilize in our public and private prayer life as Catholics. Finally, in the afternoon we concluded our “ad limina” pilgrimage with Mass near the Tomb of St. Paul in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Located outside of the walls of the ancient city of Rome, this basilica contains both the Tomb of St. Paul and the remains of the chains he was kept in during his imprisonment. After Mass, we asked the great missionary St. Paul to intercede for our missionary activities in the dioceses where we serve.

Saturday, Dec. 7 With wonderful memories, I departed Rome in the morning and arrived back home in the diocese on Saturday evening. The “ad limina” pilgrimage was indeed a graced opportunity to be reminded that we profess the faith of the apostles, and of our union in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux with our Holy Father, Pope Francis, and with the universal Catholic Church around the world. Please be assured that during my time in Rome, I prayed very, very often for all of you, the people of our diocese. Know that I am always deeply grateful for your faith! BC

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre, Very Rev. Alex Gaudet, Father Joshua Rodrigue and seminarians Matthew Prosperie and Joseph Lapeyrouse are pictured at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 25

Ad limina

Holy Father greets U.S. bishops of Region IV and V

Pope Francis poses in the papal library with the bishops of U.S. Regions IV and V who were making their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican. The regions include the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia, the Archdiocese for the Military Services, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee.

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Ad limina

“I recently had the graced opportunity to meet with Pope Francis for the first time!

It was both humbling and inspiring to be in the presence of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. His warmth and support for us in our ministry as bishops was wonderful. I appreciated the large block of time Pope Francis gave to us during our “ad limina” visit.

Let us remember to pray for the pope in his ministry to the universal church. It was also wonderful to visit with Father Joshua Rodrigue, who is on the faculty of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and with Joseph Lapeyrouse and Matthew Prosperie, two seminarians from our diocese who are studying at the North American College.”

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux “Because I live and work at the Pontifical North American College in Rome right next to Vatican City, I am often asked by people back home if I ever get to meet or talk with the pope. The usual answer is “no,” but that changed on Dec. 3 when I was privileged to meet him. I addressed him in Italian. I introduced myself as a priest from HoumaThibodaux and the director of Spiritual Formation at the North American College. He then looked me in the eyes and responded in Italian, ‘Ah. Help the boys. Help the boys to pray. It is most important. And pray for me.’ I answered with a confident, ‘Yes, yes, Holy Father. Always, always, Holy Father.’ It was wonderful to be reminded of how simple my job description as a spiritual director is.

Father Joshua Rodrigue, S.T.L. Director of Spiritual Formation, Pontifical North American College in Rome “I often am astounded by the places that I find myself. Standing in a hallway in the papal household, I pondered how I had arrived at this meeting with Pope Francis.

Certainly as a priest, it is not only an honor, but also a fantastic gift from the Lord.

Pope Francis strikes me as a man of humility and openness. He greeted each of us individually and spoke to us separately from the other bishops. From a distance, public figures become static or larger than life. Pope Francis is not immune, but up close, his humanity and sincerity are more visible. Being able to meet the human being behind the office reassured me and gave me encouragement. Before I knew it, I was in front of him still unsure of what I should say, and then it was over.”

Very Rev. Alex Gaudet Chancellor, Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux “While my transition into living and studying theology in Rome has been filled with many blessings, I never thought I would have the opportunity to meet the Holy Father.

Pope Francis made sure to greet me and all of the other seminarians who accompanied their respective bishops for the “ad limina” visit. Receiving a personal request from the pope himself to pray for him, I now have a newfound awareness about the importance of praying for the Holy Father as he prays for us. My experience of meeting Pope Francis was a true blessing that has taught me the importance of our prayers for the Holy Father and for the universal church.”

Joseph Lapeyrouse Seminarian studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome

“What struck me from my meeting with Pope Francis was that he wanted to listen to what I had to say, to receive me. As important as he is, he made time for me, and there was no look of impatience on his face as I spoke. I couldn’t help but think: That’s how God is with each of us. We can be sure that God has the time of day for us, that he wants to listen to us, and that he cherishes every time we speak with him, whatever it is that we have to say. Through the ‘Holy Father,’ Pope Francis, I was reminded of someone who is even better - God the Father - and his love for me, and each of us. For that, I am very thankful.”

Matthew Prosperie Seminarian studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 27

Special

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

Sophia Galey

Kevin Gaubert

Father Samuel (Brice) Higginbotham

Father Baby Kuruvilla

Stacey Lirette

Office of Parish Support offers testimonial videos to inform, inspire and encourage the faithful of the diocese Story by Janet Marcel Shortly after Bishop Shelton J. Fabre was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, he began traveling around the diocese to listen to what the parishioners and priests had to say about what they needed from the church.

Two of the things he heard over and over again were that adults wanted more formation and there needed to be a new approach to forming the youth.

As an outsider coming in, Bishop Fabre felt that he wanted to validate what he was hearing from the faithful of the diocese, so he responded to what he heard by collaborating and praying with people throughout the diocese to develop a plan to better serve the youth and the adults of the diocese.

“I believe in the wisdom of the faithful,” says Bishop Fabre, “and it became very clear that we were looking to renew parish life. The strategic planning process gave us a blueprint to do that. The seed has been planted; it is growing and it will lead to a bountiful harvest.”

The diocesan Office of Parish Support recently unveiled two new videos on the diocesan website, www.htdiocese.org, that it hopes will inform, inspire and encourage the faithful of the diocese through the witness and testimony of those involved in the discerning/planning process in their church parishes. At this time, the parishes are all in different places in the process, for a variety of different reasons.

Some church parishes have already begun a new approach 28 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

to forming both adults and youth with a small group approach being at the heart of the process. Those who have participated in these small groups say the people in their group became like family and they realize that everyone has questions and things they don’t know, so they felt safe asking questions and talking about things they didn’t know or didn’t understand.

Tommy Robicheaux, parishioner of Holy Rosary Church parish in Larose, says he believes that for most adults, their Catholic “formation” ended with the sacrament of confirmation. Other than a few Advent or Lenten missions through the years, or a few videos here and there, learning about our faith stopped years ago, he says.

Lisa Whitman, religious education coordinator at St. Charles Borromeo Church parish in the St. Charles Community, says she knew that they were losing the youth and the teens. In her heart, she knew what they were doing wasn’t working and something had to change. “The new approach is all about reaching the heart, not just the mind.

The youth have to have a conversion; and an encounter and relationship with Jesus is so important.”

“The new way of going to confirmation class made me want to go to confirmation class,” says Sophia Galey, parishioner of Christ the Redeemer Church parish in Thibodaux. “Rather than just sitting in a classroom, this felt like I was going to

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Special

Father John David (J.D.) Matherne

Father Jean-Marie Nsambu

Father Robert Rogers

hang out with friends. I felt like I could be open and talk about my relationship with God and hang out with people I like to hang out with.”

Mark and Mary Thibodaux, parishioners of Holy Rosary Church parish in Larose, feel as though all of the parishes are doing what God wants them to do in their parish. Mark says, “It’s not just Bishop Fabre’s plan. It’s God’s plan and I think that’s why it’s going to work, because if we implement what God wants, we can’t go wrong. We definitely have hope.

We’re living it; we’re forming disciples just like Jesus did.”

Mary says the small groups have also helped them to better serve each other in their marriage. “It helped us open up to each other more, about our own relationship with God and our prayer life. It has been a good experience,” she says.

Prayer and discernment have been at the heart of parish planning. We are all learning how to pray and discern together, says Father Samuel (Brice) Higginbotham, administrator of Holy Cross Church parish in Morgan City.

A fundamental part of that prayer has been the discernment rosary, which he says is just learning to listen to Jesus with the help of Mary.

Through praying together, pastors and their leadership teams have learned to appreciate a new pace in their planning process.

Stacey Lirette, parishioner of St. Louis Church parish in Bayou Blue, says she was frustrated at first, because by nature she’s a doer and she wanted to start doing things and nothing was happening. She says Father Rogers would tell her, “you just need to be patient … we’re going to get there.”

“I really believe we have to move away from just ‘doing things’ … to ‘doing things in response to the love of God,’” says Father Robert Rogers, pastor of St. Louis Church parish in Bayou Blue. “We are doing something in the name of Jesus Christ; we are doing God’s work as opposed to ‘our’ plan and ‘our’ work.”

“At the beginning it was more about getting to know yourself and getting to know Jesus,” says Stacey. “The discernment rosary has made me stop … be more reverent and more patient. It has taught me to pause, open my heart, open my mind and listen to what God is telling me … he talks to you and he leads you in the right way.”

Tommy Robicheaux

Mark Thibodaux

Lisa Whitman

Kevin Gaubert, parishioner of Holy Savior Church parish in Lockport, says in the past their process has always been “brainstorm, get it, do it and go.” “Now we’re thinking about it. We’re taking our time, we’re discerning and praying the rosary. And I’m glad that it has taken the time that it has,” he says.

“I see God moving. His spirit is touching us in a way that may begin with individuals, but it’s spreading across as a body of the Houma-Thibodaux diocese,” says Father JeanMarie Nsambu, administrator of Holy Savior Church in Lockport.

Father Baby Kuruvilla, pastor of St. Joseph Church parish in Chauvin, says because of the things that have been happening in this diocese, especially in the last two years, he believes great things are going to happen here in the future.

“When the Spirit is working, and I know the Spirit is working here, nobody can stop it. Some more things are going to happen and it’s going to get better and better.”

Father John David (J.D.) Matherne, diocesan director of the Office of Vocations, says any time you plant anything, you have to be patient. “The parish is an organic, living thing. It is going to take time (for this new approach) to take root; it’s going to take time for it to bear fruit. But as long as we stay faithful, it is going to bloom.”

Bishop Fabre says we all need to make room in our lives for the kind of prayer where we are listening to what God is trying to tell us or asking God what he wants us to do, and not telling God what we think he should do.

“So what we did as a diocese is we paused and said, ‘O.K., Jesus, now you tell us what you want us to do. … We know that our main purpose is to accomplish your will, so we are going to discern and we are going to pray and we are going to listen and you tell us what you want.’ And I think that through the prayerful participation and active participation of all of us who participated in strategic planning, that was our goal … to let the Lord tell us what he wanted us to do,” says Bishop Fabre. “And, I think that openness to what the Lord wanted is also driving our strategic planning efforts.” BC January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 29

Announcement

Ladies Only: A woman’s guide to estate planning A four-point plan for your future success Catholic Foundation Update Amy Ponson

Consider this scenario: Anne is just 30 years old when her mother passes away. In the months following the funeral, Anne discovers that her mother—a widow—never drafted a plan for her estate. In the absence of a plan, state law determines how her mother’s assets will be distributed.

According to a study by the National Center for Women and Retirement, 80 to 90 percent of women will make financial decisions on their own at some point in their lives. Whether you are single, divorced or widowed, having an effective estate plan is part of being independent. Estate planning not only ensures financial stability during your lifetime, but also allows you to choose how your assets will be distributed after your lifetime.

Here are four key elements of a successful estate plan that anyone can follow.

1. A Will n Ensures that your assets will be distributed the way you intend. n Allows your dependents to receive the care and financial security they need. n Gives charitable organizations like your church parish or school that you support into the future through the Catholic Foundation.

2. Life Insurance n As a general rule, should be equal to five times your annual salary. n Covers your family’s financial obligations, goals and everyday expenses. n Should be enough to pay off mortgages, other liabilities and final taxes.

3. A Living Trust n Avoids probate for your estate. n Appoints a trustee of your choosing to handle your affairs. n Provides care for another individual, a disabled spouse or child, and appoints a guardian to care for the individual and take care of his or her financial needs.

30 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

4. Charitable Gifts n Provide ways to reduce taxes and can be given now or later. n Support a future for your church parish or school through the Catholic Foundation to impact your community. n Connect your legacy with the organizations and causes you care about the most.

(The information in this publication is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results.) BC

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Book Reviews

Reading With Raymond Raymond Saadi

The Last Leonardo

By Ben Lewis Ballantine $28 A painting that sold at a New Orleans art gallery in 2005 for $1,175, later believed to be the last by Leonardo da Vinci, sold for $450 million. That’s $450 MILLION! What’s intriguing is that it’s painted on an inferior piece of cracked wood. The image, however is the magnificent portrait depicting the “Salvador Mundi, Christ as Savior of the World.” A series of photographs illustrating the restoration of the painting shows its’ magnificence when completed. The buying and selling of this same painting over the years reveals the inner workings of the art business. BC

The Body: A Guide for Occupants

The Election of Pope Francis

By Bill Bryson Doubleday $30 Our bodies are, without doubt, magnificent marvels. Imagine … since you started reading this, your body made a million new red blood cells.

Such gems of information are what make this book engrossing as only Bryson can. From the largest organ in the body (of course you know it’s the skin) to the brain and the heart, we see how every part of us works in perfect symmetry. When it doesn’t, bad things happen. And those bad things are explained in detail, too. Altogether an informational and enjoyable read. BC

Who Says You’re Dead?

By Jacob M. Appel, M.D. Algonquin $23.95

“Who says you’re dead? If your doctor has your living will that dictates your final wishes, it just might be you.

Otherwise, your spouse, close friend or relative makes the decision for you. So, it’s not necessarily you who says when to pull the plug. Except, it’s not always that simple. This book describes nearly 80 gut-clenching dilemmas where readers get to offer their own opinions before the actual choice was made. Very illuminating and thought provoking. BC

By Gerard O’Connell Orbis $28 What makes this book especially noteworthy is that the author, O’Connell and his wife, both Vatican correspondents, are friends of Cardinal Bergoglio and had predicted he would one day become Pope. Only they never expected it would happen so soon.

The unexpected resignation of Pope Benedict XVI (the first such in 600 years) caught them and all the cardinals by surprise. His selection made history in several ways: “He was the first Latin American, the first Jesuit, and the first pope to choose the name Francis. But these “firsts” were only the beginning of a consequential papacy of historic proportions. Now, relying on extensive inside sources, they reveal the basis for that confidence and share with us what actually happened inside the secret conclave.” BC

Speaking American

By Josh Katz Houghton Mifflin Harcourt $25 Do your friends from other parts of the country think we Louisianans talk funny? Well. Browse through this book and find who it is that talks funny.

Where we say tennis shoes, folks in extreme northeast, say sneakers.

Where we say you or y’all, half the country says “you guys.” It’s a fun filled book of maps that’s educational, too.

Kids will love it. BC

January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 31

January Daily Prayer for Priests, Deacons and Seminarians

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1 January

2

3

4

Rev. Prentice Tipton

Very Rev. Mark Toups, V.G.

Very Rev. Mike Tran, V.F.

Rev. Joseph Tregre

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Rev. Joe Varghese

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

Rev. Billy Velasco

Deacon Jeff Pitre

Rev. Shenan Boquet

Rev. Thomas Bouterie

Rev. Stuart King

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

Rev. Joshua Rodrigue

Rev. Michael Bergeron, retired

Seminarian Ryan Thibodaux

Msgr. Frederic Brunet, retired

Rev. Domingo Cruz, retired

Deacon Glenn Porche

Rev. Wilfredo Decal, retired

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

Rev. Scott Dugas, retired

Deacon Chris Prestenback

Msgr. Donald Ledet, retired

Rev. P.J. Madden, retired

Rev. Roch Naquin, retired

Seminarian Ian Verdin

Rev. Ty Nguyen, retired

26

27

28

29

30

31

Rev. Charles Perkins, retired

Rev. Amang Santiago, retired

Rev. Caesar Silva, retired

Rev. Wilmer Todd, retired

Rev. Roni Villamor, sabbatical

Rev. Jerry Villarrubia, retired

Daily Prayer for Clergy and Religious Lord Jesus, hear our prayer for the spiritual renewal of bishops, priests, deacons, brothers, sisters, lay ministers and seminarians of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. We praise You for giving their ministry to the Church. In these days, renew them with the gifts of Your Spirit.

You once opened the Holy Scriptures to Your disciples when You walked on this earth. Now renew Your ordained and chosen ones with the truth and power of Your Word.

In Eucharist you gave Your disciples renewed life and hope. Nourish Your consecrated ones with Your own Body and Blood. Help them to imitate in their lives the death and resurrection they celebrate around Your altar.

Give them enthusiasm for the Gospel, zeal for the salvation of all people, courage in leadership and humility in service.

Give them Your love for one another and for all their brothers and sisters in You. For You love them, Lord Jesus, and we love and pray for them in Your Holy Name, today especially for _______________________. Amen.

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32 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

Commentary

Cause and effect A deacon’s wife’s confessions Angie Lefevre

This morning, as I was praying, I noticed when I exhaled that the candle flame near me flickered. I thought that was strange, so I tried again. Exhaling through my nose caused this strong burning flame to waiver. That made me think – if an innocent action such as exhaling could cause a change in my environment, how much do my words and actions affect the world around me?

On days when I am in a bad mood and speak roughly to the grocery clerk, does this cause her unintended anger and then she is rude to the customer behind me? And equally, if I am extra pleasant to her, does it cause her to smile and be friendly to all the customers behind me?

Our mood is easily detected by others. Especially me – I do not have a poker face. Meaning - I am not good at hiding my emotions. Most people can pick up on your facial expressions, tone of voice and mannerisms.

As a married person, I can’t count the times that I have been in a great mood, having a great day, then my husband gets home. He’s upset about something unrelated to me, but I get the anger and yelling, and soon I’m angry and yelling, too!

Later, I realize what has happened, how my mood changed so quickly – but it’s too late. The happiness is gone. Thankfully, Deacon James is a much better husband than pre-deacon James!

Look at the recent news about young people committing suicide because they were affected by negative online comments. Imagine causing the death of someone through your words! This means that our mouths can be very dangerous weapons.

I’m not saying that we must constantly monitor our words to be politically correct. I don’t agree with all lifestyles and choices being made today. However, giving your opinion rudely or with hatred in your heart, is not the proper way.

It’s not God’s way. We must follow his instructions at all times. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If we follow this advice – then our effect on the world will be positive – because all of our words and actions will be coming from a place of love.

This revelation of mine has really got me thinking. What is my impact on the world? What do I want my impact to be?

Can I change my effect on those around me? I say yes! So now I just have to remember that every action, every word,

every smile has an impact on those around me. That sounds easy to do! Always be happy and smiling no matter what happens to you. Sure Angie, no problem there!

It’s okay to show sadness if you are having a bad day.

Others will feel sympathy for you. But if you show anger instead – it just spreads like wildfire. But the same is true for a smile, it can also spread like wildfire. So you have to decide – which would you rather spread around the world?

Anger or joy?

I often pray for those whose hearts are full of anger, hatred and revenge. Because I know that there’s no room for joy.

There’s no room for God in that person’s heart. I wrote a prayer years ago for our church’s Lenten reflection booklet and I think it’s appropriate here.

“Dear God, please help me to be the best person I can be today and a good example to others. Amen.”

(Angie Lefevre is the wife of Deacon James Lefevre, who was ordained to the permanent diaconate in May 2018. They are parishioners of St. Bernadette Church parish in Houma.) BC

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Special

PARTNERS IN HOPE Annual Bishop’s Appeal Story by Janet Marcel “Partners in Hope,” is the theme of the 2020 Annual Bishop’s Appeal (ABA), which will be introduced in church parishes on the weekend of February 1-2. The 2020 diocesan goal is $900,000.

The funds received from the 2020 ABA will support seminarian education, retired priests of the diocese, religious education, and the Catholic Schools Office.

“I ask that you consider financially supporting these vital diocesan ministries that touch the lives of so many,” says Bishop Shelton J. Fabre. “Our diocese relies on the prayers and generosity of the faithful to be able to provide education for our seminarians, care for our retired priests, and to continue the work of strengthening the religious education of the youth in our Catholic schools and parish schools of religion. Your help is greatly needed and greatly appreciated. May you be abundantly blessed for your generous response to this year’s Annual Bishop’s Appeal.”

Seminarian Education The ABA supports seminarians by ensuring that while in school they can focus on their vocation and not worry about the financial burden of their education. The diocese covers the cost of each seminarian’s tuition, books, room and board, and in some cases health insurance. The average cost to educate one seminarian is $45,000 a year for eight years.

34 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

Retired Priests The ABA supports retired priests of the diocese who have devoted their lives to serve the Lord, and have been instrumental in identifying the gifts of the faithful and forming missionary disciples, by providing for their health and long-term care needs, including the costs of cancer and intensive care policies, as well as supplementing their retirement income.

Religious Education The diocese is implementing a new approach to religious education and CCD programs in the church parishes.

The ABA supports the training of parish small group leaders, and the hands-on work of each parish through the implementation of their restructuring of parish youth formation.

Office of Catholic Schools The Catholic Schools Office works with teacher-ministers and administrators to provide educational opportunities for students to grow spiritually and academically, and to build and strengthen teaching and learning in an effort to provide an outstanding faith-filled environment for all students.

The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux is grateful to all of its generous donors – at every level – who support the work of the diocese. The 2020 Bishop’s Societies of Giving consists

a

Special

of a community of benefactors who have taken a leadership role in the work of the diocese through their support of the Annual Bishop’s Appeal. The Bishop’s Societies of Giving

recognizes those who have made a special commitment of $250 or above to the Annual Bishop’s Appeal.

Bishop’s Partners in Hope are those donors who give at the

$250 to $499 level. The Bishop’s Circle are those donors who give at the $500 to $2,499 level; the Mitre Society are those donors who give at the $2,500 to $4,999 level; the Crozier’s Society Bishop’s Guild are those donors who give at the

$5,000 to $9,999 level; the Society of the Good Shepherd are those donors who give at the $10,000 and above level.

Those who wish to contribute to the 2020 ABA can choose

to make a one-time gift or use the pledge system in which they can make eight monthly contributions. Donations

can also be made on-line by visiting www.htdiocese.org/

bishopsappeal. A video which includes the bishop’s message and how the funds will be used is available to view on the diocesan website.

For more information about the Annual Bishop’s Appeal,

call (985)850-3122. BC

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Announcement

on #GivingTuesday raises over iGiveCatholic.org

$460,000 in diocese The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux recently participated in #iGiveCatholic, a 24-hour online giving challenge that celebrates the work of Catholic church parishes, ministries, schools and other charitable organizations, which resulted in 1,637 donors giving $461,368 for the local community. The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux raised the second highest figure of all Louisiana dioceses and is ranked within the top 10 nationally.

“I am deeply grateful for your faith and your sacrificial generosity during #iGiveCatholic, which is a great inspiration to me,” says Bishop Shelton J. Fabre, speaking from Rome where later in the same day he participated in a private audience with Pope Francis during his Ad Limina visit to the Vatican.

“We are astounded and grateful for the outpouring of support of all of our church parishes, schools and ministries,” says Amy Ponson, executive director of the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana. “Because of your support, our parishes and schools will be able to replace roofs, purchase new air conditioners, upgrade security cameras, and so much more.”

Within the diocese, $71,575 for parking lot improvements at Maria Immacolata Church parish in Houma topped the list, and ranked 12th nationally. St. Bernadette Church parish and school in Houma teamed

up to raise $31,025 for new air conditioners for their Father Patrick O’Brien Center, and their 266 donors ranked them fourth in the country in that category.

Nationally, over $7.4 million was raised for 1,743 ministries – making this the most successful Catholic crowdfunding event to date. #iGiveCatholic is held each year in conjunction with #GivingTuesday, which is celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday; #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.

For more information about #iGiveCatholic or to view the full list of results visit www. houmathibodaux.igivecatholic.org/, visit catholicfoundationsl.org or call 985-850-3116. BC

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36 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

Announcement

Vandebilt Catholic High School president announces his retirement

David Boudreaux

David Boudreaux, who has been serving as president of Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma since the beginning of the 2014-15 school year, will be retiring at the end of the current school year, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre announced recently.

“After much prayer, consultation and thought, I have decided to retire following the 2019-20 school year,” says Boudreaux. “I want to express my sincere gratitude for being given the opportunity to serve the faithful of our diocese as an educator for 37 years, 30 as a school administrator and 20 of those years as principal or president.”

After graduating from E.D. White Catholic High School in Thibodaux, Boudreaux earned a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in administration and supervision from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux.

He began teaching at Vandebilt in 1978. He later served as band director at Houma Junior High School before returning to Vandebilt in 1990. His career in education spans 42 years.

In 2000, Boudreaux was named principal at E.D. White and in 2006 he became that school’s first president, a

role he served in until being chosen as president at Vandebilt in April 2014.

“We are most certainly grateful to David for his many years of dedicated service to our diocese,” says Bishop Fabre. “We have been blessed by his leadership at our two institutions for these past three decades.”

“We are thankful for David’s unwavering commitment to the ministry of Catholic education in our diocese,” adds Suzanne Troxclair, diocesan superintendent of Catholic Schools. “It is my sincere hope that his retirement will bring him much joy and fulfillment, and we wish him health and happiness as he prepares to embark on his new journey and experiences that lie ahead.”

The diocesan Office of Catholic Schools has announced that the formal search to select Boudreaux’s successor is expected to begin shortly after Jan. 1. BC

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Diocesan Events

www.bayoucatholic.com

January

n Altar server’s retreat for the Hispanic community, Saturday, Jan. 4, diocesan Pastoral Center, Schriever, 10 a.m.—2 p.m. n Mass for those in Public Office on the Occasion of Inauguration, Thursday, January 9, 11 a.m., Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales, Houma.

February

n Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux’s VITA Program is offering free income tax preparation and e-filing every Tuesday (Feb. 4 – April 14) from 9 a.m.–3 p.m., on the second floor of the Terrebonne Parish Main Library in Houma, for wage earners making less than $60,000 a year.

n A Mass honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Sunday, Jan. 19 at 8:15 a.m., St. Lucy Church, Houma, will be celebrated by Bishop Shelton J. Fabre. n A Mass honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Sunday, Jan. 19 at 10:30 a.m., St. Luke the Evangelist Church, Thibodaux, will be

celebrated by Bishop Shelton J. Fabre. n Catholic Schools Week, with its theme “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead.

Succeed,” will be celebrated Sunday, Jan. 26 to Saturday, Feb. 1.

n Mother Teresa Women’s Giving Circle Valentine’s Tea, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2-4 p.m., Charlotte Bollinger’s Barn, 8847 Hwy. 308, Lockport. n Extraordinary ministers of holy Communion retreat for the Hispanic community, Feb. 15, diocesan Pastoral Center,

Schriever, 9 a.m.—1 p.m. n Hispanic Family Day, Feb. 22, diocesan Pastoral Center, Schriever, 9 a.m.—4 p.m. n Hispanic Ministry workshop for choir members, Feb. 29, diocesan Pastoral Center, Schriever, 9 a.m.—1 p.m.

March

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38 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

Announcement

Msgr. Francis Malone appointed bishop of Shreveport

Bishop-elect Francis Malone

By Courtney Mares Catholic News Agency Pope Francis recently appointed Msgr. Francis Malone, 69, pastor of a vibrant Arkansas parish known for having generated many priestly vocations, as the next bishop of Shreveport, LA. As bishop-elect of the Diocese of Shreveport, he will succeed Bishop Michael Gerard Duca who led the diocese for 10 years until Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Baton Rouge in June 2018.

Bishop-Elect Malone is a canon lawyer, who earned his J.C.L. at the Catholic University of America in 1989. He also holds multiple degrees from the University of Dallas, where he studied history as an undergraduate, and went on to earn master’s degrees in both divinity and education.

He has served as Chancellor of Ecclesial Affairs for the Diocese of Little Rock since 2008. Previously he was vicar general from 20022006, managing editor of Arkansas Catholic Newspaper and director of communications in 1995. Bishop-Elect Malone will be the third bishop of Shreveport, a diocese created in 1986.

The Diocese of Shreveport has a total population of 812,200, of which 41,335 are Catholic.

Bishop-Elect Malone’s ordination to the episcopacy will be celebrated Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint John Berchmans in Shreveport. BC January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 39

Announcement

Gary Phillips inducted into E.D. White 2019 Hall of Fame

Gary Phillips

E.D. White Catholic High School in Thibodaux recently inducted Gary Phillips into its 2019 Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes and honors those who have exhibited outstanding Christian values in their contribution to their profession and in their religious, civic, business or educational involvement.

Phillips graduated from South

Terrebonne High School in 1965, and attended Nicholls State University where he graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in English and social studies. He received a master’s of education with a concentration in English in 1974 and a master’s of education with a concentration in guidance and counseling in 1981.

Phillips was a classroom teacher for 49 years. He began his career at Legion Park Middle School in 1970, and was a graduate assistant at Nicholls State University in 1972. He began teaching at E.D. White Catholic High School in 1973 and moved on to Vandebilt Catholic High School in 2000. He retired as a classroom teacher in 2018.

Phillips worked at E.D. White for

40 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

27 years from 1973 through 2000 and served in many different capacities at the school. He began his career as an English teacher and was department head from 1975 to 1978, then taught American history and served as social studies department head from 1981 through 1986. During his tenure as a teacher, Phillips also coached 8th and 9th grade boys’ basketball from 1973 to 1975 and varsity girls’ basketball from 1976 to 1982. In 1980, the girls’ varsity basketball team advanced to the state quarterfinals. Phillips was the yearbook moderator from 1982 to 1991 and guidance counselor from 1982 to 1988. In 1988, Phillips became director of public relations and served in that capacity until 1994. He was named

a

Announcement

the first lay principal of E.D. White in 1994 and served in that role until 2000.

Phillips has been a featured columnist on photography in Trends Magazine, a newsletter editor for the World War II Roundtable Discussion Group, and a state winner of an essay contest for teachers sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary. In 1981, Phillips was the recipient of the J. Peter Fell Award as the outstanding teacher of American history in the State of Louisiana. In 1990, he received the Dr. James P. Bordelon Award as the outstanding Catholic school teacher in Lafourche Parish. In 2007, Phillips was named the outstanding teacher of American history in the State of Louisiana by the Louisiana Federation of Republican Women. In 2009, he was named a Distinguished Educator by the U.S. Department of Education and was honored at a banquet in Washington, D.C. In 2018, Phillips was named the Vandebilt Catholic High School Teacher of the Year for the second time and was inducted into the Vandebilt Catholic High School Hall of Fame.

Phillips is still active in many different living history reenactment groups such as the Gulf Coast Artillery Group and the U.S.S. Alabama reenactment crew.

Phillips has two daughters and three grandsons.

Phillips says, “I have tried to instill in my children and my grandchildren an appreciation for, and a love for our

country’s history and heritage. Our family vacations centered on historical sites in our country - battlefields, museums and presidential libraries. I have shared my knowledge acquired over the years in college classes, extensive readings and personal interviews with veterans. My family has a rich history of military service, dating back to the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. I want my family, especially my grandsons, to be aware of this tradition of service, and hopefully, see their role in continuing it.” BC

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Special

One of the hardest days I had in hospice!

Guest Columnist Deacon Brent Bourgeois

As a hospice chaplain there are many days that are trying, but some days are more so than others. A few years ago, I was sitting outside under the car porch with a patient. He looked at me and said, “What can you tell someone like me?” I told him that depends on what you mean.

He said, “My doctor gave me a month to live and I think he is being generous!”

After a moment’s pause, I said, “Well you know the difference between God and a doctor, right?” He looked at me and said, “Well I think I do, but what is your definition?” I said, “Well God never thinks he is a doctor!” Your doctor has told you there is nothing he can do for you so now you are in God’s hands. He smiled at me and I said this is where the rubber meets the road; this is where you stop practicing your faith and truly live it!

He then told me that he should have never made it this far. He said that he should have never made it back from Vietnam. He went on to tell me about his experience in Vietnam. When he had finished, I asked him, “so you really think you shouldn’t have made it back?” He answered yes. I said well then, every day since then has been a blessing from God. He looked at me with a confused look. What do you mean? I said if that is what you really believe then God has truly blessed you ever since. Have you ever thought what would have happened or not happened? Where would your wife be? The girl from your old neighborhood who waited for you to return from the war, where would she be? Your son we know would not exist!

Your grandchildren also would not exist! You know those grandchildren

that you adore. So, God has blessed you with every day since then! We sat quietly for a few minutes and then he looked at me and said, “Where were you 15 years ago?” After we talked for a while, he was getting tired, so I gave him a blessing and then I left.

As I was driving home, I just felt completely drained. I had to pull over to the side of the road and just sit. I felt as if I could not even press the accelerator to keep driving. After about 15 minutes or so, I started the car again and drove home.

Two months later I was there to visit again (I visited every other week). He was now bedbound. As I stood at the foot of his hospital bed he looked up and said, “How are you, Deacon?” I replied, “I am good, but do you know what today is?” He said, “I’m not sure!”

I said, ‘today is exactly two months from our conversation outside!” He looked at me and said, “Praise God!” I was called by the nurse the next day and told that he had declined and his wife had asked if I could stop by.

When I stopped it was fairly late in the afternoon. He hadn’t spoken to anyone all day. He tried to speak when I got there. He spoke to his son on the phone and ended his conversation with “I love you!” Then he said something to his wife (that I didn’t understand from where I was), then I did understand when he told her “I love you!” Then he passed. I say it that way because it was so peaceful.

When I showed up to the church to serve in his funeral the priest asked if I would like to preach, I said I would be honored.

I was still at St. Mary’s Nativity Church parish in Raceland when I used some of this story in my homily. There is no way his wife could have known that I used that story. But after work on Monday I got home and went to the mailbox and there was a package with my name on it. That was not normal, mostly every package I bring in from the mailbox is not for me. When I opened the package, it was a journal with my name embossed on it and a letter from his widow. She was telling

42 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

me what had been happening in her life and how she was doing.

I made a commitment to myself to write in the journal whenever I would go to adoration. This is because I am not a journal-er! One night after adoration I put the journal in my car, went home and went to bed. The next morning as I was getting ready, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I had written in the journal the night before.

I went out to my car to get the journal so I could read what I had written, because I just could not remember. The best way to explain this is the way I say it when I share this at funerals. This is what was written in my journal in my handwriting, but I don’t remember writing it: I was once told that for every plus there is a minus and for every minus there is a plus. It’s what brings balance to the world and to life. But it seems there is nothing that will balance a loss. Sometimes you can’t see around it, through it or over it. It’s just a loss … until we look back, because to have a loss there had to be a gain. There had to be someone put into our lives that blessed us/loved us! Someone for us to love. If not for the blessing of love, we could not feel loss. How great it is to love even when we know we will feel the loss. So, when we feel overwhelmed by loss it’s because God blessed us with love! And that’s a gain!

I have come to realize that without the Holy Spirit to guide me I can do nothing. The Holy Spirit leads me and is working on my future planning for me!

How many times can we all look back and see life connecting and know that God always has his hand in it! You see what started out as the hardest day in hospice has become a blessing! I praise God for calling the doctors, nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains, and all the behind the scenes people who work to bring comfort to so many!

(Deacon Brent Bourgeois, who serves at St. Charles Borromeo Church parish in the St. Charles Community, has been working in hospice for the past 10 years, and currently works in spiritual care for Notre Dame Hospice.) BC

Church Life

Viva Guadalupe!

!

The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12 drew a large crowd at the diocesan celebration at Sacred Heart Church in Cut Off. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre was the principal celebrant.

Father Duc Bui was the homilist. The celebration included children and adults dressed in colorful outfits and an outdoor procession. The celebration concluded with food, music and a performance by the “Divina Misericordia” (“Divine Mercy”) dancers at the Cut Off Youth Center.

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 43

Announcements

Diocesan Educators Conference is Jan. 21

Michael Zelenka

The 34th annual diocesan Catholic School Educators Conference will be held Tuesday, Jan. 21, at Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma. The theme of the conference is Mission: Possible! Serving the Church through the Ministry of Catholic Education.

The speaker for the conference is Michael Zelenka, who serves as a faculty member for the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

He also works with Notre Dame ACE Academics and the Center for Transformational Educational Leadership.

Zelenka earned a bachelor of arts degree in liberal studies, a master’s degree in education as a member of the ACE Teaching Fellows program, and a master of arts degree in administration,

all from the University of Notre Dame.

He was as a teacher, athletic director and assistant principal before serving as principal of Incarnation Catholic School in Tampa, FL, for seven years.

Zelenka implemented numerous programs and initiatives to advance the school in instructional leadership, Catholic school culture and executive management.

Very Rev. Simon Peter Engurait, V.G., will celebrate Mass for the educators at the conference. Those who have completed 25 years in Catholic education in the diocese will be recognized. Teachers will also be awarded mini-grants which have been donated by local banks. Approximately 400 Catholic school educators will attend this year’s conference. BC

You, me and Christ retreat

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier A retreat for Hispanic couples was held recently at the Pastoral Center in Schriever. Eleven couples from the communities of Houma, Cut Off, Amelia and Thibodaux participated. The retreat team consisted of Catholic couples, one priest and two religious sisters.

They worked together to help deepen the mystery of their Christian marriage so that Christ can be the center of their family and conjugal relationship to cultivate true love, respect, comprehension, forgiveness and active listening.

44 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

Announcements

What a Life! Now available on-line as an Ebook In 2015, Father Wilmer Todd, retired priest of the diocese, published a book entitled, What a Life!: Daily Readings for a Holistic Spiritual Life. He ordered 4,000 copies and sold the last copy earlier this year. The proceeds from the sales of the book went to “The Father Willie Todd Foundation” for the promotion of new ministerial projects in the diocese.

Since he was still getting requests for his book from readers who wanted copies for relatives and friends, he looked into getting a small number of the books printed, but the cost was prohibitive. However, the book is now on-line as an Ebook.

The Ebook has the same number of entries (370) and each meditation is on a separate page. The cover is a little

different from the hardback. Following are the instructions for buying Father Todd’s Ebook: 1) Visit whatalifetodd.com.

2) Click the button that says “Buy the Book.”

3) You will be redirected to blurb.com book sale page.

4) Purchase the book through blurb. com.

The price of the book is $19.98.

Proceeds from the sales of the book will go to the Father Willie Todd Foundation through the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana. The money from the sales will go to the parishes and schools as a grant from his Foundation.

If anyone has problems or questions ordering the Ebook, contact Father Todd at wtodd@htdiocese.org. BC

Annual Raymond Ellis Luncheon

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier Approximately 250 people from the Thibodaux area attended the Annual Raymond Ellis Luncheon at the St. Luke the Evangelist Community Center in Thibodaux prior to Thanksgiving Day. The ecumenical event which has been held for 35 plus years, featured a meal, door prizes for the attendees and entertainment.

January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 45

Sports

Overtime Ed Daniels

Heisman winner Joe Burrow on target again On the night Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy, there was not a dry eye at the Heisman ceremony or in the State of Louisiana.

A quarterback who has completed almost 80 percent of his passes was on target, again and again.

He thanked his offensive line by name.

He thanked head coach Ed Orgeron for “giving me the keys.”

He said the Burrow family could never repay Orgeron for the faith he had in Joe. And, he mentioned growing up in southeast Ohio, a place where poverty is still common, and opportunity is often lacking.

Joe Burrow told those in Ohio, that if he could make it, so could they.

Later in the night, Burrow again hit the target, right between the numbers.

He was asked about the national semifinal game against Oklahoma in Atlanta.

Burrow said the other teams will be coming after LSU. “There will be a target on our backs, especially after we won all of these awards,” said Joe. He’s right.

Burrow said his team, ranked

number one in the college football playoff, was still “hungry to get the title.”

Heisman Trophy and a national championship in the same year is a tough double.

In the past 11 years, it has been done three times.

By Alabama running back Mark Ingram in 2009, and one year later by Cam Newton at Auburn.

In 2013, Florida State’s Jameis Winston achieved the rare double.

That Joe Burrow won the Heisman is a fantastic accomplishment, for he and LSU. At LSU, Joe Burrow is a legend.

But, he’s two victories away from being so much more, if that’s possible.

One of my Auburn buddies is still talking about the Cam-back, nine years later.

In the Iron Bowl, led by Newton, Auburn erased a 24-0 deficit to Alabama, and beat the Tide 28-27. In one season, Cam Newton produced things that can never be replicated.

46 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

At Florida, Tim Tebow is a legend, but his Heisman year, 2007, was sandwiched in-between championship years for the Gators in 2006 and 2008.

Webster’s dictionary defines immortality as ... unending existence ... lasting fame.

If Joe Burrow leads LSU to victory over Oklahoma, and a win in the national championship, at the Superdome of all places, he has the greatest season of any athlete in the history of Louisiana State University.

No one understands the enormity of the moment more than Burrow.

So, the quarterback who didn’t have a working cellphone for at least a part of this season, will bury himself in film study.

He’ll be as prepared as can be for the Sooners, Dec. 28.

What Joe Burrow knows is he has the chance of a lifetime.

Legends win the Heisman.

Immortals win that trophy, and one other. BC

Jan. 26 - Feb. 1 LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

Catholic School Administrator-Ministers

Marissa Bagala

St. Mary’s Nativity

Michelle Chiasson

David Boudreaux

Peter Boudreaux

Kelli Cazayoux

Prissy Davis

Jeremy Gueldner

Lydia Landry

Tim Robichaux

Gerard Rodrigue Jr.

President, Vandebilt

Central Catholic

E.D. White

Maria Immacolata

Cathy Long

Dr. Cindy Martin St. Gregory

President, E.D. White

Amanda Talbot

Cheryl Thibodaux

Tricia Thibodaux

Holy Rosary

Central Catholic

St. Genevieve

48 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

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Catholic Schools Week

Catholic Schools: Serving the church’s mission From the Superintendent Suzanne D. Troxclair

On Dec. 7, 2015, the Association of Catholic School Parents in Italy were blessed with an audience with our Holy Father, Pope Francis, as he spoke of the ministry of Catholic education.

Addressing the gathering, he shared, “An education in the fullness of humanity should be the defining feature of our Catholic schools.”

Again, speaking from the Vatican on Oct. 26, 2017, the 50th anniversary of the founding day of the Catholic University of Portugal, Pope Francis stated, “Behind the Catholic teacher there is a believing community, in which, throughout the centuries of its existence, a certain wisdom of life has matured; a community that conserves within it a treasure trove of knowledge and ethical experience that is important for all humanity.”

As we approach our annual celebration of Catholic education, we are reminded of all that defines what makes the ministry of Catholic education unique and special in our schools, as well as the awesome responsibility to the church’s mission that accompanies this ever-important ministry.

On Jan. 26-Feb. 1, we join Catholics throughout the United States as we celebrate this uniqueness of the ministry of Catholic education and its rich value to our youth during National Catholic Schools Week. The theme of Catholic Schools Week, sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), is “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.”

This theme affords us the opportunity to show thanksgiving for the many

blessings our Catholic schools are able to share with our church, our communities, our nation and our world.

What a wonderful opportunity this is to celebrate with our children the deep commitment to Catholic education that exists in our own diocese and the collaborative effort of the church, our schools, and our parish families!

As we prepare for this week-long celebration, we are reminded of the many ways our whole Catholic community can bond together in thanksgiving and prayer to express our unified commitment to the ministry of Catholic education in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. I invite you to explore with me the many opportunities we have during National Catholic Schools Week to celebrate the uniqueness of our dedication to forming missionary disciples of Christ in the church’s mission.

Sunday, Jan. 26: Celebrating Your Parish Our schools reap the benefits all year long from the religious guidance, support and prayers provided by our church parishes, as these are essential to the ministry of Catholic education in our diocese. n Celebrate the beginning of Catholic Schools Week by participating in one of the many Masses throughout the diocese to pray for the ongoing success of the ministry. Visit the schools’ and churches’ websites for Mass times and information. n After Mass, ask Catholic school students to share how they have come to know God better in Catholic education. n Pray a novena to honor the patron saint of one of our schools.

Monday, Jan. 27: Celebrating Your Community The experience of service to others is an integral part of Catholic education.

In Catholic schools, students demonstrate the values and faith they learn as they participate in service projects and activities. Our service to the community is as an example of the

50 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

importance of the ongoing help we give others throughout our lives as we work to serve Jesus Christ. n Visit someone who is homebound and pray the rosary. n Explore opportunities to extend your service to a Catholic school in your community. n Visit residents of an assisted living home and pray with them.

Tuesday, Jan. 28: Celebrating Your Students During National Catholic Schools Week, schools in the diocese celebrate by planning meaningful activities to highlight the importance of the ministry. All are encouraged to prayerfully reflect on the benefits of Catholic education and how they can learn, serve and lead throughout their lives. n Find out a school’s list of activities marking Catholic Schools Week and plan to attend any events open to the public if possible, especially the school’s special Mass. n Write a letter to a Catholic school’s faculty thanking them for the positive examples they set and for their important role in forming the students in their schools. n Write a letter to a class to share the profound impact Catholic education (in a school or in Catechism and youth formation) has had on you.

Wednesday, Jan. 29: Celebrating the Nation On this National Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools, educators, students, families and other Catholic school supporters, share the value of Catholic education with government leaders. We pray in an intentional way on this day for the nation and recognize all who serve it. n Share your appreciation for Catholic schools on social media platforms using #CSW1920. n Share Catholic Schools Week events and celebrations in our diocese on social media. n Explore the NCEA’s website to see how schools are celebrating at www.

NCEA.org/CSW.

a

Catholic Schools Week

Thursday, Jan. 30: Celebrating Vocations In our Catholic schools, students are prepared to succeed by using their talents to the fullest as they learn, serve and lead throughout their lives.

National Catholic Schools Week offers students an opportunity to explore the many paths available that allow them to use their talents to serve others. n Ask a priest, deacon, sister or brother how their youth formation influenced their response to God’s calling. n Write thank-you letters to priests, deacons, sisters and brothers who serve (or have served) our Catholic school communities. n Pray for vocations and for those discerning the call to the priesthood or religious life.

Friday, Jan. 31: Celebrating Faculty, Staff and Volunteers Teacher-ministers are the everpresent role models for our children in our Catholic schools. This day honors teacher-ministers, administratorministers, and staff, as well as parents, grandparents, alumni, consultative school board members, and parishioners who volunteer in our schools. n Write thank-you notes to school workers and volunteers. n Ask to decorate the teacher-

ministers’ lounge or workspace in a school. n Make an intentional effort to recognize teacher-ministers, administrator-ministers, staff and volunteers on social media for their dedication to Catholic education.

Saturday, Feb. 1: Celebrating Families Parents, guardians and other family members are vital to the ministry of Catholic education. As the first educators of their children, they instill in them values and expectations for academic excellence in their homes.

We celebrate their contributions to the success of our schools on this last day of National Catholic Schools Week and all year long! n Share a prayer for families. n Learn more about the lives of

saints who are important to families: St. Gianna, St. John Paul II, St. Joseph, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Raphael. n Attend Mass as a family in celebration.

This theme, Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed. has given us the opportunity to rejoice in the many blessings our Catholic schools are able to share with our church, our communities, our nation and our world.

As this special, week-long celebration approaches, I invite you to explore our schools and the many opportunities we have during National Catholic Schools Week to celebrate the uniqueness of our ministry.

As Pope Francis states, “Do not withdraw from the world but be active, like leaven in dough. The invitation I address to you is simple but bold: May you be able to make a difference in the quality of formation.”

I humbly ask our Lord for the continued strengthening of Catholic education in our diocese and throughout our world. May we use the many gifts God has given us as we work together to serve the church’s mission through this ever-important ministry. Thank you for all you do for Catholic education in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

May our Lord, Jesus Christ bless your family as you grow and share your gifts this new year! BC

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52 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 53

VANDEBILT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

1870 The year 2020 marks the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the first Catholic school in Houma. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, run by the Marianites of Holy Cross, opened on October 11, 1870 with an enrollment of 25 girls.

The school’s name was changed to St. Francis de Sales Academy in 1879 and boys were admitted for the first time in 1890. With the arrival of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in the early 1950s, the school divided into St. Francis de Sales Boys and St. Francis de Sales Girls High Schools. As enrollment increased in the 1950s and 1960s, a new facility was needed, and the two schools merged in 1965 under the name Houma Central Catholic High School. In 1966 the school was dedicated as Vandebilt Catholic High School, named in the memory of Fr. August Vandebilt who was a longtime pastor of St. Francis de Sales Church.

The mission of Vandebilt Catholic High School is to provide students with a holistic education that is rooted in religious values, structured through friendly discipline, nurtured by personal attention, and committed to academic excellence.

2020

Faith,

Within the context of a caring and orderly atmosphere, Vandebilt Catholic offers a college preparatory curriculum and stresses a personal approach to the education of the whole student through diverse spiritual, academic, athletic, and co-curricular programs.

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart / St. Francis de Sales Academy (built in 1870)

CELEBRATING Catholic Schools Week January 26 - February 1

Family, Excellence...

YESTERDAY “My Vandebilt experience taught me to live with Faith, Hope, and Charity in all aspects of life: with God and His church; with family; and in my chosen vocation. I also learned to take ownership of all that I do in life. To this day, I feel that Vandebilt is MY school, and I proudly own that. By taking ownership you tend to take care of it, nurture it, and want it to thrive.”

– Judge Randall Bethancourt, Class of 1971, 2019 Hall of Fame recipient, and current VCHS Consultative School Board Chairman

• Since the early 1980s, Vandebilt has had nearly 50 graduates recognized at the national level for their academic achievements as part of the National Merit Scholarship program.

These students are ranked among the top 1-3% PSAT scorers in the nation.

• Nearly 40 percent of our current teachers and faculty are proud Vandebilt Catholic alumni who now share the mission and values of their alma mater with the next generation.

PLACEMENT TEST January 25, 2020 REGISTRATION February 3-14, 2020

TODAY

FOREVER

• In just 2 years Vandebilt Catholic has awarded 65 Sacred Heart Scholar Awards to those students who have earned a 30+ on their ACT. • The graduating class of 2019 was offered a reported $9.4 million in scholarships from colleges, universities, and from the TOPS program, an average close to $60,000 per graduate.

“It has truly been a blessing being a part of the Vandebilt Catholic High School family.

It means the world to me to be a part of a school that greatly cares about each of their student’s success both in life and in the classroom.”

– Skylar Neal, Class of 2020, Senior Class President

“My years at Vandebilt Catholic were an incredible blessing in my life. It prepared me academically, spiritually, and socially for my future college and career experiences. Now, I’m excited to see my two girls grow in their faith and develop a strong foundation through the same Catholic schools I attended.”

- Michele Cenac Bergeron, Class of 2000, future parent of a VCHS student

• Beginning with the class of 2025, Vandebilt Catholic will be launching a one to one Chromebook initiative, as our academic program continues to address the changing needs of our students and prepares them for their future and the constant evolution of technology.

• To insure that Vandebilt Catholic always remains a quality Catholic school, the Terrier Blueprint is currently being updated as a map for our school’s future with the plans to enhance academic excellence, finance and facilities and strengthen how the school develops religious values.

If you would like a private tour, please contact Mrs. Kayla Vicknair, Dean of Admissions at 985-876-2551.

For more information, please visit www.vandebiltcatholic.org.

Vandebilt does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or ethnicity.

January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 55

Learn “E. D. White promotes academic excellence by offering weekly, free, peer-tutoring, diverse learning tracks and multiple levels of course selections that cater to the learning abilities of every student.”

-Erin Toups ‘21

• 91 Masses offered in the school’s chapel for the year • An academic enhancement program for students with dyslexia and other learning differences

In God we base our goals in life and then we carry on...

Serve E.D. White fills its students with the desire to serve with many service organizations and our Serivce Hour Program. Each grade is required to have a specific amount of service hours as part of our religion grade. I am involved in many organizations such as Key Club, Ecology Club, and National Honor society, all which encourage service.

E.D. White has surely enriched my love for service as it does for many other students.” - Holden Amedee ‘20

• Students contribute over 14,000 hours of community service annually • Over 20 clubs and organizations

2020-2021 Registration: E. D. White Catholic High School is open to all students

Lead “Even though everyone wants to say that it’s the biscuits, the reason that E. D. White is such a wonderful place is because it is not just a school; it is a family. Sometimes, we step out of our comfort zone so that we can learn to be the best version of ourselves. In both the classrooms and the chapel, E. D. White prepares the hearts and minds of its students to face the challenges of this ever-changing world, overcome difficulties, and be the salt and light of this earth.”

- Karishma Nathaniel ‘22

• Active campus ministry program • Weekly adoration of the Blessed Sacrament • ACT scores consistently above the state and national averages

in faith, through service, with purpose.

Succeed We are prepared for success through rigorous academic programs that include a wide selection of honors and A.P. courses. The faculty is an asset to the student body by their willingness to give endless amounts of time and energy. E.D. White leaves the door open for its students to succeed in faith and service. The school allows its students to

continue following the path God has made for his children throughout college and life experiences.

-Andrew Turner ‘20

• Renowned music program • Outstanding athletic program with 45 state championships • 85% of graduates qualify for the TOPS program

February 10 - March 6, 2020 and does not discriminate on the basis of race or national origin.

Catholic Schools Week

Holy Savior Catholic School

Celebrating 140 Years Holy Savior Catholic School in Lockport has been providing generations of families in the Central Lafourche area a Catholic education for 140 years. A vow was fulfilled giving birth to Catholic education in Holy Savior Church parish in 1879. Because his parishioners were spared during the 1878 yellow fever epidemic, Father Peter Letilly invited the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception to send a few sisters to Lockport to open a school.

On May 1, 1879, formal classes began. A lot has changed in the 140-year history of Holy Savior. Today, nursery one through fifth grade students from Lockport and the surrounding areas are provided a compassionate and nurturing environment where all students are encouraged to learn, serve, lead and succeed. The school’s mission teaches the students to live the principles of Catholic tradition which is deeply-rooted in the Gospel of Jesus. This allows students to serve God and others, to strive for academic excellence, and to become successful lifelong learners.

Holy Savior’s faith formation and Catholic identity are lived out daily by the faculty, staff and students in order to prepare them for their future spiritual life. Our students attend daily religion lessons, weekly Masses, and monthly rosaries.

While our faculty and staff are committed to offering opportunities for students to succeed academically, we also work together to ensure that each child’s spiritual, social and physical needs are met. Teachers use various teaching strategies and integrate technology using interactive Promethean Boards and Chromebooks to develop a student’s critical thinking skills. Besides offering a state approved curriculum, Holy Savior offers music, choir, computer, library, and physical education classes. Students are offered a variety of activities such as 4-H, Beta and cross country.

The importance of service to those in our community is stressed at Holy Savior. Called by our mission as a Catholic school to serve others, service projects are a part of everyday life at our school.

Holy Savior is grateful for the dedication and support of those who believe in Catholic education and our mission. It is because of you – and God’s grace – that Holy Savior students will continue to Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed. BC 58 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

HOLY SAVIOR CATHOLIC SCHOOL 201 Church Street ~ Lockport, Louisiana 70374 Phone: (985) 532-2536 ~ Fax: (985)532-2269 www.htdioceseschools.org/holy-savior

Established in 1879

Celebrating 140 Years State Approved Curriculum ~ Grades K-5 State Certified Teachers ~ Grades K-5 Full and Part-Time Structured State Approved Nursery and Pre-K Program for one, two, three and four year olds Strong Family Oriented Daily Religious Instruction & Weekly School Masses Children’s Choir Band/Music Program Pre-K4-5th Bi-weekly P.E. & Computer Classes Weekly Library Class Instruction with Certified Librarian Academic Enhancement, Tutoring Program Before & After School Care Program Reasonable Tuition Rates Gym Facilities, Cross Country Art, Caritas, 4-H & Beta Clubs Parent/Teacher Activities Committee For more information or to request a tour of our facility, please contact Tricia Thibodaux, Principal ~ tthibodaux@htdiocese.org Kelly Mize, Bookkeeper/Secretary ~ kelly.mize@htdiocese.org Holy Savior does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national or ethnic origin

Excellence in Academics + a God-Loving CATHOLIC Environment = Success

Catholic Schools Week

Holy Rosary Catholic School

Recognizes Christ as the heart of its mission Holy Rosary Catholic School (HRCS) in Larose is blessed to be covered with the Mantle of Mary, our mother in heaven. Through her intercession and by teaching the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, HRCS recognizes students’ talents and abilities and strives to develop their highest potential.

Quality academics in a safe, nurturing, Christ-centered environment is offered to students three years old through eighth grade.

Holy Rosary Catholic School continues to carry out the mission of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception who began offering a Catholic education to the South Lafourche community in 1963. The current administrator, Cathy Long, and a united teaching staff, are dedicated to providing a quality education that combines our Catholic faith and teachings along with academic excellence. The school sets high standards for achievement and assists our students in developing a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Selective enrichment programs help to provide a balanced foundation which integrates faith, social and physical development along with service opportunities which focus on the seven Catholic Social Challenges and Directions presented by the U.S. Catholic Bishops. The goal of these programs is to help students grow in faith and wisdom while preparing them to be productive citizens and leaders.

Programs include: DARE, social studies and science fair, geography bee, Math-A-Thon, award-winning 4-H and Jr. Beta club, Altar Servers’ club, Christ-like Citizens, school choir, Reading Counts, Passion Play, cross country, Literary Rally, along with numerous art and essay contests.

Holy Rosary recognizes Christ as the heart of its mission.

Traditions of an active and exemplary religious program are professed through weekly liturgies, monthly adoration, daily instruction in the Catholic faith, service clubs, and its mission work. HRCS is recognized as an instrumental supporter of Veterans, the Holy Childhood Association, Knights of Columbus and St. Vincent de Paul Society, to name a few.

The school expands its faith experiences in the school chapel and Jesus Prayer Garden.

The combination of a caring staff working with the support of parents in the faith and academic formation of their children has proven to be a formula for success. Through the collaborative efforts of staff, parents and all stakeholders, HRCS joins Catholic schools across our nation as we continue to assist our children to learn, serve, lead and succeed. BC

OFFERING TRADITIONS OF CHRIST-CENTERED, CHALLENGING ACADEMICS SINCE 1963

COME GROW WITH US www.holyrosary.org 985-693-3342 12925 E Main St • Larose, LA 70373 HRCS adheres to the non-discriminatory policy set by the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 59

Catholic Schools Week

Maria Immacolata Catholic School

Living the Catholic faith Maria Immacolata Catholic School (MICS) in Houma has served a very diverse community for over 50 years; hence, promoting Catholic identity helps us to get to the heart of what it means to be Catholic.

Our students Learn and practice our faith each day, with morning and afternoon prayers during announcements.

During the months of October and May, we pray a decade of the rosary each morning. We celebrate weekly Mass with our students, parents and guests on Friday mornings. Mass is presented by a different class each week. Parents also participate in Mass by bringing up the gifts along with their students. Our Blessed Mother statue goes home each week with an MICS family to pray throughout the week and return at the next week’s Mass.

Service projects are an important part of MICS – we want our students to realize why we Serve others, and why it is important to do so. n Geaux Pink Day – proceeds go to the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. n Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish Animal Shelters – Students bring in items to help the local animal shelters during the month of October. n “Pennies for Patients,” sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, collecting pennies to help children in need from our area. n During the holidays, we participate in the Coats for Kids Drive and collect canned goods and nonperishable items for the local food bank. n MICS focused on Peer to Peer Fundraising during the #iGiveCatholic Campaign. Our Pre-K class was the top class, 60 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

raising the most money! Our 4-H club came in second! The Pre-K and 4-H officers enjoyed “silly stringing the principal” as their reward!

Our entire week of Catholic Schools Week is dedicated to service – local nursing homes, books for local hospitals and doctor’s offices, The Haven, Regional Military Museum, our seminarians, and Team Gleason ALS Foundation.

How we treat one another and how we think about the value of each person is shown when we celebrate our special Masses. We learn to Lead and become leaders as we honor our community first responders at Blue Mass, celebrated on the Feast Day of the Archangels. We honor St. Francis of Assisi with our Mass and Blessing of the Animals. Veteran’s Day is a special celebration where our students learn and appreciate the sacrifices of these men and women. This year, MICS had a special celebration and lunch at Maria Immacolata Church for our veterans. At our annual Grandparents’ Mass, we give honor and respect to our older generation as they are a source of wisdom on how to live a life of faith.

Each month, we focus on a virtue to learn about and practice. This year, our theme is “JESUS ROCKS” and our virtues are: Respect – Obedience – Courage – Kindness – Service. Our hope is that if we give our students opportunities to practice that Catholic attitude, it will become a natural part of them. At the end of the month, a student from each class is recognized at Mass for being the best example of that virtue – our “Disciples of the Month.”

In union with Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma, we have the beginnings of our Seeds of Hope Program, which provides a Catholic education environment for special students who are high functioning Down’s Syndrome and Autistic. We encourage cooperation, compassion and respect for all among our general population of students. We strive for all to Succeed at MICS! (Editor’s Note: It was announced in December that Maria Immacolata Catholic School in Houma will close at the conclusion of 2019-2020 school year.) BC

Catholic Schools Week

St. Bernadette Catholic School

Our students can make a difference in changing the world On Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2020, St. Bernadette Catholic School in Houma will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week. The theme this year is “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.”

This theme seems to sum up the complete journey of a St. Bernadette School student. It was the dream the Dominican nuns had for their students years ago and the vision the faculty and staff today hold dear to their hearts - to learn, serve, lead, then succeed.

Learn. Learning at St. Bernadette Catholic School entails many aspects. Although we became a National Beta School of Distinction this year and are very active in the Duke Tip Program, we also focus on attaining spiritual growth. We want our students to know God and have a relationship with him. Collaborative learning promotes engagement, which we have embraced school wide. As seventh graders leave our halls, we always hope that they advance into the world as lifelong learners.

Serve. Many service opportunities are available to all students. Our upper grade students are required to complete community service hours each nine weeks. Community service provides students with the opportunity to make a difference in society. It not only allows the students to help those in need, it allows them to support the very community that often supports them with school and sports activities.

We want them to learn that they can make a difference in changing the world.

Lead. We instill in our students a belief that we should always lead by example. We encourage them to behave in a manner reflective of our Christian values. St. Francis of Assisi once stated, “The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today.”

Succeed. Our profile of a St. Bernadette Catholic School graduate is one filled with success. Periodically as a faculty, we look upon the qualities of our students as they leave us and commence their journey into high school. The character of our students as they depart is one that resonates a personal relationship with God and one who pursues academic excellence. Our students prove to be spiritually, intellectually, physically and socially well-rounded among their generation. We pray that all of our students continue to experience joy in their lives, trusting in God’s plan for their futures. BC

FOSTERING SPIRITUAL GROWTH & ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE! Open House for New Families Thursday, January 30, 2020 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Registration for New Families Monday, March 2, 2020 - Friday, March 6, 2020 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

St. Bernadette CatholiC SChool

985-872-3854 309 Funderburk Avenue • Houma, LA 70364 www.saintbernadettepandas.org St. Bernadette School does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex or religion.

January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 61

Catholic Schools Week

St. Francis de Sales Cathedral School

Students strive to live their lives as missionary disciples St. Francis de Sales Cathedral School in Houma is a faith-filled learning community dedicated to the education, development and spiritual formation of all students. By placing an emphasis on Catholic faith and respecting the uniqueness of each child, St. Francis de Sales Cathedral School provides a Catholic education with a strong academic curriculum and a variety of co-curricular activities that allow students to learn, serve, lead and succeed.

The opportunities to learn and live out our Catholic faith at St. Francis are endless. From daily prayers to weekly class Masses, monthly faith family Masses and religion classes, students not only learn about God but are able to live out his word. Throughout the day students are immersed in engaging, hands-on collaborative learning activities that foster both academic and spiritual growth. Teachers stay on top of the latest educational trends in order to provide a variety of effective teaching methods to ensure student success.

In striving to live as Jesus would, St. Francis students give of themselves through service. This year the Student Council sponsored a Geaux Pink Day to raise funds for the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and collected canned goods for the local food bank. The 4-H club sponsored “Socktober” to raise money for Upside Downs, and they also raised money to help donate items for “Bags of Hope” to help children in our community. The Christian Leadership club collected coats and blankets for the Kiwanis club, and our seventh graders served breakfast to our Coast Guard neighbors for Veterans Day. Through active participation in learning the Catholic faith and serving others, St. Francis students are immersed in leadership opportunities. Students lead both class, faith family and weekend Masses. Seventh grade students serve as morning greeters, office helpers, and teacher assistants.

Many students also serve as club officers and altar servers.

Students also have daily jobs in their classrooms.

St. Francis students are successful learners of both academics and faith. Through every opportunity that students are given at St. Francis to learn, serve, lead and succeed, they are able to continue to live their lives as missionary disciples. BC 62 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

A Tradition of Excellence     

Creating Missionary Disciples Sustaining High Academic Standards Engaging Classrooms Certified Teachers in all Classes Pre-K 3, Pre-K 4, Kindergarten, 1st-7th

OPEN HOUSE Januar y 29, 2020

9:00 AM - 11:30 AM Tours begin every 15 minutes.

Community

Service Faith 300 Verret Street

Call us at

Visit us on the web:

Houma, Louisiana 70360

985-868-6646

www.stfrancishouma.org

St. Francis de Sales Cathedral School is open to all students and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national , or ethnic origin.

Catholic Schools Week

St. Genevieve Catholic School

A community of learning, service and leadership St. Genevieve Catholic School in Thibodaux strives to create an atmosphere that promotes a community of learning, service and leadership. Our mission is to teach the Catholic faith and to ensure that our students are nurtured in all developmental areas – spiritually, intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally.

At St. Genevieve Catholic School, we strive to keep abreast of current teaching strategies by providing opportunities for professional development for our faculty to ensure the best learning environment for our students. As a professional learning community, we set high standards for our students and ourselves. Our teachers love what they do and believe that this is the best place to be.

“No one else in the world has the same strengths you do because God created all of us individually” (Doug Franklin).

Leadership opportunities are provided to strengthen the uniqueness of each individual student. Our seventh graders have kindergarten students as buddies to allow them to develop the responsibility of nurturing others. Students in “Children of Mary” lead the rosary before the first Friday Masses. Through our student job program, students are given the responsibility for the operation of their school. We have recess secretaries, teacher aides, P.E. helpers, a maintenance team, computer and library helpers, a sign team, and flag bearers. These leadership opportunities give the students a sense of pride and ownership.

Our mission supports the vision of being others-centered.

Many opportunities are provided for students to assist others in their time of need. Our student service organization, “Patriots,” participates in several projects yearly to help raise funds for nonprofit organizations such as Hope for Animals and the Missionary Childhood Association. We also celebrate School Spirit Days that allow the students to bring nonperishable items to benefit those less fortunate. It is important for us to remember the words of Mother Teresa, “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”

We believe in ourselves and in our community. We truly believe that when the family, school and church are working together, we have an unbeatable combination. We want to be all that we can be and are thankful to all those who will help us on our journey, most especially, our Lord. BC

St. Genevieve Catholic School “Lord, it is good that we are here.”

2020-2021 Registration March 2, 2020 - March 6, 2020 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM “My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.” - Charles F. Kettering Ponder a moment this quote from an elementary student’s point of view. How seriously we must take our role in their future! We are here to touch that future, dramatically. We hope that you see our school as an investment in the future.

807 Barbier Avenue • Thibodaux, Louisiana 70301 (985) 447-9291 stgenevieveschool.us St. Genevieve Catholic School does not discriminate on the basis of reace, sex, religion, national, or ethnic origin and is open to students who share our values and traditions.

January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 63

Catholic Schools Week

St. Mary’s Nativity School

Learning, serving and leading means success Learn: St. Mary’s Nativity School has been a respected educational choice in Raceland since 1963. We emphasize not only scholarly learning, but social virtues. Students learn that hard work and persistence reap rewards, and our virtuebased discipline teaches them to replace selfish habits with thoughtful, kind ones. Our newest emphasis includes not just STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) but STREAM, adding religion and art to the curriculum.

Serve: Students strive to serve others both in and out of school, for what good is learning without returning our blessings to others? Morning prayers begin with a remembrance of those asking for our help. Chez Hope, St. Jude, The Blue Shed (Covington), Give Kids the World, and the seminarians have all felt our helping hands. The school recognizes and assists veterans, community workers, and underprivileged children. We collect donations for disaster relief, holiday baskets, food for the poor, and coats for children. Our annual Christmas pageant is a gift every student offers to the church and school community.

Lead: Students not only learn and serve, but they also embrace the chance to lead. In weekly prayer circles and Masses, in monthly “family” meetings where various ages are grouped, students lead prayers and projects. Club officers and members in 4-H, Beta, Caritas, and quiz bowl take leadership roles. Basketball, cross-country and cheering all grow leaders. Some of our students helped take the Lockport Biddy 11-12 year-olds to a national championship. Students altar-serve at Mass and funerals, and the student choir sings at Mass. Eighth-graders bring up banners emblazoned with virtues for every school Mass.

Succeed: Our students realize that learning, serving and leading will mean success not only in school, but out in the world. They gain self-discipline and see results. At the last meet, every single one of our cross-country runners beat their previous best times. Beta students place often at state and earn T-shirts. Our quiz bowl team often succeeds against much larger schools. Students enjoy success in competing at fun projects like decorating pumpkins, Christmas trees, and Mardi Gras floats. Alumni often claim their successes began with St. Mary’s training and caring. Many enroll their own children to carry on our traditions; some of our present students are now the third generation of early students. BC 64 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

3492 Nies Street Raceland, Louisiana 70394 (985)537-7544 https:www.plusportals.com/StMarysNativity

2020-2021 Registration Current Students February 10-14, 2020

New Students March 2-6, 2020

Pre-K 3 through 8th grade

St. Mary’s Nativity School is open to all students and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion or ethnic origin.

Catholic Schools Week

St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School

Learn. Serve.

Lead. Succeed.

The 2019-2020 St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School in Thibodaux theme is Camp Out: Getting S’more of Jesus. We are fulfilling the theme as we learn about our Catholic faith, serve one another and our community, lead by good example and succeed through hard work and determination. Our goal is to help nurture and guide each child in becoming the best missionary disciple he/she can become.

Learn: Through professional development, faculty members embrace learning new methodology and technology to ensure students are well rounded young adults acclimated to the demands and rigor set for them to succeed in the larger world. In August, our entire faculty was trained in Restorative Practices, an approach that proactively builds positive school communities by promoting strong interpersonal relationships. All classrooms contain a Promethean Board, iPads, and/or chrome books to enhance interactive learning.

Our students and teachers are embracing Google Classroom as a tool to help organize, simplify, and be able to access learning materials both at home and at school in all subjects including religion.

Serve: Pro-social behavior and interactions are recognized and promoted at a school level through a virtues-based Pawsi-tive Prints recognition program. Random acts of kindness and service to others by students and faculty are acknowledged and the recipients are pictured along the hallway on a paw print to recognize the many ways we are serving God by being servants to others. School clubs sponsor activities to promote service and giving from the heart whether it be visiting residents at local nursing homes, collection drives, volunteering at local community events, making cards for the sick and lonely, participating in the Advent Giving Tree project, as well as collecting for the missions in third world countries.

Lead: As a school family, we profess our faith openly and invite others in our community to join us in worship, respect and prayer. Each morning a student led prayer echoes the halls of our buildings. A decade of the rosary is recited on Mondays led by students in grades 4-7. Faculty members gather for morning prayer and reflection, for wherever two or more are gathered in prayer, Our Lord is in our midst. Every Friday, our school family, parents, alumni and grandparents gather under one roof for our weekly liturgy to praise God in song and thank him for the blessings and knowledge

attained throughout the week. School sponsored liturgies are celebrated at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral several times a year to remind us that our school is just a small part of our larger faith community, St. Joseph Co-Cathedral parish. The seventh graders partner with their kindergarten buddies in play, weekly prayer and worship at Mass, and in learning as they model true leadership.

Succeed: A spiritual goal of the school is to encourage and practice personal prayer and reflection through Bible study.

Students in grades 2-7 will receive personal Bibles this year and will use their own Bibles throughout their years at St. Joseph Catholic. Our students enjoy participation in co-curricular activities such as band, choir, general music classes and art. Extracurricular activities foster healthy competition and growth. Our soccer, basketball, volleyball and swim teams demonstrate team building while physically engaging in competitive play activities with students from other civil parishes and diocesan schools. Students score remarkably well on standardized tests and represent our school and diocese at Literary Rally each year. These are all living examples of our mission which states we strive to educate the whole child by promoting spiritual, academic, physical and social interaction in a safe, Catholic, Christ centered environment. BC

St. Joseph Elementary School OPEN HOUSE FOR NEW FAMILIES FEBRUARY 5th - 8:15 - 9:30 a.m.

Catholic Education Rooted in Faith

Continuing the Tradition of Providing a Quality Catholic Education since 1855

A Values-Oriented Curriculum Fostering Individual Growth Spiritually, Morally, Academically & Socially • Nationally Accredited by AdvancED • Committed to Academic Rigor and Technology Integration • Dedicated, caring, certified Faculty & Staff • Promethean Classrooms, Computer Lab & Library • A.C.T./Aspire Assessment Program • Full-Day Pre-K for Four-Year-Olds • Daily Prayer & Weekly School Liturgies • Student Clubs, Sports Teams • Music, Band & Art • Attention to Special Academic Needs • Optional Before & After School Care

501 Cardinal Drive • Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 446-1346 • FAX (985) 449-0760

www.stjosephcesthibodaux.org Check us out on Facebook at St. Joseph Catholic Elementary Thibodaux St. Joseph C.E.S. does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, national or ethnic origin and is open to students who share our values and traditions.

January 2020 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 65

Catholic Schools Week

St. Gregory Barbarigo Catholic School

Safe, Catholic learning environment At St. Gregory Barbarigo Catholic School in Houma, we develop a community to learn, serve, lead and succeed.

We learn. St. Gregory offers a Catholic education to children age three through seventh grade, and provides a learning environment whereby research-based methodologies are implemented to meet the varied learning styles and levels of students. All students are challenged in a safe, interactive, Catholic learning environment. In support of the notion that parents are the first educators of their children, we encourage parents to have an active role in the education of their children. The faculty and staff are dedicated, caring, spiritual and effective in the education and social growth of the children. Teachers are continually encouraged to participate in professional development and set goals for reaching high standards of teaching.

We serve. Student-lead service projects have increased an awareness of the needs of others in the community and other areas around the world. We have a “baby shower” and donate items to a local shelter. The students do neighborhood scavenger hunts for canned goods to donate to families at Thanksgiving. They bring gently used coats for children. The students also participate in many other charitable activities that range from making cards, painting inspirational rocks, and donating food items, to fundraising to make monetary donations. Our students also minister to the sick in the community. Our students are involved in giving of themselves just as Jesus taught us.

We lead. Students exhibit leadership qualities through their daily classroom experiences. The upper grade students are involved in our mentoring program for the younger students. As mentors, they lead by example as well as help with activities/learning. Students also serve as officers/ leaders in various clubs such as 4-H, Beta, yearbook, and Royal Ministers of Christ – a campus/community ministry.

Our students also play an active role in our school Mass.

They commentate, read, altar serve and sing in the church choir.

We succeed. Every student has learning opportunities that promote individual success. We provide individualized instruction each day in addition to our whole class environment. All students set personal academic goals in various areas and receive the support to attain those goals.

Our students have opportunities to prepare them in religious, academic, social, personal and service areas to become wellrounded, spiritual, successful individuals. BC 66 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2020

Building God’s Kingdom. One Child At A Time!

ST. GREGORY BARBARIGO CATHOLIC SCHOOL School Tours

Week of February 17, 2020 Call for appointment

Current Student Registration February 10, 2020

New Student Registraton

begins February 17, 2020 Educating students age 3 through 7th grade

Principal: Dr. Cindy Martin, NBCT

Small Class Sizes Morning and Midday Prayer Time Family-Oriented Environment SmartBoard Technology iPads and Kindles Computer Lab & Library Weekly School Mass

Monday School Assembly Music Ministry STEM Program/Robotics Yearbook Club Art Classes Royal Ministers of Christ Parent Teacher Organization

Award Winning Junior BETA Club Award Winning 4-H Club Buddy Programs Before/After School Care Program Academic Enrichment Small Group Interventions

441 Sixth Street ~ Houma, LA 70364 ~ (985) 876-2038 www.stgregoryschool.org

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