Bayou
Catholic
‘You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek’ HOUMA, LA ~ JULY 2016 ~ COMPLIMENTARY
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www.bayoucatholic.com
Contents FEATURES
32 Bayou Patrons
By Janet Marcel
40 Father Michael Bergeron retires
By Janet Marcel
COLUMNS
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Comfort For My People
By Bishop Shelton J. Fabre
12 Pope Speaks
Pope Francis I
13 Question Corner
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By Father Kenneth Doyle
14 Readings Between The Lines
By Father Glenn LeCompte
36 Seeing Clairely
By Claire Joller
37 Reading with Raymond
By Raymond Saadi
58 Overtime
By Ed Daniels
IN EVERY ISSUE
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6 From the Editor 16 Scripture Readings 22 Heavenly Recipes 44 Diocesan Events GUEST COLUMNS
18 Corporal Works of Mercy
By Father Michael Bergeron
20 Spiritual Works of Mercy
By Father Mike Tran
38 The Joy of Love
By Father Joey Pilola
ANNOUNCEMENTS
30 Pastoral appointments and
retirements announced
43 Food for the Journey
32 Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
Father Robert Rogers speaks
47 Interim principal named
at St. Gregory Elementary
49 Kateri Mass July 8
On Our Cover Father Cody Chatagnier was ordained by Bishop Shelton J. Fabre at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma May 28. For additional coverage, see pages 24-25. Cover Photo by Lawrence Chatagnier
Bayou Catholic Vol. 37, No. 1 How to reach us: BY PHONE: (985) 850-3132 BY MAIL: P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395 BY FAX: (985) 850-3232 BY E-MAIL: bayoucatholic@htdiocese.org
Where to find your Bayou Catholic Bayou Catholic magazine can be found at all Catholic churches in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, at the three Catholic high schools in Houma, Morgan City and Thibodaux, as well as the 10 elementary schools throughout the diocese. You may also visit the merchants listed in the Advertisers’ Index to pick up your copy. Those wishing to receive the magazine by mail can call Pat Keese at (985) 850-3132 or write to Bayou Catholic, P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395. Subscription price is $35 annually. For the online edition, go to www.bayoucatholic.com
The Bayou Catholic is published monthly, for the people of the Roman Catholic Diocese of HoumaThibodaux by the H-T Publishing Co., P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395. Subscription rate is $35 per year. The Bayou Catholic is a member of the Catholic Press Association, the National Newspaper Association and an associate member of the Louisiana Press Association. National and world-wide news service and photos by National Catholic News Service.
Lawrence Chatagnier
editor and general manager
Glenn J. Landry, C.P.A. business manager
Index to Advertisers
Peggy Adams
advertising manager
Anna C. Givens
Advanced Eye Institute ............................... 51
Headache & Pain Center ............................. 27
Advertising Sales Executive Position ........... 57
Houma Digestive Health Specialists ............ 42
Brickhouse Cardio Club .............................. 58
HTeNews ................................................... 11
staff writer/administrative assistant
Bueche’s Jewelry ....................................... 53
LeBlanc & Associates, LLC ........................ 55
Lisa Schobel Hebert
Cannata’s .................................................... 2
Pilgrimage to Rome .................................... 60
Cardinal Place ............................................ 43
Re-Bath ..................................................... 48
Channel 10 ................................................ 19
Rod’s Superstore ....................................... 39
Diocesan Outreach Line ............................. 49
Seminarian Education Burses ..................... 23
Diocesan Website ...................................... 21
Spotlight .................................................... 43
Family Vision Clinic .................................... 55
St. Joseph Manor ....................................... 53
Felger’s Footwear ....................................... 42
Synergy Bank ............................................. 41
Gulf Coast Orthopedics .............................. 46
Terminix ..................................................... 57
Halliburton/Transocean Settlement ............. 47
Vision Communications ................................ 3
Haydel Spine Pain & Wellness .................... 15
Watkins, Walker, Eroche & Hoychick ........... 58
advertising accounts executive
Janet Marcel
graphic designer
Meridy Liner
accounts receivable/payable assistant
Awards
CPA First Place General Excellence 2013 - 2014 LPA First Place General Excellence 2015 www.bayoucatholic.com
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Welcome
In this file photo, Father Joseph Tu Tran, chaplain, is shown talking to a nurse after a daily Mass in the chapel at Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma.
From the Editor 6
The past couple of months were filled with celebrations in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux as you will see by reading this issue of Bayou Catholic. There were happy occasions: three young men ordained as transitional deacons and one ordained as a priest for the diocese. There was also a sad occasion. In June we lost one of our diocesan priests, Father Joseph Tu Tran, chaplain at Terrebonne General Medical Center. During the funeral Mass, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre placed a crucifix, a priest’s stole, a breviary and a rosary on the casket. The bishop explained the significance of each item as he placed them on the casket and said, “You are a priest forever in the line of Melchizedek.” That statement resonated within me because the previous week I was seeking the right headline for the cover of this month’s magazine featuring Father Cody Chatagnier’s ordination to the
priesthood. Catholic priests find the roots of their priesthood in the tradition of Melchizedek. Father Francis Bui, assistant superior overseas, Domus Dei Formation House in Seattle and former priest of our diocese, gave the homily at Father Joseph’s funeral. He spoke of how he and Father Joseph were in the seminary together. They were paired together to help each other grow in holiness and talents. He said that Father Joseph was the oldest in the class and he was the youngest. Father Bui also spoke of the special bond of priesthood. He said the priestly bond is one of both solidarity and communion that is expressed in a powerful way through the celebration of the holy sacrifice of the Mass. He went on to say, “This special bond is stronger than death, for we were ordained like Melchizedek of old, priests forever.” It was at that moment I realized that we had come full circle in just a couple of weeks. A young man was ordained into the priesthood, eagerly anticipating serving the faithful of the diocese with a promising future ahead. Now, the newly-ordained with his brother priests had gathered to pray and remember their brother, who had
LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC
served as a pastor and ministered to the sick for many years, as he began his journey to the Lord. I remember Father Joseph as a humble, gentle priest. He had a love for photography. Years ago I sold him a used film camera and lens because I was switching to a digital format. After that, every time we would meet he would say jokingly, “You need to buy a new camera and sell me the one you are using now.” The last time I saw Father Joseph was during Father Cody’s ordination. During the recessional as the priests were processing out of the church he shook my hand and smiled as he pointed to my camera. I couldn’t help but think of that moment when I was in the same spot taking a photo of the pall bearers, his brother Vietnamese priests, exiting the church with the casket. In the same manner that Father Bui said in his homily, “Instead of saying good bye to you Father Joseph, we say farewell. It means that we will see you again.” Remember, after reading Bayou Catholic, pass it on to a friend or relative who might not be attending Mass. It’s one of the great ways to do your part in spreading the Good News!
Lawrence
Lawrence Chatagnier Editor & General Manager
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
Church Life
Father Joseph Tu Tran dies at age 60 The Rev. Joseph Tu Tran, chaplain at Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma, passed away Saturday, June 11, at 8:30 a.m., at Terrebonne General Medical Center. “We are saddened by the loss of Father Joseph Tu Tran. He was a good priest. We continue to pray for Father Joseph and for his family. We thank God for his priestly ministry and for the many people who were blessed by him and his priesthood,” says Bishop Shelton J. Fabre. Father Tu Tran was born Nov. 4, 1955, in Bien Hoa, Viet Nam and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux May 22, 1999. Father Tu Tran served as associate pastor of Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church parish in Golden Meadow, St. Joseph Church parish in Chauvin, Sacred Heart Church parish in Montegut and St. Charles Borromeo Church parish in Pointe-aux-Chenes, and as pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Church parish in Pointe-aux-Chenes. He served as Chaplain at Terrebonne General Medical Center from November 2009 until the time of his death. Bishop Fabre presided over a Mass of Christian burial at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma which was concelebrated by Bishop Emeritus Sam G. Jacobs and priests of the diocese. Interment followed at the Priests’ Tomb in St. Francis de Sales Cemetery II.
Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier www.bayoucatholic.com
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Comment Comfort For My People Bishop Shelton J. Fabre
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The month of July is ushered in by the celebration of our country’s Independence Day, July 4. During this month we should offer special prayers for our leaders in national, state and local government, for those who serve in our military, and for all people in our country. July is also an opportune time for us to reflect upon the meaning of ‘freedom,’ and to thank God for the many wonderful freedoms that we enjoy in this country. Any reflection that we undertake on freedom should begin at least with some understanding of what freedom means for us as followers and disciples of Jesus Christ. In what is probably his earliest letter, St. Paul in his Letter to the Galatians offers one of the greatest reflections on freedom available to a follower of Jesus Christ. In the Letter to the Galatians, St. Paul works out a complex theology of freedom, and concludes that freedom ultimately points us to Jesus Christ, and to what it means to have life in the Spirit. In a very succinct manner, St. Paul states that in the end, “For freedom Christ sets us free” (Galatians 5:1). Jesus Christ sets us free from the power of sin and death so that we might be free to serve others,
to live life in the Spirit. We are truly free when we serve one another because life in the Spirit is always oriented toward love and service to others. Freedom that is focused and centered only on satisfying my own unrestrained appetites and selfish desires is not true freedom at all, but rather slavery to sin. When I am only concerned about myself, I remain a slave to sin, and therefore I am not truly free. The church affords us many pathways, opportunities and responsibilities that lead us to strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ and live life in the Spirit so that in him we might be truly free. Sometimes we can look upon these pathways to true freedom, these responsibilities as members of the church, not as
get by, but to engage in Catholic practices in order to reach a goal, which is to become missionary disciples of Jesus Christ set free to serve the needs of others. There are those saints who show us what real life in the Spirit is like, what it truly means to be free in Jesus Christ. St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, whose Feast Day was June 22, were two men who greatly loved their country and honorably served their king. However, St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher refused to see the king of their country as ruler over anything other than the temporal, earthly order. By their words and actions, these two men saw and proclaimed the sovereignty of God over all things, and were free enough in this knowledge to lay down their lives in service to God so that others might understand what it truly means to be free in Jesus Christ. During July, we thank God for our country and for the many freedoms we enjoy, among them freedom of religion. As followers of Jesus Christ we are called to understand what true freedom is all about: namely freedom from sin and death and freedom to serve others. We are called to bear witness to the freedom that we will know most fully in the Kingdom of God. Until the fulfillment of God’s kingdom, we strive after this ultimate freedom by living life in the Spirit and by serving others. The responsibilities and demands of our faith are not mere obligations for us, but opportunities to advance on the road that leads us to the everlasting freedom of heaven for which we yearn. Let us pray that God will continue to bless our country and also bless us with true freedom!
Freedom opportunities to strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ, but only as confining obligations. When we fall into the trap of viewing everything from the perspective of mere obligation, we find ourselves asking the questions: “Does this count for Sunday Mass? If I show up for Mass after the readings does it count for my Sunday attendance? Do I really need to go to confession for this?” This kind of mentality does not see our practices as pathways to true freedom, but only merely as obligations that will allow us to simply get by. The purpose of our obligations and responsibilities in the church is so that we can reach the goal for which we strive, which is to truly be free in Jesus Christ. Our purpose should not be to merely
Reflecting upon the meaning of freedom
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
Comentario
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Reflexionando sobre la libertad y su significado
El mes de julio se reconoce por el Día de Independencia de nuestra nación, el cuatro de julio. Este mes debemos orar en especial por nuestros dirigentes gubernamentales a nivel nacional, estatal y local, por los miembros de las fuerzas armadas y por todo el pueblo en nuestra nación. En julio debemos reflexionar sobre el significado de la «libertad» y debemos darle las gracias a Dios por las buenas libertades que gozamos en este país. La reflexión que hacemos sobre la libertad debe comenzar con alguna compresión sobre lo que esto significa para nosotros los seguidores y discípulos de Jesucristo. En lo que fue posiblemente su primera carta, San Pablo en su Carta a los Gálatas ofrece una de las mejores reflexiones sobre la libertad dirigido a los seguidores de Jesucristo. En la Carta a los Gálatas, San Pablo desarrolla una teología compleja sobre la libertad y concluye que la libertad nos dirige a Jesucristo y habla sobre el significado de vivir en el Espíritu. De manera muy breve, San Pablo declara que, «Cristo nos liberó para ser libres» (Gálatas 5:1). Cristo nos libera del poder del pecado y la muerte para que podamos servir a los demás, para que podamos vivir en el Espíritu. Somos verdaderamente libres cuando nos servimos el uno al otro porque la vida en el Espíritu se orienta siempre hacia el amor y a servir al prójimo. La libertad que se concentra exclusivamente en satisfacer desmedidos deseos y apetitos personales crean esclavitud del pecado y por tanto falta de libertad. La Iglesia nos provee caminos,
oportunidades y responsabilidades que nos conducen a fortalecer nuestra relación con Jesucristo y vivir en el Espíritu para que en El podamos ser verdaderamente libres. A veces, sucede que estos caminos que nos llevan a la libertad verdadera, estas responsabilidades que tenemos como feligreses no son vistos como oportunidad a fortalecer nuestra relación con Jesucristo, sino se ven como obligaciones inconvenientes. Cuando caemos en el engaño de verlo todo desde este punto de vista de simple obligación, nos ponemos a preguntar: « ¿Cuenta esto para la misa dominical? Si llego a misa después de las lecturas, ¿Se toma en cuenta mi asistencia a la misa dominical? ¿Debo ir a confesarme por esto? Esta mentalidad no nos permite considerar estas prácticas como caminos hacia la libertad verdadera, sino simplemente como
verdadera en el Espíritu es, lo que significa verdaderamente ser libre en Jesucristo. Santo Thomas More y San John Fisher, que se celebran el 22 de junio, fueron dos hombres que amaron mucho a su país y sirvieron a su rey con honor. Sin embargo, Santo Thomas More y San John Fisher rehusaron reconocer a su rey como el amo de todo incluyendo más allá de lo temporal, más allá de lo terrenal. Con sus palabras y actos, estos dos hombres reconocieron y proclamaron la soberanía de Dios sobre todas las cosas y tuvieron la libertad suficiente para entregar sus vidas al servicio de Dios para que los demás puedan entender lo que significa ser libre en Jesucristo. En julio, le damos gracias a Dios por todas las libertades en nuestro país incluyendo la libertad de religión. Siendo seguidores de Jesucristo hemos sido llamados a comprender que la libertad verdadera se trata de: estar libre del pecado y la muerte y tener la libertad de servir al prójimo. Somos llamados a ser testigos de la libertad que conoceremos con toda plenitud en el Reino de Dios. Continuaremos a buscar esta libertad dando vida en Espíritu y sirviendo al prójimo hasta que el Reino de Dios se cumpla. Las responsabilidades y exigencias de nuestra fe no son solamente obligaciones para nosotros, sino son oportunidades para avanzar en el camino que nos conduce a la libertad eterna del cielo, que es lo que deseamos. ¡Oremos que Dios siga bendiciendo nuestra nación y nos bendiga a todos nosotros con una libertad verdadera! Traducido por Julio Contreras, feligrés de la iglesia Annunziata en Houma
d a t r e b Li obligaciones que nos permitirán solamente sobrevivir. El propósito de nuestras obligaciones y responsabilidades en la Iglesia es permitirnos alcanzar la meta que buscamos que es estar verdaderamente libres en Jesucristo. Nuestro propósito no debe ser solamente sobrevivir, sino practicar nuestro catolicismo para alcanzar la meta que es convertirnos en discípulos misioneros de Jesucristo libres que se dedican al servicio del prójimo. He aquí los santos que nos demuestran lo que la vida
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Binh luan bang loi
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Suy tư về ý nghĩa của sự tự do
Tháng Bảy được mở đầu bằng sự kỷ niệm ngày 4 tháng 7, ngày Độc lập của quốc gia chúng ta. Trong tháng này, chúng ta nên cầu nguyện đặc biệt cho các nhà lãnh đạo quốc gia, tiểu bang và chính quyền địa phương, cho những người phục vụ trong quân đội, và cho tất cả mọi người trong đất nước của chúng ta. Tháng Bảy cũng là thời gian thuận lợi để chúng ta suy tư về ý nghĩa của sự “tự do,” và để cảm tạ Thiên Chúa cho nhiều quyền tự do tuyệt vời mà chúng ta được hưởng tại đất nước này. Bất kỳ sự suy tư nào về tự do mà chúng ta thực hiện, thì ít nhất nên bắt đầu với một số hiểu biết rằng sự tự do có ý nghĩa gì đối với chúng ta, với tư cách là những người môn đệ của Chúa Giêsu Kitô. Có lẽ trong lá thư đầu tiên của mình, thư gửi cho các tín hữu Galát, thánh Phaolô đưa ra một trong số các suy tư hay nhất về sự tự do có sẵn cho người môn đệ của Chúa Giêsu Kitô. Trong thư gửi tín hữu Galát, thánh Phaolô thực hiện một nền thần học phức tạp của sự tự do, và kết luận rằng sự tự do rốt cuộc là hướng chúng ta tới Chúa Giêsu Kitô, và tới ý nghĩa là có sự sống trong Thần Khí. Trong một cách thật súc tích, thánh Phaolô rằng nói rằng trong phần cuối, “Chính vì để chúng ta được tự do mà Đức Kitô đã giải thoát chúng ta” (Gl 5:1). Chúa Giêsu Kitô giải thoát chúng ta khỏi quyền lực của tội lỗi và sự chết để chúng ta được tự do và phục vụ người khác, để sống cuộc sống trong Thần Khí. Chúng ta thật sự tự do khi chúng ta phục vụ lẫn nhau vì sự sống trong Thần Khí luôn hướng về tình yêu và phục vụ người khác. Sự tự do mà chỉ quy hướng và tập trung trên việc thỏa mãn ham muốn không kiềm chế và ích kỷ của riêng tôi thì không phải là tự do thật sự tí nào cả, mà đúng hơn là nô lệ cho tội lỗi. Khi tôi chỉ quan tâm đến bản thân
mình, tôi vẫn là người nô lệ cho tội lỗi, và do đó tôi không thật sự được tự do. Giáo hội còn tạo cho chúng ta nhiều con đường, cơ hội và trách nhiệm mà giúp chúng ta củng cố mối quan hệ của mình với Chúa Giêsu Kitô và sống cuộc sống trong Thần Khí để trong Ngài, chúng ta có thể thật sự được tự do. Đôi khi chúng ta có thể nhìn vào những con đường này dẫn tới sự tự do đích thực, những trách nhiệm như các phần tử của Giáo hội, không phải là những cơ hội để củng cố mối quan hệ của chúng ta với Chúa Giêsu Kitô, nhưng chỉ nghĩa vụ bắt buộc. Khi chúng ta rơi vào cạm bẫy của việc xem tất cả mọi thứ từ cái nhìn của nghĩa vụ thuần túy, thì chúng ta thường đặt ra những vấn đề như: “Liệu điều này có tính thay cho Thánh
Có những vị thánh đã cho chúng ta thấy đời sống thực sự trong Thần Khí là thế nào, những gì thực sự có nghĩa là được tự do trong Chúa Giêsu Kitô. Thánh Thomas More và thánh Gioan Fisher, lễ kính ngày 22 tháng 6, là hai người rất yêu mến đất nước mình và vinh dự phục vụ cho vua của họ. Tuy nhiên, thánh Thomas More và thánh Gioan Fisher đã khước từ nhìn nhận vị vua tạm bợ và trần thế của họ là vị vua chúa vượt trên tất cả mọi sự. Bằng lời nói và hành động của họ, hai ngài đã nhìn thấy và tuyên xưng chủ quyền của Chúa trên tất cả mọi sự, và nhờ sự tự do trong sự hiểu biết này mà các ngài đã hy sinh mạng sống của mình cho sự phục vụ Thiên Chúa, để những người khác có thể hiểu được sự tự do trong Chúa Giêsu Chúa Kitô thực sự là gì. Trong tháng Bảy, chúng ta cảm tạ Thiên Chúa cho đất nước của chúng ta và cho nhiều quyền tự do chúng ta được hưởng, trong đó có quyền tự do tôn giáo. Là các môn đệ của Chúa Giêsu Kitô, chúng ta được mời gọi để hiểu sự tự do đích thật là gì: cụ thể là sự tự do khỏi tội lỗi và sự chết và sự tự do để phục vụ người khác. Chúng ta được kêu gọi để làm chứng cho sự tự do mà chúng ta sẽ biết cách trọn vẹn nhất trong Nước Thiên Chúa. Trong khi chờ đợi sự hoàn thành vương quốc của Thiên Chúa, chúng ta phấn đấu cho sự tự do cuối cùng này bằng cách sống trong Thần Khí sống và bằng việc phục vụ người khác. Những trách nhiệm và đòi hỏi của đức tin chúng ta không chỉ là nghĩa vụ đối với chúng ta, nhưng còn là những cơ hội để thăng tiến trên con đường dẫn chúng ta đến sự tự do vĩnh cửu của nước trời mà chúng ta hằng khao khát. Chúng ta hãy cầu nguyện xin Thiên Chúa tiếp tục ban phúc lành cho đất nước của chúng ta và cũng chúc lành cho chúng ta có sự tự do đích thực! Dịch thuật do Lm. Francis Bui, SDD và Thầy Paul Vu, SDD. Tu Đoàn Tông Đồ Giáo Sĩ Nhà Chúa
o d Tự
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
lễ Chúa nhật không? Nếu tôi tới dâng lễ sau các bài đọc, liệu có tính cho việc tham dự ngày lễ Chúa nhật của tôi không? Tôi có thực sự cần phải đi xưng tội cho điều này không?” Đây là loại tâm lý không nhìn những thực hành của mình là con đường tự do đích thực, nhưng chỉ đơn thuần là nghĩa vụ mà sẽ cho phép chúng ta đơn giản đi qua. Mục đích của các nghĩa vụ và trách nhiệm của chúng ta trong Giáo hội là để chúng ta có thể đạt được các mục đích mà chúng ta cố gắng, những thứ thực sự là tự do trong Chúa Giêsu Kitô. Mục đích của chúng ta không phải là chỉ để đi qua, nhưng là để tham gia vào các hoạt động Công giáo hầu đạt được mục đích, đó là trở thành những môn đệ truyền giáo của Chúa Giêsu Kitô ban cho cách nhưng không để phục vụ những nhu cầu của người khác.
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Comment The Pope Speaks
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Love and solidarity are what make the world a better place, not a focus on physical perfection and hiding away those who do not fit a commercial ideal, Pope Francis said. “The world does not become better because only apparently ‘perfect’ -- not to mention fake -- people live there, but when human solidarity, mutual acceptance and respect increase,” the pope said June 12 celebrating Mass for the Year of Mercy jubilee of the sick and persons with disabilities. Several altar servers with Down syndrome assisted Pope Francis at the Mass in St. Peter’s Square. Persons with disabilities proclaimed the first two Scripture readings, including by using braille. The Gospel story, about the sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, was acted out while a deacon read it in Italian, and sign language interpreters were stationed throughout the square. “Each of us, sooner or later, is called to face -- at times painfully -- frailty and illness, both our own and those of others,” Pope Francis said in his homily. Limitations are part of being human, he said, yet today there is a widespread notion that “sick or disabled persons cannot be happy, since they cannot live the lifestyle held up by the culture of pleasure and entertainment.” “In an age when care for one’s
body has become an obsession and a big business, anything imperfect has to be hidden away, since it threatens the happiness and serenity of the privileged few and endangers the dominant model,” the pope said. “In some cases, we are even told that it is better to eliminate them as soon as possible, because they become an unacceptable economic burden in time of crisis.” People with such attitudes, he said, “fail to understand the real meaning of life, which also has to do with accepting suffering and limitations.” And for Jesus, he said, the sick and the weak, those cast aside by society -- like the woman in the Gospel story -- are precisely the ones he loves most. The only path to happiness is love, Pope Francis said. “How many disabled and suffering persons open their hearts to life again as soon as they realize they are loved! How much love can well up in a heart simply with a smile!” The day before the Mass, the pope held a special audience for participants in a conference sponsored by the Italian bishops’ office for catechesis for disabled persons. Saying that he knows speeches can be boring -- and people sneak a look at their watches thinking, “when will he stop talking?” -- the pope opened the meeting to questions. Participants asked Pope Francis how parishes can overcome fear of people who are different, how they can fight discrimination of those with disabilities and how to help a parish that thinks it cannot welcome the disabled and prepare those with developmental difficulties for the sacraments. Encountering and welcoming someone who is different can cause fear at first, the pope said. But “we are all different. There is no one exactly like another.” “Differences are a richness because I have something and you have something else and by putting the two together we
have something more beautiful, something greater,” the pope said. Diversity is not something to fear, but is “the path to improvement, to be more beautiful and richer.” Discrimination, especially in a parish, “is something very ugly,” Pope Francis said. “It is true that if you want to receive Communion, you must have had preparation. And if you do not understand the language (of the catechesis), for example if you are deaf, you must have the possibility of a preparation with sign language,” the pope said. A pastor who says his parish cannot provide special religious education classes “must convert,” the pope said to applause. “Think of a priest who does not welcome everyone. What advice would the pope give him?” Pope Francis asked before responding, “Close the doors of the church! Either everyone or no one” should enter. The priest might try to defend himself by saying that while everyone is welcome in his parish, the developmentally disabled cannot receive Communion because they would not understand what they are doing. Pope Francis said his response to that would be, “You are the one who does not understand!” “We all have the same possibility of growing, moving forward, loving the Lord, doing good things,” he said. Pope Francis told those at the audience that when St. Pius X ruled in 1910 that children as young as 7 years old could receive Communion, similar objections were raised: “But that child won’t understand,” he said the critics complained. But St. Pius went ahead, knowing “that children understand in a different way,” he said. “Each one of us has a different way of understanding things. One understands one way and another in a different manner, but we can all know God.”
Love, not some idea of perfection, leads to happiness, pope says
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
Question Corner Father Kenneth Doyle
Actions on global warming
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Q. Pope Francis published his encyclical on global warming in June 2015. What actions has the church initiated to put his recommendations into effect? Are we waiting for more guidance from the Holy Father, or should we be looking for something from our bishops and priests? (Centertown, Missouri) A. Pope Francis did, as you say, address the issue of global warming in his encyclical “Laudato Si’” and the document (perhaps better appreciated under its English title, “On Care for Our Common Home”) speaks of a variety of environmental challenges, urges a broad dialogue on how we are to shape the future of our planet and notes that “a very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system. … Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat this warming or at least the human causes that produce or aggravate it.” The pope returned to the topic in remarks during his September 2015 White House visit, saying that “climate change is a problem that can no longer be left to a future generation.” Far from waiting for further guidance, there are steps that can be taken immediately,
and the pope mentions some of them in the encyclical: “There is a nobility in the duty to care for creation through little daily actions ... avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption, separating refuse, cooking only what can reasonably be consumed ... using public transport or carpooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights ...” A good resource is the Global Catholic Climate Movement, which includes on its website a list of “nine things a parish can do to help stop climate change (with no budget and no special expertise).” Likewise, the Archdiocese of Ottawa in Canada publishes a document called “Care for God’s Creation: A Guide for Parishes,” which suggests that a parish form a “green team” responsible for environmental stewardship in the parish, that Catholic teaching on the environment be incorporated into homilies and bulletin inserts, and that the parish consider such measures as an energy retrofit program and an investment in solar panels.
Confusion over Ascension
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Q. If we are a universal church, why are holy day Mass requirements so different? Even in the U.S., most dioceses have transferred Ascension Thursday to a Sunday. Why not all? (Northampton, Pennsylvania) A. My answer is that your question is a good one. Part of the current state of the law makes sense to me and part does not. Canon law lists 10 holy days of obligation, but (with the permission of the Vatican) bishops’ conferences within a country may suppress some of them or move them to the nearest Sunday. The result is that there
is wide variety from nation to nation; many countries, like our own, have six non-Sunday holy days of obligation. Australia and the Netherlands have two. I can appreciate why certain days might be especially celebrated in certain places. In Italy on Jan. 6, the feast of the Epiphany, Mass is obligatory. Italians traditionally celebrate Epiphany with gift-giving, much as we do on Christmas. In Ireland, March 17 marks the feast of St. Patrick, that nation’s patron, and it is a holy day of obligation. Ascension Thursday is a story in itself. Back in the late 1990s, bishops in the United States took notice that Mass attendance on Ascension Thursday had been dropping for a number of years. (Since the feast occurs on the 40th day after Easter, it can fall anywhere from early May to early June, so people don’t have it fixed in their mental calendars.) As a result, wishing to highlight the importance of the Ascension, most of the ecclesiastical provinces in the U.S. transferred the celebration of the feast (and the obligation of attending Mass) to the nearest Sunday. However, the 13 bishops of New England, some midAtlantic states and Nebraska kept the Thursday date. The result is a fair amount of confusion. (And I won’t even go into the universal bewilderment as to which feasts “don’t count” if they fall on a Saturday or a Monday.) Like you, I would look -- some day in the future -- for a bit more standardization and a bit less befuddlement. Catholic News Service
Questions may be sent to Father Kenneth Doyle at askfatherdoyle@ gmail.com and 40 Hopewell St., Albany, N.Y. 12208 www.bayoucatholic.com
Reflections Readings Between The Lines Father Glenn LeCompte
Greed: Spiritually dangerous, often unnoticed!
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Do you remember or have you ever heard of the Greek myth of King Midas? As the story goes, Midas stumbles upon a lost satyr of the god of wine and revelry, Dionysus. Midas returns the satyr to his master and the god is so grateful to Midas that he vows to grant Midas anything he wishes. Midas, who already had a luxurious life, was consumed with the beauty and power of gold, so he asks Dionysus to grant that everything he touched might turn to gold. Dionysus admonishes that Midas think carefully about what he is asking, but Midas persists in his request, which the god grants. Indeed, Midas gets his wish! Everything he touches turns to gold, including his food and, finally, his beloved daughter. At this point Midas regrets his wish and implores that the god take away what he now sees no longer as a benefit to him, but as a curse. Feeling sorry for Midas, Dionysus instructs him to wash his hands in the river Pactolus and the “curse” is removed. Midas returns home to find that everything that his touch had made into gold was now returned to its original state, including his beloved daughter. From that point on, Midas begins to live a
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
life characterized by generosity. While King Midas may be a fictional character, what is real about the myth is the truth it is meant to convey: avarice is a vice that will lead to misfortune in a person’s life. This truth is very relevant in our own day. Similar to the story of King Midas, the Gospel reading, Luke 12:13-21, for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time (on the weekend of July 3031, 2016) contains an instruction, unique among the Gospels, by the Lucan Jesus on greed (pleonexia, 12:15). The topic is introduced when a person from the crowd asks Jesus to arbitrate an inheritance dispute between that person and his or her brother (12:13). Jesus distances himself from the issue the person raises (12:14) and then warns the crowd to beware of greed (12:15). Jesus’ retort here is interesting in that he seems to characterize as greed the person’s desire for his or her lawful share of the family inheritance. Jesus here does not mean to abrogate the inheritance laws of his culture. Rather, what he deems greed is the fact that the person’s desire for the inheritance, regardless of the legality of the claim, has caused him to value material things over another human being, even a blood relative. J. Fitzmyer (The Gospel according to Luke, Vol. II, p. 970) explains that pleonexia “is the lust to have more, more than is needed, the boundless grasping after more.” To ask, in the context of this passage whether the person needed the share of the inheritance to live on is irrelevant to the context. The person is depicted in the passage
as one who has allowed a lust for material things to lead him or her down a spiritually slippery slope! The spiritual danger of pleonexia is treated several times in moral exhortations within the New Testament epistles (Romans 1:29; 2 Corinthians 9:5; Colossians 3:5; Ephesians 4:19; 5:3; 2 Peter 2:3, 14). In Colossians 3:5, e.g., pleonexia is included in a list of vices to be avoided by those who have been raised with Christ. Thus, pleonexia is unworthy of those who would be part of Christ and his Kingdom. There are some noteworthy observations we can make about the moral exhortations on greed in the New Testament passages just cited. First, the admonitions appear multiple times in literature ranging from about 55 A.D. (2 Corinthians) to 110 A.D. (2 Peter). Secondly, the exhortation is addressed to several different communities over a broad geographic area, from Rome to Greece to Asia Minor. This means that greed in the New Testament period was apparently a common spiritual danger for many Christians, a danger which the communities needed often to be admonished. I contend that the danger is no less real for our own era and society. In a 2004 article published in the Chicago Sun Times, Father Andrew Greely maintains, “The most serious spiritual problem in the country today is reckless and untrammeled greed.” He claims that greed is responsible for many social ills in our country including corporate scandals, corruption in government, the trampling
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of the poor and the diminution of employees’ pension plans, to name a few! According to the Wikipedia article, “Wealth Inequality in the United States,” in 2011 the top one percent of Americans owned 42.7 percent of all financial assets, the next 19 percent owned 50.3 percent and the remaining 80 percent owned seven percent. While we do from time to time hear about institutional corruption resulting from greed, we hear very little about avarice as a social and moral danger. Part of the reason for this, in my opinion, is that materialism has so inundated our society that we have a difficult time distinguishing what greed is. We have been deceived into thinking that making a lot of money and acquiring a multiplicity of material things is the essence of the good life. Marketing in all media continues to try to convince us that we need more of and the best of everything. We need these things to keep in step with society, or worse yet, to be the objects of others’ envy because of what we possess. But think for a
moment. How many products have we bought (and absolutely had to have!) are sitting in corners of our houses collecting dust? Many people decry the exorbitant salaries that professional athletes make, yet I have heard area sportscasters deny that there is any greed involved here. “This is just what the market bears in their profession,” they say. Another reason I think we overlook greed is due to the rise of the “Gospel of Prosperity,” a philosophy prevalent among some fundamentalist ministers who tell
their congregations that God wants us to be blessed with material wealth. This directly contradicts a beatitude in Luke 6:20b (“Blessed are you poor, for the kingdom of God is yours”) and a corresponding woe in 6:24 (“Woe to you rich, for you have received your consolation”). Instead, Jesus exhorts us to “Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy” (Luke 12:33).
d in estions u e I cite s Q o h t n n ty? ha tio r socie other t u s o n Reflec n o i s a ed re
verlook erhaps own often o t are p a s i h d in our W e e d n r e g e r t g a icle th tion to tempta this art e h t t s i res eople can we ng of p i n How u l a v a ants? society lives? and w n our i s e e r i ot s e prom terial d do we ver ma o s n How d o o g iritual and sp
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July
Saints
Holy Father’s prayer intentions
Anthony Mary Zaccaria 1502 - 1539 feast - July 5
Google, public domain
Trained as a medical doctor in northern Italy, Anthony also was drawn to teaching religion to the poor. He decided to switch vocations and was ordained a priest in 1528. In 1530 he and two Milanese noblemen founded an order of reforming priests, the Clerics Regular of St. Paul, more commonly known as Barnabites, after their first headquarters at the Church of St. Barnabas in Milan. Despite church opposition, the order won praise for its care of plague victims, and was formally approved by the pope in 1533. Anthony was elected the first provost general but resigned to open a second house in Vicenza. He fell gravely ill while giving a parish mission and died at his mother’s home. He was canonized in 1897.
Saints
Our Lady of Mount Carmel 12th century feast - July 16
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Universal Indigenous Peoples. That indigenous peoples, whose identity and very existence are threatened, will be shown due respect.
Mount Carmel, which juts out into the Mediterranean near Haifa, Israel, has been considered a sacred place since the prophet Elijah built an altar there in his contest with the prophets of Baal. The Carmel headland is traditionally associated with the beginnings of the Carmelite order around 1195, when a group of lay hermits formed a community there. Mary had been honored there as early as the fifth century, and by the 12th century Mount Carmel had become a site of Marian devotion. The Carmelites chose Mary as their protectress and dedicated their oratory on Mount Carmel to her. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the patron of Bolivia and Chile. This Marian feast became an optional memorial in the Revised Roman Calendar of 1969.
Saints
Joachim and Anne first century July 26
Crosiers
Evangelization Latin America and the Caribbean. That the church in Latin America and the Caribbean, by means of her mission to the continent, may announce the Gospel with renewed vigor and enthusiasm.
See www.apostleshipofprayer.org
Not mentioned in the Bible, Joachim and Anne are first named as the parents of Mary in the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James, which may date from the second century. In this story, they are old and childless, like the Old Testament Hannah, mother of Samuel, when angels deliver the news that Anne will conceive a child. Anne was an especially popular saint in medieval England, and her feast was celebrated in the West by 1350; Joachim’s feast was authorized or suppressed by various popes, but was joined with Anne’s in 1969. They are the patrons of married couples; Anne is also the patron of childless women, expectant mothers and miners.
Saints
CNS www.bayoucatholic.com
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Corporal Works
2016 YEAR OF MERCY 2015 By Father Michael Bergeron The following is the final article in the seven-part series on the Corporal Works of Mercy. 7) Bury the dead. Burying the dead seems like the lonely stepchild of the corporal works of mercy. A later addition to the first six found in Matthew 25, it rounds the number to seven – a number which represented perfection to the early Jews and Christians. The admonition to bury the dead comes from the Old Testament Book of Tobit, whose namesake is exiled for his 18 righteous work of burying the dead – especially criminals. Long gone are the days when plague-ridden bodies littered the streets. Modern funeral practices have taken the details of caring for the dead off our hands. It’s less common to think of burying the dead as a corporal work of mercy, but Catholic tradition rejects that attitude. Approximately 151,600 people die each day per year or 55.3 million a year (36 million deaths per year are related to malnutrition) – that means worldwide one or two people per second. In the United States, there are 2.4 million deaths each year or about one death every 13 seconds. “The bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in faith and hope of the resurrection. The burial of the dead ... honors the children of God, who are temples of the Holy Spirit” (Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 2300). At first glance, burying the dead seems to be relegated to priests, family members or dedicated parishioners who sing at the funeral or serve post-funeral luncheons in the church hall. But burying the Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
Bury the dead dead has far broader implications. It encompasses compassion and support for survivors to help them cope with their loss. It means being patient and helping the survivors to emotionally bury the dead – offering comfort, empathy and love. Burying the dead also means letting the deceased go and entrusting them into the hands of our Savior. We can avoid this final “sin of omission” by attending wakes, funerals, burial and graveside services and offering comfort to the love ones of the deceased. What could be more comforting for a family than their faith community accompanying their loved one to a final resting place? In later days, a phone call, a card, an email, or a lunch or dinner invitation can let the grieving person know we care. Like Tobit, we should help not only our deceased family and friends, but others as well. This could include not only attending funerals in the community, but assisting financially to help low-income families bury their loved ones.
This concludes our works of mercy. The seven corporal works of mercy are simple and concrete. They are indiscriminate and uncalculating. They are also just as transforming in the lives of the giver as in the lives of the recipients. So when Jesus says that we serve him when we serve others, he is saying that when we see a hungry or thirsty person, someone in prison or without adequate clothing, someone who is sick and has no one to take care of him or her – in other words, someone who is not like us – when we see someone who needs what we have in our capacity to give, we have to see that person as the presence and embodiment of Christ even if that person does not act like us, look like us, talk like us, or have anything in common with us. Jesus wants us to be in the world every day looking for him – in the heartache and pain that surrounds us. (Father Michael Bergeron is a retired priest of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.)
e n Tu To... In
Quality Family Programming for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in Cooperation with HTV is currently available on the following cable systems: Comcast of Houma on Channel 10 and 1010 in HD Charter Communications of Terrebonne Parish & Thibodaux on Channel 10 Vision Communications of Larose on Channel 10 and 810 in HD Allen’s Cable TV Service in Morgan City of Channel 71 AT&T Uverse on Channel 10 HTV broadcasts on UHF Channel 30 in the Houma-Thibodaux area & on Channel 7 in Morgan City HTV is also Available online at www.htv10.tv You can also watch using your smartphone by downloading the HTV 10 app at your devices app store.
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Spiritual Works
Pray for the living and the dead 2016 YEAR OF MERCY 2015
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By Father Mike Tran The following is the final article in the seven-part series on the Spiritual Works of Mercy. The final spiritual work of mercy is surprisingly simple and accessible to all: “pray for the living and the dead.” As Christians, we should be praying for one another, the living and the dead. When we pray, we are connecting ourselves to God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Christian prayer is a covenant relationship between God and man in Christ. It is the action of God and of man, springing forth from both the Holy Spirit and ourselves, wholly directed to the Father, in union with the human will of the Son of God made man” (p.674). We want to invite God into our lives, because we need God and want God in our journey of life. We need to pray for one another. When we do this, we cultivate the spirit of charity and combat the sins of pride and selfishness. One church father said (I paraphrase) that if we pray for ourselves, we pray for ourselves alone, but if we pray for the whole church—for all in need—then we also benefit from our own prayers (since we are in need, too) and we benefit from the prayers of everyone else. We are one family in the Lord Jesus. Therefore, we need to pray for one another, and we even need to pray for those who hate us and persecute and slander us (Matthew 5). If we think and pray more about others, we will have a very fruitful prayer life that imitates the love and care that God has for us. However, we must realize that praying for others does not stop once they are buried in a cemetery. The dead need our prayers, as we Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
do not know their final destination. I believe that when we die, most of us will end up in purgatory. We are all sinners living with faults in this world. We are imperfect. Purgatory is place where we need to be purified before entering heaven. “Nothing impure can enter into that place (heaven)” according to the Apostle St. Paul, and “It is good and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, they may be released from their sins” (II Maccabees 12:46). Purgatory is a place of God’s infinite mercy where God himself, in mercy, finishes the purification of his beloved children so that they will be worthy to enter into the beatific vision of God in heaven. Those who are in purgatory cannot help themselves, they are being passively purified—but they can receive help from those of us who are still alive by the offerings of
prayers, penances, and sacrifices on their behalf. Praying for the dead is also a great Work of Mercy that helps shape our own souls. It reminds us of our mortality and the fact that we must work hard for our own salvation on earth. Whenever we pray for the dead, we should always seek to examine our own lives and contemplate the state of our soul. The final spiritual work of mercy is something that every Christian can certainly do, but do we consciously and intentionally “pray for the living and the dead”? Let us remember that in practicing these spiritual works we too will be transformed and made into an image of Christ. (Father Mike Tran is the pastor of Annunziata Church parish in Houma.)
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Heavenly Recipes
C o nn ie ’ s
e l o r e s s a C p im r h S Story and Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier
This month’s heavenly recipe, shrimp casserole, comes from Connie Richard of Thibodaux. It’s a recipe that a fellow teacher gave her in 1983. She enjoys cooking and has cooked for her family for years; however she says her brother was a much better cook. “My brother Johnny Percle, a well-known chef, was a wonderful cook. He would go by the name Johnny Jambalaya. Connie says that she learned to cook from her dad. “My mom went to college when I was in the fourth grade. I learned to cook by watching my dad at night while my mom was studying. She had been out of high school for 17 years when she went to Nicholls to become a teacher. She then taught third grade at 22 W.S. Lafargue Elementary in Thibodaux. In fact, after I attended college and became a teacher my mom and I both taught at W.S. Lafargue Elementary at the same time.” It was the 1950s when Connie was growing up in the neighborhood not far from where she lives now that she met her husband David Richard. “I grew up in this neighborhood. We had a house on McCulla Street. I used to go to all the little league baseball games at the ball park. It was at one of those games that I noticed a cute guy who was the pitcher on a team. One of my friends told him I thought he was cute and later he introduced himself to me at a Woodman of the World dance one Sunday evening. We were sweethearts from that moment on,” she says. Both David and Connie know the value of a good education and it is something that they taught their three daughters. “David, a retired city court judge, would tell the girls the best insurance policy you can have is an education. During his years as an attorney he would see the result of divorce cases where women who would not have a good Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
education would really struggle in life after a divorce. The couple is very proud of their daughters. Lisa is the head of ICU step down and cardio rehab at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center, Michelle is the principal of E.D. White Catholic High School and Celeste is an administrator at W.S. Lafargue Elementary. Connie and David both grew up in devout Catholic families. “As a child we would pray the novenas, my mom would sing in the choir and I would sit with my grandmother in church. I can recall always participating in the May Crowning when I was a child.” She says that one day when reflecting on the Matthew 25 Scripture she felt a calling for a more active ministry for those who were in need. “I began volunteering at Gym Dandy, then at the Good Samaritan Food Bank and I would also go to a nursing home once a week and help the elderly by fixing their hair. I did that for many years.” These days Connie and David are devoted adorers at the Christ the Redeemer adoration chapel. They have been there every Monday
morning at 2 a.m. since the chapel opened in 1993. She is also busy planning the upcoming St. Anne Novena. “In 1999 my daughter Michelle encouraged me to take over organizing the novena. I had planned to do it for five years. This is now my 17th year. We usually have around 100 people attend the novena. It would be good to see some younger people get involved. There are many grandmothers who are younger now who could take an active part.” The novena is from July 17-26. Connie says that she owes much to God and she has a special devotion to the Blessed Mother. “I thank God every day for my faith. I don’t know how people function without a faith in God.”
Shrimp Casserole
1 lb. shrimp 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can cream of shrimp or cream of onion soup 1 can mushroom steak sauce (5-3/4 ounce) 1 beef bouillon cube 1 onion chopped 1 bell pepper chopped (or 2 cups fresh seasoning) 1-1/4 cups uncooked rice 1/2 stick margarine Saute seasonings in margarine. Add shrimp and simmer 5 minutes. Add cream of mushroom soup with 1 can of water, cream of shrimp soup with one can of water, mushroom steak sauce and bouillon cube. Add rice and mix well. Pour into a large casserole dish. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Do not uncover while cooking.
Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Seminarian Education Burses
What is a seminarian burse fund? A seminarian burse fund is an invested sum of money where the interest is used in perpetuity to help fund the education of men to the priesthood in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.
How does someone establish a seminarian burse fund? Very simply, a burse may be established and named for anyone you choose, be it family, friend, bishop, priest, deacon, religious, etc.
When is a seminarian burse complete? A seminarian burse fund is complete once it reaches $15,000. If you choose to continue to contribute, a new burse will be created for you.
Who do I contact to contribute to or establish a burse fund? To contribute or establish a burse, send funds to Pastoral Center, Attn: Seminarian Burse, P. O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395 or call Jeremy Becker, Director of Stewardship and Development, at 985-850-3155 for more information.
Completed Burses of $15,000 each
Note: those wtih a number stipulates the number of completed burses* - Anonymous - Mr. & Mrs. C. Thomas Bienvenu - Harry Booker - Bishop Warren L. Boudreaux (3)* - 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 & Fly - Donald Peltier, Sr. (3)* - Harvey Peltier (30)* - Richard Peltier - The Peltier Foundation (4) - Orleans & Louella Pitre - Msgr. Joseph Wester - Robert R. Wright, Jr. - Rev. Kermit Trahan - St. Bernadette Men’s Club - Diocesan K of C - Leighton Delahaye - Mrs. Shirley Conrad - Bishop Shelton Fabre - Endowment Fund - $119,136.90
May 2016 Burse Contributions Society of St. Joseph ....................................... $3,000.00 Anawin Community .......................................... $300.00 Edna W. DiSalvo ................................................. $50.00 Nick Lecompte just completed his sophomore year at St. Joseph Seminary College. He is a parishioner of Annunziata Church in Houma and attended Vandebilt Catholic High School.
Open Burses with Balance as of 5/31/16 Sidney J. & Lydie C. Duplantis ........... $13,000.00 Donald Peltier, Sr. #4 ............................ $13,000.00 Joseph Strada Memorial ...................... $12,642.63 Msgr. Raphael C. Labit #2 .................. $11,080.00 Harvey Peltier #31 .............................. $10,486.91 Joseph Waitz, Sr. ................................. $10,100.00 Clay Sr. & Evelida Duplantis #2 .......... $10,000.00 C. Remie Duplantis #2 ........................ $10,000.00 Marie Elise Duplantis #2 ..................... $10,000.00 Maude & Edith Daspit #2 .................... $10,000.00 Msgr. George A. Landry ...................... $10,000.00 Elie & Dot Klingman .............................. $8,960.00 Mr. & Mrs. George C. Fakier ................. $8,700.00 Rev. Victor Toth ..................................... $7,000.00 Brides of the Most Blessed Trinity ......... $6,165.00 Rev. Peter Nies ..................................... $5,900.00 Msgr. William Koninkx ........................... $5,700.00 Msgr. Francis Amedee ........................... $5,150.00 Mr. & Mrs. Love W. Pellegrin ................. $5,000.00 Anonymous #2 ...................................... $5,000.00 Mr. & Mrs. Caliste Duplantis Fmly.#4..... $5,000.00 Rev. William M. Fleming ........................ $5,000.00 Mrs. Ayres A. Champagne ..................... $5,000.00 Society of St. Joseph .............................. $5,000.00 Rev. Kasimir Chmielewski ..................... $4,839.00 Rev. Gerard Hayes ................................ $4,786.00 Catholic Daughters ................................ $4,705.00 Joseph “Jay” Fertitta .............................. $4,450.00
Rev. Guy Zeringue ................................ $4,400.00 Rev. Henry Naquin ................................. $4,331.00 Harry Booker #2 .................................... $4,138.00 Kelly Curole Frazier ............................... $3,610.96 J. R. Occhipinti ...................................... $3,400.00 Anawin Community ............................... $3,400.00 Msgr. James Songy ............................... $3,075.00 Mr. & Mrs. Galip Jacobs ........................ $3,060.00 St. Jude ................................................. $3,000.00 Diocesan K of C #2 ............................... $2,894.62 Rev. Peter H. Brewerton ........................ $2,600.00 Warren J. Harang, Jr. #2 ......................... $2,100.00 Willie & Emelda St. Pierre ...................... $2,000.00 Rev. H. C. Paul Daigle ........................... $1,900.00 James J. Buquet, Jr. ............................... $1,650.00 Alfrances P. Martin ................................. $1,650.00 Preston & Gladys Webre ........................ $1,650.00 Msgr. Francis J. Legendre #2 ................ $1,645.00 Rev. Robert J. Sevigny .......................... $1,600.00 Rev. John Gallen .................................... $1,600.00 Rev. Hubert C. Broussard ...................... $1,550.00 Msgr. Emile J. Fossier ........................... $1,545.00 Dr. William Barlette, Sr........................... $1,525.00 Msgr. Stanislaus Manikowski ................ $1,525.00 Mr. & Mrs. John Marmande .................... $1,500.00 Deacon Robert Dusse’ ........................... $1,450.00 Msgr. John L. Newfield .......................... $1,200.00 Jacob Marcello ....................................... $1,200.00
Deacon Connely Duplantis ..................... $1,175.00 Rev. Anthony Rousso ............................. $1,150.00 Ronnie Haydel ....................................... $1,035.00 Rev. Clemens Schneider ....................... $1,000.00 Bishop Warren L. Boudreaux #4 ........... $1,000.00 Msgr. John G. Keller .............................. $1,000.00 Judge Louis & Shirley R. Watkins .............. $950.00 Deacon Willie Orgeron ............................. $800.00 Ruby Pierce .............................................. $800.00 Deacon Roland Dufrene ........................... $750.00 Juliette & Eugene Wallace ......................... $700.00 Deacon Edward J. Blanchard ................... $660.00 Deacon Raymond LeBouef ...................... $550.00 Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Cannata .................... $500.00 Edna W. DiSalvo ....................................... $500.00 Bernice Harang ......................................... $400.00 Anne Veron Aguirre ................................... $380.00 Deacon Harold Kurtz ................................ $300.00 Richard Peltier #2 ..................................... $300.00 Dean Joseph Chiasson ............................. $300.00 Claude Bergeron ...................................... $250.00 Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Naquin .......................... $150.00 Deacon Pedro Pujals ................................ $100.00 Deacon Eldon Frazier .............................. $ 50.00 Deacon Nick Messina .............................. $ 50.00 Rev. Warren Chassaniol ........................... $ 50.00
Overall Seminarian Burse Totals: $1,571,921.02 www.bayoucatholic.com
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Cover Story
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‘You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek’ Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
Rev. Cody Chatagnier was ordained to the priesthood recently at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre was the ordaining prelate. Concelebrants were Bishop Emeritus Sam G. Jacobs, priests of the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux and friends of the candidate.
Bishop Shelton J. Fabre anoints the hands of Rev. Cody Chatagnier during the ordination ceremony. Father Michael Bergeron assists during the investiture when the new priest is invested with stole and chasuble. The newly ordained priest poses with family members after the ordination; from left are his uncle Mike Jumel, his aunt Tammy Jumel, his father Wade Chatagnier and Bishop Fabre.
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Church Alive
Transitional diaconate ordination 26
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
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Photo by Lawrence Chatagnier www.bayoucatholic.com
Church Alive
Transitional diaconate ordination
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Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
The newly ordained transitional deacons pose for a photo with Bishop Shelton J. Fabre after the ordination. From left are Rev. 29 Mr. John David Matherne, Rev. Mr. Brice Higginbotham and Rev. Mr. Jean-Marie Nsambu. In the bottom photo, the parents of the deacons are all smiles during the ordination.
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Church Life
Bishop Fabre announces pastoral appointments and retirements In order to provide pastoral care for the people of God in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre has made the following appointments, effective July 1: Pastors 30 The Rev. Dean Danos, who has been serving as pastor of St. Genevieve Church parish in Thibodaux since June 2009, has been appointed pastor of St. Eloi Church parish in Theriot. Father Danos, a native of Raceland, LA, was ordained to the priesthood May 24, 1980. The Rev. Wilfredo Decal, who has been serving as pastor of Sacred Heart Church parish in Cut Off since June 2009, has been appointed pastor of Sacred Heart Church parish in Morgan City. Father Decal, a native of Quezon, Philippines, was ordained to the priesthood Dec. 17, 1977. The Rev. Gregory Fratt, who has been serving as pastor of Sacred Heart Church parish in Morgan City since June 2007, has been appointed pastor of Sacred Heart Church parish in Cut Off. Father Fratt, a native of Charlotte, NC, was ordained to the priesthood June 13, 1998. The Rev. Glenn LeCompte, who has been serving as diocesan director of the Offices of Worship and Clergy Continuing Education since June 2008, has been appointed pastor of
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Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
Rev. Michael Bergeron
Deacon Stephen Brunet
Rev. Duc Bui, L.C.
Rev. Cody Chatagnier
Rev. Domingo Cruz
Rev. Dean Danos
Rev. Wilfredo Decal
Rev. Simon Peter Engurait
Rev. Gregory Fratt
Rev. Alex Gaudet
Deacon Brice Higginbotham
Rev. Glenn LeCompte
Rev. Eric Leyble
Deacon John David Matherne
Deacon Jean-Marie Nsambu
Rev. Blair Sabaricos
Rev. Florentino Santiago
Rev. Josekutty Varghese
St. Bridget Church parish in Schriever. He will remain the fulltime director of the diocesan Office of Worship. Father LeCompte, a native of Houma, LA, was ordained to the priesthood May 24, 1986. The Rev. Josekutty “Joseph” Varghese, who has been serving as pastor of St. Lawrence Church parish in Chacahoula since June 2008, has been appointed pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church parish in Thibodaux. Father Varghese, a native of Kerala, India, was ordained to the priesthood May 12, 1992. All appointments for pastors are for a six-year term, which may be renewed. Administrators The Rev. Eric Leyble, who has been studying Canon Law at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. since July 2014, has been appointed administrator of St. Genevieve Church parish in Thibodaux. Father Leyble, a native of Bohol, Philippines, was ordained to the priesthood May 26, 2012. The Rev. Blair Sabaricos, who has been serving as associate
pastor of Christ the Redeemer Church parish in Thibodaux since July 2015, has been appointed administrator of St. Lawrence Church parish in Chacahoula. Father Sabaricos, a native of Bohol, Philippines, was ordained April 10, 1991. Associate Pastors The Rev. Duc Bui, L.C., who has been serving as associate pastor of St. Joseph Co-Cathedral parish in Thibodaux since February 2016, has also been appointed diocesan coordinator of Hispanic Ministry. Father Bui, a native of Tan Phuoc, Vietnam, was ordained to the priesthood Nov. 24, 2004. The Rev. Cody Chatagnier, who was ordained to the priesthood May 28, 2016, has been appointed associate pastor of the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales parish in Houma. Father Chatagnier is a native of Chauvin, LA. The Rev. Domingo “Ding” Cruz, who has been serving as pastor of St. Bridget Church parish in Schriever since June 2005, has been appointed associate pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Church
parish in Larose. Father Cruz, a native of Bulacan, Philippines, was ordained to the priesthood Dec. 1, 1973. The Rev. Simon Peter Engurait, diocesan moderator of the curia, who has been serving as associate pastor of St. Genevieve Church parish in Thibodaux since August 2015, has been appointed associate pastor of Christ the Redeemer Church parish in Thibodaux. He will remain as moderator of the curia. Father Engurait, a native of Uganda, East Africa, was ordained to the priesthood May 25, 2013. The Rev. Alex Gaudet, who has been serving as associate pastor of the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma, has been appointed associate pastor of St. Genevieve Church parish in Thibodaux. Father Gaudet, a native of Thibodaux, LA, was ordained to the priesthood May 30, 2015. Retiring Priests The Rev. Michael Bergeron, who has been serving as pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church parish in Thibodaux since June 2012, retired at the end of June. 31 Father Bergeron, a native of Houma, LA, was ordained to the priesthood June 8, 1996. The Rev. Florentino “Amang” Santiago, who has been serving as pastor of St. Eloi Church parish in Theriot since June 2009, retired at the end of June. Father Santiago, a native of Nueva Ecjia, Philippines, was ordained to the priesthood December 28, 1978. Permanent Deacons Deacon Stephen D. Brunet has been appointed deacon at St. Bridget Church parish in Schriever. Transitional Deacons Deacon Brice Higginbotham has been appointed as deacon intern at Christ the Redeemer Church parish in Thibodaux, effective from June until October 2016. Deacon John David Matherne has been appointed as deacon intern at St. Thomas Aquinas Church parish, effective from June until October 2016. Deacon Jean-Marie Nsambu has been appointed as deacon intern to Annunziata Church parish, effective from June until October 2016. www.bayoucatholic.com
Bayou Patrons
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Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us Sacred Heart, Cut Off
Story by Janet Marcel Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier
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According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as we know it today, began around 1672. On numerous occasions, Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a Visitandine nun, and during these revelations he explained that he wished to be honored under the symbol of his heart of flesh; he asked for acts of reparation, for frequent Communion, Communion on the First Friday of the month, and the keeping of the Holy Hour. The Catholic Church’s approval of devotion to
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
the Sacred Heart of Jesus was not only based on the visions of St. Margaret Mary, but on its own merits. There are two things that must always be found together in the devotion to the Sacred Heart: Christ’s heart of flesh and Christ’s love for us. True devotion to the Sacred Heart means devotion to the divine heart of Christ insofar as his heart represents and recalls his love for us. There are three church parishes in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux named for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They are located in Cut Off, Montegut and Morgan City. According to its history, Sacred Heart in Cut Off began as a mission in 1899 after many survivors of the devastating 1893 hurricane in Cheniere Caminada began moving northward and settled in
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a little village they called Cote Blanche, which is now Cut Off. On May 10, 1899, Rev. A.M. Rochard, who was pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Church parish in Larose at the time, wrote a letter to Archbishop Placide Louis Chapelle of New Orleans asking for authorization to build a chapel under the invocation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. Father Gregory Fratt, pastor of Sacred Heart parish in Cut Off, says his paternal grandmother, Marie, was born in Paris. “She had a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a special fondness for the Daughters of the Visitation and St. Margaret Mary. It was through her I learned about the revelations to St. Margaret Mary and because of her it has been a special devotion of mine.” Every First Friday of the month at the church in Cut Off, there is an hour of prayer and benediction at 6 p.m. and parishioners are encouraged to attend Mass and receive Communion.
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Bayou Patrons
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us
Sacred Heart, Montegut
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The first church parish in Montegut was established in 1864 at the request of the area residents who had previously been served by Pere’ Charles Menard of Thibodaux and Father Tasset of Houma. A little church was built in 1870 and dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The original charter forming the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was signed on Aug. 7, 1894, and a new church was built and dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1911. Father Robert-Joel Cruz, pastor of Sacred Heart parish in Montegut since July 2015, says he has a special devotion and love to the Twin Hearts: Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. “Very early on in my life, I developed a special love and devotion to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart with First Friday and First Saturday devotions,” says Father Cruz. “The heart of my Lord Jesus always has called me to be nearer to him and to fall in love with him in a much deeper and personal way. I could feel his love and protection. I could see his heart and his love for me always leading me, directing me and keeping me safe. It is his love and the love of Our Lady, Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
Mama Mary, that inspired me to be priest … to follow him ... to be everything he wishes me to be … always for the Greater Glory of God! Everywhere I am sent to serve as pastor, I always try to revive the devotion to the Twin Hearts. His love is so real for me, his invitation to enter into his heart is so real to me and so I just answer love with love, devotion with devotion. His sacred heart always invites me to love him, to follow him, to have my heart so consumed by the fire of his heart, his love.”
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Sacred Heart, Morgan City
Sacred Heart Church parish in Morgan City was established in 1859 under the title of St. Justin the Martyr. In 1867, church property was purchased where the current church building now stands on the south side of the railroad tracks. A simple wooden structure known as St. Clothilde Church was built there and on Aug. 15, 1885, St. Clothilde was renamed for the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Father Wilfredo Decal, pastor of Sacred Heart parish in Morgan City, says he attended Catholic schools for 20 years, including the seminary, and he remembers that after receiving his first Communion and during the school years that followed, they had to go to confession every First Thursday and the whole student body attended First
Friday Mass and received holy Communion. “We were taught that this practice is part of the expression of our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I was introduced to the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at a very early age and it has remained with me. I still remember the promise given to St. Mary Alacoque to those who keep the devotion to the Sacred Heart: ‘In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour,’” says Father Decal. He recalls that his family had the image of the Sacred Heart in their living room and they prayed the rosary as a family in front of the image at 6 p.m. Father Decal explains that the “Enthronement of the Sacred Heart” is a Roman Catholic ceremony in which a priest or head of a household consecrates the members of the household to the Sacred Heart. An image of the Sacred Heart that has been blessed is then placed in the home as a reminder. The practice of the Enthronement is based upon Pope Pius XII’s declaration that devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is “the foundation on which to build the kingdom of God in the hearts of individuals, families and nations ... .” “The image of the Sacred Heart and that of Jesus the good shepherd have been imprinted in my being because these images portray to me the love and care of God for me,” says Father Decal. The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated 19 days after Pentecost Sunday. www.bayoucatholic.com
Entertainment
Seeing Clairely Claire Joller
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Certain personality types are particularly suited to certain tasks, according to studiers of these things. Through the years I’ve undergone testing, whether in work-related surveys or just because someone wanted to practice her application of the tools of her trade. Different tests have different names for the various personality “types.” The one I remember most as applying to me is the Filer-Compiler type. What this means, in my case, is that I have the untaught tendency to take large amounts of information, evaluate the facts, choose the thread that runs through them, and compile the relevant details into a cohesive whole. This sounds complicated, but for me it is a natural inclination, so I don’t want to inflate the complexity or the importance of the process. It has, though, helped me in my former jobs as a teacher, editor, development director, and freelance writer. I should say at this point that sometime I would want to be another type—the ultra-creative type, for example. These people write fiction (which I have never mastered), create artwork and jewelry, design clothing, etc. But wanting doesn’t make it so. Lest you think that I’m too regimented, I’ll give you the example of, say, hanging a picture on a wall. Some people approach it by measuring from the sides of the space, and from the floor to the ceiling, and the hang length of the wire behind the picture, before marking the spot. That drives me absolutely crazy. I’m more an eyeball-it-and-hang-it person. See what I mean? However. As I walked around
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
Confessions of a Filer-Compiler
my house this morning, I realized that the filer-compiler in me had been at quiet work. It is evident in just our wall hangings and their placement. In the office where I sit are photographs taken when we visited various places. One frame encloses pictures we took of just interesting doorways and fence gates in Charleston, Savannah, and our back yard in a 1980s snow. Another contains only lake and ocean coasts, from rocky Maine to sandy St. John. A third is of architecture, from a humble farmhouse in an Italian valley to the flying buttresses of Notre Dame. In the fourth, I see I went a bit wild and incorporated river scenes with bridge architecture. Do you see the pattern here? In one bedroom, florals dominate—two prints of roses and a local artist’s painting of camellias on Battenburg lace. In another bedroom are paintings by local artists, all of wetlands, swamps, bayous, and fishing camps. In the
master bed and bath are egrets and shore birds. In the common areas of the house, though, I feel vindicated of too much “compiling.” In the foyer hangs a painting by a friend of the New Orleans French Market area, colorful and bold. Nearby is a large print of an early 20th century boy and girl in period clothing, in a more romanticized style. The dining area and living room walls hold paintings and prints of a potter’s bench, water lilies, northern European winter street scenes, Italian country sides, and a Madonna and child, all co-existing peacefully. What does this tell me about myself, I ask. Is it that I feel that I can be true to myself in the private spaces, and in the common areas I bend toward others’ inclinations more than to my own? Or is it that personality type has nothing to do with it, and the pictures just look better that way? Let’s just go with that.
Book Reviews
Reading with Raymond Raymond Saadi
The Good Book Edited by Andrew Blauner Simon and Shuster $27 Here, in The Good Book, is an excellent collection of reflections on The Good Book, The Holy Bible, by 32 prominent writers, novelists, media figures and social activists writing about bible passages that are meaningful to them. Some, like Cokie Roberts and her husband, Steven V. R o b e r t s , Catholic and Jew, reflecting on Exodus 2 and proclaiming their mixed marriage shows “that Catholics and Jews make good matches. We’re both equally good at loyalty and guilt.” An Interpretation of the Shepherd’s Psalm 23 by Lydia Davis finds that what made this psalm so memorable to believers and non-believers are “the valley of the shadow of death,” “fear no evil,” “thou are with me,” and “comfort me.” Reverend Al Sharpton too, chooses the psalms as his favorite, saying that for him, they “have the best of what religion has to offer.” Readers will not agree with the opinion of all the writers but they may find a new outlook on the Scriptures.
Drive! By Lawrence Goldstone Ballantine $28 Prepare for the ride of your life as you return to the turn of the century and witness the furious battle between Henry Ford and George Selden, Selden being the man who designed the first combustible engine. Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t fund its’ building, his only consolation, his patent for same. Henry Ford, on the other hand had spent considerable time following car shows and the foreign racecars from Benz and Peugeot among others. Ford could imagine cars and trucks made for the common man and farmers, and he made that dream a reality. Goldstone’s book reads like the finest fiction but is loaded with revelations and facts not so well known before.
Way Down in Louisiana By Todd Mouton UL Press $24.95 Don’t be surprised if your feet start tapping the minute you open this book. Todd Mouton has created a solid package of the music and musicians who, spurred by the imitable Clifton Chenier, created Zydeco. Filled with photographs, 37 both color, and black and white, the book also contains the lyrics to many of the most popular songs, Hot Tamale Baby and It’s Christmas Time by Chenier and many more. It’s a joyful trip as readers tag along with the kings of Zydeco, Beausoleil, Zachary Richard, Coteau, the ladies performers, Bonsoir, Catin and others. But, first of all, this book is about how Clifton Chenier took his music from nowhere all the way to twin Grammys.
Bill O’Reilly’s Legends and Lies of the Real West By David Fisher Henry Holt $32 Bill O’Reilly takes a break from his Who Killed Who series to head for the Real West in this companion to the Fox TV series. His impeccable research has turned up some fascinating facts about the Legends of the West we’ve been taking as factual. Lots of archival pictures of heroes, heroines and villains take a bow, from Daniel Boone to Billy the Kid. www.bayoucatholic.com
Special
Guest Columnist
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Father Joey Pilola
The following is part two of a two part series. Love is generous We learn how to love as others love us. We mature in love when we can generously love others beyond our own need to be loved. “… Indeed, mothers, who are those who love the most, seek to love more than to be loved. Consequently, love can transcend and overflow the demands of justice, “expecting nothing in return” (Luke 6:35), and the greatest of loves can lead to “laying down one’s life” for another (cf. John 15:13). Love is not irritable or resentful “It is one thing to sense a sudden surge of hostility and another to give in to it, letting it take root in our hearts: ‘Be angry, but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger’” (Ephesians 4:26). My advice is never to let the day end without making peace in the family. “And how am I going to make peace? By getting down on my knees? No! Just by a small gesture, a little something, and harmony within your family will be restored. Just a little caress, no words are necessary. But do not let the day end without making peace in your family” (No.104). Love forgives “Once we allow ill will to take root in our hearts, it leads to deep resentment” (No.105). “When we have been offended or let down, forgiveness is possible and desirable, but no one can say that it is easy.” The truth is that “family communion can only be preserved and perfected through a great spirit of sacrifice. It requires, in fact, a ready and generous openness of each and all to understanding, to forbearance, to pardon, to reconciliation” (No. 106).
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
The Joy of Love
~ Part Two ~
Love rejoices with others “If we fail to learn how to rejoice in the well-being of others, and focus primarily on our own needs, we condemn ourselves to a joyless existence, for, as Jesus said, ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35). “The family must always be a place where, when something good happens to one of its members, they know that others will be there to celebrate it with them” (No. 110). Love bears all things “This is about more than simply putting up with evil; it has to do with the use of the tongue. The verb (to bear) can mean ‘holding one’s peace’ about what may be wrong with another person. It implies limiting judgment, checking the impulse to issue a firm and ruthless condemnation; ‘Judge not and you will not be judged’” (Luke 6:37). Although it runs contrary to the way we normally use our tongues, God’s word tells us; “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters” (James 4:11; No. 112). When married love is silent in
the face of the other’s problems, weaknesses and imperfections, it is an expression of the truth of “interior attitude.” “It recognizes that these failings are a part of a bigger picture. We have to realize that all of us are a complex mixture of light and shadows. The other person is much more than the sum of the little things that annoy me. Love does not have to be perfect for us to value it. The other person loves me as best they can, with all their limits, but the fact that love is imperfect does not mean that it is untrue or unreal. It is real, albeit limited and earthly. If I expect too much, the other person will let me know, for he or she can neither play God nor serve all my needs. Love coexists with imperfection. It ‘bears all things’ and can hold its peace before the limitations of the loved one” (No. 113). Love believes all things “Belief” here is more aligned with the word “trust.” “Such basic trust recognizes God’s light shining beyond the darkness, like an
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ember glowing beneath the ash” (No. 114). “Love trusts, it sets free, it does not try to control, possess and dominate everything. … This freedom makes for sincerity and transparency, for those who know that they are trusted and appreciated can be open and hide nothing. Those who know that their spouse is always suspicious, judgmental and lacking unconditional love, will tend to keep secrets, conceal their failings and weakness, and pretend to be someone other than who they are. On the other hand, a family marked by loving trust, come what may, helps its members to be themselves and spontaneously to reject deceit, falsehood and lies” (No. 115). Love hopes all things “Love does not despair of the future. Following upon what has just been said, this phrase speaks of the hope of one who knows that others can change, mature and radiate unexpected beauty and untold potential. This does not mean that everything will change in this life. It does involve realizing that, though things may not always turn
out as we wish, God may well make crooked lines straight and draw some good from the evil we endure in this world” (No. 116). (Hope sees the other person from a “supernatural perspective.”) “Each person, with all his or her failings, is called to the fullness of life in heaven. There, fully transformed by Christ’s resurrection, every weakness, darkness and infirmity will pass away. There the person’s true being will shine forth in all its goodness and beauty” (No. 117). Love endures all things “This means that love bears every trial with a positive attitude. It stands firm in hostile surroundings” (No. 118). In family life, we need to cultivate that strength of love which can help us fight every evil threatening it. Love does not yield to resentment, scorn for others or the desire to hurt or to gain some advantage. The Christian ideal, especially in families, is a love that never gives up (No. 119). “The joy of love experienced by families is also the joy of the church.” This opening line of this message from Pope Francis reflects
the important connection between “joy and love” and “families and the church as a whole.” If “joy” or “gladness” is that inner feeling of contentment and happiness, it is not the same as “love.” Contrary to the world’s notion, “love” is more than emotion, but a deliberate, conscious decision to choose to include another in one’s life – “for better, or for worse, for richer, or for poorer, in sickness, and in health, until death do (you) part.” In other words, “joy,” which feels good, comes from the decision to “love,” which is hard work and not always enjoyable. Joy comes to those who love. But choosing to love under all circumstances often does not feel good in the process of doing it. Note that we feel love in the good times and we prove love in the bad times. Deciding to love comes first, the joy comes later. Because the family is where the heart of the church resides, when the family is content and happy, the greater church will know its joy. God bless you. (Father Joey Pilola is the pastor of Maria Immacolata Church parish in Houma.) 39
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Personalities
Father Michael Bergeron retires after 20 years of active ministry 40
Story by Janet Marcel Photo by Lawrence Chatagnier Houma native Father Michael A. Bergeron retired last month after 20 years of active ministry as a priest. He was ordained to the priesthood June 8, 1996, at the age of 45. “I wanted to be a priest as long as I can remember,” says Father Bergeron. While in high school, he was thinking about going to the seminary, but something caused him to reconsider and he went on to do other things with his life. Many years later, he was reading an article about a man who was ordained at 80 years old and he thought “maybe it’s not too late for me.” So he prayed to God that if he wanted him to be a priest to open the doors. He attended a “Called by Name” program and the doors started to open, one after another. He joined the Redemptorists and while he was ministering as a novitiate in San Antonio, TX, he began to notice how the Hispanic people were ministering to the other Hispanic people through their own culture and customs and was so touched by what they were doing that he began to reflect on why he was there. “I began thinking to myself, why am I here? Why, as a Cajun, am I not ministering to the Cajun people?” That’s when he decided to return to Louisiana and was eventually ordained a priest for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. Father Bergeron says the most enjoyable aspect Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
of being a priest for him is breaking open the Word of God for people and bringing the Gospels alive. The most challenging part of being a priest has been dealing with administrative issues, he says, because he didn’t want to hurt anyone and sometimes he had to make hard decisions that affected people’s lives. Looking back over his life as a priest, he says if he could do it over again, he would only change one thing: he would be ordained earlier in his life so he could have more years to be a priest. As a seminarian, Father Bergeron served at Our Lady of the Rosary Church parish in Larose and later as a deacon at St. Joseph Church parish in Galliano. He served as associate pastor at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral parish in Thibodaux and St. Bernadette Church parish in Houma; and as pastor of St. Bridget Church parish in Schriever, St. Lawrence Church parish in Chacahoula and St. Patrick in Gibson; St. Anthony of Padua Church parish in Bayou Black, Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church parish in Golden Meadow, Annunziata Church parish in Houma, and
a
St. John the Evangelist Church parish in Thibodaux. He also served as Dean of the Upper Lafourche Deanery, as chaplain for the Marian Servants of the Word in Thibodaux, chaplain for the St. Anne Novena and Grotto located in the St. Joseph Cemetery in Thibodaux, and is a member of the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus. Father Bergeron also serves and will continue serving on the diocesan Finance Council, Cemetery Board and Health and Benefits Committee.
‘
,
I wanted to be a priest as long as I can remember
“It has been such an honor and privilege to have been invited into people’s lives during the happiest and saddest moments over the years. I have always tried to treat those moments with compassion, empathy and respect. I have always put the church and the responsibility I have been given as a steward and a shepherd of God’s flock as my number one priority. I have always tried to place the people of God before my days off, vacations, important personal events or my personal feelings. I simply wanted to be a parish priest and that is what I did. I will always be grateful to the people who placed their trust in
me and for the tremendous love I have received from them.” When people tell Father Bergeron about being hurt by the church for any reason, he does not hesitate to kneel before them on behalf of the church and ask their forgiveness. “Sometimes we accidently hurt people and we don’t know it. If in the past 20 years, I have unintentionally hurt anyone, I humbly beg their forgiveness.” The priest has also had many tangible accomplishments. He has undertaken restoration projects in all of the parishes he served, including restoring statues and Stations of the Cross, adding multimedia systems in three churches and padded pews to five churches. He was able to pay off some parish debts, and increase attendance in every parish he was assigned, sometimes even adding Masses to accommodate attendance. In addition he researched and wrote histories for numerous church parishes. After he retires, Father Bergeron will make himself available to celebrate Mass for priests in the diocese while they are on vacation. He also has a long bucket list of things he wants to do that includes visiting friends across the United States and camping the Appalachian Trail. He says a little known fact about him is that he is a ventriloquist and has 80 ventriloquist puppets. During his travels he plans to visit a ventriloquism museum in Kentucky to donate his beloved puppets. Father Bergeron has thousands of photos and historical material about Houma, Thibodaux and the surrounding areas. He plans to scan all of his
a
www.bayoucatholic.com
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Personalities
Father Michael Bergeron retires
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material and make it available free to everyone through CDs, Facebook and his various websites. The original material will be donated to the diocesan Archives and Historical Research Center. He has been a frequent contributor to the Bayou Catholic magazine and won a Catholic Press Association award in 2015 for his article entitled “New Year’s resolutions with a twist.” He hopes to continue contributing to the Bayou Catholic magazine through historical articles about the diocese and its churches. Father Bergeron is an avid runner/walker, a wholeness enthusiast and a vegetarian. He wants to organize a “praise aerobics” class combined with education about nutrition for people over 60. He is also an animal activist who has adopted numerous older dogs and cats. “I’m sort of an animal hospice,” says the priest, who plans to volunteer with the local animal rescue groups. “There is so much I want to do; I don’t think I’ll get it all done,” said Father Bergeron, “but it will be fun trying.” When asked what will be the first thing he does upon retirement, Father Bergeron says, “Clean my house, cut my grass and spend time with the dogs. I will also turn off all of the alarm clocks!”
Embarrassment can’t kill you.
Colon cancer can.
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Special Events
Food for the Journey Aug. 2 at Ellendale
Rev. Robert Rogers
The diocesan Office of Religious Education sponsors a monthly lunchtime speaker series on the first Tuesday of the month. The event is held at the Ellendale Country Club Restaurant located at 3319 Highway 311 in Schriever. The speaker for August 2 is Houma native Rev. Robert Rogers. Father Rogers, pastor of St. Louis Church parish in Bayou Blue, attended St. Joseph Seminary in St. Benedict, Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans and Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland. He was ordained to the priesthood June 13, 1992. He has served as associate pastor of St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux, St. Joseph Church parish in Chauvin and St. Mary’s Nativity Church parish in Raceland. He served as pastor of Holy Savior Church parish in Lockport, Sacred Heart Church
parish in Montegut, St. Charles Borromeo Church parish in Pointeaux-Chenes, Holy Cross Church parish in Morgan City, and Sacred Heart Church parish in Cut Off. He has also served as dean of the South Lafourche deanery, and member of the Priests Council and the College of Consultors. Those who plan to attend the August 2nd event should RSVP with their name, phone number and church parish by Thursday, July 28. To RSVP, email FoodForTheJourney@htdiocese.org or call (985) 850-3178. Doors open at 10:45 a.m. Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. The program begins at Noon with the speaker’s presentation from 12:10-12:45 p.m. Cost is $15 and includes meal, drink and tip. Only cash or checks will be accepted. All are invited to come “eat and be fed.” 43
Diocesan Programs This Month “Spotlight on the Diocese” Host: Rev. Andre’ Melancon Pastor, St. Thomas Aquinas
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july
august
n Food for the Journey, Tuesday, Aug. 2, Ellendale Country Club Restaurant, 3319 Highway 311, Schriever, 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Speaker, Rev. Robert Rogers. n Women’s Come and See Weekend, Aug. 13-14, Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales Convent,
19, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Schriever, 9 a.m.-Noon. n Adult Faith Formation: Authority (Tradition and Magisterium), Freedom and Law, Wednesday, July 20, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Schriever, 9 a.m.-Noon. n Adult Faith Formation: Human Person: The Beatitudes and the Call to Holiness, Thursday, July 21, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Schriever, 9 a.m.-Noon. n Adult Faith Formation: Blessed Virgin Mary and the Church, Friday, July 22, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Schriever, 9 a.m.-Noon. n Adult Faith Formation: The Commandments 1-3, Monday, July 25, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Schriever, 9 a.m.-Noon. n Adult Faith Formation: The Commandments 4-10, Tuesday, July 26, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Schriever, 9 a.m.-Noon. n Adult Faith Formation: Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, Wednesday, July 27, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Schriever, 9 a.m.-Noon. n Adult Faith Formation:
Healing – Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick, Thursday, July 28, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Schriever, 9 a.m.-Noon. n Adult Faith Formation: Service – Matrimony and Holy Orders, Here I am Lord, Please Help!, Friday, July 29, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Schriever, 9 a.m.-Noon, with distribution of certificates and prayer service. n Diocesan Day of Reflection with Bishop Shelton Fabre, Saturday, July 30, Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Schriever, for those who minister to, with, for and among Black Catholics. The day begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 3 p.m. Cost is $12, which includes lunch. Deadline to register is Wednesday, July 27. For more information contact Christine Streams at (985)4460487, ext. 202 or by email at cstreams@htdiocese.org. n Second Annual Back to School Bash, Saturday, July 30, St. Luke the Evangelist Church, Thibodaux, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day will include numerous activities, informative information and distribution of school supplies for grades Pre-K-12.
Houma. For more information call the Office of Vocations at (958)850-3157 n Acadian Mass, Monday, Aug. 15, 6 p.m., St. Hilary of Poitiers, Mathews. n RCIA Workshop, Saturday, Aug. 20, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., diocesan
Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Schriever. n Adult Faith Formation: Scripture II, Wednesdays, Aug. 24 and 31, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Schriever, 6-8:15 p.m. Speaker, Deacon John Pippenger.
www.bayoucatholic@htdiocese.org
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
DIOCESAN
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n Food for the Journey, Tuesday, July 5, Ellendale Country Club Restaurant, 3319 Highway 311, Schriever, 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Speaker, Rev. Wilmer Todd. n Kateri Mass, Friday, July 8, Holy Family, Grand Caillou, 6:30 p.m. A reception will follow at the gym. n Men’s Come and See Weekend, July 9-10, Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales Convent, Houma. For more information call the Office of Vocations at (958)850-3157. n Christian Leadership Institute 2016 (CLI) will be held from July 13-17 at Lumen Christi Retreat Center’s Souby Building, Schriever. CLI is open to upcoming 10th, 11th and 12th graders. Cost is $225 which includes lodging, two t-shirts, meals and activities. Registration forms can be found at www.htdiocese.org/cli-2016. Deadline to register is June 24. For more information contact the Office of Youth Ministry at (985)850-3151. n Adult Faith Formation: God: The Trinity and Revelation, Monday, July 18, diocesan Pastoral Center Conference Hall, Schriever, 9 a.m.- Noon. n Adult Faith Formation: The Bible: Old Testament and Jesus in the Gospels, Tuesday, July
EVENTS
Church Alive
Corpus Christi A eucharistic procession was held celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ or Corpus Christi at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux recently. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre processed with a monstrance through the co-cathedral due to inclement weather. The procession was followed by an evening prayer service with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and eucharistic adoration.
Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier 45
www.bayoucatholic.com
Celebrations announced for Anniversary The official diocesan 40th anniversary logo shown above will be used throughout 2017 to mark the celebratory year. Some important events that will take place during the anniversary year include an ordination to the priesthood, June 3, at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux; the 40th anniversary prayer service on the same day at 7 p.m., at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral; and the 40th anniversary Mass, June 4, at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. 46
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
Interim principal named
Legal Notice
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Halliburton and Transocean Settlements Previous Claims Filers and Certain Excluded Groups to Benefit Majority of People Affected Do Not Need to Do Anything
Genevieve Gottschalk
The appointment of Genevieve Gottschalk as interim principal of St. Gregory Catholic Elementary School in Houma for the 20162017 school year was announced last month by Marian Fertitta, then diocesan superintendent of Catholic Schools. Gottschalk has been serving at St. Gregory School for the past six years. She has been an intervention teacher and taught library and computer lab classes at the school. She is a native of Pierre Part and graduate of Assumption High School in Napoleonville. She earned a bachelor’s degree in general studies with a concentration in child, family and social services from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux and a master’s degree in student personnel services – administration and counseling, from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. Gottschalk has been a developmental reading teacher, a freshman counselor and academic advisor at Nicholls; and a social services director at Heritage Manor in Houma. She is married to Andreas and they have two children, Emma, 12; and Lucy, 10. They are parishioners of St. Gregory Church parish. “I am pleased to welcome Mrs. Gottschalk as principal of St. Gregory School. She assumes the position with extensive experience at the school and a great love for the entire community. I wish her much success as she assumes the responsibility as a Catholic school principal,” says Fertitta.
Two settlements, totaling $1,239,750,000 have been reached with Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. and Halliburton Company (“HESI”) and Triton Asset Leasing GmbH, Transocean Deepwater Inc., Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling Inc., and Transocean Holdings LLC (“Transocean”) over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
individuals and entities that opted out of the DHEPDS, and groups that were part of certain DHEPDS claims categories (coastal, wetlands, vessel physical damage, seafood, charterboat, real property sales loss, and subsistence). These are the only claims that will be addressed by the HESI/Transocean Settlement Program.
The HESI/Transocean Settlements will not pay for any economic loss or personal injury claims. The Settlements cover punitive damages as well as certain assigned claims from the 2012 BP Deepwater Horizon Economic & Property Damages Settlement (“DHEPDS”). Generally, claims for punitive damages are not intended to compensate people for their losses, but rather seek a monetary award that is used to discourage a defendant and others from committing similar acts in the future.
Old Class: The remaining funds ($337 million) have been allocated to compensate the existing DHEPDS Class for Assigned Claims associated with the 2012 DHEPDS Agreement. This Class consists of hundreds of thousands of businesses and individuals who previously filed claims for economic losses associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Only individuals and businesses that previously filed a valid DHEPDS claim will be eligible for a payment from the HESI/ Transocean Settlements associated with the assigned claims.
In order to make a claim for punitive damages under general maritime law, an individual or entity must generally show that property it owned was directly affected, impacted, or damaged by the oil. There is a “commercial fishing” exception, which also generally allows commercial fishermen to make a claim for punitive damages, even though they do not “own” the fish that were directly impacted or damaged. What are the Lawsuits About? The lawsuits involve certain claims arising out of the “Deepwater Horizon Incident” in the Gulf of Mexico beginning on April 20, 2010. The first phase of the trial focused on identifying the causes of the blowout, explosion, and subsequent oil spill. The Court determined, based on the evidence, that HESI and Transocean were not responsible for punitive damages. There have been no appeals of these findings. HESI and Transocean have agreed to these Settlements to avoid the risks and costs of litigation. Given the Court’s findings, these Settlements are the only way to recover punitive damages under these lawsuits. Who is Included in the HESI/Transocean Settlements? There are two groups included in the Settlements: New Class: The majority of the funds ($902 million) will go toward compensating class members whose real or personal property was physically oiled as well as commercial fishermen. The New Class is intended to address only those claims that could have been brought for punitive damages under general maritime law. This includes previously excluded groups (local government, gaming, finance, insurance, real estate development, defense industries, and oil and gas entities),
How Can I Get Benefits? You will only need to file a claim if you are a New Class Member and were not eligible to file a claim in the DHEPDS or elected to opt out of that settlement. If you are a member of the earlier DHEPDS class with BP, you cannot file a new claim. The Settlement Administrator will use the information from your DHEPDS claim for the purposes of determining your eligibility for a payment from the HESI/Transocean Settlements. If you were part of the DHEPDS class and decided not to file a claim or your DHEPDS claim was denied, you cannot get any benefits from the HESI/Transocean Settlements. The deadline to submit a claim is December 15, 2016. Your Other Options If you are a New Class Member and do not want to be legally bound by the HESI/Transocean Settlements, you must exclude yourself by September 23, 2016, or you won’t be able to sue HESI or Transocean later about the claims in this case. However, considering the Court’s findings, you may be precluded from making a claim for punitive damages outside of these Settlements. If you stay in the New Class or are a member of the Old Class, you may object to the Settlements by September 23, 2016. The Detailed Notice (available at the website below) explains how to exclude yourself or object. The Court will hold a hearing on November 10, 2016, to consider whether to approve the HESI/Transocean Settlements and a request for attorneys’ fees up to $124,950,000. The attorneys’ fees will be paid separately by HESI/Transocean and will not reduce any payments to Class Members. You or your own lawyer may ask to appear and speak at the hearing at your own cost.
For More Information: Call Toll-free: 1-877-940-7792 Visit: www.GulfSpillPunitiveDamagesSettlement.com www.bayoucatholic.com
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Special Events Thirty-three catechists from across the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux received either basic or master catechist certification recently during a prayer service at the diocesan Pastoral Center in Schriever. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre presented the certification certificates to those in attendance. Master catechists in top photo from left pictured with Bishop Fabre are Roy Accord, Katie DeHart, Joy Oldag. Not pictured is Karen Accord. Those receiving basic catechist certification in bottom photo are front row, Jill Arabie, Jaci Arceneaux, Katherine CoCo, Maggie Bagwell, Megan Frazier, Maria Mancil, Courtney Hadaway. Back row, Trish Daigle, Ashlyn Dupre, Gwendoline Duet, Susie Plaisance, Amy Ashmun, Chloe Felterman, Tamaira Naquin, Bishop Fabre, Tammy Blanchard, Susan Aucoin, Lauren Moore, Jenny Milton, Emily Peerson, Andre Trahan, Kristi Wisdom, and Dr. Faith Ann Spinella. Not pictured are Rebecca Hagey, Tina Montz, Breana Olivier, Dominique Pitre, Jamie Rodrigue, Collette Williams, and Mary Daigle.
Catechists certified
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Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier
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Kateri Mass July 8 The 22nd annual Native American liturgical celebration for the feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the “Lily of the Mohawks,” will be celebrated Friday, July 8, at 6:30 p.m., at Holy Family Church in Grand Caillou. The Kateri Chaplet and excerpts of Kateri’s life will begin at 6 p.m. Kateri is the first Native American in the United States to
Diocesan Outreach Line
In response to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux is offering an Outreach Line (formerly known as the Child Protection Contact Line). The Outreach Line is an effort to continue the diocesan commitment to support healing for people who have been hurt or sexually abused recently or in the past by clergy, religious or other employees of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Outreach Line operates from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. A trained mental health professional responds to the line. Individuals are offered additional assistance if requested.
The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Outreach Line Telephone number is (985) 873-0026 or (985) 850-3172
Línea de Comunicación Diocesana
be canonized. Her canonization took place in Rome, Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012. Fellowship will follow at the Grand Caillou Recreation Center, 106 Badou Drive. The recreation center is approximately one quarter mile south of Holy Family Church, the first street on the left after Grand Caillou Middle School, across from the Grand Caillou water tower. Doors to the recreation center open at 8 p.m. The reception will include Native American drumming, dancing, festive dress and food. Music will be provided by the Treater Band from 9 p.m. until midnight. Any high school students needing/wanting service hours, please contact Kathy Verdin at (985) 870-0492 or after 5 p.m. at (985) 563-4957. For more information about the celebration, please call Verdin or Faye Pellgrin at (985) 563-2325.
Con el fin de cumplir con las Políticas de Protección de Niños y Jóvenes de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Los Estados Unidos, la Diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux ofrece una Línea de Comunicación (antes Línea de Contacto para la Protección de los Niños). La Línea de Comunicación es parte del esfuerzo diocesano de comprometerse con el mejoramiento de aquéllos que han sido lastimados o abusados sexualmente recientemente o en el pasado por miembros del clero, religiosos u otros empleados de la Diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux. El horario de la Línea de Comunicación de la Diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux es de 8:30 a.m. a 4:30 p.m., de lunes a viernes. El encargado de esta línea es un profesional capacitado en salud mental. Se ofrece asistencia adicional al ser solicitada.
Línea de Comunicación de la Diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux Número de teléfono (985) 873-0026 o (985) 850-3172
Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp Giaùo phaän Ñeå höôûng öùng Hieán chöông Baûo veä Treû em vaø Giôùi treû töø Hoäi ñoàng Giaùm muïc Hoa kyø, Giaùo phaän Houma-Thibodaux ñang chuaån bò ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp (luùc tröôùc laø ñöôøng daây lieân laïc baûo veä treû em). Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp laø moät söï coá gaéng cuûa giaùo phaän nhaèm cam keát haøn gaén naâng ñôõ nhöõng ai ñaõ bò toån thöông hoaëc bò laïm duïng tính duïc hoaëc gaàn ñaây hoaëc trong quaù khöù bôûi giaùo só, tu só hoaëc caùc coâng nhaân vieân cuûa Giaùo phaän Houma-Thibodaux. Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp Giaùo phaän hoaït ñoäng töø 8:30 saùng ñeán 4:30 chieàu, thöù hai ñeán thöù saùu. Moät nhaân vieân chuyeân nghieäp veà söùc khoûe taâm thaàn traû lôøi treân ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi. Nhöõng caù nhaân seõ ñöôïc trôï giuùp naâng ñôõ theâm neáu caàn.
Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp Giaùo phaän Soá ñieän thoaïi: (985) 873-0026; (985) 850-3172
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49
Special
Bishop Shelton Fabre’s statement on Laudato Si’ One year anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Following is a statement issued by Bishop Shelton J. Fabre on the one year anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’ (Praise be to you, my Lord). For some Americans, climate change is an abstract idea without immediate or local consequences. For others, climate change is viewed as a political or 50 economic issue rather than a scientific one. For Catholics, climate change is first and foremost a moral issue disproportionately threatening the life and dignity of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people and reflecting a break in the covenant with our Lord to be good stewards of the earth entrusted to our care. For those of us who live along the bayous of coastal Louisiana, what is at issue is not only breaking the covenant, but also securing the survival of our culture and communities. One civil parish (county) in our own Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux bears the French name Terrebonne or the “Good Earth.” A recent New York Times profile of local Native American families living on Isle de Jean Charles in Terrebonne Parish states that climate change is one of the reasons forcing them to move off their “good earth” due to sea level rise. In this case, our enduring problems of coastal erosion and subsidence have posed an on-going threat to Isle de Jean Charles. The introduction of sea level rise, caused by climate change, has led to the present tipping point. The displacement of these families and that of other Americans who live in coastal communities calls for urgent action. Thankfully, federal, state and local governments continue to fund coastal protection and restoration projects and the federal government has now allocated the first relocation funds to help families who no longer have the option to remain in their homes and communities. In his encyclical letter Laudato Si’ (Praise be to you, my Lord), issued one year ago, Pope Francis emphasizes that human-caused climate change is a reality with grave consequences for all people, especially the poor Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
and marginalized. These insights amplify those of Saint John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Like his predecessors, Pope Francis’ attention to climate change is informed by the experiences of individuals and communities around the world. Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic Church in the United States, also knows firsthand about the widespread effects of the changing climate. CRS assists people living in low-lying areas, such as those along the Bangladeshi coast, who are now more prone to flooding due to rising seas – linking them to our own Louisiana experience. And the forecast for many parts of the African Continent where CRS works parallels what the scientists are warning us about coastal Louisiana and other communities in the United States – that we face more frequent and severe hurricanes and increased periods of drought. As the Catholic bishop of a community impacted by climate change, I am encouraged by the impact that Laudato Si’ has had in helping the world – including the United States – rethink approaches to climate change. We are allocating local, state and federal funds to protect and restore our natural resources by addressing erosion and subsidence. However, the solutions to climate change require a world-wide response. Pope Francis made plain a simple reality: that the scale of global climate change requires coordinated efforts, especially at the national and international levels. Here in Louisiana we are working to be good stewards of our wetlands and barrier islands and all of the natural resources they contain, but uncontrolled sea level rise due
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LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC
to climate change could overwhelm all of the protection and restoration work that we have done and are doing. Few doubt that Laudato Si’ helped spur world governments meeting in Paris last December to commit to addressing the causes of climate change and to robustly fund measures to help people adapt to its already unavoidable consequences. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) supports the first U.S. contribution to the international climate change adaptation fund and urges funding our full commitment. The USCCB further supports passage of the country’s first national carbon pollution standards. The Catholic Climate Covenant has been working with local and national partners to provide additional avenues for action and education on climate change. These approaches integrate both care for creation and care for our most vulnerable people, which includes many in this beautiful coastal diocese in which I serve. The U.S. must continue to build critical climate resiliency in vulnerable states like Louisiana. Positive steps in addressing climate change have been taken, but there is still more work to be done and we need leaders willing to do this work. For the sake of our brothers and sisters, around the world, in the United States and increasingly in the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux, we all have a moral responsibility to solve the climate crisis and begin planning how we will assist those who will be most impacted by its harmful effects on our Good Earth. Most Reverend Shelton J. Fabre 51
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Nation
CNS photo/Michael Alexander, Georgia Bulletin
52
A woman prays during the exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament June 3 during the opening Mass at the 2016 Eucharistic Congress in Atlanta.
Theme of mercy woven through messages at Atlanta’s Eucharistic Congress By NICHOLE GOLDEN COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (CNS) -In celebration of the Year of Mercy and the gift of the Eucharist, tens of thousands of people attended the 2016 Eucharistic Congress of the Archdiocese of Atlanta June 3-4 at the Georgia International Convention Center. “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful,” from the Gospel of St. Luke, was the theme for the 21st annual congress. Organizers estimate that nearly 30,000 people attended this year’s event, making it the largest gathering of Catholics in the Southeast. Nationally recognized speakers presented programs on the faith in English, French, Spanish, Vietnamese and American Sign Language, priests offered the sacrament of reconciliation in a dozen languages, and children enjoyed activities tailored to the Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
year’s theme. For the first time, a hunger project dubbed Starve Wars took place the morning of June 3, as 500 volunteers assembled 100,000 meals to send to Burkina Faso in West Africa through Catholic Relief Services’ Helping Hands program. The message of mercy was foremost in the thoughts of many congress participants. Sara Espana, from Holy Cross Church in Atlanta, came as a Spanish-language prayer team member for the opening-night healing service. She said she had come back to her faith eight years ago. “I feel like this is a special year because we all have the opportunity to return to the Father. He is open,” Espana told The Georgia Bulletin, Atlanta’s archdiocesan newspaper. “It is a huge opportunity. It doesn’t matter how many times we fall
away, how big our sins are.” The congress is a metaphor for this special year, she said. “It is like having all these doors open to anybody,” Espana said, pointing to the people walking into the convention center. “It is mercy.” She said the impact of the congress was hard for her to put into words, but she felt it deeply. “When we are all together, it is the entire body of Christ together. It is a feeling,” Espana said, her eyes filling up as she spoke. She added that hearing teachings from clergy and lay theologians and the testimonies of faith also motivate her to come each year. “It is important to keep learning about our faith,” she said. For many, participating in or watching the eucharistic procession that always opens the full day of the congress is a highlight. One hundred groups, carrying
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colorful banners, took part in the June 4 procession. Parishes, ministries, school groups and religious orders were represented. Groups in brilliantly colored costumes performed traditional dances in honor of the Virgin Mary, including the San Felipe de Jesus dance troupe of Forest Park. First-time attendee Nancy Gessling came with a group of parishioners by bus from Good Samaritan Church in Ellijay. Sporting a bright yellow T-shirt designating volunteer status, Gessling was delighted to attend her first congress. She decided to become a Catholic four years ago after watching Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert E. Barron’s series, “Catholicism” on PBS. “It was the most beautiful thing,” she said. “It was faith and reason.” Gessling’s eyes filled with tears as she described her first visit to the parish. “I walked into Good Samaritan and there was so much love. Jesus is here,” she remembered thinking. Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, was homilist for the morning liturgy June 4. He said he thinks often of St. Thomas Aquinas’ eucharistic prayer “Adoro Te Devote,” and the critical link it makes between the sacrament and the sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross. Jesus’ parables, particularly those of the 15 chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke -- including the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin or the prodigal son -- demonstrate mercy. “Scripture scholars tell us if we had nothing in the
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New Testament but this one chapter of Luke’s Gospel, we would have grasped the core of the Gospel message -- the mercy of God expressed in his only Son, Jesus Christ,” said Archbishop Wester. The archbishop said it is clear that we must act mercifully toward others in gratitude for mercy shown to us. “In receiving the gift, we also receive a mandate,” said the archbishop. “Pope Francis reminds us of this very strongly,” he added. “He says to us, Jesus affirms that mercy is not only an action of the Father, but becomes a criterion for ascertaining who his true children are.” The story of the good Samaritan was Jesus’ response to the lawyer who asked, “Who is my neighbor?” The law was a stumbling block for this man who questioned Jesus. Archbishop Wester noted that the good Samaritan treated everyone with mercy, even the innkeeper with whom he entrusted money for the care of the injured man. “This mercy must become who we are ... a lens through which we see every situation, our foundation, our basis for living,” said the archbishop. Being grateful is the key to having an attitude of mercy. “Gratitude is something that in some ways I think is evaporating in our society,” noted the archbishop. “People have a hard time saying thank you, and they have an equally hard time saying you’re welcome. We’re losing that interchange of gratitude and a reception of a 53 favor given.” He also emphasized the importance of forgiveness, saying that, “only forgiveness, only mercy, can free us from the past ... and open us to new horizons.” “We must set out on the deep ocean of mercy,” Archbishop Wester said. Following the homily, Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory welcomed all to the congress and presented a refresher on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, listing each -- from feeding the hungry to comforting the sorrowful. “These are the ways of life that Christ taught us when he became man and walked upon this earth just as we do,” said Archbishop Gregory. It’s the Eucharist that provides faith and courage in an unpredictable world, said the archbishop.
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Nation
Family petitions N.Y. court to move body of Archbishop Sheen to Peoria BY TOM DERMODY PEORIA, Ill. (CNS) -- The family of the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen has petitioned the Supreme Court of the State of New York to allow the transfer of the sainthood candidate’s remains to Peoria. Joan Sheen Cunningham, 88, Archbishop Sheen’s niece and his oldest living relative, filed a petition June 13 asking that the trustees of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City -- where Archbishop Sheen has been entombed in a crypt following his death on Dec. 9, 1979 -- and the Archdiocese of New York allow his remains to be disinterred and transferred to Peoria for interment in a crypt at St. Mary’s Cathedral. According to a June 14 press release from the Diocese of Peoria, Cunningham -- who resides in New 54 York -- has the support of other living relatives of the famed orator and media pioneer who was born in El Paso and ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria. Peoria Bishop Daniel R. Jenky is “immensely grateful” for the family’s action and looks forward to the resumption of Archbishop Sheen’s beatification and canonization cause, which has been suspended for nearly two years since the Archdiocese of New York denied the bishop’s request to move the body to Peoria. The Diocese of Peoria similarly greeted the news with “great joy” and said with the progress already made in the cause, a beatification could be celebrated shortly after the arrival of the remains in Peoria and with the approval of Pope Francis. The diocese has been a promoter of Archbishop Sheen’s canonization cause for 14 years. The Congregation of the Causes of the Saints at the Vatican reportedly has no objection to the transfer of the body. “I am confident that the Archdiocese of New York will cooperate fully with the request of the family of Archbishop Sheen,” Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz
Joan Sheen Cunningham, niece of the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, prays with her family during a 2009 memorial Mass for her uncle at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. The family of Archbishop Sheen has petitioned the Supreme Court of New York state to allow the transfer of the sainthood candidate’s remains to Peoria.
said Msgr. James Kruse, vicar general of the Diocese of Peoria. “I cannot imagine that the archdiocese would oppose the family’s petition presented to the court. It is our hope that the archdiocese will offer their consent to this petition in order to expedite these matters,” he added. In a statement emailed to Catholic News Service later in the day June 14, the New York Archdiocese said church officials there will need time to review the petition announced by the Illinois diocese, but added that “it is definitely encouraging that the Diocese of Peoria seems ready to reopen the cause so that the much desired process towards beatification and canonization can resume.” The petition signed by Cunningham notes that she was “extremely close” with her uncle and helped care for him up until his death. Cardinal Terence Cooke of New York asked Cunningham for permission to bury Archbishop
Sheen in the St. Patrick’s Cathedral crypt. The reasons for the family’s decision to seek the transfer of his remains to Peoria include the long efforts of the Diocese of Peoria and the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation to pursue the cause for canonization. The petition notes he was raised in the cathedral parish, it is where he was ordained a priest of the diocese in 1919, and it is close to where his parents are buried. The Diocese of Peoria said the transfer could take place as soon as the court grants approval. In its statement, the New York Archdiocese said that it had asked the Peoria Diocese to “officially reopen the cause, with the understanding that the archbishop’s earthly remains would then be sent to Peoria for a beatification ceremony as soon as one was announced, and then returned after an appropriate time” to the crypt beneath the
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high altar of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The statement noted that several weeks ago -- “with the advice and consent” of Cunningham -- the archdiocese put forward a proposal to balance Archbishop Sheen’s “personal wish” to be “permanently buried” at its cathedral “with the understandable desire of the Diocese of Peoria to have his earthly remains present in their diocese for the celebration of his long hoped-for beatification.” It also said that the Vatican Congregation for Saints’ Causes “tells us all that is holding up the cause is the letter from the bishop of Peoria reopening the cause he closed two years ago.” With the Peoria Diocese’s announcement of the petition, the New York Archdiocese said it was pleased to learn “there appears to be progress” on “a cause for which we have all worked hard.” The future archbishop was born May 8, 1885, in El Paso to Delia and Newt Sheen. The family moved to Peoria so that Fulton and his brothers could attend St.
Mary Cathedral Grade School and Spalding Institute. Fulton made his first Communion at the cathedral and was a regular altar server in the sanctuary. At his ordination, Archbishop Sheen consecrated his priesthood to the Blessed Virgin Mary before a statue of Our Lady that is still revered in the cathedral. After completing his advanced studies in Europe, he returned to priestly ministry in Peoria until his bishop released him to teach at The Catholic University of America in Washington where he remained on the faculty for nearly 30 years. Archbishop Sheen became a pioneer in radio and television, winning the 1951 Emmy for outstanding television personality for his show “Life is Worth Living.” Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he was an advocate for the church’s missionary work through his leadership of the Propagation of the Faith in the U.S. He served as bishop of Rochester from 1966 to 1969 and spent his final years preaching retreats and missions.
Archbishop Sheen is the author of dozens of books, including his autobiography: “Treasure in Clay.” In 2000, the Archbishop Sheen Foundation was officially organized and two years later, Bishop Jenky petitioned the Vatican to open the canonization process. In 2011, the diocese submitted the case of a child, born without heartbeat or respiration, who revived after 61 minutes through the intercession of Archbishop Sheen. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI declared Archbishop Sheen “venerable,” meaning he lived a life of heroic virtues. The next steps would be beatification and canonization. In general two miracles are needed for sainthood -- one for beatification and the second for canonization. If the case of the child is deemed by the Vatican to be a miracle that occurred through the intercession of Archbishop Sheen, officials in the Peoria Diocese said his beatification would take place in Peoria.
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55
World
Jesus’ tomb at Church of the Holy Sepulcher getting long-needed restoration
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CNS photo/Jim Hollander, EPA
Tourists and Christian pilgrims visit the tomb where it is believed Christ was buried inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem April 17. For the first time in 200 years, experts have begun a restoration of the Edicule of the Tomb.
By JUDITH SUDILOVSKY JERUSALEM (CNS) -- For the first time in 200 years, experts have begun a restoration of the Edicule of the Tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where, according to Christian tradition, Jesus was laid to rest after his crucifixion. The project, which began in early June, is expected to take up to one year to complete and will include sorely needed damage repair and reinforcement of the structure. The work is being carried out by experts from the National Technical University of Athens. The project came together when the three principal churches Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • July 2016
overseeing the tomb under the 19thcentury Status Quo agreement overcame enduring differences in a place where rights over every section of the church has been jealously guarded for centuries. The Status Quo agreement was put in place by the Ottoman rulers in 1852 and preserved the division of ownership and responsibilities of the various Christian holy sites. At the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, it governs the responsibilities of the principal churches -- Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Armenian Apostolic -- as well as the Ethiopian, Syriac and Coptic churches.
“There wasn’t any friction on this issue,” said Franciscan Father Athanasius Macora, who is responsible for supervising the agreement on the part of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. “There was good chemistry between the three heads of the churches and they agreed to it right away.” However, the term “right away” is relative as the heads of the principal churches first brought up the issue of a very conservative “consolidation” of the edicule in 2000. The current Edicule of the Tomb was built by the Greek
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Orthodox community in 1810, two years after a devastating fire. It has been encased in metal scaffolding since the British Mandate period in the mid-20th century because of concern for its stability. Though many church-connected professionals have expressed concern over the structure since 2000, it took the shutting down of the tomb for four hours by the Israeli Police in February 2015 because of safety concerns -- a blatant violation of the Status Quo agreement -- to get the churches to act on their earlier discussions. An agreement to carry out the work on the tomb was signed in March. “The idea is to strengthen the structure and try to bring to get it back to its pristine state,” Father Macora said. “It is important that the work goes well. If all goes well, it will enhance the relationship (among the churches). If it doesn’t go well, it will not help their relationship.” The tomb today is surrounded by a white perimeter wall, but the work on its exterior walls is taking place in the evening so pilgrims can
continue to visit the interior of the tomb, he said. All three churches are contributing to pay the $3.4 million price tag for the project. Jordanian King Abdullah also made a personal contribution for the restoration. Until 1967, the Old City of Jerusalem, where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is located, was under Jordanian control and the king continues to play a role in the safe guarding of Christian and Muslim holy sites. “The tomb is the heart of the shrine. It is the most important reason why people are coming to visit the church and ... everyone knew the (the restoration) needed to be done,” Father Macora said. “There is no reason it could not be done. It is important that the work be done in a way which respects the rights of other communities.” He noted that despite the oftencited disputes among the churches, relations have improved since the 1960s and though they have reached a plateau since then, fewer conflicts emerge today. “There have been sporadic
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outbreaks and there will be outbreaks in the future, but they are significantly less than in the past,” Father Macora said. Cleaning work has also been undertaken on some of the mosaics in the church and work remains to be done on the floor around the tomb, which cannot begin until the restoration of the tomb is complete, he said. This is not the first time the three denominations came together for a restoration project. In 1997, they cooperated to restore and decorate the great dome above the tomb with the financial support of the late Catholic philanthropists George and Marie Doty, seemingly ushering in a new era of cooperation. Three years ago in Bethlehem, restoration and renovation work also began at the Church of the Nativity with the Palestinian Authority given the role of intermediary between the churches. The wooden roof of the church has been repaired and work is underway on wall mosaics.
Bayou
Catholic
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57
Sports
Could it get worse before it gets better for the
Overtime Ed Daniels
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His return was like a breath of fresh air. On his Facebook page, Saints safety Roman Harper, who spent the past two years in Carolina, said he was “honored to end with a #whodat.” Can Harper make a big contribution? Who knows? But, he does know that he must provide leadership on a roster that has undergone massive turnover. “Walking in the locker room,” said Harper, “I know more coaches than players.” It was a telling comment. And, so true. Now, only seven starters remain from when Harper departed. They are Drew Brees, Mark Ingram, Zach Strief and Terron Armstead on offense. And, on defense, Cam Jordan, Keenan Lewis and Kenny Vaccaro. Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said bringing back Harper was not his idea, but he was in total agreement. “Those decisions are made on a level much higher than me,” said
Saints ? Allen. So, Sean Payton, did the Saints miss Roman Harper’s leadership? The answer is, yes. Payton cited others who had departed including safety Malcolm Jenkins and the late Will Smith. Veteran leadership is just one of many Saints concerns. In spring practices that media was allowed to view, safety Jairus Byrd did not take part in team drills. Second round draft pick Hau’oli Kikaha, who was being counted on for pass rush, is reportedly lost for the season with an ACL tear. The offensive line is dangerously thin. The Saints did not draft an offensive lineman, meaning Andrus Peat, a former first round pick, will likely move inside to guard. And, the schedule is much tougher. In 2015, the Saints were rated with the 28th toughest schedule, including playing all four teams in the weak AFC South.
The Saints went 7-9. The 2016 schedule is rated 4th toughest and it includes Super Bowl champion Denver, and 11 win Kansas City from the AFC West. And, you wonder how much longer Brees can expect to carry the load? In 2015, Brees had a passer rating of 101. It was his fourth best in 10 years as a Saint. He completed 68.3 percent of his passes, throwing 32 touchdowns against a scant 11 interceptions. Could it get worse before it gets better? In Las Vegas, the Saints over/ under for total wins was seven. That was lower than even Tampa Bay and Washington. The Raiders, who the Saints play to open the season, were at 8.5. If the Saints win seven again, that would be seven wins four of the last five seasons. From that, you can draw your own conclusions.
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LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC
Annual novena to St. Anne at Calvary Grotto Shrine in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Thibodaux On July 17, the St. Anne Association will celebrate their annual novena at the Calvary Grotto Shrine located in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Thibodaux. Rain or shine – sometimes in blistering heat – the faithful have gathered every year for 10 days since 1884. The novena begins on July 17 with a Mass celebrated in the grotto at 6:30 p.m., followed by prayers and meditation. This will be the 22nd year that Father Michael Bergeron celebrates the Mass. Each day the novena is prayed at 6:30 pm. On the 10th day, which is the feast day of Sts. Anne and Joachim (July 26) a closing Mass is celebrated at the shrine. St. Anne is the patron saint of mothers, grandmothers, women who desire pregnancy, women in labor and women who want husbands, to name a few. Countless miracles have been reported in the past which members attribute to the intervention of St. Anne, including women who have found husbands and couples who conceived children. All are invited to attend. For more information, contact Joanie Lirette (985) 637-6906 or Connie Richard (985) 447-6559.
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Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux
Pilgrimage to Rome
The diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development along with Father Simon Peter Engurait as the spiritual guide, would like to invite all for a trip to Rome in January 23-30, 2017.
Highlights of the tour will include:
• Attending the Papal Audience given by Pope Francis • Daily Mass in some of Rome’s most beautiful churches • Scavi Tour - A tour of the excavations under St. Peter’s Basilica • One day trip to Florence • Superior Four Star Hotel Accommodations a block from St. Peter’s Basilica • Airfare, daily breakfast, four dinners and much more
Reservations are now being taken; space is limited. Please contact Jeremy Becker Director of Stewardship and Development 985-850-3155 jtbecker@htdiocese.org