Bayou Catholic Magazine September 2017 by Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

INSIDE:

Bayou

Marriage

Catholic

‘We’ have the capacity to come together HOUMA, LA ~ SEPTEMBER 2017 ~ COMPLIMENTARY

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Contents Elaine Clement

FEATURES 26 Bayou Patrons

34 Bridging the Bayous

and ByRice Janet Casserole Marcel

MAW-TEE’S CASSEROLE

This month’s heavenly recipe, pork chop and rice casserole, comes from Elaine Clement, a native of Raceland and resident of Chackbay for the past 55 years. The recipe was handed down from her mother Theresa Robichaux Sampey who she says was a fantastic cook. “I am one of six children. We were two girls and four boys. My sister and I learned how to cook by watching my mom. We would watch her and ask questions about how she would cook. When I got married I would call her often asking about seasonings and her cooking techniques,” says Elaine. Elaine’s favorite thing to cook is seafood okra gumbo. She married her husband Roland and worked outside the home for a few years at the old Citizens Bank in Chackbay. The couple, thinking they couldn’t conceive a child, had their daughter Dana, after many years of marriage. After Dana was born she didn’t return to work and became a full-time mother. Elaine says that her mother was instrumental in her Catholic faith formation. “My mom was the one to make sure we went to church on Sundays. We also went to novenas, the Way of the Cross and other devotions.” She is active in her church parish, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, attends Mass daily and helps at the rectory when she can. She belongs to the Ladies Altar Society, was a CCD teacher years ago and was involved with planning the annual May Crowning in the parish. Elaine says she finds joy in cooking when she cooks for others rather than for herself. “One thing I got from my mom is cooking and giving the food to others. Cooking is a joy when I can give the food away,” she says. The Clements have been happily married for 55 years. When asked what’s the recipe for a successful, happy marriage Elaine says, “there are four important “C’s” in a marriage: caring, communication, commitment and Christ. Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

INGREDIENTS:

42 Strategic plan update

6 pork chops 2 diced onions dicedBy Janet Marcel 1/4 cup celery 1/2 green pepper, diced 2 tbsp. chopped parsley 2 cans beef broth 1 can condensed tomato soup Chatagnier By Lawrence 2 cups uncooked rice Salt and pepper to taste

44 Strategic plan evaluation COLUMNS 8 Comfort For My People

DIRECTIONS:

Season chops well on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown chops in a skillet using a very small amount of oil. Remove chops and place in bottom By dish. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of 9x13 casserole Drain skillet leaving 1 tbsp. oil. Add onions, browning lightly. Add soup, celery, green pepper, parsley and uncooked rice. Add a little more salt and pepper, if desired. Mix well. Pour over browned chops in casserole dish and cover. Bake 1 Pope Francis I hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until meat and rice are tender.

12 Pope Speaks

13 Questions of Faith

Bayou

Catholic

By Very Rev. Jay L. Baker

14 Readings Between The Lines

By Father Glenn LeCompte

25 Reading with Raymond

By Raymond Saadi

36 Thoughts for Millennials

The most important Christ. He helps us carry out the ByisRyan Abboud other three things. If you don’t keep Christ in your life your marriage won’t succeed. He is the basis of life.” Reflecting on their many years together she says, “In life we have ups and downs. Christ has gotten us through life together, through illnesses and sorrow. As years go by you By Ed Daniels get closer to him and you become more thankful and grateful for all that God gives you.”

54 Overtime

GUEST COLUMNS 18 Gregorian Chant Conference

By Father Gregory Fratt

20 Do not be afraid!

By Janet Marcel

ChopGood Shepherds 40 Pork Good Leaders,

Elaine Cooks:

By Janet Marcel

By Very Rev. Jay L. Baker

28 Salt and Light

By Robert Gorman

32 Walking the walk

By David Breerwood

IN EVERY ISSUE 16 Scripture Readings 22 Heavenly Recipes 24 Diocesan Events

Marriage D PHOTO

JON REYNAU

ANNOUNCEMENTS 37 Louisiana Priests’ Convention 47 New principal named 48 Son Rise Music Fest 50 Food for the Journey

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

Father John David Matherne speaks

On Our Cover Amid the racial unrest and violence that has gripped our nation, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre delivers a message to the people of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux that there is much work to do in our country in the realm of bridging and healing the painful division between people of different races. Bishop Fabre says, “There is only ‘we,’ and ‘we’ embrace our unity in Jesus Christ amidst our racial and cultural diversity.

Bayou Catholic Vol. 38, No. 3 How to reach us: BY PHONE: (985) 850-3132 BY MAIL: P.O. Box 505 Schriever, LA 70395 BY FAX: (985) 850-3232 BY E-MAIL: bayoucatholic@htdiocese.org

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

The Bayou Catholic is published monthly, for the people of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux by the H-T Publishing Co., P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395. Subscription rate is $35 per year. The Bayou Catholic is a member of the Catholic Press Association, the National Newspaper Association and an associate member of the Louisiana Press Association.

Lawrence Chatagnier

editor and general manager

Index to Advertisers Academy Place .................................................... 49 Barker Honda ....................................................... 61 Birdsall Jewelry .................................................... 67 Cardinal Place ...................................................... 17 Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux ......................29-31 Catholic Charities position .................................... 33 Diocesan Outreach Line ....................................... 51 Ellendale Country Club ......................................... 65 Femmes Natales Runabout ................................... 19 Gina’s Catering .................................................... 70 God’s Promises Books & Gifts ............................. 57 Gulf Coast Orthopedics ........................................ 47 Haydel Spine Pain & Wellness .............................. 15 Headache & Pain Center ....................................... 24 Houma Digestive Health Specialists ...................... 46 Johnny’s Men’s Shop ........................................... 56 LaPatinoire The Rink ............................................ 66 LeBlanc & Associates, LLC .................................. 23 Lewis & Company ................................................ 53

Main Street Special Events ................................... 67 Normans Tuxedos ................................................ 71 Ochsner St. Anne Hospital ...................................... 3 Office of Family Ministries .................................... 59 Patrick Yancey Law Firm ...................................... 54 Premier Offshore Catering .................................... 17 Re-Bath ............................................................... 36 Rod’s Superstore ................................................. 50 Royal Villa ............................................................ 69 Seeca .................................................................... 2 Seminarian Education Burses ............................... 35 Son Rise Christian Music Fest .............................. 23 Southland Mall ..................................................... 72 St. Genevieve Church Parish ................................. 53 St. Joseph Manor ................................................. 49 Strategic Planning ...........................................38-39 Synergy Bank ....................................................... 23 Terminix ............................................................... 49 Watkins, Walker, Eroche & Hoychick ..................... 48 Wesley J. Landeche Sales & Services, Inc. ........... 67

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

Janet Marcel

staff writer/administrative assistant

Brooks Lirette

advertising accounts executive

Lisa Schobel Hebert graphic designer

Meridy Liner

accounts receivable/payable assistant

Awards

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

A Special Message from our bishop Charlottesville, VA. Unfortunately, due to the recent events in Charlottesville, we add the name of another city to the list of cities where events surrounding racial unrest and violence have sadly claimed human lives, exposed our ongoing struggle with racial unrest, and captured the attention of our nation and our world. The recent events that unfolded in Charlottesville hit hard at the very heart of the understanding of our shared common humanity and human dignity, causing us again to collectively gasp at the loss of another precious human life as well as at the violence that erupted there. As one of our recent Sunday Gospels reminded us, ‘there are weeds among the wheat.’ The weeds of racial hatred and violence continue to be manifest amongst the wheat of our ongoing efforts to grow into and live together as the beloved community that God continually calls us to be. I ask that you receive my thoughts offered here not as an effort to advance any political

party or political agenda, but as a pastor and shepherd of souls. My only desire is to advance the continued unfolding of the Kingdom of God amongst us. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, clearly for God’s Kingdom to continue to grow amongst us, we all still have a lot of work to do in our country in the realm of bridging and healing the painful division that exists between people of different races. As we do so, we must acknowledge that there can be no acceptance of racism, or of the ideology of those who think themselves superior to others based on race, or of those who would encourage violence as a response to challenges that we face. Seeking to move forward, there can be no negative divisions of people in our thoughts and actions into “us” as opposed to “them.” There is only “we,” and “we” embrace our unity in Jesus Christ amidst our racial and cultural diversity. I know that our nation has the capacity to come together as “we” in order to face and answer the

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

challenges that continue to rise up in the area of racial harmony. This coming together starts with how each of us opens ourselves to encountering and coming to know in a constructive way those who are racially different from us. Charlottesville. Because of our response as followers of Jesus Christ, we are a people called to pray and to work toward healing, understanding and forgiveness. I am confident that history will not remember only the tragedy at Charlottesville, but in the future, please dear God, will focus even more on Charlottesville as a time when we truly learned an important lesson, and began anew in our country to journey toward healing and reconciliation among people of different races and cultures. This space is usually reserved for my welcome to the readers of Bayou Catholic. In light of the racial unrest and violence that has occurred in our nation, I have yielded this space for Bishop Shelton J. Fabre’s special message to the people he shepherds. Lawrence Chatagnier, Editor

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

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

www.bayoucatholic.com

Comment

How do we connect worship on Sunday to work on Monday? Comfort For My People

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Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

Then the righteous will answer him and say, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?” And the king will say to them in reply, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers or sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25). In my pastoral letter, A Reason to Hope, released on All Saints Day last year, I noted that I often hear people refer to the “diocese” as if “it” were something and not someone. The reality is that we are the “diocese.” In this column I’d like to expand on who we are. You may have heard the quote by the Irish author James Joyce: “Catholic means ‘here comes everybody.’” We are a church of many different races, cultures, ages, experiences and languages. We are men, women and children, rich and poor alike. We are from down the bayou and from up the bayou. As Catholics we are also missionary disciples called to reach out to everyone. Our outreach may attract others to the Catholic Church; but even if it doesn’t, we are still called to reach out to people - not because they are Catholic, but because we are.

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

Parish social ministry is central to our outreach. Our diocesan strategic plan entitled Plans of Hope establishes each September as the month for an annual diocesan-wide campaign to increase parishioners’ awareness of parish social ministry and local outreach needs. Catholic social teaching begins with the belief that we cannot come to full maturity in Christ alone. We need other people. This is why today’s tendency toward isolation and relational atrophy is so threatening. We need to connect to people. Whether you consider yourself familiar with Christ or whether you consider yourself a novice at best, the easiest place to start the journey is with other people who are on the journey. Pope Francis, in Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel), talks about the journey: “If the whole church takes up this missionary impulse, she has to go forth to everyone without exception. But to whom should she go first? . . . Above all (to) the poor and the sick, those who are usually despised and overlooked, ‘those who cannot repay you’ (Luke 14:14). We have to state, without mincing words, that there is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor. I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. . . . Jesus does not tire of saying to us: ‘Give them something to eat’” (Mark 6:37). “Give them something to eat!” During the month of September it is my sincere hope that you will embark on an intense renewal of a vibrant parish social ministry outreach. In a pastoral letter at the

new millennium entitled Everyday Christianity: To Hunger and Thirst for Justice, the U.S. Bishops asked: “How is the Gospel proclaimed not only in the pulpits of our parishes, but also in the everyday lives of Catholic people? How does the church gathered on the Sabbath act as the People of God scattered and active every day of the week? How can we best carry the values of our faith into family life, the market place and the public square? How do we love our neighbor, pursue peace and seek justice in everyday choices and commitments?” In other words, how do we connect worship on Sunday to work on Monday? As the president of our local diocesan Catholic Charities, I assure you that we stand ready and very willing to respond to help you in developing your parish social ministry outreach plans. We have distributed to each parish a Parish Communities of Salt and Light Inventory with a menu of specific social ministry ideas for your parish in the areas of: Prayer and Worship; Preaching and Education; Family, Work and Citizenship; Outreach and Charity; Legislative Advocacy; Community Organizing; and International Assistance. We have also created a Parish Social Ministry Progression to help you think through ways to move as a parish from maintenance to missionary discipleship. I hope and pray you will find these resources helpful in this important task. Thank you for your efforts to advance our Plans of Hope in the renewal of our diocese. Parish social ministry outreach is a constitutive part of this process. Let us work together to make this happen!

September is Social Ministry Month

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

Comentario

¿Cómo relacionar la homilía del domingo con el trabajo del lunes?

E 10

Entonces los justos le contestarán y le dirán «Señor, ¿cuándo te vimos hambriento, sediento, forastero, desnudo, enfermo, o en la cárcel, y no te servimos? Y el rey les contestará a ellos: ‘De cierto les digo que en cuanto no lo hicieron a uno de estos más pequeños, tampoco a mí lo hicieron.’» (Mateo 25). En mi carta pastoral, Una razón para tener esperanza, publicado en el Día de Todos los Santos el año pasado, noté que muchas personas se refieren a la diócesis como si fuese algo y no alguien. La realidad es que somos la diócesis. En este artículo quiero explicar quiénes somos. Tal vez haya escuchado la cita del autor irlandés James Joyce: «Ser católico significa ‘aquí vienen todos’». Somos una Iglesia de muchas razas, culturas, edades, experiencias e idiomas. Somos hombres, mujeres, niños, ricos y pobres. Somos del sur del bayou hasta el norte del bayou. Somos católicos, discípulos misioneros llamados a evangelizar a todos. Nuestro esfuerzo podría atraer a nuestros semejantes a la Iglesia Católica; sin embargo, si no se logra, hemos sido llamados a seguir esforzándonos por llamar al prójimo – no porque ellos son católicos, sino porque nosotros somos católicos. El ministerio social de la parroquia es fundamental para nuestra evangelización. Nuestro plan estratégico diocesano titulado Plan de Esperanza designa el mes de septiembre para la campaña anual de la diócesis para divulgar información sobre el ministerio social diocesano y las necesidades comunitarias. La

enseñanza católica social comienza con la creencia que no podemos madurar con plenitud en Cristo solos. También necesitamos a otros. Es por esto que la tendencia moderna de aislarnos y la atrofia de las relaciones sociales son una gran amenaza. Necesitamos enlazarnos con los demás. Sin importar si usted conoce a Cristo o no, el lugar más fácil para comenzar el camino hacia Dios es con la compañía de otros que ya andan por el camino. El Papa Francisco en Evangelii Gaudium (Alegría del Evangelio), nos cuenta sobre su camino: «Si toda la Iglesia sigue este movimiento misionero, ella tiene que seguir adelante con todos sin excepción. ¿Pero a quién deberá ir primero? Será sobre todo los pobres y los enfermos, aquellos que son despreciados e ignorados, ‘aquellos que no te pueden pagar las deudas’ (Lucas 14:14). Debemos declarar, sin bacilar, que existe un lazo inquebrantable entre nuestra fe y el pobre. Prefiero una Iglesia que se encuentra maltratada, dolida y sucia porque ha estado en las calles en lugar de una iglesia enferma por su encerramiento y por su propia inseguridad… Jesús no se cansa de decirnos: ‘Denles ustedes de comer’ (Marcos 6:37). «¡Denles ustedes de comer!» Es mi esperanza durante el mes de septiembre que comiencen la renovación intensa de un ministerio social diocesano vibrante. En una carta pastoral en el nuevo milenio titulado Cristiandad Cotidiana: Hambre y Sed por la Justicia, Los obispos de E.E.U.U. preguntaron: «¿Cómo el Evangelio está siendo proclamado no solamente en las iglesias de nuestra parroquia sino también en la vida cotidiana de los católicos?» ¿Cómo la Iglesia reunida

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

en la Misa dominical se comporta como el Pueblo de Dios esparcidos y activos cotidianamente durante la semana? ¿Cómo podemos llevar a cabo los valores de nuestra fe en la vida de la familia, el mercado y la vida pública? ¿Cómo amamos al prójimo, buscamos la paz y buscamos la justicia en las decisiones cotidianas y compromisos?» Es decir, ¿cómo enlazamos la Misa dominical con el trabajo del lunes? Como presidente de nuestra organización de caridad católica diocesana, les aseguro que estamos listos y dispuestos a responder ayudando con el desarrollo de la planificación del ministerio social de la parroquia. Hemos distribuido a cada parroquia un Inventario de Comunidades parroquianas de Sal y Luz con una lista de ideas específicas para el ministerio social de la parroquia en las áreas de: Oración y Adoración; Evangelización y Educación; Familia, Trabajo y Ciudadanía; Ayuda y Caridad; Abogacía Legislativa; Organización de Comunidades; y Asistencia Internacional. También hemos creado un Progreso del Ministerio Social de la Parroquia para ayudarle a pensar las maneras para cambiar las parroquias de mantenimiento a discípulos misioneros. Espero y ruego que encuentren estos recursos vitales en esta obra importante. Les agradezco su esfuerzo por avanzar nuestro Plan de Esperanza en la renovación de nuestra diócesis. El programa del ministerio social de la parroquia es un parte esencial de este proceso. ¡Trabajemos juntos para lograr que esto suceda!

Binh luan bang loi

Làm thế nào để nối kết việc thờ phượng ngày Chúa Nhật với ngày làm việc thứ Hai?

Bấy giờ những người công chính sẽ thưa rằng: “Lạy Chúa, có bao giờ chúng con đã thấy Chúa đói mà cho ăn, khát mà cho uống; có bao giờ đã thấy Chúa là khách lạ mà tiếp rước; hoặc trần truồng mà cho mặc? Có bao giờ chúng con đã thấy Chúa đau yếu hoặc ngồi tù, mà đến hỏi han đâu?” Đức Vua sẽ đáp lại rằng: “Ta bảo thật các ngươi: mỗi lần các ngươi làm như thế cho một trong những anh em bé nhỏ nhất của Ta đây, là các ngươi đã làm cho chính Ta vậy” (Matthêu 25). Trong thư mục vụ của tôi, Lý Do Để Hy Vọng, được đăng tải vào ngày Lễ Các Thánh năm ngoái, tôi đã ghi nhận rằng tôi thường nghe người ta đề cập đến “giáo phận” như thể “nó” là cái gì chứ không phải là ai đó. Thực tế chính chúng ta là “giáo phận”. Trong mục này tôi muốn mở rộng ý nghĩa về việc chúng ta là ai. Có lẽ Anh Chị Em (ACE) đã nghe câu của tác giả người Ái Nhĩ Lan James Joyce nói: “Công giáo có nghĩa là ‘mọi người ở đây.’” Chúng ta là một Giáo hội của nhiều chủng tộc, văn hoá, tuổi tác, kinh nghiệm và ngôn ngữ khác nhau. Chúng ta là những người nam, người nữ, trẻ em, giàu và nghèo như nhau. Chúng ta có cùng một nguồn gốc. Là người Công giáo, chúng ta cũng là những môn đệ truyền giáo được kêu gọi để tiếp cận với mọi người. Sự tiếp cận của chúng ta có thể thu hút những người khác đến với Giáo hội Công giáo. Nhưng ngay cả khi họ không đến, chúng ta vẫn được kêu gọi để tiếp cận với mọi người - không phải vì họ là người Công giáo, mà bởi vì chúng ta là người Công giáo. Mục vụ xã hội của giáo xứ là trọng tâm của sự tiếp cận của chúng ta. Kế hoạch phát triển giáo phận của chúng ta được đặt tên Những Kế Hoạch Hy Vọng tổ chức vào mỗi tháng Chín là một tháng dành cho chiến dịch hàng năm của toàn giáo phận nhằm nâng cao nhận thức

của giáo dân về mục vụ xã hội của giáo xứ và các nhu cầu tiếp cận địa phương. Sự giảng dạy xã hội Công giáo bắt đầu với niềm tin rằng chúng ta không thể trưởng thành trọn vẹn chỉ trong Đức Kitô mà thôi. Chúng ta cần đến những người khác. Đó là lý do tại sao hiện nay khuynh hướng cô lập và hao mòn quan hệ là điều rất nguy hiểm. Chúng ta cần nối kết với mọi người. Cho dù ACE cho rằng mình thân thiết với Chúa Kitô hay là ACE coi mình là người mới làm quen thì điều dễ nhất để bắt đầu cuộc hành trình là cùng với những người khác đang trên cuộc hành trình. Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô, trong Tông huấn Evangelii Gaudium (Niềm Vui Tin Mừng), nói về cuộc hành trình: “Nếu toàn thể Hội Thánh chấp nhận động lực truyền giáo mới này, Hội Thánh phải đến với mọi người, không loại trừ một ai. Nhưng phải đến với ai trước? … Trên hết là những người nghèo khổ bệnh tật, những người thường bị khinh dể và ruồng rẫy, những người ‘không có gì để trả lại ngươi’ (Lc 14:14). Chúng ta phải nói thẳng ra rằng “có một dây liên kết không thể phân ly giữa đức tin của chúng ta và người nghèo”… Tôi thà có một Hội Thánh bị bầm dập, mang thương tích và nhơ nhuốc vì đi ra ngoài đường, hơn là một Hội Thánh ốm yếu vì bị giam hãm và bám víu vào sự an toàn của mình… Chúa Giêsu không mệt mỏi nói với chúng ta rằng: “Hãy cho họ ăn” (Mc 6:37). “Hãy cho họ ăn!” Trong tháng Chín, tôi chân thành hy vọng rằng ACE sẽ bắt tay vào việc canh tân kế hoạch mục vụ xã hội giáo xứ cách mạnh mẽ. Trong lá thư mục vụ ở Thiên Niên Kỷ mới có tựa đề Đạo Công Giáo Đời Thường: Đói Khát Vì Công Lý, các Giám mục Hoa Kỳ đã hỏi: “Làm thế nào để Tin Mừng được loan báo không chỉ nơi các bục giảng của các giáo xứ của chúng ta, mà còn trong cuộc sống hằng ngày của người Công giáo? Làm thế nào để việc quy tụ trong ngày Sabát ở nhà thờ cũng giống như Dân của Thiên Chúa rải rác

và hoạt động mỗi ngày trong tuần? Làm thế nào chúng ta có thể đem các giá trị đức tin của chúng ta vào cuộc sống gia đình, phố xá và những nơi công cộng cách tốt nhất? Làm thế nào để chúng ta yêu thương người thân cận của chúng ta, theo đuổi hoà bình và tìm kiếm công lý trong những sự chọn lựa và cam kết hằng ngày?” Nói cách khác, làm thế nào để nối kết việc thờ phượng ngày Chúa Nhật với ngày làm việc thứ Hai? Với tư cách là Chủ tịch Hội Từ thiện Công giáo tại địa phương, tôi cam đoan với ACE rằng chúng tôi sẵn sàng và vui vẻ đáp ứng để giúp ACE trong việc phát triển những kế hoạch tiếp cận mục vụ xã hội giáo xứ. Chúng tôi đã phân phát cho mỗi giáo xứ một bản Thống kê về Cộng đồng Giáo xứ của Muối và Ánh Sáng với 11 một danh mục các ý kiến mục vụ xã hội cụ thể cho giáo xứ của ACE trong các lãnh vực: Cầu Nguyện và Phụng Vụ; Giảng dạy và Giáo dục; Gia đình, Việc làm và Quốc tịch; Tiếp cận và Từ thiện; Vận động chính sách; Tổ chức Cộng đồng; và Hỗ trợ Quốc tế. Chúng tôi cũng đã lập ra Tiến trình Mục vụ Xã hội của Giáo xứ để giúp ACE suy nghĩ thông qua các đường lối để hành động như một giáo xứ từ duy trì đến làm người môn đệ truyền giáo. Tôi hy vọng và cầu nguyện cho ACE sẽ tìm thấy những nguồn lực này hữu ích trong nhiệm vụ quan trọng này. Xin cám ơn những nỗ lực của ACE để nâng cao Những Kế Hoạch Hy Vọng trong việc canh tân giáo phận của chúng ta. Sự tiếp cận mục vụ xã hội giáo xứ là một phần cấu thành của quá trình này. Chúng ta hãy cùng nhau làm việc để cho điều này thành hiện thực! Dịch thuật do Lm. Francis Bui, SDD và Thầy Paul Vu, SDD. Tu Đoàn Tông Đồ Giáo Sĩ Nhà Chúa www.bayoucatholic.com

Comment

Trust in Christ - not in horoscopes, Pope Francis says The Pope Speaks

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Vatican City, (CNA/EWTN News) Pope Francis recently repeated a message he often has, warning against putting one’s trust in horoscopes and fortune telling rather than Christ, who is the only true security that gets us through times of trial and darkness. Pointing to how Peter begins to sink when walking toward Jesus on the water in the day’s Gospel reading, Francis noted that the same thing can happen to us when we put our trust in false securities. “When we do not cling to the Word of the Lord, but consult horoscopes and fortune tellers, we begin to sink,” the Pope said. The episode, he said, serves as a reminder “that faith in the Lord and in his word does not open a path where everything is calm and easy; it does not take us away from the storms of life.” Rather, “faith gives us the security of a presence that pushes us to overcome the existential storms, the certainty of a hand that grabs us in order to help us in difficulties, showing the way even when it’s dark.” “Faith, then, is not an escape from life’s problems, but it supports on the journey and gives it meaning.” Pope Francis spoke to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly Angelus address, focusing on the day’s Gospel reading from Matthew, in which

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

Jesus walks on water in the midst of a storm, and beckons Peter to come to him. Peter initially begins to walk toward Jesus, but starts to sink out of fear when he sees the waves, and cries out for Jesus to rescue him. This episode, Francis said, has a lot of symbolism for both individuals, and for the Church as a whole. The boat can represent the life of each person, but also the life of the Church, he said, explaining that the wind signifies the “difficulties and trials” each will face. Peter’s cry of “Lord, command me to come to you,” and then his plea “Lord, save me!” represent both our desire feel close to the Lord, and “the fear and anguish which accompany us in the most difficult moments of our lives and our communities, marked by internal fragility and external difficulty,” Francis said. In the moment when he looked at the wind and the waves and began to fear, Peter wasn’t founded on the Word of God, “which was like an outstretched rope to cling to in front of the hostile and turbulent waters.” The same thing happens to us when we put our faith in trivial, worldly securities, rather than in

the Lord, he said. Pope Francis said the passage is “a stupendous image” of the reality of the Church throughout the ages: “a ship which, along the crossing, must counter winds and storms which threaten to overwhelm it.” What saves the ship is not the courage and quality of its men, he said, but rather, “the guarantee against a shipwreck is faith in Christ and in his word.” “On this ship we are safe, despite our miseries and weaknesses, above all when we get on our knees and adore the Lord” as the disciples did, who, after Jesus calmed the storm, prostrated themselves and said “truly you are the Son of God!” To drive the point home, Francis had the crowd repeat the phrase, listening as they shouted “truly you are the Son of God” three times. Francis closed his address asking that the Virgin Mary intercede in helping all to “stay firm in the faith in order to resist the storms of life, to stay on the boat of the Church, eschewing the temptation to go on amusing, yet insecure boats of ideologies, fashions and slogans.” He then led pilgrims in praying the traditional Marian prayer and greeted various groups of youth from around Italy before asking for prayer and giving his blessing.

Questions of Faith Very Rev. Jay L. Baker

No garden weddings? My daughter and her fiancé, who both went to Catholic schools from preschool to high school, would like to get married in an outdoor ceremony in a garden. My understanding is that the church requires the sacraments to be performed inside a blessed building, but I just can’t understand why. I would love for my daughter to have her marriage blessed by the Catholic Church, but this seems to be an unreasonable rule. Congratulations, Mother of the Bride! Preparing for a wedding is such a joy-filled time not only for your daughter and her fiancé but for their families and friends as well. Beyond that, the Church as a whole rejoices with you all because the couple’s love for each other is actually a sign of God’s love for all people! In the words of the Rite of Marriage (RoM): “Christ abundantly blesses this love.” Why? Simply yet profoundly, we see our common human destiny in the love of husband and wife which bears the imprint of God’s own love for us all (cf. RoM, 1970, No. 117). Part and parcel to this, Canon 1118 of the Code of Canon Law states that marriage is to be celebrated in a church or oratory, most properly in the parish church of the bride or the groom. Surely, God is present to us at all times … even when we are too busy or preoccupied to be aware of that presence. So, yes, God is present in the garden, at the beach, even on the grounds of an antebellum home. However, in

the long-standing, time-honored tradition of Roman Catholicism, we normally celebrate our public worship (our “liturgies”) in a church. You mentioned that both the bride and the groom attended Catholic school. Our diocese has 13 Catholic schools. Ten of those have their regular school Masses in the church to which they are adjacent. (The three who don’t are not located on the same campus as a church.) So, in addition to attending their regular parish Masses in a church, odds are they went to their Catholic schools’ Masses in a church as well. I recently faced a situation similar to yours with parishioners of my own. The bride had grown up going on family vacation to the same island each year. It was a family tradition. So for their wedding, the couple wanted to share this deeply-rooted tradition with their extended families and closest friends. What’s more, she wanted to have her wedding ceremony on the beach there. Understandably, when I said that the church does not allow weddings to take place on the beach on that island, she was quite disappointed. However, once I explained to her the canons and the policies of the church, she took it in stride and decided to make the most of it. As it turned out, her marriage was celebrated in the very church on the island where her family had attended all of their Masses through the years when they were on vacation there. Then the bride and her family realized

that they were celebrating this special sacrament on the island in the place that was so deeply engrained in her family’s life … making it all the more profound of a celebration. May I suggest one option which might blend your couple’s desire together with the teaching of the church? The couple could consider 13 having their reception in the garden following their ceremony in the church. Failing that, your daughter could be married in the garden by a civil official. Then, once they have completed all the requirements for Catholics to marry (i.e., Marriage Preparation Day, the FOCCUS Instrument, the Prenuptial Questionnaire, etc.), she and her husband could have their marriage sanated (“blessed”) by the Catholic Church. Either way, in the end we commend all couples to God who has joined them together in marriage, asking God: “Keep them close to you always. May their love for each other proclaim to all the world their faith in you” (cf. RoM, 1970, p. 83).

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

Reflections Readings Between The Lines Father Glenn LeCompte

Keeping Order in the House, Matthew 18

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The church began with the preaching of the Apostles spurred on by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and those who were baptized. But it did not take long after the Apostles were dead for their successors to learn that if the church was to hold together relationships among members had to be normalized, and everyone needed to understand these governing principles. Among the five major discourses of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel is that which is found in 18:1-35, which biblical scholars have tagged the “Church Order Discourse.” This discourse is a collection of Jesus’ sayings and possibly applications of his teaching to Matthew’s church’s situation. Passages from this discourse will be read on two consecutive Sundays this month. Matthew draws the first section (18:1-5) of his discourse from Mark 9:33-37. The disciples approach Jesus with a question about who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus responds by calling a child to himself and tells the disciples that unless a person “turn” (repent) and become like a child he/she will not enter the kingdom of heaven. I emphasize the “not” here because the Greek text has a double negative, which in Greek strengthens the negative.

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

Matthew eliminates Mark’s detail about the disciples arguing about who was the greatest, perhaps for two reasons: 1) he may be softening the picture of the disciples, because, unlike the disciples in Mark, those in Matthew have a capacity for understanding, and 2) since Matthew has edited this passage into a discourse he presents it as a teaching and learning exercise. However, while Jesus in Mark sets an innocent child in their midst and encourages the disciples to “receive the child,” Matthew’s Jesus stresses that there is a matter of repentance involved here, in that they must become like children, especially with regard to a child’s characteristic humility. Matthew may well have placed this teaching on humility at the beginning of the discourse, because every lesson to follow in the discourse requires a disposition of humility if it is to be heeded. Humility causes people to forget about themselves and think of others, whereas pride turns people inward and away from their concern for others; the latter disposition will shake the unity of the church. The church’s unity is also disrupted by scandal, therefore in 18:6-10 Jesus delivers an exhortation to avoid the scandalization of the most innocent believers, a teaching which is followed by a more general admonition about the dangers of causing scandal. So detrimental is scandal to the church (as well as to the world) that Jesus gives graphic symbolic examples (discarding your hand or eye if it causes you to sin) of how people should take drastic

action to divest themselves of any thing that prompts them to cause scandal (18:8-9). The concept of concern for fellow community members implicit in the exhortation against scandal flows into the next section (18:1214) in a different way. By means of the parable of the Lost Sheep (18:12-13), Jesus imparts the idea that seeking out and saving straying community members is not only worth the effort, but such action is expected of all community members. Why so? Because God wills not to lose even one of his sheep. The theme of God’s particular concern for every individual recalls Jesus’ teaching in his “Mission Discourse” when he asks the disciples that if God cares even for one sparrow which dies, how much more would he care for his human believers, who are worth so much more than many sparrows (10:29-31). Jesus’ parabolic teaching on seeking out the lost is made more concrete in 18:15-20, wherein a detailed process for reconciling with “a brother (or sister) who has sinned against you” is specified. Perhaps amazingly, the offended person is responsible to seek out the offender and initiate the reconciliation process. Here we see the earlier theme of humility applied, because it takes humility for one who has been injured to commence the healing of the relationship. Offended persons who set out to restore broken relationships must first relinquish any hostility they have toward the one who caused the injury. The preferable course of

action is for the two parties to work out the situation between themselves, but sometimes such efforts meet an impasse and require objective intervention. The first effort at such intervention is to involve “one or two” other community members, an admonition which is based upon Deuteronomy 19:15 where the testimony of two or three witnesses is needed to establish a case of malice against someone. If this does not work, the dispute must be adjudicated by the whole community. At this point, if the offender refuses to be reconciled then the community is given the right to excommunicate him. Verses 18-19 have in mind the binding and loosing power granted earlier to Peter (16:19), when Jesus therein declares that such decisions made by the church are binding in heaven as well. This statement portrays Matthew’s vision of the church as God’s instrument upon earth. While this caution is not mentioned in the biblical text, the church must always be cognizant of the fact that decisions which are not in accord with God’s will do

not authentically come under this privilege. The final section of the discourse (18:21-35) follows upon the theme of reconciliation in 18:15-20, when Peter questions Jesus about the extent of forgiveness (seven times? which Peter thinks is a lot). Jesus, using numeric symbolism (either 70 times seven or 77 times), answers that the requirement of forgiveness has no limits. The parable of the Unforgiving Servant stresses the utter necessity of forgiveness. This is made clear by the situation in

the parable, wherein one can easily see the injustice when the servant whose unpayable debt was forgiven by his master refuses to absolve his fellow slave of a much lesser debt owed him. We are expected to put ourselves in the position of the servant who is forgiven a great debt; we have no right not to forgive one who offends us. This discourse provides with norms for relationships among believers, norms which are directed at maintaining the unity of God’s church.

estions Reflection Qu

ing norms to ce between sett n la ba a ke ri d preventing n How do we st community an a in r de or d e an rily restrictive? maintain peac ming unnecessa co be om fr s m y those nor rtue of humilit between the vi ip sh on ti la re g n n What is the ing out a strayi scandal , b) seek g n fender, d) of di oi an av h it a) and liation w ci n co re c) r, embe community m ? rs he ocess forgiving ot conciliation pr re a te ia it in it for you to ? n How easy is u? Why is this has offended yo o h w e n eo m with so

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

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ScriptureReadings and a listing of Feast days and saints

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

1 September

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Jeremiah 20:7-9 Romans 12:1-2 Matthew 16:21-27

Weekday 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Luke 4:16-30

Weekday 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11 Luke 4:31-37

Weekday Colossians 1:1-8 Luke 4:38-44

Weekday Colossians 1:9-14 Luke 5:1-11

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

Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, priest Colossians 1:21-23 Luke 6:1-5

Weekday Colossians 1:24— 2:3 Luke 6:6-11

Weekday Colossians 2:6-15 Luke 6:12-19

Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor of the church Colossians 3:1-11 Luke 6:20-26

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

Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows 1 Timothy 1:1-2, 12-14 John 19:25-27

Memorial of Saints Cornelius, pope, and Cyprian, bishop, martyrs 1 Timothy 1:15-17 Luke 6:43-49

Weekday 1 Timothy 2:1-8 Luke 7:1-10

Weekday Ezra 1:1-6 Luke 8:16-18

Weekday 1 Timothy 3:1-13 Luke 7:11-17

Weekday Ezra 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20 Luke 8:19-21

Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, priest, and Paul Chong Ha-sang, and companions, martyrs 1 Timothy 3:14-16 Luke 7:31-35

Feast of Saint Matthew, apostle and evangelist Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13 Matthew 9:9-13

Weekday 1 Timothy 6:2c-12 Luke 8:1-3

Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, priest 1 Timothy 6:13-16 Luke 8:4-15

Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, priest Ezra 9:5-9 Luke 9:1-6

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

Weekday Haggai 1:1-8 Luke 9:7-9

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

Sunday

Weekday 1 Thessalonians 4:9-11 Matthew 25:14-30

Saturday

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

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Sirach 27:30—28:7 Romans 14:7-9 Matthew 18:21-35

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

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Guest Columnist Father Gregory Fratt

Gregorian Chant Conference is an uplifting experience for pastor and music ministers

The week of June 27-30th, I arranged to take with me three music ministers from Sacred Heart Church parish in Cut Off, to attend the Gregorian Chant Conference held at the Wethersfield Institute in Upstate New York at the Wethersfield Estate and Gardens in Amenia, NY. We were all given full paid scholarships to attend. This four day workshop included instruction in singing, teaching and directing Gregorian chant. Each day, sung Masses and liturgical offices were celebrated in the house chapel. The classes were taught by two Dominican Friars, Father Vincent Ferrer Bagan, O.P., and Father Innocent Smith, O.P., who is in the process of completing a master’s degree in sacred music at the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He has extensive experience in choral conducting and vocal pedagogy. Father Innocent received a license in sacred theology focusing on the liturgical theology of St. Thomas Aquinas and has been engaged in the production of chant and liturgical books for the Order of Preachers for the past nine years.

Linda Lafont and Kimberly Plaisance, parishioners of Sacred Heart Church parish in Cut Off, play the piano in the living room of the Wethersfield Estate and Gardens in Amenia, NY, while attending a Gregorian Chant Conference there.

Father Vincent Ferrer has recently been assigned to Providence College in Providence, RI, where he will teach music and theology courses beginning in the fall of 2017. Both priests have helped to develop new music programs for parishes that include the use of chant.

‘

It was like we were among angels in heaven.

When I realized how qualified these two priests were, I knew immediately this would be an exceptional opportunity to learn more about chant and the important role chant has in our liturgies. I really wanted to expose

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

some of our music ministers to the importance and beauty of chant and to understand the difference between praise and worship music, devotional music and sacred music. I attended the chant conference with Gene Toups, Linda Lafont and Kimberly Plaisance from Sacred Heart. The goal of the workshop and our goal by attending was to bring the use of chant back into the parish. Gene Toups said, “Although I have been a music minister, cantor, song leader and choir director for about 28 years, I have never had an opportunity like this to grow further in my music education. It was like taking an advanced graduate level music course in four full quick days. When we sang the chant melodies which were so beautiful, it was like we were among angels in heaven.” Gregorian chant is the chant proper to the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church and has a

long tradition, but sadly it is not heard that often, especially in our parishes. This musical repertoire, which has been bequeathed to us and is what the Second Vatican Council calls “a treasure of inestimable value,” is mainly composed from biblical verses. Gregorian chant has a complex history and its origins and initial developments are largely unknown. Although the elaboration of Gregorian chant was heavily influenced by Jewish and

Greek musical culture – especially for its modality – it is first and foremost a Latin chant. Years ago I remember when a Gregorian chant CD hit the top of the music charts and I experienced chant when I was in the monastery at St. Joseph Abbey. When you are exposed to chant you just can’t help but appreciate the beauty of plainchant melodies. Because of the importance of chant in our tradition and the beauty of chant when used in the sacred liturgy, I have been wanting for some time now to be able to do what I could to bring the use of chant back into our music repertoire. “Getting the opportunity to be a part of the Gregorian chant workshop was simply an honor. It was amazing to be surrounded by complete strangers who all share in the same passion for music in the church; people coming from different parishes and religious communities across the country with a common goal. We all learned so much about this form of music, which is rooted so deep in Scripture and shared an experience that cannot be forgotten,” is how Kimberly Plaisance described it. The documents of the church on sacred music from the Second Vatican Council (Sacrosanctum concilium Dec. 4, 1963; as well as Musicam sacram March 5, 1967) both emphasize how “Gregorian chant, as proper to the Roman liturgy, should be given pride of place, other things being equal. Its melodies, contained in the ‘typical’ editions, should be used, to the extent that this is possible. Pastors of souls, having taken into consideration pastoral usefulness and the character of

their own language, should see whether parts of the heritage of sacred music, written in previous centuries for Latin texts, could also be conveniently used, not only in liturgical celebrations in Latin but also in those performed in the vernacular. Above all, the study and practice of Gregorian chant is to be promoted, because, with its special characteristics, it is a basis of great importance for the development of sacred music.” Re-reading the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum concilium) I was again struck with Chapter VI:116 that states, “The church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.” I have for a long time been chanting the Parce Domine during Lent as well as singing the Agnus Dei a capella and people love that and respond to that. It is my hope that parish music ministers will find a place for chant in the liturgies since the document states that it “should be given pride of place in 19 liturgical services.” We are taking “baby steps” in bringing some chant back into our liturgies but I am excited about the possibilities. Linda Lafont commented that “the Gregorian chant workshop was an experience that enhanced my appreciation of chant, the Latin Mass, and its deep spirituality. Working with like-minded people who want to bring the use of chant back into the parish liturgies was a true blessing.” (Father Gregory Fratt is the pastor of Sacred Heart Church parish in Cut Off.)

1-MILE FUN RUN • 5K RUN • FOOD • MUSIC

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‘Do not be afraid! ’

Guest Columnist

I 20

Very Rev. Jay L. Baker

I don’t know about you, but … the older I get, the more things I seem to forget! And I’m not just talking about the message my secretary gave me on Thursday – although I have searched high and low, looked in my office, in my car, and in the rectory – all to no avail. It seems that each month I’m hard pressed to dig out all of the receipts for my business expenses. And I’m still haunted (going on almost two years now) by a little ceramic statue of a saint that I “put in a safe place” … so safe in fact, that I just can’t remember where it is! Shucks, sometimes I get up from my desk quickly, walk over to the sacristy in church briskly, turn on the lights and – for the life of me – I can’t imagine why I’m there. I’ve heard of them referred to as “senior” moments. Truth is they are really more like “daily” moments for me! Be all that as it may, I can still put my hands on this envelope! It was typed … on a typewriter! Twelve point pica as if there was really much of a choice back then. It is postmarked Sept. 14, 1995 – going on 22 years now – the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross. Bishop Jarrell had already moved me into my second assignment. Inside the envelope is a letter to me from Bishop Boudreaux, who had ordained me three years and three months prior to that. He had dictated it to Yvonne. It is only five short sentences. Bishop was thanking me for the note I had written to him in August … of which, to tell you the truth, I have no recollection! Suffice it to say, the last and most important sentence reads simply: “The church may call upon you for other things in the future: do not be afraid.”

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

During a special Mass marking his 25th anniversary to the priesthood, Very Rev. Jay L. Baker, rector of St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, holds up an envelope postmarked Sept. 14, 1995, from the late Bishop Warren L. Boudreaux, which ended with “the church may call upon you for other things in the future: do not be afraid.”

I have moved to five different assignments since receiving this letter – even once out of the country to Ottawa for two years – and, in spite of myself, I can still put my hands on this letter! “Do not be afraid.” Just recently, I asked my fellow pilgrims at a Mass in the Chapel of St. Jerome in the Church of St. Catherine in Bethlehem: “Have you ever stopped to think about how frequently that phrase is repeated throughout Sacred Scripture?” The Lord first said it to Abraham, asking him – after his 75th birthday – to leave the land that he loved, to leave Ur of the Chaldeas in Mesopotamia, to leave his father’s house and settle into a new life in whatever land that the Lord would chose for him. The Angel Gabriel first used it to calm the prophet Daniel after a terrifying vision he had frightened him. Gabriel then ran the phrase by Zechariah – the future father of the Baptist – when he thought that his own aged flesh might stop God’s plan.

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

And famously, of course, Gabriel said it to Mary who was deeply troubled at being favored by God. Another angel said it nine months later to shepherds keeping the night watch who were startled by the Christmas glory that shone full round them! Thirty years after that, Jesus said it to Peter who was startled by an amazing catch of fish: “Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching men.” Jesus said it when his disciples feared they were seeing a ghost walking toward them on the waters: “Don’t be afraid. It is I.” Jesus said it to Peter, James and John who were face-down, lying flat on the ground when they heard the voice from heaven say: “This is my beloved son, listen to him” on the mount of transfiguration: “Do not be afraid.” An angel who had rolled back the stone from Jesus’ tomb said it to a frightened Mary of Magdala and the other Mary on that first Easter morning. An angel reassured Joseph in a dream: “Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife.”

Remember, Joseph had every reason to be afraid: his betrothed Mary was with child … but the child was not for him. And if he exposed her to the law she would not just be shamed, she would be subjected to the terrible ordeal delineated in the Book of Numbers – a death by stoning. So if, therefore, it’s true that at times like Joseph and his wife Mary – and like Abraham, Daniel, Zechariah, the shepherds, Peter, James, John, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary – we all have good reasons for fear; and if fear is a perfectly normal, natural, instinctive response to danger, to threat; how are we to understand the Lord’s words from his own lips or from the lips of his messengers: “Do not be afraid?” To begin with, such is not an admonition as if fear where somehow non-Christian or even faithless. Rather, these are words of divine encouragement that move us through and beyond any fear that would stop us in our tracks from doing what God asks of us. So looking back and then going forth from that letter in September of 1995 … when Bishop Jarrell appointed me to be vocation director: “Do not be afraid!” Or a few months later, when he appointed me to Our Lady of the Rosary in Larose: “Do not be afraid!” And when Father Dean (Danos) asked me to drive one of the three van-loads of missionaries for the 21–hour ride into Saltillo, Mexico. “Do not be afraid!” Then when the federales at the border in Nuevo Laredo took me in the back room to “shake me down” for a bribe. “Do not be afraid!” Of course, Sister Claire (Rodrigue, C.I.C.) was sitting right beside me and this wasn’t her first rodeo! Her arms were firmly planted across her chest – to translate into any language – “I’m not giving you a dime!” I’ll confess, I wasn’t afraid because she wasn’t afraid! And when Bishop Jarrell gave me my first pastorate at St. Thomas Aquinas on Nicholls State University campus in Thibodaux: “Do not be afraid!” Or when, 10 months later, he told me he was sending me to the coldest capital city in the Western Hemisphere to study Canon Law: “Do not be afraid!” Then when Bishop Jarrell

assigned me to my next pastorate following graduation – sending me to Holy Cross with a school and a high school and no associate … no worries – I was young, not yet 40! “Do not be afraid!” When Msgr. Songy asked me to serve him as assistant to the apostolic administrator: “Do not be afraid!” When Bishop Jacobs told me on Dec. 8, 2003, that I was going to Houma as the rector of the Cathedral: “Do not be afraid!” When I went into the priest personnel meeting in March 2004 and saw my name, printed out in black and white as “rector: St. Joseph Co-Cathedral”: “Do not be afraid!” When Bishop Fabre appointed me first as his vicar general and then as chancellor: “Do not be afraid!” But over and above all of that, I think of all the many ways those words have been spoken to me over the course of these past 25 years by the people in the pew. In my mind’s eye, I see their faces and I remember baptisms and funerals, weddings and first Communions. I remember discovering shrines and holy places with you in Rome and in the Holy Land. I remember Friday night football games, 6:30 a.m. morning Masses, and Tuesday in the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time. Like me, all of you have faced difficulties and overcome challenges. You have embraced opportunities and lost chances. Perhaps you stood before me in a church sanctuary as bride and groom. Holding your right hands and looking deeply into one another’s eyes, you pledged your lives to each other … perhaps, all the while wondering in your hearts what would become of your lives together. You may have had cold feet or at least butterflies in your stomach – both feelings were appropriate at that time … because you were about to do something very, very brave. And in your promise to each other, you gave me the courage not to be afraid. Maybe you stood next to me as a young couple bringing your child to be bathed in the waters of baptism. And maybe as I processed to the altar with your bundle of joy in my arms, you wondered if you (individually or as a couple) had all that you needed to raise this child

– and not just in terms of food and shelter and education – but with enough love and hope and promise and joy … to be strong, yet flexible … determined, yet easy-going … and when I handed your baby back to you after welcoming him or her into the family, your willingness to jump head-long into the unknown gave me the determination not to be afraid … because you were about to do something very, very brave. And when you brought that same child back to church for confirmation or graduation – wondering, perhaps, how well you had succeeded in giving your daughter or your son roots deep enough to be a truly good and decent and caring human being – wondering if you had raised them independent enough to take wing and leave the safety and security of your nest and discover a path for themselves in the world – the hesitancy that you felt and the joy, the doubt and the hope that you felt, challenged me to trust the wisdom of God enough not to be afraid because you and they were about to do something very, very brave. On the morning you came here, 21 not at your own choosing but because the vagaries of life had rendered you yourself a new-found widow or widower … or perhaps it was for the funeral of your parent or your child, your sibling or your friend … your strength to leave here and to go back home … and walk back into that empty tomb where once you had shared life and love with your dearly departed … your faith at that moment to walk forward in the belief of the Resurrection – both for your loved one on the other side of life in eternity and for you and your loved ones on this side of death’s door – emboldened me to trust and to believe. You were doing something very, very brave … and your faith made me strong. Perhaps, in God’s gracious plan of salvation, our paths have crossed somewhere or another along the way … and, together, we have shared an experience of God. My 25th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood of Jesus Christ gives me pause to reverence where we come from, where we are going, and most importantly, who we became for each other along the way. www.bayoucatholic.com

Elaine Clement

Elaine Cooks:

MAW-TEE’S CASSEROLE Story and Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

This month’s heavenly recipe, pork chop and rice casserole, comes from Elaine Clement, a native of Raceland and resident of Chackbay for the past 55 years. The recipe was handed down from her mother Theresa Robichaux Sampey, know affectionately as Maw-Tee, who she says was a fantastic cook. “I am one of six children. We were two girls and four boys. My sister and I learned how to cook by watching my mom. We would watch her and ask questions about how she would cook. When I got married I would call her often asking about seasonings and her cooking techniques,” says Elaine. Elaine’s favorite thing to cook is seafood okra gumbo. She married her husband Roland and worked outside the home for a few years at the old Citizens Bank in Chackbay. The couple, thinking they couldn’t conceive a child, had their daughter Dana, after many years of marriage. After Dana was born she didn’t return to work and became a full-time mother. Elaine says that her mother was instrumental in her Catholic faith formation. “My mom was the one to make sure we went to church on Sundays. We also went to novenas, the Way of the Cross and other devotions.” She is active in her church parish, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, attends Mass daily and helps at the rectory when she can. She belongs to the Ladies Altar Society, was a CCD teacher years ago and was involved with planning the annual May Crowning in the parish. Elaine says she finds joy in cooking when she cooks for others rather than for herself. “One thing I got from my mom is cooking and giving the food to others. Cooking is a joy when I can give the food away,” she says. The Clements have been happily married for 55 years. When asked what’s the recipe for a successful, happy marriage Elaine says, “there are four important “C’s” in a marriage: caring, communication, commitment and Christ. Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

Pork Chop

and Rice Casserole INGREDIENTS: 6 pork chops 2 diced onions 1/4 cup diced celery 1/2 green pepper, diced 2 tbsp. chopped parsley 2 cans beef broth 1 can condensed tomato soup 2 cups uncooked rice Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS: Season chops well on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown chops in a skillet using a very small amount of oil. Remove chops and place in bottom of 9x13 casserole dish. Drain skillet leaving 1 tbsp. oil. Add onions, browning lightly. Add soup, celery, green pepper, parsley and uncooked rice. Add a little more salt and pepper, if desired. Mix well. Pour over browned chops in casserole dish and cover. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until meat and rice are tender.

The most important is Christ. He helps us carry out the other three things. If you don’t keep Christ in your life your marriage won’t succeed. He is the basis of life.” Reflecting on their many years together she says, “In life we have ups and downs. Christ has gotten us through life together, through illnesses and sorrow. As years go by you get closer to him and you become more thankful and grateful for all that God gives you.”

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Diocesan Events

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September

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

October

n Holy Hour of Adoration for Men, Sunday, Oct. 1, 7-8 p.m., Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. n Food for the Journey, Tuesday, Oct. 3, Ellendale Country Club Restaurant, 3319 Highway 311 in Houma, 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Speaker, Rev. John David Matherne. n “Foi de nos Pères” eucharistic procession Saturday, Oct. 7, 8 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. Begins with Mass at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church in Golden Meadow, followed by a boat procession to Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Larose with stops at other Catholic churches along the way, a vehicle procession to Thibodaux, ending with a procession on foot to St. Joseph Co-Cathedral. n The annual diocesan Red Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, Oct. 10, at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma, at 11:30

November

n Holy Hour of Adoration for Men, Sunday, Nov. 5, 7-8 p.m., Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. n Food for the Journey, Tuesday, Nov. 7, Ellendale Country Club Restaurant, 3319 Highway 311 in Houma, 10:45 a.m.-

Club Restaurant, 3319 Highway 311 in Houma, 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Speaker, Rev. Brice Higginbotham. n The annual diocesan Blue Mass will be celebrated Thursday, Sept. 7, at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma, 11 a.m., by Bishop Shelton J. Fabre.

a.m., by Bishop Shelton J. Fabre. n Diocesan wedding anniversary prayer service and celebration, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2 p.m., Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma, for couples celebrating 25, 40, 50, 60 and beyond years of marriage this year. A reception will follow in the courtyard. n World Mission Sunday, Oct. 22, joins all Catholics of the world into one community of faith providing an opportunity to support the life-giving presence of the church among the poor and marginalized in more than 1,111 mission dioceses. Please be generous. n St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church in Thibodaux will host its Annual Fall Banquet Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. in the church community center. This year’s theme is taken from Ephesians 4:11-16, “God’s Design for Growth.”

12:45 p.m. Speaker, TBA. n TEC 79 Retreat, begins Nov. 10 at 5 p.m. until Nov. 12 at 4:30 p.m., at Lumen Christi Retreat Center’s Souby Building in Schriever.

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Book Reviews

Into the Water Reading with Raymond Raymond Saadi

By Paula Hawkins Riverhead Books $28 The river that runs through the little village of Beckford has a fearsome spot called a “Drowning Pool,” which has claimed many lives, all of them women. The latest victims: a teenage girl, and now, a single mother of a 15 year old girl, angry and convinced her mother committed suicide. Worse, the girl fears her aunt, her mother’s sister, coming to care for her. Several characters narrate the complicated affairs, each from a different perspective.

How the Light Gets In By Brian Doyle Orbis Books $16

The Fact of a Body By Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich Flatiron Books $26.99 In this stark and startling memoir and chronicle of a murder, the author unabashedly reveals the terrible secret of being abused by her grandfather and the terrifying details of the murder of a six-year old boy in Southwest Louisiana by an acknowledged pedophile. It’s not a mystery since we meet the killer early on and when at trial he faces the death penalty, the murdered child’s mother in an act of mercy, not forgiveness, astonishingly asks his life be spared. Not the easiest read but virtually impossible to put down.

“Stories are prayers.” That’s how Brian Doyle describes his poems (he calls them proems); brief stories that with his vivid insights change routine events into illuminating and inspiring reflections: a father teaching his son how to tie a necktie; and, a “poem for your wife after years of marriage.” Doyle, a prolific Catholic writer, died this past May but fortunately, left us a treasury of his 25 superb stories.

Murder Games

By James Patterson & Howard Roughan Little, Brown $28 With every murder, a serial killer announces his next victim by placing a playing card on the victim’s body. Puzzled, Detective Elizabeth Needham enlists the aid of Dr. Dylan Reinhart, an expert on serial killers. They fail to halt the killer before he strikes again and soon realize they’re up against a deviously clever culprit. These two new characters enliven this Patterson mystery and will, I’m sure, certainly reappear.

Y is for Yesterday By Sue Grafton Penguin Random House $29 Kinsey Millhone, our favorite alphabetical sleuth, goes back to 1979 when four private school teenagers film their sexual attack on a 14-year-old classmate. The film goes missing for years until one boy’s family receives a blackmail demand for the film. Rather than paying, they hire Kinsey to investigate, something she will later regret. Meantime, Kinsey is once again threatened by her arch nemesis, who nearly killed her in “X”, the previous novel. www.bayoucatholic.com

St . Andrew

Bayou Patrons

‘All to Christ’ Story by Janet Marcel Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

Continuing our Bayou Patrons series, this month’s featured saint is Andrew, also known as Andrew the Apostle, who was the older brother to St. Peter. According to the New Testament, Andrew was 26 born in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee during the early first century. Like his younger brother, Simon Peter, Andrew was also a fisherman. The Gospel of Matthew states that one day Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee when he saw Andrew and Peter fishing and he asked the two to become disciples and “fishers of men.” In the Gospel of Luke, Andrew is not initially named. It describes Jesus using a boat, believed to be solely Peter’s, to preach to the multitudes and catch a large amount of fish on a night that originally was dry. Later, in Luke 5:7, it mentions Peter was not the only fisherman on the boat, but it is not until Luke 6:14 that there is talk of Andrew being Peter’s brother. However, the Gospel of John tells a separate story, stating Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. When Jesus walked by one day, John the Baptist stated, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” It is then that Andrew and another made the decision to follow Jesus. Little else is said about Andrew in the Gospels, but it is believed Andrew was one of the closer disciples to Jesus. According to John 6:8, it was he who told Jesus about the boy with the loaves and fishes. Andrew was also present at the last supper and went on to preach the Good News around the shores of the Black Sea and throughout what is now Greece and Turkey. Andrew was martyred by crucifixion in Patras. However, he was bound, rather than nailed, to a cross, as is described in the Acts of Andrew. He was crucified on a cross form known as “crux decussata,” which is an X-shaped cross or a “saltire,” which today Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

is commonly referred to as “St. Andrew’s Cross.” It is believed Andrew requested to be crucified this way, because he deemed himself “unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross as Jesus.” Andrew’s remains were originally preserved at Patras. However, some believe St. Regulus, who was a monk at Patras, received a vision telling him to hide some of Andrew’s bones. Shortly after Regulus’ dream, many of Andrew’s relics were transferred to Constantinople by order of Roman emperor Constantius II. Regulus later received orders in a second dream telling him to take the bones “to the ends of the earth” where he was instructed to build a shrine for them wherever he shipwrecked. He landed on the coat of Fife, Scotland. In September 1964, Pope Paul VI had all of St. Andrew’s relics that ended up in Vatican City sent back to Patras. Now, many of Andrew’s relics and the cross on which he was martyred are kept in the Church of St. Andrew in Patras (catholic.org/saints).

Father Duc Bui, pastor of St. Andrew Church parish in Amelia since July 2017, says that ever since his priestly ordination in 2004, St. Andrew has always been one of his favorite apostles and saints. “St. Andrew is a perfect example and model for a priest, an apostle of Christ, because he directed everybody who came to him toward our Lord Jesus. We can see it when he took his brother, St. Peter, and the Greeks to Jesus. As a priest, I want to learn from him this beautiful attitude of bringing all to Jesus because I am a priest of Christ.” Although there is no written history to the fact, many parishioners believe the parish was named after St. Andrew because of the many years of service and dedication provided to the parish by Father Andrew Souby. As pastor of Sacred Heart Church parish in Morgan City for 40 years, Father Souby also served the mission in Amelia. He would travel from Morgan City to Amelia each week to celebrate the 7:30 a.m. Sunday Mass and minister to the people there. St. Andrew’s saltire cross is featured on the flag of Scotland and is represented in much of his iconography. He is commonly portrayed in art as an old man with long white hair and a beard, often holding the Gospel book or a scroll. St. Andrew is the patron saint of fishermen and singers. He is also the patron saint to several countries and cities including Scotland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Patras. His feast day is November 30. “Now that I am in this beautiful and warm parish, my devotion to St. Anthony is becoming more real. St. Andrew was always an apostle who took others to Christ, no matter how big or small the situation was. As pastor of a parish named after this saint, I will do my best to imitate his attitude: all to Christ,” says Father Bui.

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Is my parish a Community of Salt and Light?

Guest Columnist Robert D. Gorman

‘T 28

“The parish is where the church lives. Parishes are communities of faith, of action, and of hope. They are where the Gospel is proclaimed and celebrated, where believers are formed and sent to renew the Earth. Parishes are the home of the Christian community; they are the heart of our church. Parishes are the place where God’s people meet Jesus in word and sacrament and come in touch with the source of the church’s life. Parishes serve as anchors of hope and communities of caring, helping families meet their own needs and reach out to others, and serve as centers of community life and networks of assistance … Across our country, parishioners offer their time, their money, and their leadership to a wide variety of efforts to meet needs and change structures. “Parishes are deeply involved in meeting their members’ needs, serving the hungry and homeless, welcoming the stranger and immigrant, reaching out to troubled families, advocating for just public policies, organizing for safer and better communities, and working creatively for a more peaceful world. Our communities and ministries have been greatly enriched and nourished by the faith and wisdom of parishioners who experience injustice and all those who work for greater justice.” With these reflections on the heart of our church, the U.S. Catholic Bishops released their pastoral statement, Communities of Salt and Light: Reflections on the Social Mission of the Parish, in 1994 and it has been reissued every few years since. Ask yourself: “Is my parish a Community of Salt and Light?

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux As a parishioner, am I salt of the Earth and a light for the world as Jesus calls me to be - in other words, a missionary disciple?” In this issue of Bayou Catholic, we ask the question: “Am I walking the walk or just talking the talk?” about what it means to be a missionary disciple in the fullest sense – which must include social ministry outreach. Pope Francis constantly challenges us to live Jesus’ call to “walk the walk.” He recalls the Gospel story where Jesus has just left Jericho. Even though he has only begun his most important journey, which will take him to Jerusalem, he still stops to respond to Bartimaeus’ cry. Jesus is moved by his request and becomes involved in his situation. He is not content to offer him alms, but rather wants to personally encounter him. He does not give him any instruction or response, but asks him: “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51). However, Pope Francis warns of temptations for those who follow Jesus: The Gospel shows at least two of them. None of the disciples stopped, as Jesus did. They continued to walk, going on as if nothing were happening. If Bartimaeus was blind, they were

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

deaf: his problem was not their problem. This can be a danger for us: in the face of constant problems, it is better to move on, instead of letting ourselves be bothered. A faith that does not know how to root itself in the life of people remains arid and, rather than oases, creates other deserts. A second temptation is falling into a “scheduled faith.” We are able to walk with the People of God, but we already have our schedule for the journey, where everything is listed: we know where to go and how long it will take; everyone must respect our rhythm and every problem is a bother. We run the risk of becoming the “many” of the Gospel who lose patience and rebuke Bartimaeus. Just a short time before, they scolded the children (cf. 10:13), and now the blind beggar: whoever bothers us or is not of our stature is excluded. Jesus, on the other hand, wants to include, above all those kept on the fringes who are crying out to him. I don’t know about you, but I fall into these two temptations regularly. Social ministry outreach is hard. Some people who ask for our help can be demanding, ungrateful, dishonest or, you know, a bother! On the other hand, we have the opportunity to make

a difference in someone’s life. We can be the caring voice that brings a person back from the brink of despair. We can be the mentor who tells a child that we are proud of him or her - and they carry that with them for the rest of their lives. We can be the Good Samaritan who not only gives a family food or utility assistance, but who does it in a way that honors the dignity of those asking for our church’s help. We can become a leader in a community organization working to realize the Kingdom of God for us here on earth. These are the kinds of encounters we have the opportunity to create in our everyday Christianity if we can only open our eyes and hearts to the needs of the people around us. This is what missionary discipleship includes. And as Catholics, we have the opportunity to do this not only in our everyday lives at work, at home and in our community, but also in and through our church parishes. Pope Francis calls us to the journey of missionary discipleship, encountering our neighbors and

strangers along the way: “ … never allowing ourselves to be tarnished by pessimism or sin, let us seek and look upon the glory of God, which shines forth in men and women

who are fully alive.” (Robert D. Gorman is the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux.)

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux 1220 Aycock St. ~ Houma, LA 70360 Assisi Bridge House: 872-5529 ~ Catholic Community Center: 632-6859 St. Lucy Child Development Center: 876-1246 876-0490: A Catholic Voice for Justice ~ Adoptions & Maternity Assistance Catholic Campaign for Human Development ~ Catholic Housing Services Catholic Relief Services ~ Coastal Entrepreneurs Net to Success Foster Grandparent Program ~ Good Samaritan Food Banks Individual & Family Assistance ~ Matthew 25 Disaster Services Parish Social Ministry ~ Project Self Help ~ Bridging the Bayous Timebank Please call Catholic Charities for assistance in setting up your parish outreach social ministries or to learn more about how your parish can take advantage of the programs offered by Catholic Charities.

Phone (985) 876-0490 ~ Fax (985) 876-7751 www.htdiocese.org/catholic-charities rgorman@htdiocese.org www.bayoucatholic.com

Parish Social Ministry Outreach questions: Are we walking the walk or just talking the talk? Anchoring Social Ministry: Prayer and Worship 1. During the liturgy, in what ways is the Gospel’s call to build peace, work for justice, and care for the poor regularly reflected in the general intercessions, in homilies, in our celebrations of special feast days and holidays, and at other appropriate times? 2. How do our sacramental celebrations help us renew our commitment to reconciliation throughout our lives and rededicate ourselves to Jesus’ message of love and justice, especially for those in need? 3. In what ways are our social ministry efforts clearly rooted in Scripture and spirituality, and connected to liturgy and prayer? 30

Sharing the Message: Preaching and Education 1. How effectively does preaching at our parish reflect the social dimensions of our faith? 2. In what ways is our rich heritage of Catholic social teaching integrated into our school curriculum? • Our religious education program? • Our sacramental preparation program? • Our Christian initiation ministry? • Our ongoing religious formation and enrichment for adults? Supporting the “Salt of the Earth”: Family, Work, Citizenship 1. Sustaining Christian marriage and shaping family life around Gospel values can be difficult in our culture. What concrete and practical support does our parish offer? 2. An important opportunity for living our faith is through our work, in everyday decisions and actions, in the way we treat coworkers and customers. How does our parish support our members in practicing Christian values in the workplace? Serving the “Least of These”: Outreach and Charity • In what ways is our parish serving those in need and how do parishioners become aware of these opportunities for service and action? Advocating for Justice: Legislative Action 1. How does our parish help parishioners become better informed on public policy issues that impact the poor and vulnerable? 2. What opportunities does our parish provide for parishioners to speak and act effectively in the public arena on behalf of the poor and vulnerable, to bring our values to debates about local, national and international policies and priorities? Creating Community: Organizing for Justice 1. What community organizations exist in our local community or diocese? 2. How is our parish participating in or supporting local, state or national community organizations working for justice? Building Solidarity: Beyond Parish Boundaries 1. In what ways does our parish provide to our members information about the needs of our brothers and sisters, especially the poor and vulnerable, in other lands? 2. What opportunities does our parish offer us to act in solidarity on international issues? Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

Parish Social Ministry Outreach ideas: ways you can get involved! Anchoring Social Ministry: Prayer and Worship • Universal Prayers include current social justice issues in addition to charity concerns • Participate in ecumenical prayer services, e.g. the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity • Catholic Campaign for Human Development and Catholic Relief Services justice prayers available to parishioners • Parish emphasizes a ministry of hospitality every weekend at Mass Sharing the Message: Preaching and Education • Explicit references to Catholic social teaching in homilies • Hunger banquets and other social ministry awareness events are held • Parish holds a Catholic social teaching presentation during the year (around Feast of St. Francis, Advent, Lent, Earth Day, etc • Parish distributes CRS Rice Bowl Supporting the “Salt of the Earth”: Family, Work, Citizenship • Parenting classes, family date night, Pro-Life events • Lenten gumbos or other meals to raise money for local/parish food bank, thrift store, St. Vincent de Paul or other charity and food/clothing drives • Join Catholic Charities’ Bridging the Bayous TimeBank Serving the “Least of These”: Outreach and Charity • Start or expand individual and family assistance ministry for families in crisis • Handy helpers, Heaven’s Handymen, home repairs ministry • Matthew 25 Disaster Preparedness and Response Ministry • Prison ministry volunteers • Outreach to homebound/hospitalized/nursing homes Advocating for Justice: Legislative Action • A Catholic Voice for Justice legislative network • Offering of letters or postcard campaign on justice or life issues • Right to life group & participate in annual March for Life in Baton Rouge or Washington, D.C. Creating Community: Organizing for Justice • Join Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organizing (BISCO) • Parish Social Ministry Committee • Bread or Stones Campaign Covenant Congregation for child well-being • Sign up for Catholic Climate Covenant St. Francis Pledge to Protect Creation and the Poor • Way of the Cross for Social Justice Building Solidarity: Beyond Parish Boundaries • Participate in CRS Rice Bowl and host CRS Ethical Trade Craft sale • Multicultural Mass • Parish twins with overseas community • Active mission outreach and mission trips www.bayoucatholic.com

The Millennial Generation

Guest Columnist David Breerwood

T 32

Today’s technology brings with it an alarming level of access to information. This, in turn, means instantaneous, broad dissemination of that information across a very broad base. In the ever-growing field of demography, this fosters an environment for research and analysis like never before. And so, naturally, millennials have easily become the most scrutinized generation to date. Everything from our work preferences to our family lives are broken down and reduced to a chart or statistic, with everyone having an opinion as to “why” we are the way that we are (i.e. millennials are lazy, millennials are creative, millennials take initiative, and so forth). Thus, in an age of declining numbers of practicing people of faith in our country and in the world abroad, the church must now do its own research into why my generation is saying “no” to the inherently good message of Christ’s established church. According to a study conducted by the Barna Group in 2014 regarding American millennials, 59 percent of millennials who were initially raised in a church have since stopped attending or practicing altogether, with over 50 percent of millennials having not attended any type of church function in the past six months. Further, these statistics say nothing about millennials and our elder Americans who attend church, but are not engaged or properly educated on what they actually believe or claim to believe. Many can talk, but few will walk. Why are millennials leaving the church at such an alarming rate? What is happening

Walking the Walk to the largest generation in the American workforce to date? What can parishes do to reverse this trend at the grassroots level? There are many answers to these questions, none of which begin with “because they just don’t get it.” Millennials are widely considered the most educated and informed generation as a whole, mainly due to our technological lifestyles. Though we may lack the life experience and wisdom of elder generations up to this point, my fellow millennials who take their faith seriously are often very well-researched and well-formed in their faith, and are always searching to dig deeper. The problem is that these types are few and far between. There are so

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

many voices all around us every day that tell so many different stories. And when things like poverty, unemployment, and the income gap only seem to increase globally, we are stuck listening to heated debates on red-button issues instead of tangible calls to social action and real instructions on how to fulfill them. Many millennials have lost interest in anything faith-based, and almost as many have gone so far as to completely reject and turn against faith and religion. Many see all of the beauty of the churches, but do not feel like Christ’s two greatest commandments are being kept at the forefront. Many even view the church as

materialistic and oppressive, while some simply do not know what to think. Whether or not perception does justice to reality, this is the feedback our younger generation has of our beautiful faith. The reasons are far too numerous to all be examined in a short article here, and I do not have the data to answer every question anyway. What I will do instead is share some thoughts, in the light of social outreach, to pair with the other articles appearing in this September issue during Parish Social Ministry Outreach Month. The focus will be on what the church can do now and moving forward to better serve a generation that is hungry and searching, but often feels ignored when it comes to church initiatives. Some of these thoughts are my own, and some were given to me by other local millennials who were asked to give their thoughts on the matters at hand. Actions, Not Words Contrary to common belief, millennials are not looking for flash, atmosphere or energy. Sure, these things should always be properly tailored to the audience at hand. But, our cries for more are usually met by those who hear us with changes to the presentation in liturgy or increases in social functions. Again, though these are great for fostering a community (we’ll touch on that in a bit), they do not fill the “holes in our souls” in the way that we are so desperately trying to. Millennials have done our research, we know the church’s history (or versions of it), and we want to renew our oldest priorities of fostering a relationship with Christ and ministering to those around us who are in need. We must always ensure that the point of everything we do is based in love. Any actions taken or programs created must be done for the purpose of greater participation in Christ’s Gospel message, with service, sacrifice and sustainability all kept mindfully as priorities. We are called to lead others through service, as Christ exemplified here on Earth. We are called to sacrifice for others, putting their needs on the same level as ours. Again, this is only following the example of our Lord. Finally, as good stewards of any resources offered to us by others, we must ensure that any efforts are sustainable so as to not create even more burdens for others down the road. Younger Catholics will be engaged once these things are present. Our access to information makes millennials hopeful in general, but skeptical in specific situations. We want to dream big and accomplish great things, but we have also seen many other generations, and we are careful not to repeat the same mistakes. This means that any initiatives have to stay true to the aforementioned values. In addition, these initiatives have to be consistently communicated again and again through the channels available to us, which we will discuss more. Personal, Not Private Scripture is filled with examples of the importance of community (Psalm 133:1, Romans 12:4-5, Matthew 18:20). And in this day and age, communication is as easy as a push of a button (or touchscreen). Yet, most parishes’ picture of community is donuts after Mass or a large potluck. These are great ideas in themselves, but alone, do not create an actual, healthy family in Christ. Our faith is meant to be communal, communicated in

a community which lives in communion with our God. Our faith is not a private matter! And though it must be communicated in the correct tone, context, style, etc., it must still be effectively communicated in order to spread the Good News to others. Millennials are used to being connected, and social ministry should be no different. Any initiatives created must be effectively communicated through the media at hand. And yet, most parishes view their website, social media presence, and utilization of technology as an afterthought, or worse, a luxury. These are necessities in this day and age! As one of my colleagues put it, “Most first-time explorations of church parishes no longer takes place in person, but through one’s online footprint.” By ignoring the channels we use to spread the Word, we are not putting forth the necessary effort to reach our audiences, and thus, not optimizing the resources which we have been given. To conclude, many of these things have already been said by many others and in many different ways. These points are not meant to admonish anyone, but instead to foster discussion about how we can further engage Catholics, young and old, into a deeper relationship with our Lord. When it comes to social ministry, young people want to “walk the walk,” instead of just “talking the talk.” If we are going to bring an entire generation back into the fold, it’s time to start walking. (David Breerwood is a member of the Social Outreach Commission of the diocesan Strategic Plan and the Catholic Charities Board of Directors.)

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux 1220 Aycock St. ~ Houma, LA 70360

Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Position Available The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux is currently seeking a full-time

AssociATe DirecTor for PArisH sociAl MinisTry

in the Office of Catholic Charities to coordinate and support parish social ministry. The Associate Director will: • Teach the social justice message of Scripture and Catholic social teaching • Coordinate legislative advocacy • Direct the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and Catholic Relief Services • Serve as liaison with community organizations • Oversee the Matthew 25 parish based disaster preparedness and response ministry • Promote Catholic Charities programs within the 41 diocesan parishes and missions The candidate shall possess: • College degree • Knowledge of Catholic social teaching and a clear commitment to social justice • Experience in parish social ministry, community organizing or teaching • Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills including an ability to work with social media The position requires a work schedule of 35 hours per week; Monday-Friday 8:30 am4:30 pm. Work schedules will fluctuate with scheduled evening and weekend programs. Excellent benefits and generous paid time off included. Salary is commensurate with experience and education. For consideration, please submit a cover letter, including salary requirements, and a resume to hr@htdiocese.org or it may be dropped off between 9:15 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Friday at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 2779 Hwy. 311, Schriever.

www.bayoucatholic.com

Timebank seeks volunteers to share time and talent Story by Janet Marcel Bridging the Bayous Timebank, a new program that is being administered by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, consists of people 34 helping one another through volunteering their time and talents. For every hour someone volunteers of their time, they will receive an hour of someone else’s time in return. Volunteers are needed to help in many different skill areas. Everyone’s time is valued equally and no money is exchanged. Jennifer Gaudet, coordinator of the program, says she has been searching for ways to secure services such as lawn care, tree trimming, minor car or home repairs, etc., for elderly and low-income families since 2012, but could never find any programs in the community to meet those needs. One day she read an article about timebanking in AARP magazine and thought it might be just what she had been searching for. “Bridging the Bayous Timebank consists of people working together to create supportive social networks by exchanging various services with other people in their community. It helps people regain hope and develop trust among one another. We are all part of the same body of Christ and each of us has our own unique talents and skills. By sharing their time and talent with others, members get to know their neighbors and make friends while simultaneously building a stronger community,” says Gaudet. The concept of timebanking, which was founded by Edgar Cahn, is based on five core values: n We are all assets: Everyone has something to offer. n Some work is valuable beyond market price: Everyone benefits when we work toward raising healthy children, building strong families, revitalizing neighborhoods and practicing social justice. Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

n Helping works better as a two-way street: When neighbors help one another, we are all stronger. The question: “How can I help you?” changes to “How can we help each other build the world we both will live in?” n We need each other: Alone, we are limited in what we can achieve. When we work together, we can build the world we envision and develop communities of support, strength and trust. n Every human being matters: Everybody has something to offer and has unmet needs as well. No one is above another and no one is a burden – we are all providers and receivers, teachers and students. A computer database will create matches between a person who needs something and a person who can fulfill that particular need, as well as keep track of all volunteer exchanges. Once the exchange is completed, the person who receives the service will log in to the timebank’s database to record the exchange. All volunteers must be complete the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux’s Safe Environment training program. Every volunteer is screened using nationwide background checks and the National Sex Offender Registry. However, each member is responsible for his/her own safety, so everyone is encouraged to interview members, ask for references and meet members in public places for the first interview with them. There are currently 15 church parishes and six Catholic schools in the diocese signed up to participate in the program. Individuals may also join. For more information about the Bridging the Bayous Timebank program, including how to become a member, contact Gaudet at (985) 876-0490 or go to www.htdiocese.org/bridging-the-bayous-timebank.

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

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

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

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

Completed Burses of $15,000 each Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. C. Thomas Bienvenu Harry Booker Bishop Warren L. Boudreaux (3)* Mr. Eledier Broussard Rev. Adrian J. Caillouet Rev. James Louis Caillouet Bishop L. Abel Caillouet Judge & Mrs. L.P. Caillouet Msgr. Lucien J. Caillouet Abdon J. & Ada B. Callais Harold & Gloria Callais Family Paul A. Callais Peter W. Callais Vincent & Fannie Cannata

Note: Numbers stipulate the amount of completed burses.*

Minor Sr. & Lou Ella Cheramie Maude & Edith Daspit Mr. & Mrs. Caliste Duplantis family (3)* Clay Sr. & Evelida Duplantis C. Remie Duplantis Marie Elise Duplantis Warren J. Harang Jr. Msgr. Raphael C. Labit Msgr. Francis J. Legendre Rev. Charles Menard Dr. & Mrs. M.V. Marmande & Family Donald Peltier Sr. (3)* Harvey Peltier (30)* Richard Peltier The Peltier Foundation (5)

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

July 2017 Burse Contributions James J. Buquet Jr. ............... $12,350.00 Rev. Gerard Hayes ..................... $100.00

Open Burses with Balance as of July 31, 2017 Sidney J. & Lydie C. Duplantis .................................$13,000.00 Donald Peltier Sr. No. 4 ................................................$13,000.00 Joseph Strada Memorial .............................................$12,642.63 Msgr. Raphael C. Labit No. 2 ...................................$11,320.00 Harvey Peltier No. 31 .....................................................$10,486.91 Joseph Waitz Sr. ................................................................$10,100.00 Clay Sr. & Evelida Duplantis No. 2 ........................$10,000.00 C. Remie Duplantis No. 2 ............................................$10,000.00 Marie Elise Duplantis No. 2 .......................................$10,000.00 Maude & Edith Daspit No. 2 ....................................$10,000.00 Msgr. George A. Landry ...............................................$10,000.00 Mr. & Mrs. George C. Fakier ........................................$9,600.00 Elie & Dot Klingman .........................................................$9,140.00 Rev. Victor Toth ....................................................................$7,000.00 Msgr. William Koninkx .....................................................$6,600.00 Brides of the Most Blessed Trinity ...........................$6,598.00 Rev. Peter Nies ......................................................................$6,000.00 Catholic Daughters ............................................................$5,995.00 Rev. Guy Zeringue ..............................................................$5,600.00 Msgr. Francis Amedee .....................................................$5,150.00 Mr. & Mrs. Love W. Pellegrin ......................................$5,000.00 Anonymous No. 2 ..............................................................$5,000.00 Mr. & Mrs. Caliste Duplantis Family No. 4 ........$5,000.00 Rev. William M. Fleming .................................................$5,000.00 Mrs. Ayres A. Champagne ............................................$5,000.00 Rev. Gerard Hayes ..............................................................$4,886.00 Rev. Kasimir Chmielewski ..............................................$4,839.00 Joseph “Jay” Fertitta ...........................................................$4,450.00

Rev. Henry Naquin .............................................................$4,311.00 Harry Booker No. 2 ............................................................$4,138.00 Msgr. James Songy ............................................................$4,075.00 Anawin Community ..........................................................$3,700.00 Kelly Curole Frazier .............................................................$3,610.96 J. R. Occhipinti ........................................................................$3,400.00 Mr. & Mrs. Galip Jacobs ..................................................$3,060.00 St. Jude .......................................................................................$3,000.00 Diocesan Knights of Columbus No. 2 ...................$2,894.62 Rev. Peter H. Brewerton ..................................................$2,600.00 Mr. & Mrs. John Marmande ........................................$2,500.00 Warren J. Harang Jr. No. 2..............................................$2,300.00 Willie & Emelda St. Pierre ..............................................$2,000.00 Rev. H.C. Paul Daigle .........................................................$1,900.00 Deacon Connely Duplantis ...........................................$1,675.00 Alfrances P. Martin .............................................................$1,650.00 Preston & Gladys Webre ...............................................$1,650.00 Msgr. Francis J. Legendre No. 2 .................................$1,645.00 Rev. Robert J. Sevigny ......................................................$1,600.00 Rev. John Gallen ...................................................................$1,600.00 Rev. Hubert C. Broussard ...............................................$1,550.00 Msgr. Emile J. Fossier ........................................................$1,545.00 Dr. William Barlette Sr. .....................................................$1,525.00 Msgr. Stanislaus Manikowski ......................................$1,525.00 Deacon Robert Dusse’ .....................................................$1,450.00 Jacob Marcello ......................................................................$1,400.00 Msgr. John L. Newfield ....................................................$1,200.00 Rev. Anthony Rousse ........................................................$1,200.00

Rev. Joseph Tu Tran No. 2 .............................................$1,094.00 Judge Louis & Shirley R. Watkins .............................$1,050.00

Ronnie Haydel .......................................................................$1,035.00 Rev. Clemens Schneider .................................................$1,000.00 Bishop Warren L. Boudreaux No. 4 ........................$1,000.00 Msgr. John G. Keller ...........................................................$1,000.00 Deacon Willie Orgeron .......................................................$800.00 Ruby Pierce ..................................................................................$800.00 Deacon Roland Dufrene ....................................................$750.00 Edna W. DiSalvo .......................................................................$750.00 Juliette & Eugene Wallace ................................................$700.00 Deacon Edward J. Blanchard ...........................................$700.00 Deacon Raymond LeBouef ..............................................$550.00 Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Cannata .........................................$500.00 Robert Walsh .............................................................................$500.00 Bernice Harang .........................................................................$600.00 Dean Joseph Chiasson ........................................................$400.00 Anne Veron Aguirre ..............................................................$380.00 Deacon Harold Kurtz ............................................................$300.00 Richard Peltier No. 2 ..............................................................$300.00 Claude Bergeron ......................................................................$250.00 Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Naquin .................................................$150.00 Deacon Pedro Pujals .............................................................$100.00

Deacon Eldon Frazier .............................................................$ 50.00 Deacon Nick Messina ...........................................................$ 50.00 Rev. Warren Chassaniol .......................................................$ 50.00

Overall Seminarian Burses Total: $1,665,108.02 www.bayoucatholic.com

Thoughts for Millennials

G 36

Ryan Abboud

y m e n e The and sin

Growing up, many of us (at a young age) experience the classic battle of good versus evil. As children, we find this matchup in many of the action movies that we watch, or maybe we can read about it in comic books with superheroes and villains. However, as we mature and get older, we soon realize the battle of good vs. evil is not only confined to the fantasy stories we learn about in our younger years. We soon discover that evil does exist in the world, and unfortunately, many of us have experienced it in our personal lives. As Catholics, we hear a lot about the great enemy. We hear about a serpent, a fallen angel, and a master of lies. We hear him called Satan or Lucifer, and we are almost able to link an identity with this great enemy. After years in the faith, we begin to pick up an idea of who Satan really is. We know he exists, because that’s what Catholicism teaches, but do we truly believe that he exists? Satan, being the master of deceit that he is, thrives on the ignorance of the faithful. He sits and waits for good Catholics to get comfortable. He allows us to begin to doubt his existence, then that’s when he rears his ugly head. He swoops in with temptation and treachery, and in many cases, we fall into sin. This is why, as Catholics, we need to be aware of Satan’s role in our spirituality. We cannot choose to stick our head in the sand and pretend that he doesn’t exist. We cannot believe that he won’t attack us individually. And we cannot pretend that he does not desire for us to turn against God. We have to understand that he does exist, just like God exists. We must comprehend that he does want us to fail. And we must realize that he isn’t a red creature with

SINCE FAST st Intere Free cing Finan

horns and a pitchfork; he can be beautiful, after all, he was an angel. Brothers and sisters, I understand that this topic is not something we hear discussed a lot in our Catholic faith, and I also understand that this may come across as scary or uncomfortable. But that’s exactly what The Enemy wants. He wants us to shy away from discussing his tactics. So I’m here to tell you that you do not have to be afraid, but you must be aware. You see, the battle has already been won, our Lord has defeated him. You do not have to fight Satan, but you do have to avoid him. Recognize his strategies and avoid him. St. Padre Pio once said, “the devil is like a great chained dog. He makes a lot of noise but he only bites those who come too close.” How truthful! Satan is not free to roam into our spirituality; it is not an equal fight of good vs. evil. Instead, he’s chained. All he can do is try his best to lure us over to the reach of his chain. Satan tempts us with the idea that sin is freedom and sin is desirable. And if we’re being completely honest, for a short while, sin can sometimes be (or appear to be) desirable. However, in actuality sin allows us temporary “freedom” that leads to a very serious imprisonment. One can think of sin like this: it’s almost like a jail cell, but it’s very cozy and secure, and there seems to be no reason to leave. This cell has a door, but it remains open. In this cell, life is good. Until one day, time will run out. The door will slam, and suddenly it’s too late. But take heart, because the battle is over, good has prevailed, and we are promised a land of paradise much greater than any cell could ever offer. (Ryan Abboud is a 2015 graduate of Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma and a junior at LSU in Baton Rouge.)

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Tub to Shower Conversions Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

STEVE DECELL

Aging-In-Place Consultant

One Install day ation

Walk-in Tubs

Over 400 priests to attend Louisiana Priests’ Convention in New Orleans Sept. 19-21 Priests from the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux will be away from their church parishes Sept. 19-21 attending the 2017 Louisiana Priests’ Convention in New Orleans as part of their continuing education. Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, AZ, and Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, TX, will address more than 400 priests from the state of Louisiana at the convention. The theme of the convention, held every four years, is “Shepherding Today as Priest, Prophet and King.” The attendance is expected to be the largest in convention history. New Orleans Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond characterized the three-day gathering as “blessed days which give us an opportunity to spend time together, pray together and to learn more about the ministry entrusted to us by Jesus Christ.” The priests will hear three keynote addresses: Cardinal Dolan will offer the opening address Sept. 19 on “The Priestly Dimension of Shepherding Today”; Bishop Flores will be the homilist at a Sept. 20 Mass at St. Louis Cathedral in which he will discuss “The Prophetic Dimension of Shepherding Today”; and Bishop Kicanas will close the conference Sept. 21 with a talk on “The Kingly Dimension of Shepherding Today.” In addition to the major addresses, there will be four breakout sessions on Sept. 20: n Emily R. Cash, Psy.D., a licensed psychologist and a member of the clinical services department at St. Luke Institute in Louisville, KY, will discuss “Internet Pornography and Its Effects Upon the Clergy and Laity.” n Mary-Rose and Ryan Verret, the founders of “Witness to Love” Marriage Prep Renewal Ministry, will speak on “Forming Engaged Couples for Marriage.” n Father Philip Bochanski, the executive director of Courage

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan

Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas

International and a priest of the Diocese of Bridgeport, CT, will discuss “Pastoral Care of People with Same-Sex Attraction.” n Father Gary Thomas, a priest who serves as the mandated exorcist of the Diocese of San Jose, CA, will speak on “Exorcisms and Prayers of Deliverance in the Ministry of the Priest.” Cardinal Dolan has served as archbishop of New York since 2009. The native of St. Louis was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1976 and served as a parish priest for eight years, as secretary to the apostolic nuncio in Washington, D.C., as a professor at Kenrick Seminary and St. Louis University, and as rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome. In 2001, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of St. Louis by St. John Paul II, and a year later he was named archbishop of Milwaukee. Pope Benedict XVI transferred him to the Archdiocese of New York in 2009 and named him a cardinal in 2012. Cardinal Dolan has served as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services and was co-chair of the National JewishCatholic Dialogue. He was a part of the 2013 conclave at the Sistine Chapel in which Pope Francis was elected. He now serves as chair of the USCCB’s Committee on ProLife Activities.

Bishop Daniel E. Flores

Bishop Flores has served as the Bishop of Brownsville since 2009. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1988 for the Diocese of Corpus Christi and was named chancellor in 2000. After serving as a faculty member and later vice-rector of St. Mary’s Seminary in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, he was 37 named in 2006 as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit. He was appointed the sixth bishop of Brownsville in 2009. Bishop Flores is the former chair of the USCCB’s Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church. Bishop Kicanas was ordained a priest in 1967 and served in various capacities in the seminary system of the Archdiocese of Chicago for more than 25 years. He was appointed an auxiliary bishop of Chicago in 1995 and served as episcopal vicar of Vicariate I in Chicago. He was named coadjutor bishop of Tucson in 2001 and installed as bishop of Tucson in 2003. Bishop Kicanas is vice chancellor of the Catholic Extension Society and chair of the Mission Committee. He is the former vice president and secretary of the USCCB and the former chair of the board of directors of Catholic Relief Services. Archbishop Aymond said he hopes the convocation will nurture priests in their ministry “so that we can together continue to serve the people of God with renewed energy, faith and enthusiasm.” www.bayoucatholic.com

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Good Leaders, Good Shepherds program kicks off this month Thirty-seven priests participating in the Catholic Leadership Institute program Story by Janet Marcel As part of the diocesan strategic planning process, the Priests Commission identified one of its goals as better equipping priests with the necessary leadership skills to be more effective pastors. As a means of reaching this goal and through the generosity of a faithful layperson, priests of the diocese are being given the opportunity to participate in the Catholic Leadership Institute’s Good Leaders, Good Shepherds program. Using Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd as the ultimate model of leadership, this world-class curriculum was designed just for priests to celebrate and support their ministry. Given the demands of ministry and the complexity of running parishes—and for some priests, multiple parishes— effective leadership is paramount

to creating and building authentic, vibrant Catholic communities. Good Leaders, Good Shepherds is designed to help priests overcome today’s challenges of a diminishing number of clergy and more complex circumstances for priestly ministry. Through formation in this program, priests can minimize the frustration and energy that they spend on their administrative roles, and instead, maximize the joy and time spent on the pastoral duties for which they were uniquely ordained. The program’s mission is to help strengthen priestly identity, ministry and fraternity. Using parish-based examples and the best of our Catholic tradition, the curriculum explores five leadership contexts and provides the skills and practices that will allow priests to be a more holy, happy and

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

healthy shepherd in any leadership circumstance thus leading more people to a deeper relationship with Christ. Below is the timeline for the program’s implementation in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. n Monday, Sept. 25 – Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017 Module One – Self-Preparation for Leadership Priests will: discover their own leadership behavior style and learn how to keep their instinctive behaviors from sabotaging their leadership effectiveness; define and proclaim values to strengthen priestly identity and ministry; investigate their overall persona and explore the tensions it creates in their life and learn to put those tensions to good use. n Tuesday, Nov. 7 – Friday, Nov. 10

Module Two - Leadership in the Self Context Priests will: create a vision for their role and identify key responsibility areas to bring focus and clarity to their ministry; write personal goals and learn to assess their energy and ability for those goals so they can keep themselves motivated; learn to apply important time management skills as part of their strategy for keeping themselves on track with their goals. n Tuesday, Jan. 23 – Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 Module Three - Leadership in the One-to-One Context Priest will: lead and develop another to articulate his/her role, responsibilities, and goals in their parish or ministry; learn to give effective feedback to staff members and volunteers and to help them follow action plans and solve their own problems; learn to help those they lead resolve conflicts effectively. n Tuesday, March 6 – Friday, March 9 Module Four - Leadership in the Team Context Priests will: review their committees and councils and learn to create high impact teams that get things done for their parish or organization; become a part of a learning team and learn to facilitate good team dynamics and help teams solve their own problems; learn to plan and run effective meetings where things actually get accomplished. n Tuesday, May 1 – Thursday, May 3 Respond, Practice – A skill building session n Tuesday, June 26 – Thursday, June 28 Module Five - Leadership in the Organizational Context Priests will: create a vision for their parish or organization and determine their key ministry goals to achieve the vision; understand the needs of the members of their parish/organization to lead them toward the vision and learn to respond appropriately; create an accessible priority plan, and learn to implement this plan through good communication as they lead

their parish/organization into the future. n Tuesday, Aug. 21 – Thursday, Aug. 23 Module Six – Leading Strategic Relationships Priests will: learn the value of strategic relationships in helping to fulfill their pastoral leadership with others; recognize the big ideas that can become reality through the creation and growth of a strategic alliance; apply the strategic alliance model to form mutually beneficial relationships with other organizations or ministries to help them accomplish their parish’s/ organization’s goals. Some of the benefits of the Good Leaders, Good Shepherds program are n vital, sustainable leadership skills and best practices designed for priestly ministry in the 21st century; n increased confidence and competence in pastoral leadership; n comprehensive pastoral formation; n regular fraternal support; n strengthened presbyteral unity; n committed professional, prayerful assistance from the CLI team. Father Ronilo (Roni) Villamor, pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Church parish in Larose, says, “I went through Good Leaders, Good Shepherds in 2010. The title alone says a lot. The program helped me to internalize being a better leader, capable of getting things accomplished while doing so with the compassionate and merciful heart of a shepherd. Good Leaders, Good Shepherds helped me to understand myself better and at the same time understand the people in my parish. It enhanced my flexibility in interacting and helping the diverse people and situations that a pastor experiences every day. All this for the glory of God.” All sessions of the Good Leaders, Good Shepherds program will take place at the Lumen Christi Retreat Center in Schriever. Thirty-seven priests of the diocese will be participating.

A pastor’s personal reflection As we marked the 40th anniversary of our diocese on the weekend of June 3-4, I was struck by the great joy among the massive crowds of people who entered into the great hope that pervaded the celebrations. The standing ovation that Bishop Fabre received upon promulgating the strategic plan at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales for the 40th anniversary Mass was one of the surest signs that we are in the beginning stages of a great and wonderful time of renewal and grace. As the strategic plan begins to take shape, there is great excitement among the priests that many of our needs are being addressed. The most exciting thing for me as a pastor is that the strategic plan is supplying resources for us as priests to feed our sheep. It is my firm belief that no priest wants to fail in their role as a shepherd. But the fact remains that there are certain areas of our ministry where we just don’t know how to succeed!! There are many God-given gifts that all of us have and are willing to share but many of us do not have certain skill-sets that we need in order to be effective leaders of our communities. Skills, however, are things that can be learned, so I am looking forward to the Good Leaders, Good Shepherds program that is being offered to the priests of our diocese through the gift of a single layperson that has a great love for our diocese. That we are being given the resources to help feed the people through better leadership skills, better and more engaging homilies and better liturgies is what really excites me, motivates me, and fills me with joy and hope. Father Gregory Fratt, pastor Sacred Heart Church parish, Cut Off www.bayoucatholic.com

Diocesan strategic plan moving forward Communications campaign exceeding expectations LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

42 Bishop Shelton Fabre promulgates the strategic plan during the diocese’s 40th anniversary Mass earlier this year.

Story by Janet Marcel The Diocese of HoumaThibodaux’s strategic plan entitled “Plans of Hope,” was promulgated by Bishop Shelton J. Fabre at the diocese’s 40th anniversary Mass in June of this year. “I believe it is a plan that will forge a new future with the formation of missionary disciples. It is a plan that came from us working together. It is a plan that will require us to continuing working together. It is a plan that will remind us all we’re in this together,” says Bishop Fabre. Since June, great strides have been made toward the goals which were set forth in the plan. Following is an update about the progress of its implementation. Promotional Video Very Rev. Mark Toups, V.G., diocesan coordinator of the Office of Strategic Planning, strongly encourages everyone to watch the new promotional video for the strategic plan entitled “Plans of Hope: A Story of Hope,” which can be found on the Diocese of Houma-

Thibodaux’s website at https:// www.htdiocese.org. Parish Implementation Teams Parish implementation teams wrapped up Phase I of their work

‘

I believe it is a plan that will forge a new future with the formation of missionary disciples.

in August. Phase II begins in September and church parishes will participate in an 11-point parish wide evaluation during the

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

months of September, October and November. Expanding the Scope of Liaisons Every church parish has a liaison, on-site once a month, whose job is to walk with parishioners through the strategic planning implementation process. In an effort to better “connect” themselves to the “inside” of strategic planning, some diocesan Pastoral Center staff members are currently “shadowing” liaisons. Communications Campaign The diocese’s YouTube campaign is opening doors. The number of presenters has been expanded and the topics presented have been refined. Below are some statistics for a 90-day period beginning in May and ending in August. n Individual website page views: 153,700 n Individual users (for comparison, we only sit 23,206 at all weekend Masses Sunday): 23,400 where 50 percent are on cell phones, 38 percent on

desktop computers, 12 percent on tablets, iPads, etc. n Confirmed video views (an average of 4,267 per day): 384,000 n “Reach” on Facebook: 805,490 n Google resource views:100,000 n Total digital “reach”: 1,161,420 “Over a million total digital ‘reach’ in 90 days with 384,000 video views and 805,490 ‘reached’ on Facebook! None of that just happens. It takes a lot of hard work to keep the social media campaign running. I am grateful to Roch Gernon (communications campaign specialist, Office of Strategic Planning) for his professional expertise and his passion for the church. He has done an exemplary job during the last several months juggling an ever growing demand from strategic planning while at the same time doing his best to serve other diocesan offices with their

social media needs,” says Father Toups. “I am also deeply grateful to Tyler Neil (video resources, Office of Strategic Planning). Without being overly dramatic, I personally believe our video production, both in volume, relevancy, and video quality, rivals any diocese … in the country. I mean that. As I surf other diocesan websites I simply do not see anyone beating us in all three categories: number of videos, relevancy in content and video quality. Tyler has been invaluable to our success.” Good Leaders, Good Shepherds This program for priests is part of an $800,000 gift to the diocese. Over 30 priests will begin formal training through the Catholic Leadership Institute’s Good Leaders, Good Shepherds program which begins Sept. 25-27 at the

Lumen Christi Retreat Center in Schriever. Adult Formation The first strategic plan resource for adult formation, entitled “Why We Believe,” is an eight-part video series on apologetics presented by Dr. Brant Pitre. Apologetics was chosen in response to the people expressing a desire (during the listening sessions held across the diocese) for help in learning about and explaining the faith. This video series will be offered through the church parishes. Other resources that will be offered for adult formation include the sacrament of reconciliation in Advent 2017 and 43 the Mass in Lent 2018. Check the Bayou Catholic magazine monthly for more updates regarding the implementation of the diocesan strategic plan.

TYLER NEIL PHOTO

The first strategic plan resource for adult formation, entitled “Why We Believe,” an eight-part video series presented by Dr. Brant Pitre, will begin this month. www.bayoucatholic.com

Dr. Glenn Manceaux (center) addresses those in attendance during the recent meeting with Bishop Shelton J. Fabre at a planning day for the diocesan strategic plan. Also pictured are Diocesan Pastoral Council members Glenn Vice and Jennifer Armand.

Groups meet with Bishop Fabre to evaluate strategic plan progress Story and Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier As part of the strategic planning process, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre recently met with a core group of priest leadership, an expanded group of leadership within the Pastoral Center and the newly formed Diocesan Pastoral Council for four days. Bishop Fabre says that the time spent with these three groups helped him and the strategic planning team to appreciate various views from other perspectives. There were three main objectives to the meetings: to listen, strengthen relationships, and focus the attention for the next year. The bishop said that each group looks at things differently. “Spending time together helps us establish and strengthen relationships with different stakeholders. On one hand, strategic planning is at the core of what we are doing.

The only way to implement well is to periodically evaluate how the implementation is unfolding. While we have a plan, we may need to adapt it where needed.” Amy Ponson, executive director of the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana representing the Pastoral Center staff, was impressed by how all the groups worked together. “I was incredibly impressed with the bishop’s willingness to listen, to not only employees of the diocese, but to our laity and priests, in an effort to learn from our strengths and weaknesses and plan for a tremendous future of growth. We also had the opportunity to meet as a unified group to learn from each other and build a solid foundation for our diocese as we continue to implement our strategic plan. These planning days were well thought out and productive.”

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

During the meetings participants discussed what has been working well in regard to strategic planning for the past 12 months, where and how were there struggles, and where we are now. Very Rev. Mark Toups, V.G., coordinator of the Office of Strategic Planning, provided an analysis of the results of the Disciple Maker Index on the diocesan level. The findings from one sample parish concluded that: parishioners are hungry; they are ready to take the next step. Fifty percent of the people would take the next step if they were shown how and that step was made easy. Nearly three quarters of the people trust “the church” and naturally look to the parish to help them grow spiritually. Most people see Sunday Mass as their venue for formation. They also enjoy Mass and the

community. However, most parishioners don’t see opportunities outside of Mass. The next step with the Disciple Maker Index will include an analysis of the DMI presented to parish implementation teams via their liaison during their September implementation team meeting. There will also be preaching evaluations reviewed with pastors on a one-on-one basis prior to the September meeting. Father Wilfredo (Freddie) Decal, pastor of Sacred Heart Church

Very Rev. Clyde Mahler, V.F., pastor of Holy Cross Church parish in Morgan City, speaks with Dr. Matt Beyer and Glenn Vice during a recent strategic planning meeting.

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

in communicating with a larger audience. The 40th anniversary celebrations, especially the parish novena, awards ceremony and ordinations were well planned and meaningful celebrations. The group also expressed how the word “diocese” is beginning to mean something different. It is connected with the people now more than a building (the Pastoral Center). In the area of improvement, all the groups expressed the need for better communication between the staff of the Pastoral Center and the church parishes, and

parish in Morgan City representing the priests, says that he is impressed with the whole strategic planning process. “There is an ownership of the strategic plan because of the continuous dialogue, consultation and participation of the laity, clergy and the bishop in the process of formulation and implementation of the plan. The plan is perceived not as an imposed program/process from above but as a grassroots movement.” After the three groups met individually, the groups came together for a meeting with Bishop Fabre and the strategic planning team to discuss their findings in the individual meetings. All three groups agreed that the increased social media presence in the diocese has been a great asset

Amy Ponson

better communications within the departments at the Pastoral Center. Another point made was how to help the people, priests and parish teams understand how the strategic plan all fits together. Dr. Glenn Manceaux, chair of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, says that much progress is being made in terms of people working together for a mission. “Having spent approximately six hours over the course of two days with Bishop Fabre, our two vicar generals, Pastoral Center leaders, and members of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, I am enthusiastic about the direction of our diocese. Several action steps have already been implemented as recommendations from the strategic plan. Bishop Fabre continues to be open and receptive of ideas from lay leaders. Never have I experienced such engagement from so many groups willing to work as missionary disciples for our diocese.” Bishop Fabre is encouraged with the process thus far. He sees a great value in people coming together to discuss their experiences with the strategic plan. “I was encouraged that our experiences of the strategic planning process seem to be the same among the groups that I met with. I am delighted that our experiences of the process were fruitful and that we are moving forward in the same direction,” says the bishop. www.bayoucatholic.com

Nation

New petition calls for pro-life support against nuclear warfare Washington D.C., (CNA/EWTN News) As political tensions increase between the United States and 46 North Korea, one pro-life group began a petition urging nuclear disarmament around the world. Rehumanize International is asking pro-life advocates to join them in the fight against nuclear arms by signing a letter directed to President Donald Trump and attending an anti-nuclear weapons march outside the White House on Sept. 9. “And with many pro-lifers around the world who understand that nuclear weapons can never be tools of a Just War, we call on the Trump administration and the governments of all nuclear-wielding nations to dismantle and destroy their nuclear arms!” read the letter, which was posted on Change.org Aug. 11. Concern over nuclear warfare has recently escalated as North Korea has refused to halt its reported efforts for increased nuclear power as well as intercontinental missiles capable of reaching the U.S. Among many smaller ballistic missile tests this year, North Korea last month tested its second intercontinental missile since the country was established, inciting the U.S. to increase economic sanctions against it. Last week, North Korea mentioned the possibility of targeting U.S. territory Guam, but as of Aug. 16 the country’s main news agency said the plans have been paused. Linking pro-life support to anti-nuclear arms advocacy, the letter begins by stating that nuclear war is opposed to human dignity and demands that Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

more responsibility be taken to end it. “As supporters of the inherent dignity and worth of all human beings from conception to natural death, and the intrinsic right to life of every member of our human family, we call for an end to nuclear warfare,” the letter read. “We demand that our executive branch of government be more accountable for our existing nuclear arsenal and sign on to the U.N. treaty for nuclear disarmament.” The U.N.’s 1968 Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons required its signatories to refrain from acquiring nuclear arms, besides the five countries who had attained them before 1967, including the U.S., the U.K., France, China, and Russia. The treaty went into effect in 1970, and was renewed indefinitely in 1995. The letter is currently open for signatures which can be done electronically on Change.org. They will then be sent to President Trump and VicePresident Mike Pence as well as French, British, and United Nation leaders. Among other organizations, the American Solidarity Party and Feminists for Nonviolent Choices have both expressed support for the petition as well as the upcoming march. “We will join together as powerful pro-life voices who work tirelessly to build a culture of life,” Ruhimanize executive director Aimee Murphy said in an Aug. 17 statement, “as we call on our government to make the truly pro-life policy declaration to condemn the usage of nuclear weapons, no matter who wields them.”

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Kelli Clayton Cazayoux has been appointed as principal of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral School in Houma for the 2017-2018 school year. She has been serving as assistant principal of the Cathedral school for the past three years. Cazayoux is a graduate of Germantown High School in Germantown, TN. She has earned a bachelor of science degree in elementary education (grades 1-8) and a master of arts degree in curriculum and instruction/ mild-moderate learning disabilities from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and she recently met the requirements for certification in educational leadership. She is certified to teach grades 1-8 and mild/moderate special education grades 1-12 and has taught in the Diocese of Baton Rouge and for the Terrebonne Parish School District. She has taught second, third, seventh and eighth grades and special education classes. At St. Francis de Sales Cathedral School, she taught project read and resource. In addition, she has been the department chair at various schools where she has taught as well as a lead grant writing team member. Serving as a second term member of the Board of Directors for Catholic Charities Houma-Thibodaux, an active volunteer within her church parish, and a volunteer at Vandebilt Catholic High School, Cazayoux remains active within the diocese. She is also a member of numerous professional education organizations. Cazayoux has been married to Robert Cazayoux Jr. for 20 years and they have four daughters: Caroline, 18; Abigail, 17; Katherine, 15; and Emily, 12. They are parishioners of the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. “We congratulate Kelli Cazayoux as the new principal of St. Francis Cathedral School. Her deep commitment to the St. Francis school family is evident in all that she does as she works diligently to lead others in the formation of our children,” says Suzanne D. Troxclair, diocesan superintendent of Catholic Schools. “She has formed lasting relationships with members of the faculty, staff, students, parents and the larger church community through her years at St. Francis. We look forward to working collaboratively with her as she leads the St. Francis school family in forming faithfilled learners who strive to be missionary disciples of Christ.”

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Son Rise Christian Music Fest scheduled for Oct. 7 48

Houma will be the site for a new and growing regional Christian music event, the Son Rise Christian Music Festival. The event, which will take place Saturday, Oct. 7, moves from its origins at historic Ardoyne Plantation to the main parking lot of the HoumaTerrebonne Civic Center and will feature eight bands as well as live art, Louisiana cuisine, a silent auction, kids’ activities, displays and vendors. Gates open at 9 a.m. with the first band taking the stage at 10 a.m. The event is open to everyone and admission is free. Proceeds raised will benefit World of Hope Ministries and their work in some of the poorest of the poor communities around the world, as well as the Terrebonne Children’s Advocacy Center (TCAC). The day’s performers include Calling All Creation, Metanoia, gospel and R&B artist D.J. Rhodes; Christian rap artist K. Levy; solo artist Kaitlyn Danos; Cross Church, Elevate, and More Than Sunday. There will also be a special appearance by solo artist Curtis Pierce. Joining the bands on stage will be local painter Natalie Haydel, who will create faith-themed works of art live during the show. Also joining the event will be the street dance team of Just Jazzin’ as well as the Victory Fellowship flaggers. There will be food available for purchase ranging from pork grillades to Filipino creations to shrimp and corn soup to snow balls. There will be a silent auction in support of World of Hope and TCAC, and donations will also be accepted. Complete information can be found online at www. sonrisemusicfest.net, by calling the event sponsor, World of Hope Ministries at (985) 851-2500, or by emailing worldofhope_la@att.net. Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

Food Bank rededication

The Good Samaritan Food Bank of Raceland was rededicated recently after renovations to the office and food storage areas. In the photo above, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre prays a prayer of blessing for the location. Also on hand for the rededication were Father P.J. Madden, pastor of St. Hilary of Poitiers Church parish in Mathews, Pastor Brandon Smith, Leslie Robichaux, food bank manager; along with volunteers and board members.

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Food for the Journey Oct. 2

Rev. John David Matherne

The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux sponsors a monthly lunchtime speaker series on the first Tuesday of the month at the Ellendale Country Club Restaurant located at 3319 Highway 311 in Houma. The speaker for October 3 is

Raceland native Rev. John David Matherne. Father Matherne currently serves as associate pastor at Sacred Heart Church parish in Cut Off. He was ordained to the priesthood June 3, 2017. Those who plan to attend the Oct. 3rd event should RSVP with their name, phone number and church parish by Thursday, Sept 28. To RSVP, email FoodForTheJourney@ htdiocese.org or call (985) 8503178. 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.”

Deacon Stephen Brunet

Interim director for the diaconate announced Deacon Stephen Brunet has been appointed interim director for the Office of the Diaconate. He will continue to serve as deacon at St. Bridget Church parish in Schriever.

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Blue Mass Sept. 7 Red Mass Oct. 10, both at Cathedral The annual diocesan Blue Mass will be celebrated Thursday, Sept. 7, at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma, at 11 a.m., by Bishop Shelton J. Fabre. This Mass, which honors firefighters, law enforcement, emergency responders and military personnel, is usually planned on or near the feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (Sept. 29.) St. Michael is the patron saint of community protectors. All law enforcement, military and fire department personnel throughout the diocese including the South Lafourche communities and Morgan City as well as the Houma-Thibodaux area are invited to attend this special Mass in their honor. The annual diocesan Red Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, Oct. 10, at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma, at 11:30 a.m., by Bishop Shelton J. Fabre. This Mass is usually celebrated near the opening of the judicial season to pray for members of the legal profession, that is, judges, lawyers and their staffs, and all other legal professionals. “These Masses are celebrations of the entire local church, not simply of those for whom we offer special prayer intentions. We encourage all of the faithful to join in the celebration of these Masses,” says Father Glenn LeCompte, diocesan director of the Office of Worship.

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

The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Outreach Line Telephone number is (985) 873-0026 or (985) 850-3172

Línea de Comunicación Diocesana

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

Línea de Comunicación de la Diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux Número de teléfono (985) 873-0026 o (985) 850-3172

Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp Giaùo phaän Ñeå höôûng öùng Hieán chöông Baûo veä Treû em vaø Giôùi treû töø Hoäi ñoàng Giaùm muïc Hoa kyø, Giaùo phaän Houma-Thibodaux ñang chuaån bò ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp (luùc tröôùc laø ñöôøng daây lieân laïc baûo veä treû em). Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp laø moät söï coá gaéng cuûa giaùo phaän nhaèm cam keát haøn gaén naâng ñôõ nhöõng ai ñaõ bò toån thöông hoaëc bò laïm duïng tính duïc hoaëc gaàn ñaây hoaëc trong quaù khöù bôûi giaùo só, tu só hoaëc caùc coâng nhaân vieân cuûa Giaùo phaän Houma-Thibodaux. Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp Giaùo phaän hoaït ñoäng töø 8:30 saùng ñeán 4:30 chieàu, thöù hai ñeán thöù saùu. Moät nhaân vieân chuyeân nghieäp veà söùc khoûe taâm thaàn traû lôøi treân ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi. Nhöõng caù nhaân seõ ñöôïc trôï giuùp naâng ñôõ theâm neáu caàn.

Ñöôøng daây ñieän thoaïi Cöùu giuùp Giaùo phaän Soá ñieän thoaïi: (985) 873-0026; (985) 850-3172

www.bayoucatholic.com

Educators Conference Sept. 5

Rev. Duc Bui

Pastor is incardinated to the diocese Rev. John David Matherne

The 32nd annual diocesan Catholic School Educators 52 Conference will be held Tuesday, Sept. 5, at E.D. White Catholic High School in Thibodaux. The focus of the conference is on the role teacher-ministers play in students’ lives not only in the classroom, but as they walk with each child every day. The speaker for the conference is Father John David Matherne who was ordained to the priesthood Saturday, June 3, 2017. Father Matherne, a native of Raceland, currently serves as associate pastor at Sacred Heart Church parish in Cut Off. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre will celebrate Mass for the educators at the conference. Those who have completed 25 years in Catholic education in the diocese will be recognized. Teachers will also be awarded mini-grants which have been donated by community sponsors. Approximately 400 Catholic school educators will attend this year’s conference.

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre has announced that Rev. Duc Bui, pastor of St. Andrew Church parish in Amelia, and diocesan director of Hispanic Ministry, has been incardinated to the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. Father Bui, who is a native of Tan Phuoc, Vietnam, graduated from the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical Athenaeum in Rome and was ordained Nov. 25, 2004. He has been serving in the diocese since February 2016.

New dean appointed for Terrebonne Deanery

Very Rev. Mike Tran, V.F.

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

Every year, young people from throughout the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux participate in a youth pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington, D.C. This lifechanging educational experience takes participants from Louisiana to the White House and from the Holocaust Museum to the steps of the Supreme Court. They join hundreds of thousands of others from across America who want to take a stand for life at the March for Life. The 2018 charter bus trip will take place Jan. 15-20, 2018, and seating is limited. Registration cost is $650 per person. A $300 deposit along with one registration form per participant is due by Friday, Oct. 6, 2017. The remaining balance is due by Nov. 29, 2017. Registrations are handled through the church parish. For more information, contact the diocesan Office of Family Ministries at (985)850-3129 or visit www.htdiocese.org/M4L.

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre has announced the appointment of a new dean for the Terrebonne Deanery, effective immediately. Very Rev. Mike Tran, V.F., who is currently serving as pastor of Annunziata Church parish in Houma, has been appointed dean of the Terrebonne Deanery, for a period of six years. Father Tran, a native of Long Khanh, Vietnam, graduated from Notre Dame Seminary and was ordained Aug. 10, 2002. He has been serving as pastor of Annunziata Church parish in Houma since June 2013.

Local artist’s exhibit Oct. 2 - Dec. 16 By Janet Marcel Southdown Plantation/The Terrebonne Museum will be once again be showcasing the artwork of Lockport native Dolores Legendre beginning Oct. 2 until Dec. 16, with an exhibit entitled “Gumbo-File’ – Colors of South Louisiana.” The exhibit is a mixture of the primary colors that were prevalent in the previous show and the more muted colors of our local environment and culture, one of Dolores’ passions, as is evident in the many Cajun, bayou and swamp scenes depicted in her art. “By popular request, we are delighted to host artist Dolores Legendre’s work again this fall,” says Nicole Chiasson, director of Southdown Plantation/The Terrebonne Museum. “This will be the fifth exhibit at Southdown for Dolores and she will be including many of her paintings from the 1970s and 80s, as well as those from the current show. One enormous piece is going to be a must-see this year. It’s a Heptaptych (seven paintings depicting one scene) of the city of Lockport, circa 1910. “I never have trouble finding something to paint,” Dolores states. “I knew in my heart that art was my calling as a little girl. I would spend hours drawing pictures.” Paintings, in both oil and watercolor, and pen and ink, seem to flow straight from her fingertips and her heart. Dolores considers herself mostly a selftaught artist and has won many awards for her work. Her technique has been developing since 1973. She has been praised for her detailed way of painting and her natural colors. According to Chiasson, some of the comments heard at last year’s reception were that one could “walk into the scene” and that she “paints with a heart, love and prayers technique.” “She loves the creative process from start to finish and it shows,” says Chiasson. “Her artwork is featured around the world, but the most extensive collection out there is at Dolores & Daniel’s home, which Dolores says you need to see in person to really appreciate.” In addition, her renderings of the churches and schools of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux have appeared in numerous Bayou Catholic publications throughout the years.

Dolores receives and takes on many commissioned pieces and sees each one as a challenge. Her husband Daniel creates beautiful, hand-made, cypress frames for most of her original works. The cypress Daniel uses for the frames is 100 percent recycled cypress. He is always on the lookout for old pieces he can add to his stockpile. A reception will be held Sunday, Oct. 8 from 2-4 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Dolores and her husband Daniel have generously agreed to give a free print of her work to everyone that attends the reception or comes by to view the exhibit. Southdown Plantation/The Terrebonne Museum is owned and operated by the Terrebonne Historical & Cultural Society (THACS), which is administered by a Board of Directors, elected from the general membership of the Society. Numerous volunteers, plus three paid staff, oversee the daily operation of the museum and gift shop. THACS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and receives no public funding from the parish, state or federal government. All funds come from admission fees, grants, donations and membership fees. Southdown Plantation is located at 1208 Museum Drive in Houma. Please call (985) 851-0154 for more information or visit www.southdownmuseum.org. Museum hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (Information for this article was obtained from an Aug. 7 press release from THACS.)

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Sports

A hot start, healthy players and improved turnover margin = Saints in the post season

Overtime

H 54

Ed Daniels

Have you heard this? If you haven’t, you will, with the Saints opener in three weeks at Minnesota. That is, the Saints on a Monday night in Minnesota is a must win. Especially with New England, Carolina and Miami to follow. Here’s some reality. In the NFL, to be a playoff team, you don’t have to be that good. Think about it. The Saints lost seven games in 2016, by less than seven points. In week two, at New York, the Giants blocked a Wil Lutz field goal and returned it for a touchdown in a three point New York win. A three point loss at Carolina included a Lutz field goal attempt that was blocked and set up a touchdown. And, a two point loss to Denver at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome happened on a blocked point after a touchdown inside two minutes. The block was returned for the winning two points by the Broncos. With a bad defense, and poor

special teams, the Saints still won seven. The offense was terrific. The Saints led the NFL in fourth quarter points. Drew Brees threw for the most yards since his 2011 season. Brees threw the most touchdown passes since the 2013 season. And, Brees has a chance to be even better. In his 2017 football preview, analyst Warren Sharp said the Saints faced the third most difficult schedule of defenses. This year, according to Sharp, the Saints face the fifth easiest. The Saints special teams appear to be better. Lutz, with an assist from kicking coach Kevin O’Dea, made his last 13 tries in 2016. And, by adding Ted Ginn and rookie Alvin Kamara, the Saints figure to be a much better return team. The defense? Who knows? The Saints have several veteran candidates at linebacker, but no standout. And, the defensive line took

a huge hit when heart issues sidelined defensive tackle Nick Fairley for the season, and possibly a career. What the Saints do have are more good young players on their roster in about five years. The 2014 draft class was a disaster; 2015 looks mediocre; but in 2016, the Saints added Michael Thomas, Vonn Bell and Sheldon Rankins. And in camp, Kamara, and second round pick safety Marcus Williams, look to be keepers. So, barring a spate of injuries in the preseason, the Saints don’t look like a 10 win team, but they don’t look like a six win team, either. A hot start, a season of relative health, and an improvement in turnover margin (-2, in 2016), could get the Saints to the post season. In 2016, only two teams in the NFC, Green Bay and Seattle, repeated as playoff teams. In the NFL, there’s about a 20 team gumbo that is right in the middle. To say that it will take a giant leap in production for the Saints to take a step forward isn’t reality.

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Bayou

Catholic

Marriage JON REYNAUD PHOTO

Contents Advice

Marriage: giving and receiving

62 Meet our couples

Marriage as a

Sacrament

Partnership Help your marriage to thrive

For more articles on strengthening

your marriage, visit www.foryourmarriage.org

65 Marriage

Must-have conversations for couples

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Marriage

Couples featured in our Marriage Special 58

HEATHER THERIOT PHOTOGRAPHY

The sacrament of marriage is important to us as a couple because it is one of the most beautiful sacraments you can receive in the Catholic Church in our eyes. Being one of the most important stepping stones we can take in our spiritual journey, it is a partnership and a bond that is created for the rest of your life. With God as your center, it is a bond that can never be broken and it’s a promise of love and faithfulness. Marriage to us was a step that brought us closer to God and to each other. It made us a team and together we can live our lives the way God intended us to. Tyler and Whitney P. Pitre St. Joseph Church parish’s Adoration Chapel, Chauvin Wedding Date: Jan. 13, 2017

KLINT LANDRY PHOTOGRAPHY

Before our wedding day I really thought I understood what it meant to be married, but I was wrong. It’s so much more than the dress, the flowers, and all the planning that comes with a wedding. Marriage is all about love: loving God, your spouse, and yourself. As Eric’s wife I believe that it’s part of my responsibility to help him to be the very best man he can be so that one day he can get to heaven. It’s also Eric’s responsibility to help me be the best woman I can be so that I can get to heaven, also. Marriage is about the love that two people share, and with the love of Christ that love continues to grow. Eric and I hope that we will be able to show our children what the true meaning of love is and teach them that because Jesus is at the center of our love for each other that there is no end to it. Eric and Heather R. Clement St Mary’s Nativity Church, Raceland Wedding Date: April 28, 2017 Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

JON REYNAUD PHOTO

We have been in a civil law marriage for 11 years. During that time we were blessed with two beautiful daughters. It was really important for us to receive the sacrament of marriage to have God in our family and set an example for our children. We want to show them the right way to stay in God’s path and how important it is to have him in your life in everything you do. Now we feel complete; thanks God. Jose E. Trejo-Martinez and Georgina Cruz-Juarez St. Andrew Church, Amelia Wedding Date: Dec. 19, 2016

Marriage

Marriage:

Giving and Receiving 60

Guest Columnist

Father P. J. Madden

There is a beautiful prayer which begins, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace” and goes on to include these lines: “Grant that I may never seek, so much to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, to be pardoned as to pardon. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” I would recommend this prayer to all couples preparing for marriage or who are recently married, as it contains the essentials for a good, happy, faith filled, trusting, enduring relationship! Marriage, one of the church’s seven sacraments, is unique in

HEATHER THERIOT PHOTOGRAPHY

that it is a civil contract by which a woman and man pledge to live together for life, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, in a loving relationship open to new life! But, as a sacrament, it is much more than that! It is a covenant in which the couple pledges to have Christ as the bond of their love and life! In Christ, they offer to each other the gift of self, in an equality of loving service. It is the only sacrament administered by lay people. Although we hear the

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

question, “what priest married you?” all the time, it misses the point completely. The bride and groom marry each other with the priest as witness for the faith filled community who gather to pray for the blessings they will need to face all the challenges life throws at them! I would like to emphasize here a point often missed by couples in their youthful enthusiasm. The sacrament is not just celebrated in church, but in every moment

lived together thereafter. That means the grace of the sacrament (and grace means God’s special gift for the situation) is always available and active in the home, too. I usually tell a couple arriving for marriage that when the groom kisses the bride as she arrives, it is affection and it makes them happy, but after the vows are exchanged and they kiss again they now exchange the grace of the sacrament, and make each other holy! It is essential that couples grasp this vital point: grace, unique to that sacrament, is shared in every word and action of a sacramental marriage. It follows that a couple starting out in marriage will find time to pray together to remain conscious of Christ’s invisible but real presence in their home. Marriage is also a formal public act, before legal witnesses, and so it follows that the commitment made should be publicly lived out. This means that a married couple will be committed to open communication and trust at all times. In addition to praying together at home, the public witness of their sacramental

love will be fulfilled by coming to Sunday Mass together; although I know that because of work scheduling, this is not always practical. Married love is also open to new life and sees the gift of a child as a sign that their love is so strong that it cannot be contained, and expresses itself in a new life. The child conceived and born in a sacramental marriage will always be seen and welcomed as a gift from God. Raising that child will deepen the bond between the parents and give them a shared focus for the years ahead; the advance of a baby through infancy, childhood, teens, various schools, to maturity and work or college is one of the most gratifying signs of a fulfilled maturing marriage. This also explains why we call the home the domestic church; a child is introduced to love, security, self awareness, prayer and Christ in the home through simple signs like the sign of the Cross, a simple prayer at bedtime (Jesus I love you; thank you Jesus for loving me), a simple blessing before eating, holy

water in the home, a crucifix and picture of Mary or a saint in the child’s room or the kitchen! In a secularized world, sacramental couples can witness to the power of sacrificial love when they work through some very stressful crises which can strike them, such as sickness or unemployment, to name but two. Meeting various challenges with love and trust, rooted in prayer and Christ, ensures that marriage will always have more smiles than tears, more laughter and song than sadness and sickness, and more hope and peace, especially as a couple age and memories become more important in their lives! I pray every blessing on young couples preparing for marriage and for all recently married couples. You are, after all, the future of our church and state. Thank you for saying yes to each other and Christ. God bless you all. (Father P.J. Madden is the pastor of St. Hilary of Poitiers Church parish in Mathews and the Community of St. Anthony in Gheens.)

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Marriage Preparation in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux In the past 18 years, 5,320 engaged couples have participated in the diocesan Marriage Preparation program, reports Cathy Klingman, L.C.W.S., diocesan director of the Office of Family Ministries.

Marriage Preparation Day

Some engaged couples may view the Marriage Preparation Day as something they “have to do,” but there are many benefits for an engaged couple if they really invest themselves in and fully participate in the process, says Cathy Klingman, L.C.W.S., diocesan director of the Office of Family Ministries. Some of these benefits are: v A witness from other married couples – a connection with other married couples who hold the same beliefs and values as they do; v Faith based preparation about the sacrament of marriage; v Get a better understanding of marriage as a “sacrament,” Why do you want to get married in the church? There is more to it than just pretty pictures; v Helps them to understand that there is a whole other family unit that wants to help them be successful in their marriage; v Build a strong faith based foundation for their marriage; v A connection back to the church – why it is important to be a part of the church and register in a parish.

FOCCUS Couples Married couples may be invited to participate actively in the marriage preparation of engaged couples in their church parish as FOCCUS couples. FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study) is a premarital instrument designed to help assess a couple’s readiness for marriage; it is a “snapshot”

Marriage as a

Sacrament

Marriage as a Sacrament Marriage as a sacrament is a serious and sacred commitment that calls a couple to each other in the most profound and permanent way. Their mutual love is a reminder of the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. By the grace of their sacrament, they become able to love one another as Christ has loved them. As a married couple, they become a visible sign and reminder of Christ’s sacrificial love for all people. The Engaged Couple A couple desiring to be married is encouraged to contact their priest/ deacon at least six (6) months (or more) prior to the proposed date of their wedding. This interval allows time to prepare well for such a sacred commitment. The engaged couple must take an active part in all the steps of these guidelines which apply to them. With the assistance of their priest/deacon, they are to: v Identify and cultivate their strengths, v Deal with the areas of difficulty in their relationship, v Participate in assessment and preparation, v Recognize that marriage is essentially characterized by unity, fidelity, permanence and an openness to children, v Attend a formal marriage preparation program, v Participate in premarital evaluation and counseling when recommended. A tentative wedding date may be set at the time of this initial contact with the priest/deacon. When the couple has completed phase two of the marriage preparation process, the tentative wedding date will be confirmed or changed. Responsibilities 1. Priest/Deacon The church has the pastoral obligation to assist those desiring to marry to make a prayerful and mature judgment concerning their marriage. In particular, the priest/deacon, who plans to witness a marriage, is personally responsible for the complete marriage preparation process. He has the serious moral and ministerial responsibility to assist the engaged couple in understanding the meaning of Christian marriage in its human, spiritual, canonical and sacramental aspects, and to provide a liturgical experience that truly celebrates and manifests the momentous step that the couple is taking. 2. Community The faithful in each parish share in the pastoral responsibility to help engaged couples prepare for their life together. Married couples have a particular responsibility to witness the holiness of their sacramental life of intimacy, unity, self-sacrificing love and commitment. They may therefore be invited to participate actively in the marriage preparation of engaged couples in their parish. 3. Parents The church recognizes the unique and vital role of parents in the psychological, social, moral and spiritual development of their children. Renewal in the church has included attempts to make sacramental preparation more family centered. Parents are therefore encouraged to respond to the invitation of the priest/deacon to participate actively in the assessment and preparation of their children for marriage in the church whenever possible.

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

of where the couple is in their relationship at that moment. The diocese uses this instrument to help couples identify issues that need to be discussed, etc. FOCCUS couples are trained by Office of Family Ministries personnel and their number varies from parish to parish and priest to priest.

Attendance at Marriage Preparation Day A maximum of 35 couples per date are able to attend Marriage Preparation Day which is offered eight times throughout the year in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

Marriage Preparation on the Internet KLINT LANDRY PHOTOGRAPHY

The Marriage Preparation Process All engaged couples are required to receive sacramental preparation and must meet with their priest/deacon at least six months (or more) prior to the desired wedding date. This marriage preparation process consists of four phases. 1. Phase One: Initial contact with priest/deacon will: v Establish rapport with you in order to support and counsel you at this most important time in your life. v Examine your motives for marriage. v Explore any special circumstances that may affect marriage, e.g., age, cultural background, pregnancy, military service, physical or emotional problems, levels of faith and religious issues. v Explain the marriage preparation process. v Obtain personal information, explain what other documentation is needed, and determine whether any dispensations or permissions will be necessary. 2. Phase Two: Assessment process with priest/deacon will: v Administer a Premarital Instrument* to assist in beginning the assessment of your readiness to marry. v Discuss the results of the FOCCUS instrument. v Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your communication process. v Examine the sacramental aspects of your human covenant. v Assess your readiness for marriage and complete the prenuptial questionnaire. v Begin the liturgical wedding plans and present to you the parish guidelines. Inform you of the cost and suggested offering. *A premarital instrument is a tool designed to help you assess your readiness for marriage. It is not a pass/fail indicator. Instead it is meant to help you discover more about yourselves and each other in a non-threatening and objective way. Our diocese utilizes the FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication Understanding and Study) instrument to help you identify issues that need to be discussed, reflected on, understood, studied for problem-solving, skill-building and decision-making. Your priest/ deacon will give you more information at your initial meeting. During phase two, the priest/deacon will make the decision to proceed or delay the marriage. If he proceeds, the wedding date will be confirmed and the process continues. If his decision is to delay the marriage, he will follow the procedure found in Delay of Marriage.

Catholicmarriageprep.com is an online program based in the Diocese of Colorado Springs, CO, that is featured on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website as a valid marriage preparation course. This program is approved by the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux for couples with extenuating circumstances.

Updating the program The diocese is constantly looking to update the Marriage Preparation Program and revise its marriage policies in response to changing circumstances in our society, in our economy and in the universal church. The sacrament part doesn’t change, but other factors are constantly changing.

Pre-Cana

Pre-Cana, the name the diocese used for its marriage preparation program for many years, is still the name many parishes and dioceses give to their marriage preparation program. The term is derived from John 2:1-12, the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee, where Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine. Continued on pg. 64

www.bayoucatholic.com

Catholic Engaged Encounter This weekend retreat for engaged couples is an in-depth, private, personal, marriage preparation experience within the context of Catholic faith and values. During the weekend retreat there is plenty of alone time for couples to dialogue honestly and intensively about their prospective lives together – their strengths and weaknesses, desires, ambitions, goals, their attitudes about money, sex, children, family, their role in the church and society – in a face to face way.

Marriage as a Sacrament 3. Phase Three: Formal marriage preparation This instructional phase, formal marriage preparation, presents the essential human and Christian aspects of marriage so that the couple becomes aware of the total dimensions of the marriage covenant. Formal marriage preparation includes reflection on the nature and sacramentality of marriage, married love and family life, couple prayer, marital responsibilities, communication within marriage, personal expectations, natural family planning and other practical considerations. There are two approved options in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. If you are unable to attend such a formal marriage preparation program, you must discuss this with your priest/deacon immediately. These are the approved options: v Diocesan Marriage Preparation program v Engaged Encounter Weekend Retreat in the surrounding dioceses Schedule of the Day for Marriage Preparation in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

Want to get involved?

“The married couples who work with marriage prep really enjoy it. It brings them enrichment in their own marriage, reconnects them to their own spouse. Helps them to see where they are now compared to where they started,” says Klingman. Please contact the Office of Family Ministries if you are interested in working with the diocesan Marriage Preparation program.

Gratitude Prayer

v Location: 2779 Hwy 311 - Schriever, LA 70395 - Pastoral Center Conference Hall v Arrival Time: 8:45 a.m. (The day begins promptly at 9 a.m.) v Dismissal Time: 3:15 p.m. v Registration Fee: $120 (check or money order) If you are engaged and would like to begin your marriage preparation, you will need to meet with your parish priest or deacon at least six months before your desired wedding date. The priest/deacon will give you a marriage preparation booklet which will include all of this marriage prep information and a registration form to attend the diocese’s marriage prep, “Day for the Engaged.” Complete the registration form, detach it and mail the form with your registration fee at least three months before the date you would like to attend. Your fee can be paid with a check or money order made payable to the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. Do not send cash! Come dressed comfortably.

for

Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017 Sunday, Nov. 5 Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018 Saturday, March 17 Saturday, April 14 Sunday, June 3 Saturday, Aug. 18 Sunday, Oct. 7 Sunday, Nov. 11

Married Couples Dear Lord, Thank you for marriage. I pray right now that I would always have a heart of thankfulness. I realize that thankfulness and gratitude fuel joy in my heart! Help me to be appreciative of my spouse. I pray that there would be encouraging words on my tongue to share with my spouse. I am thankful for my spouse’s love, hard work and encouragement. Holy Spirit, fill my heart with gratitude. May you help me to be thankful every day in Jesus’ name. AMEN!

4. Phase Four: Completion of marriage prep process with priest/deacon will: v Discuss with you what you have learned and experienced at your formal marriage preparation program. v Discuss with you your understanding of sacrament in light of your formal marriage preparation. v Discuss with you your responsibilities as members of God’s people, as spouses and future parents. v Complete all documentary requirements. As appropriate, grant permission for mixed marriage and/or apply for appropriate permissions or dispensations. v Discuss the reception of penance and holy Eucharist as a fitting preparation for the sacrament of matrimony. v Finalize the wedding liturgy and discuss the wedding rehearsal.

Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

Must-have conversations for couples

As a dating or engaged couple, conversation probably comes easily. The two of you enjoy talking about just anything. Just about anything that is, except ugly disagreements. This doesn’t change much in marriage except there are more things to disagree about. You can’t run away from prickly conversations – for long. If anything, marriage accentuates the mild differences you have while dating or engaged. They can become serious disagreements once the initial excitement of new love becomes the comfort of secure love. Before you marry, consider “must have conversations” on these topics: n Spirituality/Faith n Conflict Resolution Skills n Careers n Finances n Intimacy/Cohabitation n Children and Parenting n Commitment n Family of Origin You’ve probably already talked about most of these topics – at least to some degree. Great! That should confirm your decision to marry.

But don’t avoid topics that might be sensitive. This is the time to face difficult conversations and make sure you are on the same page. You don’t have to agree on everything – just the important things. Use your time of courtship and engagement to explore the serious and controversial issues that are ahead of you. A marriage preparation program will help you to address these issues more thoroughly. You may come to an impasse on an issue. That doesn’t mean you aren’t meant for each other. It does mean you should pause and study this issue more carefully. Perhaps it’s a sign you need to consult others with experience or expertise in the area.

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Marriage

How much does faith matter?

By SUSAN VOGT, MA, CFLE Mary finds herself resentful that she and their son go to church every Sunday while Ted sleep in or plays golf. Mary’s faith has always been very important to her. Her husband, Ted, was raised Christian but now considers himself an agnostic. He’s not anti-God; he just doesn’t know that God has anything to do with his life here on earth. This didn’t bother Mary when they first got married since she knew Ted to be a good and moral man who did not interfere with her practice of her Catholic faith. Mary and Ted, however, now have a child who is preparing for first Eucharist and asking why Dad doesn’t join them at Mass. Mary also finds herself a little resentful that she and their son go to church every 66 Sunday while Ted sleeps in or plays golf. Ted has also been dealing with stress at work lately and seems depressed at home. Mary thinks that it would help Ted cope if he had God in his life. She’d feel they had a much more cohesive family if they could share faith and go to church together. What should Mary do? n Mary could talk to Ted about how important faith is to her and ask Ted to join her in faith for the sake of their marriage. n Mary could leave pamphlets

around the house or ask Ted to join her for faith-sharing or enrichment talks sponsored by the parish or diocese. n Mary could ask Ted to go to RCIA to learn more about her faith and perhaps decide to embrace it for himself. n Mary should accept the fact that faith and God are not important to Ted and not try to change him. n All Mary can do is pray. A response It certainly is painful when something important, indeed something core to one’s being like faith, is not shared by your spouse. It is difficult enough when a spouse belongs to a different faith tradition but even more so when Ted not only rejects organized religion, but also does not seem to value a spiritual life. While no one can or should force another to believe in God or practice a religion, that doesn’t mean that God might not work through the believing spouse’s example of a faith-filled life. Assuming that Mary has already asked Ted to join her for worship and he has declined, another step might be to attend something together that is less directly religious but focused on parenting or marriage enrichment. Often parishes or dioceses sponsor such programs that are value based.

Also, Mary could look around for an inspiring speaker who talks on faith issues and ask Ted to accompany her–not for conversion but for support. Another route would be to find short, inspirational articles that address common human concerns such as depression, living a more fulfilling life, or communication in marriage. She could start with an article on this ForYourMarriage website or other resources such as CareNotes (www.onecaringplace. com). Although Ted probably would not yet be receptive to having a chat with a priest, perhaps there is a respected friend who could talk about why he or she is a person of faith. If Ted can find encouraging insights through spiritual talks or reading it might stir him to take another look at organized religion. So Mary can do a number of things to introduce Ted to a healthy, meaningful spiritual life, but the most important question is, “Is Ted a good man? Does he live by values consistent with the gospels even if he does not claim Jesus Christ or any particular religion?” If indeed he has a strong moral compass but is not ready to join Mary in religious practices, leave the rest up to God. Who knows path God will use to draw him close. Of course, Mary should continue to pray that she might be a worthy instrument of God’s grace in their life together.

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Marriage

Help your marriage to

thrive

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By SUSAN VOGT, MA, CFLE What makes marriages not just last, but thrive? Why? Why! Why are the Gore’s separating? Everybody who cares about relationships is trying to figure it out. I too have been trying to understand the Gore phenomenon. Having worked in both marriage and divorce ministry for many years, I’ve found that sometimes divorce can teach us a lot about the fragility of marriage. Sometimes it’s predictable. A couple gets married too young, for the wrong reasons, with only a soft commitment, or their personalities are just too different for easy day Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

to day living. Most of these couples divorce within the first seven years of marriage though. A couple who has made it four decades is not separating because of personality differences – unless they’ve been leading parallel lives where they are sheltered from each other rather than sheltered by each other. We have to get beyond dissecting the Gore’s marriage, however, and look for lessons that might help the rest of us. What makes marriages not just last, but thrive? Is it commitment, hard work, knowledge, skills, lack of celebrity, or just dumb luck? Who knows? It’s

dangerous to compare marriages or children. Each one is unique. The Gore’s announcement, however, pulls us to ponder what makes marriages worth keeping. Granted, sometimes it is just dumb luck, but we can increase our odds. Marrying at 23 and 25, my husband Jim and I had the emotions of love but a lot of naïveté about what might strain a marriage. We didn’t know what we didn’t know, but were committed to learning and growing old together. Following are some ideas that came to us as we pondered what can make a difference. Love and commitment

are decisions, not feelings. Yes, we also feel love for each other, but not always intensely. Sometimes it’s more of a quiet comfort in knowing the other is there for us – and will be, till death do us part. Stay intellectually connected. If one person advances in career or education, it can leave the other out of the loop. Companions who share more of our passions start to usurp the energy previously directed toward one’s spouse. It’s more stimulating to talk with someone who “gets it.” Sex is a bonder. Frequency of sex may diminish but quality should not. Empty nesting can be a crisis or an opportunity. When the last child leaves home, it creates a gap in many couples’ lives. Time and worry that used to be directed toward kids leaves a hole as couples realize that they had a partner in child rearing but not in life. Some intentionally renegotiate roles and discretionary time. For others, it’s a welcome freedom to embark on new adventures without worrying whether the teens will have a wild

party in their absence. Sure, invest heavily in your children, but don’t over-invest to the point of losing your identities. Link but don’t tether. Pursuit of new activities together can reinvigorate but so can independent pursuits that we bring back to share. Jim helps me dig up the garden. I go on bike rides with him – some of the time. We dance, work, pray, and play – often together, but not always. Focus on mutual challenges. We both still have “almost full time” jobs supplemented by too many volunteer involvements that cost us money rather than bringing it in. This forces us to live simply. It’s a shared challenge. Growing old means a changing physical appearance, but it doesn’t have to mean being out of shape. Even for those of us who hate going to a gym, staying fit can mean climbing stairs or walking to the corner store rather than defaulting to the car. Often with age also comes the income and time to eat out more or indulge in comfort foods, leading to

weight gain. Eating well – but not everything we could – and doing things for ourselves can save money, pounds, and disenchantment. We both have wrinkles. Some of them match. Try to please the other. My husband suggested I write this article. I didn’t want to do it. I’m certainly not a wimp who does anything he asks. I decided to do it out of love and knowing that gestures of kindness build relationship capital. He knows my favorite candy and periodically hides a chocolate Easter egg in interesting places around the house. It’s like many mini-Easters. Faith isn’t magic, but it helps. Having a reason for living beyond one’s personal pleasure helps us deal with those mysteries of life that don’t always make sense. Having a faith community that supports marriage can balance our “It’s all about me,” throw-away culture. Enjoy each other. It takes time. Susan Vogt is a freelance speaker and writer on marriage, parenting, and spirituality (www.SusanVogt.net) 69

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Marriage

Preparing for a second marriage?

The Catholic Church stands for lifelong marriage. 70 Sometimes, however, couples are not able to achieve this ideal. Marriages break apart because of a spouse’s infidelity, addiction, or mental illness. Sometimes, the couple thought they were mature enough to make a wise decision but were blinded by infatuation or youth. There are many reasons why marriages fail. They are personal and not easy to sort through. The church offers a process to help divorced men and women who entered into what they thought was a valid marriage at the time. After examining the evidence, the church may find that some essential ingredient was missing from the very beginning. This process is called an annulment. When a man or woman receives an annulment, they are free to re-marry in the Catholic Church. The issues facing couples entering a second marriage are more complex than first marriages. Although many people who divorce have successful subsequent marriages, the divorce rate of remarriages is higher than that of first marriages. Preparation should be more comprehensive. Most dioceses offer specialized programs that include such topics as: n Lessons learned from a divorce n Ability not to let an idealized memory or loyalty to a deceased spouse block a new marriage n Assessment of “baggage” (bad habits, unresolved anger or guilt, self-defeating attitudes) from the previous marriage n Blending families, becoming instant step-parents n Mixing finances, pre-nuptial agreements to protect inheritances n Blending long-standing lifestyles. Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • September 2017

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