Feature
The Annual Bishop’s Appeal directly impacts the formation of youth in the diocese Story by Janet Marcel ~ Photos by Tyler Neil Bishop Shelton J. Fabre makes a direct plea to the people of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux each year to support certain diocesan ministries through their prayers and financial contributions to the Annual Bishop’s Appeal (ABA). One of the ministries supported by the 2021 Appeal is the formation of youth in the diocese. Bishop Fabre explains this is accomplished in two ways. First, the diocesan Office of Parish Support oversees youth formation that takes place in parish schools of religion. Secondly, the Appeal also supports the Office of Catholic Schools which oversees the faith formation of students in Catholic schools. With respect to faith formation, Bishop Fabre reminds us that the church makes it very clear that parents are always the first “formers” of their children in the ways of faith, so parents should always be examples to their children in matters of the faith. Suzanne Troxclair, diocesan superintendent of Catholic Schools, says the role of the Catholic Schools Office (CSO) is simply to offer guidance and support to the Catholic schools so they can do their job to fulfill the mission of Catholic education, which is to form children into missionary disciples of Christ. “Our goal in Catholic education is to graduate students who are morally and intellectually ready to go out into the world to evangelize and 26 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • April 2021
spread the word of God; and, we want to provide them with the skills they need so that they can do this.” One example of how the CSO assists schools is by utilizing a new faith formation program through the Catechetical Institute. The program is for teachers, administrators and staff who have contact with students to help them learn how to integrate their faith on daily basis into whatever they’re teaching. The Annual Bishop’s Appeal gives the Catholic Schools Office the ability to support the schools by funding many of its projects. “It also supports the diocesan curriculum specialist, and provides support to the administrators and teachers on a daily basis, which in turn supports the nearly 5,000 students who are enrolled in Catholic schools in our diocese. So the ABA very directly impacts Catholic education in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux,” says Troxclair.
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Suzanne Troxclair
