Bayou Catholic Magazine August 2021

INSIDE:

Bayou

Bayou Wellness

Catholic

The official magazine of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

Sunday obligation reinstated

Bishop Fabre lifts dispensation from participating in Sunday Mass AUGUST 2021 ~ VOL. 42 NO. 2 ~ COMPLIMENTARY

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Contents

Features 26 St. Augustine Endowment established

By Janet Marcel

Columns 8 Comfort For My People

By Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

12

Pope Speaks

Pope Francis I

13

Questions of Faith

By Father Wilmer Todd

14

Readings Between the Lines

By Father Glenn LeCompte

32 Overtime

By Ed Daniels

In Every Issue 6 From the Editor 16 Scripture Readings 21 Daily Prayer for Priests,

Deacons, Religious and Seminarians

22

Heavenly Recipes

Guest Columns 18 ‘Fratelli tutti’: Chapter 8

By Father P.J. Madden

24

Sunday obligation and dispensation

By Father Glenn LeCompte

28

Looking forward to a new school year

By Suzanne Troxclair

Announcements 29 Catholic Foundation

30 31

makes distributions

Promotions within diocese Priest appointed chaplain

On Our Cover

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre lifts the dispensation from participating in Sunday Mass. The Sunday obligation will be reinstated the weekend of Aug. 14 – 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in all churches of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. Father Glenn LeCompte, diocesan director of the Office of Worship, explains the Sunday obligation and dispensation in a guest column on pages 24-25 of this issue.

August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 3

4 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

94200200ENV

The Collection wil be September 4-5, 2021 Thank you for your generosity.

bishops in the United States, including five of the six American Cardinal Archbishops, are alumni.

One third of all active and emeritus

More than 12,000 of our alumni are serving the church as priests, sisters, or in other religious vocations throughout the country and world.

D.C., the University provides an exceptional Catholic education to almost 7,000 students annually.

schools and 23 research centers in Washington,

Through its 12

E du c at i n g t h e f utu re l e a d e r s of ou r C hu rc h a n d Nat i on Learn more at collection.catholic.edu

National Collection

Bayou Catholic Heavenly Recipes

How to reach us:

BY PHONE: (985) 850-3132

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7

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

Christy Voisin

BY FAX: (985) 850-3232

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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.

Christy makes a:

HEALTHY CASSEROLE 22

This month’s heavenly recipe, zucchini pizza casserole, comes from Christy Voisin, who was born and raised in East Houma. Christy says that she grew up as a parishioner of Annunziata Church and received almost all of her sacraments there. She is still a parishioner of Annunziata. Christy, an only child, grew up in a devout Catholic family. Her mother Anne taught religion at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral School for 29 years. Her father Kervin, a life-long member of the Knights of Columbus, is a fourth degree knight in the Our Lady of the Good Voyage Council 7722, Grand Caillou, and a third degree knight at Annunziata Council 10612.

Christy is a liturgical minister at Annunziata and belongs to various ministries in the parish. “I am an extraordinary minister, a member of the Altar Society and Ladies Auxiliary.”

Christy has been working at the Pastoral Center in Schriever for a little under two years as administrative manager and executive assistant to the chief operating and financial officer.

Over the past year Christy has experienced a transformation in her life. “During the pandemic I decided to get healthy and change my eating habits. A friend asked me to join Optavia, which is not a diet but a lifestyle change.

Over the course of about a year this lifestyle change has helped me lose 74 pounds. In fact, the zucchini pizza

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

Zucchini Pizza Casserole

Lawrence Chatagnier

editor and general manager

INGREDIENTS:

3-1/2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini April LeBouef business manager (about 2 medium zucchini) 1/4 tsp. salt Janet Marcel 2 eggs staff writer/administrative assistant 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 4 oz. reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese, dividedHebert Lisa Schobel graphic designer 4 oz. reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided Cooking spray Katie Luke 1/2 lb. 90-94 percent lean ground beef accounting specialist 1/4 cup chopped onion 1-14.5 oz. can Rotel 1 small bell pepper (any color), chopped

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DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place zucchini in a Like us on Facebook strainer, and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 10 minutes, or and then press to release moisture. Find Combine us on the web zucchini with eggs, parmesan cheese, and half of the www.bayoucatholic.org mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Press mixture into a lightly greased baking dish (9 x 13). Bake uncovered Where to find your Bayou Catholic for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the beef, onions and Bayou Catholic magazine can be found bell pepper in a medium skillet until done. churches Drain any at all Catholic and Catholic schools liquid and then stir in tomatoes.

Pour beef mixture throughout the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. pick up copy, you may also visit the over the zucchini and sprinkle topTowith thea remaining merchants who advertise in our issue. Those cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional wishing to receive the magazine by mail can 20 minutes or until heated through. call Janet Marcel at (985) 850-3132 or write

Bay u Wellness gradually increased. Now I run three miles around 33 three to six days a week. It has changed my life.” to Bayou Catholic, P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395.

Subscription price is $35 annually. For the online edition, go to www.bayoucatholic.org

Christy enjoys working at the Pastoral Center August for 2021the • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 5 and working diocese.

“I have always heard from my mom that it was great to work for

From the Editor

August: A month to celebrate wellness

Each month Bayou Catholic magazine strives to inform, inspire, challenge and evangelize the Catholic faithful of the diocese with informative, inspirational stories, guest columns and articles to help them grow in their faith.

The month of August is designated to celebrate health and wellness nationally. In this issue there is a special section dedicated to wellness. There are many articles on promoting a healthy lifestyle through eating healthy foods which include fruits, vegetables and whole grains. There is a guest column from a diocesan priest who explains how he found a way to energize his spiritual life while he started an exercise and fitness program aimed to improve his physical fitness.

Our wellness cover story is from a local doctor who explains how osteoporosis is a silent disease and ways that it can be treated. There are other guest columns with topics including diabetes, cancer, and general health and wellness.

I feel one of the most important guest columns comes from a local doctor explaining the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19. He goes on to explain that these vaccines were developed through the required clinical trials

and have been determined to be safe and effective. Vaccines are most effective when all healthy individuals get vaccinated and become much less likely to pass the virus on to more vulnerable people.

By choosing to get the vaccine, you can protect yourself from getting seriously ill. Non-vaccinated individuals are more likely to be hospitalized and have serious complications resulting from infection, according to the local doctor.

There is much misinformation concerning COVID-19 and the vaccine. Anyone who has doubts about whether the vaccine is safe or right for them should consult their family physician.

As of press time, new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are up 69 percent.

Hospitalizations are up 36 percent and deaths are up 26 percent. Cases of COVID-19 have tripled over the past three weeks. Hospitalizations and deaths are rising among unvaccinated people. As cases continue to rise, U.S. health officials are voicing concerns over reversing trend lines, according to Associated Press reports.

Louisiana is ranked near the bottom of states with individuals being vaccinated against COVID-19.

Our own area, comprised of Terrebonne, Lafourche and St. Mary parishes, which makes up most of the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux, has just under one third of its population vaccinated against the virus.

On Dec. 21, 2020, the Vatican’s doctrinal office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF), issued a statement noting it is “morally acceptable” for Catholic’s to take

6 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

vaccines against COVID-19. Among other things, the CDF stated: “All vaccinations recognized as clinically safe and effective can be used in good conscience with the certain knowledge that the use of such vaccines does not constitute formal cooperation with the abortion from which the cells used in production of the vaccines derive” ... “The morality of vaccination depends not only on the duty to protect one’s own health, but also on the duty to pursue the common good.

In the absence of other means to stop or even prevent the pandemic, the common good may recommend vaccination, especially to protect the weakest and most exposed.”

Thus, it makes sense to receive a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine for the sake of ourselves, our loved ones and the common good.

If some of the faithful choose not to take the vaccine for reasons of conscience, the Vatican says those persons “must do their utmost to avoid ... becoming vehicles for the transmission of the infectious agent.”

Visit vaccine.gov to find a COVID-19 vaccine location near you.

Remember, after reading Bayou Catholic, pass it on to a friend or relative who might not be attending Mass. It’s one of the great ways to do your part in spreading the Good News. BC

Lawrence

Lawrence Chatagnier Editor & General Manager

Church Life

St. Kateri honored at Mass A Mass honoring St. Kateri Tekakwitha was celebrated recently at Holy Family Church in Grand Caillou. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre was the main celebrant of the Mass which was concelebrated by priests of the diocese. The Mass featured traditional American Indian dancing and regalia as well as an Order of Blessing a married couple within a Mass on the anniversary of marriage with an American Indian Blanket Ceremony.

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 7

Comment

U.S. Bishops working to reignite eucharistic faith in our country

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

Since the conclusion of the Spring Plenary Assembly of the U.S. Bishops in June 2021, there has been much attention on the vote taken to draft a document on the Eucharist. The question of whether or not to deny any individual or groups holy Communion was not on the ballot. The vote by the bishops last month tasked the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine to begin the drafting of a teaching document on the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life. The importance of nurturing an ever deeper understanding of the beauty and mystery of the Eucharist in our lives is not a new topic for the bishops.

The document being drafted is not meant to be disciplinary in nature, nor is it targeted at any one individual or class of persons. It will include a section on the church’s teaching on the responsibility of every Catholic, including bishops, to live in accordance with the truth, goodness and beauty of the Eucharist we celebrate. Addressed below are a few questions and answers on the topics at issue.

Why are the bishops doing this now? For some time now, a major concern of the bishops has been the declining belief and understanding of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist among the Catholic faithful.

This was a deep enough concern, that the theme of the bishops’ strategic plan for 2021-2024 is “Created Anew by the Body and Blood of Christ: Source of Our

Healing and Hope.” This important document on the Eucharist will serve as a foundation for the multi-year Eucharistic Revival Project, a major national effort to reignite eucharistic faith in our country. It was clear from the intensity and passion expressed in the individual interventions made by the bishops during last month’s meeting that each bishop deeply loves the Eucharist.

“

The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life. The importance of nurturing an ever deeper understanding of the beauty and mystery of the Eucharist in our lives is not a new topic for the bishops.

“

Comfort For My People

Did the bishops vote to ban politicians from receiving holy Communion? No, this was not up for vote or debate. The bishops made no decision about barring anyone from receiving holy Communion. Each Catholic - regardless of whether they hold public office or not - is called to continual conversion, and the U.S. Bishops have repeatedly emphasized the obligation of all Catholics to support human life and dignity and other fundamental principles of Catholic moral and social teaching.

Are the bishops going to issue a national policy on withholding Communion from politicians?

No. There will be no national policy

8 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

on withholding Communion from politicians. The intent is to present a clear understanding of the church’s teachings to bring heightened awareness among the faithful of how the Eucharist can transform our lives and bring us closer to our creator and the life he wants for us.

Did the Vatican tell the bishops not to move forward on drafting the document? No. The Holy See did encourage the bishops to engage in dialogue and broad consultation. Last month’s meeting was the first part of that process. It is important to note that collaboration and consultation among the bishops will be key in the drafting of this document.

Our eucharistic faith is also the reason that, after consultation with our priests, I have decided the time has come to lift the Dispensation from Sunday Mass obligation here in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

This reinstatement of the Sunday Mass obligation, which is the manner in which we as Catholics fulfill the commandment to keep holy the Lord’s Day, will take effect the weekend when we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 14-15, 2021, for it is fitting that we emerge from this pandemic inspired by the example of our Lady who pondered in her heart the many blessings of her life, especially the blessing of the Word made flesh who dwelt in her. Of course, those who are ill, elderly, have compromised immune systems, or refrain from other leisure activities as well as attendance at Mass because of great concern for their health remain dispensed, as is always the case. You can find in this issue of the Bayou Catholic more information on the lifting of the dispensation.

Schools open again during the month of August. Let us pray for a successful school year! Peace and blessings to you all! Let us keep one another in prayer before the Lord! BC

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 9

Comentario

Los obispos trabajando en reavivar la fe eucarística hecha por los obispos durante la reunión del mes pasado que cada obispo está profundamente enamorado de la eucaristía.

Los obispos votaron para prohibir dar la comunión a los políticos? No, eso no se puso a votación o debate. Los obispos no hicieron ninguna votación de prohibir alguna persona de recibir la comunión.

Cada católicos, sin importar si tiene

“

La eucaristía es la fuente y culmen de la vida cristiana. La importancia de nutrir aún más un conocimiento más profundo de la belleza y el misterio de la eucaristía no es un tema nuevo para los obispos.

“

Desde la conclusión del plenario de Primavera de la asamblea de obispos de Estados Unidos en junio de 2021, ha llamado mucho la atención sobre el voto tomado para el borrador del documento sobre la eucaristía. La pregunta sobre si negar la comunión individuos o grupos no fue puesta en votación. El voto de los obispos del mes pasado encargó a la Comisión de la Doctrina de la Fe de la Conferencia de Obispos de Estados Unidos hacer un borrador sobre un documento sobre la enseñanza de la eucaristía.

La eucaristía es la fuente y culmen de la vida cristiana. La importancia de nutrir aún más un conocimiento más profundo de la belleza y el misterio de la eucaristía no es un tema nuevo para los obispos. El documento que está en borrador no significa que es de naturaleza disciplinaria, tampoco apunta hacia algún individuo o clase de personas. Éste incluirá una sección de la responsabilidad de cada católico, incluyendo a los obispos, para vivir conforme a la verdad, bondad y belleza de la eucaristía que celebramos. Abajo hay algunas preguntas y respuestas abarcadas sobre los temas de este asunto.

Por qué los obispos están haciendo esto ahora? Para algunos este tiempo ahora, una de las mayores preocupaciones de los obispos es la declinación de la fe y el entendimiento de la presencia real de Jesucristo en la eucaristía entre los fieles católicos. Esta fue una preocupación suficientemente profunda que el tema de los obispos para el plan estratégico 2021-2024 es: “Creados Nuevamente con el Cuerpo y la la Sangre de Cristo: fuente de nuestra Sanación y Esperanza”.

Este documento importante sobre la eucaristía servirá como una base de varios años del Proyecto de Reanimación de la Eucaristía, un esfuerzo mayor nacional para reavivar la fe eucarística en nuestro país. Fue clara la intensidad y pasión expresada por las intervenciones individuales

o no un Oficio público, está llamado a una conversión continua, Y los obispos de Estados Unidos han enfatizado repetidamente a todos los católicos apoyar la vida y dignidad humanas y otros principios fundamentales de la moral católica y doctrina social.

Los obispos estarán publicando una póliza de retener a los políticos de la comunión? No. No habrá una póliza para retener a los políticos de la comunión. La intención es presentar un claro entendimiento de las enseñanzas de la iglesia para traer mayor conciencia de los fieles de

10 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

cómo la eucaristía puede transformar nuestras vidas, llevarnos más de cerca a nuestro creador y a la vida que él quiere para nosotros.

El Vaticano le ha dicho a los obispos que no sigan adelante con el borrador del documento? No. La Santa Sede ha animado a los obispos a entrar en diálogo y en consulta abierta.

La reunión del mes pasado fue parte de este proceso. Es importante notar que la colaboración y consulta de los obispos fue la clave del borrador del documento.

Nuestra fe eucarística es la razón de que, después de una consulta con nuestros sacerdotes, he decidido que ha llegado el tiempo en que se levante de la dispensación de la obligación de asistir a misa dominical aquí en diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux. Éste retomar la obligación de la asistencia a misa dominical, qué es la manera en que los católicos cumplimos el mandamiento de dedicar el día del Señor, se hará efectiva el fin de semana en el que celebremos la Asunción de la Santísima Virgen María al cielo, el 1415 de agosto de 2021, pues se ajusta de que salimos de la pandemia inspirados por el ejemplo de Nuestra Señora quien meditaba en su corazón todas las bendiciones de su vida, especialmente la bendición del Verbo hecho carne y que habitó en ella. Por supuesto todos aquellos que están enfermos o son ancianos, o tienen su sistema inmunológico comprometido o están detenidos a participar en actividades y de asistir a misa por preocupación de su salud quedan dispensados. Si siempre ese es el caso.

Puedes encontrar en esta revista de Bayou Catholic más información acerca del levantamiento de esta dispensación.

Las escuelas se volverán abrir en el mes de agosto. Recemos para que sea un año escolar exitoso. Paz y bendición para todos ustedes. Mantengámonos unos con otros en oración ante el Señor. BC

Binh luan bang loi

Hội Đồng Giám Mục Hoa Kỳ Bắt Tay Làm Sống Lại Niềm Tin Thánh Thể Các Giám Mục có bỏ phiếu cấm các chính trị gia rước Mình Máu Thánh Chúa? Thưa không, không bỏ phiếu và đem ra bàn cãi. Các Giám Mục đã quyết định không cấm ai đó rước Mình Máu Thánh chúa. Mỗi người Công Giáo, không cần biết là chính trị gia hay dân thường, được kêu gọi hoán cải từng ngày, và các Giám Mục một lần nữa

“

Thánh Thể là nguồn mạch và là trọng tâm của đời sống Ky Tô.

Nguồn mạch tối quan trọng mang đến chiều sâu sự hiểu biết về vẻ đẹp và nhiệm mầu của Thánh Thể trong đời sống không phải là sự quan tâm mới mẻ của Hội Đồng Giám Mục.

“

Sau khi kết thúc Đại Hồi Đồng Giám Mục Mùa Xuân vào tháng Sáu năm 2021 đã có chú tâm bỏ phiếu soạn thảo văn kiện về Thánh Thể. Câu hỏi đặt ra là có nên từ chối từng cá nhân hay từng nhóm được rước Mình Máu Thánh Chúa đã không có trong lần bỏ phiếu. Những lá phiếu của các ngài là giao trọng trách cho một ủy ban lo về tín lý khởi đầu việc soạn thảo giáo lý nói về Thánh Thể.

Thánh Thể là nguồn mạch và là trọng tâm của đời sống Ky Tô. Nguồn mạch tối quan trọng mang đến chiều sâu sự hiểu biết về vẻ đẹp và nhiệm mầu của Thánh Thể trong đời sống không phải là sự quan tâm mới mẻ của Hội Đồng Giám Mục. Văn Kiện đang được soạn thảo bản năng tự nhiên không mang tính cách răn đe, hoặc nhắm vào từng cá nhân hay một nhóm người. Một khoản trong đó sẽ nhắc nhở mỗi người Công Giáo phải có trách nhiệm của mình, bao gồm cả giám mục, sống đúng theo sự thật trên sự tốt lành và vẻ đẹp mà chúng ta cử hành. Dưới đây là những câu hỏi đáp về một vài khía cạnh liên can tới văn kiện.

Tại sao các giám mục bắt tay vào văn kiện lúc này? Cũng đã lâu, một ưu tư lớn của các giám mục là sự thuyên giảm niềm tin và sự hiểu biết về sự hiện hữu của Chúa Ky Tô trong Bí Tích nơi các tín hữu. Sự ưu tư sâu xa này mà các ngài đã chọn chủ đề cho kế hoạch từ năm 2021-2024 là “Hãy Khởi Sắc do Mình và Máu Thánh Chúa: Căn Nguyên sự Chữa Lành và Hy Vọng.” Tài Liệu quan trọng về Thánh Thể này sẽ là nền tảng cho nhiền năm đạt tới Kế Hoạch Hồi Sinh Thánh Thể, là sự cố gắng tầm quốc gia làm sống lại đức tin Thánh Thể. Đó chính là sự hiển nhiên phát xuất từ tâm hồn và lòng yêu mến Thánh Thể của các giám mục được thể hiện qua lần Họp Đại Hội Đồng tháng vừa rồi mà mỗi vị kính mến Thánh Thể tận đáy lòng.

nhấn mạnh bổn phận của mỗi người Công Giáo ủng hộ sự sống và phẩm giá và những giáo huấn Công Giáo về tín lý và xã hội học.

Các Giám Mục có đưa ra văn kiện tầm quốc gia cấm các chính trị gia rước Mình Máu Thánh Chúa? Thưa không, sẽ không có văn kiện tầm quốc gia không cho các chính trị gia rước Mình Máu Thánh. Trọng tâm là trình bày rành mạch giáo lý của Giáo Hội để

giúp người Công Giáo hiểu cặn kẽ như thế nào mà Thánh Thể giúp chúng ta thay đổi cuộc sống và đưa chúng ta đến gần Đấng Tạo Hóa và lối sống mà Ngài mong đợi.

Tòa Thánh có cản các Giám Mục soạn thảo văn kiện về Thánh Thể?

Thưa không, Tòa Thánh đã khuyến khích các Giám Mục thảo luận và tham khảo ý kiến rộng rãi. Lần Họp Hội Đồng tháng rồi là phần đầu của vấn đề. Một điều quan trọng nên ghi nhớ là cộng tác và tham khảo ý kiến từ Các Đấng là chìa khóa soạn thảo văn kiện này. Đức tin về Thánh Thể cũng là lý do, mà sau khi tham khảo với các linh mục, tôi quyết định hủy bỏ quyết định được miễn không bắt buộc tham dự Lễ cuối tuần trong giáo phận Houma-Thibodaux. Sự phục hồi bổn phận tham dự Thánh Lễ Chúa Nhật, là cử chỉ mà chúng ta chu toàn điều răn của Chúa giữ ngày thánh, sẽ có hiệu lực vào cuối tuần mà chúng ta dâng Thánh Lễ Trọng Đức Mẹ Hồn Xác Lên Trời, ngày 15 tháng 8, 2021, vì thời điểm đó thích hợp mà chúng ta ra khỏi đại dịch cũng như được soi sáng bởi đời sống của Mẹ mà Ngài đã suy gẫm trong tâm hồn tất cả những ơn mà Mẹ đã lãnh nhận, đặc biệt được cưu mang Ngôi Lời trong lòng Mẹ. Dĩ nhiên, ai bị bệnh, già yếu, cơ thể miễn nhiễm kém, hay không hoạt động cơ thể cũng như tham dự Thánh Lễ mà có nguy cơ đến sức khỏe thì được miễn. Anh chị em có thể tham khảo thêm trong báo tháng này về bổn phận tham dự Thanh Lễ Chúa Nhật. Các trường học lần nữa sẽ mở cửa đón học sinh trong tháng Tám. Chúng ta cùng dâng lời nguyện cho năm học tới được thành công! Bình an và phép lành xuống trên anh chị em! Hãy nhớ cầu nguyện cho nhau trước mặt Chúa! BC

August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 11

Comment

Pope Francis prays the Angelus from his hospital balcony The Pope Speaks

By COURTNEY MARES Rome, Italy (CNA) In his first public appearance since having an intestinal surgery, Pope Francis prayed the Angelus from the balcony of his hospital on Sunday and delivered a message urging access to good healthcare for everyone.

“In these days of being hospitalized, I have experienced how important good health care is, accessible to all, as it is in Italy and in other countries,” Pope Francis said.

“A free healthcare system that assures good service, accessible to everyone. This precious benefit must not be lost. It needs to be kept. And for this we all need to be committed, because it serves everyone and requires everyone’s contribution.”

The pope spoke while standing beside young patients from Rome’s Gemelli University Hospital where he has been recovering for one week after an intestinal operation in which part of his colon was removed.

Pope Francis said that even when Catholic hospitals face economic difficulties, it is vital to remember that “the church’s vocation is not to have money, but to serve, and service is always free.”

“Don’t forget this: Save free institutions,” the pope said.

Doctors and nurses stood together with a group of pilgrims gathered outside in the courtyard under the hospital window. People waved flags and banners, and some religious sisters sang hymns as they awaited the pope’s arrival.

“I would like to express my appreciation and my encouragement to the doctors and all healthcare workers and hospital staff at this hospital and other hospitals. They work so hard,” the pope said.

Young patients stood beside the pope and waved as he delivered his Angelus address.

“And let us pray for all the sick. Here are some friends who are sick children,” the pope said gesturing to the children next to him.

During the pope’s week-long hospital stay, Francis exchanged affectionate messages with the young patients in the nearby pediatric oncology and children’s neurosurgery wards.

“Why do children suffer? Why children suffer is a question that touches the heart,” the pope said.

“Accompany them with prayer, and pray for all the sick, especially those in more difficult conditions. May no one be left alone. May everyone receive the anointing of listening, closeness and care. Let us ask this through the intercession of Mary, our Mother, Health of the Sick.”

Pope Francis was hospitalized on July 4 to undergo an operation to relieve stricture of the colon caused by diverticulitis, a common condition that involves the formation of small bulges or sacs on the wall of the colon.

The Vatican confirmed earlier this week that the 84-year-old pope had suffered a “severe” narrowing of the colon.

A 10-person medical team was involved in Francis’ surgery, which was carried out under general anesthesia, lasted about three hours and included a left hemicolectomy, the removal of one side of the colon.

The Vatican spokesman said July 5 that the pope was expected to spend seven days recovering in the hospital, “barring complications.”

Pope Francis has been recovering on the 10th floor of the sprawling polyclinic in a wing reserved for papal medical emergencies.

12 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

It is the same room where John Paul II stayed during many of his hospital treatments, including for a colon surgery in 1992 and his hospitalization after being shot in an assassination attempt in 1981.

This is Francis’ first major operation during his pontificate. In 2019, he had an outpatient surgery for cataracts and he occasionally suffers from flare-ups of sciatic pain.

After praying the Angelus with the crowd, the pope said that he has prayed for the people of Haiti after their president was assassinated on July 7.

“I join in the heartfelt appeal of the country’s bishops to ‘lay down your arms, choose life, choose to live together fraternally in the interest of all and in the interest of Haiti,’” he said.

“I am close to the dear Haitian people; I hope that the spiral of violence will end and the nation will be able to resume its journey toward a future of peace and harmony.”

Speaking from the hospital balcony, the pope also thanked everyone who has prayed for him during his hospitalization.

“I have felt your closeness and the support of your prayers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” he said.

Pope Francis reflected on this Sunday’s Scripture reading from chapter six of the Gospel of Mark in which Jesus’ disciples “anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them.”

He said: “This ‘oil’ makes me think of the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, which gives comfort to spirit and body. But this ‘oil’ is also listening, the closeness, the care, the tenderness of those who take care of the sick person: It is like a caress that makes you feel better, soothes your pain and cheers you up.”

“Sooner or later all of us, all of us, need this ‘anointing’ of closeness and tenderness, and we can all give it to someone else, with a visit, a phone call, a hand outstretched to someone who needs help.” BC

Comment

Father Wilmer Todd

What about non-confirmed Catholics?

What happens to people who refused to be confirmed when the sacrament was available to them as teenagers? Can they be married in the church? Can they receive the sacrament of the sick? Are they barred from any sacraments or rites of the church?

To answer the legal aspects of the above questions properly, we have to understand the sacraments themselves. Baptism, confirmation, and holy Communion are the church’s three sacraments of initiation. If an adult comes into the church, they receive them in that order. A cradle Catholic would probably receive baptism, the Eucharist, and confirmation in that order.

For the majority of Catholics who were baptized as infants, confirmation enables young adults to become fullfledged members of the church. We call this sacrament confirmation because the faith given in baptism is now confirmed and made strong by the candidates.

When we were baptized as infants, our parents and godparents made promises to renounce Satan and to believe in God and the church for us.

Those receiving confirmation as young adults renew those same promises by speaking for themselves. Their faith becomes personal.

At the heart of confirmation is not so much about individuals confirming

Confirmation also helps us to realize that we are adopted children of God; it renders our bond with the church in a more perfect union; it gives us a special strength to witness, to spread, and to defend the faith boldly and without shame, and it imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual mark with the seal of the Holy Spirit.

The church would like everyone to be an active, fully-initiated, practicing Catholic. For those who are not confirmed, most Catholic churches have special “catch-up” programs available. The church is not vindictive.

A non-confirmed Catholic can receive all the sacraments including marriage, and the rites of the church. The only restriction is that a person cannot be a godparent. A person has to be a fullyinitiated, practicing Catholic to be a godparent. BC

“

Being confirmed in the church means accepting the responsibility for our faith and our destiny.

It involves deepening our relationships with God and those we call ‘our neighbors.’

“

Questions of Faith

their choice to be Catholics; it is about God, the Holy Spirit, confirming them.

It is much more about what God does to the individuals than something we do for God or even ourselves.

During confirmation, the focus is on the Holy Spirit, who confirmed the apostles on Pentecost and gave them courage to practice their faith. The Holy Spirit descended upon the 120 followers of Jesus in the upper room: “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability” (Acts 2:1-4).

Catholics believe that the same Holy Spirit confirms Catholics during the sacrament of confirmation and gives them the same gifts. These seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude (courage), knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. These gifts are special Godgiven graces bestowed on the persons who are open to receive them.

If candidates use these gifts for the glory of God and the well-being of others, they will experience the fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol – human qualities that the Holy Spirit can activate.

Being confirmed in the church means accepting the responsibility for our faith and our destiny. It involves deepening our relationships with God and those we call “our neighbors.”

Being a fully-initiated Catholic means that we must do what is right on our own not for the recognition or reward but because it is the right thing to do.

Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society and world. We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner and are willing to live that faith in our everyday lives.

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

August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 13

Reflections

Come back to communion Readings Between the Lines Father Glenn LeCompte

“Now those, therefore, who received his (Peter’s) word were baptized and there were added on that day about 3,000 souls. They were devoted to the teaching of the apostles, and to communion, to the breaking of the bread, and to the prayers. And there came to be in each soul fear; wonders and signs came to pass through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and belongings and they divided them accordingly as each had need. Each day they devoted themselves to being together in the temple, breaking bread in each one’s home, partaking of food with joyful and generous hearts. They praised God and had favor with the whole people. And the Lord added to those being saved each day, to that very group” (Acts 2:41-47, translation by Father Glenn LeCompte).

This summary passage from Acts immediately follows Peter’s Pentecost Speech (2:14-39), Luke’s summarization of other things Peter said (2:40) and a report that as a result of Peter’s speech about 3,000 souls were baptized that day (2:41). In Acts 2:42-47, Luke paints an ideal portrait of the life of those who are baptized in response to Peter’s speech. Peter demonstrates that his assertion about Jesus in 2:36, “God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified,” was anticipated by the prophets. Therefore, Jesus’ death and resurrection represent the climax of God’s plan of salvation. When the audience asks Peter how they should respond he tells them to “repent and be baptized” (2:38).

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

Acts 2:42-47 paints a picture of the lives of these people consequent upon their repentance. Luke outlines four results of their repentance: 1) they are devoted to the apostles’ teaching, 2) they share communion with one another, 3) they break bread, and 4) they pray.

Communion. The characteristic of “communion” (koinōnia in Greek) underlies all the other characteristics.

While each of the hearers of Peter’s speech repents individually, once they have done so there is an interconnection among them that demands a unity of heart and mind among these new individual believers.

They are not meant to live their new lives of faith in isolation, but as a group sharing in a commonly-held belief. The audience’s understanding in their native languages the apostle’s utterances under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2:6-12) represents a reversal of the confusion of languages in the Tower of Babel incident (Genesis 11:1-9). This confusion of languages also points to divisions among people of different nations, cultures and races.

The gift of the Spirit and the people’s coming to faith reverses the confusion and division, and makes believers one.

The Teaching of the Apostles. The unity of this newly born community is in part rooted in their common acceptance of the apostles’ teaching.

Since the early Christians understood themselves to be Jews, the Scriptures

14 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

and Jewish Oral Tradition (unless you were a Sadducee!) remained normative for them. The apostles would have explained how Jesus gave new interpretations to the Jewish Law and, as Father Raymond Brown, S. S. (An Introduction to the New Testament, p. 289) points out, “became the nucleus of a special teaching.” For example, In Luke 6:1-11, Jesus points out that he, as Son of Man, is Lord of the Sabbath, and therefore able to permit his disciples to pluck heads of grain on that day. Also, he maintains that it is a more righteous deed to help a destitute person on the Sabbath than not to do so to avoid violating the Sabbath rest law.

The apostles’ teaching provides for the community a foundation of faith which, because they embrace it together, makes them of one heart and mind.

The Breaking of the Bread. If the early Christians gathered to break bread they must have heard from the apostles a story such as that of the two disciples who encounter the risen Lord in the breaking of the bread at Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), and that Jesus commanded his disciples to drink of the cup of wine-become-his-blood, and of the bread-become-his-body in memory of him (Luke 22:17-20). From such apostolic preaching they would have been moved to gather together to share the Eucharist. Again, the partaking of the eucharistic meal was an activity that they understood had to be done as a community

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Reflections

and not as individuals, due to the fact that the principle of koinōnia underlies the eucharistic meal.

Prayers. Luke is not explicit about what prayers he means here. As Jews the early Christians would have said Jewish prayers such as the Shema Yisrael (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), “Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one.” Jewish prayer often extolled God for his mighty deeds, his great acts of salvation, his kindness and mercy to his people, or his rescue of them as a nation or as individuals from peril.

There were also meal blessings. In Luke 11:2-4, Jesus teaches his disciples to begin their prayer in the Jewish way by praying for the sanctification of God’s name, then for the coming of the Kingdom Jesus has announced.

They are also to pray for daily bread, forgiveness of sin and not to be subjected to moral testing. Luke’s mention of the disciples’ praying together in Acts 2:42 reflects the emphasis of Luke’s Jesus

on prayer. In passage unique to Luke (18:1-8) Jesus uses a parable about a persistent widow and applies it to a point he wishes to make to his disciples about persistence in prayer.

“Communion” is a foundation of Christian life. Such life is not to be lived in a vacuum but shared with others who embrace the common faith in Jesus Christ. While there might be times that Christians pray alone, common prayer, such as the Mass, is essential to Christian identity. Musical groups and sports teams which have a standard lineup are affected by the absence of even one of their regulars. The same is true of the church assembled for the liturgy. When members of a particular community are absent from the weekly liturgical assembly, the liturgy can still be a meaningful and prayerful celebration for those present, but those missing make a difference. That is why with the lifting of the dispensation to participate in Sunday Mass it is

important that those who have been missing from our liturgical assemblies due to the pandemic return now.

Your brothers and sisters are eagerly waiting for you! BC

Reflection Questions v If you came back to regular Sunday Mass participation even with the dispensation from the Mass obligation still in place, what prompted your return? v If you have not been back to Sunday Mass since the pandemic began or have been away for a while, what have you missed most about the communal liturgy? v What would you do to encourage your brothers and sisters who have been absent from the liturgical assembly for a while to join us again?

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banksynergy.com August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 15

August Scripture Readings and a listing of Feast days and saints

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 John 6:24-35

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

Weekday Numbers 12:1-13 Matthew 14:22-36

8

9

10

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 1 Kings 19:4-8 Ephesians 4:30— 5:2 John 6:41-51

Weekday Deuteronomy 10:12-22 Matthew 17:22-27

15

16

Weekday Solemnity of the Assumption of the Judges 2:11-19 Blessed Virgin Mary Matthew 19:16-22 1 Chronicles 15:34, 15-16; 16:1-2 1 Corinthians 15:54b-57 Luke 11:27-28 22

23

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b Ephesians 5:21-32 John 6:60-69

Weekday 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8b-10 Matthew 23:13-22

29

30

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Deuteronomy 4:12, 6-8 James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27 Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

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

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

17 Weekday Judges 6:11-24a Matthew 19:23-30

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

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

16 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

Weekday Memorial of Saint John Vianney, priest Numbers 20:1-13 Matthew 16:13-23 Numbers 13:1-2, 25—14:1, 26-29a, 34-35 Matthew 15:21-28

11 Memorial of Saint Clare, virgin Deuteronomy 34:112 Matthew 18:15-20

18 Weekday Judges 9:6-15 Matthew 20:1-16

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

19 Weekday Judges 11:29-39a Matthew 22:1-14

25

26

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

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

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

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

20 Memorial of Saint Bernard, abbot and doctor of the church Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14b16, 22 Matthew 22:34-40

27 Memorial of Saint Monica 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 Matthew 25:1-13

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

14 Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, priest and martyr Joshua 24:14-29 Matthew 19:13-15

21 Memorial of Saint Pius X, pope Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17 Matthew 23:1-12

28 Memorial of Saint Augustine, bishop and doctor of the church 1 Thessalonians 4:9-11 Matthew 25:14-30

August

Holy Father’s prayer intentions

Life is great ~

Get busy living.

Evangelization The church. Let us pray for the church, that she may receive from the Holy Spirit the grace and strength to reform herself in the light of the Gospel.

See www.apostleshipofprayer.org

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August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 17

Special

‘Fratelli tutti’

Pope Francis issues social encyclical calling people to care for one another as brothers and sisters

Guest Columnist Father P.J. Madden

In 1999, St. John Paul II wrote an exhortation (uplifting letter) to American Catholics, on the eve of the Third Millennium, challenging us to be evangelizers to the whole world!

He concluded with a beautiful prayer which included the words “Grant us to be faithful witnesses to your resurrection for the younger generation of Americans. Only then will they know that they are brothers and sisters of all God’s children scattered throughout the world.”

This is the core message of Fratelli tutti: Pope Francis is calling on Christians of all nations to make that prayer a reality in our daily lives; to show that we genuinely see others, near and far, as being loved by God just as we are, without distinction of creed or color; all destined for eternal life in glory with our risen Savior.

As I write this final article on this beautiful encyclical (teaching letter of Pope Francis) this sense of family is being demonstrated in a practical manner in Florida. There we see

solidarity in action, as local people are supported by others from the United States, Mexico and Israel, in the sad task of recovering bodies from the ruins of the apartment complex in Surfside.

As the work progresses there are people in constant prayer around the site, supporting the devastated families who lost loved ones in that tragedy. They are living proof of what Pope Francis wants us to accept and act on: We are born to lift each other up, not put each other down! As in all human families we can differ and even disagree, but ultimately we are all united in love, a love shown in its fullness by the crucifixion of Christ, Son of Mary, who made the ultimate sacrifice and went, willingly, to his death that we all might live in harmony, respecting differences but always sensitive to the innate human dignity of every human being made in the image and likeness of God our Father!

In the foreword to Fratelli tutti (a phrase from St. Francis of Assisi, meaning brothers and sisters all!), Pope Francis says “It is my desire that, in this our time (my emphasis), by acknowledging the dignity of each human person, we can contribute to the rebirth of a universal aspiration to fraternity. Brotherhood between all men and women” (par. 8). Note the immediacy of the phrase “in our time.”

We are called to action, not further talk about it! It is worth noting that Jesus, in sending the Apostles out, two by two, did not send them to seminars or college

18 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

for degrees; he just said “Go, make them my disciples!” And the hallmark of discipleship is how we love one another.

Throughout the encyclical he continuously demonstrated that we have two simple challenges and choices: Divide or unite as a people who, for a very brief time, inherit this wonder filled world and all the gifts Our Heavenly Father gives us; to be stewards of his creation, adding our little bit of goodness and eliminating a little of the evil that pervades our modern, post Christian, consumerist, hedonistic, individualist society! Pope Francis is very specific in his teaching that we must respect the innate human dignity of each human being, created in the image and likeness of God, and therefore we must oppose the death penalty with as much conviction as we oppose abortion, since both take away a life made in God’s image. Enlarging this basic Christian principle, he calls on us to oppose war, since, as was also stated

by St. John Paul II, war only leads to more war, and endless loss of life and destruction of communities. We have evidence of that even now in such places as Ethiopia and Yemen, to name but two examples.

In opening this series of reflections on this uplifting and challenging encyclical, I invited readers to also read an earlier exhortation from Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel, as it provides context for this letter. Our Holy Father is a man of hope in all he does and says, and

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Special

Chapter Eight his basic theme is that we have a propensity for good if we pause to see the image of God in each other.

This is also the theme of our diocesan Strategic Plan, which challenges us to step out of our comfort zones and live the Gospel in our attitude and action toward our neighbors! Pope Francis, in Fratelli tutti, sees the Christian family, a family of prayer, mutual respect, inclusiveness, and love, as the domestic church, and a model for a worldwide family, living out the Good News of God’s mercy, tolerance, compassion and inclusiveness.

In this final chapter, titled “Religions at the Service of Fraternity in our

World,” Pope Francis begins as follows: “The different religions, based on their respect for each human person as “a creature called to be a child of God” (emphasis mine), contribute significantly to building fraternity and justice in society” (par 271). Catholic Christians, bonded into one eucharistic family, are to be at the forefront in giving life and meaning to this aspiration. Our desire is to invite and attract all to share our eucharistic table and become one!

This is central to our understanding and belief in our transcendence, which we profess at every celebration of Mass!

It is to know and believe that we are created for life, life eternal with our glorified Christ, who prayed at the first eucharistic celebration “that all may be one, as you Father in me and I in you and we in them.” Thus, our Mass ending (Missa: Go and share and preach) sends us forth in hope and joy!

Pope Francis, in par 275, spells out the dangers to faith in our time: “Among the most important causes of the crises of the modern world,” he writes, repeating what he said in 2009, “are a desensitized human conscience, a distancing from religious values and the prevailing individualism accompanied by materialistic philosophies that deify the human person and introduce worldly and material values in place of supreme and transcendental principles.” This is a call to action for believers, who, though

he warns that “religious ministers must not engage in party politics that are the proper domain of the laity,” “must not remain on the sidelines.” This church, our church, is “a home with open doors because she is a mother” (par 276).

Calling to mind the church’s long history and involvement in the human family’s stories, Pope Francis ends on a note of hope and offers a beautiful prayer for our guidance and consolation.

Aware that Christ, the way, the truth and the life, has conquered the world, I invite each of you to make this prayer your own, even as I earnestly ask that you take the time to prayerfully read this encyclical for yourself, together with Joy of the Gospel: “Lord, Father of our human family, you created all human beings equal in dignity, pour forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit and inspire in us a dream of renewed encounter, dialogue, justice and peace.

Move us to create healthier societies and a more dignified world, a world without hunger, poverty, violence and war. May our hearts be open to all the peoples and nations of the earth. May we recognize the goodness and beauty that you have sown in each of us, and thus forge bonds of unity, common projects, and shared dreams. Amen” (Pope Francis).

(Father P.J. Madden is a retired priest of the diocese.) BC

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Seminarian eDucation burSeS Seminarian Spotlight Chad Cheramie n What church parish are you from?

Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow n Where are you studying and in what year of your studies are you?

St. Joseph Seminary College in St. Benedict, LA. I am a first year sophomore. n What sacrament are you most looking forward to celebrating?

I think confession is what I look forward to the most. Just the idea of being a conduit of the mercy of God is such an amazing reality for the church. n This or That: The Book or the Movie?

Movie, because reading a book with popcorn can get messy. n What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

“Pray about every decision you make, so that you know that it is what God wants for you and simply not a selfish desire.” n What is your favorite hobby?

Fishing/Hunting

DiD you know?

Seminarian eDucation coStS on average $45,000 a year for eight yearS Seminarian enDowmentS can be nameD enDoweD funDS/burSeS. each year intereSt earneD form the enDowmentS are granteD to the DioceSe to cover annual coStS of their eDucation. catholic founDation of South louiSiana manageS Seminarian enDowmentS for the DioceSe.

all completeD Seminarian eDucation burSeS can be vieweD online at www.htDioceSe.org/vocationS For more information contact the Catholic Foundation at 985-850-3116 or aponson@htdiocese.org 20 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

August Daily Prayer for Priests, Deacons, Religious and Seminarians

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Friar Nathaniel Maria Gadalia

Rev. Jacob Lipari III

Rev. Joey Lirette

Deacon Stephen Brunet

Rev. Clyde Mahler

Sister Clara Maria Celeste

Rev. Fernando Anaya

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Rev. John David Matherne

Very Rev. André Melancon, V.F.

Very Rev. Thankachan (John) Nambusseril, V.F.

Rev. Jean-Marie Nsambu

Deacon James Brunet Jr.

Rev. Joseph Pilola

Rev. Benie Rebosura

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

Rev. Patrick Riviere

Rev. Robert Rogers

Rev. Henry Sebastian

Seminarian Ryan Thibodaux

Rev. Mitchel Semar

Rev. Antonio Maria Speedy

Rev. Carlos Talavera

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Rev. Joseph Liem Van Than

Rev. James Nguyen Van Thien

Brother John Hotstream

Very Rev. Mark Toups, V.G.

Rev. Mike Tran

Rev. Joseph Tregre

Rev. Josekutty Varghese

29

30

31

Rev. Billy Velasco

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

Bishop Emeritus Sam G. Jacobs

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

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

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

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

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

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August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 21

Heavenly Recipes

Christy Voisin

Christy makes a:

HEALTHY CASSEROLE Story and Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

This month’s heavenly recipe, zucchini pizza casserole, comes from Christy Voisin, who was born and raised in East Houma. Christy says that she grew up as a parishioner of Annunziata Church and received almost all of her sacraments there. She is still a parishioner of Annunziata. Christy, an only child, grew up in a devout Catholic family. Her mother Anne taught religion at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral School for 29 years. Her father Kervin, a life-long member of the Knights of Columbus, is a fourth degree knight in the Our Lady of the Good Voyage Council 7722, Grand Caillou, and a third degree knight at Annunziata Council 10612.

Christy is a liturgical minister at Annunziata and belongs to various ministries in the parish. “I am an extraordinary minister, a member of the Altar Society and Ladies Auxiliary.”

Christy has been working at the Pastoral Center in Schriever for a little under two years as administrative manager and executive assistant to the chief operating and financial officer.

Over the past year Christy has experienced a transformation in her life. “During the pandemic I decided to get healthy and change my eating habits. A friend asked me to join Optavia, which is not a diet but a lifestyle change.

Over the course of about a year this lifestyle change has helped me lose 74 pounds. In fact, the zucchini pizza casserole recipe comes from the Optavia plan. It is a low sugar, low carb diet.”

Christy says that she also had a support system to help her along the way to her weight loss. “There are priests and colleagues around the diocese who are also on the plan who are part of a support system. The plan does not include or require an exercise program, however with the extra energy that I started having, I began walking a mile every day on my lunch hour, then it 22 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

Zucchini Pizza Casserole INGREDIENTS: 3-1/2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini) 1/4 tsp. salt 2 eggs 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 4 oz. reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese, divided 4 oz. reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided Cooking spray 1/2 lb. 90-94 percent lean ground beef 1/4 cup chopped onion 1-14.5 oz. can Rotel 1 small bell pepper (any color), chopped

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place zucchini in a strainer, and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 10 minutes, and then press to release moisture. Combine zucchini with eggs, parmesan cheese, and half of the mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Press mixture into a lightly greased baking dish (9 x 13). Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the beef, onions and bell pepper in a medium skillet until done. Drain any liquid and then stir in tomatoes. Pour beef mixture over the zucchini and sprinkle top with the remaining cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until heated through.

gradually increased. Now I run three miles around three to six days a week. It has changed my life.”

Christy enjoys working at the Pastoral Center and working for the diocese. “I have always heard from my mom that it was great to work for the diocese. I felt an instant connection with the people when I came to work here. I actually got to know everyone very quickly. Over here it is a family first atmosphere.”

Christy doesn’t have children. She does have a love for dachshunds. She has one named Bijou. She also has a goddaughter named Katelyn. She is an active member of the Mardi Gras Krewe Aquarius where she is float captain and an executive board member. BC

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Cover Story

Understanding the Sunday obligation and dispensation Guest Columnist Father Glenn LeCompte

“Beware the Ides of March,” says the soothsayer to Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s play about the celebrated Emperor of Rome. The Ides (15th) of March is the day that Caesar is assassinated. Near the Ides of March 2020, our nation was facing its own foreboding situation; we were confronted with an illness that since then has had worldwide impact. At that time, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre had to make a very difficult decision to declare a diocesan-wide dispensation from the obligation of the faithful to attend and participate in Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. Some of us may ask why such an obligation exists, why it was dispensed and why it is now being reinstated.

Why does such an obligation exist?

The Sunday and holy day obligation is not a rule made for its own sake, rather it gives expression to an integral aspect of Christianity–the need for the Christian community to gather around the eucharistic table on the day of the Lord’s resurrection. The earliest Christian communities still conceived of themselves as Jews, therefore, they participated in Synagogue worship and observed the Sabbath rest prescribed

by Deuteronomy 5:12-14. However, those who came to faith in Christ by means of the apostles’ preaching gathered together to fulfill the Lord’s command to break bread and drink of the cup of the new covenant in his blood

in memory of him (1 Corinthians 11:2325). “Probably from the beginning of the second century onwards, the celebration of the Eucharist was gradually transferred to the Sunday (the day of the Lord’s resurrection) morning and combined with the Service of the Word, which from now on formed so to speak, the introduction to the eucharistic action” (T. Klauser, A Short History of the Western Liturgy, p.

8). By the time St. Justin Martyr wrote his First Apology (ca. 150 A.D.) Sunday had become a normative day of worship for Christians. The point is that, at least for the most part, Christians in the early church saw their gathering on Sunday to listen to “the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets” (Justin Martyr, First Apology, No. LXVII) and later celebrate the breaking of the bread not as something they needed to be told to do, but as something they would naturally be inclined to do. In fact, “the martyrs of Abitina, in Proconsular Africa, who replied to (those who accused them of violating the Emperor Diocletian’s ban on the Christian Eucharist): ‘Without fear of any kind we have celebrated the Lord’s Supper, because it cannot be missed; that is our law’; ‘We cannot live without the Lord’s Supper’” (Pope St. John Paul II, The Day of the Lord, no. 46).

The sainted Holy Father also explains in The Day of the Lord, no.

47, “It was only later, faced with the half-heartedness or negligence of some, that the church had to make explicit the duty to attend Sunday Mass: More often than not, this was done in the form of exhortation, but at times the church had to resort to specific canonical precepts.”

It is important that we who share a common faith in Jesus Christ gather to express our unity in faith. St. Paul tells

24 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

us, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Our gathering to partake of the Eucharist symbolizes the unity of the church, a symbol that would be lost if we did not gather for worship. This symbol is more than a statement of a truth. Our coming together in the eucharistic celebration enables us to be the one Body of Christ when we gather for the liturgy and to function as Christ’s Body in our daily living when we go forth from it. As Blessed Pope Pius XII explains, “Every impulse of the human heart, besides, expresses itself naturally through the senses; and the worship of God, being the concern not merely of individuals but of the whole community of mankind, must therefore be social as well. This obviously it cannot be unless religious activity is also organized and manifested outwardly.

Exterior worship, finally, reveals and emphasizes the unity of the mystical Body ... ” (Mediator between God and Men, no. 23).

Moreover, when we gather for the Eucharist we retell the story of our salvation. It is important not only that we be individually reminded that our salvation was accomplished by the death and resurrection of Christ, but that we collectively give assent to our belief in Christ’s saving actions by our “Amen!” at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer.

Bishop Fabre’s reinstatement of the obligation of all Catholics in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux is a reassertion of the centrality and indispensability of the Eucharist in the life of the church and of every individual member

a

Cover Story

of it. The general dispensation up to this point in the pandemic was needed in the interest of promoting of public health, but the intention was always that as soon as possible we would again recognize the essential nature of eucharistic assembly. In the intervening months since the dispensation was declared, when it became again possible for people to join together to celebrate the Eucharist, even with limitations on the numbers we could have in churches, many people gradually resumed their pre-pandemic practice of regular participation at least in the Sunday Mass. But we are still missing many of the people who were part of the Sunday liturgy before the pandemic began. So perhaps the ending of the general dispensation will provide the spark for those who have been away to return. I say “general” dispensation, because under ordinary circumstances those who are impeded from attending Sunday Mass “because of the absence of a sacred minister or for another grave cause” (Canon 1248.2), can be dispensed individually. “Grave cause” means something serious, such as severe illness, a real chance of compromising others’ or one’s own health, the need to respond to a family emergency, etc. The point is a Catholic’s perspective should be “I will attend and participate in Mass on Sunday unless there is a truly grave reason that would prevent me from doing so.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, when we could not have congregations physically present in the church, livestreaming was a way that we could enable parishioners to stay in touch with the eucharistic celebration. Many churches have continued to livestream for the benefit of at-risk parishioners even when our gathering capacity was allowed to increase.

However, it is important that we understand that watching a livestreamed or televised Mass does not make for a complete experience of Sunday worship, nor does it fulfill one’s Sunday or holy day obligation. Watching a broadcast Mass at home lacks the element of gathering with our church community for worship, and makes us passive spectators rather than participants in the Mass. The congregation’s participation by saying its parts in the dialogs, participating in the communal prayers, such as the Creed or the Lord’s Prayer, singing, listening attentively and actively to the proclamation of the Scriptures is integral to the Catholic community’s worship experience. The most significant deficit one experiences in watching a broadcast of the Mass is that the person is not able to participate in the sacrament of the holy Eucharist, to partake of the food of eternal life.

The best way to view Bishop Fabre’s lifting of the dispensation from the Sunday and holy day obligation is to see this occasion not as a reinstated regulation, but as a new beginning, a new start in our lives of faith and worship. It provides an occasion for us to come together again after the pandemic isolated us for so long. What better activity can we engage in as we re-gather communally than the celebration of the holy Eucharist. BC

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August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 25

Special

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre signs a document establishing the St. Augustine Endowment. Pictured with the bishop from left are Suzanne Troxclair, diocesan superintendent of Catholic Schools; and Amy Ponson, executive director of the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana.

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre establishes St. Augustine Endowment Story by Janet Marcel ~ Photo by Lawrence Chatagnier In response to the diocesan strategic plan for Catholic schools, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) pastoral letter against racism, “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love,” and a desire to increase diversity in schools, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre has established the St. Augustine Endowment through the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana to provide tuition assistance for children of color to attend Catholic schools in the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux.

“The St. Augustine Endowment was established to provide scholarships for children of color to attend Catholic schools in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. One of the greatest graces and gifts of the Universal Catholic Church and our local diocese is the cultural and racial diversity of the faithful,” says Bishop Fabre. “It is my hope that this endowment will assist in increasing the cultural and racial diversity of the Catholic school student population in our diocese, and thus allow our students and the church to reap the rewards of such 26 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

a grace. St. Augustine, a great theological mind who was born on the northern coast of Africa and served as bishop of Hippo, serves as patron of this fund. I invite others to join in this effort as we celebrate the feast of St. Augustine on Aug. 28.”

Currently the total number of children of color attending Catholic schools in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux is 471, which is approximately 10 percent of the total student population.

Bishop Fabre serves as chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, a committee that was tasked with implementing “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love,” a pastoral letter from the full body of bishops to the lay faithful and all people of goodwill addressing the sin of racism. The pastoral letter was promulgated by the USCCB in December 2018.

This pastoral letter states in part, “Racism is a moral problem that requires a moral remedy – a transformation of the human heart – that impels us to act … What is needed

a

Special

and what we are calling for, is a genuine conversion of heart, a conversion that will compel change, and the reform of our institutions and society.”

In addition to establishing the endowment, Bishop Fabre has also instructed the Catholic Schools Office to 1) further expand the curriculum in the Catholic schools to include activities and lessons against the evil and sin of racism; and 2) seek ways to increase both the number of children of color in the Catholic schools and the number of people of color among the teachers and administrators in the schools.

“In the USCCB’s pastoral letter against racism, we are all called to ‘walk humbly with God’ as we work to form missionary disciples of Christ in the important ministry of Catholic education in our diocese,” says Suzanne D. Troxclair, diocesan superintendent of Catholic Schools. “This purposeful work of evangelization brings us to action as we implement very intentional practices in our strategic planning for Catholic schools.”

With representation from every school, the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee on Diversity has been established and is already at work to assist in the research and guidance of several plans of action.

“Through Bishop Fabre’s establishment of the St. Augustine Endowment, we will be able to offer financial assistance and afford more students of color the opportunity

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to enroll in our Catholic schools. Additionally, our schools will further expand their faith formation curriculums with grade-appropriate lessons and activities against the sin of racism that are grounded in the social teachings of the Catholic Church. These lessons will be taught in all schools throughout the diocese. In addition, our diocese is working to further spread the Gospel by seeking ways to increase the number of both children of color, as well as teacher-ministers and administrator-ministers of color in our schools. We are committed to doing the much-needed work of our ministry as we embrace the powerful words of Pope Francis and let no one ‘think that this invitation is not meant for him or her,’” adds Troxclair.

The Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana (CFSL) is managing the endowment funds, explains Amy Ponson, executive director of the Foundation. “Catholic schools will have to apply for a grant through the Foundation. It is estimated that the first distributions will be made to four families who will each receive $500 grants for the 2022-23 school year. As the endowment grows, the number of students who receive the grants will also increase.”

Ponson reports that in addition to Bishop Fabre’s initial contribution, several other donors have already contributed to the endowment, including E.D. White Catholic High School in Thibodaux. BC

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Back to School

The mission is possible in Catholic education Guest Columnist Suzanne D. Troxclair

So many things were different, yet so many have remained the same.

Indeed, the 2020-2021 school year in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Catholic schools was one like no other.

The impact of COVID-19 was definitely evident, as our communities, state, country, and world felt the impact of a global pandemic like most have never experienced. Our Catholic schools family was not exempt from the direct and indirect effects of the virus. However, the beauty of the deep faith and commitment to our Lord and savior was just as evident. Through it all – the triumphs, the tragedies, the disappointments, and the celebrations – one thing remained true. God was, and is, with us!

Through the diligent efforts of our dedicated Catholic schools community, the students we serve continued to thrive and grow spiritually, emotionally and academically, despite the challenges before them!

Students, parents, teacher-ministers, school leaders, staffs, clergy, and all who make up our Catholic schools community committed themselves to doing all they could to make our 20202021 school year all that it could be!

Through the careful and intentional work of so many, our schools completed a full year of in-person instruction, affording the students we serve an outstanding education in a Christcentered environment, culminating in beautiful graduations and end-of-year eucharistic celebrations and closing programs.

The commitment of our students, teacher-ministers, parents, staffs, clergy, school and diocesan leaders,

and all who worked tirelessly to provide safe and successful school environments is what allowed the 2020-2021 school year to be the success that it was. Through creativity and commitment, our students flourished!

Their resiliency, through all the many challenges that could have caused some to waiver, allowed the year to be one of formation, learning, growth, and wonderful memories that will always be with them.

Our school families did not allow the adjustments to physical school environments to pause their efforts to live the church’s social teaching.

The beauty of the ongoing formation of our students and larger school communities was evident in so many actions and activities. Whether it was welcoming and assisting students and their families who had been displaced due to Hurricane Laura into our school communities, collecting and delivering gifts of thanks and prayer for the COVID-19 front line workers in area hospitals, donating money to the Society of the Missionary Childhood Association that is used to build schools, hospitals, provide medical care, food and clothing in mission countries, volunteering at the Louis Infant Crisis Center for abused and neglected children, or walking alongside a fellow student, co-worker, or parent who experienced the illness or loss of a loved one, our school families continued to make our mission possible through their call to action – through examples seen and, many times, unseen.

Our students have also continued to thrive in their many curricular and extracurricular school experiences, including winning the South Louisiana Quiz Bowl Championship, several state championships in varsity athletics, hosting Right to Life school-wide assemblies, and earning more than $10 million in college scholarships in addition to their TOPS academic awards by our graduating classes!

Congratulations to our students and all those who make up their support

28 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

systems, allowing them to set their goals and give it their all!

With a new school year upon us, we are excited to embrace all that is to come for our Catholic schools family with great hope for a new faith-filled and successful school year! In a time when many dioceses throughout the country are experiencing a decline in Catholic school enrollment, we are blessed to report an increase in our total enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year! What a blessing it is to be able to minister to the children and families we serve!

Through our ongoing strategic planning, we continue our deep commitment to the mission of our church. As we work toward continuous improvement, we embrace the National Standards and Benchmarks of Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools through its four pillars: Mission and Catholic Identity, Governance and Leadership, Academic Excellence,, and Operational Vitality. As we embark on the 2021-2022 school year, we do it with great anticipation, hope, and the awesome responsibility of forming students who will go out into our world and spread the Good News! In the words of St. John Paul II, “The mission of the Catholic school is the integral formation of students, so that they may be true to their condition as Christ’s disciples and, as such, work effectively for the evangelization of culture and for the common good of society.” In the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Catholic schools, the mission is possible! BC

Announcement

Catholic Foundation makes annual distributions to ministries Each July at the beginning of its fiscal year, the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana makes annual distributions from established endowments within the Foundation. The Catholic Foundation is a Catholic community foundation established to promote philanthropy, empower priests, and inspire the community. Each year through the support of many gracious donors, endowments for church parishes, schools and diocesan ministries continue to grow.

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre along with the Catholic Foundation’s board of directors are excited to distribute the interest earned on the endowments that many donors have entrusted the foundation to manage in support of the many restricted ministries within the diocese. More than $355,000 was distributed this July to assist these ministries, especially with the challenges faced due to the pandemic.

The following are several of the restricted ministries that received distributions this year: n $194,062.81 to the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux for seminarian education n $74,720.13 to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux n $27,904.61 to E.D. White Catholic High School in Thibodaux n $14,294.39 to St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School in Thibodaux n $12,055.62 to Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma n $10,407.75 to Catholic Charities’ Good Samaritan Food Bank of Thibodaux n $10,089.43 to the Works of St. Vincent de Paul at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux n $9,627.11 to Catholic Charities’ Assisi Bridge House n $8,802.04 to the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux for Priests’ Retirement n $518.00 to St. Genevieve Catholic School in Thibodaux n $468.06 to St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux “Reflecting on the past eight years of my service here as bishop, I continue to be humbled by the thousands of families who have entrusted their prayers and financial gifts to the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana in support of the many ministries these families care for and love. The Catholic Foundation has been a tremendous resource for our diocese, church parishes and Catholic schools, providing a consistent perpetual source of financial support for the work of our ministries. It is my hope that the Catholic Foundation will continue to grow and thrive in support of all of our parishes, schools and ministries. I want to personally thank all of the families who have trusted the Catholic Foundation to be good

stewards of their many gifts. Please be assured of my prayers for you all,” says Bishop Fabre.

For more information about the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana and how your gifts can support your parish, school or favorite ministry, please call (985) 850-3116 or e-mail aponson@htdiocese.org. BC

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August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 29

Announcements

Courtney Virgin promoted to director of St. Lucy Child Development Center

Kayla Brunet promoted to director of Cemeteries Kayla Brunet

Courtney Virgin

Houma native Courtney Virgin, who has been working for the St. Lucy Child Development Center for the past 25 years, has been promoted to director of the Center. In the past, Virgin was a toddler and Pre-K teacher for both 3-4 and 4-5 year olds. She attended Southwestern University where she studied sociology.

“I have been blessed to teach and become a positive, enthusiastic role model for 25 years in the classroom. Three months after my 25th year, I was blessed to be named the Center’s director. I thank God for the special anointing and dedication in allowing me to impact the future of our children’ says Virgin. “My motto is to always inspire and encourage both the children and staff to strive for greatness and know that there is greatness on the inside of each of them. It doesn’t matter if our children ever bring home anything in their hand, it’s what they bring home in their heart.” BC

Kayla Brunet, who has been working for the diocesan Office of Cemeteries for over eight years, has been promoted to director of that office. In the past, Brunet also served as operations manager and associate director for the Office of Cemeteries.

The Kraemer native graduated from Thibodaux High School and earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux in 2008. Brunet previously worked as a bookkeeper for the Lafourche Parish School District.

She is married to Jason Brunet and they have two children, Owen, 9; and Linkin, 4. They are parishioners of St. Lawrence the Martyr Church parish in Kraemer. BC

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Announcement

Outreach Line Rev. Francis Kayaye

Father Francis Kayaye appointed chaplain of Thibodaux Regional Health System Father Francis Kayaye, a new priest to the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, has been appointed by Bishop Shelton J. Fabre, as chaplain of Thibodaux Regional Health System, effective immediately.

A native of Uganda, Father Kayaye was ordained to the priesthood Jan. 23, 1999. In addition to seminary academic qualifications in philosophy and theology, he earned a licentiate in Pastoral Theology from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya. Since ordination, he has served in various capacities, including pastor, diocesan director of Pastoral Services, director of the Catechists Formation Center, and diocesan education secretary.

“I am grateful to Father Francis for his willingness to travel to our diocese and offer his priestly ministry to our people, particularly to the sick and dying. Please join me in welcoming him to our diocese, and do offer a warm welcome when you meet him,” says Bishop Fabre.

Father Kayaye will be in residence at St Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux. BC

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

August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 31

Sports

Overtime Ed Daniels

The QB who takes care of the ball will be the Saints starter A veteran quarterback watcher looked back to the end of the Saints 2020 season.

And, looked ahead to 2021.

The evaluator asked to be anonymous.

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32 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

He was frank.

“It was sad to see how simple the Saints passing game was at the end of last season,” said the QB watcher.

“The Bucs knew the routes were simple (in a 30-20 playoff win over the Saints) and they just sat on them.”

However …

“It was great, in a way, to hear Drew Brees say when he announced his retirement that he was battling an assortment of injuries that hampered his ability.”

The QB watcher, added.

“All of those injuries made it impossible for him to stretch the field, and very difficult for him to throw the football outside the numbers.”

So, moving on, if Jameis Winston is the Saints quarterback?

“The biggest beneficiary of Jameis at quarterback will be Tre’Quan Smith. He has a chance to be very dangerous if Winston can get him the ball downfield,” said the QB watcher.

And, what will Alvin Kamara’s role be in the Saints passing game?

“There were a lot of times last season when Kamara was the primary,” said the quarterback watcher.

“But, now teams will play more zone against the Saints, and Kamara might be more of a secondary option.”

The Saints, said the quarterback watcher, will still get Kamara the football, but the expanded passing game will allow New Orleans to have other options.

The quarterback watcher said head coach Sean Payton will put Winston in position to throw fewer interceptions.

The QB watcher said Winston will have to learn to get the football out of his hands quickly, and not hold the football, looking to make a play downfield that may not be there.

“Jameis wants to make things happen. He still thinks, I am Jameis Winston, the Heisman Trophy winner, and I can make that throw.”

“Defenses will dare both Winston and Taysom Hill to throw the ball downfield. They know that both turned the ball over too much, and defenses will try to take advantage,” said the quarterback watcher.

So, who will win the quarterback job?

“I think it is the quarterback, who in the preseason, does a better job of taking care of the football.”

The QB watcher said Hill has spent his entire offseason concentrating solely on the quarterback position, which will certainly help his chance of winning the job.

So, is the Saints quarterback of the future currently on the roster?

“No,” said the quarterback watcher, somewhat emphatically.

“If Mac Jones (Alabama quarterback) had gotten past New England (in the first round) I think the Saints had a trade partner.” BC

Bay u Wellness

Bayou Wellness Contents

STAY IN TOUCH

On Ou r C ove r Dr. Michael Haydel and family nurse practitioner Brandi Degruise of Haydel Spine Pain & Wellness explain their testing and treatment procedure for osteoporosis.

For about 54 million Americans, osteoporosis, a disease that weakens bones, is a silent reality.

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Osteoporosis; A silent reality Guest Columnist Michael Haydel, M.D., FIPP, and Brandi Degruise, FNP-C

For about 54 million Americans, osteoporosis, a disease that weakens bones, is a silent reality. Breaking a bone could happen in an instant, and the repercussions could cause persistent pain and the possibility of losing one’s independence which could lead to functional problems, depression or other emotional and mental issues.

With the help of the staff at the Osteoporosis Clinic at Haydel Spine Pain & Wellness, your risk of facing this severe disease could dwindle significantly. Over the last 21 years, Dr. Michael Haydel’s work in treating spine-related pain, led him to consider how his patients could prevent these issues from ever arising. The idea evolved into the only clinic in the triparish area and one of only a handful in the state of Louisiana that is dedicated specifically to the treatment of osteoporosis.

“After treating spine pain and other spine-related conditions, I saw a great need to provide a more preventative approach, and we thought this would be a great service to the community,” Dr. Haydel explains. “I realized this was an area that needed attention after having to treat many patients with a procedure called kyphoplasty.

Kyphoplasty is a procedure that treats a compression fracture of the spine by injecting a cement-like material into the fractured area. The idea of the Osteoporosis Clinic is to try to slow the progression or prevent this from ever happening.”

The Osteoporosis Clinic at Haydel Spine Pain & Wellness is committed to the monitoring and treatment of

osteoporosis in order to provide allinclusive care for optimal bone health.

From comprehensive assessments to education practices, patients will be armed with all the tools necessary to prevent the disease or care for their fragile bone structure if osteoporosis is already present.

Through the use of a DEXA Scan, the clinic is able to measure bone density, helping to make recommendations and provide information on how best to protect a patient’s bones.

As a family nurse practitioner in the Osteoporosis Clinic, Brandi Degruise aims to provide comprehensive bone care to each and every patient.

“Basically, when the patient comes in, they get a full interview and exam.

We then order any needed diagnostics, including laboratory testing and a bone density scan,” Degruise explains. “We thoroughly review all of the results with the patient and formulate a plan of care that suits each individual’s lifestyle. The patient is given a folder, which includes all the testing results, enabling the information to be immediately accessible to their entire medical care team as the patient sees fit. Also included in the folder are bone healthy exercises, dietary information, and educational material to allow the patient to further understand how to prevent future bone health issues. The reality is that most people have little knowledge regarding this disease, and therefore, aren’t receiving routine screenings. The key to this disease is prevention, but we are able to treat when necessary.”

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, one in every two women and one in every four men over the age of 50 are affected by osteoporosis. Additionally, many of the cases Degruise and the clinic staff see are young, seemingly healthy patients.

“We’re seeing very, very few normal bone densities,” Degruise states.

“Many people think of this as a disease of the elderly, but I have a great deal of runners who are referred to me after breaking an ankle during a routine

Michael Haydel, M.D., FIPP, and Brandi Degruise, FNP-C morning run. These are otherwise young, healthy women who went through menopause naturally or had a hysterectomy, putting them at risk for osteoporosis.”

As a certified fracture liaison, Degruise will be able to improve patient outcomes by helping to coordinate an interdisciplinary approach to postfracture care management.

While the Osteoporosis Clinic at Haydel Spine Pain & Wellness is a medical office, the entire staff works hard to create a relaxed and welcoming environment.

The Osteoporosis Clinic at Haydel Spine Pain & Wellness is located 1022 Belanger Street in Houma. A referral is not necessary and all major insurances are accepted. To schedule an appointment or learn more about the clinic, call (985) 223-3132.

(This article was submitted by Michael Haydel, M.D., FIPP, owner and primary physician at Haydel Spine Pain & Wellness, and Brandi Degruise, FNP-C, family nurse practitioner in the Osteoporosis Clinic at Haydel Spine Pain & Wellness.) BC

August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 35

Bayou Wellness

Diabetes: Knowledge is powerful Guest Columnist Mae Hitt, RN, CDE

We hear people in our local area talk about having diabetes almost daily.

But, “what is diabetes” you may ask or “can I catch diabetes from them”?

Educate yourself on what is diabetes and what are the contributing factors that may increase your risk of being diagnosed with diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the sugar level in your blood, called blood glucose, is too high. This occurs when your body doesn’t make enough insulin or no insulin. This is known as type I diabetes. When your body is not able to use the insulin that is made by your pancreas, this is known as type 2 diabetes. Insulin is needed by your body to move the sugar out of your blood into your cells to use for energy.

Diabetes is not contagious. There are research studies showing the incidence of diabetes is higher in people with certain ethnic backgrounds such as Hispanics, African Americans, Native Americans and Asian Americans.

Studies have also shown that it tends to run in families. Factors that can contribute to the onset of type 2 diabetes are being overweight, leading a sedentary lifestyle, being 45 years or older, and women who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes during their pregnancy.

According to the American Diabetes Association recommendations, you should be screened for diabetes starting at age 45 and every three years after your initial screening, especially people who are overweight. If you have multiple risk factors, you should start screening sooner than age 45.

If you have any of the following

symptoms listed, you should make an appointment with your doctor to be screened for diabetes: Increased thirst, going to the bathroom more often to urinate, increased hunger, feeling tired, blurred vision, numbness or tingling in your feet or hands, sores that do not heal or unexplained weight loss. Your doctor will order a blood test to check your blood sugar level and may order blood work to check the insulin level in your body. Your blood levels may not be high enough to diagnose you as having diabetes, but above a normal range. Your diagnoses would be pre-diabetes. If you are diagnosed as pre-diabetic, now is the time to make lifestyle changes such as changing an unhealthy eating habit and becoming more active. It is recommended that you become more active for at least five days per week for at least 30 minutes each day. These changes can help to prolong or prevent a pre-diabetes diagnosis changing to a type 2 diabetes diagnosis.

If you are diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor will determine how to treat you. Depending on how high your blood sugar levels are will determine if you are prescribed pills or insulin injections as part of your treatment.

The treatment plan for all diabetics is healthy meal planning and increase activity. If you are having a difficult time trying to decide what to eat or

36 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

how much to eat, ask your doctor to refer you to a dietician. The dietician can teach you portion control and how to read food labels. They can also give you sample meal plans to use as a guide. If you think walking or other forms of exercise are boring, find a buddy that can help pass the time and offer encouragement during your 30 minutes of activities. Your doctor will also want you to check your blood sugars at home to see if your prescribed treatment is working.

According to the American Diabetes Association, there are over 400,000 diagnosed diabetics in Louisiana.

Every year it is estimated that 30,000 people in Louisiana will be diagnosed with diabetes. You can take action to try to prevent or prolong becoming one of these numbers.

After reading this article, you now have the power of knowledge to help you determine the need to make an appointment with your doctor to be tested. You can also use this knowledge to inform your family and friends that they may need to be tested for diabetes.

Also, with this knowledge you can work on decreasing your risk factors such as weight control, becoming more active and eating healthier.

(Mae Hitt, RN, CDE, is the community outreach manager for Ochsner St. Anne in Raceland.) BC

Trusted local partner for specialty care.

At Ochsner St. Anne, you have access to a broad spectrum of specialty services right in Raceland. We offer convenient and comprehensive care that you can trust.

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To schedule an appointment, call 985-248-5848 or visit ochsner.org/schedule

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Bayou Wellness

Plant-based eating: More than a fad!

Guest Columnist Dr. Catherine Diebold

My grandmother used to tell me, “You are what you eat!” In the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic – now more than ever – we need to use all the tools in our toolbox to strive for health and wellness. COVID-19 vaccination, mask wearing, and social distancing in public are three major tools to help us out of this long COVID-19 struggle, especially with rising rates of the Delta COVID-19 variant. In addition though, our health and immunity often begins in our gut. The old adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” is often joked about – but there is some science behind that fun expression. More and more science has focused on how a “plant-based” diet can improve our health.

Many scientists have studied the areas of longevity in our world. There is a nickname for certain areas where the inhabitants seem to live long and vital lives – often to 100 years or more – the “Blue Zones.” What these areas have in common is an active lifestyle, less mechanization of daily tasks, increased communal connections and a plant-based diet!

The typical American diet is filled with processed foods out of packages and bags, foods with a lot of saturated and or trans fats, high fructose corn syrup additives and other preservatives, heavy protein consumption from grain-fed animals, often dosed with hormones and steroids, and a minimal consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, and single ingredient whole grains.

It is time to rethink what should

be our typical diet. We have new food recommendations by our government pushing us toward plant-based eating.

The USDA website (www.myplate.gov) is a good place to start. It has “a plate” as its logo, with the goal of three quarters of the plate with plant-based foods.

An independent website, Forks over Knives (www.forksoverknives.com) is even better in my opinion. There is overwhelming evidence now that plantbased eating – eating more fresh fruit and vegetables, and single ingredient whole grains – can make a huge improvement in how well our bodies function. Our immune function – which is important to stave off infections – is boosted on a plant-based diet. Plantbased eating can reverse diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, hip fracture risk, decrease weight and maintain healthy weight, even reduce cancer risks, especially breast cancer risk in women! Meanwhile the typical American diet has been shown to have a negative effect on all those claims.

Think of plant-based eating as an addiction to a healthy diet, rather than a sacrifice against a traditional eating plan. A good first step – consider all

38 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

of the currently plant-based foods you already enjoy, for example: Rolled oats with blueberries and walnuts for breakfast; a Greek salad for lunch filled with vine ripe tomatoes, crisp peppers and cucumbers, fresh mint or parsley, an olive oil and lemon vinaigrette finished with a sprinkling of chopped olives and sesame seeds; for dinner, a nice vegetarian lasagna with a side salad and fresh fruit for dessert.

When shopping, try to load up on fruit, vegetables, grains and beans. Making weekend food prep part of your weekly routine helps keep the ball rolling on plant-based eating.

It is easier to eat what you have purchased if you can grab and go.

Snacking on plant-based foods – cherry tomatoes and hummus – rather than chips and dip is a delicious swap. Make it fun – try out new recipes found for free on the web, or borrow cookbooks from the library!

The plant world foods have: No cholesterol, many powerful antioxidants, an abundance of vitamins, minerals and fiber. And, plant foods have plenty of muscle building protein in them (think legumes, beans,

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seeds and nuts). Consider swapping out some of your meat choices for those plant-based foods. Also, consider oat, almond or soy milk instead of traditional cow’s milk – these plant milks provide just as much calcium without increasing cancer and hip fracture risks!

Let’s all try to support one another in our plant-based eating to live healthy and strong lives together!

(Dr. Catherine Diebold is a boardcertified OB/GYN. She is also certified in Age Management Medicine and Obesity Medicine. Her office – formerly known as Thibodaux Women’s Center – is now called the Thibodaux Regional Women’s Clinic located in the Thibodaux Regional Health System’s medical office building at: 604 N. Acadia Road, Suite 500 in Thibodaux.

She is an active staff member at TRHS. To make an appointment, please call 985-448-1216.) BC

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7/16/21 12:18•PM August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic 39

Bayou Wellness

How my journey to physical health led me Guest Columnist Father Joey Lirette

When I arrived at Sacred Heart Church parish in Cut Off, I had no idea how wonderful the people in my parish were.

I settled into my duties as associate pastor and started meeting people.

I remember one day in a homily stating how much I loved to eat all the traditional Cajun foods of our heritage.

This turned out to be a blessing and also a problem. The parishioners started bringing food to the rectory, and, of course, it was all delicious! My mother taught me not to waste and to eat everything that is given to me.

Within six months I gained about 30 pounds.

One day on my weekly visits to my mother she looked at me and lovingly told me that I had a very large belly (actually, she said I was fat). I did a little self-evaluation in the mirror and found out that she was correct and so began my journey to physical wellness.

I noticed that I didn’t feel motivated to do much of anything and felt like I was walking around in a constant haze. “I’ll do it later” had become my unintentional mantra. Not knowing what to do, I joined a local gym on the back road of our community and got a wonderful trainer (Brooke).

I started working out and doing nightly classes and eating correctly. I soon found that the extra pounds were very slowly melting away.

I started sleeping better (mostly because the gym took it all out of me; I was asleep by 10 o’clock). I felt energized, light on my feet, and

alive once again. This happened very quickly. As I was on this new journey of a healthy lifestyle, I began to notice something that I never really thought twice about; that is, how my physical health and my spiritual health were so closely related.

This was something I didn’t expect.

My spiritual health began to increase dramatically. I started praying more (I prayed Brooke wouldn’t kill me in my workouts), and my prayer was much deeper and fulfilling. I had alone time to spend with Jesus even while working out in a gym full of people. Even though at times it was inconvenient, I was forcing myself to go to the gym almost each day that it was possible. Believe me some days I didn’t want to go. Aren’t we like that with prayer? While I was at the gym, I was connecting with my body with God, and I started praying in new ways. I found joy in my Jesus time (and in food again as I started eating healthier). I became more determined, motivated, engaged and present, not only physically, but spiritually as well.

As my body got into shape my spiritual life got in better shape.

40 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

In our world today, if you don’t have someone or something pushing you to become a better version of yourself, you will soon find that you become lazy, gain weight and have no drive both in your spiritual and physical health.

That is why going to church every Sunday is so important. The people we meet and the word of God we hear gives us that drive. We interact with people who push us into doing things we may normally not want to do or even think we can.

The fact that God gives us a soul and a body to take care of becomes significant. If we think we can care about one and not the other (and worse, if we think God cares about one and not the other), we are fooling ourselves. The primary purpose of the human body is to provide a residence for the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we must be mindful to take good care of the body, because to take care of the body is not to just take care of you, but to take care of the God in you. We should be a good steward of our spiritual self as well as our physical self because we know these are both gifts from God

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on the path to spiritual health

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

and deeply connected. And I believe that if you want to get serious about your spiritual health, you can’t ignore your physical health.

When the New Year and Lent begins, we make lots of promises. Some we keep and some we don’t. I beg of you to take a deeper look at yourself. Keep the promise of working on how you can grow closer to the Lord. In my case it was exercise. Our ultimate goal is to be one with the Lord … right? What is it in you? What can make you a better version of yourself?

I am proud to say that I have reached my weight goal, but I haven’t reached spiritual gold yet.

Please pray about it and don’t wait.

You never know when God will call you … and it may be sooner than you think!

(Father Joey Lirette is the associate pastor at Sacred Heart Church parish in Cut Off.) BC

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“Completing the Gift of Life” August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 41

Bayou Wellness

Thibodaux Regional Wellness Center: Changing the health of a community Guest Columnist Chrisy Myhand

Health and fitness goals are important. Goals hold us accountable, expand our definition of possible, and encourage us to push through temporary discomfort for longer-lasting change. When you create desire for positive health behaviors, rather than just avoidance of unhealthy ones, you have the magic formula for harmony and lifelong success with health.

Thibodaux Regional Wellness Center has helped thousands of individuals improve personal health and wellness. The Center appeals to a diverse population and fully integrates programs and services that can improve, restore or change a person’s quality of life.

The Wellness Center addresses wellness at every level, including prevention, education, fitness, sports medicine, and rehabilitation, combined with medically directed services.

The facility’s specialty centers help patients address clinical issues dealing with endocrinology, pulmonology, rheumatology, neurology, neurosurgery, orthopaedic and sports medicine, and pain management.

Individuals with chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes can focus on optimizing their quality of life through physical fitness and nutrition and education programs.

Integrating wellness into clinical care, WellFit provides a customized eight-week plan to help participants achieve their highest quality of life.

This physician-referred program can

Phase 2 of the Thibodaux Regional Wellness Center expansion will feature tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, a football/multipurpose field and track. be beneficial to those suffering from back and neck pain, arthritis, diabetes, obesity, heart conditions, orthopaedic conditions, cancer, breathing disorders, mental health, women’s health, after surgery or those seeking a lifestyle change to improve overall health.

Fitness Center members have access to some of the most technologically advanced workout equipment available, as well as hundreds of various group classes, a lap pool, and gymnasium.

Plans are underway for Phase

42 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

2 which will provide even more opportunities for people to improve their overall health. The expansion will feature tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, a football/multipurpose field and a track.

For more information on how you can begin your health and wellness journey, call Thibodaux Regional Wellness Center at (985) 493-4400, or the Fitness Center at (985) 493-4950.

(Chrisy Myhand is the director of Wellness Services for the Thibodaux Regional Health System.) BC

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Bayou Wellness

Virtual care is the new standard Guest Columnist Bevi Jimenez

Talking to your physician through a screen may seem far off or a distant idea, but it is the reality at Cardiovascular Institute of the South.

On the forefront of technology, CIS opened a Virtual Care Center more than five years ago to meet the growing needs of patients and increase access to care. Located in Lafayette, but serving patients in all areas, the Virtual Care Center (VCC) is open 24/7 and employs nurse practitioners, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, telemetry technicians and care navigators. This team refills prescriptions, handles patient triage, schedules appointments and manages follow-up care—ensuring that patients can get the care they need when they need it. On average, the VCC handles more than 30,000 patient calls and messages per month.

Now more than ever, with a pandemic at our door, we recognize the importance of virtual care in our community. Telemedicine is a necessity. The VCC is fully capable for remote consultations from an iPhone or Android device, meaning that you can talk to a healthcare provider from the comfort of your own home.

The CIS Virtual Care Center also serves as the hub for CIS’s award-winning Telecardiology Program. Telecardiology is a form of telemedicine that connects patients to an offsite cardiologist through digital communication, such as a telehealth robot. Telecardiology creates a unique patient experience, allowing patients to see a cardiovascular specialist at a remote hospital without leaving their community. CIS partners with

rural hospitals to offer telecardiology services, providing consultations in the emergency room and on the department floor with the use of telecardiology robots. This innovative technology allows for full diagnostic and cardiac testing. A cardiologist can listen to a patient’s heartbeat and heart sounds, and hands-on tests are performed by the local physician or nurse who communicates with the cardiologist on call. Through this advanced technology, CIS is able to provide 24/7 cardiovascular care at rural hospitals across the country.

Telecardiology is truly transforming healthcare. Too often, patients are asked to meet healthcare providers at a clinic and hospital. Now, CIS cardiologists want to meet the patients where they are located. This is a tremendous breakthrough for patients.

It allows both patients and their families to stay in their community and continue to receive care at their local hospital. And it gets them the care they need, where they want it and when they need it.

CIS’s virtual care services also extend to remote patient management, chronic care management, remote Coumadin monitoring, and cardiac rhythm management. The remote patient

44 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

monitoring program reduces risk of readmissions and improves quality of life for patients, who can have peace of mind knowing that their care is consistently being monitored when leaving the hospital. The remote CIS team includes physicians, nurses and hospital case management employees who work together toward the common goal of improving patients’ health and well-being. All of these remote programs allow CIS to steadily monitor patients and ensure that they are receiving the very best care.

The mission at Cardiovascular Institute of the South is to provide the highest-quality cardiovascular care available. Originally written by Dr. Craig Walker in 1983, this mission still stands, guiding CIS to continue seeking out and implementing the most advanced and innovative technology available. From the beginning, CIS committed itself to technological superiority to assure the best means of diagnosis and treatment for patients, and this commitment lives on today through the utilization of virtual care.

(Bevi Jimenez is the public relations and marketing specialist at Cardiovascular Institute of the South.) BC

Bayou Wellness

YOUR LOVED ONES CARE. SO DO WE.

Now is the time to see your cardiologist.

We all want to enjoy long and healthy lives. We want to see you

before you have symptoms or a life-changing cardiac event. That's why getting a heart checkup should be a part of your regular wellness plan even if you are healthy.

SCAN THE QR CODE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR HEART HEALTH.

Schedule an appointment with one of our 60+ physicians at cardio.com.

August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 45

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American Cancer Society Mission matters: Help for patients and caregivers Guest Columnist Anne Bates

The American Cancer Society’s mission is to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer. While most people know us for our research, we do so much more.

We attack cancer from every angle.

We promote healthy lifestyles to help prevent cancer. We research cancer and its causes to find more answers and better treatments. We fight for life-saving policy changes. We provide everything from emotional support to the latest cancer information for those who have been touched by cancer. And we do it all 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

National Cancer Information Center | 800.227.2345 The American Cancer Society National Cancer Information Center (NCIC) offers help 24 hours a day 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Cancer Information Specialist: Our trained staff are available via phone, live chat and video chat to provide accurate cancer information to patients, family members and caregivers. Staff can answer questions about a diagnosis, identify community resources, and provide information on clinical trials, programs and services.

Assistance is available in English, Spanish and 200 other languages via translation service.

Nurse Support: Oncology and

pediatric oncology nurses are available to assist you with more medically complex questions.

Health Insurance Assistance Team: This team is available to help with questions about your options and rights with health insurance and coverage. n Smoking Cessation Assistance and Resources: The Quitline provides patients assistance with quitting tobacco, including telephone counseling, self-help materials and local resources. 1.800.QUIT.NOW (784.8669).

Reach To Recovery® If you have breast cancer, you may want to connect with someone who knows what you’re feeling – someone who has “been there.” Through our Reach To Recovery® website and app, you can have an online chat with a trained volunteer who has survived breast cancer and understands what you are going through.

Cancer.org Our website offers access to the most recent and accurate cancer information and news and helps you find programs and services in your area.

Cancer.org/survivors – hub for support and treatment topics, survivorship tools and stories to inspire Cancer.org/treatmentdecisions –

46 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

treatment decision tools and resources to help manage diagnosis Cancer.org/support – information about programs and services in your area Cancer.org/caregivers – information to help caregivers care for patients and themselves Survivorship Guidelines and Resources We have materials and resources for survivors to help with qualityof-life and other needs during and after cancer treatment. Our cancer survivorship guidelines for specific cancers help doctors manage the unique needs of survivors, and our nutrition and physical activity guidelines for survivors help you know how to live your best life and reduce your risk for cancer coming back.

Digital Health Coaching The ACS My Journey program, powered by Pack Health, supports patients through remote symptom monitoring and coaching. Your health coach will help guide you through the cancer journey by providing personalized support for social and behavioral needs between medical visits.

Caregivers Resource Guide This tool is available for people who are caring for someone with

a

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cancer. It helps the caregiver better understand what their loved one is going through, develop skills for coping and caring, and take steps to help protect their own health and wellbeing. Visit cancer.org/caregiverguide.

Online Communities and Support n Cancer Survivors Network is a free, online community for people with cancer and their families. Connect with others through our member search, discussion boards, chat rooms, and private CSN e-mail. Create your own personal space to tell us about yourself, share photos, audio, etc., start an online journal, contribute resources and more. Visit csn.cancer.org to access this resource. n Belong – Beating Cancer Together is an app that provides people with cancer and their families a unique, innovative, and personalized solution to help manage cancer.

Belong users are able to read relevant information that connects them to information and help, along with many other features. n Springboard Beyond Cancer is a new online tool where patients and survivors can create personalized Action Decks, collections of selected information to help them better communicate with caregivers and their care teams to manage their physical and emotional care after a cancer

diagnosis. To access, visit: smokefree. gov/springboard.

Cancer is hard – getting a ride to treatment shouldn’t be.

There has never been a more hopeful time in the fight against cancer.

Breakthroughs in cancer research mean patients have more treatment options than ever before. But, even the best treatments won’t work if you can’t get there.

An estimated 27,880 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in Louisiana this year, and many of them will need our help to access the care they need.

Patients who can’t find a ride often delay treatment or skip it all together. The American Cancer Society’s Road To Recovery® and Community Transportation Grants are offered in select markets throughout Louisiana.

Road To Recovery® provides rides through a volunteer based program. However, not all rides are accommodated by volunteers.

For many cancer patients, a ride is what stands between them and potentially lifesaving treatment.

Cancer care often means frequent outpatient appointments, sometimes for days and weeks on end.

Transportation Assistance Road To Recovery® volunteers provide transportation to help patients undergoing cancer care get to their treatment and medical appointments.

Transportation is provided based on volunteer availability in the community. Unrestricted donations cover the cost of new driver kits, background checks, software costs, and sanitation kits for all volunteer drivers.

Community Transportation Grants provide funds to hospitals and cancer treatment centers to assist patients to and from treatment related appointments. These funds allow health systems to identify the most appropriate transportation option for each patient.

Lodging Assistance The Society’s Hope Lodges across the country provide free lodging to cancer patients and their caregiver, who must travel away from home for treatment.

Our local Hope Lodge is located in New Orleans, LA. The Society is also partnering with Extended Stay America (ESA) hotels across the country to provide complimentary and significantly reduced-rate rooms for cancer patients, and accompanying caregivers, traveling for treatment.

The Society hopes to launch this partnership at the end of 2021.

Information contained in this article is provided by the American Cancer Society by visiting www.cancer.org.

(Anne Bates is the senior development manager for the American Cancer Society, Inc., South Region.) BC

Centered on what matters most to you!

Henry M. Peltier, MD, FAAP Kenneth J. Cruse, MD, FAAP Meghan V. Louque, MD, FAAP Jennifer D. Rodrigue, PNP Micah A. Callais, FNP

Thibodaux 985-448-3700 • Houma 985-851-2000 • www.centerfp.com August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 47

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COVID-19 Vaccine Guest Columnist Joshua J. Huval, M.D.

“

As we are now seeing new and more cases of COVID, the great majority of these positive cases are in patients who have not been vaccinated.

Three vaccines developed by researchers have made great strides in the fight of this virus. The vaccines have been through the required clinical trials and have been determined to be safe and effective.

will get ill, and some will perish.

The greater the percentage of our population that is vaccinated, the more protection we can offer to those who are the greatest at risk. People who get the vaccine can more safely resume the many activities they once did before the pandemic. By choosing to get the vaccine you can protect yourself from getting seriously ill. Nonvaccinated individuals are more likely to be hospitalized and have serious complications resulting from infection.

If you had COVID and recovered, vaccination is still encouraged because it will help to boost your protection.

While currently only 35 percent of Louisiana citizens are vaccinated,

48 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

“

The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing and will continue to affect everyone in the world in some way. At Family Doctor Clinic of Thibodaux we worked tirelessly to keep our clinic in operation to provide the highest quality medicine based on best practices and current medical evidence. Throughout this pandemic, medical professionals have researched and learned how to treat COVID patients while also treating and protecting those with other illnesses at the same time. All medical professionals have strived to navigate the unknown and rapidly changing viral landscape by getting the best testing, protective equipment and medicine to treat patients. As we are now seeing new and more cases of COVID, the great majority of these positive cases are in patients who have not been vaccinated.

Three vaccines developed by researchers have made great strides in the fight of this virus. The vaccines have been through the required clinical trials and have been determined to be safe and effective. People need to understand that a vaccine is most effective when all healthy individuals get vaccinated and become much less likely to pass this virus on to more vulnerable people.

Immunocompromised and elderly people are at higher risk, even if vaccinated, when their children and people around them are not vaccinated and can more easily pass the virus along. While the human body is not perfect, we use our immune systems in conjunction with vaccines to fight disease and improve survival when viruses such as COVID emerge.

People will still get this virus, some

every physician here at Family Doctor Clinic of Thibodaux has elected to take the COVID vaccine as we feel this is the best way to protect ourselves and those we serve. Vaccinations have made, and will continue to make the most positive impact in decreasing our hospital admissions and in reducing the death rate. With so much misinformation regarding COVID, I urge you to seek advice from your family physician if you have any questions regarding the vaccines. You may visit vaccine.gov to find a COVID-19 vaccine location near you.

(Joshua J. Huval, M.D., practices medicine at the Family Doctor Clinic’s offices in Thibodaux and Houma.) BC

Bayou Wellness

Terrebonne General Health System is taking the lead to a healthier community Guest Columnist Jessica Ryan

The average American will spend one third of their life at work. By companies empowering their employees to adapt healthier lifestyles, not only do their bottom lines improve but we have healthier residents and an overall healthier community.

It’s no secret that the United States is facing an epidemic of “lifestyle diseases” as more Americans are overstressed, have poor diets, use alcohol and tobacco products, and lead more sedentary lifestyles. Louisiana is currently in the bottom two of the unhealthiest states in America.

As Terrebonne Parish continues to battle chronic disease, such as heart disease and diabetes, Terrebonne General Health System is reshaping the way we think of traditional work.

With the help of a corporate wellness program, employers are able to create a healthier, more productive workforce leading to a more healthful community. Terrebonne General launched its Wellness for Life program several years ago in an effort to offer employers a solution to help curb healthcare costs and increase productivity. They continue to expand services based on the community’s needs.

With over 40 local companies on board, organizations across the parish are seeing what leading companies nationwide have learned – a healthier workforce performs higher than an unhealthy one.

Some benefits of a corporate wellness plan include: n Employees with good health behaviors are better able to control their stress levels, maintain healthy blood pressures, cholesterols and glucose levels and miss less days of work. n An improved corporate culture with a more energetic and happier workforce. This in turn gives companies a unique advantage to attract and retain some of the brightest minds in their fields. n Corporations with an employee wellness program typically see lower healthcare costs.

In fact, Harvard researchers found that for every dollar a company spends on a wellness program, the company saves $2.73 on absenteeism and $3.27 on medical costs. This is a 6-to-1 return on investment in wellness.

How do we get your business healthier?

The Terrebonne General Wellness for Life program offers

comprehensive on-site wellness screenings that include: n Health history questionnaire n Blood pressure and resting pulse n Lipid panel and glucose screenings n Body composition analysis (offered on-site or at Terrebonne General)

a

Terrebonne Physical Therapy Clinic LA Terre Physical Therapy, Inc. 901 Verret Street • Houma, LA 70360-4637 Phone: (985) 868-3806 • Fax: (985) 868-3805 Donald P. Kinnard, P.T. • Luke T. Kinnard, P.T. Mark J. Kinnard, P.T.

August 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 49

Bayou Wellness

n Individualized wellness plans focused on achievable milestones with resources provided along the employees’ health journey n Personalized prevention planning with a nurse practitioner n Primary care referrals, if needed n Follow-up calls for abnormal test results n Flu shots Every screened employee will consult with a registered nurse and/or nurse practitioner to fully understand their results and educate them on how to maintain or improve their health.

In addition to comprehensive screenings, organizations can participate in Lunch & Learns where a wellness expert, such as a Terrebonne General dietician or exercise specialist, will speak to employees on a particular topic of interest. Employees are encouraged to ask questions so they feel fully vested to

Houma Physical Therapy Southern Orthopedic & Sports Therapy Inc.

Mark J. Kinnard, P.T. • Donald P. Kinnard, P.T. Luke T. Kinnard, P.T. 901 Verret St., Ste. B • Houma, Louisiana 70360 Phone: (985) 879-4388 • Fax: (985) 868-3805

50 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • August 2021

embrace their new lifestyle. On-site CPR certifications, smoking cessation and weight management courses are also available. The team is currently developing several new offerings, such as sleep apnea screenings, which are expected to be available later this year.

Becoming a partner is easy. The Terrebonne General Wellness for Life team manages the day of screening details from set up to tear down. Also, most major insurances cover the screenings at 100 percent so there is no additional cost to the organization or its employees.

Terrebonne General’s Wellness for Life program has impacted over 2,000 residents across Terrebonne Parish, giving employees the necessary tools to change their health for the better. These are our fathers, mothers, uncles and aunts all leading better lives and serving as ambassadors of health for their loved ones. This is just one way we create a healthier community.

To learn more about Terrebonne General Wellness for Life, call (985) 850-6214.

“Supreme Services has been using the Terrebonne General Wellness for Life program for over six years to help run our health fair and other health functions throughout the year.

Kirbie and her team are wonderful. They are always available to address any questions or concerns we have throughout the year. They make the process each year run as smoothly as possible and help get everything scheduled. They do on-site screenings very quickly and efficiently, which our employees enjoy. We are always pleased with the services we receive,” says Lisa Blanchard of Supreme Services.

(Jessica Ryan is a wellness specialist with Terrebonne General’s Wellness for Life program.) BC

Spinal Implant Procedures including • INTRATHECAL PUMP IMPLANT • SPINAL CORD STIMULATOR IMPLANT • VERTIFLEX -

(MINIMALLY INVASIVE TREATMENT FOR SPINAL STENOSIS)

DR. HAYDEL IS 1 OF ONLY 3 PHYSICIANS IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA & IS 1 OF ONLY 20 PHYSICIANS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY THAT HAS EXCEEDED OVER 100 VERTIFLEX PROCEDURES

Interventional Pain Procedures including: • EPIDURAL STEROID AND OTHER SPINE INJECTIONS • PERCUTANEOUS DISC DECOMPRESSION • RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION • KYPHOPLASTY FOR COMPRESSION FRACTURES • DISCOGRAM

Wellness/Osteoporosis Clinic Lafayette Location:

Houma Location:

Thibodaux Location:

1101 S. College Road, Suite 202 Lafayette, LA 70503 Phone: (337) 233-2504

1022 Belanger St. Houma, LA 70360 Phone: (985) 223-3132

2100 Audubon Avenue Thibodaux, LA 70301 Phone: (985) 223-3132

www.painspecialty.net

Michael S. Haydel, M.D. FIPP, ABIPP Fellow of Interventional Pain Practice American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians American Board of Anesthesiology