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
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