Cover Story
Bishop Fabre named one of Our Sunday Visitor’s 2021 Catholics of the Year Cover Story by Janet Marcel Photos by Tyler Neil Bishop Shelton J. Fabre was recently honored as one of Our Sunday Visitor’s 2021 Catholics of the Year. Bishop Fabre joined nine other honorees that Our Sunday Visitor called “shining examples of those who have made indelible marks on the church and the world throughout the past year. Each of their stories inspired others to persevere in faith and offered, in their own way, a witness to the power of following the will of God and the fruits that blossom from doing so.” According to Scott Warden, managing editor of Our Sunday Visitor, the publication has been choosing Catholics of the Year for as long as he’s worked there. “Every year in late November or early December, a group of editors gets together to look back on the past year. What have been the big stories, and who has shown remarkable 24 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • February 2022
leadership within the church over the past 12 months? Who has shown remarkable faith in the face of adversity? Bishop Fabre checked all the boxes and was an easy choice for us,” says Warden. “His leadership during and after Hurricane Ida was a remarkable witness to his love of the people of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. As Dr. Augustine says in the tribute to his friend and mentor, Bishop Fabre showed the world what servant leadership looks like. It was an honor for us to include him as one of Our Sunday Visitor’s 2021 Catholics of the Year.” Bishop Fabre, who was recognized for his strong faith and leadership amid a difficult year in Louisiana, says he is humbled by the honor given to him by Our Sunday Visitor. “However, the honor does not belong to me personally as much as it belongs to the many, many people in our Catholic
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