Bayou Catholic Magazine January 2022 by Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

Bayou

Catholic

The official magazine of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

St. Bridget Church sparkles after renovations

JANUARY 2022 ~ VOL. 42 NO. 6 ~ COMPLIMENTARY

Contents

Features 24 2022 Bishop’s Appeal

By Janet Marcel

St. Bridget Church renovation

Recovery task force established

Cajun Navy Ground Force

By Janet Marcel By Janet Marcel By Janet Marcel

Montegut couple’s home destroyed by Ida By Janet Marcel

Columns 8 Comfort For My People

By Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

Pope Speaks

Questions of Faith

Readings Between the Lines

Pope Francis I

By Father Wilmer Todd By Father Glenn LeCompte

50 Overtime

By Ed Daniels

In Every Issue 6 From the Editor 16 Scripture Readings 22 Heavenly Recipes 27 Daily Prayer for Priests,

Deacons, Religious and Seminarians

36 Youth In Action Guest Columns 18 History of the Mass: Part Three

By Father Wilmer Todd

The Good Shepherd: Part Three

By Father Michael Bergeron

Announcements 26 #iGiveCatholic raises over $800,000 38 Martin Luther King Jr.

On Our Cover

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

St. Bridget Church is Schriever undergoes first major renovation in its 66-year history, revealing a brighter, more grand interior, with new tailor-made pews, porcelain tile floors and a lighter, more elegant color palette.

Masses, Jan. 16

Ecumenical Prayer Service, Jan. 23 Thibodaux Regional Health System’s new Cancer Institute

January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 3

Bayou Catholic How to reach us: BY PHONE: (985) 850-3132

BY MAIL: P.O. Box 505 Schriever, LA 70395 BY FAX: (985) 850-3232 BY E-MAIL: bayoucatholic@htdiocese.org The Bayou Catholic is published monthly, for the people of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux by the H-T Publishing Co., P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395. Subscription rate is $35 per year. The Bayou Catholic is a member of the Catholic Press Association, the National Newspaper Association and an associate member of the Louisiana Press Association.

Lawrence Chatagnier

editor and general manager

April LeBouef

business manager

Janet Marcel

staff writer/administrative assistant

Lisa Schobel Hebert graphic designer

Like us on Facebook or Find us on the web www.bayoucatholic.org

Where to find your Bayou Catholic

Bayou Catholic magazine can be found at all Catholic churches and Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. To pick up a copy, you may also visit the merchants who advertise in our issue. Those wishing to receive the magazine by mail can call Janet Marcel at (985) 850-3132 or write to Bayou Catholic, P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395. Subscription price is $35 annually. For the online edition, go to www.bayoucatholic.org

January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 5

From the Editor

Spiritual New Year’s resolutions

While researching the topic of spiritual new year’s resolutions I found the following article and thought it would be great to share with our readers. It is reprinted with the author’s permission: I think most of us dislike New Year’s resolutions because we know we will somehow “fail” at meeting our high expectations, and we’re usually right. Losing a certain amount of weight, working out at the gym more often, cutting out sugar, etc., are usually futile attempts at making ourselves better in some way. But what if we attached spiritual resolutions to our lives and somehow connected what we do or don’t do with a deeper meaning and purpose? Here are 10 ideas for simple, practical ways you can improve your interior life in the new year and beyond. Don’t be afraid to “fail.” Just keep moving forward and start anew. Simplify your life This isn’t just about reorganizing your shelves or cleaning out closets. Those are important and feel free to make that part of your resolution to simplify. But, in a spiritual sense, simplicity involves decluttering our mental and emotional states of being, too. Start to simplify by cutting out 10 minutes of wasted time each day and using it for something productive. Read one spiritual book per month Let’s face it: Most of us say we “don’t have time” to read anything

more than a fun fantasy novel or browse a fluffy magazine. While these aren’t in and of themselves bad, why not swap some time spent reading something that will inspire you to grow in virtue and rid your life of vice? Attend a weekend retreat If you plan ahead, you can make the time for a weekend retreat once per year. Yes, it’s going to involve a bit of a stretch with your schedule, but if you commit to it, you won’t regret it. The best part about attending a retreat is that everything is already planned, so all you have to do is block out two days, pay your fee (if applicable), and show up. Pray a decade of the rosary daily This seriously takes maybe five to seven minutes of your time. Our family prays a decade a day with our kids at night before bed, and we offer an entire rosary on Sundays as part of our Sabbath celebration. The rosary is a very powerful prayer and often calms those who faithfully pray it. Even if you find yourself getting fidgety or distracted, keep pressing forward with it and persevere. Volunteer This can be for anything. You might discern that volunteering suits your entire family. Discuss with your spouse and children what options seem to be the best fit for where your concerns and gifts are. In my family, our oldest daughter is very concerned with the plight of the poor and homeless. We have fostered this longing to help them by encouraging food drives and collecting donations instead of birthday presents. Eventually, we plan to volunteer at our local food pantry or homeless shelter. Keep the Sabbath holy A lot of people consider Sundays to be “just another day” of the week. Unfortunately, many Catholics have also made Sunday another day to cram in extra work around the house or to run errands. It’s

6 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

because we are otherwise so busy that Sunday is almost a necessity for getting something accomplished. Spend Sundays together as a family. Worship together, pray together, rest, spend time in quiet, take a nap! Start a prayer journal This doesn’t have to be complex. A simple spiral notebook kept at your bedside – or wherever you spend time in prayer – suffices. Make a daily habit of writing whatever spiritual thoughts inspire you. Sometimes this might be a gratitude list, a simple prayer, a letter to God, or a quote from a saint or Scripture. Revisit your journal when you find yourself in a spiritual slump for encouragement. Give your failures, weaknesses and sins to God The worst mistake we can make in our spiritual journeys is to give up when we do not meet our expectations or goals. There will be times in your calendar year when you are unable to fulfill your spiritual commitments, perhaps due to an injury, illness, accident, death, or supremely busy period of life. The point here is to offer up your discouragement, disappointments, and frustrations to God as a prayer. (Jeannie Ewing is a Catholic spirituality writer. Her books include Navigating Deep Waters, From Grief to Grace, A Sea Without a Shore, For Those Who Grieve and Waiting with Purpose. She is a frequent guest on Catholic radio and contributes to several online and print Catholic periodicals. Jeannie and her husband have five children and live in northern Indiana. For more information, visit her website jeannieewing.com.) BC

Lawrence

Lawrence Chatagnier Editor & General Manager

Church Life

American Indian Mass Bishop Shelton J. Fabre was the main celebrant of the American Indian Mass celebrated recently at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Pointe-aux-Chenes. Parishioners and people from across the diocese gathered to celebrate the Mass under a tent due to damages to the church. A reception was held after the celebration.

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 7

Comment

The upcoming ‘Synod of Bishops’ will include listening and journeying with people from all backgrounds Comfort For My People Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

On Sunday, October 10, Pope Francis celebrated Mass in Rome to begin the preparation process for the upcoming “Synod of Bishops.” Every three to four years, a number of bishops from around the world are invited to gather in Rome to discuss and discern a particular topic chosen by the pope for the enrichment of the church. These synods have covered topics including the Eucharist, the vocation of the laity, the new evangelization, the family, and young people, just to name a few. This year, Pope Francis has decided to do something new with the synod. The topic this year is to reflect upon the church’s role in listening and journeying with others – a concept that he calls “synodality.” The word “synod” literally means “gathering” or “assembly.” The desire of Pope Francis is to provide an opportunity for the worldwide church to reflect on how the church fosters this gathering of people from all backgrounds, listens to them, and accompanies them in their walks of life. He says that “our ‘journeying together’ is, in fact, what most effectively enacts and manifests the nature of the church as the pilgrim and missionary People of God.” To this end, the Holy Father desires us to be intentional about actually listening to the experiences of people from all walks of life to hear how they have, or have not, been accompanied by the church. Rather than following the normal procedures of simply gathering

the bishops in Rome, he has instituted a two-year listening process that involves every diocese in the world, where they will hear people’s thoughts and desires regarding how the church can better accompany every person. Pope Francis is emphatic that we must hear from all, those who participate in the life of the church, those who have left the church, people of all ages and ethnicities, paying particular attention to those who are often left out or excluded. As dioceses hear people’s experiences, they will compile this information to be used to inform the actual Synod of Bishops, which will take place in 2023. Never before has such a worldwide effort of listening been undertaken in the church in this way. Pope Francis has a deep desire for the church to better imitate the way that Jesus encountered others: He showed no prejudice to who they were or what their status was, he was willing to truly listen to them and be affected by them, and he walked with them in a way that fostered divine love in their heart. We as a church are often fearful of the unknown, the Holy Father says in his opening homily, preferring to take refuge in the usual excuses of “It’s useless” or “We’ve always done it this way.” It’s easy to remain in the status quo, to remain in what is known and comfortable rather than taking a step into the unknown. Pope Francis invites us to shake things up by both intentionally journeying with those we often leave out and to discern how God is calling us to respond to that. It’s easy to write off such efforts as ineffective and all “for show,” to go through the motions without actually taking concrete steps to change based on what we’ve heard and seen. We as a church and as a People of God, clerics and laity alike, have a responsibility to discern how God is journeying with

8 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

us and where he is leading us on that journey. We all have to be willing to take the step of faith into new waters, confident that if the Lord is leading us there, it will bring forth much fruit. In the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, we will also be participating in this process of listening to hear how we as a particular diocese can better journey with our people here. The impacts of Hurricane Ida have certainly proven to be a significant challenge for all – these months have looked nothing like we thought they would. However, I am confident that God has a plan and continues to remain with us as we walk on this journey one step at a time. You can contact your pastor for more information on how you can share your thoughts. In the meantime, I invite you to please pray for the efforts of the church to better accompany every person whose heart yearns to know and experience the presence of Jesus with them. I conclude with the prayer that Pope Francis has asked us to pray, asking the Holy Spirit to bless our efforts: We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name. With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts; Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it. We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder. Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions. Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right. All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever. Amen. BC

Comentario

El próximo “Sínodo de los Obispos” incluirá la escucha y el caminar juntos con personas de todos los orígenes. El domingo 10 de Octubre, el Papa Francisco celebró la misa en Roma para iniciar la preparación al próximo “Sínodo de los Obispos.” Cada tres o cuatro años, un número de Obispos alrededor de todo el mundo son invitados para reunirse en Roma para discutir y discernir un tema en particular elegido por el Papa, para el florecimiento de la Iglesia. Estos sínodos han cubierto temas incluyendo la Eucaristía, la vocación del laico, la Nueva Evangelización, la familia, y los jóvenes, sólo por mencionar algunos. En este año, el Papa Francisco ha decidido hacer algo nuevo con el sínodo. El tema de este año es para reflexionar sobre el rol de la Iglesia en la escucha y el caminar con otros- un concepto que él llama “sinodalidad.” La palabra “sínodo” literalmente significa “reunión” o “asamblea.” El deseo del Papa Francisco es proveer una oportunidad para la Iglesia universal de reflexionar en cómo la Iglesia fomenta esta reunión de gente de todos orígenes, escuchándolos y acompañándolos en sus caminos de vida. El dice que nuestro caminar juntos es, de hecho, lo que más efectivamente proclama y manifiesta la naturaleza de la Iglesia como Pueblo de Dios peregrino y misionero”. Con este fin, el Santo Padre desea que seamos intencionales en escuchar realmente las experiencias de las personas de todos los ámbitos de la vida para escuchar cómo han sido, o no, acompañados por la iglesia. En lugar de seguir los procedimientos normales de reunir a los obispos en Roma, ha instituido un proceso de escucha de dos años que involucra a todas las diócesis del mundo, donde escucharán los pensamientos y deseos de la gente con respecto a cómo la iglesia puede acompañar mejor a cada persona. El Papa Francisco enfatiza que debemos escuchar a todos, a los que

participan en la vida de la iglesia, a los que han dejado la iglesia, a las personas de todas las edades y etnias, prestando especial atención en los que a menudo son dejados de lado o excluidos. A medida que las diócesis escuchen las experiencias de las personas, recopilarán esta información para utilizarla en el Sínodo de los Obispos, que tendrá lugar en 2023. Nunca se había llevado a cabo en la Iglesia un esfuerzo de escucha a nivel mundial de esta manera. El Papa Francisco tiene un profundo deseo que la Iglesia imite mejor el modo en que Jesús se encontró con los otros: No mostraba ningún prejuicio sobre quiénes eran o cuál era su estatus, estaba dispuesto a escucharles de verdad y a dejarse afectar por ellos, y caminaba con ellos de forma que fomentaba el amor divino en sus corazones. Como iglesia, a menudo tenemos miedo a lo desconocido, el Santo Padre dice en su homilía de apertura, prefiriendo refugiarse en las habituales excusas de “es inusual” o “siempre lo hemos hecho de esta manera”. Es más fácil quedarse en el status quo, el permanecer en lo que es conocido y confortable en lugar de dar un paso a lo desconocido. El Papa Francisco nos invita a restablecer las cosas, tanto el caminar intencionalmente con aquellos que a menudo dejamos de lado, como el discernir cómo Dios nos llama a responder a esto. Es fácil tachar semejantes esfuerzos de ineficaces y todo “por aparecer”, de ir a través los impulsos sin tomar pasos concretos para cambiar fundados en lo que hemos oído y visto. Nosotros, como Iglesia y como Pueblo de Dios, clérigos y laicos por igual, tenemos la responsabilidad de discernir cómo Dios está caminando con nosotros y hacia dónde Él nos está conduciendo en esta jornada. Todos tenemos que estar dispuestos

a dar el paso de fe en aguas nuevas, con la confianza de que, si el Señor nos está guiando allí, traerá mucho fruto. En la Diócesis de Houma- Thibodaux, también estaremos participando en este proceso de escucha para percibir, cómo podemos, como diócesis particular, caminar mejor con nuestra gente aquí Los impactos del Huracán Ida ciertamente han demostrado ser un desafío significativo para todos - estos meses no son nada parecidos a lo que pensábamos debían ser. Sin embargo, confío en que Dios tiene un plan y sigue estando con nosotros mientras caminamos en esta jornada paso a paso. Pueden contactar con sus pastores para más información de cómo pueden compartir sus pensamientos. Mientras tanto, les invito a rezar por los esfuerzos de la iglesia para acompañar mejor a cada persona cuyo corazón anhela conocer y experimentar la presencia de Jesús con ellos. Concluyo con la oración que el Papa Francisco nos ha pedido rezar, pidiendo al Espíritu Santo bendiga nuestros esfuerzos: Estamos ante ti, Espíritu Santo, mientras nos reunimos en tu nombre. Contigo sólo para guiarnos, hazte presente en nuestros corazones; enséñanos el camino que debemos seguir y cómo debemos hacerlo. Somos débiles y pecadores; no permitas que fomentemos el desorden. No permitas que la ignorancia nos lleve por el camino equivocado ni que la parcialidad influya en nuestras acciones. Haz que encontremos en Ti nuestra unidad para que caminemos juntos hacia la vida eterna y no nos desviemos del camino de la verdad y de lo que es justo. Todo esto te lo pedimos a Ti, que actúas en todo lugar y tiempo, en la comunión del Padre y del Hijo, por los siglos de los siglos. Amén BC

January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 9

Binh luan bang loi

Thượng Hội Đồng Giám Mục sắp khai mạc sẽ bao gồm lắng nghe và đồng hành cùng các tín hữu khắp nơi Vào ngày Chúa Nhật, ngày 10 tháng 10, Đức Thánh Cha đã cử hành Thánh Lễ khai mạc các bước chuẩn bị cho “Thượng Hội Đồng Giám Mục” sắp diễn ra. Từ ba đến bốn năm một số giám mục được mời gọi tham gia thượng hội đồng bên Roma để thảo luận và suy tư về một vấn đề cá biệt mà Đức Thánh Cha gợi ý để làm tăng sức sống cho Giáo Hội. Các thượng hội đồng này đã bàn qua những chủ đề như Bí Tích Mình Thánh, Ơn Gọi Giáo Dân, Rao Giảng Phúc Âm Mới, Gia Đình, và Giới Trẻ, một vài chủ đề tiêu biểu. Năm nay, Đức Giáo Hoàng Francicô đã quyết định đưa ra đề tài có vẻ mới mẻ cho Thượng Hội Đồng. Chủ đề cho năm nay là suy tư về bổn phận của Giáo Hội trong sự lắng nghe và đồng hành với người khác – một khái niệm mà ngài gọi là “Tính Đồng Nghị.” Chữ “thượng hội đồng” dịch sát nghĩa là “tụ họp” hay “công nghị.” Điều mà Đức Thánh Cha mong muốn là tạo ra cơ hội cho giáo hội khắp nơi suy tư làm sao Giáo Hội vun trồng công nghị này của tất mọi người đến từ khắp nơi trên thế giới, lắng nghe họ, và đồng hành với họ trên đường đời. Ngài nót rằng “Hành Trình” cùng nhau, trên thực tế, là biểu hiện kết quả tốt nhất và thể hiện bản chất thật của Giáo Hội của những người lữ hành và tông đồ của Chúa. Để đạt được mục đích đó, Đức Thánh Cha ao ước chúng ta chú ý lắng nghe những kinh nghiệm của mọi người đến từ mọi nơi xem Giáo Hội đã thích nghi được với họ ra sao hay chưa. Hơn là theo những thông lệ bình thường đơn giản là các giám mục họp ở Rôma, Ngài đã dành ra hai năm trong tiến trình lắng nghe để thực hiện trong mỗi giáo phận trên thế giới, cho các tín hữu bày tỏ ý nguyện và ao ước hướng về khía cạnh làm sao giáo hội đồng hành với mọi người tốt hơn. Đức Thánh Cha nhấn mạnh rằng

chúng ta phải lắng nghe tất cả, những ai đang hành trình với Giáo Hội, hay những ai đã bỏ Giáo Hội, không phân biệt tuổi tác hay dân tộc, đặc biệt những người ít được chú ý hay bị bỏ rơi. Sau khi các giáo phận lắng nghe kinh nghiệm của giáo dân, họ sẽ gom lại các ý kiến để dùng và việc tham khảo cho Thượng Hội Đồng Giám Mục sẽ được khai mạc trong năm 2023. Chưa bao giờ có thông lệ rộng rãi sốt sắng lắng nghe được khởi xướng trong Giáo Hội trong chiều hướng này. Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô thổ lộ một khát vọng sâu xa cho Giáo Hội để Giáo Hội theo chân mà Chúa Giêsu đã gặp mọi người. Ngài không phân biệt ai hay địa vị xã hội của họ, Ngài quyết tâm thật tình lắng nghe họ và cảm mến họ, và đồng hành với họ trên con đường mà tình yêu Chúa được thể hiện trong tâm hồn họ. Là Giáo Hội chúng ta thường sợ hãi đi vào nơi lạ lẫm, Đức Thánh Cha trong bài giảng khai mạc nói, ám chỉ cách biện minh thông thường là “vô dụng” hoặc “Mình vẫn sử dụng cách này hoài.” Thật rất dễ̉ khi cho rằng mình đã thông hiểu, cho rằng không gì mới và an lòng hơn là bước vào nơi mình không biết. Đức Giáo Hoàng Phansicô mời gọi chúng ta năng nổ đối mặt hai lãng vực là quyết tâm hành trình với người bị bỏ rơi và thực tâm hành động theo tiếng gọi của Chúa trong tình thế này. Thật rất dễ loại bỏ những cố gắng đó vì coi là không có kết quả và tất cả chỉ là “hình thức,” rồi lướt qua các bước tham khảo mà không thật sự bắt tay vào những bước đi cụ thể để đáp ứng tốt những gì chúng ta đã lắng nghe và nhìn tận mắt. Chúng ta là Giáo Hội và là cộng đồng dân Chúa, giáo sĩ cũng như giáo dân, có trách nhiệm suy gẫm Chúa đồng hành với chúng ta như thế nào và Ngài hướng dẫn chúng ta đi tới đâu trên con đường đó. Tất cả chúng ta quyết tâm tiến bước

10 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

trong đức tin vào giếng nước mới, tin rằng nếu Chúa dẫn chúng ta tới đó, để mang lại hoa trái. Giáo Phận HoumaThibodaux sẽ tham gia vào chương trình lắng nghe để nhận ra làm sao giáo phận có thể đồng hành tốt hơn với cộng đồng dân Chúa nơi đây. Ảnh hưởng bão Ida vừa rồi sẽ gây ra nhiều thử thách đáng kể trong toàn thời gian tham khảo ý kiến mà chúng ta không thể nghĩ tới. Tuy nhiên, tôi có lòng tin rằng Chúa có kế hoạch và Ngài tiếp tục ở với chúng ta giúp chúng ta đi từng bước trên đường đời. Anh chị em có thể liên lạc với cha xứ của quý vị làm thế nào chia sẻ ý tưởng. Tạm thời tôi mời gọi anh chị vui lòng cầu nguyện cho cố gắng của Giáo Hội làm sao Giáo Hội đồng hành với mọi người tốt hơn mà những tâm hồn đó luôn ao ước nhận biết và cảm nhận Chúa Giêsu bên họ. Tôi gác bút bài này với lời nguyện mà Đức Giáo Hoàng Phansicô đã xin chúng ta cầu nguyện, xin Chúa Thánh Thần ban phước cho những cố gắng của chúng ta: Chúng con đứng trước mặt Ngài, lạy Chúa Thánh Thần, như đoàn chiên đứng cạnh nhau vì Danh Ngài. Chỉ có mình Ngài hướng dẫn chúng con, xin Ngài hiện diện trong tâm hồn chúng con. Xin dạy chúng con con đường mà chúng con phải đi và làm sao tìm thấy con đường đó. Chúng con yếu đuối và tội lỗi; đừng để chúng con chiều theo xáo trộn. Đừng để sự ngu dốt dẫn chúng con vào sự lầm lạc hay lòng thiên vị ảnh hưởng đến hành động. Xin cho chúng con tìm Ngài trong sự hợp nhất để chúng con cùng đồng hành về nước trời, và không đi sai sự thật và những lẽ phải. Chúng con cầu xin Chúa Thánh Thần, vì Ngài hành động trong mọi nơi và thời gian, trong sự hiệp nhất với Chúa Cha và Chúa Con, muôn đời và mãi mãi. Amen. BC

The collection will be held January 22 and 23. Thank you for your generosity.

Comment

Pope Francis: St. Joseph shows engaged and married couples what real love looks like The Pope Speaks

By COURTNEY MARES Vatican City, (CNA) Pope Francis shared advice for engaged and married couples based on the example provided by the Holy Family at his recent general audience. The pope highlighted how St. Joseph witnessed to what real, “mature love” looks like, particularly when life throws a couple of unexpected challenges. He asked the crowd gathered in Vatican City’s Paul VI Hall to imagine that when Mary and Joseph were engaged to one another, “they had probably cultivated dreams and expectations regarding their life and their future,” when “out of the blue, God seems to have inserted himself into their lives.” When Joseph learns that Mary is pregnant, “an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins’” (Matthew 1:2021). Pope Francis underlined that “love is not the pretension that the other person, or life, should correspond to our imagination.” “Rather, it means to choose in full freedom to take responsibility for one’s life as it comes,” he said. “This is why Joseph gives us an important lesson. He chooses Mary with ‘his eyes open.’ We can say ‘with all the risks.’” “And Joseph’s risk gives us this

Pope Francis with couple at the Vatican lesson: to take life as it comes,” the pope said at the live-streamed audience. In his address, Pope Francis urged Christian couples to remember that they are “called to witness to a love like this that has the courage to move from the logic of falling in love to that of mature love.” He said that this requires making “a demanding choice” that “can fortify love so that it endures when faced with the trials of time.” “Dear brothers and dear sisters, our lives are very often not what we imagine them to be. Especially in loving and affectionate relationships, it is difficult to move from the logic of falling in love to the logic of a mature love,” he said. “We need to move from infatuation to mature love — you newlyweds, think about this. The first phase is always marked by a certain enchantment that makes us live immersed in the imaginary that is often not based on reality and facts, the falling in love phase.” “But precisely when falling in love with its expectations seems to come to an end, that is where true love begins or true love enters in there.” Pope Francis said that it is normal for married couples to quarrel sometimes, but advised couples to “make peace before going to bed.” “That spouses fight is our daily bread, eh … ‘And there are even times

12 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

DANIEL IBANEZ/CNA

plates fly.’ It happens. But what can be done so that this does not damage the life of the marriage? Listen to me well: Never finish the day without making peace,” he said. “Remember always: Never finish the day without making peace. And this will help you in your married life,” he added. This was Pope Francis’ third reflection in a catechetical series on St. Joseph during his Wednesday general audiences. Among the crowd at the audience were newly married couples who came to the Vatican to receive the pope’s blessing for their marriages. At the conclusion of his address, Pope Francis shared a prayer to St. Joseph for Christian couples: “St. Joseph, you who loved Mary with freedom, and chose to renounce your fantasies to give way to reality, help each of us to allow ourselves to be surprised by God and to accept life not as something unforeseen from which to defend ourselves, but as a mystery that hides the secret of true joy. Obtain joy and radicality for all engaged Christians, while always being aware that only mercy and forgiveness make love possible. Amen.” BC

Comment

Questions of Faith Father Wilmer Todd

Donating body or organs to science (This column originally ran in the November 2017 issue of Bayou Catholic magazine.) What is the Catholic Church’s position on people donating their bodies or organs after death to science or some type of medical center? What is the procedure that someone should follow regarding the burial afterwards? Catholics who donate their bodies for scientific research are acting nobly when it is done for the good of humanity. That means it must be done in the spirit of service to other human beings and not for financial gain. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says, “Organ donation after death is a noble and meritorious act and is to be encouraged as an expression of generous solidarity” (CCC, No. 2296). Donation of one’s body falls under the same teaching. When a person donates his or her body to science so that medical students can study and acquaint themselves with the human body, it is completely in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church. These students learn from the donated bodies so that they then can become researchers and healers in their future medical professions. Jesus told us in John’s Gospel, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:1213). We can look at giving our bodies

to science as a type of “laying down of lives for our friends.” We are all part of the human race and when we help another human being live a better life, we are fulfilling Jesus’ command. St. John Paul II said in an address to the Pontifical Academy for Life, “The church respects and supports scientific research when it has a genuinely human orientation, avoiding any form of destruction of the human being and keeping itself free from the slavery of political and economic interests.” St. John Paul II also taught that removing the vital organs of a deceased person (e.g., heart, liver, lungs, and any others that can support another’s life) is morally permissible if there is moral certitude that the person has in fact died. The deceased before death or those authorized to dispose of his or her body must have freely given permission to remove those organs for transplanting into a person to preserve their life. John Paul II explicitly taught that the task of determining that a person has died lies within the competence of medical doctors and scientists. During his pontificate, the “neurological” criterion was accepted as a valid criterion for determining death. The Pontifical Academy of Sciences said, “A person is dead when there has been total and irreversible loss of all capacity for integrating and coordinating physical and mental functions of the body as a unit.” My aunt gave her body to science. There was a memorial Mass without

the body to pray for her and to remember her. This was done without the body present. (They usually take the body away as soon as a person dies to preserve their organs.) When the medical center was finished with their studies, they cremated her body and sent it back to her family. We then arranged to have a grave-side service to properly bury my aunt in her grave. Since the institutions to which bodies of the deceased are donated routinely cremate those bodies, unless the donor or their caregivers explicitly want to inter the bodily remains in a grave, church law regarding cremation is frequently applicable. Canon law permits cremation (Canon 1177, 3). The church teaches, “We must treat the bodies of the dead with respect and with charity in faith and hope of the Resurrection” (CCC, No. 2300). The remains should always be buried. This teaching is to be observed whether the bodily or cremated remains of the deceased donor are to be then disposed of in carrying out the expressed desires of the deceased or his family or designated caregivers. BC

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

January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 13

Reflections

Sacred Scripture: Essential to our daily spiritual diet Readings Between the Lines Father Glenn LeCompte

“The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the word of God,” says Pope Francis in his Sept. 30, 2019, apostolic letter, Aperuit Illis. This year the Sunday of the Word of God is January 23. Pope Francis highlights the importance of God’s word in our lives. St. Jerome, on whose feast day Pope Francis promulgated Aperuit Illis, once said “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” The Sunday of the Word of God is a day for us to appreciate more deeply the importance of the Liturgy of the Word (the first part of Mass) and the role of Sacred Scripture in providing guidance for daily Christian living. This year, the Scriptures on the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time lend themselves quite well to a more intense consideration of the importance of God’s word in our lives. The first reading is from a biblical book, Nehemiah, from which we read only once in the three cycles of the Sunday Scriptures. I recommend that you read the reading before continuing to read this article. The scene depicted in the reading is historically situated in either the mid5th or very early 4th century B.C. The people of Israel, now known as “Jews” or “Judeans” have been back in their homeland for a significant amount of time since the Babylonian Exile ended in 539 B.C. The local governor of the sub-province of Judea, Nehemiah was under the regional governor (satrap), who in turn was the representative of the king of the Persian Empire. Ezra, the reading’s central figure, was a priest and “scribe of the law of the God of heaven” (Ezra 7:10). Thus,

“he was a sort of secretary for Jewish affairs, empowered (Ezra 7:12-26) by Persian authorities to teach and enforce the law among the Jews in the province “‘Beyond the River’” (A.G. Wright, S.S., R.E. Murphy, O. Carm., J.A. Fitzmyer, S.J., “A History of Israel,” in New Jerome Biblical Commentary, p. 1238). The scene depicted in the reading is that of a liturgical assembly of Jews to hear a reading of “the book of the Law of Moses,” which could refer to what we know as the first five books of the Christian Bible, or a portion of it. With the people of Israel captive in Babylon (587-539 B.C.) and the Temple in Jerusalem having been destroyed, the codification of Israel’s religious laws became important. Jewish priests during the exile collected various legal codes from Israel’s history and codified many of the worship laws, as well as some moral laws. The efforts of the exilic priests were very important because they preserved the essence of Judaism in a time when its existence was threatened. Once the exiles returned to Palestine, Cyrus, the Persian king who liberated the Jews, ordered that the Temple be rebuilt, and the second Temple was completed ca. 515 B.C. Although sacrifice could again be practiced, the Israelite legal traditions collected by the priests shared prominence with the sacrificial system.

14 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

Several details in the reading underscore the importance of the Law from which Ezra reads. A stand, which Ezra ceremoniously mounts to do the reading, is built specially for the occasion (8:4). Before reading, Ezra holds the scroll of the Law for all to see (8:5), and the people reverentially dispose themselves to hear the reading by declaring “Amen! Amen!” and bowing before the Lord with their faces to the ground (8:6). The audience is significant: “The whole people” (Nehemiah 8:1), “the men, the women, and those children old enough to understand,” who listen attentively as Ezra reads at length, for half of a day (8:3). The people’s response likewise indicates the magnitude of the text from which Ezra reads. They weep when they hear the words of the Law (8:9). The reason they do so is most likely that they realize that it was the failure to heed God’s word that led to Israel’s exile and near annihilation as a people in Babylon. Nevertheless, the people are urged not to weep, but rather to return home and indulge in a feast of rich food and drink, not forgetting those who do not have the means to do so (8:910). They are told to celebrate because their focus should be on the fact that their very presence in their homeland is evidence of God’s mercy shown them as a people, despite their

Reflections

ancestors’ disregard for the covenant law. From the early period following the Babylonian Exile and thereafter, the word of God became ever more prominent in Judaism. The teaching of the prophets and of sages of Judaism would be collected and edited. By 400 B.C., the Torah (the first five books of our Bible) had been edited. Scholarly groups, such as the Pharisees and Sadducees and rabbinic teachers, would render interpretations of obscure or conflicting passages in the Scriptures or applied their principles to everyday situations. The importance of the word was taken up by the early Christians, who initially considered themselves a sect of Judaism. Although they gathered in homes to celebrate the “Breaking of the Bread,” they also continued to listen to the word of God proclaimed in synagogue worship. Eventually, the Christian Church recognized certain early Christian writings to be inspired

and on par with the Jewish Scriptures. Pope Francis’ declaration of a Sunday of the Word of God reminds us of the long-standing tradition of holding God’s word in high regard. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, third typical edition, No. 29 states, “When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his word, proclaims the Gospel.” It is important that we listen attentively to God’s word at Mass and let it penetrate our hearts and minds. In order to listen attentively, it would be good to prepare by reading beforehand both the Sunday Scriptures and a commentary on or explanation of the readings. Outside of Mass, it would be a good practice to read from the Scriptures each day. This can be done by reading the daily Mass readings, or by engaging in a Bible reading program. A good companion for Scripture reading is the Collegeville Bible Commentary, which provides understandable

explanations of every passage of the Bible to help us comprehend what we are reading. When we have read the Scriptures it is always important to ask ourselves how we can incorporate their message into our lives. The people in the first reading for the Sunday of God’s Word provide for us a good model for holding the Sacred Scriptures in reverence. BC

Reflection Questions v How do you prepare for the Liturgy of the Word at Mass? What would help you to prepare better? v How have you found the Sunday Scripture readings to have relevance to your life? v What have you gleaned from reading Scripture that you would most like to share with others?

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January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 15

January Scripture Readings and a listing of Feast days and saints

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday 1 Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Numbers 6:22-27 Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 2:16-21

2 Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:2-3a Matthew 2:1-12 9

3 Christmas Weekday 1 John 3:22—4:6 Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25

Weekday Feast of the Baptism of the Lord 1 Samuel 1:1-8 Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 Mark 1:14-20 Acts 10:34-38 Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 16 Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 62:1-5 1 Corinthians 12:411 John 2:1-11

4 Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious 1 John 4:7-10 Mark 6:34-44

11 Weekday 1 Samuel 1:9-20 Mark 1:21-28

Weekday Memorial of Saint 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Anthony, abbot 1 Samuel 15:16-23 Mark 2:23-28 Mark 2:18-22

5 Memorial of Saint John Neumann, bishop 1 John 4:11-18 Mark 6:45-52

12 Weekday 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20 Mark 1:29-39

19 Weekday 1 Samuel 17:3233, 37, 40-51 Mark 3:1-6

Christmas Weekday Christmas Weekday Christmas Weekday 1 John 5:14-21 1 John 4:19—5:4 1 John 5:5-13 John 3:22-30 Luke 5:12-16 Luke 4:14-22a

13 Weekday 1 Samuel 4:1-11 Mark 1:40-45

20 Weekday 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7 Mark 3:7-12

14 Weekday 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a Mark 2:1-12

21 Memorial of Saint Agnes, virgin and martyr 1 Samuel 24:3-21 Mark 3:13-19

15 Weekday 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1a Mark 2:13-17

22 Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children 2 Samuel 1:1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27 Mark 3:20-2

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor of the church 2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10 Mark 3:22-30

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle Acts 22:3-16 Mark 16:15-18

Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops 2 Timothy 1:1-8 Mark 4:1-20

Weekday 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29 Mark 4:21-25

Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the church 2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17 Mark 4:26-34

Weekday 2 Samuel 12:1-7a, 10-17 Mark 4:35-41

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19 1 Corinthians 12:31—13:13 Luke 4:21-30

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, priest 2 Samuel 15:1314, 30; 16:5-13 Mark 5:1-20

16 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

January

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Special

Medieval reformer Pope Gregory VII

The history of the Roman Catholic Mass: Part III Guest Columnist Father Wilmer Todd

(This is part three of a series of articles on the history of the Roman Catholic Mass.) In 476 A.D., the Germanic king Odoacer overthrew Romulus, the last Roman emperor in the West. This ended the 1,000 years of the Roman Empire rule of Western Europe. With the Fall of Rome, Western Europe became fragmented. Local dialects began to develop into the modern European languages; however, the church retained Latin in the liturgy to signify church unity. Among all the faithful, Latin was spoken less and less in the homes and on the streets. Clovis I, the first Frankish king to unite all the Frankish tribes, was baptized in 496 A.D. He later defeated

the Arian Visigoths and established Roman Catholicism as the religion of the Frankish states. In 768 A.D., Charlemagne became the Frankish king and was crowned the first Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 800 A.D. Charlemagne united most of Western Europe for the first time since the fall of the Roman Empire, and he attempted to unify the liturgy. The Roman rite adapted certain features from the Gallican rite. The Hadrianum was a product of this effort, so they named this Sacramentary after Pope Hadrian I (pope from 772-795 A.D.). Otto I became the Holy Roman Emperor in 962 A.D., and he introduced the Mainz Pontifical to Rome. The Roman rite became ever more influenced with FrancoGermanic customs. The procession on Palm Sunday, the foot washing on Holy Thursday, and the veneration of the Cross on Good Friday were all introduced in the liturgies of Holy Week. The Frankish rites emphasized the mystical side of the liturgy. They introduced the use of incense and the observance of silence during

18 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

the Eucharistic Prayer. They made several changes during the reception of holy Communion such as the use of unleavened bread, kneeling when receiving holy Communion, and receiving Our Lord on the tongue. They also introduced the practice of distributing Communion with one species (the Host without the Precious Blood). In 1054 A.D., the Great Schism occurred when the Western Church in Rome and the Eastern Church in Constantinople separated. Pope St. Gregory VII (pope from 1073-1085 A.D.) sought to reform the church and to secure its autonomy against civil rulers. Gregory undertook liturgical reform and affirmed the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. He suppressed the Mozaribic and Celtic rites and promulgated the Roman rite. From 1100 up to the mid-1500’s, there were ups and downs in the history of the church. The Golden Age of Revival in the 12th and 13th centuries produced cultural advances like monastic education and Gothic architecture in the churches. In the 14th century, a period of decline

Special

existed in which seven popes resided in Avignon (1309-1376) rather than in Rome. The Mendicant Orders, particularly the Dominicans and Franciscans, traveled around preaching and celebrating the Eucharist carrying with them their liturgical practices and supplies as they traveled. In the same period, there was the development of Private Masses such as Votive Masses that priests offered for various private intentions, Requiem Masses for the dead and Monastic Masses. These Masses became the norm instead of the regular Roman standard Mass. In the Private Masses, the priest used a missal that contained everything necessary for the celebration of the Mass. In addition, the priest did everything including the readings. The people merely attended and observed. As a result, the offertory procession was removed in the Private Mass and the bread was no longer baked and brought in by the people. Seeing the host was more important than receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus; monetary donations replaced the offering of bread, and the altar was connected to the apse instead of freestanding altars. The Rood Screen was introduced to divide the choir from the nave. (Father Wilmer Todd is a retired priest of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.) BC

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Special

The Good Shepherd Guest Columnist Father Michael Bergeron

(This is part three in a series of articles about the relationship of a shepherd with his flock.) Sheep and Lamb as Sacrifice Only domestic animals that were raised for food were acceptable for sacrifice – cattle, goats, sheep, pigeons and doves – and they had to be free from blemish, injury, disfigurement or disease. The believer’s rank and wealth were important in determining which animal was acceptable. A high priest would offer a young bull, a king would offer a ram, a merchant or landowner would offer a goat or lamb or sheep, a poor peasant would offer a pair of birds – as Mary herself had done in Luke 2:24. A very poor man would offer a small measure of fine flour. The Lost Sheep Now, let’s look at the “lost sheep.” There was a rather bizarre story from the Associated Press several years ago about 1,500 sheep that jumped off a cliff in Turkey. First, one sheep jumped to its death. Then stunned Turkish shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while they had breakfast, watched as nearly 1,500 others

followed, each leaping off the same cliff. In the end, 450 dead animals lay on top of one another in a billowy white pile. Those who jumped later were saved as the pile got higher and the fall more cushioned. The loss was devastating to the families who depended on the sheep as a significant source of income. The shepherds only had to relax for a few moments and the sheep plunged to their death. Dumb sheep. Do I need to say to you that people do many more dumb things than do sheep? No sheep has ever been charged with abusing its own lamb. No sheep has ever been charged with stealing from a neighbor or with murder. Sheep don’t knowingly abuse their own bodies or minds. They don’t hate other sheep who are of a different color or economic level or religion. Sheep only have one or two ways they can become lost. Humans have thousands, and we seem to be inventing new ones every day. When we hear Jesus’ question to the disciples about the good shepherd who lost a sheep: “Will he not leave the ninety-nine?”; we are still not accustomed to the answer. We want to say “No.” Why put the ninety-nine at risk? It’s absurd and irresponsible to risk the whole flock for one small lamb. Cut your losses, don’t throw good money after bad. Why every businessperson knows you have to accept a certain level of spoilage, that some of the product will be lost before it can be brought to the market. But Jesus saw it differently.

20 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

Only in Luke do we get the three parables of the lost. They become a trilogy, ending in a climax. First, we have the parable of the lost sheep – one sheep out of 100; then we have the parable of the lost coin – one coin out of 10; then we have the parable of the lost son – one son out of two. In the parable of the lost sheep, we are the sheep and the shepherd is God. In the parable of the lost coin, we are the coin and the woman is God. In the parable of the lost son, we are the son and the father is God. In the lost sheep story, the sheep did not intend to get lost. As I said, sheep are incredibly dumb animals. They can be grazing on the edge of a cliff and see a delicious piece of grass over the cliff and they will step over the cliff to get it. Dumb animals. In the story, the sheep just wandered away dazzled by the world. When it did, it was alone, vulnerable and defenseless. It did not know how it happened, it just found itself lost. Like us, we get dazzled by the world and then lost. And God, represented by the shepherd, goes out in search for it. In the story of the lost coin, the coin fell and it did not have the power to resist. It lay lost in the darkness and couldn’t save itself. Like us, sometimes we find ourselves fallen into darkness and don’t know how it happened. And God, represented by the woman, searches for it. In the parable of the lost son, the son is lost because he willfully leaves. He chooses his fate. He exercises

Special

Part Three his free will and he leaves God. And God, represented by the Father, allows him to leave and does not go out to search for him. Luke is really showing the different ways in which a sinner is lost. There is a difference between the lost sheep and lost coins and a lost boy. The lost sheep or coin are not responsible for making decisions. But the lost son chose it. The father waits on the lost boy to make his own decision. That is the ultimate consequence of our freedom. God will not force himself on us. He will not force us to behave. He will not force us to love him. He will not interfere. We are free to choose life or death, love or indifference, heaven or hell. But when we come back to him, he waits with open arms. Sheep without a Shepherd A herd of sheep without a shepherd is a sad lot. It is not just the fact that sheep are particularly dumb animals. But in rugged mountain country like the hills of Palestine, a herd of sheep is vulnerable to a whole host of dangers. Wild dogs and mountain lions can wreak havoc with a flock if a shepherd is not around to protect his sheep against predators. Newborn lambs are especially defenseless until they are old and strong enough to keep up with the flocks in their grazing. Moreover, a flock of sheep left to graze by themselves will not find enough grass and water to meet their needs. The good shepherd knows where the good pastures and watering holes are and he grazes his flock in

those areas. A herd of sheep without a shepherd is a sad lot because sheep left to themselves are at the mercy of their enemies and their environment. People without God in their lives are like sheep without a shepherd. That’s why Jesus pitied the crowds of people that followed him. It wasn’t that they were particularly stupid or evil. They just couldn’t take care of themselves alone. They bore burdens of guilt that they could not think away by themselves. They suffered sieges of illness that they could not heal by themselves. They faced threats of famine that they could not overcome by themselves. They fell victim to despair that they could not manage by themselves. They were ordinary people whose lives were not working for them because they ran out of luck or made dumb choices. That is why Jesus spent so much time healing and helping,

reaching and teaching the common folk. Without his guidance and assistance, they were a shepherdless flock. Separating Goat and Sheep We also know the story of the separating of the sheep from the goats. As in other places in the New Testament, this passage teaches that the good and the bad live together in this world. In Palestine, sheep and goats are often mixed in a single flock. In the evening, they are separated because the goats required more protection from the cold than the sheep. The shepherd, of course, had no trouble telling them apart. In the world of humans, on the other hand, we do not always recognize one another’s true identities. These differences are discerned with certainty by God alone. (Father Michael Bergeron is a retired priest of the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux.) BC

January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 21

Heavenly Recipes

Story and Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

Jon Paul bakes bread

Jon Paul Olivier 22 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

Jon Paul Olivier, a native of Franklin and resident of Houma, shares his recipe for rosemary bread. It is a recipe that he found on the Internet and modified slightly. It is supposed to be a copycat recipe that Macaroni Grill serves. Jon Paul has been working as the technical and system support specialist for the diocesan Office of Technology Services for the past 10 months. Jon Paul is married to Susan and they have two adult children. Susan is a teacher at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral School in Houma. Jon Paul enjoys cooking, but says his wife is much better. “I like baking breads and desserts. I make homemade cheese. I started making pizza with the box type pizzas and now I make homemade pizzas. My mother is also a great cook. She won the Times Picayune cooking contest years ago in the early 1970s for the recipe “forty cloves of garlic,’’ which contained chicken, rosemary and garlic.” Jon Paul has always worked in IT. “I have a degree in computer science and business from Nicholls.” He says that it has been a wonderful experience working at the Pastoral Center. “Everyone gets along so well. Everyone appreciates everyone so much. We get the opportunity to celebrate Mass here. It is great. Getting to know the priests on a personal level is great. Getting to know the bishop personally and knowing that he is as gentle and compassionate here as he is in public has been a great experience.” Jon Paul is an avid runner. “My son and I go mountain climbing. We just got back from a trip where we finished section hiking on the Appalachian Trail through the Smoky Mountains. We have been working on that for the past nine years. We started in 2012; we do a little each year when life doesn’t get in the way. It generally takes a week. After a oneday warm-up climb, it’s three long days on

Heavenly Recipes

Rosemary Bread Ingredients: 1 tbsp. yeast 1 tbsp. sugar 1 cup warm water (not over 120 degrees) 2-1/2 cups bread flour 1 tsp. salt 2 tbsps. rosemary 2 tbsps. butter

Directions: The bread can be made in a bread machine or by hand. When making the bread in a bread machine, the bread may fall. To alleviate this problem, make these small adjustments: Reduce yeast, increase flour and increase salt. To make in a bread machine, add water and butter first, then sprinkle flour on top, and finally add other dry ingredients in separate corners with the yeast in the center. When the bread comes out of the bread machine, brush with remaining butter and kosher salt, then sprinkle remaining rosemary on all sides. To make the bread by hand, place yeast, sugar and water in a large bowl or food processor and allow mixture to become bubbly. Mix in 1 tbsp. butter and salt, and 2 cups of flour. Add 1 tbsp. of the fresh chopped rosemary. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or in food processor for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary. Place a little oil in a bowl, put dough in it and cover with a towel. Let dough rise in a warm place for one hour until doubled. Punch down dough and divide in half. Let dough rest about 5 minutes. Spray baking pan or cookie sheet lain with cooking spray. Shape the dough into 2 small rounded oval loaves. Sprinkle remaining 1 tbsp. rosemary and 1 tbsp. salt over the loaves and press lightly into surface. Let loaves rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Carefully remove from oven; brush with remaining butter and kosher salt.

the trail afterwards … no matter the weather. We had snow this time, we have had it all, driving snow storms, ice storms. You are dropped off at a remote place and your vehicle is three days away. You have no choice but to keep on going.” He says it’s an opportunity for him and his son to connect, talk and reflect on life. Jon Paul hopes to one day get his pilot’s license. “I have completed ground school, and passed the written test. Actually flying is next. I have to perfect my landing, cross county flying, night flying and some navigation. My father was a pilot. It is something that I always wanted to do some day. My father was a pilot during WWII. There is some inspiration to why I want to do it.” Jon Paul says his job gives him the opportunity to help people to better use technology. “I’ve always enjoyed helping people to use technology in their lives both personally and professionally. I now have the opportunity to do this for the mission of the church. I have been given the opportunity to help people better themselves to fulfill their own purposes.” He is also an author who has written a number of books. “My stories are about travels. People would say you ought to write a book. The stories are not just about coming of age, but about ordinary people being thrust into extraordinary circumstances.” BC

Special

‘Together Providing Hope’ is 2022 Bishop’s Appeal theme Story by Janet Marcel “Together Providing Hope,” is the theme of the 2022 Bishop’s Appeal, which will be introduced in church parishes on the weekend of February 5-6. The 2022 diocesan goal is $900,000. The funds received from the 2022 Bishop’s Appeal will support seminarian education, retired priests of the diocese, youth formation, adult formation, and the Office of Catholic Schools. “As Catholics, we are called to provide hope to others, to be in unison as one Catholic community ministering to the needs and giving hope to others. I am incredibly proud of the profound generosity that I have witnessed these past several months. I am in awe of how I have seen the Lord work through each of you as you bring strength to one another even in times of struggle,” says Bishop Shelton J. Fabre. “The ministries of our diocese continue to remain constant as we focus on engaging the next generation, supporting our clergy, and providing much-needed support for our parishes and priests. I am committed as your bishop to being a good steward of your prayers, time and generous gifts. The truth is, you make these ministries happen; you make a difference in people’s lives when you give to our Bishop’s Appeal. I am comforted to know that no matter what uncertainty may be going on around us, Jesus provides peace through the Holy Spirit, a peace that the world cannot give. I am so grateful for our shared faith and belief in the ministries within our diocese. If you are able, I ask that you prayerfully consider a gift to the Bishop’s Appeal because you are important to the ministries it supports and the people it impacts. Thank you for your faithfulness and generosity.”

Seminarian Education

Educating the next generation of priests On average it takes seven to eight years for a man to become a priest and costs approximately $45,000 to educate one seminarian annually. The diocese currently has 10 seminarians. During a seminarian’s time 24 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

How Your Gift is Used Your gift will provide hope for our retired priests, seminarians, schools and parishes through your prayers and generous gifts.

in the seminary, the diocesan Office of Vocations provides spiritual direction and consultation. Due to the generosity of the Catholic faithful, the seminarians are able to focus their time and energy on their studies and do not have to worry about the cost of their education, their room and board, or their healthcare needs.

Retired Priests

Care for our clergy in retirement The diocese’s 13 retired priests receive continued support in their retirement through supplemental health insurance, long term care needs and other important required services. The diocese is honored to support its priests in their retirement,

Special

and your prayers and gifts directly impact them. Like so many within our community, several of our retired priests have lost so much due to Hurricane Ida, yet they continue to minister to the people of our diocese. Your gift will support them through these difficult times.

Catholic Schools

Elevating the curriculum in Catholic schools With 11 Catholic schools in our diocese serving more than 4,900 children, Catholic education is the diocese’s largest formation ministry. Your gift directly supports the Catholic Schools Office, including a curriculum specialist, who works to expand the curriculum to include activities and lessons against the evil and sin of racism, firmly grounded in respect for the life and dignity of the human person, and in the social teachings of the Catholic Church.

Adult Formation

Evangelization and conversion for adults Adult formation is one of Bishop Fabre’s strategic priorities that provides the tools and resources for our pastors and parish ministry leaders. The diocesan Office of Parish Support liaisons are equipped to provide each parish with long-term, personalized guidance, and support and training resources that help adults on their journey through the Formation Life Cycle. The team hosts an annual Adult Formation Summit for parish leaders to pray and learn together, network and form deeper relationships with Christ.

Youth Formation

Training youth leaders in parishes The diocesan Office of Parish Support provides parish liaisons who work closely with the pastor and parish youth formation coordinators to support them in their discernment and planning to provide best

practices for their youth formation programs. Additionally, each summer, the team hosts a Youth Summit where more than 100 parish youth leaders gather together to pray, network, learn how to best provide their youth with opportunities to encounter Christ, and engage in a deeper relationship with him. Join the Bishop’s Society The Bishop’s Society recognizes members of the Catholic faithful who contribute $250 or more to the Bishop’s Appeal. This commitment makes a tremendous impact on the immediate needs of our ministries and parishes. Special recognitions and informational opportunities are available to members of the Bishop’s Society, including the following. Bishop’s Partners in Hope ($250 TO $499) n Annual progress newsletter for Appeal supporters n Inclusion in bishop’s personal Mass prayer intentions n Recognition in the annual online publication, if desired Bishop’s Circle ($500 TO $2,499) All of the above, plus the following: n Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana Annual Report Mitre Society ($2,500 TO $4,999) All of the above, plus the following: n Invitation to Bishop’s Virtual Fireside Chat and State of Diocese Address n Special invitation to diocesan events such as Chrism Mass and Ordinations Crozier’s Society Bishop’s Guild ($5,000 TO $9,999) All of the above, plus the following: n Private tour of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Houma or St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux, followed by Mass and lunch with key diocesan leaders (based on availability of staff and donor preference) Society of the Good Shepherd ($10,000 and above) All of the above, plus the following: n Private lunch or dinner with Bishop Fabre n Special gift from Bishop Fabre Join the St. Francis Circle with a Recurring Gift Recurring gifts are environmentally friendly gifts that help to reduce printing, postage and administrative costs, while helping to sustain the ministries of the Bishop’s Appeal. Those who wish to contribute to the 2022 Bishop’s Appeal can do so on-line by visiting www.htdiocese.org/ bishopsappeal, placing your donation in the pew in your church or mailing your check to Bishop’s Appeal, P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395. A video which includes the bishop’s message and how the funds will be used is available to view on the diocesan website. For more information about the Bishop’s Appeal, call (985) 850-3122. BC January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 25

Announcement

raises over $800,000 in diocese By JANET MARCEL The Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana recently hosted its 6th annual #iGiveCatholic campaign, a 24-hour online giving challenge that celebrates the work of Catholic church parishes, ministries, schools and other charitable organizations within the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. With 1,412 donors, $842,980 was raised for the local community, reports Amy Ponson, executive director of the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana. The Diocese of HoumaThibodaux raised the second-highest figure of all Louisiana dioceses, and was ranked seventh nationally. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre expresses his heartfelt gratitude to the people of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux for the success of #iGiveCatholic. “Thank you to those who prayed for the success of the campaign and for those who were able to financially give. Even with everything we’ve been through this year, for us to raise over $800,000 is quite impressive, and I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart.” Within the diocese, $189,078 was raised for Catholic Charities, a

figure which topped the list locally and ranked eighth nationally. Their campaign targeted the support of their mission, focusing on their four service pillars: Feeding, clothing, sheltering and comforting. The top three ministries who engaged the most families were St. Francis de Sales Cathedral School in Houma, St. Genevieve Catholic School in Thibodaux, and St. Mary’s Nativity School in Raceland. “The Catholic Foundation is proud to host #iGiveCatholic each year for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. The #iGiveCatholic campaign gives church parishes, schools and nonprofits the ability to engage the community together as one to give back to the ministries that they are so passionate about. While we hope to raise enough funds to accomplish the project each ministry is seeking, our main focus each year is to build community. We want to engage individuals and families together to pray for and gift what they can,” says Ponson. This year the average gift was $250 to the campaign. “This year we were blown away that

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more than 1,400 families helped give big and give Catholic! There simply are not enough words to express our gratitude for all who prayed for and made this year such a success even through the most difficult circumstances we could have imagined with Hurricane Ida. I say it often and I will say it again, never underestimate the people of the bayou and this diocese,” Ponson adds. Nationally, over $16.5 million was raised for 1,620 ministries this week – making this the most successful Catholic crowdfunding event to date. #iGiveCatholic is held each year in conjunction with #GivingTuesday, which is celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday; #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. For more information about #iGiveCatholic or to view the full list of results visit https://houmathibodaux.igivecatholic.org or catholicfoundationsl.org or call (985) 850-3116. BC

January Daily Prayer for Priests, Deacons, Religious and Seminarians

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday 1 Rev. Van Constant

Rev. Robert-Joel Cruz

Very Rev. Vicente DeLa Cruz, V.F.

Rev. Dean Danos

Rev. Daniel Duplantis

Deacon Glenn Porche

Msgr. Cletus Egbi

Very Rev. Simon Peter Engurait, V.G.

Rev. Gregory Fratt

Friar Nathaniel Maria Gadalia

Rev. Alex Gaudet

Seminarian Matthew Prosperie

Rev. Rholando Grecia

Rev. Brice Higginbotham

Rev. Rajasekar Karumelnathan

Rev. Noas Kerketta

Rev. Thomas Kuriakose

Sister Jacinta Lamb Murphy, M.T.

Rev. Baby Kuruvilla

Rev. Brett Lapeyrouse

Rev. Alex Lazarra

Rev. Peter Tai Le

Rev. Glenn LeCompte

Deacon Chris Prestenback

Very Rev. Eric Leyble, J.V.

Rev. Joey Lirette

Rev. Clyde Mahler

Rev. Fernando Anaya

Rev. John David Matherne

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. Sponsored by:

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January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 27

Special

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization could change the availability of abortion in nation By AMANDA GARCIA December 1, 2021, could potentially go down in history as a monumental day for the fight to end abortion in the United States of America. Within the first week of the Advent Season, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments petitioned by Jackson Women’s Health Organization in the case against Thomas E. Dobbs, State Health Officer of Mississippi Department of Health, which magnifies the argument of whether all pre-viability prohibitions on elective abortions are unconstitutional. The Mississippi law spiraling the Supreme Court appeal bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The historicity of this case being before the Supreme Court lies in the fact that this is the first time the Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of a previability abortion ban since Roe v. Wade in 1973; moreover, the potential outcomes of this Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization could immensely change the availability of abortion in Louisiana and the entire nation. The landmark abortion rights case, Roe v. Wade that came before the Supreme Court in 1973, challenged a Texan law prohibiting all but lifesaving abortions. The law was deemed unconstitutional for interfering with a woman’s right to privacy including a woman’s decision about whether or not to terminate her pregnancy as “fundamental” to her “life and future.” Furthermore, the court held that the state could not interfere with the abortion decision unless it had a compelling reason for regulation, such as once the fetus became “viable.” And now, with ever progressing modern science providing significant medical breakthroughs, more ways are being found to give pre-term delivered babies a fighting chance of survival. Viability as a benchmark is changing and is being exposed as a non-realistic

legal standard to magistrate abortion. Nevertheless, for the first time since the original case crediting viability as the only compelling reason for abortion regulation, the Supreme Court is hearing cause challenging abortion law within Mississippi with the effect to potentially open the door for all other states’ laws prohibiting abortion. In a news conference outside the Louisiana Right to Life New Orleans headquarters, Angie Thomas, J.D., associate director of the pro-life organization states, “These justices are really digging into the difficult issues of where there is an objective line of protection (for the unborn child) and how do you truly balance these interests, and should the court even be doing that? … It’s more important that the Supreme Court just remain neutral and allow the states to work this out.” In which case, what exactly does that mean for Louisiana? Louisiana’s Constitution has the structure in place to prohibit abortion stating: “The provisions of this Act shall become effective immediately upon, and to the extent permitted, by the occurrence of any of the following circumstances: 1) Any decision of the United States Supreme Court which reverses, in whole or in part, Roe v. Wade; thereby, restoring the state of Louisiana the authority to prohibit abortion. 2) Adoption of an amendment to the United States Constitution which, in whole or in part, restores to the State

28 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

of Louisiana the authority to prohibit abortion. ”If the practice regarding abortion were sent back to each state to litigate themselves, Thomas explains, “New York is going to be very different than Louisiana, but it is the power of the people to make that decision.” At Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center (CPRC), we are ready for everyone who comes through our door. CPRC is a Christian organization that promotes the sanctity of life by providing caring services to pregnant women and men in crisis within our area. Our staff provides education, guidance, and spiritual support especially to those considering abortion or other alternatives in a spirit of compassion, love, and grace. The results of the arguments heard by the Supreme Court give an opportunity for significant change in abortion law in the United States of America. Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center is committed to assisting women who carry to term by providing emotional support and practical assistance. Please join us in praying for this opportunity to be an abortion-free state while we anticipate results in the summer of 2022. For more information about this topic, go to https://prolifelouisiana.org/ postroela/. (Amanda Garcia is the executive assistant for Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center in Thibodaux.) BC

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Cover Story

St. Bridget Church in Schriever goes through a major renovation for the first time Church was dedicated over 66 years ago Story by Janet Marcel Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier Upon entering St. Bridget Church in Schriever for the first time after a seven-month long renovation process was undertaken, one is almost overwhelmed by the striking difference and how much brighter and grander the church looks, thanks to a much lighter, more elegant color palette throughout. St. Bridget Church recently went through a major renovation for the first time in its history. The parish was established Dec. 16, 1911, at the corner of Highway 24 and Highway 311. The current church, built in a “country gothic” architectural style, was dedicated over 66 years ago on Sept. 8, 1955. Very Rev. Simon Peter Engurait, V.G., administrator of the parish since February 2017 and pastor since February 2018, says he felt the renovations, which began April 19, 2021, were necessary because the pews and the floors were worn out from decades of use, and the confessional area had not been used for a long time. 30 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

Success of the Capital Campaign A capital campaign, Celebrating Our Past, Building Our Future, raised a total of $308,000 for the renovations. Thus far, the total cost for the renovations is $289,000. Father Engurait notes that the cost would have been much higher had it not been for some of the services being rendered pro bono. “The success of this renovation project is a miracle and a manifestation of the commitment of the people to God and the church,” says Father Engurait. “It was undertaken in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and a downturn in the economy. Some advised that it was ‘too big’ a project for the St. Bridget community and that the timing was bad. In spite of all that, people were very generous and gave of their time, treasure and talent to make the renovation a reality.” The Transformation The key focus of the renovation, says Father Engurait, was on installing new pews and new flooring in the main

Cover Story

body of the church. Forty brand new, tailor-made pews were installed to replace the existing ones that were original to the church, many of which were broken, cracked or just worn out. In addition to being replaced, the spacing between the pews was also adjusted to allow for better flow going in and out of them. In addition to new porcelain tile flooring and new pews, the bricks were painted, the electrical system upgraded from two phase to three phase and modernized with new electrical panels; and new LED cove lighting was installed. The baptismal font was moved to the middle of the aisle at the entrance of the church and new pews were put in its old location. Three handicap spaces for wheelchair access were added on both sides of the church, and the bathroom was renovated. The old boiler system for winter heating was decommissioned; and as a result, the associated wall heat ventilators were removed from the outer, interior walls and the indention was covered with bricks, adding about six to eight inches of aisle space on both sides. The old confessional was removed and a statue of the Pieta was placed in the recessed area in the back of the church. Father Engurait explains that the original plan was to renovate and remodel the confessional in order to bring it back to use. This plan, however, entailed pro bono services such that the only direct cost would be for materials. When the pro bono service was no longer available, he says it was decided that the area be used for the Pieta. The Renovation Committee Deacon Stephen Brunet, chairman of the renovation committee, says the committee was made up of members of the pastoral and finance councils, music ministry, decorating committee, and some long-time parishioners. “The committee was charged with decisions such as what type of flooring would work, what kind of pews – the design, style, color and finishing – and whether the interior brick would be painted, and when that decision was made, they were involved in deciding on the paint color.” Parishioners’ Reactions Deacon Brunet says he thinks people are going to be surprised and excited to see the dramatic change that the renovation has provided for the church, especially in the sanctuary. The new lighter walls accent the stained glass windows and the marble on which the crucifix hangs, explains the deacon, and that causes your eyes to be drawn to the crucifix. A few parishioners share their feelings upon seeing the church for the first time after the renovations had been completed. Betty Giroir, a parishioner her entire life, says the renovation is just gorgeous. “The church looks so much bigger and brighter. And, the spacing of the pews makes it so much more comfortable.” Mike and Melanie LeBouef, also lifelong parishioners, say the church certainly looks much different. “It’s much brighter and the pews are comfortable. Whoever did the renovations, did a fabulous job,” says Mike. Melanie says she likes how they tied in the new floors to the existing

In photo above, 40 brand new tailor-made pews were installed. In photo below, a statue of the Pieta was placed in the recessed area of the old confessional.

January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 31

Cover Story

floor in the sanctuary. When they first saw the drawings, however, the LeBouefs were concerned it might look a little too modern. But both are pleased that the renovation preserved the history and architecture of the church. Clare Olin says “I’ve grown up in the St. Bridget community, and this church means so much to me. I feel very blessed to be a part of this historic renovation. The changes made not only highlight the church’s beauty, but give our community a wonderful place to worship.” Two Patrons When the church parish was established in 1911, it was named for St. Brigitte Plantation, which was named after Brigitte Emelie Belanger Thibodaux, wife of Gov. Henry Schuyler Thibodaux, who founded Terrebonne Parish and the City of Thibodaux. Over the years, statues and paintings of St. Bridget of Sweden and St. Bridget of Ireland have been incorporated in the church’s décor, both having been embraced by the parishioners as their patron. As stated in The Rites of the Catholic Church, Chapter II: “Dedication of a Church,” from the early times, a “church” has been the name given to the building in which the Christian community gathers to hear the word of God, to pray together, to receive the sacraments and to celebrate the Eucharist. Every church to be dedicated must have a titular. This may be the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit,

32 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the angels, or a saint. And, according to the The Rites of the Catholic Church, a church should have one titular only. Saint Bridget of Sweden Although he is aware of the history behind the naming of the church, Father Engurait says to be in accord with The Rites, the church was recently rededicated in the name of Saint Bridget of Sweden at a Mass of Dedication celebrated by Bishop Shelton J. Fabre upon completion of the renovations. Of the decision to dedicate the church to St. Bridget of Sweden, Father Engurait says in January 2019, he made a pilgrimage to Italy, and while in Rome he visited two places where St. Bridget of Sweden had been. “The first place was the house where she lived, which is still used by her followers, the Bridgettine Sisters, as a convent. The second was the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls where I learned about the life size crucifix which spoke to St. Bridget of Sweden, as she visited it regularly. I was since then drawn more and more to her and there grew a devotion.” When the need arose to designate the church to one saint, he says the decision to choose St. Bridget of Sweden was obvious to him, and those he consulted with in the community readily accepted the decision. BC

Cover Story

Parishioners attending the Mass of Dedication

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre incenses the altar during the Mass of Dedication at St. Bridget Church.

Very Rev. Simon Peter Engurait, V.G., pastor of St. Bridget Church, anoints the wall of St. Bridget with holy Chrism. January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 33

Church Life

Viva Guadalupe!

The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe drew a large crowd at St. Bernadette Church in Houma. Bishop Emeritus Sam G. Jacobs was the main celebrant of the Mass, which was concelebrated by priests of the diocese. Children and adults dressed in colorful outfits for the occasion. The celebration concluded with native dancing, food, music and performances in Herbert Hall.

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

34 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

Church Life

January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 35

Youth

in action

Carter W. Mason

School: St. Bernadette Catholic School, Houma Grade: 7th Church parish: St. Bernadette, Houma Describe your family unit: Kelsi, mother; Lindsay, father; Alayna, sibling Favorite Hobbies: Swimming, Tennis Favorite Movie: Avengers Infinity War Favorite T.V. Show: The Unlisted Favorite Genre of Music: All kinds

How do you demonstrate your faith through service to others? Service is when you give up your time for others to help them while expecting nothing in return. I demonstrate service through helping my friends, family and others. Service means helping others that are struggling by offering a helping hand. I try to use service to others to strengthen my faith and be more like Jesus. I show my faith at school in several ways such as being a library helper, which I chose as my seventh grade job. This means that at recess I help Ms. Ford shelve books, sharpen pencils, and dust the library. I have also helped by either reading or bringing up the gifts in all the Masses sponsored by my classes over the years. The seventh graders are also assigned kindergarten buddies. I have two buddies that I help

teach what to do during Mass and I show them how to act respectfully. After Hurricane Ida, our community needed so much. I helped by handing out food and supplies at St. Bernadette Church. I also helped cut back trees and pick up branches at Vandebilt Catholic High School. I have been in Beta Club since fourth grade and have done several activities for that, as well as service hours for my religion classes. My favorite activity with Beta Club was helping with bingo at the assisted living facility in Houma. My favorite service hour project was helping teach swim techniques to a swimmer for the Terrebonne Special Olympics. From doing all these works, I have learned to have patience and compassion, and I learned how important and kind it is to

36 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

volunteer my time. I have learned that with hard work comes satisfaction, even without a reward. It is important that people do these things because if we do not help people, life will be harder for everyone. The action of service allows me to think about the needs of others and then makes me think about how I can help them. Service is important because it teaches social skills and helps me make friends with others. I feel blessed that my parents have given me the opportunity to attend St. Bernadette Catholic School where the people there help me appreciate the value of service. I’ve been taught by teachers that care for me and are good influences. Overall, service to me is giving to others with love from the bottom of my heart. BC

Seminarian eDucation burSeS Seminarian Spotlight Scott Beslin n What church parish are you from? St. Thomas Aquinas, Thibodaux n Where are you studying and in what year of your studies are you? I am in my second year, in pre-theology, at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, LA. n Who is your favorite saint and why? Mother Cabrini, because of her willingness and courage to do God’s work, even crossing oceans so many times in spite of her fear of water! n What is your favorite food? Ice cream n What is your favorite Catholic Feast Day and why? Easter, because it teaches us how we should live each day — in spite of its circumstances — with an irrepressible joy. n Do you have a secret talent? I “dabble” in sign language, but I would not call myself “fluent” at all. If you want to see gracefulness in that art, watch Father Joey Pilola!

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 from 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 January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 37

Announcements

Preservation of peace and justice Masses scheduled for Jan. 16 Bishop Shelton J. Fabre will celebrate two separate Masses this month for the preservation of peace and justice in remembrance of the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The first Mass will be celebrated Sunday, Jan. 16 at 8:15 a.m., at St. Lucy Church in Houma. The second Mass will be celebrated Sunday, Jan. 16 at 10:30 a.m., at St. Luke the

Evangelist Church in Thibodaux. These Masses are being celebrated in conjunction with the national celebration of the birth of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. BC

Ecumenical Prayer Service scheduled for Jan. 23 at St. Bridget Bishop Shelton J. Fabre will preside over an Ecumenical Prayer Service at St. Bridget Church in Schriever on Sunday, Jan. 23, at 3 p.m. The Ecumenical Prayer Service is an application of the following principle which is set down in the Roman Catholic Church’s Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism Nos. 109, 110: “Prayer in common is recommended for Catholics and other Christians so that together they may put before God the needs and problems they share, e.g., peace, social concerns, mutual charity among people, the dignity of the family, the effects of poverty, hunger and violence, etc. Shared prayer should, however, be particularly concerned with the restoration of Christian unity. It can center, e.g., on the mystery of the

church and its unity, on baptism as a sacramental bond of unity, or on the renewal of personal and community life as a necessary means to achieving unity. Prayer of this type is particularly recommended during the ‘Week of Prayer for Christian Unity’ or in the period between Ascension and Pentecost.” The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has been observed every year since 1908 on January 18-25. “The 2022 Ecumenical Prayer Service will focus on Christian unity, especially as has been recently exemplified in the common assistance given to victims of Hurricane Ida, and on racial harmony,” explains Father Glenn LeCompte, diocesan director of the Office of Worship. “The needs associated with both of these issues in the social climate

of our times provide us with an impetus for reviving an ecumenical prayer service during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the upcoming year. I say ‘reviving’ because in the past 25 years or so, ecumenical prayer services have been celebrated in this diocese during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Unfortunately, these gatherings at some point were discontinued.” Christine Streams, diocesan liaison for Black Catholic Ministry and Father LeCompte are collaborating with a committee consisting of both Protestant ministers and Catholic clergy to coordinate this worship service. All are invited to participate in prayer and song to pray for the unity of Christians. A reception will follow the prayer service in the Community Life Annex. BC

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January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 39

Ida Relief

Recovery task force assembled to evaluate rebuilding process for diocesan entities Story by Janet Marcel Bishop Shelton J. Fabre recently assembled a recovery task force to help him and other diocesan leaders make the best decisions about how to move forward with the rebuilding process in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux’s churches and schools following the destruction caused by Hurricane Ida in August 2021. According to William (Bill) Barbera, chief operating and financial officer for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, and chair of the recovery task force, at least 75-80 percent of the buildings belonging to the diocese sustained some type of damage, with the exception being in the Morgan City area. Barbera explains that the diocese has an insurance policy that will pay out a certain amount, which he says clearly will not cover the total cost of the damages. The rest of the money needed for the necessary repairs will have to come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and those claims typically take a lot longer to process. Furthermore, all of the insurance claims must be filed first before they can move over to FEMA. “Because of this, we recognize that we are going to have to make decisions on allocation of financial resources as they become available. All of the needed funds are not going to be accessible at the start of any project, and because of 40 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

that we will also need to make decisions about prioritizing the work. Obviously, the priorities will be the churches— to allow people to worship, the schools—to continue educating our children, and fixing roof structures will be at the top of that list. There will also be other decisions such as how do we rebuild? Will we repair? Will we have to demolish and rebuild entirely? Will the rebuilds look different … because of new building codes and such?” Barbera says the task force is needed to evaluate the myriad of information that is going to be coming out of that process – reports from insurance adjusters, structural engineers, building contractors, reports regarding asbestos abatement and lead testing, and so forth – so that diocesan leadership is able to make the most informed and best decisions possible. Since there are going to be some very detailed and involved decisions that need to be made, Bishop Fabre wanted to assemble a group of people with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise to help diocesan leadership walk through the decision making process and ultimately make recommendations to him. Diocesan leaders are in the process of completing the insurance adjusters’ reports and estimates of damage, says Barbera. Once that is complete, the next step is scoping

Ida Relief

St. Eloi Church in Theriot the work that needs to be done. Alongside that process is selecting the architectural and engineering firms to work as project managers on the rebuild. Nine firms have been selected to work with the diocese. Preliminary assignments of those firms have been made to each parish and school location, and those selections have to be confirmed with the pastors and principal/presidents. Once they are in agreement with the recommendation, then meetings with the architects to scope out the work will begin. Barbera is confident that the diocese will be made fully whole through both of those processes – the insurance company and FEMA – with very little out-of-pocket expenses that are not reimbursed. However, he says he thinks it will be well in excess of a year, probably two to three years before all of the work is completed. “I’m sure we will run into a lack of contractor availability and a shortage of materials needed, which will prolong the work.” Members of the task force are Bill Barbera, chair; David Duplantis, co-chair; Jimmie Danos, diocesan director of Building and Construction; Very Rev. Simon Peter Engurait, V.G.; Very Rev. Mark Toups, V.G.; Very Rev. Vicente DeLa Cruz, V.F., dean of the Upper Lafourche Deanery; Very Rev. Andre Melancon, V.F., dean of the Terrebonne Deanery; Very Rev. John Nambusseril, V.F., dean of the South Lafourche Deanery; Charlotte Bollinger, chair of the executive board, Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana; Steve Crispino, chair of the diocesan Consultative School Board; Angelique Barker, diocesan finance council; Dr. Glen Manceaux, diocesan pastoral council; Jerry Ledet, banking sector; and Greg Hamer, business relations. BC

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January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 41

Ida Relief

The Cajun Navy Ground Force members muck and gut a home.

Cajun Navy Ground Force helps communities come back after natural disasters Story by Janet Marcel

Since the morning after Hurricane Ida’s devastating winds ripped through this area, the Cajun Navy Ground Force has been working alongside Diocese of HoumaThibodaux personnel and volunteers to assist its most impacted victims. “Personnel and volunteers from Cajun Navy Ground Force and the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux went out into the communities together to help families muck out houses, save memorabilia, and tear down homes to the studs so they can rebuild. The Diocese of HoumaThibodaux has graciously been providing extra hands and opportunities to Cajun Navy Ground Force as we continue to help those affected by Hurricane Ida,” says Bobbi Grace Hebermehl, director of Information Systems for the Cajun Navy Ground Force. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization that specializes in disaster relief, Cajun Navy Ground Force was established in 2016 during the historic Louisiana floods that hit Baton Rouge and many of the surrounding communities. Since that time, the Cajun Navy Ground Force has traveled to many areas across Louisiana and Texas helping communities come back stronger after each natural disaster, while providing a sense of normalcy during the recovery stages. 42 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

“We are a citizen-led non-profit that provides supplemental supply distribution and medical care services, acts as community caretakers as we help muck out homes and remove debris for communities in crisis following natural disasters,” says Hebermehl. “The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux has been a huge help in expanding the positive impact we’ve made across many communities since we arrived, by combining our volunteer base and ticket requests,” says Hebermehl. Diocesan leadership also ensured that the long-term volunteers of Cajun Navy Ground Force were taken care of during their stay, by housing them at the Lumen Christi Retreat Center in Schriever. Hebermehl says they will stay in the area as long as there is still work to be done. “As community caretakers, we are so grateful for the opportunity to build these connections and help families down here recover,” says Hebermehl. “We will continue to be down here until there’s no longer a need for it, because Cajun Navy Ground Force stays even after the storm hits to help rebuild these communities and continue to provide a little sense of normalcy during these difficult times.”

Ida Relief

According to Hebermehl, Cajun Navy Ground Force has made a huge impact on Southern Louisiana due to its incredible partners, corporate sponsors, donations and volunteers. Across South Louisiana during the three months after the storm, the Cajun Navy Ground Force handed out more than 75,000 hot meals, more than 300,000 pounds of goods such as water, food, baby and pet supplies, etc., and has helped over 50 families muck out their homes and remove debris. “This would not have been possible without the community of people we have supporting us,” says Hebermehl, “and we are so grateful for the opportunity to continue our work down here.” Hebermehl stresses that the volunteers just have a desire to help. “Some of us are from Louisiana so these disasters hit close to home as many of us have lived through them,” she

A Cajun Navy Ground Force member delivers food to a storm victim.

A Cajun Navy Ground Force member sorts goods at a warehouse.

says. “Although we’ve had many volunteers come here that weren’t from Louisiana; they come for the same reason: They all just want to help. We don’t want to sit on the sidelines as our home state or communities are in trouble during these times. Many of us have been down here since the storm hit, and even though it is hard to be away from our loved ones for months at a time, it’s a calling. It is a life changing experience to be able to be on the ground helping out, seeing the destruction, and hearing survivor’s stories. You truly gain another family.” In addition to the volunteers working on the ground, the Cajun Navy Ground Force also has a team working remotely around the clock making it possible for those volunteers to do what they do, explains Hebermehl. “They help us secure the volunteers on the ground, bring in the donations and supplies needed during SAFE Camp and operations here, help to ensure our ground team is all safe and accounted for, and so much more.” Cajun Navy Ground Force was founded by Robert Gaudet and has a staff of six individuals assisting with operations such as volunteers, donations, technical support, social media, boots on the ground logistics, etc. However, Cajun Navy Ground Force is an organization driven by thousands of volunteers who help out for a period of time after a natural disaster. BC January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 43

Ida Relief

Montegut couple’s home completely destroyed by fallen tree Cajun Navy Ground Force, other agencies help with the cleanup Story by Janet Marcel After Hurricane Ida, Terri LeBouef reached out to the Cajun Navy Ground Force to ask if they could help remove a large tree from her daughter Dora’s property in Montegut. “When this request came in, all they asked for was that a tree be removed … we had no idea that this was all that was left on their property … Hurricane Ida had destroyed the home that once stood there,” says Brooke Barrios, social media team lead for the Cajun Navy Ground Force. “It was absolutely devastating. Unfortunately, this is the tough reality many are facing here. Our hearts are with this family as they move forward during this time. We were happy to do all that we could to help.” Dora and Jed Levron live in Montegut and are parishioners of Sacred Heart Church. Dora says Hurricane Ida’s destructive winds caused a massive pecan tree to fall on their home and it had to be completely demolished. After the house was torn down, the Cajun Navy along with help from Catholic Charities Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux and

44 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

Knights of Columbus Council 8342 in Prairieville, came in and removed the pecan tree for them, because they didn’t have the proper equipment that was needed. “I am truly blessed and grateful to have met some amazing people who helped cut up the tree,” says Dora. “Everything just happened so fast. We were able to save a few things that were in the house before it was torn down … you just never think something like this will happen to you.” Dora says they have insurance, but are still deciding what they want to do and what they can afford to do, since rebuilding would require lifting their home 10 feet off the ground and even then the insurance would still be very high. Dora was born and raised in Montegut and her husband Jed is from Pointe-aux-Chenes. “We have no plans to leave the area,” says Dora. “This is our home. It’s where our family is and where our church is.” BC

The collection will be held February 5 and 6. Thank you for your generosity.

www.usccb.org/africa www.usccb.org/africa Copyright © 2020, United States Conference Catholic Bishops,ofWashington, DC. All rights reserved. Jeffrey. Copyright © 2020, UnitedofStates Conference Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. AllPhoto: rightsPaul reserved. Photo: Paul Jeffrey. Copyright © 2017, Copyright United States Conference Catholic Bishops,Washington, DC. All Rights Reserved. © Ernst Ulz. © 2017, United of States Conference of Catholic Bishops,Washington, DC. All Photo: Rights Reserved. Photo: © Ernst Ulz.

Special

Cancer Institute dedication Officials and dignitaries from throughout the state attended a ribbon cutting and dedication of Thibodaux Regional Health System’s new cancer institute last month. The ceremony included tours of the facility and a blessing of the chapel in the center. The four-story, 80,000-square-foot building will be a game changer for the area’s fight against cancer, says hospital officials. It will also shorten the amount of time from diagnosis to treatment by allowing doctors to identify cancer earlier and expand available treatments. The $40 million facility, which opened in December 2021, can treat 95 percent of cancers where patients don’t have to travel far from home, and it will increase the hospital’s staff by roughly 100 employees, officials said. The center includes radiation oncology, chemotherapy, clinic space for oncologists, education center, activity center, library, diagnostic center, conference center, laboratories and a chapel. Hospital CEO Greg Stock said the ribbon-cutting marked the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. The building was designed to inspire hope and spiritual healing. “The building is not patterned after any other cancer center anywhere,” Stock says. “The building itself puts out a feeling of being in a refuge, spiritually and emotionally. One of the key words of cancer care is hope.” Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser was one of several dignitaries who attended the ribbon-cutting. BC

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

46 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

Special

January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 47

Ida Relief

Hope and Purpose Ministries Under the leadership of Deacon Larry Oney, Hope and Purpose Ministries distributed canned food, cleaning supplies, milk, diapers, and baby food at St. Lucy Church in Houma recently, an area which was devastated by Hurricane Ida.

48 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • January 2022

Ida Relief

Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary Louisiana State gave hot meals, food, supplies and water to storm victims after Hurricane Ida. The distribution point was at St. Lucy Church in Houma.

January 2022 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 49

Sports

Overtime Ed Daniels

Saints rebuild is underway Would you rather see the Saints, with eight wins and nine losses, sneak into the playoffs? Or would you rather see the Saints win six or seven, miss the playoffs and get higher draft choices? Either answer works. One, make the playoffs now, is the short answer. But, in the long term, the Saints may be better served with their first playoff “miss” since 2016. That season the Saints won seven,

lost nine. But, a higher draft position paid dividends the next spring. The Saints were more than mildly surprised when cornerback Marshon Lattimore, the best at his position in the history of the franchise, slid to pick No. 11. Thirty-two picks later, the Saints drafted safety Marcus Williams, who the club franchise tagged before the 2021 season. In 2006, coming off a three-win season, the Saints drafted running back Reggie Bush with the second pick (touching off a wild celebration), and 41 picks later drafted safety Roman Harper. Both were key contributors on the 2009 Super Bowl champions. A higher draft pick this season would also allow the Saints to perhaps grab a quarterback in the middle of the first round. New England did just that this spring, and Mac Jones was not only a good pick, he looks like the Patriots quarterback for at least the next decade. The Saints have locked up Taysom Hill for the long term, but Jameis Winston, coming off a major knee injury, is again a free agent. At the biggest position on the field, it might be time to hit the reset button. The 2022 quarterback draft class

isn’t the strongest, but there’s some potential there. Leave it to assistant

general manager Jeff Ireland and his scouts to find it. In

the

meantime,

Saints,

are over the cap by $60 million next spring, the highest total in the NFL by far.

So, with little cap space again, the

Saints will again count on younger players to fill the void.

The Saints can’t hope for assistance

in the draft; it is a must. As

the

Saints

chased

another

championship with Drew Brees, they kicked the can down the road.

That’s just a fact, and understandable.

They sold out for another Super Bowl. They went for it.

But, now the bill has come due and it

is being paid.

So, if the Saints don’t make the

playoffs, don’t shed any tears. The rebuild is underway.

And, better draft picks will give the

Saints a chance to accelerate their return.

Think two steps forward, after a big

step back. BC

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Bayou Catholic Magazine January 2022

Articles inside

Thibodaux Regional Health System’s new Cancer Institute

Montegut couple’s home destroyed by Ida

Overtime

St. Bridget Church renovation

Cajun Navy Ground Force

Daily Prayer for Priests Deacons, Religious and Seminarians

Youth In Action

iGiveCatholic raises over $800,000

2022 Bishop’s Appeal

Questions of Faith

The Good Shepherd: Part Three

Heavenly Recipes

History of the Mass: Part Three

Readings Between the Lines

Pope Speaks

From the Editor

Comfort For My People