The Church Today, October 17, 2011

Diocese of Alexandria The Church Today P.O. Box 7417 Alexandria, LA 71306-0417

On the Inside Archbishop Philip Hannan laid to rest in New Orleans Archbishop Philip Hannan, the 11th archbishop of New Orleans, died Sept. 29 at 98. People lined the city streets Oct. 5 to say farewell during a five-mile horsedrawn procession from Notre Dame Seminary to St. Louis Cathedral.

Read more about the details on page 2.

New Catholicism DVD series gets rave reviews from Catholic leaders Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith, is a 10-DVD series hosted by Father Robert Barron, who runs a Chicago-based Word on Fire ministry. It includes 10, hour-long DVDs, leader and group study guides, and a 300page stand-alone book of the same title. Find out what Catholic leaders are saying about it, on pgs. 18-19.

Bishops re-issue document on Faithful Citizenship A new introduction to the U.S. bishops’ document on political responsibility was recently reissued. Find out more on pg. 3.

Volume XLI, No. 10 October 17, 2011

Festivals, Fairs & Fun Runs

ST. FRANCES CABRINI SCHOOL RUNNING GROUP. Some of the members of the St Frances Cabrini School Running Group is (front row) .

Top row: See pgs 12-13 for more pictures of students in our diocese enjoying the nice fall weather outdoors.

Page 2

October 17, 2011

Archbishop Hannan laid to rest in New Orleans

By Peter Finney Jr. Catholic News Service

NEW ORLEANS (CNS) -- For a man who lived nearly a century, Archbishop Philip Matthew Hannan practiced a life of charity that reached back two millennia to the mandate of Jesus Christ to hear and respond to the “cry of the poor,” Msgr.

Clinton Doskey told an overflow congregation at St. Louis Cathedral at his funeral Mass Oct. 6.

Archbishop Hannan, the 11th archbishop of New Orleans, died Sept. 29 at 98, and the love he engendered from local Catholics

and people of other faiths clearly was manifested over a four-day period in which thousands filed past his open casket to pay their final respects and then lined the city streets to say farewell during a five-mile, horse-drawn procession Oct. 5 from Notre Dame Seminary to the cathedral.

His funeral Mass attracted more record crowds. Speaking to more than 950 people inside the cathedral and to hundreds more watching in Jackson Square on a jumbo TV screen set up in front of the Cabildo, Msgr. Doskey recalled how Archbishop Hannan See ARCHBSP. HANNAN, pg 8

PEOPLE PAY FINAL RESPECTS TO ARCHBISHOP HANNAN AT NEW ORLEANS SEMINARY. People pay final respects as the body of retired Archbishop Philip M. Hannan lies in repose in the chapel of Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans Oct. 3. His body was to remain there for public viewing through Oct. 5 in advance of his Oct. 6 funeral Mass a t St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. (CNS photo/Frank J. Methe, Clarion Herald)

Steve Jobs knew the value of communication

APPLE FOUNDER STEVE JOBS holds an iPad during the launch of Apple’s new tablet computing device in this 2010 file photo. Jobs, 56, who died Oct. 5 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, recognized the importance of expanding communication. (CNS photo)

By Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -Like Pope Pius XI, who founded Vatican Radio and built the Vatican train station, Apple cofounder Steve Jobs recognized the importance of expanding communication, a Jesuit told Vatican Radio.

Jobs, 56, died Oct. 5 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Father Antonio Spadaro, the new editor of the influential Jesuit journal Civilta Cattolica, told Vatican Radio that Jobs made technology part of the lives of millions and millions of people, not just technicians.

“Steve Jobs had something in common with Pius XI and that is that he understood that communication is the greatest

value we have at our disposal today and we must make it bear fruit,” the Jesuit told the radio.

Father Spadaro said Steve Jobs had a “great ability to believe in dreams, to see life not only in terms of little daily things, but to have a vision in front of him. Basically, Steve Jobs’ most important message was this, ‘Stay hungry, stay foolish’ -- in other words, maintain the ability to see life in new ways.”

The “stay hungry” quote was from a commencement address Jobs gave at California’s Stanford University in 2005.

On his own blog -- www. cyberteologia.it -- Father Spadaro embedded a video of Jobs giving the Stanford commencement address and wrote about how some of his points echoed points

made by the Jesuits’ founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Jobs told the new graduates, “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.”

Father Spadaro said that in his Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius wrote that one way of making an important choice is to examine how one would go about making that decision if he knew he were about to die.

“In the cases of Ignatius and Steve, death isn’t a bogeyman,” but is present as a reminder that in the face of death, the only thing that remains is what is truly important for each person, he wrote.

“I don’t know if Jobs was a believer,” the Jesuit wrote. In the

Stanford speech, he said, Jobs was “speaking simply about the interior disposition one must have when making important decisions in life, focusing on what counts.

No one, believer or non-believer, can make choices in life if he thinks he’s immortal.”

Under the headline “The talented Mr. Apple,” the Vatican newspaper put news of Jobs’ death on its front page.

“Steve Jobs was one of the protagonists and symbols of the Silicon Valley revolution,” which brought changes not only in technology, was also a “revolution of customs, mentality and culture,” said L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper.

Jobs was “a visionary who united technology and art. He was a man of “talent, pure talent.”

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October 17, 2011

Bishops reissue Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship New introduction to document reminds Catholics of political responsibility

By Nancy Frazier O’Brien Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) -A new introduction to the U.S. bishops’ document on political responsibility reminds Catholics that some issues “involve the clear obligation to oppose intrinsic evils which can never be justified,” while others “require action to pursue justice and promote the common good.”

The brief Introductory Note to the 2011 reissue of “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” was signed by the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the chairmen of nine USCCB committees. It was approved by the bishops’ Administrative Committee at its mid-September meeting and made public Oct. 4.

The introduction says that “Faithful Citizenship,” one in a series of documents that have been issued before every presidential election for nearly 35 years, “has at times been misused to present an incomplete or distorted view of the demands of faith in politics” but “remains a faithful and challenging call to discipleship in the world of politics.”

“It does not offer a voters guide, scorecard of issues or direction on how to vote,” the introduction adds. “It applies Catholic moral principles to a range of important issues and warns against misguided appeals to ‘conscience’ to ignore fundamental moral claims, to

reduce Catholic moral concerns to one or two matters, or to justify choices simply to advance partisan, ideological or personal interests.”

The introduction lists six “current and fundamental problems, some involving opposition to intrinsic evils and others raising serious moral questions:” • Abortion “and other threats to the lives and dignity of others who are vulnerable, sick or unwanted.”

• Conscience threats to Catholic ministries in health care, education and social services.

• “Intensifying efforts to redefine marriage” or to undermine it as “the permanent, faithful and fruitful union of one man and one woman.”

• An economic crisis that has increased national and global unemployment, poverty and hunger, requiring efforts to “protect those who are poor and vulnerable as well as future generations.”

• “The failure to repair a broken immigration system.”

• “Serious moral questions” raised by wars, terror and violence, “particularly the absence of justice, security and peace in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.”

The introduction calls the U.S. Catholic Church “a community of faith with a long tradition of teaching and action on human life and dignity, marriage and family, justice and peace, care for creation and the

New introduction to

Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship The introduction lists six “current and fundamental problems, some involving opposition to intrinsic evils and others raising serious moral questions:”

•

Abortion “and other threats to the lives and dignity of others who are vulnerable, sick or unwanted.”

•

Conscience threats to Catholic ministries in health care, education and social services.

•

“Intensifying efforts to redefine marriage” or to undermine it as “the permanent, faithful and fruitful union of one man and one woman.”

•

An economic crisis that has increased national and global unemployment, poverty and hunger, requiring efforts to “protect those who are poor and vulnerable as well as future generations.”

• •

“The failure to repair a broken immigration system.”

“Serious moral questions” raised by wars, terror and violence, “particularly the absence of justice, security and peace in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.”

common good.”

American Catholics “are also blessed with religious liberty which safeguards our right to bring our principles and moral convictions into the public arena,” it adds.

“These constitutional freedoms need to be both exercised and protected, as some

seek to mute the voices or limit the freedoms of religious believers and religious institutions,” it says.

Urging Catholics to “share the message of faithful citizenship and to use this document in forming their own consciences, the Introductory Note adds that “this kind of political responsibility is a requirement of

our faith and our duty as citizens.”

It is signed by Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, USCCB president, and the chairmen of nine committees -pro-life, migration, education, communications, doctrine, domestic justice, international justice and peace, cultural diversity, and laity, marriage, family life and youth.

The committees are headed, respectively, by: Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of GalvestonHouston, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, Auxiliary Bishops Thomas J. Curry and Gabino Zavala of Los Angeles, Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington, and Bishops Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif.; Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, N.Y.; Jaime Soto of Sacramento, Calif.; and Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind. The document it introduces remains unchanged since its approval by the full body of bishops at their November 2007 meeting in Baltimore.

It “represents the continuing teaching of our bishops’ conference and our guidance for Catholics in the exercise of their rights and duties as participants in our democracy,” the intro says.

The USCCB is launching a new website this month for “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” at www. usccb.org/issues-and-action/ faithful-citizenship/. It will offer a wide range of web-based and written materials and tools to assist users.

Page 4 As the month of October reaches its half-way point, it is worth calling to mind, once again, the important focus of this month: Respect Life.

There are many aspects of this emphasis in addition to our opposition to abortion. One issue that has arisen over the past couple of weeks is the new rules announced by the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary in Washington.

This has such far-reaching implications to the Church and its ministries that we dare not ignore it.

You will find more information in this issue and I urge you to make your voice heard in Washington in any way you can. Such administrative decisions made by people who are essentially not accountable to anyone could endanger us all. The

October 17, 2011 provided a series of inserts to be included in your parish’s weekly bulletin to help everyone enter into this important time of formation before we begin using the texts this Advent.

bishops of Louisiana have jointly authored a letter to the Secretary voicing our strong concern and opposition to this unjust regulation.

I am sure you have already learned of the death of Archbishop Hannan, retired archbishop of New Orleans. Even though 98 years of age, he continued to remain active and involved in many things until

very recently. His is a great legacy for the entire Church, but especially here in Louisiana.

My thanks to the priests and music ministers who participated in the various workshops offered throughout the diocese to assist in the implementation of the English translation of the 3rd edition of the Roman Missal. We have also

Just a reminder that Nov. 1 is the Feast of All Saints and a holy day of obligation. Nov. 2 also recalls those who have died as we observe the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. Though not a holy day, it is a day in which many people make an effort to pray for those who have died, especially family members and friends.

The entire month of November is dedicated to remember those who have gone ahead of us in time and faith, having completed their earthly journey.

The next few weeks will find me in a lot of airports due to a variety of commitments that will require me to be away from the diocese. The good thing is that, with modern communication technology, I am really not out of touch even if I am miles away.

Finally, don’t forget to pray for and encourage the people of St. James parish in Alexandria as they celebrate their 100th anniversary on Sunday, October 23.

May the peace of the Lord be with all of you!

Respecting the dignity of a person takes so little effort My first encounter with the elderly and dying came when I was 18. I was a nurse’s aide for about five months. That’s how long it took me to realize I was not meant to be a nurse.

I dropped my plans to go into nursing, but the memories of the people I met in that Nebraska nursing home have stayed with me for nearly three decades.

I remember the stroke victims. The woman who spent each day repeating “Mana, mana, mana.” The man who was able to say a handful of words clearly.

All expletives.

Another woman reminded me of Edith from All in the Family. She would nervously apply red lipstick when her handsome husband visited. I remember how much I disliked him as he stood there with his arm around his girlfriend and urged his adolescent daughters to give their invalid mother a hug.

I remember the woman named Mary who said she’d never had cross words with her husband of fifty years. I wondered if she was being honest. I still wonder.

And there was the man who demanded our immediate attention, saying he was related to William Buckley, Jr. I was only eighteen. I had no idea who William Buckley, Jr., was. I asked the other nurses. They hadn’t heard of him either.

The residents of that Omaha nursing home fascinated me. I

Catholic By Grace -- Denise Bossert wanted to sit with these people.

Talk to them. Find out their stories. Was Mary a saint, or was her husband just easy to get along with? Had the man who swore a blue streak been a swearer before his stroke? Did “Edith” really think her husband would be impressed with her red lipstick? Did it kill her spirit to see him with a mistress, both of them standing near her like they had done their good deed for the year?

Was Mr. Buckley really related to the Mr. Buckley, Jr.?

The first floor of that nursing home was busy, sometimes downright chaotic. There was never a moment to sit and simply be with the patients. There was little dignity in getting old. And something in me said this isn’t right.

I remember one day in particular. Three patients had to be bathed before the evening meal.

I gently washed a frail woman, the second of the three patients on my list. I did all the talking while she simply submitted to the process. She weighed almost

nothing. I could lift her from the wheelchair to the bath chair and back again by myself. She looked at me quietly as I dressed her, putting on her gown and robe and slippers. If I hurried, I would get the last patient bathed before the floor nurse announced that the kitchen was open.

I wheeled the woman to her room and collected my final patient. A few moments later, the head nurse entered the shower room. She asked me if Lydia had seemed okay when I bathed her. “She was quiet, but nothing unusual. Why?” The nurse told me that Lydia was dead. I was the last person who had touched her body, bathed her, spoken to her.

And I didn’t know anything about her, except her name.

In that moment, I knew that the elderly deserve more than the hurried care our society gives them. We are so advanced. And yet, we often forget the dignity of the human person.

The unborn; The man in prison; The cast-off wife with her lipstick-smile.

The one who spends all day saying mana, mana, mana or a string of profanity. The one who thinks about her deceased husband all day, every day.

I have decided that I want to go to a Catholic nursing home when I’m old. I want to spend my final hours and minutes in a place where I can go to Mass, where a nurse can wheel me into an Adoration Chapel, where I will be surrounded by rosaries

October 17, 2011

and crucifixes and images of Our Lady. I want to pass from here to there with the faith and the faithful all around me.

As Catholics, we believe in the dignity of the human person.

I plan to spend my final days in a place where the caretakers know that I am made in the image and likeness of God. Maybe, I will share a few words with a young nurse’s aide, and perhaps she will remember me with a smile.

Vol. XLI, No. 10

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October 17, 2011

New music settings at Mass should be easy to adapt (Editor’s note: The following is the fourth article in a series about what will be different about the new Roman Missal.)

again” being replaced entirely by new text.

Tom Tomaszek, director of artists and repertoire for OCP, said there is bound to be a needed period of adjustment considering how long the current musical settings have been in place.

“Whenever you introduce a new piece of music to a congregation, it takes time for them to really grab it and sing it fully,” he said. “So there is definitely work that is going to need to be done by music ministers.”

Father Richard Hilgartner, associate director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Divine Worship, told Our Sunday Visitor that of all the changes in the new missal, the people’s sung parts of the Mass are fairly minor and may actually be easier to adapt to than the spoken prayers.

“I think singing them will actually make it much easier to learn the new words, because they’ll be able to be taught tied to a melody,” he said. “It is not to say people won’t notice [the change], but I think people will embrace the changes because they will appear more subtly when set to music.”

By Scott Alessi Our Sunday Visitor When the new Roman Missal hits U.S. parishes the first weekend of Advent 2011, Catholics from the pews to the choir loft will have an opportunity to put the words of one familiar hymn into practice by singing a new song — or more accurately, several new songs.

In addition to the wording of several spoken responses in the new translation of the missal, a number of familiar Mass songs will change when the revised text is implemented.

The changes range from minor wording adjustments in the “Sanctus,” or “Holy, Holy,” to major revisions in the “Gloria.”

All versions of the memorial acclamation — now known as the mystery of faith — have also been changed, with the most familiar version of “Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come

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One of the primary questions facing parishes will be whether to choose a revised version of a familiar Mass setting, which would incorporate the new wording but use melodies that are similar to those currently used, or a completely new setting that includes original melodies written specifically for the new text.

For some, such as musician and composer Craig Colson, the easier path seems to be in choosing a setting that is closer to what parishioners are already accustomed to singing.

“Anytime you can give people a familiar melody to sing, it eases their comfort level,” said Colson. “Using a setting that people already know can be a challenge at first, to unlearn some of what has been learned, but I believe that through time the changes will become familiar and seem very natural.”

In playing and singing the new settings at workshops with parish musicians, composer DanSchutte said he’s found that many people are able to quickly adapt to the new melodies.

2011-13 Diocesan Directory $15 pick up $20 to mail it to you Includes contact information for: • Diocesan Staff • Clergy, active and retired • Deacon Candidates • Men/Women Religious • Lay Organizations • Catholic Schools

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October 17, 2011

Meet Deacon Candidate

Meet Deacon Candidate

Greg LeBlanc

Todd Marye

Home Parish: Sacred Heart, Pineville

Home Parish: OLPS, Alexandria

Occupation: Pinecrest Habilitation Director

Occupation: Red River Bank, Loan Systems Administrator

Marital Status: Married 19 years to Teresa

Marital Status: Married 34 years to Mary Beth Marye

Education: BA from the University of St. Thomas, BFA from LSU, MA from Loyola University.

Education: Bachelor’s in accounting from Northeast Louisiana University, and master’s in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University.

Parish Involvement: Serving as an acolyte, extraordinary minister, and lector. I have also been active with the Knights of Columbus.

Why I Became a Deacon: Through prayer and spiritual guidance of others, I have come to understand and believe that the diaconate program is what Christ is calling me to do.

Influences in Faith Journey: When I was first considering the diaconate program, I was unsure of myself in regards to my ability and even my desire to devote my time and efforts to five years of study. For some time, I remained very uneasy and restlesss with the idea, but it seemed to persist.

One day, when trying to pray about it, a peace came over me which, to my understanding, was God telling me that this was what He was calling me to do. Since that time, I think God has reconfirmed this call through prayer and spiritual guidance from

Greg LeBlanc others that He has put into my life.

Ministry Interests: In the past, I have been involved with both prison and hospital ministry, as well as ministry to the developmentally disabled, but I will serve in whatever ministry the Bishop asks of me.

Best part of the Program: The enthusiasm, kindness, and spirituality of my classmates.

Thank You: To my wife Teresa and daughter Audette, for their patience; and my classmates and their wives for their support, especially Jock Scott (passed away), Fr. Dan O’Conner, Bishop Herzog.

Parish Involvement: Served OLPS as lector, Eucharistic Minister, and as a member of the Parish Finance Council, Pastoral Council and Spirituality Commission. He is also a member of the the Knights of Columbus Council 8029 and past finance secretary.

Why I became a Deacon: In 1994, my Catholic faith became alive to me. During prayer time at St. Rita’s Perpetual Adoration Chapel, I felt that the Lord was calling me to be of service to His Church. Becoming a deacon was the best way that I could fulfill that call.

Influences in my Faith Journey: When trying to discern what God was asking of me, I turned to Bishop Sam Jacobs, a close personal friend and my spiritual director. He encouraged me to pursue formation as a deacon.

Ministry Interests: I will be glad to serve in whatever capacity the Bishop

Todd Marye desires, but I think my strengths lie in business, finance and accounting.

I would like to help pastors or parish managers who need assistance in those areas, to be the best stewards. I think I would also enjoy working with Steubenville South Youth conference or some form of ministry to organize events in the diocese.

Thank you: To Bishop Jacobs for the encouragement to dive in, Bishop Herzog for the wonderful program that has formed so well, and my wife, Mary Beth, who has loved and encouraged me all these years and who has committed, as a wife of a deacon to be, to share me with the Church.

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October 17, 2011 Meet Deacon Candidate

Meet Deacon Candidate

Richard Mitchell

Patrick McCusker

Home Parish: St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Alexandria

Home Parish: St. Rita Church, Alexandria

Occupation: Accountant, VA Med Ctr.

Occupation: Retired from VA Medical Center

Marital Status: Married 19 years to Nicole A. Mitchell

Marital Status: Married 26 years to Sharon McCusker

Education: BS in Computer Information, LSU- Alexandria.

Parish Involvement: RCIA coordinator, wedding coordinator, trainer for lectors, acolyte, lector, Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, chairman of the Liturgy committee for Steubenville South, member of Diocesan Liturgical Committee and Knights of Columbus #3200.

Why I became a Deacon: After being baptized in 1992, I knew my life would never be the same. The more I volunteered at Church, the more I felt called to do. I feel a strong calling to use what I have learned through life’s tough lessons and through the deacon program to show others the way to Christ through His words and my actions.

Influences in Faith Journey: Through volunteer experiences at the Cathedral, I was/am constantly asked if I am a priest or deacon. Even my wife has said, “You should have been a priest.” I brushed it off for a long time, but now I think they saw something in me that I had not yet seen.

Education: Attended LSU-A Military Service: 2 years in US Army

Richard Mitchell Ministry Interests: Liturgy and working with young couples.

Hardest part of the Program: The time commitment for the required reading and exams. Finding the time to study and prepare for the classes while having a full time job, remaining involved in the parish, being a husband, and being the father of two teenage daughters, was difficult.

Thank you: First to God, for the opportunity to say “yes” to His call. To my wife for her support and encouragement, my two daughters and my mother, and to all the people who continue to pray for me.

Parish Involvement: 4th Degree Knight of Columbus, prior member of Serra Club, sacristan, lector, Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, altar server, former RCIA and CCD teacher, various parish commissions, Renew program, scripture study groups in home.

Why I became a Deacon: I wanted to be of service to my Lord and to my community. At this stage of my life, the diaconate allows me to serve in a more in-depth manner.

Influences in my Faith Journey: I was influenced by my wife Sharon, my sister, many Catholic friends, and many priests and nuns I encountered throughout my life.

Ministry Interests: Hospital ministry because my occupational background was in

Patrick McCusker a hospital setting. I would also like to work to increase vocations in minority communities.

Most Inspiring Part of the Program: The most inspiring part of the program was learning more about my faith and being surrounded by men and women with a similar love for God and a desire to serve.

Thank you: To my wife, for her constant support. My family and friends for their prayers and encouragement; especially my sister, Peggy, who is a missionary in Uganda, for her example as a servant of God. And to my spiritual director, Bishop Herzog and Father Dan O’Connor.

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October 17, 2011

Archbishop Hannan From page 2 established the archdiocesan Social Apostolate shortly after arriving in New Orleans in 1965 because he wanted to focus on race relations, education, affordable housing for the elderly and food programs for the needy.

“The words of Scripture became alive and incarnate through the workings of Archbishop Hannan,” said Msgr.

Doskey, who was the first director of the Social Apostolate. “He always heard the cry of the poor.”

Msgr.

Doskey said Archbishop Hannan’s family background and training impelled him to care for others. His father, Patrick, an Irish immigrant who built a plumbing business in Washington from scratch, always looked out for the interests of his laborers and helped them take care of their money through savings accounts that he would set up for them.

In fact, Msgr. Doskey said, Archbishop Hannan chose his personal episcopal motto, “Charity is the bond of perfection,” because his father’s “philosophy in caring for the less advantaged” was such a driving force in his life.

“His mother’s love for education guided Philip to provide opportunities for the poor to whom opportunities were not available,” Msgr. Doskey said.

“His experience as a paratrooper (during World War II) instilled in him what he had seen in his home -- discipline and hard work.

Archbishop Philip Hannan His graphic witnessing of the sufferings in the concentration camps and the need to care for all moved him from vision to action.”

Current New Orleans Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond recalled Archbishop Hannan’s courage both in jumping out of planes as a paratroop chaplain with the 82nd Airborne and also “jumping into challenging dangers for the sake of the Gospel.”

“He whispered to God daily his hopes and dreams,” Archbishop Aymond said. “He also spoke boldly for respect of the life of the unborn, the dying, the poor and those with disabilities. He celebrated Mass in great cathedrals around the world and on the hood of a jeep.

He prayed for the poor. He also heard their cry and provided food, housing, care for the elderly and medical care.”

Archbishop Hannan, who retired in 1988 but continued working daily at the television station he founded, also was noted

for extending a Catholic hand to members of other Christian denominations and other faiths.

After the funeral Mass, Rabbi Edward Cohn of Temple Sinai called Archbishop Hannan the “pastor of the whole community.”

“He was really a father figure to all of us,” Rabbi Cohn said. “He looked at the world as a collection of all of God’s children. When people were tempted to follow their negative instincts, he prevented us from doing so by being in his presence.

We really wanted to show the perfect example.”

Until Archbishop Hannan’s death, the Archdiocese of New Orleans was the only one in the world with four living archbishops. The two other retired archbishops are Archbishops Francis B. Schulte (1988-2002) and Alfred C. Hughes (2002-09).

But the running joke was that there was only one archbishop of New Orleans -- Philip M. Hannan.

“Archbishop Hannan and I joked about that in recent months,” Archbishop Aymond said. “I finally said, ‘Archbishop, after you leave us and return to the Lord, what should I do?’

He said, ‘I think you should be installed as the archbishop of New Orleans.’”

“Archbishop Hannan, thank you. We will miss you. Please pray for us. We love you, and, in many ways, you will always be our shepherd.”

INVESTED INTO ORDER OF THE FLEUR DE LIS. Father James Ferguson, rector of St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, was one of six people who were invested Aug. 27 with the Knight Commander’s Cross of the Order of the Fleur de Lis. Bishop Ronald Herzog, Knight Prelate, and Msgr. Joseph Susi also attended the ceremony held at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in Birmingham, Ala. The Order of the Fleur de Lis is a Catholic men’s service organization. Its membership is limited to 35 laymen, with no limit on the number of clergy members.

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October 17, 2011

Diocese of Phoenix won’t be offering Communion under both species any more; only special events

By J.D. Long-Garcia Catholic News Service

PHOENIX (CNS) -- Plans are under way in the Diocese of Phoenix to implement new local norms for the distribution of Holy Communion.

As a result, the wine that becomes Jesus’ blood at consecration will not be offered at every Sunday Mass, but instead will be reserved for special occasions, left to the determination of each parish pastor.

The change will bring local Catholic celebration of the Eucharist into union with the practice of the faithful around the world, according to diocesan officials, who said receiving Communion under both kinds is uncommon in most countries.

“What many people don’t realize is that we’ve had experimental privileges,” said Father Kieran Kleczewski, executive director of the Phoenix diocesan Office of Worship.

“We’re now under the same norms as the church in the rest of the world.”

For Catholics in the United States, it will seem like a restriction, he said, but it’s an expansion for the rest of the world.

Communion under both kinds should be offered on the occasions in which both kinds further the sign of unity or

“If you read those early documents from Vatican II, it

was never envisioned that every time we have Mass, the chalice would be offered to the lay faithful.”

Father Kieran Kleczewski Phoenix Diocese Office of Workshop

PRIEST OFFERS COMMUNION CUP DURING MASS AT NEW YORK CATHEDRAL. A priest offers the Communion cup to a woman during a 2008 Mass at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre, N.Y. Plans are under way in the Diocese of Phoenix to implement new local norms for the distribution of Communion. are clearly a fuller expression of Christ’s presence, Father Kleczewski said. The church teaches that Christ -- body, blood, soul and divinity -- is present fully in the bread form. He is also fully present in the wine form.

“It’s offered to a bride and groom at their wedding. Why? Because it’s a beautiful sign of Christian unity in the sacrament of marriage,” he said. “That’s why you would offer them the chalice as well as the host.”

The same goes for offering both kinds on retreat, in order to recognize a great unity among participants.

“If the majority of people

receiving Communion do not receive from the chalice, then you shouldn’t be offering the chalice,” Father Kleczewski said.

In his church, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Avondale, the first four or five pews receive from the chalice. But few others do.

“That’s destroying the sign of unity that this is supposed to be,” Father Kleczewski said.

After the Second Vatican Council called for more occasions when the cup could be offered to the laity -- which had not been the practice for hundreds of years -- the United States, the United Kingdom and Oceania received

experimental permission to offer the cup to the faithful.

The 1975 missal -- the one currently used -- allows for 14 times when the cup can be offered to the laity. In poor countries, Father Kleczewski said, churches don’t have the resources to offer the chalice to the laity every time they celebrate Mass.

“The universal church is what is considered in making universal norms,” he said.

So the experiment didn’t work?

“Yes, it did,” Father Kleczewski said. The experiment will lead to broader use of both kinds of Communion throughout the world with the new Roman Missal. Pope John Paul II promulgated the new Roman Missal in 2000, and -- now translated -- it is to go into use in the United States this November.

“If you read those early documents from the council, it was never envisioned that every time we have Mass the chalice would be offered to the lay faithful,” Father Kleczewski said.

The new norms give the local bishop latitude in application.

In the Diocese of Phoenix, the norms provide for the distribution of Communion under both kinds for special feast days and other important occasions -- like the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, the feast of Corpus Christi, retreats, spiritual gatherings and weddings.

The 2011 norms, which Father Kleczewski said he received in June, incorporated: • The new English translation of the Roman Missal.

• The new norms for the church in the United States.

• Church teachings on Communion under both kinds published since 2002.

• Responses from the Holy See to inquiries from the U.S. bishops.

No date has been set for implementation of the new norms.

Some priests, like Father John Ehrich at St. Thomas the Apostle in Phoenix, made the change years ago. Father Kleczewski discontinued the use of the cup at daily Mass earlier this year.

WANTED: Outdoor Picnic Tables Any size, any condition for the LSU-A Student Center Call Lynn Ray 613-0634

Page 10

October 17, 2011

St. John the Baptist Church’s Rosary Walk

By Darilyn Driggers Many years ago, two beautiful ladies along with Father John O’Brien had a vision. They wanted to have a Rosary Walk at St John’s Catholic Church in Deville.

They wanted a place to meditate, pray the rosary, and just have some quiet time with our Creator. Alvy Jean Smith and Vivian Morace Deville could always be seen doing work for the Lord, both inside and outside the church. You could always depend on these ladies to be there for everyone. Whether it be preparing food for funerals, visiting the sick, or just being a great friend to talk to.

They went to be with our Lord before their dream was accomplished. The St. John’s Ladies Altar Society had many fundraisers and with lots of hard work and prayers, the dream is now a reality.

With great pride, we dedicated this Rosary Walk to the memory of our dear friends Alvy Jean Smith and Vivian Morace Deville on September 25, 2011.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, (DEVILLE) ROSARY WALK. Father John O’Brien, former pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Deville, blesses and dedicates the Rosary Walk Sept. 25 in memory of Alvy Jean Smith and Vivian Morace Deville, who along with the St. John’s Ladies Altar Society, were instrumental in seeing this project to its completion.

REPLICA OF ORIGINAL STS. FRANCIS AND ANNE MISSION. Marvin Filipi, long-time parishioner of Sts. Francis and Anne Church in Kolin, sits by a model he made of the original 1940s army-barrack-turned-church. Filipi included such minute details as the window AC unit locted in the priest’s apartment located in the back of church. The large cross hanging on the wall is the orginial cross on the old church that was located on the steeple.

Page 11

October 17, 2011

Burses Donations in August Knights of Columbus #9217............................................................ $10.00

Msgr. Molenschot Burse Children of Huey & Neen Lemoine.................................................. $50.00

Huey & Beverly “Neen” Lemoine Burse Grandchildren of Huey & Neen Lemoine........................................ $50.00

Huey & Beverly “Neen” Lemoine Burse Great Grandchildren of Huey & Neen Lemoine............................. $50.00

Huey & Beverly “Neen” Lemoine Burse In memory of Huey Lemoine........................................................... $50.00

Father Henri Jaqcquemain Burse In memory of Huey & Neen Lemoine.............................................. $50.00

Father Dan O’Connor Burse In memory of Huey & Neen Lemoine.............................................. $50.00

Father George Krosfield Burse In memory of Huey & Neen Lemoine............................................ $100.00

Father Joseph Montalbano Burse In memory of Huey & Neen Lemoine............................................ $200.00

Msgr. John Timmermans Burse Father Kenneth Williams................................................................ $200.00

Father Kenneth Williams Burse

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL 1134 OFFICERS INSTALLED. Officers for St. Rita Council 1134 Knights of Columbus were installed recently. Pictured are (front row) Ernie Babineau, Area K Deputy; Father Adam Travis; Richard Brazil, Grand Knight; Father August Thompson; and Charlie Thiels. Row 2: Frank Candoloro, trustee; Kenny Brossette, recorder; T.A. Messina, chancellor; Charles Glorioso, OG; Eddie Hadley; Pat Kelly, treasurer; Don Hebert, DD. Richard Brazil was also presented the Foundation Membership Award from Field Agent Chris Brumley.

Catholic Classics Advent Series

Total this month.............................................................................. $810.00

Donations in September Knights of Columbus #9217............................................................ $10.00

Msgr. Molenschot Burse Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Crooks.......................................................... $30.00

Father Michael Kammer Burse Mr. and Mrs. Louis H. Mathews, Jr.................................................. $40.00

Father Michael Kammer Burse Mr. and Mrs. Quinn McNeely........................................................... $50.00

Father Michael Kammer Burse Roderick Broussard......................................................................... $50.00

Msgr. Milburn Broussard Burse Karen Ann Hicks............................................................................... $81.00

Father Michael Kammer Burse Dr. Joseph Landreneau.................................................................. $100.00

Msgr. Henry Beckers Burse Mrs. Kathleen Voltz........................................................................ $100.00

Gus Voltz Burse Robert O. and Carol Miller............................................................. $200.00

Father Daniel Corkery Burse Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Crooks.................................................... $500.00

Father Michael Kammer Burse Mr. A.R. D’Angelo........................................................................ $1,550.00

Angelo R. and Ena F. D’Angelo Burse

The Office of Religious Formation and Training will present an Advent series made up of presentations on the faith by captivating Catholic priests. The schedule includes: Avoyelles Deanery: St. Paul the Apostle Church, Mansura, 6 p.m.

by Fr. Chad Partain Advent Reflection Series • Nov. 30 • Dec. 14 / Dec. 21 Eastern Deanery: St. Edward Church, Tallulah, 6 p.m.

by Fr. Ferre D’Cruz and guest priests Advent Reflections • Nov. 30 / Dec. 7 • Dec 14 Natchitoches Deanery: Nativity of the BVM, Campti, 9:30 a.m.

by Fr. Ryan Humphries The Meaning of the Mass • Nov. 8 / Nov. 15 • Nov. 22 Central Deanery: TBA

For more information, call 445-2401 Ext. 251

Total this month........................................................................... $2,711.00 A Seminary Burse is an invested sum of money, the interest of which is used in perpetuity to help fund the education of men to the priesthood. A Seminary Burse may be named for anyone - bishop, priest, religious, or lay person - by the original donor, and can be added to and allowed to grow. A burse is complete when it reaches $15,000.00, but another burse of the same name can be started.

Contributions to any of the burses or to establish a new burse should be sent to the Chancery Office, P. O. Box 7417, Alexandria, Louisiana 71306-0417.

Monsignor Joseph M. Susi, Chairman

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Page 12

October 17, 2011

THE OLD FASHIONED FIRE TRUCK RIDE. Students pile up in the old fire truck for a quick ride around the block.

The fire truck ride has been a part of the OLPS Fall Festival for decades.

STS. FRANCIS AND ANNE FAIR. carefully selects a floating duck which will determine the prize she wins at the parish fair at Sts. Francis and Anne.

ST. FRANCIS CABRINI SCHOOL RUNNING CLUB. Some of the members of the St. Francis Cabrini School running club line up at practice. The newly formed organization has participated in several local running events.

BLESSING OF THE PETS was held on October 7 at Sacred Heart School in Moreauville. (Pictured above and at right.)

ST. MARY’S CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS have been competing and doing well. Pictured are (front row) and

. Row 2: . Back row: (LA School), and

.

October 17, 2011

Page 13

Praying and playing outside in fall weather

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH, CLOUTIERVILLE. A large crowd turned out for the annual communitywide Rosary event held Oct. 5 at St. John the Baptist Church in Cloutierville.

OLPS FUN RUN. More than 100 students and adults participated in the annual 1-mile Fun Run that kicked off the OLPS Fall Festival.

SACRED HEART SCHOOL, MOREAUVILLE LIVING ROSARY. The students of Sacred Heart School held a Living Rosary on October 7.

Grades 4-8 participated as the Living Rosary and it extended on paved stones around the Grotto.

Page 14

October 17, 2011

Menard Alumni Homecoming Friday, Oct. 21 Holy Savior Menard Central High School invites all of its alumni back to campus Oct. 21 for Homecoming 2011. An alumni reception will be held Oct. 21 at 5 p.m. at the alumni house located beside the student parking lot. The homecoming game kicks off at 7 p.m. when the Menard Eagles will face the Lakeview Gators. A special halftime presentation will honor the classes of 1961, 1985 and 2001.

MENARD WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE QUIZ BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP. Congratulations to the Menard Quiz Bowl Team for capturing the title at the A+ Alexandria Bowl at LSUA on Saturday, Sept. 24. Pictured are team members , Mrs. Terri Harmeyer (Team Moderator), . Menard went undefeated in four matches of round robin to earn the right to play Vandebilt in the semifinal match. Menard beat Vandebilt in the final question, setting up a championship match with Anacoco. In the final contest, Menard took an early 50-0 lead on a string of correctly answered toss-up questions. Anacoco tightened the match in the middle rounds, but Menard pulled away at the end to claim its second consecutive A+ Alexandria Bowl championship.

Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation The Church Today • 393-240 • Sept. 30, 2011 Monthly, Free of Charge 4400 Coliseum Blvd.

Alexandria, LA 71303 • (318) 445-2401 Publisher: Most Reverend Ronald P. Herzog 4400 Coliseum Blvd. • Alexandria, LA 71303

ST. MARY'S HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT COUNCIL OFFICERS. The recently elected St. Mary’s Student Council officers, elected at the end of last year, held their first meeting of the 2012 school year.

They are shown from left as follows: (secretary), (treasurer), (president), (vice-president), and (reporter). Not pictured are (historian) and (president-elect).

Honor Mary, Pray the Rosary

Editor: Jeannie Petrus 4400 Coliseum Blvd Alexandria. LA 71303

Advertising: Joan Ferguson 4400 Coliseum Blvd Alexandria. LA 71303

Average no. of copies each issue No. of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: during preceeding 12 months: Total copies Outside county

7,642

7,590

In-county

5,673

5,755

60

75

Other distribution Total Distribution Alexandria Business Machines Copiers, Printers, Fascimile and Office Supplies 5527 Coliseum Blvd.

Alexandria, LA 71303-3708

13,375 13,420

Percent Requested Jeannie Petrus, Editor

13,375 13,420 100% 100% Filing Date: Sept. 30, 2011

Page 15

October 17, 2011

ST. MARY’S AND CLEMENTINE HUNTER. Mrs. Dana Durr’s third grade class at St. Mary’s School in Natchitoches, recently studied about the famous artist Clementine Hunter. They learned that Ms. Hunter was an African American painter who was once the cook at Melrose Plantation. They also learned that she loved painting pictures of children playing and of people working. This particular painting shows a man knocking pecans out of a tree while others pick them up. Pictured in the front row from left to right are: . Back row from left to right: , Mrs. .

Dana Durr,

ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA SCHOOL (BUNKIE) 4H OFFICERS. St. Anthony of Padua ‘s 4H officers for the 2011-2012 school year are (front row) , treasurer; , president; , vice president; and , reporter. Back row: , parliamentarian; , recreation leader; , recreation leader; and , secretary.

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Churches offer options for Trick or Treating • Oct. 26 Sacred Heart (Pineville) Trunk or Treat – Sacred Heart Church in Pineville will host a Trunk or Treat on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 5:308:00 p.m. in the Activities' Building parking lot. Decorate your trunk dress up in a costume - fill your trunk with candy. Children "Trunk or Treat" to your trunk! Games - contests - lots of fun! Candy donations and prizes are being accepted. Contact Melanie at 613-6959 or cajunladee65@att.net for more information.

• Oct. 29 St. Frances Cabrini Not So Scary Cajun Fest – St. Frances Cabrini School will host a “Not So Scary” Cajun Fest on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. The schedule of events is a 1 mile Fun Run at 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. -4:30 p.m. -- Booths, games, food, and entertainment; and 5 – 7 p.m., -gumbo dinner. For more info, go to: www.cabrinischool.com • Oct. 29-30 St. Rita Fall Festival.

On Saturday, from 5-8 p.m., there will be carnival games, trick or treating, hayride, bingo, costume contest, and St. Rita Gumbo for $5 from 4:30 p.m. until it’s gone. On Sunday, there will be a pork dinner, silent auction, country store, white elephant shop, cake booth, and great items for raffle..

Page 16

October 17, 2011

All Souls Day: Nov. 2 Families embrace graveside customs for loved ones

By Father Chad Partain DOA Chancellor The end of October and the beginning of November is a busy and bustling season in cemeteries all across Louisiana as Catholics celebrate the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls.

If you visit our parish cemeteries during the last weekend in October, you will find families out making a day of cutting the grass, painting the crypts and decorating the graves of those who have gone before us "marked with the sign of faith." All of this activity is in preparation for Nov. 1 and 2 – the feast days when the Church honors all the unknown saints in heaven and prays for all the Holy Souls in purgatory.

These feasts reflect the Church’s belief that all the living and the dead are united by ties of love and kinship in the Mystical Body of Christ. This belief is referred to as the ‘Communion of Saints’.

Every Sunday we profess our faith in this article of the Creed but we may not have taken the time to ponder its meaning. The ‘Communion of Saints’ reminds us that we are not alone in our spiritual journey. We are united with all those who have gone before us – united in a relationship of love and support that transcends time and space.

As Christians we believe that love does not end in the grave. When the soul is separated from the body at death the soul encounters Christ in what is known as the ‘particular’ judgment. The body returns to the dust from which it was made.

Because we believe in the ‘resurrection of the body’ at the end of time, we honor the body with Christian Burial.

The body is returned to the earth and laid to rest in blessed or consecrated ground to await the coming of the Lord at the end of time. We believe that on that last day when Christ shall come to judge the living and the dead, our bodies will rise from their graves to be re-united with our souls to share forever in either the joys of

BLESSING OF THE GRAVES AT MARYHILL. Every year around All Souls Day, the priests of the diocese gather at the Maryhill Clergy Cemetery for a solemn blessing of the graves. Roses are placed on each grave as each priest prays for the ones who have gone before us. heaven or the pains of hell.

Our beliefs in the ‘communion of saints’ and in the ‘resurrection of the body’ help us to understand the old customs associated with the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls.

Decorating the graves of

our deceased family is a concrete way for us to express our love for those who have died. As Catholics we do not believe that death is an ending. We believe that we will see them again. The annual visitation around the feast is used by many families as time to

reconnect and pass on oral histories to the next generation. The graves are cleaned and repaired and covered with flowers.

The living flowers are traditionally seen as signs of faith. Living flowers are placed on the tombs as a sign of belief that while the body may ‘sleep’ the soul of the deceased is alive.

In antebellum days, sprigs or wreaths of evergreen were used. Cypresses, cedars and weeping willows were often planted in or alongside cemeteries to symbolize ‘eternal life’.

Beaded wreaths called ‘immortales’ were also common decorations – the circle of the wreath a sign of eternity; the bead-work a symbol of eternal life.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, chrysanthemums became popular. Today autumn ‘mums’ are common together with longer-lasting ‘artificial’ arrangements.

Candles are placed on many graves as a sign of life. The lighted candle represents the living soul of the person buried there

and is also a sign of the prayers that are offered for the dead.

On or near the Feast of All Souls, Mass is celebrated for the Holy Souls in Purgatory and the graves are blessed with holy water. In many places this ceremony is carried out by candlelight with the families gathered around the graves of their family members waiting for the priest to pass and bless the plots.

For many these customs may seem morbid or overdone. The modern mind may object and say that it is healthier to push death out of our minds and go about the business of living. To all this, the Church answers with an age-old wisdom, Momento Mori, “Keep death daily before your eyes”. Only by remembering the reality of death can we hope to make the most of every day that we have.

Death reminds us that life is a blessing not a burden. By remembering that we all must die one day we grow in wisdom and learn to fully live in this world and in the world to come.

Page 17

October 17, 2011

AWAKENING RETREAT. (left) College students of all faiths attended the Awakening Retreat held at LSU-A in September.

ROASTING MARSHMALLOWS. Participants of the Awakening Retreat roast marshmallows at night over an open fire.

FREE MEAL. LSU-A students enjoy a free lunch every Wednesday.

FELLOWSHIP. Fr. Blake Deshautelle talks with college students during a recent "Meet and Greet" at LSU-A.

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JACOB'S SOCIETY, the Catholic organization at Louisiana College, hosted a BBQ on Labor Day for all college students. The students enjoyed a great meal of hamburgers, chips, and soft drinks.

Page 18

October 17, 2011

Catholicism: long awaited story of the Catholic faith •

If you’re a Catholic, get this DVD series and discover the radiance of your faith.

• If you’re not a Catholic, get this DVD series and glimpse the Church’s splendor, maybe for the first time.

Catholicism: 10-DVD series

•

If you know a young person, an RCIA candidate, or a fallen away Catholic burned out by religion, let this DVD series spark new wonder.

In other words, you need to get this DVD series.

Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith, is a 10-DVD series hosted by Father Robert Barron, who runs the Chicagobased Word on Fire ministry. It includes 10, hour-long DVDs, leader and group study guides, and a 300-page stand-alone book of the same title.

For the first time, in breathtaking, high-definition cinematography, the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith is illustrated in a rich, multimedia experience. Over a period of five years, Father Barron travelled to more than 50 locations in 15 countries.

“Barron is not just concerned with what’s good and true about the Catholic tradition but also what’s beautiful. The Catholic faith is not just a matter of the mind and the soul but of the body and the senses. Therefore if we want to fully understand “the Catholic thing”, we need to gaze on art,

CATHOLICISM SERIES. The entire Catholicsm package includes a 300-page book, a 10-DVD set, a student's guide and workbook, a leader's kit, and prayer cards. To order, go to www.wordonfire.com. history, culture, music, literature, and architecture said Brandon Vogtt, author of The Church and New Media.

“In order to grasp (Catholicism) more fully, we have to read the Gospels, the Epistles of Paul, the Confessions of St. Augustine, the Summa Theologiae of Thomas Aquinas, The Divine

Comedy of Dante, Saint John of the Cross’ Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Story of a Soul of Therese of Lisieux, among many other texts. But we also have to look and listen.

We must consult the Cathedral of Chartres, the SainteChapelle, the Arena Chapel, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, Bernini’s

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa; the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Grunewald’s Crucifixion in the Isenheim Altarpiece, the soaring melodies of Gregorian chant, the Masses of Mozart, and the motets of Palestrina.”

In Barron's Catholicism book, as well as in his epic 10-part film series with the same name, that’s

exactly what Barron does.

George Weigel said, “ I wondered whether someone, somewhere, at some point, would do a “Civilization”-like series on Catholicism itself: a grand tour of the Catholic world that explored the Church as a culture through its teaching, its art, its music, its architecture—and above all, through the lives it shaped. That has now happened. The result is the most important media initiative in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States.

Ultimately, Catholicism stands as Barron’s magnum opus, the culmination of his life’s work so far. Which means it’s the best work from one of the world’s best theologians, a monumental gift to the Church. RCIA programs across the country should adopt the book as a foundational text, and through Word on Fire’s own study program, parishes should use the film series and book to reignite the passion of their flock.

One reviewer described the book and film series as “the most vivid catechism ever created.”

This will go down as the greatest catechetical tool of our generation, the premier, single-volume book on Catholicism.

In a culture hungry for truth, Catholicism offers answers. To people searching for goodness, it provides the path toward sainthood. In a world desperate for beauty, this book and DVD series ravishes.

Page 19

October 17, 2011

10-part TV series Catholicism to air on PBS, EWTN (Editor’s Note: Catholicism will not be aired locally on PBS in the Central Louisiana area at this time. However, six of the ten episodes will be aired on EWTN Nov. 16-19. See schedule below.)

By Joyce Duriga Catholic News Service

CHICAGO (CNS) -Television viewers across the country will get a glimpse into the rich history, culture and tenets of the Catholic faith this fall when 90 public television stations across the country air episodes of a series called “Catholicism” that was developed by a Chicago priest.

The series is hosted by Father Robert Barron, who runs the Chicago-based Word on Fire ministry. It includes 10, hourlong DVDs, leader and group study guides and a 300-page standalone book of the same title.

Episodes also will be broadcast on the Eternal Word Television Network.

The priest’s goal was to show the history and treasures of the Catholic Church. The series was filmed in high-definition and spans more than 50 locations in 15 countries.

The global media ministry Word on Fire -- which aims to “educate and engage the culture” -- pitched all 10 episodes of “Catholicism” to PBS, but the network opted to run four shows: the revelation, God becomes man; the mystery of God; Mary, the mother of God; and Peter and Paul as missionaries. No

CHICAGO PRIEST HOST OF PBS SERIES ‘CATHOLICISM’. Father Robert Barron, who runs the Chicago-based Word on Fire ministry, is pictured in a 2009 photo. Father Barron is the host of the TV series “Catholicism†that will air on PBS this fall. (CNS photo/Word on Fire) money was exchanged under the agreement, Father Barron said, and Word on Fire will promote the full DVD set and program at the end of each episode.

Father Barron, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and a professor of faith and culture at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, said he was surprised PBS agreed to air “Catholicism.”

“I thought that maybe they would think it was too Catholic. They loved it right away,” he told the Catholic New World, Chicago’s archdiocesan newspaper.

The goal of “Catholicism” has always been to evangelize the culture, and media seemed the best vehicle to accomplish that, he added.

The priest also wants to

reach people outside of the Catholic Church, such as fallenaway Catholics, secularists, non-Catholics and disinterested Catholics.

“That’s why I love that PBS is broadcasting it,” he said.

The program has a good chance of reaching people who are not part of the church because it is a high-quality series done in an inviting way, said Eileen Daily, assistant professor at the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago.

“One of the biggest issues with evangelization is getting people not to put up a wall before your message gets to them,” said

Daily, whose study includes using art for religious education. People will be more open to the message in “Catholicism” because it looks like the rest of the shows they are used to seeing on television, she said.

The program airing on PBS also lends it credibility, she said, noting that the network isn’t going to “accept something that is proselytizing.”

Father Barron said the program reveals a broad view of the church including its growing presence in Africa and Kolkata, India.

“There is nothing out there like this that gives you the global, visual, culture, history and theological side of the church,” he added.

“I hate the reduction of Catholicism to the sexual abuse scandal. God knows we have problems that have to be dealt with,” Father Barron said, but “there is so much more to Catholicism than our current struggles.”

Catholicism EWTN Catholicism Schedule Date, Time, and Episode of Catholicism Series

Nov. 16 7 p.m.

8 p.m.

9 p.m.

10 p.m.

Fr. Robert Barron on EWTN live #9 The Fire of His Love: Prayer and Life of the Spirit #2 Happy are We: The Teachings of Jesus #3 A Body Both Suffering and Glorious: The Mystical Union of Christ and the Church

Nov. 17 10 p.m. #7 Word Made Flesh, True Bread of Heaven: The Mystery

of the Liturgy and the Eucharist Nov. 18 9 p.m. #8 A Vast Company of Witnesses: The Communion of Saints 10 p.m. #10 World Without End: The Last Things Nov. 19 12 noon #2 Happy are We: The Teachings of Jesus

1 p.m. #6 A Body Both Suffering and Glorious: The Mystical

Union of Christ and the Church

3 p.m. #7 Word Made Flesh, True Bread of Heaven: The Mystery

of the Liturgy and the Eucharist

4 p.m. #8 The Vast Company of Witnesses: The Communion of Saints

5 p.m. #10 World Without End: The Last Things

9 p.m. #2 Happy are We: The Teachings of Jesus 10 p.m. #6 A Body Both Suffering and Glorious: The Mystical

Union of Christ and the Church

Page 20

October 17, 2011

Affordable new booklet explains the Mass to kids Pauline Kids (publisher) is excited to announce the release of The Mass Explained for Kids, a booklet to help children transition smoothly into the new translation of the Mass.

This booklet not only explains the changes occurring in 2011, but enables children ages 7–11 to understand what we do and say at Mass and why.

By linking liturgical texts with corresponding explanations, this colorful booklet helps kids become active and enthusiastic participants at Mass.

The Mass Explained for Kids is affordable for any budget and will help parents, priests, teachers, and other adults explain the changes to the Mass this November with ease.

The Mass Explained for

Kids features the official texts of the new translation. The booklet will also prove to be a helpful tool for clarifying questions from parishioners. The clear and concise explanations will draw people to be fully engaged in the Liturgy and to gain a greater understanding of the Catholic faith and their relationship with God. What Are People Saying about this Title?

“The Mass is the best place to encounter Jesus and become like him. The Mass Explained for Kids will help children, and even their parents, to enter into the great mystery of faith. I would be happy to give this book to my children.” said Christopher Carstens, Director, Office of Sacred Worship, Diocese of La

Crosse, Wisconsin, “A valuable resource to help children enter fully into the liturgy! This is the sort of liturgy guide a child would not outgrow.

The simple explanations will cast a new and refreshing light on the ritual language, inviting a wholehearted response.” said Sister Anne Joan Flanagan, FSP, Author, liturgy conference presenter, and retreat director This well-done booklet does what it claims: provides the new language for the Mass and clear theological explanations for children. In addition, The Mass

Explained for Kids provides parents and teachers insight into the deep structure of the Church’s worship. said Father Philip J. Sandstrom, STD, Priest of the Archdiocese of New York, To purchase the booklet, visit www.pauline.org/massexplained Product Details: Binding: Paperback Trim size: 5 1/2” x 8 1/2” ISBN: 0819848859 Pages: 40 Cost: $1.95

Page 21

October 17, 2011

Dolphin Tale has powerful pro-life message in respect for physically challenged people, animals

By Joseph McAleer Catholic News Service

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Cross “Flipper” with “Rocky” and you get “Dolphin Tale” (Warner Bros.), an inspirational film about a perky mammal who, against mighty odds, overcomes her disability with the support of her loyal human friends.

Based on a true story, “Dolphin Tale” has a refreshing motto for a Hollywood film -- “Family is Forever” -- and sends a rare but powerful prolife message in its respect for persons -- and animals -- who are physically challenged.

Sawyer (Nathan Gamble) is 11 years old and depressed.

He misses his dad, who has abandoned his mom, Lorraine (Ashley Judd). He’s also upset that his champion swimmer of a cousin, Kyle (Austin Stowell), a big brother to him, is also leaving, having enlisted in the Army.

Cycling to summer school one bright Florida morning, Sawyer sees a female dolphin in distress on the beach, tangled in a fishing trap. He frees the badly hurt animal, their eyes meet and an unusual friendship is forged.

His new pal is transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, run by Dr. Clay Haskett (Harry Connick Jr.) and his father, Reed

(Warner Bros.) - The true story of “Winter,” a dolphin which received the first artificial tail, is brought to the screen in a family-friendly film that offers lessons in faith, perseverance, and respect for persons -- and animals -- with disabilities.

Eleven-year-old Sawyer (Nathan Gamble) finds Winter washed up on a beach, badly injured from a fishing trap. His new friend is transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, run by Dr. Clay Haskett (Harry Connick, Jr.) and his father, Reed (a very grizzled Kris Kristofferson), with a little help from Clay’s young daughter, Hazel (Cozi Zuehlsdorff). When Winter’s tail is amputated, his survival is threatened, until Dr. Cameron McCarthy (Morgan Freeman), a master of prosthetics, decides to take on the challenge. A refreshing diversion for the entire family. The Catholic News Service classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG - parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. (CNS photo/Warner Bros.)

(a grizzled Kris Kristofferson), with a little help from Clay’s young daughter, Hazel (Cozi Zuehlsdorff). Hazel christens the dolphin “Winter,” but her discontent grows when Clay

is forced to amputate Winter’s severely injured tail.

No dolphin has ever survived without a tail, its only means of propulsion. Winter’s sorry tale -- make that tail -- unites her new

human “family” and transforms a sullen Sawyer into an action hero.

“I’m seeing something a mother dreams of -- a turnedon kid,” Lorraine says. “He’s so engaged, and it’s not with a Game

Boy.” Winter’s not the only one in trouble. Kyle returns from war, badly injured. He may never walk, let alone swim, again.

When Sawyer visits him in the veterans’ hospital, he marvels at the wounded soldiers and their recovery, thanks to some spaceage prosthetics designed by Dr. Cameron McCarthy (Morgan Freeman).

Could the good doctor also work his magic on a dolphin’s tail? “Just because you’re hurt doesn’t mean you’re broken,” McCarthy says, as he takes up the challenge.

Directed by Charles Martin Smith (“Air Bud”), “Dolphin Tale” is that rare family-friendly film that is wholesome and fun, while offering lessons in faith, perseverance, and respect for those who are physically challenged. The Catholic News Service classification is A-I -general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Charismatic conference to be Nov. 19 at Maryhill The Service Committee of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal for the diocese is hosting a Women's Catholic Charismatic Conference on Saturday, Nov. 19 at Maryhill Renewal Center in Pineville.

Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. and the conference will end with a Vigil Mass at 5:00 p.m.

Speakers include Fr. Harold Imamshah, Aggie Neck, and Leslie Bertucci. The day is filled with praise and worship music, talks, workshops, and testimonies.

Cost is $45, which includes breakfast and lunch. Housing is $35 for Friday night only.

Call Diane at 419-1547 or Donna at 613-0202 for more info.

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October 17, 2011

St. James to celebrate 100th Anniversary

Daylight Savings Time ends

St. James Church in Alexandria will celebrate its 100year anniversary Oct. 20-23. On Oct. 20, a Prayer Night will be held at 6 p.m. at the Church. On Oct. 21, a Blue and White Dance will be held from 9 -12 midnight at the St. James Activity Bldg. On Oct. 22, a picnic will be held from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Knights of Peter Claver Hall in Alexandria. On Oct. 23, an anniversary Mass will be held at 12 noon, followed by a banquet in the Convention Hall in downtown Alexandria. Admission is $15. Everyone is invited to join the celebration.

Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 3 a.m. At that time, you should turn your clocks BACK one hour. Remember, -- Spring Forward, Fall Backward.

Outdoor Rosary season ends The last Illuminated Rosary for the fall will be held Oct. 27 at St. Joseph-Marksville at 7:15 p.m. Bring the whole family and pray the Rosary together.

All Saints Day Mass Masses will be celebrated at Alexandria Memorial Gardens on Monday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. and on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. at Greenwood Memorial Gardens, Pineville. All are welcome to attend. And rmember, All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation.

Blessing of the Graves St. Paul Catholic Church in Mansura will be celebrating the 5:30 p.m. Mass on Sunday, Oct. 30 in St. Paul Cemetery. The Blessing of Graves by Father Chad Partain, will follow.

ST. RITA VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR. St. Rita Church held its annual Volunteer Luncheon on Sunday, September 25 in the Holy Family Center. The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Mrs. Belinda Guillory. Mrs. Guillory is very active in the Bereavement Committee, Choir, Wednesday evening meals, Fall Festival and anywhere else she is needed!

ST. FRANCES CABRINI SCHOOL STARBASE PARTICIPANTS. Fifth and sixth grade students from St. Frances Cabrini School participated in the Starbase program at Camp Beauregard in Pineville the week of October 3-7. Pictured are students getting ready to launch the straw rockets they made at starbase to demonstrate Newton's Laws of Motion.

THE OLPS ROYAL PENNY FAMILY is comprised of the top penny (change) collectors at Our Lady of Prompt Succor School. The annual Penny Drive, held in conjunction with the Fall Festival raised over $3,200. Pictured are King, ; Queen, ; Prince, ; and Princess,

STS. FRANCIS AND ANNE COUNTRY STORE. Susie Barlow, Pat Theriot, and Tony Glorioso re-arrange items for the Country Store during the Sts. Francis and Anne Parish Fair.

Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Fair IHM’s parish fair will be held Sunday, Oct. 23, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. There will be games, sweets, bargain barn, entertainment, food, quilt raffle, pork roast dinner, jumpers, horse rides, train rides and much more. Pork roast dinner will be served from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in Allen Hall; donation - $7; menu: pork roast, potato, corn on cob, salad, roll & tea. We invite everyone to come and enjoy the day with us.

St. Frances Cabrini Christmas Shop The Sanctuary Society of St. Frances Cabrini Church will host its annual Christmas Shop Nov. 19-20. Saturday, from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., there will be a silent auction, sweet booth, frozen foods, gift store and knit shop. Sunday, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., the events will continue and a pork dinner will be served from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Avoyelles Parish Businesses

Advertise in The Church Today Contact Carla Moreau 318-346-7829

Page 23

October 17, 2011

October -- November Monday

17

Tuesday

Wednesday

18

VIRTUS Training 6:00 pm KC Hall, Plaucheville

19

Thursday

Public Rosary 7:15 pm Marksville

Friday

20

Saturday

21

22

Menard Homecoming Alumni Social 5:00 pm Alumni House

Sunday

23

Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Fair 10:00 am-4:00 pm Tioga

St. James 100th Anniversary

PRAY FOR FR. J. MICHALCHUK

24

PRAY FOR FR. K. MICHIELS

25

PRAY FOR FR. B. MILLER

26

Trunk or Treat 5:30-8:00 pm Sacred Heart Church, Pineville

6:00 pm Prayer Night

9:00 pm Dance

10:00 am Picnic

12:00 pm Mass

PRAY FOR FR. C. MORGAN

PRAY FOR FR. C. NAYAK

PRAY FOR FR. J. NELLIKUNEL

PRAY FOR FR. M. NOEL

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Last Day: Public Rosary 7:15 pm St. Joseph Church, Marksville

28

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Not So Scary Cajun Fest 10:00 am-7:00 pm St. Frances Cabrini Church, Alexandria

30

Blessing of Graves 5:30 pm St. Paul Cemetery, Mansura

St. Rita Church Fall Festival 5:00-8:00 pm PRAY FOR FR. J. O’BRIEN

31

All Saints Day Vigil 4:00 pm Alexandria Memorial Gardens, Alexandria

PRAY FOR FR. D. O’CONNOR

1

NOVEMBER All Saints Day Mass 5:00 pm Greenwood Memorial Gardens, Pineville

PRAY FOR FR. K. OBIEKWE

2

HALLOWEEN

ALL SAINTS DAY

ALL SOULS DAY

PRAY FOR FR. J. PALLIPURATH

PRAY FOR BISHOP R. HERZOG

PRAY FOR FR. J. PARDUE

8

9

PRAY FOR FR. C. OGBONNA

PRAY FOR FR. R. OWUAMANAM

3

PRAY FOR FR. C. PARTAIN

10

Meeting for local attendees of National Catholic Collegiate Conference 6:30-7:30 pm St. Joseph Catholic Center, Alexandria

ELECTION DAY

15

PRAY FOR FR. B. PALLIPPARAMBIL

5

6

FIRST FRIDAY

FIRST SATURDAY

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS

PRAY FOR FR. P. THOMAS

PRAY FOR FR. G. POOKKATTU

PRAY FOR FR. R. RABALAIS

11

12

13

VETERANS DAY

PRAY FOR FR. J. RETNAZIHAMONI PRAY FOR FR. J. ROBLES-SANCHEZ PRAY FOR FR. E. RODRIGUEZ-HERNANDEZ

14

4

Bereavement Mass 5:30 pm St. Joseph Catholic Center, Alexandria

10:30 am-3:00 pm

PRAY FOR FR. J. PALATHARA

16 7:00, 8:00, 9:00 10:00 pm

PRAY FOR FR. J. ROY

PRAY FOR FR. C. SCOTT

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18

Catholicism Series airs on EWTN 10:00 pm

9:00, 10:00 pm

PRAY FOR FR. P. SIERRA-POSADA

PRAY FOR FR. S.SOARES

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12:00, 1:00, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 9:00, 10:00 pm

Cabrini Church Christmas Shop 8:00 am-6:00 pm

8:00 am-2:00 pm

National Catholic Collegiate Conference -- Indiana PRAY FOR FR. L. SKLAR

PRAY FOR FR. I. ST. ROMAIN

PRAY FOR MSGR. J. SUSI

PRAY FOR MSGR. S. TESTA

PRAY FOR FR. J. THOMAS

PRAY FOR FR. A. THOMPSON

PRAY FOR MSGR. J. TIMMERMANS

October 17, 2011