The Church Today, June 17, 2013

CHURCH

Volume XLIV, No. 6

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TODAY

Serving the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana Since 1970

June 17, 2013

ON THE

INSIDE Father Jamie Medina-Cruz dies at age 48

We Graduated!

Father Jamie MedinaCruz, who had been serving as pastor of St. Mary’s Assumption Church in Cottonport, but was on administrative leave, died June 7.

Read more on page 3.

Clergy assignments and anniversaries listed Find out if your parish will be welcoming a new pastor this year or if your favorite pastor is celebrating an anniversary this year. Go to pages 6-7 for the official list of new clergy assignments and to page 8 for the names of priests and sisters celebrating anniversaries.

Win a free trip to the Holy Land or to Medjugorje You could be the big winner of Radio Maria’s Immaculate Conception Sweepstakes.

The grand prize is a free pilgrimage of choice (for two) to either a 10-day trip to the Holy Land or an 8-day trip to Medjugorje. Second prize is $1,000 cash and third prize is $500. See page 9.

The class of 8th graders from St. Anthony School in Bunkie show their joy after graduation. Read more about other senior and 8th grade graduations around the diocese on pgs. 12-13.

PAGE 2

CHURCH TODAY

JUNE 17, 2013

Boy Scouts vote to allow gay youths to belong to Scout troops Committee on Scouting says decision is ‘not in conflict with Catholic teaching’

By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service

(CNS) -- The head of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting said the Boy Scouts’ vote in May to admit homosexual youth into their ranks is “not in conflict with Catholic teaching,” something by which “we should be encouraged.”

Edward Martin, the committee’s national chairman, said Scouting is “still the best youthserving program available to all youth.” He added, “We need to use this opportunity to show our commitment to making Catholic Scouting a safe environment for all youth in which the Catholic faith is taught, practiced and nurtured.”

Martin’s message, dated May 29, was posted May 30 on the National Catholic Committee on Scouting’s website, www.nccsbsa.org. He said he wrote it after reading mails, blogs, Facebook posting and several discussions, including with Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone of Charleston, S.C., and Father Michael Hanifin, Martin noted three principles that remain unchanged for the Boy Scouts despite the resolution’s approval.

“Any sexual conduct, whether homosexual or heterosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting,” he said. “The Boy Scouts of America does not have an agenda on the matter of sexual orientation, and resolving this complex issue is not the role of the organi-

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Boy Scouts serve as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion during a Catholic Scouting recognition Mass in 2010 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester, N.Y. The Boy Scouts of America voted May 23 to lift a ban on accepting openly gay Scouts as members, capping weeks of intense lobbying on both sides of the issue, the group said in a statement. (CNS photo/Mike Crupi, Catholic Courier) zation, nor may any member use Scouting to promote or advance any social or political position or agenda,” Martin added.

The third principle is: “The Scout Oath begins with duty to God, and the Scout Law ends with a Scout’s obligation to be reverent. Those will always remain core values of the Boy Scouts of America.”

Martin cited section 2358 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in accepting the new policy: “Individuals who disclose a homosexual inclination

or a same-sex attraction are to be treated with the same dignity due all human beings created by God,” he said. “This teaching is followed in enrollment policies for Catholic schools, for Catholic sports programs, and for all programs of Catholic youth ministry.”

Since, as a result of the new policy, “no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone,” Martin said, “we understand this to mean the following: A youth

will not be prevented from receiving a rank award or religious emblem simply for having a samesex attraction; a youth will not need to hide the fact that he has or experiences this attraction, but a youth also will not be encouraged or pressured to disclose publicly the experience of such attraction; (and) a youth thinking or knowing he has a homosexual inclination should not be afraid that he will be bullied or expelled by the Scouting community by disclosing his sexual orientation.”

Martin said that over the next

couple of months, the National Catholic Committee on Scouting will develop a task force to help Catholic Scouters dioceses, parishes and the media understand the change, including an online series of questions and answers to help Catholics understand the issues associated with the policy change.

He encouraged Catholics involved in Scouting to “seek understanding of the resolution, the church’s teaching on the subject, and to pray for wisdom. Change is hard, especially when we don’t understand why it’s occurring, what it means, and when we aren’t part of the process. NCCS will do its best to respond to your questions and concerns. We will pray for wisdom ourselves. We ask that Catholic Scouts and chartered organization heads not rush to judgment as the policy does not go into effect until Jan. 1.”

Martin said he found a May 26 posting by Edward Peters, writer of A Canon Lawyer’s Blog, helpful.

In it, Peters said, “Nothing in the new policy or in Boy Scout literature endorses or advocates the gay lifestyle; in fact all members are prohibited from using the Boy Scouts to promote ‘any social or political position or agenda.’”

Peters, who teaches at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and in 2010 was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as a referendary for the Apostolic Signature, the Vatican supreme court, also See BOY SCOUTS, pg 11

JUNE 17, 2013

CHURCH TODAY

PAGE 3

The on-going roller coaster ride of life issues Girls of any age, can now buy morning- House committee approves bill to give nationwide protection after pill without a prescription for pain-capable unborn children; goes to House this week

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service

(CNS) -- U.S. Catholic officials expressed disappointment with the June 10 announcement that the federal government will comply with a judge’s ruling to allow girls of any age to buy the morning-after pill without a prescription.

The decision reversed recent course of action by the federal government. On May 1, the Justice Department announced that it would appeal a ruling by a federal judge in early April that said the Food and Drug Administration must make emergency contraceptives available to all ages by May 6.

In a June 10 letter to U.S. District Judge Edward Korman in Brooklyn, N.Y., department officials said they will submit a plan for compliance with his ruling and will drop their appeal.

The letter also said the FDA has advised the drug’s manufacturer to submit an application to make Plan B One-Step available over the counter without restrictions.

News reports June 11 said

the Justice Department also told the judge it will not make available over the counter the two-pill Plan B product, which it described as being significantly different from the one-pill version. Two-pill generic versions of Plan B would remain behind store counters and require a prescription and ID for those under the age of 17.

Plan B, known generically as levonorgestrel, uses large doses of birth-control pills to prevent conception up to 72 hours after unprotected sex. According to the FDA, it will “not stop a pregnancy when a woman is already pregnant, and there is no medical evidence that the product will harm a developing fetus.”

Catholic officials faulted the federal government’s decision and some groups advocating women’s rights called it a step forward and a public health benefit.

Deirdre McQuade, spokeswoman for the USCCB’s Secretariat for Pro Life Activities, said “Many studies have shown that wider access to ‘emergency contraception’ among young people does not reduce pregnancy or abortion rates, but can contribute to higher rates of sexually transmitted disease. No public health consideration justifies the unregulated distribution of such drugs to children.”

WASHINGTON -- The Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives June 12 approved landmark legislation to provide nationwide protection for unborn children who are capable of feeling pain, beginning at 20 weeks fetal age. Action by the full House is expected the week of June 17.

“Because of publicity surrounding the trial of Kermit Gosnell and subsequent revelations about other abortionists, many Americans are becoming aware for the first time that abortions are frequently performed late in pregnancy on babies who are capable of being born alive, and

on babies who will experience great pain while being killed,” said NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson. “This bill is the most significant piece of prolife legislation to come before the House since the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in 2007.”

The legislation, the PainCapable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 1797), is strongly supported by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of state right-to-life organizations. It is based on an NRLC model bill that has already been enacted in nine states (which includes Louisiana). The Judiciary

Committee approved the bill by a vote of 20 to 12. Republicans on the committee were united in support, and were joined by one Democrat.

In a nationwide poll of 1,003 registered voters in March, The Polling Company found that 64% would support a law such as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act prohibiting abortion after 20 weeks -- when an unborn baby can feel pain -- unless the life of the mother is in danger.

Only 30% opposed such legislation. Women voters split 63%31% in support of such a law, and 63% of independent voters supported it.

Memorial Mass held for Fr. Jamie Medina A Memorial Mass for Reverend Jamie Medina-Cruz was celebrated June 17 at 2:30 p.m. at St. Frances Cabrini Church in Alexandria. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at a later date at St. Raphael Catholic Church in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico, with interment in the Quebradillas Municipal Cemetery.

Father Jamie, a priest of the Diocese of Alexandria, died Friday, June 7, in Alexandria. He was born Dec. 8, 1964. He was 48 years old.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 29, 1999 at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Alexandria. He is the son of Senor Claudio Medina and Senora Ma-

ria Cruz Medina of Quebradillas, Puerto Rico.

He received a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from St. John Vianney Seminary in Miami, Fla., a Master of Art from St. Vincent de Paul Seminary, Boynton Beach, Fla., and later a master’s degree in Theology. He went on to the Pontifical University Gregorian in Rome, Italy, where he received a licentiate degree in Theology.

Father Jamie served as parochial vicar at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Church in Natchitoches, at St. Joseph Church in Marksville and later at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church and St. Rita Church in

Alexandria. He also served as pastor of St. Patrick Church in Ferriday, St. Anthony Church in Natchitoches and St. Mary’s Assumption Church in Cottonport.

Father Jamie Medina-Cruz

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PAGE 4 With the school year officially completed, many are beginning to adjust their daily schedules to include vacation activities.

Memorial Day has traditionally been considered the official beginning of summer and now that too is moved to the past tense. The months ahead will give families a chance to share important time together that is often less possible during the school. This takes on increasing importance as we continue to see the whole fabric of the family eroded in so many ways.

Living our faith is becoming an ever-increasing challenge, one that we must take on with renewed courage.

June 1 each year marks the official start of the hurricane sea-

CHURCH TODAY ONE IN THE LORD Most Rev. Ronald P. Herzog Bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria

son and, as I write this, the first named storm of the Atlantic season is approaching the west coast of Florida with a likely path that will take it along the entire Atlantic coastline. Friday, June 7, was the annual day throughout Louisiana on which all are asked to pray and fast for deliverance from such intense storms. This inten-

tion could well be included in our daily prayers through the season because we know firsthand what these can do. Early forecasts warn of another very active hurricane season.

The end of June will be important for at least three reasons. Many of our priests have accepted new assignments and

JUNE 17, 2013

these become effective on the last Wednesday of June. Taylor Reynolds, who is completing his third year of theology in Rome, will be ordained a deacon with his ordination to the priesthood planned for next spring. Finally, we will have the annual Steubenville South Youth Conference in its new location: downtown Alexandria. We are expecting nearly 3,000 youth and adults to take part. Thanks to Father José and his staff and many volunteers for all the months of preparation involved in such a major change. We are also indebted to Mayor Jacques Roy and many of our city officials for their help and encouragement. This will be a superb demonstration of the partnership between the diocese and the

city that will enrich the religious experience already proven in past conferences.

The diocese has provided suggestions and information that parishes can use for the upcoming 2nd Fortnight for Freedom that again urges us to make our stand in the light of the dangers created by many of the actions and policies enacted during the current administration in Washington. Our fight is not over. We have far to travel.

May the months of summer give you time for rest and relaxation!

Gold shovels are dark symbols for Planned Parenthood Though I have spent quite a few nights at a Holiday Inn Express in my lifetime, I am not a theologian.

I am a husband and father. I know a few things about family and faith. I think I have a decent grasp of the English language.

I have a fair acquaintance with Scripture, although I should know more. I like to regard myself as someone with common sense and a cradle Catholic’s appreciation of right and wrong.

But on a rainy, shrouded May 22, dozens of people gathered inside First Unitarian Universalist Church on South Claiborne Avenue and talked about truth, beauty and life.

All I could see – besides the five shallow tubs of black garden soil in front of the sanctuary and the gold-painted shovels used symbolically to break ground on Planned Parenthood’s mammoth abortion facility three blocks away – were darkness, evil and death.

Rabbi Edward Cohn of Temple Sinai, a faith leader who has worked tirelessly to enhance interfaith relations in the New Orleans area, quoted the psalmist by proclaiming: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Have you ever had an outof-body experience? I can only equate it to the cognitive dissonance triggered in your brain and your heart when someone you respect and want to believe is telling you passionately and unequivocally that black is white.

Guest Editorial Peter Finney, Jr. Editor, Clarion Herald Archdiocese of New Orleans This is 2013, not 1984, but I felt transported into an Orwellian universe, where the Ministry of Truth dispenses truthspeak.

“Dear friends, what a joy and honor it is to be part of this celebration today,” Rabbi Cohn said.

“As the psalm says, it’s not where you start, but where you finish.

Today, we’re off to a most exciting start.

“Of course, we’re all mindful of the controversy and the ugly confusion which this wonderful facility engenders in some few, though very vocal, souls.

Planned Parenthood and this new building’s purpose and lifesaving service are victims, really, of misinformation and sometimes downright malevolent voices, which encourage community hysteria and manufacture knowingly misinformation.”

Let’s get one thing clear.

There are many health services that Planned Parenthood currently provides to women at its Magazine Street location that would be considered health “care.” But it does not perform abortions in that clinic – as it plans to do at its sparkling “state-of-the-art” new regional abortion facility.

How amazing, then, are these indisputable statistics: in nearly 48 minutes of rejoicing and being glad in the Lord’s day, Planned Parenthood trotted out nine speakers who talked about saving women from sexually transmitted diseases and from cancer through affordable screenings – all laudable goals of healing medicine – while devoting exactly 31 seconds to addressing, indirectly, the malevolent consequences of abortion.

“For women who are facing the complex and personal decision of whether to end a pregnancy, we will be here for them because we believe that decisions about whether to choose adoption, end a pregnancy or raise a child must be left to a woman, her family and her faith, in consultation with her doctor,” said Melaney Linton, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.

If abortion represents only a tiny portion of Planned Parenthood’s services – the organization minimizes the practice in every public pronouncement – then why would it need to change its “service” plan in New Orleans by

offering abortion at its new facility? Well, there’s a little thing called truth. Linton somehow neglected to inform her audience that Planned Parenthood in the U.S. performed 145 abortions for every one adoption referral in 2011.

Business is business.

For me, the most disheartening thing was to hear Rabbi Cohn paint a caricature of the pro-life community as “voices of fear and rebuke.” He said some of the voices are “authored in good faith, frankly, by people who I dearly respect. But in this project

CHURCH

and on this subject and its purpose, we could not find ourselves in more stark disagreement.”

After recounting the story from the 11th chapter of the Book of Numbers, where Moses tells his followers to stop worrying about Eldad and Medad prophesying and perhaps becoming competitors to his authority, Rabbi Cohn said the same situation is playing out 3,500 years later.

“No one has a monopoly on truth, especially in a free society in the 21st century,” Rabbi See ABORTION CLINIC, pg. 15

TODAY

Volume XLIV, No. 6 • June 17, 2013 P. O. Box 7417 • Alexandria, LA 71303 churchtoday@diocesealex.org 318-445-6424 Publisher: Editor: Advertising: Circulation:

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THE CHURCH TODAY (USPS 393-240) is published by the Catholic Diocese of Alexandria, once a month, free of charge to members of the parishes in the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana. Out of diocese subscriptions are $20 a year. The office is located at 4400 Coliseum Blvd., Alexandria, LA 71303. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, LA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The CHURCH TODAY, P. O. Box 7417, Alexandria, LA 71306 The CHURCH TODAY is a member of the Catholic Press Association.

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JUNE 17, 2013

PAGE 5

Pope ditches prepared script, answers kids’ question instead

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

(CNS) -- Pope Francis ditched a 1,250-word prepared speech to students saying it would be “a tad boring” to read out loud and opted instead to just quickly hit the high points and spend the rest of the time answering people’s questions.

“Would you like that?” he asked as some 9,000 students, alumni and teachers from Jesuitrun schools and associations in Italy and Albania yelled “Yes” with cheers and applause.

Then over the course of 30 minutes, Pope Francis answered 10 questions, including how to deal with doubt, how to live with hope in a troubled world and whether Christians should be politically active.

The special event in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall June 7 was an occasion for young people, parents and educators to highlight the Jesuit charism, particularly in the field of education, and to celebrate the election of the first Jesuit pope in the church’s history.

The pope is well-versed in the field since when he was Jesuit Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he spent a number of years teaching literature, psychology and other subjects at Jesuit-run schools in Argentina.

The event presenters seemed hesitant about the pope’s request, saying no questions had been

Youths surround Pope Francis as he meets with students from Jesuit schools June 7 in Paul VI hall at the Vatican. The Pope ditched his prepared speech and decided to answer their questions instead. (CNS) prepared in advanced and warning him that the students from elementary, middle and high school would just be “winging it.”

One girl asked him why he chose not to live in the apostolic palace.

“It’s not just a question of wealth,” he responded, adding that the now uninhabited papal apartment “is not that luxurious, don’t worry.”

His decision to live in a sim-

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ple Vatican-run residence wasn’t motivated by trying to live up to some kind of “personal virtue,” but rather “it’s for psychiatric reasons,” he said teasingly.

Living alone or in an isolated setting “would not do me any good” and he said he’s the kind of person who prefers living in the thick of things, “among the people.”

But he did add that he tries to live as simply as possible, “to not

have many things and to become a bit poorer” like Christ.

He urged everyone to try to live more simply saying, “In a world where there is so much wealth, so many resources to feed everyone, it’s incomprehensible how there can be so many hungry children, so many children without an education, so many poor.”

Extreme poverty in the world “is a scandal” and “a cry” for help, he said. That is why “each

one of us must think how we can become a little bit poorer” and more like Christ.

One teenage boy told the pope that he was trying hard to believe in God and be faithful, but that he often struggled with doubt. “What can you say to help me and others like me?” he asked the pope.

Pope Francis said the journey of life “is an art” that isn’t easy because it requires juggling the need to move forward with the importance of taking time to reflect.

“If we walk too quickly, we’ll get tired and won’t be able to reach our destination,” yet if we stop or take our time “we won’t get there either.”

Life’s journey “is truly the art of looking at the horizon, reflecting on where I want to go, but also putting up with the fatigue from this journey,” he said.

Don’t be afraid of failure,” he insisted. The problem with the journey of life and faith isn’t falling; it’s not getting back up.

“Get right back up, immediately and keep going,” he said.

Don’t embark on this journey alone either, he said, because that would be “awful and boring.” Go as a “community with friends and people who care about you very much because that will help us get to our destination,” he said.

Another little girl asked, “Eh, Francis, did you want to become pope?”

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PAGE 6

Leave of Absences

JUNE 17, 2013

Deacons

Fr. Harold Imamshah temporarily returning to Trinidad

Fr. Adam Travis one-year leave to work outside of diocese

Fr. Jack Michalchuk one-year extension in ministry outside of diocese

Deacon Ray Gibson St. Rita Alexandria

Deacon Clifford Pelto St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Alexandria

Deacon Michael Young Sacred Heart of Jesus Pineville

Deacon Emile Barre St. Joseph Church Colfax

Deacon L.G. Deloach Immaculate Heart of Mary Tioga

Deacon John Whitehead Immaculate Conception Natchitoches

Deacon William Travis St. Frances Cabrini Alexandria

Deacon Bill Shaidnagle St. Patrick Church Ferriday

Deacon Gary Schupbach St. Joseph Church Marksville

Deacon Ted Moulard Our Lady of Lourdes Fifth Ward

Deacon Richard Mitchell St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Alexandria

Deacon Todd Marye Our Lady of Prompt Succor Alexandria

Deacon Greg LeBlanc Sts. Francis & Anne Kolin

Deacon Rodrick Broussard St. James Church Alexandria

Deacon Patrick McCusker requested to be relieved of pastoral responsibilities

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PAGE 7

Pastors

Fr. Jose Robles-Sanchez St. Mary’s Assumption Cottonport

Fr. Chad Partain St. Frances Cabrini Alexandria

Fr. Jacob Thomas St. Joseph Church Cheneyville

Fr. George Pookkattu, CMI Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Campti

Fr. Keith Ishmael Mater Dolorosa Plaucheville

Fr. Blake Deshautelle St. Joseph, Colfax Chaplain, Menard

Fr. Martin Laird OLPS, Moreauville OLS, Moreauville

Fr. Irion St. Romain St. Paul the Apostle Mansura

Fr. Ryan Humphries Immaculate Conception Natchitoches

Fr. Remi Owuamanam, SMMM (reappointed) St. Juliana Alexandria

Fr. Bruce Miller (reappointed) Sacred Heart Pineville

Fr. Joy Retnazihamoni Sts. Francis & Anne, Kolin Commit. on Clergy Formation

Pastoral Administrators

Fr. Antonio Velez St. Mary, Jena St. Edward, Fishville

Fr. Joseph Xavier Our Lady of Lourdes Vidalia

Par. Vicar

Fr. Thomas Paul St. Francis de Sales Echo

Fr. Ron Mathews St. Edward Church Tallulah

Retiring

Chaplains

Capt. John Brocato Catholic Chaplain U.S. Army

Fr. Stephen Soares St. James Memorial Alexandria

Fr. John Pardue Pastor, Mary Mother of Jesus Chaplain, LSU-A

Fr. Charles Ray Parochial Vicar, OLPS Chaplain, La College

Fr. Charles Morgan Retiring

Fr. Jose Palathara Returning to India

Fr. Peter Faulk Parochial Vicar, St. Frances Cabrini & Assessor in Tribunal

CHURCH TODAY

PAGE 8

JUNE 17, 2013

Priests of the diocese celebrate anniversaries A special anniversary Mass was held May 17 at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Alexandria for the priests of the diocese who are celebrating anniversaries this year.

Bishop Ronald Herzog was the principal celebrant; Father Keith Ishmael read the First Reading; Father Scott Chemino read the Gospel; Msgr. Ronald Hoppe delivered the Homily; and Father Chad Partain served as Master of Ceremonies.

Those celebrating anniversaries this year are Msgr Ronald Hoppe, 55 years; Father Robert

Courville, 50 years; Father Angelo Messina, 45 years; Bishop Ronald Herzog, 45 years; Father Antony Aelavanthara, 45 years; Father Christudas Nayak, 45 years; Father Joseph Hasieber, 40 years, Rev. Ramji Shoury, 35 years; Father John Pardue, 25 years; Father Scott Chemino, 20 years; Father Chad Partain, 10 years, Father John Brocato, 10 years, Father Keith Ishmael, 10 years, Father Wade DeCoste, 10 years, Father Abraham Varghese, 10 years.

Seminarian Burses Donations in May Knights of Columbus Council 9217 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10.00 Fr. Adrian L. Molenschot Burse Anonymous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25.00 Fr. Jack Michalchuk Burse Dr. Joseph Landreneau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25.00 Mrs. Edna Rabalais Burse Deacon & Mrs. Rodrick B. Broussard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50.00 Msgr. Milburn Broussard Burse Anonymous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $75.00 Fr. Bartholomew Ibe Burse Dr. Joseph Landreneau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100.00 Msgr. Henry Beckers Burse Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Perot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100.00 Fr. Daniel P. O’Connor Burse

Two Sisters celebrate anniversaries Sister Jeanette Daniel, SLW (Sisters of the Living Word) and Sister Annalee Prather, CDP (Congregation of Divine Providence) are celebrating anniversaries this year.

Sister Jeanette, a Montessori teacher at St. Anthony School in Bunkie, is celebrating her 50th anniversary.

Originally from Piqua, Ohio, Sister Jeannette was teaching at a St. Anthony School in Gretna when Hurricane Katrina hit. She and another one of her Sisters (Judiann Derke) moved to St. Anthony in Bunkie after the storm and began teaching in 2009. She has been teaching

Sister Jeanette Daniel, SLW

Sister Annalee Prather, CDP

in elementary schools in Louisiana and Illinois since 1967.

Sister Annalee, coordinator for the CDP Associates in the Isle Brevelle area, is celebrating her 60th anniversary.

Originally from Iota, La., Sister

Annalee knew from an early age that she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her mentor and teacher, Sister Edwina Rabalais, a CDP. She graduated from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, and began her long teaching career in schools across Louisiana, Washington, and Texas.

Sister Ann Petrus, superior general for the CDPs and from Alexandria, is also celebrating her 50th anniversary this year. Both she and Sister Annalee and other CDPs were honored June 9 during a special Mass in San Antonio, Texas.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $200.00 Fr. Daniel Corkery Burse Deacon and Mrs. L. G. Deloach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250.00 Fr. Rickey Gremillion Burse Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$835.00

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JUNE 17, 2013

CHURCH TODAY

Taylor Reynolds to be ordained June 29 as a

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Land: breakfast, lunch, and dinner; or Medjugorje: breakfast and dinner), transportation, first-class hotel accommodations (a hotel in the Holy Land, a pansion in Medjugorje), a guide, spiritual director and much more. The trip is coordinated by 206 Tours.

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Official tickets are available at all 10 Radio Maria locations, including Alexandria, New Iberia, Lake Charles, and Natchitoches, La; in D’Iberville, Ms; Port Arthur, Tx; Holidaysburg, Pa; Peshtigo, Wisc; New York, NY; and Springfield and Anna, Ohio.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, please call 318561-6145 or 1-888-408-0201.

A tax deductible offering of $10 per ticket or $50 for 6 tickets is suggested; however no dona-

PAGE 9

tion is required to enter.

The official sweepstakes ticket and your donation must be mailed to Radio Maria, 601 Washington St, Alexandria, LA 71301.

All tickets must be received by Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013.

The Radio Maria Sweepstakes prizes will be drawn Dec. 9, 2013. Winners will be notified by telephone or certified mail approximately three weeks after the drawing dates. The pilgrimage offer expires on Dec. 15, 2014.

Seminarian Taylor Reynolds will be ordained a transitional deacon on Saturday, June 29 at 10 a.m. at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral. The public is invited to attend. A reception will be held at the OLPS Divine Providence Center immediately following the ordination.

As a seminarian, Taylor has studied at the Pontifical Josephinum College in Columbus, Ohio and at the North American Pontifical College in Rome, Italy.

He is the son of Agnes and Billy Reynolds of Bunkie, where he is a parishioner at St. Anthony Church.

PAGE 10

CHURCH TODAY ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI MISSION (Waterproof) MAY CROWNING. Father Peter Kuligowski, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Mission in Waterproof joined parishioners after Mass for May Crowning. Pictured are Leslie Ratcliff and her son l, altar servers and , and .

ST. GENEVIEVE (Brouillette) MAY CROWNING. crowns the Blessed Mother during a special Mass held May 12 at St. Genevieve Church in Brouilette.

Holy Ghost Church (Marksville) May Crowning was held on May 25 by the Christian Mothers of the parish. Pictured are Dora Mae Bacon, Beverly Papelbon, Elizabeth Augustine, Agnes Keys, Vivian Denesse, and Father Abraham Varghese, pastor.

ST. FRANCES CABRINI SCHOOL (Alexandria) MAY CROWNING. St. Frances Cabrini School in Alexandria held its May Crowning May 7 in the school’s courtyard. Pictured are , and

.

JUNE 17, 2013

CHURCH TODAY

JUNE 17, 2013

CONGRATULATIONS TO NEW AMERICAN CITIZEN -- FATHER ANTONIO VELEZ! The employees of the Diocese of Alexandria and the office staff of St. Frances Cabrini Church joined together June 9 to celebrate the good news that Father Antonio Velez recently became a citizen of the United States. Father Antonio, who has been serving as parochial vicar of St. Frances Cabrini Church for the past three years, is originally from Columbia. He will retain

Boy Scouts

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citizenship in both countries. “I would like to thank everyone who has been so helpful to me in this journey, especially Graham Bateman, director of Immigration Services and Laura Gaspar de Alba, director of Hispanic Ministries, for their help and guidance,” he said. Effective June 26, Father Antonio will soon be serving a pastoral administrator of St. Mary Church in Jena and St. Edward Mission in Fishville.

From page 2

cited section 2358 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in saying, “The burden of proof lies on those who would discriminate against persons experiencing same-sex attraction to justify that discrimination.”

“If Catholic sponsoring organizations and/or member families can’t conclude that the Boy Scouts are able -- perhaps through no fault of their own -to deliver a youth program that actually operates within the parameters expressly -- and I think defensibly -- asserted by the Boy

Scouts, then those Catholic organizations and families will likely decide that burdens of Boy Scout affiliation exceed the benefits,” Peters added.

“But, unless and until that conclusion is demonstrated on the evidence -- and not largely on predictions -- and notwithstanding that some elements of the gay lobby are likely treating the Boy Scouts as pawns in their own wider projects, I think that Catholics may, and should, take the Boy Scouts at their word. For now at any rate.”

We Must Stand Up for Religious Freedom!

The U.S. bishops have called for a Fortnight for Freedom, a two-week period of prayer and action, to address many current challenges to religious liberty, including the August 1, 2013 deadline for religious organizations to comply with the HHS mandate, Supreme Court rulings that could attempt to redefine marriage in June, and religious liberty concerns in areas such as immigration and humanitarian services.

Visit: www.forthnight4freedom.org

CHURCH TODAY

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JUNE 17, 2013

HOLY SAVIOR MENARD CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL (Alexandria). Fiftyseven seniors graduated from Menard on May 14. They are Bishop Greco Scholars (Valedictorians): Father Menard Scholars (Salutatorians):

Providence Scholars: Graduates:

(Information and picture submitted by Holy Savior Menard HS.)

HOLY SAVIOR MENARD JUNIOR HIGH 8TH GRADE GRADUATION. Ninety-seven 8th grade students graduated from Holy Savior Menard Junior High School. (Information and picture submitted by Holy Savior Menard HS.) ST. JOSEPH (Plaucheville) SENIOR CLASS OF 2013. Nineteen seniors from St. Joseph School in Plaucheville graduated May 16. Pictured are (front row) (historian), , (salutatorian), (valedictorian), and .

Row 2: , and . Top row: and Brother Anthony Dugas FSE, principal.

Not pictured is .

ST. MARY’S SCHOOL (Natchitoches) SENIOR GRADUATION. Thirty-three seniors from St. Mary’s School in Natchitoches graduated May 15. Pictured are ,

.

and

JUNE 17, 2013

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ST. MARY’S ASSUMPTION (Cottonport) 8th GRADE GRADUATION. Pictured are (front row) Fr. Jacob Thomas, pastor; , and . Top row: , and Nathan Laborde, principal.

ST. RICHARD CHAPEL (Hickory Hill) SENIOR MASS. Five seniors were honored May 19 during a special Senior Mass held at St. Richard’s Chapel in Hickory Hill. Pictured are , Fr. Abraham Varghese, pastor; , and .

ST. MARY CHURCH (Winnsboro) SENIOR MASS. Fr. James Nellikunnel, CMI, pastor of St. Mary Church in Winnsboro celebrated a special Senior Mass April 28 for the graduating seniors of the parish. Pictured are , and .

ST. JOSEPH (Plaucheville) 8TH GRADE GRADUATION. Eighteen students from St. Joseph School in Plaucheville graduated from the 8th grade recently. Pictured are (front row) , and . Middle row: Teacher Nicole Bordelon, (salutatorian), (co-historian), , and . Top row: (co-historian), (valedictorian), , and Brother Anthony Dugas, principal.

ST. MARY SCHOOL (Natchitoches) 8TH GRADE GRADUATION. St. Mary’s School 8th grade students graduated May 21. They are St. Anthony of Padua (Bunkie) 8th Grade Graduation was held in May. Pictured are (front row) , and . Row 2: - Historian, - Valedictorian, - Salutatorian, , and . Row 3: , and . Not pictured:

. (Information and picture submitted by St. Mary School.)

, and

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CHURCH TODAY

JUNE 17, 2013

Ear of the Heart: From Hollywood to Holy Vows Mother Dolores Hart’s book reveals how young actress left career to enter convent

By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service

(CNS) -- Don’t look now, but Dolores Hart is about to become a star again, 50 years after her last movie.

Hart -- that’s Mother Dolores, the prioress of a Benedictine women’s monastery in Bethlehem, Conn. -- has just had her memoir published a year after a documentary featuring her life in as a cloistered nun picked up an Oscar nomination for best documentary short subject.

She is crisscrossing the country this summer to promote the book, “The Ear of the Heart: An Actress’ Journey From Hollywood to Holy Vows.”

The latest rush of celebrity is “amazing,” Mother Dolores told Catholic News Service June 6 in Washington, where she was scheduled for a raft of interviews and a personal appearance.

“It makes me realize that time is the illusion. We do things in our life, and we constantly do them.

It’s only separated by time,” said the 74-year-old nun.

Mother Dolores, in her Hollywood days, made only 10 movies, but she made them count.

She was cast twice opposite Elvis Presley, in 1957’s “Loving You” and 1958’s “King Creole.” She starred in the first film celebrating the annual ritual of spring break in 1960’s “Where the Boys Are.” She even did a star turn as St. Clare in the 1961 religious biopic “Francis of Assisi.”

But she’s most proud of playing the title character in the 1962 drama “Lisa,” as a Jewish girl who survived the Nazis’ Auschwitz death camp only to be

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Dolores Hart and Elvis Presley star in the 1957 movie “Loving You.” The young starlet left a promising acting career at age 25 to join the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Conn., where today she serves as prioress. Her autobiography, “The Ear of the Heart: An Actress’ Journey From Hollywood to Holy Vows,” co-written with Richard DeNeut, was released in May. (CNS photo/courtesy of Ignatius Press) pursued by traitors after World War II intending to force her into prostitution.

“(Actor) Stephen Boyd was the man who rescued Lisa and told her he would take her back

to Palestine. And of course she had a very hard time hearing him and to believe in him and actually get there. And that relationship with Lisa was for me a relationship with the Jewish women who had undergone that experience,” Mother Dolores said.

After hearing firsthand the death camp experience from one Auschwitz survivor, “I wanted to do that picture. I wanted somehow to be identified with the best possible rescue of these people,” she added. “And I loved working with Stephen. I fell in love with Stephen in the middle of it. I was hoping he’d ask me to marry him.”

“Maybe someday,” Mother Dolores mused, “we’ll work it out. We’ll meet and say, ‘What a good thing we did.’”

Born in Chicago, she said her grandfather had a motion picture operator’s license and she’d go into the booth with him and spend days as a youngster watching movies. She told CNS she had always wanted to be an actress but after her successes on screen, she began to think life “had a bigger meaning,” that “every human being has a mission,” and maybe making movies was not the “endall and be-all.”

When she knew Elvis, she said, “he wanted to do something

Young actress, Dolores Hart with his career. He wanted to get rich and interesting parts. They never gave him that. They just kept putting him in one girlie film after the other.”

Mother Dolores was never nominated for her film roles, but she was the focus of the Oscarnominated HBO documentary “God Is the Bigger Elvis.”

She said Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the late papal nuncio to the United States, summoned her to his office one day and told her, “You are to make a movie about consecrated life.” Mother Dolores protested, saying all her Hollywood contacts were dead. “And he said, ‘No, no, no, no. God will help you do this, because this has

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CHURCH TODAY

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Abortion Clinic Continued from pg. 4

Mother Dolores Hart to be done,’” she recalled. Four days later, representatives of HBO -- none of whom had ever heard of Archbishop Sambi -called to ask permission to film at her convent, Regina Laudis Monastery, for a documentary.

The film was originally set to be two hours long, but an HBO executive, smelling an Oscar, decided to chop the documentary in half. “And that’s when my heart began to sink and I began to think, ‘Oh, no, it’s going to be about me,’ because what (else)

are they going to do to cut a twohour film down to one hour?”, she told CNS. “God Is the Bigger Elvis” was nominated, although it did not win. “I thought to myself, I hope this film will be of value.

That’s all I hope,” Mother Dolores said.

One might think “The Ear of the Heart” was written to capitalize on the documentary’s high profile. Not so.

“Dick DeNeut, who wrote the book with me, asked me 10 years ago if I should do a story of my life,” Mother Dolores said.

She added she resisted the idea initially, but eventually consented.

She said that originally, she wasn’t thrilled with the title, either: “I thought it would be a medical journal. But he (DeNeut) said, ‘That’s the first line in the Rule of St. Benedict: “Listen, my son with the ear of the heart to the voice of the master.”

Mother Dolores is the only nun to be accredited as a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- colloquially, the folks who

choose the Oscar winners. And it comes in handy for the occasional movie night at the monastery.

Sisters “will put up (notes) on the board saying, ‘Can we see this?’ ‘Can we see that?’ ‘Could anybody bring this?’ We’re in

the monastery, but they know,” Mother Dolores said, laughing.

“We do have our special movie nights. I think the last was ‘Les Miserables.’ Everybody wanted to see that.”

---

Cohn said. “No one – no church, no synagogue, no mosque, no archbishop, no rabbi, no imam – bespeaks the official faith of the United States of America. Thank God that’s so.

“For we have in this country no approved theology, no approved creed which defines how and what we citizens must think or how we must act upon these highly personal issues of conscience or of the mysteries of faith – the birth or even the career of the human soul. Each faith, at its most, may teach its own adherents, but there is no one who speaks for the citizens of this nation. There is absolutely no monopoly on truth, and no one has cornered divine revelation, and the highest court of the land has affirmed that fact.”

Just one question for Rabbi Cohn: What if the 50 million unborn infants destroyed in the last 40 years, courtesy of the highest court of the land, were actually human lives?

Truth? What is truth? What about “Thou shalt not kill”? What about another Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah (1:5): “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born I dedicated you.”

Sorry. This was the day that humans had made, and this was no time to rejoice.

When I saw the gold shovels, I thought of only one thing: the grave-digging has only just begun.

But I’m no theologian.

Peter Finney Jr. can be reached at pfinney@clarionherald.org.

VIRTUS • Aug. 6, Tuesday St. Joseph Catholic Center, Aexandria, 1 p.m.

To register, go to www.virtus.org For more info, call (318) 445-6424, ext. 213

PAGE 16

CHURCH TODAY

COLUMBIAN SQUIRES 2013-2014 OFFICERS FOR SACRED HEART SCHOOL. The Columbian Squires’ Circle at Sacred Heart School in Moreauville recently elected new officers for 2013-2014. They are (front row) , Pole Captain. Row 2: , Bursar; , Marshall; , Deputy Chief Squire; and , Notary. Back row: Marvin Guillot, sponsor; , Chief Squire; , Sentry; and , Arm Captain.

CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION. More than 100 people participated in the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Corpus Christi procession held Sunday, June 2 on the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. Participants in procession included Father James Ferguson, pastor; Father August Thompson, Father Robert Young, Deacon Richard Mitchell, and the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus.

JUNE 17, 2013

SACRED HEART ALTAR SOCIETY 5K RUN. The Sacred Heart Altar Society of Moreauville held the “Angel of Hope” 5K Run/1 mile Walk Relay for Life on April 13. The event included a balloon launch honoring loved ones lost to cancer as well as cancer survivors. With more than 100 registered runners and walkers of all ages, the relay brought in a total of $2,400 which was donated to the American Cancer Relay for Life. The Altar Society would like to thank Katie Mae Designs, My Lil Greenhouse, Walgreen Drugs, Paragon Casino, Rachal Oil, Moreauville Mayor Tim Lemoine, and Police Chief Scott Lemoine for their help in making this event a success. Winners were Women 35 and Up: Pam Gaillard, Becky Gauthier, and Maxine Rivieve; Women 16-35: Natalie Ducote, Claire Bordelon, and Summer Sandui; Men 35 and up: Wayne Bordelon, Jack Adair, and Chad Peavy; Men 16-35: Steve Osman, Brady Dixon, and Joey Dufour; and Children: .

KC COUNCIL 9294 (Echo) WINS 2ND PLACE AWARD. The Knights of Columbus Council 9294 in Echo was recently awarded the 2nd place Council Group 3 trophy for the State Deputy Award. There were 125 KC Councils in competition for Group 3 statewide. Steve Bernard, grand knight, is shown holding the trophy with other council members.

Public Notice If you know the whereabouts of the following people, please call the Diocese of Alexandria Tribunal Office at 318-445-6424, ext. 262 Diane Sarah Chapman Rodney Lacour Since the whereabouts of the respondent in this case, Since the whereabouts of the respondent in this Diane Sarah Chapman, are not known . . . I hereby cite case, Rodney Lacour, are not known . . . I hereby cite him through this medium to appear in person or through her through this medium to appear in person or through her Procurator at the Diocesan Tribunal in Alexandria his Procurator at the Diocesan Tribunal in Alexandria to to clarify certain issues regarding her marriage to David clarify certain issues regarding his marriage to Margaret Myers.

Sarpy (nee Metoyer).

Anyone with any knowledge of the whereabouts Anyone with any knowledge of the whereabouts of Ms. Chapman, or having other relevant information, is of Mr. Lacour, or having other relevant information, is asked to inform this Tribunal as soon as possible. asked to inform this Tribunal as soon as possible.

Given at the Diocesan Tribunal in Alexandria, La, Given at the Diocesan Tribunal in Alexandria, La, on May 22, 2013. on June 4, 2013.

Bruce Miller, JCL Judicial Vicar

Kathy Cole Ecclesiastical Notary

CHURCH TODAY

JUNE 17, 2013

PAGE 17

Beta Club, Clover Bud, Cub Scouts assist in Sacred Heart landscaping project With Spring in the air, and the renovation of the main building complete, Sacred Heart School in Moreauville wanted to design flowerbeds around the front of the school before the beginning of summer vacation.

Working together on the project were Denise Janet, SHS PE teacher and president of the Moreauville Garden Club; Rhonia Smith, Junior Beta Club sponsor, and Clover Bud sponsor Michelle Daigrepont, who obtained plants and materials for the project with the help of local vendors.

Cub Scout Master, Tex Reed, and his SHS cub scout troop also assisted with the project.

Edward Bernard, parent; Michelle Deshotels, teacher and parent; Alfred Patton, school custodian; and other parent volunteers instructed the students on how to plant, fertilize, water, and mulch the garden.

“All of the kids did a great job of helping out with the project,” said Mrs. Janet. “The new flowerbeds around the school look very nice and I know the

kids are very proud of what they did.”

“Everyone at SHS is so proud of how the school garden turned out,” said Sister Sandra Norsworthy, SHS principal.

Many thanks to Mrs. Darcy Bordelon, Doug Young’s Nursery, Moreau’s Material Yard, and the Moreauville Garden Club for their donations, help and guidance. The Moreauville Garden Club also donated two Magnolia Trees to plant in the garden in memory of Nathan Janet, and Dylan Cashio.

(Top) MIXING MULCH. Getting their hands dirty in the mulch are the back of the trailer are

. On .

(At right) SPREADING THE MULCH are Mrs. Denise Janet, .

(Far right) FILLING IN WITH PINE STRAW is a. In the background is

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CHURCH TODAY

PAGE 18

Catholic Moms From pg. 19 to receive the sacrament of confirmation. Several readers chimed in with suggestions about the importance of keeping the lines of communication open between parents and children, advice on the best catechetical resources, as well as promise of prayers for the woman and her son.

“Many Catholics don’t have the advantage of like-minded Catholics being nearby in their neighborhood who support and pray for each other,” Teti said, adding that the blog offers that notion in an online community.

“The whole idea is to create the idea of girlfriends talking over coffee in a living room.”

Teti, a wife, a mom of four children ranging in ages from 9 to 16 and a Catholic convert, said there are downsides to the blogosphere, even among Catholics blogs.

She recommends setting strict limits on time spent online.

“It can suck you in. Set objective limits of not spending more than one hour,” she said. “Real relationships can suffer.”

Her own faith, Teti said, has grown, through her work, which allows her to see how many Catholics take their faith seriously in a holy way. “It’s easy to believe you are isolated,” she said, noting that the Catholic blogs sites she’s visited give her a real sense “Catholicism is rich, lively and important, and that is heartening.”

JUNE 17, 2013

2013

SUMMER

CAMPS

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOLS June 17-21

St. Anthony, Bunkie 8:30 - 11:30 a.m., $15 person/$30 family

June 24-28

Sts. Francis and Anne, Kolin 6 - 8 p.m., $5 person/$10 family

July 8-12

St. Mary’s, Cottonport 8 - 11 a.m., $25 person

July 8-12

OL of Lourdes, Fifth Ward 6 p.m. - 8 p.m., Free

July 8-12

Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Natchitoches, 9 a.m - noon, $5 per family

July 15-19

Sacred Heart, Pineville 9 a.m. - 12 noon, Free

July 15-19

St. Rita, Alexandria 8 a.m. -12:15 p.m. Parishioners are free; non-parishioners, $25 per family

July 22-26

Holy Ghost Church, Marksville, 9 a.m. - 12 noon, Free

JULY 8-12 SACRED HEART FINE ARTS CAMP. Sacred Heart Church in Pineville will host its annual Sacred Heart Fine Arts Camp July 8-12, from 4-7 p.m. in the Activities Bldg. The cost is $40. This camp will enhance your child’s knowledge of music theory, dance and their own artistic ability. Fore more information or a registration form, call or email: Leia Graham (318) 229-9026 leiagraham@yahoo.com Candace Churchman (318) 332-9325 crchurchman@gmail.com

LOCAL AUTHORS WIN AWARD. Strong Foundations: A Marriage Preparation Program for Catholic Couples, written by local authors Holly Carbo and Mandi Chapman and published by Twenty-Third Publications, earned 3rd place in Ministry Resources by the Association of Catholic Publishers recently. The Strong Foundations program, which includes a Leader’s Guide and a Couple’s Book, is used in a marriage preparation class that Carbo and Chapman teach quarterly in the diocese to engaged couples. For more information about the program, go to www.comprehensivegroup.com.

JUNE 17, 2013

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PAGE 19

Digitial Disciples: Christ’s newest evangelizers Catholic moms use blogs to share faith, joys, challenges of parenthood

By Maureen Boyle Catholic News Service

(CNS) -- One of Mary’s titles is “Christ’s First Disciple,” and some of Christ’s earliest followers were women, two of whom he appeared to first after his resurrection.

Now, some 2,000 years later, another special group of women, specifically Catholic moms who blog on the Internet about their faith, the Catholic Church, as well as the joys and challenges of parenthood and everyday family life, can be considered among Christ’s newest evangelizers or “digital disciples.”

“Part of our vocation as mothers is to be within our home and do our work with love, and (as Catholic bloggers) we can also do work that draws people closer to Christ and his church,” said Lisa Hendey, a Catholic wife and mom blogger from Fresno, Calif.

In between carpool, dinner and homework duties, a growing number of Catholic moms have turned to Internet blogging as a newfound outlet to enrich their own Catholic faith, as well as the faith journeys of their regular readers, with whom they form a sort of spiritual camaraderie.

“We try to be supportive to parents in the trenches of the domestic church,” said Hendey, a mom of two sons ages 18 and 21.

She also is the author of “A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms” and “The Handbook for Catholic Moms.”

Popular Blogs by Catholic Moms Coffee Talk www.Catholicdigest.com

by Rebecca Teti Tech Talk www.catholicmom.com

by Elizabeth Scalia Lawn Chair Catechism www.snoringscholar.com or www.catholicmom.com

by Sarah Reinhard Not Strictly Spiritual www.notstrictlyspiritual.com

by Mary DeTurris Poust

Hendey said her 8-yearold blog, www.catholicmom. com, grew out of a website she launched in 2000.

Nowadays, she has about 150 regular contributors, mostly moms, a few dads -- all volunteers -- who are writing on various topics such as daily prayer, the church’s liturgical seasons, marriage, family finances, books and movies. Hendey stressed that although the blog’s content covers a multitude of Catholic-related subjects, all essays must be in accordance with church teaching and doctrine.

CATHOLIC MOM AND BLOGGER Lisa Hendey of Fresno, Calif., attends a meeting between bloggers and bishops in Baltimore last fall. “Part of our vocation as mothers is to be within our home and do our work with love, and (as Catholic bloggers) we can also do work that draws people closer to Christ and his church,” said Hendey. (CNS photo/Nancy Phelan Wiechec) A blog is a website on which an individual or group of users record and share opinions and information on a regular basis.

There are more than 150 million blogs on the Internet, with nearly 3,000 of them designated as Catholic blogs. There are no stats on the number of blogs operated by Catholic moms, but it is a growing “ministry” in this era of the new evangelization, said Hendey.

“It allows us to put information and thoughts out there and invite readers into dialogue,” she said. “There are comments, more voices and a real sense of being a

part of a community,” she said, describing the difference between a website and a blog. “You’re not just reading something. It’s much more interactive.”

Mary DeTurris Poust is a Catholic mom blogger from the Diocese of Albany, N.Y., whose blog, www.notstrictlyspiritual. com, began about five years ago as a sort of “spiritual journal online.”

A former Catholic journalist and currently a monthly columnist for Catholic New York, the newspaper of the New York Archdiocese, Poust said she

started her blog as a way to write about things she couldn’t always cover as a Catholic reporter.

“It’s a blend of all areas of my life,” said Poust, a wife and mother to three kids -- ages 16, 13 and 7.

When readers respond positively to one of Poust’s blogs, maybe one she based on a personal life struggle, she said, “It really affirms what I’m doing -using social media tools to reach people who aren’t necessarily in the pews or churches,” she said.

Rebecca Teti, a member of St. Jerome Parish in Hyattsville, Md., is the moderator of the blog Coffee Talk, which can be found at www.Catholicdigest.com and was launched more than one year ago.

It is an open forum for readers to discuss, ask a question, share a story or offer advice.

Daily topics include parenting, natural family planning, education, marriage or the different issues facing members of “sandwich generation” -- those raising children and also caring for aging parents.

Readers are invited to “raise a question, tell a funny anecdote, share an interesting article, ask for advice or prayer,” with a few ground rules to keep in mind: “Keep it clean, keep it kind, and keep it ‘kosher.’”

An example of a recent Coffee Talk blog post came from a reader expressing her dismay over her 14-year-old son’s reluctance See CATHOLIC MOMS, pg 18

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CHURCH TODAY

JUNE 17, 2013

Angels Explained: best CD to quickly learn all about angels

By Jeannie Petrus CT editor I’ve always been fascinated

by Angels, especially my Guardian Angel and St. Michael the Archangel, but never really knew that much about Angels, or better yet, where I could learn more about them.

Then I received this CD in the mail last month, as a member of Lighthouse Catholic Media’s CD of the Month Club.

Everything you ever wanted to know about angels -- and more -- is included in Lighthouse Catholic Media’s new CD, Angels Explained: What You Should Know About the Nine Choirs.

Why did God create angels?

How are they different from humans? Are guadian angels found in Scripture?

Discover the answer to these questions and many more as Dr. Mark Miravalle, professor of Theology and Mariology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, explains the nine choirs of angels, their differing roles and hierarchical order, and how much angels can help us if we only ask.

A listener from Houston, Texas who commented on the CD on the Lighthouse Catholic Media’s website said, “I liked the very concise and detailed explanation of how the angel studies were done by the Church, the history of the angels, all the different types of angels

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By Dr. Mark Miravalle Go to: http://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org Search for: Angels explained Cost to have CD mailed to you: $4.50 Cost to download an MP3 file: $3.50 and their duties (good and bad), the hierarchies, tying info to scripture and tradition, the importance of talking/praying to our guardian angel daily, invoking the angels, going to Adoration, etc. Everyone likes angels, but I didn’t realize there was so much info, and how to join the good side to fight the fallen angels!”

My favorite story is about St. Michael the Archangel and how he stood up to Lucifer (the fallen angel who later became known as Satan) for questioning God. Lucifer is believed to have been a Cherub angel, the second highest choir of angels in heaven. But St. Michael, an archangel, which is from the second to the lowest of the choirs, was brave enough to stand up to him.

As a special bonus to the CD, the Chapelet of St. Michael the Archangel is included at the end of the CD. After listening to the Chaplet to St. Michael, I am a new fan of the devotion. The chaplet includes a prayer to each of the nine choirs of angels and to the only three named Archangels (Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel) mentioned in the Bible. After each prayer, you say three Hail Marys and one Our Father.

Another listener from Jacksonville, Florida, had this to say about the Angel CD: “I really enjoyed learning about the angels and their differences and duties but I really appreciated the chaplet to St. Michael. I went to EWTN and

CD

REVIEW printed out the hard copy. I have said this chaplet everyday since I heard it on this CD. It gives me comfort to know my guardian angel is with me at all times.”

If you want to learn more about angels, check out this CD immediately. It’s inexpensive to purchase, quick and easy to listen to, and is filled with tons of interesting, scripturally-based information.

CHURCH TODAY

JUNE 17, 2013

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Epic is a message to kids about environmental stewardship

By John Mulderig Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -Though some perilous interludes and the onscreen -- albeit mild -demise of at least one prominent character might make it too scary for the littlest members of the family, director Chris Wedge’s pleasant 3-D animated fantasy “Epic” (Fox) provides appropriate viewing for just about everyone else.

Building on a premise that bears comparison with that of Hayao Miyazaki’s far superior -- but also much darker -- fable “Spirited Away” (2001), the collaborative script magically transports its heroine to a miniature, previously unobserved, world within nature. Like the more menacing landscape of Miyazaki’s film, this Lilliputian cosmos teems with anthropomorphized animals and plants.

Said heroine, 17-year-old Mary Katherine (voice of Amanda Seyfried) -- M.K. for short -soon discovers that things are as unsettled at this level of existence as they are in the more familiar surroundings that tower over it.

The armed champions of growth and life in the forest, known as Leafmen, are locked in battle with the dark forces of decay, the Boggans.

M.K. finds herself drawn into

MOVIE

REVIEW

Epic. A slug named Mub, voiced by Aziz Ansari, and MK, voiced by Amanda Seyfried, are seen in the animated movie Epic. MK -- short for Mary Katherine -- is magically transported to a miniature, previously unobserved world, within nature. 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/Fox). the conflict when the Leafmen’s sovereign, Queen Tara (voice of Beyonce Knowles), entrusts her with a mission that could determine its ultimate outcome. In her quest to fulfill this vital charge, M.K. gains the protection of the Leafmen’s gallant leader Ronin (voiced by Colin Farrell) but likewise the enmity of the Boggans’ hateful commander Mandrake (voiced by Christoph Waltz).

Another of M.K.’s newfound companions is Ronin’s protege, youthful warrior Nod (voice of Josh Hutcherson). Though Nod’s freewheeling ways make him an initially unreliable ally for his fellow Leafmen, they don’t prevent M.K. from falling for him.

With some of its characters drawn from William Joyce’s book “The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs” -- Joyce is also

credited as one of the film’s five scriptwriters -- this cheerful journey into the undergrowth sends innocuous messages about environmental stewardship, teamwork and responsibility. There’s also some familial bonding via M.K.’s ultimately appreciative interaction with her stereotypically absent-minded dad, Professor Bomba (voiced by Jason Sudeikis).

Details of the plot might hint at some pantheistic overtones; Queen Tara, for example, is portrayed not only as the Leafmen’s liege lady but as the source of their life-giving, and life-restoring, power. Still, she’s really more Mother Nature than goddess Gaia.

As a whole, the personification of natural elements seems intended to excite children’s interest and sympathy rather than to impart any nonscriptural belief.

Though the impact of Wedge’s picture falls well short of the promise contained in its overly ambitious -- perhaps ill-advised -title, it does have its strengths as well as flaws. In particular, some lovely imagery compensates for various hit-or-miss attempts at humor.

The film contains potentially frightening clashes and themes involving death. 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.

P.O. Box 5624 Alexandria, LA 71307 3306 Giamanco Street Phone: (318) 473-8751 Fax: (318) 473-4045 EMail: DonaldJBaker@aol.com

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CHURCH TODAY

PAGE 22 Seminars on Christian Healing

All of us are broken in some way, in body, mind, or spirit. We are all in need of God’s healing grace. One way to receive it is to take the Christos Encounter: Seminars on Christian Healing prayer, to be presented at Maryhill Renewal Center by Jim and Dr. Christy Gootee and the Two Hearts Team over three weekends: June 29-30, July 27-28, and Aug. 10-11. Cost is $100 per weekend. To register call 318-641-6745 or e-mail jcgootee@gmail.com.

Sts. Francis & Anne 5K Run In celebration of its 3rd year as a parish and 60 years as a church, Sts. Francis & Anne Church in Kolin is hosting a 5K Run and 1-mile Fun Run/Walk on Saturday, June 29. The 1-mile Fun Run begins at 8 a.m.; the 5K-Run begins after the 1-mile event. Cost for both runs is $20 per person. T-shirts are included before the race, if you register

by June 16. For more information, call 318-290-9226.

Adult Vacation Bible School St. Anthony of Padua Church in Bunkie will host a Vacation Bible School for Adults July 8-11 at 6:30 p.m.

Deacon Cody Miller, from the Diocese of Lafayette, will be the presenter each night. He will focus on the daily challenges of modern day living, and how to develop a meaningful life-lesson for today’s parents and families.

For more information, call 318-346-7274.

Teen ACTS Retreat

DIOCESAN

BRIEFS Marriage Encounter Workshop Happily Married Couples: Are you dieting, jogging, exercising, playing golf or tennis to stay in shape? What are you doing to keep your marriage in shape? Why not attend a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend? It’s the best proactive program to help married couples to explore, rediscover, and reconnect with one another through this weekend retreat. It has been voted the Best Marriage Workshop in the U.S. for the 2nd year in a row by About. com’s Reader’s Choice Awards. For more information about taking a private time away, check out http://wwmesection5.org or call 800-586-5469. The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend in Louisiana is July 26 - 28 at the Bishop Tracy Center on S. Acadian Thruway in Baton Rouge. To apply for your spot go to http://wwmesection5.org/register.php or call 800-586-5469.

Pilgrimage to Albuquerque, NM Jim Mulvihill Tours, a travel agency in Florida, is offering a four-day pilgrimage to Albuquerque, NM Oct. 4-7 for only $1,267 per person. Price includes round trip transportation by plane and bus, 3 nights accommodations, 6 meals, all taxes, and tips. The flight schedule from Lafayette is listed, but you can also fly from Alexandria. Father Tom Voorhies from Scott, La., will accompany the group.

Sites include the St. Philip Neri Cathedral, the Shrine at

St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Bunkie is sponsoring a Teen ACTS Retreat July 18-21 at the Cecil J. Picard Recreation Center in Bunkie for high school students. The weekend is filled with great opportunities to explore the faith and ourselves, while growing closer to Jesus and to one another. The cost is $135 per students.

For more information, contact Karen McCoy at KMcCoy1959@gmail.com or at 318-359-0710.

FREE! Subscription to the Church Today call 318.445.6422.x 255

MOTHER’S DAY AWARDS AT OLL (Winnfield). Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Winnfield recognized their outstanding other on Mother’s Day with a rose, a special blessing, and awards.

Mothers who received certificates and free meals from David’s Pro Burger were Mercedes Guerrero, youngest mother award; Julie Boatman and Shirley Allen, oldest mother award; and Maria Guerrero, religious mother award.

El Chimayo, the Loretto Chapel, the St. Francis Cathedral and St. Francis Museum, and the Balloon Festival. For more information, call Ann Ryland at 318-443-7715.

Bus trip to Caritas, Ala. A spiritual pilgrimage bus trip with priest and daily Mass is being planned to Caritas, Alabama July 3-5, when Marija of Medjugorje visits. Rooms at the Drury Inn have been blocked for the group and bus confirmed with $150 for both, room reserved by pilgrims at $95 or less per night for two or more. Phone Kathie at 318-640-4570 for details.

High School Exchange Hosts Catholic volunteers, with or without children at home, are needed to host Catholic international high school students for the upcoming school year. The students speak English, are covered by medical insurance, have spending money for their personal expenses, and hope to arrive in August for enrollment in their new high school. For more information, please call Yvette at 800-941-3738 or ycoffman@sharesouthwest.org.

Cenla Magnificat Brunch Cenla Magnificat will host a brunch on Saturday, July 20 from 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the St. Alphonsus Hall (Rateua Center) in Hessmer. Tickets are $15 and must be purchased in advance. After the meal, there will be a time of prayer for the needs of all present and an opportunity to hear a testimony by Diane Ardoin. To get your ticket, call Mary Wilson at 318-359-7736, Joan Gahagan at 318-3528701; or Sue Dauzat at 318-240-1256.

JUNE 17, 2013

CDA COURT BISHOP GRECO (Sacred Heart). Members of Catholic Daughters of America Court Bishop Greco from Sacred Heart Church in Pineville, present a check to Bishop Ronald Herzog for the seminarian education fund. Pictured are Willie Mott, Emma Rachal, Bishop Herzog, and Edna Smith.

Louis Lowrey, M.A. Licensed Professional Counselor Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Offices located at 207 Church Street, Natchitoches (318) 332-8422 • Pager (318) 252-2945 lowrey@cp-tel.net Mail: 109 Royal Street, Natchitoches, LA 71457

Illuminated Rosary Join us every Thursday at 8:15 p.m. to pray the Rosary outdoors at St. Joseph Church in Marksville. In case of inclement weather, the Rosary is prayed in the church.

Bring the whole family and pray the Rosary with us!

CHURCH TODAY

JUNE 17, 2013

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June - July Monday

Tuesday

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Memorial Mass Fr. Jamie Medina 2:30 pm St. Frances Cabrini Church, Alexandria

Wednesday

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Thursday

19

Friday

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Illuminated Rosary 8:15 p.m.

St. Joseph Church, Marksville

Saturday

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Sunday

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Steubenville South, Alexandria Riverfront Center Fortnight for Freedom begins VBS -- St. Anthony of Padua, Bunkie -- 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

PRAY FOR FR. R. YOUNG

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PRAY FOR FR. K. ZACHARIAH

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PRAY FOR FR. A. AELAVANTHARA

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PRAY FOR FR. T. ALLEN

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Illuminated Rosary 8:15 p.m.

St. Joseph Church, Marksville

PRAY FOR FR. R. BORDELON

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Last Day to pre-order the Diocesan Directory

PRAY FOR FR. S. BRANDOW

PRAY FOR FR. D. BRAQUET

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5K Run 8:00 am Sts. Francis and Anne

Diaconate Ordination Taylor Reynolds 10:00 am St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Alexandria

National Right to Life Convention, Dallas, TX VBS -- Sts. Francis and Anne, Kolin -- 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

PRAY FOR FR. J. BROCATO

JULY

1

PRAY FOR FR. A. CATELLA

2

PRAY FOR FR. S. CHEMINO

Seminar on Christian Healing

PRAY FOR FR. D. CORKERY

3

Illuminated Rosary 8:15 p.m.

St. Joseph Church, Marksville

PRAY FOR FR. R. COURVILLE

4

PRAY FOR FR. J. CUNNINGHAM

5

PRAY FOR FR. W. DECOSTE

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Bus Trip to Caritas, Alabama PRAY FOR BISHOP R. HERZOG

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PRAY FOR FR. D. DEJESUS

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PRAY FOR FR. B. DESHAUTELLE

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INDEPENDENCE DAY PRAY FOR FR. P. FAULK

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Illuminated Rosary 8:15 p.m.

St. Joseph Church, Marksville

FIRST FRIDAY

PRAY FOR FR. J. FERGUSON

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FIRST SATURDAY PRAY FOR FR. T. FEY

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PRAY FOR FR. R. GARRIONE

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VBS -- St. Mary’s Assumption, Cottonport -- 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.

VBS -- Immaculate Conception, Natchitoches -- 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Sacred Heart Fine Arts Camp, Pineville -- 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

VBS -- Our Lady of Lourdes, Fifth Ward -- 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Adult VBS -- St. Anthony of Padua, Bunkie -- 6:30 p.m.

PRAY FOR FR. J. GOOTEE

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PRAY FOR FR. R. GREMILLION

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PRAY FOR FR. J. HASIEBER

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PRAY FOR BISHOP R. HERZOG

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Illuminated Rosary 8:15 p.m.

St. Joseph Church, Marksville

PRAY FOR MSGR. R. HOPPE

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PRAY FOR FR. R. HUMPHRIES

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Cenla Magnificat 10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

St. Alphonsus Church, Hessmer

PRAY FOR FR. B. IBE

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Teen ACTS Retreat, St. Anthony of Padua, Bunkie VBS -- St. Rita Church, Alexandria -- 8:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

VBS -- Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pineville -- 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

PRAY FOR FR. H. IMAMSHAH

PRAY FOR FR. K. ISHMAEL

PRAY FOR FR. G. KROSFIELD

PRAY FOR FR. P. KULIGOWSKI

PRAY FOR FR. P. KUNNUMPURAM

PRAY FOR FR. S. KWEBUZA

PRAY FOR FR. M. LAIRD