The Church Today, Feb. 16, 2015

CHURCH

Volume XLVI, No. 2

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TODAY

Serving the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana Since 1970

February 16, 2015

ON THE

INSIDE

We Are the Pro-Life Generation!

Bishop Herzog is released from hospital

Hundreds of Central Louisiana groups travel to Washington DC for 42nd March for Life

Bishop Ronald Herzog is expected to be released from St. Frances Cabrini Rehab Hospital Feb. 17 after a brief stay. For more information and details, see page 3.

Area students participate in March for Life in Washington DC Several student groups and parish groups from the Diocese of Alexandria participated in the March for Life in Washington Jan. 22. For a full story and lots of pictures, go to pages 10-12.

Are you ready for Lent?

Lent begins this week on Ash Wednesday, followed by 40 days of penance, fasting, and almsgiving.

If you haven’t decided what to do for Lent yet, flip to pages 6-7 and see the schedule of extra Masses, Stations of the Cross, Missions, and Penance Services available in the diocese. For an updated list of Lenten events throughout the 40 days, go to www.diocesealex.org HOLY SAVIOR MENARD students on the steps of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC.

CHURCH TODAY

PAGE 2

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

Congregation for Divine Worship publishes Homiletic Directory Handbook gives tips on preparing homilies, tying them to catechism

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

(CNS) -- A homily at Mass is not a mini catechism class, the Vatican says in a new document on homilies, but it is an opportunity to explain church teaching using the Scripture readings and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

“In the broadest sense, the homily is a discourse about the mysteries of faith and the standards of Christian life,” says the Homiletic Directory published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

Dated June 29, 2014, and approved by Pope Francis, the directory was released at the Vatican Feb. 10, along with an appendix of passages from the catechism matched to each of the three readings for the three-year cycle of Sunday Masses and major holy days. It also includes notes on preaching at weddings and funerals, two occasions when, it says, many of the people present may not be regular churchgoers.

Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, whom Pope Francis named prefect of the worship congregation in November, told reporters that for many Catholics the homily, experienced as “beautiful or awful, interesting or boring,” is their basis for judging an entire Mass.

British Archbishop Arthur Roche, congregation secretary, said it is important that “a homily

A Good Homily . . .

• is one that relates the Scripture readings to church teaching • uses stories, legends, personal experiences to illustrate a point • is delivered in a context of prayer LEAVE THEM LAUGHING. Bishop Christopher J. Coyne, newly appointed Bishop of Burlington, VT, shares a funny story at the start of his homily. isn’t boring.” If one looks at the homilies of Pope Francis, he said, “there is nothing boring. There is always something that challenges people. This is the point.”

Montfort Missionary Father Corrado Maggioni, congregation undersecretary, said laypeople can help their priests. “We priests may need someone to tell us: ‘It’s too long,’ ‘It’s too repetitive’ or maybe ‘Little notes might help you not go off on tangents.’”

Pope Benedict XVI had asked the congregation to draw up the directory after many participants at the 2005 Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist and the 2008 synod on the Word of God requested a handbook to help priests with their homilies.

Because of “the integral

bond” between the homily and the Eucharist and because the homily itself is “an act of worship,” the directory reaffirms church discipline that only ordained ministers -- bishops, priests or deacons -are to deliver the homily at Mass.

“Well-trained lay leaders can also give solid instruction and moving exhortation, and opportunities for such presentations should be provided in other contexts,” but not at the moment after the readings and before the liturgy of the Eucharist at Mass, it says.

Preaching at Mass, the homilist should show people how God’s word is being fulfilled in their midst, how it calls them to growth and conversion and how it prepares them to celebrate the

• delivers a message appropriate to the age/make-up of people at that particular Mass • is prepared in advance through prayer and reflection • is brief (10-15 minutes) Eucharist, the directory says.

“The homily in some sense parallels the distribution of the Lord’s body and blood to the faithful during the Communion rite,” it says. “In the homily God’s holy word is ‘distributed’ for the nourishment of his people.”

The document includes quotations from the long section about preparing and delivering homilies in Pope Francis’ 2013 apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), including his belief and practice that the homily “should

be brief.”

In making suggestions, the directory notes that its application can and should vary depending on the congregation and the individual preacher with his “gifts and limitations.”

In general, however, it says an effective homily always requires prayer, preparation, knowledge of the people who will be in the congregation, a reflection on what is happening in the community and the world, and an invitation to the Holy Spirit “as the principal agency that makes the hearts of the faithful amenable to the divine mysteries.”

“The homily will be delivered in a context of prayer,” it says, “and it should be composed in a context of prayer.”

While the directory offers suggestions for how to tie specific Sunday readings to church teaching on a variety of theological and moral topics, it insists a homily cannot “address some issue completely unrelated to the liturgical celebration and its readings” or “do violence to the texts provided by the church by twisting them to fit some preconceived idea.”

“The homily is not catechetical instruction, even if catechesis is an important dimension of the homily,” it says. And, while the preacher’s personal experience can help illustrate a point, “the homily should express the faith of the church and not simply the priest’s own story.”

What’s the appropriate length and style for a homily?

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service (CNS) -- As long as it is inspired by prayer, refers to the Mass readings and is in harmony with church teaching, a homily’s appropriate length and style are judged largely by the particular congregation at Mass, said the new head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, whom Pope Francis named congregation prefect in

November, spoke at a Vatican news conference Feb. 10 to present the congregation’s new Homiletic Directory, which provides guidance to bishops, priests and deacons on preparing and writing their homilies.

The directory recommends that a homily be “neither too long nor too short.” Determining exactly how many minutes such a homily would be, Cardinal Sarah said, depends on the people at the Mass, their culture and the occasion.

“Clearly in the West, going over 20 minutes seems like too

much,” he said, “but in Africa, 20 minutes isn’t enough because people travel a great distance to hear the word of God. If the priest speaks only for 10 or 15 minutes, it’s just not enough. How to nourish the people of God depends on the culture.”

The cardinal also was asked how he ensures his homilies are not boring.

“In my culture,” he said, “it is important to use images and legends” or familiar stories.

“For example, to underline the importance of prayer,” the cardinal said, “I use a Muslim

legend” about a man who asked God who his neighbor would be in heaven. “To have a bad neighbor on earth is bad, but we’d have him as a neighbor only for 50 years, but to have him as a neighbor for eternity would be very difficult.

“So,” the cardinal continued, “Allah said, ‘Your neighbor is named Maimuna.’ And he asked, ‘Who’s Maimuna.’ And he is told Maimuna is a crazy person who keeps goats near the cemetery.”

The man goes to the cemetery “and finds Maimuna praying.

While she was praying, wolves mix in with Maimuna’s goats.

The wolves were not eating the goats and the goats were not afraid of the wolves,” Cardinal Sarah said.

“After the prayer was over,” he said, the man asked Maimuna how the wolves and goats could be together without danger. “And she tells him, ‘I improved my relationship with God and God improved the relationship between the wolves and my goats.’”

The cardinal told reporters that using legends and stories “can help capture the minds of the people, making the homily more attractive.”

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

CHURCH TODAY

PAGE 3

Pope gives step-by-step primer on contemplative prayer with Gospel

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -Turn off the television, tune out the neighbors, and spend 10 or 15 minutes reading a Gospel passage and speaking to Jesus, Pope Francis told people Feb. 3 at the Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae were he lives.

“Today find 10 minutes -15 at the most -- and read the Gospel, imagine the scene and say something to Jesus. Nothing more. Your knowledge of Jesus will increase and your hope will grow,” he said.

Pope Francis took the day’s Gospel story, Mark 5:21-43, and showed the small congregation how to read it in a contemplative way: “I see Jesus was in the midst of the crowd; there was a big crowd around him,” the pope

“Turn off the TV, tune out the neighbors, and spend 10 or 15 minutes reading a Gospel passage and speaking to Jesus.” -- Pope Francis

said, according to Vatican Radio.

“Didn’t Jesus ever rest? I can think: ‘Always with a crowd.’

Most of Jesus’ life was spent on the road, with the crowd. Was there no rest? Yes, once, the Gospel says he slept in the boat, but

a storm came and the disciples woke him up. Jesus was always with the people. And looking at Jesus that way, contemplating Jesus there, I imagine him. And I tell Jesus whatever comes into my mind to tell him.”

In the day’s Gospel story, he said, Jesus does not only see the crowd, “he feels the heart beat of each person, of each one of us. He takes care of everyone always.”

“What I just did with this Gospel is the prayer of contemplation,” he said, which involves “taking the Gospel, reading it, imagining myself in the scene, imagining what happens and talking to Jesus about whatever is in my heart.”

The key to hope, the pope said, is to keep “one’s gaze fixed on Jesus.”

It is possible “to have optimism, to be positive” without listening to the Lord, he said, but

hope is something that only “is learned by watching Jesus.”

Reciting the rosary every day is a great practice, he said, as is calling on Mary or the saints when facing a difficulty. But contemplation is a necessary part of Christian life and that is possible “only with the Gospel in hand.”

“In your house, for 15 minutes, take the Gospel, read a little passage, imagine what happened and talk to Jesus about it. In that way, your gaze will be fixed on Jesus and not on a television soap opera, for example. And your listening will be focused on the words of Jesus and not so much on the gossip of your neighbors.”

Bishop Herzog expected to return to work after brief stay in hospital Bishop Ronald Herzog is expected to be released from Christus St. Frances Cabrini Rehabilitation Hospital on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and then return to work and normal activities on Wednesday, Feb. 18.

“This is great news for the

Bishop, who has shown remarkable progress in these last two weeks,” said Father Scott Chemino, Vicar General for the Diocese of Alexandria.

Following a heart cath on Jan. 26, it was determined that a rotor blade heart procedure was

necessary. The minimally invasive heart procedure was postponed until Jan. 30 because of a persistent cough that the Bishop had experienced earlier.

According to Fr. Chemino, Dr. Joseph Landreneau completed the rotor blade heart proce-

dure Jan. 30 and explained that the procedure went as expected.

Plaque and calcium deposits were addressed and three stents were placed in the artery. During the procedure, however, the Bishop suffered a mild heart attack.

After a brief stay in the Car-

diac ICU, Bishop Herzog was returned to a room at the hospital for a few days and then transferred to the hospital’s rehab center, where he remained for several days.

Please continue to keep the Bishop in your prayers and Mass intentions.

EDICTAL CITATION Since the whereabouts of the respondent in this case, Jennifer Lynn Shea, are not known . . . I hereby cite her through this medium to appear in person or through her Procurator at the Diocesan Tribunal in Alexandria to clarify certain issues regarding her marriage to Wendell Crooks, Jr. Anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of Ms. Shea, or having other relevant information, is asked to inform this Tribunal as soon as possible.

Given at the Diocesan Tribunal in Alexandria, Louisiana, on January 29, 2015.

Very Reverend Bruce Miller, J.C.L Judicial Vicar Mrs. Patricia N. Thomas Ecclesiastical Notary

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CHURCH TODAY

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

KIDS create awareness of the gift of Down Syndrome babies Guest Editorial

By Sam Lucero Diocese of Green Bay On Jan. 22, 2009, Leticia Velasquez led a group of people to Washington to participate in the annual March for Life. Velasquez, co-founder of Keep Infants with Down Syndrome (KIDS), was there to stand up for unborn babies with Down syndrome. At the time, she said, the group was considered a novelty.

Thanks to Velasquez and others, awareness of the gift that babies with Down syndrome offer families is helping to counter negative attitudes and misconceptions.

These attitudes say that children with Down syndrome are not a value to the human family and that they need to be eliminated before birth. “I am happy to say perceptions of Down syndrome are changing,” says Velasquez, whose daughter, Christina, has Down syndrome.

We as Christians know that offering personal testimony (coupled with citations from Scripture and church teaching) is the best way to change hardened hearts.

Telling stories about the beauty of life, regardless of perceived imperfections, are needed to topple prevailing attitudes.

More women today have the opportunity to undergo prenatal

tests that detect Down syndrome and other genetic conditions.

The downside is that one in four patients with a prenatal diagnosis for Down syndrome is told by their medical professional to terminate their pregnancy, says Velasquez.

What families are not always told is that children with Down syndrome today can receive early interventions that offer them longer, healthier lives.

Each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 6,000 (or one of 691) babies are born with Down syndrome in the United States. Thousands of women a year -- estimates range from 67 to

92 percent of women -- choose to terminate pregnancies when they learn their unborn child has Down syndrome.

Much like the hundreds of thousands of pro-life marchers who descend upon Washington each year to rally against abortion, it will take the grass-roots efforts of families with Down syndrome children to convince couples who have received a positive prenatal diagnosis for Down syndrome not to end their baby’s life.

“It’s an appalling fact that many in the medical profession are not interested in helping us accept our children as they are and offer hope for their future,” says Velasquez, author of the book “A

Special Mother Is Born.”

While writing the book, Velasquez says she interviewed parents of children with Down syndrome. “(They) reported that medical professionals said things like: ‘Your child will destroy your marriage.’ ‘This is an unfair burden to place upon your other children,’” she says. “Some went so far as to say that the unborn baby would not be able to tie his shoes, read or hold a job.”

As KIDS co-founder Eileen Haupt notes, “Doctors can tell you about the challenges which come with a child with Down syndrome but they can’t tell you about the love they bring.”

Red Rover, Red Rover, welcome our Catholic friends back over It is disheartening when people walk away from the Church.

Sometimes, when we try to talk, they run at us like some kid on the opposite team in a game of Red Rover. They want to break through our line and pull somebody else from the Church. They may even attempt to pull us away.

We have a choice. When they run toward us, even if it is with a kind of adversarial spirit, we must be ready to receive them, ready to hold them tightly in our arms, ready to defend the faith, and maybe even ready to reclaim them for Our Lord and His Church. Red Rover, Red Rover, send them on over, we pray.

It has happened to me many times. I write an article or post something on social media.

Someone sends an email explaining why he is glad I am happy being Catholic, but he wants me to know that his choice was clear. It was time to walk away.

Somebody disappointed him.

Something someone did scandalized her. She lost the joy of being Catholic. He decided to walk away from God or just find God in some other faith community.

Many do build a relationship with Jesus somewhere else. Usually, it is in a church with a name that does not fit categories. No denomination. No labels. No hierarchy. They find a place where they can begin again. It feels wonderful and they are happy, they say.

It makes me think. I believe we all have reasons to be bitter and walk away. There are plenty

Catholic

By Grace Denise Bossert Freelance -- Denisebossert.com of offenses to send us through the exit doors. Most of the ones who left didn’t hate the faith. There were just things that rubbed them the wrong way. Their love for the Sacraments and the Church was not enough to keep them here.

It sometimes makes me wonder.

Will my love endure?

Am I strong enough to persevere when others scandalize the faith?

If I encounter a priest who is far from pastoral or an administrator in a Catholic workplace who has more vices than virtues, will I stay?

What about the young Catholic whose spouse cheats – after sponsoring her husband into the faith? Will he have the strength to stay when she leaves their family and the Church?

What about the young person who hears about a charitable organization squandering funds, and it becomes common knowledge that those who could have stopped the whole thing just looked the other way – will the spiritually fragile young person stay after that?

What happens when a bishop

or cardinal causes scandal? What will we do when a high profile Catholic falls off the pedestal in a very public way – or in a quiet way and nobody else has any idea?

These are not made-up scenarios. For some people, these things were enough to send them in the opposite direction. For others, nothing would take them away from the Eucharist. The ones who stick around seem to have some things in common.

For them, truth is true, and God is God. If the Church is the Church in time, and devotions lead to holiness; if the saints light the way, and the Eucharist is Christ; if the Word is alive, and the poor are fed, the lost are found, the sick are healed; if miracles still happen, and Christ still calls disciples; if angels still aid, and the confessional still cleanses; if martyrs still die, and others rise to take their places; if a still small voice can be heard above the betrayal, wounds and doubts-Then the Church is still the Church.

In that moment we realize that God never fails, even when

people sometimes do. And the person running toward us with division in her heart is really a lost lamb running toward us. A soul in need of strong arms that wraps around her and gathers her back to the safety of the Church.

Red Rover, Red Rover. Send her on over.

She looks up, a bit disoriented, because she didn’t break through the line. She was, in fact,

CHURCH

caught in loving arms. Hopefully, she sees a smile. A welcoming nod. Not gloating. Not condescension.

Make room for her at your side. Squeeze her hand a couple of times to let her know you are glad she’s back. And brace yourselves. Someone else is barreling at the line. But he is not the enemy either. Hold the line, and let it wrap around him – with love.

TODAY

Volume XLVI, No. 2 • February 16, 2015 P. O. Box 7417 • Alexandria, LA 71303 churchtoday@diocesealex.org 318-445-6424 Publisher: Editor: Advertising: Circulation:

Most Rev. Ronald P. Herzog, Bishop of Alexandria Jeannie Petrus, ext. 255; jpetrus@diocesealex.org Joan Ferguson, ext. 264; joanferguson@diocesealex.org Sandi Tarver, ext. 209; starver@diocesealex.org

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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FEBRUARY 16, 2015

PAGE 5

Feast Day of St. Peter Damien: February 21 Cardinal-bishop St. Peter Damien was a church reformer during clergy crisis Maybe because he was orphaned and had been treated shabbily by one of his brothers, Peter Damian was very good to the poor. It was the ordinary thing for him to have a poor person or two with him at table and he liked to minister personally to their needs.

Peter escaped poverty and the neglect of his own brother when his other brother, who was archpriest of Ravenna, took him under his wing. His brother sent him to good schools and Peter became a professor.

Already in those days Peter was very strict with himself.

He wore a hair shirt under his clothes, fasted rigorously and spent many hours in prayer. Soon, he decided to leave his teaching and give himself completely to prayer with the Benedictines of the reform of St. Romuald (June 19) at Fonte Avellana. The abbot commanded that when he died Peter should succeed him. Abbot Peter founded five other hermitages. He encouraged his brothers in a life of prayer and solitude and wanted nothing more for himself.

It was St. Peter Damian himself, a Doctor of the Church, who describes this miracle, of which he was a direct witness. In the year 1050, a young woman, urged on by a sorceress, managed to steal a consecrated Host in order to commit a sacrilege. The woman hid the Host in a handkerchief and headed immediately toward the exit of the church, but the priest caught up with her right away and demanded that she give the Host back to him. The woman then opened the handkerchief and noticed that the Host was transformed in such a way that half had become bleeding Flesh, while the other half remained the same.

The Holy See periodically called on him, however, to be a peacemaker or troubleshooter, between two abbeys in dispute or a cleric or government official in some disagreement with Rome.

Finally, Pope Stephen IX made Peter the cardinal-bishop of Ostia. He worked hard to wipe out simony (the buying of church offices), and encouraged his priests to observe celibacy and urged even the diocesan clergy to live together and maintain scheduled prayer and religious observance.

He wished to restore primitive discipline among religious and priests, warning against needless travel, violations of poverty and too comfortable living. He even wrote to the bishop of Besancon, complaining that the canons there sat down when they were singing the psalms in the Divine Office.

He wrote many letters. Some 170 are extant. We also have 53 of his sermons and seven lives, or biographies, that he wrote. He preferred examples and stories rather than theory in his writings.

The liturgical offices he wrote are evidence of his talent as a stylist

Saint

of the Month St. Peter Damien 1007 - 1072

Feast Day -- Feb. 21 in Latin.

He asked often to be allowed to retire as cardinal-bishop of Ostia, and finally Alexander II consented. Peter was happy to become once again just a monk, but he was still called to serve as a papal legate. When returning from such an assignment in Ravenna, he was overcome by a fever. With the monks gathered around him saying the Divine Office, he died on February 22, 1072.

In 1828 he was declared a Doctor of the Church.

Source: AmericanCatholic.org

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CHURCH TODAY

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

How much do you know about the season of Lent?

By Jeannie Petrus CT editor The season of Lent, has been celebrated in the Catholic Church for almost 1,700 years. The way it started out around 331 A.D., is somewhat different from the way we celebrate it today.

So, how much do you think you really know about Lent? Take the quiz on the right and then find out (below) how well you did.

1. True. The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the first day of Lent on Ash Wednesday. In the Eastern Catholic and Orthdox Churches, Lent starts on Ash Monday (Unclean Monday), which is the first Monday after the first Sunday of Lent.

2. False. The number of days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday is 40 days exactly. However, Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday, as the evening Vigil -- a total of 38 days (not counting Sundays).

Since Sundays are always days of celebration of the Resurrection, fasting is prohibited, and is therefore not included in the 40 days of Lent.

3. False. The obligation to abstain from meat binds Catholics 14 years of age and older (until death). The obligation to fast, limiting oneself to one full meal and two lighter meals in the course of the day, binds Catholics from the age of 18 to 59.

4. False. Ash Wednesday is NOT a Holy Day of Obligation.

However, many Catholics do go to Mass on that day to receive Ashes.

Take the Lent Quiz

5. False. Abstaining from meat, means that you do not eat red meat, chicken, or pork at any meal during the day. Fasting means limiting oneself to one full meal and two lighter meals, and not eating between meals.

6. True. The obligation to do penance is a serious one; the obligation to observe, as a whole or “substantially,” the days of penance is also serious.

But no one should be scrupulous in this regard; failure to observe individual days of penance is not considered serious. Moral theologians remind us that some people are excused from fasting and/or abstinence because of sickness or other reasons.

7. True. The story of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the desert happened before his public ministry began. But the 40 days he spent in the desert, is part of the tradition. 40 days is a significant

number in the Bible -- 40 days and 40 nights it rained during the Great Flood; Moses was on Mt. Sinai for 40 days and nights; Goliath taunted Saul’s army for 40 days before David killed Goliath.

Jesus fasted 40 days in the desert; etc. The 40 days usually means times of trouble or hardship.

8. True. It is certain from the “Festal Letters” of St. Athanasius that in 331 the saint enjoined upon his flock a period of 40 days of fasting preliminary to, but not inclusive of, the stricter fast of Holy Week.

9. False. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, penance, repentance of sins, almsgiving, atonement and self-denial.

10. False. Lent ends at the evening Vigil on Holy Thursday.

Lent is followed by the Triduum -- Holy Thursday (Last Supper), Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.

1. The first day of Lent is Ash Wednesday.

2. Lent lasts for 40 consecutive days, including Sundays.

T F

3. All Catholics, no matter what is your age, are required to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays in Lent.

T F

4. Ash Wednesday is a Holy Day of Obligation.

T F

5. Fasting and Abstinence are the same thing.

T F

6. It is not a sin if you eat meat on Fridays in Lent.

T F

7. The Scriptural basis for Lent comes from Matthew 4: 1-11 when Jesus spent 40 days fasting and praying in the desert.

T F

8. The earliest mention of fasting for 40 days was in 331, when St. Athanasius enjoined upon flock a period of 40 days of fasting before the fast of Holy week.

T F

9. The main purpose of Lent is to make public sacrifices and do penance so that everyone will see you as a shining example of faith.

T F

10. The last day of Lent is Holy Saturday.

T F

T F

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

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Lenten Schedule of Events Daily Masses during Lent Mary Mother of Jesus, Woodworth • 6 p.m. (Wednesdays) St. Rita Catholic Church, Alexandria • 8 a.m., (Monday - Friday) St. Frances Cabrini Church, Alexandria • 7 a.m. Latin, 12:15 p.m., (Monday - Friday) St. Mary’s Assumption, Cottonport • 5:15 p.m. (Monday, Tuesday & Thursday) • 8 a.m. (Wednesdays school Mass) • 5:30 p.m. (Fridays) Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church, Alexandria • 6:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. (Monday - Friday) • 8 a.m. (Saturdays) St. Louis, Glenmora • 5 p.m. (Fridays) followed by Stations of Cross St. Peter, Elmer • 6 p.m. (Wednesdays) followed by Stations Cross Stations of the Cross Immaculate Heart of Mary, Tioga • 6 p.m. (Fridays) Mary, Mother of Jesus, Woodworth • 6 p.m. (Fridays)

Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church, Alexandria • 1:15 p.m. (Thursdays); 6 p.m. (Fridays) Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pineville • 5:30 p.m. (Fridays) St. Frances Cabrini Church, Alexandria • 5:30 p.m. (Fridays) St. Mary Assumption Church, Cottonport • 5 p.m. (Fridays) St. Michael the Archangel, Leesville • 5:30 p.m. (Fridays) St. Joseph Church, Marksville • 12:05 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. (Fridays) St. Rita Catholic Church, Alexandria • 2 p.m. & 5:30 p.m. (Fridays) St. Louis, Glenmora • (Fridays) immediately following the 5 p.m. Mass St. Peter, Elmer • (Wednesdays) immediately following 6 p.m. Mass Missions & Retreats St. Rita Catholic Church, Alexandria • Men’s Lenten Day Retreat, Saturday, March 14, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

St. Frances Cabrini Church, Alexandria • Lenten Reflection Series with Fr. Chad Partain, Thursdays, 6 p.m. in school library

St. Joseph Church, Marksville • Adult Lenten Faith Series: In the Footsteps of Jesus -- Suffering Servant of God, Tuesdays from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Call 253-7561 to sign up.

St. Joseph Church, Marksville • Adult Lenten Study. Join a book study group and learn more about the Catholic faith. We’ll be reading are The Seven Secrets of the Eucharist & The Seven Secrets of Confession, by Catholic author Vinny Flynn. Mondays from 3 - 4:30 p.m. Call David at 240-9843 for more information.

Penance Services Sacred Heart, Pineville • March 3 (Tuesday) -- 6: 30 p.m., (for adults) • March 4 (Wednesday) -- 6:10 p.m. (for CCD) St. Rita Catholic Church, Alexandria • March 12 (Thursday), 6:30 p.m.

St. Mary’s Assumption, Cottonport • March 19 (Thursday) -- 7:30 p.m.

Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Alexandria • March 25 (Wednesday) -- 6:30 p.m.

LENTEN REGULATIONS. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence.

This means that we do not eat meat and we have only one full meal. The other Fridays of the season of Lent are days of abstinence from meat. The obligation to abstain from meat binds Catholics 14 years of age and older. The obligation to fast, limiting oneself to one full meal and two lighter meals in the course of the day, binds Catholics from the age of 18 to 59. Those who are younger or older may freely embrace these disciplines. But Lenten disciplines should never endanger your health. It is obvious that abstaining from meat is meaningless for vegetarians, who must choose some other form of abstinence. It is equally obvious that replacing meat with a gourmet seafood meal is not in keeping with the spirit of Lent.

FORMER SOCIAL SECURITY JUDGE

PETER J. LEMOINE Social Security Disability Law

Offices in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Cottonport Adjunct Professor (1994-1997), Northwestern State University MEMBER: Louisiana State Bar Association, American Bar Association, Baton Rouge Bar Association, Avoyelles Parish Bar Association, National Organization of Social Security Claimant Representatives, Legal Services for Purposes of Disability Committee (Louisiana State Bar Association).

PUBLISHED ARTICLES: “The Worn-Out Worker Rule Revisited,” “Significant Work-Related Limitations of Function Under ∲12.05C,” “Questionable Retirement and the Small Business Owner,” “Crisis of Confidence: The Inadequacies of Vocational Evidence Presented at Social Security Disability Hearings.”

318-876-3174

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CHURCH TODAY

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 names of anyone – bishop, priest, religious, or lay person – by the original donor, and may be added to and allow to grow.

A burse is completed 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, Post Office Box 7417, Alexandria, LA 71306-0417.

--Very Rev. Stephen Scott Chemino, Chairman Complete burses at $15,000.00 Each: - Bishop Charles P. Greco - Monsignor Thomas F. Early (3 completed) - Monsignor B. A. Scallan - Father H. Gerald Bordelon - Father Michael P. Kammer - Father Bruce Miller - Father William B. Provosty - Angelo R. and Ena F. D’Angelo - John Dominick Driscoll - Miss Mary F. Early - John Gregory Simms - Irvin and Elma Moreau, Harrison P. Moreau, Michael N. Moreau, Deborah S. Moreau Bouchie, Emily A. Moreau, Tom and Mary Candiotto, Ruby Moreau The following is a list of established burses and amounts each: Blessed Damien de Vauster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175.00 Bishop William Friend. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.00 Bishop Lawrence P. Graves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,805.00 Bishop Charles P. Greco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,150.00 Bishop Sam G. Jacobs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,100.00 Monsignor Marcel J. Anderson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Monsignor Leon R. Aycock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,535.00 Monsignor Henry F. Beckers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,257.50 Monsignor Milburn J. Broussard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,350.00 Monsignor Norman C. Buvens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.00 Monsignor Paul E. Conway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825.00 Monsignor Allen M. Chenevert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,000.00 Monsignor Isidore Deceulaer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160.00 Monsignor S. J. Dekeuwer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .550.00 Monsignor Gerald J. Ducote. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .560.00 Monsignor Robert C. Friend. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50.00 Monsignor Ronald C. Hoppe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .750.00 Monsignor James E. Howard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50.00 Monsignor Charles M. Jekeler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325.00 Monsignor Joseph F. Kidd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,500.00 Monsignor William Kwaitaal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .850.00 Monsignor Warren T. Larroque. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800.00 Monsignor Terrence J. Lennon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125.00 Monsignor George W. Martinez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500.00 Monsignor Patrick Murphy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,104.00 Monsignor William C. O’Hanlon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,000.00 Monsignor Aloysius O. Olinger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .865.00 Monsignor Mozart Pelletier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Monsignor John V. Plauche. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .400.00 Monsignor F. Joseph Rateau. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .570.00 Monsignor Russell J. Richie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .591.14 Monsignor B. A. Scallan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10,085.90 Monsignor Matthew J. Scanlon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .310.00 Monsignor Joseph M. Susi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9,106.00 Monsignor Steve J. Testa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,905.00 Monsignor Henry A. Thompson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360.00 Monsignor John M. Timmermans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,820.00 Monsignor Martin J. Tyrrell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,250.00 Monsignor Henry Van der Putten. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,291.89 Monsignor John C. Vandegaer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..1,350.00 Monsignor Nicholas F. Vandegaer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,350.00 Monsignor John J. Wakeman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Monsignor Julius G. Walle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,170.00 Father William G. Allison. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160.00

Seminarian Burses Total contributions from July - December, 2014 Father Peter J. Besselaar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00 Father Michael Bodnar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00 Father Lawrence Bonin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70.00 Father H. Gerald Bordelon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9,885.00 Father Vernon Bordelon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .445.00 Father Gilles Boyer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85.00 Father Basil Burns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75.00 Father Scott Chemino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.00 Father Jules L. Claes, C.I.C.M.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,761.00 Father Wilbur G. Cloutier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,490.50 Father Daniel Corkery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,000.00 Father Anthony N. Cumella. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,250.00 Father John H. Cunningham. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .725.00 Father Dennis A. Curren. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .550.00 Father Leonard Curtis, O. P.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,050.00 Father Ferreolus D’Cruz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .875.00 Father Edward Deasy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 625.00 Father Blake Deshautelle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25.00 Father Rudolph J. Engelen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .550.00 Father Richard Fale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5,700.00 Father James A. Ferguson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600.00 Father Harvey J. Fortier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,175.00 Father Joseph Alfred Fortin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200.00 Father James A. Foster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280.00 Father John M. Gayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .870.00 Father Serafin Glasnovic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150.00 Father Rickey Gremillion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5,750.00 Father William M. Hopp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.00 Father Mark W. Horacek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50.00 Father Bartholomew Ibe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175.00 Father Tom M. Jezek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400.45 Father Michael P. Kammer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 881.00 Father W. John Kiley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625.00 Father Francis X. Kronemeyer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Father George Krosfield. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00 Father Henri Jacquemain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00 Father Russell J. Lemoine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .425.00 Father Frederick J. Lyons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,600.00 Father Bernard F. Maguire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105.00 Father Robert M. Maure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10.00 Father Jamie Medina-Cruz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200.00 Father Jack Michalchuk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 125.00 Father Bruce Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12,100.00 Father Adrian Molenschot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,875.00 Father Joseph Montalbano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200.00 Father Govie J. Moraus, Jr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200.00 Father Peter T. Norek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .400.00 Father Dan O’Connor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,400.00 Father Thomas O’Connors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.00 Father Martin L. Plauche. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50.00 Father Samuel J. Polizzi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,000.00 Father William B. Provosty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7,605.00 Father Yves J. Robitaille. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,900.00 Father José Robles-Sanchez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350.00 Father Frederick Taylor Reynolds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 865.00 Father Kenneth J. Roy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,405.00 Father Lloyd M. Samson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00 Father Craig Scott. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,000.00 Father Paul B. Smith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250.00 Father August Thompson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,240.00 Father Antonio E. Villaverde. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .300.00 Father Nino G. Viviano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200.00 Father Silvan A. Waterkotte, O.F.M.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160.00 Father Kenneth Williams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .880.00 Father Bernard L. Zagst. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,175.00 Reverend H. Biggers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158.50 Deacon Emile “E. J.” Barre, III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Deacon Rodrick “Benny” Broussard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Deacon L. G. Deloach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275.00

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

Deacon Raymond J. Dunn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .300.00 Deacon Ray D. Gibson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Deacon Charles A. Jones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,050.00 Deacon Gregory P. LeBlanc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Deacon Todd Marye. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Deacon Patrick C. McCusker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Deacon Richard W. Mitchell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Deacon Ted A. Moulard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..100.00 Deacon Clifford “Kip” J. Pelto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Deacon William E. Schaidnagle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.00 Deacon Gary A. Schupbach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Deacon William “Bill” M. Travis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Deacon John L. Whitehead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Deacon Michael L. Young. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Sister Margaret McCaffrey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Sister Marie Therese McGee, O.P.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.00 Ismael and Libby Agosto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250.00 Shirley Alexander. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,125.00 Charles P. and Florence C. Anastasio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .880.00 Mrs. Germaine Armand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550.00 Mrs. Virgie D. Aymond. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225.00 Mr. Bobby D. Basco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,940.00 Mrs. Delores Basco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00 Harold and Lillie Baridon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,000.00 Dr. Lamar and Jean Boese. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00 Will Bollich. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.00 J. V. Bonnette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50.00 Mrs. Carolyn Brouillette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50.00 Nathan Cannella. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225.00 Mr. Frank V. Cariere. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175.00 Dylan Michael Cashio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .400.00 Mr. T. W. Clark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50.00 Charles D’Amico. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50.00 Leo Dobard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,150.00 Mr. and Mrs. Philip Flynn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00 Mrs. Anne Barry Gallagher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,025.00 Anthony and Mary Glorioso. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Toby Guedry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,000.00 Gail T. Gutierrez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00 Mr. William J. Hamlin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500.00 Madeline Jeansonne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.00 Floyd J. LaCour, Sr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300.00 Gerry and Connie Leglue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.00 Huey and Neen Lemoine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150.00 Judge Alfred and Mary Jo Mansour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,050.00 Huey and Ethel Mathews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,000.00 Daryl “Pat” Mauterer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00 Ethel Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..100.00 Odis James Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190.00 Mr. Gerald Moreau. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215.00 Mrs. Helen Morgan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,000.00 Mrs. Marge Murrin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315.00 Alcide A. Nassif. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522.29 Mr. Maurice Noel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295.00 N. J. and Hannah Nolan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10,000.00 Mr. W. D. O’Neal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,159.00 David Stafford “Brother” O’Shee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,794.66 Albert and Elsie Poche. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 900.00 Kathleen Pool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375.00 Edna Rabalais. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 775.00 Dr. Sidney Rud. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00 Mr. Luis R. Robles-Cortez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125.00 Mrs. Josephine G. Serio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275.00 John Gregory Simms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,275.00 Joseph T. Simms, Jr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,475.00 Sadie Stroud. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,000.00 Robert Upton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.00 Gus Voltz, Jr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,020.00 Larry Lee Wiltse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,825.00 Deceased Members of Catholic Daughters of the

Americas Court Regina Pacis #1372, Natchitoches. . . . . . 775.00 In Honor of Providence Central High School

Class of 1959. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,270.00 General Fund. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,000.00 Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $482,473.83

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

CHURCH TODAY

PAGE 9

Seminarian Burses January Donations Knights of Columbus Council 9217. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25.00 Father Adrian L. Molenschot Burse Dr. Joseph Landreneau. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25.00 Ms. Edna Rabalais Burse Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Crooks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $40.00 Fr. Michael Kammer Burse Deacon and Mrs. Rodrick B. Broussard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50.00 Monsignor Milburn Broussard Burse Dr. Joseph Landreneau. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100.00 Monsignor Henry Beckers Burse Bayou Chateau Nursing Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100.00 Monsignor Patrick Murphy Burse Bayou Chateau Nursing Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100.00 Monsignor Joseph M. Susi Burse Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Schupbach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100.00 Monsignor Steve Testa Burse Bayou Chateau Nursing Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100.00 Father Wilbur G. Cloutier Burse Bayou Chateau Nursing Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100.00 Father Harvey J. Fortier Burse Bayou Chateau Nursing Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100.00 Father Joseph Montalbano Burse Bayou Chateau Nursing Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100.00 Father Bernard L. Zagst Burse Bayou Chateau Nursing Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100.00 Floyd LaCour Burse Tri-Community Nursing Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100.00 Floyd LaCour Burse Mr. and Mrs. Robert O. Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $200.00 Father Daniel Corkery Burse Mr. and Mrs. David Walker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500.00 David Stafford “Brother” O’Shee Burse Elizabeth S. Arthur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,000.00 Sadie Stroud Burse

MENARD STUDENTS VISIT FORMER ALEXANDRIA SEMINARIAN ADAM LEMOINE. Brother Louis Bertrand (formerly Adam Lemoine, once a seminarian from the Diocese of Alexandria) was visited by a group of 30 Menard students who were on a pilgrimage in Washington D. C. in January. Father Taylor Reynolds (pictured next to Brother Louis) and Adam are both vocations from Bunkie and have known each other for years. Brother Louis is currently studying theology and doing pastoral assignment at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. while preparing for ordination to the diaconate in March. The students prayed a Rosary and the Evening Prayer with the Dominicans, and received a blessing with the first class relic of St. Thomas Aquinas, patron saint of students.

Radio Maria offers free specially-designed radios Now, there is an option for those who don’t have access to a radio For some people, listening to Radio Maria is impossible.

No, not because they can’t receive the signal, but because they don’t have a radio.

It’s sad, but true.

People in prisons, in nursing homes, . . . even people living in their own homes, may not have access to a radio.

For that reason, Radio Maria is offering free radios for people who do not have access to a radio, but want to listen to Radio Maria.

The radios are small (4.5 inches tall X 3 inches wide) and require 3 -AAA batteries. An A/C plug may be purchased separately, but earbuds are included.

The best part of the radio, however, is the blue graphic de-

sign on the face of the radio that resembles the Blessed Mother holding the child Jesus. The Radio Maria logo is also centered on the front.

Evelyn Gail Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,000.00 Fr. H. Gerald Bordelon Burse Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6,840.00

P.O. Box 5624 Alexandria, LA 71307 3306 Giamanco Street

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

Phone: (318) 473-8751 Fax: (318) 473-4045 EMail: DonaldJBaker@aol.com

Donald J. Baker, ACF/RF/CF CONSULTING FORESTER Licensed Urban Tree Consultant

The radios were designed by the World Family of Radio Maria in Italy for the purpose of distributing to prison inmates and nursing home residents. A shipment of 400 was sent to the United States for distribution here.

“Our goal is to get these radios into the prisons, nursing homes, and private homes of those who do not have access to a radio,” said Father Robert Young.

“For these people, we want to give them out free.”

All others are available for a $15 donation, plus $5 for shipping.

Father Robert invites all those in prison ministry or in nursing home ministry, to come by the Radio Maria office and pick up as many radios as you need for your ministry.

For individuals in ministry outside the state, the radios can be shipped to your area for the cost of shipping. The only requirement is that a Radio Maria frequency be within listening range of the person who will receive it.

To order your Radio Maria personal radio, call Carla at 888408-0201.

PAGE 10

CHURCH TODAY

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

We Are the Pro-Life Generation!

Thousands participate in marches, rallies, prayer vigils to end abortion

By Jeannie Petrus CT editor From Washington, D.C. to Shreveport, Baton Rouge, Plaucheville, La. and dozens of locations in between, pro-life advocates participated in marches, rallies and prayer services marking the 42nd anniversary (Jan. 22) of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion virtually on demand.

In Washington D.C., an estimated crowd of 600,000 people -- mostly college and high school age -- participated in the national march. Among the crowd were two groups of students from Central Louisiana -- 30 juniors and seniors from Holy Savior Menard High School and 37 students from St. Mary’s School in Natchitoches.

The Menard group, accompanied by faculty members Jessica Sanders, John Fryer, Heather Benton, Renee Hicks, and Father Taylor Reynolds, made the trip Jan. 21-25 as a pilgrimage, visiting holy sites, praying, and making reparations for the sins of abortion.

Some of the places that the group visited were Arlington National Cemetery, Mt. St. Mary’s, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, and the Viet Nam Memorial. Participation in the Life March was also part of the pilgrimage.

“The march was truely life changing for many of the stu-

dents,” said Father Taylor. “We had a handful of students who were either adopted or had family members who were adopted.

They were moved to tears by the experience.”

“The march itself was amazing!” he continud. “We saw sooo many people. We sang, chanted with the other groups, and marched with the people at the front of the line! We ran into a group from New Orleans that had 500 youth with them!”

In the midst of the huge gathering, however, the Menard group never ran into the 37 students from St. Mary’s School in Natchitoches, who were also there.

The group from St. Mary’s -- which included 37 students in grades 9 -12; and 8 adults -- all rode a chartered bus 20 hours to get to Washington.

“At first, I think most students signed up for the trip as a way to get out of school,” said Tara Whitehead, religion teacher who made the trip. “But the experience was definitely life changing for them.

“The students were so fired up when they saw the crowd, rallied and cheered with other students in the March, -- a couple started crying when they saw clips of actual abortions on the big screens set up on the route.

One girl crying said watching the abortion film made it so “real”… not just a “side” to support.

“Students on the bus were already planning and sharing ideas

HOLY SAVIOR MENARD STUDENTS march in the March for Life rally in Washington D.C. Jan. 22.

for next year’s trip before we ever drove off the parking lot. They want more students, bigger signs, speaker horns, shirts etc.

“As a Catholic and a religion teacher, I have an obligation to keep their passion alive so we are forming a Pro-Life group to keep them involved… organizing fund raising and meetings to discuss/ share ways to promote Pro-Life in our school and community.

Last week after all-school Mass a few students spoke to share their experience. Two kids wrote poems and one is working on a song. It’s truly amazing to see the Holy Spirit working in these kids since returning from D.C. - I’m so proud of them!”

In Bossier City, thousands gathered at the Louisiana Boardwalk Jan. 17 and walked across the bridge, where their march ended at Shreveport’s Festival

Plaza.

In Baton Rouge, a Pro Life Rally was held Jan. 24 on the campus of Louisiana State University.

About 20 pro-life supporters from Sacred Heart in Pineville, OLPS, and KC 14657 travelled to Baton Rouge for the Pro-Life March.

Several thousand people from around the state gathered at 10 a.m. at the Greek Theater on the LSU campus to hear keynote speaker Gov. Bobby Jindal speak.

At 11 a.m. the crowd marched through campus stopping at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for a 15-minute prayer service.

The Response Louisiana, also held on the LSU campus on the same day, was sponsored by Gov. Bobby Jindal, who called Louisiana and the nation to a day of prayer for America.

In Plaucheville, CCD students, teachers, parents and some

parishioners from Mater Dolorosa Church prayed a Pro-Life Rosary Jan. 26 in front of a statue of Our Blessed Mother.

A banner that read “In the last hour, 136 babies died from abortion,” was placed in the front of church next to 136 flags representing the babies that died from abortion in the last hour.

There were thousands more who did not travel anywhere, but stayed home and prayed the USCCB’s “9 Days for Life” Novena.

Pro-lifers were invited to pray with the U.S. bishops to end abortion by signing up to receive the novena daily either online or through an app, emails, or text messages. By texting “9days” to “55000” the USCCB, in return, texted the daily prayer of the novena to your smartphone for the nine consecutive days.

ST. MARY’S SCHOOL (Natchitoches) STUDENTS who participated in the March for Life in Washington DC.

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

CHURCH TODAY

PAGE 11

CENTRAL LOUISIANA PRO LIFE GROUP. About 20 pro-life supporters from Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Pineville, Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church in Alexandria, and KC John Paul II Council 14657 chartered a bus to Baton Rouge Jan. 24 for the Pro-Life March. Several thousand people from around the state gathered at the LSU Greek Theater , marched through the campus, and ended at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for a 15-minute prayer service.

SACRED HEART PARISHIONERS Robert and Monica Anderson, with their son participated in the march as a family. (Photos by Donald Buckley) (at left) Jeannie Gauthier and her husband Kevin (center of picture) hold signs during the march in Baton Rouge. (below) Donald Buckley, a parishioner from Sacred Heart of Jesus in Pineville, was so proud of his daughter for wanting to participate in the march.

ST MARY’S SCHOOL (Natchitoches) STUDENTS march in the March for Life rally held Jan. 22 in Washington DC. Thirty-seven students and 8 adults from St. Mary’s made the 20 hour bus ride (one way) to participate in the march.

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CHURCH TODAY

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

SACRED HEART SCHOOL (Moreauville) PRO LIFE RALLY. Sacred Heart School’s Columbian Squires, and Children of Mary, under the direction of sponsors Dan Soldani and Marcy Center, held a Pro Life Rally Jan. 23 at Sacred Heart Church. Sr. Sandra Norsworthy, students, faculty, and staff, from grades 5-8 were in attendance.

The students made little white crosses to represent babies aborted each year. Invited guest were St. Joseph School’s Columbian Squires Club, sponsor Marvin Guillot, Principal Bryan Runyan, and Father Keith Ishmael, pastor of Mater Dolorosa Church.

Our Lady of Prompt Succor presents Disney’s Aladdin Our Lady of Prompt Succor School and City Park Players joined together to present the 8th annual OLPS School Play, (Disney’s “Aladdin, Jr) Jan. 16-18 at the Coughlin Saunders Performing Arts Center in Alexandria. More than 85 OLPS students from Kindergarten through 6th grade worked hard to perform the show three times over the weekend. More than 1,500 patrons enjoyed the colorful, entertaining and musical show.

IAGO AND JAFAR. Pictured above is Jafar MATER DOLOROSA (Plaucheville) PRO LIFE ROSARY. CCD students, teachers, parents and some parishioners prayed a Pro-Life Rosary Jan. 26 in front of a statue of Our Blessed Mother at Mater Dolorosa Church in Plaucheville. A banner, that read “In the last hour, 136 babies died from abortion,” was placed in the front of church next to 136 flags representing the babies that died from abortion in the last hour.

and Iago

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

CHURCH TODAY

PAGE 13

Disney’s Aladdin JASMINE SAVES ALADDIN. Aladdin is captured by head guard Razoul after he steals a piece of bread from the market and Jasmine sets him free.

ALADDIN AND JASMINE. Aladdin and the Sultan

and Jasmine

ABOVE: The cast in the marketplace. Also pictured is Genie BELOW: The cast and narrators in the marketplace.

and the Magic Carpet

PAGE 14

CHURCH TODAY

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

Tons of events fill schedule during Catholic Schools Week

ST. ANTHONY 2ND GRADERS MAKE ROSARIES. Second grade students at St. Anthony School in Bunkie made a classroom rosary using beads and knots, during Catholic Schools week.

ST. MARY ASSUMPTION SCHOOL CELEBRATES 100TH DAY. Students at St. Mary Assumption School in Cottonport celebrated the 100th day of school recently, with many of the students dressing up as “old folks.” Pictured are the 2nd graders:

CHRIS PADGETT PERFORMS FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS. Chris Padgett, a Catholic songwriter, musician, speaker and worship leader, who travels around the world giving talks, missions and concerts, performed at Our Lady of Prompt Succor School and other Catholic schools in the diocese, during Catholic Schools Week. Pictured with K- 3rd grade in the OLPS Divine Providence Center, Chris closes out his performance with some “barefoot” fun. He was enjoyed by all and did a wonderful job conveying his message and adapting to the different age groups.

OLPS ‘JUMPEE DAY.’ As part of Catholic Schools Week, Our Lady of Prompt Succor School held a Student Appreciation Day Jan. 29 with a “Jumpie Day!” Each class had their very own “jumpie time.” Parents volunteered their time to help supervise the children on the three different types of jumpies. The students also enjoyed an out of uniform day.

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

CHURCH TODAY

PAGE 15

MAC TEAM AND OLPS CELEBRATE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK. Our Lady of Prompt Succor and the Holy Savior Menard MAC (Menard Apostles for Christ) Team kicked off Catholic Schools Week Jan. 26 TOGETHER! ST. FRANCES CABRINI SCHOOL SERVES AT MANNA HOUSE. the 4th-6th graders at St. Frances Cabrini School volunteered at Manna House during Catholic Schools Week.

ST. ANTHONY SCHOOL (Bunkie) SERVE AT MANNA HOUSE. The 8th grade class visited the Manna House during Catholic Schools week. They helped prepare and serve food for people in need.

ST. ANTHONY 8TH GRADERS VISIT WAVERLY PLANTATION. The 8th grade class at St. Anthony School in Bunkie visited the former Waverly Plantation near Cheneyville. where National Geographic’s TV program ‘Diggers’ was filming along the Solomon Northup Trail (focus of recent blockbuster movie 12 Years a Slave). The show’s archaeologist, Marc Henshaw, spoke to the students about archaeology and identified pieces of pottery they picked up in the fields. Also on the set was Solomon Northup’s three times great-grandchildren, Eileen Jackson and Michael Rivers.

For up-to-date news on events around the Diocese of Alexandria Visit our website: www.diocesealex.org

PAGE 16

CHURCH TODAY

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

T

he Annual Diocesan Appeal asks each of us to recognize that we are all part of a larger diocesan Church that transcends personal and parish boundaries. We have an extraordinary responsibility to provide for the poor, address parish needs, enhance our children’s religious education, encourage vocations, and support the many other good ministries of our Diocese.

Each year, the lives of thousands of men, women and children have been transformed, enriched and renewed by the programs, services and ministries brought to life by your gifts to the annual appeal. It is your caring spirit and commitment to our Catholic faith that makes our community of faith so strong and vibrant.

By nourishing the ministries and mission of the Diocese of Alexandria, we share our faith with others and Go and Make Disciples.

= Serving our faithful by: • Providing priests through our vocations office.

• Training deacons through our diaconate program.

• Assisting parishes and schools in the formation of our young people in the faith.

• Providing instructional support and programs that reinforce Catholic teaching.

• Keeping college aged adults engaged in the Faith through our campus ministry office.

• Education, formation and training for parish religious education teachers.

“...Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit...” ~ Matthew 28:19

Diocese of Alexandria P.O. Box 8714, Alexandria, LA 71306 • 318.445.2401 • Fax: 318.448.6121 • www.diocesealex.org

CHURCH TODAY

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

ST. ANTHONY (Bunkie) STUDENT OF THE YEAR CLASS WINNERS. St. Anthony of Padua School’s 5th and 8th grade Student of the Year nominees

5th Grade Nominees

SACRED HEART SCHOOL (Moreauville) STUDENT OF THE YEAR SCHOOL WINNERS. Representing Sacred Heart School in the Diocesan Student of the Year Competition are , 8th Grade winner; and , 5th Grade winner.

PAGE 17

OLPS GEOGRAPHY BEE WINNERS. Classroom winners of the Prompt Succor Geography Bee

Sacred Heart, Moreauville St. Anthony, Bunkie St. Mary’s, Cottonport Old Bethel Academy, Clarks Country Day, Alexandria

Sara

Jenna Emily Kayleigh Katherine

8th Grade Nominees Holy Savior Menard, Alexandria Old Bethel Academy, Clarks Sacred Heart, Moreauville St. Anthony, Bunkie St. Mary’s, Cottonport Family Community, Winnsboro Country Day, Alexandria

Kent Maura Sawyer Blaine Taylor Jaidyn Caroline

12th Grade Nominees Holy Savior Menard, Alexandria Old Bethel Academy, Clarks Family Community, Winnsboro

Jason Courtney Destiny

A reception will be held Monday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. at the St. Joseph Catholic Center to announce and to honor the winners in each grade division.

ST. MARY ASSUMPTION (Cottonport) SPELLING BEE WINNERS. (2nd grade) was the winner of the spelling bee in the grade 1-3 category; and (4th grade) was the winner of the spelling bee in the grade 4-8 category. After winning the school competition held Jan. 23, will now advance to the district competition to be held in Hammond.

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SACRED HEART SCHOOL (Moreauville) RELGION FAIR WINNER. was the Catholic School Week Overall Religion Fair Winner at Sacred Heart School on January 30. Her project was titled, “The Solemnity of Mary Mother of God”. is in the 5th grade and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Bordelon of Hessmer.

CHURCH TODAY

PAGE 18

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

St. Rita Church celebrates World Marriage Weekend

ST. RITA CHURCH (Alexandria) RECOGNIZES 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARIES. Sixteen married couples were honored Feb. 8 at St. Rita Church in Alxandria at the 11 a.m. Mass. Couples celebrating 25 years of marriage are Enrico and Vicki Cannella, Bryan and Cheryl Normand, and Kasey and Donna Chatman.

ST. RITA CHURCH (Alexandria) RECOGNIZES 40 YEAR ANNIVERSARIES. Couples celebrating 40 years of marriage are Curti & Barbara Meaux, and Larry and Wanda Hinton, 40 years; and Mario and Marie Pizzo, 46 years;

ST. RITA CHURCH (Alexandria) RECOGNIZES 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARIES. Alvin & Betty Michiels, Andrew & Cynthia Rachall, III, Douglas & Patsy Fries, Joseph & Elaine Mathews, John & Margaret Wagley, and Richard & Linda Love, 50 years;

ST. RITA CHURCH (Alexandria) RECOGNIZES 60 YEAR ANNIVERSARIES. Robert and Virginia Jackson (not pictured), 57 years; Larry & Marguerite Robin, and Charles Joseph & Mary Frances Mayeux, 60 years; and Henry & Elaine Lazarone, 61 years.

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CHURCH TODAY

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

PAGE 19

Circle of 6u helps friends keep each other safe on campus Free phone app aims to reduce instances of sexual violence against women, girls Imagine you are walking from the library back to your college dorm, alone at night, and a guy who says he’s from your biology class, is suddenly walking next to you. After a few minutes of talking to this guy, you start feeling a little uneasy and uncomfortable with the conversation, and the fact that the two of you are alone in a secluded area of campus, makes it even worse.

What would you do?

With two quick clicks on your smartphone, users in potentially dangerous situations can quickly be connected to friends and safety resources -- through the Circle of 6 free app.

Circle of 6 was the winner of the White House/Health and Human Services Apps Against Abuse Technology Challenge in 2011, and now has over 100,000 users in 32 countries. This year they have expanded their relationship with college campuses through the release of Circle of 6u, which will help students connect to each other and university resources in an attempt further reduce and prevent instances of rape and sexual assault on campuses.

Nearly 1 in 5 young women report assault while in college.

Circle of 6u will allow students access to the app’s standard resources, which include easy

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two-click connection to friends, national hotlines, emergency numbers, and online information, while also incorporating campus specific resources, like calling the student health center or reaching out to campus police.

“Every college is concerned about student safety,” said Nancy Schwartzman, CEO of Tech 4 Good, creator of the app. “By offering Circle of 6u as a customized version of our original app (Circle of 6) we embed a school’s specific look, style, safety numbers and resources directly into the phone, so students have fast access to on-campus help when they need it. And with the customized push notification platform, administrators can quickly and easily get in touch with students. This goes way beyond blue safety lights on a dark path.”

Avi Oded, internal vice president of the Undergraduate Students Association Council at UCLA, sees the potential benefit in the app’s on-campus use.

“Administrations should make Circle of 6u a priority and should invest in the future of safety with this technology,” he said.

“Circle of 6 is in engaged with the current culture, and is a smart and efficient way to centralize both social and emergency communications. Our administration needs to make this is a priority for

•

•

To download this free app go to the iTunes App Store or circleof6app.com

students, and their funding should reflect that.”

In connection with the White House Task Force to Prevent Sexual Assault’s #1is2Many campaign, which continues Vice President Joe Biden’s longstanding focus on reducing violence

against women—specifically teens and young women ages 16 to 24—the Circle of 6 app was highlighted in the White House’s 2014 report on stemming sexual assault.

“Thanks to the creativity and vision of these developers, young

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people now have a new line of defense against violence in their lives,” said Vice President Biden.

Circle of 6 has received high praise from major national and international media and was the winner of the Institute of Medicine/Avon Foundation for Women’s End Violence @Home Challenge.

In April of 2013 a version of the app launched in New Delhi with anti-violence resources in both English and Hindi. Plans for further international development are also underway.

Circle of 6 is a project of Tech 4 Good, LLC., a start-up non-profit dedicated to violence prevention in vulnerable populations through the use of mobile technology and harm-reduction education principles. We are a lean, global team bringing our experience with storytelling, code and design to develop engaging tools and campaigns to support a culture of connectivity and accountability. Nancy Schwartzman is the CEO, Christine Corbett Moran is the CTO and Thomas Cabus is the Creative Director.

Circle of 6 was co-created in 2011 by The Line Campaign, Inc. and ISIS, Inc. two non-profits dedicated to creating healthier communities.

For more information and updates, follow Circle of 6 on twitter at @Circleof6app To download the app, visit circleof6app.com

Like us on Facebook

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Diocese of Alexandria

PAGE 20

CHURCH TODAY

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

Study guides available for A.D.: The Bible Continues TV series Epic 12-part TV series will premiere April 5 (Easter Sunday) on NBC Sophia Institute Press has been granted the exclusive rights to publish a Catholic Viewer’s Guide and a trade book associated with the epic 12-part NBC television event, A.D.: The Bible Continues.

Premiering on Easter (April 5), A.D.: The Bible Continues picks up where The Bible series left off, chronicling what would become the most powerful global movement in history — the rise of the Church.

Acclaimed author Mike Aquilina is authoring A.D. — Ministers & Martyrs: The Ultimate Catholic Guide to the Apostolic Age. Scheduled for release on

March 10, 2015, Ministers and Martyrs offers an unflinching look at the lives and sacrifices of those first Christians who were given the task of spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Relying on the ancient documents as well as latest archeological findings and scientific research, Aquilina will take you on a journey through the Apostolic Age, bringing to life the dusty streets and crowded marketplaces through which Mary and the Apostles journeyed as they built a Church that lasts even to our day.

A.D.: The Bible Continues Official Catholic Viewer’s Guide will help you fully experience

each episode, providing important historical and theological context as you learn about the early Church and the first followers of Christ.

Each chapter in the Official Catholic Viewer’s Guide features short introductory essays as well as background information, character profiles, helpful maps, pre and post-viewing discussion questions, and ways in which you can apply the principles of the episode into your own life.

“We wanted to give viewers an easy way to unpack and dive deeper into the A.D.: The Bible Continues series,” said Charlie McKinney, President of Sophia

3 ways to listen: 580 AM 89.7 FM radiomaria.us

Institute Press. “With this guide, viewers can use it for their own fulfillment, and it can be used to inform group discussion or used at viewing parties or for family study.”

A.D. — Ministers and Martyrs as well as A.D.: The Catholic Viewer’s Guide will be available in Catholic bookstores as well as major book outlets such as Barnes and Noble beginning March 10, or you can order directly from Sophia Institute Press at www.shop. sophiainstitute.com.

A.D. Ministers and Martyrs

By Author: Mike Aquilina A.D. Ministers and Martyrs

offers an unflinching look at the lives and sacrifices of those first Christians who were given the task of spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth. -- $14.95.

A.D. Catholic Viewer’s Guide

By Author: Mike Aquilina This viewer’s guide and study book features short introductory essay to provide needed background information, character profiles, helpful maps, previewing study questions, postviewing discussion questions, Scripture verses, and ways in which you can apply the principles of the episode into your own life. -- $14.95

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

CHURCH TODAY

PAGE 21

Fifty Shades of Grey attempts to make abuse look like romance Mediocre plot, bland characters, twisted subject matter make for bad movie

By Justin Craig foxnews.com NEW YORK – The difference between “Fifty Shades of Grey’s” enigmatic heartthrob Christian Grey and Ariel Castro, the Cleveland man who imprisoned and sexually abused three women in his home, is a slick gray suit and a few million dollars.

For the uninitiated, “Fifty Shades of Grey” follows Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), a shy college student who falls hard for the dashing CEO Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) when she is tasked to interview him for the school newspaper.

Preying on Anastasia’s waifish innocence, Christian invites her into his secret cloistered world, showering her with luxurious gifts, private helicopter rides and life in his Seattle penthouse - all in exchange for the chance to “own” and “dominate” her psychologically and sexually. She inexplicably accepts.

The only reason Christian Grey has become a recent icon in popular fiction – albeit a trashy one – is because he is filthy rich.

Being a wealthy, debonair playboy has overshadowed being a manipulating sexual predator and has inexplicably made a seemingly quiet, sexually repressed

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY. Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dormnan star in Fifty Shades of Grey. Critics say the fine line between abuse and pleasure in “Fifty Shades” is so thin, it’s almost non-existent. Rated R.

audience swoon. How else could “Fifty Shades” be as successful as it is? If Christian Grey was a balding, pudgy minimum wageearning convenience store clerk we’d have a very different story on our hands, one more closely resembling Castro in Cleveland.

And that Christian Grey would be

rightly described by the media as a vile, evil creature.

Though Anastasia does submit to Christian’s predatory actions, they aren’t exactly what she wants. She wants a “normal” relationship – one where she can go to dinner, a movie and then have a pleasant post-coital snuggle.

Christian refuses to give her that, denying her everything she wants in a relationship. Furthermore, he is domineering in the most frightening way; Anastasia may have the freedom to leave Christian’s sex chamber and return home at any time, but she is far from a free woman.

One scene has her fleeing to Georgia for a respite with her mother. Angered that she left him in the lurch, Christian flies from Seattle to Georgia to reclaim his ‘property.’ That’s scary stuff, yet Anastasia is just pathetic enough to accept her psychological captivity in the name of romance and ‘pleasure’.

There are also similarities between Anastasia and Christian’s relationship with the horrific one between Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong’o in “12 Years a Slave.” Fassbender’s Edwin Epps denies Nyong’o’s Patsey’s freedom, lusts after her and whips her for his own pleasure – and in his warped mind - hopes she’ll in turn want him. Christian does the same to Anastasia, yet somehow in “Fifty Shades” is considered “romance.”

Just how sexually explicit is “Fifty Shades of Grey?” It’s mild. Sure there’s plenty of nudity, but more salacious material is shown every day on cable. It’s not even close to late-night Cin-

MOVIE

REVIEW emax. You’ll find more disturbing images in “Saw” or “Game of Thrones.”

What this movie lacks is ownership of its trashiness. It desperately needs an injection of some of Paul Verhoeven’s campy, sardonic satire shown in “Showgirls,” “Basic Instinct” or “Robocop.” It needs some commentary on domineering, abusive people, submissive people, our society’s obsession with sex and the taboo of its discussion. But it does none of that.

In the end, “Fifty Shades” says absolutely nothing. The result is a boring, drawn out call to a sex dungeon that takes an indeterminable amount of time to arrive. The film is often degrading for confusing psychological imprisonment for a relationship.

The fine line between abuse and pleasure in “Fifty Shades” is so thin it’s almost non-existent.

Here is a Valentine’s Day movie that will certainly make bank at the box office, but you aren’t helping yourself or anyone else by seeing it.

CHURCH TODAY

PAGE 22 Charismatic Day of Renewal

The Diocesan Service Committee of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the Diocese of Alexandria and CENLA Magnificat will host a Day of Renewal on Saturday, Feb. 21, at St. Anthony’s Church Hall in Natchitoches.

Speakers are Fr. John Pardue, Aggie Neck, and Joan Gahagan. The day will begin with registration at 8:30 a.m. and Praise and Worship at 9. Continental breakfast and lunch is included in the $15 registration fee. The day will end with a Vigil Mass at 4 p.m. at St. Anthony’s.

This event is open to men and women. For more information call Diane at 318-419-1547 or Mary at 318-3597735. Make checks payable to the “DSC” and mail nonrefundable registration fee to: Diane Ardoin, 1415 Creed St, Pineville, La. 71360. Registration must be received by Feb. 17. No on-site registration.

Crossroads Catholic Conference The annual Crossroads Catholic Conference will be held March 6-8 at Maryhill Renewal Center for adults.

The Ministry Team includes Bishop Ronald Herzog and Fr. Marc Noel, Liturgy; Chad Judice, a national motivational speaker and the author of Waiting for Eli and Eli’s Reach, keynote speaker; Paul Hood, host; Kelly Pease Lombardi, worship leader; and Fr. Charlie Ray and Ann Masden conducting workshops. Cost is $55 per person up to Feb. 9; $65 afterwards. For more information, go to www.diocesealex.org/crossroadsconference, or email lnoel@diocesealex.org, or call 318-445-6424, ext 207.

Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat A Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat will be held March 6-8 in Lafayette. Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat is an extraordinary opportunity for any person who struggles with the emotional and spiritual pain of abortion. The weekend is a unique and effective process designed specifically to help you experience the mercy and compassion of God. This process is extremely helpful for those who have difficulty forgiving themselves or others. The weekend will help your soul find a voice and transform the pain of the past into hope! For more information and to register, contact Trista at 337.261.5607 or email tlittell@diolaf.org. All inquiries are kept strictly confidential.

Marriage Encounter Weekend This Valentine’s Day, so something for your marriage that will last a lifetime! Attend a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend, to be held March 6-8 at the Tracy Conference Center in Baton Rouge.

Feast of St. Joseph is Thursday,

March 19

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

DIOCESAN

BRIEFS The Weekend focuses of effective communication techniques. For more informa-tion, call (800-586-5469) Email (j_verret@bellsouth.net) or go on-line at www.wwme-section5.org

Sacred Heart Men’s A.C.T.S Retreat We would like to invite you to join us for a life-changing weekend at Maryhill Renewal Center in Pineville for the next Sacred Heart A.C.T.S. Retreat March 12-15. This is an opportunity for spiritual renewal and fellowship beginning Thursday evening and concluding with Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart Church. For more info, contact Randy Pierce at Randy.pierce@apria.com or 318-308-0406.

Louisiana Camp Joshua Louisiana Camp Joshua (LCJ), a weekend pro-life camp to train high school students to be pro-life leaders, Dates for Camp Joshua 2015 • Baton Rouge: March 13-15 • Baton Rouge: April 10-12 • Covington: May 1-3 • Shreveport: May 15-17 At Camp Joshua, you will experience top-notch workshops, classes, and activities, and you’ll learn from the nation’s leading pro-life experts. You’ll also make great prolife friends and have a ton of fun! More than just listening and observing, you’ll get hands-on interaction and experience in pro-life work.

More questions? Contact Kandace Landreneau of LA Right to Life, at 1.866.463.5433 or kandace@prolifelouisiana.org

ST. PETER MISSION, (Elmer) Christmas Program: CCD students from St. Peters Mission in Elmer participated in a Christmas Program.

registration fee of $10 per team. Dress is casual. First place is a cash award of $500 and a trophy. Second place is $200 and a trophy. Lunch will be provided.

St. Joseph Altar celebrations St. Frances Cabrini Church, Alexandria • Wednesday, March 18, St. Frances Cabrini Church will celebrate Mass at 5:30 p.m., followed by blessing of the St. Joseph Altar, followed by a Spaghetti Dinner and Peanut Butter pies for dessert.

St. Mary’s Assumption Church, Cottonport • Thursday, March 19, St. Mary’s Assumption Church will celebrate the feast of St. Joseph at the St. Mary’s Community Center (CYO) beginning with a procession of saints and blessing of the St. Joseph Altar at 11:45 a.m., followed by food from the altar from noon -2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Catechetical Quiz Bowl The third annual Catechetical Quiz Bowl will be held March 14 at Holy Savior Menard in the Activities Bldg.

The quiz will consist of questions from the books of Genesis and Matthew in the Bible. Questions and answers are now available from the Office of Religious Formation and Training at the Diocese Center by calling (318) 445-6424 ext. 251 or emailing emccullough@diocesealex .org, so that students may begin studying. A parish or school can have any number of teams. A team is made up of four members, 6th, 7th, and/or 8th grade students from Catholic Schools and from Parish CCD programs. There is a

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Beginning Experience Widowed, separated or divorced? Don’t know where to turn? Struggling with grief or loss? Beginning Experience, which will be held March 20-22 at Maryhill Retreat Center, helps grieving single-again persons emerge from the darkness of grief into the light of a new beginning, and move into the future with renewed hope. Cost is $185, which includes two nights’ lodging and meals. For more info, call Anna at (318) 452-2678 or Michelle at (318) 729-0129 or Martha at (985) 226-6458.

CHURCH TODAY

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

PAGE 23

February - March Monday

Tuesday

16

DIOCESAN OFFICES CLOSED

Wednesday

17

18

Thursday

Friday

19

Saturday

20

Women of Grace Study Group 6:00-8:00 p.m.

St. Rita Church, Alexandria PRESIDENT’S DAY

MARDI GRAS

ASH WEDNESDAY

PRAY FOR FR. A. MESSINA

PRAY FOR FR. J. MICHALCHUK

PRAY FOR FR. K. MICHIELS

23

24

VIRTUS Training 6:00 p.m.

St. Joseph Catholic Center, Alexandria

25

VIRTUS Training 6:00 p.m.

St. Mary’s School, Natchitoches

PRAY FOR FR. B. MILLER

26

Sunday

21

Charismatic Day of Renewal 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

St. Anthony Church Hall, Natchitoches

22

Rite of Election 2:30 p.m.

St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Alexandria

NO MEAT on FRIDAY

FEAST of ST. PETER DAMIEN

FIRST SUNDAY of LENT

PRAY FOR FR. C. MORGAN

PRAY FOR FR. C. NAYAK

PRAY FOR FR. J. NELLIKUNNEL

27

28

1

MARCH

SECOND SUNDAY of LENT

NO MEAT on FRIDAY PRAY FOR FR. K. OBIEKWE

PRAY FOR FR. M NOEL

2

3

PENANCE SERVICE 6:30 p.m.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pineville

PRAY FOR FR. A. PALLAKATTUCHIRA PRAY FOR FR. B. PALLIPPARAMBIL

9

10

PRAY FOR FR. J. O’BRIEN

4

PENANCE SERVICE 6:10 p.m.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pineville

PRAY FOR FR. J. PALLIPURATH

11

PRAY FOR FR. D. O’CONNOR

5

PRAY FOR FR. C. OGBONNA

6

PRAY FOR FR. R. OWUAMANAM

PRAY FOR BISHOP R. HERZOG

7

Marriage Encounter Weekend -- Baton Rouge

8

Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat -- Lafayette Crossroads Catholic Conference -- Maryhill Renewal Center

PRAY FOR FR. J. PARDUE

12

PENANCE SERVICE 6:30 p.m.

St. Rita Church, Alexandria

NO MEAT on FRIDAY FIRST FRIDAY

FIRST SATURDAY

THIRD SUNDAY of LENT

PRAY FOR FR. C. PARTAIN

PRAY FOR FR. T. PAUL

PRAY FOR FR. G. POOKKATTU

13

14

15

St. Rita Men’s Lenten Day Retreat 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

St. Rita Holy Family Center

Sacred Heart Men’s A.C.T.S. Retreat Camp Joshua -- Baton Rouge

NO MEAT on FRIDAY PRAY FOR FR. R. RABALAIS

16

PRAY FOR FR. C. RAY

17

PRAY FOR FR. J. RETNAZIHAMONI

18

St. Joseph Altar 5:30 p.m.

St. Frances Cabrini Church, Alexandria

ST. PATRICK’S DAY PRAY FOR FR. J. RYAN

PRAY FOR FR. C. SCOTT

PRAY FOR FR. R. SHOURY

PRAY FOR FR. T. REYNOLDS

19

St. Joseph Altar 11:45 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

St. Mary’s Assumption, Cottonport PENANCE SERVICE 7:30 p.m.

St. Mary’s Assumption, Cottonport

Catechetical Quiz Bowl 10:00 a.m.

Holy Savior Menar HS

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

20

FOURTH SUNDAY of LENT PRAY FOR FR. J. ROY

21

22

Beginning Experience -- Maryhill Renewal Center

FEAST of ST. JOSEPH

NO MEAT on FRIDAY

PRAY FOR FR. P. SIERRA-POSADA

PRAY FOR FR. L. SKLAR

SIXTH SUNDAY of LENT PRAY FOR FR. S. SOARES

PRAY FOR FR. I. ST. ROMAIN