SEPTEMBER 8, 2020
SEPT. 9: A DAY OF PRAYER & FASTING
texas catholic herald
CARE CLOSE BY
New satellite San José Clinic opens in Rosenberg
Feast of St. Peter Claver a day to pray against racism
PAGE 19
PAGE 3
Proclaiming the Good News to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston since 1964
SEPTEMBER 8, 2020
1
VOL. 57, NO. 6
PREACHING THE FAITH
EYES ON CHRIST AFTER SEEING THE EYE OF THE STORM
Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary use technology BY REBECCA TORRELLAS Texas Catholic Herald HOUSTON — The Archdiocese is using a new, more efficient and affordable way to manage training — Capernaum. Built on learning management software (LMS), Capernaum provides ondemand access to register and manage training options. Laura Rolo, director of instruction and professional development with the Catholic Schools Office of the Archdiocese, said the office worked with other chancery departments in researching the needs of chancery employees, as well as Catholic School principals, faculty and staff members. Rolo said Capernaum is the first of its kind in history of the Archdiocese, “we have not had a learning management system in the past. That means all our professional development was done in face-to-face, real-time sessions, and that See CAPERNAUM, page 6 PHOTO COURTESY OF DIOCESE OF BEAUMONT
Beaumont Bishop David Toups look on a statue of Jesus at St. Mary Catholic Church in Orange, located less than a mile from the Sabine River and Texas-Louisiana border, after Hurricane Laura slammed into the Gulf Coast Aug. 27. FOR WAYS TO HELP, SEE PAGE 4 OR VISIT WWW.ARCHGH.ORG/LAURARECOVERY.
Laura’s wreckage too close and too familiar BY JAMES RAMOS Texas Catholic Herald PORTER — Meris Bridger has seen hurricane damage before, but never to her own family’s home. She spent time in New Orleans helping renovate after Hurricane Katrina 15 years ago, but the place she spent holiday celebrations for decades now had a massive pine tree that split the home in two like a log. When Laura’s path was projected between Houston and New Orleans, the entire region shuddered. Memories of Katrina, Rita, Ike and Harvey were all too familiar and too recent. When Hurricane Laura made landfall 35 miles east of the Texas-Louisiana border in the early hours of Aug. 27, the storm shredded the region with 150 mph
winds bringing catastrophic damage. Her parents, at their creekside home in Mittie, Louisiana, some 55 miles northwest of Lake Charles, rode out the storm at home. While Bridger was asleep in her Humble-area home, her father, Charles Chaumont, got out of bed to talk to his wife Lynn Chaumont, who was in another room. Seconds later, one of the massive pine trees that surround their home crashed through the roof and onto the bed where he had just been sleeping. The outside was now inside. Her parents would safely make it through the storm, but the storm’s death toll would rise to 16 by Aug. 28, most of the casualties in Louisiana. Total deaths reported Sept. 2 stateside was 24. No power and no phone service
HEALING AFTER LAURA
THE FIRST WORD † 3
|
COLUMNS † 11
made it difficult for Bridger, the religion coordinator and middle school religion and social studies teacher at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School in Humble, to reach her parents. But when she did, she heard her mom choke up on the phone. “It’s bad,” her mom said. “It’s really, really bad.” In her mind, Bridger pictured downed trees around the home, but not inside the house. Located near the Whisky Chitto Creek, the house is up on towering 15foot stilts, protecting it from floods, but not wind. That Friday, after posting on social media about her parents’ being safe, Bridger prepped to head east to help her parents. Then came a deluge of help, with friends, colleagues and family all pitching in to offer assistance. Water, tarps, chainsaws, even a donated
CARE FOR THE SOUL
New pastoral ministry brings spiritual care to the traumatized BY JO ANN ZUÑIGA Texas Catholic Herald HOUSTON — When people lose those close to them or see their homes destroyed by flood or other disasters, that forces them into a shelter. While there, many of them need someone to listen to them, said priests and deacons who serve on a newly formalized ministry recently approved by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo. The Archdiocesan Disaster Spiritual Care ministry so far has 18 priests and 34 deacons who have agreed to be assigned as needed to shelters working
See LAURA, page 4
|
ESPAÑOL † 16 - 17
|
MILESTONES † 19
See SPIRITUAL, page 5