February 8 - The Catholic Commentator

Transcription

Commentator
T H E
February 8, 2013 Vol. 50, No. 26
C A T H O L I C
PAGE 3
Throw me
something,
father.
S E R V I N G T H E D I O C E S E O F B A T O N R O U G E S I N C E 1 9 6 3 thecatholiccommentator.org
The Catholic Commentator turns 50
By Laura Deavers
Editor
When the Diocese of Baton Rouge was carved from
the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1961, Catholics in
the new diocese got their news of the Catholic Church
from the Catholic Action of the South, the same newspaper they had received for decades. The Catholic Action of the South, founded in 1932 by Monsignor M.H.
Wynhoven of New Orleans, was a weekly publication
distributed to their homes by mail.
In 1962, New Orleans Archbishop John Cody began making plans to produce what he called “the best
Catholic newspaper in the country,” bringing an end
to the Catholic Action of the South. The successor of
Catholic Action of the South in New Orleans is the
Clarion Herald. Its first edition was Feb. 28, 1963.
Bishop Robert E. Tracy, the Baton Rouge Diocese’s
first bishop, also wanted his own newspaper so he
could communicate directly with the people in the
12 civil parishes that comprised the Diocese of Baton
Rouge and which had been the western part of the
Archdiocese of New Orleans.
The first edition of The Catholic Commentator, the
newspaper Bishop Tracy founded 15 months after he
became Baton Rouge’s first bishop, was published on
Feb. 8, 1963.
Throughout its history, the diocesan newspaper
has been a significant tool for evangelization since it
was delivered into the homes of all Catholics in the
diocese, and many non-Catholics.
SEE HISTORY PAGE 11
Bishop Robert E. Tracy, center, blesses the Plaquemine Post/South Press in Plaquemine where The Catholic Commentator was printed for many years. Behind him are, from left, Bill Hammack,editor, Joyce and Gary Hebert, who
owned the Plaquemine Post/South newspaper. File photo
Catholics from throughout diocese come together for Bible study
By Debbie Shelley
Assistant Editor
Since 2010, church parishes in the Diocese of Baton Rouge have actively addressed social justice issues through Together Baton Rouge, a coalition of institutions in the Greater Baton Rouge area dedicated
to solving community problems. Members of these
church parishes and other denominational churches
in Baton Rouge are preparing for a citywide interfaith
contextual Scripture study program, Our Faith in Action, as a springboard for its future work.
On Jan. 27, 106 people, representing 15 church
parishes in Baton Rouge and New Roads and this
diocese’s Hispanic Apostolate and Our Lady of the
Lake Regional Medical Center and College, gathered
at St. Jean Vianney Church in Baton Rouge, the first
Catholic church to join Together Baton Rouge, to learn
more about about Our Faith in Action. According to
Together Baton Rouge the Scripture study has two
Scripture study helps “make sure
that people are growing together
as a people and a community.”
Monica Thomas
St. George Church
main goals: To develop relationships and trust across
lines that usually divide people and reflect on the call
of Scripture to act in the world today in Baton Rouge.
Dianne Hanley, a Faith in Action leader, member
of St. George Church in Baton Rouge and director of
the St. Joseph Spirituality Center, said the Scripture
study is funded through a grant from Trinity Wall
Street Episcopal Church in Manhattan, N.Y.
To lay the ground work for the citywide Scripture
study beginning in May, churches are gathering by de-
nominations to study the Word of God.
At St. Jean Vianney, attendees sampled a Scripture
study session by reflecting on Matthew 14:22-36, in
which Jesus walks on water. Participants discussed
in small groups their thoughts on why Peter got out
of the boat, why he was able to walk on water in the
midst of the storm and what made him begin to sink.
Then they told their own stories about a “storm” affecting their family or community and talked about
what prevents them from getting out of the boat in the
midst of a storm.
Hanley described the St. Jean Vianney meeting as
constructive, lively, dynamic, thoughtful and inspiring.
Broderick Bagert, community organizer for Together Baton Rouge, said he thought the meeting was very
powerful, and the people were engaged and showed
they were accepting the challenge of Scripture to work
in the world. He said the words from the closing prayer
by Sister Jane Aucoin CSJ, a member of St. Aloysius
SEE TOGETHER PAGE 17
2
The Catholic Commentator
| IN THIS ISSUE
February 8, 2013
| DID YOU KNOW
Catholic
Schools
Week was
celebrated
with a dinner honoring
distinguished graduates and a Mass that
focused on the importance schools and
educators have in forming today’s students. Pages 4-5
Members of the Daunis family
traveled to St. Philip Church in Vacherie
to renew their baptismal promise as part
of their observance of the Year of Faith.
Special graces are given to those who visit
the place where they were baptized during this holy year. Page 7
During Lent Catholics should
perform special acts of penance, prayer
and works of mercy. Many websites have
recommendations for ways to spend a
prayerful Lent. Page 9
There are two kinds of contrition
Louisiana Catholic bishops
speak out against the scheduled
execution of an Angola inmate. A prayer
vigil will be held Feb. 13 to seek a stay of
execution. Page 20
Annual
Lenten
guide
contains
spiritual
opportunities and
recipes for
this liturgical season.
Special
Section
| index
Classified Ads
16
Coming Events
16
Entertainment
12
Family Life
7
INTERNATIONAL/NATIONAL NEWS
6
Spirituality
9
Viewpoint
14
Youth
18
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1800 S. Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge, LA 70808-1698
P. O. Box 14746, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-4746
As the season of Lent approaches,
many Catholics will ask God’s mercy in
the sacrament of reconciliation.
For one seeking forgiveness of their
sins, contrition “occupies first place,”
states The Catechism of the Catholic
Church (CCC 1451.)
“Contrition is ‘sorrow of the soul
and detestation for the sin committed,
together with the resolution not to sin
again,’ ” the Catechism continues.
There are two kinds of contrition,
perfect contrition or contrition of
charity, and imperfect contrition also
known as attrition.
Perfect contrition “arises from a love
by which God is loved above all else”
(CCC 1452). It can cancel venial sins. It
can also obtain the forgiveness of mortal sins, but only if it is accompanied by
a firm resolution to make a confession
as soon as possible.
Imperfect attrition comes from
the fear of hell or other penalties that
threaten the sinner and from consideration of sin’s “ugliness,” according to
the Catechism. “By itself imperfect con-
trition cannot obtain the forgiveness of
grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain
forgiveness in the sacrament of penance.” (CCC 1453)
“Such a stirring of conscience can
initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be
brought to completion by the sacrament of absolution,” the Catechism
states. (CCC 1453)
The church gives Catholics a prayer
to express their sorrow for sins, for both
offending God and to avoid punishment. It is called an “Act of Contrition.”
Act of Contrition
(modern version)
My God, I am sorry for my sins with
all my heart. In choosing to do wrong
and failing to do good, I have sinned
against you whom I should love above
all things. I firmly intend, with your
help, to do penance, to sin no more,
and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.
Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and
died for us. In his name, my God, have
mercy. Amen.
| Pray for those who pray for us
Please pray for the priests, deacons and religious women and men in the Baton Rouge Diocese.
Feb. 10
Feb. 11
Feb. 12
Feb. 13
Feb. 14
Feb. 15
Feb. 16
Rev. Cleo J. Milano
Dcn. Randall A. Clement
Sr. Judith Brun CSJ
Rev. Nutan Sylvester Minj IMS
Dcn. Samuel C. Collura
Sr. Helen Cahill OSF
Rev. Michael J. Moroney
Dcn. Guy E. Decker
Sr. Kathleen Cain OSF
Rev. Caye A. (Trey) Nelson III
Dcn. Benjamin J. Dunbar Jr.
Sr. Nicetas Bermido Cambiado DM
Rev. Hung Viet Nguyen ICM
Dcn. W. Brent Duplessis
Sr. Maria Christy MC
Rev. Tan Viet Nguyen ICM
Dcn. Jeff R. Easley
Sr. Judith Couturie CSJ
Rev. Nicholas J. (Jack) Nutter III
Dcn. Albert R. Ellis Jr.
Br. Eldon Crifasi SC
Feb. 17
Feb. 18
Feb. 19
Feb. 20
Feb. 21
Feb. 22
Feb. 23
Rev. Marcel E. Okwara CSsR
Dcn. H. John Ferguson III
Sr. Reneé Daigle MSC
Rev. John F. Osom MSP
Dcn. Natale (Nat) J. Garofalo
Br. Ramon Daunis SC
Rev. Louis T. Oubre
Dcn. Edward J. Gauthreaux
Sr. Micha DeHart MHS
Rev. Mansueto P. Palang
Dcn. Steven C. Gonzales
Sr. Therese Dinh ICM
Rev. Jason P. Palermo
Dcn. Richard H. Grant
Br. Alan Drain SC
Rev. Suchit Paul Parakathil IMS
Dcn. Esnard F. Gremillion
Sr. Dehra Elliot CSJ
Rev. Thomas C. Ranzino
Dcn. Ronald J. Hebert
Sr. June Engelbrecht OP
Commentator
t h e
C a t h o l i c
Month
Bishop Robert W. Muench Publisher
Father Than Vu Associate Publisher
Laura Deavers Exec. Ed./Gen. Mgr.
Debbie Shelley Assistant Editor
Wanda L. Koch Advertising Manager
Penny G. Saia Advertising Sales
Lisa Disney Secretary/Circulation
Barbara Chenevert Staff Writer
The Catholic Commentator (ISSN 07460511; USPS 093-680)
Published bi-weekly (every other week) by the Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge,1800 South Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge, LA 70808; 225-387-0983 or 225-387-0561. Periodical Postage Paid at Baton Rouge, LA.
Copy must reach the above address by Wednesday for use in the next week’s paper. Subscription rate:
$12.00 per year. POSTMASTER, send address changes to The Catholic Commentator, P.O. Box 14746, Baton
Rouge, LA 70898-4746. Website: thecatholiccommentator.org.
February 8, 2013
3
Priest to lead inaugural Krewe of Comogo
parade in Plaquemine
By Barbara Chenevert
Staff Writer
“Throw me something, Father?”
Revelers attending the inaugural parade of the Krewe
of Comogo in Plaquemine may just change the traditional
Mardi Gras chant of “throw me something, mister” when
Monsignor Earl Gauthreaux leads the parade.
The Krewe of Comogo selected Monsignor Gauthreaux, a
native of Plaquemine, as grand marshal of its Feb. 11 parade
in “recognition of his dedication to God and his church, the
countless acts of love of his family and service to his community and fellow man,” krewe members said.
To Monsignor Gauthreaux, Mardi Gras is just fun. “It will
be an exciting experience,” he said, adding he most looks
forward to seeing the response on people’s faces when he
throws something to them. “It’s the psychology of people –
the response you get, it can be amazing.”
Float riding is not new to Monsignor Gauthreaux. He
rode in the Krewe of Endymion parade in New Orleans, in
full costume, for 17 years until flooding after Hurricane Katrina caused such destruction to the city.
Monsignor Gauthreaux said in the Comogo parade he
will ride in a convertible and wear his priestly clericals
because he feels it would be appropriate to represent the
church in such a Catholic town as Plaquemine. “Mardi Gras
is part of our faith. It evolved from our liturgical year beginning with the Epiphany,” he said. Before the parade starts,
Father Cleo Milano, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church
in Plaquemine, will bless the floats.
Monsignor Gauthreaux comes from a Mardi Gras loving
family. The Krewe of Comogo was formed in honor of Brenda Comeaux, his niece, who was very involved in carnival
balls in Plaquemine and was widely known for her design
and decorating talents. In fact the krewe’s name stems from
combining parts of Comeaux with Gauthreaux.
Comeaux, who died of lung cancer three years ago, “always dreamed of starting a parade krewe. Although she was
unable to reach this dream she left a legacy of love, friendship and talent that will always be remembered,” krewe
members said.
At the age of 82, Monsignor Gauthreaux said he won’t
slow down as long as his health allows him to continue
working. As pastor of St. Maria Goretti Church in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, he is in full time active ministry as
a canon lawyer and archdiocesan consultant and taught a
course at Notre Dame Seminary last year.
The monsignor said he was born and attended school in
Plaquemine until 1947 when he entered St. Joseph Seminary. After his ordination, he was assigned to St. Francis
de Sales Church in Houma, but soon Archbishop Joseph
F. Rummel asked him to attend the Catholic University in
Washington, D.C., to study canon law. When the Diocese of
Baton Rouge was formed, he tried to transfer to this diocese
“like all the other natives” but then Archbishop John Patrick
Cody refused because they needed his expertise in the field
Monsignor Earl Gauthreaux will serve as grand marshal
of the inaugural parade of the Krewe of Comogo in
Plaquemine on Feb. 11. The krewe was founded in honor of Monsignor Gauthreaux’s niece, Brenda Comeaux.
Photo by Barbara Chenevert | The Catholic Commentator
of canon law, he said. “We were in the midst of the Vatican II
and a lot had to be done,” he said.
Monsignor Gauthreaux said his church St. Maria Goretti
was destroyed after Katrina and had to be rebuilt.
The Comogo parade, the first night parade to be held in
Plaquemine, will begin at the corner of Main Street and La. 1
at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 11. It will proceed south to Belleview Drive and turn west on Belleview to the Carl F. Grant
Civic Center for the annual Krewe of Comogo Gala.
Additional information can be obtained from Rhonda
Harrell, 225-687-2029 or on the kreweofcomogo.org website.
Bishop Robert Muench and Chef John Folse
Want to Serve You and Your Family at the
Eighteenth Annual
Count Your Blessings Supper
Friday, March 15, 2013
Outstanding Program by John Pastorek
Starts at 7:00 PM
Our Lady of Mercy Parish Activity Center
What do you count your blessings for? When was the last time you took a moment just to look around and appreciate the beauty of life
and the bounty of the earth, to be truly thankful for simple things like a comfortable bed or a delicious meal? It’s so easy to get caught up
in the busyness of life and overlook everyday blessings.
Everybody loves a story with a happy ending! Do you remember the beautiful little girl in the photo? Liz was homeless, but we provided
shelter to her and her mother in their greatest time of need. Every day, we open our arms to thousands of people who need assistance with
basic necessities. They are grateful for something as simple as a hot meal served in the warmth of our dining room. Last year, we had over
236,000 opportunities to see people counting their blessings as we served hot, nutritious meals. Homeless men, women and children
counted their blessings for the 25,000 guest nights of shelter we provided. And, of course, the people who came to our pharmacy counted
their blessings as we filled more than 38,000 life-sustaining prescriptions.
In that same spirit of charity and gratitude, Bishop Robert Muench and Chef John Folse invite you to join us again this year for our 18th
Count Your Blessings Supper scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 15th, at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church. We would love to have
you join us for a simple Lenten supper of soup and bread – a meal that will nourish you physically and spiritually.
------------------------------------------------------Clip and send in--------------------------------------------------Yes, I want to buy tickets (or make a donation) to the Count Your Blessings Supper. I would like __________ tickets at $10.00 per person.
I am enclosing a check for $_______.
Name: ____________________________________________
Make checks payable and mail to: Society of St. Vincent de Paul, P.O. Box 127,
Address:___________________________________________
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0127. For more info, call us at (225) 383-7837.
City: ____________________State: _________Zip: _________
4
February 8, 2013
Catholic Schools Week focuses on outstanding educators, alumni
By Laura Deavers
Editor
Catholic schools in the Diocese
of Baton Rouge celebrated Catholic Schools Week from Jan. 27 to
Feb. 2. Each school had special
events, many had something each
day of the week, while the Catholic
Schools Office had a special dinner Jan. 28 to honor distinguished
graduates and a special Mass on
Feb. 1 at Ascension of Our Lord
Church in Donaldsonville.
The annual Distinguished
Graduates Dinner, held at the Renaissance Hotel in Baton Rouge,
provided a venue to spotlight the
alumnus each Catholic school
chose as its outstanding graduate
this year.
Bishop Robert W. Muench and
Catholic Schools Superintendent
Dr. Melanie Verges presented all
of the graduates with an award
inscribed with their name and the
name of their school.
Assistant Catholic Schools
Superintendent Deacon Joseph
Scimeca received special recognition at the dinner since he will
retire at the end of this school
year, after serving for 44 years in
several schools and areas of education in this diocese. As a surprise,
his whole family was invited to the
dinner.
U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La.,
had a proclamation extolling
Scimeca’s contributions to Catholic education entered in the Congressional Record. The text of
Vitter’s comments were framed
and presented to him by Bishop
Muench and Verges.
Dr. Keith Comeaux, who works
for NASA as a flight director and
chief engineer for the Mars Science Laboratory, was chosen to address the diners on behalf of all of
the outstanding graduates on the
importance of Catholic education.
Catholic High School chose
Comeaux, class of 1985, as its
distinguished graduate. He also
graduated from St. Thomas More
School.
Comeaux attributed his successful career with NASA to the
education he received at CHS and
STM.
“Catholic High trained me for
the leader I am today,” Comeaux
said. He mentioned specifically
the exposure to community service while in high school, which
he continues today as a mentor
for students. The ups and downs
of being the Key Club president
and a member of the CHS student
council gave him the courage to
be a leader, he said. His education
at Catholic schools taught him to
learn and grow, he said.
After Comeaux spoke, Verges
presented him with a picture of
Mars painted for him by a St.
Thomas More student.
Bishop Muench, the primary
celebrant for the Catholic Schools
Week Mass, was joined by 10 pas-
Catholic Schools Superintendent Dr. Melanie Verges presents a painting of Mars to Dr. Keith Comeaux following his talk at the annual Distinguished Graduates Dinner Jan. 28. Comeaux spoke at the dinner on
the importance of education and Catholic education specifically. Photos
by Laura Deavers | The Catholic Commentator
tors of churches that have elementary schools.
In his remarks to the students,
who were selected to represent the
students at their school, Bishop
Muench asked them to consider
that God might be calling them
to be a priest, deacon or religious
brother or sister.
The bishop pulled out a piece of
loose-leaf paper and told the students he had something he wanted
to read to them. He read the letter
of a second-grader thanking his
uncle and aunt for a monetary gift
sent to him for his first Communion. In the letter the young
SEE CSW PAGE 5
School Service Award Recipients
Bishop Robert W. Muench and Dr. Melanie Verges, right, congratulate
Pete Boudreaux and Sister Micha DeHeart MHS, for their 45 years of
service to Catholic schools.
10 years: Pam Boeckman, Debbie Landry, Ascension ElemenRosella Cambre, Adrienne Stan- tary; Lisa Burke, Susan Nelson and
ley and, Angie Finch, Holy Ghost; Vicki Pitchford, St. Thomas More;
Fiona Conroy, Robin Deck, Richard Darlene Tallo, St. Thomas Aquinas
Falgout, Thuan Dang, Cathy Ro- High; Tammy L. Joseph, Susan Wilbichaux, Jennifer Thibodeaux and son, Karen H. Broussard and Peggy
Jason Hanks, Catholic High School; T. Granier, Most Blessed Sacrament;
Joanna L. Foltz, St. Peter Chanel; Dr. Anna Bourgeois, Craig Saylor,
Sharon Budgewater and Cath- Rhonda Gaunt, St. Michael High;
erine Durnin, St. Joseph’s Acad- Susan Borgmeyer, Allyson Corder
emy; Charlotte Ardoin, Michaelyn and Bridget Culotta, St. Jude; Kathy
Bellelo RN, Stacie Granier, Monica Bennett and Renee Kelly, Sacred
Heitman, Lisa Mongrue, Jill Parrino, Heart; Melissa Parker, Pat Yoches,
Jane Patout, Debbie Percy, Amy Adrian Cumings, Tammy Paul and
Catherine Perret, Amanda Regis- Susan H. Steele, Catholic Schools
ter, Lauren Jones Serpas, Kather- Office
15 years: JoAnn Mike, Holy
ine Sessions and Jane Claverie St.
Ghost;
Christy Kessler, Catholic
Pierre, St. Aloysius; Tiffany BouHigh;
Mary
Kay Alford, Donna
dreaux, Judith Farr and Cherie RobBlanc,
Ileana
Alonso and Jamal
inson, St. Jean Vianney; Penny R.
Tajdaran,
St.
Joseph’s
Academy;
Saucier, Torrie S. Schexnaydre and
Tracie G. Waguespack, St. Theresa; Katherine Cook, Gina Dugas, Julie
Laura Bourg, Lorainne Delatte and
SEE AWARDS PAGE 5
February 8, 2013
Catholic Schools Week Mass
Bishop Robert W. Muench receives
from Dr. Melanie Verges a basket of
birthday cards made for him by the
Catholic school students in this diocese. Deacon Ronald Hebert of St.
Alphonsus Church in Greenwell
Springs, left, and Deacon Alfred Ricard of St. John the Evangelist
Church in Plaquemine, right, assisted
Bishop Muench at the Mass. Photos by
Laura Deavers | The Catholic Commentator
Left, Daniel Barfield, the fifth-grade
student of the year at Our Lady of Mercy School, places a gift from his fellow
school mates, among the gifts from all
of the Catholic schools in the diocese
on the steps of the Ascension of Our
Lord sanctuary. The small gifts, which
were brought up at the beginning of
Mass, were representative of the many
items the schools donated to Catholic
Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge
to help people in need.
CSW: Outstanding educators recognized
FROM PAGE 4
boy wrote: “I think one day maybe
I will be a priest.” The letter was
written by the bishop and was
given back to him on the 40th anniversary of his ordination to the
priesthood by his uncle.
“What did I know as a second
grader? If God can speak to me, he
can speak to you,” Bishop Muench
said encouragingly.
Prior to the Mass, representatives from each school brought
donations of gift cards, personal
items and household cleaning materials to Catholic Charities of the
Diocese of Baton Rouge that had
been collected at their schools.
At the beginning of the Mass, the
principals accompanied one of
their students in a procession to
the steps of the church sanctuary
to place an item that their school
had collected, symbolic of the van
load of needed items collected.
At the end of the Mass, Verges
spoke of how many people associated with Catholic education in this
diocese had 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35,
40 and 45 years of service. Awards
were presented to CHS’s Pete Boudreaux and St. John Primary’s
Sister Micha DeHeart MHS, who
have taught for 45 years.
Awards were also presented to
Father Michael Moroney, pastor
of St. Alponsus Liguori Church
and one of 12 outstanding pastors
selected by the NCEA; St. Joseph
principal Dr. Gerard Toups, the
outstanding principal selected by
NCEA; Catholic High School assistant principal for instruction
Dr. Jason Hanks, the NCEA secondary educator; and St. Theresa
of Avila fourth-grade teacher Beth
Sinanan, the NCEA elementary
educator.
Scimeca was also given a plaque
to mark his career in Catholic education.
Verges
presented
Bishop
Muench with a basket filled with
birthday cards made by each
school in the diocese to give the
bishop a belated birthday greeting
for his 70th birthday, which was
Dec. 28.
Diocese of Baton Rouge
Catholic Schools Office
www.csobr.org
EA/EI Regional Catholic School Operations Officer
for School Year: 2013-14
St. Theresa School & St. John Primary School
www.sjp-sta.org
The Ascension Catholic School choir, under the direction of Laura Shows, right, and Sandra Mistretta,
at piano, provided the music for the Catholic Schools Week Mass Feb. 1 at Ascension of Our Lord
Church in Donaldsonville.
AWARDS: Many years devoted to Catholic education
FROM PAGE 4
Foushee, Cheryl G. Frost, Carol Hill, Will Jones and Lisa
Moore, St. Aloysius; Cindy Segalla, St. Jean Vianney;
Kathy Allen and Wendy Poirrier, Ascension Elementary; Dale Oufnac and Sally Streete, St. Thomas More;
Kathy Guerin, St. John Elementary; Julie G. Bourgoyne,
Leticia Castille, Roslyn L. Landry, Lynn L. Guedry and
Caroline Peccorara, Most Blessed Sacrament; Dana
Duet, St. Alphonsus; Sister Julie Kraemer CSJ and Pegeen Romero, Sacred Heart; Ada Guillory and Carrie
Lawson, Catholic Schools Office
20 years: Kate Brady, Pinney Johnson and Margaret
Smith, Catholic High; Sivi Miller, St. Joseph’s Academy;
Beth Nash Bordelon, Merrill Faye Eglin, Mary Eleanor
Harris and Patrice LeJeune, St. Aloysius; Carol Pearce,
Ascension Elementary; Gail Bourgeois, St. Thomas
More; Virginia Bravata and Tandy Sibley, St. Thomas
Aquinas High; Lisa T. Lloyd, Carolin J. Milner, Rebecca
L. Pippin and David Planche, Most Blessed Sacrament;
Terri Callender, St. Jude; Mona Harding and Nadine
Landry, Catholic Schools Office; Blanche Allain, St.
John High
25 years: Lisa Traigle, St. Elizabeth; Steve Galliano,
Catholic High; Anne L. Blanchard and Karen Edwards,
St. Aloysius; Beverly DiGerolamo, St. Jean Vianney; Kim
P. Naquin, St. Theresa; Mary Ehrensing and Patricia Fell,
St. Michael High; Gretta Downing, St. Jude; Theresa
Ginn and Barbara Lemon, Catholic Schools Office
30 years: Terri Morrison, Holy Ghost; Donald Hood,
Catholic High; Edie Boudreaux, Carolyn Murphy and
Jeanne Wintz, St. Aloysius; Mary Bergeron, Ascension
Elementary; Felice Bourque and Cynthia Martin, St.
Thomas More; Marietta O’Dwyer, St. John Elementary;
Yvonne L. Chiasson, Most Blessed Sacrament; Gaye
Stanly and Brenda Cocke, St. Alphonsus; Linda Rizzo,
Sacred Heart
35 years: Glen Randow, Catholic High; Deborah M.
Webb, St. Peter Chanel; Gay A. Hebert and Jackie Higdon, St. Aloysius; Marc Fournet, Mary Jurey and Jackie
Duplechin, St. Thomas More; Donna Kirkland, St. John
Elementary; Alice Nina Jarreau and Cristal Willis, Catholic Schools Office
40 years: Sister Linda Bradford RSM, St. Michael
High
45 years: Pete Boudreaux, Catholic High; Sister Micha DeHart MHS, St. John Primary
5
As a part of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, St. Theresa School and St.
John Primary School partner to provide Catholic education to students
from nine church parishes throughout the region. St. Theresa serves approximately 330 students in Grades 4 - 8 on the site of St. Theresa of Avila
Church Parish in Gonzales, and St. John Primary serves approximately 420
students in Grades PK - 3 on the site of St. John the Evangelist Church Parish in Prairieville. The schools participate in district accreditation through the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
TheOperationsOfficerforthepartnershipworkswithpastorsandprincipals as budget manager, advancement agent, facilities manager, advisory
board coordinator, and strategic planner. This position also serves as grants
coordinatorandcrisismanagementofficerinfosteringthemissionandministry of the school through collaborative leadership, clear communication,
andconsistenteffortstowardcontinuousimprovement.
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FieldPreferred
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•AvailabilityonJuly1,2013
Submitletterofinterest,résuméwithreferences
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6
NATIONAL | INTERNATIONAL
February 8, 2013
At annual March for Life, crowds show endurance, passion to continue
By Carol Zimmermann
Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON — Participants at the annual March for
Life in Washington Jan. 25 demonstrated just how determined
they are not only by showing up
in such large numbers on a bitter
cold day but by continuing a 40year tradition of protesting the
U.S. Supreme Court’s decision
legalizing abortion.
“Forty years ago, people
thought opposition” to the Supreme Court’s decision “would
eventually disappear,” Boston
Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley told
the crowd assembled on the National Mall for a rally prior to the
march along Constitution Avenue
to the front of the U.S. Supreme
Court.
He noted that Nellie Gray,
founder of the annual march who
died last year, “was not going to
allow that to happen” nor was the
pro-life movement.
“The march grows stronger
every year,” said the cardinal,
chairman of the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops Committee
on Pro-Life Activities.
Various media outlets put the
estimate for this year’s March for
Life crowd at between 500,000
and 650,000. An official crowd
3.30
estimate has not been provided
by police since about 1995.
A March for Life spokeswoman told Catholic News Service
Jan. 29 that the organization
did not have an official number for the crowd but said there
were “hundreds of thousands”
of participants. A separate “virtual” March for Life sponsored
by Americans United for Life Action for those unable to travel to
Washington drew 70,000 participants.
Many speakers praised the
resiliency of the crowd, braving a
cloudy 20-degree day and standing on snow-dusted ground, but
they also spoke of the pro-life
movement getting re-energized
by young people who are becoming the movement’s new torchbearers.
This year’s march and rally
took place three days after the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s
Roe v. Wade decision to better
accommodate participants, since
the official Jan. 22 anniversary
was the day after public ceremonies for the presidential inauguration.
Hundreds of high school and
college groups were scattered
throughout the rally crowd; their
members, often in matching hats,
were texting, taking pictures and
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Students from St. Thomas Aquinas Regional High School attend the annual March for Life in Washington,
D.C., Jan. 25. Students from throughout the Diocese of Baton Rouge took part in the March from the National Mall to the front of the U. S. Supreme Court. Photo provided by Michelle Chauvin | St. Thoams Aquinas High School
creatively protesting by wearing
pro-life stickers on their faces and
carrying placards in the backs of
their jackets.
Their placards did not have
jarring images or messages but
predominantly took a gentler
tone such as: “Abolish Abortion
Courageously” or “I am the prolife generation.”
Jeanne Monahan, new president of the March for Life Education & Defense Fund, is 40 – just
as old as the 1973 Supreme Court
decision and the movement protesting it.
Monahan praised Gray for her
long dedication to the cause and
several speakers also credited her
for getting the pro-life movement
on its feet with the first march
and leading each one until her
death. During the rally, a video
tribute to her was shown on the
giant Jumbotron.
Monahan described abortion
as “human rights abuse” but she
also said there were signs the
tide was changing as more antiabortion measures have been introduced in state legislatures and
public opinions are changing. As
she put it to the cheering crowd:
“Being pro-life is considered the
new normal.”
Speakers on the stage stood
below the message “40=55 million,” referring to the number of
abortions reported to have been
performed since abortion was legalized.
This year’s rally did not include speeches by dozens of politicians as in previous years. Nine
legislators were announced and
only a handful spoke.
House Speaker John Boehner,
R-Ohio, addressed the crowd
with a taped video message
promising to work for passage of
a bill to ban taxpayer funding for
abortions. Rep. Diane Black, RTenn., told the crowd she would
fight for a bill she has introduced
to prohibit family planning grants
from going to groups that provide
abortions.
Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill.,
urged participants to continue
to “stand courageously for life.”
He said legislative battles will
continue to take place to change
abortion laws and that the prolife movement “must be compassionate to change hearts and
minds.”
Rick Santorum, former senator and presidential candidate,
spoke about his 4-year-old
daughter, Bella, who suffers from
Trisomy 18, a rare genetic disorder that is often considered fatal.
Santorum said babies diagnosed with disabilities in the
womb are often aborted. He and
his wife were encouraged to abort
their daughter, he said, because
“she was going to be saddled with
disabilities and it would be better for her. But we all know that
death is never better.”
“She makes us better,” he said,
referring to her impact on his
family.
Santorum also praised the
continual efforts of those in the
pro-life movement particularly
those who volunteer at crisis
pregnancy centers, stressing that
this is “not a group moralizing
from the mountaintop.”
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J.,
co-chairman of the House ProLife Caucus, similarly praised
those in the pro-life movement
saying it is “comprised of noble,
caring, smart and selfless people.
It is an extraordinarily powerful,
non-violent, faith-filled human
rights struggle that is growing in
public support, intensity, commitment and hope.”
Another new aspect at this year’s
rally was more use of social media technology, with speakers
prior to the rally’s start urging
participants to tweet about the
rally and follow March for Life
on Twitter and Facebook.
Cardinal O’Malley read a
tweet to the crowd from Pope
Benedict XVI, which said: “I join
all those marching for life from
afar, and pray that political leaders will protect the unborn and
promote a culture of life.”
Rueben Verastigui, youth activist, had a specific message for
the crowd’s youths.
“You can’t just sit around
waiting for change to happen;
you have to get up and make it
happen.” He urged them to get
involved in pro-life work and
if they feel they are alone they
should remember this experience. “Look around, we are not
alone. We are not the future of
the pro-life movement; we are
the pro-life movement!”
Although his message was directed to young people it could
apply to all ages in the crowd
bundled in winter coats, gloves
and hats.
Mary Salmon, who has been
coming to the march for the past
15 years, told Catholic News Service she is always energized by
the march to continue her work at
a crisis pregnancy center.
Salmon, a parishioner from
St. Andrew’s Parish in Clifton,
Va., also feels the pro-life movement needs to educate more people and more effectively spread
its message. Instead of always
just responding to the opposition, it needs to take the lead, she
said.
In other words, she was not
content just to march. “We have
to do something more,” she said.
February 8, 2013
FAMILY LIFE
7
Siblings find fresh start after renewing baptismal promises during Year of Faith
By Debbie Shelley
Assistant Editor
Returning to the church in
which they grew up, St. Philip
Church in Vacherie, and renewing their baptismal promises
during this Year of Faith made
the occasion seem like Easter for
the Daunis Family.
Siblings Christine Daunis,
Daniel Daunis, Patricia Daunis,
Dr. Joan Daunis Hoffpauir and
Eugenie Daunis Licalzi took advantage of Pope Benedict XVI’s
granting of a plenary indulgence,
or full or partial remission of
temporal punishment due for
sins which have already been
forgiven, for those who “on any
day they chose, during the Year
of Faith, if they make a pious visit
to the baptistery, or other place
in which they received the sacrament of baptism, and there renew
their baptismal promises in any
legitimate form.”
According to Eugenie Licalzi, who lives in Mandeville,
her daughter, Jackie, who was
also baptized at St. Philip, comes
home once a year at Christmas.
Learning about the indulgence
for the baptismal promise renewal through EWTN, the two
planned to do so at St. Philip.
A
s the year begins, so do
resolutions. Popular
among these is the resolve
to achieve more balance in one’s
life: balance in terms of time
spent at work versus time for
family, friends, exercise, leisure,
community, prayer – or simply time to finish thoughts and
sentences.
Balance is often approached
as a problem of dividing limited
resources of time and energy. Numerous articles have been written offering useful tactics along
these lines: setting priorities,
jettisoning time-sinkers, carving inviolate spaces on calendars
for vacations, getting help from
spouses, outsourcing if you can
afford to and using flex policies
at work.
I have tried most of these.
Some work well, such as setting
definite dates for family vacations, making commitments with
people you love and avoiding
emails an hour before going to
bed.
But the steady rhythm and the
Renewing their baptismal promises at St. Philip Church in Vacherie,
where they were baptized, before St. Philip Pastor Father Chris Decker,
assisted by altar server Christopher Williams, are, from left, Daniel Daunis, Joan Daunis Hoffpauir, Eugenie Daunis Licalzi and Christine Daunis.
Not pictured but also renewing her baptismal promise is Patricia Daunis.
Photo provided by Christine Daunis
They didn’t make it there during Christmas, but four out of
Licalzi’s’ 11 siblings expressed
their interest in renewing their
baptismal promises with her at
St. Philip.
“We were determined to do it,”
said Christine Daunis of Lafayette.
She contacted Father Chris
Decker, pastor of St. Philip and
St. James Church in St. James,
who arranged for the Daunis
family to renew their baptismal
vows before the 4 p.m. Vigil Mass
on Jan. 19. Father Decker invited
the congregation to join in, telling them that those who were
baptized at St. Philip would also
receive the indulgence if they met
its requirements, such as going
to confession, receiving Communion and praying for the intentions of the pope. He urged those
who were not baptized at St. Philip to return to the church where
they were baptized to renew their
vows.
It had been many years since
the Daunis family had been inside of St. Philip.
“It was so good to be there, it
brought back so many memories,” Christine Daunis said. “It
was a tremendous experience. I
was overwhelmed.”
Patricia Daunis, who now lives
in River Ridge, said as she grew
up her family attended the Vigil
Mass at St. Philip and then had
dinner at Mosca’s Restaurant in
Avondale. She said her siblings
went to that restaurant after their
baptismal promise renewal for an
evening of “nostalgia and family.”
Beyond the sentimentality of
the day, the siblings said renewing their baptismal promises inspired them to learn more about
their faith.
“It’s been like a fresh start,”
said Licalzi, who said she had not
attended any classes focused on
the Catholic faith since she was in
college, but is now taking a class
on the Catechism of the Catholic
Church.
Patricia Daunis, likewise, said
she plans to study the Catechism
and then read various Vatican
documents. She is also reading
books on the sacraments, such as
“Frequent Confessions: Its Place
in the Spiritual Life,” by Father
Benedict Baur OSB. She said the
book helps Catholics who think
of confession as a time to go
through a checklist of what they
have done to see the graces that
come from sincerely participating in the sacrament and get excited about receiving it.
Hoffpauir of Metairie said, “It
(renewing her baptismal promises) has given me an additional
jump start in my pursuit of studying the faith.” She added that she
realizes she can play a role in
spreading the Catholic faith by
learning about it herself and seeing “that it works.”
The siblings agreed that because they made an extra effort
to renew their baptismal promise
they have a greater appreciation
of the sacrament.
“It’s a wake up call when you’re
reciting the words in front of the
priest,” said Daniel Daunis, also
of River Ridge.
He added that his baptismal
renewal enlightened him about
the importance of fulfilling his
vow to live according to the
teachings of the Catholic Church
and he plans to attend daily Mass
regularly.
Christine Daunis said, “There’s
people who never move away
from the church where they were
baptized. But people like us (the
Daunis Family) are going to have
to do something like this outside
of Easter Sunday. There are extra graces that come from being
there. This is extra. It’s like Easter all over again. It brought back
Easter for me.”
Achieving balance is not a time issue
Our Global Family
Carolin Woo
clear demarcation between work
and life eventually lose out to the
onslaught of too many obligations
that seem manageable when one
accepted them.
However, unexpected problems announce themselves: an
energy-sapping cold that lasts too
long springs up, business trips
wreak havoc with exercise routines and good eating habits.
Some days, the feeling I have
first thing in the morning is that
I have already fallen behind. As
I get older, having gone through
many of these undulating cycles
of having and losing balance, I
have come to believe that balance
has to be more than a constant
battle between work and life.
I realize that work is life. It is
not a time period or experiences
bracketed from life. So much of
me has grown through work. It is
the place where I put my values
to the test. Was I fair? Did I use
my power appropriately? Did I
help someone become better?
Was I worthy of the trust put in
me? Did I pause to let grace have
a chance?
Work, after all, is not the curse
humans are asked to bear. It is
God’s invitation to us to build on
his creation, to bring about his
bounty here and now.
Balance is a mindset. It is a
mindset of gratitude that wishes
to return blessings in some small
way, a mindset that seeks to love
well and not look upon others as
obstacles or rivals. It is a mindset
that calls upon grace in everything we do and every encounter
we have.
Ultimately, it is a mindset that
recognizes God in our midst and
the sacredness in all that we do
when we acknowledge his presence.
From this mindset flows our
actions: how we treat those in
and out of the workplace, whether we strive to win or to contribute, whether we are driven by the
fear of losing out or the desire
to stretch and use our gifts, to
what degree do we seek only to
hold onto power and position or
instead use these to fulfill the
responsibilities we have accepted,
the focus we place on own agenda
or on others’ welfare.
Balance is not a time issue, it is a heart issue. It is not
just a marking of spaces on the
calendar but cultivating our
mindfulness for each other, for
our family, for ourselves and for
God. Its fruits are recognizable
in relations with others, in peace
and in a sense of joy. In God, we
will find our balance.
WOO is president and CEO of
Catholic Relief Services.
Honor Those We Love.
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8
February 8, 2013
Calculating the 40 days of Lent
Q
I always hear about the
“40 days of Lent,” but
the math never seems to
work out. When does it start and
when does it end, and how do you
arrive at 40 days? (Cherry Hill,
N.J.)
A
As often happens, a short
and simple question
requires a complicated
answer. Technically, the Sundays
of Lent are not part of this penitential season. Since it is always
a “mini-celebration” of Christ’s
resurrection, a Sunday can never
be a day of fast and abstinence.
So when the church decided
to set aside a season of prayer
and penance in preparation for
Easter – and decided to make it
40 days, to mirror Christ’s fast
in the desert before his public
ministry – it calculated this way:
six full weeks, Monday through
Saturday, plus Ash Wednesday
and the three days that follow it,
for a total of 40 days.
But here’s the complication:
Although Good Friday and Holy
Saturday are clearly part of the
penitential season, liturgically
they are not a part of Lent. In the
church’s liturgical calendar, Lent
ends just prior to the Mass of the
Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday
evening, and then the Easter
Triduum begins.
Q
A friend of ours who is a
Baptist recently invited
us to his church for a
service. During the service, they
had a baptism, and the minister
made the following announcement: “This boy is now 9 years
old, and after inquiring about his
faith, he has decided to become a
Christian.”
On the way home, my friend
and his family kept stressing the
importance of being baptized
at an age when one is mature
enough to understand the basics
of the faith and to make one’s
own choice – unlike the Catholic
there anything else I should have
said? (Greenville, S.C.)
A
Question Corner
Father Kenneth Doyle
practice, they pointed out, where
infants are baptized while they
have no capability of understanding.
I tried to explain that faith is
passed on from parents to their
children and that all children
need parental guidance on their
journey of faith – even when
they’ve reached the age of 9. Is
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Most Christians belong
to denominations that
practice infant baptism
— including Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans,
Methodists, Presbyterians and
Reformed.
Baptists are among those who
do not, joined by most Pentecostals and evangelicals generally.
These latter groups reserve baptism for those who have reached
an age when they are capable of
making a conscious decision to
accept Jesus as their lord and
savior.
The Catechism of the Catholic
Church in No. 1250 states that
“children also have need of the
new birth in baptism to be freed
from the power of darkness” and
in No. 1252 that “the practice of
infant baptism is an immemorial
tradition of the church. There is
explicit testimony to this practice
from the second century, and it is
quite possible that from the beginning of the apostolic preaching, when whole ‘households’
received baptism, infants may
also have been baptized.”
Baptism marks the child’s
entrance into the life of the sacraments and signifies the desire of
the parents to pass on to their
child their most precious possession, the gift of their faith. And I
agree with you that their formative influence on their child’s
faith will last far beyond the age
of 9 and often into adulthood.
In the first few centuries of the
church’s existence, when adult
converts were entering in great
numbers, the sacrament of baptism was thought of principally
as a rite of initiation, the beginning of the Christian life.
Toward the end of the fourth
century, St. Augustine – seeking
to explain the presence of evil
in the world – decided that evil
reached us from the original sin
committed by Adam and Eve.
Baptism then assumed a new
importance, as removing this
inherited sin, and that is the
understanding of baptism which
most of us grew up with.
Over the last half-century,
there’s been some refinement
in the church’s perception, and
baptism and original sin are seen
in a new light – which is actually a return to something more
traditional.
There is no “stain” on the
infant’s soul that defiles it; the
little baby – as you can tell by
looking – is innocent and pure. If
that baby were to die before being
baptized, I feel safe in believing
that God would find a way to
bring the child to heaven.
But every person is born
into an imperfect world, a world
where sin and selfishness are and
have been real forces, and that’s
a more refined view of what we
mean by original sin. That child
will very much need the grace of
God and the help of the Christian
community to resist selfishness
and to advance in holiness.
Baptism begins that life,
opens a channel of grace through
the sacraments – which explains
why the catechism in No. 1250
feels compelled to point out that
“the church and the parents
would deny the child the priceless
grace of becoming a child of God
were they not to confer baptism
shortly after birth.”
invites you to breakfast 9 a.m. – 12 noon, Saturday,
Feb. 23 at Oak Lodge Reception Center, 2834 S.
Sherwood Forest, Baton Rouge. Our speaker will be Carmen
Davis Damen. Carmen’s message will speak to you of how each
life God has created is very precious and eternal. She is a member
of the Central Service Team of Magnificat, the Baton Rouge Right
to Life, EWTN Media Missionary, Our Shepard’s
Prayers Warrior, Rachel’s Vineyard plus many
more ministries. Reservations for the breakfast are
$15 each and can be purchased by mailing a check
to Kathy Simoneaux, 9650 Victory Lane, Denham
Springs, LA 70726 through Feb. 18. Your name will
be registered at the door.
February 8, 2013
SPIRITUALITY
9
Resources are available to help Catholics be renewed during Lent
By Debbie Shelley
Assistant Editor
Some Catholics grumble that Lent is
a drab time of self-punishment as they
impatiently wait for the colorful celebration of Easter to arrive. Online resources
provided by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and
other Catholic organizations help people
see Lent as what USCCB President Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York calls a “spring training”
which ends with the celebration of Jesus’
victory over death and sin at the cross.
The USCCB website usccb.org contains many resources to help people reflect on the deeper meaning of Christ’s
ministry and passion.
The bishops’ website contains audio
files of the seven penitential psalms, the
penitential designation of which dates
from the seventh century, as well as the
Songs of the Suffering Servant from the
Book of Isaiah.
Additionally, USCCB makes suggestions for evangelizing during Lent, provides answers to questions Catholics frequently receive about Ash Wednesday,
abstinence, external sacrifice, the symbolism of Palm Sunday, and the observance of Good Friday instead of attending sporting events.
Furthermore, the bishops list and
give information on their website about
the feast days of saints celebrated during
Lent: St. Polycarp, Feb. 23; St. Katherine
Drexel, March 3; Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, March 7; St. John of God, March
8; St. Dominic Savio, March 9; St. Louise de Merrilac, March 15; St. Patrick,
March 17; St. Joseph, husband of the
Blessed Virgin, March 19; and St. Nicholas Owen, March 22. March 26 is also
the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the
Lord.
Visitors to the USCCB website also
can find resources to help them rediscover the sacrament of reconciliation.
On Jan. 13, the bishops released a statement encouraging Catholics to go to
confession during Lent. Last November
the bishops approved the document ‘The
Pastoral Exhortation on the Sacrament
of Penance and Reconciliation” at their
semi-annual meeting in Baltimore.
“Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal
Timothy Dolan have both stressed the
importance of confession in strengthening our witness during the Year of Faith,”
said Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay,
Wis., chairman of the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis.
“The bishops have made this document
available for easy distribution at the parish level this Lent, and the USCCB has
produced resources that will help engage
Catholics and welcome them in their
journey back to the sacrament.”
The document can also be found at us
ccb.org/confession.
For those who pray the Stations of the
Cross during Lent, the USCCB website
offers an audio Stations of the Cross,
Stations of the Cross for Vocations and a
scriptural Stations of the Cross.
Other good resources for Lent, including radio retreats beginning Feb. 13,
can be found at franciscanmedia.org/re
treats/lent.
Marking the days of Lent can be more
inspirational for Catholics by using an
online Lent calendar at americancatho
lic.org. After clicking on a date, a meditation for the day appears.
This same website also allows people
to send Lenten E greetings and provides
videos on Lenten topics.
Families can find many activities that
enrich their faith lives at catholicmom.
com. The website contains articles for
embracing Lent as a family, recommendations of Lenten books and Lenten activities for children, such as a Stations of
the Cross for Kids, puppet show scripts
for Lent, a Lenten calendar for families
and directions for making Lent eggs, art
foam crosses or Crayon “stained glass”
crosses.
Catholic Relief Services, sponsor of
Operation Rice Bowl, also suggests activities to help people grow in faith through
its website, crsricebowl.org. CRS recommends that families eat simple meals on
the Fridays of Lent using recipes it provides from third-world countries, make
a Lenten Jesse tree, and decorate eggs
with Lenten messages and pictures of
people from third-world countries that
can be printed from its website.
Also on the CRS website is a Lenten
calendar with a daily meditation for each
day. Printable coloring pages are also
available for children.
Some Catholics may be apathetic concerning the approach of Lent or overwhelmed as they try to perfectly observe
it. Bishop Ricken helps them rekindle
their faith by listing on the USCCB website “10 Things to Remember for Lent”: Remember the “formula” of prayer,
fasting and almsgiving; it’s a time to
pray; it’s time to fast; it’s a time to work
on discipline; it’s a time of dying to oneself; don’t do too much; Lent reminds
people of their weakness; be patient;
reach out in charity; and learn to love
like Christ.
Cultivating your mental health is your power
S
ome say that spirituality
and mental health have
nothing to do with each
other, but in the real world,
they are two sides of the same
coin. Mental health urges us to
control our neurotic fears. Spirituality ups the ante and says,
“Fear is useless, what you need
is trust.”
There are some lessons we
can use from both to help us
through our daily struggles.
For example, keep the following in mind:
– You are not your thoughts;
you are the observer of your
thoughts. It’s human to have a
mind that wanders; the trouble
starts when you follow your
toxic thoughts. Don’t let the
past drag you down. Live in
the present moment.
– Learn to control your
anger. Anger will harm its container more than it will harm
the one on whom it is poured.
Forgiveness is the antidote
Spirituality
For Today
Father John Catoir
for anger. Remember, forgive
“seventy-seven times,” as Jesus
said in the Book of Matthew.
– Be grateful. A grateful
person sees an expensive bill
from the doctor and before
getting upset, stops to consider
what the undertaker might
have charged. And remember
to count your blessings and
cultivate a grateful heart.
– Do not be a worrywart. A
good way to test the gravity of
your worries is to try remembering the things you were
anxious about last week. Learn
to laugh at yourself more and
“have no anxiety at all,” as the
Letter to the Philippians tells
us.
– Work is good for the body,
but it is also good for the soul.
Self-respect comes from a job
well done.
– Choose joy over sorrow.
Joy is a choice. The will says
“yes” or “no.” Do not let your
feelings rule your life. Make
a serious intention to be a
joyful person. Cheerfulness is
the main ingredient of good
health.
– And last, do something
every day to make others
happy, even it if is only leaving
them alone.
It’s not what happens to you
in life that will put you down;
it’s how you react to it. I’ll leave
you with these suggestions
and a story: A woman found
out she had only six months
to live. She fell apart, went
home, got into bed and cried
until she died six months later.
Another woman was told she
only had six months to live, but
she decided to make those six
months the happiest days of
her life.
She took a cruise to Europe,
and even squeezed in a second
honeymoon to Tahiti before
her energy ran out. By then,
her illness caught up with her
and she died peacefully. She
stretched those six months
into more than a year and
taught us all that we should not
tremble before anything, even
before the specter of death.
FATHER CATOIR is chaplain of an
emergency assistance program and writes on spirituality for Catholic News Service.
10
Be Generous,
Ready to
Share
Called to a Life of Stewardship,
We Renew Our Commitment to Give.
The Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge enjoys a celebrated legacy of great financial generosity. Each parishioner’s
generous gifts extend that commitment, honoring God by blessing others.
As we contribute our offerings, we keep several principles in mind. Giving is a matter of deliberate, wise planning,
represents a regular percentage of income, and is marked by personal sacrifice and the gratitude of a willing heart.
Most of all, giving is shaped by much thoughtful prayer.
Please weigh your ongoing support of the life-affirming services and ministries in your parish church. In this Lenten
season, we think of sacrificial giving and the example of Jesus Christ who freely offered his own life to secure life
for us. Consider your commitment, and generously share.
Finance
February 8, 2013
February 8, 2013
11
HISTORY: Bishops are publishers of the newspaper and set the editorial direction
FROM PAGE 1
In one of the early issues of The
Catholic Commentator, Bishop
Tracy wrote of the newspaper:
“What a vast apostolic enterprise
this represents and what a privilege to have a part in it!”
Bishop Tracy wrote a column in
every issue, “Bishop Tracy’s Notebook,” where he talked to the
people of his diocese about things
that were on his mind. “I am
happy to be back writing my own
column,” he penned in the second
edition. His first experience as a
columnist was in 1959 when he
was pastor of a church in Abbeville. That was when he realized
“that a pastor can get very close to
his people, including many who
he does not get to talk to regularly
and also to many non-Catholics
as well, by writing a chatty column about parish life including,
here and there observations on
life and religion. … Now that we
have our own diocesan newspaper, I feel that I can reach a great
many of the 165,000 Catholic
people under my care every week
with this new column.”
As bishop he saw himself as primarily a pastor, a shepherd. Taking the words of Jesus, the Good
Shepherd, Bishop Tracy wrote: “I
know mine and mine know me.”
The “I know mine” was achieved
through the census that was taken of all people living within the
bounds of the Diocese of Baton
Rouge; “Mine know Me” was accomplished through his column.
Through the 50 years of The
Catholic Commentator those
who have served as editor include
Brian Daly, Leroy J. Colter, Jim
Faulkner, Bill Hammack, Monsignor Gerald Lefebvre, Thomas
Barbarie and the current editor,
Laura Deavers. Through many
years, Monsignor Patrick Gillespie, who was vicar general,
served as the editor-in-chief, a
position similar to the current associate publisher, a position that
was held by Father John Carville
and now by Father Than Vu.
Subscriptions to The Catholic Commentator have changed,
but only slightly. Fifty years ago
the annual rate was $4.00 in the
United States and $6.00 to foreign countries. For there to have
been a special rate mentioned
for foreign countries, there must
have been people outside the
United States interested in receiving this newspaper.
Over the next nine years the
rate went as high as $6, but in
January 1972, the rate dropped
to $3.95 and would be charged
to the pastors of the churches.
Faulkner, who was editor at that
time, wrote “Economies and a
new composing room assembled
by staff members during the latter part of 1971 have made the
cost reduction possible.”
“Work on the new operation
began early in 1971, following
recommendations proposed by
the Commentator Ad Hoc Study
Committee, chaired by Father
William Greene,” Faulkner wrote.
The committee “recommended
that the Commentator purchase
a printing press, and accompanying composing room machines
with the idea to establish a full
newspaper printing operation on
the grounds of the Catholic Life
Center.”
The recommendation was rejected by the diocesan finance
council, which could see no advantage to purchasing a $63,000
printing press and housing it in a
modified storage building.
The page design of The Catholic
Commentator has changed over
time. Originally a large, broadsheet newspaper, the newspaper
became a smaller, tabloid size in
the early 1980s. At the same time
the frequency changed from every week to every other week.
For the first five years, the front
page contained many stories –
some local, some national or international. Over time the frontpage design changed so there
were fewer and fewer stories
with bigger headlines and larger
photographs. Since becoming a
tabloid size newspaper, there are
even fewer stories, usually two on
page 1.
Over the years, The Catholic
Commentator has carried the
events of the Diocese of Baton
Rouge, as well as news of the
Catholic Church in this country
and around the world, especially
from the pope and the Vatican.
Local news has included the
establishment of new church
parishes, as well as the closing of
church parishes; the construction
of new churches and the renovation of older places of worship;
news of Catholic schools – new
schools opened as well as stories of those schools that have
been closed because of population shifts. Always of interest are
stories of clergy personnel assignments as parishioners look
forward to who will be serving in
their church.
Major stories appearing on
several pages in an edition have
told the events of the installation of Bishop Joseph V. Sullivan
Members of The Catholic Commentator staff look at a billboard promoting the diocesean newspaper. In the
early years of the newspaper, the diocese often promoted the newspaper in outdoor advertising. File photo
on Sept. 4, 1974, Bishop Stanley
Joseph Ott on March 25, 1983,
Bishop Alfred C. Hughes on Nov.
4, 1993 and Bishop Robert W.
Muench on March 14, 2002. The
Catholic Commentator also reported on the death and funerals
of Bishops Tracy, Sullivan and
Ott and visits from the popes,
cardinals and Blessed Mother
Teresa.
The bishop is the publisher of
the diocesan newspaper. Each
of the five bishops of the Diocese of Baton Rouge have set
the editorial direction for the
newspaper while they were the
publisher. While Bishop Tracy
used his newspaper for keeping
the people up-to-date on what he
was doing and wished to accomplish, Bishop Sullivan wanted to
keep the parishioners abreast
of events, especially his official
statements concerning the diocese. Bishop Ott sought to bring
unity to the diocese through The
Catholic Commentator and Bishop Hughes used the newspaper
to educate the people on what
was taking place in the diocese
and the universal church. Bishop
Muench sees the newspaper as
a means of communicating the
significance of special events in
the life of this diocese.
Over time greater emphasis
has been placed on carrying
news of the people of this diocese, focusing on how they live
their Catholic faith and spread
the Gospel message.
Interestingly, the byline for the
person writing a story did not
appear regularly until the mid1980s.
As The Catholic Commentator
enters its next 50 years, changes
are occurring to keep up with the
21st century. In 2011, The Catholic Commentator website was
established. The site contains
all of the stories that appear in
each issue of the newspaper as
well as PDF pages so readers can
read the pages as they appear
in the printed version of the paper. Since the Jan. 8, 2013 issue,
the newspaper’s primary means
of distribution is through the
church parishes in this diocese
and is only mailed to the homes
of those people who request it.
The newspaper is also being
emailed to people who wish to
receive it in that form and stories
are posted on Facebook. Soon
The Catholic Commentator will
be distributed to the students
in the Catholic schools in the
diocese. Plans are being discussed to provide more locations
throughout the diocese where
people can pick up a copy of the
diocesan newspaper.
“When I was named editor in
1984, I realized I was the seventh
editor in 22 years. Based on history I thought my tenure would
be about three to four years. My
28 years of serving the people of
the Diocese of Baton Rouge has
been an education, a pleasure
and an honor,” said the current
editor, Laura Deavers.
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12
MOVIE
REVIEWS
USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting
classifications:
A-I – General patronage
A-II – Adults and adolescents
A-III – Adults
A-IV – Adults, with reservations
L – Limited adult audience
O – Morally offensive
Broken
City (Fox)
Scandal, intrigue, and a surfeit of bad
language combine to form director Allen Hughes’ dark thriller with political
overtones. Seven years after being acquitted in the suspicious shooting of a rapist
and murderer, an ex-New York cop (Mark
Wahlberg) is asked by the city’s mayor (a
sensational Russell Crowe), who withheld
evidence of the former officer’s wrongdoing, to prove that Hizzoner’s wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is two-timing him. Predictably, things are not what they seem,
and the grizzled protagonist — who is also
struggling with alcoholism and battling
to maintain his relationship with his girlfriend, a wannabe actress (Natalie Martinez) — quickly finds himself caught in a
ENTERTAINMENT
Motion Picture Association of America
ratings:
G – General audiences; all ages admitted
PG – Parental guidance suggested; some
material may not be suitable for children
PG-13 – Parents are strongly cautioned
to give special guidance for attendance
of children under 13; some material may
be inappropriate for young children
R – Restricted; under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian
NC-17 – No one under 17 admitted
web of intrigue and blackmail. Laudably,
Brian Tucker’s screenplay shows the true
costs and consequences of corruption.
And, while it encourages viewers to understand the main character’s morally dubious
choices, the script doesn’t prompt them to
approve. Still, the evident desire to turn out
a gritty movie makes this suitable only for
the most tolerant adults. Occasional graphic violence, possible cohabitation, fleeting but strong sexual imagery, brief upper
female nudity, mature themes, including
adultery and homosexuality, about half-adozen uses of profanity, pervasive rough
language, occasional crude and crass
terms, a couple of anti-gay slurs. L; R
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
(Paramount)
February 8, 2013
Hyperviolent updating of the Grimm
Brothers fairy tale has the title characters
(Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton)
grown and bent on missions of revenge
against all the dark witches who inhabit
the forests near medieval Augsburg, Germany. Writer-director Tommy Wirkola
strings near-nonstop mayhem on a bare
thread of a plot involving missing children
and Hansel and Gretel’s efforts to come to
grips with their parents’ abandonment of
them. Pervasive gory violence, a vengeance
theme, fleeting rear and upper female nudity, some rough and crude language. O; R
Movie 43
(Relativity)
Sick collection of gross-out comedy
shorts framed by the story of a madman
(Dennis Quaid) pitching his perverse
script ideas to a Hollywood studio executive (Greg Kinnear). Directors too numerous to list — 10 in all — labor vainly to
draw humor from subjects like incest,
menstruation, aberrant sexual desires and
abortion. Inexplicably, stars from Hugh
Jackman and Kate Winslet to Emma Stone
and Richard Gere seem to have flocked
to the queasy project. Moviegoers can go
them one better by staying away from it.
Pervasive obscene and scatological humor,
brief semigraphic sexual activity, full nudity, about a half-dozen uses of profanity,
relentless rough and crude language. O; R
Parker
(FilmDistrict)
Bloody and violent adaptation of
“Flashfire,” the 19th in the series of “Parker” novels written by Richard Stark, and
directed by Taylor Hackford. A professional thief (Jason Statham) is betrayed
by his partners in crime and left for dead.
He recovers, and fueled by revenge and
greed, tracks the gang to Florida where
they are planning the jewel heist of the
century. There, a lonely real estate agent
(Jennifer Lopez) offers her help in return
for a piece of the action. A benign view
of stealing, considerable bloody violence
including gunplay and knife fights, brief
nudity, sexual innuendo, occasional profanity, frequent rough language. O; R
The Last Stand
(Lionsgate)
A souped-up Corvette gets more screen
time than star Arnold Schwarzenegger in
director Kim Jee-Woon’s shoot-’em-up action flick. Schwarzenegger’s return to leading-man roles finds him playing an Arizona
sheriff who has the last chance to stop a violent Mexican drug-cartel leader (Eduardo
Noriega) from crossing the border after
the gangster’s escape from federal custody.
The result is meandering mayhem for the
sturdy and mature only. Considerable violence, including much gunplay, occasional
profanity, frequent rough language. L; R
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February 8, 2013
ENTERTAINMENT
Starting again requires examining old patterns
Blank Page
I know there’s hurt; I know there’s pain; But
people change; Lord knows I’ve been no
saint; In my own way, regret choices I’ve
made; How do I say I’m sorry?; How do I say
I’m sorry?
I was scared, I was unprepared; Ooh for the
things you said; If I could undo that I hurt you;
I would do anything for us to make it through
Refrain:
Draw me a smile and save me tonight; I am
a blank page waiting for you to bring me to
life; Paint me a heart, let me be your art; I am
a blank page waiting for life to start; Let our
hearts stop and beat as one together; Let
our hearts stop and beat as one forever
1
2
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7
(Repeat second verse.)
(Repeat refrain.)
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11
22
27
How can I erase decisions I’ve made?; How
do I go back? What more can I say?; All that
remains are hearts filled with shame; And
how do we say we’re sorry?; And how do we
say we’re sorry?
8
13
47
54
53
48
55
I’d go back in time; And I realize; Our spirit’s
alive; And we never died
56
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(Repeat refrain.)
63
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www.wordgamesforcatholics.com
Sung by Christina Aguilera | Copyright © 2012 by RCA Records
C
hristina Aguilera has
gained stardom in several
areas of entertainment,
including film, TV and, of course,
the recording industry. Yet, her
philanthropic work through the
United Nations to address world
hunger has been even more important. Now Aguilera is out with
her studio album “Lotus,” and off
that disc is her current release
“Blank Page.”
The song focuses on when it is
important to apologize to another
and start over in a relationship as
if it were a “blank page.” Aguilera
said in an interview on MTV that
the song is “about being OK with
saying you’re sorry and the fact
that you might have regrets, but it’s about finding closure and making peace with yourself and
the situation.”
Her words well exemplify these feelings. The
narrator of the song says, “I know there’s hurt, I
know there’s pain,” and asks, “How can I erase
decisions I’ve made, how do I go back? What
more can I say?” She says, “How do I say I’m
sorry?” She sees herself as a “blank page waiting for life to start,” and she tells her romantic
partner to “paint me a heart, let me be your
art.”
So if apologies are exchanged and meant,
what kind of “art” can be created on the blank
page? That depends on what each person wants
in the relationship, and even more, how each
wants to change his or her behavior. The song is
correct in asserting that each day offers a blank
page. True, we remember the previous “pages,”
even whole chapters, but today’s “art” still
remains a choice.
One way to “draw” in a new way is for both
individuals to look carefully at what happened.
Many times, relationships have a habitual
pattern where one thing happens or is said
that triggers a response from the other per-
son. When the intensity of these
situations is fueled by anger or
pain, this automatic pattern often
deepens the hurt between the
two people. Both individuals then
have to work at changing these
interactions.
Such work is possible.
It begins by clearly seeing
how the pattern gets triggered.
Individuals can commit themselves to be observant for the first
signs of the pattern arising. If the
couple has previously designed
a plan for how they will relate in
such situations, a different outcome can be fostered.
All of this takes commitment and dialogue. Nothing
new occurs just because the “blank page” of a
new day arrives. This day holds promise and
opportunity, but what will be “drawn” depends
on awareness and the resolve to create a much
different “art.”
Clearly, articulating the apology is a place to
start. When such words include no judgment
or excuses for what happened, they do offer a
blank page. This is also a time to seek God’s
guidance. God always wants to bring the power
of healing and renewal into our lives. The past
does not determine the present. With God’s
help, many situations in life can be “redrawn”
so that the goodness and meaning that God
wants us to experience are more available.
If indeed you seek new “art” in your life, put
your focus on what you want. Consider what
will need to happen to change prior patterns
and draw in new ways. God will help you. A
blank page awaits you.
On The Record
Charlie Martin
MARTIN is an Indiana pastoral counselor who reviews current music for Catholic News Service.
Your comments are always welcome. Write
to [email protected] or at 7125 West
Country Road 200 South, Rockport, IN 47635.
ACROSS
1 Joseph had a multi-colored one
5 Mary, Stella ___
10 Shut with force
14Curves
15 Saintly convert executed in Auschwitz
16 Shower floor piece
17 Size of type
18Beastly
19 Greek god of love
20 Goldilocks favorite?
22 Island inhabited by Circe
23 Collection of miscellaneous data
24Diocese
25 British nobleman
27 Catholic cartoonist Keane of
“Family Circus”
28Remittances
32 Patron saint of young girls
35Misplaces
36 Symbol of Confirmation
37 Brother of Abel
38Cheapskate
39 Supernatural force
40 Vague list ender
41 Place where language was confused, according to Genesis
42 Jericho heroine
43 MTV watcher
45 Abbr. at the top of a column
46 Sports Commentator Hershiser
47 “The Jungle Book” python
48 Plant, perhaps
51 Catholic director of “It’s a Wonderful Life”
54 Haman plotted to kill him (Esth
5:9–14)
56 Ship’s company
57 Weaned pig
59 Coarse file
60 College in New Rochelle, NY
61 Garlic-flavored mayonnaise
62 Hook’s hand
63 Annual race, familiarly
64 Family car
65 Epic poetry
DOWN
1 ___ magna
2
3
4
5
The Hunter
Capital of Ghana
Former Russian ruler
Monk who is father of modern
genetics
6 Wise saying
7Ascend
8 Hairy Addams cousin
9Bashful
10 Catholic former Republican
National Committee Chairman
11 Former Fountain of Trevi coin
12 Natural balm
13 Flat-topped rise
21 Egyptian goddess of fertility
22Weapons
25 Artist’s support
26Yesman
27 “Son of” in Hebrew
28 Card game
29 First to build an altar (Gen 8:20)
30 She played Ginger on “Gilligan’s
Island”
31 Thick slice
32 Vinegar (comb.)
33 We should enter by the narrow
one
34Pleasing
35Defamation
38 Leaf of a book
39 Son of ___
41 Actress Theda ___
42 ___ to Damascus
44 The Archdiocese of Oslo is
found here
45 St. ___ of Tours
47 Australian marsupial
48Rascal
49 90’s Toyota coupe
50 Exclamation of fright
51 202, in ancient Rome
52 Elvis’ middle name
53 Remain undecided
54 Emotional state
55 Scottish Gaelic
57 Stockholm flier
58 Get a move on
Solution on page 16
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14
W
VIEWPOINT
Ecumenism should focus on inner conversion
hile saying farewell the night
before he died, Jesus told those
with him that he “had other
sheep that are not of this fold” and that
those with him at that particular moment were not his only followers. Very
importantly, he also said that he longed
for unity with those others just as urgently and deeply as he longed for unity
with those in the room with him.
Among other things, this means that
no matter what our particular Christian
denomination, we are not Christ’s only
followers and that we have no more right
to his love than those millions of others
who are not of our own kind. Moreover,
to be a disciple of Jesus means that we,
like him, also have to hunger and pray
for unity with those who are separated
from us. Indeed the divisions among us
as Christians, the fact that we are divided
into more than a hundred separate
denominations and the fact that, within
these denominations, we are further
bitterly divided by ideologies and live
in distrust of each other, constitutes
perhaps the biggest of all scandals that
Christianity has given and continues to
give to the world.
For the most part, despite considerable good will and genuine effort in
recent years, we are still not praying for
each other and reaching out to each other
with any real heart. The relationship
between Christian denominations today,
and often inside of those denominations
themselves, is characterized more by
L
February 8, 2013
re-entrenchment than by
openness, distrust than
by trust, disrespect than
by respect, demonization
than by empathy, and lack
of charity than by courtesy and graciousness.
Sadly, too, more so than
by ecumenical hunger and
openness, our churches are
characterized too much by
a self-sufficiency and smugness that says: “We have
the truth. We have no need
of you!”
But who are our real
brothers and sisters as
Christians? Is it those
within our own particular
denomination? Perhaps, though perhaps
not! Several times during his ministry
while Jesus was talking to a group of
people, someone approached him and
told him that his mother and his family
were outside the circle of this particular
group, wanting to talk to him. Jesus’
reply is far-reaching: In each case, he
responds with a question: “Who is my
mother? Who are my brothers and sisters?” And he answers his own question
by saying: “Those who hear and keep the
word of God are mother, and brother,
and sister to me.”
In a society where blood relationship
meant everything, this statement is a
stunning one. Blood may be thicker than
water but, Jesus asserts, faith is thicker
than blood. Faith is the real
basis for family. It trumps
biology. Moreover, without
straining the logic, implied
in this too is that faith also
trumps denomination.
Who is your real brother or
sister as a Christian? Your
fellow Roman Catholic?
Your fellow Presbyterian?
Your fellow Lutheran? Your
fellow Baptist? Your fellow
Evangelical? Your fellow
Methodist? Your fellow
Anglican or Episcopalian?
Clearly, for Jesus, it is the
person who most deeply
hears the word of God
and keeps it, irrespective
of denomination. Christian discipleship
is defined more by the heart than by a
particular church membership card.
This makes for a non-negotiable mandate within our Christian discipleship:
We need to radiate Jesus’ hunger for intimacy with all people of sincere faith and,
to that end, our actions towards those
outside our own religious circle must always be marked by respect, graciousness,
and charity - and a genuine signal that
we hunger for unity with them.
Genuine respect, graciousness and
charity can only be predicated on a humility that believes that our own church,
whatever our denomination, does not
have the whole truth, that we are not
free of error, that we are not free of sin,
In Exile
Father Ron Rolheiser
and that we are not fully faithful to the
gospel. All of us, all Christian churches,
are journeying towards fullness, towards
a full understanding of the truth, and
towards a more radical and honest fidelity to what Jesus asks of us. None of us
has arrived. All of us are journeying still
towards where we are called.
Thus, our real ecumenical task, no
matter our denomination, is not that of
trying to win over converts or convince
others that we are more right than they
are. Our primary task is inner conversion within our own denomination. Our
primary task is to try, as individuals and
as churches, to be more faithful to the
gospel. If we do that we will eventually
come together, as one church, under
Christ because as we all go deeper into
the mystery of Christ and grow more
deeply in our own intimacy with Jesus,
we will (in the beautiful phrase of Avery
Dulles) “progressively converge”, eventually meet around one center and one
person, Jesus Christ.
Kenneth Cragg, after spending years
as a Christian missionary to Islam,
suggested it will take all the Christian
churches to give full expression to the
full Christ. Clearly all of us still need to
stretch our hearts.
OBLATE FATHER ROLHEISER, theologian, teacher and award-winning author, is president of the Oblate School of Theology in
San Antonio, Texas. He can be contacted
through his website ronrolheiser.com.
Focusing on food waste as Lent nears
ike many Americans, I cut back on
calorie consumption during January to make up for holiday excess.
That eating marathon between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, which produces
extra pounds and often much waste,
sometimes seems like a personal issue.
But a recent study reminded me that it
has its global impact. Our holidays were
jolly with our three children visiting from
Alaska, Philadelphia and Seattle. Adding
to the fun was the presence of a son-inlaw and two serious significant others.
What to feed six extra people for several days without everyone growing tired
of my cooking and me growing weary of
the kitchen? We agreed that each couple
take one night to cook a favorite recipe.
My husband and I would pay for the
groceries and turn the kids loose in our
open kitchen.
While one couple diced, chopped,
simmered and sauteed, everyone else sat
back with a glass of wine and armchairquarterbacked the chefs.
Quickly, my kids decided this was
a friendly “competition” with my husband as the judge. We enjoyed sizzling
fajitas with homemade guacamole and
mango salsa one night, and pasta with
shrimp and asparagus, accompanied by
homemade bruschetta on toast, another.
A Thai concoction with chicken, sweet
potatoes and other vegetables on quinoa
completed the trifecta. My husband diplomatically declared a tie. My ordinary
lasagna wasn’t even in the running.
Then came “the morning after.” We
tried our best to eat leftovers for lunch,
but even so, after a week of cleanup, with
everyone gone, I had to throw out some
food along with some cleverly decorated
reindeer cupcakes that had grown stale.
Unhappily, my refrigerator cleaning came just as the Los Angeles Times
reported that up to half of the food produced worldwide never makes it into a
mouth. According to a study by Britain’s
Institution of Mechanical Engineers, up
to 2 billion tons of food are wasted annually.
This happens in a world where close
to a billion people go to bed hungry. In
my own city, while I indulge in an extra
cookie I don’t need, lots of little kids face
hunger daily.
There are many reasons for this waste,
including our inability to estimate how
much we really needed
for each of our meals
plus our tendency to
want to have a bounty
on the table instead of
just enough.
Western consumers
want perfect-looking
food, too, so grocers
scrap misshapen but
still healthy produce.
“Sell by” dates are
strictly enforced, even
though the food may
be safe for a few more
days. Warehouse
stores offer bargains
but enable us to buy
in quantities that encourage waste and
overconsumption.
Here are some sobering statistics
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture:
Americans at the beginning of the 21st
century are consuming more food and
several hundred more calories per person
per day than did their counterparts in
the late 1950s.
The food supply in 2000 provided
3,800 calories per person per day, 500
calories above the 1970 level. No wonder we’re fatter.
However, not all of these
calories are actually eaten.
Many end up in spoilage
and just plain waste.
Although these are U.S.
figures, they are probably
typical for much of the rich
Western world.
Mahatma Gandhi is often attributed with saying,
“Live simply so that others
may simply live.” With
the Lenten season fast
approaching, that quote
might inspire us to make
some penitential commitments to monitoring our buying, storage,
consuming and waste.
My refrigerator will become an unlikely Lenten focus, encouraging me to make
a Lenten sacrifice that also impacts our
world and helps me to think globally.
For The Journey
Effie Caldarola
CALDAROLA, who writes a general-interest
column, can be reached at Catholic News
Service, 3211 Fourth St. N.E., Washington,
D. C. 20017.
February 8, 2013
A
VIEWPOINT
15
Do we need God in a post-modern world?
s I indicated in my summary column on the history of the Second Vatican Council, the Council
itself was the most important Catholic event of
the last 400 years. Yet, its aftermath during these first
50 post-Council years has been very uneven. It has seen
growth of the Church in third-world missionary countries, restoration of the Church in former communist
countries and decline of the Church in first-world countries. Much has been written about this phenomenon,
and there is great division of opinion about the meaning
of what has happened and what we are called to do as
Christ’s Church.
Was the Council a cause of this decline? Or did a pope
like Blessed John XXIII, recognizing a watershed change
in society and calling a council to up-date the Church,
just come along too late? Should we forge ahead with
the Council’s agenda or retreat to a pre-Council style of
church? Retreat would be a serious danger to the gains
made in the mission countries. But what do we do about
the decline in first-world countries?
Jesus said that his church was to be like yeast in a
loaf of bread, a light in a world of darkness, a pilgrim in
the society of humankind that was wandering toward
a changing future. That future has been changing with
ever increasing speed. Modern times began with the
American and French Revolutions which gave the world
democracy and a desire for freedom and equality. About
the same time, the Enlightenment produced modern
science and celebrated the power of human reason.
Nineteenth century romanticism reminded us of the
uniqueness and dignity of the individual but also ushered
in the industrial revolution and the age of the machine.
Then two world wars, the sexual revolution and a world
on drugs proved that modernity did not always bring a
better future. And now, in the 21st century, the world has
been shrunk and overwhelmed by the information age.
I
f we think we live in demanding
times now, look back at events in our
lifetime. Some may drift into history
and then provide comfort.
Nuclear war and civil rights are two
events that come to mind. In each, the
church had a role with thoughtful teachings on the issues speaking to the moral
questions involved.
In the mid-1950s, it was the policy of
the United States to destroy the Soviet
Union and China in a single blow, if the
United States was attacked.
The United States would fire its entire
strategic arsenal of 3,500 nuclear weapons. President Eisenhower did not want
to operate under the illusion that there
could be a “limited” nuclear war. The
choice – all or nothing at all – was his
policy, according to Evan Thomas in his
recent book, “Ike’s Bluff: President Eisenhower’s Secret Battle to Save the World.”
This led to some chilling prospects.
The plan was “overkill,” said George
Kistiakowsky, the president’s science
adviser. It would “kill four or five times
over somebody who is already dead.” He
explained massive attacks “would make
the rubble bounce.”
According to Thomas, Eisenhower
Post-modernism is the term being used
to describe how, in our present time, the
increasing speed of change to a global
society with instant communications has
affected our values, thrown doubt on once
firmly held beliefs, and shaken confidence
in legal, governmental and religious institutions.
There are too many examples of
changing values to enumerate. President
Obama’s inaugural address named quite
a few. I had better stick to the one area I
know a little about—the Catholic Church.
The Church we belong to has not been
doing well in the last few decades. It has
been losing members at an unprecedented
rate. One out of every 10 Americans
identifies himself or herself as a “former
Catholic.” Contrary to common assumptions, survey data show that their leaving
the Church is not due to disagreement about dogmas and
doctrines. Half of these drop-outs have gone to another
Christian denomination, most of these to newer, evangelical churches. They say they want a more personal
church, a more bible-centered church, a less institutional
church. The other half of the drop-outs have just given up
on religion.
According to Michael Crosby in his book “Repair My
House,” recent national Pew Survey data on religion
indicates that these are practical atheists who don’t
practice anything. He states that “their separation from
official Catholicism (which often was perceived to identify
its ways with God’s ways) resulted in their being indifferent to any evident relationship with God.” This group
no longer feels a need for God or interest in searching for
God. A large proportion of all drop-outs are from the age
group (18-23) called “emerging adults.”
To reach people today, especially this
critical group of emerging adults, we have
to address the need for meaning in their
lives, the need for strength, for inner
peace, for hope. The true God of Catholicism fills all those needs. This is the image
of Jesus’ Father-God, but perhaps not the
image our Church is projecting.
Also, because of the frenetic pace of
people’s lives today and the materialism
of our culture, many younger Catholics
may not reflect on what they are really
longing for. The catechism God of Church
doctrine and dogma is not penetrating
the minds and hearts of the post-modern
generation. Catholicism’s claim to be the
one true Church prepared by God through
Abraham and the Jews, founded by His
son-messiah, Jesus, and subsisting today
in the Roman Catholic Church led by the pope, involves a
historical continuity that often fails to penetrate the nonhistorical mind of our emerging adults. That is far too
complex an argument to convey in a sound bite.
Some better approach has to be found not only to
evangelize the unchurched but also to keep those baptized in the Catholic faith. I will write my own thoughts
on what that approach might be in my next two or three
columns. I would like to receive your comments too —
Vatican II said that through our baptism we are all called
to evangelize.
Another
Perspective
Father John Carville
FATHER CARVILLE is a retired priest in the Diocese of Baton
Rouge and writes on current topics for The Catholic
Commentator. He can be reached at johnnycarville@
gmail.com.
The irony of two miles and 50 years
told no one, not even his
family, if he would ever
employ these weapons of
mass destruction.
Fortunately, the policies
of multiple deaths and
bouncing rubble are gone.
But it was real at the time.
And the church had something to say about it.
This year, while
watching the presidential
inauguration, one could
not help being struck by
the irony of the separation
by two miles and 50 years.
Two miles is the distance
from the steps of the U.S.
Capitol to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Fifty years ago, from the Lincoln Memorial, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
faced a crowd of several hundred thousand on the National Mall. As the Capitol
dome loomed in the background, he
delivered his “I Have a Dream speech.”
King’s dream, one of a just society,
would result – in less than 50 years – in
another black man taking the oath of office for a second term as president of the
United States. That man,
Barack Obama, stood on
the U.S. Capitol steps facing hundreds of thousands
of people with the Lincoln
Memorial as a backdrop.
During those 50 years,
there were racial riots
throughout the United
States, bitter battles in
the halls of Congress and
state legislatures and the
passage of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 and the Voting
Rights Act of 1965.
Nuclear weapon proliferation and racial inequality were major issues in
their time. It was difficult to imagine that
a solution would be found.
The issues we face now are proliferation of weapons – not nuclear but
handguns – immigration reform, climate
change.
All will be discussed and debated in
the next four years. It is good that we
have Catholic teaching to inform consciences and contribute to policy debate.
The teaching authority of the church is
respected, even by nonmembers, as hav-
Consider This
Stephen Kent
ing something to say on these and other
issues.
“The Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise and Our Response,” a 1983 pastoral
letter issued by U.S. bishops, said the
nuclear threat transcends religious,
cultural and national boundaries. It said
initiation of nuclear war is not morally
justifiable.
When immigration policy is on the
agenda, our faith reminds us that “we are
also called to welcome the stranger, to
combat discrimination, to pursue peace.”
And stewardship of the environment
is to protect God’s creation.
Our grandchildren are amazed today
when we tell them there was a time when
black people could not attend schools
nor eat in the same restaurants as white
people, when backyards were excavated
to seek shelter from a nuclear blast.
May their children be equally amazed
to learn there once was a time when children feared for their lives in classrooms
and when motor vehicles spewed tons of
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
KENT is the retired editor of archdiocesan
newspapers in Omaha and Seattle. Contact him at: [email protected].
16
COMING EVENTS
Placing the Date of the Crucifixion – Dr. Brad Schaefer,
physics professor at LSU and a member of the team that
won the Nobel Prize in physics in 2011, will discuss how science and the Gospels can be used to pinpoint the day and
year Christ died. His talk will be Wednesday, Feb. 20, at St.
Joseph Cathedral, Fourth and Main streets, Baton Rouge.
The Knights of Columbus will serve a meal at 6 p.m. in the
parish hall and the presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. For
information call the Cathedral office at 225-387-5928.
St. John the Baptist Mission – Father Kevin Scallon CM
and Sister Briege McKenna OSC will present a mission,
Monday, Feb. 18 – Thursday, Feb. 21, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.,
at St. John the Baptist Church, 4727 McHugh Dr., Zachary.
The topics will be: Monday, sacrament of reconciliation;
Tuesday, healing (anointing service, 10 a.m., healing service at 6:30 p.m.); Wednesday, the Lord, the giver of life;
and Thursday, the priesthood and the Eucharist. For information call 225-654-5778 or email sjb-ola.org.
Chaplet in Chant Videotaping – QuickHelp Productions
seeks volunteer participants for CatholicLife TV’s prayer
program, “The Chaplet in Chant,” which will be videotaped on Saturday, Feb. 23, 10 a.m.-noon, at St. Joseph
Cathedral, Fourth and Main streets, Baton Rouge. All are
invited to attend. Participants will be joined by the Schola
Cantorum of Saint Joseph Abbey and Seminary College in
St. Benedict, priests, deacons, sisters and laity from across
this diocese for the video. To participate in “The Chaplet in
Chant,” which will premiere on CatholicLife TV on Divine
Mercy Sunday, April 7, 2-2:30 p.m., register online at conta.
February 8, 2013
cc/131YSNZ or call Connie Anderson at 225-292- 6159.
tions are $15 each and must be made by Feb. 18. Send a
check made out to BR Magnificat with the names of each
attendee to Kathy Simoneaux, 9650 Victory Lane, Denham
Springs, LA 70726.
St. Alphonsus Evening of Prayer – St. Alphonsus Church,
14040 Greenwell Springs Road, Greenwell Springs, will
host an evening of prayer on Friday, March 1, 6-10 p.m. The
evening will include opportunities for individual prayer, 6
p.m.; Stations of the Cross, 6:30 p.m.; rosary|Scripture, 7
p.m.; the Divine Mercy novena, 7:30 p.m.; praise and worship, 8 p.m.; and benediction/eucharistic adoration, 9 p.m.
People are invited to come during a particular time or stay
the whole evening. For information call Reneé Elliot at
225-773-8936.
Marriage Renewal Retreat – “Re-Living Cana: A Marriage Renewal Weekend Retreat” will be held Friday, Feb.
15 – Saturday, Feb. 16, at St. John the Baptist Church, 4727
McHugh Dr., Zachary. Presenters will include Father Jeff
Bayhi, pastor of St. John; Mike Fulmer, creator of the program, “The Fourth Cup and Lamb of God;” and Rob Tasman, associate director of the Louisiana Conference of
Catholic Bishops. Cost of the retreat is $100 per couple. For
information and to register call 225-654-5778, visit sjbola.org or email [email protected].
Women’s Help Center Banquet – Dr. Alveda King, pastoral
associate and director of African-American Outreach for
Priests for Life and Gospel of Life Ministries, will speak
at a fund raising banquet for Women’s Help Center, a crisis pregnancy center located near Southern University, on
Friday, March 1, 7 p.m., at the Renaissance Hotel, 7000
Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge. For information call Natalie Thomas at 225-359-9001 or email nataliet@thewomen
shelpcenter.org.
St. Joseph School Fair – The St. Joseph School Fair will
take place Friday, March 8 – Sunday, March 10, at St. Joseph Church, 255 N. Eighth St., Ponchatoula. The event
will include live music, entertainment by St. Joseph School
students, a jambalaya cook-off, pie eating contest, food,
games, silent auction and raffle. For information call the
St. Joseph Church office at 225-386-3749.
Magnificat Breakfast – Carmen Davis Damen, secretary
for the central service team of Magnificat, president of
Baton Rouge Right to Life and active participant in various pro-life and prayer ministries, will speak about how
each life is precious to God and eternal at the meeting of
Magnificat, a Catholic women’s ministry, Saturday, Feb.
23, 9 a.m.-noon, at Oak Lodge Reception Center, 2834 S.
Sherwood Forest Blvd., Suite E-1, Baton Rouge. Reserva-
St. Francis De Sales Lenten Retreat – Father Tom Coughlin will present a Lenten Retreat, “Renewed in the Spirit,”
Friday, March 15 – Sunday, March 17 at the Catholic Life
Center, 1800 S. Acadian Thwy., Baton Rouge. St. Francis de
Sales Catholic Deaf Apostolate is sponsoring this retreat.
For information call 225-387-8655, or video phone 225341-6482 or email [email protected].
PO Box 3316
Baton Rouge LA 70821-3316
For help placing your classified ad,
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Announcements
While we at The Catholic Commentator do our best to bring reliable advertisers to our readers, we are not
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Business service
Pennington Lawn and Landscape
225-806-0008
Lawn & bed maintenance. Clean-up neglect. Call for your free estimate.
Dave’s Bicycle Repair and Sales. Free
pickup and delivery, free estimates, expert economical repair on all brands.
225-924-4337 or www.davesbicyclerepair.
com.
Baton Rouge Care Service. Serving Baton Rouge and surrounding areas since
1960. Registered sitters, nurses, and
nurses aides for the sick and elderly in
the home, nursing homes and hospitals.
Licensed and bonded for private duty
care. 225-924-6098 or 225-667-0480.
www.batonrougesittersregistry.com.
Business service
Anthony's Furniture Specialties. We
restore hurricane damaged furniture.
If it's furniture we do it all! Refinishing,
re-upholstery, pick up and delivery, etc.
2263 Florida Blvd., BR. 225-413-2607.
THOMAS LUNDIN, CPA
Accounting and taxes for businesses,
non-profits and individuals; business,
computer, financial and management
services. 30 years experience; professional, prompt and personal attention.
225-296-0404.
Donnie’s Furniture Repair & Upholstery. We do refinishing, repairs, caning,
painting of furniture and upholstery.
In business 43 yrs. Pick up and delivery.
10876 Greenwell Springs Rd. 225-2722577. See our showroom.
St. Joseph is the Patron Saint of a
Peaceful Death. St. Joseph Hospice is
available to support families as they face
end-of-life decisions. Peace, comfort,
dignity and support can make every day
"a good day." Call 225-368-3100 for more
information.
Business services
Business service
cArds oF tHAnks
HOUSEKEEPER
Mature, Dependable
20+ Years Exp., References
Debbie
225-266-7655
LEBLANC’S TREE & STUMP
REMOVAL, INC.
Prompt service–Free estimates
FULLY INSURED
E. H. “Eddie” LeBlanc
Phone 383-7316
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Interior and exterior painting. Experienced and reliable. Free estimates. Call
225-241-8488 or 225-928-7194.
I have had my request granted publication promised.
TCH
Greenoaks Memorial Park, BR. Beautiful Garden of Valor, Lot 17, Space 10 his/
her, top/bottom. Selling $6500. Call 225571-6822.
Experienced house keeper, very mature lady, very good references. “Sherry”
225-665-8831.
Kitchen counter tops. Call for free estimates. John O'Neill 225-938-6141 or
225-683-6837.
Flower beds, landscaping, general
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residential; quality work, licensed, free
estimates, references. 225-247-6079.
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February 8, 2013
17
TOGETHER: A way to expand faith
Participants in a Catholic gathering of the contextual Scripture study “Our Faith in Action” discuss questions related to Matthew 14:22-36 in which Jesus walked on water. Photo by Debbie Shelley | The Catholic Commentator
Catholic education sways decision for
religious life, new survey shows
WASHINGTON (CNS) —
Catholic education in high school
and college is a significant factor
for men and women choosing to
enter a religious order, according
to an annual survey of sisters and
brothers who recently professed
final vows.
The survey also found an increase in the number of Asians,
particularly Vietnamese, choosing religious life in the United
States.
The report, “New Sisters and
Brothers Professing Perpetual
Vows in Religious Life,” is based
on a survey conducted by the
Georgetown
University-based
Center for Applied Research in
the Apostolate and commissioned
by the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of
Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.
Researchers surveyed religious who professed perpetual
vows in 2012, and obtained responses from 108 sisters and 24
brothers, a response rate of 85
percent of the 156 potential members of the profession class of
2012 identified for CARA by their
religious superior.
Major findings showed:
— The average age of religious
of the profession class of 2012 is
39. Half of the men and women
are 37 or younger. The youngest sister who responded was
23; the oldest, 66. Eight women
professed perpetual vows at age
60 or older. Among brothers, the
youngest was 25 and the oldest,
62; two professed perpetual vows
at age 60 or older.
— The class makeup is 69 percent white, 15 percent Asian and
8 percent Hispanic. Most respondents (71 percent) were born in
the United States. Of those born
outside the United States, the
most common country of origin
is Vietnam.
— About four in 10 religious
(43 percent) attended a Catholic
elementary school, a rate similar
to the U.S. Catholic adult population (42 percent). These respondents were more likely than other
U.S. Catholics to have attended a
Catholic high school (36 percent
of the religious, compared to 22
percent of U.S. adult Catholics
overall) and much more likely
to have attended a Catholic college (33 percent of the religious,
compared to just 7 percent of U.S.
adult Catholics overall).
The religious also are highly
educated. Twenty-two percent
earned a graduate degree before
entering their order and 60 percent entered their order with at
least a bachelor’s degree or more.
Most religious did not report
that educational debt delayed
their application for entrance to
their religious institute. For those
who did, they averaged two years
of delay while they paid down an
average of $19,500 in school debt.
More than eight in 10 religious
(82 percent) had work experience
prior to entering their religious
institute. Women were more
likely than men to have been
employed in education or health
care. Men were more likely to
have been employed in business
or church ministry.
Many religious were active in
church parishes before entering
their institute. Almost half participated in youth ministry or a
youth group. One quarter participated in a young adult ministry
or group, Catholic campus ministry/Newman Center, and/or
World Youth Day.
Almost nine in 10 (88 percent)
had ministry experience before
entering their religious institute,
most commonly in faith formation. Women were more likely
to have participated in faith formation or liturgical ministries
(except altar servers), while men
more commonly reported working in hospital or prison ministries, being an altar server or
teaching in a Catholic school.
On average, religious who responded to the survey said they
were 20 years old when they first
considered a vocation, but half
were 18 or younger when they first
thought about it. Eight in 10 (82
percent) said they were encouraged to consider religious life by
someone, predominantly priests,
religious sisters and brothers.
The women who responded to
the survey represented 64 religious congregations, provinces or
monasteries. The brothers were
from 19 different congregations,
provinces or monasteries.
FROM PAGE 1
Church in Baton Rouge, “I feel
the spirit of Pentecost is in this
room,” resonated with him.
Other attendees of the program expressed their enthusiasm for the Scripture study program.
Sister Joan Manual CSJ,
also a member of St. Aloysius, said the program is something that is very good “for the
sake of our personal growth and
the city.”
Monica Thomas and Tonia Okpalobi, members of St.
George, referred to the passage
from Matthew’s Gospel they
studied as an example of Scripture addressing issues that people of all denominations face.
Thomas stated, “We all have
stories about going through
storms and stepping out in faith.
We all have to have faith.”
Okpalobi said people of all
denominations understand that
if they are weak in faith they
will never get out of the boat.
She said it’s only when people
open their hearts to the Lord
and keep their eyes fixed on him
that they will find the courage to
do so.
Thomas and Okpalobi agreed
that Our Faith in Action is an example of the Baton Rouge community stepping out in faith.
According to Thomas, the
Scripture study helps “make sure
that people are growing together
as a people and a community.”
Bob Matens, a member of St.
Jean Vianney, said people tend
to get involved in their “own
little neighborhood” and group,
even within their own church.
He added he thinks Our Faith in
Action is a good way for people to
expand their faith and vision for
society. He said a Scripture study
provides a peaceful environment
for people of different ethnic,
cultural, socioeconomic and religious backgrounds to find a
common base for discussion.
“It’s a good starting point,”
Matens said.
www.csobr.org
Elementary/Middle School Principal
School Year: 2013-14
St. Louis King of France School, Baton Rouge, La.
www.edline.net/pages/slkf
As a part of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, St. Louis King of France
School serves a student population of approximately 220 in Grades PK
- 8 on the site of St. Louis King of France Church Parish. The 31-yearold school participates in district accreditation through the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools. As the instructional leader of the
school, the principal works with the pastor, Catholic Schools Office,
and school advisory board in fostering the mission and ministry of the
school through collaborative leadership, clear communication, and
consistent efforts toward continuous improvement.
• Experience in Catholic Education Preferred
• Meets Louisiana Department of Education Requirements
for Nonpublic School Principal
• Demonstrated Ability as an Effective Leader
• Availability on July 1, 2013
Submit letter of interest, résumé with references
St. Louis King of France School Principal Search
P.O. Box 2028
Deadline for Application: March 15, 2013
Baton Rouge, Louisiana are
basis of race, color, national
and ethnic origin.
18
YOUTH
February 8, 2013
St. Michael High School
hosts LASC district rally
ONE-HUNDRED DAYS SMARTER – St. Thomas More School kindergarten and firstgrade students celebrated 100 days of school recently with reading, writing and
counting activities. Dressed as 100-year-olds, kindergarteners and teachers wore
wigs, beards, and elderly clothing and carried canes. A highlight of the day included
making 100-day crowns, which the students wore to lunch. Kindergarten teacher
Debbie Lynch helps kindergarten student Elise Holder make her 100th day of school
crown. Photo provided by Kerry Hunt | St. Thomas More School
More than 250 students from a dozen
area schools attended the recent Louisiana
Association of Student Councils (LASC)
district rally at St. Michael High School.
As the district president, SMHS President
Anna Conaway was responsible for presiding over the district rally and hosting the
event at her school.
According to LASC, this year’s event
was one of the largest gatherings of student councils in the Baton Rouge area to
date.
Conaway and her fellow officers gave
presentations, hosted ice breakers, and led
small and large group sessions on leadership and student involvement. Some of
the participants and co-hosts included St.
Joseph’s Academy, Catholic High School,
Cypress Heights Academy, East Ascension
High School and University Lab School.
“Our sessions and discussions focused
on what it takes to be a leader and how that
helps build character,” said Conaway. “We
focused on getting students involved now,
throughout their time in high school, and
beyond.”
The sessions began with a “repeat after me” icebreaker led by St. Michael High
School junior Austin Wendt.
“Austin learned the icebreaker while at
another leadership event through HOBY
(Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership program),” said St. Michael High School junior
Megan Major. “He did a great job loosening
up the crowd and making everyone comfortable, excited, and ready to learn and
share.”
Also, Lacey Sanchez, class of 2008, and
Chris Simoneaux, class of 2010, talked
about their experiences as past officers in
the SMHS Student Council when they were
students.
“This was a great way for me to give back
to my alma mater,” said Sanchez. “I hope to
continue to stay involved and lend a hand
wherever possible, particularly in helping
students reach their full potential through
student involvement and leadership.”
✝
fai h
anchored in Jesus
alive
in mission
SUPPORT THE ANNUAL
BLACK AND INDIAN MISSION COLLECTION IN
YOUR CHURCH PARISH FEBRUARY 9 & 10.
Black and Indian Mission Office
www.blackandindianmission.org
STARLETTES SHINE IN DANCE COMPETITION – The St. Thomas Aquinas Regional
High School Starlettes competed Jan. 6 in the Universal Dance Association’s Louisiana State Dance Championship. STA’s hip hop performance received a specialty award for best crowd appeal. The team placed second in varsity hip hop and
second in varsity jazz. The Starlettes also performed in the small varsity jazz and
hip hop competition at the National Dance Team Championship in Orlando, Jan.
31-Feb. 4. Members of the dance team are, from left, front row, juniors Bailey Barringer, Lauren Daniel and Dani Schillace; middle row, freshman Haileigh Bolton,
sophomores Skylar Compton and Isabella Perrilloux and freshman Chloe
Chauvin; back row, seniors Karlie King, Kodi Labat, Brooke Barringer, Brooke
Downing and Taylor Drude. Photo provided by Michelle Chauvin | St. Thomas Aquinas High School
February 8, 2013
YOUTH
Torregrossa gives a hand, ideas to others
By Debbie Shelley
Assistant Editor
Blane Torregrossa, 15, who
attends Our Lady of Prompt
Succor in White Castle and its
cluster church parish, St. Joan
of Arc Church in Bayou Pigeon, lives according to a principle found in Matthew 25:40,
“Whatever you did for one of
these least brothers of mine,
you did for me.”
“I like to help people, whether that’s giving someone an idea
or a handout,” said Torregrossa.
Sheila Daigle, religious education coordinator at Our Lady
of Prompt Succor, said Torregrossa is a youth who will do
“anything and everything” to
help things run more smoothly
at the church parishes. Torregrossa serves at the altar, ushers, helps with food drives and
assembles food baskets, helps
clean the churches’ properties
and has helped with the church
fair.
According to Torregrossa, a
student at Iberville Math, Science and Arts Academy West
in Plaquemine, sometimes it’s
helping people with “the small
Blane Torregrossa , 15
Hometown: Bayou Pigeon
School: Iberville Math, Science and Arts Academy West
Church: Our Lady of Prompt
Succor, St. Joan of Arc
things” that make a big difference to them, such as giving
them a suggestion when they
find themselves in a difficult or
frustrating situation.
The creative process of helping others to solve problems is
what Torregrossa, who is taking
digital media classes at MSA,
particularly enjoys. He hopes
to become a computer program
and develop technology that
will help others have a better
quality of life.
Torregrossa said he learned
to enthusiastically pursue his
interests and use them to benefit
others from his older brother,
Danny, 24, who encouraged him
to be engaged with the world.
An example of how Torregrossa applied this outlook on life is
him joining with his classmates
to develop a Math Jeopardy game
that was used in math class at
school to make the lessons fun.
Giving someone something
to think about is important in
faith matters as well as with
solving daily problems, according to Torregrossa. He stated a
retreat he attended last November hosted by NET Ministries, a
group of young adults who give
retreats for middle school and
high school youth across the
nation, gave him something to
think about regarding his faith.
As he participated in small group
discussions, he ministered to
others and was ministered to as
the group members shared their
thoughts and stories about the
Catholic faith.
“I got to know the Lord more
personally,” Torregrossa said.
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Thinking about a will?
SPC LOCK-IN – St. Peter Chanel School held its second annual eighth-grade lock-in on Jan. 18. The
event opened with a prayer service, which was followed by a jambalaya dinner. Students received
door prizes as well as prizes for winning various games, including kickball, basketball, Bunko, Wii and
Hedbanz. Students also formed teams and competed as they cheered, sang and danced. Participating
in a game are, front to back, Grace Mohon, Nicol Bourgeois, Jaleah Mitchell, Brynn Lundy, Mason Cazenave, Gabriel Bland and Brandon Louviere. Photo provided by Sandy Waguespack | St. Peter Chanel School
19
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before you see an attorney.
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CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
Giving hope to a world of need.
20
February 8, 2013
LCCB opposes Sepulvado’s Feb. 13 scheduled execution
By Laura Deavers
Editor
The execution of Christopher
Sepulvado, 69, who was convicted of killing his 6-year-old stepson 20 years ago, is scheduled
for Feb. 13, Ash Wednesday, at
Louisiana State Penitentiary in
Angola.
A peaceful prayer vigil will be
held Feb. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the
Governor’s Mansion to pray for
Sepulvado and for an end to the
death penalty in Louisiana. The
Office of Marriage and Family
Life of the Diocese of Baton Rouge
is planning the vigil.
People are encouraged to sign
a petition to support clemency
and commutation of sentence for
Sepulvado, which can be found
on the Marriage and Family Life
website mfldiobr.org.
The Louisiana Conference
of Catholic Bishops has issued a
statement concerning this execution, saying they are called by the
foundational theme of Catholic
social teaching “to affirm that hu-
^)45 Having %4)6
A PArADE without
throws
is
GooD EnouGh.
Maybe for people who aren’t from
around here, but not for us.
man dignity does not discriminate between those who are innocent and those who are guilty.”
The LCCB strongly opposes
Sepulvado’s execution.
The Louisiana bishops cite
Blessed Pope John Paul II’s statement in Evangelium Vitae (The
Gospel of Life) regarding human
dignity. “Not even a murderer
loses his personal dignity, as God
himself pledges to guarantee this.
For this reason whoever attacks
human life, in some way attacks
God himself,” Blessed Pope John
Paul wrote.
“In this regard, the Church and
society are challenged to consistently speak against any assault
on human life, including the practice of state-sanctioned killing,”
the Louisiana bishops state.
They reference the Catechism
of the Catholic Church No. 2267
“If however, non-lethal means are
sufficient to defend and protect
people’s safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to
such means … Today, … the cases
in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity are
very rare, if not practically nonexistent.”
The bishops state that they
do not condone Sepulvado’s actions in fact consider them “evil
and tragic. ... At the same time
we acknowledge the Christian
power of reconciliation and redemption, which Christopher
has embraced. He has expressed
remorse for this actions while
at the same time embracing his
faith and ministering to his fellow inmates.”
The bishops point out that the
execution will not provide healing, reconciliation or peace to
those who have been affected by
this tragedy.
“We offer prayer for and solidarity with those family members
impacted by this crime, as we do
for all family members of victims
of violent crime and murder,” the
bishops state.
www.csobr.org
Assistant Superintendent of Schools
As a part of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, the Catholic Schools
Office serves 31 schools with a student population of approximately
15,000 in Grades PK 3 - 12 in eight civil parishes. As a district accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the office supports school improvement by fostering positive communication,
promoting strong curriculum and instruction, utilizing resources effectively, and celebrating outstanding accomplishment.
The Assistant Superintendent serves as executive officer of various
organizations and committees in representation of the Catholic Schools
Office, manages the communications efforts for programs, publicity
and press releases, serves as operations manager for events, manages compliance with government regulations and policies for schools
throughout the diocese, coordinates the process to hire and evaluate
administrators, and generally supports the work of the schools through
collaboration with members of the Catholic Schools Office, school and
parish personnel, and various other stakeholder groups.
•Experience in Catholic School Administration Required
•Meets Louisiana Department of Education Requirements for
Nonpublic School Principal
•Demonstrated Ability as an Effective Leader
•Availability on or before July 1, 2013
Submit letter of interest, résumé with references
Assistant Superintendent Search
P.O. Box 2028
Baton Rouge, Louisiana are Equal
Opportunity Employers and do not
discriminate on the basis of race,
color, national or ethnic origin.
Recipes
Spiritual
Spiritual
Events
Events
Lent 2013
Lenten Regulat
Fund Rais
The Catholic Commentator | February 8, 2013
Recipes
zed Fish
Balsamic Gla
Photo by American Heart Association
See recipe on page 7B
Lenten Regulations
Fund Raisers
2B The Catholic Commentator
LENT 2013
February 8, 2013
Spiritual opportunities abound in the Diocese during Lent
February 14 – April 4
(Thursdays except Holy Thursday March 28)
Divine Mercy Novena, Mass and Benediction
St. Thomas More Church
11441 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge
6 p.m.
February 12, 19, 26,
March 5, 12, 19, 26, April 2
Mass with Chaplet of Divine Mercy
St. Mark Church
42021 Highway 621, Gonzales
6 p.m.
Robin Richardson 225-647-8461
Divine Mercy Novena
St. John The Evangelist Church
57805 Main St., Plaquemine
Following 6 p.m. Mass
Parish Office 225-687-2402
Thursdays beginning Feb. 7
Preachers Prep Bible Study
St. Joseph Church
255 N. 8th St., Ponchatoula
6:30 p.m.
Fr. David Seid 985-370-5842
www.csobr.org
School Principal, Grades PK-12
Ascension Catholic School, Donaldsonville, La.
www.ascensioncatholicschools.com
As a part of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Ascension Catholic Diocesan Regional School serves a student population of approximately
525 in Grades PK - 12 on the site of Ascension of Our Lord Church
Parish. The 168-year-old school participates in district accreditation
through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. As the instructional leader of the school, the principal works with the Catholic
Schools Office and school advisory board in fostering the mission and
ministry of the school through collaborative leadership, clear communication, and consistent efforts toward continuous improvement.
• Meets Louisiana Department of Education
Requirements for Nonpublic School Principal
Submit letter of interest, résumé with references, and
copies of transcript(s) to:
Ascension Catholic Diocesan Regional
School Principal Search
P.O. Box 2028
Baton Rouge, Louisiana are Equal
Opportunity Employers and do not
discriminate on the basis of race,
color, national and ethnic origin.
March 7, 14, 21
Adoration
Mater Dolorosa Church
620 Third St., Independence
1 – 7 p.m.
Joyce Paille 985-878-9639
February 18, 25, March 4, 11
Soup and Substance Nights
St. Aloysius Church
2025 Stuart Ave., Baton Rouge
6:30 p.m. (soup)
7 – 8 p.m. (speaker)
Feb. 18: Fr. John Carville – History of the
Vatican Council
Feb. 25: Dr. Francis Vanderwall – The Prodigal –
Shocking Revelations of the Nature of Divine
Love
Mar. 4: Charles Jumonville – the Role of the
Laity in Documents of Vatican II
Mar. 11: Fr. Fred Kammer SJ – Social Justice
Please bring a can of soup for the Greater Baton
Rouge Food Bank
Church office 225-343-6657
Feb. 18, 25,
March 4, 11, 18, 25
Lenten Vespers and Reflection
Holy Ghost Church
601 North Oak St., Hammond
Daily Chapel
6 p.m.: Vespers, followed by soup and bread meal
7 p.m.: “Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues”
DVD series with Fr. Robert Barron. Discussion
led by Marian Servants of the Visitation
February 18 – 20
Lenten Retreat
St. Joseph Church
7 – 8 p.m.
Given by Fr. Whitney Miller
Deacon Larry J. Melancon 985-386-3749
February 18 – 21
Parish Mission
St. John the Baptist Church
4272 McHugh Dr., Zachary
2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. beginning with Mass except on Monday
Given by Father Kevin Scallon CM and Sister Briege McKenna OSC
February 19
Lenten Taize Prayer Service
7 p.m.
February 20
Coffee and Prayer Lenten Reflection
Holy Family Church
474 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen
Marian Hall
9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Jennifer LeJeune 225-336-4463
February 22 & 23
Lenten Parish Mission: My Sin Isn’t THAT Bad
St. Agnes Church
749 East Blvd., Baton Rouge
Feb. 22: 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m. talk
Feb. 23: 2 p.m. mission continues; 4 p.m. Mass;
5:30 p.m. mission continues
Given by Fr. Mitch Pacwa SS
Kitty Blanchard 225-383-4127
February 24 – 26
Lenten Mission: Faith That Can Conquer
Anything
St. Gerard Majella Church
5354 Plank Road, Baton Rouge
7 – 8 p.m.
Public invited
Given by Fr. Maurice J. Nutt CSsR
John Fabre and Fr. Marcl E. Okwara
225-355-2553
March 1
World Day of Prayer
St. Joseph Church
10 – 11 a.m.
Deacon Larry J. Melancon 985-386-3749
SEE SPIRITUAL PAGE 3B
February 8, 2013
LENT 2013
3B
11
Priests offer tips for Catholics long absent from the confessional
By Mark Pattison
Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON – After
“Bless me, Father, for I have
sinned” – even if they get that far
– there are millions of Catholics
who don’t exactly know what to
say next.
This is especially true for
Catholics who have not gone to
confession in years, or even decades.
Despite parishes and dioceses
inviting inactive Catholics to return to church at Lent, with the
sacrament of reconciliation as
an incentive, it is likely Catholics
are afraid, bewildered or even
intimidated at the prospect of returning to the confessional after
such a long period away from it.
A rote recitation of sins
doesn’t seem quite right. Laundry lists, as some priests call
them, are out. In fact, one advises, even devising a game plan
before returning to the confessional is out.
“Just come. Don’t prepare.
We’ll do it in there. I’ll help you
with this. At the end of it, you’re
going to think about things
we didn’t cover. You can come
again,” said Monsignor Richard
Lavalley, pastor of St. Francis
Xavier Parish in Winooski, Vt.
“The more complicated it becomes, the worse it becomes.
They (penitents) don’t know
what to make of it and they become ashamed.”
The motivations for wanting
to go back to confession can be
many, said Jesuit Father Jake
Empereur, a priest since 1965
and a parochial vicar at St. Matthew Parish in San Antonio.
“It could be because of health
issues. It could be because their
conscience moves them to finally be able to participate in the
church and the liturgy and Communion and things like that,”
he said. “People get married.
Sometimes it’s someone’s first
Communion, sometimes it’s a
wedding. It’s all sorts of different
reasons.”
And what they have on their
mind – and want to get off their
chest – can vary as well, Father
Empereur told Catholic News
Service.
A few things stand out, he
said.
“Being in an irregular marriage, they gave up believing in God when they were in
their early 20s and now they’re
thinking about that. Each case
is really, truly different,” he
said, adding he tells penitents
to focus on “what they came to
say” because it “gives me further questioning on what I need
to do (as a priest): whether or
not they’re married, personal
relationships, issues in their
life, whatever it might be.”
“They don’t talk about a lot
of non-sins, small things and so
forth,” Father Empereur continued. “They have a couple of major things, relating to marriage
– they got married outside the
church, they had a bad experience with a priest, or so forth.
Sometimes they’ll talk about
taking drugs, adultery, perhaps,
or sleeping around. Things like
that might come up in the course
(of a confession) – not the grocery list for things that happen
more frequently.”
Monsignor Lavalley said he
SPIRITUAL: Occasions available for parishioners to reflect
FROM PAGE 2B
March 7
“Seelos: Doctors of Souls” – a one-man play
St. Aloysius Church
2025 Stuart Ave, Baton Rouge
7 – 8:30 p.m.
Offering to be collected
Ken Thevenet 225-343-6657, ext. 3030
March 10 – 12
Divine Mercy: Lenten Mission
Mar. 10: at 6 p.m.
Mar. 11 & 12: 8:45 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Lenten Revival
St. Paul the Apostle Church
3912 Gus Young Ave., Baton Rouge
6:30 p.m.
March 12
Organ Recital by Samuel Liégeon
St. Aloysius Church
7 – 8:30 p.m.
Public invited
Ken Thevenet 225-343-6657, ext. 3030
tells penitents, “If you’re holding back because you’re afraid
or you’re frightened or you don’t
know what to do or how to say
it, say ‘Our Lady sent me.’ I can’t
tell you how many times that’s
worked.”
He recalled the time one man
came into the reconciliation
room telling him, “I’m supposed
to tell you somebody sent me, but
I can’t remember who it was.” He
added he told the man it was Our
Lady, and that “she sent me, too.”
Monsignor Lavalley said he’s
told penitents, “I don’t bite, I
don’t kick, I don’t yell and I don’t
faint. So let’s start. Can I help
you by going through the Commandments? ... Is it easier for
you to say yes or no with me?”
And in doing that, he added, “I
get what I need.”
Father Empereur said he asks
penitents whether they pray.
“Usually they’ll say something
like their evening prayers before
they go to bed, or they pray before meals. Usually they have not
been going to Mass: ‘I say the rosary’ or things like that.
“Then you can talk about
participation in the Eucharist.
So you have to kind of instruct
them, helping them along,” he
explained. “Encourage them.
‘Are you going to be more involved in the church? Are you
going to go to Mass? Are you going to go to confession once in a
while?’”
“What’s prominent? What’s
most outstanding in their mind?
... They have something on their
minds. That’s why they’re coming in the first place. Usually I
find my questions have to do
with their relationships or to talk
about their spiritual life a little
bit. After all, that’s the purpose
of all this. I can’t say I’ve had two
identical confessions.”
Monsignor Lavalley, ordained
in 1964, still remembers a confession from his first year as a
priest. He was hearing confessions from students at the parish
grade school, and one boy was
among the last to be brought in.
“This kid’s behind the
screen. He’s not talking to
me. He’s just breathing. ‘Do
you want to go to confession?’
(No response.) ‘Do you want
to tell me what your sins are?’
‘No.’ ‘Why?’ ‘Because you know
what my sins are.’ ‘How?’ ‘Because I did them before.’”
Just like that boy, Monsignor
Lavalley told CNS, penitents are
habitual sinners. “Everyone’s a
SEE CONFESSIONAL PAGE 8B
March 14
The Rosary Altar Society Day of Reflection
Holy Ghost Church
601 N. Oak St., Hammond
8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Fr. Jamin David, pastor of St. Margaret Queen of Scotland Church, Albany
$15 and includes lunch.
Trisha Labbe 985-345-3360, ext. 28
March 25
Taize Prayer Service
St. Mark Church
7 p.m.
Robin Richardson 225-647-8461
March 29, 30, 31,
April 1– 6
Divine Mercy Novena
St. Aloysius Church
Chapel
Mar. 29: 5 – 6 p.m.
Mar. 30 & 31: 3 – 4 p.m.
Apr. 1 – 5: 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Apr. 6: 3 – 4 p.m.
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LENT 2013
February 8, 2013
Diocesan churches, schools and organizations hold fund raisers
March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Fish Fry
St. Francis Xavier Church
1150 South 12th St., Baton Rouge
School cafeteria
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
$8 plate
Fried catfish, peas, mac and cheese, potato salad, bread, cake
School office 225-387-6639
Fish Fry
February 15
Knights of Columbus
1701 Pecan St., Ponchatoula
5 – 7 p.m.
$7, fried fish, fries and coleslaw
Benefits Knights of Columbus Charities
John Albrecht 985-386-8089
Fish Fry
Mater Dolorosa Knights of Columbus
232 Dileo Dr., Independence
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
$8, fish and 2 sides
Vincent Spitale 985-878-4592
February 15, 22,
March 1, 8, 15, 22
Knights of Columbus Fish Fry Dinners
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church
11485 Ferdinand St., St. Francisville
6 – 7:30 p.m.
$8.50, fried or grilled catfish, coleslaw, fries or potato salad, garlic bread,
dessert, cold drink
Dine in or take out
Benefits Knights of Columbus Charities
Dan Heath 225-635-4794
Marty Mumphrey 225-751-7474
Catfish Dinners
St. Louis King of France Church
2121 N. Sherwood Forest Blvd.,
Baton Rouge
Fair Pavillion
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.
$8, fried catfish, fries, coleslaw, bread
St. Louis Knights of Columbus
Annual Lenten Lunches
St. Jean Vianney Church
16166 S. Harrell’s Ferry Rd., Baton Rouge
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
$7 per plate
3912 Gus Young Ave., Baton Rouge
Parish Center
8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
$8, catfish or shrimp, potato salad, green
peas, roll, dessert
Benefits building fund
Delivery available for 10 or more lunches
225-357-7908 or 225-387-9506
Fish Fry
Seafood Suppers
Lenten Dinners
St. Patrick Church
12424 Brogden Lane, Baton Rouge
Family Center
5:30 p.m.
$6, fried catfish, fries, coleslaw
$8, sautéed tilapia, sweet potatoes,
coleslaw
Holy Family Church
Knight of Columbus Hall
679 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen
5 p.m.
$8, fried fish, potato salad, bread, dessert
Mar. 22: $10, crawfish bisque, maque
choux, bread, dessert
Knights of Columbus Hall 225-387-9667
Feb. 15, 22,
March 1, 8, 22
Lenten Suppers
Immaculate Conception Church
865 Hatchell Lane, Denham Springs
Main Hall
5 – 7:30 p.m.
$7 per plate
Feb. 15: fried catfish, potato salad,
bread, dessert
Sponsored by Knights of Columbus
Feb. 22: shrimp etouffee, salad, bread,
dessert
Sponsored by youth ministry
Mar. 1: seafood gumbo, coleslaw,
bread, dessert
Sponsored by RCIA team
Mar. 8: crawfish etouffee, coleslaw,
bread, dessert
Sponsored by Catholic Daughters
Mar. 22: shrimp salad, crackers,
dessert
Sponsored by Men’s Club
ST JOSEPH
u
HOSPICE
February 17,
March 3 & 17
Fish Fry Dinners
Holy Ghost Church
5 – 7 p.m. church carport
$6 – $7 per plate
Feb. 17: Seafood stuffed potato with
bread
Mar. 3: Fried fish, potato salad, corn,
bread, dessert
Mar. 17: Seafood jambalaya
Tickets sold after Masses on Feb. 10, 24,
and Mar. 10
Benefits Holy Ghost School
Trisha Labbe 985-345-3360, ext. 28
February 22, March 22
Lenten Fish Fry
St. Gerard Majella Church
4000 St. Gerard Ave, Baton Rouge
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
$7, fish, bread, cake, coleslaw or baked
beans, potato salad
Benefits installation of new HVAC in
church
Marvin Jarreau and Fr. Marcel E.
Okwara CSsR 225-355-2553
February 22,
March 8 & 22
Parish Fish Fry
5 p.m.
$9, fish, colesalw, fries, roll
Drive thru 5 – 5:30 p.m.
March 8
Seafood Supper
St. Joseph’s Academy
3015 Broussard, Baton Rouge
School Cafeteria
5-7:30 p.m.
$7 per plate: Seafood etouffee, salad,
bread
Benefits the St. Joseph’s Academy
Athletic Department
Athletic Director Dorinda Beaumont
388-2290 or [email protected]
Fish Fry
March 15
St. Isidore Church
5657 Thomas Rd., Baton Rouge
Isidore Center
4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
$7, fish, potato salad, coleslaw, bread,
dessert
Linday Dossey 225-775-8850
March 22
Lenten Meal
Redemptorist High School
4000 St. Gerard Ave., Baton Rouge
RHS football stadium concession stand
1:30 – 7 p.m.
$8, fried catfish, fries, coleslaw
Tickets available at school office
Benefits Packbackers Athletic
Association
Greg Blades 225-931-6499
February 8, 2013
LENT 2013
5B
11
Lenten recipes from 50 years ago as The Catholic Commentator began
In 1963, the first issues of The Catholic
Commentator contained recipes appropriate for Lent. As the diocesan newspaper marks its 50th anniversary, some of
these recipes from the early days are being reprinted.
From The Catholic Commentator,
March 15, 1963
Lent is a time when homemakers can
express faith though food. While the tradition of fasting has varied widely through
the centuries, faith and food have always
been closely linked.
Lent can take on deeper meaning
through appreciation of the relationship
of this season’s food to those of biblical
times. The Bible often refers to foods,
particularly bread and fish. These are
mentioned in the story of Christ when he
came to the aid of his disciples fishing on
the Sea of Galilee – “Jesus came and took
the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.” John 1:1
These foods became symbols – fish the
symbol of Christianity and bread was life.
A third common food was cheese. In the
Valley of the Cheese Makers, near Jerusalem, cheese was purchased withered as
a product similar to yogurt or a dry curd
to be made into a drink with addition of
water.
The fishes of the seas, broiled or salted,
and the hearth-baked breads are heritages of this past. The Old Testament speaks
of raised bread to which dried fruits,
honey, and spices were added to make a
“sweet.”
The simple fair of Galilean fishermen –
meat was a rarity then – can inspire appreciation of this season. Here are recipes
with delightful ways to serve traditional
Lenten fish, bread and cheese.
Lemon Tuna Bake
1 qt. toasted bread cubes, 1/2 inch
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1/4 c. onions, chopped
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. sage
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. celery, chopped
2 c. drained, flaked tuna or
2 7-oz. cans water pack tuna
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 pt. soft breadcrumbs
1/4 c. pimento
Place toasted bread cubes in a greased
1-1/2 quart baking dish. Melt 1/4 cup of
butter in a 2-quart saucepan. Add onion
and sauté until tender.
Blend in flour, salt, pepper and sage.
Add milk and cook until thick, stirring
constantly.
Add celery and tuna and gradually stir
in lemon juice.
Pour tuna and celery sauce over toasted
bread cubes in baking dish.
Combine breadcrumbs, pimento and
1/4 cup melted butter. Sprinkle bread
mixture over top of casserole. Bake in
375-degree oven for 20 minutes. Serves
6 to 8.
Cheese Sandwich Bake
8 slices enriched bread
2 c. cheese cubes, about 1/2 lb.
1 c. canned baby lima beans, drained
1 Tbsp. onion, chopped
1 can tomatoes
3 eggs, beaten
Diagonally cut bread slices in half. Arrange 8 bread triangles on the bottom of a
greased 2x12x7.5-inch baking dish.
Arrange cheese cubes, lima beans and
onion over bread.
Drain tomatoes, reserving juice, and
place pulp over cheese-bean mixture.
Top with remaining bread triangles,
matching them to form sandwiches.
Combine tomato juice and eggs. Spoon
over sandwiches. Bake at 350 degrees for
20 minutes or until bubbly.
Serves 4.
Crab Meat under
a Cloud Sandwich
6 slices enriched bread
1 c. cream of celery soup, undiluted
1/4 c. green pepper, chopped
1 c. flaked crabmeat
2 egg yolks
1 Tbsp. sherry
2 egg whites
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
Trim crusts from bread and place slices
on greased, shallow baking pan.
Combine soup, green pepper, crabmeat
and egg yolks. Bring to a boil over low
heat, stirring constantly. Add sherry.
Spoon mixture over bread slices in
baking dish.
Beat egg whites until frothy. Sprinkle
sugar and lemon juice over top and continue beating until meringue stands in
peaks. Pile meringue on top of crabmeat
mixture.
Bake sandwiches at 325 degrees about
15 minutes or until delicately browned.
Serves 6.
From The Catholic Commentator,
March 29, 1963
The old Lenten standby – the egg – is
featured this season in some sparkling,
easy-to-assemble skillets and casseroles.
Supporting the egg and making it a star
in our green and gold casserole are fluffy
rice and chopped broccoli. A rich and
creamy sauce for the combination comes
jiffy-quick from a can of condensed cream
of celery soup with nutmeg.
This is a casserole that takes but 10
minutes of baking. It’s ideal for the after-
five cook who dashes home from the office
to get dinner on the table for her family.
Green and Gold Casserole
1 can cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 3/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash nutmeg
1 1/3 c packaged pre-cooked rice
2 c. hard-cooked eggs, chopped
(approximately 6)
1 c. broccoli, chopped and cooked
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
In a saucepan combine soup, water,
salt and nutmeg. Heat to boiling. Combine with rice and remaining ingredients.
Pour into 1 1/2 quart casserole. Bake 10
minutes. Makes 4-6 servings
Second time around, try spinach instead of the broccoli. Third time on the
table, use green beans.
Cheese Marvel
Cheese Marvel can be whipped up in 20
minutes in either casserole or skillet.
1 can condensed cheese soup, undiluted
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. water
6 hard-cooked eggs, quartered
1 c. cooked mixed vegetables
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 1/3 c. packaged pre-cooked rice
In a saucepan, combine soup and next
5 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice.
Pour into 1 ½ quart casserole and bake
for 10 minutes.
Makes 4-6 servings.
If you prefer top of the range cooking,
combine all ingredients in large skillet.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer
for 5 minutes. Stir and serve.
For a heartier dish, substitute 1 can
tuna, drained, and 4 hard-cooked eggs for
the 6 eggs suggested in the above recipe.
Apple Peanut Sandwiches
1 c. canned apple slices, chopped
1/2 c. celery, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. mayonnaise
2 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 c. chunky peanut butter
8 slices enriched white bread
Combine apples, celery salt, mayonnaise and lemon juice.
Spread peanut butter on all bread slices
and put sandwiches together with apple
mixture.
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LENT 2013
February 8, 2013
Readers and area businesses share of their favorite Lenten recipes
Eleanor Mitchel
Coffee Cake
St. Alphonsus Church, Greenwell Springs
2 pkgs. Pillsbury crescent dinner rolls
2 8-oz. Philadelphia cream cheese,
softened
1 1/2 c. powered sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 Tbsp. milk
Spread 1 package of rolls in 9x13-inch
baking pan sprayed with Pam. Mix cream
cheese, egg yolk, 1 cup powered sugar and
vanilla. Beat well. Spread over rolls.
Place package of rolls on top. Bake at
350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Mix pecans, almond extract and milk
with remaining powered sugar. Spread on
top of rolls while warm.
Refrigerate when cool.
Vivian Turfitt
Shrimp Stew
St. Ann Church, Morganza
2 lbs. fresh or frozen shrimp
1 c. oil
1 c. flour
1 large onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 c. parsley, chopped
1 large can tomato sauce
2 tsp. salt and pepper
3 qt. water
Make dark roux with oil and flour.
Add onion, garlic and celery. Add tomato
sauce, water, salt and pepper. Simmer for
at least one hour. Add green onions, parsley, and shrimp. Cook 20 minutes. Serve
over rice.
Polish Pierogi
Susan Benjamin from my mother Fran Valickas
Most Blessed Sacrament Church, Baton Rouge
2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. salt
1 egg
1 Tbsp. oil
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. water
Mix until moist. Put on floured board
and kneed until soft and elastic. If sticky
add flour.
Make big ball of dough and break off
pieces. Roll out pieces or the whole roll
and cut with the top of a large glass.
Filling:
Cooking Authentic Family Recipes
for Over 40 Years!
⚜ Seafood SoupS daily
with lump crabmeat
Pat Godwin
Thurs., Fri. and Sat. nights after 4 pm
⚜ TrouT almondine
⚜ peCan redfiSH/Suzy-Q'S redfiSH
⚜ freSH louiSiana Seafood
Grilled/Blackened/Fried
⚜ fried CrawfiSH Salad
⚜ many HearT-HealTHy iTemS
Please view our full restaurant and catering menu
online at www.cafeamericainrest.com.
For your CaTering needs – on site in one of our
elegant banquet rooms – or off site at your location,
contact Susanne at 225-924-9841
♥
1 pt. dry cottage cheese
2 potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 egg
Salt to taste
Mix all ingredients.
Spoon a scoop of filling in the middle
of the cut round piece of dough and fold
dough over and pinch together. Press
with a fork, if needed, around the edges
to better seal.
Drop the little pierogis into slow boiling water with a pinch of salt. When they
rise to the top of the water spoon them
out and put them in a buttered pan. Fry
them in butter until a little crisp.
Sauté onions and serve them with the
pierogi and a dab of sour cream.
Shrimp and Crab Bisque
⚜ Boiled CrawfiSH
Call today to make your
Valentine's reservations
Polish Pierogi. Photo provided by Susan Benjamin
♥
Holy Rosary Church, St. Amant
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of potato soup
Extra pre-cooked potato as needed
2 soup cans of whole milk
1/2 lb. crabmeat, claw or lump
1 lb. shrimp
1/4 c. green onions, chopped
1-2 tsp. liquid crab boil
1/2 c. margarine
1 pt. half and half
Salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning to taste
Sauté green onions in margarine for
5 minutes. Add shrimp and sauté until
pink. Add rest of ingredients and bring to
a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.
Pepper Jelly-Glazed Carrots
Teenie Bajon
7521 Jefferson Hwy. (Jefferson Plaza)
Mon.-Thurs. 11am-9:30pm; Fri.-Sat. 11am-til; Sunday 11am-4pm
fax 225-927-1626 | ph. 225-924-9841
St. Louis King of France Church, Baton Rouge
1 32-oz. pkg. carrots, halved crosswise
1 10.5-oz. can condensed chicken broth, undiluted
1 10.5-oz. jar red pepper jelly or
1 10.5-oz. jar hot jalapeno pepper jelly
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
Cut carrot halves lengthwise into quarters. Bring carrots and chicken broth to
a boil in a skillet over medium-high heat
and cook, stirring often, 6 to 8 minutes or
until carrots are crisp tender and broth
is reduced to 1/4 cup. Stir in pepper jelly
and butter. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly or until mixture thickens and carrots are glazed. Transfer to a serving dish,
using a slotted spoon. Pour half of pan
juices over carrots and discard remaining
pan juices. Serves 6
Shrimp Jambalaya
Don’s Seafood
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 c. cooked rice
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. onion, chopped
2 c. water
1/2 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. bell pepper, chopped
1/4 lb. margarine or 1 c. oil
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. each green onion, parsley chopped fine
Salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
Chop shrimp and set aside.
Melt margarine or oil and add onions,
celery, bell pepper and garlic in a heavy
pot. Cook uncovered on medium heat
until onions wilt. Add tomato paste and
cook, stirring constantly for 15 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 cups water. Season to taste with
salt and peppers. Add sugar and cook
uncovered on medium heat for about 40
minutes, stirring occasionally or until
oil floats to top. Add shrimp. Continue
cooking for another 20 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in ½ cup water and add
to mixture, cooking another 5 minutes.
Mix in cooked rice. Add green onions and
parsley and mix again.
Serves 8 generously as a side dish.
SEE RECIPES PAGE 7B
February 8, 2013
LENT 2013
RECIPES: Some shared for Lenten menus
FROM PAGE 6B
Don’s Seafood
Crab Dip
1/4 lb. margarine
6 small onions
2 stalks celery
2 cans mushroom soup
2 lbs. crabmeat
4 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 Tbsp. parsley
Tabasco sauce to taste
Sauté onions and celery in margarine
until wilted in covered pot. Add soup,
crabmeat, Worcestershire sauce, parsley
and Tabasco. Combine well and heat to a
complete boil.
Serve in 2-quart casserole dish.
Balsamic Glazed Fish
Provided by Linzy Roussel Cotaya
American Heart Association
4 4-oz fish fillets
Black pepper
3/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Season fish to taste with pepper. Place
on a cookie sheet or in a 9x13-inch casserole dish and bake 10-12 minutes.
While the fish cooks combine remaining ingredients and whisk well. Microwave covered on 50% heat for 2 minutes,
stirring half-way.
Drizzle glaze over fish and serve.
Serves 4.
Lebanese Potato Salad
Provided by Linzy Roussel Cotaya
American Heart Association
2 lb. russet potatoes, about 3 medium
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 c. fresh mint, chopped
Place potatoes in a large saucepan or
Dutch oven and cover with lightly salted
water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and rinse
with cold water. Transfer to a cutting
board. Let cool for 20 minutes. Cut the
cooled potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces.
Whisk lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper
in a large bowl. Add the potatoes and toss
to coat.
Just before serving, add scallions and
mint to the salad and toss gently.
Suzy-Q’s Redfish
Cafe Ameri’cain
4 redfish fillets
1/2 c. blackened seasoning
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted reserving 2 oz.
3/4 c. olive oil, 2 oz. reserved
1/2 c. white wine
Lebanese Potato Salad. Photo provided by Linzy
Roussel Cotaya, American Heart Association
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 oz. garlic, chopped
1 oz. fresh basil, chopped
1 oz. Italian seasoning
1 bag fresh spinach
4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 lb. lump crabmeat
Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
In a mixing bowl, whisk 1/2 cup olive
oil, white wine, lemon juice, garlic, basil,
and Italian seasoning until well blended.
Set aside.
Dip fillets, skin side up, in 1/2 cup melted butter and then coat buttered side with
blackened seasoning. Heat a cast iron
skillet over medium high heat; add 2 oz.
of melted butter and 2 oz. olive oil. Cook
2 fillets at a time, seasoned side down, for
1 minute, flip, cook another 2 minutes or
until done. Set aside.
In a separate skillet, add prepared
sauce, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Sauté
over medium high heat, for 1 minute. Add
spinach and crabmeat. Cook until spinach starts to wilt and crabmeat is heated
through, about 1 minute. Top redfish
with sauce and freshly grated Parmesan
cheese.
Serves 4.
Asian Sesame Oysters
Zea Rotisserie and Grill Restaurants
6 fresh large oysters
1 c. self rising flour
1 c. self rising corn flour
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
Zea Sweet Chili Glaze Sauce
Zea Stir-Fry Sauce
Fresh basil
Sesame seeds
Dust oysters in seasoned flour and fry
until crisp. Drizzle with Zea Sweet Chili
Glaze and Zea Stir-Fry Sauce. Top with
sesame seeds and basil ribbons. Serve
immediately.
11
7B
Lenten regulations for the
In The Diocese of Baton Rouge, as in
the rest of the church in the United States,
Catholics aged 18 through 59 are bound
by a grave obligation to observe a solemn
fast on both Ash Wednesday and Good
Friday. Catholics aged 14 and up are to
abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday,
all Fridays of Lent and Good Friday as
well. These norms have been established
by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in accord with the norms of canons
1249-1253 in the revised Code of Canon
Law of 1983.
To fast means to consume only one
full meal a day at most, although taking
of other smaller quantities of food at the
other customary mealtimes is permitted.
Food and drink ‘between meals’ (excepting only water and medicine) is not permitted on fast days.
To abstain from meat means refraining from eating beef, veal, pork or poultry
at least, although not necessarily eggs,
milk products or meat broths, or condiments made from animal fat. The consumption of fish, shellfish and reptiles is
permitted if desired.
Beyond the mandatory days listed
above, abstinence from meat on every
Friday throughout the year which is not
a solemnity and fasting on all Lenten
weekdays (especially Wednesdays and
Fridays), and on Holy Saturday, is strongly recommended to all the faithful. There
always remains, of course, the grave obligation to participate at Holy Mass on all
Sundays and days of obligation.
Each in his or her own way, every
Christian is bound to do penance by virtue of divine law. Only ill health or some
similar situation of urgency excuses.
During the Lenten season, Christ Jesus’
own challenges to prayer, fasting and
almsgiving are paramount.
Clergy (priests and deacons) who have
legitimate residence and active ministry
within the Diocese of Baton Rouge have
been delegated the power to dispense the
faithful of the diocese, in individual cases
and for a just reason, from the obligation
to observe a particular day of penance, or
to commute some or all of its obligations
to other pious works. Included in this is
the faculty to dispense from the Lenten
obligations to fast and abstain from meat.
Yet the obligation to do some kind of penance remains a serious one, and will not
be taken lightly by a good Catholic.
5500 St. Mary St. Metairie, LA 70006
www.cenaclesisters.org/metairie
(504) 887-1420 (800) 699-4095
2013 Spiritual Retreats
MarcH 1-3 – Heroic Discipleship
Presenter: Rev. Joseph Krafft
MarcH 8-10 – Forgiveness: The Way to Love
Presenter: Rev. Dan Dorsey
MarcH 13-15 – A Walk with Merton into the Prayer of Silence
Presenter: Rev. Patrick Hosey
MarcH 19 – Lent Day of Prayer
Presenter: Sr. Kathy Scott, r.c.
MarcH 22-24 – Daring the Dream: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark
Presenter: Rev. Joseph Nassal, CPPS
MarcH 23 – Young Adult Ministry
Vince Liberto (504) 250-9697
aPril 12-14 – Staying Awake
Presenter: Rev. Donald Blanchard
aPril 19-21 – Healing Through the Great Parables of Jesus
Presenter: Rev. Matt Linn, SJ
aPril 26-28 – Jesus Yesterday, Today and Forever - Resurrection
Presenter: Rev. Richard Buhler, SJ
aPril 27 – Young Adult Ministry
Vince Liberto (504) 250-9697
Ongoing Programs
Cenacle Prayer Enrollment
Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Phone: 504-887-1810, Fax: 504-887-6624
E-mail: [email protected]
Hospitality Groups Welcome
LENT 2013
CONFESSIONAL
FROM PAGE 3B
habitual sinner, and so am I,”
he said. “It’s not about sin, it’s
about mercy and about God’s
love.”
Monsignor Lavalley remembers himself as a grade
schooler making comparisons
among the priests in his parish
about which ones handed out
sterner or lighter penances.
But he recalled one experience with a priest that “made
me the confessor that I am. He
was so kind and so wonderful,
and I never forgot the penance
he gave me. He said, ‘Can you
say the name of Jesus once?
I’ll say it for you.’ And he did it
without sarcasm.
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www.csobr.org
Elementary/Middle School Principal
St. Peter Chanel School, Paulina, La.
www.stpchanel.org
As a part of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, St. Peter Chanel School
serves approximately 240 students in Grades PK - 8 with a staff of 17
on the site of St. Joseph Church Parish in Paulina. The 78-year-old
school participates in district accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. As the instructional leader of the
school, the principal works with the pastor, Catholic Schools Office,
and school advisory board in fostering the mission and ministry of the
school through collaborative leadership, clear communication, and
consistent efforts toward continuous improvement.
• Meets Louisiana Department of Education
Requirements for Nonpublic School Principal
Submit letter of interest, résumé with references and
copies of transcript(s) to:
St. Peter Chanel School Principal Search
P.O. Box 2028
Baton Rouge, Louisiana are
basis of race, color, national and
ethnic origin.
February 8, 2013
The Light Is On For You schedules
February 20, 27,
March 6, 13, 20
Streets, Baton Rouge
5 - 6 p.m.
Holy Family Church
319 W. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen
6 – 7 p.m.
St. Joseph Church
2130 Rectory St., Paulina
6 – 7:30 p.m.
Holy Ghost Church
6 - 7:30 p.m.
St. Louis King of France
2121 N. Sherwood Forest Dr.
Baton Rouge
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
865 Hatchell Lane
Denham Springs
6 – 7:30 p.m.
St. Mary of False River Church
348 W. Main St., New Roads
6 – 7:30 p.m.
St. John the Evangelist Church
57805 Main St., Plaquemine
6 – 7:30 p.m.
February 20, 27,
March 6, 13, 20, 27
St. Joseph Cathedral
Corner of Fourth and Main Our Lady of Mercy Church
445 Marquette Ave.
Baton Rouge
6 – 7:30 p.m.
Church office 225-9261883
St. Aloysius Church
6 – 7:30 p.m.
St. George Church
7808 St. George Dr.
Baton Rouge
6 – 7:30 p.m.
11441 Goodwood Blvd.
Baton Rouge
6 – 7:30 p.m.
Check the diocesan
website, diobr.org
for a complete list
of reconcillection
services
Stations of the Cross
February 15, 22,
March 1, 8, 15, 22
St. Mark Church
6:30 p.m. followed by
Communion service
Kathleen LeCicero
225-647-8461
St. Joseph Church
255 N 8th St., Ponchatoula
7 - 7:30 p.m.
Fr. Cayet Mangiaracina OP
985-386-3749
Baton Rouge
1:30 p.m. (school) and
6 p.m. (church)
Dina Martinez 225-275-3940
Following noon Mass
St. Aloysius Church
8:30 – 9 a.m. & 5:30 – 6 p.m.
Ken Thevenet 225-343-6657
Holy Family Church
319 N. Jefferson Ave.
Port Allen
5 p.m.
St. Patrick Church
12424 Brogden Lane
Baton Rouge
5:30 p.m.
St. Catherine of Sienna Church
421 St. Patrick St.
Donaldsonville
6 p.m.
Holy Ghost Church
601 North Oak St., Hammond
7 p.m.
Church Office 985-345-3360
For students and the public
Holy Ghost School
8 a.m. Canceled if it rains
Cindy Wagner 985-345-0977
3912 Gus Young Ave., Baton
Rouge
6 p.m.
Holy Family School
Port Allen
7:50 a.m. Canceled if it rains
St. Philip Church
1175 LA Highway 18, Vacherie
St. Thomas More School
Baton Rouge
1:30 p.m.
Dina Martinez 225-275-3940
February 15, 22,
March 1, 8, 22
865 Hatchell Lane
Denham Springs
After 6 p.m. Mass
March 19
Living Way of the Cross
Holy Family School
Holy Family Church
Port Allen
6:30 p.m.
March 27 & 28
Living Stations of the Cross
Performed by 8th-grade
students
Most Blessed Sacrament
School
8033 Baringer Road
Baton Rouge
St. Ursula Hall
Adults, Mar. 27: 7 – 8 p.m.
Students, Mar. 28: 9 & 10:15 a.m.
Vonnie Chaison 225-751-0273