April 29 - The Catholic Commentator

Transcription

Commentator
T H E
April 29, 2016 Vol. 54, No. 6
Spirituality
at Carville
C A T H O L I C
S E R V I N G T H E D I O C E S E O F B AT O N R O U G E S I N C E 19 6 3
PAGE 5
Pastoral
appointments
announced
thecatholiccommentator.org
MERCY SENTENCE
By Debbie Shelley
The Catholic Commentator
Life in prison was the
sentence they received even
though they had not committed murder, treason or robbery. Their “crime” was having
a disease which medical science now shows that 95 percent of the world population is
not susceptible to.
And for thousands, that
“sentence” was served at a
leprosarium in Carville, now
known as the National Hansen’s Disease Museum.
Known by the name leprosy, Hansen’s disease has been
feared and misunderstood
throughout history. Most people’s knowledge of the disease
stems from biblical references,
in which those who had it were
banished from their community and loved ones and labeled
“unclean.”
That stigma continued to
more recent times in LouiSEE MUSEUM PAGE 10
First Four Nuns – The first group of four Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul arrived at the national leprosarium in Carville, which
was the first and only in-patient hospital in the U.S. for the treatment of leprosy, on April 17, 1896. With Father Michael Colton, then chaplain, and Sister Beatrice Hart, center, sister superiors, are, from left, Sisters Mary Thomas Stokum, Annie Costello and Cyril Coupe. They
were met with almost insurmountable obstacles, one being the dilapidated condition of the Indian Camp Plantation Home which was to
be their quarters. See related story on page 12. Photo provided by Elizabeth Schexnyder | National Hansen’s Disease Museum, Carville
FOUNT OF
GRACE –
Rhett Verzwyvelt (being
baptized by
Father David
Allen) was
baptized
along with his
cousin, Wyatt
Bahlinger on
Divine Mercy
Sunday. The baptisms were a special celebration for
the family, some coming from California, following
medical complications for Rhett at birth. Pictured,
from left, are his parents Brooke and Richard Verzwyvelt, Randall Verzwyvelt (godfather) and Lauren
Bahlinger (godmother). For story, see page 7. Photo
provided by Melanie Roubique
Parish to open house for trafficking victims
By Richard Meek
Human trafficking has become,
as one woman religious puts it, a
form of “modern slavery.”
Girls averaging 12 to 13 years
old are peddled like human commodities pimped out as prostitutes to eager pedophiles. The
girls, whose main concerns should
be fighting acne and making weekend plans, live on the street or in
cars, and if they are lucky enough
perhaps in seedy motels. They are
often physically abused as well as
sexually abused, and, according
to law enforcement officials, likely
involved in drug abuse.
And when their pimps deem
the young girls too old, they are
simply sold to another predator,
continuing the cycle. There was
the case of one stepfather who
began sexually abusing his stepdaughter when she was 12 years
old and eventually sold her when
she turned 15 because, quite simply, she was too old for him.
“It is the modern slavery of our
era,” said Sister Norma Nunez
HSM. “(The girls) are being deceived and exploited. I don’t wish
for anyone to do that.”
Perhaps equally as disturbing
as the human exploitation is deSEE TRAFFICKING PAGE 19
2
FAIt H
The ighter ide of
| TREASURES FROM THE DIOCESE
L
Nestled behind St. Patrick Church in Baton Rouge is an outdoor way of the cross, with
the Virgin Mary at its center. A grove of trees offers a shady canopy and a serene setting, a rarity in an area teeming with traffic and other distractions of an urban area.
Photo by Richard Meek | The Catholic Commentator
| PICTURES FROM THE PAST
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| DID YOU KNOW
April 29, 2016
Papal documents
With the release of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation on April 8, one obvious
question comes up: What other types of
documents can the pope issue?
Based on the reason or need, the pontiff has many types of documents at his
disposal. However, before addressing the
various papal documents, it’s important
to remember that official church documents can come from four basic areas in
the Catholic Church.
One is from the bishops. These documents, either issued by individual bishops or by national conferences of bishops,
explain how church teaching will be put
into effect in a diocese or particular area.
Often referred to as a pastoral letter, each
must receive official confirmation from
the Vatican to have authority.
A second official church document
is issued by offices of the Holy See and
authorized by the pope. Called a curial
document, this type of communication
provides instruction, such as to explain
or clarify documents issued by a council
or decrees by a pope. A curial document
also includes a “recognitio,” or an acceptance by the Holy See of a document sent
to it for review, and a “dubia,” which is an
official response to questions sent to the
Vatican by bishops seeking more information on various topics.
Conciliar documents are another type
of official church documents and are issued
following the work of a church council.
The last type of official church document includes the largest of the four areas: papal documents. Papal documents
are issued directly by the pontiff and typically fall into certain recognized categories with different levels of authority.
1. The first type is a papal bull. It is
typically used to address a wide range of
situations, such as an excommunication
to canonizations of saints. Written on
parchment with a seal or bulla attached
featuring cords of silk, a papal bull makes
a dramatic presentation and is typically
reserved for solemn announcements. In
1950, the dogma of the Assumption of
Our Blessed Mother was issued through
an apostolic constitution with a papal
bull.
2. As suggested, an apostolic constitution is a second type of papal document and deals with serious doctrinal
matters. When issued, it can define dogma, change canon law or establish new
ecclesiastical structures.
3. If the pope wants to write a pastoral letter to the entire church, he would
typically use this third type of papal
document called an encyclical letter.
Usually this document offers some type
of teaching or counsel on doctrine. An
example is Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, an encyclical that first introduced
Catholic social teaching.
4. Similar to an encyclical in its pastoral nature, an apostolic letter or
epistle is written by the pope to address
a specific person or group of people on an
issue or issues of concern.
5. Another document that the pope
can send is called a declaration. This
can be in the form of a simple statement
of a law or a longer declaration that could
modify a church law. Declarations are not
issued as much as they once were in the
early history of the church.
6. A sixth type is the motu proprio.
This is a decree issued by the pontiff and
is meant to handle specific issues related
to the church. When restrictions were relaxed during the celebration of the Mass,
Catholics heard about it in a motu proprio
issued by Pope Benedict XVI.
7. An apostolic exhortation, issued
recently by Pope Francis, is an exhorting
or urging by the pope. Typically, it contains papal reflections on a certain topic
and may also offer encouragement and
instruction to everyone in the church.
The “Amoris Laetitia” or “the Joy of Love”
draws together the results of two recent
synods on the family and also contains
the pope’s thoughts on providing comfort
and compassion to every family.
8. Finally, for those times when the
pope doesn’t write a papal document, he
can still make a formal oral announcement. Called an allocution, this is a
way for the pope to address a group on a
certain topic. The first pope to use it was
Pope Pius IX when he addressed the cardinals.
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As May approaches, many churches are making plans for the crowing of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Father Wilfred Knoblock, then pastor at St. Jules Church in Belle Rose, is shown
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the Diocese of Baton Rouge
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April 29, 2016
3
‘The Joy of Love’ simplifies, affirms church teaching on critical issues
Pope Francis embraces
Humberto and Claudia Gomez, who are married civilly but not in the church,
during a meeting with families at the Victor Manuel
Reyna Stadium in Tuxtla
Gutierrez, Mexico, Feb. 15.
Pope Francis’ postsynodal
apostolic exhortation on
the family, “Amoris Laetitia” (“the Joy of Love”), was
released April 8 with reaction from Catholic lay leaders from around the world,
including locally. The exhortation is the concluding
document of the 2014 and
2015 synods of bishops on
the family. Photo provided by Paul
Haring | Catholic News Service
By Rachele Smith
At a time when one out of every two
American marriages ends in divorce,
when television and technology replace
family conversation, and when personal
needs and goals are somehow idealized
more than giving selflessly to another,
several local Catholic lay ministers contend Pope Francis’ recent document “Amoris Laetitia” or “the Joy of Love” was
timed perfectly.
The more than 250-page apostolic
exhortation, released April 8, comes at a
time “when there are significant threats to
the institution and the reality of marriage
and the family,“ said Barry Schoedel, associate director of the diocese’s Office of
Evangelization and Catechesis.
Signed on March 19, the Solemnity of
Saint Joseph, who is the patron saint of
families and the Diocese of Baton Rouge,
the apostolic exhortation draws together
the results of the two synods on the family assembled by Pope Francis in 2014 and
2015. The document also cites letters and
teachings of past pontiffs, including St.
John Paul II, and draws references from
other sources, such as various episcopal
conferences from around the world and
the writings of significant historical figures, including Martin Luther King and
author and 20th century psychoanalysis
Erich Fromm. In addition, Pope Francis uses the document to reflect his own
catechesis on the family, even using great
detail at times, such as discussing discipline and moral and ethical formation of
children.
“I see it (the document) as two-fold. It’s
both theological in that there is reflection
on the deeper Christian meaning of family and marriage, and there is the practical
or you could say pastoral part of how to
support people to realize and live out the
vocations of family and married life in the
fullest sense,” Schoedel said.
Rather than establishing new rules
or canonical laws for the institutions of
family and married life, Schoedel said
the document reaffirms church teachings,
something he finds practical on a local
level.
“It is a call of reorientation of values,”
said Schoedel, adding there is a sense of
repurposing and making our lives with
our loved ones a type of missionary activity and a type of evangelism.
“It’s a call from the Holy Father to recommit ourselves as disciples and to the
vocation of marriage and family life,” he
said.
“Just because we are lay Christians and
we live in a family and marriage doesn’t
mean we are lesser or have less opportunity to grow within the love of God,” he
added.
Like Schoedel, Darryl Ducote, director of the diocese’s Office of Marriage and
Family Life, sees the “Joy of Love” as an
opportunity for the church to “restate the
beauty of marriage and family life” based
on Scripture and church teaching through
the centuries.
But that’s just the beginning.
“The pope is also exhorting theologians, pastors and lay leaders to continually think through how we can apply the
church’s teaching to real life situations
people deal with today.
“He’s not setting hard and fast rules.
He’s asking, ‘Let’s do more thinking; let’s
do more discussing; let’s be open to the
Holy Spirit to see how we can apply the
church’s teaching to contemporary situations,’ ” said Ducote.
Some of those situations, however, can
be “sticky,” according to Ducote.
Topics such as divorce and remarriage,
which Ducote emphasized the pope clearly stated does not mean excommunication, and others, including annulments,
reproduction and technology and samesex attraction mean the church has “to
walk with people” wherever they are and
help them on these difficult paths, he explained.
Ducote noted the pope’s approach,
which is clear in the document, is to include rather than exclude, offering a welcome to all.
“The fact that we are imperfect is not a
disgrace,” said Ducote.
“The church offers us an ideal, and
while we strive for that, God’s grace helps
us deal with those situations, even if it is
imperfectly,” he said.
Jason Romero, director of Christian
formation at Our Lady of Mercy Church in
Baton Rouge, also read the document as a
summary of church teaching on marriage
and family life.
He was most impressed with the practical ways Pope Francis offered for family
members to interact and highlighted the
pontiff’s call to use three words on a daily
basis, “please,” “thank you” and “sorry.”
“The pope takes the church’s teaching
and simplifies it in a way, so as you read it,
you can see his personality,” Romero said.
“He talks about how growing up in
family is not always easy. He defines it
in a theological way but it is very practi-
cal, like he’s giving advice to your average
family. He shows how the family is not
only the bedrock to the church but also to
society as well,” added Romero.
Romero’s colleague, Amelia Gallagher,
director of youth formation at Our Lady
of Mercy, believes the pope’s words are
hopeful and can encourage young people
to have a deeper connection with Christ.
“A lot of them are trying to determine
their vocation, but whatever vocation is
best is the one God is calling you to,” she
said.
Gallagher explained that some youth
believe a religious vocation is somehow
better or higher than another, yet “God
can call you to married life, and if he does,
you can still reach the heights of mystical
union. He (Pope Francis) says that in this
document.”
For Gallagher, reiterating that there
was nothing new about church teaching
in the document is important, but there
was also something she especially found
inspiring.
“He (Pope Francis) kicks off his apostolic exhortation by diving into Scripture.
He really upholds our tradition and the
sacredness of Scripture,” said Gallagher,
adding with a smile, “Yes, go Pope Francis!”
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April 29, 2016
5
Bishop Muench announces pastoral appointments
By Richard Meek
Bishop Robert W. Muench announced the following pastoral
appointments effective July 1.
• Father Paul Gros, pastor at
St. Philomena in Labadieville. Father Gros will continue as pastor
at St. Anne in Napoleonville and
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
Mary in Plattenville.
• Father Andrew Merrick, vocation director and parochial vicar at Christ the King and Catholic
Center in Baton Rouge. Father
Merrick’s appointment as vocation director is effective for four
years.
• Father Matthew Dupré, director of seminarians for a twoyear term. He will remain as pastor at St. Patrick in Baton Rouge.
• Father Matthew Graham,
administrator at St. Elizabeth in
Paincourtville and St. Jules in
Belle Rose.
• Father Juel Kandulna IMS,
parochial vicar at St. Philomena,
St. Anne and Assumption of the
Blessed Virgin Mary.
• Father David Allen, temporary administrator at St. Pius in
Baton Rouge and St. Isidore in
Baker. Father Allen will continue
as pastor at Holy Family Church
in Port Allen.
Bishop Muench also appointed Lisette Borné associate direc-
Father Paul Gros
Father Andrew Merrick
tor of vocations and seminarians.
Father Gros, a Catholic High
School graduate who was ordained
by Bishop Muench in 2009, has
been pastor at St. Anne and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
Mary since July 1, 2012. He is also
dean of the Southwest Deanery
and chaplain at Ascension Catholic Regional High School.
He has served as parochial
vicar at Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Gramercy, St. Michael Church in Convent, St. Joseph in Paulina, Christ the King
and Immaculate Conception of
the Blessed Virgin Mary in Denham Springs.
Father Merrick, a graduate of
Catholic High of Pointe Coupée
and ordained in 2008 by Bishop
Muench, has been pastor at St.
Elizabeth and St. Jules since July
1, 2012. He was also administrator at both parishes from 2011-12.
He served as parochial vicar
at St. Thomas More Church in
Baton Rouge, Christ the King and
Immaculate Conception.
Father Matthew Dupré
Father Dupré, a Catholic High
graduate who was ordained in
1998 by Archbishop Alfred C.
Hughes, has been serving as pastor at St. Patrick and chaplain at
Catholic High since 2014. He was
appointed director of the Office of
Vocations on July 1, 2012.
Father Dupré has served on
the College of Consultors from
2009-14, pastor at St. John the
Baptist Church in Brusly, administrator at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Pierre Part and St.
Theresa of Avila Church in Gonzales and parochial vicar at Holy
Rosary in St. Amant, Christ the
King and St. Jean Vianney in Baton Rouge.
Father Kandulna was ordained in Jharkhand, India in
1997 and is currently parochial
vicar at St. Louis King of France
in Baton Rouge. He also served as
parochial vicar at Holy Rosary.
Father Graham was ordained
May 30 and has been serving the
past year as parochial vicar at
Christ the King.
Norwegian bishop: To avoid same-sex
marriage, no more civil weddings
WARSAW, Poland (CNS) – A Norwegian bishop said the country’s clergy will no longer officiate
at civil weddings, after the predominant Lutheran
Church’s governing synod voted to conduct gay
marriages in Norway.
Bishop Bernt Eidsvig of Oslo told Catholic News
Service that he would have to seek permission from
the Vatican, but added, “It’s clear we must distinguish our own church marriages from others.”
“This is a matter of liturgy, so it doesn’t necessarily reflect broader change in our society’s moral
values. But politicians may now get aggressive toward churches who resist these weddings, so the
best option is for us to stop conducting marriages
on the state’s behalf.”
He said Norwegian Catholics “hope to maintain good relations with the Lutheran Church,”
but said they would “make it clear we don’t understand their decision and hope they’ll still reconsider it.”
Bishop Eidsvig told CNS April 21 that many
Norwegians remained strongly opposed to samesex marriage, which has been legal since 2009.
He said Lutheran churches in Africa, Asia and
Latin America had also “strongly condemned” the
synod decision.
“My own reaction is one of sorrow and disappointment, and we can’t foresee the longer-term
consequences for interchurch contacts here,” Bishop Eidsvig said.
The Lutheran synod voted overwhelmingly to
approve same-sex marriages at its annual conference, after rejecting a similar proposal in 2014. Lutheran clergy who oppose same-sex marriage will
be allowed to opt out.
Bishop Eidsvig and three Protestant Norwegian
leaders sent a statement to Norway’s Vart Land
daily, saying same-sex marriage violated “not only
the Christian understanding of marriage, but also
the historic and universal view of marriage.” The
statement said the introduction of separate civil and religious ceremonies would protect other
churches from “increased pressure to consecrate
same-sex couples.”
Catholics make up a small minority of the 5.2
million inhabitants of Norway.
Pope Francis will visit Lund, Sweden, Oct. 31 for
an ecumenical service with Lutheran World Federation members to mark the 500th anniversary of
the Protestant Reformation.
Father Matthew Graham
Father Juel Kandulna IMS
Father David Allen will serve
at St. Pius and St. Isidore while
Father David Allen
pastor Father Frank Bass is on
medical leave.
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April 29, 2016
Funeral Mass years after death/Destination weddings?
Q
You noted in a recent column
that the Mass is “the most powerful prayer that can be offered
on a deceased person’s behalf.” That
comment brought back a wave of sorrow
for my wife and me. Ten years ago, her
father died after a lengthy and progressive illness. Due to the fact that we were
living out of state at the time, and worsened by some unresolved hard feelings
toward their father by other surviving
family members, Dad was shuttled into
a grave at a veterans’ cemetery before
my wife and I could intervene.
Despite the fact that he was a lifelong practicing Catholic, he was buried
without even a public wake, and worse
still, without the Catholic funeral Mass
he richly deserved. So my question is
this: Can he still have a full funeral Mass,
not just a memorial Mass, celebrated
in his name even though he is already
buried, even without the presence of
his remains? (If so, I would contact our
family’s original pastor.)
It would be an opportunity for Dad’s
soul to enjoy a proper requiem, and
it would also allow close family and
longtime friends a chance to prayerfully ask God’s graces on Dad’s behalf, an
opportunity they were deprived of (and
The
shocked by) at the time of
his passing. (City of origin
withheld)
A
Yes, you could have
a Mass celebrated
for your father-inlaw even now, 10 years after his death. Technically, I
suppose, it would be called
a memorial Mass, but in
most respects it would be
similar to a funeral Mass,
except that the body would
not be present. (And these
days, with cremations
becoming more frequent,
that is already the case at
many funeral Masses.)
I would suggest that you contact your
family’s pastor and see if he would be willing to celebrate a separate, special Mass
for your father-in-law. (In other words,
you would not simply add the deceased’s
name to the other intentions at one of the
regularly scheduled parish Masses.)
You may want to announce the Mass
in a newspaper notice or by contacting
friends and family directly. Perhaps you
would want to call it an anniversary
memorial Mass for your loved one. At the
Mass, you might consider having a small table
with your father-in-law’s
picture and a bouquet of
flowers. (That table could
be placed either where
people first enter the
church or, if the priest is
willing, in front near the
altar where the casket
would ordinarily go.)
Your question, and
your sadness and lingering regret, remind
me how important it is,
at the time of a death,
for a family to set aside
differences and join in
planning funeral rites that best honor the
deceased and respect his wishes. Clearly,
your father-in-law would have wanted a
funeral Mass.
Question Corner
Father Kenneth Doyle
Q
What is the church’s position
about “destination weddings,”
which may or may not be performed by a priest? If two previously unmarried Catholics in good standing are
married in such a non-church ceremony,
will the church accept that marriage?
(Schenectady, New York)
A
My take on “destination weddings” (Cabo San Lucas seems
the current rage) is that they are
fraught with complication both from
the religious point of view as well as the
civil.
To answer your question simply, two
Catholics must be married by a Catholic
priest or deacon. Sometimes an “exotic”
wedding venue will assure a couple that
the venue will find a member of the clergy
to officiate, but whether that will turn out
to be a Catholic priest or deacon in good
standing is always uncertain. (More often
than not, it will not be a Catholic at all.)
Further, there is the matter of securing the proper license from a foreign
municipal authority and assuring that
the marriage will be recognized in the
United States. On more than one occasion in the recent past, I have persuaded
Catholic couples bent on a destination
wedding to be married beforehand in a
quiet ceremony in our church parish with
me as the celebrant and with a marriage
license from our own city hall.
Following that, they can leave and
party in the tropics with their friends
and family, confident that their marriage
is recognized as official by the church
and by the state.
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COMMENTATOR
T H E
C A T H O L I C
225-387-0983 • thecatholiccommentator.org
April 29, 2016
FAITH JOURNEY
7
Infant’s health journey a confirmation of faith for Port Allen family
By Debbie Shelley
Sisters often experience a
double joy when doing something together, such as shopping,
basking on the beach, watching
a movie or eating their favorite
pizza. For Brooke LeBlanc Verzwyvelt and Lauren LeBlanc
Bahlinger, being pregnant for
the first time with a due date
one week apart was bliss beyond
anything they had done together.
“It was a joy to be side by
side during this time,” said Verzwyvelt. They had their baby
showers together, registered for
the babies’ baptisms together,
prepared their nurseries together and settled in to welcome
their babies into the world. They
even had the same doctor and
were both expecting boys.
A delivery nurse at Woman’s
Hospital, Verzwyvelt knew what
questions to ask the doctor and
what to expect when delivering,
whereas her sister did not.
“She told you this?” Bahlinger
would ask Verzwyvelt as the sisters discussed their doctor visits.
Verzwyvelt and Bahlinger’s
mother, Gretchen LeBlanc, was
doubly surprised by her daughters’ pregnancies. LeBlanc recently retired after 33 years at
Dow Chemical to spend time
with her grandchildren and her
parents. She and
her husband were
gathered at the
Bahlinger’s home
to celebrate the
LeBlanc’s
35th
wedding anniversary. Verzwyvelt
gave her a big gift
bag.
“I thought it
was finally a wedding photo I had
been
wanting
from her,” said
LeBlanc. “I pulled
the tissue out and
it was filled with
baby supplies. I
said, ‘You’re pregnant?’ ”
Next,
Bahlinger handed her
a box that contained a birthstone.
“I asked, ‘Lauren, why are you giving me a
birthstone for February?’ That’s
when she told me she was due in
February.”
“I thought God was giving me
Wyatt Bahlinger was baptized by Father David Allen, along with his cousin, Rhett, on Divine Mercy Sunday,
April 3. At the joyous occasion are from left, Blake LeBlanc, godfather; Cooper Bahlinger, father; Lauren
LeBlanc, mother; and Brooke Verzwyvelt, godmother. Photo provided by Melanie Roubique
a double high five,” said a glowing LeBlanc.
Verzwyvelt had a fairly
smooth pregnancy. However, she
didn’t expect the medical complications her son would face.
On Jan. 21, Verzwyvelt endured 24 hours of labor before
Rhett was born by cesarean section on Jan. 22.
Rhett seemed
to be doing fine
the first couple
of days, although
he had not had a
bowel movement.
He was discharged the Monday after his delivery. That night,
Rhett threw up
bile and was in
pain.
“He was not
doing everything
a baby normally
does,” said Verzwyvelt.
She brought
him to the pediatrician, and it
was discovered
that Rhett had a
malrotation of the
bowels and other
intestinal issues.
He was brought back to Woman’s
Hospital and taken into emergency surgery that night.
The news from the doctors
was grim for Verzwyvelt and her
The news from
the doctors was
grim for (Brook)
Verzwyvelt and
her husband,
Richard. The
surgery would
be long and
complicated, and
Rhett would have
“a really long
road” to take in
his life.
husband, Richard. The surgery
would be long and complicated,
and Rhett would have “a really long road” to take in his life.
There was a possibility he might
have to wear a colostomy bag.
“It was very traumatizing,”
said Verzwyvelt. “We didn’t
know if he would even get to
come home with us.”
As Rhett was brought to the
surgery room, his parents kissed
him and told him they loved him.
“I told them (the medical
staff) to take care of him and
bring him back to me,” Verzwyvelt said.
Then came the wait.
“My husband and I were
holding hands and crying. I
just prayed that God would let
me have a little more time with
him,” said Verzwyvelt, who realized that God gave Rhett as a gift
to her and her husband and that
God could take him any time he
wished. But she wasn’t ready to
let go yet.
But the hand of God was
working to reassure her. The
first name of their surgeon was
Faith (Hansbrough), Verzwyvelt
noted.
There was also the support
from her family.
Verzwyvelt had expressed her
struggles with her faith when
she asked her mother if God was
punishing her or if there was
something different she should
have done with her pregnancy.
Her mother assured her that God
loves her, but sometimes he gives
people a cross they must bear.
As LeBlanc waited for visitation time with Rhett, she read
the Scriptures on her electronic reader and came across John
9:1-3: “And Jesus passing by, saw
a man who was blind from his
birth: And his disciples asked
him: Rabbi, who has sinned,
this man, or his parents, that he
should be born blind? Jesus answered: Neither hath this man
sinned, nor his parents; but that
the works of God should be manifest in him.”
She sent a picture of the
passage by text message to her
daughter, who was with Rhett
in the ICU after surgery. Verzwyvelt’s faith was bolstered.
There was also the constant
support of their church parish
home, Holy Family Church in
Port Allen.
Rhett’s story has been a faith
lesson to Holy Family parish-
ioners. The Scripture passage
came up in a recent Lenten retreat, and LeBlanc shared her
personal testimony of how God
works with people during difficult times.
“It touched people from the
congregation to hear Rhett’s story,” LeBlanc said. “It’s been a real
faith journey.”
Rhett was discharged from
the hospital after two weeks.
“It was so exciting. It was also
a little scary,” said Verzwyvelt,
remembering that Rhett had
come home with them before
only to be in the hospital the next
day. “But we couldn’t wait to get
home and learn how to be his
parents.”
Rhett was back at the hospital
on Feb. 11, this time to meet his
cousin, Wyatt.
Just as the sisters had
planned, Rhett and Wyatt were
baptized at Holy Family on April
3, Divine Mercy Sunday. It was
a big family event, as some relatives even came in from California. Verzwyvelt was Wyatt’s
godmother and Bahlinger was
Rhett’s godmother.
The cousins have been spending a lot of time together, and
Verzwyvelt said they are at that
stage of beginning to notice each
other. Their mothers have lots
of plans for them, such as joint
birthday parties and celebrating
other milestones together. “They
are going to be inseparable,” said
Verzwyvelt. “They will do everything together.”
Send youth news and
story ideas to
Debbie Shelley,
assistant editor, at
[email protected].
Send school news
to Rachel Smith at
[email protected].
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April 29, 2016
Planned Parenthood defunding
highlights pro-life legislation
Johnson detailed the gruesome procedure to the committee and noted “all of
this takes place while the child is alive.”
The potential defunding of Planned He went on to say the baby feels extreme
Parenthood was one of four pro-life pain during the procedure.
bills the Louisiana House Committee on
Johnson said many abortion clinics
Health & Welfare advanced to the full use this “barbaric procedure” because it
House on April 20.
is “cheaper than other procedures.”
Also unanimously passed by the comDr. Damon Cudihy of Lafayette said
mittee on what was declared “Pro-Life the bill is necessary to protect the womDay” by Louisiana Right to Life were bills en and children of Louisiana. He commaking it criminal to sell infant body pared the procedure to the medieval torparts or organs of a baby who was abort- ture practice of being hanged, drawn and
ed, to protect unborn disabled babies and quartered.
stopping dismemberment abortions.
“Surely we can do better than that,” he
Rep. Frank Hoffmann of West Mon- said.
roe, a staunch pro-life advocate, opened
Cudihy said he often hears arguments
the committee meeting by introducing that abortions are necessary to save
HB 606, which would stop state funding women’s lives. But he added terminating
of any organizations that perform abor- pregnancy does not “mean we must end
tions, except in the case
the child’s life.”
of rape or incest or if
He said he has manthe life of the mother is
aged hundreds of cases
at risk. The bill is being
to save the mother’s life,
pushed by Gov. John
and “the number (of baBel Edwards, who as a
bies) I had to kill was
state representative had
zero.”
a strong pro-life voting
“I have never or nevrecord.
er will intentionally
Deanna
Wallace,
kill either (mother or
legislative director of
child),” he added.
Louisiana Right to Life,
Wallace testified that
said Hoffmann’s bill is
approximately
1,000
Dr. Damon Cudihy
not technically aimed
partial birth abortions
at Planned Parenthood
are performed annually
and the organization is not mentioned in in Louisiana.
the legislation. However, she did say that
“That is just troubling,” said Rep.
if the bill is approved, then “the ball is in Kenny Cox of Natchitoches.
Planned Parenthood’s court.”
Several people also discussed the afWallace said Planned Parenthood termath of abortion, noting that abortion
would not be affected and would contin- does not end on the examination table.
ue to receive Medicare funding unless
Opponents of the bill testifying inthe organization moves forward with its cluded New Orleans attorney Ellie Schilplans to build a large clinic in New Or- ling and representatives of various orgaleans that is projected to perform more nizations, including Catholics for Choice.
than 2,800 abortions annually. AborJohnson said the bill would not ban
tions currently are not being performed abortions in Louisiana but is more about
at Planned Parenthood’s Baton Rouge setting policy.
facility.
“What do we want to stand for in LouThe New Orleans clinic has come un- isiana?” he said. “Barbaric is not what we
der fire and the Claiborne Avenue loca- are about in the state of Louisiana.”
tion has been the site of numerous proRegarding HB 1019, which would protests from pro-life supporters.
tect disabled unborn babies, Rep. Rick
Wallace said if the clinic opens and Edmonds of Baton Rouge said children
abortions are offered and performed, with disabilities “are the greatest bless“(Planned Parenthood) will be choosing ing you will be a part of.”
to defund themselves from being able to
He admitted that all parents would
offer actual healthcare.”
like for their children to be born perfect
There was also much discussion sur- and to be perfect, but “sometimes what
rounding HB 1081, introduced by Rep. happens is what we consider bad, not
Mike Johnson of Benton, which would saying (children with disabilities) are
ban partial birth abortions, also known bad.”
as dilation and evacuation.
He said those children have a way of
“D&E,” as the practice is more com- being a blessing to a family and a marmonly referred to, is a practice where the riage.
physician performing the abortion ex“I don’t think we should take away,”
tracts one body part at a time, beginning he said. “Life is hard but life is also prewith the child’s feet.
cious.”
By Richard Meek
“What do we want
to stand for in
Louisiana? Barbaric
is not what we are
about in the state of
Louisiana.”
April 29, 2016
9
Archbishop Hughes honored with St. Joseph Apprentice Award
By Richard Meek
The past intersected with the present
when Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes and
Bishop Robert W. Muench concelebrated Mass on April 16 as part of the annual
Evening at the Cathedral fundraiser at St.
Joseph Cathedral.
During a ceremony at the parish hall
following Mass, Archbishop Hughes, who
served as the bishop in the Diocese of Baton Rouge from 1993-2001, was one of
five people to receive the St. Joseph’s Apprentice Award. The others included Chip
Landry, Angele Davis Kelley and Marino
and Betty Casem.
Davis Rhorer was presented the Cathedral Community Award.
During his homily, Archbishop Hughes
reflected with fondness on his years in the
diocese and the memories of “so many
Eucharists in this holy place.” He thanked
Bishop Muench for the bishop’s invitation
to participate in the liturgy, as well as Father John Carville, who served as vicar
general under Archbishop Hughes and
Father Michael Moroney.
Father Carville, who is now retired and
a columnist for The Catholic Commentator, and Father Moroney, currently the
Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes, center, former bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, was one
of five people to receive the St. Joseph’s Apprentice Award on April 16 during the annual Evening at the Cathedral at St. Joseph Cathedral. Pictured with Archbishop Hughes are Bishop
Robert W. Muench, left and Bishop Shelton J. Fabre. Photo by Richard Meek | The Catholic Commentator
pastor at St. Alphonsus Liguori Church in
Greenwell Springs, also concelebrated the
Mass.
Archbishop Hughes said he continues
to use St. Joseph as an example of being
a “good bridegroom to my spouse, the
church” as well as a spiritual leader to the
people “who God still invites me to serve.”
“We are invited to focus on Christ, the
Good Shepherd,” the archbishop added,
quoting from the Gospel on Good Shepherd
Sunday. “Jesus makes it clear that he reveals himself and gives himself to his flock.
“Why? For our salvation.”
Archbishop Hughes said that he believes Pope Francis, through his words and
deeds, mirrors the Good Shepherd “for us
in our own time.” He said that the pope’s
apostolic exhortation, “The Joy of Love,”
although lengthy, it is well worth the read.
Archbishop Hughes said the pope reaffirmed the church’s teaching that marriage
is a union of one man and one woman
while also calling for compassion for gay
individuals. Additionally, the archbishop
said the church is at best when instead of
ostracizing divorced couples, “we accompany them” on their spiritual journey.
He concluded his homily by saying the
Easter season is intended to be life-changing, and that all Catholics can do things
differently.
“We can remember what is good,” he
said. “We can spread the Gospel message
by living it and speaking it in a truly joyous
and pervasive way.”
New Roads native Bishop Shelton Fabre of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux
joined Bishop Muench and Archbishop
Hughes following Mass. Bishop Fabre was
presented with the St. Joseph Apprentice
Award in 2012.
Landry, who grew up attending St. Joseph Cathedral, has been the sexton at the
cathedral cemetery for more than 27 years.
Kelley is a longtime public servant and
respected business executive who also
served as chief financial advisor to former
Gov. Bobby Jindal. She also is chair of the
advisory board of Catholic Charities of
the Diocese of Baton Rouge.
Marion and Betty are longtime St.
Joseph parishioners and active in the
church parish.
Rhorer, a 1974 graduate of Catholic
High School, is the first and only director
of the Down Development District.
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10
The Catholic Commentator | April 29, 2016April 29, 2016 | The Catholic Commentator
MUSEUM 
From page 1
more recent times in Louisiana, according to Dr. David M. Scollard, director of
the National Hansen’s Disease Programs
and Elizabeth Schexnyder, curator at the
museum. The museum honors leprosy patients who
were there and
the medical staff
who attended to
them and made
medical history.
In 1890-92, a
series of articles
published in the
New Orleans
Daily Picayune
revealed that
OF
when cases of
leprosy were diagnosed in the New
Orleans area, patients lived in a “pest
house” run by a physician “who was on
a state contract.”
In 1892, Louisiana passed a law
requiring people diagnosed with leprosy
to be quarantined in a selected location. A board of control was established
to run the leprosy home. They selected
Indian Camp Plantation in Carville.
Patients began arriving by coal barges
in November
of 1894. Once
there, patients
were quarantined for the
rest of their
lives.
Located near
the end of the
road by a levee,
patients were
fearful and
considered it
the end of their lives. Their new homes
were the slave cabins at the abandoned
plantation.
Merciful
Like
the
‘THOU
can make me
CLEAN’
The terms used to refer to the pathem, to care for them and make them
tients were the same as those used for
happy. To look into their wants and supprisoners. Bounties were offered for
ply them.
those who escaped “through the hole” in
“And in this they must try to see the
the fence. They were usually punished
goodness of God their Father providing
by being jailed.
for them, in their suffering and lonely
Patients were occasionally allowed
condition.”
visitation with family members and
The sisters began at once to establish
lucky ones were paroled.
a sense of community. Mass was celBringing a light of hope to the leproebrated within the first 24 hours of their
sarium, where the scourge of loneliness
arrival. The first chapel was built inside
was acute as the disease itself, were the
one of the slave quarters and measured
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de
26’ x 15’.
Paul.
In a letter about the first chapel from
The president of the control board,
the sisters to their mother house, one sisDr. Isadore Dyer, had suggested that the ter wrote, “I know you would enjoy a half
Daughters of Charity, uncloistered serhour in our sweet little chapel, and while
vants of the poor workkneeling there in the
ing where they found
presence of the Lord,
CORPORAL WORKS
those in need, care
watch these poor, afOF MERCY
for the patients. After
flicted
ones come in and
To feed the hungry
some consultation,
pray
and
approach the
To give drink to the thirsty
the sisters accepted
altar.
I
fancy
they used
To clothe the naked
the mission. With
the
words
mentioned
To harbour the harbourless
spartan spirits the
in the Gospel, ‘Lord, if
To visit the sick
sisters, who had the
thou will it, thou can
To ransom the captive
motto “The charity of
make me clean!’ ”
To bury the dead
Jesus Christ crucified
Schexnyder said that
urges us,” met almost
not only was life at Carinsurmountable conditions. The biggest
ville made more tolerable by the arrival
was the dilapidated condition of Indian
of the sisters, but their presence gave
Camp Plantation, which was to be their
hope for a Christian death and burial.
headquarters, according to Schexnyder.
In 1896, Sister Beatrice wrote, “Before
Among the social activities at the national leprosarium at Carville was a Mardi Gras ball.
But they were determined to bring
we took charge of them, they were
Photos provided by Elizabeth Schexnyder | National Hansen’s Disease Museum, Carville
dignity to the patients.
thrown like dogs into the grave the
Sister Beatrice Hart, Sis- same day they died. I have insisted on
ter Superior, who was one
a Christian burial. Nothing short of a
of the first four Daughters
high Mass would satisfy Father Colton
of Charity to arrive at Car(chaplain there). The sisters sang.”
ville, wrote in a letter dated
After a touching Mass, procession
April, 1896:
and burial, Sister Beatrice wrote, “We
“In the evening of the
had buried the bodies of the poor in the
16th we sailed from New
spirit of our Lord. The reverent care that
Orleans and reached the
these bodies received has made a deep
plantation on Friday, the
impression and has, the patients say,
17th. Our first move was
taken away all the sting of dying here.”
towards the patients’ quarSchexnyder noted that the sisters
ters, where the word leper
had developed such a close relationship
will not be used, if possible. with the patients that they were buried
The patients could see the
alongside them in the cemetery.
steamer arrive from their
The museum curator stated that 116
cabins and were out on the
sisters served at the Carville mission
porches waiting for us. We
for 109 years, caring for over 5,000 pawent to each one separately
tients. They worked as nurses, medical
and tried to make them feel records librarians, X-ray technicians,
Theater productions were part of the community life at the leprosarium at Carville.
we had come to be one with
dieticians, medial researchers, assis-
SINCE
Complications from the
disease come when people
delay going to the doctor,
or doctors misdiagnose it
because they still think of
it as an ancient biblical
disease.
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Dr. David M. Scollard, Director
National Hansen’s Disease Programs
Father
YEAR
11
MERCY
Sister Hilary Ross
DC, lived and wor
ked at the Carvill
1960 where she he
e hospital from 19
lped to build a re
23 to
search laboratory
nership with Dr. Ge
for drug testing in
orge Fite.
part-
tants in dental and bandaging clinics,
religious leaders and confidents and
friends. Scollard said the sisters played
a major role in advancements in the
treatment of leprosy. On April 11, 1957,
the Daughters of Charity at Carville
were presented with the Distinguished
Service Award, the highest award of the
U.S. Department of Health, Education,
and Welfare, “for devoted services to the
patients of the leprosarium at Carville,
and contributions to the success of the
unique program at this hospital.”
The Health Resources and Services Administration assumed federal
responsibility for the management and
operation of the Carville facility in 1982.
Scollard said what was once considered a curse from God because of sin is
now treated on an outpatient basis, and
if treated early, many patients live normal lives. He said complications from
the disease come when people delay
going to the doctor or doctors misdiagnose it because they still think of it as
an ancient biblical disease.
To dispel such misconceptions, people
such as Jose Ramirez Jr., a former
patient at Carville, dedicate their lives
educating people about Hansen’s disease
and advocating for people affected by it.
Ramirez was 20 years old in 1968
when he was diagnosed with Hansen’s
disease in Laredo, Texas and brought
In 1943, Hansen’s patients at Carville celebrated the coming of Christmas with the production “The Manger Prince.”
to Carville in a hearse. His family was
devastated, especially his mother, who
thought she had done something wrong
that led to him having the disease. He
had plans for his life, and he and his
childhood sweetheart, Magdalena,
whom he later married, struggled with
the meaning of everything that had happened. It was thought that he would die.
The Daughters of Charity and the
Carville community became family and
played a big role in the ongoing physical, psychological and spiritual healing
for Ramirez. The sisters were forthright
in providing information, comfort and
friendship for Ramirez and his family.
“They made him feel like it was going
to be all right, that he would be able to
accomplish the goals he wanted to accomplish before he was diagnosed,” said
Magdalena Ramirez.
While living at Carville, Ramirez
earned his degree in social work from
LSU, and, combining the research with
personal experience, is working to eradicate the stigma of the disease. He is
the author of “Squint: My Journey with
Leprosy,” and is managing editor of The
Star, a magazine dedicated to publishing the truth about Hansen’s disease.
Schexnyder and Scollard credited the
sisters with helping Carville become a
self-sustaining community full of hope
for those patients facing such a blight on
their health and entire lives.
“The patients, according to several
accounts, were extremely moved to find
that when they got here, a place that
many of them were afraid of, they were
in the hands of nuns who recognized
them and treated them well,” said Scollard. “The sisters were a great source of
consolation for them. You read in diaries of the patients that they struggled
with ‘Why did this happen to me? Why
have I been isolated? Whey have I been
torn away from my family?’ Many times,
the answers they were seeking weren’t
medical, they were spiritual, philosophical. I don’t know how the nuns
answered the questions at the time. But
they think of any disease in its spiritual
sense, which is the most important.”
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12
April 29, 2016
St. Theresa students learn grim lesson of the early days in Carville
By Rachele Smith
Huddled in a group around their tour
guide, about 25 Catholic school students
listened intently to a description of what
life was like at the nation’s first home for
leprosy patients along the Mississippi
River.
Yet, even as the students, who were part
of a larger group of sixth-graders from St.
Theresa School, Gonzales, learned the
story of this once quarantined community in Carville, they were also shocked by
some of the things they heard.
No, it wasn’t learning that the first patients arrived in the cloak of darkness in
1894, or even that before a cure was found,
patients had to live in the facility forever.
What brought surprise and even gasps
from these students was discovering why
first-time patients were told to change
their names.
As the tour guide explained, before
Hansen’s Disease was understood, myths
and stigmas were so widespread that
some people would lash out and possibly
harm a patient’s family or property back
home. By forcing patients to change their
names, and hiding their true identity, it
was believed family members and their
homes would be protected.
“That’s just so sad,” said Emma Lauret,
a sixth-grader at St. Theresa.
“I almost started crying.”
For Lauret and her classmates, the
idea that someone would hurt another in
retaliation of a disease was senseless and
confusing.
But for their teacher, it was the perfect opportunity to capitalize on a lesson
taught earlier in class.
“Think about our Catholic social teaching,” said Torrie Schexnaydre, a religion
teacher at St. Theresa.
“What does this say about their human
dignity?” she asked.
Creating moments where students can
be actively involved in their understanding
is important for teachers like Schexnaydre, who noted their April 12 field trip to
the National Hansen’s Disease Museum is
an ideal place for seeing the corporal and
spiritual works of mercy in action.
“It’s really interesting how the residents here had to leave their families, yet
the nuns and the staff comforted them
and made them a part of their own families,” she said.
Kim Lacinak, coordinator of religious
education at St. John Primary and St. Theresa Middle schools, explained the idea to
visit the museum as part of a sixth-grade
retreat grew out of a partnership between
the two schools and the nine church parishes that are associated with it.
Lacinak said while planning the sixthgrade retreat at St. Gabriel Church last
year, Father Charlie Landry, pastor of St.
Gabriel Church, believed the museum,
something “right in our own backyard”
presented a great opportunity to do more:
to teach social justice.
“This is a great place to teach mercy,”
Father Landry said.
“The place was built on mercy. It was
mercy and love for the people who needed
a place to stay,” he added, recalling how
when it was believed the disease was contagious, those who were diagnosed with
it, had no place to go except Carville.
In addition to touring the museum during the day-long retreat, students started
the day with a Mass, toured the cemetery,
had an opportunity for reconciliation and
participated in a social justice talk with
Father Landry. “We see compassion, love
Pointing to a replica of a monument stone
in the cemetery of the National Hansen’s
Disease Museum, Elizabeth Schexnyder,
curator of the museum, shows St. Theresa
School students how earlier patients were
buried under their first name or initials
only. Photo by Rachele Smith | The Catholic Commentator
and forgiveness here,” Father Landry told
the students during his talk.
“When the Daughters of Charity (of St.
Vincent de Paul) came here (to provide
care for the residents), they knew they
would never go back home. Those sisters
came here and gave up their lives. Imagine that,” Father Landry said.
SEE STUDENTS PAGE 13
Come find YOUR VOICE at St. Michael!
Limited Spots Available for the 2016-17 school year.
Call to apply today!
St. Michael the Archangel
High School
17521 Monitor Ave., Baton Rouge, LA
225-753-9782 • www.smhsbr.org
April 29, 2016
13
TOP POET – Our Lady of Mercy School
eighth-grader Gabrielle Montagnino,
left, recently won first place in the 2016
Education Contest, Poetry Division II,
sponsored by the Court Regina Coeli
#2063 Catholic Daughters of America.
Pictured with Montagnino is CDA education chairman, Maureen Williams.
Photo provided by Christy Haldane | Our Lady of Mercy
School
Ministry
JUST SAY “NO” – Deputy Randy Aguillard, left, along with students from Catholic
High and St. Joseph’s Academy, speak to fifth-graders at St. Thomas More School
about resisting drugs and alcohol, ways to handle peer pressure and how to say
“no” when put in a stressful situation. The high school students also shared their
own personal experiences about saying “no” and how they handled difficult situations. Photo provided by Tootie Lee | St. Thomas More School
and theology
Summer 2016
MAT I: Basic Courses
Conversion & Spirituality
Journey through Scripture
June 13 – 16 Church History
Creed
July 11 – 14 Christology
Sacraments
July 18 – 21 Morality
Evangelization, Catechesis, Mission
June 6 – 9
MAT II: Intermediate Courses
July 11 – 14 Liturgical Year
July 18 – 21 Christian Prayer
9 - 11:30 a.m.
12:30 - 3 p.m.
9 - 11:30 a.m.
12:30 - 3 p.m.
9 - 11:30 a.m.
12:30 - 3 p.m.
9 - 11:30 a.m.
12:30 - 3 p.m.
9 - 11:30 a.m.
9 - 11:30 a.m.
All courses will be held at The Bishop Tracy Center,
Catholic Life Center, 1800 South Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge
Registration and payment ($45 per class) must be done online!
SPACE IS LIMITED!
Online Courses
MAT II
BIRTHDAY FUN – St. Jean Vianney School first-graders, from left, Irelyn Watkins
and Brady Thompson, together with their teacher, Rebecca Courtney, talk with a
resident at the Regency Place Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The students visited the center on April 12 to celebrate residents’ birthdays in April. They sang
songs, handed out sweet treats and talked with the residents. Photo provided by Bridgette
DiGerolamo | St. Jean Vianney School
STUDENTS 
From page 12
Lacinak noted sixth-graders represent
the perfect age for lessons on social teaching because they “really understand why”
acts, such as mercy, charity and love are
needed.
Evan Tassin is proof. For the 12-yearold, the field trip taught him that showing
mercy is important.
“We’re always taught to treat others
the way we want to be treated, yet the
patients here weren’t treated that way. I
was surprised to see how the people were
treated like they were unholy and told
they couldn’t go to heaven. They just had
a disease, and that was really horrible,” he
said.
Tassin noted showing mercy and kindness is not just something that helps others. Both the giver and receiver benefit.
It is something he learned after visiting
a nursing home last year with his fifthgrade classmates.
“We were nervous at first, but once we
saw the smiles on their faces, it made us
feel like we did something good,” he said.
Father Landry invites anyone wanting to experience the feeling of mercy at
the museum complex to attend regularly
scheduled Sunday Mass at the Sacred
Heart Chapel, located on the site grounds.
Mass begins at 8:30 a.m.
June 20 – 23 Catholic Identity
in the Catholic School
Webinar 9 – 10:45 a.m.
July 11 – 14 Catechisim of the Catholic Church:
Using it in Catechesis
Webinar 9 – 10:45 a.m.
Enrichment Credit Opportunities
June 14 The Psalms of Mercy
Webinar 6:30 – 8 p.m.
June 21 The Parables of Mercy
June 28 Mercy in the Fathers of the Church Webinar 6:30 – 8 p.m.
July 7
The Saints in Mercy
Enrichment Webinars are 3 credits each – $10 Registration fee
Participation in a webinar, coupled with a reflection paper is required.
Registration required for credit, but the webinars are open to all who want
to participate. To participate in webinars without receiving certification
credit, registration isn’t necessary, simply use the webinar link which will
be made available prior to the start of the webinar and join in.
Registration instructions available:
www.diobrchristianformation.org/certification/course-registration
Registration here:
www.diobrchristianformation.org/calendar/course-calendar/month.calendar
For questions about Summer Classes contact the Office of
Evangelization and Catechesis at 225-336-8760 or [email protected]
14
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
Barbershop: The Next Cut
Warner Bros.
Earnest but heavy-handed debates about
how to deal with gang violence are interspersed with frequently vulgar jokes in
this seriocomic portrayal of life on Chicago’s South Side. With the shop of the
title now augmented by a beauty parlor
(led by Regina Hall), much of the barbed
chitchat exchanged between the original’s
proprietor (Ice Cube) and his ensemble
of colleagues and friends (most prominently Cedric the Entertainer, Common,
Eve and Nicki Minaj) concerns the battle
of the sexes. But combat of a more serious
kind threatens both the business and the
surrounding neighborhood, leading to efforts to organize a weekend-long truce. As
scripted by Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver,
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
director Malcolm D. Lee’s third entry in
a franchise that began in 2002 is fundamentally moral in upholding community
values and marital commitment. Yet some
of the distasteful detours it takes along its
path to a respectable wrap-up narrow its
appeal even for grown moviegoers. Some
demeaning, though nongraphic, sexual behavior, much sexual humor, fleeting rear
nudity, a handful of profanities, at least
one rough term, pervasive crude and crass
language, an obscene gesture. L; PG-13
Hardcore Henry
STX
Obscenely violent sci-fi action flick set in
Moscow is presented exclusively from the
point of view of the (uncredited) title character, a man whose scientist wife (Haley
April 29, 2016
Bennett) brings him back to life as a cyborg
and who, aided by a cagey stranger (Sharlto Copley), must then battle assailants led
by a malevolent industrialist (Danila Kozlovsky) with telekinetic powers. The novelty of writer-director Ilya Naishuller’s decision to shoot the unrelenting onslaught
entirely through the eyes of the mute
Henry quickly wears off. And the movie’s
frenetic pacing and glibly humorous tone
cannot hide the fact that it amounts to little
more than a tedious and dispiritingly disposable exercise in excess. A near-constant
stream of extremely graphic violence, frequent drug use, strong sexual content,
including several perverse situations and
much upper female nudity, pervasive profane, rough and crude language. O; R
lows, he strikes up an unlikely friendship
with a happy-go-lucky bear (voice of Bill
Murray) and faces new challenges. Amid
the lavish, computer-generated forest and
fauna, director Jon Favreau and screenwriter Justin Marks pay homage to Disney’s 1967 animated version of Kipling’s
work with moments of humor and by incorporating its toe-tapping tunes, “The
Bare Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like
You.” A few scenes of peril. A-II; G
Criminal
Summit
Hollow mind-swap yarn in which the
memory of a CIA agent (Ryan Reynolds)
who was killed while delivering ransom
money is transferred into the brain of a
sociopathic murderer (Kevin Costner).
As presented in Douglas Cook and David
Weisberg’s script, the general idea appears
to be that if a smart guy’s reasoning processes and store of ideas can be put into
someone with no empathy, and therefore
no fear, the intelligence overlords can prevail. In the short term, this means thwarting a hacker (Michael Pitt) who has broken
into enough of the military’s computerized systems to launch a nuclear salvo, if
the mood strikes him. Director Ariel Vromen’s tepid thriller hovers tediously within
a moral vacuum of its own making. Much
bloody violence, including scenes of torture, frequent rough language. L; R
The Jungle Book
Disney
This adaptation of British author Rudyard Kipling’s 1894 collection of stories
about the adventures of a “man-cub” (Neel
Sethi) raised by animals offers delightful,
good-natured, heartfelt entertainment for
the entire family, the most easily frightened tots possibly excepted. Orphaned as
a baby, the boy is led by a kindly panther
(voice of Ben Kingsley) to a pack of wolves,
which raises him as one of their own. A
menacing tiger (voice of Idris Elba) regards
him as a threat and orders him killed, but
the boy escapes. On the journey that fol-
Never miss a single
issue!
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to hear health
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963
UGE SINCE 1
F B AT O N R O
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tator.org
thecatholiccommen
’
‘SAitINT IN THE HOUSE
November 13, 2015
Vol. 53, No. 20
Thousands vis
St. Maria’s relics
By Debbie Shelley
ntator
The Catholic Comme
during the noon
The bells peeled
in
of Mercy Church
hour at Our Lady
s
Oct. 31. As the Knight
Baton Rouge on
in,
guard proceeded
of Columbus color
ent silently
excitem
t
the crowd’s reveren
She’s here!
spoke two words:
, whose body/major
St. Maria Goretti
to
Vatican
the
d from
relics were release
for a tour, was placed
the United States
where
front of the altar,
by the Knights in
hstopped by throug
people reportedly
shed
bow,
kneel,
in,
out the night to peer
card in their hand
tears or kiss her prayer
the glass-sided casket
before placing it on
her
statue containing
which holds a wax
ocClergy opened this
skeletal remains.
“A saint is in the house.”
casion by saying,
tion began, Father
Before the venera
TreaCC, director of
Carlos Martins
19
PAGE
I
SEE GORETT
Goretti
venerated St. Maria
Thousands of people
ator
ley | The Catholic Comment
at Our Lady of Mercy
Church in Baton Rouge,
by Debbie Shel-
use eggshells to
St. Elizabeth sisters
hatch fund-raising idea
St.
year-round for the
make confetti eggs
in the fall
Harvest Festival
Elizabeth Church
spring.
School Fair in the
and St. Elizabeth
, are three
sisters, all widows
Landry
The
boys.
two
to sisters Lucy Mae
s, five girls and
The eggshells given
and of seven sibling s passed away, leaving five
n, Mary Landry
“Lou” Landry Allema Paincourtville held The two brother
n of
out sisters.
Polly Landry Johnso
All of us went to
yoke that were poured
“It was a large family.
. Bestories as well as
,” said Mary Landry
away. Some eggs were
s attendbefore they were given goodies to celebrate Catholic schools
sibling
the
other
of the expense,
in public
used in cakes and
ngs, wel- cause
and high school
, family gatheri
to ate ed elementary
birthday parties
they were old enough
or or wishing someon
When
.
neighb
new
a
schools
Their
coming
Oththey went there.
new journey in life.
tend St. Elizabeth,
on the
“good luck” in their
t and console people
home, which is also
ers were used to comfor the deaths of loved original family St. Elizabeth School, has
as
such as
suffering a trial –
fried same block
The family, though
simply scrambled,
stayed in the family.
ones. Others were
nit.
st.
large, was tight-k
or poached for breakfa
house, my mother
use, the Landry
“It was a very chaste
Whatever their former
Landry.
with confetti to provide never said a curse word,” said Mary
sisters fill the shells
school
s do, but we had
for the church and
had spats, like sibling 8
fun and support
the same “We
SEE EGGSHELLS PAGE
grew up in, live on
community they
and
lls
eggshe
They collect
block as and love.
By Debbie Shelley
ntator
The Catholic Comme
rtville is
th Church in Paincou
RSARY – St. Elizabe
Saturday,
the 4 p.m. Mass on
MILESTONE ANNIVE
anniversary during
the altar,
s of the church is
celebrating its 175th
many beautiful feature erected by Italian artisans
Nov. 14. One of the
d and
. See the
built in Italy, shippe
was
Mergue
which
John
Father
above,
Comthe retirement of
by Rachele Smith | The Catholic
in 1953, shortly before
on pages 10-11. Photo
story and more photos
mentator
Oct. 31 – Nov. 1. Photo
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COMMENTATOR
T H E
C A T H O L I C
April 29, 2016
ENTERTAINMENT
Hollow
I don’t wanna to be the last man standing
I don’t wanna be the lonely one
Picking petals when the party’s over
No, it’s not any fun
‘Cause I’m fragile
And you know this
Refrain:
So, hold me
Wrap me in love, fill up my cup
Empty, and only your love can fill
my cup
Cause I’m hollow
Yeah, I’m hollow
Cause I’m hollow
Yeah, I’m hollow
I don’t wanna be the first one folding
I don’t wanna be the joker heart
Tell me, darling, will you understand me?
And not show me your cards?
‘Cause I’m paper thin
And you, you make me whole again
(Repeat refrain.)
I confess my weakness
Till you pick up the parts that are broken
Pour out your perfection on me now
(Repeat refrain.)
Sung by Tori Kelly Copyright © 2015, Capitol | School Boy Records
Filling that empty spot with God’s love
T
ori Kelly’s single “Hollow”
describes a “hollow” life
being healed and filled
with love.
The song’s protagonist says
“I’m paper thin,” and “I’m fragile,
and you know this.” She wants a
person to “wrap me in love, fill
my cup.” She is “empty,” she says,
“and only your love can fill up my
cup.” She says that “I confess my
weakness till you pick up the parts
that are broken.” Even though she
feels “hollow,” she wants “your
perfection on me now.”
These words carry the most
meaning if we hear them directed
toward God. Loving parents and
loving friends can fill some of the
emptiness we feel inside, but we long for more love
than that. Only God can fill the heart and heal the
parts of ourselves that are “broken.”
In our Catholic history, we have seen this reaffirmed by a cloud of witnesses who have spoken
about how only the love of God fills our deepest
desires. We can look to material possessions to fill
an inner void, but in time that glimmer fades.
We can use our skills and abilities to build a life
of success and achievement, and doing so helps
our lives, but no success can completely fulfill us.
Even if we are fortunate to establish enduring,
loving relationships, there will still be a part of us
that longs for something or someone else.
There is a reason for this longing. We come
from a God who calls us. We need this journey
to grow, heal and live out the divine purpose that
God has placed in us. But our ultimate destiny is
to be reunited with our source and to know completely God’s endless, unconditional love.
Fortunately, we don’t have to wait until we die
to know more about God’s love. One’s relationship
with God can be nurtured just as we nurture any
other relationship. The quality of our relationship
with God will depend on the effort and care we
put into it.
That’s why it is important to assess what value
we put on our relationship with
God. We can also take steps to
nurture that relationship.
For example, each day share
your life and what is in your heart
with God for a few minutes. Such
conversation we call prayer. Even
in a busy life, you can take a
little bit of time and carry on this
conversation. You do not need to
tell anyone that you do so. This
conversation is for you and God.
Those of us who are Catholic
come to God through Jesus. His
life, his teachings and his vision
help us live out our relationship
with God. So, it helps to know
Jesus better. One way to do this
is to read the stories about him.
Commit yourself to read one chapter of the Gospel
every other day. Think about what the story describes and how it might speak to you.
Another way to know Jesus better is to do what
he did, and this means caring about other people.
Every person carries the image and likeness of
God in their souls, and we honor the God within
them when we do acts of service for others.
Be sure to start this at home. Perhaps this
service will not be recognized, but small, consistent acts of service will support the lives of your
parents and siblings. Of course, continue your
service and extend it to your friends, and to the
local community. There are so many needs in the
world, but all of us can do something to help. Even
the smallest act of service has value.
If you perform these acts of love daily, a miracle will begin to form in your life. Any hollowness
you feel will be healed, and deep, quiet joy will fill
your life.
On The Record
Charlie Martin
MARTIN is an Indiana pastoral counselor who
reviews current music for Catholic News Service. Write to: [email protected], or at: 7125
West CR 200 South, Rockport, IN 47635, or like
on Facebook at “Charlie Martin’s Today’s Music
Columns.”
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www.wordgamesforcatholics.com
ACROSS
1 Rite in the Church in the
West
6 Rich soil
10 “…the ___, raise the dead…”
(Mt 10:8)
14 Sun-dried brick
15 Differ ending
16 An orchestra tunes to one
17 The house of a parson
18 Memo letters
19 Jaworski of Watergate fame
20 “a chosen race, a royal ___”
(1 Pt 2:9)
22 Public showing
23 “As it was in the beginning,
is ___…”
24 500 sheets
26 Soft food for infants
29 Person in authority
32 “Pange ___”
36 Narrow opening
38Microwave
40 Works the soil
41 Qualified
42 Deadly sin
44 9th letter of the Hebrew
alphabet
45Strap
47Alley
48 Lively, as in sailing
49 Catholic author Thomas ___
51 Zhivago’s love
53 Mon. for St. Paddy’s Day
54Fusses
56 Alphabet string
58 He was made from clay
61 Vatican II said the Mass
should be in this
67 Patron saint of the Philippines
68 “___, Sing America”
69 Musical study piece
70 “Let’s go”
71 Webber musical
72Well-known
73Heave
74Engrave
Mr. D’s
75Apparel
DOWN
1 “Thy word is a ___ to my
feet” (Ps 119:105)
2 Purim month
3 Novelist Morrison
4 Norwegian dramatist
5 Catholic actor Liam
6 She and her sister Rachel
were both married to Jacob
7Hep
8 Role player
9 Monk who is father of modern genetics
10 Mary, the Mother of God, for
example
11 Mountain goat
12 Poultry enclosure
13 Game of chance
21 Like Rebekah’s sons
25Isle
26 King David composition
27 Playwright Edward ___
28Pivotal
30 Papal order
31“Cheers”
33 Beam of light
34Extreme
35 One of 12 brothers in the
Old Testament
37 The New or The Old
39 Sicilian volcano
43 Finnish honorific
46 Coal scuttle
50 First step in religious orders
52Rise
55Attack
57Teacher
58 Type of angel that Michael is
59Cupola
60Beginning
62 Drilling grp.
63Snack
64 Cherub’s strings?
65 Summer drinks
66Clarets
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VIEWPOINT
| EDITORIAL
Making sense of killings
T
wo unrelated and
senseless murders
committed 70 miles
apart, inexorably are linked
by the culture of death that
has subjugated society.
Near the LSU campus,
two Southern University
students were caught in the
crossfire of a gun battle that
left both of the young females
dead, their lives cut short just
as they were beginning to
blossom.
In New Orleans, a former
football hero was shot eight
times in what appears to be
an incedent of road rage.
Three lives lost, three
families devastated, two
communities trying to make
sense of these killings.
Yet, the carnage continues with mass killings
in Ohio and Georgia. The
outrage might briefly stain
our moral conscience but
we quickly move on, leaving
one to wonder if indeed we
have become desensitized
to human life, whether it’s
through the partnering of
politics with the legal system
to justify the slaughtering of
unborn babies, the continued
implementation of the death
penalty or just plain acceptance of skyrocketing murder
rates.
In the wake of a spate
of police killings scattered
throughout the country
in recent years, the Black
Lives Matter movement has
rapidly gained popularity and
become a rallying cry in the
African-American community. Indeed, black lives do
matter, but more importantly,
all lives matter, whether it’s
an unborn child, a convicted
felon or an innocent bystander caught up in a killer’s rage.
Until society begins to
value life as precious and
God’s gift to us, then such
senseless shootings as those
involving two Southern
co-eds and a former New
Orleans Saints hero will only
continue to rise and become
more ingrained as part of our
daily lives.
That’s a moral blemish
no one should be willing to
accept.
| PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PRAY FOR US
Please pray for the priests, deacons and religious women and men in
the Baton Rouge Diocese.
May 4 Rev. William L. Greene
Dcn. James A. Little
Br. Noel Lemmon SC
May 5 Rev. Paul A. Gros
Dcn. Fallon H. Lorenz
Sr. Geraldine
Riendeau CSJ
May 6 † Rev. Leo Guillot
Dcn. Edwin J. Martin
Br. Roger LeMoyne SC
May 7 Rev. Eric V. Gyan
Dcn. Wilbur P. Martinez
Sr. Brendan Mary Ronayne FMOL
May 8 Rev. Patrick Healy SSJ
Dcn. Robert
McDonner
Br. Malcolm
Melcher SC
May 9 Rev. Ray Hebert SC
Dcn. John L.
McGinnis Jr.
Sr. Eileen Rowe FMOL
May 10 Rev. J. Clifton Hill CSSp
Dcn. Larry J. Melancon
Br. Paul Montero SC
May 11 Rev. Gordian O. Iwuji MSP
Dcn. Francis M. Minor
Sr. Cynthia
Sabathier CSJ
May 12 Rev. Charbel
Jamhoury
Dcn. James J.
Morrissey
Br. Marcel Riviere SC
May 13 Rev. Joshua D. Johnson
Dcn. Jodi A. Moscona
Sr. Lucy Silvio CSJ
May 14 Rev. Juel Kandula
Dcn. Leon Roy
Murphy Jr.
Br. Marcus Turcotte SC
May 15 Rev. Jon C. Koehler
Dcn. Donald J. Musso
Sr. Camille
Simoneaux CSJ
May 16 Rev. Leonard Kraus SJ
Dcn. Roger A. Navarra
Br. Edward Violett SM
May 17 Rev. Sanjay
Kunnasseril IMS
Dcn. Angelo S. Nola
† Sr. Mary Hilary
Simpson OP
I
April 29, 2016
Resurrection of good conscience cases
n this Easter season it seems
fitting that Pope Francis should
provide the Diocese of Baton
Rouge with a reversal of an inglorious aspect of its history. In
1972 theologians were promoting
the idea of priests in the “internal
forum,” then called “confession,”
helping penitents caught in second
marriages without an annulment to
make the decision that they were in
good conscience and could return to
the sacraments, including eucharistic
Communion. This, of course, depended on the circumstances of the
first marriage that ended in divorce.
Annulments were more difficult and
took more time to obtain in those
days. So, like today, it was an attempt
to extend some mercy to the faithful
whose first marriage had a sad end.
The Archdiocese of Chicago was actually the first
diocese to implement the practice. Its leader at the
time was Cardinal John P. Cody who had recently
arrived after serving as the archbishop of New
Orleans. In New Orleans, his neighbor and good
friend was Bishop Robert Emmet Tracy, founding
bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Bishop Tracy
quickly followed suit and promoted the practice
among his clergy. But, there never was an idea that
Bishop Tracy thought he could not improve. So he
not only urged his priests to adopt the practice but
also had certificates made in his chancery to be
given to the returning communicants.
The Vatican was upset. This was a shocking
externalization of the internal forum and its sacred
secrecy. They notified the Apostolic Delegate in
Washington, who got Cardinal John Krol in Philadelphia, the president that year of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, to call Bishop Tracy with
the order to cease and desist. That was the end of
good conscience cases in Baton Rouge and the rest
of the about half dozen dioceses who were doing it.
Now, thanks to Pope Francis and the two Synods
of Bishops he called in preparation for this Jubilee
Year of Mercy, good conscience has been resurrected
after having been buried for 45 years. “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”), Pope Francis’ post-synodal
apostolic exhortation, was written, he states, to value
the gifts of marriage and family and to encourage
everyone to be a sign of mercy and closeness wherever family life remains imperfect or lacks peace and
joy. It is a long document, 256 pages, with numbered
paragraphs, divided into nine chapters. There are
beautiful chapters on marriage in Scripture, two
central chapters on love, one on pastoral approaches
to building the home on God’s plan, another on raising children and a final chapter on family spirituality. The thorniest issue facing Pope Francis and the
synods was the situation of divorced Catholics who
remarry without obtaining an annulment. Pope
Francis calls these marriages “irregular situations”
in Chapter 8 which contains the pope’s solution to
the contentious issues of the two synods.
Present church law prohibits Catholics in such
situations from receiving Holy Communion and
performing certain other liturgical functions.
Canon 916 states that all who are “conscious of
grave sin” ought not approach Holy Communion.”
They are not, however, excommunicated. They still
are members of the church and of their church par-
ishes. Pope Francis clearly wants to
bring them back into a fuller participation in the faith-life of their communities. He writes in paragraph
296: “The way of the church is not to
condemn anyone forever; it is to pour
out the balm of mercy on all those
who ask for it with a sincere heart ...
for true charity is always unmerited,
unconditional and gratuitous.” The
pope is rightly returning the emphasis to the conscience of the individual
believer regarding their responsibility for whatever caused the divorce in
the first marriage. The Lord knows
that individuals do very regrettable
things that can’t be undone. Sometimes all they can do is repent for
their failings.
The pope explains the process he
envisions priests using in paragraph 300: “What we
are speaking of is a process of accompaniment and
discernment which ‘guides the faithful to an awareness of their situation before God.’ Conversation
with the priest, in the internal forum (sacrament
of reconciliation) contributes to the formation of a
correct judgment on what hinders the possibility of
a fuller participation in the life of the church and on
what steps can foster it and make it grow.”
Pope Francis supports his position by arguing
that the church already has a “solid body of reflection on mitigating factors and situations. Hence it
can no longer simply be said that all those in any
‘irregular’ situation are living in a state of mortal
sin and are deprived of sanctifying grace” (Par.
300). Sometimes people cannot change their present marital situation without doing more harm.
Many synod fathers said something similar
when they wanted to affirm that “Under certain
circumstances couples find it very difficult to act
differently. Therefore, while upholding a general
rule (marriage is for a lifetime) it is necessary to
recognize that responsibility with respect to certain
actions or decisions is not the same in all cases.”
Pope Francis wants everyone to act out of an
informed conscience, correctly knowing the demands of the Gospel. “Yet,” he says, “conscience can
do more than recognize that a given situation (e.g.
being divorced and remarried) does not correspond
objectively to the overall demands of the Gospel. It
can also recognize with sincerity and honesty what
for now is the most generous response which can be
given to God, and come to see with a certain moral
security that it is what God himself is asking amid
the concrete complexity of one’s limits, while yet
not fully the objective ideal.”
When Pope Paul VI published his encyclical
“Humanae Vitae” banning artificial birth control,
many who disagreed with his position, abstained
from reading it. That was a shame, because, in
addition to that condemnation, it had many very
beautiful things to say about marriage. I hope that
the same thing will not happen with “Amoris Laetitia” because of its length. In the coming weeks I will
try to lead you through it by highlighting the most
beautiful passages.
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
[email protected].
April 29, 2016
VIEWPOINT
17
Loyalty and patriotism revisited
I
n a recent article in “America” magazine, Grant Kaplan, commenting on
the challenge of the resurrection,
makes this comment: “Unlike previous
communities in which the bond among
members forges itself through those it
excludes and scapegoats, the gratuity of
the resurrection allows for a community
shaped by forgiven-forgivers.”
What he is saying, among other
things, is that mostly we form community through demonizing and exclusion,
that is, we bond with each other more on
the basis of what we are against and what
we hate than on the basis of what we are
for and hold precious. The cross and the
resurrection, and the message of Jesus
in general, invite us to a deeper maturity within which we are invited to form
community with each other on the basis
of love and inclusion rather than upon
hatred and demonization.
How do we scapegoat, demonize and
exclude so as to form community with
each other? A number of anthropologists, particularly Rene Girard and Gil
Bailie, have given us some good insights
on how scapegoating and demonization
worked in ancient times and how they
work today.
In brief, here’s how they work: Until
we can bring ourselves to a certain level
of maturity, both personal and collective, we will always form community by
scapegoating. Imagine this scenario: A
group of us (family or colleagues) are
going to dinner. Almost always there will
A
some divisive tensions
among us – personality clashes, jealousies,
wounds from the past and
religious, ideological and
political differences. But
these can remain under
the surface and we can enjoy a nice dinner together.
How? By talking about
other people whom we
mutually dislike, despise,
fear or find weird or particularly eccentric. As we
“demonize” them by emphasizing how awful, bad,
weird or eccentric they
are, our own differences
slide wonderfully under the surface and
we form bonds of empathy and mutuality
with each other. By demonizing others we
find commonality among ourselves. Of
course, you’re reluctant to excuse yourself
and go to the bathroom, for fear that, in
your absence, you might well be the next
item on the menu.
Moreover, we do that too in our individual lives to maintain balance. If we’re
honest, we probably all have to admit the
tendency within us to steady ourselves by
blaming our anxieties and bad feelings
on someone else. For example: We go out
some morning and for various reasons
feel out of sorts, agitated and angry in
some inchoate way. More often than not,
it won’t take us long to pin that uneasiness on someone else by, consciously or
unconsciously, blaming
them for our bad feeling. Our
sense is that except for that
person we wouldn’t be feeling
these things! Someone else
is blame for our agitation!
Once we have done this we
begin to feel better because
we have just made someone
else responsible for our pain.
As a colorful commentary on
this, I like to quote a friend
who submits this axiom: If
the first two people you meet
in the morning are irritating
and hard to get along with,
there’s a very good chance
that you’re the one who’s irritating and hard to get along with.
Sadly we see this played out in the
world as a whole. Our churches and
our politics thrive on this. Both in our
churches and in our civic communities, we tend to form community with
our own kind by demonizing others.
Our differences do not have to be dealt
with, nor do we have to deal with the
things within ourselves that help cause
those differences, because we can blame
someone else for our problems. Not infrequently church groups bond together
by doing this, politicians are elected
by doing this and wars are justified
and waged on this basis – and the rich,
healthy concepts of loyalty, patriotism
and religious affiliation then become
unhealthy because they now root them-
In Exile
Father Ron Rolheiser
selves in seeing differences primarily
as a threat rather than seeing them as
bringing a fuller revelation of God into
our lives.
Granted, sometimes what’s different
does pose a real threat, and that threat
has to be met. But, even then, we must
continue to look inside of ourselves and
examine what in us might be complicit in
causing that division, hatred or jealousy,
which is now being projected on us. Positive threat must be met, but it is best met
the way Jesus met threats, namely, with
love, empathy and forgiveness. Demonizing others to create community among
ourselves is neither the way of Jesus nor
the way of human maturity. Loyalty to
one’s own, loyalty to one’s religion, loyalty to one’s country and loyalty to one’s
moral values must be based upon what
is good and precious within one’s family,
community, religion, country and moral
principles and not on fear and negative
feelings towards others.
The lesson in Jesus, especially in his
death and resurrection, is that genuine
religion, genuine maturity, genuine loyalty, and genuine patriotism lie in letting
ourselves be stretched by what does not
emanate from our own kind.
FATHER ROLHEISER, theologian, teacher and
award-winning author is president of
the Oblate School of Theology in San
Antonio, Texas. He can be contacted at
ronrolheiser.com and facebook.com/
ronrolheiser.
God is with us even when our greatest joy seems to vanish
s a priest, I’ve spent the
past 30 years of my life
writing about supernatural joy in the lives of others.
The message is simple: faith,
together with the discipline of
controlling your thoughts, can
help overcome even the most
horrible emotional pain we can
experience.
The pain of life, as many of
us know, is real, and seemingly
unending while we’re going
through rough moments. However, in any tragic circumstance
there is one word you need to
focus on and that is survival.
You can go on grieving for a
year or a decade or more, but
sooner or later you will have to
decide whether you’re going to
be a survivor or whether you’re
going to let problems destroy
you.
There is still a job for you to
do in this world, perhaps a job
that nobody else can do, and if
you don’t do it, it will remain
undone. Millions have come to
Spirituality
For Today
Father John Catoir
the realization that they must be
ready to carry on with courage. I’ve learned some of this
through the correspondence I
sometimes receive.
A woman once wrote me a
letter that helped me understand a great deal about the
pain of grief. She said that on a
beautiful sunny July morning,
her 26-year-old son was killed
in a car accident. He was on
his way to work when a driver
pulled out of a side street and
killed her “wonderful boy.”
She said she never knew such
a feeling of desperation, such
isolation and unending agony
before. The depth of the pain,
the flow of tears and the silence
were overwhelming. And yet,
she said, “I never knew one
could still exist when everything
inside had died.”
This brokenhearted woman
managed to survive with the
help of God. She later said that
with time, and with the help of
God, she found her bearings.
She said she learned to find joy
in the midst of the most excruciating pain.
She said she learned that
even when you have suffered a
terrible loss, the worst loss one
can imagine, one day a person
will discover that he or she
will laugh again and live again.
Knowing that God is by your
side, helping you every step of
the way, you will come to learn
the important lesson that joy really does prevail over sorrow.
This story also reminds me
of a grief-stricken man who was
tempted to commit suicide. One
day while riding on a bus, he
spotted a pamphlet on the floor
and picked it up out of curiosity. It contained this message:
“Today you may feel hopeless,
but tomorrow or the next day
you will remember that you
have a purpose, a true mission
in life. It will transform you,
and give you the courage to
carry on.”
He decided not to commit
suicide, and never thought of it
again. He wrote to me several
months later to explain how this
sense of mission changed his life
forever.
It reassured me of the words
found in John 16:33: “In the
world you will have trouble, but
take courage, I have conquered
the world.”
FATHER CATOIR writes on issues of
spirituality for today’s Catholic
for Catholic News Service.
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18
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April 29, 2016
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April 29, 2016
TRAFFICKING 
From page 1
mand for the services of these
young girls and what “johns” are
willing to pay to have sex with
a young teenager or even a prepubescent girl. According to at
least one report, human tracking
has become a $32 billion a year
industry, ranking it higher than
the illegal drug industry or gun
trafficking.
Lt. Chad Gremillion with
the Louisiana State Police Special Victims Unit on Human
Trafficking/Child Exploitation,
which was formed two years ago
by Colonel Mike Edmonson, said
a pimp can make up to $632,000
annually “selling” four women
or children. According to Gremillion, the pimp puts “his girls”
on a date, takes her money when
she returns and sends her back
to the street for another date.
“We have seen johns of all
race, age, socioeconomic background,” Gremillion said. “They
are thrill seekers who are willing
to go to any risk to achieve their
desire. “This is a money-making business.”
Since the formation of the
Special Victims Unit, which has
allowed state, federal and local
law enforcement agencies to focus their combined resources on
rescuing victims and ensuring
the pimps are prosecuted, Louisiana State Police has reported
an 86 percent increase in human
trafficking cases investigated in
2015 from 2014.
“This crime has been going
on for years, but now through
education and victim advocate
groups, we are identifying it
more and helping these victims,”
Gremillion said.
Father Jeff Bayhi, pastor at St.
John the Baptist Church in Zachary and Our Lady of Assumption
in Clinton, was first made aware
of human trafficking several
years ago while filming a television show in Rome. It was during
that visit he was introduced to
Sister Eugenia Bonetti MC who
has made it her ministry to rescue girls who are being trafficked
in Italy and help women escape
the prostitution industry.
“Trafficking is so much more
common than people realize,” he
said. “It’s sick but it’s real.”
Since that initial introduction, Father Bayhi has become
an advocate to help girls escape
the lifestyle. Parishioners at St.
John the Baptist and Our Lady
of Assumption have helped create and support two internation-
al shelters for young girls, one in
Italy and the other in Nigeria. He
has called both houses “powerful examples of this (Jubilee)
Year of Mercy.”
He now has his sights closer
to home. In his latest and certainly most ambitious project,
Father Bayhi has enlisted the
assistance of four nuns of the
Hospitaler Sisters of Mercy, with
a motherhouse in New Jersey,
to establish a safe house in the
Baton Rouge area. The home
will house 16 girls who will be
home-schooled as well as taught
life skills and job skills. They will
also be allowed to stay as long as
necessary.
Father Bayhi said no cell
phones or access will be allowed,
and there will be a security detail at the house.
“In Louisiana, 40 percent of
the juveniles who are trafficked
are trafficked by their primary
caregiver: mother, uncle, mother’s boyfriend,” Father Bayhi said.
“And so the absence of a person
who loves you for you and wants
to keep you safe and give you
hope is what has been missing in
a lot of these children’s homes.”
Father Bayhi expects much of
the funding to come from Medonia, a charity organization he
founded for the purpose of helping youth in Louisiana, specifically opening a retreat center for
kids. However, he said that idea
“never got traction,” and once he
realized the prevalence of human trafficking in the United
States, he told Sister Eugenia “if
she gets me some nuns I will (establish a safe house).”
“In my mind religious sisters
are a game changer,” he said. making them whole.”
“The difference between a home
Even more than education,
and an institution is having a more than life skills, more than
mother there to love you and be job training, Sister Alexandrine
there 24/7. To guide you and keep Rasoanirina HSM said perhaps
you safe. That’s
the most importhe role the sistant lessons the
ters will play.”
girls can learn
Sister Norma
are the capacity to
said the sisters
trust and to love,
will mentor the
two components
girls and tend to
missing
from
their
spiritual
much of their
and moral care.
young lives.
She expects the
“That’s
the
girls will be bereason we are
low the age of 18
here, to nurture
with many from
them,” she said.
the surrounding
“They lost all of
area, where traftheir lives, lost
Lt. Chad Gremillion
ficking has betheir love. So we
Louisiana State Police
come an increasare here to give it
ing problem, but
back.
also from neighboring states and
“Hopefully they will learn to
perhaps as far away as Mexico.
trust again, learn again to trust
Sister Norma said she has al- in other people, learn again to
ready been in contact with law know there is someone out there
enforcement officials as well as to truly love them, not for profit,
the Louisiana Department of not for money or for pleasure.”
Children and Family Services to
Gremillion said pimps typiguide girls who are looking for a cally prey on young girls who exway out.
hibit any signs of vulnerability or
Sister Ann Maria Mataew weakness, such as those sufferHSM said the victims are typi- ing from low self-esteem or who
cally taken by predators who endured abuse in their home life.
promise them a better life, Typically they may be runaways,
whether it is a job or education.
and likely engaged in some form
“Then, (the pimps) misuse of substance abuse.
them or sexually abuse them
He said the girls are lured by
or take their passport and send broken promises and ultimately
them to Louisiana or other plac- brainwashed, making it difficult
es throughout the United States. to break away.
“They’re being misused,
“Usually, the pimp will prowith no way to come out to the vide for them the basics,” he said.
police (because the girls are He will have promised them evoften in the United States il- erything, all to which are broken
legally). We are healing them, promises. These girls don’t have
Pimps typically
prey on young girls
who exhibit signs
of vulnerability or
weakness, such as
those suffering from
low self-esteem ...
days and nights. They work when
their pimp makes them work.”
“Many feel they have nowhere
to go,” Gremillion said, adding
that is one reason why the safe
house is important to rescuing
the victims and allowing them to
recapture their youth.
“These nuns will be mothers
to these girls,” he said. “It will allow them to learn life skills and
hopefully see that there is a side
to humanity that loves them.”
Gremillion said the public can
help police in a number of ways.
“If a girl is with a significantly
older boyfriend, and there are
signs of physical abuse, poor
hygiene, signs of fear, or girls in
hotels that are with several other
girls and one or two males, (individuals) should call their local law
enforcement agency,” he said.
Father Bayhi encouraged
anyone wishing to assist in this
fight against human trafficking
to visit Medonia-inc.org and offer a financial contribution that
will help establish and sustain
the safe house. He noted that
because of some regulations
he is not willing to participate
in, there will be no government
funding for the house.
He is asking individuals to
donate as little as $10 a month or
perhaps a parish $100 a month.
He also is asking for prayers
from the community.
“I don’t take that lightly when I
say we need prayer,” Father Bayhi
said. “You can only imagine a
15-year-old who has performed
over 1000 sexual favors what kind
of shape in which she arrives.
We’re going to use the wisdom of
Solomon and the grace of God.”
Hospice is About Living
• WerelyupontheintercessionofourBlessedMothertoassistusinimitatingthehealingministryofJesus
Christaswecareforterminallyillpatientsandtheirfamilies.
• Wecallforththecompassionandkindnessofourstaff,whoserveinthishealthcareministry,torespondto
thephysical,spiritualandemotionalneedsofourpatientsandtheirfamilies.
• Webelieveinthesacrednessoflifefromconceptiontonaturaldeath,andwedevoteourselvesto
supportingpatientsandfamiliesthroughthedyingprocessattheendoflife’sjourneyonthisearthand
newlifeineternity.
The right people,
doing the right thing
for the right reason.
19
SERVING PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS
www.NotreDameHospice-NO.org • (225) 243-7358
Notre Dame Hospice does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability or age in admission, treatment, ability to pay, or participation in its programs, services and activities, or in employment.
20
www.thecatholiccommentator.org
Baton Rouge
TRUE ITALIA’s only
ND
Since 1978 eli
Lasagna To-Go
Made Fresh
Daily
Small (4 servings)
Large (8-10 servings)
Sandwich, meat and
cheese, party trays
always available
Home of the best
muffolettas in town!
Anthony’s
Italian Deli
5575 Government St., just west of Jefferson Hwy. • Open Mon. - Sat. 9:30 - 6
Phone orders welcome! 225-272-6817
Clothing Donations Needed !
St. Vincent de Paul Stores are
community leaders in distributing
clothing and furniture to the needy at
no charge, and we need your
donations of clothing to help us in
our mission of charity. Help us to
help the poorest of the poor. Last year, we helped
over 12,000 people (free of charge) with their
clothing needs. You may remember six-year-old
Anna who was a guest at our Bishop Ott Sweet
Dreams Shelter. She and her mother desperately
needed clothing, and we were able to provide for
their needs because of the generosity of so many
people in our community.
Lafayette welcomes native as bishop
Bishop John D. Deshotel was
installed as the seventh bishop
for the Diocese of Lafayette on
April 15 at the Cathedral of St.
John the Evangelist.
Bishop Deshotel, a native
of Basile, and Bishop Michael
Jarrell were among those who
participated in the installation.
Bishop Robert W. Muench and
chancellor Father Paul Yi were
also in attendance.
The third of eight children
born to Welfoot Deshotel and
Luna Marie Manual, Bishop
Deshotel attended Immaculata
Minor Seminary High School
in Lafayette and later attended
Holy Trinity Seminary in Texas,
where he earned his bachelor’s
degree in philosophy, and a Masters of Divinity degree from the
University of Dallas.
He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Dallas on
May 13, 1978 in his hometown
church of St. Augustine. On
April 27, 2010, he was ordained
as auxiliary bishop of Dallas by
Bishop Kevin J. Farrell in the
Cathedral Shrine of the Blessed
Virgin Mary of Guadalupe.
On Feb. 17, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Deshotel as the
bishop of Lafayette.
As Bishop Deshotel processed
into the Cathedral of St. John
Bishop John D. Deshotel
the Evangelist for the start of
the Rite of Installation, he was
greeted by Father Chester Arceneaux, pastor of the cathedral.
Bishop Deshotel offered a blessing to those gathered, which included more than 100 diocesan
priests, deacons and seminarians from the Diocese of Lafayette, as well as more than 150 of
Year of Mercy
Pilgrimage to Italy
October 17-27, 2016
Father Brent Maher of St. Ann's in Morganza
invites you to experience the beauty of
Venice, Assisi and Rome
Help us give a hand-up to people in need. Drop
your clothing donation off at any St. Vincent de
Paul location.
We also gladly accept household items, furnishings
and appliances in good condition. And we love
items from your garage sale. Call our pick-up
service at (225) 267-5447 to make your furniture or
appliance donation.
Drop off your donation at any of our locations.
Baton Rouge Locations: 1871 Staring Lane, 12107
Florida Boulevard, 5621 Government Street, and
2655 Plank Road. Other Locations: 824 North
Morrison (Hammond), 710 Olinde Street (New
Roads), 4171 Hwy. 1 (Brusly-in the Casa Loma
Shopping Center), and 1402 North Burnside.
Help us with our clothing shortage by making your donation today!
April 29, 2016
• Daily Mass • Exciting Cultural and
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Registration deadline June 1st.
For more details or to register visit:
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or call
800-368-6757 ext. 128
Bishop Deshotel’s extended family and friends.
Others in attendance included several clergy members from
the Diocese of Dallas; bishops
from throughout Louisiana,
Texas, Alabama, Arkansas and
Florida; interfaith guests; civil
officials; and representatives of
the Diocese of Lafayette’s office
staff.
Archbishop Gregory Michael
Aymond of New Orleans offered
his greeting which was then followed by a welcome address
from Bishop Jarrell. Archbishop
Aymond and Bishop Jarrell escorted Bishop Deshotel to the
bishop’s chair, also known as the
cathedra. A symbol of episcopal
ministry since ancient times, the
chair symbolizes the unity of the
people in the diocese with their
bishop.
Following the Gospel reading, Bishop Deshotel gave his first
homily as ordinary of the Diocese
of Lafayette. This was followed by
the intercessional prayers, which
were offered in different languages representative of the various
cultures of the diocese. In addition to English, these languages
included Latin, Italian, Creole
French, Spanish, Vietnamese,
Arabic and German.
Call 225-387-0983
for advertising
information
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T H E
C A T H O L I C

April 29 - The Catholic Commentator

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