April 1 - The Catholic Commentator

Transcription

Commentator
T H E
April 1, 2016 Vol. 54, No. 4
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
Family opens heart
in time of tragedy
PAGE 4
New building
to provide space
for archives
thecatholiccommentator.org
NOBEL SAINT
Dennis family matriarch, Meeka Dennis, standing, gathers with her
husband, Charles, second from right, and their children Shane Grows,
Joy Grows, Camrin Grows, Chelsea Dennis and Charles Dennis III at
their Vacherie home. Meeka and Charles provided a home for her
nieces and nephews after the death of her sister 13 years ago. Photo by
Richard Meek | The Catholic Commentator
By Richard Meek
The Catholic Commentator
The haunting memory of a
phone call that forever changed
the lives of Meeka Dennis and
her family 13 years ago continues to linger, emotions just a
teardrop away.
Perhaps it’s because Dennis
has never had the opportunity
to grieve an unspeakable tragedy. One day after spending a
joyful afternoon with her extended family to celebrate her
niece’s third birthday in Vacherie, Dennis, as she was preparing to attend church on a Sunday morning, received a call
that her sister had been killed
in a murder-suicide involving
the sister’s husband.
Admittedly devastated by
the loss, grieving was not an
option for Dennis, who had
two young children at the time.
Rather, she and her husband,
Charles, focused their attention
on her deceased sister’s three
young children, who were suddenly without parents.
The three children, who
were 11, 5, and 2 at the time of
their parents’ deaths, moved in
with Meeka and Charles. Grieving would have to wait.
“The thought was mainly
the children,” Meeka said.
“They needed a family and they
SEE VACHERIE PAGE 19
Called “a 20th century prophet” by some and honored with the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize,
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, commonly known as Mother Teresa, will be canonized by Pope
Francis on Sept. 4 at the Vatican. A Catholic nun and missionary, Mother Teresa lived her life
showing God’s love to all and helping the poorest of the poor. This iconic photo, used at Mother Teresa’s beatification, was snapped by local photographer Marie Constantin. For more on
Constantin and her memories of traveling with Mother Teresa, see page 11.
Mother Teresa to be canonized
By Rachele Smith
HONORING BOGGS – Members of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem pray at the graveside of
Dame Corinne “Lindy” Claiborne Boggs as they visited the
New Roads area and attended Mass at St. Mary of False River
to commemorate the 100th anniversary of her birth. See story
on page 3. Photo by Debbie Shelley | The Catholic Commentator
Pope Francis’ announcement that Blessed
Mother Teresa will be canonized on Sept. 4
at the Vatican is proof in the power of prayer.
“We were very happy (to hear the news),”
said Sister Christa MC, who serves with the
Missionaries of Charity, an order established
by Mother Teresa of Calcutta in 1950.
“We have prayed for this for a long time,”
she added.
Sister Christa is one of four Missionaries of Charity sisters living in Baton Rouge
and serving in the Queen of Peace Home and
Soup Kitchen behind St. Agnes Church. The
sisters do not have cell phones, computers,
televisions or a newspaper. They heard about
the pope’s decision when a volunteer called
the kitchen’s land line.
“Ever since her death (in 1997), we prayed
SEE SAINT PAGE 20
2
FAIt H
The ighter ide of
| TREASURES FROM THE DIOCESE
L
S
April 1, 2016
| DID YOU KNOW
A scheduling quirk
The Stations of the Cross at St. Jean Vianney Church in Baton Rouge, which are
among the many bronze sculptures by California artist Max DeMoss in the church,
are found on the back of the eight columns of the church’s ambulatory. There are
only 13 stations, because the crucifix in the west chapel is a powerful depiction of the
12th station, Jesus dies on the cross. According to Father Donald Blanchard, who was
pastor at the time the church was constructed, the Stations of the Cross, through
their realism, “bring to life” the concept of the crucifixion in the market place. Pictured is the eighth station, where Jesus meets the women and children of Jerusalem.
A child sits on a rooftop as his dog tries to jump up on him. The gathered women are
reaching out to Jesus. Photo by Richard Meek | The Catholic Commentator
| PICTURES FROM THE PAST
The feast of the Annunciation is traditionally celebrated March 25 but because
of a strange quirk in the calendar this year, the feast
day, or Lady Day as it is also
known, is being celebrated
April 4. This year, March 25
fell on Good Friday, which,
obviously, would not have
been an appropriate day to
celebrate the announcement
of the angel to the Virgin
Mary that she would become
the mother of Jesus.
Occasionally, the feast of
St. Joseph also falls during
Holy Week. The rule is to
transfer the feast day to the
first unimpeded day after
the Easter Octave, which is usually the
day after Divine Mercy Sunday. This year
that date falls on April 4.
However, a few years ago the Vatican
called an audible. That particular year
St. Joseph Day fell on Palm Sunday and
Annunciation on Holy Saturday. Rather than follow its traditional policy, the
Vatican transferred St. Joseph Day to the
day before to avoid an awkward scenario
where St. Joseph Day and the Annunciation would have been celebrated on the
Monday and Tuesday after Divine Mercy
Sunday.
Having to transfer both feast days is
highly unusual, and transferring the feast
of the Annunciation occurs about twice in
10 years.
In the Byzantine Rite feast days are
not transferred, so the Annunciation was
celebrated during the morning liturgy
and at noon the commemoration of Good
Friday began.
The Annunciation was originally celebrated in the Eastern Church in the fifth
century and in the Western Church in the
sixth and seventh centuries. Curiously,
Spain celebrated the feast Dec. 18 until
the 11th century when it adopted the Roman date.
In ancient times tradition held that
March 25 was the day of the crucifixion. It
was also the ancient custom of the papal
curia to start the year on March 25 in all
of its documents. Civil governments adopted this practice and England retained
it until 1752.
In central Europe, Annunciation was
also referred to as the Feast of the Swallows because it was believed the first
swallows from their migration arrived
about this time.
According to legend, during the Middle Ages the pope would distribute 50
gold pieces to 300 poor girls for a dowry
following Mass. Some of the other customs were more profitable but equally
as innovative, including the lowering of
a boy dressed as an angel from what was
called the Holy Ghost Hole in the top of a
church.
In most countries, including the United States, the Annunciation is not a holy
day of obligation.
For breaking news and to keep up with the latest happenings
in the Baton Rouge Diocese, visit The Catholic
Commentator Online at thecatholiccommentaor.org
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Mother Teresa of Calcutta, right, is shown visiting with Archbishop Philip M. Hannan and
Winifred Trabeaux, national regent of the Catholic Daughters of America during the 36th
Biennial National Convention in New Orleans in July 1976. Mother Teresa, 66 at the time
also participated in a world hunger symposium at the International Eucharistic Congress
one month later. Trabeaux is originally from Baton Rouge. Photo provided by the Archives Department, Diocese of Baton Rouge
Bishop Robert W. Muench Publisher
Father Tom Ranzino Assistant Publisher
Richard Meek Editor
Debbie Shelley Assistant Editor
Wanda L. Koch Advertising Manager
Penny G. Saia Production Manager
Lisa Disney Secretary/Circulation
Rachele Smith Staff Writer
The Catholic Commentator (ISSN 07460511; USPS 093-680)
Published bi-weekly (every other week) by the Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge,1800 South Acadian
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April 1, 2016
3
Order of St. Lazarus honors Lindy Boggs during graveside ceremony
By Debbie Shelley
With a wide-dimpled smile
and affability, Corinne “Lindy”
Claiborne Boggs was known as
a gentle, yet strong, worldwide
leader.
The dames and knights of the
Military and Hospitaller Order of
St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, dressed
in regalia, commemorated St.
Lazarus Dame Grand Cross and
former U.S. Ambassador to the
Vatican on the 100th anniversary of her birth at a Mass at St.
Mary of False River Church in
New Roads, where she was baptized, received first Communion,
was confirmed and married Hale
Boggs.
Lindy Boggs was admitted to
the St. Lazarus Order in 1979.
She was well known for her
gaiety and grace.
“Whenever she was in New
Orleans, she would be involved
with activities of the Grand
Commandery of the South, often hosting St. Lazarus events at
her French Quarter home,” said
Dame Grand Cross Mary Ann
Straub of New Orleans.
St. Lazaurs is a chivalric order
composed of lay and religious
men and women from North
and South America, Asia, Africa,
Australia and Europe founded in
1098 by Hospitaller Knights in
the Holy Land. It dedicates itself
to the service, Christian unity and
supporting a variety of causes, including providing relief following
natural disasters to promoting
organ and tissue donation awareness and registration. It was the
only chivalric order organized to
care for the needs of Hansen’s
disease patients.
“Lindy shared in this humanitarian effort both at Carville
and in Paraguay, where the order
helped supply shoes to those with
the disease,” said Staubb. Boggs
was the recipient of the Alan
Weaver Hazelton Award, given
annually to a member who follows the ideals of loyalty, service
and devotion to the Order of Saint
Lazarus.
Boggs’ Catholic faith was the
driver of her civic leadership, noted Deacon Mike Thompson, deacon assistant at St. Mary and St.
Augustine Church in New Roads,
who gave the homily during the
Mass honoring Boggs.
Deacon Thompson was a congressional aide when he met Lindy Boggs at a social event for her
husband. At the time, Rep. Hale
Boggs was the house majority
leader in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“She was a very gracious lady
and made me feel right at home,”
said Deacon Thompson.
He later met Lindy Boggs
again after she was elected to
Louisiana House of Representatives in 1972, a post she held for
16 years.
At that time, Boggs filled her
husband’s seat when he was presumed dead after the plane he
was traveling in crashed over a
remote area in Alaska. She held
this position for 18 years.
After the Supreme Court issued the Roe V. Wade decision,
Deacon Thompson was part of
a state delegation that “went to
march in the snow” and appeal to
Congress to support attempts to
restrict abortion on demand.
“She was unequivocally prolife,” said Deacon Thompson,
despite the fact that many in the
Democratic party were not.
She strongly supported the
Hyde Amendment, a legislative
provision barring the use of certain federal funds to pay for abortion unless the pregnancy arises
from incest, rape or to save the
life of the mother.
“She was always a staunch
Catholic,” noted Deacon Thompson, who highlighted the fact that
she was appointed ambassador to
the Vatican in 1997.
The deacon further added,
“Although she was never elected
to a leadership position (in Congress), she was a very effective
leader because she knew everyone on a first-name basis.”
Boggs connected with the impoverished as well as the elite.
“This was evidenced by her relationship with the poor minorities in her district. She was easily
elected each time she ran,” said
Deacon Thompson.
Boggs’ leadership influenced
Deacon Thompson on how he
treats others.
“The impact she had on me was
that she received people coming
into her office with such charm
and welcome. She was never too
busy to see people,” he said.
Edward J. (Ned) Hémard III,
commander in Lazarus, said
Boggs’ presence lit up a room.
“I was at a party when she came
right up behind me and sang ‘The
Sheik of Araby.’ We were doing a
duet,” mused Hémard.
He said Boggs served in a
humble, other-focused fashion.
“She said you can get a lot
done if you don’t take credit for
it,” Hémard said.
Dame Lindy Sarpy, another
member of Lazarus and classmate of Boggs’ daughter, Barbara, said Boggs brought people
from opposite spectrums together for the common good.
“She succeeded in reconciling
the parties because of her charm,
courtesy, kindness and good will.
This same conciliating spirit occurred in her relationship with
individuals and as ambassador
of the United States to the Holy
See,” said Sarpy.
Her favorite memories of
Boggs were her warmth and cordiality as the chatelaine of her
home on Bourbon Street. Boggs’
daughter, Barbara, wore hoopskirts in the courtyard.
Sarpy said Boggs’ daughter
inherited her mother’s grace and
charm, which, she said, “is why
she was elected president of the
student body at Manhattanville
College.” Barbara Boggs was later elected mayor of Princeton,
New Jersey.
Brian Costello, a New Roads
resident and Lazarus officer, said
he was honored to help coordinate the commemorative Mass
and give a tour of points of historic interest in New Roads: the
site of St. Joseph Academy, where
Boggs was lodged and educated
by the Sisters of St. Joseph; the
home of her “Uncle Daddy” Ferd
and Adrienne Lawrence Claiborne; the Pennsylvania Avenue
sidewalk where her first cousin, deLesseps “Chep” Morrison,
marked his name when it was
overlaid and Bogg’s gravesite.
“Dame Lindy is a cousin of my
wife, and more distantly of myself,
as most colonial French Pointe
Coupée families are related,” said
Costello. “I was honored to visit
with Dame Lindy during her visit to St. Mary Church in the course
of the filming of “Velvet and Steel”
for LPB; her visits to the grave of
her pre-deceased infant son in
St. Mary Cemetery; and at family
functions including weddings and
receptions in New Orleans.”
There are many things people
today can learn from Boggs, according to Costello.
“Dame Lindy had the ability to
remain ever faithful despite personal loss, as she bore the deaths
of her parents, husband and two
children. She was professional,
kind and gracious despite hostility to her compassion and ministry to the disenfranchised and
exploited,” he said.
“Also remarkable is her ability to be an American and world
citizen and remain loyal to one’s
Catholic faith,” Costello said.
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4
April 1, 2016
New archives building will help preserve 300 years of history
By Richard Meek
Archivist Ann Boltin squeezed and
wriggled her way through 300 years of
history in the tiny vault currently housing
the most important records of the Diocese
of Baton Rouge, dating as far back as 1707.
Nearby, three closets housing additional artifacts, records and documents,
all of which chronicle the history of a diocese that has its roots stretching from the
fertile soil of the river parishes, where the
Acadians landed after being exiled from
Nova Scotia, to the rural farm fields of the
Florida parishes.
The history is preserved. Boltin’s dilemma is where to store it all. Literally,
she is out of space.
“Our vault is 300 square feet, which is
not very large,” said Boltin, who has been
with the diocese since 2003 and director
of archives since 2007. “We cannot fit another thing in there responsibly.”
The three closets the archives department has taken over are also spilling over.
Besides a lack of storage, there is also
a premium for office space for her staff of
three. Currently, one staff member’s office
is in the research room, where volunteers
and researchers gather.
The storage crunch has reached the
point where if a church calls asking if the
archives department can take some records, Boltin said, “we have had to deny
them.”
Fortunately, help is on the way. The diocese is completing plans
and going through the permitting process with the
city to build a new archives
building on the rear of the
property where the Catholic Life Center, Catholic
Charities of the Diocese
of Baton Rouge and the
Bishop Robert Tracy Retreat Center are currently
housed.
When completed, the
building, which is designed as an Acadian
style house to fit in with the current architecture of the residential neighborhood,
will be a little less than 8,000 square feet.
Perhaps most important to Boltin and her
staff, the vault will be 1,000 square feet,
a substantial increase from the current
300-square foot vault.
“We are excited about the building,”
Boltin said. “It’s going to be a really pretty
building. It’s designed to look like a home
because it’s going to be in a neighborhood.
“And the landscaping is beautiful.”
The project, which has been in the discussion stages since 2004, is being fully
funded from the sale of diocesan property, funds raised through the Bishop’s
Annual Appeal and a large donation, according to Joe Ingraham,
chief financial officer for
the diocese.
“It’s been a long time
coming,” Boltin said.
The vault will be the
heart of the building, according to Boltin. It will
have no windows, no water pipes near it, no bathrooms or water fountains
to offer the highest possible protection, she said.
Additionally, it will be closed off to the
rest of the building and only the staff will
have access to it.
A 1,500-square foot nonactive record
storage center to house records slated
to be destroyed in five to 10 years is also
included as well as three offices, another
separate office for an intern, a separate research room with a library for researchers
and volunteers, conference room, microfilm and digitalization room and processing room.
... the vault will
be 1,000 square
feet, a substantial
increase from the
current 300-square
foot vault.
Grief Ministry
“I was called in with the architects
because archives buildings are totally
unique,” Boltin said. “They are not libraries, not office buildings. They are built
specifically to house and preserve records
and objects.”
She said complexities not common to
traditional office buildings include temperature and humidity control, the use of
certain types of shelving so records are
not compromised, higher load bearing
floor loads, the type of paint used, and
even fire suppression.
Boltin emphasized the building will be
open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday
through Friday and will not be available on
nights or weekends. As is the current policy,
researchers will still be required to set up
an appointment. Boltin said her office averages less than two researchers per week.
“Our mission is to be preserve the history and heritage of the Catholic faith in
this area and to teach people about the
history,” she said. “When (the diocese
was) founded in 1961, (Bishop Robert E.
Tracy) founded our department.
“So we are really lucky that at this historic moment we are making history here.
And not only that, our area has some really old parishes so we have to make sure we
are preserving their history.”
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A special section of The Catholic Commentator,
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our readers prepare for their own mortality.
Publication date: April 15, 2016
Deadline: Wed., April 5
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• Funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories • Grave markers • Medical and hospice
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April 1, 2016
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5
6
April 1, 2016
Supporting friends or scandal?/Gestures and postures during Mass
Q
My wife and I were recently married, and we both feel strongly
that we need to set a positive
example in a secular culture, which
seems to condone so much immorality
(sex outside of marriage, contraception,
abortion, etc.).
Our dilemma is that there is a really
“nice” Catholic couple (recently engaged)
in our circle of friends whom we love
going out with. The problem is that, as we
recently learned, they are cohabiting.
We feel that if we were to continue to
socialize with them, we might be condoning immorality. How do we balance our
friendship against the “sin of scandal”?
Is it appropriate to cut off social ties with
them until they marry or decide to live
separately? In other words, how do we
show them the love of Christ while still
upholding the teachings of the church?
(Atlanta)
A
Thank God for people like you and
your wife, people willing to adhere
to the church’s teaching, which
has guided Christians successfully and
happily for many centuries.
Your issue now, though, is not so much
one of morality as of strategy: What action
by you and your wife can best help lead
your friends to see the wisdom of the church’s view?
It seems to me that if
you were to cut off all ties
with them abruptly, this
could create resentment
and entrench them more
deeply in their choice
of an immoral lifestyle.
(By the way, not just the
Catholic Church but many
religions hold that couples
should not live together as
man and wife until they
have made a religious and
civil commitment that is
formal and permanent.)
Why not, instead, take
the courageous step of explaining to them,
in a quiet and kind way, how much you enjoy their company but also how much the
moral values of the church mean to the
two of you and how it saddens you to see
them stray from those values?
You could suggest to them that they
will surely be looking for God’s blessings
throughout their marriage and that they
might want to speak with the priest who
will do their wedding about how to stay
close to the Lord until that wonderful day
arrives.
Question Corner
Father Kenneth Doyle
St. Thomas More
Catholic School
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Q
www.stmbr.org
I recently joined
a small parish
where the entire
congregation holds hands
together at the Our
Father. I feel uncomfortable holding hands with
people I don’t know; so
instead, I put my hands
in a prayer position as
a signal to others not to
grab for my hands.
I don’t know how to
handle this. (Charleston,
West Virginia)
Q
Several priests
and seminarians
of our diocese
have reminded the faithful that only the
priest should have his palms raised and
extended during the Lord’s Prayer.
However, elsewhere in the country
local customs persist. Most typical is that
of joining hands with adjacent worshippers. Many end by raising joined hands
after the doxology (the closing portion
of the prayer.) Can you please clarify
the preference of the (Catholic Church)?
(Wichita, Kansas)
The
A
The two questions above reflect
many that I regularly receive, and
they demonstrate the continued
angst over bodily gestures at Mass especially during the Our Father. And even
though I answered a similar question in
this column four years ago, that has not
surprising as it may seem resolved the
matter for all time! So let’s try again.
One fact is clear: In response to a
query about the correct congregational
posture while the Our Father is prayed,
the website of the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops says simply: “No position is prescribed in the Roman Missal
for an assembly gesture.” I take that to
mean that, within reason, people are free
to do as they wish.
If you want to raise your hands with
palms uplifted, have at it. If you prefer to
join hands with your family or a (willing)
pew-mate, then do that. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (in No. 42)
says that, in the liturgy, “a common posture, to be observed by all participants, is
a sign of the unity of the members of the
Christian community.”
More important, I think, is to leave
worshippers free of anxiety and able to
lift comfortably their minds and hearts
to God.
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T H E
C A T H O L I C
April 1, 2016
FAITH JOURNEY
7
Spreading the joy of God for 24 hours
By Debbie Shelley
sion,” said Ken Thevenet, director of worship at St. Aloysius.
“There were times of silence
and times of praise and worship.
There were different rosaries.
Some things were traditional
and some things were contemporary. It was really amazing.”
The event concluded with a
Mass for families with special
needs, which profoundly impacted the participants and their
supporters.
Sharon Stickling said she
had been going to church with
her son Jacob, 17, who has special needs, to St. Francis Xavier
Church in Metairie, which celebrates Masses for people with
exceptionalities. She had been
wanting to have such a Mass in
Baton Rouge. She talked to Giorlando about this, and plans were
made to have one.
“In most instances kids with
special needs meet in clinical settings, such as the doctor’s office,
therapy or school … This is a perfect opportunity for them to meet
their peers in prayer,” she said.
The children actively participated in the Mass. Jacob does
not communicate verbally, but
the Prayer of the Faithful was
programmed into his iPad and
he played it for the Mass.
Blake Black, whose son Patrick,
19, has special needs but who is an
altar server at St. Aloysius, said
there were people who had participated in most or all of the 24
Hours with the Lord who stayed
for the Mass. She said the children
were thrilled that a Mass was celebrated especially for them.
“Even if things didn’t go perfectly, there was a peace that
made it all it can be,” said Black.
The children responded enthusiastically to Father Johnson’s
homily, which he illustrated by
referring to super heroes, about
the gifts everyone has to share.
“Spreading joy, that was their
gift of the day,” said Stickling.
“There was not a dry eye in the
church, but they were tears of
joy.”
“Jesus is available,” announced St. Aloysius as it
opened its doors for a 24-hour
Lenten initiative March 4-5.
Church officials were floored by
amazement and grace as people
flocked non-stop through them,
confirming many are still hungry to spend time with God.
When Pope Francis announced the Lenten initiative
“24 Hours for the Lord,” in
which Catholic churches around
the world were asked to open
their door for 24 hours for people to receive the mercy of God
through eucharistic adoration
and the sacrament of reconciliation during the Jubilee Year of
Mercy, it touched the heart of Father Joshua Johnson, parochial
vicar at St. Aloysius Church in 24 Hours for the Lord featured eucharisitc adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation, corporal and spiritual
Baton Rouge. He had prayed for works of mercy, praise and worship and Mass. Photo provided by Ken Thevenet
years about having the two sacraments together.
of the committees and parishio- missions and ministries heavily parish’s sixth-graders, it was
“People can receive the mercy ners who “put it together on pa- involved in organizing 24 Hours very important to me that the
of Christ through the priest in the per and made it happen.”
for the Lord, and the community children not only donated items
confessional. And those who have
While numerous ideas were by coming to the event.
for the bags, but also experibeen to confession can spend offered about different activities
“It was great to drive up at enced the distribution of the
time with the one who gave them that could also be offered, orga- 3:45 a.m. and see so many cars bags to those in need,” she said.
the forgiveness, which is Christ nizers knew nothing must “up- in the parking lot,” said Acaldo. “I often quote Archbishop Fulhimself,” Father
stage” the central “There’s nothing more energiz- ton Sheen, ‘We lose our souls not
Johnson said.
reason for being ing than to get up early and do only by the evil we do, but also by
After
meetthere: confession something for God.”
the good we leave undone.’ ”
ing with dioceThose coming for the event
and adoration.
Families also assembled Eassan officials, he
“We said if we had a variety of activities to par- ter baskets for less fortunate
approached
the
really want this ticipate in. After the all-school children. Votive candles were
church’s pastoral
to work the im- Mass, there was exposition of the also sold, with the proceeds gocouncil with the
portant thing is Blessed Sacrament, the singing ing to St. Vincent de Paul.
idea of accepting
to make adoration of the divine mercy chaplet, StaSince there was a funeral
Angela Flagoust
the pope’s invitaand
confession tions of the Cross, the rosary, end during the 24 Hours of the Lord,
tion and combinex t raord i na r i ly of day prayer, praise and worship, all of the corporal works of mering it with the corporal and spir- available,” said Giorlando.
night prayer, office of readings, cy were included in the event,
itual works of mercy.
Bishop Robert W. Muench morning prayer and benediction. according to Angela Falgoust, di“We were on fire with it,” said and the priests of the diocese
Students at St. Aloysius Par- rector of pastoral services social
Judy Giorlando, pastoral council committed themselves to hear- ish School of Religion and School responsibility.
mentor. The council approached ing confessions, putting plans and their families also became
She said the event was a
its ministries’ commissions: ad- into motion.
involved through making bless- beautiful blend of catechesis and
ministration, community life,
As the event approached, ing bags, which contained essen- evangelization.
education, social responsibility, organizers recited the church’s tial items for the students to give
“We don’t know if all that came
spiritual growth and worship. mantra, “If it only helps one per- out to the homeless.
were Catholic because we opened
They were equally enthusias- son or five people, we’re still goAnn Michael Lagarde, a mem- it to everyone,” said Falgoust.
tic and offered their ideas and ing to do it,” said Giorlando.
ber of the pastoral council and
“People got to experience the
talents. Each commission was
No one anticipated the over- catechist, and her sixth-grade whole repertoire of the church’s
responsible for taking on a four- whelming response. For 24 hours, PSR students brainstormed prayer and social justice mishour period in which they would there were long lines of people about a project of corporal works
assist priests and provide activi- waiting at the confessional.
of mercy. They became excitties, etc. Everyone, from the pul“I looked out and said, ‘This ed about the idea of assembling
pit to the office to the school and is the Lord, this wasn’t us,’ ” said blessings bags for the homeless.
Father Johnson. “It was the spir- They shared the list of items
pew, were involved.
GARDENS OF MEMORY & FUNERAL HOME
When the parishioners were it drawing them. It was all the they were collecting with the
®
told about the plans, they also Lord.”
first- through fifth-grade PSR
Michael Acaldo, executive di- students, and the school caught
took it on as their own.
“This is cool, this how the rector of the St. Vincent de Paul wind about the project and
for a be t te r farewe ll
body of Christ works together,” Society and co-chair of the admin- wanted to help. More than 350
11817 Jefferson Highway
said Father Johnson who said he istration committee, was gratified blessing bags were made.
225-753-1440
can provide the vision, but it was to see Father Randy Cuevas, pas“As a mom of three young
www.resthavenbatonrouge.com
to the pastoral council, members tor, Father Johnson and the com- children and a catechist to our
The event was a
beautiful blend
of catechesis and
evangelization.
RESTHAVEN
We make it personal.
2x2” Rest.small.honor.those.cc’16
8
If you have news or events coming up in your
church parish, school or organization, please
let us know about it so we can spread the word!
Email Richard Meek at [email protected]; or
fax to 225-336-8710
Vacations By Crown Presents
ALASKA
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Presented by Celeste Pevahouse
of Princess Cruises
Tootie Bonacorso
Senior Vacation Consultant
(225) 236-1388
[email protected]
2:00 PM: LA State Archives
6:00 PM: Vacations By Crown
Baton Rouge Office
*Please RSVP to Tootie at 225-236-1388
7569 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge, LA 70806
1-800-330-1001
www.vacationsbycrown.com
Diocese of Baton Rouge
Catholic Schools Office
Principal Opening
2016-17 School Year
St. Jude the Apostle School
Baton Rouge, LA
The Diocese of Baton Rouge has thirty schools in eight civil
parishes, with strong Catholic identity the focus in all schools. The
district is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools, and standardized test scores are above state and national
averages.
Catholic schools in the Diocese of Baton Rouge
Evangelize Hearts, Educate Minds, Encourage Talent
and Embrace the Future
St. Jude the Apostle School provides Catholic formation to
approximately 600 students in Grades PK4 – 8. Founded in 1983,
the school strives to provide a Catholic family environment
dedicated to the formation of each student’s relationship with
Christ through faith, academics, and excellence.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
– Practicing Catholic
– Minimum of 5 years of Teaching or School
Administration Experience
– Demonstrated Leadership Ability
– Master’s Degree, Preferably in Education
– Must be Available on or before July 1, 2016
Mail resume, copies of all college transcript(s) showing degrees,
and three letters of recommendation to
St. Jude the Apostle Principal Search
P.O. Box 2028
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-2028
Deadline for application: April 15, 2016
The schools of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, admit students of any race, color,
national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally
accorded or made available to students at its schools. They do not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of educational policies,
admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school
administered programs.
April 1, 2016
Bishop’s letter to diocese from 2014
Dearly Beloved Sisters and
Brothers in Christ,
Greetings. “Go, therefore
and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). This “great
commission of Jesus,” given
to the eleven before his ascension into heaven, is the same
instruction assigned to every
Christian community throughout time. The recent Diocesan
Rite of Election, where we celebrated the anticipated entrance
of almost 500 new members to
Catholicism at this year’s Easter
Vigil, is one sign of the vitality
and vibrancy of the church
in and of Baton Rouge. The
excellent response, for the fifth
straight year, to the Diocesan
Light is ON for You reconciliation initiative, is another.
The Situation. While the
number of Catholics in our
diocese is growing (230,000),
the number of priests available
for assigned parish service (50
diocesan, 17 religious, 4 extern)
continues to decline, and their
median age is increasing. Correspondingly the number of religious order women and men is
decreasing. And while this year
we have matched our
“modern era” high
of 20 seminarians,
it generally takes
six to eight years
from start to finish,
for a seminarian to
become a priest. Regrettably our “pipeline” is not keeping
pace with our pastoral situation. The generous ministry of our
retired from assignment priests
(20) and our permanent deacons (65) continues to be a great
blessing, as has the emergence of
countless dedicated and formally
prepared lay faithful. While a
very challenging situation, many
other dioceses in our country are
far more hard-pressed than we.
Historical Context. Beginning in 1984 the Diocese of
Baton Rouge embarked upon
several strategies to deal with
this developing dilemma: a
heightened vocational program of prayer, promotion and
support, a carefully devised
configuration of parish clusters (evolving to now include
22 of our church parishes);
more recently, other measures,
including a judicious use of
invited international priests,
were implemented. Though
helpful, these steps have not
kept pace with the burgeoning
circumstances.
Ongoing Pastoral Planning.
Given the above, a further diocesan pastoral vision to serve as
a guide for effective ministry is
required. To meet this goal, today I am announcing the establishment of a highly diverse Diocesan Pastoral Planning Task
Force to address issues of longterm renewal within our local
Church. Its members consist
of Father Trey Nelson (Chair),
Deacon Dan Borne, Major
Reginald Brown, Father John
Carville, Father Jamin David,
Sister Renee Daigle MSC, Mrs.
Pamela Folse, Mr. Rudy Gomez,
Brother Ray Hebert SC, Mrs.
Pat Hives, Mr. Lyle
Hitzman, Mr. Gerald
“Jay” Jackson, Father Tom Ranzino,
Mr. Robert Sibille,
Dr. Christel Slaughter. This task force is
commissioned to advise how to provide
ministry, sacramental and other, to the
people of our diocese, being attentive
to the needs and aspirations of
individual church communities
while making recommendations
for the prospective well-being of
lay faithful, religious and clergy.
It will consider the development
of a diocesan long range plan
that integrates creative proposals for clergy personnel to
provide parish ministry in new
ways along with the design and
possible redesign of some parish configurations. There will
be an emphasis on preparing
lay ecclesial ministers for pastoral service, and a revitalized
focus on the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and the
diaconate. Let me emphasize:
at this time absolutely no proposals have been made; no decisions have been reached. For
emphasis I repeat: No proposals
have been made; no decisions
reached. Any speculation or ru-
Regrettably
our “pipeline”
is not keeping
pace with
our pastoral
situation.
mors to the contrary should be
considered mere idle musings
of some amorphous, nebulous,
anonymous, unreliable source.
A Future Full of Hope (Jer
29:11). Several significantly positive factors can give us hope.
The quality, dedication and zeal
of our priests and deacons and
religious are phenomenal. The
same can be said for our seminarians in formation, as well
as the inspiring response of so
many of our youth who have
identified themselves as vocational prospects. The welcomed
increase of enthusiastic seminarians, the expanded number
of devoted deacons and deacon
candidates, the growth in committed lay faithful leadership,
including those pursuing graduate degrees in theology and
related church ministry, and the
energetic spirit of countless others are welcomed signs.
In Conclusion. I entreat your
prayer, understanding, support,
assistance and cooperation
to this initiative. A church of
2000 years has never flourished by merely functioning in
a maintenance mode. Change,
the hardest part of which
is its transitional phase, is
never easy. Concerns over the
deployment of diminishing
clergy with ever expanding
diocesan demographics clearly
pose a challenge. Innovative
directions will be necessary
for us to anticipate and provide
for evolving circumstances.
Our ongoing charge will be
to make the maximum use of
our resources. Some measures
that might prove unavoidable
can be expected to be difficult
to implement. Belief in, commitment to and reliance upon
the grace of the Holy Spirit to
lead and guide are fundamentally essential. Truly we are
and will be called to pray that
“the master of the harvest send
laborers to the vineyard” (Mt
9:38). Through it all we can
trust the promise of Jesus to be
with us “until the end of time”
(Mt 28:20) and the enduring
gift of the Holy Spirit to guide
us (Jn 14:26). “Jesus Christ is
the same yesterday, today and
forever” (Heb 13:8).
In the love of Jesus, the Good
Shepherd,
Robert W. Muench
Bishop of Baton Rouge
April 1, 2016
9
Bishop Muench asks for openness during Chrism Mass homily
I acknowledge representatives from our various Church
parishes, schools, diocesan
offices and agencies, deacons
and their wives, religious, and
on this, their anticipated Holy
Thursday feast day, our esteemed priests. We recognize in
particular those priests celebrating ordination anniversaries this
year: 60 years, Msgr. Lefebvre
and Father Marcell; 50 years,
Father Mascarella; 45 years, Father Moroney; 40 years, Father
Healy SSJ; 35 years, Father Clark
SJ; 30 years, Father Gyan, Father
Lorraine and Father Suchit IMS;
25 years, Father Raj IMS. Would
those priests please stand? Ad
multos annos. (Rough translation: May you live a long life.) We
also recall that since last year’s
Chrism Mass, one of our legendary priests, Msgr. Guillot, entered
eternal life with the Lord. May he
rest in peace. Amen.
Two years ago at this Eucharist I announced the formation
of a Diocesan Pastoral Planning
Task Force. In those past 24
months the number of priests
available for parish assignment
has declined from 71 to 64, and
the number of retired priests reduced from 20 to 19. This year
only one candidate will be ordained a priest for the diocese
and next year just two. Happily
the number of permanent deacons has risen from 65 to 73. Statistical changes from 1961, when
the diocese was formed, to today
are even more dramatic: Catholic population increased from
165,000 to 223,000, and church
parishes rose from 51 to 67, while
the number of diocesan and religious priests for parish service
declined from 110 to 52. To summarize, in the last 55 years our
diocese has experienced an additional 16 church parishes, and
58,000 more Catholics, but a decrease of 58 priests, more than
50% less, for parochial ministry.
Obviously these figures have significant ramifications.
Last Friday in meeting with
Father Trey Nelson, chair of the
task force, I thanked him and
other members for their diligent,
conscientious work. Before receiving the study, I mentioned
to him (as I had earlier that week
done with the Presbyteral Council) some related concepts I had
prepared for this homily. Father
Trey told me those reflections
mirrored well those of the task
force.
Two thousand years ago, Je-
Bishop Robert W. Muench leads clergy members in a recommitment ceremony (above) during the annual
Mass of Chrism on March 23 at St. Joseph Cathedral. At right, Bishop Muench breathes over the oils that will
be used at all parishes throughout the year. Photos by Richard Meek | The Catholic Commentator
sus left a basic mission statement
and pastoral plan for the church.
The first concludes St. Matthew’s
Gospel: “Go, therefore, and
make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit, teaching them
to observe all that I have commanded you. And, behold, I am
with you always, until the end
of the age” (Mt 28:19-20) . The
second begins St. Luke’s Acts
of the Apostles: “You will receive power when the holy Spirit
comes upon you, and you will
be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria
and to the ends of the earth” (Lk
1:8). Upon Jesus being lifted up
from their sight, St. Luke continues: “Then suddenly two men
dressed in white garments stood
beside them saying: ‘Men of Galilee, why are you standing there
looking into the sky’?” (Acts
1:11). Understandably those 11
apostles became immobilized.
Surely they were thinking to
themselves: “Jesus, don’t go yet.
We need more directions. What
do we do? Who should do what?
Where do we begin?” Days later,
they dramatically experienced a
life-changing event, as St. Luke
further records: “When the time
for Pentecost was fulfilled, they
were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from
the sky a noise like a strong driving wind and it filled the entire
house in which they were … And
they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit” (Acts 2:1-2, 4a).
The local roots of our Catholic
faith date back to March 17, 1699,
when the Frenchman Pierre
LeMoyne, Sieur d’Iberville led
an expedition upriver past the
future site of New Orleans to a
spot which tradition tells us he
named le Baton Rouge. In 1720
Father Pierre Francois Xavier
de Charlevoix SJ, traveled to the
lower Mississippi Valley and on
January 1, 1722 celebrated the
first recorded Eucharist in this
area. From humble beginnings,
over time the church developed.
As the number of both priests
and lay faithful increased, so did
the number of Catholic Church
parishes, schools, institutions
and agencies. Fast forward to the
1960s which brought momentous
change in society and the church,
including a marked decline in the
number of priests, women religious and seminarians.
Please allow me now to quote
from the task force’s report:
“While it is prudent that pastoral
planning would continue to discern current and future trends,
it is imperative that our efforts
consider immediate needs and
develop adjustments in response
to those needs as soon as possible. These adjustment strategies
and tactics should have as their
objective the spiritual welfare
of all God’s people: clergy, religious, and laity alike. Adjustments should not be made simply as a means of momentary
relief but intended to assist our
diocese through the next several years. Most importantly, the
first adjustment to which we
are called is one of mind and
heart. As members of the Body
of Christ each of us is called to
embrace an attitude and mindset of collaboration that is rooted
in God’s word and the wisdom of
the church” (Pastoral Planning
Task Force Report, Section 1,
March 2016).
This annual Chrism Mass assembles members of each church
parish and other entities in the
diocese, not only for the function
of receiving and transporting the
blessed oils for use in our churches and institutions, but even
more deeply to represent, witness
and celebrate our union with the
diocesan church, which is an extension of the church universal:
one, holy, catholic and apostolic.
As bishop, I honor, respect,
affirm and support individual
church parishes, their cherished
members, present and past,
and revered histories. As a diocese we have been very good at
operating parochially; perhaps
we may not have been so good
at operating ecclesially. We are
challenged to grow in our conscious understanding that the
Catholic Church, universal and
diocesan, is not primarily a collection of individual locations.
As available priests, deacons,
religious, lay leaders and parishioners, as well as technology
and transportation continue to
change, so also the arrangement
and alignments of parish structure, consideration of the places,
number and times of obligatory
Masses require renewed attention. Adjustments implemented
since the mid-1980s have served
us well, but are no longer sufficient to handle current factors. A
church of 2000 years has never
flourished by merely functioning
in a maintenance mode. Specifically the task force has recom-
mended the adoption of a more
collaborative approach to the
scheduling of Masses throughout the diocese. Obviously a
comprehensive study needs to be
made for this to be implemented.
To be authentically Catholic, we
must think church and Eucharist, not only past history, status
quo, schedule convenience and
personal preference. None of
this calls for any drastic change
overnight. Nonetheless it does
require a new openness to the
well-documented circumstances
of the times.
Our commitment to promote
vocations, particularly to the
priesthood, must be ever more
intentional and focused than
ever before. We follow Jesus’
command: “Ask the master of the
harvest to send out laborers for
the harvest” (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2).
Let us also pray for, support
and assist priests, and all parish
leaders, to be authentic and effective workers in the vineyard
and actively encouraged others
to consider and seek the possibility of a church vocation.
In the midst of challenges and
burdens, may the words of St.
Paul resonate within us: “We are
not discouraged … For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of
glory beyond all comparison as
we look not to what is seen, but
what is unseen; for what is seen
is temporary, but what is unseen
is eternal” (2 Cor 4:16-18).
In closing I express deep regard and sincere affection to
each of you present and to our
television prayer partners, assure you of my remembrance
of you and your intentions, and
trust that our worship, devotion
and meditation this Holy Week
and Easter Season will fill us
with the abundance presence
and blessings of our faithful
Lord. God love you all.
10
April 1, 2016
New show likely to surface surprising family secrets for celebrities
for a guest list which includes local celebrity chef John Folse, Dr.
Mike Stacy, a local veterinarian,
and Jay Lindsey, whose wellknown business, Jay’s Donuts,
closed in 2010.
Richard, who is a former archivist for the diocese, noted
genealogy records can help validate and even provide more information on family stories, but
records are not just paper-based.
Richard said DNA can also be
used, and one future episode will
feature DNA as a tool used in genealogical research.
“That’s the new thing in research,” she said, adding how it
can benefit people with common
last names.
As researchers, Richard and
Riffel, who are assisted by Ann
Boltin, archivist for the Diocese
of Baton Rouge, go the extra
mile, literally, in tracking down
information for their show. They
have traveled to other states, cities and even just across town to
complete research, and in some
cases, they can spend months
and even years gathering infor-
By Rachele Smith
It’s probably safe to say that
every family has its secrets. But
just how well do you know your
ancestors?
Thanks to a new program
produced by the diocese’s department of archives and
CatholicLife TV, several families
in the Diocese of Baton Rouge
are about to find out.
The program, part of the station’s “Roots of Faith: Ancestry”
series, will feature local celebrities, business owners and other
residents wanting to know more
about their family’s past.
Program hosts and genealogists Judy Riffel and Renee
Richard will uncover and present detailed family information
to each guest, explaining how
and why their past family members came to Louisiana and the
origin of each journey.
Taping of the new series began
in February, and if past shows
are any prediction, ancestry
surprises are definitely in store
Good News!
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Since 1963
Commentator
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PAGE 5
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thecatholiccommentat
T IN THE HOUSE’
‘SAIN
t
November 13, 2015
Vol. 53, No. 20
Thousands visi
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
Oct. 31. As the Knights
Baton Rouge on
in,
guard proceeded
of Columbus color
excitement silently
t
reveren
the crowd’s
She’s here!
spoke two words:
ajor
body/m
, whose
St. Maria Goretti
to
from the Vatican
relics were released
for a tour, was placed
the United States
where
front of the altar,
by the Knights in
stopped by through
people reportedly
in, kneel, bow, shed
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
wax
a
holds
which
ocClergy opened this
skeletal remains.
“A saint is in the house.”
casion by saying,
ion began, Father
Before the venerat
TreaCC, director of
Carlos Martins
SEE GORETTI PAGE 19
Goretti
venerated St. Maria
Thousands of people
tor
ley | The Catholic Commenta
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
and
. See the
built in Italy, shipped
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
at Our Lady of Mercy
Church in Baton Rouge,
Oct. 31 – Nov. 1. Photo
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
By Debbie Shelley
Elizabeth Church
spring.
ntator
School Fair in the
The Catholic Comme
and St. Elizabeth
all widows, are three
The Landry sisters,
boys.
two
Mae
and
Lucy
, five girls
to sisters
The eggshells given
and of seven siblingss 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
attendbefore they were given goodies to celebrate Catholic schools
expense, the siblings public
other
the
and
of
cakes
cause
in
in
used
weland high school
family gatherings,
e ed elementary
birthday parties,
someon
old enough to atwere
wishing
they
r or
coming a new neighbo journey in life. Oth- schools. When th, they went there. Their
new
Elizabe
their
St.
in
tend
on the
“good luck”
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
st.
was tight-knit.
large,
mother
or poached for breakfa
my
Landry
house,
use, the
“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
do, but we had
for the church and
had spats, like siblings 8
fun and support
the same “We
SEE EGGSHELLS PAGE
grew up in, live on
community they
ls and
eggshel
collect
They
block as and love.
Renee Richard, right front, and Judy Riffel, interview guest and business
owner Jay Lindsey while taping a segment for a new series of “Roots of
Faith: Ancestry.” Photo by Rachele Smith | The Catholic Commentator
mation needed for genealogical
research.
However, it’s work they enjoy,
and something Richard believes
is important, as it “allows people
to relate” to each other and understand where they are from.
Richard anticipates the new
shows will be ongoing and encourages anyone interested in
being on the program to write
to the diocese’s archives depart-
Never
miss a
single
issue!
Have The Catholic
Commentator
mailed directly to your
mailbox for a little
more than $1 a month.
Send a $14 check or money order with your name and mailing address to
The Catholic Commentator, P.O. Box 3316, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3316
or call 225-387-0983 to pay by credit card.
Name
____________________________________________________________
Address
____________________________________________________________
City
State
ment.
She noted that many people
are interested in family research
but “hit a wall” and sometimes
stop altogether.
Richard added one of the best
tools is the diocese’s archives department.
“Roots of Faith: Ancestry”
first begin airing in 2014 as a
way to help others interested in
genealogy and even included an
episode on how to get started.
From there, the show focused on
the state’s many ethnic groups,
information that can help in understanding family stories.
For example, according to
Richard, some genealogical research may help families understand why recipes passed down
from a German ancestor also
contain traditional Cajun flavor
or how some last names changed
(in either spelling or pronunciation) reflecting the state’s different governing bodies.
The new episodes of “Roots of
Faith: Ancestry” are scheduled
to air in late April. Other shows
in the series are still available for
viewing online at catholiclifetv.
org and can be found using the
drop down menu under “Shows.”
CatholicLife TV airs primarily on Cox Cable Channel 15 in
Baton Rouge and can also be
found on Spectrum/Charter
Cable Channel 19 in Hammond,
Spectrum/Charter Cable Channel 10 in St. James Civil Parish
and on Fidelity Cable Channel 14
in New Roads.
Zip+4
____________________________________________________________
Phone (for use only if clarification is needed)
____________________________________________________________
Join us Saturday, April 23rd
At 9:00 am
For the Dedication of the
St. Michael the Archangel
Tree Carving
Refreshments to Follow at the
Reception Center
April 1, 2016
11
Baton Rouge photographer sees Mother Teresa through unique lens
By Richard Meek
The Catholic commentator
Amazing what treasures can
be unearthed in an old shoebox.
The negative that has ultimately become the iconic photo
of Mother Teresa has origins as
humble as the nun herself. Baton
Rouge freelance photographer
Marie Constantin had taken the
original photo during Mother
Teresa’s second visit to Baton
Rouge in 1986, one year after she
had established a mission for the
poor to be staffed by her Missionaries of Charity nuns at St. Agnes
Church.
At one point during the visit,
Mother Teresa briefly stepped
away from the mic from which
she was speaking, flashed her
endearing smile and clasped her
hands. At that instant, Constantin snapped the shutter, never
imagining what the future would
bring for the photo.
For several years, the negatives were stored in a shoebox in
Constantin’s closet. Today, it is
the photo of a saint.
“It’s outrageous,” Constantin said of the popularity of the
photo, which was used at the
beatification of Mother Teresa
in 2003 and now sits at Mother
Teresa’s tomb as well as in the
motherhouse of the Missionaries
of Charity in Calcutta and all of
their houses worldwide.
The photo, which was not
even Constantin’s favorite from
that day, is once again gaining
notoriety since the Vatican announced March 15 that Mother
Teresa would be canonized Sept.
4.
“I’m sitting there and getting my Wall Street Journal and
there’s my photo (of Mother Teresa) on the cover,” she said. “There
is no place to really put that. You
feel like I have to honor that.
“You pray for things and you
don’t get it but other things are so
wonderful you would never pray
for because they are ridiculously
wonderful. It’s so beyond what
anybody could explain in terms
of great wonderfulness happening to you.”
Circumstances allowed Constantin to travel extensively with
Mother Teresa along the East
Coast and even visited Calcutta
on three occasions. She admitted
that while she was in her 20s she
had little interest in Mother Teresa but a visit to Tijuana, Mexico
with a friend to bring food and
clothing to the needy left an im-
Marie Constantin
pression on Constantin. She saw
people living in cardboard boxes,
an image she relives even today.
Years later, she photographed
Mother Teresa in New Orleans
and Baton Rouge and became
part of an entourage that followed the human rights leader
during her visits to the United
States.
“One day I came home from
work and (Mother Teresa) was
on television holding a baby and
saying, ‘God doesn’t do this. We
do this because we don’t share
what we have.’
“I just started crying.”
Constantin was so moved that
she began volunteering at the St.
Agnes soup kitchen and occasionally spending nights at the
shelter to relieve the nuns.
She printed the photo that
has become the defining photo of
Mother Teresa for the sisters as
gifts for their incoming professions.
She later received a call from
a Spanish priest living in the
United States requesting a photo
of Mother Teresa he could use in
his prayer book so she sent him
the same one she had given to the
sisters and, as she said, “I didn’t
think anything else about it.”
Years later, the priest called,
excitement in his voice, explaining that he wanted the negative. He explained that while in
Rome, he was with others who
were looking at several photos of
Mother Teresa, trying to decide
which one to use at her beatification, but none were satisfactory.
The priest then pulled out his
prayer book with Constantin’s
photo and “that was it.”
During Mother Teresa’s beatification ceremony, which Constantin attended, the photo was
temporarily placed on the façade
of St. Peter’s Basilica and unveiled during the event.
Because of some anxiety leading up to the event, Constantin
was “kind of numb” at the unveiling. But now she is enjoying the
rebirth of her photo.
“I think I’ve had more fun in
the last few days seeing it pop up
in all kinds of forms,” she said.
“I’m relaxed about it. It’s just
been a blast, seeing it and having it come into my house in the
newspaper I subscribe to.”
Constantin, who hopes to
attend the canonization, has a
lifetime of cherished memories
of Mother Teresa, and uses her
motto of “do little things with
great love,” to guide her own life.
But she also remembers Mother
Teresa in a way that few ever saw.
“I always think of her as very
joyful,” Constantin said. “I always saw her laughing, cutting
up, making jokes. When she was
out in the public and in the press,
she would get serious.
“Behind the scenes she was
doing one liners about nothing.
Anything to make us laugh. She
loved it if she made you laugh.
When she laughed her whole
body laughed.”
Constantin still cherishes
those memories, but it is her
photo of Mother Tersea’s smile
that will endure forever.
invites you to breakfast Saturday, April 30 from 9
a.m. to 12 noon at Oak Lodge Reception Center, 2834
South Sherwood Forest, Baton Rouge. Our speaker
will be Andi Oney. She attended the International Prophetic Consultation
gathering of leaders in Bethlehem where she had a profound experience.
As a result, she is now writing her first book on the power of praise!
Seating is limited and no seats will be sold at the door.
Tickets are $22 each and will be sold thru April 26. Please
indicate the number of reservations and send a check
made to BR Magnificat for your reservation with the
name of each attendee and mail to Kathy Simoneaux,
9650 Victory Lane, Denham Springs, LA 70726.
S
ummer
C
ampS
ST. MICHAEL HIGH SCHOOL
Art CAmp
June 13-17/9am-12pm
Grades 5-8/$120
ForEnSiCS CAmp
June 6-10/12pm-3pm
Grades 5-8/$120
EnvironmEntAl SCiEnCE
CAmp
June 6-10/9am-12pm
Grades 5-8/$120
BAnd CAmp
June 6-10/9am-12pm
Grades 5-8/$90
BoyS BASkEtBAll CAmpS
Camp #1
June 6-10/9am-3pm
Grades 7-9/$150
Camp #2
June 20-24/9am-3pm
Grades 4-6/$150
Camp #3
June 27-July 1/9am-12pm
Grades K-3/$150
drum (pErCuSSion)
CAmp
June 6-10
12:30pm-2:30pm
Grades 5-8/$90
JAzz CAmp
June 13-17/9am-2pm
Grades 5-12/$150
GirlS BASkEtBAll CAmp
May 31-June 3/9am-12pm
Grades 5-8/$120
FootBAll CAmp
July 11-14/9am-12pm
Grades 5-8/$100
vollEyBAll CAmpS
Camp #1
June 13-17/8am-11am
BASEBAll CAmpS
Grades 4-6/$120
Camp #1 – Hitting,
Camp #2 – Setting & Hitting
Bunting, Baserunning
June 20-22/9am-12pm June 13-17/11am-12pm
Grades 6-8/$75
Grades 3-8/$100
Camp #3
Camp #2 – Pitching,
Catching, Infield, Outfield June 13-17
June 27-29/9am-12pm 12:30pm-3:30pm
Grades 7-8/$120
Grades 3-8/$100
For more information & to register: www.smhsbr.org; [email protected]
17521 Monitor Avenue | Baton Rouge, LA 70817 | 225-753-9782 | www.smhsbr.org
12
April 1, 2016
Easter baskets bring joy to hundreds of needy families
in one room, taking up every
floor space available, hundreds
of brightly colored baskets, each
filled with candy and toys and
wrapped in clear cellophane.
By Rachele Smith
It was a scene that would
make any Easter bunny smile:
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5575 Government St., just west of Jefferson Hwy.
Phone orders welcome! 225-272-6817
Open Mon. - Sat. 9:30 - 6
But the Easter spirit wasn’t
limited to just one room at Daniel Ourso’s house.
For this junior at Catholic High School, coordinating
a collection for St. Vincent de
Paul’s annual “Build a Basket
for a Needy Child” campaign
also meant finding baskets in
the family den and even into
the kitchen where the table was
quickly converted into a makeshift workspace.
The effort, which resulted in
333 completed baskets for children in need in the Baton Rouge
area, was Ourso’s Eagle Scout
project.
Surprisingly, Ourso, a member of Boy Scout Troop 888 chartered to Most Blessed Sacrament
and St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, didn’t start out
intending to help with the build
a basket campaign at St. Vincent
de Paul. Instead, he wanted to
build something else.
“I was looking at making a rosary garden or doing some kind
of a construction project, like
making a gazebo for Ollie Steele
(Burden Manor nursing facility),” said Ourso.
But when those ideas fell
through, Ourso’s dad, Darrell
Ourso, showed him a flyer about
the “Build a Basket for a Needy
Child” campaign, and the idea
for his Eagle Scout project just
took off.
A bonus was the project’s connection to St. Vincent de Paul, an
organization that is imbedded
deep in his family.
“My grandfather’s cousin
worked there for many years,”
said Daniel.
That cousin, Marvin Ourso,
volunteered at the Society of St.
Vincent de Paul for nearly seven
decades, helping to establish
several community programs,
such as opening the St. Vincent
de Paul Dining Room in 1982,
opening the first Bishop Ott
Shelter on Plank Road in 1991
and establishing the society’s
pharmacy in 1995.
Then Bishop Alfred C. Hughes
presented Marvin Ourso with
the St. Vincent de Paul “Top Hat”
award, the organization’s highest recognition, in 1994.
Knowing this legacy at St.
Vincent de Paul was important
for Daniel, who has fond memories of the man he grew up calling “Cousin Marvin.”
In the beginning Daniel was
hoping his efforts would result
in about 150 to 200 baskets,
Daniel Ourso, a junior at Catholic High School, looks to add another
item in one of the hundreds of baskets he helped collect for the St.
Vincent de Paul’s annual “Build a Basket for a Needy Child” campaign.
Photo provided by Angele Ourso
something he knew the society
could really use. He explained
that Michael Acaldo, president
and CEO of the Society of St.
Vincent de Paul, was supportive
of his project since “a lot of help
is given during Christmas” but
donations can be limited for the
Easter baskets.
Daniel began by placing flyers in his own and nearby neighborhoods, but he admitted he
really wasn’t sure what type of
response he would receive since
he knew there were a lot of other
outreach programs going on at
the same time. But that thought
quickly changed on collection
day.
“We asked everyone to put
their donations out with the flyer
attached. The first street we went
down, there was next to nothing,
but then when we got around the
corner to the next street, I could
see all of the donations. We filled
up the car, and that’s with three
other scouts in it,” he said excitedly.
But his flyer wasn’t the only
thing working.
A request on Facebook, posted
by his mom, Angele Ourso, also
got family and friends involved.
Ultimately, that collection netted so many baskets, small toys,
stuffed animals, candy and any
other item needed to build a basket, that Daniel knew he would
exceed his original top goal of
200 baskets. He also received
donations from businesses and
organizations including Benny’s
Car Wash, Truly Scrumptious
Candies and Confections, National Charity League and the
faculty and students at Dutchtown Middle School, where his
mom works as a sixth-grade
math teacher.
The sheer number of items
collected meant assembly had
to take place off site from the
Ourso home. As parishioners
of Most Blessed Sacrament
Church, family members along
with other scouts and friends
used the church’s Bishop Stanley
Ott meeting room to put the majority of Easter baskets together.
With final donations in place,
all 333 baskets were delivered
to St. Vincent de Paul for its annual Easter basket giveaway on
March 19.
“We thought his efforts were
extraordinary,” said Acaldo,
adding that Daniel’s commitment along with that of Pat Hill,
a parishioner at St. Thomas
More Church, helped make the
program a success this year. He
noted that Daniel and Hill were
instrumental in contributing
more than 50 percent of the total
baskets this year.
With his project completed,
Daniel has a few more steps before obtaining Eagle Scout. But
once he achieves this highest
rank, he will join an elite group.
According to the National Eagle Scout Association, only five
percent of all boys entering boy
scouting go on to become Eagle
Scouts.
April 1, 2016
13
Task force to study potential LHSAA split
By Richard Meek
No decision has been made
regarding the Louisiana Catholic schools’ continued participation in the Louisiana High
School Athletic Association.
A statement released March
23 said the state bishops have
approved the formation of a
task force to look into all options
“when it comes to the future of
Catholic high school athletics.”
The statement also called
inaccurate recent reports that
a decision had already been
made.
“The Catholic school superintendents will convene the task
force in the coming months and
it will be comprised of members
from each of the dioceses of the
state,” the statement said. “By
no means does this mean the
Catholic schools of Louisiana
have closed the door on LHSAA membership, nor has there
been a commitment to any one
future plan.
“The task force will be working for what is in the best interest of the student-athletes
in Catholic schools throughout
the state. We must examine all
options in order to make a wise
decision.”
It has been widely reported
that several LHSAA members
have been discussing the possibility of splitting from the
LHSAA and forming their own
athletics organization. There
has been some dissension in the
LHSAA because of the splitting
of schools to select and nonselect for the playoffs.
Beginning in 2013 the se-
lect/nonselect was only used for
football but that same format
will be implemented in basketball, baseball and softball for
the 2016-17 school year.
Several schools recently received a letter from Paul Rainwater, Gov. Bobby Jindal’s former chief of staff, detailing an
outline for what was called an
“athletic cooperative.”
According to multiple media reports, the new association would require a minimum
of 60 schools to begin, with an
initial, one-time membership
fee of $15,000. Schools unable
to meet that fee would be able to
pay it off incrementally.
The letter stated the organization would be open to all
schools, including public, private, charter, laboratory or other secondary schools. A PROPER ENGLISH TEA – Students in the English 1 class at Holy
Ghost School enjoy an English tea while reviewing William
Shakespeare’s classic “Romeo and Juliet.” Pictured are, from
left, Amelia Pham, Jacie Bellina, Kate Graziano, Kylie Baudean,
teacher Kathryn Huggett, Tyler Domiano, Brennon O’Neill, Mallorie Vaccaro, Juliette LeRay and Cameron Dionne. Photo provided by
Cindy Wagner | Holy Ghost School
Two local students named award finalists
Maria Mengis, a senior at St.
Joseph’s Academy and Chase
Brouilliette, a senior at Catholic
High School, were named diocesan finalists in the Louisiana
State Council of the Knights of
Columbus Catholic Youth Leadership Award scholarship program.
The two Baton Rouge youth were
selected from local KC Council
scholarship winners to represent
the diocese. They will compete
against other finalists chosen
from dioceses across Louisiana.
Scholarship awards, including
a grand prize of $4,000, will be
awarded to one boy and one girl
who exemplify Catholic ideals as
well as other outstanding qualities including academics. The
state finals will be held at St. Joseph’s Academy on April 10.
JUNIOR HIGH QUIZ BOWL WINNERS – The seventh- and eighth-grade team from St. Aloysius School
took home first-place honors at the recent diocesan quiz bowl competition. Team members pictured
with Dr. Melanie Verges, superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, far right,
are, from left, Cindy Ristroph (moderator), Anna Camille Eagleton, Alex Leonard, Chris Purnell, Kennedy Basco, Brennan Campesi and Bailey Faulk. Other top winners in the event, which featured competition among 18 Catholic schools, were the teams from St. Jude in second place followed by St.
Theresa in third place. The annual event was held Feb. 27 at Our Lady of Mercy School. Photo provided by
Christy Haldane | Our Lady of Mercy School
2016-17 School Year
Principal Openings
The Diocese of Baton Rouge has thirty schools in eight civil
parishes, with strong Catholic identity the focus in all schools.
The district is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools, and standardized test scores are above state and
national averages.
Catholic schools in the Diocese of Baton Rouge
Evangelize Hearts, Educate Minds, Encourage Talent
and Embrace the Future
Ascension Catholic School
Donaldsonville, LA
Redemptorist St. Gerard School
Baton Rouge, LA
St. Louis King of France
Baton Rouge, LA
St Jude the Apostle School
FIFTH- AND SIXTH-GRADE QUIZ BOWL WINNERS – St. Jean Vianney School’s fifth- and sixth-grade
quiz bowl team out-performed 18 other Catholic school teams at the recent diocesan quiz bowl competition. The first place team members pictured with Dr. Melanie Verges, superintendent of Catholic
Schools in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, far right, are, from left, Kitty Gantt (moderator), Josie Duke
(moderator), Sam Giarusso, Maggie Perrien, Henlee Hoffer, Corinne Ganley, Waverly Wood and Allie
Waguespack. Other school teams receiving high honors were Most Blessed Sacrament in second
place and St. Aloysius in third place. The annual event was held Feb. 27 at Our Lady of Mercy School.
Photo provided by Christy Haldane | Our Lady of Mercy School
Baton Rouge, LA
For more information, go to www.csobr.org.
The schools of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, admit students of any race, color,
national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally
accorded or made available to students at its schools. They do not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of educational policies,
admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school
administered programs
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
The Choice
Lionsgate
This agreeably picturesque love story
features likable characters who briefly
consider the morality of at least some
of their decisions. But it’s so intractably
bland, as it strains not to offend, that its
plot points lack all emotional tug. Director Ross Katz and screenwriter Bryan
Sipe, adapting the 2007 novel by Catholic author Nicholas Sparks, have a veterinarian (Benjamin Walker) and a hospital
internist (Teresa Palmer) falling for each
other after a series of miscues, then facing
a tough decision about medical care albeit not one that poses any danger of violating Catholic norms. Brief semi-graphic
premarital sexual activity with partial
nudity, at least one mild profanity, several
crude terms. A-III; PG-13
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
Zootopia
Disney
Anthropomorphism runs amok in this
3-D animated comedy-adventure with animals of all shapes and sizes assuming human traits and jabbering away as they earn
a living in the bustling metropolis of the
title. A bright-eyed, bushy-tailed suburban-reared rabbit (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) joins the city police department but
faces resentment and prejudice from her
peers as well as her buffalo boss (voice of
Idris Elba). Assigned to parking duty, she
crosses paths with a con-artist fox (voice of
Jason Bateman) who happens to be a key
witness in a high-profile missing-persons
case that has the potential to win her the
respect of her co-workers. Directors Byron
Howard and Rich Moore, together with codirector Jared Bush, keep the action mov-
April 1, 2016
ing at a fast pace, and offer good lessons in
tolerance, hard work and optimism. The
film takes a dark turn as the investigation proceeds, however, leading to scenes
of animal conflict and cruelty that could
frighten and confuse the younger set. Occasional mild action violence, including
torture, bullying, a naturist theme, some
rude gags, momentary religious but not irreverent humor. A-II; PG
Miracles From Heaven
Columbia
Remarkable fact-based story of a
10-year-old Texas girl (Kylie Rogers) who
develops a rare, painful and incurable disease that prevents her body from digesting food. Though her parents (Jennifer
Garner and Martin Henderson) are both
churchgoers, persistent Mom after struggling to obtain a correct diagnosis and access to the care of a kindly specialist (Eugenio Derbez) loses her faith in the face
of her daughter’s current torment and impending death. Yet a startling, almost inexplicable, turnaround awaits her. While
it’s clearly designed for believers, and
sometimes feels padded, director Patricia
Riggen’s squeaky clean drama minimizes
neither its protagonist’s crisis of doubt nor
the larger mystery of innocent suffering.
Mature themes, potentially upsetting incidents and medical procedures. A-II; PG
The Perfect Match
Lionsgate
This so-called romantic comedy follows the sexual escapades of a womanizing Southern California talent agent and
photographer (Terrence J.) who puts his
one-night stands on hold after falling for
a mysterious stranger (Cassie Ventura).
The triumph of true love would please his
concerned therapist sister (Paula Patton).
But the example provided by his committed friends, whether married (Dascha
Polanco and Donald Faison) or engaged
(Lauren London and Robert Christopher
Riley) is not encouraging. As directed by
Bille Woodruff, the film teeters on the
pornographic and is completely at odds
with the scriptural understanding of
sexuality. Misguided values, including
a frivolous attitude toward promiscuity,
semi-graphic nonmarital sexual activity with partial nudity, frequent banter,
several uses of profanity, pervasive rough
language. O; R
The Brothers Grimsby
Columbia
When a bumbling halfwit (Sacha Baron
Cohen) from a poverty-stricken town in
Northern England reunites with his longlost brother (Mark Strong), a skilled secret agent, he not only compromises his
sibling’s undercover operation but makes
it appear that the operative has turned
traitor. So the two are forced to hide out
with the dumbbell’s live-in girlfriend
(Rebel Wilson), his nine children and his
protective community of eccentric slobs
while the James Bond wannabe works to
clear his name. While Baron Cohen, who
also wrote the screenplay, incorporates
themes of altruism, family love and the
inherent value of working-class lives into
his script, as directed by Louis Leterrier,
his pursuit of gross-out giggles demeans
human sexuality and wallows in nastiness. Strong sexual content, including
graphic acts and full nudity, constant action violence with some gore, drug use,
extremely coarse humor, at least one
use of profanity, considerable rough and
crude language. O; R
London Has Fallen
Focus
In the equally improbable and considerably more pitiless sequel to 2013’s “Olympus Has Fallen,” a Secret Service agent
(Gerard Butler) must once again protect
the U.S. president (Aaron Eckhart) after
insurgents controlled by a vengeful Pakistani arms dealer (Alon Moni Aboutboul)
devastate the British capital and imperil
world leaders gathered for the funeral
of the U.K.’s prime minister. With such
a ruthless guardian at his side brutally
dispatching assailants, the chief executive’s odds of survival are pretty good.
The overall level of belligerence grows excessive however, and the atmosphere becomes truly noxious when the script tries
to find humor in the hero’s sadistic treatment of bad guys. Director Babak Najafi
makes some effort to highlight the human
relationships, but video-game mayhem
still predominates. Pervasive and often
gory scenes of combat, murder and torture, a revenge theme, some profanity,
frequent rough and crude language. O; R
The Young Messiah
Focus
This engaging dramatization remains
faithful to the underlying message of
scripture even as it speculates about the
childhood of Jesus (played here, age 7, by
Adam Greaves-Neal), a topic on which
the Gospels are virtually silent. As Joseph (Vincent Walsh) leads his family
back from exile in Egypt, he and Mary
(Sara Lazzaro) struggle to understand
and guide their unique son, whose supernatural identity is at least partially
known to his relatives including his uncle
Cleopas (Christian McKay) and cousin
James (Finn McLeod Ireland) and whose
miraculous powers are already apparent.
Danger pursues the extended clan in the
person of a Roman centurion (Sean Bean)
who has orders from King Herod (Jonathan Bailey) to find and kill the boy and in
the figure of Satan (Rory Keenan) whose
presence only Jesus can sense. Director
and co-writer Cyrus Nowrasteh’s screen
version of Anne Rice’s 2005 novel “Christ
the Lord: Out of Egypt” sensitively explores the mystery of the Incarnation in a
way that will both intrigue and entertain
viewers of most ages. Though discreetly
handled, some mature elements bar endorsement for the youngest moviegoers.
Combat violence with slight gore, scenes
of crucifixion, an attempted rape, at least
one crass term. A; PG-13
April 1, 2016
ENTERTAINMENT
1
Lay It All On Me
All alone as you look through the door
Nothing left to see
If it hurts and you can’t take no more
Lay it all on me
No, you don’t have to keep it under lock and key
‘Cause I will never let you down
And if you can’t escape all your uncertainties
Baby, I can show you how
Refrain:
Let my love in, let my love in
Lay your heart on me
If you’re hurting, if you’re hurting
Lay it all on me
You can lay it all on me
(You can) lay it all on me
Lay it all on me
If you’re hurting, if you’re hurting
Lay it all on me
If you’re scared when you’re out on your own
Just remember me
Cause I won’t let you go, let alone
Lay it all on me
No, you don’t have to keep it under lock and key
‘Cause I will never let you down
And if you can’t escape all your uncertainties
Baby, I can show you how
(Repeat refrain.)
So, if you’re hurting, babe
Just let your heart be free
You got a friend in me
I’ll be your shoulder anytime you need
Baby, I believe
So, if you’re hurting, babe
Just let your heart be free
You got a friend in me
I’ll be your shoulder at any time
you need
Baby, I believe
You can lay it all on me
(Repeat refrain.)
Sung by Rudimental, with Ed Sheeran | Copyright © 2015, Asylum/Atlantic Records
We must hone our listening skills to help others
I
n Rudimental’s collaboration
with Ed Sheeran in “Lay It All
On Me,” the song describes an
individual who feels “all alone as
you look through the door, nothing left to see.” However, another
person tells her “if it hurts and
you can’t take no more, lay it all
on me.” He tells her that “you got
a friend in me,” and “I’ll be your
shoulder at any time you need.”
He asks her to “let my love in, lay
your heart on me.”
We know that one of Jesus’
main messages is that we need to
be there for each other. Indeed,
we want to be the friend that
others can trust with their hurts
and uncertainties. Yet, we need more than good
intentions. We need to learn and practice skills
that can help others as they carry their emotional
burdens.
One of the most important of these skills is
learning how to effectively listen. Listening allows
others to “lay it all on me” without fear of judgment or criticism. Such listening is full of acceptance, validating whatever the other person is
experiencing.
Listening in such a manner does not mean that
we always agree with the other person, but that
we accept his/her experience. Skillful listening
requires focus, compassion and a willingness to
set aside one’s perspective.
Listening based on these qualities is hard work,
but really being there for others often involves
generous effort. How can you be a better listener
and help others with their emotional hurt?
First, when you invite others to “lay it all on
me,” this does not mean that you must give the
advice to “fix” their situation. Most problems are
complex and require a willingness
to change one’s point of view and
often, one’s behavior. Recognize
that you can share encouragement and support without giving
advice.
If someone asks you what he
or she should do about a problem,
go slow in sharing your opinion. Instead, ask what he or she
has already tried and what has
been learned through these approaches. If you offer a new point
of view, do so humbly and make it
sound like a suggestion that your
friend might want to try. Can you
grow more skilled in responding
in this way? Of course.
As modern disciples of Jesus, we have an additional powerful way to be there for others when
they need us. We go to God on behalf of others in
prayer. When we pray for others, we bring to our
God the love in our hearts for these individuals.
This energy then becomes an additional way
that God brings healing and goodness into the
lives of others. Never doubt that when you pause
to pray for others, you are opening new ways in
which God can heal their lives.
Jesus is our primary example of what it means
to truly care about others. God has placed in you
so much good to help others. Ask God to guide
you as you open your heart and learn skills that
allow you to support others.
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 this
column on Facebook at “Charlie Martin’s Today’s
Music Columns.”
On The Record
Charlie Martin
Search ‘Charlie Martin’ for more of his columns
online at thecatholiccommentator.org.
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www.wordgamesforcatholics.com
ACROSS
1 Catholic vaudevillian, Gracie
___
6 Some CEOs
10 Alphabet string
14 Large deer
15 Nice month
16 Draft picks
17 Heavy footwear
18 Going well
19 Light melody
20 Mercy Sisters letters
21 Short nail
23 Catholic artist Picasso
24 Affirmatives
26 Many times
29 ___ of the Covenant
30 Priest and founder of Boys
Town, Fr. Edward J. ___
34 Plans that are cut short?
37 They have their “ears” on
38 Mathematician Lovelace
39 John Paul II’s “On Human ___”
40Men
41 Emperor of Russia
42 Alias (abbr.)
43 An apostle
44Sordid
45Attacks
47 “___ company corrupts good
morals.” (1 Cor 15:33)
48Sends
49Accidents
53 St. Peter is the patron of this
Asian country
56 Hip bones
58 Turnabout, familiarly
59Cyberzine
60 Highest point in Sicily
62 Magna ___ (Runnymede
document)
64Gap
65Records
66 Ford flop
67Employs
68 This was offered to the risen
Jesus (Lk 24:42)
69 Of necessity
Mr. D’s
DOWN
1 Place for sacred vessels
2 In danger of falling off
3 Weaving machines
4 Superlative finish
5 Baby boomers are becoming
empty ones
6 Artist Chagall
7 Previously called the Roman
Ritual
8 From, in Bonn
9 Farm enclosure
10 Lola, Broadway dancer and
convert to Catholicism
11 Readily fluent
12 The Inferno
13 Ratio words
22 “___ and it will be given you”
(Mt 7:7)
23Writes
25 Large bag
27 Runs away
28Sailors
31 Where Samson died
32Apple-eater?
33 Not one, down home
34 Do 28D work
35Prod
36 Periods of history
37 Biblical animal of transport
40 The three kings
41 Give up
43 Sturdy twilled fabric
44 Muslim opponent of a Crusader
46Likenesses
47 DC area airport
50 “I will bless those who bless you
and ___…” (Gen 12:3)
51 Wrote a bad check
52 Sea mammals
53 King in II Kings
54 Prophet quoted on the Civil
Rights Memorial
55 Not bright
57Whip
60 Mischievous person
61 You, to Pierre
63 Summer drink
Solution on page 18
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16
VIEWPOINT
April 1, 2016
Something beautiful for God
A
saint has been in Baton
Rouge, at least twice!
Yes, that’s true. In 1985
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
snuck in, without anyone but
Bishop (Stanley J.) Ott knowing
it, to find a good place to house
her sisters.
She wanted a place in
Louisiana for her Missionaries of Charity, and Bishop Ott
wanted them in Baton Rouge.
So he arranged a mini-tour
of parish facilities that could
possibly serve her purpose.
I was his vicar general at the
time and ordinarily would have
been involved in that search.
In fact, on Bishop Ott’s behalf,
I had been negotiating with
the pastor of St. Agnes Church
for the use of his convent and
school buildings as a new site
for Catholic Charities of the
Diocese of Baton Rouge. The
school had closed, and its
Dominican sisters had left. I
thought we had a done deal and
left on vacation.
Returning on a Saturday
evening, I noted that there was
a big diocesan convocation the
next day at the Catholic Life
Center that I should attend. I
arrived as Bishop Ott was ending the opening prayer. He then
added, “I have a special announcement to make. Mother
Teresa’s nuns are coming to Baton Rouge to begin a ministry
to the poor that will be housed
at St. Agnes Parish.” When we
got together after the meeting
closed, he apologized, saying, “I
am sorry. I showed her several
options, but she wanted St.
Agnes. And you can’t say no to
Mother Teresa.”
In the end, it all turned out
for the better. Bishop Ott was a
holy person too. He was always
humble and kind enough to
change his decisions when the
good of people was at stake, especially poor people. The Missionaries of Charity have done
wonderful work for the street
people in our downtown area of
Baton Rouge. They run a soup
kitchen for whoever walks in
and an overnight shelter for
women and children. And some
visit prisoners at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for
Women in St. Gabriel. They are
fulfilling Mother Teresa’s wish
in founding her religious order:
“To do something beautiful for
God.”
As for Catholic Charities, they had to put up with
cramped quarters in the Catholic Life Center a while longer.
However, after Bishop Ott died,
his successor, Bishop Alfred C.
Hughes, made their need for
larger quarters the primary
goal of his diocesan-wide fund
raising drive, “Campaign for
Tomorrow.” They got a new
building tailored to their needs
on the campus of the Catholic
Life Center.
On her second visit to Baton
Rouge, Mother Teresa may not
have wanted publicity, but she
Another
Perspective
Father John Carville
got lots of it. She came back a
year later with the objective of
quietly checking how her sisters
were doing. The day before she
arrived, Bishop Ott came into
my office and said, “I have a secret to tell you Mother Teresa is
coming to visit her nuns tomorrow. Would you want to come
with me to meet her.?” Who was
going to pass up that chance? I
told him sure, and so would Father Donald Blanchard who was
working with me at LSU.
Secrets do not last long in
Baton Rouge, in neither politics, football nor the diocese.
Someone let it out. When the
bishop and his two priests
arrived at St. Agnes, there
were media people all over the
place, and a group of Catholic
lay people who had started
a little stool and put it in the
middle of the room and sat on
it. Beneath her habit, the same
Indian sari her nuns wore,
two bare feet with crooked
toes poked out. In complete
silence the media people
squeezed themselves into the
desks around her as she began
talking. She said a few words
and asked for questions. Very
politely they took turns asking questions to which she
gave simple, straightforward
answers. Her nuns were here in
Baton Rouge to do God’s work
by taking care of the poor. We
all do God’s work if we take care
of others with the skills God
gives us in life, media people
too. I didn’t know what they
expected to hear, but they were
mesmerized listening to her.
“Wow,” I thought, “this was as
good as Daniel in the lions’ den.”
My lasting impression of
Mother Teresa was that of a
saint, a truly human person,
who with God’s grace did what
God put her here to do. She was
an extension of his son, Jesus
Christ, in our world and in our
community of Baton Rouge.
On Sept. 4 Pope Francis will
declare her sainthood officially
in the name of Christ’s church.
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 johnnycar
[email protected].
| PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PRAY FOR US
| LETTER TO THE EDITOTR
Silence is blessed
I have been following the five responses to Sister Joel Gubler’s letter
regarding Catholics being refused the
Eucharist (love over law), noting especially in three of them all of the laws
cited which our church demands that
we obey in order to be saved.
Well, aren’t we fortunate that Jesus
did not obediently uphold the numerous laws of his church. He would never have been branded a blasphemer
and rabble-rouser and would have
Hosanna House, a home for
unwed mothers and pregnant
girls who without care might be
tempted to abort, and some of
the street people that the nuns
were already ministering to.
The bishop, of course, and
his two shadows, got to greet
Mother Teresa first. I was
amazed at how small she was,
and rather weather beaten,
tanned and wrinkled. She had
a beautiful smile and looked
completely relaxed, speaking
softly in quite understandable English. The shouting and
pushing media people didn’t
phase her. She asked if there
was a room where she could
talk to them. The nuns said that
they were in the process of redoing the rooms in the school,
but there was one where work
had not yet begun.
On the way to the school,
one of the street people, who
appeared very disturbed,
approached. A man, who I
thought was a policeman,
stopped him. Mother Teresa
walked over to the two of them
and quietly talked to the street
person who had been saying
something incoherent. I didn’t
know what she said, but the
street person sort of bowed and
walked away seeming happy
and satisfied.
The schoolroom turned out
to be a lower grade classroom.
We walked in with the media
trailing. The desks were child
size. Mother Teresa grabbed
died from natural causes, with private
thoughts of how life could be lived in a
more virtuous way, simply by sincerely loving God and our neighbors with
our whole hearts.
His silence would have resulted in
the religion of Christianity never existing.
Marc Joffrion
Baton Rouge
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor should be typed and limited to 350 words and should
contain the name and address of the writer, though the address will not be
printed. We reserve the right to edit all letters. Send to: Letters to the Editor,
The Catholic Commentator, P. O. Box 14746, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-4746,
or to [email protected].
Please pray for the priests, deacons and religious women and men in the Baton Rouge Diocese.
Apr. 6 Rev. Jules A. Brunet
Dcn. Claude H. Bourgeois Jr.
Br. Paul Montero SC
Apr. 7 Rev. Gerald H. Burns
Dcn. Eugene F. Brady
Sr. Evelyn Mee CSJ
Apr. 8 Rev. John J. Callahan SJ
Dcn. Jerry W. Braud
Br. Marcel Riviere SC
Apr. 9 Rev. Peter J. Callery SJ
Dcn. Patrick J. Broussard Jr.
Sr. Anne Meridier CSJ
Apr. 10 Rev. Joseph M. Camilleri
Dcn. Barry G. Campeaux
Br. Marcus Turcotte SC
Apr. 11 Rev. Chuong Cao CSsR
Dcn. Michael T. Chiappetta
Sr. Dolores Munez HMSS
Apr. 12 Rev. John Carville
Dcn. Randall A. Clement
Br. Edward Violett SM
Apr. 13 Rev. Edward Chiffriller SSJ
Dcn. Samuel C. Collura
Sr. Ann Catherine Nguyen FMOL
Apr. 14 Rev. Charles Chukwuani
Dcn. David L. Dawson III
Br. Xavier Werneth SC
Apr. 15 Rev. Thomas F. Clark SJ
Dcn. Guy E. Decker
Sr. Huong Nguyen ICM
Apr. 16 Rev. Michael J. Collins
Dcn. Benjamin J. Dunbar Jr.
Br. James Burns SC
Apr. 17 Rev. Paul D. Counce
Dcn. W. Brent Duplessis
Sr. Mary Noel OP
Apr. 18 Rev. Randy M. Cuevas
Dcn. Jeff R. Easley
Br. William Cawley SC
Apr. 19 Rev. Gregory J. Daigle
Dcn. Albert R. Ellis Jr.
Sr. Johanne Pedersen CSJ
April 1, 2016
VIEWPOINT
17
The power of fear
F
ear is the heartbeat
of the powerless.
So writes Cor de
Jonghe. That’s true. We
can deal with most everything, except fear.
The late Belgium
spiritual writer, Bieke
Vandekerkehove, in a
very fine book, “The Taste
of Silence,” shared very
honestly about the demons
that beset her as she faced
a terminal illness at age
19. She singled out three
particular demons that
tormented her as she faced
the prospect of death, sadness, anger and fear and she suggested
that we can more easily cope with the
first two, sadness and anger, than we can
with the third, fear. Here’s her thought:
“Sadness can be handled through
tears, through grieving. Sadness fills
us like a water glass, but a glass can be
emptied. Tears can drain sadness of its
bite. We have all, no doubt, experienced
the release, the catharsis, that can come
through tears. Tears can soften the heart
and take away the bitterness of sadness,
even while its heaviness remains. Sadness, no matter how heavy, has a release
valve. So, too, does anger. Anger can be
expressed and its very expression helps
release it so that it flows out of us. No
doubt too we have also experienced this.
The caution, of course, is that in expressing anger and giving it release we need to
be careful not to hurt others,
which is the ever-present
danger when dealing with
anger. With anger we have
many outlets: We can shout
in rage, beat a drum, punch
a bag, use profanity, physically exercise until we’re
exhausted, smash some
furniture, utter murderous
threats, and rage away at
countless things. This isn’t
necessarily rational and
some of these things aren’t
necessarily moral, but they
offer some release. We have
means to cope with anger.
Fear, on the other hand,
has no such release valves. Most often,
there’s nothing we can do to lighten or
release it. Fear paralyses us, and this
paralysis is the very thing what robs us
of the strength we would need to combat
it. We can beat a drum, rage in profanity
or cry tears, but fear remains. Moreover,
unlike anger, fear cannot be taken out
on someone else, even though we sometimes try, by scapegoating. But, in the
end, it doesn’t work. The object of our
fear doesn’t go away simply because we
wish it away. Fear can only be suffered.
We have to live with it until it recedes
on its own. Sometimes, as the Book of
Lamentations suggests, all we can do is
to put our mouth to the dust and wait.
With fear, sometimes all we can do is
endure.”
What’s the lesson in this?
In Exile
Father Ron Rolheiser
T
he March 6 passing of
Nancy Reagan saddened
many Americans. I know
it affected me more than I
expected. She had an endearing
smile and a quiet dignity.
Everyone knew the role she
played in the life of President
Ronald Reagan and how important she was to him. He claimed
that his success was directly
related to her presence in his
life. He had faced a particularly bad year, including a long
hospital stay. “And then along
came Nancy Davis and saved my
soul,” he is said to have told his
biographer.
The bond between them was
very admirable. They fulfilled
the highest values of the human
spirit in their unconditional love
for each other. She was revered
and despised for her power in
the White House. When she
spoke, people knew that the
president of the United States
was solidly behind her.
In her memoirs, the Russian poet,
Anna Akhmatova, recounts an encounter
she once had with another woman, as
the two of them waited outside a Russian
prison. Both of their husbands had been
imprisoned by Stalin and both of them
were there to bring letters and packages
to their husbands, as were a number
of other women. But the scene was like
something out of the existential literature
of the absurd. The situation was bizarre.
First of all, the women were unsure of
whether their husbands were even still
alive and were equally uncertain as to
whether the letters and packages they
were delivering would
ever be given to their
loved ones by the guards.
Moreover the guards
would, without reason,
make them wait for
hours in the snow and
cold before they would
collect their letters and
packages, and sometimes they wouldn’t
meet the women at all. Still, every week,
despite the absurdity of it, the women
would come, wait in the snow, accept
this unfairness, do their vigil, and try to
get letters and packages to their loved
ones in prison. One morning, as they
were waiting, seemingly with no end
in sight, one of the women recognized
Akhmatova and said to her: “Well,
you’re a poet.Can you tell me what’s
happening here?” Akhmatova looked
at the woman and replied: “Yes, I can!”
And then something like a smile passed
between them.
Why the smile? Just to be able to
name something, no matter how absurd
or unfair, no matter our powerlessness
to change it, is to be somehow free of it,
above it, transcendent in some way. To
name something correctly is to partly
free ourselves of its dominance. That’s
why totalitarian regimes fear artists,
writers, religious critics, journalists
and prophets. They name things. That’s
ultimately the function of prophecy.
Prophets don’t foretell the future, they
properly name the present. Richard
Rohr is fond of saying: “Not everything
can be fixed or cured,
but it should be named
properly.” James Hillman has his own way
of casting this. He suggests that a symptom
suffers most when it
doesn’t know where it
belongs.
This can be helpful in dealing with
fear in our lives. Fear can render us impotent. But, naming that properly, recognizing where that symptom belongs and
how powerless it leaves us, can help us to
live with it, without sadness and anger.
To name something
correctly is to partly
free ourselves of its
dominance.
FATHER ROLHEISER, theologian, teacher and
award-winning author, is president of
the Oblate School of Theology in San
Antonio, Texas. He can be contacted
through his website ronrolheiser.com
or on Facebook at facebook.com/ronrol
heiser.
Fondness for a former first lady
Spirituality
For Today
Father John Catoir
I met her at a fundraiser
in 1980 during the campaign
against President Jimmy Carter.
It was at the Alfred E. Smith
Memorial Foundation dinner.
She looked me straight in the
eye, and she did that with everyone she met. At the time, all I
could think of was her personal
warmth.
I read that after President
Reagan was shot, she turned to
astrology to protect his every
move. I’m not sure if the president shared those beliefs, but it
served to calm her down, and
that was good enough for him.
What I saw in both of them was
a deep spirituality and a humble
dependence on God. They saw
the president’s ascendancy to
the White House as the work of
divine providence.
Her death, and for that matter the death of anyone, can
lead us to begin reflecting on
the meaning of life. I’m thinking now about the meaning of
Nancy Reagan’s life. She had
her share of fame and glory, but
what I remember most about
her was the love and devotion
she and her husband had for
each other.
She suffered mightily during
the last two decades of her life.
Think about it, she lived 12 more
years after her husband’s death
and was virtually alone. She
cared for him for years before he
died and when he was lost in the
fog of Alzheimer’s disease.
How bravely she carried her
cross during those years, until
death finally took her at the age
of 94. In thinking of her, I’m
reminded of a quote from Malcolm Muggeridge:
“For instance, success in all of
its various guises; being known
and being praised; ostensible
pleasures, like acquiring money
or seducing women, or travel-
ing, going to and fro in the world
and up and down in it like Satan,
exploring and experiencing
whatever Vanity Fair has to offer.
… They are diversions designed
to distract our attention from the
true purpose of our existence in
this world, which is, quite simply,
to look for God.”
Some people are not distracted, and Nancy Reagan was one
of those who was not distracted.
May she rest in eternal peace.
FATHER CATOIR writes on issues of
spirituality for today’s Catholic
for Catholic News Service.
Mission Statement
The mission of The Catholic Commentator is to provide news,
information and commentary to the people of the Diocese
of Baton Rouge, Catholics and their neighbors alike. In doing
so, The Catholic Commentator strives to further the wider
mission of the Church: to evangelize, to communicate, to
educate and to give the Catholic viewpoint on important
issues of the present day.
18
COMING EVENTS
Frank Hayden Memorial Scholarship Brunch
– The Baton Rouge Chapter of Xavier University will
sponsor its annual Frank Hayden Memorial Scholarship
Brunch and silent auction Sunday, April 3, 11 a.m. – 2
p.m., at the Renaissance Hotel, 7000 Bluebonnet Blvd.,
Baton Rouge. The John Gray Quartet will provide musical entertainment. Tickets are $50 each. Proceeds will
benefit the scholarship fund. For information and tickets,
call 225-803-0709 or email [email protected].
April 1, 2016
that loss and begin to move forward with their lives. The
structure of this weekend program helps grieving persons
focus on their experience and emerge from the darkness
of grief into the light of a new beginning. For information,
call 985-789-8666 or 504-455-8920.
Pro-life Mass – A monthly pro-life Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, April 12, 5:30 p.m., at St. Agnes Church,
749 East Blvd., Baton Rouge. For information, call 225383-4127.
Natural Family Planning Seminar – Dr. Susan
Caldwell, who specializes in NaPro Technology, will
present a class on natural methods of family planning,
“Love&Life: Understanding God’s Plan for Your Marriage
and Family,” Thursday, April 14, 6:30 p.m., at the St. Elizabeth Community Center, 123 Hwy. 403, Paincourtville.
Attendees will learn about the advances in natural family
planning and women’s reproductive health, as well as the
benefits of NFP on marital happiness and longevity. For
information call 985-369-7398.
Metairie Retreat Center Events – The Archdiocesan Retreat Center, 5500 St. Mary St., Metairie, will host
the following events in April: “Finding Afresh the God of
Our Longing” with Father Simeon Gallagher OFMCap,
Friday, April 8 – Sunday, April 10. Minimum offering is
$225; and “Spiritual Legacy Letters” with Jim Adams,
Tuesdays, April 12, 19 and 26 – RSVP by calling 504-5275788. For information about these events, call 504-2679604 or visit retreats.arch-no.org.
Beginning Experience Weekend – Rosaryville
Spirit Life Center, 39003 Rosaryville Road, Ponchatoula,
will host a Beginning Experience Weekend for those suffering the loss of a love relationship through death, divorce or separation who are ready to come to terms with
Magnificat Breakfast – Andi Oney, a stay-at-home
mother who attended the International Prophetic Consultation gathering of leaders in Bethlehem where she
had a profound experience, will speak at the meeting of
Magnificat on Saturday, April 30, 9 a.m. – noon, at Oak
Lodge Reception Center, 2834 South Sherwood Forest
Blvd., Baton Rouge. Reservations are $22 each and will
be sold through Tuesday, April 26. Indicate the number
of reservations and send a check made to BR Magnificat
for your reservation with the name of each attendee to
Kathy Simoneaux, 9650 Victory Lane, Denham Springs,
LA, 70726.
Grandparent’s Conference – The 19th annual
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Conference will be
held Friday, April 22, 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., at the Holiday Inn South Hotel, 9940 Airline Hwy., Baton Rouge.
There will be six workshops to choose from, a legal panel
to answer legal questions, exhibitors and lunch provided.
Pre-regisration is required. For information, all 225-3622662 or email [email protected]
Bible Patch Program – Boy and Girl Scouts are invited to attend the first Bible Patch program, hosted by
the Catholic Committee on Scouting, Sunday, April 3,
1:30 – 3:30 p.m., at Our Lady of Mercy Church Parish Activity Center, 445 Marquette Ave., Baton Rouge. The program will reinforce the duty to God in the law of scouting.
The program is free. Applications can be found at info.
ccosbr.net. For information, call 225-769-7781 or email
[email protected].
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Mature, dependable,
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act with over 120 pop music covers from
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Healing of Families Seminar 4/30/16.
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1960. Registered sitters, nurses, and
nurses aides for the sick and elderly in
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Licensed and bonded for private duty
care. 225-924-6098 or 225-667-0480.
www.batonrougesittersregistry.com.
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continue living at home. Available M-F, 9
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225-291-8588
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St. Joseph is the Patron Saint of a
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dignity and support can make every day
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information.
Mr. D’s Tree Service
3 Licensed Arborists
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Don Decell & Carl Babin, owners
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225-924-4337 or www.davesbicyclerepair.
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LEBLANC’S TREE & STUMP
REMOVAL, INC.
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FULLY INSURED
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Resthaven Garden of Last Supper. 2
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www.wordgamesforcatholics.com
April 1, 2016
VACHERIE 
From page 1
were my family. There was never a thought where they were
going to go.
“They were my children because they needed a mom and
a dad.”
“I thought at the time I
couldn’t grieve because I wanted to be strong for my children,”
she added. “In the beginning
grieving was really hard because I missed my sister but I
could not be selfish because I
know they missed their mom at
the same time.”
Thus began a time of change
and upheaval not only for the
Dennis family but also for
Shane, Joy and Camrin Grows,
at the time of their parents
death. In addition to the emotional toll, the expanded family
also created a myriad of practical challenges.
The three-bedroom trailer
that comfortably housed a family of four was now cramped. The
food bill tripled, as well as the
daily caring for five children,
including changing diapers for
the youngest, assisting with
homework and the much bigger
challenge of meshing three new
personalities into a cohesive
family unit. Meeka and the children admitted that was made
easier because the cousins were
so close and had spent so much
time with each other.
“It wasn’t hard at all,” said
Shane Grows, who witnessed
the events surrounding the
murder-suicide. “The only difficult part was I missed my mom.
“My life instantly changed
and got better, not having to
wake up in the middle of the
night,” he added. “I understood
everything that was going on.”
Charles Dennis, a mental
health and drug abuse counselor for the state of Louisiana, and
Meeka said the transition was
made much easier by the support of family members, who
have all chipped in to help in a
variety of ways. Charles’ parents
cook family meals on Thursday
and Sundays, and other relatives have assisted in times of
need, such as buying dresses
for proms or Shane even buying athletic equipment for his
younger brother.
“We work hard,” said Meeka,
a school teacher in the St. James
School system. “Anything extra
we grab at it. My in-laws help
out a lot. My sister helps out a
lot. But it’s still challenging at
times.”
Two years after the murdersuicide, the family moved into
a spacious home in Vacherie,
which eased the tight living
quarters. Shane, now 25, works
in the oil industry and assists
financially, especially to his
younger brother, who is a running back and linebacker at St.
James High School.
“God provides for us,” said
Charles, who is involved in the
choir and several other ministries at St. James Catholic
Church. “I believe in the idea to
much is given, much is required.
Because of that, good things
happen to us.”
As time went on, the family
settled into the routine of a normal family life, which included
family vacations and attending
band concerts or football games
in which the children were participating. Meeka made sure to
treat every child equally.
“I did not want them to feel
any more out of place than losing their mother and father,” she
said. “To me, that was enough
damage for them already. So
we were doing our best to make
them as comfortable as possible. I got very protective.”
For Charles, that also meant
the setting of rules regarding
dating, especially for Chelsea
Dennis and Joy, who are high
school juniors. Chelsea admits
that it’s difficult to find someone
to meet her dad’s approval.
“My standards are real high,”
Charles said. “The current boyfriend, I like him, but I watch
him. I tell her you are the jewel,
you are the princess.”
Charles and Meeka were de-
termined their adopted children
were exposed to a loving, environment, not the chaos in which
they were previously raised.
“(Grows) once told me, ‘my
mama used to say you and
Uncle Chuck used to pretend
(about their loving marriage.).’
(Grows) never realized what a
solid relationship, what a strong
marriage looks like. When he
came with us, he saw there was
no fighting, no arguing,” she
said.
“At 11, that’s all you see,”
Grows quickly added. “You don’t
think it’s right but you think it
goes on everywhere.”
Faith became the cornerstone of the family and remains
to this day. The children were
required to pray each night and
leave their bedroom doors open
so their parents could hear their
prayers.
Skipping Mass is never an
option, a point still driven home
on Sunday mornings when
Meeka bangs on the bedroom
doors to make sure everyone is
getting ready. All of the children
have been baptized and Joy and
Chelsea, who are the same age,
were recently confirmed.
Meeka even converted to
Catholicism from her Baptist
faith in which was she raised.
Previously, she would attend
the Baptist church and Charles
would attend Mass at St. James,
although they often attended St.
James together.
“I tease (Charles), telling him
he’s the first cousin to the pope,”
she said. “He is a strong Catholic.”
“I wanted everybody to go to
the same church,” she explained
as to her own conversion.
“(Charles) was our head, and I
knew he was going to guide us
in the right way.”
Joy and Camrin Grows have
little memory of their mother,
but Shane believes she would be
proud of how they are turning
out. He has embraced his role of
big brother, becoming a mentor
to Camrin, and a protector to
his younger sister.
“She don’t like me talking to
her,” the soft-spoken Shane said
“I’m too hard on her. Nobody
will meet my approval.”
“I know my mother is happy
for all of us,” he added. We are
good. We are just blessed to be
with a really great family. I’m
really thankful for that.”
For Meeka, the memories of
her sibling remain alive, whom
she still mourns.
“Without faith, I don’t know
where we would be,” she said.
“God always opened the door
for us, always provided.”
“Some days I still cry,” Meeka
added. “I still have my moments.”
Joe Skibinski
Agent
1953 Perkins Rd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Bus: 225-387-0201
Toll Free: 888-387-0201
[email protected]
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
SAINT 
From page 1
for her beatification. When she
was beatified in 2003, we began
praying a pray every evening
after the divine office for her
canonization,” explained Sister
Christa, who added the sisters
will continue to pray the prayer
until her canonization.
“We pray her life and apostolic will be an inspiration for oth-
ers to love God and serve their
neighbors, especially the poorest
of the poor,” she said.
In December, Pope Francis
helped clear the path for the canonization of Mother Teresa by
recognizing a second miracle attributed to her.
Sister Christa, who worked
alongside Mother Teresa tending
to the poor in Rome, said Mother
Teresa worked hard and made a
lot of sacrifices.
“She radiated love, joy and
peace to everyone she met,” said
Sister Christa. “She loved Christ
with her whole heart and saw
him in everyone she met.”
For Sister Christa and the
other sisters, seeing Jesus “in
the least of my brothers” is a
vow they live by. Their local order, which provides shelter for
women and children as well as
hot meals for the homeless, was
established by Mother Teresa
Honored to be Louisiana’s
Hospital of the
Year Times
7
Congratulations also to our nurses who were
recognized for excellence in their individual fields.
Andrea Normand, RN
Pediatric Emergency
Department Nurse
Nurse of the Year
Terrie Sterling, RN,
MBA, MSN, FACHE
Chief Operating Officer
Hall of Fame
Delivering the best in healthcare is our job, but our
mission is to serve. And we work hard every day to
serve our patients with the highest level of care. That’s
why when we are named Hospital of the Year for
the seventh time, it means something. This year, Our
Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center was once
again named Hospital of the Year in the large category
by the Louisiana State Nurses Association. Why work
so hard to earn your trust year after year? Because we
believe we’re at our best when we’re constantly striving
to be better. Learn more at ololrmc.com.
when she visited the city in 1985.
At that time, Mother Teresa
was invited by Bishop Stanley
Joseph Ott to set up a place to
help the city’s poor. When she arrived, Mother Teresa opened her
order’s 27th House of Ministry.
Mother Teresa is known for
her life’s work of helping the
poor and presenting the face of
Christ to everyone. Father Jeff
Bayhi, pastor of St. John the
Baptist Church in Zachary, has
fond memories of her. He traveled to Calcutta in 1991 and, at
the request of Mother Teresa,
returned for seven consecutive
years to conduct retreats. On one
visit, she was very sick, and he
administered the last rites to her
April 1, 2016
a year before she died.
“She is the poster child of
demonstrating what a difference
a life can make when you are living for the sake of the Gospels,”
he said.
Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu
in 1910, Mother Teresa was Albanian. At 18-years-old, she joined
the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin.
She took the name Sister Mary
Teresa after Saint Therese of Lisieux and began teaching.
Years later she received a second calling or “a call within a
call” and began caring for “the
unwanted, the unloved and the
uncared for” in the slums of Calcutta. She received many awards
for her humanitarian work.
This may look like a
poster for a new
Mission Impossible
movie, but, actually,
this graphic portrays
Blessed
Frederic
Ozanam, founder of
St. Vincent de Paul.
He is depicted with
a basket of bread,
rushing
toward
someone in need as
St. Vincent de Paul
watches over him.
Sometimes,
the
villains in life aren’t
criminals,
but
dangers just as real –
poverty, hunger, homelessness, and illness.
At St. Vincent de Paul, our mission may sometimes
seem impossible, but because of so many agents of
mercy, we are able to make a difference to people in
need.
In this Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has called us all to
be agents of mercy – people whose lives revolve around
kindness, compassion, and generosity. At St. Vincent
de Paul, we need your help. This year, you can help us
serve over 240,000 meals, fill over 30,000 prescriptions,
and provide over 28,000 guest nights of shelter to
homeless men, women, and children.
We hope you will become an agent of mercy and
support our efforts by making a contribution using the
form below. $1 will provide a hot meal; $10 will provide
a night of shelter for a homeless family; and $28 will fill
a prescription; so you can imagine what a difference a
larger gift can make.
------------------------Please cut out and mail------------------------
Be an Agent of Mercy
Yes, I want to make a difference.
My gift of $_____________ is enclosed.
Name: ____________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________
City: ______________________ State: ______ Zip: _______
Mail your gift to St. Vincent de Paul, P.O. Box 127, Baton
Rouge, LA 70821-0127 or call us at (225) 383-7837, ext. O.
You can also give online at www.svdpbr.org.

April 1 - The Catholic Commentator

Transcription

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