Bishop dedicates new Most Blessed Sacrament Church

Transcription

January 31, 2007
VOLUME 44 • NO. 25
TWO SECTIONS
inside
Serving the Diocese of Baton Rouge Since 1962
From the Associate
Publisher
4
Family Life 5
Spirituality
7
Our Catholic Community 8
Youth
12
Entertainment 14
Viewpoint
16
Letter to the Editor
17
Coming Events
18
Classified Ads
18
Catholic Television
20
Laura Bush lauds
‘vital role’ of
Catholic schools
after Hurricane
Katrina page 2
Most Blessed Sacrament Pastor Father Michael Collins blesses the parishioners with holy water during the dedication of the
new Most Blessed Sacrament Church Jan. 21. On the back wall, to the right, are statues of St. Joseph and Mary that were in
the former Most Blessed Sacrament Church and are now a place for private prayer. Light streams into the gathering area to the
left through stained-glass windows above the front doors of the church. Photo by Laura Deavers
Chief LeDuff
believes God
protects him so
he can protect the
community page 3
a nnual report
January 31, 2007 • The Catholic Commentator
ANNUAL
REPORT
THE DIOCESE OF BATON ROUGE
JULY 1, 2005 - JUNE 30, 2006
Postlethwaite & Netterville
A Professional Corporation
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT
His Excellency
The Most Reverend Robert W. Muench, D.D.
The Roman Catholic Church of the Diocese
of Baton Rouge
We have audited the
accompanying combined
statement of assets, liabilities
and fund balances – modified
cash basis of the Administrative Offices of the Roman
Catholic Church of the Diocese of Baton Rouge and The
Roman Catholic Church of
the Diocese of Baton Rouge,
Deposit and Loan Fund, Inc.
(collectively the Diocese) as of
June 30, 2006, and the related
combined statements of revenues and expenses - modified
cash basis and changes in fund
balances - modified cash basis
for the year then ended. These
combined financial statements are
the responsibility of the Diocese’s
management. Our responsibility
is to express an opinion on these
combined financial statements
based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards
generally accepted in the United States of America.
Those standards require that we plan and perform the
audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether
the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis,
evidence supportE OF BATON
ing the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements. An audit also includes assessing the
accounting principles used and significant estimates
made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audit provides a
reasonable basis for our opinion.
ROUGE
As described in Note 2, these
combined financial statements were
prepared on the modified cash basis
of accounting, which is a comprehensive basis of accounting other
than accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
of America.
DIOCES
BISHOP’S OFFICE
P.O. BOX 2028
70821-2028
LOUISIANA
BATON ROUGE, FAX 225-336-8768
225-387-0561
December 21,
To: The Clergy,
Dearly Beloved
Religious and
2006
People of God,
Church of Baton
Rouge
in Christ,
the
statements for
the audited financial the fiscal year,
share with you
for
I am pleased to
strative Offices
Rouge Admini
Diocese of Baton 30, 2006.
June
July 1, 2005 –
within our
generating a surplus
investments
prudent, actually
our
been
of
have
value
an
While we
the market
ns, declines in
caused us to record do
normal operatio
ce pools have
in two insuran
s in value, which
and in our equity past fiscal year. These decline ry and are not
the
tempora
overall loss for
are presumably
cash position,
not affect our
year.
our current fiscal
anticipated for
and cooperation.
ss, dedication
s.
for your goodne
you
concern
bless
your
May God
you and all
my prayers for
Please know of
in Christ,
Sincerely yours
Robert W. Muench
Rouge
Bishop of Baton
In our opinion, the combined
financial statements referred to
above present fairly, in all material respects, the assets, liabilities,
and fund balances of the Diocese
as of June 30, 2006, and its revenue and expenses and changes
in fund balances for the year then
ended, on the basis of accounting described in Note 2.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
September 15, 2006
(except for Note 2i, as to
which the date is October
16, 2006)
Bishop dedicates new Most
Blessed Sacrament Church
by
Laura Deavers
Editor
Neither the New Orleans
Saints playing the Chicago
Bears for championship of
the NFC, nor another dreary
rainy Sunday afternoon in
Baton Rouge could deter Most
Blessed Sacrament parishioners from the dedication of
their new church Jan. 21.
The dedication service was
to have begun outside the
church with everyone standing at the front door as Bishop
Robert W. Muench and Most
Blessed Sacrament Pastor Father Michael Collins unlocked
the doors. Because of the rain,
all of those attending the
service were ushered into the
church, while the liturgical
ministers and the clergy gathered inside the front doors.
There Bishop Muench turned
over the keys of the new church
to Fr. Collins.
As Bishop Muench, Fr. Collins and many priests of the
Baton Rouge Diocese moved
through the various stages of
the ritual for the dedication of
a Catholic church, the parish-
ioners knew they were taking
part in one of the milestones
of their church parish. For the
original parishioners who can
still remember when attending
Mass at Most Blessed Sacrament meant going to Shenandoah Elementary School, having their own church built
specifically as a place of worship was exhilarating.
Even though some attending the almost two-hour service had to stand because all of
the pews were filled, everyone
joined fully in the liturgical
responses and singing. The
entire congregation responded
on three occasions with long
standing ovations when Fr.
Collins was recognized for
his leadership in making the
dream of a church the people
wanted a reality.
“Father Michael Collins
coordinated all that it took to
bring this magnificent house
of God to you,” said Bishop
Muench to the parishioners.
Bishop Muench stressed that
the new church is more than a
building, it is a house of God,
the dwelling place of the Holy
See CHURCH page 10
2
news
Fir st lad y L aur a Bush
accepts flowers from eighthgrader Katelyn Huff, student
council president, at the
conclusion of Bush’s Jan. 9 talk
at St. Rosalie School in Harvey,
La. Leading the applause to
the right is Salesian Father
Jonathan Parks, pastor of St.
Rosalie Parish. The school had
received a $20,000 grant from
the Laura Bush Foundation.
CNS photo/Frank J. Methe, Clarion
Herald
Laura Bush lauds ‘vital
role’ of Catholic schools
after Hurricane Katrina
by
Florence Herman
Catholic News Service
HARVEY, La. — Catholic
schools played a “vital role”
in the Gulf Coast’s path to
recovery after hurricanes
Katrina and Rita, first lady
Laura Bush said on a visit to
St.RosalieCatholicSchoolin
Harvey.
After her mid-morning
visit to St. Rosalie, Bush had
lunch at Cafe Reconcile in
NewOrleans,aprogramofthe
New Orleans Archdiocesan
CatholicCharities.
Meetingstudents,teachers
and parish and archdiocesan
p er s on nel at St. Ro s a l ie
Jan. 9, Bush said the school
“reminds us of the vital role
Catholic schools have played
in helping children whose
lives were devastated by the
hurricanes. Catholic schools
workedasquicklyaspossible
tore-enroll theirstudents.In
September2005,studentsfrom
archdiocesan schools were
scatteredthroughout49states.
ByNovember2006,98percent
werebackattendingtheschool
oftheirchoice.”
Shepointedoutthat“New
Orlea n s Cat hol ic sc hools
. . . opened t heir doors to
thousands of public school
students displaced by the
storm.InMetairie,Archbishop
Rummel Transition School
helped hundreds of families
returnbytakingstudentsfrom
anyareaschoolthatclosed.
“ C a t h e d r a l A c a d e m y
welcomed the children of
first responders who lived
on mercy ships immediately
after Katrina. Archdiocesan
representatives spent three
eveningsaboardthosemercy
shipsregisteringstudents,and
theyaskedfornotuition,”she
said.
Mr. D’s
“Today,” she continued,
“1,500 public school students
remain in Catholic schools,
their tuition paid entirely by
thearchdiocese.”
She quoted archdiocesan
school superintendent Father
William Maestri: “We don’t
educate children because
theyareCatholic.Weeducate
c h i l d r e n b e c a u s e w e ’r e
Catholic.”
St. Rosalie principal Mary
WenzeltoldtheClarionHerald,
New Orleans archdiocesan
newspaper, that she learned
just before Christmas that
the first lady wanted to visit
her school in January. The
Harveyelementaryschoolhad
receiveda$20,000grantfrom
the Laura Bush Foundation
to help rebuild its library,
but beyond that Wenzel said
shehadnorealideawhyher
schoolwaschosen.
“But I know she felt that
Catholic schools were not
getting enough publicity for
theirpartinrecoveryefforts,
and she wanted to highlight
a Catholic school,” Wenzel
said.
InpreparingforBush’svisit,
Wenzelsaid,shespentagreat
dealoftimeonthephonewith
speechwriters from the first
lady’s office, as did the pastor
ofSt.RosalieChurch,Salesian
FatherJonathanParks.
The elementar y sc hool
campus sustained nearly $2
million in damage but was
back open by Oct. 3, 2005.
Repairs to the middle-school
campusarejustgettingunder
way and are expected to be
completed in early June, in
preparation for its August
reopening. Middle-school
students, meanwhile, have
beenattendingclassesonthe
ArchbishopShawHighSchool
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news
The Catholic Commentator • January 31, 2007
3
Chief LeDuff believes God
protects him so he can
protect the community
by
Laura Deavers
Editor
When Police Chief Jeff LeDuff
passes a Catholic church he makes
the sign of the cross and says a short
prayer, no matter who is in the car with
him or what is being discussed. “I do
that religiously,” says Baton Rouge’s
top police officer.
LeDuff grew up in Erwinville
and was an altar boy at Immaculate
Conception Church in Lakeland. Prayer,
especially the rosary, was important in
his family and he remembers vividly
sitting between his grandmother and
grandfather during their evening ritual
of praying the rosary.
His grandparents also taught him
to show reverence to the real presence
of the Lord by making the sign of the
cross whenever he passed in front of a
Catholic church. Chief LeDuff admitted
he has gotten some questioning looks
from those who are with him as he
prays silently and signs himself with
the cross, but everyone soon becomes
accustomed to his ritual.
Continuing the practice of shared
evening prayer that he learned from
his grandparents, LeDuff and his wife,
Kasandra, pray together every night.
He says, “it grounds us as a team, as
a unit” even if they are not at home
together. “If one of us is out of town,
we pray together on the phone,” saying
traditional Catholic prayers as well as
asking God for special intentions.
Family is important to LeDuff, who
emphatically stated, “I love children.”
The father of one son, Kelly, LeDuff
is excited that he now has a daughter
since Kelly’s recent marriage.
LeDuff ’s love of children was
captured in a photograph on the front
page of The Advocate newspaper last
May as he held an infant boy whose
mother had just been murdered by her
husband. The husband had also killed
four members of the woman’s family
while they attended a church service.
Even though it has been eight
months since he held the child, the
police chief talks about the incident as
if it had just happened. “I remember
(the child) holding onto my shoulder, I
remember how he smelled, how he felt.
I didn’t want anyone else to hold him
until he was okay,” said the man who
has been chosen to protect the citizens
of Baton Rouge.
LeDuff believes his Catholic faith,
which calls him to serve others, has
prepared him to be a police officer,
because a police officer is first and
foremost a servant to the people they
protect. “(Police officers) have to have a
desire to want to help.” And he has had
this desire since he was a child.
Every summer for 16 years, before he
became police chief, LeDuff conducted
a police explorer program, a minipolice academy. He took kids from this
area to a military facility in Gulfport
where they were taught discipline and
life skills. He said that even though
he was not able to spend Father’s Day
with his own son, he was able to be a
father figure to many of the children in
the program who did not know their
fathers.
When he was an instructor at the
police academy, training the men
and women who would eventually
become members of the Baton Rouge
Police Department, LeDuff would tell
them “God has designed each of us
in a special way. He put ingredients
in us that make us able to do what
we do.” He said police officers have
to have courage, compassion, passion,
intelligence and a lot of love.
LeDuff has also shown strong
leadership as a law enforcement officer.
“A large part of leadership is the ability
to communicate your desires and
having good people around you,” said
LeDuff, who was chosen for leadership
positions as far back as high school.
The good people he has around him
are many of the officers he trained. He
knows their strengths and weaknesses,
so he is able to move them where
they are most effective in the police
department.
One of the most difficult tasks Chief
LeDuff has had to perform is telling
the families of three police officers that
their father, brother or son was killed
in the line of duty. “When an officer
dies, I am with that family. A bond
grows because we have to do so many
things together.” The chief talks about
the balance that has to be achieved
between respecting the family that is
grieving and the public response to a
police officer being killed. “We want to
honor the family and how they want
to proceed with the services. It is a
public service and a private time for
the family.”
At St. Joseph Cathedral Jan. 7 the
Baton Rouge Diocese sponsored a Blue
Mass, so called because it honors those
who typically wear blue uniforms,
law enforcement personnel and first
responders. At this Mass, Bishop
Robert Muench, in the name of the
Baton Rouge Diocese, acknowledged
the sacrifices law enforcement officers
and all first responders and their
families have made for the safety and
security of the community.
LeDuff said he had heard police
Baton Rouge Police Chief Jeff LeDuff and Bishop Robert W. Muench share
greetings after the Blue Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral Jan. 7. The Blue Mass
honored law enforcement and other first responders for the service they provide.
Photo by Laura Deavers
officers in other areass talk about the
Blue Mass and so was happy when
he heard there was going to be one in
Baton Rouge. He and a member of the
Sherrif’s Department brought up the
offertory gifts during the Mass
LeDuff said he puts faith in God as
he serves this community, often being
of service to people he will never know
by name. “I know God will help me.
He will protect me, so I know I can do
what I need to do.”
Our Readers Love Seafood...
And We’re
Looking for
Lenten Recipes!
The Catholic Commentator is looking for seafood or meatless
recipes to publish in our Lenten Dining Guide 2007 on February
14. This section will include recipes from our readers, restaurants,
and seafood markets in the area. If you would like to share your
meatless or seafood recipes with our readers, send them in no
Later than WeDneSDaY, FeB. 7.
Please mail recipes to the Catholic Commentator, P. o. Box
14746, Baton rouge, La 70898; e-mail tcc-advertising@diobr.
org; or FAX to 225-336-8710. Please include your name, address
and phone number for any clarification needed.
to advertise your restaurant or seafood market to over
210,000 Catholics in the Baton rouge Diocese — call 225387-0983.
1800 South Acadian Thruway
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
P.O. Box 14746
Baton Rouge, LA 70898-4746
4
commentary
From the Associate Publisher
by Father John Carville
Resolutions or prayers?
Everyyearwemake
New Year ’s resolutions, and every year
we break New Year ’s resolutions. There is
somethingaboutthiscustomthatisquitePelagian.Pelagiuswasahereticwholivedaround
the time of SaintAugustine (c. 380-430 a.d.).
Hetaughtthatwecouldpullourselvesupby
our bootstraps, even spiritually. Human beings could live holy lives if they just wanted
to.GracewasarewardthatGodgaveusafter
we had earned it. It was like the new outfit for
your perfect figure that you earned through six
months of flawless dieting. You just made up
your mind to break your bad habits, ground
your teeth and did it. Then God clothed you
withtheauraofsanctitywhich,ofcourse,you
neverafterwardslost.
St.Augustine saw through this do-it-yourself-planforsainthood,andsohaveAlcoholics
Anonymous,NarcoticsAnonymous,Gamblers
Anonymous, Sexual Addicts Anonymous (yes,
thereisthatgrouptoo)andevenWeight-Watchers.Wedon’tbreakbadhabitsalone.Whenitisa
caseofmindovermatter,matterusuallywins.
Smokersreadilytestifytothis.Ioftenwonderedwhytheydon’thaveagroup.Maybeitis
becausetheiraddictionwaspubliclyaccepted
forsolongandthoughttohurtonlythesmoker.
Nowthatweknowthedangersofsecondary
smoke,andsomanyhavekickedthehabitwith
thehelpofmedicalsupports,smokingisanuisancetothemajorityofus.Thenicotineaddict
hasmorenegativesupportthanhewishesfrom
thefrowns,scowls,andactualverbalabuseof
thoseoffendedbyhissmoking.Ifhesucceeds
in kicking his habit, he should know that he
didn’tdoitalone.
NewYear’sresolutionsdon’tworkbecause
theyarepersonalandprivate.Wearegoingto
reformourselfwhenourselfistheproblem.
St.AugustinewouldtellusthatweneedGod’s
grace first, before we can do anything worthwhile.And we need God’s grace throughout
thewholeperiodofrecoverywhich,intruth,
neverends.Wedon’tdoitalone,notwithout
Godandnotwithoutothers.
SomaybeNewYear’sResolutionsareabad
ideafromthestart.PerhapsNewYear’sPrayers
shouldbeourinitiativethisJanuary.Ifwestart
with“Godhelpmetocutdownonmyintakeof
foodthisyear,”werecognizetheproblemthat
so far is besting us, and we already have the
chiefsupportweneedonourside.ButGod’s
graceusuallyworksthroughothers.Thesemay
bedoctors,cooks,spouses,supportgroupmembers,understandingandencouragingfriends,
themakersofLeanCuisine,andthebetfrom
yourcompetitivebrother-in-law.
RelationshipsareanareawhereGod’sgrace
soughtfromthestartthroughprayerisessential.
Prayingtogetalongbetterinthecomingyear
withthemother-in-law,theadultsibling,orthe
rebelliouschildhelpsustobeginwiththeone
who must change first, our self. Prayer shows
usourdependenceuponGodandouroneness
withtheother.Itisaschoolofhumility,patience
and perseverance. As we learn through our
communionwithGodtobethegoodpersonwe
wanttobe,ourimproveddisposition,complete
with smile and friendly tone, may just spark
areciprocalresponsetograceinourpersonal
most difficult other.
Having already broken a few of our New
Year’sResolutions,itmaybetimetostartalist
ofNewYear’sPrayers.
Father John Carville
Associate Publisher
Laura Deavers
Exec. Ed./Gen. Mgr.
Debbie Shelley
Assistant Editor
Bishop Robert W. Muench
Publisher
The Catholic Commentator
(ISSN 07460511; USPS 093-680)
Published bi-weekly (every other week) by the Catholic Diocese of Baton
Rouge,1800 South Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.
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changes to The Catholic Commentator, P.O. Box 14746,
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Wanda L. Koch
Advertising Manager
Penny G. Saia
Advertising Sales
Jeanne R. Patin
Secretary/Circulation
Lisa Disney
Advertising Secretary
Divine dullness:
Usual images
of heaven don’t
impress Christians
by
John Thavis
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY — A
recentsermonbythepapal
preacher, Capuchin Father
RanieroCantalamessa,took
aim at John Lennon’s famousline,“Imaginethere’s
noheaven,”sayingitrepresentedanempty,secularized
visionofhumandestiny.
But an Italian biblicist,
Father Carlo Buzzetti, has
approached the question
fromadifferentangle:The
modern church, he said,
doesalousyjobimagining
what heaven is like and
communicating it to the
faithful.
Most Catholics, Father
Buzzetti said, understand
heavenasavagueplaceof
eternalsurvival,wherehappinesscanbecomemonotonousandwheretheabsence
of human passions creates
an“anemic”atmosphere.
In other words, boring.
And if heaven is seen as a
dull routine of perpetual
bliss, how can it possibly
stimulate people to live a
goodandmorallifeinthis
world?
FatherBuzzettiposedthe
questions in a long article
in a recent issue of Italian
Clergy Review. He based
his analysis on extensive
discussions with pastors,
who told him the traditionalimagesofheaven–a
visionofGod,abanquetor
eternalrepose–weremaking little or no impression
onmodernChristians.
Most people, in fact,
seem to relate more to the
conceptofpurgatory,where
sinnersatonefortheirfaults
in a final reckoning, than
toaparadisethatlacksany
sense of interior struggle,
hesaid.
Throughout the ages,
Christian pictorial representations of heaven, with
placidrowsofangels,have
alwaysseemedblandcompared to the interesting if
gruesomegoings-oninhell
orpurgatory.
The Bible, Father Buzzettipointedout,haslittle
to say about heaven, and
most of its references to
paradiseareinimages:life,
the feast or the heavenly
Jerusalem.
The Catechism of the
Catholic Church says the
lack of specific description
is part of the point: The
“mystery of blessed communion with God and all
whoareinChristisbeyond
all understanding” (No.
1027).
But Father Buzzetti arguedthatthisvisionisunlikelytofascinateorattract
anyone –which itshould,
ifreachingparadiseisstill
a goal for contemporary
Christians.
Onemajorproblemwith
heavenintheeyesofmany
Christians is the idea that
family ties, particularly
marriage,nolongercount.
According to the Gospels,
Jesustoldhisdisciplesthat
those in paradise neither
marry nor are given in
marriage, but will be like
angels.Thathasledmany
to assume people married
inthislifewillbecomefree
agents in the next.
ButFatherCantalamessa
took a different view in a
commentary last fall. He
said Christ’s words leave
open the possibility that
marriage – like friendship
orfamilyrelations–willbe
transfigured, not nullified,
inheaven.
Even spouses whose
marriages were difficult
andthesourceofsuffering
may find that, in heaven,
thedefectsdropawayand
true love is experienced for
the first time, Father Cantalamessasaid.
Father Buzzetti took a
similarviewandsaidmore
peopleneedtounderstand
thatheavenisnotemotionally sterile. Many people,
hesaid,viewtheprospect
of losing relationships of
loveandfriendshipasterribly sad and not at all
See VATICAN page 9
family life
5
Qualities of Christ are essential in marriage, Fontenot says
by
Debbie Shelley
Assistant Editor
The qualities of Christ are modeled
through the sacrament of marriage as
the couple learns about forgiveness,
reconciliation and the expression
of love, said Brenda Fontenot, who
will be presenting, with her husband
Randy, a program on the five love
languages Thursdays, Feb. 1 and 8
at Immaculate Conception Church,
Denham Springs.
The Fontenots serve as mentors for
married couples at Immaculate Conception, and have served as the head
couple of World Marriage Day at Most
Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Baton
Rouge, for the past two years.
Fontenot said that the best model of
marriage is Ephesians 5, in which it is
written, “For this reason a man shall
leave his father and mother and shall
cling to his wife, and the two shall be
made into one.”
However, the process of two individuals becoming one is something
that is accomplished through God’s
grace, according to Fontenot, who
further stated that factors come into
play in marriage, such as in-laws,
money, children, sex and God that
can complicate the process of becoming one.
Since spouses have different attitudes and perceptions of how to
Your Family
by Bill and Monica Dodds
When the
honeymoon is over
By now Valentine’s Day goods
have been on store shelves for weeks.
Overnight, Santa’s little helpers packed
up all red-and-green items and tossed
them in the “Sale!” bins, and Cupid
magically stocked all kinds of Valentine-themed treats and gifts.
Or so it seems.
Yes, we all complain about how
early a holiday, even one based on a
holy day, is marketed, but − apparently
− we also buy a lot of merchandise long
before the actual date. Marketing gurus
know that the day after the big day
we’re ready to say “so long” to the old
and move on to the new.
At times it’s more than a little tempting to do the same with relationships,
jobs − and New Year’s resolutions.
In each of those examples and
countless others, it isn’t long before the
honeymoon is over − before, to one degree or another, the thrill is gone. Day
in and day out, most of life is “day in
and day out.” What once delighted us
with its novelty can quickly become
the ordinary.
Who hasn’t noticed the slight tremble in a bride’s voice the first, few times
she introduces the man she has married? “This is my, stammer, blush, grin,
gush, husband!” The groom sounds
pretty much the same. “This is my, deep
breath, wide eyes, wife!”
Couples blessed with long, happy
marriages know that falling in love
is easy. It’s an emotion. A feeling. But
living in love takes work. It’s a virtue,
a God-given grace that each spouse accepts, nurtures and relies on to become
a better husband, a better wife. It’s a
solid foundation that helps them learn
how to − as a couple − weather the
many storms that every family faces.
Couples also know it isn’t love alone
that makes a marriage successful.
There’s another virtue that is needed
as the years roll by, a virtue that also
helps us stick with our jobs. It’s perseverance.
It’s what a husband and wife mean
when they pledge, even when, obviously, they have no idea of what is headed
their way, “I promise to be true to you
in good times and in bad, in sickness
and in health. I will love you and honor
you all the days of my life.”
Three on Perseverance
− “But as for the seeds that fell on
rich soil, they are the ones who, when
they have heard the word, embrace it
with a generous and good heart, and
bear fruit through perseverance” (Lk
8:15).
− “He greatly deceives himself who
thinks that prayer perfects one without perseverance and obedience” (St.
Francis de Sales, 1567-1622; feast day
Jan. 24).
− “Perseverance is not a long race; it
is many short races one after another”
(Father Walter Elliot, American author,
1842-1948).
On the Web: A Booster Shot for
Your Marriage
Looking for ways to make your marriage better? Check out: World Wide
Marriage Encounter (www.wwme.
org/new.html), Retrouvaille (www.
retrouvaille.org), and the Pastoral Solutions Institute (www.exceptionalmarriages.com).
Your local retreat center may also
host a day or weekend for couples.
solve problems, which are influenced
by their families and their experiences
growing up, conflicts can easily arise.
As an example, Fontenot said a husband may have grown up in a large
family which spent money frugally.
The wife may have grown up in a
family where she was an only child
and her parents were not as concerned
about keeping track of expenses. The
struggle that the couple will likely
face will be in the financial area.
“People come to the marriage with
a suitcase of what was modeled to
them by their family, and yet all of a
sudden the two individuals are expected to come together magically,”
Fontenot said.
She listed “life lines” that a couple
must utilize to keep their marriage
strong. These include prayer, which
she said should be the first utilized,
open and honest communication, a
sacred sexual relationship, a good
support system and regular re-evaluation of their relationship.
Furthermore, a person should communicate love in a way that his or her
spouse understands, which Fontenot
said is speaking the spouse’s “love
language.” The five love languages
include physical touch, service,
quality time, words of affirmation
and gift giving. Those attending the
Fontenot’s first class will have a test
to take home that will identify what
their ’s and their spouse’s love languages are. During the second class,
the attendees will learn how to apply
the love language principal.
It is very important, Fontenot
stressed, that spouses express love to
each other in their spouse’s love language in order to be understood.
“Many times, we love a person the
way that we would want to be loved
rather than in the way our spouse
wants to be loved in their love language,” Fontenot said.
She said that the more information
a couple attains to help their marriage, such as learning what are the
good qualities of a marriage, the five
lifelines and five love languages of
marriage, the better their relationship
will be. She encouraged couples to
attend marriage encounter weekends,
retreats and marriage enrichment
programs.
While acquiring the tools to
strengthen their marriage, Brenda
Fontenot emphasized that the couple
should recognize marriage as Christ’s
deeper calling for their lives. Each
spouse should see that they are called
See FAMILY page 9
6
news
Question Corner
by Father John Dietzen
Where is the kingdom of God?
Q.
A
priest
visiting our parish during Advent
spoke about the kingdom of
God and said it is here and
now present on earth. But in
the Our Father we pray that
the kingdom will come. What
Diocese of Baton Rouge
Catholic Charismatic
Renewal
For information concerning prayer
meetings and other events
call (225) 767-2035 or (225) 346-8873.
exactly is the kingdom of God
or the kingdom of heaven?
(Texas)
A. Yours is a good question, shared by many Catholics
and other Christians. And it’s
an important one. The Gospels,
Matthew in particular, speak of
the kingdom as a basic reality
of our faith, which frames and
forms our relationship with
God here and in eternity.
One source of confusion
is that the kingdom of God,
or of heaven, is a rather fluid
term in the New Testament.
Jesus never actually defines it.
Rather, he alludes to it with a
variety of images and stories
that give us something of a
multicolored description of
what he means.
The kingdom of which
Jesus speaks is, first of all,
not a place. Nor is it a static,
unchanging condition, something finally finished here or
perhaps even in the future.
God’s reign, his loving rule
over all creation, is active and
full of life, constantly at work
in everything he continually is
creating.
Nor is this kingdom something new. God always has
been Lord of the universe and
of our human family. From
the beginning of his public life
Jesus declares that the rule of
God is now; we must reform
our lives to recognize his reign,
to re-establish the harmony of
creation destroyed by sin.
In fact, as I said above, the
core of Christ’s Gospel (“good
news”) is that this God whose
reign we honor is a gracious,
loving, merciful and joyful
Father who is revealed in the
life and words of his Son, as in
the great parables of the lost
sheep and the lost coin, and
the prodigal son (Lk 15).
The heart of the kingdomof-God theme, therefore, is
this conviction that the infinite
mystery surrounding us is an
ongoing presence that allows
Jesus to urge us to trust, not to
be afraid. Whatever happens,
we are sure of the Father’s benevolent presence and power
active in the world.
As the preface of the feast
of the Kingship of Christ puts
it, the kingdom he proclaims is
one of justice, love and peace.
All these are active, ongoing
realities that, at least here,
are never totally perfect, are
always moving toward fuller
realization.
Finally, the New Testament indicates often that this
kingdom, this compassionate
and magnanimous presence
of God, is not something we
merit or “build” by our own
initiative and strength. It is his
work, a pure gift to his people
when they try to live as a faithful and loving community.
When we look at it this way,
as part of the mystery of God’s
creating love, perhaps we can
understand a bit better how
the reign of God will always be
here and yet always be in some
way in the future, as long as
his lavish creative generosity
continues.
The spiritual value of this
remarkable insight from Jesus
is endless. The more we are
aware of the power of this
divine rule among us now and
its continuance in eternity, the
greater is our confidence that,
in St. Paul’s words, nothing
can separate us from the love
of God that comes to us in
Christ Jesus our Lord.
spirituality
7
Through her death, Shelby Magee
changed people around the world
by
Phyllis Edwards
Special to the catholic commentator
“Shelby’s doctors sat us down for
the hardest talk that any parent can go
through. These are very compassionate
men and women and it was obvious
in their eyes and voices, the pain they
had in telling us that they have done
everything medically possible for
Shelby, but she has not responded as
she should have.”
Posted on a “caringbridge” website
from Children’s Hospital in Little Rock,
Ark., Ken and Jennifer Magee told the
world of the bleak outlook for their
daughter and asked for continued
prayers. A few days later they were
Spirituality for Today
by Father John Catoir
Ten Common
misunderstandings
1. St. Patrick was Irish.
Not so! He was born in Roman-occupied Britain early in the fifth century
and as a boy was kidnapped by Irish pirates who used him as a slave. He eventually escaped, returned to England and
was ordained a priest. He courageously
answered God’s call to return to return
to Ireland to convert the heathens who
captured him.
2. The bishops are all “yes” men.
If that were true, why do the all the
feminists, the gay lobby and countless
others protest against them for saying
“no” all the time to their agendas? The
truth is that bishops answer to a higher
calling, which isn’t always popular.
3. The Catholic Church has billions
of dollars hidden in reserve.
Admittedly, the church in some
countries is land rich, but it is usually
dirt-poor in terms of cash flow. Until
recent years the Vatican routinely has
finished each year with a substantial
deficit. The late Cardinal John Krol of
Philadelphia helped to set up a foundation to help the Holy See manage
and stabilize its finances. Things have
improved since then.
4. The Catholic Church in America
engages in for-profit businesses that
make millions of dollars every year.
That’s totally false! The IRS immediately would remove the tax-exempt
status of any church or synagogue that
did such a thing. If the church is so
rich, why does it borrow from banks to
build churches? Why incur the interest
charge?
5. The Eucharist is merely a symbol
of Christ.
This ancient heresy denies the truth
of the real presence of the risen Christ.
Under the appearance of bread and
wine, Jesus Christ is present at every
Mass. The sacrament of the Eucharist
has sustained billions of believers down
through the centuries.
6. One person’s beliefs are as good
as another’s.
Not true. When Hitler, Stalin and
Mother Teresa stand in judgment before
God, I believe the idea that they are all
equal because they followed their consciences will not work.
7. “It’s my body. I can do anything I
want with it.”
This belief is a dangerous illusion.
Life is consequential. You can jump off
the Empire State Building if you want
to, but only once. You can take drugs
if you want to, but keep in mind that
the addiction to drugs has ruined millions of lives and scattered millions of
families.
8. Sexual pleasure is sinful.
Wrong! How could that be true in
view of the fact that sexual pleasure
in marriage is a sacred gift of God, designed to comfort the couple and bring
new life to the world? Sin only enters
when this gift is abused or misused.
9. The priesthood is a gay profession.
Not true. The vast majority of priests
have struggled to answer God’s calling,
despite their strong, natural desires to
marry and have a family. The fact that
homosexuals are also called by God to
be priests does not make the priesthood
a gay profession. Every priest dedicates
his life to serve as a mediator between
God and the human family. The priesthood is a calling from God, not a mere
profession.
10. The spiritual life consists in individual betterment.
Some people think that paying assiduous attention to only their own
soul will make them holy. However,
the spiritual life involves the free and
unconditional response of a person to
the call of the Holy Spirit, no matter
what the cost. We are subject to the
Holy Spirit’s reality and claim upon us.
Christ’s entire life was an example of
with Shelby, holding her hands, when
their worst fears were realized. On Jan.
17, at 3:30 a.m., Shelby quietly and gently passed into God’s loving arms.
The Magees asked the world for
prayers for their daughter, Shelby, because her plight had become known to
people around the world, from as far
away as Scotland and as close as her
own hometown of Central, La. She has
become a lightning rod for faith, prayer,
and reconciliation, even conversion.
Her tragic story is one of sadness and,
at the same time, inspiration.
Just a little over a month ago, Shelby
was a healthy, happy, vibrant seventh
grader going to school at Central
Middle and doing the things 14-yearold girls do. She was enjoying life with
her brothers Timmy, 11, a fifth grader at
St. Alphonsus School, and Kenny, 16, a
tenth grader at Central High.
Her family is active in St. Alphonsus
Ligouri Church where Ken is a coach
at St. Alphonsus School and a member
of the church choir, along with Jennifer
and Timmy. Jennifer is also an RCIA
sponsor and a member of LIMEX
(Loyola Institute for Ministry), pursuing certification in ministry through
Loyola University. Both Jennifer and
Shelby Magee
Ken grew up in Central and believed
that its close-knit community was
the place to raise their family. They
considered themselves blessed – life
was good. And then life threw them
a curve.
On Dec. 15, 2006, Shelby began running fever. After visits to the doctor,
antibiotics and shots, she was no better.
Blood tests showed nothing but X-rays
revealed a haze on her lungs. Within
hours of entering Our Lady of the Lake
Hospital in Baton Rouge, Shelby was
transferred to the PICU (Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit). Her parents found
themselves in a curtained-off section
of the PICU, surrounded by machines
and attended by a flurry of physicians,
nurses, pulmonologists, cardiologists,
See SPIRITUALITY page 14
8
our catholic community
Dr. Francis Vanderwall
Lenten Presentation
The Passion,
Death &
Resurrection
of Jesus
Six Consecutive Mondays
March 19
March 26
April 2
Feb. 26
March 5
March 12
6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Catholic Life Center
1800 South Acadian Thruway
Baton Rouge
$40.00 per person
15 Intermediate Credit Hours
St. Joseph Cathedral will host a concert by the St. Thomas Church Choir
of New York City Wednesday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. The choir has performed
internationally and won many awards. Photo provided by St. Joseph Cathedral
St. Thomas Church Choir to
perform at St. Joseph Cathedral
The St. Thomas Church Choir of
New York City, will perform at 7:30
p.m., Wednesday, March 7 at St. Joseph Cathedral, 412 North St., Baton
Rouge.
The choir is an ensemble of the Anglican musical tradition in the U.S. It
has performed in cathedrals of Europe
and with leading symphony orchestras
in the U.S., including concerts at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. It has
also served as the Choir in Residence at
Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, in addition to having won numerous awards throughout
the U.S. and Europe.
This concert is a program of the St.
Joseph Cathedral Concert Series. Tickets are $30 each.
For information on purchasing tickets, call St. Joseph Cathedral at 225-3875928, weekdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
The purpose of this course is to explain in some detail
what the evangelists intended and conveyed to their audience by the narratives of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus, of course, did not write the accounts of his last
days. Four evangelists did.
As a result, we have four different accounts written
many years after the events recorded, from an intervening
generation or generations of teaching and preaching.
This will be detailed, line by line, study of all four passions and Easter narratives.
Enclosed is my payment, check #
MAIL TO:
Office of Christian Formation, Diocese of Baton Rouge,
P.O. Box 2028, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-2028
225-336-8760 • FAX 225-336-8731 • [email protected]
Name:
Church Parish:
Mailing Address:
City: Zip:
E-mail: Phone:
Registration deadline is Monday, Feb. 19.
PARTNERS IN SAFETY − Holy Ghost School hosted a fire safety inservice instructed by the Hammond Fire Department. Firefighters taught
school staff members about the proper use of a fire extinguisher. Holy
Ghost teacher Susan Zewe recognized firefighters Ronnie Schillace and
Ritchie Neal for their dedication to the fire department. A video was shown
of the Hammond Fire Department serving the community. Displaying some
of the materials and equipment presented during the in-service are, from
left, Tricia Jarratt, Mary Beth Crossie, Valerie Relan, Schillace, Shannon
Jordan and Neal. Photo provided by Holy Ghost School
The Catholic Commentator contains
your Catholic community news!
our catholic community
YALE GLEE CLUB − The Yale Glee Club performs at St. Aloysius Church as part of its
2007 winter tour. The Glee Club’s repertoire includes a broad spectrum of choral music from
the 16th century to the present, including Renaissance motets, contemporary choral works,
world folk music and traditional Yale songs. In its 146-year history, the choir has grown from
a group of 13 men of the class of 1863 to an 80-voice chorus of men and women. Jeffery
Doumas is the seventh director of the Glee Club. Photo by Debbie Shelley
Family
From page 5
to be Christ for one another, which she referred to
as “the priestology of marriage.” Through resolution
of conflicts, reconciliation and
expressions of love, a couple
is creating a refuge of safety
for themselves.
“A good haven to come to
when the world falls apart,
that’s what a good marriage
is,” Fontenot said.
A good marriage not only
strengthens the couple, but it
serves as a pillar for the family and the church.
Speaking of the family,
Fontenot said, “We are an
outward sign of God’s grace.
We are the first one to give
our children unconditional
love.”
Fontenot concluded that
model of a good marriage as
called for by Christ is a model
of how Christians should be
living their lives, supporting
each other on the journey to
heaven.
“We are holy. Through the
sacrament of marriage we
help one another to get to
heaven,” stated Fontenot.
places of celestial merriment
or eternal fire.
The best way to imagine
heaven, he said, is to reflect
on the happiness one feels
when doing good. He characterized paradise as “neither
an abstraction nor a place in
the clouds, but a living, personal relationship with the
Trinity.”
Pope Benedict XVI explored the topic eloquently in
a 2001 book, “God Is Near Us:
The Eucharist, the Heart of
Life.” Many modern men and
women find heaven unimaginable, and without any kind
of mental picture it becomes
an abstraction, he said. More-
over, the thought of endlessly
continuing one’s existence
strikes them as being “condemned to boredom.”
But it’s still a basic human
drive to expect something
greater from the next life, he
said, and one of the deepest
yearnings is for justice.
In this sense, he suggested
heaven may be envisioned
as the place where innocent people no longer suffer,
where the strongest no longer
win all the arguments, where
“all the luck in the world” no
longer drops into the laps of
the guilty, and where gossip,
cruelty and misery come to an
end.
Vatican
From page 4
paradisiacal.
The church, he said, needs
to urgently find a way to describe heaven in a “simple,
accessible and imaginable”
way that builds on the positive things in earthly existence. Pastors should explain
to the faithful that this life
will be present in the next
life, in a way that infancy is
present in the life of an adult,
he said.
Describing heaven is a
challenge, even for popes.
In a series of talks in 1999,
Pope John Paul II set aside
the traditional geography
of the afterlife. Heaven and
hell exist, he said, but not as
9
10
news
In the new church, the baptismal font is to the left of the sanctuary so that all can see when the Church
welcomes a new member through baptism. Water flows from the baptismal bowl, down the front of the font into
a baptismal pool that is in front of the font. Steps go down into the pool for those who wish to be baptized by
submersion. In the statue of the Holy Family on the wall behind the baptismal font, Jesus reaches up to touch
Mary’s face.
Above, Father Michael Collins waits
while Bishop Robert Muench blesses the
water in the baptismal font which will be
used to bless the people and the church.
Father Tom Ranzino, one of the masters of
ceremony, assists the bishop. Right, three
deacons use the Paschal Candle to light
candles that were used to light the candles
that are at the four corners of the church.
The four candles, mounted on brass
crosses, will stay as a permanent reminder
to the faithful to spread God’s light.
Church
From page 1
Spirit. “This is where we can celebrate new born life,
acts of confession, forming new families in marriage,
where can come to the table of the Lord to celebrate in
word and sacrifice, where we gather to say farewell to
those we love, and where we anoint the sick.”
The bishop said he hoped everyone had a sense of
pride in what has been accomplished.
“I pray that God is working in and through you in his
continuous work of conversion and evangelization,”
the bishop instructed. This will be achieved
by taking out of the church what is received
in the church. “This will allow us to grow
in faith so we can have the person of Jesus
within us. We bring that presence of Jesus where we live,” to
share with others, the bishop
continued.
Following the church’s ritual
for dedicating a new house of
God, Bishop Muench blessed the
holy water in the baptismal font,
which is to the right of the sanctuary. Water flows from a metal bowl
that resembles a sugar kettle, down
the front of the marble baptismal font
into a small rectangular pool in the
floor at the base of font. On the wall
behind the baptismal font is a statue of the
Holy Family.
Bishop Muench and Father Collins then
walked throughout the church blessing the
people and the building with holy water.
After praying the litany of saints, the bishop
poured holy oil onto the altar and then rubbed it
into the wood. Holy oil was used to bless the
four corners of the church.
The anointing of the altar and walls
of the church with Sacred
Chrism, the holy oil that is
used, makes the altar a symbol of Christ, the Anointed
One, for the Father anointed Him with the Holy spirit
and constituted Him the
High Priest, so that on the
altar of His body He might
offer the sacrifice of His life
for the salvation of all. The
anointing of the church signifies
that it is given over entirely and perpetually to Christian
worship. In keeping with liturgical tradition, there are
12 anointings (or four) as a symbol that the church is an
image of the holy city of Jerusalem.
The altar and church were incensed to signify that
Christ’s sacrifice ascends to God as an odor of sweetness and also to signify that the people’s prayers rise up
pleasing and acceptable, reaching the throne of God. The
insensation of the nave of the church indicates that the
dedication makes it a house of prayer, but the people of
God are incensed first, because they are the living temple,
in which each member is a spiritual altar.
Following the incensation of the
altar and church, four candles were lit
from the Paschal candle. These candles
were used to light the four candles
mounted on brass crosses, which were
also at the four corners.
At this point in the service, the lights
in the church were turned on, calling
attention to the beginning of the
sacrifice of the Mass.
Flooded with light,
the sacristy was filled
with activity as flower
arrangements were
placed on
tall wooden stands.
Deacons
brought out the altar
cloth and covered the
altar, indicating that the
altar is where the Eucharistic sacrifice takes place, and
the Lord’s table at which
all God’s people joyously
meet to be refreshed with
divine food, the Body and
Blood of Christ sacrificed.
Candles were placed on the
altar and then the vessels that
would be used for the Body
and Blood of Christ.
Throughout the service
the choir and musicians
provided selections
from the Misa Pacem
Mass by L. Randolph
Babin. Located to the
right of the sacristy, the
choir is only steps away
from their practice room,
which is in the rear of the
church and accessible from
an outside door or through a
door inside the church.
After communion, Bishop
Muench inaugurated the tabernacle when he placed the Holy
Eucharist in it for the first time.
The ceremony concluded as Fr.
Collins held high above his head
the signed statement that the church
belonged to the Most Blessed Sacrament
Church Parish and had been dedicated Jan. 21,
2007.
As the liturgical ministers began to exit the church,
a bagpiper began to play to the great joy and surprise
of Fr. Collins, who was born in Ireland and has a great
love of bagpipes.
“This is where we can celebrate new born life, acts of
confession, forming new families in marriage, where we
can come to the table of the Lord to celebrate in word and
sacrifice, where we gather to say farewell to those we love,
and where we anoint the sick.”
Top, the gathering space outside the main
body of Most Blessed Sacrament Church
provides a place for parents to quiet their
children during Mass and a place to gather
before and after Mass. Above left, statues of
St. Joseph and Mary, which were in the former Most Blessed Sacrament Church, have
a special place for private prayer. Above
right, Deacon Don Musso lights one of the
four candles, Right, Father Paul Counce, one
of the masters of ceremonies for the dedication, Most Blessed Sacrament trustees
and Father Collins watch as Bishop Muench
signs the papers verifying the new church
has been dedicated. Photos by Laura Deavers
news
11
youth
Rodriguez finds joy in helping others during difficult times
12
by
Debbie Shelley
Assistant Editor
Alicia Rodriguez, a junior at St.
Michael High School, and her family
had only lived in Slidell for two weeks
after moving to the United States from
Maracaibo, Venezuela when Hurricane
Katrina hit. At that time, she could
bring only her essential items as the
family drove to Natchez, Miss. Many
teens who have similarly experienced
the destruction of their material possessions and homes by the hurricane
are still devastated over their loss. But
Rodriguez has a servant’s heart, which
allows her to turn away from thinking
about herself as she looks for ways to
help others.
Rodriguez’ desire to assist others developed when she was a young child, as
she observed her mother, Blanca Perez,
doing many acts of charity, including
working in schools, hospitals and in
poverty stricken communities.
“I grew up in the environment
of community service,” Rodriguez
explained. “My mom was always involved in community service. I remember going with her.”
Maracaibo, Venezuela’s second largest and leading port city, is populated
with people of many different cultures.
As Rodriquez came into contact with
Y outh
Focus
Alicia Rodriguez, 17
Hometown
Baton Rouge
School
St. Michael High School
Parish
Most Blessed Sacrament
these people, she loved learning about
the different lifestyles and perspectives of people from other parts of the
world.
“I love culture, I love learning about
people,” Rodriguez said.
When her step-dad, Hugo Salom,
obtained a job with Wink Engineering,
Inc. of New Orleans, the family moved
to Slidell. The family was still settling
in their home when they were warned
that Hurricane Katrina was going to
hit. Not knowing anyone, and unsure
of what to do, they headed toward Natchez and were one of the first families
to go to a hurricane evacuation shelter
there. Approximately 200 people were
in the shelter.
While her family was only there five
days, Rodriguez said that it “felt like a
month.”
“You didn’t have any privacy. Everyone was sleeping on the floor and
there was only one bathroom for all
the women and one bathroom for all
the men,” stated Rodriguez.
But rather than giving in to self-pity,
Rodriguez sought ways to help. As
donations of toys, clothing and other
necessities came in, she helped organize them.
A few days later, Rodriguez’ stepdad was notified that Wink Engineering was moving its headquarters to
Baton Rouge. Rodriguez’ family came
to Baton Rouge and stayed with the
family of a co-worker of her step-dad
for a month, then bought their home.
Even though Rodriguez’ family
is resettled and Alicia enjoys being a
student at St. Michael High School, her
experiences during Hurricane Katrina
made her more empathetic to other’s
needs. She volunteers in the Hispanic
community, teaching children how to
use the computer, and helping people
learn English. She also volunteers at
different nursing homes. As she participated in the nursing homes’ Christmas
parties, she said she loved to see the expression of joy on the residents’ faces.
“Old people are very wise, they
know a lot about life,” said Rodriguez.
A group of people that Rodriguez
particularly wants to help is the victims of Hurricane Katrina. When the
school organized a mission trip to New
Orleans last October to help clean out
storm-damaged homes, Rodriguez
went eagerly. The students worked
from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., tearing down
walls and pulling debris out of four
homes. She said there were places in the
houses where water had been standing
since the hurricane.
Rodriguez stated that the experiences of that trip profoundly impacted
her life. She said the owners of the
homes were present with the students,
searching and asking for the students’
help in finding items.
“They were looking for specific
things in the whole mess,” Rodriguez
said. “That threw me off, it was sad.”
She said the students were occasionally lucky in finding the items the
owners were looking for.
St. Michael will be hosting another
mission trip to New Orleans in February, and Rodriguez said she is anxious
to go.
“I feel the need to help these people,”
Rodriguez said. “When you go to New
Orleans and do hard work, you feel like
you’ve accomplished something important, you’re helping people out.”
She smiled, adding, “I told my Mom
that I wanted to do something like this
for several years.”
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK PROCLAMATION − Gonzales Mayor
John Berthelot signs a proclamation designating the week of Jan. 28 – Feb.
3 as Catholic Schools Week. Witnessing the signing of the proclamation are
St. Theresa of Avila School students, from left, front row, Mary Abshire,
Cole Petite; middle row, Sean Fekete, Kylee Bercegeay; back row, St.
Theresa Development Director Barbara Melancon, Dillon LeBlanc, Jeanne
Logarbo and eighth-grade parent Troy Logarbo. Photo provided by St. Theresa
of Avila School
youth
The Catholic Commentator •January 31, 2007
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13
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BASKETBALL CHAMPS – The Our Lady of Mercy eighth-grade boys CSAL basketball
team defeated St. Aloysius to become champions of the 2007 Holy Family basketball
tournament. Gathering around the first-place trophy are, from left, front row, Mark Fritchie,
Michael Beal, Nicholas Richard, Andrew Simpson; back row, Coach Jeff Decoteau, Blake
Middleton, Chase Dunlap, Wil Simmons, Ryne Killmer, Nicholas Harrison, Cory Ferrara and
Coach Alan Lahr. Photo provided by Melissa Fritchie
Y outh
Beat
Four St. Michael the Archangel High School
students are named to the All District First
Team for volleyball. They include junior Gina
Gill, sophomore Jasmine Scott, sophomore Carol Lee Constantin and senior
Kimberly West. Gill was also named Most
Valuable Player for the district.
œœœ
St. Joseph School in Ponchatoula secondgrade student Claire Chapin Perilloux
won the Community of Caring Award given
by Baton Rouge General Medical Center for
her artwork. Out of 2,500 entries, 96 received
high enough scores to receive this award.
In addition to this award, first, second and
third place was given in each age division.
Perrilloux’s drawing won first place.
œœœ
St. Jude School received top honors at the
Junior Beta Club District Rally at McKinley
Middle Magnet School. Club members took
first-place honors in the Large Group Talent
competition with their skit, “Dancing Through
the Decades.” Individual winners included
Tai Teamer, first place in T-shirt drawing
and creative writing; Gabby Murphy,
first place in public speaking; Trey Davis,
Samantha Guidry, Joseph Ragusa and
Abbey Segura, second place in Quiz Bowl;
and Brea Kleinpeter fourth place in impromptu speech.
SCIENCE EXPERIMENT
− Beth Mercer’s fifth-grade
science class at St. Joseph
School in Pounchatoula
have been studying the
eco systems of various
animals. In order to figure
out the habitat of the owl,
students dissected owl
pellets. Students discovered
skeletons and other object
that proved that owls live
near mice and voles and
other small animals of this
kind. Charting their results
from the experiment are
Adam Poche and Callie
Fulmer. Photo provided by St.
Joseph School
Prayer for My Vocation
Almighty Father, You send the gift of Your Holy Spirit
for the building of Your Kingdom. With the help of this
Spirit, give me the grace to listen to Your call in my life.
Give me strength and courage to do Your will. Grant me
wisdom and humility to choose Your way even when I
find it most difficult. Lord, bless all the faithful in Your
Church who are seeking holiness. But in a special way,
watch over priests, brothers, and sisters. Help them to
give their lives in joyful service that they may be signs
of Your presence among us. We beg You, Father, to fill
our hearts with a burning desire to follow Jesus. May
there be many who offer their lives for the service of
Your Church that all may come to know and love You.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
14
entertainment
M ovie
Reviews
Primeval (Hollywood)
Bloody action thriller about an American television
news crew (Dominic Purcell, Brooke Langton and
Orlando Jones) dispatched to a civil-war ravaged African nation to report on a giant crocodile terrorizing
the locals and to bring the beast back alive with the
help of a seasoned hunter (Jurgen Prochnow) and an
Australian reptile expert (Gideon Emery). Allegedly
inspired by true events, director Michael Katleman’s
mostly suspense-free “Jaws” rip-off is undone by
schlocky effects and a script that tries to wedge socialconscience commentary into its B-movie plot. Much
gory violence, grisly images, recurring rough and
crude language and some sexual humor. L; R
Smokin’ Aces (Universal)
Violent dark action comedy about a mob-connected
Las Vegas conjuror, Buddy “Aces” Israel (Jeremy
Piven), who, having cut a deal to turn witness against
his underworld associates, holes up in a Lake Tahoe,
Nev., casino penthouse waiting to be taken into protective custody by FBI agents (Ryan Reynolds and Ray
Liotta), while a colorful collection of assassins arrives
at the hotel competing for the million-dollar payday
supposedly offered to eliminate Aces before he can
testify. With nods to everyone from Sam Peckinpah
to Quentin Tarantino and John Woo, writer-director
Joe Carnahan’s film, though intended as camp, is nevertheless just videogame-style brutality surrounded
by an absurd, convoluted plot and, troublingly, presented with a hip veneer: popcorn entertainment for
the “Grand Theft Auto” generation. Excessive bloody
violence, brief images of torture, partial nudity, drug
content, objectifying of women, some lesbian innuendo, pervasive rough and sexually crude language,
and some profanity. O;R
The Hitcher (Rogue)
Thriller about two college students (Sophia Bush
and Zachary Knighton) menaced by a homicidal
stranger (Sean Bean) to whom they offer a ride while
driving through New Mexico while on spring break,
subsequently finding themselves framed for the trail
of murders left by the killer. Director Dave Meyers’
remake of the 1986 horror-action movie starts off
promising psychological suspense, but ultimately
follows the original’s predictable road map of bloody
excess and plot implausibility, capped by a flippant act
of violent retribution. Strong graphic and gratuitous
violence, vigilante justice, a shower scene with partial
side nudity, much rough and crude language, and an
instance of profanity. O; R
A-I – general patronage; A-II – adults and
adolescents; A-III – adults; A-IV – adults, with
reservations; L – limited adult audience, films
whose problematic content many adults would
find troubling; O – morally offensive.
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.
The Catholic Communications Campaign’s
nationwide toll-free movie review number is (800)
311-4222.
Spirituality
From page 7
infectious disease doctors, dermatologists and respiratory therapists. Jennifer was distraught, but knew
she had to keep herself together for Shelby’s sake, and
for the rest of the family. She began keeping a journal,
at the suggestion of one of her LIMEX classmates. A
person of strong faith, and a firm believer in prayer,
Jennifer put out the call for prayers for her baby.
As word spread, people started praying for Shelby’s
recovery. Emails, phone calls and visits started flowing
to the PICU. Jennifer said later that just knowing people
were praying gave her the strength to go on.
The infection, thought to be fungal, had spread to
Shelby’s lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys and skin. Because
her blood-oxygen level was low, she was on oxygen.
Jennifer and Ken took turns at the hospital, so the
boys at home would have some sense of stability.
Shelby’s extended family and neighbors kept vigil,
sharing duties and doing whatever else needed doing.
Exhaustion was taking its toll; spirits were low. But
Jennifer and Ken never lost hope, never wavered in
their faith that God would answer their prayers. And
for a while, it seemed that He had.
When Shelby started improving with the treatments, everyone was optimistic. She was weaned off
the breathing machine and even took a few steps. It
was now almost New Year’s Eve, only a few weeks
since Shelby first ran fever.
Then suddenly, without warning, Shelby took a
turn for the worse and was put back on the breathing
machine. Jennifer and Ken again asked for prayers.
By now everybody who knew about Shelby was
storming heaven with pleas for her recovery. Masses,
rosaries, Divine Mercy Chaplets, litanies, and novenas
to St. Jude were said. Shelby was blessed twice with
Blessed Seelos’ relic.
Jennifer’s LIMEX class took over the waiting room,
holding hands and praying for a miracle. They prayed
every day, wherever they were, at the same time. Word
went out on Loyola’s listserv to their LIMEX classes
all over the world, and responses came back: “We’re
joined with you, praying for a miracle.” Dominican
brothers in France put a petition in the grotto of Our
Lady Of Lourdes, asking for intercession. A special
Mass was held at St. Alphonsus, attended by several
hundred family members, friends and classmates, all
praying for a miracle. Everyone was asking God for a
miracle. And there was a miracle – but it would not be
what everyone hoped it would be. Instead, the miracle
would turn out to be Shelby herself.
Jan. 10 doctors determined that Shelby needed to be
put on a heart-lung machine that was only available at
Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. The hospital flew
to Baton Rouge, put her on a heart-lung machine and
flew her back to their PICU.
Jennifer and Ken followed on another flight. Once
there, Ken opened the “caringbridge” website so he
could post updates to Shelby’s condition and visitors
could post messages of prayers and support. It didn’t
take long. Messages started pouring in, as people
learned there was a way to connect with Shelby’s family. Tears flowed as people read each other’s posts and
responded. The Holy Spirit was at work on the Internet
– the guest book became a source of strength, hope,
prayer and inspiration as its messages touched the
hearts of all who read its posts. Faith was evident; love
was a powerful presence, and one could not help but
be moved. It was as if a magnet was drawing all who
came to Shelby’s web site. If you visited once, you had
to go back for another blessing. The miracle of Shelby
was already happening.
Ken put a message on the web site about an event
that happened at OLOL: “Keep us in your prayers.
Every time a group prays together for Shelby, she improves a little. The other day her oxygen in her blood
was running around 80. It should have been around
90. Jennifer’s friends from her LIMEX class came by to
pray. After we all prayed, I told Jennifer, you know, I
bet you her pulse-oxygen has to be at least 93. When
we went to see Shelby (afterwards), her nurse replied,
what were you all doing, praying? Her pulse-ox had
jumped to 95 and was holding steady at 93.”
As one visitor put it: “Shelby’s suffering is teaching
us what God meant by one body, one community, one
family in Him. Miracles happen as a result of love. I
don’t know how Shelby’s miracle will be manifested,
but I see and read the miracle already happening in
the hearts of people from all over the world. Shelby’s
legacy … the Voice of God speaking through her heart
bringing conversion.”
A day after arriving in Arkansas, Shelby suffered
a brain hemorrhage, and was administered the Last
Rites. Doctors did all they could to stabilize her, but
she never regained consciousness. Five days later, her
parents by her side, Shelby slipped peacefully away.
This is not the end of Shelby’s story. Her life and
death have instead marked a beginning and serve as
a beacon of light for others. Hers is a story of faith,
hope and love; she has shown us all how powerful
prayer is.
Shelby’s classmates say they have come closer
together. One wrote in the guest book about the day
they were told of Shelby’s passing: “Today … was one
of the most inspiring days of my life. Shelby showed
us something today. She showed us that we love each
and every person in that church. Shelby brought us
together and now we are so strong as a group that if
anything comes our way we can go through it stronger
than ever.”
Another classmate said that Shelby was a “miracle
to me. She is to our whole class … it is amazing how
one person can change so many people’s lives, she’s
changed mine and all of my friends …”
Parents were touched. One father wrote, “I don’t
think I will ever look at my daughters quite the same
way again, and for that one thing I am very thankful. We just never know how quickly and easily that
which we love so much can be taken away from us
until it happens, and I will do my absolute best to
never squander one second of time that I have with
my kids ever again.”
Through Shelby, many have come to a new realization of themselves and of what God means in their
own lives. And through the faith and love shown by
Ken and Jennifer, many have experienced renewal.
Perhaps it was best said in this post to Shelby’s guest
book, addressed to Jennifer and Ken: “Your family has
brought us all together and showed us what it means to
care about something bigger than ourselves. So many
people have been brought closer to God through your
experience. . . . We have been taught how to pray and
what to pray for. … Thank you for the gift of Shelby
and the gift of yourselves. You mean so much to us.”
Shelby’s last words to her parents were: “Love you.”
These words say it all. They are Shelby’s legacy, and
her miracle.
NOTE: To date, almost 9,000 visitors of all ages have
signed the guest book. If you wish to read Shelby’s guestbook visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/shelbymagee.
Once there, you will be prompted for the password, which
is HOSPITAL.
To help with expenses, friends of the family have opened
an account for Shelby at the Chase Bank, 6627 Sullivan
Rd., Greenwell Springs, LA 70739.
entertainment
On The Record
15
by Charlie Martin
But first, let love out
It’sbeenfouryearssincethe
GooGooDollsputoutanew
disc.Reviewersseemsplitover
this new album. The group’s
edgy, high-energy work is
missed by younger listeners,
whiletheirparents’generation
appreciatesthemoremature,
mellowsound.
Nomatterwhatyourageor
what you think of their currentmusic,theCD’stitlesong
offers listeners much to consider.“LetLoveIn”asksusto
reflect on what we think love
is.Whatoftenpassesforlove
in our society, and certainly
what primarily fills today’s
pop/rock,ismoreakinonlyto
sexualattractionoremotional
dependency.
The song’s character expresses an important insight
aboutlove’struenature:“The
endoffeariswherewebegin
themomentwedecidedtolet
love in.” He is right, but he
doesn’tgofarenough.It’snot
justlettingloveinthatmatters,
butlettingloveout.
Sohowdoyouaccomplish
this, that is, let love out? As
with many choices that define
who we are and why we are
on this earth, take specific and
smallsteps.
First, practice kindness
toward everyone you know.
Evenwhenotherstalkpoorly
about you or put you down,
refusetorespondwithspiteto
theirattitude.Justwalkaway.
Next, don’t judge others.
Remember, that is God’s job.
Intelligence,socialskills,good
looks or plenty of money do
notdetermineanyone’svalue.
Treatothersasyourequaleven
iftheyaredifferentfromyou.
Reach out to those whom
New to the
area or
located to
a different
church parish?
Stop by your
parish office to
become a member
of your church.
Let Love In
You wait, wanting this world;
To let you in; And you stand
there; A frozen light; In dark
and empty streets; You smile
hiding behind; A God-given
face; But I know you’re so
much more; Everything they
ignore; Is all that I need to
see
you need; That’s all we need
to say; I’ll take my chances
while; You take your time
with; This game you play;
But I can’t control your soul;
You need to let me know; You
leaving or you gonna stay
Refrain:
You’re the only one I ever
believed in; The answer that
could never be found; The
moment you decided to let
love in; Now I’m banging on
the door of an angel; The end
of fear is where we begin;
The moment we decided to
let love in
There’s nothing we can do
about;
The things we have to do
without; The only way to feel
again; Is let love in
I wish; Wishing for you to find
your way; And I hold on for all
Hear me; Wanting this world
to let you in
(Repeat refrain.)
There’s nothing we can do
about; The things we have to
live without; The only way to
see again; Is let love in
Sung by Goo Goo Dolls
Copyright © 2006 by Warner Bros/Wea
mostofyourfriendsexclude.
Forexample,attempttogreet
and talk with that student
in your school who doesn’t
speak English very well. Or
spendtimewiththosewhoare
mentallychallenged.Further,
choosetohavelunchwiththat
girlorguynoonewantstosit
with.
Asyoudothesethings,will
yourfriendsthinkthatyou’ve
lostit?Perhaps,butthosewho
have decided to let love out
don’tallowothers’opinionsto
diminishthecaringthatthey
canbringtothisworld.
Areyoulikelytogethurtif
youlovesofreely?Assuredly!
Should you let the fear of
thishurtkeepyoufromgiving
whatdwellswithinyou?Only
youcandecide.
Each of us is made in the
image and likeness of God,
theOnewhomanifestsperfect
love.Thus,guesswhat’sinside
you?That’sright,lotsandlots
oflove!
Jesustoldus:“Youarethe
light for the world.” Your
choicesandactionsrevealhow
muchlightyouarewillingto
shine into the world around
you.
Your comments are always
welcome. Please address: Charlie
Martin, 7125 W 200 S, Rockport,
Ind. 47635, or email: chmartin@
swindiana.net.
Copyright © 2007 Catholic
News Service/U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops
Shane T. Bennett, CPA, CVA
A Professional Accounting Corporation
• Income Taxes
• Monthly Bookkeeping
• Business Valuation
3752 North Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Ph. 225-343-4715, FAX 225-343-4726
[email protected]
ACROSS
1 TransportforPeterand
Andrew
5 WorkbyMichelangelo
10 Bookkeeper(abbr.)
14 Wan
15 Parsleyplant
16 “…___andfemalehe
createdthem.”(Gn1:27)
17 Slylook
18 Moreinnocent
19 Topcards
20 PrayertoMary
22 Nihil____
24 Finishthecake
25 Medicalcondition
26 Seaman
30 Genesisweather
31 Employs
32 Pear
33 ____ofmanycolors
37 Letterletters
38 Sponsorship
39 Exhort
40 Repast
41 Takesadvantageof
42 HorselikeAfricanmammal
43 RiverincentralEurope
44 SisterofMoses
45 Round
49 “…andinJesusChrist,His
only___…”
50 Flyanaircraft
51 ____hens
56 Ones,inBerlin
57 Churchsections
59 Canalorlake
60 Forfearthat
61 Cuts
62 Eli’suniversity
63 Romanday
64 Bestofagroup
65 Search
DOWN
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Hosea,formerly
Attentiongetter
Novice
Officeofthepope
Accustom
LandofSt.Patrick
Literarymonogram
Vigorousexercises
Gather
Desertplants
Wedge
Irritablyimpatient
Adamdonation,andmore
“Sonof”inHebrew
PlaceofrestforAbraham
SonofNoah
ItbecomestheBloodof
Christ
MedievalSpanishchest
Churchsounder
Radioanswer
Attackonallsides
Onewhoprompts
Urbiet____
SiteoftheTajMahal
Side
Avisitwiththepope
Bluishwhitemetallic
element
Notin
Sweetdessert
Regina____
Likesomewalls
Washlightly
Throws
Whattheapostlesdidwhile
JesusprayedintheGarden
107,toNero
Symbolonthepapalflag
Dies ____
RiverMosesturnedtoblood
Nerd
____SaintsDay
Solution on page 18
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Notary in Office
viewpoint
Voice your opinion
about Louisiana’s future
16
HaveyougivenyouropinionaboutwhatLouisianashould
do about traffic, or coastal erosion, or jobs, or improving the
state’seconomy?Itisnotoftenthatcitizensareaskedtogive
theiropinionaboutsuchtopicsandknowthatwhattheysay
isgoingtobeusedtomakeourstatebetter.
LouisianaSpeaksisgivingpeopleachancetobepartof
establishingaplanforLouisiana’sfuture.LouisianaSpeaksis
a multifacetedplanningprocess,endorsedbytheLouisiana
RecoveryAuthority,todevelopasustainable,long-termvision
forSouthLouisianainthewakeofthedestructioncaused
byhurricanesKatrinaandRita.LouisianaSpeaksisalsoa
chanceforpeople’svoicestobeheardona25-year,long-term
planthatwillserveasaframeworktoguideland-useand
economicdevelopmentplanning,spendingprioritiesand
governmentpoliciesregardingtransportation,economicdevelopment,coastalrestorationandmaintainingqualitycommunities.
AsLouisianafacesalloftheissuesthathavecomeabout
followingthedevastationcausedbyhurricanesKatrinaand
Rita,Louisianianshavetheopportunity,andindeedtheresponsibility,tosetaplanofrecoveryandredevelopmentso
ourcitizenswillhavealloftherightstheyareentitledashumanbeings.
Morethan2500citizenshaveparticipatedinLouisiana
Speaksworkshopdesignedtoprovideinformationonwhat
isimportanttorecoveryandhowthepeoplewantLouisiana
toadvancetowardthisrecoveryandhealingsoLouisianais
safer,cleanerandmoreprosperous.
Citizensareconcernedaboutreclaimingthecoastline.In
the20thcentury,1.2millionacresoftheLouisianacoastline
were lost and another 817,000 acres is projected to be lost in
thenext50yearsifnothingisdonetostopcoastalerosion.
TheleveesalongtheMississippiRiverandthecanalsin
NewOrleansfailedin2005.Opinionsvaryonwhatshouldbe
donetoprotectthelandshieldedbytheselevees,butsomethingmustbedone.
Louisianafallsbehindtherestofthenationineducation,
incomeandhealthcare.Manyofourcitizenshavemovedto
other states to find better education and employment opportunities.Decisionshavetobemadeonwhatkindsofindustry
Louisiana needs to attract so her citizens will have good jobs
inahealthyenvironment.
Louisianabeingconstantlycriticizedforitsroadsandtraffic is a mandate that something has to be done to alleviate
theseproblems.Knowingittakesyearstobuildnewtransportationinfrastructures,planningforthefutureneedsto
beginnow.Wherepeopleliveinthenext50yearswillbedeterminedbythetypeoftransportationavailabletothem.
LouisianaSpeakscompiledtheissuespeopleexpressedby
those participating in the workshop into five areas: land-use
andeconomicdevelopmentplanning,spendingpriorities
andgovernmentpoliciesregardingtransportation,economic
development,coastalrestorationandqualityofcommunity.
LouisianaSpeaksnowwantsfeedbackfromeveryone.
ThedocumentLouisianaSpeaksRegionalVisionprovides
variousscenariosofhowLouisianawilllookinthefuture.
Citizensareaskedtovoteonwhichscenariostheythinkare
best.Thebookletcontainsimportantinformationaboutthe
positive and negative ramifications of the various scenarios,
alongwiththetradeoffsofchoosingonesuggestionover
another. Some questions want your top three picks, some just
one.Thedocumentisavailableonlineatwww.LousianaSpeaks.orgorbycalling1-888-plan2050or1888-752-6205.
Thegreaterthenumberofcitizensparticipatinginthe
pollthemorecredibilityLouisianaSpeakswillhavewhen
decisionmakersareapproachedtosetpoliciesandspending
prioritiesforthestate.ThisisallinanefforttohelpSouth
Louisianarecoverandhealbybecomingabetterplace–safer,
moreprosperous,cleanerandhealthier.
Ifyouhaven’tvoicedyouropiniongetbusy,Feb.10isthe
deadline.
The Human Side
by Father Eugene Hemrick
Why so many walls?
“Thereissomething
w r o n g w i t h t h i s
picture,”Itoldmyself
asIwatchedMexicanAmericanlaborersbuildanti-terroristbarriers
aroundtheU.S.Capitolwhileatthesametime
Congresswasvotingtoerectwallsalongthe
Mexican-Americanborder.
Withoutquestion,illegalimmigrationneeds
tobechecked,notonlyforsecurityreasonsbut
alsoforthesafetyofimmigrants.Sadtosay,the
threatofterrorismhasheightenedsuspicions
aboutthelegalityofallimmigrants.Equally
unfortunate are illegal immigrants who end
upbeingexploitedbycorruptpeople.
Wehaveenteredaneweraofimmigration
when a welcoming spirit we once lauded is
beingtested.
Theproblemwithwallsalongourbordersis
thattheyheightensuspicionsatatimewhenwe
shouldbestrivingtoincreaserespectforeach
other.Asthewaronterrorismhastaughtus,the
bestweaponagainstterrorismwouldcomewith
thecreationofmutualtrustandrespectamong
thosemostaffectedbyit.
Building protective walls is a fact of life.
IntheBiblethewallsofJerichoaredestroyed
by the Hebrews. When they, in turn, build
Jerusalem,wallsareerectedtokeepouttheir
enemies.
Interestingly, the word “Kremlin” means
walls, and in Russia’s neighboring country
thereistheGreatWallofChina.
During the days of the Iron Curtain,
walls between communism and free states
abounded. In early American history and
today, for that matter, walled-in forts have
dottedourlandscapes.
Walls don’t always consist of concrete
and steel. Feuding husbands and wives can
erect psychological barriers more difficult to
penetratethantheGreatWallofChina.
Although walls, bulwarks, ramparts and
other forms of defense primarily are meant
toensuresecurity,whenevertheyareerected
to keep other human beings out, they raise
seriousquestions.
In the case of the southern borders of the
UnitedStates,weneedtoask:Isthisthebest
wayofensuringoursecurity?Howdoesthis
solvetheproblemofhonest,poorpeopletrying
to escape deprivation? Is this an acceptable
Americanwayoflife?
In most instances, resorting to protective
barriers symbolizes capitulation. It is a
concessionthatmorereasonablemeanscannot
be found for solving our problems. It flies in
thefaceofthebeliefthatAmericaningenuity
canwintheday.
Our history is replete with lessons of
ingenious leaders who devised ways of
bringing people together. Great coaches and
American entrepreneurs repeatedly have
been lauded for the innovative ways they
created teamwork. Isn’t this collaboration
and teamwork what we should be seeing
muchmoreofwhenitcomestotheU.S.and
Mexico?
No doubt about it, Sept. 11, 2001, recast
a peace-loving America into a much more
guardedandcautiousnation.Despiteanxieties,
we must ask: Can we be content with this
picture? Have we fallen into a walled-in
mentalitythatseverelydiminishesoneofour
greatestgifts,ourcapacitytoteardownwalls
inthepursuitofpeaceandliberty?
viewpoint
L etter
Editor
to
the
Life is a gift, not a choice
The audience applauded as the partial-birth abortion was successfully completed. The baby who was
anxiously awaiting his birth after months of growing
inside his mother’s womb now lay dead as a result
of this procedure.
This Godless and barbaric act actually happened
at a convention where doctors had gathered to learn
how to perform a partial birth abortion.
My mind could not fully comprehend or absorb
what I was hearing. A wave of nausea overtook me
and tears streamed down my face. Even though I
knew about the outrageous horror of partial birth
abortions, I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
Since Father Frank Pavone, national director
of Priests for Life, described this horrific event on
EWTN his words have haunted me and moved me
to action.
Father Pavone said it is our responsibility to
protect defenseless babies who are at the mercy of
abortionists. He added that God did not intend for
us to sit by and say, “Oh how sad, I wish there was
something that I could do, but I can’t do this alone.
That’s where you are mistaken,” he continued. “First
and foremost, you and I are not alone – GOD is with
us!”
I felt a twinge of guilt, “had I really done enough?”
I have written numerous letters to our representatives, Planned Parenthood and the White House. That
is good, but what about the people I know personally,
those I attend church with or socialize with. We need
to come together and pray unceasingly.
Next, we need to let our representatives know
that this holocaust has got to stop. “We the American
people will not stand by and allow you to mutilate
and rip apart God’s precious angels.” We must take
a stand!
In quoting Father Pavonne: “No human being can
be subject to the authority of the state that tramples
down his or her dignity.” “Right to life comes from
GOD not government.” “We cannot rest until we all
stand up for those who have no one to stand up for
them!”
If you have had an abortion and want healing, there are two websites Father Pavone recommends: www.rachelsvinyard.org and www.silentno
moreawareness.org
I will remember all who are victims of abortions. I
will keep you in my prayers daily and hope you find
the everlasting peace that Christ offers. His mercy
and forgiveness are greater than any sin that you
might have committed.
Mary Ann Notariano McAndrew
Hammond, La.
Letters to the Editor should be typed, limited
to 350 words and 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 tcc@
diobr.org
Coming of Age
17
by Carol Norris Greene
Changing how the church is
perceived among U.S. blacks
In July 2007 another historic National Black Catholic Congress – the 10th in a series that began Jan. 1,
1889 – will convene in Buffalo, N.Y. The congress
theme is, “Christ Is With Us: Celebrating the Gifts
of the Sacraments.” In the months leading up to this
congress, I think it is good to look at the state of black
Catholic ministry in the United States, its achievements and challenges.
Less than 10 percent of some 36 million blacks
in the United States today identify themselves as
Catholic. That’s less than any other racial group.
What has the church done over the years to increase its black membership?
In a nutshell, it has given financial support to black
missions, parishes and efforts to evangelize, established
numerous diocesan or archdiocesan offices for black
Catholic ministry, given its blessing to religious orders
serving in black communities and, in the late 1980s,
created the Secretariat for African American Catholics
to serve as the chief adviser to the U.S. bishops’ Committee on African American Catholics.
Black Catholics themselves have come together to
promote the church’s apostolate in black communities.
Organizations that address the concerns of the estimated 2.5 million black Catholics in the U.S. include the
National Black Catholic Congress, national associations
of African-American priests, sisters, deacons, seminarians and laity, the Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver,
the National Association of Black Catholic Administrators and other forums.
Yes, there are ongoing efforts to invite more blacks
to membership and fuller participation in the church in
the U.S. But is there something missing that the other 90
percent of U.S. blacks see quite clearly? I believe there
is: What they don’t see are whites themselves in church
leadership positions extending a warm welcome. It is
not enough to engage blacks to do this.
With those few exceptions where whites are involved actively in black ministries (for example, four
of the seven bishops on the U.S. bishops’ Committee
on African American Catholics are white), welcoming invitations from U.S. church leaders are not very
visible. I am not saying they aren’t there; they are
simply not very visible.
Visibility is an important consideration in this
visually oriented age.
Blacks on the outside looking in on what they
perceive as “the Catholic Church” may only be going by what is right in their faces: news coverage of
aging white men who sometimes look stoic during
celebrations of the Mass; well-connected white men
and women and the occasional blacks who’ve gained
entree to televised ordinations, papal visits, highprofile funerals and the like.
Blacks on the outside looking in may not be aware
of the countless warm and welcoming Catholic parishes scattered throughout the U.S. that are indeed
predominantly white or very diverse, for I have been
to several myself. Nor do they always hear just how
diligently some predominantly white pastoral teams
are addressing racism within their ranks and ministering more effectively among black members.
A significant number of blacks are already in the
water, a symbolism I will use here for the Catholic
Church. They themselves are spearheading organizations serving the needs of their communities. They
themselves, with major church funding, have developed excellent programs highlighting the cultural
contributions of blacks to the church and combating
the ills plaguing their communities. They are using
their gifts to celebrate life in Christ.
Apparently this is not enough to change how the
church is perceived.
When black Catholics say to other blacks, “Come
on in, the water’s fine!” the unchurched among
those U. S. blacks who aren’t Catholic just may
be looking back thinking: “Not me! How can you
stand the cold!”
Please pray for the priests, deacons and religious men and women in the
Diocese of Baton Rouge
Feb. 4 ...... Rev. Cleo J. Milano
................ Deacon James J. Morrissey
................ Sr. Adelaide Williamson CSJ
Feb. 5 ...... Rev. Michael J. Moroney
................ Deacon Jodi A. Moscona
................ Sr. Martha Ann Abshire OSF
Feb. 6 ...... Rev. Caye A. (Trey) Nelson III
................ Deacon Donald J. Musso
................ Sr. Mary Rose Amorello CSJ
Feb. 7 ...... Rev. Francis Minh Nguyen ICM
................ Deacon Roger A. Navarra
................ Sr. Jane Louise Arbour CSJ
Feb. 8 ...... Rev. Joseph Doan Nguyen
................ Deacon Angelo S. Nola
................ Sr. Barbara Arceneaux OSF
Feb. 9 ...... Rev. Tam Viet Nguyen ICM
................ Deacon Alfred J. Ricard Jr.
................ Sr. Mary Ashakiron MC
Feb. 10 .... Rev. Nicholas J. (Jack) Nutter III
................ Deacon Bruno Rizzo
................ Sr. Kathleen Babin CSJ
Feb. 11 .... Rev. Oliver Obele MSP
................ Deacon Thomas M. Robinson
................ Sr. Irlene Badeau OSF
Feb. 12 .... Rev. Anthony H. Ostini SJ
................ Deacon Tommy J. St. Pierre
................ Sr. Kathleen Bahlinger CSJ
Feb. 13 .... Rev. Patrick Otor MSP
................ Deacon Eliazar Salinas Jr.
................ Sr. Sandra Blanchard CSJ
Feb. 14 .... Rev. Louis T. Oubre
................ Deacon Milton J. Schanzbach
................ Sr. Fides Bourgeois SSND
Feb. 15 .... Rev. Mansueto P. Palang
................ Deacon Peter Schlette
................ Sr. Carolyn Brady CSJ
Feb. 16 .... Rev. Louis Poché SJ
................ Deacon J. Thomas Traylor
................ Sr. Mary Christine Bruce OSB
Feb. 17 .... Rev. Thomas C. Ranzino
................ Deacon Francis J. Waguespack Jr.
................ Sr. Men Bui ICM
coming events
18
Beginning Experience − The next Beginning
Experience weekend will be held March 30 – April 1
at the Catholic Life Center, 1800 S. Acadian Thruway,
Baton Rouge. Divorced, separated and widowed
men and women of all ages are encouraged to attend
a weekend designed for those who wish to let go of
a painful past and experience more peace. All faiths
are welcome. For more information call Monica at
225-638-8701, Myrna at 225-753-0503, Julie at 225644-4734 or Angela at 225-278-7321.
Mardi Gras Ball – St. Paul the Apostle Church,
3912 Gus Young Ave., will host a “Krewe of Renaissance” Mardi Gras Ball, featuring Floyd Patterson
and the One More Time Band, Sunday, Feb. 18, 9
p.m.-1 a.m. at the American Legion Hall, 151 South
Wooddale Blvd., Baton Rouge. Tickets are $20 per
person. For information call Father Jaison Mangalath SVD at 225-383-2537 or Theresa Gravois at
225-773-8023.
Married Couples Retreat − Our Lady of the
Oaks Retreat House, Grand Couteau, will present
a retreat for married couples Feb. 16-18, and for
ladies Feb. 22-25. For more information call 337662-5410.
John Michael Talbot Concert – John Michael
Talbot, Christian music artist, will perform Thursday, March 8 at St. John the Evangelist Church, 15208
Hwy. 73, Prairieville. This concert features Talbot’s
return to solo guitar and voice, after two years of performing with a band in the “Monk Rock” tours. For
ticket information call Lisa Babin at 225-673-8307.
St. Ignatius Retreat − The Jesuit Spirituality
Center, Grand Coteau, will present a day of prayer
using the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola
with Sacred Scripture Saturday, Feb. 17. This day of
silent prayer will help prepare participants for Lent.
There will be opportunities for private spiritual
direction, along with group sessions on praying
with Scripture. For an application form visit www.
jesuitspiritualitycenter.org or call 337-662-5251,
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Classified ads • Classified ads • Classified ads • Classified ads
Business serviCes
Business serviCes
Business serviCes
Hire a personal assistant–pay bills,
bookkeeping, errands, event/party
planning, travel arrangements and
more. Call 225-931-4826.
Licensed irrigation Contractor
Drainage and Irrigation
Installation and Repair
Eagle Lawn Service
Ben Benoit 225-315-5677
Errand Runner/Companion: Educated young Catholic available for assistance in running personal errands,
etc. Call 225-202-0013.
THOMAS LUNDiN, CPA
Accounting and taxes for businesses,
non-profits and individuals; business,
computer, financial and management
services. 30 years experience; professional, prompt and personal attention.
225-296-0404.
Kitchen counter tops. Call for free
estimates. John O'Neill 225-925-3420
or 225-683-6837.
LEBLANC’S TREE & STUMP
REMOVAL, INC.
Prompt service-Free estimates
FULLY INSURED
E. H. “Eddie” LeBlanc
Phone 383-7316
Picard Rug & Carpet Cleaning
Oriental rugs, upholstery and carpet
cleaning. Pick up and delivery. 225929-7144.
Mr. D's Tree Service
Free estimates, quality work,
licensed and insured.
Don Decell, owner
225-292-6756.
BROUSSEAU'S PAiNTiNg.
Interior and exterior painting. Experienced and reliable. Free estimates.
Call 225-241-8488 or 225-928-7194.
Dave's Bicycle Repair and Sales
Free pickup and delivery, free estimates, expert economical repair on
all brands. 225-924-4337 or www.
davesbicyclerepair.com.
Donnie’s Fur ni t ur e Repai r &
Upholstery. We do refinishing, repairs,
caning, painting of furniture and
upholstery. Business 33 yrs. Pick up
and delivery. 10876 Greenwell Springs
Rd. 225-272-2577.
legal notiCes
HOMEWORKS
Glass Rooms-Patio Covers-Decks
Remodeling-Carports-Additions, etc.
References.
Free Estimates.
Jim Fereday 225-275-2041.
Anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of Donald Gerald Griggs is
asked to contact the Diocesan Tribunal
at 225-366-8755.
Help Wanted
Anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of William Harrell Weston is
asked to contact the Diocesan Tribunal
at 225-366-8755.
Principal Needed
Holy Family Catholic School
K-8th with 470 Students
Opening: 2007-2008
Applicant Must:
1. Be a practicing Catholic
2. Posses a minimum of 5 years of teaching or
school administration experience
3. Meet Louisiana State Department of
Education requirements for certification
4. Demonstrate leadership ability in past or
present educational assignments
Availability prior to or on July 1, 2007 is desirable.
For application contact:
Catholic Schools Office
P. O. Box 2028
Phone: 225-336-8735/Fax 225-336-8711
Email: [email protected]
Deadline for application is February 28, 2007
Print your Ad Here
Help Wanted
Position Available
Diocesan Youth Minister
Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge, LA
Application deadline until position is filled
The ideal candidate will have:
• Masters Degree in Theology or equivalent (minimum
BA degree and willing to work towards Masters in
Theology)
• Experience in parish or diocesan youth ministry
programs working with adolescents, young adults,
and adults who minister to youth
• Demonstrated organizational, writing, technological,
and relational skills
• A familiarity with “Renewing the Visiony,” and pertinent
documents related to youth ministry efforts in the
United States
• Experience in planning large scale events such as
World Youth Day, Catholic Leadership Institute,
Diocesan Youth Conference, and Jr. High Youth
Rally
• Ability to relate to the catechizing and evangelizing
components of youth ministry
• Ability to collaborate with the offices that make up the
Secretariat of Christian Formation (Christian
Formation, Worship, Evangelization, Marriage &
Family Life)
Excellent salary and benefits, some nights and
weekend work required.
Interested applicants should send resume, references,
and cover letter to:
Mr. Charles Jumonville
Chair, Search Committee
P.O. Box 2028
[email protected]
DATES TO RUN:
Circle Category: Announcements—Business Services—Cards of Thanks—For Rent—For Sale—Help Wanted
—Positions Wanted—Legal Notices (other
)
Mail to: The Catholic Commentator, P.O. Box 3316, Baton Rouge, LA 70821.
Enclosed is $9.50 for the first 15 words + 15¢ for each word thereafter + 25¢ per line for each special effect (all caps,
centered line, bold lettering); for a total of $___________for each issue.
NAME
ADDRESS
CiTy
PHONE
Help Wanted
Advertisements will
not be published
without full payment
in advance.
obituaries
Sister Louise
Broussard CSJ
Sister Louise Broussard
CSJ, 87, died Jan. 22 at St.
Clare Manor Nursing Home
in Baton Rouge.
Sr. Louise, formerly known
as Sister Marie Emile, was
born in Baton Rouge to Robert
J. and Georgina G. Broussard.
One of nine children, Sr. Louise and three of her sisters,
Sister Marie, Sister Josephine
and Sister Frances Therese,
became Sisters of St. Joseph
of Medaille. Her other sisters
are Agnes M. Poche of Baton
Rouge, and Aline Broussard
Lambert, who is deceased.
Her three brothers, Robert J.,
Agile E. and Arthur S. Broussard, are deceased.
After graduating from St.
Joseph’s Academy in 1936
she entered the convent. She
was an elementary teacher at
St. Rose de Lima School and
Our Lady
of the Rosary in New
Orleans
and St. Joseph Academy in New
Roads. She
was principal at St. Ann School
in New Orleans, Sacred Heart
School in Grand Coteau, La.
and St. Rose.
After Hurricane Katrina Sr.
Louise moved to the St. Joseph
Convent in Baton Rouge. Sister Joan LaPlace CSJ reports
that Sr. Louise is the first
to die of all of the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Medaille who
evacuated New Orleans and
resettled in various cities in
the United States.
A funeral Mass was celebrated by Msgr. William Greene
Jan. 27 at St. Joseph Convent
Chapel in Baton Rouge. Internment was in Roselawn Cemetery in Baton Rouge.
Classified ads • Classified ads • Classified ads
Help Wanted
MUSICIANS NEEDED
St. Jean Vianney Church is seeking
musicians to play in our contemporary band at the 5:30 p.m. Mass each
Sunday. We especially need people
to play guitar, keyboard and bass,
but all instruments are welcomed.
Interested? Please call Karen Ullo,
225-246-8349.
Are You Good With The Elderly?
If you enjoy the elderly and are an
extremely dependable person, consider joining our team. We provide
nonmedical companionship and help in
the home. Flexible part-time hours. No
certification necessary. Home Instead
Senior Care. 225-761-4472.
Help Wanted
Needed–Someone for very light
housework once a week. Call 225229-3406 for details.
Nanny–nonsmoker to take care
of children approx. 20-25 hours per
week. Must be flexible, have own
transportation and like dogs. 225819-2723.
In sales employment advertisements, the advertiser must name
the product or service to be sold.
Ads must state how wages will be
paid (salary, commissions, etc.) if
money is mentioned. The ad must
also state if there is an investment
required.
SEARCH REOPENED
Southwest Mississippi non-profit with
headquarters in Dallas, TX seeks Information Technology Manager to be responsible for planning, coordinating, directing and designing IT-related activities
as well as providing support for daily operational activities.
Qualifications: bachelor’s degree/7-10
years IT experience; ability to design,
implement and maintain network structures; ability to troubleshoot PC hardware
and software; flexible and able to work in
a mission-centered environment; proven
analytical, evaluative, training and problem solving abilities; experience with
managing IT department budget, good
organizational and communication skills.
Send resume by February 9 to:
IT Manager
PO Box 227275
Dallas, TX 75222 or
e-mail to: [email protected]
Help Wanted
Help Wanted
PRINCIPAL NEEDED
St. George Catholic School
A kindergarten through eighth grade parochial school in South Baton
Rouge, is searching for an enthusiastic, dedicated and qualified
principal to lead a school community with an enrollment of 1000+
students.
The applicant must:
√
be a practicing Catholic
√
possess a minimum of five years of teaching or school
administrative experience
√ meet Louisiana State Department of Education requirements
for certification
√ demonstrate leadership ability in past or present educational
assignments.
The successful candidate would be committed to balancing the strong
traditions of our 47-year history as a parish school, while embracing
new and creative opportunities to lead the faculty, students, and parent
community to deeper spiritual, academic and social excellence. Ability
to collaborate with pastor, parish staff, assistant principals, faculty and
parent body is essential.
Salary is commensurate with experience and is according to Diocesan
salary guidelines.
For application contact:
Catholic Schools Office
P.O. Box 2028
Phone: 225-336-8735
FAX: 225-336-8711
Email: [email protected]
Deadline for application is February 28, 2007
For more information on St. George School go to www.st-george.org
19
Father James
Schappert SSJ
Josephite priest Father
James Schappert died Jan. 3,
in Nanticoke, Pa., where he
was born 86 years ago.
Fr. Schappert spent years as
a pastor or associate in several
dioceses in Louisiana. From
Sept. 1968 until Oct. 1972 he
was assigned to St. Francis
Xavier Church in Baton Rouge.
He was pastor of St. Catherine
of Sienna in Donaldsonville
from Oct. 1972 until Sept.
1980.
His greatest joy was as pastor to the people, said Father
John Byrne SSJ. “He will be
long remembered and the
Josephites are grateful to God
who sent him to us.”
The youngest of four children, his parents, brothers and
one sister are deceased. He
is survived by his sister Mrs.
Phyllis Griffiths and family of
Nanticoke.
James Schappert was educated in Nanticoke at St.
Francis parochial school, and
Nanticoke High School. In
1940, Fr. Schappert entered
Epiphany Apostolic College,
the Josephite minor seminary at Newburgh, N.Y. In
1944, he completed the Josephite Novitiate, beginning
his temporary membership in
the Josephites and his major
seminary career at St. Joseph
Seminary in Washington, D.C.
Fr. Schappert’s final profession
took place in 1948, and he was
ordained in 1949 at the Shrine
of the Immaculate Conception
in Washington, D.C.
Funeral Mass took place at
St. Francis of Assisi Church in
Nanticoke, and he was interred
in St. Mary Cemetery in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
The Catholic
Commentator
is distributed by
mail every two
weeks to over
60,000 families
in the Diocese
of Baton Rouge,
which includes 12
civil parishes. To
advertise to this
quality market call
225-387-0983,
email:
tcc-advertising@
diobr.org
20 news
Role
From page 2
campus.
Before leaving St. Rosalie
Bush said she was going to Cafe
Reconcile for lunch because it
is a place where at-risk youths
“receive on-the-job training for
a host of restaurant jobs – from
waiting tables to serving as
‘chefs de partie.’” A “chef de
partie” is a station chef or line
cook in a restaurant.
At Ca fe Reconc i le, she
said, “young people don’t just
master the perfect etouffee.
They also develop positive
relationships and the selfesteem they need to make
successful adults.”
“In the weeks after the
hurricane, Cafe Reconcile
ser ved hot meals to f irst
responder and construction
crews and local workers. The
staff welcomed back evacuees,
one plate of red beans and rice
at a time,” she said.
At Cafe Reconcile, Bush
met with the workers and had
a lunch of fried catfish and
greens and okra.
C atholic
Television
Celebration of the Mass — Sunday 10 a.m. on WVLAChannel 33; on Cox Cable Channel 15 Saturday 6:30 p.m. and
Sunday 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 5 p.m.
Feb. 4— Fr. Mike Schatzle, pastor, St. George Church, Baton
Rouge; assisted by Deacon Claude Bourgeois, St Gabriel Church,
St. Gabriel
Feb. 11— Fr. Paul Counce, diocesan judicial vicar; assisted
by Deacon Jim Wax, St. George Church, Baton Rouge
Catholic Life Television Channel 15
Baton Rouge
Daily Mass: Tuesday 12 noon, 6:30 p.m.; Thursday 12 noon,
6:30 p.m.
Rosary: Sunday through Saturday 5 a.m., 9 a.m., 6 p.m.
Faith In Action: Sunday 9:30 a.m.; Tuesday 7:30 p.m.;
Wednesday 9:30 p.m.; Saturday 8:30 a.m.
This Week in Scripture: Sunday 2:30 p.m.; Thursday 7
p.m.; Friday 7 a.m., 7:30 p.m.
New Roads
Sunday Mass: 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m., 10 p.m.;
Monday 1 a.m., 4 a.m., 7 a.m., 12 noon, 6:30 p.m. The Mass
is followed by Beacons of Light, Roots of Faith, Celebrating Her Spirit and Faith In Action
Hammond
Sunday Mass: 10 a.m.; Beacons of Light: 11 a.m.;
Roots of Faith: 11:30 a.m.

Bishop dedicates new Most Blessed Sacrament Church

Transcription

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