Catholic Connection April 2015

Vol. 24, No. 9 April 2015

Catholic

Life :

There are LOTS of Apps for That!

Inside Managing Money in

Marriage

The Eucharistic Prayer Enrollment Up at Our Lady of

Fatima School

April 2015 1

Child Abuse Prevention Blessing Publisher Bishop Michael G. Duca Editor Jessica Rinaudo Assistant Editor Raney Johnson Contributors Theresa Mormino Shelly Bole Kelly Phelan Powell Brian Burgess Fr. Rothell Price Laura Cooper Rosalba Quiroz Julie Doolin Katie Sciba Bishop Michael Duca Fr. Pike Thomas Richard Hiller Mike Van Vranken Raney Johnson Br. Mike Ward Kim Long Lori Mainiero

In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, here is a special blessing for all those who have participated in safe environment training and continue to make our parishes and schools safe for all our children and vulnerable adults.

Dear Lord, We ask You to bless all Your holy people who have participated in the Church’s efforts to help stop child sexual abuse. Open their hearts to Your call to be the “ears, eyes and voice of children and young people” everywhere. Give them the vision and grace needed to fulfill the special commitments that each of them has made to making their homes, churches, schools, communities and world a safer place for all God’s Children. Amen Visit the USCCB's website for more information on protecting children. http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/child-and-youth-protection/resources/ child-abuse-prevention-month-resources.cfm

Editorial Board Kim Long Fr. Matthew Long Kelly Phelan Powell Dianne Rachal Christine Rivers Deacon Mike Whitehead John Mark Willcox Mission Statement The Catholic Connection is a monthly publication funded by your Diocesan Service Appeal; mailed to every known Catholic household in the Diocese of Shreveport.

Our Mission is to advance knowledge and understanding of our Catholic Faith among the faithful. We seek to foster the application of Christ’s teachings and our Church’s mission in our daily lives and to encourage our sense of Catholic identity within our family, parish, and diocesan faith community.

Subscriptions & Address Changes Contact: Jessica Rinaudo, Editor Email: jrinaudo@dioshpt.org Write: Catholic Connection 3500 Fairfield Avenue Shreveport, LA 71104 Call: 318-868-4441 Fax: 318-868-4609 Website: www.thecatholicconnection.org

The Catholic Connection is a member of the Catholic Press Association.

The Diocese of Shreveport complies with Virtus’s Protecting God’s Children program. Classes are offered every second Wednesday of the month at the Catholic Center in Shreveport. To report child sexual abuse by a cleric or church worker in the Diocese of Shreveport, call Glennda Lawson.

Hotline is 318-294-1031 and your local law enforcement agency.

2 Catholic Connection

bishop’s april calendar APRIL 2 Mass of the Lord’s Supper; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 5:30 p.m.

APRIL 3 Ecumenical Way of the Cross; Forsythe Park, Monroe; 10:00 a.m.

Good Friday Service; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 3:00 p.m.

APRIL 4 Easter Vigil; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 7:45 p.m.

ShreveportBossier Holocaust Memorial Service; St. Mark’s Cathedral, Shreveport; 3:00 p.m.

APRIL 21 Bible Study Group; Catholic Center, Shreveport; 9:30 a.m.

APRIL 11 Confirmation; St. Mary of the Pines Parish, Shreveport; 4:30 p.m.

APRIL 22 Catholic Charities of North Louisiana Fundraiser; Pierremont Oaks Tennis Club, Shreveport; 6:00 p.m.

APRIL 12 Confirmation; St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Ruston; 9:30 a.m.

APRIL 24 Confirmation; St. John the Baptist Parish, Many; 6:00 p.m.

Confirmation; Sacred Heart Parish, Oak Grove; 5:00 p.m.

APRIL 25 Confirmation; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Shreveport; 4:00 p.m.

APRIL 18 Mass; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 4:00 p.m.

APRIL 26 Confirmation; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 11:00 a.m.

Hope for the Homeless 2nd Annual Crawfish with Clergy; Hope Connections, Shreveport; 6:00 p.m.

APRIL 28 Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops’ meeting; Baton Rouge; 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

APRIL 19 Confirmation; St. Patrick Parish, Lake Providence; 9:00 a.m.

APRIL 29 Confirmation; St. Joseph Parish, Zwolle; 6:00 p.m.

contents

april 2015

columns Proclaim Your Easter Joy to the World! by Bishop Michael G. Duca...................... 4-5 Mike’s Meditations: Pride Both Good and Bad

by Mike Van Vranken.................................................................................................6 Second Collections: April Second Collections

by Fr. Rothell Price .....................................................................................................6 From the Pope: A Church That Defies Throwaway Culture Embraces the Young & Elderly by Vatican Information Services...............................................7 In the Words of Pope Francis by Vatican Information Services...............................7 Catholic Food: Build Up Your Body After Easter by Kim Long..............................8 Domestic Church: Managing Money in Marriage by Katie Sciba.....................9 Manage Together by Katie Sciba ..........................................................................9 Book Review: The Catholics Next Door: Adventures in Imperfect Living written by Greg and Jennifer Willits

by Lori Mainiero .........................................................................................................10 Navigating the Faith: The Eucharistic Prayer by Fr. Pike Thomas .........................11

11

12

feature Catholic Life: There are Lots of Apps for That!

by Kelly Phelan Powell .............................................................................................. 12-13

news Good Friday 17th Annual Walk for Justice by Brian Burgess.................................8 Feast of Divine Mercy by Julie Doolin .....................................................................10 Give for Good and Catholic Charities by Theresa Mormino ................................14 Catholic Tech Students Elect New Leaders by Br. Mike Ward .............................14 Reflection: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament by Laura Cooper ...................15 World Meeting of Families by Raney Johnson ......................................................15 Enrollment is Up at Our Lady of Fatima School by Raney Johnson......................16 Students of the Year ...............................................................................................16 15 Complete Charter Lifelong Faith Formation Program by Shelly Bole ...........17 Make Plans to Attend Red Mass Honoring All Court Officials

by Richard Hiller ........................................................................................................17 Hispanic Corner by Rosalba Quiroz ........................................................................18 Around the Globe Pope Announces an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy; Bishops Call for Prayer Amidst Stark Reality of Religious Persecution, Violence

by Vatican Information Services and USCCB .............................................................19 School News ...........................................................................................................20 Around the Diocese ...............................................................................................21 Upcoming Events....................................................................................................22 April Calendar ........................................................................................................23 Picture of the Month by Raney Johnson ................................................................24

15 on the cover

A smart phone displays a number of Catholic apps that can assist in all aspects of life.

April 2015 3

LA REFLEXIÓN del obispo

por Obispo Michael G. Duca

¡Proclamen al Mundo su Gozo Pascual!

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“¡

l Señor ha Resucitado! ¡Efectivamente ha Resucitado!”

Siempre comienzo mi homilía de Pascua con el saludo tradicional del Rito Pascual de La Iglesia Cristiana oriental.

En lugar de un saludo que diga “Que Tengan una Bendita Pascua,” esta es más bien una proclamación de nuestra fe que exprese el gozo de la Pascua en nuestros corazones que no se puede contener.

JESUS HA RESUCITADO DE LA MUERTE y esto invita a la otra persona que saludamos y que tiene nuestra fe en común a responder, “Él ha Resucitado en Verdad.”

Pienso que todos encontramos inspiración y esperanza en el tiempo Pascual. Después de mis luchas durante la Cuaresma me inspiro siempre durante la práctica de la Semana Santa que culminan el sábado Santo encendiendo el Fuego Nuevo, la proclamación de la Resurrección, el Bautismo y la aceptación de nuevos Católicos a la Fe. Tal vez es igual para ustedes o tienen otras experiencias de la temporada Pascual que los inspire con esperanza y gozo de la resurrección de Cristo. Tal vez es colorear los huevos pascuales, encontrar la canasta, o juntar a la familia para la comida Pascual. Solo sintiendo el aire de comienzo de la primavera puede ser suficiente para darnos un sentido de esperanza. Esta experiencia gozosa de esperanza es sanadora y nos recuerda que la luz de Cristo tiene el poder de disipar la obscuridad de nuestros corazones.

Aun así, esta experiencia personal es solamente un aspecto de gozo Pascual para el Cristiano maduro. Nuestra experiencia de Pascua debería ser más que un día libre de conflictos y tratar 4 Catholic Connection

de recapturar el gozo de nuestra fe solo con nuestros corazones. Nuestro saludo Pascual “el Señor ha Resucitado” no es una proclamación de la resurrección de Cristo solamente para nuestros hermanos y hermanas en Cristo, sino que también somos llamados a proclamar este gozo a todo el mundo. Deberíamos reflexionar que somos llamados a proclamar la resurrección de Cristo no solamente como un saludo, sino como un remedio, como la verdad, la esperanza y la respuesta a las oraciones y preocupaciones del mundo.

La verdad más profunda de nuestro gozo Pascual es que somos llamados a ser una fuente de gozo para el mundo, y más específicamente para nuestros prójimos, amigos y compañeros de trabajo. La Pascua no se trata solo de sentirnos bien sino de querer compartir la proclamación de la fe en nuestro corazón para que podamos ayudar a otros a encontrar esperanza, a encontrar la verdad de Jesus que es el Camino, la Verdad y la Vida. No es solamente tratar de encontrar gozo Pascual, sino darnos cuenta, como discípulos de Jesus que somos, de ser una fuente de ese gozo hacia los demás.

En nuestras vidas diarias fuera de la parroquia podemos ver que es inapropiado correr al trabajo o a la oficina del doctor o a la tienda y proclamar el lunes en la mañana, “¡HA RESUCITADO!” pero podemos dar el mensaje de otras maneras que inviten a oportunidades de hablar de la esperanza de la Resurrección. Cuando escuchamos problemas de los demás podemos decir, “Siempre hay Esperanza,” o, “Estoy seguro(a) que la respuesta llegará” y cuando pregunten porque estamos tan seguros podemos compartir el gozo y la

promesa de nuestra fe.

Espero que sepan que las respuestas que sugiero son solo la apertura a un testimonio más completo y personal.

Nuestra esperanza en la resurrección puede venir con un alto precio ya que como sabemos, con frecuencia existe el Calvario antes de la Resurrección. Espero que nuestro testimonio venga de una fe genuina que ha madurado porque hemos sido testigos del poder de la resurrección de Cristo en nuestras vidas. Espero que si han experimentado un momento en el cual todo parecía perdido, y una parte de su vida estaba muriendo también en medio del sufrimiento, duda y desesperación hayan encontrado el poder de la Resurrección de Cristo. Que hayan encontrado una respuesta inesperada, una respuesta que era imposible para ustedes ver hasta que hayan recordado y puesto su fe de regreso en Dios, en Jesus Su Hijo, que nos invita a morir con Él para que podamos tener nueva vida.

Un momento de fe donde recordamos que ‘HA RESUCITADO” y a través de nuestra lealtad, o aun a pesar de que hayamos fallado y echado a perder las cosas, descubrimos el amor leal de Dios y la nueva vida a través de Su gracia.

Descubrimos lo que significa resucitar de la muerte a la vida y recordamos que, “!ÉL EFECTIVAMENTE HA RESUCITADO!” Oro para que esta sea una temporada de pascua donde ustedes descubran que el gozo de nuestra fe no se encuentra solo en profundizar sobre nuestra relación personal y de la iglesia con Cristo, sino también se encuentra en compartir la fe con los demás. Recuerden, la proclamación, “¡El SEÑOR ha Resucitado!” no es un saludo para otros Cristianos, es una proclamación de esperanza para todo el mundo. Que nuestras vidas sean testimonios de esta feliz proclamación del gozo salvífico de la resurrección de Cristo y la esperanza maravillosa de una nueva vida en Cristo para la gente que nos encontremos hoy. •

bishop’s reflection

by Bishop Michael G. Duca

Proclaim Your Easter Joy to the World!

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he Lord is Risen! He is risen indeed!”

I always begin my Easter Saturday homily with this traditional Easter greeting of the Eastern Rite Christian Church. In place of a greeting like “Have a blessed Easter,” this is more of a proclamation of our faith that seems to express the joy of Easter in our hearts that cannot be Bishop Duca contained. JESUS IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD and it invites a response of the other person who is greeted to share the common faith, “He is Risen indeed.”

I think all of us find inspiration and hope at Easter time. After my struggles during Lent I am always inspired by Holy Week services culminating in the Holy Saturday lighting of the New Fire, the proclamation of the Resurrection and the Baptism and acceptance of new Catholics into the Faith. Maybe it is the same for you or you have other experiences of the Easter season that inspire you with the hope and joy of Christ’s resurrection. Maybe it is the dyeing of Easter eggs, finding our Easter basket or the gathering of family for an Easter meal. Just the feeling of Spring in the air can be enough to give us a feeling of hope. This joyful experience of hope is so healing and reminds us that the light of Christ has the power to dispel the darkness of our hearts.

Yet, this personal experience is only one aspect of Easter joy for the mature Christian. Our experience of Easter should be more than about having a day free of conflict and trying to recapture the joy of our faith only within our hearts. Our Easter greeting “the Lord is Risen” is not a proclamation of Christ’s resurrection only to our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we are also called to proclaim this joy to the whole world. We should reflect that we are called to proclaim Christ’s resurrection not only as a greeting, but as

a remedy, the truth, the hope and answer to the prayers and concerns of the world.

The deepest truth about our Easter joy is that we are called to be a source of that joy to the world, and more specifically to our neighbors, friends and co-workers. Easter is not just about feeling good, but also about wanting to share the proclamation of the faith in our hearts so we can help others find hope, find the truth of Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. It is not just about trying to find the joy of Easter, but realizing as disciples of Jesus we are to be the source of that joy for others.

In our daily lives outside of the parish we may find it inappropriate to run into our office or the doctor’s office or the store and proclaim on Monday morning, “HE IS RISEN!” But we can still give the message in other ways that will invite opportunities to speak of the hope of the Resurrection. When listening to the troubles of others we can say, “There is always hope,” or, “I am sure an answer will come” and when they ask why we are so hopeful we can share the joy and promise of our faith.

I hope you know that the responses I suggest are not meant to be trite or unsubstantial but only an opening to a more complete personal witness. Our hope in the resurrection can come with a cost. We know there is often a Calvary before Resurrection. I hope our witness

will come from a genuine faith that has matured because we have witnessed the power of Christ’s resurrection in our lives.

Hopefully we have experienced a moment when all seemed lost, and a part of our lives was dying away and in the midst of our suffering, doubt and despair we found the power of Christ’s Resurrection. We found an unexpected answer, an answer that was probably impossible for us to see until we remembered and put our faith back in God, in Jesus His Son, who invites us to die with Him so we might find new life. A moment of faith where we remembered that “HE IS RISEN!” and through our faithfulness, or even in spite of our making a mess of things, we discovered the faithful love of God and new life through His grace.

We discovered what it means to rise from the dead and to remember, “HE IS RISEN INDEED!” I pray this will be an Easter season where you will discover the joy of our faith is not only found in deepening our personal and church relationship with Christ, but also found in sharing the faith with others. Remember, the proclamation “The LORD is Risen!” is not just a greeting for other Christians, it is a proclamation of hope for the whole world.

May our lives be a witness to this joyful proclamation of the saving joy of Christ’s resurrection and the wonderful hope of new life in Christ to the people we will meet today. • April 2015 5

Meditations MM Mike's

by Mike Van Vranken

Collections SC Second

by Fr. Rothell Price

PRide Both Good and Bad

APRIL Second Collections

O

n September 12, 2001, Americans were already discussing ways we could replace the fallen twin towers with even taller and greater buildings. I must confess I was also caught up in this prideful and self-centered rhetoric hoping our country would arrogantly display our intelligence, our wealth and our greatness by building a taller, more modern World Trade Center.

Amidst our compassionate prayers and support for the families of those injured or who had died, we interspersed our feelings and passions for what we wanted and how we were going to do it.

Interestingly, we sought God to comfort the sorrowing, but sought engineers and venture capitalists to display our superiority.

It never seemed to register with most of us that at a time when we thought we were turning to God, we were leaving Him out of our plans for the future. “I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a chase after wind.” (Eccl 1:14). In other words, all human endeavors without God are acts of self-importance and they produce nothing good.

The first sin ever committed was by an angel named Lucifer.

He aimed to ascend to be like the Most High God. He was consequently banished to the bottom of the pit. Adam and Eve were the next to sin. They ate the fruit, hoping to have the wisdom of God. We all know how things turned out for them.

The sin committed in both of these situations? Pride. Because pride is the belief in our own abilities, it blocks God’s graces in our lives. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: “inordinate self-love is the cause of every sin.” In other words, all sin starts with pride.

Consider these few ways that can help us become humble: • Remember that God is God and we are not. Include God in every decision. He loves you so much that He is just as interested in the small decisions as He is the larger ones.

• Freely give God glory, praise and thanksgiving for all the good in your life. Recognize Him as the source of all love and goodness.

• Build relationships based on your love for others. Discover ways you can support them spiritually, emotionally and physically.

• Encourage everyone. Pray for them. Show them you care.

• Examine your heart at least once daily. Fill it with love for God and others so that nothing selfish can enter in.

• Vocalize Proverbs 16:18-19 every day: “Pride goes before disaster, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be humble with the poor than to share plunder with the proud.”

Being proud of our families, our pastor, our co-workers and our country are all good as long as our pride is God inspired. “The reward for humility is riches and honor and life.” (Proverbs 22:4).

Mike is a writer and teacher, and co-author of the book: Faith Positive in a Negative World. You can contact him at www. mikevanvrankenministries.org 6 Catholic Connection

DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT CHURCH VOCATIONS COLLECTION Collection Dates: April 4th & 5th “ esus turned and saw them following him and he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi …where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and you will see.’

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day.” (John 1: 38-39) The Diocese of Shreveport Church Vocations Collection makes it possible for men and women within our diocese, from among our families and parishes, to hear the voice of our Lord and abide with Him in spiritual formation in seminaries, convents, priories and monasteries. The end result is a priest or a religious man or woman who has been transformed by the love of Jesus and is thus moved to love and serve His holy people who are the Church. Your enthusiastic and grateful participation in the Diocese of Shreveport Church Vocations Collection makes their response to the Lord and His Church possible.

J

Catholic Home Missions Appeal Collection Dates: April 25th & 26th Announcement Dates: April 12th & 19th here are over 80 home mission dioceses in the United States. The Diocese of Shreveport is one of them. These dioceses are unable to fund essential pastoral works, such as religious education, seminarian formation and lay ministry training. Because of this, they struggle to serve the unique needs of their communities. Through your support, the Catholic Home Missions Appeal helps ease the struggle of these dioceses and form vibrant communities. Please help strengthen the Church at home by giving generously to this appeal.

Home mission dioceses, such as ours, often struggle with priest shortages, parishioner poverty, unemployment, difficult and isolated terrain, religious hostility and other circumstances that make it difficult to practice the faith. This is a very apt description of some parts of our diocese rural and urban. The Catholic Home Missions Appeal strengthens the Church in the U.S. by providing yearly grants to support programs in home mission dioceses, which make up 45 percent of all U.S. dioceses. Strengthen the Church at home by making a generous gift to this appeal. Your sacrifice not only helps other mission dioceses, but also assures the funding of ministries and pastoral services essential to the good health of our own diocese.

Please give generously and thank you.

Fr. Rothell Price, Vicar General, is the Director of Special Collections.

T

from the

from Vatican Information Services

A Church that defies throwaway culture embraces the young & elderly

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atican City (VIS) – The value and importance of grandparents in the family was the theme of Pope Francis’ catechesis during the March 11 general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

Francis affirmed that he was able to identify with grandparents as he is of the same age. “When I was in the Philippines, the Pope Francis people called me ‘Lolo Kiko,’ or rather, ‘Grandpa Francis,’” he said, emphasising that although society tends to reject the elderly, the Lord does not: on the contrary, He calls us to follow Him in all stages of life as old age too “contains a grace and a mission, a true vocation.”

“However, it is not yet the time to ‘set down our oars,’” he said. “This period of life is different to those that preceded it, without doubt; we must also reinvent it a little since our societies are not yet ready spiritually or morally to accord it its full value. Previously, in fact, it was not normal to have so much free time; today far more so. And even Christian spirituality has been taken a little by surprise, and has had to delineate a spirituality for the elderly. But thanks to God there is no lack of testimonies from elderly saints!”

The Pope gave the example of the elderly Simeon and Anna, who awaited the arrival of Jesus in the temple for many years, and who were resigned to dying before seeing Him. However, when Mary and Joseph arrived in the Temple in compliance with the Law, the burdens of age and their long wait disappeared in an instant. “They recognized the Child, and discovered a new strength, for a new task: to give thanks and to bear witness to this Sign of God. Simeon improvised a beautiful hymn of jubilation and Anna became Jesus’ first preacher.”

“Dear grandparents, dearly elderly,” exclaimed the Pope, “let us follow in the wake of these extraordinary old people! Let us too become poets of prayer: let us acquire the

taste for seeking new words, reappropriating those that the Word of God teaches us.

The prayer of grandparents and the elderly is a great gift for the Church. It is a great injection of wisdom for all society, especially for those who are too busy, too encumbered, too distracted. Someone has to sing the signs of God for these people too, to proclaim the signs of God. Let us look at Benedict XVI, who has chosen to spend the final part of his life in prayer and in listening to God.” “We are able to thank the Lord for the favors received, and fill the emptiness of ingratitude that surrounds us. We can intercede for the expectations of the new generations and give dignity to the memory and sacrifices of those past. We can remind the ambitious young that a life without love is arid. We can say to the fearful young that anguish about the future can be defeated. We can teach the young who are too wrapped up in themselves that there is more joy in giving than in receiving. Grandparents form the permanent ‘choir’ of a great spiritual shrine, where prayers of supplication and hymns of praise support the community that works and struggles in the field of life.”

Likewise, “prayer incessantly purifies the heart. Praise and supplication to God prevent the hardening of the heart in resentment and selfishness. How sad it is to see the cynicism of an elderly person who has lost the sense of his or her own testimony, who is disdainful towards the young and does not communicate the wisdom of a lifetime! Instead, it is beautiful to see the encouragement that an elderly person is able to transmit to the young in search of the meaning of faith and life. It is truly the mission of grandparents, the vocation of the elderly. The words of the elderly hold something special for the young. And they know this.”

“How I would like to see a Church that challenges the throwaway culture with the superabundant joy of a new embrace between the young and the elderly! And this is what I ask of the Lord today: this embrace,” concluded the Holy Father.

Words

In the of

Pope Francis

“At the heart of your mission and at the origin of your hope there is, above all, the personal encounter with Jesus Christ and the certainty that He is at work in the world where you have been sent on His behalf. The evangelical vitality of your dioceses depends, therefore, on the quality of your spiritual and sacramental life.” (Audience with the prelates of the Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa 3/2/15) “When we are young, we are induced to ignore old age, as if it were an illness to keep at bay; however, once we become old, especially if we are poor, ill and alone, we experience the gaps in a society programmed for efficiency, which as a consequence ignores the elderly.” (General Audience 3/4/15) “Effectively, the charism of unity, typical of the Work of Mary, is strongly anchored in the Eucharist, which confers its Christian and ecclesial character. Without the Eucharist, unity would be reduced to an emotion and a solely human, psychological, sociological dynamic.

Instead, the Eucharist guarantees that Christ is at the center, that it is His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, that guides our steps and our initiatives for encounter and communion.” (Address to 38th Congress of Bishop Friends of the Focolare Movement 3/4/15) Teaching and studying theology means living on a frontier. We must guard against a theology that spends itself in academic dispute or watches humanity from a glass castle. You learn to live: theology and holiness are inseparable.” (Address to the 100th university of Faculty of Theology of the Universidad Catolica Argentina 3/9/15)

April 2015 7

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Catholic Food

by Kim Long

Build up Your Body after Easter

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love being Catholic, but more than that I ENJOY being Catholic. Now at first glance there may not seem to be much of a difference in those statements. For me, the difference is meted out in community. Initially I didn’t understand that distinction, or perhaps more correctly, over time that distinction has been made clearer.

Last month I wrote about our happy experiences in the parish kitchen. One Saturday amidst flour, spaghetti sauce, steam, splattered aprons and tired women – sisters in faith and friends – this aspect of community washed over me. United in common faith, common purpose and common belief, we were one.

Now Eastertide is upon us. We have journeyed through the desert, we have walked in our Jerusalems during Holy Week, waited at the tomb, proclaimed the great news of Jesus who was crucified and now is risen and we have done these things together.

On the home front during the Easter season, which I stretch out for the FULL 50 days, visiting all my cousins and friends and sharing many a meal, we are overwhelmed with the sugary goodness of the Easter baskets and the treats and delights they hold for us. I wouldn’t change a thing about it, but do you ever feel “sugared out” where another bite of anything sweet will literally send you running

in search of something salty, anything to get the sweet out of your mouth? Well, perhaps you are more disciplined than I am because I admit to you I have surely felt that way!

I decided to try a new snack this year after the Lenten time of deprivation. My friend Debbie had sung the praises of kale chips telling me, “ya know they are pretty good.”

So I decided to give them a go and ya know what? They were really good!

Thinking about the scripture passage of 1 Corinthians 6:19, which reminds us that our bodies are a temple, it seemed a good thing to counter the sweetness of the Easter baskets and treats with something tasty and good for our bodies.

After all, by now we have survived the winter, the Lenten journey and those gut wrenching readings from Palm Sunday and Good Friday that make us inwardly shiver. So it seemed in keeping with the hope and joy of this Easter season to feast on something good and healthy. It’s a good idea to build up the body and in turn build up the community. I hope you give them a try because “ya know they are pretty good.”

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.

Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Good Friday 17th Annual Walk for Justice

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alk with Christ in justice during a special presentation of the “Way of the Cross” on Good Friday, April 3. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, in conjunction with other area social justice agencies, invite everyone to remember the Passion of Christ while addressing the suffering of the world. In this we are also reminded, as Pope Francis says, of the uncertainty of our own lives and our dependence on God and our fellow brothers and sisters.

The 17th Annual Walk for Justice will begin with an opening prayer at 9:00 a.m. in the Douglas Street Parking lot in Downtown Shreveport on the side of the First United Methodist Church at the head of Texas Avenue. A service of 14 prayers at 14 sites/stations along a 1.2 mile route to observe the Passion of Christ will be conducted. While the service is Catholic in tradition, it is ecumenical in spirit.

For more information or to help support the cost, please call Brian, 318780-7755 or baburgess@gmail.com Thank you for helping in the work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and supporting those who are suffering.

by Brian Burgess

Kale Chips Ingredients: • Kale leaves • Olive oil spray Directions: 1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Cover a baking pan with aluminum foil.

3) Spread kale leaves (if the stems are big remove them; they have a tendency to be bitter) in a thin layer on the pan and spray them with olive oil

8 Catholic Connection

spray. Sprinkle with any of the following: • Sea salt • Italian seasoning • Moroccan seasoning • Tiger Dust • Tony’s or Slap Ya Mama seasoning 4) Bake for 10 to 15 minutes (checking after 10 minutes) to see if they are crisp.

Remove from oven and let cool for a bit and enjoy!

Stops include: 1. Society of St. Vincent de Paul 2. VITA Right to Life/Pro-Life 3. Fuller Center 4. Christian Service Program 5.

Martin Luther King Health Center / NW LA Interfaith Pharmacy 6. Mercy Center 7.

Hope House 8. Bread for Life / Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross 9. Providence House 10. Shreveport/ Bossier Rescue Mission 11. LCADP 12. Catholic Charities 13. VOA - Lighthouse 14. First United Methodist Church

Church DC Domestic

by Katie Sciba

Managing money in marriage Find ways to save money together to avoid financial woes

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fter years of scrimping, countless setbacks and a handful of slipups, Andrew and I recently hit a major financial milestone in our marriage - completing an emergency fund by setting aside enough money to equate three months of bare-bones expenses. I can hardly articulate the peace and sheer bliss that took over once the last transfer moved from our checking account to our savings account; and as soon as the transaction finalized, I shot a giddy email to Andrew at work, “We did it!! Three months saved up!” Now nobody move!

This is a huge deal for us. It’s huge because we’re a single-income family with four small children. It’s huge because it means that if disaster strikes, we’ll be in debt to no one but ourselves; but above all, it’s huge because it took some hardcore marital teamwork.

At long last, our hopes and actions were in agreement with each other.

Relevant Magazine cites money as the top area of conflict in marriage and it’s no wonder. Is there a more powerful tool in an adult’s life? Conflict is bound to arise when two people with two ways of thinking have two different plans for how to wield that power. One person is a control freak and the other fears being controlled, or maybe neither has much hope of getting out of debt or security in the years ahead. Too many couples fall into the same trap we did and they just quit looking. It’s easier to live in blissful ignorance to avoid a fight or a scary stack of bills. Maybe it’ll just dissolve on its own.

But just as money can be the biggest point of tension in marriage, it can conversely be the biggest point of freedom. Spouses who work together with their finances agree on long and short term goals. They have a shared understanding of their present circumstances and a shared vision for themselves and their family. Too many

people think of budgets and financial planning as a straight jacket, limiting fun and eating nothing but beans so you can have a heap of cash. But truthfully, having a detailed plan is like putting a plow on the strength of your income; with persistence and good direction, you’ll reap both financial benefits and a common understanding between you and your spouse.

A few years ago, I took out a store credit card to save on frequent purchases. The discount made me feel like I was winning against retail prices; but before I knew it, I had racked up a few hundred dollars. In a long streak of barely budgeting or looking at our accounts, I approached Andrew knowing my bad habits needed to come to light. We took a thorough look at our cash flow and financial goals in a conversation that lifted the fog for us both. In prayer and faith, we set our hands to the plow and haven’t looked back. We know how to properly manage God’s gift of our income now, and our plans wouldn’t have been realized without shared participation and mutual support when things got tough.

Financial peace comes from establishing what the two of you value and putting down on paper (or in Excel) how those things can happen; and the fantastic news is that it has no prejudices. With teamwork, a couple married for six months or 40 years who communicates and cooperates with their funds will surely experience relief.

Katie Sciba is the author of thecatholicwife.net. She lives in Shreveport with her husband, Andrew, and four children, Liam,Thomas, Peter and Jane.

Manage Together

Money is the most powerful tool in adult life – one that has to be handled deliberately and carefully.

Clear the financial fog from your marriage with a few practical guidelines.

As Always, Pray

To be a good steward of God’s gift of your income, pray together that God will give you the grace to use it how He wants.

You Have to Look People avoid their personal accounts so they don’t have to see how bad it is, which could mean A) it’s not really as bad as you think or B) it is as bad as you think and you should start fixing it now.

Get Rid of Debt

It’s hard to move forward with hopes and dreams, or even fund your present, if you’re paying money to the past. Stomping out debt as soon as possible will free up money to progress.

Cooperate

Make room for each other in your budget. Husband and wife both get a vote for how money is spent.

Ensuring that both have a say affirms the other person’s values.

April 2015 9

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Book Review

by Lori Mainiero

The Catholics Next Door: Adventures in Imperfect Living

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must admit when I was looking for a book to review, one line stood out in the publisher’s summary, insisting that I choose The Catholics Next Door: Adventures in Imperfect Living.

That line was, “Mom goes from June Cleaver to drill sergeant in the space of one dinnertime.”

Oh, how that resonated with me!

Ever Catholic, and ever-more imperfect, I could not wait to begin reading this book and laughing my way to new-found enlightenment, if not a newfound acceptance in a virtual circle of stressed-but-joyful Catholic parents.

But I did not laugh all the way through the book as I had hoped.

Armed with the Holy Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, married co-authors Greg and Jennifer Willits tackle some pretty heavy topics with generous doses of humility. Marriage, contraception, Eucharistic adoration, confession, media entertainment and technology are among the big-ticket subjects explored in this book from both married and parental perspectives. Each author offers his and her view on what it takes to be a great Catholic mom or dad and a great Catholic husband or wife. There is humor in their presentation, to be sure, but the most striking aspect of their storytelling is the sincerity with which they share their message of being imperfect Christians.

To be quite honest, and perhaps at the risk of sharing too much, I felt that a couple parts of the book were a little preachy. I grew uncomfortable as the authors hammered on points that I, frankly, don’t think are that big a deal. Or do I? I had to question whether I would willingly turn on one of my all-time favorite movies, The Godfather, with Jesus sitting in my recliner and holding a bowl of popcorn. If nothing else, this book made me look at some parts of my life that are perhaps in need of some spiritual fine-tuning. Maybe that’s what God intended for me to see through reading this book.

Now, it’s only fair to tell you that I listened to the audiobook version in which 10 Catholic Connection

the authors narrate the book themselves.

Usually, I’m not a fan of authors narrating their own work, and my feelings were no different through the first half of this book.

However, the middle and end of the book soared as Jennifer detailed her conversion to the Catholic faith while Greg’s understanding of the faith into which he was born grew to such proportions that he simply had to share it with others.

Greg and Jennifer began recording podcasts (programs recorded and made available for digital download from the internet) from within a closet in their home. As Greg explains, the podcasts enjoyed only moderate success until the day that he revealed his personal struggles with being laid off from work. Listeners automatically identified with the seemingly paradoxical combination of real-world stress and Greg’s desire to trust that God had a plan for his life. The podcast’s popularity grew immediately and became a forum for the Willitses to share with others that living our faith is not always easy, but is always necessary.

The most notable part of the book

for me was the section on educating children. Jennifer details her experiences with homeschooling and mothering children who fit somewhere on the autism spectrum. The authors talk honestly about the questions they had and the worries through which they prayed as they sought to make the best decisions for each of their children at every new stage. They share the struggles, the joys and the eye rolls as they detail everything from choosing the right school to praying as a family while the children lasso each other with their rosaries.

The Catholics Next Door: Adventures in Imperfect Living is a thought-provoking, entertaining book for spouses, parents and anyone seeking a deeper connection to the front-page teachings of our beloved Church. No matter the topic addressed, the Willits’ message is clear: those we hold dear in our lives benefit the most from us when we ourselves are aligned with God’s will for our lives. Keep the focus on God, and everything else eventually falls into place.

You can listen to The Catholics Next Door podcasts for free at www. thecatholicsnextdoor.newevangelizers.com The Catholics Next Door: Adventures in Imperfect Living can be found in Slattery Library at the Catholic Center, as well as Amazon.com.

Feast of Divine Mercy

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he devotion to the Divine Mercy is based upon private revelations to a young Polish nun, St. Faustina. The message is not a new one, but is instead a reminder of what the Church has always taught through Scripture and tradition: God is merciful and forgiving and we must show mercy and forgiveness. The message of the Divine Mercy devotion calls people to a deeper understanding that God’s love is unlimited and available to everyone.

In a decree dated May 23, 2000, the Congregation for Divine Worship stated, “throughout the world the Second Sunday of Easter will receive the name Divine Mercy Sunday, a perennial invitation

by Julie Doolin

to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that mankind will experience in the years to come.” On August 3, 2002, the Supreme Pontiff established that this Sunday be enriched by a plenary indulgence.

This year, St. Joseph Parish in Shreveport will host a holy hour in honor of Divine Mercy Sunday, beginning at 2:30 p.m. and will include the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as well as veneration of the Divine Mercy Image. Confessions will be heard before and after the holy hour.

Please call the church office for additional details at 318-865-3581.

Navigating the Faith

The Eucharistic Prayer

by Fr. Pike Thomas, Pastor, St. Jude Parish

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he early Christians experienced the presence of their crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ when they came together to “break the bread.” Reflecting on this Real Presence and the precious words of Jesus over the bread and wine at the Last Supper – This is my Body…

Blood… do this in memory of me – developed the Sacred Meal which is still the “shape” of our present Eucharistic celebration. From an informal meal with sacred remembrance of the Lord’s Paschal Mystery (life, death and resurrection) our present formal ritual developed over many years.

The most solemn part of the celebration continues to be what is called now the Eucharistic Prayer, which begins at the Preface with a recitation of God’s mighty works, and continues following the “Holy Holy Holy” acclamation in presenting again the Lord’s words and commands at the Last Supper. Then the presider calls down the Holy Spirit upon the gifts and become truly His Body and Blood. Even those assembled to be, “spotless gifts… a living sacrifice.” He offers powerful prayers though these were only two of the many gestures of the Mass of those times, they of intercession to those great believers, were central in their solemnity. My saints, who have gone before us and who parents did not have to tell me here to “be still strengthen us, especially for the unity quiet and stay focused.” of the Church. Finally he draws the entire The Eucharistic Prayer, spoken now celebration together with the Doxology ordinarily in the vernacular language, (“Through Him and with him and in still packs a wallop when carefully and him, O God, almighty Father, in the solemnly celebrated. The priest still holds unity of the the central Holy Spirit, place in the all glory and It was a breathtaking mystery proclamation, honor is yours when the priest lifted the host but the people for ever and now are ever.”) and the and the chalice, understood invited deeply Great Amen to be the very moment when into the action agreement through the from the Christ becomes present in Opening assembled fullness as the bread and Dialogue worshipping (P: The community. wine become truly His Body Lord be with I recall, as and Blood. you. a child, how C: And stunning with your this part of the Mass was for me. It was a breathtaking mystery when the priest lifted spirit.

P: Lift up your hearts. the host and the chalice, understood to be C: We lift them up to the Lord. the very moment when Christ becomes P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our present in fullness as the bread and wine

God. C: It is right and just.); and various Acclamations (Holy Holy… Memorial Acclamation).

These renewed dialogues are not only intended to keep the attention of the assembly, but also to assert that this prayer assumes the full participation by all.

Although the Mass is one great prayer, beginning and ending with the Sign of the Cross, this section remains central to its meaning and action. The Eucharistic Prayer is a powerful statement of faith ending with the Great Amen. It offers us opportunity to Remember, to Praise and Give Thanks, to express our Unity and to Sacrifice ourselves along with Christ on behalf of the Kingdom he proclaimed. It is surely the primary prayer of the Church, keeping our eyes focused on past and future, but especially the present.

For Further Reading : M. Basil Pennington, The Eucharist Yesterday and Today (Crossroads, 1984) James White, Introduction to Christian Worship (Abingdon Press, 2000) Regis A. Duffy, “Eucharistic Prayer,” in the Encyclopedia of Catholicism (Harper Collins, 1995) April 2015 11

Catholic

Life :

There are LOTS of Apps for That!

by Kelly Phelan Powell

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ocial media is a double-edged sword. On one hand, websites like Facebook make it possible to stay in daily contact with even those friends and family members who live thousands of miles away. On the other hand, which one of us hasn’t fumed over an offensive Tweet or been mortified by a risqué Instagram photo?

And I am convinced that logging onto Facebook during football season or in the midst of an election accounts for a lot of the prescriptions written for blood pressure medication.

But we must remember that social media and the Internet present “immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity,” Pope Francis said. It is “a gift from God,” and used wisely and responsibly, it’s an unequalled opportunity not only for evangelization, but also for the enrichment of our own spiritual lives. “Good communication helps us grow closer, to know one another better, and ultimately to grow in unity,” said the Holy Father.

Likewise, there are a number of apps that are religious and, more specifically, Catholic in nature. Apps are the software applications that smartphones and tablet computers like the iPad use to perform specific tasks. For instance, many Catholics were scandalized when they first heard of the Confession app. The misconception was that the app, available on iTunes for $1.99, was some sort of bizarre means for making a confession online. Thankfully, such is not the case. Confession: A Roman Catholic App was developed in collaboration with Rev. Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM, Executive Director of the Secretariat for Doctrine and Pastoral Practices of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Rev. Daniel

12 Catholic Connection

Scheidt, pastor of Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Mishawaka, IN. It received an imprimatur from Bishop Kevin C. Rhodes of the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend in Indiana. It is the first known imprimatur to be given for an app, and it has been sanctioned by the Church.

Confession: A Roman Catholic App is actually designed to be used inside the confessional. What it does is create a custom examination of conscience based on age, sex and vocation (single, married, priest or religious) that is password protected. It then provides a step-by-step guide to the sacrament, including time of last confession in days, weeks, months and years. “This app invites Catholics to prayerfully prepare for and participate in the Rite of Penance,” said the developers. “Individuals who have been away from the sacrament for some time will find Confession: A Roman Catholic App to be a useful and inviting tool.”

One of the most popular apps is the Bible App, available for free on most mobile devices. Users can select from hundreds of versions of the Bible, including the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE), in over 675 different languages. There are also hundreds of reading plans available, such as devotionals, as well as plans that lead the user through specific topics, portions of the Bible or even the entire Bible over the course of a year. You can highlight, bookmark and add notes, just like a printed version. There’s also a social aspect to the app, so users can see what their friends are noting, bookmarking and highlighting and they can comment to share thoughts, ask questions and engage in conversation.

One of my personal favorites is Echo, a free app for Apple

and Android. Echo is essentially a prayer manager. I found I would tell people I would pray for them and then forget to actually do it.

Echo keeps track of my prayers and then sends me push notifications that remind me to stop and pray throughout the week. It helps users like me integrate prayer into our daily routines, which facilitates our communication with God even in the midst of our busy 21st Century lifestyles.

A great app for children is Saint of the Day for Kids, $1.99 on iTunes. Adults and children can learn about the lives of 365 saints, one for each day of the year. Presented in a language that kids can understand and appropriate for any age, all of the images can be printed and then colored. Parents can also share them to Facebook or email them. You can set daily, weekly or bi-weekly reminders to check out that day’s saint. Saint of the Day for Kids is a fun way to increase your family’s knowledge of the “pillars of the church” and inspire everyone to lead more enriched lives.

Touting itself as the number-one Catholic app, Laudate (free for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire) is fully loaded. Here’s just a sampling of what you get: • Daily Mass Readings • Catechism of the Catholic Church • Liturgy of the Hours • Traditional Roman Breviary • Complete library of all the modern-era Church documents • Rosary • Stations of the Cross • Confession preparation with examination of conscience • Daily meditations • Podcasts of daily readings and meditations Clearly, it’s of extraordinary value for any Catholic who wants to keep his or her faith a priority while on the go.

For the traveling faithful, it doesn’t get much more convenient than the Catholic Mass Times Church Directory app (free on iTunes).

It helps users quickly find the nearest churches, websites, Mass times, maps, directions, bulletins and other important information. You can find churches near a location by using Search by Address feature, and search results even indicate which churches have upcoming Masses that day. This is a must-have before summer vacations start.

Last but certainly not least, there’s our new diocesan app, Catholic Connections, now available for free for iOS, Android and Windows.

Catholic Connections includes daily print and audio readings (featuring members of our diocese!), news and a live stream portal. It also has links to many diocesan resources like the Catholic Connection magazine and the Diocese of Shreveport Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest accounts to help the faithful stay connected with one another throughout North Louisiana. New content is added weekly, so there’s always something to discover.

There are certainly drawbacks to the increasing use of apps and the Internet, “they do not justify rejecting social media,” said Pope Francis.

Technology serves an important purpose, helping us “grow in humanity and mutual understanding.” “The digital world can be an environment rich in humanity; a network not of wires but of people,” he said on World Communications Day in 2014. Let us commit to use these apps and others to give and receive, to communicate authentically, to grow closer to God and to welcome others to the Church. •

Looking for MORE Catholic Apps?

Catholic Apptitude has been referenced in Vatican Insider magazine and on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website as a good resource for a wide variety of Catholic apps. It’s a one-stop resource for the most comprehensive list of the best Catholic apps on the market in a variety of formats. Find it at http://catholicapptitude.org.

Here are a few fan favorites:

iPieta ($0.99; iOS and Android) Liturgical, catechetical and spiritual texts.

Catholic Mega App (Free;

iOS and Android)

The best basic apps, websites, blogs, podcasts, liturgical books, apologetics and prayers that you could ever possibly want on your mobile device are bundled together in one appropriately-named app.

The Pope App (Free; iOS and Android)

Get up-to-date and live content connecting you with all things Pope Francis in this app developed by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications utilizing Vatican News Service.

iRosary ($2.99; iOS) An intuitive app for the traditional rosary.

Catholic News Service (Free; iOS and Android)

The top Catholic news outlet in the world offers an app to keep you even more connected with what’s happening in the Church along with cultural issues affecting Catholics.

EWTN News (Free; iOS and Android)

Includes audio and video on demand, EWTN News, EWTN network live streaming and the network program schedule.

April 2015 13

NEWS

Give for Good and Catholic Charities

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ave the date! Sound familiar? You probably get that a lot from many organizations that don’t want you to miss out on something important. So we are asking, please join us May 5th and participate in the excitement of Give for Good for Catholic Charities of North Louisiana.

What is Give for Good? It is a program of giving sponsored by the Community Foundation of North Louisiana to raise funds for nonprofits in our community.

It’s a 24 hour online giving challenge that celebrates nonprofits and gives you an opportunity to show your support for what means so much to you already.

Catholic Charities of North Louisiana participated last year, the first year the Community Foundation offered this amazing event that helps donors to easily give and helps keep Catholic Charities doing what it does best: giving assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable among us. Last year, more than $1.2 million was raised for the nonprofits in our community!

When you are a part of something this special, you can also be a part of helping people like Jenney and David (names changed) who came to Gabriel’s Closet seeking items for their baby that would arrive in a month. During the volunteer’s interview with the couple, she learned that their situation was much worse than was first apparent. The run down place in which they lived, little more than a shack, didn’t even have running water; not a safe place to begin this baby’s life.

Catholic Charities worked with them 14 Catholic Connection

closely, got them into our parenting and well-baby classes, financial education classes and mentoring and assisted them in completing a SNAP application. We were able to help them find safe, decent housing and after the baby’s birth, Jenney found work. Now, as a two-income family, they can pay their bills and, for the first time ever, plan a future for themselves and their tiny baby. This is the kind of success your support helps make happen!

All nonprofits that receive gifts through Give for Good will receive some matching funds and may be eligible for cash prizes and bonuses made possible by sponsors. One of the most exciting elements of this online giving campaign is the lagniappe fund that awards hourly prizes to amplify every gift! When you visit the Give for Good site, you will see the Catholic Charities of North Louisiana logo. With just one click, you will connect to our link where you can easily make your personal donation.

The level of excitement on the day of Give for Good is contagious! Many gathered to watch the tote board last year as it rose throughout the day and some made sure they were on their computers at the stroke of midnight trying to be the first donor of the giving day. This year we are planning more activities around the campaign so we ask that you visit our web site, www.ccnla.org and Facebook page often prior to the day of giving to see just what Catholic Charities is up to.

by Theresa Mormino, Catholic Charities of North Louisiana

Catholic Tech Students Elect New Leaders

Front row: Jordan Whaley, Adam Ramachandran, Kristen Chatelain, Charles Flanders. Back Row: Andrew Serio, Roy Messina, Andrew LeBlanc and Zoe Martinez.

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ight Louisiana Tech undergrads were elected by their peers to form the Association of Catholic Tech Students (ACTS) Leadership Team for the 2015-16 school year.

The new leaders participated in a “Leadership Retreat” to learn the values and skills of being “Servant Leaders” in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. Br. Michael Ward, OFM, led the retreat.

While on retreat, the students created “Pillars of Affirmation” to help them discern who was called to fulfill the various positions of the Campus Ministry Program at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Ruston. Along with the five executive positions (President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary and Chaplain) ACTS has 10 committees that are studentled: Social Justice, Hospitality, Socials, Fundraising, Publicity, Peer Ministry, Intramurals, Liturgy and Guys’/Girls’ Group.

The ACTS Leadership Team is responsible for being in close contact with the Campus Minister at St. Thomas, Br. Mike Ward, and its Faculty Advisor from Tech, Mr. Don Braswell.

Ultimately, the team’s goal is to be sure all students are welcome at the Catholic Student Center focusing on ACTS’s mission of Joy, Evangelization, Sacrament, Unity and Service.

ACTS is both the Campus Ministry Program at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Ruston, and a chartered organization at Louisiana Tech University.

by Br. Mike Ward

Reflection: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

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e still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10). I began attending adoration as a substitute for a friend of mine many years ago. I really didn’t know what adoration meant, but I felt that I needed more than just going to Laura and Bill Cooper with Fr. David Sunday Mass as Richter at their store, Spats Rexall Drugs.

I traveled on my spiritual journey.

After undergoing breast cancer surgery in 1996, I especially felt I needed more! I began to discover a great gift in attending adoration. Then, before I knew it, I was an assigned adorer at Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish. Today, I believe most of the original people who signed up in 2002 are still there, faithfully, every Tuesday.

Our story is a simple one. It is a testimony of God’s love for us. During my adoration time with Jesus, I call it “Face Time,” an idea began to evolve: we could sell Catholic articles and books at our small business, Spats Rexall Drugs, in Monroe. It evolved from an idea into a reality over the course of a year or so. We consulted with a couple we connected with through a mutual friend who actually had Catholic articles in their drugstore.

At first it sounded strange to us, the combination of medication and religious articles. Then we checked out the lack of accessibility of Catholic articles in our area, so we decided to go for it. We started small in 2002, with Fr. Mark Watson blessing our endeavor. We added books about a year later. After an ACTS retreat we attended in 2004, we added ACTS items.

This endeavor has been a success for our small business and it all happened in God’s time. On September 18, 2014, Fr. David Richter was gracious enough to bless our new location of Spats Rexall Drugs. We are so proud we have this lasting memory of Fr. Richter through the blessing and photographs we took. He not only blessed our business, but us as a family in the short time he was with us at Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish.

We are so thankful God has blessed us with such a wonderful, loving family. Most of all, I know it all began because of my time with Jesus. I discovered our God is a good God. He has plans for us and wants us to prosper.

“For I know the thoughts that I have toward you,’ says the Lord, ‘thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

I would like to challenge you personally, to begin attending adoration, slowly at first – it takes a little getting used to. God will begin to speak to your heart and show you the plans He has for you. I guarantee they will not be as you expect, but over and beyond your expectations.

by Laura Cooper

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Carol Gates and Dotye Sue Stanford will attend the World Meeting of Families and be resources for the Diocese of Shreveport.

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ope Francis will make his first visit to the United States this September when he visits Philadelphia for the 8th World Meeting of Families. The theme of this year’s World Meeting of Families is “Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.” The event will take place from September 22-27, with the Pope attending from September 26-27. Pope Francis’ attendance at the World Meetings of Families is a continued signal of his desire to place the family at the center of his papacy.

The event precedes the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on topics related to the family and evangelization taking place in October of this year.

There is a website dedicated to the World Meeting of Families with more information, including how to register and the schedule of events. The Diocese of Shreveport is offering two different travel packages through Peter’s Way Tours Inc., along with the Dioceses of Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Houma-Thibodaux, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Memphis and the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Marriage and Family Life Coordinators Dotye Sue Stanford, St. Joseph Parish in Shreveport, and Carol Gates, Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, are both raising awareness and interest in the diocese about attending the World Meeting of Families. “For the pope and the entire Catholic world to be focused on the family, particularly in the U.S. is so exciting and so needed,” said Carol. Both are very excited about attending the event and will be live blogging on the diocesan website while in attendance.

The two are also going to have meetings throughout the diocese to talk not only about this event, but also family life in general. The dates for the upcoming meetings are April 13 at 5:30 p.m. in Shreveport at the Catholic Center; April 16 at 5:30 p.m. in Zwolle at St. Joseph Parish; and April 28 at 6:00 p.m. in Monroe at Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish.

For more information on the World Meeting of Families visit www.worldmeeting2015.org. For more information on traveling to the World Meeting of Families with the Diocese of Shreveport, visit www.dioshpt.org.

by Raney Johnson April 2015 15

NEWS

Enrollment is UP at Our Lady of Fatima School!

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cholarships have created an increase in enrollment opportunities at Our Lady of Fatima School in Monroe. Principal Carynn Wiggins, Ed.d. said most of the scholarship opportunities spread by word of mouth from parent to parent with satisfying results for the school. She also said the school has done more advertising to increase enrollment.

“We gained about 60 students for this school year,” Dr. Wiggins said.

“We are anticipating that we will be up 20 to 25 more next year.”

LeAnn Taylor, the school’s librarian and bookkeeper, said the school added a Kindergarten class, a 1st grade class, and one upper level class this school year due to the increase in the student body. Three new teachers were hired after the addition of the new classes.

One of the main reasons for the increase in the number of students at Our Lady of Fatima is the result of the Nonpublic Schools Early Childhood Development Program. The NSECD program reimburses participating nonpublic schools throughout the state of Louisiana for providing four-year-old children with pre-kindergarten classes, according to the Louisiana Department of Education’s website.

“We have 60 in that program,” said Dr. Wiggins. “Up to about 80 percent of those students are staying with us instead of going back to their neighborhood schools.”

They are having to add classes on the lower end, but are only adding more students to classes at the upper end. Both the addition of classes and the addition of students into present classes are the result of the many scholarships offered to parents who want to send their children to the school.

Many of the parents who applied this year wanted in last year, but the deadline for the scholarship program had already passed.

Taylor said parents are seeing the scholarship program fill up and try to take advantage of the scholarship program as early as they can.

Two of the scholarships offered are the Arete scholarship and the ACE scholarship. According to the Louisiana Department of Education’s website, the two scholarships are provided through a program which provides rebates to Louisiana taxpayers that donate to School Tuition Organizations, tax-exempt and notfor-profit organizations. Then School Tuition Organizations use these donations to provide scholarships to students in lowincome families.

Dr. Wiggins said the school also offers scholarships through state scholarships or the Louisiana Scholarship Program. She said it is provided to students who attended a public school last year with a C, D, or F grade. If they are from an A school or B 16 Catholic Connection

school, they are not eligible.

Through one of the scholarship programs, a total of $10,000 was provided for students. The school gave $2,000 each to five students who really needed help paying tuition.

Dr. Wiggins and Taylor both agreed the scholarships the school offers are not the only reason Our Lady of Fatima is increasing its number of students. The happiness of parents with the job teachers at the school are doing is among one of those reasons.

“I think that we are strong academically,” Dr. Wiggins said.

“There are so many things that we do above and beyond what we have to do.”

Dr. Wiggins said the school hopes to work with The Drexel Foundation to create more space through modular buildings for the increasing number of students. She said, “We have a good problem, we are running out of room.”

by Raney Johnson

Students of the Year!

The Students of the Year Awards Program is designed to recognize outstanding elementary, middle/junior, and high school students. This program, patterned after the Teacher of the Year Awards Program, is an excellent opportunity to recognize from each school system those students who have demonstrated excellent academic achievement, leadership ability and citizenship. The Students of the Year Awards Program is sponsored by the Louisiana State Superintendent through the State Department of Education and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Congratulations to the following diocesan winners: 5th Grade: James Mayronne, Jesus the Good Shepherd School 8th Grade: Randolph Brockman, St. Frederick High School 12th Grade: Ben Maxey, Loyola College Prep Congratulations to the following district winners: 5th Grade: Sutton Smith, First Baptist Church School 8th Grade: Sarah McCallum, Cedar Creek School 12th Grade: Ben Maxey, Loyola College Prep A special congratulations to Ben Maxey from Loyola College Prep for being a regional finalist. He will compete in the state Student of the Year competition this month!

15 Complete Charter Lifelong Faith Formation Program

Make Plans to Attend Red Mass honoring All Court Officials

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ur diocese was affiliated with the Center for Ministry Development Certificate Program for two years prior to my presence in the diocese.

Traditionally the certificate offered by CMD was in Youth Ministry Studies.

Knowing the good work CMD does in offering courses and even a conference in Lifelong Faith Formation, I spoke with Tom East, Director of CMD, about offering a certificate in Lifelong Faith Formation as well as Youth Ministry Studies. Tom agreed and the Diocese of Shreveport became a guinea pig for a combined certificate program. Initially we had 34 participants, but as with all long-term offerings, attrition brought our group down to a stable and dedicated 15.

These 15 dedicated individuals committed themselves to eight full two-day weekends spread over two years. They also had some pretty extensive homework. The participants are not just the catechetical leaders in their parishes. In fact, most of them are volunteer catechists and youth ministry leaders.

We have come to enjoy and treasure our time together. One participant wrote, “these weekends have filled my cup….to be able to come together with others who are doing the same thing is rejuvenating.”

Another wrote, “we have established a network for brainstorming, resources and friendship.”

This is one offering in our diocese which consistently brings together participants from each of our three deaneries. It is not often that we are able to do so due to time

and distance constraints.

As the Director of Catechesis, I went through all the training with my colleagues.

I now have a network of well-formed and trained volunteers to call upon and brainstorm with. One brain is good, two is better and four or more is outstanding.

It has been a privilege to watch the participants grow in their knowledge of the Church, themselves and their personal relationship with Jesus.

In gratitude to the diocese for offering this training, we are planning a diocesan wide intergenerational social justice opportunity. This project is in the planning stages and will make its appearance in 2016.

I am grateful for the generosity of Catholic Extension. Prior to my hiring, our diocese had not had an office devoted to catechesis in over five years. This certificate process provided a venue of quality, effective training which would have taken me years to do on my own.

The Center for Ministry Development was incredibly generous in that several of the course offerings had to be completely rewritten and others had to be adapted to include lifelong catechesis. In addition, the opportunity for youth ministry leaders and catechists to learn together has created a unity which is now being seen in the parishes. The diocese has just hired a new Director of Campus, Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and we are already seeing the fruits of this combined training as we collaborate on formation for all.

by Shelly Bole

he 23rd Annual Red Mass is scheduled for Friday, May 1 at 9:00 a.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, located at 315 Marshall Street in downtown Shreveport. Music will begin at 8:30 a.m. and feature the Zion Baptist Church Choir and the St. Cecilia Choral Society. This event is sponsored by the Diocese of Shreveport and the Red Mass Society, and this year will feature Bishop Michael G. Duca as the homilist, and Oakwood Home for Women as the honoree.

The tradition of the Red Mass was begun in New York City in 1928. The Mass is attended by judges, lawyers and officials of all faiths for the purpose of evoking God’s blessing and guidance in the administration of justice. As for the name itself, the Red Mass is derived from the color of the vestments worn by the clergy of the Mass, symbolizing the tongues of fire that represent the Holy Spirit. Moreover, in ancient days, the robes of the attending judges were bright scarlet, thus providing an additional reason for the name “Red Mass.”

The Red Mass in Shreveport began during the pastorate of Msgr. William O’Hanlon in 1993, and it has been held on the first Friday in May ever since.

Please mark your calendar for Friday, May 1 at 9:00 a.m. and make plans to attend the Red Mass at Holy Trinity Church in downtown Shreveport. For more information, contact the parish office at 318-221-5990.

by Richard Hiller April 2015 17

HISPANIC corner

por Rosalba Quiroz 318-868-4441

Mensaje de Pascua 2014 del Papa Francisco

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a celebración de la Resurrección de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo se conmemora este año el 5 de abril en el Domingo de Pascua. Por lo que les comparto parte del mensaje que el Papa Francisco pronunció el año pasado, 2014 y que aún debe resonar en nuestras vidas ya que habla de la Resurrección de Jesús como “la base de nuestra fe y de nuestra esperanza” y demuestra que “el amor es más fuerte, que el amor da vida, y que el amor hace florecer la esperanza en el desierto”.

“El mensaje que los cristianos llevan al mundo es que: Jesús, el Amor encarnado, murió en la cruz por nuestros pecados, pero Dios Padre lo resucitó y lo ha constituido Señor de la vida y de la muerte. En Jesús, el Amor ha vencido al odio, la misericordia al pecado, el bien al mal, la verdad a la mentira, la vida a la muerte”, señaló el Papa.

El anuncio del ángel a las mujeres resuena en la Iglesia esparcida por todo el mundo: «No teman, yo sé que ustedes buscan a Jesús, el Crucificado. No está aquí, porque ha resucitado... Vengan a ver el lugar donde estaba » (Mt 28,5-6). ¡No tengan miedo! ¡El Señor ha resucitado! Ésta es la culminación del Evangelio, es la Buena Noticia por excelencia: Jesús, el crucificado, ha resucitado. Este acontecimiento es la base de nuestra fe y de nuestra esperanza: si Cristo no hubiera

resucitado, el cristianismo perdería su valor; toda la misión de la Iglesia se quedaría sin brío(energía), pues desde aquí ha comenzado y desde aquí reemprende siempre de nuevo.

Por esto decimos a todos: «Vengan a ver». En toda situación humana, marcada por la fragilidad, el pecado y la muerte, la Buena Nueva no es sólo una palabra, sino un testimonio de amor gratuito y fiel: es un salir de sí mismo para ir al encuentro del otro, estar al lado de los heridos por la vida, compartir con quien carece de lo necesario, permanecer junto al enfermo, al anciano, al excluido.

«Vengan a ver»: El amor es más fuerte, el amor da vida, el amor hace florecer la esperanza en el desierto.

Con esta gozosa certeza, nos dirigimos hoy a ti, Señor resucitado. ¡Te rogamos, Señor, por todos los pueblos de la Tierra: Tú, que has vencido a la muerte, concédenos tu vida, danos tu paz!

Queridos hermanos y hermanas ¡Feliz Pascua!

Mensaje completo y muchos más recursos católicos los encuentras en la página de internet: https://www.aciprensa.com/ noticias/texto-completo-mensaje-urbi-et-orbi-del-papa-franciscoen-pascua-de-resurreccion-2014-60912.

Estén atentos a las palabras del Papa en su mensaje de Resurrección 2015 y a todo lo que nos enseña con mucha sencillez y amor.

Calendario del Mes de Abril del 2015 2

Triduo Pascual. Jueves, Viernes y Sábado Santos y Domingo de Resurrección.

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Vía Crucis, Centro de Shreveport, patrocinado por la Sociedad de San Vicente de Paul (inglés)

5 Domingo de Pascua. (Resurrección de Nuestro Señor) 18 Retiro para mujeres, Centro Católico de 9 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

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(inglés) 25 Escuela de Fe, Historia de la Iglesia y nuestra Responsabilidad, Parroquia de San Pascual, W. Monroe, 9am – 4pm (Transporte a las 7:00 a.m. saliendo del Centro Católico para los que necesiten.)

27 Recordando el primer año de canonización de los Santos Papas Pablo XXIII y San Juan Pablo II

across the

Vatican Information Services

by Vatican Information Services

Pope announces an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy

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atican City, (VIS) – On March 13, 2015, in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis declared the celebration of an extraordinary Holy Year. The Jubilee announcement was made during the homily of the penitential celebration with which he opened the “24 Hours for the Lord” initiative. This “Jubilee of Mercy” will commence with the opening of the Holy Door in the Vatican Basilica on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, and will conclude on November 20, 2016 with the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

The papal Bull will be made public on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 12, the Feast day instituted by St. John Paul II and celebrated on the Sunday after Easter.

Bishops Call for Prayer Amidst Stark Reality of Religious Persecution, Violence

by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

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ASHINGTON—People of all faiths are called to pray for victims of religious persecution and violence and work to protect the marginalized and persecuted around the world, according to a statement of the Administrative Committee of the U.S. bishops, approved March 10. The bishops said Lent is a time for prayerfully reflecting on suffering.

“Let us use this season to unite with our suffering brothers and sisters and pray for them and with them in a special way,” they said. “With hope, let us pray for the day when we can all share in the joy and lasting peace of Christ’s resurrection.”

The Administrative Committee is chaired by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, KY, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The committee consists of the elected chairs of the 16 standing committees, the elected representatives of 15 geographic regions, the chairman of Catholic Relief Services and the elected officers of USCCB. Full text of the statement follows: STATEMENT ON RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS March 10, 2015 Upon learning of the death of 21

Coptic Christians at the hands of ISIL terrorists, Pope Francis called their murder a “testimony which cries out to be heard.”

On behalf of America’s Catholic Bishops, we pause to listen and invite people of all faiths to join us in prayer for those facing the stark reality of religious persecution in the Middle East and elsewhere.

The testimony of those 21 brave and courageous martyrs does not stand alone as thousands of families – Christian and other religions – find themselves fleeing from horrific violence.

We urge all people of goodwill to work toward protections of the marginalized and persecuted.In union with the local Churches and the Holy See, we call upon our nation to: work with the international community to intervene and protect the rights of religious minorities and civilians within the framework of international and humanitarian law; address political and economic exclusion that are exploited by extremists; and increase humanitarian and development assistance.

Lent is a season to meditate upon the Cross and unite ourselves even more closely with Christ’s suffering. Let us use this season to unite with our suffering brothers and sisters and pray for them and with them in a special way. With hope, let us pray for the day when we can all share in the joy and lasting peace of Christ’s resurrection.

VAtICAN news & notes • On March 11, Pope Francis received in the Vatican the relic of St. Teresa's famous “pilgrim staff” as part of a worldwide tour organized by the Order of Carmelites, to commemorate the anniversary of the Spanish mystic and doctor of the Church. The global pilgrimage, entitled “Way of Light”, began in Avila on October 15, 2014 with the aim of visiting the family of Mount Carmel in 30 countries across five continents, a journey of 72,000 miles and lasting more than 160 days.

It returned to Avila on March 28, in time for the 500th anniversary of the saint's birth.

• Pope Francis has written a letter to the Bishops of Nigeria ensuring them of his nearness to all those in that country. Although Nigeria has one of the strongest economies in all of Africa, it is facing new and violent forms of extremism and fundamentalism that tragically affect the society as a whole.

•The Prefecture of the Papal Household announced that on April 2, Holy Thursday, Pope Francis will visit the Rebibbia New Complex Prison to meet with detainees. At 5.30 p.m. in the “Padre Nostro” Chapel he will celebrate Mass “in coena Domini,” during which he will wash the feet of some inmates, and of some detainees from the nearby women's penitentiary.

• The Holy Father has sent a telegram of condolences to Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York, U.S.A., for the death of Cardinal Edward M. Egan, archbishop emeritus of the same diocese. He recalls with gratitude “his years of episcopal ministry among Christ's flock in Bridgeport and New York, his distinguished service to the Apostolic See, and his expert contribution to the revision of the Church's law in the years following the Vatican Council II”, and, commending the late Cardinal's soul to God, imparts his apostolic blessing to all those participating in his funeral, held in St. Patrick's Cathedral.

April 2015 19

school NEWS < St. Joseph School held its first annual Crawfish Crawl 5K/Fun Run on Saturday, February 21, the first of many more runs to come. The event, which began with a blessing from St. Joseph Parish pastor Fr. Mark Franklin, was also attended by Parochial Vicar Fr. Michael Thang’wa and Catholic School Superintendent Sr. Carol Shively. Fr. Michael came in second in his division! Over 700 runners participated and raised over $40,000, which will go toward enrichments at the school. The St. Joseph School PTO wishes to thank all those who donated to and participated in this great event, and we look forward to seeing even more runners next year.

^ Seniors at St. Frederick High School participated in service projects as part of their third nine-week curriculum. Students assisted at area schools such as Jesus the Good Shepherd School, Minnie Ruffin Elementary, and Our Lady of Fatima School. Students also served at assisted-living facilities like CHRISTUS St. Joseph.

^ Congratulations to St. John Berchmans School students Adam Cook and Harrisen Smith for placing at the Regional Science Fair. Adam placed 2nd in Environmental Engineering and will compete in the State Science Fair in Baton Rouge. Harrisen placed 3rd in Energy and Transportation. < Avery Montgomery is the winner of this year’s Jesus the Good Shepherd School spelling bee competition. Her winning word was “persevered.” We wish Avery the best as she moves on to compete in the Regional Spelling Bee representing the school! ^ Loyola College Prep and St. Frederick High School participated in the first baseball game between the two schools since 2011 as part of the Trey Altick Tournament. Loyola won the game.

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^ Basketball players from Our Lady of Fatima School were recently featured at a University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) basketball game. They formed the fan tunnel before the game and played a co-ed game during halftime.

around the DIOCESE

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Second Grade Parish School of Religion student Natalie Sin won 1st place for the Lenten Drawing Contest at St. Joseph PARISh in Shreveport.

Natalie won the honor of having her image as the Palm Sunday bulletin cover as well as a gift certificate to Jacob’s Well. The theme of the contest was “Rediscover God’s Mercy” and students were asked to draw a picture that characterized God’s Mercy.

On February 1, St. Mary OF THE PINES Parish in Shreveport celebrated the feast day of St. Brigid of Kildare. Over 30 women of all ages planned, cooked and decorated for this special day. The day began with the rosary in Irish and English followed by an icon procession.

Deacon Bill Roche assisted Fr. Francis with the celebration of Mass. As people ate and visited, Tim Glennon entertained the crowd with Irish songs. St. Brigid is the patron of music, poetry, smith craft, Ireland, cattle, boatmen, newborn babies, scholars and sailors, to name a few.

Fr. Keith Pellerin spoke to the Christ the king PARISH congregation on, “Who are we? Chosen, Blessed, Broken, and Shared.” His words of inspiration were given over a three evening period with services for the congregation. Fr. Keith Pellerin was guest of Fr. Karl Daigle; the two attended seminary together.

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The ladies of St.Therese Circle of St. Joseph's Parish in zwolle worked together to collect and donate items to victims of domestic violence.

The Office of Hispanic Catholic Ministry had over 60 participants in a Spanish Adult Faith Formation program called “School of Faith 2015.”

This was the first of six, one-day classes offered every other month with basic subjects like: Being a Catholic Christian and Documents of the Catholic Church.

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upcoming EVENTS April 18: Women of Light and Wisdom Retreat for Women Lyn Holley Doucet, an author, speaker and spiritual counselor, will lead this retreat at the Catholic Center from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Cost is $25 and includes lunch. To register or for more information, contact Dianne Rachal at 318868-4441, or drachal@dioshpt.org.

May 1: Red Mass On Friday, May 1, Holy Trinity Parish will host the annual Western Deanery Red Mass. The Mass, which traditionally honors judges, lawyers and court officials, will begin at 9:00 a.m.

May 3-7: Mission at the Cathedral with Fr. Wade Menezes, CPM Fr. Wade will begin the Mission May 3, after the 5:30 p.m. Mass and will speak on “Be Faithful to Daily Duty.” It will last Monday through Thursday.

The mission will begin with confession at 5:00 p.m., the Mission at 6:30, followed by confession each evening. Fr. Menezes, CPM is a member of the Fathers of Mercy, a missionary preaching Religious Congregation based in Auburn, KY. He has served as the Director of Vocations and Director of Seminarians for the Fathers of Mercy. He has presented spiritual conferences on Catholic Christian doctrine and has been a contributing writer for National Catholic Register and Our Sunday Visitor. He was a guest on EWTN’s “Mother Angelica Live” and “Life on the Rock” and hosted several EWTN series. For more information, contact the Cathedral office at 318-221-5296.

May 16: Priesthood Ordination of Jerry Daigle, Jr. On Saturday, May 16 at 10:00 a.m., at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Deacon Jerry Daigle, Jr. will be ordained to the priesthood. Please join us for this awesome event in the life of the Diocese of Shreveport. For more information, contact Dianne Rachal at the Catholic Center at 318-868-4441, or drachal@dioshpt.org May 16: Texas Boys Choir's Spring Concert at the Cathedral The 50 + member youth choir (5th-12th grade) will be in concert at St. John Berchmans Cathedral on Saturday, May 16, following the evening Mass. This concert, which is a mix of secular music (Americana, patriotic, pop and folk) and religious music (a portion of the concert is titled “Mass Through the Ages”), promises to be outstanding and unforgettable. The concert will last an hour and 15 minutes, followed by a reception. All are invited!

Tickets are available online: $5 for students; $15 adults; $30 for families. For more information, contact the Cathedral office at 318-221-5296.

May 22-24: Spiritual Director's Annual Conference Dr. Gray Matthews will present "Awakening to Wisdom: Thomas Merton and the Long Art of Contemplation" at the Wesley Center in Woodsworth, LA. For more information, to register and or become a member go to louisianaspiritualdirectors. org. This event is open to all Spiritual Directors.

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heology on Tap is an event for young adults to gather together and learn more about their Catholic faith.

The April event will feature speaker Mike Van Vranken, who will speak on being “Faith Positive in a Negative World.”

Join us at Tacomania in Shreveport (641 E Kings Hwy) on April 20 at 7:00 p.m.

For a chance to win a free dinner, like our Facebook page “Theology on Tap - Shreveport” and join the AprilTOT event.

These events will be monthly and we look forward to sharing in many future events.

For more information, contact Kevin with the Office of Campus, Youth and Young Adult Ministry at 318-868-4441, or kprevou@ dioshpt.org.

We hope to see you there!

2 0 1 5 D i o c e s a n s t e wa r d s h i p A p p e a l

I / We would like to contribute to the Diocesan Stewardship Appeal with a total yearly pledge of: $10,000 $7,500 $5,000 $3,500

$2,500 $2,000 $1,500 $1,000

Please send monthly reminders to:

$800 $750 $650 $500

$400 $350 $300 $250

At this time I / we are enclosing:

$200 $150 $100 $_______

$_____________

Print Name________________________________________________________________________________

Diocese of Shreveport The Catholic Center 3500 Fairfield Avenue Shreveport, LA 71104 www.dioshpt.org

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Address___________________________________________________________________________________ City______________________________________________________State_________Zip Code____________ My / Our Church Parish______________________________________________________________________ Signature__________________________________________________________________________________ You may make a credit card payment online at: www.dioshpt.org (Click on Stewardship)

calendar

april 2015

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

SATURDAY

29 30 31 1 2 3 4 Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Holy Thursday

Chrism Mass, Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, 6pm

Good Friday

Holy Saturday

2nd Collection: Pontifical Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land

2nd Collection: Diocese of Shreveport Church Vocations

Walk for Justice, Downtown Shreveport, 9am

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EASTER SUNDAY of the RESURRECTION of the LORD

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Good Friday / April 3

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Deadline for the May Catholic Connection

2nd Collection: Diocese of Shreveport Church Vocations

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Confirmation, St. Mary of the Pines Parish, Shreveport, 4:30pm

Easter Sunday / APRIL 5

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Divine Mercy Sunday

Confirmation, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Ruston 9:30am

Parish Budgets Due

Marriage and Family Life Meeting, Catholic Center, Shreveport, 5:30pm

Protecting God's Children, Catholic Center, 6pm

Women of Light & Wisdom Retreat, Catholic Center, 9am

Marriage and Family Life Meeting, St. Joseph Parish, Zwolle, 5:30pm

Confirmation, Sacred Heart Parish, Oak Grove, 5pm

Women's Retreat/ April 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Confirmation, St. Patrick Parish, Lake Providence, 9am

Theology on Tap, Tacomania, Shreveport, 7pm

Principals Meeting, Catholic Center, 8:30am

Principals Meeting, St. Frederick Alumni Center, 9:30am

Confirmation, St. John the Baptist Parish, Many, 6pm

St. Anselm, bishop & doctor of the Church

St. George, martyr & St. Adalbert, bishop & martyr

St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest & martyr

Confirmation, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Shreveport, 4pm

2nd Collection: Catholic Home Missions Appeal

Theology on Tap / APRIL 20

26 27 28 29 30 1 2 Confirmation, Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport, 11am 2nd Collection: Catholic Home Missions Appeal World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Shreveport Catholic Schools Budget Meeting, Catholic Center, 9am Marriage and Family Life Meeting, Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish, Monroe, 6pm

Confirmation, St. Joseph Parish, Zwolle, 6pm

St. Catherine of Siena, virgin & doctor of the Church

Monroe Catholic Schools Budget Meeting, Catholic Center, 9:30am

Red Mass, Holy Trinity Parish, 9am St. Joseph the Worker

St. Athanasius, bishop & doctor of the Church

St. Pius V, pope

Red Mass / MAY 1 April 2015 23

DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT 3500 Fairfield Ave.

â&#x20AC;˘

Shreveport, LA 71104

Fairfield

Photo of the month

by Raney Johnson

Fr. Jonathan Morris spoke to a crowd of 1,100 at Bishop Duca's 5th Annual Pro-Life Banquet on March 11 at the Bossier Civic Center.

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