August Catholic Connection: Celebrating Bishop Duca

Connection The Catholic

Celebrating

Vol. 28, No. 1 August 2018

BISHOP DUCA

CONTENTS FEATURES

49

16 Bishop Michael G. Duca by

the Numbers 26

A Timeline: Bishop Michael G. Duca 2008 - 2018

36

The Question on Everyone’s Mind: What Comes Next for the Diocese of Shreveport?

by Jessica Rinaudo

22

by Fr. Rothell Price

39 Lo Que Todos se Preguntan

¿Que Sigue Para la Diócesis

43 About the Diocese of

Baton Rouge 54 Some of Bishop Duca’s

Greatest Moments

REFLECTIONS 5

8

Do You Accept?

by Bishop Michael G. Duca ¿Aceptas? por Obispo Michael G. Duca

12 A Decade with Bishop Duca

by Jessica Rinaudo

14 Shared Glimpses

by Kim Long

19 Bishop Duca Altered My

Priesthood Forever

by Fr. Matthew Long

21 Michael G. Duca: Son, Brother,

Priest, Bishop

by Randy Tiller

22 Catholic Charities of North

5

de Shreveport? por Fr. Rothell Price

Louisiana: A Bishop’s Legacy

by Lucy Medvec

2 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

25 Mary’s House: Helping

Mothers, Saving Lives

by L’Anne Sciba

33 So Many Gifts to Share

by Deacon Mike Whitehead

59 Funeral Homily for

Msgr. J. Carson LaCaze Oct. 1, 1930 - July 7, 2018

by Fr. Peter B. Mangum

62 Mark Your Calendar

44 Well Wishes from Father Phil

by Fr. Phil Michiels

47 Depedimos a Nuestro Pastor

por Rosalba Quiroz

49 Remembering Bishop’s

"Study Tour" to India

by Fr. Philip Pazhayakari, CMI

52 The Priest and the Bishop A Vicar General’s Reflection

by Fr. Rothell Price

NEWS 34 Bishop Michael Duca Announced as

Bishop-designate of Baton Rouge

by Bonny Van

58 Join Us for Bishop Duca’s

Farewell Masses

On the Cover Bishop Michael G. Duca stands in the lobby of the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans in Shreveport.

Photo: Kelly Phelan Powell

FROM THE EDITOR

T

Thank You, Bishop Duca

here’s a certain rush, at least for me, that comes with good planning. Most issues of The Catholic Connection are planned well in advance, infused with ideas from our writers, editorial board, readers and myself. Riding the excitement of all the new ideas handed to me recently and some shiny new Catholic Press Awards, I was ready to tackle and plan the editorial calendar for the next 12 to 15 months of The Catholic Connection.

As I sat down at my computer Monday morning, June 25, I began laying the groundwork for our August issue – always an annual report on our Catholic schools – when Bishop Duca and my daughter, Sarah, our Communications Director, John Mark sort through and organize Catholic Willcox, walked into my office and closed the Connection magazines together. door. After a moment of staring down at the floor, he looked up and said, “They’re moving Bishop to Baton Rouge. There’s a press conference at 10:00 tomorrow morning down there.”

My heart stuttered. No. This couldn’t be happening. After John Mark reiterated that this news could in no way be shared until after the press conference, I sat at my computer, staring blankly into the white depths of the blank pages of the next issue of our magazine. I had a very short time to process the news before I had to move into action.

I found myself on the phone with my counterpart in Baton Rouge, both of us quietly panicking as we discussed who would cover what events, when stories could be released, how to stream our respective press conferences and what to post on our social media platforms. I wandered in and out of Bishop Duca’s office multiple times that day, ensuring that everyone was on the same page about when the news would be released and how it would be done. Tears flowed from the small group of us who were working together on this, but we tucked them away to uphold the Vatican’s embargo on the news.

I realized this would mean our August issue would change to a special edition of The Catholic Connection, honoring our bishop of the last 10 years. Bishop Duca has always been one of The Catholic Connection’s biggest cheerleaders – from looking over every issue before it goes to press, to committing to writing his reflection each and every month. He has personally reached out and congratulated our writers and me each time we have won Catholic Press Awards, and has even been awarded three himself.

So Bishop Duca, while this issue could have never been planned, especially months in advance, it has come together with the love and support of our publication’s writers, the editorial board, the chancery staff, the churches and faithful of the Diocese of Shreveport, and countless other dioceses across the United States. It is our farewell, our love letter to you, of a kind.

From all of us who work diligently on The Catholic Connection every month: thank you for your support, Bishop Duca. We hope all our readers will treasure this special issue as much as we do.

Jessica Rinaudo, Editor, The Catholic Connection

Connection The Catholic

Publisher Bishop Michael G. Duca Editor Jessica Rinaudo Contributors Bishop Michael Duca Kim Long Fr. Matthew Long Fr. Peter Mangum Lucy Medvec Fr. Phil Michiels Fr. Philip Pazhayakari

Fr. Rothell Price Rosalba Quiroz Jessica Rinaudo L'Anne Sciba Randy TIller Bonny Van Mike Whitehead

Editorial Board Lisa Cooper Kim Long Fr. Matthew Long Dianne Rachal Melina Sanchez Randy Tiller Deacon Mike Whitehead John Mark Willcox Mission Statement The Catholic Connection is a monthly publication funded by your Diocesan Stewardship 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.

AUGUST 2018 3

Bishop Michael G. Duca As Christ’s visible Church praying, singing and worshiping on earth, we the Cathedral parish have been blessed to have you minister in our midst so often throughout your years here as our Shepherd. We know you will unite in praise, prayer and service the people of the Diocese of Baton Rouge as you have done so well here.

With prayers and warmest wishes, Fr. Peter Mangum and the Staff and Parishioners of the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans

4 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

BISHOP'S REFLECTION

Do You Accept?

by Bishop Michael G. Duca

Duca being ordained a Bishop by Archbishop Alfred Hughes for the Diocese of Shreveport on May 19, 2008.

O

n June 10th, as I pulled into my garage after having just ordained Father Duane Trombetta as a priest for the Diocese of Shreveport in a beautiful ceremony at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, my phone rang.

It was an incoming call from Washington, D.C. I stared at the caller ID for a moment and my heart skipped a beat, because I knew who was most likely calling me: the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Bishop Duca Christophe Pierre. And I knew he was almost certainly calling me about a change of assignment. I almost did not answer the call.

I had received a similar call sitting in my office at Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas over 10 years ago. It was a different archbishop, but it was the same office and my heart had skipped a beat then, too, as I was told by the then Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, that I had been chosen by our Holy Father, Benedict XVI, as the next Bishop of Shreveport. You might imagine that at this point he would have kindly asked: “What do you think about this?,” or “Do you need some time to think about this?,” or “Does this fit into your life plan?” But the next words out of the Papal Nuncio’s mouth were simply, “DO YOU ACCEPT?” With this simple straightforward question Archbishop Sambi brought the matter into clear focus and asked the only important question. It was the right question, because at that point in my priestly life it was no longer about me, it was about my willingness to accept the will of God in my life.

I must admit that God prepared me for this profound question because, as I have spoken of in this column over the years, I had already come to the conclusion that I was not in control of my life any more. My priestly life had not been anything like I expected. It was a good life, but so different than AUGUST 2018 5

Bishop Michael Duca serves soup for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's Poor Man's Supper at Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish in Monroe.

I had imagined it would be. I remember talking with my vice-rector at the seminary years before my call to the Episcopacy. We discussed what would come next in our lives as priests. Surprisingly, we both said in so many words that if we were asked, we would respond, “Bishop, wherever you need me.”

We had not given up, but rather learned to give our lives freely to God in our priestly vocations. (By the way, my vice-rector was Father Doug Deshotel

at the time, now Bishop of Lafayette.)

When I received the call 10 years ago naming me Bishop of Shreveport, there was only one important question, “DO YOU ACCEPT?” I immediately said, “YES,” not so much at the time to the Diocese of Shreveport, because I knew nothing about it then, but rather to the mysterious will of God. I have lived that “Yes” for the past 10 years as your bishop, but now the “Yes” is not just to the will of God, but to YOU the people of the Diocese of Shreveport whom I have come to love during my 10 years as your bishop.

So on that Saturday, about eight weeks ago, I was again asked by a different archbishop to accept the will of God. The will of God this time was for me to become the Bishop of Baton Rouge. As much as I love the Diocese of Shreveport, there was only one right answer: “YES, I accept.” The same decision that brought me to Shreveport 10 years ago now takes me away.

Congratulations Bishop Michael Duca!

Our prayers are with you as you become the Bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge

with love from the Faithful of

Sacred Heart Church, Rayville St. Theresa Church, Delhi

Best Wishes

Bishop Michael Duca from the

Catholic Women’s League 6 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Above: At Encounter Jesus 3 diocesan youth event.

It was easy to accept this new call because it was the right answer, but it was hard to say yes because I so desperately did not want to say goodbye to my people here in the Diocese of Shreveport. I trust that we will, in the days to come, receive the blessings God intends even though they have not yet been revealed.

I am sure the next Bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport will find this diocese a blessing when he is called to say “YES” to the Apostolic Nuncio. I will always treasure my time here and count you all as my friends. I will pray for you always and I ask for your prayers for me. • Right: Bishop Michael G. Duca receives a blessing from newly ordained Fr. Duane Trombetta, the morning of the day he received the call from Washington D.C., asking him to become the new Bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

The Very Rev. James A. Wehner, S.T.D. & the faculty, staff, and seminarians of Notre Dame Seminary congratulate

Bishop Michael G. Duca

on his new appointment.

Thank you, Bishop Duca, for your support of Notre Dame Seminary!

Notre Dame Seminary | 2901 S. Carrollton Ave | New Orleans, LA 70118 | www.nds.edu AUGUST 2018 7

LA REFLEXIÓN DEL OBISPO

¿Aceptas? por el Obispo Michael G. Duca

Ordenación del Obispo Duca al episcopado para la Diócesis de Shreveport el 19 de Mayo 2008.

E

l 10 de Junio, cuando entraba a mi cochera después de ordenar al sacerdocio al ahora Padre Duane Trombetta para la Diócesis de Shreveport en una hermosa ceremonia en la Catedral de St. John Berchmans, el teléfono sonó. Era una llamada de Washington, D.C. Mientras miraba quien llamaba, mi corazón dejo de palpitar por un segundo porque yo sabía quién me llamaba: el Nuncio Papal Arzobispo Christophe Pierre. Y supe que Obispo Duca llamaba porque seguramente me asignaría un cambio. Por un momento dude contestar la llamada.

Hace 10 años recibí la misma llamada cuando estaba en mi oficina en el Seminario de la Santísima Trinidad en Dallas.

8 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

En ese entonces era un Arzobispo diferente, pero venía de la misma oficina y también se me fue un pálpito del corazón cuando me decía entonces el Nuncio Apostólico, Arzobispo Pietro Sambi, que había sido escogido por el Papa Benedicto XVI, como Obispo de Shreveport. Pensarían que a este punto el me preguntaría amablemente: ¿Qué te parece?, o ¿Necesitas tiempo para pensarlo?, o ¿Se acomoda esto en tus planes? Pero las únicas palabras que me dio de Nuncio fueron ¿Aceptas?

Con esta pregunta más que sencilla pero de suma importancia, el Arzobispo Sambi concretaba el asunto y esperaba una respuesta inmediata.. Era la pregunta correcta porque en ese punto de mi vida sacerdotal ya no se trataba solamente de mí sino de aceptar la voluntad de Dios en mi vida.

Debo de admitir que Dios me preparó para esa pregunta

profunda, como siempre lo he dicho en esta columna en estos años, he llegado a la conclusión de que ya no tengo el control sobre mi vida. Mi vida como sacerdote no ha sido como yo la esperaba. Fue muy buena, pero muy diferente de lo que yo imaginaba.

Recuerdo que hablando con mi vicerrectoren los años del seminario antes de mi llamado al Episcopado comentábamos sobre lo que vendría en nuestras vidas de sacerdotes.

Sorprendentemente, los dos decíamos en diferentes formas que si nos preguntaban, responderíamos, “Obispo, iré a donde me necesite.” No nos estábamos dando por vencidos, sino que aprendimos a dar nuestras vidas gratuitamente a Dios en nuestra vocación sacerdotal. (Por cierto, mi

vicerrector en ese entonces era el Padre Doug Deshotel, ahora Obispo de Lafayette).

Cuando recibí la llamada a ser Obispo de Shreveport hace 10 años, se me dio solo la importante pregunta, “¿ACEPTAS?” e inmediatamente dije, “SI”, no lo dije tanto por la Diócesis de Shreveport porque no la conocía nada en ese entonces, solamente conocía ya la voluntad misteriosa de Dios. Por los pasados 10 años viví ese “SI” como su obispo, pero ahora el “SI” no es solo por la voluntad de Dios sino también por USTEDES la gente de la Diócesis de Shreveport a quien he llegado a amar durante estos 10 años como su obispo.

Por lo tanto, ese sábado, hace ocho semanas, que me

La Iglesia Catolica de Cristo Rey

Christ the King Catholic Church thanks God for these past 10 years of compassionate leadership by Bishop Duca and we pray for his success as he leads the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

La Iglesia Católica Christ the King le agradece a Dios por los últimos 10 años de liderazgo compasivo del Obispo Duca y oramos por su éxito mientras dirige la Diócesis de Baton Rouge.

AUGUST 2018 9

volvió a preguntar un arzobispo diferente si aceptaba la voluntad de Dios siendo esta vez la voluntad de Dios el ser Obispo de Baton Rouge y a pesar del amor que siento por la Diócesis de Shreveport, solo había una respuesta correcta: “Si, Acepto”.

La misma decisión que me trajo a Shreveport hace 10 años, ahora me lleva lejos de ustedes.

Pareciera más fácil aceptar este llamado porque era la respuesta correcta, pero fue más difícil decir que si porque desesperadamente no quería decirle adiós a mi gente aquí en la Diócesis de Shreveport.

Confió que vamos a recibir, en el tiempo correcto, las bendiciones que Dios tiene para nosotros aunque en este momento no parezca así.

Estoy seguro que el siguiente Obispo de la Diócesis de Shreveport se dará cuenta de la bendición que es esta diócesis

cuando él diga “SI” al Nuncio Apostólico. Siempre guardaré en mi corazón con fervor el tiempo aquí y contaré con ustedes como amigos. Oraré siempre por ustedes y pido que oren ustedes también por mí. •

May God continue to bless you in this next chapter of your life.

Thank you for serving us, we are going to miss you dearly, Bishop Duca!

Best wishes from the Zuniga family

502 East Kings Hwy. • Shreveport, LA 71105 • 318-868-4467

10 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Thank You from the Hispanic Community

Gracias de la Comunidad Hispana

During our earthly lives we meet many people, but only a few play a bigger role in our own history. An example of them are our family, friends, and co-workers.

However, only a few become very important to us and stay in our heart forever.

Durante nuestras vidas aquí en la tierra, llegamos a conocer muchas personas; algunas de ellas llegan a formar gran parte de nuestra historia. Un ejemplo de ello son la familia, amistades y compañeros de trabajo. Sin embargo, pocas llegan a ser de suma importancia para nosotros y se quedan en nuestro corazón para siempre.

Hemos tenido la dicha y honor de conocer a una de esas personas en la Diócesis de Shreveport, al Obispo Michael G. Duca, que con su espíritu misionero conquistó los corazones de los hispanos en el Norte de Luisiana. En sus diez años como nuestro pastor, demostró su amor y cariño por medio de sus predicaciones, historias, enseñanzas y ejemplo. No hizo distinción entre cultura o lengua, sino que se acercaba a cada uno con amor, gozo y sencillez.

La dedicación a su gente, sobretodo hablando de nosotros los hispanos, ayudó a que la comunidad creciera en la fe y la esperanza.

Las parroquias con servicios en español ahora son ocho: Cristo Rey en Bossier City, Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro en Farmerville, San Pascual en W. Monroe, Santa María de los Pinos en Shreveport, Santo Tomas de Aquino en Ruston, San Juan Bautista en Many, Sagrado Corazón en Oak Grove, y San José en Mansfield.

Aunque con el corazón afligido por su partida, estamos agradecidos por el regalo de haber sido parte del rebaño que Dios nuestro señor encomendó pastorear al Obispo Duca.

Encomendamos a nuestros hermanos de Baton Rouge que lo reciban con los brazos y el corazón abiertos, sabiendo que la gracia de Dios llega a su diócesis con la llegada de su Nuevo Pastor.

“Bendito el hombre que confía en el Señor y pone su confianza en él. Será como un árbol plantado junto al agua, que extiende sus raíces hacia la corriente; no teme que llegue el calor, y sus hojas están siempre verdes. En época de sequía no se angustia, y nunca deja de dar fruto”. Jer. 17:7-8. íGracias infinitamente obispo Michael G. Duca!

Su comunidad Hispana de fe en el Norte de Luisiana.

We had the pleasure and honor of meeting one of these people in the Diocese of Shreveport, Bishop Michael G. Duca. His missionary spirit conquered the hearts of the Hispanic people in North Louisiana. In the ten years as our Bishop, he shared his love and affection through his evangelization, stories, preaching, and his own life example. He did not make any distinction between peoples of any culture or language. He greeted everyone with love, joy, and humbleness. His dedication to his people – using as an example us Hispanics, helped in building a community closer in faith and hope.

The parishes that now offer Spanish services are eight: Christ the King in Bossier City, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Farmerville, St. Paschal in West Monroe, St. Mary of the Pines in Shreveport, St. Thomas Aquinas in Ruston, St. John the Baptist in Many, Sacred Heart in Oak Grove, and St. Joseph in Mansfield. Although broken hearted for his departure, all Hispanic parishioners join in thanksgiving for the gift of having been part of the flock God Our Lord entrusted to Bishop Duca.

We ask our brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Baton Rouge to welcome him with open arms and heart, knowing the grace of God comes to them with the arrival of their new shepherd.

“Blessed is the man who puts his trust in Yahweh and whose confidence is in him! He is like a tree planted by the water, sending out its roots towards the stream. He has no fear when the heat comes, his leaves are always green; the year of drought is not a problem and he can always bear fruit.”

Jer. 17:7-8.

Thank you infinitely Bishop Michael G. Duca!

Your Hispanic Community of faith from North Louisiana.

AUGUST 2018 11

A Decade with Bishop Duca

by Jessica Rinaudo, Editor, The Catholic Connection

I

n December 2007, newly married and stepping into a budding career as a graphic designer and journalist, I was hired as the editor of The Catholic Connection, the official magazine of the Diocese of Shreveport. It was a time of limbo at the diocese – we had no bishop, and the long wait time between the retirement of Bishop William Friend and the anticipated naming of a new bishop fueled both excitement and anxiety amongst the staff.

Would our new bishop like a magazine? Would he insist we move to a newspaper? Would he even want a publication? Similar questions floated through every office of the chancery. And then, in April of 2008, a priest from the Diocese of Dallas was appointed to be ordained the Bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport. Once he was named, things began to happen very quickly while everyone waited on pins and needles, eager to find out what our new shepherd would be like.

I have been fortunate enough to visit Bishop Duca’s office many times since that day - and rarely has it ever felt like I’ve been called to the principal’s office. For just as he is a bishop, he is also a pastor. I have sat in front of him, relatively fresh off maternity leave, nervously and emotionally explaining that I was pregnant once again - this time with twins, no less - and I had no idea how I was going to make my life and my job work. He sat with me, listened, and told me, “We will do whatever it takes to keep you.” Very few responses have ever meant so much to me and inspired me to move forward when all felt impossible.

The twins made their appearance, and even though it wasn’t always easy, we did what it took to make it work. In that time since, I have seen Bishop Duca kneel down before my children and earnestly ask them about their favorite parts of Disney World and listen with sincerity as all the names of My Little Ponies were 12 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

listed off and explained to him. I’ve seen him joyfully present them with candy bars – purchased from me to benefit their Catholic education.

He even once told me he would like to come over to our home for dinner. I said a quick prayer that I would somehow whip my house into a functional state in the couple of weeks I had to prepare. He insisted we do nothing special, but we couldn’t let our Italian bishop go without trying the Rinaudo family meatballs. He visited with us from the couch, allowing Sarah to place a unicorn helmet atop his head and laughing as tiny Vera stared at him nervously from the corner. And any time the Rinaudo children visited the Catholic Center, you better believe we had to make a bee-line for Bishop Duca’s office to tell him hello.

Bishop Duca and I had a conversation outside in the hall during a retreat recently. At the time we were talking about the plan God has for our lives. The reflection he had written for the upcoming magazine that month had touched me. In it he said, “It was as though no matter what I imagined my life to be, God was leading me in another direction that was very different. When I was finally able to accept (i.e., I gave up) that God may have a different direction and a deeper understanding of my life, I stopped fighting and second guessing God’s will for my life. Instead I embraced His will and with that surrender came a new freedom and wisdom that allows me every day to accept with joy this wonderful call to be your bishop, even though I often feel unworthy.”

During our conversation, I told him how I could have never anticipated having four children in four years - it completely derailed me, but it also made me who I am. His words encouraged me; by choosing to accept God’s will in my life, I’m a better person.

I have been blessed to have a bishop who always supports our magazine, always looks over each issue before it goes to press. He has written articles each month without fail, even when I had to chase him down at deadline time and knock on his office door, or call for him as he ran past my office door, his hand in front of his face yelling, “I know! I know! I’m working on it!”

Bishop Duca has taught me much, most importantly how to be a gracious servant of the Lord and listen with compassion in both difficult times and in the good ones. I am truly grateful to have worked with him these 10 years.

He has been a pastor, a supervisor, a friend. I wish him the very best in Baton Rouge. •

VOL. 17, NO. 11

JUNE 2008

Thank you

BISHOP DUCA

Bishop Michael Duca

Ordination & Installat

ion of

to the Diocese of Shreve

port

Catholic Co nn ec tio n The

One Church

For your dedication and unwavering support of VOL. 20, NO.9

Finding

FAITH

Catholic Conversion and R.C.I.A

Kim Long Columnist

One

Family

2018 Annual Diocesan

Connection The Catholic

APRIL 2011

Fr. Rothell Price Columnist

Jessica Rinaudo Editor

Katie Sciba Columnist

Vol. 27, No. 7 February 2018

Also Inside Diocese of Shrevepor

Stew ardship

t Annual Financial Report

Appeal

Mike Van Vranken Columnist

Editorial Board Lisa Cooper, Kim Long, Fr. Matthew Long, Dianne Rachal, Melina Sanchez, Randy Tiller, Deacon Mike Whitehead, John Mark Willcox

Thank you Bishop Michael Duca

for your commitment and support of Catholic education at

St. John Berchmans Catholic School The faculty, staff and students appreciate your support of our Religion Scholars Bowl during Catholic Schools Week and your presence at our Back to School Masses.

Our prayers are with you as you begin your ministry in Baton Rouge.

947 Jordan Street • 318-221-6005 • www.sjbcathedralschool.org AUGUST 2018 13

FAITHFUL FOOD

Shared Glimpses

by Kim Long, DRE, St. Mary of the Pines Parish

R

emember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you, and considering the result of their conduct imitate their faith.” Hebrews 13:7 I had no idea what to expect when my friend Vonny met me at my Long home and we drove together to Bishop Duca’s ordination and installation. I certainly did not expect to feel so wonderfully Catholic, like the whole world at that moment was Catholic (or at least wanted to be!). The occasion was definitely a glimpse into a very different world, in video game speak (a fluent tongue in our home), I had “leveled up.”

As a convert to the Catholic faith and its ensuing way of life the Apostolic Succession was something that really only came to mind at the Chrism Mass during Holy Week. Seeing this ordination, participating in it, was a new experience for me. As newly ordained Bishop Duca walked through the makeshift aisles laid out in an enormous space within the convention center, blessing the crowd with holy water, I wondered if he were as self-conscious as I suddenly felt. He was newly a bishop and I was renewing my own set of promises. As the liquid fell on my face, I felt suddenly old and new, refreshed and sustained by all that had gone before me in our tradition.

As with many such liminal moments the impact lessened as time and ordinary days seeped into the foreground. That event, that sharing began to take on legendary status almost as if I were recalling an event on television where I had been an observer rather than a participant.

Then something happened.

Here’s the scene: Late one Friday night, there wasn’t much going on. I was gabbing with a friend on the phone

“

14 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Bishop Michael Duca (center), with the Daughters of St. Brigid at St. Mary of the Pines Parish in Shreveport. Kim Long is pictured far right.

and Jessica, the editor of The Catholic Connection, kept ringing in, but I (for a still unknown reason) kept putting her to voicemail and talking with Cindy. Finally, she and I finished up and by this time Jess was texting me, “Call me!!!” So, of course, I did. “We won! You won!” and she began to explain that I won an award from the Catholic Press Association for my column.

What??? “I didn’t even know you entered my column,” and so the excited sharing went. But that’s not the something I’m telling you about. I received a text message from Bishop Duca, congratulating me and thanking me for sharing my gifts and talents with God’s people. Larger than life seemed to come into a smaller focus.

Later at a luncheon: Members of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission were gathered at Dianne Rachal’s home for our annual Christmas luncheon. Everything was breathtakingly beautiful, like Home and Garden beautiful, and where did I find myself seated - you know it - beside Bishop. There is a time when I like silence and don’t feel the need to fill the air with chatter, but this was not one of those

moments. Instead, I turned to Bishop and asked him what he wanted for Christmas. Startled he answered and then asked me. I said, “Well let me tell you a funny story. I’ve wanted a meat grinder for the last three years. My children know this – and what do I get? Fancy coffee, DVDs, candles, a laptop, - all great stuff but sadly, no meat grinder.”

“Why do you want a meat grinder?” he asked. Laughing, I told him that I enjoyed eating sausage, but I like to know what is in it. He got a nostalgic look and told me how his cousin’s grandfather made sausage and at Christmas, he put an orange through the grinder with the meat and called it his Christmas sausage.

The rest of the dinner remains a blur.

Smaller focus still.

Later still: I am at one of the many Christmas parties of the season and my phone rings. It was Bishop Duca asking me if I was busy and apologizing for calling last minute, but he was making sausage and wondered if I’d like to come help. I couldn’t believe circumstances prevented it. What a chance of a lifetime!

enjoying those macaroons. He asked But as Maureen O’Hara said to John me where I bought them and I said, (I Wayne in the movie The Quiet Man, confess my reply was tinged with pride) all I could say was, “I thank you for the that I made them. He looked at me asking.” somewhat intently and then said, “I And then there were the macaroons... always wondered if you walked the walk St. Mary’s (my parish) was chosen to with food.” I replied, “With cooking, oh host the annual Holocaust Memorial yeah.” We laughed and I asked if he was Service. I was put in charge of the reception and wanted to be extremely cautious in my choice He made me feel as though of menu items, aware of dietary restrictions of the Jewish faith he had all the time in the community. And while St. Mary’s world and my questions about does not boast a kosher kitchen, I knew to keep the dairy and the religious education were worth meat worlds away. In fact, there discussing. was no meat at all, but there were macaroons, French macaroons, pleased with the reception and he said about 1,000 assorted macaroons that that I had raised the bar. He left with his Annette, Kristen and I labored over for pockets stuffed with macaroons. several days.

Then there was the appointment. I had During the reception, Janice came into never in my life “gone to see the bishop,” the kitchen and said, “The bishop is out but I had some things on my mind. there and he wants to know where you So I made an appointment and had a are.” meeting with “the boss.” He made me I hoped this was not going in a bad feel as though he had all the time in the direction. When I found him, he was

world and my questions about religious education (my real job) were worth discussing. I left feeling that I had been heard and listened to, I left feeling great about being Catholic…again, which in the “God business” or paid ministry work is not always so easy.

I tell you all these stories to say this: what began as a huge event evolved into a series of personal exchanges where a knowing of one another, a sharing of a handful of stories and exchanges, opened up the definition of the word “Catholic” in a direction I never could have imagined on that morning when Vonny and I drove to the convention center all those years ago.

I pray that his new assignment is all that God intends, that he not change too much, and that he can still talk food to someone who shares that interest and that he walk in the light for all his days. • Kim Long is the Director of Religious Education at St. Mary of the Pines Parish in Shreveport, LA.

Bishop Michael Duca

the St. Mary of the Pines Parish Family

Bids you peace and joy as you move from strength to strength Peace pax • Kapayapaan • Paz pace • Síocháin • Thil na thayu • Camātānam -

AUGUST 2018 15

BISHOP MICHAEL G. DUCA

BY THE NUMBERS

1,340

MARRIAGES

4,702

PRIEST ORDINATIONS 16 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

DEACON

ORDINATIONS

4,670

COMMUNIONS

110 CATHOLIC

ARTICLES

6

CONFIRMATIONS

24

FIRST

5,241

BAPTISMS

SACRAMENTS AND EVENTS DURING HIS TIME AS BISHOP

CONNECTION

Congratulations

Bishop Michael Duca on your Appointment as

Bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge

The Daughters of the Cross Extend their Congratulations & Prayerful Support to

Bishop Michael Duca from

Our Lady of Fatima Parish & Our Lady of Fatima School Monroe

Sister Maria Smith, D.C.

Sister Lucy Scallan, D.C.

Most Reverend Michael G. Duca

As you say farewell to the Diocese of Shreveport, we offer prayerful best wishes as you begin your ministry as Bishop of Baton Rouge

Most Reverend David P. Talley, and the clergy, religious and laity of the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana AUGUST 2018 17

THANK YOU

BISHOP DUCA

FOR 10 YEARS OF FAITHFUL LEADERSHIP Fr. Matthew Long, Fr. Fidel MondragÓn, Fr. Biju Kuriakose and the People of St. Joseph Parish, Shreveport

St. Joseph Parish • 204 Patton Avenue • Shreveport • stjosephchurch.net 18 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Bishop Duca Altered My Priesthood Forever

by Father Matthew Long, Pastor, St. Joseph Parish

Matthew Long as an altar server at Bishop Duca's Ordination and Installation as Bishop

O

Newly ordained Fr. Long and Bishop Duca at Fr. Long's Ordination Mass.

n April 1, 2008, I arose to news that would alter my priesthood forever. A seminarian at that time, it was John Mark Willcox, my vocations director, who informed me of an impending press conference concerning the Diocese of Shreveport. Msgr. Michael Duca, rector of Holy Trinity Seminary, a priest of the diocese of Dallas, had been named the second bishop of Shreveport. I sat down at my desk and wrote a note congratulating him on his appointment and telling him of the joy I felt that we had been granted a new shepherd. On Friday of that week when I returned to my room, I had a message on my voicemail from Bishopelect Duca thanking me for the note and asking me to call him back. In the course of the conversation he asked me many questions that gave me great hope for the future of our diocese. This marked the beginning of my relationship with Bishop Duca, the successor of the apostles whose wisdom and guidance would help shape me into the priest I am today.

On May 19 that year, I was privileged to be the book bearer at his ordination and installation as our bishop. I will never forget that liturgy, how exciting it was to be so close to this most important moment in the history of our diocese. Less than a year later, I sat in front of him as he exhorted me about the duties and responsibilities of the priesthood, about to lay hands on my head and pray the prayers that would mark my soul forever as a priest of Jesus Christ. Over the next nine years he was a constant support and guide through the continual process of being formed into that holy priesthood. As my pastor, he always listened to me without judgment, a quality I appreciated. I will miss that open door to his office through which I could freely enter and seek counsel. The best parts of

Following his ordination to the priesthood, Fr. Long blesses Bishop Duca.

the priest I have become I owe largely to the guidance I found from the man across that desk who so generously gave his time to a young priest who needed it.

I was overwhelmed with emotion when on June 28 I was awakened early in the morning by a text message from a priest of the diocese of Baton Rouge. The message stated that he would be praying for our next bishop. I did not understand it at first, but then it hit me, and a quick Internet search confirmed the sad news that our shepherd, our successor to the apostles, our bishop, had been named the sixth Bishop of the diocese of Baton Rouge.

I wept, I worried, and I wondered what the future would hold for us. Luckily for me, I had the opportunity to sit with Bishop Duca the next day to congratulate him and tell him how much he meant to me. I have been blessed in my priesthood to have such a shepherd, and we have all been blessed in our diocese to have been led by him. All of this reflects on his faithful obedience to the will of God. It is due to his obedience that he has been a beloved priest for 40 years and our most appreciated bishop for 10 years.

Bishop Duca’s role in our lives will never change because he has shaped us, he has led us, but, most importantly, because he has loved us. The sadness that we feel is the result of the love we feel for him. And through one of the darkest years of our diocese, with the deaths of Fr. Richter, Bishop Friend, and Msgr. Moore, this man gave us hope by his example of faith, hope and love. It is because he places all his hope and trust in the Lord that he has accomplished all he has. For his vocation, we owe a perpetual debt of gratitude. Thank you, Bishop Michal G. Duca. You will be with us always. • AUGUST 2018 19

Bishop Michael Duca

Thank you and God be with you in your new ministry.

Little Flower of Jesus Church Monroe, Louisiana

20 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Congratulations Bishop Duca Gracias por su servicio Best Wishes in Baton Rouge!

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Farmerville, Louisiana

Michael G. Duca, Son, Brother, Priest, Bishop

by Randy Tiller, Chancellor

Some of the Catholic Center staff with Bishop Michael Duca at the Bishop Lynch Awards banquet. Front row: Randy Tiller, Dianne Rachal, Deacon Michael Straub. Back row: Patricia Pillors, Elaine Gallion, Bishop Michael Duca and Rosalba Quiroz.

B

ishop Mike, “the bish,” is our Bishop Michael G. Duca, the second bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport.

Over 10 years ago, a press conference was held at the Catholic Center announcing his upcoming episcopal ordination and installation. It doesn’t feel like 10 years ago. Meeting Bishop Duca, his parents, Louis and Aline Duca, his sisters Rosanne and Irene, his brother James, and of course their spouses and his nieces and nephews, was a wonderful and a long remembered event. Thus began the intense period of preparing for THE DAY, May 19, 2008 when the Diocese of Shreveport would ordain our second bishop!

After he was ordained, Bishop Duca sat with me a few minutes asking me exactly what it was the Director of Mission Effectiveness did. He admitted he was very interested in the position and I believe I said something stupid like, “I was very interested in his positon.” Needless to say, I remained the Director of Mission Effectiveness and he remained the bishop.

For a short while that neither Bishop nor I could understand, people would mistake me for bishop. I have had people try to genuflect and reverence my ring. I have had them make comments that I would answer with, “I am not the bishop. He has the black shirt and white collar. At one point I heard Bishop tell someone, “No, Randy is Lebanese!”

From the beginning we established a rapport that I am pleased to say has grown over the years. Very soon after Bishop moved to Shreveport, I learned he had been introduced to Lebanese food when he had been in a parish with a Lebanese priest from Tyler, Texas. I asked him to dinner one Sunday afternoon for a very traditional Lebanese meal. My son, Garrett, and my mom, Madeline, were with us. I gave Bishop Duca a seat at the table (whether it was the head or the foot is still up for discussion).

By the end of the meal, my mom had gathered up some of the

dishes. I was standing at the sink in the kitchen, and as Bishop walked by mother, she said, “Here take these dishes to Randy.”

When he got to the sink, while I was kind of mortified, he said, “I am only the bishop.”

Since that time he has joined family, friends and me at many dinners, lunches and family gatherings through the years. I invited him to go with my sisters and me to a cousin’s house on the Mardi Gras parade route. I had so much stuff to carry from the two blocks away I had to park, that I took a baby stroller to put it all in. Bishop announced he was walking on the other side of the street away from the stroller.

Another time, Fr. Price and I accompanied Bishop Duca to the Texas State Fair to look at the new automobile offers, have “the corndog,” and fill up on all the other variety of fair food and see the new “Big Tex.” At one point Fr. Price and I looked at a ride that went up, down and all around, and decided to buy tickets to ride it. Bishop told us, NO, that we would have to ride one at a time. (I did not admit it then, but I was so relieved, I am not a “rider”).

We have laughed, we have had great times, tense times, times that one of us walked away upset and disenchanted; but we always came back together in the interest of the diocese and continued moving forward. There has been good news and bad news passed between us, but always with a sense of compassion, understanding, sincerity, fairness and something extra that I believe existed between the Bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport and the Director of Mission Effectiveness.

Effective April 1, 2018, he appointed me the Chancellor of the diocese. On June 26, he announced he was leaving for Baton Rouge. I think he got the last laugh. Congratulations Bishop Duca, you leave behind a diocese with a heavy but a joyful heart as you embark on new challenges. Hip hip hooray, Bish! • AUGUST 2018 21

Catholic Charities of North Louisiana: A Bishop’s Legacy

by Lucy Medvec, Catholic Charities of North Louisiana

Ribbon cutting for the Catholic Charities Offices at the former St. Catherine of Siena Church in Shreveport on October 11, 2011.

W

hen Bishop Michael G. Duca arrived in 2008 as the second bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport, he was surprised to see that there was not a Catholic Charities agency in North Louisiana. Up until that time, outreach in the community had taken place through Christian Service and at the parish level through the works of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Bishop Duca envisioned the formation of Catholic Charities as the Diocese of Shreveport’s response to helping those in need and being an agent of positive change in the lives of those being served.

Jean Dresley, Catholic Charities’ first executive director, remembers seeing the position advertised in her parish bulletin.

After several weeks of contemplation, she applied for the position and went through the interview process. In her second interview, she met with Bishop Duca and was offered the job at the end of the interview. She recalls feeling “scared to death” at the time, but also believed that “God was pulling me to this moment to use whatever small gifts I had to serve Him.” With a new executive director in place, Catholic Charities of Shreveport (CCS) opened its doors in August 2010.

In the early days of the organization, Dresley received guidance and mentoring from both Bishop Duca and Sr. Pat Cairns. Sr. Cairns had supervised two other Catholic Charities agencies and understood the challenges of a young organization.

Dresley credits Cairns’ experience and presence during this time as making a huge difference in the success of Catholic Charities.

Some of the initial challenges CCS faced included forming a board of directors, finding a place to start serving clients, and most important, securing funding for the organization. Dresley began seeing clients immediately and it soon became apparent

22 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

that CCS would need its own location. The organization moved into the rectory and sanctuary of the former St. Catherine of Siena Church, located in the Cedar Grove neighborhood, one of Shreveport’s poorest areas.

As the organization grew, so did its service area, expanding across the Diocese of Shreveport’s 16 civil parishes. Catholic Charities of Shreveport changed its name to Catholic Charities of North Louisiana in 2014, with satellite offices opening in Lake Providence and Monroe. Under the guidance of its current executive director, Meg Goorley, CCNLA has expanded its staff to nine full-time and six part-time employees, and provided services to over 3,500 people in 2017.

“Sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to see how to fix a problem,” explained Goorley. “Ten years ago when Bishop Duca arrived, he could immediately see that the Diocese of Shreveport was in the middle of one of the poorest sections of Louisiana and he was committed to doing something about it. Because he knew that Catholic Charities in Ft. Worth and Dallas were effectively helping the poor and vulnerable, Bishop Duca laid the groundwork for Catholic Charities of Shreveport by hiring Jean Dresley to create an organization worthy of its name.”

Throughout its existence, Bishop Duca has been unwavering for his support of Catholic Charities of North Louisiana.

Whether it is giving much-needed financial support, donating his time and culinary skills as auction items, calling bingo numbers at our annual fundraisers, or just lending words of advice, he has been the organization’s number one cheerleader.

Because of his vision and actions, thousands of people throughout North Louisiana have received education and assistance through Catholic Charities’ many programs,

including Money School financial literacy, emergency assistance, Gabriel’s Closet parenting program, healthy eating classes, disaster relief and immigration legal services. The Diocese of Shreveport and all of North Louisiana have benefited from his presence, guidance and leadership. Catholic Charities of North Louisiana is honored to be a part of his legacy.

(and now mine), and I pray that I can continue to uphold his admirable legacy.” – Meg Goorley, Executive Director “Bishop Duca is an admirable, kind, generous, thoughtful, funny man. In the past four years, I have witnessed him advocate wholeheartedly on behalf of CCNLA, rallying support and infusing hope. His Bishop Michael Duca at Bingo on the Bayou - a special fundraising dynamic presence has touched event for Catholic Charities of North Louisiana. many lives and will leave a significant void in his wake.” – Kelly Vaden, Director of Finance Thoughts from CCNLA staff members: and Human Resources “In my interview with Bishop Duca after he offered me the “I am thankful to Bishop Duca for his mission to help those in need, show Christ’s love and start Catholic Charities of North job, he told me to let him know if I ever needed help. He gave me his cell phone number and told me call him if I needed Louisiana. With his continual support of our organization, we have grown from assisting less than 100 the first year to well over something. I never needed to use that cell phone number, but 3,000 this past year in three locations.” – Allison Kulbeth, Intake it speaks to his commitment to CCNLA and to me personally.

Coordinator I am still humbled that he offered me the job.” – Jean Dresley, “Because of Bishop Duca’s vision of CCNLA, we have been Executive Director, 2010-2016 “What I will remember most about Bishop Duca is how able to help so many mothers through our Gabriel’s Closet program. What started out as a small program helping just a intelligent he truly is and how carefully he makes decisions by taking into consideration everyone and everything involved. few mothers, has now blossomed into a bigger program that has helped hundreds of mothers in the past few years. Whenever I will always appreciate him giving me the opportunity two years ago to lead this organization which is so close to his heart meeting with Bishop Duca, his kind, caring, and humorous

With mixed feelings of joy and sorrow,

Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Shreveport

recalls the joyful moments in history with

BISHOP MICHAEL G. DUCA

One special moment was October 2017, when Sacred Heart celebrated the first ProLife Mass in the diocese with Bishop Duca.

Another special moment was in August 2016, when Sacred Heart celebrated their 50 year anniversary with a special Mass and dinner.

Sacred Heart rejoices in the call from God and the Vatican for Bishop Duca to serve in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, but mourns the loss of this great man from our diocese.

May God continue to bless him through his ministry and service as Bishop.

AUGUST 2018 23

community and by those of us characteristics always shine who have had the pleasure of through. We will definitely miss getting to know him personally.” him and wish him nothing but – Carl Piehl, Director of the best in his next journey!” – Financial Stability Suhad Salamah, Benefits Manager “As a Catholic woman living and Gabriel’s Closet Coordinator in the Diocese of Shreveport, I “Bishop Duca’s immeasurable have a great deal of admiration support of Catholic Charities for Bishop Duca. For me, his has allowed us to help thousands final words in the promotional of individuals and their families video for CCNLA in 2014 ‘… throughout North Louisiana. His Jean Dresley, former Executive Director of Catholic Charities, and Bishop Michael Duca, at the opening of CCNLA's Monroe office. when the doorbell rings [at enthusiasm and love of people has helped make our annual bingo fundraisers fun and successful Catholic Charities], I’ll make sure there is somebody there to events for our organization. His homilies and speeches are always answer that door, every time,’ is a moment of blessing. I am also very grateful to him for being so clear in his stand on the side of memorable and teach valuable lessons. We were blessed to have immigrants and for showing Christian love towards them.” him lead our diocese for the past 10 years.” – Lucy Medvec, – Gilda Rada-Garcia, Immigration Advocate Director of Development and Communications “Bishop Duca has impressed me greatly over the years with his “Bishop Duca was the first, and has continued to be one of humility, approachability and wisdom. While his preaching and the most ardent and dedicated supporters of the Immigration conversation are extremely practical and relatable, his insights Legal Services Program of Catholic Charities of North into the person of Jesus Christ and his confident proclamation Louisiana. Words cannot express how grateful we are and how much he will be missed.” – Briana Bianca, Immigration Attorney of the gospel consistently inspire me to greater zeal and love for God. I am grateful for his constant support of Catholic “Bishop Duca has been a champion for the poor, the Charities, as well as his ecumenical work and other endeavors underprivileged and the immigrants in our community. He around the diocese, but especially for his witness as a man of has been our leader and the backbone of support for Catholic Charities of North Louisiana. Simply put, he is just a wonderful God, a man of faith, and a servant of the people.” – Joe Bulger, Case Manager • human being and will be greatly missed by our social services

Congratulations Bishop Duca on your appointment to Baton Rouge!

24 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Mary's House: Helping Mothers, Saving Lives

by L'Anne Sciba, Executive Director and Founder, Mary's House

“

I

Mary’s House “run” and see where it would go.

At that Banquet, $80,000 was donated to Mary’s House by the attendees.

Later that year, Schumpert Hospital closed, and the diocese acquired a vacant yellow house in which the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word had lived. In December 2014, at our semi-annual meeting about the Mary’s House idea, the Bishop offered the vacant yellow house for Mary’s House to use. It turned out to be perfect! On November 20, 2015, Mary’s House Pregnancy Care Center opened at the Margaret Place location.

As of June 2018, over 500 young women have come to Mary’s House for pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, for someone to talk to, to gain access into the healthcare system and for information about other resources.

Bishop Duca, you are a true shepherd, pastoring and letting God work through you and the people in the Diocese of Shreveport. Thank you, Bishop Duca, from all the young moms, their babies, the volunteers and donors of Mary’s House! •

hope they… [people of the Shreveport Diocese] felt respected, I hope they feel they had a voice when they spoke with me, that I listened to them.”

Bishop Michael G. Duca to The Shreveport Times, June 27, 2018 In October 2013, I had the idea of opening a pregnancy care center (PCC) and realized before I went any further, I should ask Bishop Duca if this was an acceptable idea. I made an appointment with him.

A few months later I met some people from another part of the country, mentioned how I met with the bishop, and they burst out laughing. They couldn’t believe that I could get an appointment at all! That is when I realized that Bishop Duca’s heart was truly open to meeting and knowing the people in his diocese.

At that initial meeting in 2013, he listened to my idea, looked at my “charts,” asked some questions, and then he offered what he had: an empty room at the Catholic Center. Even though, as he said later, “it wouldn’t cost me anything,” and we never did use the room, his encouragement gave me and others the message that a new pregnancy care center was welcome in the diocese.

But, I had to keep working my day job.

In early 2014, one of Bishop Duca’s Pro-Life Banquet team members called to invite me to speak about Mary’s House Pregnancy Care Center at the ProLife Banquet – I had a five minute limit! Considering Mary’s House had no donors, no money, and was only a vision to help young women find alternatives to abortion. How could five minutes do anything?

Bishop Michael Duca and L'Anne Sciba sign papers to move Mary's House into their current home on Margaret Place in Shreveport.

Yet Bishop Duca’s idea seemed to be to let this idea of AUGUST 2018 25

Bishop Michael G. Duca in

2008 –

2008

May 19, 2008 Installation and ordination of Bishop-Elect Msgr. Michael G. Duca, Shreveport Convention Center

April 1, 2008 Press Conference announcing Msgr.

Michael Gerard Duca as Bishop-elect of the Diocese of Shreveport.

July 12, 2008 St. Joseph Parish re-dedication and blessing of church

May 25, 2008 Reception of the Bishop in his Cathedral

May 30, 2008 First visit to the Eastern Deanery

2009 April 7, 2008 First Chrism Mass at Cathedral of St. John Berchmans

May 16, 2008 Fr. Matthew Long’s Ordination to the Priesthood

June 20, 2008 Ordination of Michael Thang’wa, FMH to the transitional diaconate, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish

May 21, 2008 50th Anniversary to the priesthood Mass for Bishop William B. Friend, Fr. William Carey and Msgr. Edmund Moore, Cathedral

March 1, 2008 First Rite of Election, Cathedral of St. John Berchmans

2010 August 2010 Launch of Catholic Charities of Shreveport February 20, 2010 Little Flower of Jesus Parish celebrates 70 years

26 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

August 29, 2010 Jesus the Good Shepherd School's 50th Anniversary

September 23, 2010 Sacred Heart Parish, Rayville’s 90th anniversary

September 11, 2010 New deacon class begins

the Diocese of Shreveport

– 2018 2008

August 1 Publishes first article in The Catholic Connection

D

September 4, 2008 Meets with religious leaders in the diocese

Bishop’s Reflection

ear friends in Christ, This is my first article for the Catholic Connection and I am grateful for the opportunity to send this letter to you each month. Here I can speak directly so you can know my mind on issues and get to know me as your Bishop. It seems like I have gone through a lifetime of changes since my ordination and installation at the Convention Center but it has, in fact, been only three months since I became the Bishop of Shreveport. I must tell you all that my friends from Dallas, my family and my brother priests and bishops of other dioceses continue to tell me how beautiful my ordination was and how loving and welcoming the people of Shreveport were to them. I cannot express with words the depth of my thanks for all you did to make that day a true celebration of the Catholic Church in North Louisiana. On that day I felt among us a common vision and love of the Church, that is, I felt at home. I hope that the Spirit of God continues to inspire, unify and deepen our commitment to build up the body of Christ in North Louisiana.

The month of August brings to mind the beginning of school. Although I didn’t feel this as a child while I was in school, I cannot now express how thankful I am for the teachers and the support of my parents that allowed me to get a good education. Education is one of the essential ministries of the church. One important part of this education is handing on our Faith to our children. Parents have the first responsibility and right to educate their children in the Faith. They do this most effectively by their example and by teaching their children prayers, traditions, stories and by answering their questions about God. The family is where we learn our most enduring lessons of faith and where we receive our most profound first formation in the Faith.

To help our parents the Catholic Church continues to provide Catholic education through our Catholic schools and religious education programs in the parish. I am an alumnus of Catholic schools and I am a witness to their ability to form and educate our children. You can expect that I will fully support our Catholic schools, hold them to high standards and try to make them more affordable and available to those

Catholic parents that wish to enroll their children.

We should always keep in our minds that the purpose of our Catholic schools is not just to provide a good education. Catholic schools must be schools that provide a solid Catholic faith formation along side of a good education founded on Catholic values. This Catholic identity of our schools is an essential quality that we must maintain.

August will also bring the beginning of our Religious education classes for our children in the parish. Part of this will be sacramental preparations for the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion. Our older students will prepare for Confirmation and I look forward to being with you to celebrate this Sacrament of the Holy Spirit in your parishes. We need to continue the same level of commitment to quality in our Religious Education programs in the parish that we expect in our Catholic schools. In these parish programs the greatest number of our children will be taught the faith. In justice to them we owe our best effort.

I encourage the use of the “Foundations” program offered by the Greco Institute for teachers to deepen their understanding of the faith to help them in their teaching.

These courses are now being offered on the Internet to make it easier for our religious education teachers to take these courses no matter where in the Diocese they live. I want to thank all our teachers for their gift of time and dedication to the ministry of teaching the faith to our children and forming their spiritual lives. The lessons you teach have the potential of giving them a Faith that will support and guide them their whole lives.

Education in our faith is one of the most important works we do as the church. It is in fact an aspect of the primary command of Jesus to go out and preach the good news.

Whether we accomplish this in the home, at a Catholic school or in a Religious Education program, let it always be our best work.

Michael G. Duca Bishop of the Diocese of shreveport

4 Catholic Connection August 2008

5

August 8, 2008 First Blue Mass at Holy Trinity Parish, Shreveport

2009

September 2, 2008 First Eastern Deanery Red Mass

October 25, 2008 Matthew Long’s ordination to the transitional diaconate

2010

September 27, 2009 60th anniversary Mass for Cathedral of St. John Berchmans

August 16, 2009 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish's 25th anniversary Mass

November 7, 2008 First USCCB meeting

September 15, 2008 Attended New Bishop Workshop in Rome and met Pope Benedict XVI

January 24, 2010 St. Pius X Parish groundbreaking November 3, 2009 Good Leaders, Good Shepherds program for priests begins

2010 October 3, 2010 Bishop Duca’s first Pro-Life Banquet September 25, 2010 St. Mary of the Pines Parish’s 35th anniversary

October 16, 2010 Dedication of St. Pius X Church, Shreveport October 24, 2010 St. Patrick Parish’s 140th anniversary

AUGUST 2018 27

2011 June 11, 2011 25th anniversary celebration of the Diocese of Shreveport February 2011 Catholic Charities moves to former St. Catherine of Siena Church building

September 2011 Good Samaritan partnership with the Fuller Housing Foundation

August 7, 2011 Call to Candidacy for Deacon Aspirants, Cathedral of St. John Berchmans

2013 April 13, 2013 Catholic Daughters celebrate 100 years at St. Mary of the Pines Parish November 2012 Pastoral Letter on the Year of Faith

2014

June 8, 2013 Rededication of St. Joseph Parish, Zwolle

July 2013 Catholic Charities Office opens in Lake Providence

June 22, 2013 Installation of diaconate candidates to the Order of Acolyte, Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish

August 10, 2013 Rededication Mass for St. Lawrence Church, Swartz

June 21, 2014 Ordination of John Paul Crispin, FMH to the priesthood & diaconate ordination of Brother Paul Mutisya, St. Mary of the Pines April 26, 2014 New St. Jude Church dedication

28 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

May 31, 2014 Keith Garvin ordained to priesthood; Jerry Daigle ordained to transitional diaconate

June 28, 2014 16 men ordained to permanent diaconate at Cathedral of St. John Berchmans

2012 May 5, 2012 Dedication of Fuller Center diocesan sponsored home January 20, 2012 Bishop Duca’s Ad Limina Visit in Rome with Pope Benedict XVI

June 24, 2012 Our Lady of Fatima Parish’s 60 year anniversary

August 25, 2012 St. Jude Church groundbreaking

October 27, 2012 Hispanic Ministry 25 year celebration

August 26, 2012 Institution of Lectors Ceremony for permanent deacon candidates

2013

2014 December 6, 2013 Groundbreaking on St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Life Center

October 4, 2013 St. Francis Medical Center’s 100th anniversary October 5, 2013 Bishop Duca named Distinguished Alumni by University of Dallas

January 11, 2014 Transitional diaconate ordination of Keith Garvin, Cathedral

December 22, 2013 Rite of Candidacy for Holy Orders Mass for Jerry Daigle and Keith Garvin, St. Matthew Parish

2015 July 26, 2014 51st Fuller Home sponsored

by Diocese of Shreveport dedicated

May 9, 2015 Deacon class and LEM’s celebrate 10 years August 17, 2014 Blessing and dedication of new high altar relief at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans

May 16, 2015 Ordination of Jerry Daigle to the priesthood

September 22, 2015 Pope Francis visits the United States

AUGUST 2018 29

2015

December 13, 2015 Open Door of Mercy at the Cathedral

September 24, 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia November 20, 2015 Mary’s House location opens on Margaret Place in Shreveport

2016

December 10, 2016 Fidel Mondragón ordained to transitional diaconate at St. Mary of the Pines Parish

September 10, 2016 Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders for Duane Trombetta and Fidel Mondragón October 1, 2016 Holy Trinity celebrates 160 years

December 18, 2016 Mass with Cardinal Edwin O’Brien at the Cathedral for the visit of the heart of St. John Berchmans relic

November 25, 2016 Travels to India to meet Carmelite Community

2017 June 2017 Catholic Press Award for Best Diocesan Bishop’s Column and Best Coverage of Pro-Life Issues bishop’s REFLECTION

by Bishop Michael G. Duca

Looking for Hopeful Answers in Unsettling Times

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n July 7th I was in Shreveport packing to begin my vacation when I was shocked to learn 11 policemen were shot in Dallas, five of whom were dead. Dallas is where I grew up, so the tragedy feels close and personal to me. I felt sadness and a deep, unique fear that I have felt only two other times in my life.

The first time was on November 22, 1963, when it was announced at school that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas. I felt that day that something had changed inside of me. And although I did not yet have the words at age 11 to make sense of it, I remember having a general feeling of fear and unease.

The second time was when I watched TV as the Bishop Duca second plane crashed into the World Trade Center on 9/11. Again I was overcome with a pervasive fear and unease about everything. Something had changed in my world in a profound way. I felt that same fear and unease when I heard of the attack on the police officers in Dallas. This event, as the others before it, now affected me in a profound way. It was not like other disappointments and losses in my life, no, this was a fear and unease at the core of my inner life. They were changes that were foundational to my daily assumptions about the world in which I live.

We go about our daily lives with a set of presumptions that we don’t have to think about, which create the foundation on which we live and plan for the future. Some of these assumptions are: every time I take a step I assume the earth will remain firm and that there will be air to breathe when I take a breath; in my home I am safe and terrorism is in other countries, not here. Because these assumptions are so foundational, we are surprised when we stumble and we feel violated and vulnerable when our house is broken into or we realize, as we did on 9/11, that terrorism is now a part of our lives. When these moments happen we are disoriented and must find a new foundation on which to move into the future.

Many natural responses emerge at these times. Anger, desire for revenge, fear, overbearing sadness and loss, criticism, blame and depression are all some of our reactions as human beings because the loss and because the experience is so foundational to our understanding of ourselves, our world around us, and maybe even to our faith in God. While these responses are natural to the experience, we must not be fooled into thinking that the healing and reordering we need will be discovered in these emotions.

Terrorism will not be thwarted by revenge. Violent crime, violence against police and citizens will not end with only a show of more force and power.

These kinds of emotional reactions are not big enough to truly heal our culture because they offer no hope to healing the real problems. We might accept these inadequate responses because we also believe that the causes of violence are too big to fix and the cost and sacrifice too great to make a change. We all feel this. How many times have you said or heard said, “I don’t know what’s happening to this country. I don’t know what we can do.”

These are the words of someone losing hope.

It cannot be that way with us who believe in a God of love and that

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. We must be willing to be a voice that creates and supports real solutions to the root of violence in our country and be willing, if necessary, to make sacrifices for this good work. We should be a voice that promotes programs to lift up all people so they have a quality of life that allows them to believe they have a voice and a chance in the world today.

We must not give in to despair, but always seek the hope-filled answers that show the love and respect for every person that is the defining quality of a disciple of Jesus Christ. We are to be the “salt of the earth,” bringing new answers and the hope, rooted in our faith in Jesus Christ, to a hurting world. May God give each of us the inspiration and hopeful enthusiasm to support programs that seek to break the cycle of poverty, inequality and violence in our society. May God help us in our daily conversations to encourage others to look for hopeful answers to the big problems of our society rather than speak only despairing words of blame and hatred.

These are unsettling times and we will lose our way in the darkness of despair if we do not hold on to our faith in Jesus Christ and His Church.

In Christ we will find the hope that dispels the darkness of our hearts and gives us new hope for the future and the energy to work for change in our nation and in the world. In Christ we will find the best answers to the challenges in the world today. •

September 27, 2017 Christian Service facility on Levy Street grand opening

September 23, 2017 Ceremony of the Rite of Beatification / Mass of Father Stanley Rother, Oklahoma City

August 2016 5

30 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

October 29, 2017 Public prayer service for Christian unity with First Presbyterian Church on Jordan Street

December 2017 Launch of seminarian burse program December 16, 2017 Rite of Candidacy Mass for Kevin Mues, Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish

2016

February 21, 2016 St. Terence Church celebrates 20 years

June 25, 2016 Diocese of Shreveport’s 30th anniversary

August 21, 2016 Sacred Heart of Jesus Church’s 50th anniversary Mass & celebration

May 24, 2016 Ribbon Cutting for Catholic Charities of North Louisiana and Diocese of Shreveport Eastern Deanery Office, Monroe

January 17, 2016 St. Paschal Parish’s 75th anniversary Mass

2017 April 28, 2017 Recipient of the Lynch Legacy Award, Bishop Lynch High School, Dallas

May 28, 2017 Mass in dedication of new construction and retirement reception for Fr. Phil Michiels, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish May 5, 2017 25th Annual Red Mass at Holy Trinity Parish

June 10, 2017 Fidel Mondragón’s ordination to the priesthood

June 3 & 4, 2017 Bishop Duca’s 65th birthday celebrations

June 24, 2017 Duane Trombetta’s ordination to the transitional diaconate

2018 February 22, 2018 Attended the Regional V-Encuentro in Doral, FL

June 9, 2018 Duane Trombetta’s ordination to the priesthood June 9, 2018 Heather Sikes’ First Profession of Vows as a Sister of Our Lady of Sorrows, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish

June 23, 2018 Kevin Mues ordination to the transitional diaconate

June 26, 2018 Bishop Michael Duca named 6th bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge

June 2018 Catholic Press Award for Bishop’s Column

AUGUST 2018 31

His Excellency, The Most Reverend Glen John Provost, D.D., M.A. Bishop of Lake Charles

with the clergy, religious and laity of the

Diocese of Lake Charles congratulate

Bishop Michael G. Duca on his 10 years of service as Bishop of Shreveport

Bishop Michael Duca has followed in the footsteps of Bishop Friend as he made prison ministry one of his callings. As Pope Francis advised, he became a shepherd to the flock.

Bishop Duca made visits, said Masses, heard confessions and supported prison ministry in our diocese. Wisely, he guided all those working in prison ministry and by his example, many priests make visits to the prisons.

Thank you Bishop Duca for loving all people and following in the footsteps of our Lord.

Bishop Michael G. Duca On behalf of the Diocese of Jackson, I offer thanks for your years of dedicated service to the people of Christ and congratulate you on your farewell. May God bless you with many years of health, peace and zeal. +Joseph R. Kopacz Bishop of the Diocese of Jackson

32 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

So Many Gifts to Share

by Deacon Mike Whitehead

ARCHBISHOP THOMAS J. RODI AND THE

PEOPLE OF THE

ARCHDIOCESE OF MOBILE OFFER PRAYERS AND BEST WISHES TO

BISHOP

MICHAEL G. DUCA

I

n his letter to parishioners on his new appointment in Baton Rouge, Bishop Duca said, “I am not clear about, ‘why me?’ I have to admit that I have been surprised or puzzled by most of my pastoral appointments over the years, especially my appointment as your bishop 10 years ago. But with every appointment, no matter how puzzled, overwhelmed or humbled I felt, when I embraced the assignments without reservation, I found the joy and blessings I now know God intended.”

That statement is quintessentially Bishop Duca.

It is rare to meet a truly great man or woman that doesn’t have that thread of humility as part of his or her DNA. There is no doubt Bishop Duca’s priority from Day 1 was a gift of service to this diocese, as well as north Louisiana.

I will cherish the times when I attended Mass where he presided. Bishop Duca reinforced that every Mass is a celebration and a miracle. Without exception, every homily he gave was as deep as the Caribbean and included humor that was always genuine and never forced.

Honestly, I never believed Bishop Duca would be with us until his retirement. He has too many gifts – gifts that must be shared with others. I choose to remember him with gratitude for the 10 years we had him with us, rather than dwell on the fact that he is taking on a new assignment.

Bishop Duca always was the same, whether he was leading a deacon retreat, calling bingo numbers at a Catholic Charities fundraiser or having dinner with friends.

Humility, authenticity, compassion. There are a lot of virtues that could describe the second bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport, but whatever the description, we certainly have been blessed to have him in our lives. •

AS HE SAYS FAREWELL TO THE

DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT WE PRAY GOD WILL SHOWER

ABUNDANT BLESSINGS UPON HIM. AUGUST 2018 33

Bishop Michael Duca Announced as Bishop-designate of Baton Rouge

by Bonny Van, The Catholic Commentator

photo courtesy of The Catholic Commentator

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he sixth bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge was greeted with applause, smiles and hugs as he approached the podium for his introduction to the people of the capital city on June 26, just hours after the Vatican announced the appointment by Pope Francis.

Bishop-designate Michael G. Duca replaces Bishop Robert W. Muench, who is retiring after 16 years. The two bishops arrived together, with Bishop Muench handling much of the introductions for the press event, which contained a variety of emotions from both men, who had clearly formed a special camaraderie.

“I was completely surprised by this appointment and while I am sad to leave the good people of the Diocese of Shreveport, I immediately accepted the appointment without reservation as I see this as the will of God in my life and, I guess by extension, the will of God in the life of the Diocese of Shreveport and Baton Rouge,” said Bishop-designate Duca to the dozens of priests, deacons, diocesan employees and members of the media packed into the Westerfield Center on the campus of the Catholic Life Center.

Bishop-designate Duca has been bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport for the past 34 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

10 years, his first bishop assignment. A native of Dallas, Texas, Bishop-designate Duca was ordained a priest in 1978 for the Diocese of Dallas. After serving in several parishes in that diocese, he served as rector of Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, Texas from 1996 to 2008.

In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport, with a Catholic population of 40,000. In contrast, the Diocese of Baton Rouge has a Catholic population of 227,052.

“I have to tell you I’m not clear about the ‘why me’ part,” said the bishopdesignate. “I have to admit I have been surprised or puzzled by most of the pastoral assignments I have received over my life. But, no matter how quick I had to move, or how unprepared I felt or overwhelmed or humbled, in every case, when I embraced the assignment, without reservation, I found the joy and blessings I know now that God intended.”

Bishop-designate Duca then broke down in tears in recalling the special bond he had developed with the people in Shreveport, saying, “I fell in love with those I served, and I also found that in every case, I discovered the goodness in the people of God.” “I intend to do no less here in Baton

Rouge,” he continued. “And, I will give myself to you as your bishop and the work before us to build the kingdom of God, here in this portion of south Louisiana.”

Though the geographical area of the Diocese of Baton Rouge pales in comparison with that of Shreveport 5,513 square miles versus 11,129 square miles the bishop-designate inherits a much denser population concentration that includes 64 church parishes, one university, 31 schools, 51 diocesan priests, 56 active permanent deacons and more than 100 combined religious brothers and sisters. In his first public address, the bishop-designate said he is committed to supporting those who serve in the church.

“I look forward to meeting the priests and deacons of the diocese and also the diocesan staff,” said Bishop-designate Duca. “But, at the end, the priests, deacons and lay leaders of the parishes and institutions are those that I want most to be seen as in solidarity with.

They are the ones we, the Catholic staff, are here to support because they are the ones, the outreach, that touch the people of God.” Bishop-designate Duca, a selfdescribed foodie, said he anticipates “hitting the ground walking” as opposed to “running” when he officially takes possession of the diocese because “there is a good organization, a good structure, a good spirit in the church” in the Baton Rouge diocese. He also mentioned an acquaintance in Shreveport, whose brother is a priest in Baton Rouge and stated that the Baton Rouge diocese has “the best group of priests in Louisiana.”

“That was very encouraging and Bishop Muench has given me the same kind of encouragement and so I come with a great enthusiasm and excitement,” he said. “And, I’m anxious to meet all of you over the next years of my life as a bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.”

way beyond me and I’m not going In a nod to his Texas roots But, no matter how quick I had to to try to say it in south Louisiana and the large Spanish-speaking because I would mess that up, too.” population in his home state, the move, or how unprepared I felt In follow-up questions, the bishop-designate made a statement or overwhelmed or humbled, in bishop-designate acknowledged that in Spanish, “especially now when things are so uncertain for so many every case, when I embraced the transition from “the north to the south” will not be an easy one, saying, people.” the assignment, without “I’m in way over my head here.”

“Basically, what I said was that “I don’t even know enough to I want them to know that they reservation, I found the joy know how much I don’t know about are part of our family, we are one and blessings I know now south Louisiana to be worried about church and I can say that openly how much I don’t know,” he added. because I know that this is a city of that God intended.

“Culturally, I know that I’m in a much diversity,” he added. “When I different place so I have to learn the moved to Louisiana, I thought that suffer and we need to have that kind of culture and the way people interact.

I would have shrimp and seafood in my unity together.”

“I know that there’s north Louisiana, freezer, more than I could eat. I moved Bishop-designate Duca then referenced there’s south Louisiana and there’s New to Shreveport, Louisiana, and ended up a speech made at the recent U.S. Orleans.” with meat pies and tamales, which have Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting But he also emphasized the universality been a great gift. But, I first experienced “about the importance of being close to of the church, saying “even though there in Shreveport, the diversity of culture one another” and getting to know each may be a great difference in culture, there and influence throughout this whole other and each other’s struggles. is one church language, you might say, the Louisiana state.

“We need to get close to (the poor) language of the Mass, the language of the “It’s a wonderful diversity, and I know to understand their lives because in the we have Vietnamese, African-American; end, we all want the same thing,” he said. sacraments, the language of prayer. So we start off together with that.” we have other cultures that are here all “So to our brothers and sisters who don’t Bishop-designate Duca is scheduled to around, and I just want to say, we all have speak English, I want them to know that be installed on August 24, at 2:00 p.m. at to consider that we are one family and they are part of our family. If I could say Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge. • when one part of the family suffers, we all this in Vietnamese, I would, but that’s

Dear Bishop Duca Thank you for the loving and faithful ways that you shepherded the people of St. Jude.We were blessed by your presence and your inspiring words of wisdom.

Good Luck and God Bless, The Parishioners of St. Jude Catholic Church Benton, LA

AUGUST 2018 35

The Question on Everyone's Mind:

What Comes Next for the Diocese of Shreveport?

by Father Rothell Price, Moderator of the Curia

E

veryone is wondering who our next bishop will be.

I think the only truthful answer to that question is that only our good Lord and His vicar on earth, Pope Francis, knows.

Pope Francis has the responsibility of naming bishops in the Catholic Church. He is assisted in this task by the Congregation for Bishops. They receive their pool of names from the Papal Nuncio to the United States of America, who is Archbishop Pierre Christophe. His office is in Washington, D.C. Archbishop Christophe receives potential names from each of the bishops of the United States. Every bishop is free to submit the name or names of priests who they feel possess the qualifications and qualities of a bishop. So, to answer the question as to who will be the next bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport? The only truthful answer is, we do not know!

On the day that our current bishop, Michael Gerard Duca, is installed as the bishop of Baton Rouge, our diocese becomes vacant. The Latin phrase for this is “sede vacante.”

Sede vacante is pronounced “say-day vay-khan-tay.” It means

that the seat or cathedra (the bishop’s chair at the cathedral church) is empty. There is no bishop here to occupy it.

Within eight days after Bishop Duca is actually installed in Baton Rouge and takes possession of that diocese, our College of Consultors will convene to elect a priest to govern the diocese until Pope Francis names our new bishop.

Bishop Duca will be installed on Friday, August 24, at 2:00 p.m. Somewhere within that hour he will no longer be our bishop. The College of Consultors will not elect the new bishop. They have no role to play in the choosing of a bishop. They have the responsibility of naming the priest who will be the administrator of our diocese until we receive a new bishop from Pope Francis.

The College of Consultors is made of up priests from the Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Shreveport. The bishop can name from a minimum of six to a maximum of 12 of the priests from the Presbyteral Council to be members of the College of Consultors. It is a requirement that the members of the College of Consultors be chosen from among

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Bishop Duca installed as sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge on August 24.

Diocese of Shreveport becomes Sede Vacante - meaning the seat at the Cathedral is empty.

College of Consultors convenes within 8 days of his installation to name a diocesan administrator.

The diocesan administrator manages the diocese until the pope appoints a new bishop for the Diocese of Shreveport.

36 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

the members of the Presbyteral Council.

In order to be chosen as the diocesan administrator, it is required that the candidate be a priest, have completed his 35th year of age, and be outstanding in doctrine and prudence. If we had a Cathedral Chapter (which we do not), it would also be required the candidate not have already been elected, appointed, or presented for this diocese.

The College of Consultors is free to choose any priest to serve as the diocesan administrator. They can choose a priest from within or outside the diocese. It can be a diocesan priest or a religious order priest. However, he must meet the legal requirements above.

The diocesan administrator enjoys the power of the diocesan bishop, with the exception of a few things; for example, he cannot ordain a bishop, priest, or deacon because he is not bishop. He can, however, invite a bishop to come to the diocese to preside over an ordination. Likewise, he cannot preside at the Chrism Mass during Holy Week. Again, he would have to recruit a bishop from outside our diocese to come preside at that Mass.

The diocesan administrator is forbidden to do anything against the rights of the diocese or those of the in-coming bishop.

He is prohibited from removing or changing documents of the diocesan curia. During his administration nothing is to be altered or changed in the diocese. These rules are in place to ensure stability and tranquility in the diocese until the new bishop arrives. The diocesan administrator is obliged to live in the diocese and ensure Mass for the people of the diocese. His responsibilities end when the new bishop takes possession of the diocese.

Please pray for our College of Consultors, and pray for the priest they choose to administer the diocese until our new shepherd is named and installed. The College and the administrator will need the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit. May the Ever-Virgin Blessed Mary, St. Joseph, St. John Berchmans, and all the saints of God intercede for us. And do not fail to pray for Bishop Duca in this highly emotional transitional time in his life. Our great loss is a great gain for the people of the Diocese of Baton Rouge! Deo gratias. • AUGUST 2018 37

Congratulations

from your Friends in East Tennessee

Most Reverend Michael G. Duca

Blessings from Bishop Richard F. Stika, Cardinal Justin Rigali, and the Faithful of the Diocese of Knoxville

Bishop Michael G. Duca, 2nd Bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport, leads Mass for St. Francis Medical Center’s Centennial Celebration on October 4, 2013.

Bishop Michael G. Duca,

On behalf of our Board of Directors, Sisters, Administrators, Team Members and Providers, we congratulate you on your appointment as Bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Thank you for your 10 years of service to St. Francis Medical Center and to the people of North Louisiana.

‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.

Come, share your master’s joy.’ - Matthew 25:23

309 Jackson Street | Monroe, LA 38 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

StFran.com

Lo que todos se preguntan

¿Que sigue para la Diócesis de Shreveport? por Father Rothell Price, Moderator de la Curia

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odos se preguntan quién será nuestro próximo obispo.

Pienso que la respuesta clara a esa pregunta la tiene Dios nuestro Señor y su Vicario en la tierra, el Papa Francisco.

El Papa Francisco tiene la responsabilidad de nombrar obispos en la Iglesia Católica. La Congregación de Obispos asiste al Papa en esta tarea. Ellos reciben una cantidad de nombres de parte del Nuncio Papal de los Estados Unidos de América, Arzobispo Pierre Christophe, quien tiene su oficina en Washington, D.C. El Arzobispo Christophe recibe nombres de posibles candidatos de cada uno de los obispos en los Estados Unidos. Cada obispo es libre de presentar un nombre o nombres de sacerdotes que presentan requisitos y cualidades de obispo. Entonces, para contestar la pregunta de; ¿quién será el siguiente obispo de la Diócesis de Shreveport? La respuesta correcta es, ¡No sabemos!

El día que nuestro obispo, Michael Gerard Duca, se instale como obispo de Baton Rouge, nuestra Diócesis pasa a ser “Sede Vacante”, como se conoce en Latín. Esto significa que la silla o cátedra, (silla del obispo en la catedral) está vacía.

Ocho días después que el Obispo Duca este instalado en Baton Rouge y tome posesión de esa diócesis, nuestro Colegio de Consultores se reunirá para elegir a un sacerdote que asuma la administración de la diócesis hasta que el Papa Francisco nombre a nuestro nuevo obispo. El obispo Duca se instalará el viernes, 24 de Agosto a las 2:00 pm.

En el transcurso de esa hora dejará de ser nuestro obispo.

El Colegio de Consultores no elegirá al nuevo obispo.

Ellos no participan en elegir a un obispo. Solamente tienen la responsabilidad de nombrar al sacerdote que será administrador de nuestra diócesis hasta que recibamos al nuevo obispo enviado por el Papa Francisco.

El Colegio de Consultores está compuesto por sacerdotes del Consejo Presbiteral de la Diócesis de Shreveport. El obispo puede nombrar a un mínimo de seis a doce sacerdotes máximo del Consejo Presbiteral a ser miembros del Colegio de Consultores. Es un requisito que los miembros del Colegio de Consultores sean seleccionados de entre los miembros del Consejo Presbiteral.

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Instalación del Obispo Duca como sexto Obispo de Baton Rouge el 24 de Agosto.

La Diócesis de Shreveport se convierte en Sede Vacante.

El Colegio de Consultores se reúne dentro de 8 días de la instalación para nombrar a un Administrador Diocesano.

El Administrador Diocesano dirige la diócesis hasta que el Papa nombra un nuevo Obispo para la Diócesis de Shreveport.

AUGUST 2018 39

Para seleccionar al administrador diocesano, se requiere que el candidato sea sacerdote, haya cumplido 35 años de edad, y una doctrina y prudencia excepcional. Si tuviéramos un Cabildo Colegial (un consejo, el cual no tenemos) también se requiere que el candidato no debe haber sido ya elegido, nombrado, o presentado para esta diócesis.

El Colegio de Consultores es libre de seleccionar cualquier sacerdote a servir como administrador diocesano. Pueden elegir a un sacerdote dentro o fuera de la diócesis que sea diocesano o de orden religiosa. No obstante, que reúna los requisitos legales mencionados anteriormente.

El administrador diocesano disfruta del poder del Obispo diocesano, con la excepción de algunas cosas; por ejemplo, no puede ordenar a un obispo, sacerdote, o diácono porque no es obispo. Lo que puede hacer, es invitar a un obispo a hacerlo.

Tampoco puede presidir en la Misa Crismal durante Semana Santa. De igual forma, tendría que recluir a un obispo de fuera que viniera a presidir en esta Misa El administrador diocesano no tiene autoridad de hacer algo que esté en contra de los derechos de la diócesis o del nuevo obispo. Tiene prohibido eliminar o modificar documentos de la curia diocesana. Durante su administración nada debe ser alterado o modificado en la diócesis. Estas reglas se establecen para asegurar la estabilidad y tranquilidad en la diócesis hasta que el nuevo obispo llegue. El administrador diocesano está obligado a vivir en la diócesis y asegurarse de dar Misa a las personas de la diócesis. Sus responsabilidades terminan cuando el nuevo obispo tome posesión de la diócesis.

Por favor oren por el Colegio de Consultores y por el sacerdote que ellos elijan para administrar la diócesis hasta que nuestro nuevo pastor sea nombrado e instalado. El colegio y el administrador van a necesitar la sabiduría y orientación del Espíritu Santo.

Que la siempre Virgen Maria, San José, San John Berchmans, y todos los Santos de Dios intercedan por nosotros. Y no se olviden de orar por el Obispo Duca en este tiempo de transición emocional en su vida. ¡Nuestra pérdida es la gran ganancia de la gente de la Diócesis de Baton Rouge! Deo gratias. • 40 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Dear Bishop Duca, As testimony to your inspiration and guidance, and as a special farewell: The Knights of Columbus Councils of • Broadmoor, Grand Knight David Campisi • Bossier, Grand Knight Paul Murray • Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Grand Knight John Vitacca • St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Grand Knight Larry Miller Announce their new Faith in Action programs, including: regular Spiritual Reflections, Consecration to the Holy Family, Helping Hands, and Novena For Life initiatives.

May these, and the other works of these Councils, grow as future compliments to your past presence among us.

Godspeed!

For more information on Knights of Columbus Programs call or text Mike Torma at 318-773-0815

AUGUST 2018 41

BISHOP MICHAEL G. DUCA Thank you for your faith-filled service and leadership.

Best Wishes to you in Baton Rouge from

L’Italian O RESTAURANT

318-747-7777 701 Barksdale Blvd.

Bossier City, LA 42 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

About the DIOCESE OF

BATON ROUGE The Diocese of Baton Rouge was established on July 22, 1961

by Pope John XXIII. Ascension Parish Assumption Parish East Baton Rouge Parish East Feliciana Parish Iberville Parish Livingston Parish Pointe Coupee Parish St. Helena Parish St. James Parish Tangipahoa Parish West Baton Rouge Parish West Feliciana Parish 5,513 Square Miles Bishop Michael Duca will be the sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

The past five bishops were: Bishop Robert E. Tracy (November 8, 1961 - March 21, 1974) Bishop Joseph V. Sullivan (September 4, 1974 - September 4, 1982) Bishop Stanley J. Ott (March 24, 1983 - November 28, 1992) Bishop Alfred C. Hughes (November 4, 1993 - February 16, 2001) Bishop Robert W. Muench (March 14, 2002 - August 23, 2018 )

Diocesan Priests: 71 Diocesan Priests Active in Diocese: 51 Priests Retired, Sick or Absent: 20 Religious Priests Active in Diocese: 27 Religious Priests, Retired: 4 Extern Priests in Diocese: 7 Religious Sisters: 74 Religious Brothers: 19 Parishes: 64 Catholic Hospitals: 3 Diocesan Seminarians: 17 High Schools, Diocesan, Parochial & Private: 7 Elementary Schools, Diocesan and Parochial: 23 Universities: 1 Catholic Population: 227,052 AUGUST 2018 43

Well Wishes from Fr. Phil

by Fr. Phil Michiels

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ishop Duca has been a bright pastoral light in the administration of the diocese. I am very appreciative of his initiative in bringing Catholic Charities to the diocese, his respect for his clergy and his willingness to be present to parishioners in the diocese whenever possible.

Personally, I felt an instant rapport with Bishop Duca from the first time we met. I felt privileged to serve as a member of the College of Consultors, the Diocesan Clergy Personnel Board, the Priests Council and the Clergy Retirement Board. I value his acceptance of my voice and advice in the concerns of these important groups.

I value most of all his visitations to the parish for special occasions, which included the administration of the Sacrament of Confirmation and his dining with parish staff members.

Again on a personal level, as well as pastoral, I valued his presiding for a special Mass celebrating my 40th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood and the special Mass celebrating my “official retirement” after completing my 12th year as a very happy pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Shreveport.

I send my prayers and best wishes to Bishop Duca as he begins a new chapter in his episcopacy as Bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge. •

Congratulations Bishop Michael G. Duca

on your appointment as Bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge May the Lord guide you as you serve his people +Most Rev. Michael Mulvey, STL, DD Bishop of Corpus Christi

44 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

We Wish You the Best Bishop Michael Duca!

C

, s n o i t a l u t a r ong Bishop Duca

Thank you for your care, your prayers, and your faithfulness.

We will miss you!

atitude, r g d n a ve With lo Family a l o y o Your L AUGUST 2018 45

Peace and All Good Bishop Michael Duca to

from

The Franciscan Friars of the Sacred Heart Province Hispanic Ministry • LA Tech Campus Ministry Little Flower of Jesus Parish Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church St. Paschal Parish • St. Thomas Aquinas Parish

Tech Catholic Undergrads Mission #5 to Guatemala Five years ago, four courageous Tech students from the Association of Catholic Tech Students (ACTS) at St. Thomas Church, accompanied Br. Mike Ward, OFM, their campus minister, to Valley of the Angels Orphanage in Guatemala City. At the time, the director, Fr. Michael DellaPenna, OFM, had no volunteer program in place and trusted the ACTS member to initiate one. The group had one guiding principle: spend as much time developing a relationship with as many of the 110 children in the orphanage as possible. In short, this goal is called “Ministry of Presence.” Simply being present with those who suffer poverty, injustice and abuse is an act of mercy that our Holy Father Pope Francis is suggesting that our young people experience.

This past year, eight other schools have sent students to follow the path blazed by the ACTS members. Today, the Valley of the Angels serves more than double the children it did in 2011.

Nearly every aspect of the physical plant and curriculum has been upgraded. Every child is taught English and computer skills. Each year, two of the senior girls have an opportunity to attend a six-week course in London, England. Last year, three graduates received full scholarships to major universities.

Thank you,

Bishop Duca

For the second year, “Valley” has been blessed with two full-time volunteers who now coordinate the efforts of missionaries who visit. Of all the visiting volunteer groups, ACTS spends the most time at the Valley. Student-leaders head down early to plan the two-week mission trip while Br. Mike accompanies the rest of the group to join them. This year, nine ACTS members made the journey to continue the relationship that has been built over the past five years. In total, ACTS has sent 50 missionaries to the Valley, with nearly half of them being “repeat” visitors.

from the faithful of

St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Ruston.

May God bless you!

Gracias

Obispo Duca

de parte de los feligreses de San

Tomas de Aquino! ¡Dios Lo siga bendiciendo¡

46 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

HISPANIC NEWS

Despedimos a Nuestro Pastor por Rosalba Quiroz

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l buen pastor da su vida por las ovejas. Juan 10:11.

El Obispo Michael G. Duca ha sido ese buen pastor y como tal, nos ha guiado por los últimos diez años.

Desafortunadamente las ovejas estamos por todo el mundo y este mes despediremos a nuestro querido obispo, ya que el Papa Francisco lo ha nombrado Obispo de la Diócesis Baton Rouge Luisiana. Pareciera que nos quedamos como dice una vieja canción: “dicen que no se sienten las despedidas, dile al que te lo cuenta que esto es mentira… el que se queda se queda llorando y el que se va, se va suspirando…

Después de diez años de tenerlo con nosotros, nos quedaremos tristes porque se va pero llevaremos en el corazón sus enseñanzas, y muestras de cariño. ¿Quién no estrechó su mano amigable en un convivio o celebración? o ¿Quién no vio como recorría las mesas en las fiestas preguntando a los niños que película o juego les había gustado últimamente? Todos en la diócesis, sin importar raza o lengua sentimos su cariño y nos favorecimos de su ministerio como obispo al servicio de Dios y de la Iglesia.

Aunque con el corazón afligido de verlo partir, nos alegramos por él, pues aunque este cambio trae consigo más responsabilidades, es también un desafío que por obediencia al Papa y a la Iglesia aceptó y está dispuesto a tomar el 24 de agosto.

Los invitamos a participar

en las Misas y despedidas que se ofrecerán en su honor los siguientes días: el viernes 17 de agosto en la parroquia de San Jose en Zwolle, a las 6 p.m. El sábado 18 en la parroquia de Jesus el Buen pastor en Monroe a las 10a.m. y el domingo 19 en la Catedral a la 1:30p.m. Todas las Misas serán seguidas por una recepción a la que estamos todos invitados. Los exhortamos a que no falten y le muestren al obispo su cariño y agradecimiento por estos diez años que Dios nos permitió tenerlo como nuestro pastor.

Oremos por su futuro, por la Diócesis que lo recibe, así como también para que Nuestro Señor Dios y el Papa Francisco envíen pronto un nuevo Pastor a nuestra diócesis y continuar juntos construyendo su reino en esta área de Luisiana.

Oremos también por todas las necesidades de la iglesia, de todos los que sufren y de los que no conocen aún a Jesús, “El Salvador del Mundo” para que Dios envíe más pastores a guiarnos por el camino de la fe y la salvación.

Una de las enseñanzas que nos deja el obispo es algo que nos ha dicho y ahora le toca vivir: “Es difícil dejar algo cómodo y conocido o que necesitamos cambiar pero cuando lo hacemos, Dios llena ese espacio que abrimos con algo mejor y maravilloso porque Dios nunca deja de sorprendernos”. Que el vacío mutuo que se abre hoy, sea llenado de bendiciones abundantes como nos lo repitió nuestro obispo Michael G. Duca.

AUGUST 2018 47

Bishop Duca, “Thank you for your faithful service to the Diocese of Shreveport.

May the Lord bless you and the people you have served.”

and the Catholic faithful of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

48 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Remembering Bishop’s “Study Tour” to India

by Fr. Philip Pazhayakari, CMI, Pastor, Sacred Heart Parish, Rayville & St. Theresa Church, Delhi

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hile planning a visit to India, our bishop clearly mentioned to me that his intention was not primarily a pleasure trip or a sight-seeing trip.

His intention was to make a “study tour” to India to have a firsthand glimpse of the Catholic Bishop Michael Duca and Fr. Philip Pazhayakari, CMI, his guide and faith in India and to guardian on their trip to India. have a birds’ eye view of the activities of the Order of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) and of the Oriental Church (Syro-Malabar Church) founded and nourished by the blood of St. Thomas the Apostle, whose place of martyrdom and tomb are still preserved and duly venerated in India. He wanted to visit and pray at the Shrines of the new Indian saints: St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara and St. Alphonsa of Bharananganam.

I do not know why our bishop selected me to accompany him as a guide. I love and appreciate his confidence in me. He had only 12 days to spare for the visit. I planned the details of the tour, not as a guide, but as a guardian – or rather a “guardian angel” – during his journey to a new world. Here is a travelogue of our trip.

Bishop Duca visits with students at the Christ Nagar Higher Secondary School.

11.27.16 – Sunday: We landed at Trivandrum (TVM) at 3.20 a.m. local time. Fr. Thomas Elavunkal was at the airport to fetch us to the CMI Provincial House, TVM. Fr. Thomas worked in the Diocese of Shreveport. There are currently 10 CMI priests working in the Diocese of Shreveport, and practically all of them have been members of the CMI Province TVM. That day, we visited our prestigious Christ Nagar

educational center at Thiruvallam. It is an educational complex with a Senior and a Junior Secondary School, a College of Education and Chavara Institute of Educational Research and Training. It provides instructions to about 4,000 students.

Our next destination was the famous Christ Nagar Higher Secondary School in Trivandrum where the CMI Fathers extended a hearty welcome to our Bishop. Christ Nagar is also an educational complex providing instruction to about 3,000 students. It is under the supervision of the Superior of the monastery known as Christ Hall. Christ Hall was established in 1946, the earliest institution in south Kerala to cater to the needs of the Christians migrating towards the south.

After dinner, we headed towards the next State and reached our CMI House in Kannyakumari.

Bishop Duca at one of the CMI schools, Christ Nagar School, Thiruvallam

11.28.16 – Kannyakumari or Cape Comorin (its old name) is the southern tip of peninsular India where the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea join, the meeting point of three oceans. One of the important attractions at the beach is the Alankara Matha church dedicated to Mother Mary where thousands of devotees come and pray. After the beach, we went to the local bishop’s house where Bishop Rejendran extended a hearty welcome to us.

From the bishop’s house we went to the Carmelite Sisters’ (CMC) provincial house where we had lunch with Provincial Sr. Viji and the other sisters of the convent. We visited the nearby local shrine of a martyr, a Hindu convert to Catholicism, Blessed Deva Sahayam Pillai.

11.29.16 – Tuesday: We left for the next destination in Kochi, our Prior General’s House at Kakkanad. On the way we visited a High School for the deaf and mute at Eanath where Fr. Jose Kadavil CMI looks after about 100 deaf and mute boys. By 6:30 p.m. we reached our Prior General’s house at Kakkanad, and our Prior General, Fr. Paul Achandy, and the other priests of the house gave us a warm welcome.

AUGUST 2018 49

than 2,600 students are given Catholic oriented education and training. This school was started by me in 1991.

We then visited the Deepika Daily Newspaper complex started by the CMI Order. The Deepika is the only Catholic Daily in India.

Our next destination was Vadavathoor diocesan major seminary which is the second largest major seminary in the state to train diocesan priests for Kerala.

Fr. Philip and Bishop Duca with the Sisters of the Destitute.

11.30.16 – Wednesday: We left for the nearby Sisters of the Destitute Generalate for Mass. We now have three of these sisters working at CHRISTUS Highland hospital in Shreveport. Bishop Duca celebrated Mass in their chapel with all the sisters of the institute and visited an old age home run by the sisters.

By 10:45 a.m., we left for Kochi. On the way we visited the famous St. George Basilica at Edapally, where thousands rush for regular novenas and prayer. We then went to the Punnapra Polytechnic run by CMI Fathers where my nephew, Fr. Jacob Purakary, is a professor.

12.3.16 – Saturday: We left the seminary to say Mass at St. Kuriakose Elias Shrine at Mannanam, where St. Kuariakose Elias was buried and his holy remains are venerated with special devotions on Saturdays. Our bishop prayed at the Tomb of St. Kuriakose Elias before the Mass. I am sure, he was surprised to see the vestments for Mass in the Oriental Liturgy.

Bishop Duca was the main celebrant for the Mass, assisted by the prior. The church was full with more than 500 people.

Bishop visited the Chavara museum and then the Malayalam medium Higher Secondary School and Kuriakose Elias College. Our next visit was at Bharnanganam, where St. Alponsa was buried and her holy remains are venerated.

12.1.16: Thursday: This was the only day set aside for some rest, relaxation and sight-seeing. We started our trip in a house boat through Alapuzha backwaters. Frs. Biju Palamattam and Paul Thunduparampil took the lead for our day of rest and relaxation. After the boat trip, we went to the Chavara Shrine, the birth place of St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, the Founder of the CMI Order.

With more than 1,000 children after the Mass in Eastern Rite.

A scene from the welcome dance at the school.

12.2.16 – Friday: We visited the CMI Monastery at Chethipuzha where Fr. Zacharias Prakuzhay, who was a pastor in Lake Providence, LA, resides. Lunch was at Fr. Philip’s house where a non-meat Friday meal was served, Friday being a day of abstinence from meat in the Oriental Church.

Grand Welcome to the Bishop at K. E. School: After lunch we went to the Kuriakose Elias Higher Secondary School where the principal, Fr. James Mullassery, arranged a grand welcome for our bishop. Bishop Duca was led to the assembly hall escorted by a band display of the students that Bishop Duca very heartily enjoyed and commended a number of times with joy and enthusiasm, even after his return to the U.S. Kuriakose Elias School is a very prestigious institution of the locality where more 50 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

12.4.16 – Sunday: After breakfast we moved to the Cathedral for a Mass for the CCD students of the parish, where Bishop was the main celebrant for the Eastern Rite Mass. A group of about 1,000 students attended with loud responses through their young and vibrant vocal chords.

Bishop’s extraordinary quality of adjusting himself to any situation is great and is appreciated with awe and admiration.

Many priests and the people were wondering how he could wear a 10 to 15 pound oriental chasuble (kappa) for Mass that could take about one and a half hours. His endurance was great and very commendable, especially when we realized that the church was not air conditioned, the people kneel on the floor, and most of them enter the church bare-footed. There was absolutely no expression of displeasure or uneasiness from him.

Many exclaimed: “What a great American Bishop he is!”

Then we visited some of the Agricultural Centers (PDS) at the High Ranges of Kerala run by the Diocese of Kanjirapally.

12.5.16 – Monday: The local Bishop Mathew Arackal, who was out of town, arrived quite early that morning to bid

farewell to Bishop Duca. We left the Pastoral Center for the Kochi airport to take the last leg of our visits at Bangalore.

Dharmaram College is the most important major seminary of the CMI order started in 1957. I am lucky to have been a student of the college from its beginning until my ordination in 1962. Bishop gave an excellent talk to the 350 seminarians in the Seminary auditorium and had dinner with the community.

At the Arts Festival of Christ University, Bangalore

12.6.16 – Tuesday: This was his last day of this phase of his visit to India. Bishop celebrated Mass in Latin for the students of the seminary. After breakfast, he toured the Dharmaram complex that ended at the Christ University on the campus.

We had lunch at the University with its Vice Chancellor, Fr. Thomas Chathamparampil and other CMI priests of the teaching faculties. Fr Lijo Thomas, who was the pastor in

Bastrop, LA, is now a member of the teaching faculty of the Christ University Bangalore.

At 3:30 p.m. Rector Fr. Thomas Aykara was present to bid good-bye to our bishop as he was leaving for the Bangalore international airport for his return journey to Dallas via Dubai.

How great thou art: I was lucky to accompany our bishop to India from Dallas to the airport in Bangalore. What a great personality Bishop Duca is! A man of great and wonderful adjustments to every culture, people – old and young!

Everyone throughout our visit loved him and appreciated his modest and humble personality. He appreciated any type of food that was served to him. Never did he have a complaint or wry face at any moment of our journey through various cultures and people.

My niece, who is a teacher to the little ones, told me, “Your bishop is simple and humble down to the earth. He speaks lovely English, articulating every syllable that we, all of us, could understand. A man of great flexibility and simplicity!

He appreciates everyone who comes in contact with him, accepting everybody, irrespective of caste, race, religion or age with the love of God.” My heart breaks as I think of him leaving us, but as he mentioned, it is the will of God. All my parishioners have the same response and send their love and appreciation to him.

May the light and love of God be ever bright and shining throughout his pursuit in proclaiming the Kingdom of God! •

AUGUST 2018 51

The Priest and the Bishop

by Father Rothell Price, Moderator of the Curia

Bishop Michael Duca and Fr. Rothell Price laugh together while visiting St. Joseph Parish in Zwolle.

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hen I first saw Msgr. Michael Duca, he struck me as an affable fellow. He brought to mind this passage from ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, “… a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself.” The sight of him was not a moment of comedy or derision, rather it was an encounter of joy and gladness. His Gospel joy radiated out from him, in spite of his nervousness. The gift and wonder of his episcopal dignity engendered hope and joy. There was a certain light in his eyes, a certain energy about his demeanor, and a certain inspiration in his person. Bishop Duca was not nearly as round and plump as Old St. Nicholas, but he was every bit a bringer of spiritual blessings and gladness.

I think this spiritual joy was the hallmark of my relationship with him over these past eight years. He constantly held up the bright light of his episcopal motto, “Hope in the Lord.” The spiritual torch he held aloft certainly was a constant source of inspiration and fuel for me. I have learned so much from him. Above all, I learned to “protect the mission of the Gospel.” This exhortation of his reminds me of the solemn dignity and hope of receiving blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday.

On that day, we hear the Gospel call and challenge to, “Turn from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.”

For me, having worked so closely with Bishop Duca over the years, I have an extensive list of impressive things about him. I’ll share a few.

Listening: He has this amazing ability to be still and focus in totally on the person with whom he is engaged. He listens with his heart and soul, as well as his eyes and ears.

Compassion: He is always deeply concerned to do that which is spiritually advantageous to the person on the other end.

Love for his priests: His concern and goal has always been to do and permit whatever serves to strengthen each priest’s vocation. This was never a neutral compromise on his part, rather it was always his chosen goal for each of his priests.

Love for his people: Bishop Duca loved being with people. He never missed a parish reception, and he was usually among the first to arrive and one of the last to leave. Following the exhortation of Pope Francis,

52 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Bishop Duca was happy to take his place in front of the flock, behind it, to the left and right of it, and certainly in the midst of it as need dictated.

Soft touch: He taught me to engage people in the gentlest way possible. This is a skill I am continuing to learn and practice. In this soft touch, he makes me think of the golden rule stated in its positive form, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Discerning: Bishop Duca has an amazing capacity for looking at every person, circumstance and concern from all possible angles. He also is fantastic at striking that lifeenriching balance between work and play. He is a man of God who knows how and when to work hard and when to rest in the Lord.

Passionate: Who does not know that Bishop Duca, Sicilian that he is, loves to cook, feed people, feast on fine food, (the spicier it is, the better he likes it), and good wines? It was an annual wonder to watch him become a teenager again at the sights, sounds and tastes of the Texas State Fair and the State Fair of Louisiana.

Bishop’s rallying cry in difficult times is, “It’s a great life…” to which I was to respond, “If you don’t weaken.”

He always knew that his strength resided in the Lord Jesus. I think this was his paraphrase of St. Paul, who said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, ends on this note: “But I heard him exclaim ere he drove out of sight, Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.” As Bishop Duca drives away from Shreveport, I know he will say with nostalgia about the Diocese of Shreveport and anticipation about the Diocese of Baton Rouge, “Hope in the Lord.”

It has been my distinct joy and honor to serve as his Vicar General and to be one of his “dinner and a movie” buddies. Our great loss is the Diocese of Baton Rouge’s great gain! What a gift we have had! •

The Diocese of Baton Rouge

WELCOMES YOU Congratulations Bishop Duca

ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE of BATON ROUGE DIOBR.ORG

AUGUST 2018 53

Some of

Bishop Michael Duca's Greatest Moments

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1. Pope Francis greets Bishop Duca in Philadelphia. 2. With some of the Hispanic youth at St. Mary of the Pines Parish in Shreveport. 3. Msgr. Edmund Moore and Bishop Duca at Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish in Monroe.

4. With Judge Wendell Manning at the St. Joseph Altar at St. Matthew Parish in Monroe. 5. With the Diocese of Shreveport’s 16 newest permanent deacons at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans. 6. At Run with the Nuns in Shreveport. 7. At the Good Friday Walk for Justice in downtown Shreveport. 8. At the dedication of a Fuller Center home. 9. Visiting classrooms at St. Joseph School in Shreveport. 10. At Rite of Election at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans. 11. At his birthday party at the Catholic Center. 12. After Red Mass with students from St. John Berchmans Catholic school in downtown Shreveport.

54 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

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AUGUST 2018 55

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16 With much appreciation for 10 years of Christ-like service, the People of

St. Paschal Church in West Monroe

offer Bishop Duca our prayers and best wishes as he leaves for Baton Rouge 56 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

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13. Blessing the students at St. John Berchmans Catholic School 14. At the Pro-Life Mass at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Shreveport 15. At the ULM Catholic Center fish fry in Monroe. 16. Blessing the new organ at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans in Shreveport. 17. Trying out his

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ith Prayers of Celebration and Congratulations to you,

BishoP miChael g. duCa

archery skills at Jesus the Good Shepherd School in Monroe.

18. With an Air Evac pilot before Blue Mass in Bastrop.

19. At. Fr. Tim Hurd’s anniversary Mass in Zwolle.

20. At a Mass for Migrant Workers in Delhi.

Congratulations and Prayerful Best Wishes to

Bishop Michael G. Duca Thank you for 10 Years of Service in the Diocese of Shreveport

for your dedication and service from Bishop William Patrick Callahan and the people of the

diocese of la crosse, wi

Knights of Columbus Msgr. Robert C. Friend Faithful Navigator Assembly No. 2334 Zwolle, Louisiana AUGUST 2018 57

Bishop Duca Farewell Masses Join Bishop Michael Duca for his farewell Masses in each of the three deaneries.

Each Mass will be followed by a reception with the bishop.

All are welcome and invited to attend.

August 17 Southern Deanery

St. Joseph Parish 307 W. Hammond Street Zwolle, LA 6:00 p.m.

August 18 Eastern Deanery

Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish 2510 Emerson Street Monroe, LA 10:00 a.m.

August 19 Western Deanery Cathedral of St. John Berchmans 939 Jordan Street Shreveport, LA 1:30 p.m.

Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond, Archbishop-emeritus Alfred C. Hughes, Auxiliary Bishop Fernand J. Cheri, O.F.M., the clergy, religious, and laity of the Archdiocese of New Orleans extend their prayerful best wishes to Bishop Michael G. Duca as he prepares to leave the Diocese of Shreveport.

May God bless him in his new role shepherding the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

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Funeral Homily for Msgr. J. Carson LaCaze October 1, 1930 - July 7, 2018

Delivered and written by Fr. Peter B. Mangum, Rector, Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Msgr. Carson LaCaze and Fr. Peter Mangum.

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e are all gathered here because of one man: known personally to so many of us here and beyond, loved by so many, a man who could be gruff and forceful and tell it like it is when needed, but also filled with gentleness and empathy; who enjoyed the company of saint and sinner alike, rich and poor, those healthy and those ill in need of a visit; a man who enjoyed gatherings of people and His wine at wedding feasts; a great story-teller, filled with a joy that would naturally attract people to Himself.

That man, of course, is Jesus of Nazareth. It is He whom we proclaim, even in a funeral Mass: Jesus Christ, son of the Father, born of the Virgin Mary, betrayed, crucified, buried, risen, seated at the right hand of the Father; it is because of Him because of His life, death and resurrection, that we do not mourn as those who have no hope, but in confidence, we commend James Carson LaCaze to the loving mercy of God.1 Every funeral Mass is an act of faith, as is today’s. Through the Mass – what do we do? We place our trust in God and in His mercy. We trust in the welcome God extends to those who love Him. We trust in His loving providence in our lives.

From this act of faith, all of us together, we draw great consolation, especially at this time of mourning. Every funeral Mass

is also an act of remembering, gratefully a life which has been an unfolding of the providence of God.2 Msgr. LaCaze lived 87 years, a few months shy of his birthday, October 1st.

He made us (at least the staff members) celebrate his birthday the entire month.

I imagine everyone here has memorized verse two of happy birthday as taught by Carson: “May you live a hundred years,” (and you know, we thought he would).

“May you drink 100 beers.” Well, you know how it goes.

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evy and all the members of the family, thank you for allowing us to be here today with you! We share your sadness, but we also share your great satisfaction at having had a brother, an uncle, a cousin, who has served the Lord and His people so well. We praise God with you today and will continue to do so in the days to come.3 I am grateful for Bishop Duca’s offer that I deliver this homily: it is a sacred and special moment. I hesitated, I admit, when he asked, not for lack of desire or material… but because I have too much ! ... Msgr. LaCaze united himself to the mission of the Church while remaining so well grounded in the real issues of day to day life, the people and families. ... Fr. LaCaze belonged to many groups and such a variety of them, but there was

no group in which he held membership that meant more to him than the presbyterate of the Diocese of Shreveport.

He was many things to many, but he was always a priest first.

Welcome also, to the whole Church (as in every follower of Jesus Christ): every person, every group, every organization, every friend, every consecrated woman or man religious (and I know of his special love of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows and the Sisters of the Destitute) — indeed everyone that Carson LaCaze touched with his contagious smile, his enthusiasm and optimism, with his warm embrace or firm challenge, with a pastoral home visit, or hospital visit, with his sacramental exchange of grace. That is the one common bond we share this morning— some how, some way, some time Msgr.

LaCaze has touched our lives and left an imprint of Jesus’ love on our being. And it was very good.

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e all know our first meeting of Msgr. LaCaze, as well as our last – and the many in between. I, like so many of you, don’t remember a time without him. My first contact with Msgr. LaCaze was in 1969: kindergarten, Christ the King. The old Christ the King Church is where he gave me First Holy Communion in 1972, and in 1978, where I graduated 8th grade (the new Christ the King Church was finished by LaCaze later that year).

He was a great source of encouragement when I entered the seminary: he and Fr Hoppe – the Bossier priests supporting the Bossier boy. I was assigned my first summer as a priest to St. Mary of the Pines with LaCaze, then after I finished seminary studies, the following year, I got my first official assignment there, with him. St Ann’s and St. Mary of the Pines.

He continued his mentorship of me there. When he gave me a task, or assigned me a Mass, he left me alone, didn’t hover, and trusted me to do the best I could. It was very much a work relationship.

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I remember how I’d go to sleep at a decent hour, and then hear him come in a couple hours later. Then I’d hear him get up at like 4:00 a.m. and start his day. In fact, many were days our paths never crossed, but I could hear him, late to bed and early to rise.

I thought, “How can this man exist on only four hours of sleep?”, but he did. Where’d he get all this energy?

I remember how we both left that assignment the same day, 1993, he for Holy Rosary and me to be in residence here at the Cathedral. It was then that we got to know each other on a much more personal level. No longer “Monsignor,” but now “Carson.”

We went together on his last trip out of the country. He always wanted to go to Vienna, Austria, he told me, and so we went, the two of us – what a trip that was!

Then the following year, he decided to retire at age 75, after the sad closing of Holy Rosary. That’s when I asked him to join me as I was starting out as the new pastor of St John’s.

He said, “What do you mean?”

I said, “Be a priest, say Mass, do any of the sacraments people request, baptize, marry, visit the sick.”

He asked about meetings – I told him no meetings, no pastoral council, finance council. I had him at “no meetings.” That was 13 years ago. And what a team we made !

The first day he was here, I told him: “I’m your pastor now, and payback will be hell!” And he held out his hand and said: “Oh?!, Does it look like I’m scared?” Could anyone here ever get the last word in?

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ltimately LaCaze just wanted to give it his all, in church and with family and friends. One of the saddest days of my time with him was being with him and seeing him cry - the only time in my life - after the illness he had in February. I remember him asking me if he needed to retire. I told him, “Of course not,” that he didn’t need to retire, and that he shouldn’t make such a decision while actually ill. He slowed down a bit more, though, didn’t he? But only a bit.

He still knew how everyone was related to each other. He still remembered the last time he saw you, at what restaurant, and what you ate. Speaking of restaurants, the wait staff of local restaurants won’t be terrorized by him anymore: asking for a refund because he didn’t order the parsley garnish, or complained the salad was green or cold.

You know how he picked on you, and many of his sayings.

To catalogue them all, we could publish a nice little book. But around the staff, in office, if he saw you with a cup of coffee, he’d tell you every time, “Stop drinking on the job!” Or if he saw you seated behind a desk, “So, sitting on the job? I’m telling Fr. Peter.” The Monday morning money counters knew he’d always walk in with his hand out, asking for his cut.

60 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

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aturday at approximately 7:00 p.m., we posted on the Cathedral’s Facebook page the sad notice of Msgr.’s death. Do you know how many people, as of this morning, viewed that post?

96,303 and most of that came in the first 48 hours, so great was the reach, the influence of Msgr. The shock of his sudden death spread like wildfire. We’re right at 600 comments! I have read practically every one of them. Here are just a few: “Ever since I got used to him and his ways at Christ the King, then I was hooked. I loved the man!”

“Many people didn’t know how to take him at first, but, after that – everyone was hooked, as we all know.”

“The Catholic community has lost an icon.”

I like this command someone posted: “Go straight to heaven, Father LaCaze.” How many times did we hear him, at the end of the evening, say: “Go straight home, God sees you!?” Go straight to heaven, Father LaCaze.

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ne of his classmates whom he just visited in Superior, Wisconsin for the annual class reunion simply wrote: “It’s impossible to say too many good things about Carson. He was a great classmate and a good friend.”

So so many put, “RIP,” “rest in peace.”Rest in peace, Carson.

Msgr. LaCaze with Interesting thing about that word Mangum at his First Communion in 1972. “rest.” We usually think about putting your arms back and resting in a hammock, but that word in Latin has a sense of savoring – which is why when you say about a person, “May he rest in peace,” we don’t mean that a person will lie in a hammock forever. We mean, “May he or she now savor the beauty and goodness of God.” No one is sleeping in heaven… it’s not Dullsville up there!

Heaven is dynamic; it’s a new earth, heavenly Jerusalem a kingdom bursting with excitement and action. Scripture clearly describes heaven as a beautiful liturgy, where we perfectly worship God! Scripture says that Jesus has gone there to prepare a place for us… that which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor… what God has ready for those who love Him.” We have to take that statement very literally. Eye – Ear. Heaven is going to be a feast for the senses!

Scripture also clearly describes heaven as a wedding feast, a big banquet. Imagine: this is like God throwing a big feast for you, which means there will be plenty of friends and family, plenty of laughter, music, conversation: a place of unlimited happiness, beauty and joy.

Msgr.’s death is certainly the end of an era. It is the end of an era for your family and you, his friends. It is the end of an era for our Diocese of Shreveport. Msgr., because of his longevity and personality, was our patriarchal figure. He had a deep love and loyalty to Shreveport and Bossier, to Cottonport and Natchitoches.

So dependable! So dedicated! His dependability was most evident with his faithfulness to celebrating Mass and all the

Msgr. LaCaze celebrates Mass at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans honoring his 60th Anniversary as a priest.

sacraments, always early, homily well-prepared, even when not feeling well – so strong was his sense of duty.

That’s how we knew something was wrong on Saturday. When he didn’t show up for confessions in that confessional at 3:00 p.m., a big red flag went up because he never missed. Saturday morning he had scheduled a grave side service for a family, and he also had a funeral scheduled for this day, which became the day of his burial.

His last Mass was last Friday. It was a first Friday, dedicated to the Sacred Heart. As his heart was within 24 hours of stopping, he preached about the call of St. Matthew, the Gospel reading that day. He said: “Matthew was a highly unlikely candidate for the office of apostle as tax collectors were universally hated. But when Jesus called Matthew, he rose up and left everything behind and followed Jesus. Jesus not only wanted Matthew, but Jesus invited men and women like Matthew to sit at his table and to dine with Him. Jesus simply stated that he went wherever the need was the greatest.”

Msgr. LaCaze didn’t just practice what he preached, he definitely preached about what he practiced, which made him the authentic person he was. His last Sunday homily (July 1 – both the 8 and 11 Masses), he preached on the first line of the first reading from the book of Wisdom: “God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.”

He spoke about how this revelation directs us towards the truth, that death is much more than merely the dissolution of the body; but how the power of sin over our lives could lead us so far away from God and out of His graces toward a death that comes from Satan. “So live in Christ’s love” was his main point.

He spoke about not having a fear of death, but a great peace.

(Was there a little premonition going on in his message to us?)

Our need to be out there sitting with people wherever the need is greatest and that we need not fear death of our bodies, but the death brought on by sin.

We say this in the first Eucharistic Prayer, the Roman Canon: “In humble prayer, we ask you Almighty God: command that these gifts be borne by the hands of your holy Angel to your altar on High, in the sight of your Divine Majesty so that [we] may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing.”

At Mass, we become part of the liturgy of heaven. Our offering, our prayer, becomes, by God’s grace, part of the praise of God in heaven in the sight of your Divine Majesty. We pray that Fr. LaCaze is now part of that praise of God in heaven and, taking his place there, he is joined to us here or rather we are joined to him there, in heaven.4 This is the reality of the Church – the Church on earth and the Church in heaven. We are held together, in Christ, with all who have gone before us. We are one with them in the Lord. They can help us still. Fr. LaCaze will care for us still. There is no doubt that Fr. LaCaze felt he walked on the shoulders of those who had gone before him. He loved to tell stories of his mentors and pastors when he was a young priest; well, he invites us to now walk on his shoulders.

As we lay him to rest, to savor the beauty and goodness of the Lord, his work is now ours: Love and imitate Christ. Care and support the Church. Visit the sick and the forgotten. Love your spouse and children. Be forgiving and offer mercy. There are countless opportunities for love and service. That is how we become, like Father LaCaze, not just storytellers of salvation history, but truly participants in our own salvation and that of others. With these words of faith, at this Mass, let us console one another and be strong in our thanksgiving to God for Msgr. James Carson LaCaze and in our resolve to love and imitate our Lord.

Amen • __________________________________________________ 1 cf: Rev. Paul Scalia, funeral homily for Justice Scalia 2 cf: Cardinal V Nichols funeral homily 3 cf: Bishop Michael Boulette funeral homily 4 cf: Cardinal V Nichols funeral homily

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t’s time I close… I told you I have too much to say: There is a very particular aspect to faith which we highlight in every Mass, and in this Mass in particular. It is the promise of heaven, a promise which, in God’s mercy, we beg God to keep for Carson LaCaze.

Msgr. LaCaze at his roast in honor of his 80th birthday in 2010.

AUGUST 2018 61

AUGUST CALENDAR DIOCESAN EVENTS August 5

Protecting God’s Children Class St. Thomas Aquinas Parish 813 Carey Avenue, Ruston, LA 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

August 8

Bishop Duca Farewell Masses • August 17, 18 & 19

FEAST DAYS August 1

St. Alphonsus Liguori, bishop & doctor of the Church

August 2

St. Eusebius of Vercelli, bishop; St. Peter Julian Eynard, priest

August 9 August 15

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Holy Day of Obligation Catholic Center Closed

August 16

August 4

St. Stephen of Hungary

August 6

St. Bernard, abbot and doctor of the Church

St. John Vianney, priest The Transfiguration of the Lord

August 7

St. Sixtus II, pope, & companions, martyrs; St. Cajetan, priest

August 8

St. Dominic, priest

August 9

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, virgin & martyr

August 20 August 21

St. Pius X, pope

August 22

The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

August 23

St. Rose of Lima, virgin

August 24

August 10

St. Bartholomew, apostle

August 11

St. Louis; St. Joseph Calasanz, priest

August 13

St. Monica

St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr St. Clare, virgin Sts. Pontian, pope, & Hippolytus, priest & martyrs

August 14

St. Maximilian Kolbe, priest & martyr 62 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Protecting God’s Children Class Catholic Center 3500 Fairfield Avenue, Shreveport 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Protecting God’s Children Class Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish 2510 Emerson Street, Monroe, LA 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

August 10

Catholic Schools Begin

August 11

Catholic Charities of North Louisiana Presents “Bingo on the Bayou” This popular annual fundraiser with clergy bingo callers benefits the programs of Catholic Charities of North Louisiana. Tickets are $50 with table sponsorships available.

For more information and tickets, visit www.ccnla.org, or call 318-8650200, ext. 101.

East Ridge Country Club 1000 Stewart Drive, Shreveport 6:00 p.m.

August 17

August 27

Bishop Duca’s Southern Deanery Farewell Mass & Reception St. Joseph Parish 307 W. Hammond St., Zwolle, LA 6:00 p.m.

August 28

August 18

August 25

St. Augustine, bishop & doctor of the Church

August 29

The Passion of St. John the Baptist

Bishop Duca’s Eastern Deanery Farewell Mass & Reception Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish 2510 Emerson Street, Monroe, LA 10:00 a.m.

August 19

Bishop Duca’s Western Deanery Farewell Mass & Reception Cathedral of St. John Berchmans 939 Jordan Street, Shreveport, LA 1:30 p.m.

August 28

Protecting God’s Children Class Catholic Center 3500 Fairfield Avenue, Shreveport 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

PARISH EVENTS August 18

Confirmation Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Famerville, 6:00 p.m.

August 22

Back to School Concert with John Finch at St. Jude Parish John Finch, Catholic contemporary musician and composer, will perform an acoustic “Back-toSchool” concert at St. Jude Parish, located at 4700 Palmetto Road, Benton, LA, on Wednesday, August 22, at 6:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to all, so bring a friend!

Donations will be accepted to help fund the remainder of the St. Jude concert season. John Finch is a Louisiana native from Pearl River.

To hear samples of his music, visit www.johnfinchmusic.com.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT August 24

Bishop Duca to be Installed as the 6th Bishop of Baton Rouge Bishop Duca’s installation at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Baton Rouge, LA, is by ticket only. You can view the installation by live stream video at facebook.com/catholiclifetv Nursery available for small children.

Reservations required. Please call 318-221-5296 to reserve a spot.

Cathedral of St. John Berchmans 939 Jordan Street, Shreveport, LA 6:30 p.m.

October 11-13

Special Weekend on the Shroud of Turin at the Cathedral Speaker, Russ Breault will talk on “CSI

October 21

Mette Family Band at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Michael James Mette will be sharing his music with the diocesan community. Michael is a Catholic performing artist who travels the country with his wife of 18 years, Michelle, and their seven young children. His music is a modern reflection of his faith blending alternative rock with faith-based lyrics. The concert will be 90 minutes and will include performances from the whole family, lights, video, music and testimonies

by Michael and Michelle. Please consider attending the concert and supporting this ministry. The concert will be hosted by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish at 3:00 p.m. For more information, contact the parish at 318-798-1887.

Diocese of Shreveport Non-Discriminatory School Policy

August 25

God, Sex and the Church: “Sex Trafficking in Your Backyard” with Cassie Hammett Cassie Hammett will present “Sex Trafficking in Your Back Yard” as part of the God & Sex Speaker Series. Cassie is the founder of The Hub: Urban Ministries. One of the groups in this ministry is “Purchased: Not For Sale” who reaffirms and supports women and children caught in the sex industry.

Jerusalem,” followed by a five speaker panel/dinner (Russ Breault, Fr. Peter Mangum, Dr. Cheryl White, Rebecca Jackson and Dr. John Jackson). There will then be a talk by Dr. Jackson, nuclear physicist and the second surviving member of the original 1978 Shroud Research Project team. All of this will be held on the 40th anniversary week of the 1978 Shroud of Turin study! For more information, visit sjbcathedral.org.

The Diocese of Shreveport School system re-affirms its non-discriminatory policy on the basis of race, sex, color, national, and ethnic origin in its educational programs, activities, and employment policies in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments, and Sections 4.03 (a) and 4.03 (c) Revenue Procedure 75-50.

All students, faculty members and staff, without exception, are admitted to all rights, privileges, and activities generally accorded or made available at the schools which do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, national, and ethnic origin in the administration of its employment policies, admission policies, scholarship, and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administrated programs.

St. John Berchmans School, Shreveport • St. Joseph School, Shreveport • Loyola College Prep, Shreveport • Jesus the Good Shepherd School, Monroe • Our Lady of Fatima School, Monroe • St. Frederick High School, Monroe AUGUST 2018 63

Connection The Catholic

DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT 3500 Fairfield Ave. • Shreveport, LA 71104

PHOTO OF THE MONTH Bishop Duca at Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish

by Gary Guinigundo

64 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION