Catholic Connection - August 2020

Connection The Catholic

Vol. 30 No. 1 August 2020

Catholic Schools Committed to Safety Canonization Cause for Shreveport Martyrs

AUGUST 2020  1

Prayer to Overcome Racism

Oración para superar el racismo

Mary, friend and mother to all,

María, amiga y madre de todos,

We ask for your help in calling on your Son, seeking forgiveness for the times when we have failed to love and respect one another.

Pedimos tu ayuda al recurrir a tu Hijo, buscando el perdón por las veces en que hemos fallado en amarnos y respetarnos.

through your Son, God has found a way to unite himself to every human being, called to be one people, sisters and brothers to each other.

a través de tu Hijo Dios ha encontrado un camino para unirse a todos los seres humanos, llamados a ser un solo pueblo, hermanas y hermanos entre sí.

We ask for your help in obtaining from your Son the grace we need to overcome the evil of racism and to build a just society.

Pedimos tu ayuda para obtener de tu Hijo la gracia que necesitamos para vencer el mal del racismo y construir una sociedad justa.

We ask for your help in following your Son, so that prejudice and animosity will no longer infect our minds or hearts but will be replaced with a love that respects the dignity of each person.

Pedimos tu ayuda para seguir a tu Hijo, para que el prejuicio y la animosidad no infecten ya nuestras mentes o corazones sino que sean reemplazados por el amor que respeta la dignidad de cada persona.

Mother of the Church, the Spirit of your Son Jesus warms our hearts: pray for us.

Amen.

Madre de la Iglesia, el Espíritu de tu Hijo Jesús alienta nuestros corazones: Ruega por nosotros.

Amén.

Copyright © 2018, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved.

www.usccb.org/racism

Second Collection FOR AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER Diocesan Hispanic Ministry

Announcement Dates: Collection Dates:

August 2 and 9 August 15-16

The Catholic University of America

Announcement Dates: Collection Dates:

August 30 and Sept. 6 September 12-13

On the cover: Camille Eddleman from Jesus the Good Shepherd School studies from home at the end of 2019-20 school year.

2 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Diocese of Shreveport Catholic Schools Non-Discriminatory Policy The Diocese of Shreveport School system re-affirms its nondiscriminatory 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 Cathedral 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

Sr. Carol Shively, OSU Superintendent of Catholic Schools

Contents 4

6

Publisher Bishop Francis I. Malone

Catholic Schools

Editor John Mark Willcox

Committed to Safety

Escuelas católicas

Contributors Mary Arcement Raney Johnson Kim Long Mark Loyet

comprometidas con la seguridad

9

Kim Long Fr. Matthew Long Rosalba Quiroz Kate Rhea Dr. Carynn Wiggins Deacon Mike Whitehead John Mark Willcox

Ordained to the Transitional Diaconate

10

for Shreveport M ­ artyrs Submitted to Vatican

12

FAITHFUL FOOD:

13

Harvesting joy, hope, and peace

H ISPANIC NEWS: LAS VIRTUDES C ­ ardinales

14

YOUTH: The New Normal

15

JustFaith M ­ inistries connects and prepares people of faith

Rosalba Quiroz Kate Rhea Mike Van Vranken Sr. Carol Shively, OSU

Editorial Board

Raney Johnson

Canonization Cause

Connection The Catholic

16

MIKE’S MEDITATIONS: What are you t­ eaching?

17 20

Diocesan Seminary Burses Catholic Charities Celebrates 10 Years

21

MARY’S MISSION: Jesus: Our Common Ground

22 23

LIBRARY NOTES AUGUST CALENDAR

Subscriptions & Address Changes Contact: Blanca Vice Email: bvice@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’ 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 and your local law enforcement agency.

Hotline is 318-294-1031

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.

AUGUST 2020 3

A Message from our Superintendent of Catholic Schools

Catholic Schools Committed to Safety Dear Parents & Patron Supporters of Catholic Schools: I want to thank you for your partnership and patience the last four months as we have navigated the constantly changing uncertainties within our schools. Please know that our prayers and support are with you now more than ever.

Since the beginning of COVID-19 on Friday, March 13, 2020, it has been very important to us that our schools serve as a beacon of hope, and that we could continue to pro-vide education/formation for the students who are entrusted to our care.

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Everyone has been doing their part in getting ready for the upcoming school year in our diocesan schools from reorganizing classroom layouts to installing hand sanitizers, we can’t wait for the students to return next month.

First, we remain committed to following the advice of experts throughout this process.

None of the guidelines we are working with are self-created; we are relying on the guidance and expertise of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Louisiana Department of Education, and the Louisiana Catholic Conference of Bishops. Second, we have enormous trust in our local school leaders’ ability to determine the best workable applications of the guidelines for their campuses. Finally, we do have several protocols that will be required at all campuses which are provided on the right sidebar.

We are incredibly grateful to you and to all our teachers in the ­diocese who maintain our mission to excellence in Catholic ­education.

I am looking forward to seeing your children in our schools in early August.

May God bless you always, Sr. Carol Shively, OSU Superintendent of Catholic Schools

BACK-TO-SCHOOL PROTOCOLS • All faculty and students will be screened daily for signs of illness.

• All administrators, faculty, staff, and ­students will have their temperature checked daily prior to entering the school buildings.

• All teachers and staff will wear face shields or face masks.

• All students (grade 3-12) will wear face masks unless there is an underlying health issue and, in that case, the students will wear a face shield.

• Interactions and movement of students within the campus will be limited.

• Students in grades 6-12 may change ­classes while staying as far apart as ­possible. Students will walk as close to the right and left side of hallways as possible.

• The students may eat in the cafeteria if social distancing is possible. A school may select to serve lunch in the classroom.

For our CNP schools, please speak with Sr. Ann Middlebrooks, SEC. • Faculty and students are encouraged to have class outside under a shade tree as much as possible.

• If it becomes necessary by the ­Governor’s order that we return to virtual learning, seamlessly we will provide the highest quality of Catholic education for your child.

• All students, staff and teachers will bring their own water ­ bottles.

AUGUST 2020 5

Escuelas Catolicas Comprometidos con la seguridad Quiero agradecer su colaboración y paciencia durante los últimos cuatro meses, ya que hemos pasado por mucha incertidumbre y cambios constantemente en nuestras escuelas. Por favor sepan que nuestras oraciones y apoyo están con ustedes ahora más que nunca.

Desde el principio, a partir del viernes 13 de Marzo del 2020, ha sido muy importante para nosotros que nuestras escuelas sirvan como un faro de esperanza, y que podamos continuar brindando educación/formación a los estudiantes que han sido confiados a nuestro cuidado.

En primer lugar, seguimos comprometidos a seguir el consejo de los expertos a lo largo de este proceso. Ninguno de los lineamientos con los que estamos trabajando han sido creación propia; confiamos en la orientación y experiencia de los Centros de Control y Prevención de Enfermedades, el Departamento de Educación de Luisiana y la Conferencia Católica de los Obispos de Luisiana.

En segundo lugar, confiamos enormemente en la capacidad de nuestros líderes escolares locales para determinar las mejores aplicaciones viables de lineamientos para sus escuelas.

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Finalmente, tenemos varias reglas que se seguirán en todas las escuelas católicas, y que proporcionamos a continuación: Todos los profesores y estudiantes serán examinados diariamente para detectar algún signo de enfermedad.

“Estamos infinitamente agradecidos con usted y con todos nuestros maestros de la Diócesis que mantuvieron nuestra misión de excelencia en la educación católica.”

• Se tomará la temperatura todos los días antes de ingresar a los edificios escolares tanto al personal administrativo, como profesores y estudiantes.

• Todos los profesores y el personal usarán protectores faciales o cubre bocas.

• Todos los estudiantes (grados 3-12) usarán cubre bocas pero si alguien tiene algún problema de salud que lo impida, deberá usar protector facial.

• La interacción y movimiento de estudiantes en la escuela será limitado.

• Los estudiantes en los grados 6-12 pueden cambiar de clase guardando distancia como caminando pegados a la pared de los pasillos.

• Los estudiantes pueden comer en la cafetería si es posible el distanciamiento social. Cada escuela también puede elegir almorzar en el aula. Para más detalles sobre nuestras escuelas CNP, por favor hable con la Hermana Ann Middlebrooks, SEC. • Se anima a la facultad y a los estudiantes a tener clases afuera bajo un gran árbol de sombra guardando la distancia tanto como les sea posible.

• Si por orden del Gobernador necesitamos regresar al aprendizaje virtual, le aseguramos que seguiremos brindando a sus hijos la educación católica de más alta calidad.

• Todos los estudiantes, el personal y los maestros traerán sus propias botellas de agua.

Estamos infinitamente agradecidos con usted y con todos nuestros maestros de la Diócesis que mantuvieron nuestra misión de excelencia en la educación católica.Espero ver a sus hijos en nuestras escuelas a principios de Agosto.

Que Dios los Bendiga Siempre, Hna. Carol Shively, OSU Superintendente de Escuelas Católicas

Catholic Schools finish the school year strong even with the challenges of ­distance learning!

AUGUST 2020  7

SHREVEPORT

The Office of Catholic Schools in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Education, Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops, local health officials, administrators, and other diocesan staff, has worked diligently to develop a school reopening plan that allows students to return to campus in a manner that reduces health-related risks while maintaining an environment in which we focus on the education of the whole child.

Our schools will provide virtual and on-campus learning with the necessary campus and classroom modifications needed to support our students' safe return to school this fall. This plan may be updated regularly based on the guidance of local and state health officials. School principals will share updated information through all communication channels that are provided by the school.

0.4 10

Students, teachers, and staff will be required to get temperature checks daily upon arrival. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4F or above will be sent home. A doctor's note will be required prior to going back to school.

Random temperature checks may be done throughout the school day. Anyone with a temperature or feeling ill should stay home to maintain a healthy school campus.

At this time, it is our recommendation that for the 2020-2021 school year, we forgo the use of campus volunteers when possible. Schools will provide alternative means of serving our communities. Visitors will not be permitted on the campus during the school day other than the front office. This recommendation is made based on the need to limit the exposure of our students, faculty and staff.

Enhanced cleaning protocols have been established to disinfect the campuses daily. High touch surfaces will be regularly disinfected throughout the school day. Teachers and staff will be provided the necessary cleaning and disinfecting materials.

School Masses will follow the protocols in place by the diocese. All athletic sporting events must adhere to state and local guidelines. Strategic social distancing for all large gatherings on campus, inside and outside of the schools' facilities, will be observed, as well as state guidelines.

Students, teachers and staff are expected to wear masks.

Classroom seating will be arranged to maximize strategic social distancing and to limit face-to-face contact, which will allow for some opportunity for masks to be removed.

Classes will alternate use of the cafeteria and other campus areas such as outdoor spaces to maintain reduced capacity and strategic social distancing protocols.

Students will begin the 2020-2021 academic year on campus with the expectation that specific health and safety procedures will be required. In the event that a student needs to stay healthy at home, schools will work with families on a continuing education plan. Parents should contact schools as soon as possible so schools can plan accordingly.

Diocese of Shreveport, 3500 Fairfield Ave. Shreveport, LA 71104, Ph. (318) 868-4441, http://www.dioshpt.org/ministries/catholic-schools/

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Diocesan Seminary Burses

The Diocesan Seminary Burse program provides the faithful of North Louisiana the opportunity to invest in the education and formation of our seminarians into holy and effective priests to serve the Diocese of Shreveport.

What is a seminary burse, and how do they contribute to seminarians?

A seminary burse is an endowment used to pay tuition, room and board for the seminarians of the Diocese of Shreveport. The principal amount donated is not touched, but invested, and the support for our seminarians comes from the earned interest. Each donation to a burse is truly a gift that will continue giving as more men enter priestly formation in the years to come!

Who can establish a burse?

Anyone can establish a seminary burse, and name it in honor of loved ones (e.g., family members, teachers, mentors, pastors), in honor of organizations and faith or social groups (e.g., Knights of Columbus councils, ACTS, schools, church parishes), for themselves or their families as an instrument of personal giving, or in memory of a deceased loved one. Burses and their balances, and new contributions, are listed monthly in The Catholic Connection.

Who can contribute to a burse?

Anyone can contribute any amount to any established burse.

How can I establish or contribute to a burse?

You can establish and name a burse with a donation of at least $250, or you can contribute any amount to a burse simply by designating its name when the contribution is made. Contributions may be mailed to the Office of Church Vocations, Diocese of Shreveport, 3500 Fairfield Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71104. Be sure to note the name of the burse in the memo line.

When is a burse completed?

Seminary burses are completed when the balance reaches $10,000.

Once this goal has been reached, and those who established the original burse wish to continue their donations, a new burse in the same name may be opened.

Thanks to our Recent Donors: (020) Shreveport Medical Society, Inc. ($50) (020) Dr. & Mrs. James Ward ($500) (020) Mr. Richard Ward ($500) (020) Chris A. Ward ($500) (023) Mr. Joseph E. Wheeler ($1000) (008) Mr. & Mrs. William O. Walker ($100) (011) Mr. & Mrs. Robert Rivers ($100) (011) Ms. Debora L. Prest ($100) (020) Dr. & Mrs. James Lusk ($150) (024) Ms. Dorothy M. Tipton ($500) (020) Ms. Betsy C. Peatross ($50) (019) Leigh G. Crump ($100) (021) S.G. & Erin Cassiere ($1000) (011) Ms. Rebecca Healy ($300) (011) Mr. or Mrs. L.L. Elford ($100) (020) Mr. or Mrs. L.L. Elford ($100) Completed Burses: (001) Fr. Mike Bakowski Memorial Burse #1 ($10,000) (006) Msgr. J. Carson LaCaze Memorial Burse #1 ($10,000) (010) Memory of Rita Scott from the John Scott Family ($10,000) (011) Rev. David Richter Memorial Burse #1 ($10,000) (012) Jack E. Caplis, Jr., Memorial Burse ($10,000) (013) Mary Evans Caplis Burse ($10,000) (014) Bob & Peggy Semmes Memorial Burse ($10,000) Incomplete Burses: (001) Fr. Mike Bakowski Memorial Burse #2 ($950) (002) Joseph & Antoinette Bakowski Memorial Burse ($2750) (003) Sam R. Maranto Memorial Burse ($1400) (004) Kathryn Atherton Cook Memorial Burse ($350) (005) Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Burse ($950) (006) Msgr. J. Carson LaCaze Memorial Burse #2 ($3832.12) (007) Dr. Carol Christopher Memorial Burse ($1200) (008) St. Jude Parish Burse ($5918) (009) St. John Berchmans Knights of Columbus Council 10728 Burse ($1550) (011) Rev. David Richter Memorial Burse #2 ($3404) (015) Bishop’s Seminarian Burse ($1335) (016) Elaine Malloy Frantz Memorial Burse ($1000) (017) Msgr. George Martinez Knights of Columbus Council 1337 Burse ($7521.57) (018) Knights of St. Peter Claver Council 144 Burse ($880) (019) Margaret Glenn Memorial Burse ($1350) (020) Dr. James V. Ward Memorial Burse ($2815) (021) Rev. Edmund “Larry” Niehoff Memorial Burse ($2000) (022) Rev. Blane O’Neil, OFM Memorial Burse ($250) (023) Msgr. Edmund J. Moore Memorial Burse ($1000) (024) Rev. Joseph Puthupally Memorial Burse ($500) AUGUST 2020 9

Raney Johnson Ordained to the Transitional Diaconate Bishop Francis I. Malone performed his very first ordination as our new chief shepherd on Saturday, June 27 at St. Mary of the Pines Church. The recipient was none other than Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church’s Raney Johnson.

The event was well attended by priests & deacons of the diocese, brother seminarians and Deacon Johnson’s extended family.

Deacon Johnson will be our newest priest of the diocese in less than one year. Everyone remains truly excited to have him leading our group of seminarians towards service to the faithful.

John Mark Willcox Director, Diocesan Communications and Development Office

Bishop Malone lays his hands on Raney Johnson ordaining him to the Transitional Diaconate.

Deacon Johnson distributes the Eucharist.

Deacon Johnson and Bishop Malone following the Ordination Mass.

10 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Raney Johnson lays prostrate, prior to being ordained.

JustFaith Ministries connects and prepares people of faith Our country is experiencing a pandemic, a badly weakened economy, and an unveiling of racial inequality. The United States is not suffering these issues alone, they are global in nature.

How can we understand these issues through the light of faith and allow the truth of our faith to guide us as we make a difference in the midst of these crises?

In my years of priesthood, I have encountered a program which helps one understand how our faith addresses major social issues. These issues include human rights such as health care, treating all with equality, helping the needy to move beyond impoverished conditions, caring for the immigrant and asylum seeker, caring for the environment and building a world of peace.

In short, JustFaith helps its participants to see the world with eyes of compassion and to live out that compassion. I partici­ pated in a JustFaith group seventeen years ago. Through JustFaith I deepened my faith and I was inspired to better live out my faith. I formed lasting friendships with the other participants. Since Just­ Faith we have each more actively lived out the love to which Jesus calls us.

Jack Jezreel, the program’s founder, offers the following invitation to those who might want to participate in JustFaith: “Do you feel called to explore the expansiveness of love, a love that draws us into compassion and justice? JustFaith Ministries connects and prepares people of faith for the life-changing, worldchanging work of the Gospel by offering small-group programs that deepen faith, invite learning, and inspire action around contemporary social issues.”

• JustFaith is a conversion-based process that provides a space in which participants can grow in their commitment to care for the vulnerable and to become advocates for a more just society.

• JustFaith serves to strengthen the growing commitment of parishes to be agents of social transformation, mercy and compassion.

• Participants are exposed to a substantive and demanding course of study and are afforded the privilege of becoming community with other participants.

• JustFaith is small-group focused (8 to 15 individuals), is co-facilitated by two participants from within the group, represents a 24-week commitment and multi-dimensional (including prayer, reading and discussion, video presentations, guest speakers, two retreats and four visits to outreach ministries).

St. Joseph Catholic Church in ­Shreveport had a JustFaith group which ended in May 2020. Following is a testi­ mony from Linde Barnhouse, who was one of the p ­ articipants in that group.

“My name is Linde Barnhouse. I was somewhat familiar with the JF ministry, after hearing from others that it promotes social justice. The poor and marginalized had always been a concern of mine. I joined a group in September 2019 for a 24-week program. It opened my eyes to the enormous injustice experienced by the poor, the immigrants, and by the legal system, primarily minorities.

One group shared similar goals, and we learned of different opportunities where we could get involved and make a meaningful difference.

On account of JF, I became more compassionate toward others, especially those who are different. I will join again and hope to build on the impact it had on me.”

Please join St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish for a JustFaith group which will begin on Tuesday, September 1, 2020 at 6:00 pm. A JustFaith Information Session will be held in the church on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 and will begin at 6:30 pm. If you are interested in learning more about JustFaith please attend and please invite friends who also have an interest. You are invited to call Fr. Mark Watson at (318) 798-1887 in order to learn more about JustFaith. You may register for the program by calling Brandy Boudreau in the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church office.

Fr. Mark Watson AUGUST 2020 11

Canonization Cause For Shreveport Martyrs Submitted to Vatican

By Fr. Peter Mangum, Ryan Smith, and Cheryl White, Ph.D. Bishop Francis Malone has submitted a request to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican for a formal investigation into the sanctity of five priests who were counted among the dead of Shreveport’s Yellow Fever epidemic of 1873.

Fr. Isidore Quémerais, Fr. Jean Pierre, Fr. Jean Marie Biler, Fr. Louis Gergaud, and Fr. Francois Le Vézouët, all died between September-October 1873 as martyrs to their charity while caring for the city’s sick and dying. Bishop Malone’s request for the Vatican’s nihil obstat (“nothing in the way”) is the necessary preliminary first step toward sainthood.

In 2018, the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans marked the 145th anniversary of the 1873 Yellow Fever epidemic in Shreveport in a special way, with a series of public presentations, articles in this publication and elsewhere, the development of a serial graphic novel published in English 12 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

and French, and the production of a limited podcast series entitled No Greater Love: Shreveport 1873, all with the purpose of chronicling their lives.

Their sacrifice is well-documented in the earliest histories of the epidemic, and memorialized in the beautiful stained glass windows of Holy Trinity

Catholic Church, founded by Fr. Jean Pierre.

The past four years have involved rigorous research into the lives of these priests, initially for the purpose of producing a book-length manuscript, as well as the graphic novel and podcast. In addition to extensive primary research with the French Dioceses of St. Brieuc, Rennes, and Nantes in February 2019, the files of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Notre Dame University, and the Jesuit archives in St. Louis have all been examined, in addition to many smaller private collections and archives. The effort to learn as much as possible about these priests has been exhaustive and comprehensive, ultimately leading

to the conclusion that their lives are not merely remarkable, but that they merit consideration as part of the formal Vatican process for the Causes of Saints.

popular devotion dating back to the time of their deaths. The request to Bishop Malone was then made in accordance with the published Vatican guidelines.

In July 2017, Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter entitled Maiorem hac Dilectionem (No Greater Love), which provides a new way forward for causes of saints, based on the free offering of one’s own life. The request to Bishop Malone was initiated from the belief that these priests not only have historicallydocumented reputations for sanctity, but that their memory fostered

Honoring their lives through research and writing, and to initiate this formal request process has been a great privilege and undertaking. The decision to open up this inquiry, at a minimum, secures the remembrance of the heroic virtue of these priests as something to be modeled among all Christians. It may indeed open up their pathway to sainthood, a development that will be remarkably historic for this region.

“The decision to open up this inquiry, at a minimum, secures the remembrance of the heroic virtue of these priests as something to be modeled among all Christians.”

Please make it your special prayer in this time of pandemic, that the priests who died in the local epidemic of 1873 will soon be recognized as Servants of God. Pictured below are graves of some of the priests who died in the Yellow Fever epidemic.

St. Joseph Cemetery, Shreveport, Louisiana.

AUGUST 2020 13

FAITHFUL FOOD

Harvesting joy, hope, and peace “ The Lord will guide you always, he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters will never fail.” Isaiah 58:11

In March when the shelter in place order was given by our governor I, like many, had no idea what it would hold.

Some people asked me if I thought this was the “end of the world”. While I briskly replied “no, of course not” I wondered how life would look on the other side of this situation.

In the meantime…I cleaned, purged, dusted, moved furniture, and drank more coffee than normal. And that was just the first week!

After tackling the immediate (and aforementioned) “inside” projects I found myself standing in my backyard wondering about planting a few tomatoes. I had not gardened with any degree of seriousness and intention in many years. I had the remains of an herb garden consisting of out of control lemon balm and a steady ever-widening clump of chives along with the ghost of what had been. I am a bibliophile-a fancy justification for eating canned beans and spending as much of the grocery money that I could get away with at the bookstore which I have happily done for decades. As a result, I had many books on gardening but was surprised when I discovered the notable absence of any actual garden tools. I had read about gardening and never got around to it.

I shied away from the prophetic nature of this realization which like most all prophecies was unwelcome and resolutely ignored.

Once I began I still haven’t stopped. I found something holy about digging, weeding, sweating, and pushing a seed 14 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

into the dirt, offering a prayer it would sprout. There was something sacred about rising earlier than I had in years and slipping my feet into my rubber boots and checking on the garden. I breathed deeply, I found myself smiling, drinking in the unexpected view of life, and I prayed from my heart, unabashedly, openly, and intimately.

This was different from anything I had experienced and the gratitude along with the space in my life I afforded God grew and ripened along with the tomatoes and eggplants, the herbs, and the cucumbers. My efforts extended to beauty as well as practicality; a once neglected space has become a prayer garden, a space to stop and consider the God of life, an offering to our creator.

In this holy space, both interior and exterior, I have mourned the loss of a childhood friend, prayed for both friends and strangers, praised the heavens for the safe birth of my grandson who was born during the height of the pandemic, I have prayed with the saints, and warbled my grandmother’s favorite hymn “In the Garden”. I have followed God’s lead with a light spirit and surer footing than I have ever known.

I have plans, big plans for a fall garden. There are scarecrows in the making along with space for fall flowers. I am sending videos to my grandchildren chronicling the growth of the pumpkins I planted for their October jack-o-lanterns. I am planning for a greenhouse. In this space, I have harvested joy, hope, and peace.

I am walking in Eden.

Kim Long DRE, St. Mary of the Pines Church

EGGPLANT DRESSING In the lean years of my life when my children were young and there was very little grocery money (none of which could be siphoned for books either!), my friends and I tended to call anything stretched with breadcrumbs, rice, and cheese “dressing”. Here is a staple which appeared in the summertime when gardens were productive and imaginative cooking shaped itself to that end.

1 eggplant 1 chopped onion ½ bell pepper 3 stalks celery 1 pound ground beef or turkey ½ cup rice 1 can stewed tomatoes Chicken broth (or your favorite) Breadcrumbs Cheese (grated, your favorite) Slice eggplant into rounds, place on a plate covered with paper towels and salt to draw out any bitter taste-about 15 to 20 minutes. During this time brown meat with chopped vegetables, salt, and pepper.

Crumble meat into small pieces.

Add tomatoes and continue cooking.

In a buttered casserole dish layer eggplant, meat, rice, breadcrumbs, and top with cheese. Add about half the broth.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 until rice is tender. Check after 20 minutes and if needed add more broth.

Enjoy with salad and iced tea for a summertime treat.

HISPANIC NEWS

LAS VIRTUDES Cardinales La Iglesia nos enseña muchas maneras para vivir de acuerdo a la voluntad de Dios y una de ellas es por medio de las virtudes. Existen Tres virtudes Teologales, Fe, Esperanza y Caridad (Amor) – que veremos en otro artículo.

Ahora veremos un resumen de las virtudes cardinales sacadas del Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica.

La virtud es una disposición habitual y firme a hacer el bien. Permite a la persona no sólo realizar actos buenos, sino dar lo mejor de sí misma.

Con todas sus fuerzas sensibles y espirituales, la persona virtuosa tiende a hacer el bien, lo busca y lo elige a través de acciones concretas.

LAS VIRTUDES HUMANAS 1804 Las virtudes humanas son actitudes firmes, disposiciones estables, perfecciones habituales del entendimiento y de la voluntad que regulan nuestros actos, ordenan nuestras pasiones y guían nuestra conducta según la razón y la fe. Proporcionan facilidad, dominio y gozo para llevar una vida moralmente buena. El hombre virtuoso es el que practica libremente el bien.

DISTINCIÓN DE LAS VIRTUDES CARDINALES 1805 Cuatro virtudes desempeñan un papel fundamental. Por eso se las llama “cardinales”; todas las demás se agrupan en torno a ellas. Estas son la prudencia, la justicia, la fortaleza y la templanza.

1806 La prudencia es la virtud que dispone la razón práctica a discernir en toda circunstancia nuestro verdadero bien y a elegir los medios rectos para realizarlo.

“El hombre cauto medita sus pasos” (Pr 14, 15).

1807 La justicia es la virtud moral que consiste en la constante y firme voluntad de dar a Dios y al prójimo lo que les es debido.

1808 La fortaleza es la virtud moral que asegura en las dificultades la firmeza y la constancia en la búsqueda del bien. Reafirma la resolución de resistir a las tentaciones y de superar los obstáculos en la vida moral.

1809 La templanza es la virtud moral que modera la atracción de los placeres y procura el equilibrio en el uso de los bienes creados.

Asegura el dominio de la voluntad sobre los instintos y mantiene los deseos en los límites de la honestidad.

LAS VIRTUDES Y LA GRACIA 1810 Las virtudes humanas adquiridas mediante la educación, mediante actos deliberados, y mediante una perseverancia, mantenida siempre en el esfuerzo, son purificadas y elevadas por la gracia divina...

El hombre virtuoso es feliz al practicarlas.

1811 Para el hombre herido por el pecado no es fácil guardar el equilibrio moral. El don de la salvación por Cristo nos otorga la gracia necesaria para perseverar en la búsqueda de las virtudes.

Artículo extraído de página del Vaticano: http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism_sp/ p3s1c1a7_sp.html

MINISTERIO HISPANO CATOLICO DIOCESIS CRISTO REY: BOSSIER CITY

Rev. Fidel Mondragon 318.221.0238 Oficina • Domingo 1:00pm Lunes y Martes 7:00pm • Sabado 6:00pm

SAN JUAN BAUTISTA: MANY

Rev. Rigoberto Betancurt 318.256-5680 Oficina • Domingo 5:00pm

SAN PASCUAL: W. MONROE Rev. Luis Joet, OFM Domingo: 4:00pm • ?

SANTO TOMAS AQUINO: RUSTON

Rev. Tony Posadas, OFM 318.225.2870 Oficina • Domingo 1:30pm Coordinator: Luz Martinez • 318.224.0980

NUESTRA SENORA DEL PEPETUO SOCORRO: FARMERVILLE Rev. Luis Joet, OFM 318.342.0115 Cell • Coordinator: Paula Gonalez

STA MARIA DE LOS PINOS: SHREVEPORT Rev. Rigoberto Betancurt 318.687.5121 Oficina • Domingo 11:30am Coordinator: Alma Mendoza • 318.678.9306

SAGRADO CORAZON: OAK GROVE

Rev. Joseph Kallookalam, CMI 318.428.2683 Oficina • Domingo 5:00pm

SAN JOSE: MANSFIELD

Rev. Rigoberto Betancurt 318.458.6045 • Domingo 3:00pm

CONTACTO DIOCESANO: Rosalba Quiroz, Directora 318.219.7265 rquiroz@dioshpt.org

AUGUST 2020 15

YOUTH

The New Normal Throughout this unprecedented experience of quarantining, social distancing and intense precaution, much has been said and asked about what the future holds. Will shaking hands to greet someone be consigned to history? Will we ever again feel comfortable bumping up against people at a packed concert? Will masks in public become standard practice? And the big one circulating through the Catholic world: “Will there be an increase of faith or an even bigger decline?”

There is one sentiment that every single person I have spoken to in the past two months has been sure of: There WILL be a new normal! But it is less often expressed as a statement than the question, “What will the new normal be?”

Along with these questions, there is a somewhat contentious debate moving through the religious segments of our society.

The subject is whether or not God sent this pandemic as a wake up and/or a chastisement to our culture. Regardless of which side of that debate you fall on, we can be confident that, like a good parent, our Father certainly can and will use this experience to teach us and bring good out of it. However, the choice is ours as to whether or not we learn the lessons and embrace the good.

This pandemic has given us a chance to pause and reflect upon so many aspects of our lives, which I see as a silver lining in what is otherwise a tragedy. For us Catholics, I believe the biggest question we face is, what will be the new normal for our Church and for living out our faith?

We are at a crossroads. Since before the pandemic, Catholicism and Christianity in general, have been in steep decline in our country. This is a reality we cannot simply ignore or explain away as a passing phase after which “the pendulum will swing back.” All the evidence coming from reliable firms, such as Pew Research, indicates the decline is actually speeding up. Casein-point, according to a Pew Research study conducted during 2018 and 2019 and has been widely corroborated, “Nones” (pronounced like “nuns”; the segment of the population that do not affiliate with any religious group) are now the single largest segment of the population in the United States in terms of religious affiliation. Nones make up 26% of the population 16 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

(up from 17% in 2009)—that’s more than any single Christian denomination including Catholics (the largest denomination) who now make up just 20% of the population (down from 23% in 2009).

No one knows how the pandemic will affect religious fervor in the short-term or the long, and there are studies that have been conducted over the last two months that indicate many people have prayed more in those same two months than in several years before. However, does anyone really think that, because of the pandemic, the new normal will include some sort of drastic revival of faith? I say we cannot afford to just wait and find out. We must decide for ourselves what the new normal will be!

For far too long, our normal has been governed by the assumption that faith in Jesus will spread itself. But the reality is, just like Covid-19, faith is spread by people, and now, perhaps more than ever before, it is time to be a people of intentional evangelism.

Why not decide our new normal will be to embrace the missionary call we received through our baptism and confirmation to “make disciples of all nations…?” (Matthew 28:19, RSVCE) Why not decide our new normal will be to establish a family prayer and scripture reading tradition, thereby turning our homes into the “domestic churches” they are meant to be? Why not decide our new normal will be to stop looking solely to the priests and catechists to teach our children our Catholic faith, and rediscover our responsibility to do so? Why not decide our new normal will be to strive to “…love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves.” (cf.

Luke 10:27, RSVCE) After this pandemic is over, one thing is for sure, there WILL be a new normal, but it is up to us what that new normal will be. God is not calling us to wait and see if tragedy and fear will inspire faith. God is calling us to be the generation that turns the decline of faith into a resurgence, and we will show the world that faith in Jesus Christ, shared through joy, enthusiasm and love, is far more contagious than any virus.

Author’s Notes: In future issues of The Catholic Connection, I plan to offer some simple and effective ways we can evangelize everywhere from our dinner tables, to the grocery store, to our workplaces.

Mark Loyet

MIKE’S MEDITATIONS

What Are You Teaching?

Entrusting religious education of our youth with PSR programs and our Catholic schools has been a fruitful and grace-filled blessing for centuries.

The downside, of course, is that you and I become unconscious to the infinite ways we are teaching these young people.

In other words, they learn as much from what you and I do and don’t do, as they learn in formal schooling. This month, in silence and seclusion with God, pray for the grace to know what you are teaching the youth of our society.

We recently witnessed the execution of two human beings, two children of God, in our federal prison system. St. Pope John Paul II said: “May the death penalty, an unworthy punishment still used in some countries, be abolished throughout the world.” (Prayer at the Papal Mass at Regina Coeli Prison in Rome, July 9, 2000). As pro-life ­Catholics, are we actively teaching this prayer to our youth? Or do we support these killings of humans made in God’s image and likeness?

Are you voicing Catholic teaching that respects the dignity of all immigrants and refugees? During World Peace day in 2000, St. Pope John Paul II said this: “We cannot of course foresee the future. But we can set forth one certain principle: there will be peace only to the extent that humanity as a whole ­rediscovers its fundamental calling to be one family, a family in which the dignity and rights of individuals—whatever their status, race or religion—are a­ ccepted as prior and superior to any kind of difference or distinction.” Will you ask God to show you how you are vocally and substantively teaching St. Pope John Paul II’s message to our youth?

Jesus said: “learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart” Mt. 11:29. The leadership of Jesus was not overpowering or boastful. He told Peter to “put away your sword” Mt. 26:52. Even when Jesus was being taken as prisoner, he refused to use force to fight back. Search yourself and pay attention: are you teaching our youth to fight and brag, or to be like Jesus – meek and humble?

“We are called to live lives that secure for everyone freedom from p ­ overty, captivity, blindness, ­oppression and debt.

And by living this mission, it also becomes our teaching to the youth of our world.”

People in the U. S. have the addictive habit of raising their right forefinger and declaring: “we’re number 1.” We boastfully proclaim our superiority and greatness as a country, or state, or any other closed group we belong to. Yet, it was Jesus who said: “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave” Mt 20:26-27. Are we in-graining in our youth that they must strive to be “number one?” Or, are we being Christlike by teaching that to be great means to take off our outer ­garment, put a towel around our waist and wash the dirty, nasty, calloused feet of those around us (John 13:1-11)?

Are you and I willing to educate our youth as to what God is asking of us?

“You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the Lord requires

of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God: ­(Micah 6:8). Or, as the Message bible paraphrases this same passage: “Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously – take God seriously.” In your quiet time with God, ask God what fair and just mean. Jesus has already told us who our neighbor is (our neighbor is everyone, even including our enemies, Luke 6:27; 10:29-37). And, how does God ask you to express and share your compassion and love?

Of course there are so many more teachings of Jesus you and I are called to practice: It is the poor who are blessed; it is the person who hungers and thirsts for justice who is blessed; it is the meek who will inherit everything; it is the merciful who will be shown mercy; it is the peace­ maker who is called God’s child (Mt. 5:1-10). And of course, “Stop judging” (Luke 6:37)! When we live all of these, we become holy teachers of our youth.

Jesus said Christ’s mission in the world is “to bring glad tidings to the poor, . . . to proclaim liberty (freedom) to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” (a time of forgiveness of all debts) Luke 4:1819. As the body of Christ, this is our ­mission as well. We are called to live lives that secure for everyone freedom from poverty, captivity, blindness, oppression and debt. And by living this mission, it also becomes our teaching to the youth of our world.

Sit with God each morning this month and ask him: “What do you want me to teach today?”

Mike Van Vranken AUGUST 2020 17

CATHOLIC CHARITIES

Catholic Charities celebrates 10 years Ten years ago, the Diocese of ­Shreveport formed Catholic Charities of Shreveport (re-named Catholic Charities of North Louisiana in 2014). This human service agency was the brainchild of Bishop Michael Duca with the help and guidance from Sister Patricia Cairns, CSJ, and modeled similarly to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New Orleans—both affiliates of Catholic Charities USA. A board of directors was formed, bylaws were written, and Catholic Charities obtained a non-profit IRS 501(c)3 status under the umbrella of the Diocese of Shreveport. The mission statement reads:

“Our mission is to bring Christ’s message of love to the poor and vulnerable by providing quality social s­ ervices to families and individuals without discrimination and in accordance with Catholic Social Teachings and professional standards.”

Founding Members from the entire 16 civil parish diocese, comprised of 57 families/churches, invested seed money as a base for operations. Their names are on a plaque hung in the foyer of the Catholic Center on Fairfield Avenue where the first office was located. The first year more than 100 people were assisted with household bills in the amount of $4,789, and that number has dramatically increased to last fiscal year’s figures of serving 4,315 individuals and helping with $90,183 in bill payments throughout the diocese.

A second part-time office opened during fiscal year 2011-12 in Lake Providence which has the highest poverty rate 18 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

in the state—even the nation! Last year more than 213 individuals were ­positively impacted by CCNLA and $10,329 worth of bills were paid. In 2016, the office in Monroe opened to serve clients three days a week until FY 2019-20 when the office on Concordia Street now officially conducts business Monday-Friday. Last year, 442 individuals were positively impacted and $16,160 went toward bill payments for those families. Ultimately, the goal is to serve clients in all civil parishes of the diocese including the southern deanery. In the meantime, CCNLA staff ­conducts periodic outreach in the more rural areas.

Catholic Charities of North Louisiana has made great progress these past 10 years. Family Strengthening is the focus of the social services offered through emergency assistance, financial ­education, state benefits assistance, parenting education, immigration legal

services and disaster management.

Catholic Charities has garnered ­­ a reputation for” doing things right” among other non-profits in north Louisiana.

In 2016, the Board of Directors for Catholic Charities of North Louisiana developed a timeless vision:

“Together we invest in people to alleviate poverty, distress, and injustice.”

Executive Director Meg Goorley states, “I’ve been in nonprofit leadership for nearly 30 years, and by far Catholic Charities of North Louisiana has the greatest staff and most active board than any of them. We spend our donors’ funds very responsibly. We are truly impacting the community. I have never been more fulfilled.”

Meg Goorley Exective Director, Catholic Charities of North Louisiana

Jean Woods Joins Catholic Charities of North Louisiana Welcome to our newest employee! Jean Woods has joined the Catholic Charities of North Louisiana Shreveport as Case Manager.

Jean Woods has been in social work since she started at St. Vincent de Paul Disaster Services. She worked as a case manager and then was promoted to Office Manager assisting people throughout Shreveport, Bossier, Natchitoches, and Monroe. Their mission assisted with damages to homes due to the flood of 2016, food, clothing, utilities, and helping others achieve their GED, as well as home visits for the elderly and physically challenged. In 2019, when the program closed, she participated in several volunteer projects.

“When I met Jean a couple of years ago I knew she would be perfect for Catholic Charities!” stated Meg Goorley, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of North Louisiana. “She’s a wealth of information and she just “gets it.” Jean is compassionate, smart, and dedicated to helping others.”

As a case manager, Jean teaches Money $chool and assists clients in achieving financial stability. Her mother instilled in her to “Be happy, make a difference, and always remember to help someone along the way.”

MARY’S MISSION

Jesus: Our Common Ground “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.” Ps. 133:1 The state of the world today appears bleak and hopeless. It seems unending in violence, injustices, disagreements, and great divides among black, white, left, right, young and old. I cannot help but go back to the years 20012002, when our country stood together in unity as Americans. We were not a color nor a political party. We were simply people who stood together in our common love, America. What amazing unity and love of country we all felt across our great nation. We came together not as different races but as Americans. It was such a warm and loving feeling. How quickly we forget.

”It is up to us to make a conscience decision every day to choose love, to choose acceptance and to choose to show others that Jesus is not only real but He is present in that moment.”

I recently heard a woman speak on how she believes we are born racist, hence we come into this world hating each other. Wow! This disturbs me on many levels but most importantly, I wonder, how many other people also believe this particular belief? As a Christian, I cannot nor will I ever believe we are born with hatred in our hearts. First and foremost, God does

not create bad or evil. He is love and creates us in His image and in His love. “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Gen. 1:27.

As the saying goes, “God doesn’t make junk.” I choose to believe that God created us with the ability to accept those who are not like us. God creates in us a heart that is full of love, kindness, joy and acceptance. I believe young children are the best examples of this truth. They interact with each other no matter their race, religion, handicaps, or birth defects.

Children just love each other.

When I was in kindergarten, my best friend was a girl also named Mary who was completely deaf.

It never phased me nor hindered our friendship. I think also of my nephew, William, when he too was in kindergarten and his best friend was a Chinese boy named Nelson. Nelson spoke broken English due to the fact he had only been in America for a short time. This reality never hindered their friendship and as a result, they became best buds.

This brings me back to what we all have in common, Jesus. He is our ultimate connection as humans. If we all were to take time each day to focus on Him and allow Him to fill us with His love and acceptance, we could then take this love and acceptance, and pass it on to those we encounter throughout the day.

What an incredible world this would be if we all made the choice. A choice that is very doable. It only requires two things from us: time and an open heart. That’s it. It is not complicated, nor out of our capacity as humans or as

Christians. We are the hands and feet of Jesus my brothers and sisters. And because of this truth, it is up to us to make a conscience decision every day to choose love, to choose acceptance and to choose to show others that Jesus is not only real but He is present in that moment. We have a responsibility to show the world Jesus. Not white Jesus or black Jesus or brown Jesus, just Jesus. He is not a color nor a political party. He is not liberal or conservative.

He does not hate. Period!

Today and each day that follows, let us all focus on what we have versus what we do not have. Let us focus on what we like versus what we do not like. Let us focus on what is good versus what is evil. Let us look at our brothers and sisters who are different and see Jesus.

Mary Arcement Alexander AUGUST 2020 19

CATHOLIC NEWS

U.S. Bishops’ President ­Reflects on the 75th ­Anniversary of ­Hiroshima and Nagasaki July 30, 2020 WASHINGTON – Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued the following statement on the 75th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: “This week we are observing the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and August 9, 1945.

“My brother bishops and I mourn with the Japanese people for the innocent lives that were taken and the generations that have continued to suffer the public health and environmental consequences of these tragic attacks.

“On this solemn occasion, we join our voice with Pope Francis and call on our national and world leaders to persevere in their efforts to abolish these weapons of mass destruction, which threaten the existence of the human race and our planet.

“We ask our Blessed Mother Mary, the Queen of Peace, to pray for the human family, and for each one of us. Remembering the violence and injustice of the past, may we commit ourselves to being peacemakers as Jesus Christ calls us to be. Let us always seek the path of peace and seek alternatives to the use of war as a way to settle differences between nations and peoples.”

The USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace has produced resources for study, prayer, and action that the faithful 20 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

may use in observing the August 6 and 9 anniversary, which may be found at: http://www.usccb.org/nuclear.

Weakened Fair Housing Rule Fails to Promote Dignity of Human Person July 28, 2020 WASHINGTON –Last week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it would terminate the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing regulation (AFFH) issued in 2015 and replace it with a new rule on fair housing titled Preserving Community and Neighborhood Choice.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Charities USA filed comments in March 2020 on HUD’s proposed changes to the AFFH rule. The comments urged HUD to withdraw the proposed rule because it weakens the definition of AFFH, fails to address barriers to fair housing, reduces community engagement, and diminishes the role of Public Housing Authorities.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of HoumaThibodaux, chairman of the USCCB’s Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, and Sister Donna Markham OP, PhD, president & CEO of Catholic Charities USA, issued a statement in response to HUD’s announcement: “HUD’s replacement of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule undermines efforts to promote fair housing and human dignity.

Discriminatory practices such as redlining, disinvestment from communities, discriminatory practices

in selling or renting homes, and racial and economic segregation have undermined fair housing for generations and continue to harm communities of color today. HUD’s new rule minimizes the affirmative responsibility to promote fair housing by removing clear guidance and effective accountability.

“Fair housing regulations remain one of the key tools for addressing long standing inequities and historical disadvantages and must be strengthened, not weakened. As the U.S. bishops wrote 45 years ago in The Right to a Decent Home, ‘an absence of racial discrimination is no longer enough. We must insist upon effective programs to remedy past injustice.’ Let us renew this call to action to ensure all people have access to safe, decent, and affordable housing.”

U.S. Bishops’ Subcommittee On The Catholic Campaign For Human Development Approves $500,000 Strategic National Grant to put Laudato Si’ in Action July 22, 2020 WASHINGTON—The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), the domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has approved a strategic national grant totaling $500,000 to the Direct Action & Research Training Center (DART) to empower poor and lowincome persons in the southeastern U.S. to overcome the impacts and address the root causes of climate change over the next five years. The bishops of the CCHD subcommittee approved the grant during their virtual meeting on June 9.

CATHOLIC NEWS

The five-year project, “Caring for Creation, Caring for Community” will enable DART to engage local organizations in campaigns to identify the local impact of environmental changes on their community, empower low-income and minority communities to address the negative impact of environmental changes, and raise the profile of how these environmental changes hurt poor and marginalized communities the most.

community-based organizations that typically receive support from the CCHD. Additional information about the programs and work of CCHD is available online at: http://www.usccb.org/cchd.

Bishop David G. O’Connell, auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles and chairman of the CCHD subcommittee said, “As CCHD marks it’s 50th Anniversary this year, we are pleased to support this strategic national effort to put Laudato Si’ in action. The adverse effects of climate change devastate poor communities around the country and with this project, CCHD and DART will seek to live out the call of Pope Francis to respond to ‘the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.’”

WASHINGTON— On Saturday, July 25, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church, in collaboration with other offices at the USCCB and joined by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFYCM), will convene a yearlong intercultural process with young adults and ministry leaders.

Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, who has worked in close collaboration with DART for over 30 years on issues such as lack of affordable housing, transportation, juvenile justice reform and violence reduction in the Archdiocese of Miami, said in support of the project, “The DART proposal “Caring for Creation, Caring for Community” is a needed organizing effort to better engage people from low-moderate income communities in identifying and addressing the impacts of climate change in local communities.”

The Strategic National Grant Program was established by the U.S. bishops as part of CCHD’s Review and Renewal to address urgent regional or national needs, issues, or priorities impacting low-income communities.

These grants are intended for organizations working to promote justice or economic development on a significantly larger scale than the

Ministry Leaders to Examine Catholic Church’s Engagement with Young People July 22, 2020

The initiative, entitled Journeying Together is meant to explore the Church’s engagement with young people of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds and mobilize the faithful on issues and concerns related to culture and race in the United States.

It is based on Pope Francis’ call for encounter and dialogue in his 2019 apostolic exhortation Christus Vivit.

Due to health concerns with the novel coronavirus, the initiative will primarily take place online from July 2020 through May 2021, with an anticipated live gathering next summer, pending health and safety directives.

The process will feature intracultural and intercultural digital gatherings and conversations with young adult delegates and key ministry leaders from different cultural communities including African Americans, Asian and Pacific Islanders, European Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, and Native Americans, as well as immigrant groups, migrants, and refugees. The conversations will be facilitated by young adults in response to Pope

Francis’ encouragement of young people to be “protagonists” in the Church’s mission of evangelization.

The initiative, led by the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church, will include collaboration with the USCCB’s Secretariat for Catholic Education; Secretariat of Evangelization and Catechesis; and Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia, and chairman of the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church, said of this initiative, “This dialogue comes at an incredibly important time in our nation’s history where we find ourselves engaged in a serious conversation about race and racism, with calls for meaningful and lasting social reform, a movement led in large part by young people across the country and around the world.

The COVID-19 pandemic also has affected communities of color most significantly. Over the course of the next year, it is my hope that we can have honest conversations on these and other issues impacting young people and on how we can move ahead on the important questions of race, culture, and community. We have been very intentional about making sure every cultural family has their voice represented and a seat at the table as we journey together.

The bishops are looking forward to learning from the young people and those who accompany them.”

The delegates within the Journeying Together process, including bishops, young adults, and local ministry leaders, will seek to involve their peers in the dialogue and mobilization aspects of this yearlong experience.

The goal of the initiative is to help the Church better engage and respond to the realities facing young people of all cultural backgrounds.

For more information about the process, go to www.usccb.org/journey2020.

AUGUST 2020 21

LIBRARY NOTES

New Releases

In Make Every Day Blessed, you will: discover the significance behind each of the liturgical seasons (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time); examine the ways you currently celebrate each season, and reflect on the deeper meaning behind our collective celebrations; reflect on how you can live with greater intention throughout the liturgical year.

The Catholic Church is full of rich tradition, enabling us to experience the world as God intended through the beauty of each liturgical season: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time. In Make Every Day Blessed, Jen Frost explores in depth each of these seasons. You will learn the significance of the season, how and why it is celebrated, and ways you can live the season in your home. By understanding the why’s and how’s of living liturgically, you will have the opportunity to grow in faith and share it with those around you all year long.

Monuments, Marvels, and Miracles: A Traveler’s Guide to Catholic America

takes you to more than 500 of the country’s most intriguing holy sites, each with a riveting story to tell.

Stories about: • architecture (the interior of Guardian Angels Cathedral in Las Vegas resembles angel wings) • religious history (at Maryland’s Old Bohemia, Jesuit priests lived and worked incognito during antiCatholic persecution) • artifacts (the Miraculous Medal Shrine in Philadelphia holds an original cast by Saint Catherine Labouré) • answered prayer (from the Grasshopper Chapel in Minnesota to the Coral Miracle Church in Hawaii) • healing places, beautiful places, hidden places, places where saints walked, and much more.

Organized by state and region, Monuments, Marvels, and Miracles can help you easily plan your vacation or pilgrimage, and find sites close to you that you’ve never heard of. Chapters also include Catholic trivia and color photos. Websites, phone numbers, addresses, and other pertinent information are included.

These books and many others are available to order online:

OUR SUNDAY VISITOR

https://www.osvcatholicbookstore.com 22 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Slattery Library News & Notes What's New?

Kate Rhea, administrative assistant for the library and cemetery, is available to help patrons research information, search and select reading material, and even host group meetings in the library.

With themed displays each month and many newly cataloged materials ready to borrow, our library is revitalized and ready to serve our patrons.

To sign up for the newsletter featuring topical and seasonal collections, information on newly catalogued books, book and movie reviews, information on book clubs, and more, please e-mail Kate at krhea@dioshpt.org

Visiting the Slattery Library Please call before planning a visit to check for updated hours during COVID-19.

LIBRARY HOURS: Monday - Friday 9am to 4:30 pm 3500 Fairfield Avenue Shreveport, LA 71104 318-868-4441

AUGUST CALENDAR

FEAST DAYS August 1 The Chains of St. Peter

August 2 Pope St. Stephen I, Martyr

August 4 St. Dominic

August 9 St. John Marie Vianney

August 13 St. John Berchmans

August 15 The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

August 16 St. Joachim

August 18 St. Helena

August 21 St. Jane Frances de Chantal

August 23 St. Philip Benizi

August 24 St. Bartholomew, Apostle

August 25 St. Louis, King of France

August 28 St. Augustine

August 29 Beheading of St. John the Baptist

August 30 St. Rose of Lima

DIOCESAN EVENTS August 10, 2020 Diocesan schools re-open

PARISH EVENTS September 12, 2020

Fr. Albert Haase, OFM Speaking Time to be confirmed St. Thomas Aquinas Church 810 Carey Ave. Ruston, LA 71270

Our parishes will continue to follow Gov. John Bel Edwards’ orders for reopening. Listed below are parishes who are offering live-stream services: Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport facebook.com/cathedralofsjb Sunday Masses: 4pm Sat Vigil; Sunday, 8am, 11am, 5:30pm Monday-Friday, Adoration; 12:10 pm Mass Traditional Latin Masses: Thurs, Aug 13, 12:10pm; Sat, Aug 15, 9am Christ the King Parish, Bossier City Sunday 11:00 am English ; 1:00 pm Spanish facebook.com/ChristtheKingbossier Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish, Monroe 8:30 am and 5 pm Masses on YouTube channel: JGS DRE Mary, Queen of Peace Parish, Bossier City Sunday 11:00 am - facebook.com/MQOPBossierCity Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Monroe facebook.com/OLFCatholicChurch Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish, Shreveport Sunday 9:00 am - facebook.com/OLBSShreveport St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Shreveport Tuesday-Friday: 7:30 am, Saturday: 4:00 pm, Sunday: 9:30 am - seasshreveport.com/live-masses St. George Church, Coushatta Sunday 11:00 am - facebook.com/MQOPBossierCity St. John the Baptist Parish, Many Sunday 11:00 am - facebook.com/stjohnsmanyla St. Lawrence Church, Swartz Sunday 10:45 am - facebook.com/St-Lawrence-Catholic-ChurchSwartz-La-159206814231608 St. Paschal Parish, West Monroe Sunday: 9:00 am on YouTube channel: St. Paschal’s Catholic Church West Monroe,LA St. Pius X Parish, Shreveport Sunday: 11:00 am - facebook.com/shreveportstpiusx AUGUST 2020 23

Connection The Catholic

DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT 3500 Fairfield Ave.

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Shreveport, LA 71104

Fairfield

Bishop Malone, Vocations Director Fr. Jerry Daigle and Deacon Raney Johnson gathered with our diocesan seminarians for a photo immediately following Raney’s ordination to the Transitional Diaconate. Photo by Stuart Bright 24 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION