CATHOLIC CONNECTION
CATHOLIC CONNECTION
PUBLISHER
Bishop Francis I. Malone
EDITOR
Sophia Romanski
CONTRIBUTORS
Mary Arcement Alexander
Karla Alvarez
Karen Dill
Sarah Duncan
Jordan Fegert
Jordan Harris
Diane Libro
Polly Maciulski
Glori Manshack
Lucy Medvec
Rev. Kevin Mues
Jennifer Nix
Noemi Saybe
Sophia Romanski
Sam Vandiver
SEPTEMBER 2025
Volume 35, Number 2
TAKING OUR FAITH ON THE ROAD
Pope Leo XIV's Prayer Intention For The Month Of September
FOR OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL CREATION Let us pray that, inspired by Saint Francis, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect.
SUBSCRIPTIONS & ADDRESS CHANGES
Blanca Vice bvice@dioshpt.org 318-868-4441
SUBMISSIONS
Sophia Romanski sromanski@dioshpt.org
The Catholic Connection is a member of the Catholic Media Association.
The Diocese of Shreveport complies with Virtus’ Protecting God’s Children program (www.virtus.org). Online sessions are available. To report child sexual abuse by a cleric or church worker in the Diocese of Shreveport, call your local law enforcement agency and Mary Arcement Alexander, Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at 318-588-2120. Thank you for helping to keep our children and vulnerable adults safe.
The Catholic Connection is funded in part by a grant from the Catholic Home Missions Appeal and donations to the Catholic Service Appeal.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Catholic Connection is a monthly publication funded by your Catholic Service Appeal, mailed to every known Catholic household in the Diocese of Shreveport. Our mission is to advance knowledge and understanding of our Catholic faith among the faithful. We seek to foster the application of Christ’s teachings and our Church’s mission in our daily lives and to encourage our sense of Catholic identity within our family, parish, and faith community.
SEPTEMBER SECOND COLLECTIONS
SEPTEMBER 13 & 14 - THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA Supports an investment in the future—for our students, our communities, and our world. Your gift provides scholarships and increased financial aid to support highly qualified future leaders in their intellectual growth and development and provides essential career services such as internships, mentorships, and job placement assistance.
Very Rev. Msgr. Matthew T. Long
Dcn. Charles Thomas, OFS
Karla Alvarez
Rev. Kevin Mues
Rosalba Quiroz
Cover photo: Matthew Couvillon photographed outside St. John the Baptist Church in Many, Louisiana. Special thanks to Ken and Mary Ellen Freeman for the use of their car!
Photo by Sophia Romanski.
Knights of Columbus Excellence- Religious Education Check Presentation; Catholic Center Lobby, Shreveport, 10:00 AM.
Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops’ meeting, Lafayette, LA, 1:00 PM.
Help
Grant
Presbyteral Council Meeting; Catholic Center, Shreveport; 2:00 PM.
Gabriel Cisneros Campos
Fidel Mondragón
Peter Romanus Mallya
Philip Michiels
of the Diocese of Shreveport
James Dominic Thekkemury
Michael Thang’wa
Kelby Tingle
Jerry Daigle, Jr.
Jean Bosco Uwamungu, Fr. Joseph C. Howard, Jr.
Nicholas Duncan Fr. Charles Ssennyondo, Fr. Joseph Maddala Fr. Richard Norsworthy, Fr. Rigoberto Betancurt Cortés
Fr. Mark Franklin, Fr. Karl Daigle
Fr. James McLelland, Fr. Charles Glorioso
Adrian Fischer, Fr. Patrick Madden
Mark Watson
Kevin Mues
Duane Trombetta Fr. Calistus Barasa Makokha Fr. Do Minh Vu
Raney Johnson
& Solemnities
Diocese
Shreveport
Fr. Joseph Martina, Msgr. Earl Provenza
Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor of the Church
Fr. Timothy Hurd, Fr. James Moran
Fr. Joseph Ampatt
Fr. LaVerne “Pike” Thomas
Fr. Keith Garvin
Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Memorial of St. Cornelius, pope, and St. Cyprian, bishop and martyr
Memorial of St. Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the Church
Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Taegeon, priest, St. Paul
Solemnity of St. Vincent de Paul, priest
Memorial of St. Pius Pietreclina, priest
St. Michael’s Catholic Schools’ 90th Anniversary Mass; St. Michael’s Catholic Church, West Memphis, AR, 10:00 AM.
Bishop Elect Simon Peter Engurait, Episcopal Ordination and Installation; David R. Stopher Gymnasium at Nicolls State University, Thibodaux; 2:00 PM.
Mass; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport, 8:00 AM. Cathedral OCIA class – Jesus: Teacher and Savior, Cathedral Parish Office, Library; 9:00 AM.
St. Vincent Alumni Association Annual meeting/luncheon; Saint Vincent’s Chapel Catholic Center, 11:30 AM.
2025 Catholic Extension’s Mission Bishops’ Conference, Chicago, IL.
87 Miles. 195,342 Steps. Karla Alvarez recaps the Diocese of Shreveport Youth Pilgrimage to Rome for the 2025 Jubilee of Hope!
16
Taking Our Faith on the Road: Making the Most of the 2025 Jubilee Take a tour of the Diocese of Shreveport's four Jubilee pilgrimage sites.
14 Paying it Forward: Building a ChristCentered Community Fr. Kevin Mues on the importance of Cathoic Campus Ministry.
FROM THE EDITOR
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Mt. 28:19-20).
This is the final instruction Jesus gives to the disciples, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. It is our instruction too, a command to take our faith outside the confines of our homes and parishes and to share the love of Christ with the world.
It is not enough to enrich our own internal spiritual life. We are, of course, called to a close personal relationship with God. We must "cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean" (Mt. 23:26). It is tempting to stop there, once we feel we have reached a comfortable place of spiritual strength. Doing so, however, would be a grave mistake.
We are not called to be comfortable. We are not called to be stagnant. We are not called to be "good enough." We are not called to be so focused on our own lives that we neglect the final message of the Gospel: to go out into the world and share the Good News.
When he declared that 2025 would be the Jubilee of Hope, Pope Francis called us to live this command through pilgrimage. He challenged us to leave the familiar halls of our home churches and journey with faithful intent to experience Christ's presence throughout the world.
So, go! Get up, get out, and share in the love of Christ in as many different places as you can. "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Mt. 26:20).
FROM THE BISHOP
Many of you in the Diocese of Shreveport know my predecessor was Bishop Duca. When we met a few times after my assignment to Louisiana was announced, he described my new Diocese in detail and added one noteworthy comment: “Get ready, there’s a lot of driving!” I didn’t realize how much, but quickly discovered my responsibility was for all that is Catholic from Texas to Mississippi along the Arkansas border. I was so blessed to have a volunteer drive me most places, especially for Confirmation services. The journeys were frequent, regular, and an opening up for me to the beauty in our diocese: its people, parishes, schools, and priests. Aware that, as bishop, I would journey from place to place, including across the state and to New Orleans, I found each destination to be another exposure to Louisiana’s serene beauty.
Much of what I saw on these many drives was familiar, resembling my
former diocese, of 43 years, Little Rock. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been beautiful nonetheless and always prompted the feeling that I was on a new journey. In retrospect, these many trips resemble life and our journeys from one place to another, from one experience to the next, and to meet some of the most enduring people in the world. Told that people are the same wherever you go, there is nevertheless something special about the Catholic faithful here in Louisiana, especially in the Diocese of Shreveport. My experiences these last almost six years here have brought me into contact with good and decent people, especially some of the holiest people I know: people who love their faith, parish Church, priests, and one another. While nothing in life is perfect, and there are always exceptions to the rule – the Diocese of Shreveport stands out as a place where God set His mark in the living out of our Catholic faith and as a place where faith continues to grow.
And so, we journey… continuing forward on the path that leads us from this life to the next, with the Lord at our side strengthening and accompanying us with His presence – no matter how long the miles or numerous the destinations. His presence, when you think about it, is what sustains us like no one else can as we go along in life. We cannot make it on our own, nor pretend it is easy, because life itself is not easy. I am sure, though, of this much: the journey we take in this life is so much easier when we welcome the Lord to be by our side! And I am sure He enjoys the journey too!
Muchos de ustedes en la Diócesis de Shreveport saben que mi predecesor fue el Obispo Duca. Cuando nos reunimos un par de veces después de que se anunciara mi nombramiento a Luisiana, él me describió con detalle mi nueva diócesis y añadió un comentario digno de recordar: “¡Prepárate, hay mucho que manejar!” No me di cuenta de cuánto, pero pronto descubrí que mi responsabilidad era todo lo católico desde Texas hasta Misisipi, a lo largo de la frontera con Arkansas. Fui muy bendecido de tener un voluntario que me llevara a la mayoría de los lugares, especialmente a los servicios de Confirmación. Los viajes eran frecuentes, regulares, y me abrieron a la belleza de nuestra diócesis: su gente, parroquias, escuelas y sacerdotes. Consciente de que, como obispo, viajaría de un lugar a otro, incluso a través del estado y hasta Nueva Orleans, descubrí que cada destino era una nueva oportunidad de apreciar la serenidad y la belleza de Luisiana.
Mucho de lo que vi en estos tantos recorridos me resultaba familiar, parecido a mi antigua diócesis de 43 años, Little Rock. No siempre ha sido fácil, pero ha
por el obispo
sido hermoso de todos modos y siempre me inspiraba la sensación de estar en un nuevo camino. En retrospectiva, estos muchos viajes se asemejan a la vida y a nuestros recorridos de un lugar a otro, de una experiencia a la siguiente, y al encuentro con algunas de las personas más perseverantes del mundo. Aunque se dice que la gente es la misma dondequiera que vayas, hay, sin embargo, algo especial en los fieles católicos aquí en Luisiana, especialmente en la Diócesis de Shreveport. Mis experiencias en estos casi seis años aquí me han puesto en contacto con personas buenas y decentes, especialmente con algunas de las más santas que conozco: personas que aman su fe, su parroquia, a sus sacerdotes y entre sí. Si bien nada en la vida es perfecto, y siempre hay excepciones a la regla, la Diócesis de Shreveport se destaca como un lugar donde Dios ha dejado su huella en la vivencia de nuestra fe católica y como un lugar donde la fe sigue creciendo.
Y así, seguimos caminando… avanzando por el sendero que nos lleva de esta vida a la próxima, con el Señor a nuestro lado
fortaleciéndonos y acompañándonos con su presencia, sin importar cuán largos sean los caminos o numerosos los destinos. Su presencia, si lo piensas bien, es lo que nos sostiene como nadie más puede hacerlo mientras seguimos en la vida. No podemos lograrlo por nuestra cuenta, ni fingir que es fácil, porque la vida misma no lo es. Pero de algo estoy seguro: ¡el camino que recorremos en esta vida se vuelve mucho más llevadero cuando acogemos al Señor a nuestro lado! Y estoy seguro de que Él también disfruta del viaje.
Para obtener más información sobre las oportunidades del Ministerio Multicultural en la Diócesis de Shreveport y para encontrar nuestros horarios y lugares de misa en español, por favor escanee el código aquí.
Exciting News for our Diocese!
With praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God, Bishop Malone and the Diocese of Shreveport are thrilled to welcome two new seminarians to our community of faith!
Jordan Fegert and Sam Vandiver begin their studies this fall at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans as they discern their call to the priesthood.
Sam Vandiver
Sam is from Lafayette, Louisiana. He is excited to attend Notre Dame Seminary this fall alongside fellow seminarian Jordan Fegert.
"Sam is one of the many vocations to come out of the Catholic Campus Ministry at Louisiana Tech University. He was heavily involved at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish is Ruston as a student. Sam's vocation shows the importance of campus ministry in the Diocese of Shreveport, especially in encouraging vocations." - Fr. Raney Johnson, Vocations Director for the Diocese of Shreveport.
Please keep Jordan and Sam in your thoughts and prayers as they begin this new chapter of formation.
Jordan Fegert
My younger self shied away from the relationships, careers, and social interactions I truly wanted to have. In God’s providence, a woman came into my life and challenged me to change myself for the better. Over time, I became a person of prayer and got my life together. In 2022, I became Catholic—and first considered the priesthood. Years later, when I returned home to Shreveport, Louisiana, after a layoff, I decided to take my discernment seriously and became a seminarian. I am thankful to be sent to Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, where I am finding a lot of peace.
Wherever You May Travel,
Christ Brings You Back Home
Ilove to travel – the excitement of seeing new places or visiting old favorites, the start of a new (and hopefully relaxing) adventure, and most important, “getting away from it all.” Fortunate to travel for both work and pleasure this year, I attended Masses in different churches.
This is a change, bringing my faith when I travel. Planning when and where I needed to attend Mass wasn’t always a part of my vacation. But as I grew older and stronger in my faith, I realized the importance of making Christ – and the Mass – part of vacations. Now, visiting new faith communities is a favorite part of my travel adventures.
This year, I attended Mass while vacationing in several states and throughout Louisiana. I felt welcomed in each community and enjoyed sharing with them the joy of receiving the Eucharist – the sacrament that unites us as Catholics.
I think of our different faith communities in the Diocese of Shreveport when I visit your parishes. Each church in our diocese is unique with its own history, parishioners, and physical beauty; but at the end of the day, we are all one Church united in Christ. We greet old friends and welcome strangers. Our faith brings us together in the pews, no matter where we worship.
So, what does this have to do with the Catholic Service Appeal? (You know I have to mention it every month – it’s kind of my job.) Our unity as a faith community is what supports our missions. When we each gift any amount to the Appeal, we all benefit through ministries that educate our future priests, care for our retired priests, help families educate their children in the Catholic faith, and provide assistance to those less fortunate, just to name a few examples. Your support of the Appeal, through prayers and gifts, makes our community stronger.
The phrase, “Wherever you may travel, Christ brings you back home” gives us comforting assurance that God is with us on every journey. He welcomes us every Sunday as we attend Mass, whether it is at our home church or a new community united in our faith. He does indeed bring us back home.
Lucy Medvec is the Director of Development and Stewardship for the Diocese of Shreveport.
Chapel of the Transfiguration, Jackson, WY. Photo credit: Suzonne Bourque
SEEK and Ye Shall Find
As a woman in her mid-thirties, i fall under the “young adult” category for the social groups in our church
But as someone who is Both married and not yet Blessed with the joy of children, it can be difficult to feel that I truly fit into groups of people around my age. During spiritually sound talks on womanhood, I feel a bit out of place when discussions turn to the power and gift of motherhood. So, I didn’t dare venture into the realm of “young adult,” until encouragement from women older and wiser than myself helped me muster up the courage to truly try to connect in the Anchored Young Adult group at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church.
I am so thankful that I did! After all, it is led by a spirit-fueled, service-driven power couple, Trey and Courtenay Dean. They seem like a couple anyone could strive to be like. And not only are they great leaders for this group and throughout the church, they also understand that awkward sense some of us feel when parenthood seems like the mark of a Catholic couple, yet, we don’t fit that image.
Thus, once immersed in the group, my husband and I jumped at the invitation to attend their “Seek” local event at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, and this “pilgrimage” proved impactful in so many ways. Hearing talks from renowned Catholic speakers like Father Mike Schmitz, Sr. Miriam Heidland, and Jason Evert, I became overwhelmed with the calling to share this amazing
Catholic faith with the world. We attended Mass on Saturday at the Cathedral, one of the Shreveport diocese’s designated Jubilee Year pilgrimage sites, and that weekend happened to be the celebration of the Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul – what a fitting day to be so on fire with the Holy Spirit to evangelize!
As I listened to Fr. Raney Johnson’s homily, I was comforted by the realization that being young and without children doesn’t make us any less an instrument of God’s peace. Look at our seminarians! Look at our young religious sisters! Look at saints like Peter and Paul! So, regardless of whether I get a chance at motherhood, I plan to spend my life acquiring children for the Kingdom of God.
Jennifer Nix is a parishioner and catechist at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Shreveport and the Day Service Coordinator at Hope Connections.
A Pilgrimage to the Blue Zone
When my friend ViVian inVited two of my friends and me to Visit her camp on cane riVer, we eagerly accepted. as i watched the sun rise oVer a pecan orchard the next morning, I anticipated attending First Friday Mass at St. Augustine, the quaint clapboard church down the road from camp at Melrose. I had visited there several times before, and the holy ground of the south Natchitoches parish’s Creole community was drawing me back with its magnetic force. This trip did not disappoint.
As I parked under the oak trees, I nodded to the sprawling cemetery behind the church. Its tombstones and columbarium bore the familiar names of founding families: Balthazar, Metoyer, Christophe, Roche. An American flag waved near the resting place of Clementine Hunter, the folk artist granddaughter of slaves; her primitive paintings of daily life made the Melrose Plantation a popular tourist attraction. The witness of these dead parishioners added to the sacred atmosphere.
St. Augustine’s interior was equally inspiring. A rich burgundy carpet embedded with gold fleur-de-lis covered the old wooden floor. Rows of antique pews faced a beautiful altar carved by a local craftsman. Near the crucifix, a stained-glass window featured a blooming magnolia tree below a dove and above swirling waters of the river. As we headed out after mass, a local woman approached, then gathered us up in a group hug as she exclaimed, “Welcome to St. Augustine.” I felt the Holy Spirit’s comfort in a tangible way that day.
Another local woman introduced herself as Yolande Pinckley and asked, “Are you here on a pilgrimage?” It was at that moment that I realized I was! She explained that St. Augustine is part of the Diocese of Alexandria’s pilgrimage trail. We noticed other small groups taking in the numerous historical relics that surrounded the building, and we saw the sign by the front steps indicating the church was built in 1856.
“St. Augustine parish is a blue zone,” she explained, “a place on Earth where people live longer and better because of their faith, family, and community. Here in Melrose, all three are important to us. Many of our local natives have wandered off to live in other places, but they come back here to grow old and die because they just can’t turn their backs on Cane River.”
As we strolled around the grounds and took in the pleasant August morning, we could readily see why this is true. Directly across the river stood a large wooden cross. An egret landed on a cypress log watching for the next fish to break the water’s surface. Workmen shouted greetings at passing cars as they completed the old, adjoining convent’s renovation. More locals paused to chat and encourage us to return soon. They were sincere. They seemed eager to share the faith they had with any pilgrim who came their
way. And I was searching to receive it.
I have pilgrimaged to Knock, Ireland, and Assisi, Italy. I have attended Mass at St. Peter’s in the Vatican and visited St. Anthony’s tomb in Padua. But I realized that morning that we don’t have to go far to pilgrimage to a holy place. The Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, the shrine of the martyred priests at Holy Trinity, the quaint little Rock Chapel at Carmel, the old clapboard church south of Natchitoches—they can all be holy places where we discover, as Jacob did at Bethel, “Truly, the LORD is in this place.” I don’t need a passport to enter the blue zone. It’s waiting for me right down the road.
Karen Dill is a spiritual director for the Diocese of Shreveport and a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
87 Miles. 195,342 Steps.
That is the distance I covered during our pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth. Although a month has passed, the experience remains vivid in my heart and mind. I felt deeply honored to guide five pilgrims from our diocese and partake in this historic moment of grace and mercy. Our journey began in Assisi, where we visited the tombs of St. Francis and St. Clare, and prayed before the body of Blessed Carlo Acutis. Standing where these saints once walked reminded me of my own smallness, yet their lives continue to resonate powerfully through the centuries, touching hearts they could never have imagined. Assisi exudes a peace that permeates its stones and lingers in the air—a testament to lives lived boldly and simply.
From Assisi, we traveled to the Eternal City of Rome, joining hundreds of thousands of young people seeking hope, renewal, and an encounter with our Creator. Together, we passed through the four Holy Doors: St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls. We visited about thirty churches during our pilgrimage, as well as the coffin of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Each step carried the weight of prayers—our own intentions, those entrusted to us, and the prayers of everyone in our diocese. We were blessed to see Pope Leo a few times, moments that filled us with gratitude and awe. I cried every time I saw him and heard him sharing that he wanted to be present to all of us as a spiritual father. We ended with the vigil and Mass at Tor Vergata, where I am almost certain Pope Leo saw our flag of the Diocese of Shreveport.
We all made history by saying “yes” to becoming pilgrims. This was not an easy journey. The pilgrimage tested every aspect of our character—patience, perseverance, humility, and strength. The heat was overwhelming, and the long hours of waiting under the sun in endless lines stretched us all. Yet, I could not have asked for a more inspiring group of pilgrims: Yvonne (80), Jessica (21), Tony (21), Armando (20), and Priscilla (19).
Each rose to the challenge with faith and joy. Yvonne amazed us all—walking every step, enduring the heat, and never complaining. Her quiet strength is a testimony that age is no barrier when the heart burns with love for God. The younger pilgrims also gave their best, showing resilience and a willingness to embrace discomfort for something greater. Reflecting on the journey, I realized both my capacity to endure the pilgrimage's demands and the importance of relying on God’s grace. Whether functioning with little rest or being present for my pilgrims, I found strength in giving my all as we visited the tombs of saints who fully lived out their vocations, embodying true holiness. They never considered themselves saints, yet they could not imagine life without God. I want to live like them.
Above all, I learned that we can never outdo God in generosity, mercy, or love. This pilgrimage reminded me that we are all called to be pilgrims – offering everything up to the Lord for our brothers and sisters, while seeking reparation for our sins. Recognizing this calls me to complain less and to rely on God's grace more, as living life alone leads to tiredness, frustration, and anger affecting others. God granted us far more than expected –grace in abundance, joy amid trials, and unity in diversity. This pilgrimage was not merely a journey across miles but a journey deeper into God’s heart. God longs to meet us in our suffering to fill us with His strength and love and encourage us to give a little more and draw closer to Him. God is so good. Thank you for being part of this journey with us. Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, Pray for us!
Karla Alvarez is the Director of Multicultural Ministry for the Diocese of Shreveport.
Esa es la distancia que recorrí durante nuestra peregrinación a Roma para el Jubileo de la Juventud. Aunque ha pasado un mes, la experiencia sigue viva en mi corazón y en mi mente. Me sentí profundamente honrada de guiar a cinco peregrinos de nuestra diócesis y de participar en este momento histórico de gracia y misericordia.
Nuestro camino comenzó en Asís, donde visitamos y oramos frente las tumbas de San Francisco y Santa Clara, y oramos ante el cuerpo del Beato Carlo Acutis. Estar de pie en los lugares donde estos santos caminaron me recordó mi propia pequeñez, sin embargo, sus vidas siguen resonando con fuerza a través de los siglos, tocando corazones que nunca hubieran imaginado. Asís irradia una paz que se impregna en sus piedras y flota en el aire—un testimonio de vidas vividas con valentía y sencillez.
Desde Asís viajamos a la Ciudad Eterna, Roma, uniéndonos a cientos de miles de jóvenes que buscaban esperanza, renovación y un encuentro con nuestro Creador. Juntos, cruzamos las cuatro Puertas Santas: la Basílica de San Pedro en el Vaticano, San Juan de Letrán, Santa María la Mayor y San Pablo Extramuros. Durante nuestra peregrinación visitamos unas treinta iglesias, así como también el ataúd del Beato Pier Giorgio Frassati. Cada paso llevaba el peso de oraciones: nuestras propias intenciones, las que nos confiaron y las de todos en nuestra diócesis. Tuvimos la bendición de ver al Papa León varias veces, momentos que nos llenaron de gratitud y asombro. Lloré cada vez que lo vi y lo escuché, deseando estar presente para todos nosotros como un padre espiritual. Concluimos con la vigilia y la misa en Tor Vergata, donde estoy casi segura de que el Papa León vio nuestra bandera de la Diócesis de Shreveport.
La peregrinación puso a prueba cada aspecto de nuestro carácter—paciencia, perseverancia, humildad y fortaleza. El calor era abrumador, y las largas horas de espera bajo el sol nos exigieron a todos. Sin embargo, no podría haber pedido
un grupo más inspirador de peregrinos: Yvonne (80), Jessica (21), Tony (21), Armando (20) y Priscilla (19). Cada uno afrontó el reto con fe y alegría. Yvonne, nuestra mayor, nos maravilló a todos— caminó cada paso, soportó el calor y nunca se quejó. Su fortaleza silenciosa fue un testimonio de que la edad no es un obstáculo cuando el corazón arde de amor por Dios. Los peregrinos más jóvenes también dieron lo mejor de sí, mostrando resiliencia y disposición para abrazar la incomodidad por algo más grande. Todos hicimos historia al decir “sí” a convertirnos en peregrinos. Este no fue un camino fácil. Reflexionando sobre la experiencia, comprendí mi capacidad de soportar las exigencias de la peregrinación y la importancia de confiar en la gracia de Dios. Ya fuera funcionando con poco descanso o estando presente para mis peregrinos, encontré fuerza al darlo todo mientras visitábamos las tumbas de los santos que vivieron plenamente sus vocaciones, encarnando la verdadera santidad. Ellos nunca se consideraron santos, pero no podían imaginar la vida sin Dios. Yo quiero vivir como ellos.
Sobre todo, aprendí que nunca podremos superar a Dios en generosidad, misericordia o amor. Esta peregrinación me recordó que todos estamos llamados a ser peregrinos—ofreciéndolo todo al Señor por nuestros hermanos y hermanas, mientras buscamos reparación por nuestros pecados. Reconocer esto me invita a quejarme menos y a confiar más en la gracia de Dios, porque hacerlo sola conduce al cansancio, la frustración y la ira que terminan afectando a los demás. Dios nos concedió mucho más de lo esperado—gracia en abundancia, alegría en medio de las pruebas y unidad en la diversidad. Esta peregrinación no fue simplemente un recorrido de millas, sino un viaje más profundo hacia el corazón de Dios. Dios anhela encontrarnos en nuestro sufrimiento para llenarnos de su fuerza y su amor, animándonos a dar un poco más y a acercarnos más a Él. Dios es tan bueno. Gracias por ser parte de este camino con nosotros.
¡Beato Carlo Acutis y Beato Pier Giorgio Frassati, rueguen por nosotros!
Karla Alvarez es la directora del Ministerio Multicultural de la Diócesis de Shreveport.
Paying it
Building a ChristCentered Community
In his first letter to the corinthians, st paul said, “when i was a child, i used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things” (1 Cor 13:11). People tend to think college ministry is an extension of the high school youth group experience, with activities, events, craft projects, and service opportunities. However, campus ministry is and should be so much more! As I serve the students at Louisiana Tech through my assignment at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish and for my fourth academic year, I can’t help but recognize this ministry’s importance in my life. A freshman in the fall of 2008 at University of Louisiana at Monroe, I had no idea what the college experience was preparing me for.
Not until my sophomore year did I faithfully attend Mass and participate in the campus ministry, ULM CCM. There, I found a community I could belong to and serve. And it was there that I prepared to complete my Sacraments of Initiation and experienced what it means to be a part of the Catholic Church as more than a passive participant. Through assisting with RCIA
(now OCIA), participating in Adoration, reading and serving at Mass, and working hard at the fish fry, I learned how to put faith into action. That college faith community is what made the city of Monroe my home and helped me fall in love with the Diocese of Shreveport – and it inspired my discernment to answer God’s call to priesthood. So, when assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas in the summer of 2022, I eagerly anticipated leading a ministry so instrumental in my own formation. Over these last few years, I’ve been blessed to encounter students who aren’t just participating in their Catholic faith, they are excited about it.
Called Catholic Bulldogs (formerly ACTS), campus ministry here is so much more than an extension of the high school youth experience. With the example of Focus Missionaries, we are forming students to become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. It is here that young adults discern their vocations, form healthy and holy friendships, and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Focus Missionaries’ service on Tech’s campus has markedly increased student participation and engagement: attendance at the student Mass nearly doubled, our weekly dollar lunch increased from around 100 plates served to 150, and over 200 students actively lead and participate in bible studies.
The great gift of our Focus Missionaries is their living example of young adults who take their faith seriously. Their integration into parish life led more students to participate there, joining such organizations as the Knights of Columbus, the sewing group, and those that help with youth and the Parish School of Religion (PSR). At St. Thomas Aquinas, the college students invigorate the parish, and the parish is their home away from home. When an international student faced a life-threatening illness last year, I witnessed care and compassion from our parishioners as they transported him to appointments and cared for him in their homes. It was a blessing to witness
another person receive what I received while in college: a community that not only prayed for me, but stood ready to support me when I was away from my own home and family.
The Catholic Bulldogs are a source of life and hope for our parish. So, when they return this fall, we’ll gratefully restart the meals, activities, and events that make St. Thomas Aquinas their home away from home.
Rev. Kevin Mues is the pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, St.Benedict Parish, St. Lucy Parish, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, and the Campus minister at LA Tech, Ruston.
Taking Our Faith on the Road Making the Most of the 2025 Jubilee
In 2024 , Pope Francis declared that the year 2025 would be a Jubilee – a year of rest, revitalization, and restoration in the tradition established in the Old Testament (Leviticus 25, if anyone is curious). Its theme is "Pilgrims of Hope," which most or all of you probably know by now. Given the year is more than half over, it is time for us all to pause, take stock, and consider how to make the most of the next few months.
Pope Francis called all of us to partake in a pilgrimage as an outward expression of our ongoing, internal faith journey. "Pilgrimage is of course a fundamental element of every Jubilee event" (Spes Non Confundit, Bull Of Indiction Of The Ordinary Jubilee Of The Year 2025, Pope Francis, May 9, 2024). I'm sure we would all love to maximize on that global invitation to Rome and visit the magnificent sites there, but some (most) of us don't have the time or funds to takee
that kind of trip, especially not in the middle of the year. Maybe some of us are in for a really awesome Christmas present, but let's face it, most simply won't make it to Rome this year.
So how do we participate? Surely, we don't let this opportunity for an abundance of special graces pass us by while we wait another twenty-five years for the next Ordinary Jubilee… right? Fortunately, there's a work-around! The Holy See tasked every bishop in the world to choose parishes in his own diocese as pilgrimage sites. We here in the Diocese of Shreveport have four – four beautiful, unique, incredible parishes right here in our own backyards (or more accurately, down I-20 or I-49, depending on your starting point).
Pope Francis wrote that he wanted the Jubilee churches along pilgrimage routes to "serve as oases of spirituality and places of rest on the pilgrimage of faith, where we can drink from the wellsprings of hope, above all by approaching the sacrament of Reconciliation, the essential startingpoint of any true journey of conversion" (Spes Non Confundit). We may not have St. Peter's Basilica, but we do have impressive gems of our own. And each holds a special significance in our diocese – in part, because of their connection to the Five Priests, the Shreveport Martyrs who gave their lives while serving victims of the 1873 Yellow Fever Epidemic, but mainly –because every church is the house of God. When you take your pilgrimage, either far abroad or right here in North Louisiana, you'll be granted the grace of resting in God's peace, and He will give you the strength you need to continue on your journey as a Pilgrim of Hope.
The first stop is the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans. Only eight parishes in the entire world are named after St. John Berchmans, and his relics are on display inside, along with the ever-important relic of the True Cross. Founded in 1902 by Jesuit missionaries who sought to
establish a church and for the people of Shreveport, the cathedral building as we know it today was constructed in 1928 and consecrated in January 1929. The building borrows features from European architecture’s Gothic and Tudor styles.
Near the Ambo, you may notice a very fancy Processional Cross, which was originally commissioned to be carried at the Papal Mass celebrated by Pope St. John Paul II in New Orleans when he visited the United States in 1987. Each diocese in Louisiana received one of these crosses to take home. Our diocese’s cross was also used at the Opening Mass of the Jubilee Year in December 2024 and will remain at the Cathedral for the entire Jubilee Year.
Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Photo by Stephen Porter, 2024
Seminarian Brett Reggio with the Jubilee Cross, December 29, 2024
Next on our pilgrimage is Holy Trinity Catholic Church and the Minor Shrine of the Shreveport Martyrs. It was built in 1856 by Fr. Jean Pierre, a Shreveport Martyr. Since then, it has been rebuilt twice. The current structure is designed in the Romanesque Revival style. Romanesque churches were known for being thick and round and were popular in the 11th - 13th centuries (before flashier Gothic churches eclipsed them). Many of Holy Trinity’s architectural features borrow from the Romanesque’s beloved tradition, including the sturdy, circular columns and round arches.
Inside, the Minor Shrine to the Shreveport Martyrs is designated by the stunning stained glass window on the church’s righthand side. It features the Five Priests and depicts scenes from their lives, ministry, and heroic deaths. Fr. Jean Pierre and his assistant pastor, Fr. Isidore Quemerais, were both assigned to Holy Trinity during the outbreak. They requested help, and Fr. Jean-Marie Biler arrived before their deaths.
Holy Trinity Catholic Church
Photo by Stephen Porter, 2024
Stained glass window of the Five Priests
Guest book at the Minor Shrine of the Shreveport Martyrs
Third up: St. Matthew Catholic Church in Monroe, Louisiana, had the oldest church building in the current Diocese of Shreveport, built in 1851 and later replaced. Construction on the current St. Matthew church began in 1897. While the masonry is similar to Holy Trinity's Romanesque roots, St. Matthew’s design is more Gothic than anything else, with features like the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans: pointed arches over the doors and windows and a very tall steeple.
St. Matthew is a pilgrimage site because Fr. Louis Gergaud, of the Shreveport Martyrs, was its pastor when he received Fr. Jean-Marie Biler’s letter from Shreveport requesting aid during the raging epidemic. Fr. Gergaud left without hesitation, telling his assistant, "Write to Monsignor at once; tell him that I am going to my death, that is my duty and I am leaving." He died only ten days after arriving in Shreveport.
Finally, we visit St. John the Baptist Church in Many, Louisiana, originally founded as a permanent mission by Fr. Francois Le Vezouet in 1871. After a fire destroyed the original frame, the current church was built, in 1922, with a classic Spanish mission-style façade. A remodel of the interior began in the 1970s, resulting in a blend of traditional and modern.
St. John the Baptist was chosen as a pilgrimage site because its founder and pastor, Fr. Le Vezouet, was the last of the Five Priests to give his life in service to Shreveport’s sick and dying. He also responded to Fr. Biler's call for help. When a townsperson said he was going to his death, he replied, "I believe it, but I know that I am taking the surest path to heaven." He died on October 8, 1873.
All four of these pilgrimage sites hold special significance in our diocese because of their connection to these five brave priests who selflessly gave their lives for those who needed it most. When you make your pilgrimage in the coming months, allow their courage to inspire you to love recklessly as they did, even when they faced certain death.
Sophia Romanski is the Editor of the Catholic Connection and the Digital Communications Specialist for the Diocese of Shreveport.
St. Matthew Catholic Church
Photo by Stephen Porter, 2024
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
Photo by Stephen Porter, 2024
Faith on the Road: A Catholic Couple Guides Pilgrimage and Purpose
As the Church joyfully celebrates the Jubilee of Hope and the indulgences offered during this time, many Catholic families in our diocese are rediscovering that faith is not limited to the walls of a church –they are carried into every corner of our itineraries. For Maria del Rosal and Lorenzo Valadez, this Jubilee marks a renewal of the values passed on by their parents and the Church – values they now transmit to their children and to other families they serve.
Rooted in their vocation to marriage, Maria and Lorenzo embraced a mission to minister to other Catholic couples through a family movement promoted by the Marriage and Family Life Ministry. Month after month, they travel to parishes across Hispanic and bilingual communities, guiding couples in formation and inviting them to rediscover the grace in the Sacrament of Marriage and to ponder its spiritual and practical value to the unmarried. With prayer, scripture, and personal testimony, they witness to the sacredness of family life, encouraging other couples to seek the grace of God for themselves and their kids.
Their mission is more than outreach. Supported by guidance from Fr. Calistus, Sister Valentina, and Noemi Saybe, they walk with couples through conversion, healing, and renewed purpose. Every encounter is a reminder that we are all on a spiritual pilgrimage toward God.
In the Jubilee’s spirit, Maria and Lorenzo, who already visited St. John Berchmans
Road: Couple Guides Through Purpose
En la Ruta de la Fe: Una Pareja Católica con Propósito y en Peregrinación
Cathedral – a Diocese of Shreveport official pilgrimage site – are joining St Paschal’s Vicar, Fr. Calistus, and other parishioners to pilgrimage to St. Matthew in Monroe by the end of summer, then Holy Trinity Minor Basilica, the Shrine of the Shreveport Martyrs, and St. John the Baptist in Many. They hope in these holy travels to gain an indulgence but, also, renewed zeal for their mission. They will soon pass the baton to other couples and, thus, want to make the best use of their time during this year of hope.
Maria and Lorenzo invite other families to follow the same path – not merely as a journey of miles, but of faith. As the Jubilee Year draws to a close, may their witness awaken in every Catholic couple a desire to walk the road together, hand in hand, with Christ at the center – hopeful pilgrims, one family at a time.
Mientras la Iglesia celebra con alegría el Jubileo de la Esperanza y las indulgencias ofrecidas en este tiempo de gracia, muchas familias católicas en toda nuestra diócesis redescubren que la fe no se limita al edificio de una iglesia, sino que acompaña cada paso de nuestra vida diaria—incluyendo nuestros viajes. Para María del Rosal y Lorenzo Valadez, este Jubileo representa una renovación de los valores heredados de sus padres y de la Iglesia—valores que hoy transmiten a sus hijos y comparten con otras familias a las que sirven.
Noemi Saybe is the Director of Family Life at the Diocese of Shreveport.
Enraizados en su vocación matrimonial, María y Lorenzo han asumido una misión de servicio a otras parejas católicas por medio de un movimiento familiar promovido por el Ministerio de Matrimonio y Vida Familiar. Mes tras mes, viajan a diferentes parroquias dentro de comunidades hispanas y bilingües, acompañando a parejas en formación e invitándolas a redescubrir la gracia del sacramento del matrimonio, reflexionando también sobre su valor espiritual y práctico incluso para los no casados. A través de la oración, la Sagrada Escritura y su testimonio personal, dan testimonio de la santidad de la vida familiar y animan a las parejas a buscar la gracia de Dios para ellos y sus hijos.
Su misión va más allá del acompañamiento. Con el apoyo y guía del Padre Calistus, la Hermana Valentina y Noemí Saybe, caminan junto a otras parejas en procesos de conversión, sanación y renovación del propósito conyugal. Cada encuentro es un recordatorio de que todos estamos en una peregrinación espiritual hacia Dios.
En el espíritu del Jubileo, María y Lorenzo—quienes ya han visitado la Catedral de San Juan Berchmans, uno de los sitios oficiales de peregrinación de la Diócesis de Shreveport—se han unido al Padre Calistus, vicario de San Pascual, junto a otros feligreses, para peregrinar a San Mateo en Monroe antes de que termine el verano. También planean visitar la Basílica Menor de la Santísima Trinidad, el Santuario de los Mártires de Shreveport y San Juan Bautista en Many. Estas peregrinaciones no solo buscan obtener indulgencias, sino también renovar el fervor por su misión. Saben que pronto pasarán la antorcha a otras parejas, y desean aprovechar al máximo este año de esperanza.
María y Lorenzo invitan ahora a otras familias a recorrer el mismo camino—no solo como un viaje físico, sino como un verdadero camino de fe. A medida que se acerca el final del Año Jubilar, que su testimonio despierte en cada pareja católica el deseo de caminar unidos, de la mano, con Cristo en el centro—como peregrinos de esperanza, una familia a la vez.
Noemi Saybe es la directora de Matrimonio y Vida Familiar de la Diócesis de Shreveport.
The Power of Presence
The power of a pilgrimage comes from walking in the footsteps of our spiritual heroes. No amount of prayer and study replaces seeing, hearing, and feeling another place.
During the Jubilee year for Mercy, my wonderful group of Catholic friends and I were lucky enough to live in Germany. We decided to pilgrimage to Poland, walking in the footsteps of three great saints of mercy: St. Maximillian Kolbe, Pope St. John Paul II, and St. Faustina.
As pilgrimages go, this was not a physically grueling adventure. Polish food is delicious. People were friendly Accommodations were lovely. Instead, our travels presented a spiritual challenge: how do I face suffering?
Our first stop was Auschwitz. It was a cold, gray day – I can’t imagine it ever being warm and sunny there – as we crossed under the infamous “Arbeit macht frei” (“Work sets you free”) archway.
Nothing about this place appeared holy. A line of identical, institutional, red brick dormitories lined the road. Each told an increasingly horrifying story of the people who were systematically exterminated for their faith.
In the back corner was the prison, where St. Maximilian was held after he volunteered to take the place of a man to be executed. We walked into the prison building and down a half-flight of stairs. Further along a dingy hallway with only slivers of light, we saw the cell where St. Maximilian Kolbe lived out his final days, sent there with others to starve to death.
For two weeks he prayed and led the men in singing until he was the last man standing. The guards then executed him by lethal injection.
Seventy-five years later, his witness overshadows the evil that surrounded him. None of us thought about the nameless guards. Instead, visitors remember a simple priest’s courage. The car ride from there to Krakow was silent.
The next day reversed the mood. Krakow loves to celebrate its former archbishop, scattering about the city banners with St. John Paul II’s smiling face and markers of his work. The city is full of ornate churches, and on the town’s outskirts, we
found the convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, home to St. Faustina and an inspiration to St. John Paul II.
When St. Faustina came to Krakow after falling ill with tuberculosis, she spent her time in suffering and recording in her diary, which introduced the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Her life there was not easy, but the convent now carries a sense of light and solidarity. Flowers were even blooming despite the mid-November snow!
We joined the sisters and hundreds of other pilgrims in praying the Divine Mercy chaplet and experienced the community’s warmth. Each decade was led in a different language, while pilgrims responded in their own language: “Have mercy on us and on the whole world."
The cacophony of voices was overpowered by the unity of spirit. The Divine Mercy image is displayed at the front of the chapel – Jesus stands with his arms outstretched, above the inscription “Jesus, I trust in you.”
The previous day’s somberness was matched and overshadowed by the peace brought by this day of prayer.
We left renewed in spirit and hoping some holiness from these saintly men and woman might rub off on us. Nine years later, I still carry those images with me. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is my go-to when needing to re-center. Imitating St. Maximilian’s tenderness in my work helps me do the next right thing and welcome suffering clients. And St. John Paull II’s boldness and trust guide my approaches to present-day politics.
In this Jubilee year, I consider that pilgrimage the start of a journey that led me to this place today, and I pray the words of Pope Francis, that I “will find the strength to embrace God’s mercy and dedicate ourselves to being merciful with others as the Father has been with us” (Spes non Confundit)
Diane Libro is the Executive Director of Catholic Charities of North Louisiana.
The jail in Auschwitz where St. Maximillian Kolbe died.
A statue of Pope St. John Paul II outside of the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow.
Pilgrims leave tokens to honor St. Faustina at the statue near the Chapel at the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy convent.
Seminarian Burses
Thanks to our Recent Donors:
(005) Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Burse #2
The Congregation of St. John's Roman Catholic Church
(006) Msgr. J. Carson LaCaze Burse #2
Anonymous
(008) St. Jude Parish Burse Anonymous
(011) Rev. David Richter Burse #2
Anonymous
(023) Msgr. Edmund J. Moore Burse #2
Patricia L. McGraw
(032) Madeline and Joe Tiller Burse
Delores NeJame
(035) Dr. James V. & Rosemary C. Ward Burse #4
Mrs. Rosemary C. Ward
(036) Msgr. Earl Vincent Provenza Burse #5
Mr. & Mrs. James Powell
(049) Rev. Philip Michiels Burse
Mr. and Mrs. Robert McGowen
(059) ACTS of Northwest Louisiana Burse
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Medvec (In memory of Ms. Nona Dailey)
(062) Joan E. Anderson Sneed Burse
Mr. Billy G. Sneed
Incomplete Burses:
(001) Fr. Mike Bakowski Burse #2 ($1450)
(002) Joseph & Antoinette Bakowski Burse ($3250)
(003) Sam R. Maranto Burse ($1750)
(004) Kathryn Atherton Cook Burse ($350)
(005) Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Burse #2 ($601)
(007) Dr. Carol Christopher Burse ($1200)
(008) St. Jude Parish Burse ($9100)
(009) St. John Berchmans Knights of Columbus Council 10728 Burse ($1550)
(011) Rev. David Richter Burse #2 ($6850)
(015) Bishop’s Seminarian Burse ($5735)
(016) Elaine Malloy Frantz Burse ($1000)
(017) Msgr. George Martinez Knights of Columbus Council 1337 Burse #2 ($2004)
(018) Knights of St. Peter Claver Council 144 Burse ($1470)
(021) Rev. Edmund "Larry" Niehoff Burse ($2350)
(022) Rev. Blane O'Neil, OFM Burse ($1578)
(023) Msgr. Edmund J. Moore Burse #2 ($1350)
(024) Rev. Joseph Puthupally Burse ($5000)
(025) Kathleen Hightower Burse ($800)
(027) Rev. Richard Lombard Burse #4 ($5000)
(028) Friends-n-Faith Burse ($750)
(029) Rev. Kenneth Williams Burse ($400)
(030) Ottis and Anne Krupa Littlejohn Burse ($7666.67)
(032) Madeline and Joe Tiller Burse ($8450)
(035) Dr. James V. & Rosemary C. Ward Burse #4 ($1970)
(036) Msgr. Earl Vincent Provenza Burse #5 ($5801)
(037) Manuel & Catherine Licciardi, and John & Beverly Miller Burse ($7000)
(038) The Malone Family Burse ($500)
(039) St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Knights of Columbus Council 9260 Burse ($750)
(045) Sister Martinette Rivers Burse ($525)
(046) Domestic Church Burse ($5000)
(047) Troops of St. George Burse ($6000)
(048) Rev. Joseph Kallookalam Burse ($5000)
(049) Rev. Philip Michiels Burse ($2800)
(050) St. Joseph Shreveport Mary's Workers Burse #2 ($310)
(052) Dr. Matthew Ragan Green, Jr. Burse ($1750)
(053) Leo N. Plette Burse ($5000)
(054) Fr. Franz Graef Burse ($2500)
(056) Hazel Iles and John Paul Woodley, Sr. Burse ($500)
(057) Father Robert Inzina Memorial Burse ($2500)
(058) Monsignor Warren T. Larroque Burse ($2500)
(059) ACTS of Northwest Louisiana Burse ($800)
(060) Father David Buss Burse ($2500)
(061) Sister Maria Smith, DC Burse ($2500)
(062) Joan E. Anderson Sneed Burse ($2000)
To donate to an established seminarian burse, please scan here!
Rev. Msgr. J. Carson LaCaze 1930-2018
Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the second J. Carson LaCaze Memorial Burse was closed out in August after reaching $10,000 in donations. Msgr. LaCaze was beloved throughout the Diocese of Shreveport, serving 61 years of ordained ministry across North Louisiana. If you have a special priest you would like to honor with a Seminarian Burse donation, please use the QR code below or mail your gift to Diocese of Shreveport, Office of Vocations, 3500 Fairfield Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71104.
The Diocese of Shreveport and the Diocesan Office of Catholic Schools has partnered with Arete Scholars, and we want to personally invite you to an upcoming Mass and breakfast, where we will pray together for Catholic education while we also learn how easy it is to use your personal or business tax dollars for scholarships to our Catholic schools.
Gifts to the Diocese of Shreveport's Seminarian Burse Program create a legacy of giving in support of our seminarians. It currently costs an average of $50,000 per year to educate and support one seminarian and we are blessed to have six at this time.
A seminary burse can be opened with a donation of $250 or more. A burse is completed when it reaches $10,000. Once a burse is open, it can receive donations in any amount. Burses can be opened to memorialize a loved one, honor a priest, and represent a group or organization. Anyone can contribute to any of the diocese's incomplete burses.
For a list of incomplete and completed burses, please scan the QR code on this page or visit www.dioshpt. org/seminarian-burses
For more information on how to establish or contribute to a burse, please contact the Development Office at (318) 219-7260.
We hope you’ll save the date of Friday, October 17th for a Mass led by Bishop Francis Malone and a breakfast to follow, hosted by our friends, Arete Scholars, a non-profit organization that this past school year provided 1,661 scholarships to students-in-need across Louisiana. Fifty of these scholarship recipients attended a school within the Diocese of Shreveport!
At breakfast, you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about how Arete is changing lives in our Catholic community through the gift of educational freedom and how a unique 95% state tax credit allows for any Louisiana individual or business to transform their state tax dollars through Arete into a lifechanging scholarship to attend a Catholic school within the Diocese of Shreveport.
To RSVP, please email Arete’s Louisiana Development Director, Andrew Martin, with your name and the name of your guest, if you would like to bring one. Andrew’s email is amartin@ aretescholars.org
Mother Mary in Medjugorje
Since June 24, 1981, the village of Medjugorje has been the center of a phenomena: six people began a lasting dialogue with the Virgin Mary. Medjugorje is a small village in the former Yugoslavia, now present-day Bosnia-Hercegovina.
October 2024 is a month I remember, for that is when I stepped off a plane in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and on a bus headed straight for Medjugorje, Hercegovina. It was as if we stepped back in time to when Jesus, His mother Mary, St. Joseph, and the apostles lived. Amid the rugged, rocky, and raw terrain, the land is spotted with bits of modern living, but it also appears suspended in a time untouched or altered by man. I knew in that moment that my Catholic faith was about to come alive in a way I had never known.
On June 24, 1981, two young girls, Ivanka Ivankovic, age 15, and Mirjana
Dragicevic, age 16, walked along the base of a rocky hill in Medjugorje. Glancing up the hill called Mt. Podbrdo, one of them saw a shimmering light in the figure of a woman. The figure beckoned to them, but the two girls became frightened and ran off.
To understand why I journeyed thousands of miles to Medjugorje, step back a year earlier to spring 2023. My sister attended a retreat in St. Helena’s parish in Amite, LA, where she had the good fortune to meet the late Fr. Mark Beard. What I loved most about him was his transformation story, rooted in Medjugorje. He began as a “barely Catholic” man and ended up one of the greatest priests in St. Helena’s parish (I highly recommend watching him on YouTube). Although familiar with Medjugorje, thanks to my childhood best friend’s mom who visited there in the 1980’s, I did not decide until 2023 that I must go there.
I saw it…and what I saw was very white. I saw a gown, dark hair. All the time, She was covering and uncovering something She held in Her left hand. I was not able to see what else She was doing, but it looked like She was showing something. Then, She called to us to come closer…but who was going to get any closer? We were saying to each other: ‘She is calling us, but who is going to go?
If you fear the Catholic Church is dying, go to Medjugorje and your faith will be renewed. My brothers and sisters, the Church is flourishing! Over one million Catholics pilgrimage there each year, and I predict those numbers will rise with the late Pope Francis’ approval in 2024. It is truly difficult to put into words how it felt to be surrounded by thousands of Catholics from around the world. It is difficult to put into words the awe of watching these Catholics eagerly await Mass; more specifically, a mass spoken in their language. Honestly, it is difficult to put into words a lot of what I experienced. But perhaps the most difficult to express are the experiences as I walked up the same hill as those once-young children did in 1981 and stood in the very spot where they proclaim our Beloved Mother Mary appeared.
“All of a sudden, there was the Madonna, and I fell to my knees”
**PLEASE NOTE: While partially approved, the apparitions in Medjugorje remain controversial among some Catholics, clergy and lay people alike. For more information, please visit, www.ewtn. com.
Mary Arcement Alexander is a Licensed Professional Counselor & the Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator.
Cathedral of St. John BerC hmanS
CatholiC
SC hool
Taking our faith on the road implies adventure and excitement about the journey ahead. At the Cathedral of Saint John Berchmans Catholic School, we were more than just excited about the journey for this school year, we COULDN’T WAIT!
To prepare for a journey, we gather what we need and plan the course ahead . Our faculty and staff poured over curriculum maps, charting the path forward in new books and ways of learning. Our hallways teemed with boxes of fresh school supplies that spilled into the classrooms and desk or were tucked into cabinets like winter rations. The chatter now filling the air around the locker bays is a sweet sound that has echoed here for 75 years (and counting!). If those lockers could talk, surely, they would tell stories of other years and journeys, but each year is exciting, and this new beginning is one to celebrate. Packing for the journey means new clothes, and SJB was excited to introduce a “Mass Uniform,” complete with blazers and ties for our Middle School students on days that warrant a little extra pomp and circumstance.
The building housing us as we work, play, and journey onward in knowledge and the love of God is getting a bit of a new look. The “vehicle” is key for all journeys, so what more exciting news could we share than our building’s brand new windows? [See artist's rendering in the photo.] Well, perhaps, the news that we installed new LED lights in our hallways and classrooms! Indeed, we prepared well for this year’s journey.
But the best part is whom we travel with and the fellow travelers met along the way. At Back to School Night, SJB welcomed new students from K3 through eighth grade and celebrated their inclusion in the family with an ice cream social and opportunity for us to meet them. Over the summer, our staff worked so hard to ready the buildings and grounds, upgrade electronics and communication systems, and prepare the curriculum , and now the journey has begun.
Father Raney addressed the rising eighth graders with an admonition: now they are old enough to be in charge of their own faith journey. So too, may we all be reminded that now is the time to begin our journeys, be they in faith, a new team, a new job, or, here at the Cathedral School, a new year. “The Hymn of Saint John Berchmans” is a beautiful reminder of our patron saint’s journey, and its words give us hope, for “He will aid us, midst the dangers which beset our path through life … Like thee, faithful to the promptings of God’s spirit in our soul, we shall strive with courage burning, to attain the Heavenly goal!”
Sarah Duncan is the librarian and Media Arts teacher at St. John Berchmans Cathedral School.
St. JoSeph CatholiC
SJS Celebrating 74th Year & Welcoming New Faces
Bishop Malone celebrated a beautiful Back-to-School Mass for the faculty and staff of our Shreveportarea Catholic schools on Tuesday, August 5, at St. Joseph Catholic Church during inservice week. Faculty and staff from all three schools served as lectors, choir and giftbearers.
There are a few new faces at St. Joseph Catholic School this 202526 school year! Hopefully by the time this edition is out, they have settled into their roles and feel at home in their new surroundings. We are pleased to welcome the following new faculty members to our campus:
Amy Carter - K4 Teacher
Jaimie Farrington - 4th/5th grade Math & Science
Jessica Golden - K5 Aide
Jackie Pease - K5 Aide
Katie Saucier - K3 Aide
Jason Spradley - Middle School Science
Wade Strother - PE/Athletic Director
Gina Yearwood - Library
Polly Maciulski is the middle school religion teacher at St. Joseph Catholic School.
loyola College prep
Future Flyer Fest
Eighth graders, get ready to experience life as a Flyer! Future Flyer Fest kicks off on Friday, September 5, at 1:30 p.m., giving prospective students a firsthand look at what makes Loyola College Prep such a special place.
Guests will meet current students, join in games, enjoy live performances from our talented musicians, and sample refreshments while making new friends. The afternoon wraps up in the gym with our first pep rally of the year, where visiting 8th graders get prime seating in the heart of our student section.
As Shreveport-Bossier’s only Catholic private high school, Loyola College Prep blends academic excellence with a strong foundation of faith. Weekly Mass, annual religion courses, and service opportunities are woven into student life, helping students grow as men and women of conscience, character, and compassion. The theology program guides students through the history of the Catholic Church, the Bible, and practical ways to live out their faith, while campus activities like rosary groups, Faith on Fire, Flyers for Life, and F.Ai.T.H. keep that faith active and visible.
Loyola students don’t just learn about faith, they live it. From serving at Mass to leading outreach efforts, they carry forward the school’s Jesuit mission “for the Greater Glory of God.”
Parents are welcome but not required to attend Future Flyer Fest. To register, visit www.loyolaprep.org/flyerfestpeprally.
Jordan Harris is the Director of Marketing & Communications at Loyola College Prep in Shreveport, LA.
Around the diocese...
St. Peter Claver Day
The Knights of Peter Claver’s District 5 and its Ladies Auxiliary are hosting a St. Peter Claver feast day Mass on Sept. 7 at 9:00am. at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 1558 Buena Vista St, Shreveport, LA. Fr. Duane Trombetta will celebrate the Mass and deliver the homily. A banquet follows in the Drexel Community Center. Deacon Charles Thomas, OFS, will be the guest speaker. For banquet ticket information, contact Melvin Edwards at 318-584-1422. St. Peter Claver, a Colombian Jesuit missionary, dedicated his life to helping enslaved Africans in the 18th century. He was canonized in 1888 by Pope Leo XIII. The Knights of Peter Claver is a Catholic service fraternity founded in 1909 in Mobile, AL. It is the oldest Black Catholic lay-led organization still in existence. District 5 of the Knights and Ladies of St. Peter encompasses the Diocese of Shreveport and Alexandria, Louisiana.
25 OCTOBER, 2025 | FROM 9:00-3:00
Conferencia Vive con Propósito
¡Nuestra primera conferencia Vive con Propósito fue un éxito maravilloso! Personas de todo Luisiana se unieron a nosotros para un día lleno de inspiración, aprendizaje y comunidad. Fuimos bendecidos con tres conferencistas increíbles que nos recordaron la importancia de cuidar nuestro cuerpo, mente y espíritu. Estamos profundamente agradecidos con todos los que hicieron posible este evento, y miramos con esperanza y entusiasmo lo que el futuro nos traerá. Recordemos: nos convertimos en los hábitos que practicamos—si queremos cambiar nuestra vida, debemos cambiar nuestros hábitos. Como nos recordó Rorro Echavez, “Dios no le da cosas a la gente floja.” Debemos esforzarnos si queremos ir al cielo.
Vive con Propósito Conference
Our first Vive con Propósito - Live With Purpose- conference was a wonderful success! People from across Louisiana joined us for a day filled with inspiration, learning, and community. We were blessed with three incredible speakers who reminded us of the importance of caring for our body, mind, and spirit. We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this event possible, and we look forward with hope and excitement to what the future holds. Remember: we become the habits we practice—if we want to change our life, we must change our habits. As Rorro Echavez reminded us, “God does not give things to lazy people.” We must put in the work if we want to go to heaven.
MEMBERS OF SACRED HEART CHURCH WELCOMED TO SAINT MARY OF THE PINES PARISH
On Sunday, August 2 the members of Sacred Heart Church were welcomed to Saint Mary of the the Pines through a Sunday Mass and a light meal. A prayer written for the event was prayed by all. The Mass began by placing a ciborium with hosts consecrated at Sacred Heart in the tabernacle of Saint Mary of the Pines. There is excitement at Saint Mary of the Pines that this merger represents new hope for the future.
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PHOTO OF THE MONTH: Rev. James McLelland invites Heidi Switzer to walk with him in the recession after celebrating Mass on the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, August 16, 2025.