September 2026 - Educating for a Life of Faith

A P U B LI CAT I ON OF T H E D I O C E S E O F SH R E V E P O R T

CATHOLIC CONNECTION VOL. 36 NO. 2 | SEPTEMBER 2026

Educating for a Life of Faith SEPTEMBER 2026 1

CATHOLIC CONNECTION PUBLISHER

Bishop Francis I. Malone

SEPTEMBER 2026

Volume 36 Number 2 EDUCATING FOR A LIFE OF FAITH

EDITOR

Pope Leo XIV's Prayer Intention For The Month of September

EDITORIAL BOARD

FOR THE CARE OF WATER. Let us pray for a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it.

Sophia Romanski White

Cover image: Anayansi Martin and Mary Elizabeth Johnston, students at Cathedral of St. John Berchmans School. Photo by Sophia Romanski White

SUBSCRIPTIONS & ADDRESS CHANGES Blanca Vice bvice@dioshpt.org 318-868-4441

Deacon Charles Thomas, OFS

SUBMISSIONS

Sophia Romanski sromanski@dioshpt.org Rev. Kevin Mues

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.

Karla Alvarez

Rosalba Quiroz

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 Tracie Stroud

CONTRIBUTORS Bishop Francis I. Malone Genevieve Aranda Mary Arcement Alexander Dr. S. Germain Cassiere Clayton Cobb Kathy Cordova Karen Dill Dr. Sarah Duncan 2 CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Amy Fakhre Jordan Harris Lisa Marcalus Lucy Medvec Lisa Miller Sister Carol Shively Jay Sorgi Mike Van Vranken

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 The Catholic University of America September 5/6

September SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY 1

WEDNESDAY 2

Bishop Francis I. Malone

6

Fr. Karl Daigle

7

Fr. Jerry Daigle, Jr.

8

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

3 Msgr. Rothell Price

9

THURSDAY

Fr. Adrian Fischer, OFM

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

4

Memorial of St. Gregory the Great Fr. Joseph Ampatt

5 Fr. Gabriel Cisneros Campos

Memorial of St. Teresa of Calcutta Fr. Rigoberto Betancurt Cortés

10

11

17

18

19

24

25

26

Fr. Mark Franklin

Fr. Keith Garvin

12

Fr. Charles Glorioso

Fr. Nicholas Duncan

13

14

15

16

20

21

22

23

Fr. Joseph C. Howard, Jr.

Fr. Calistus Barasa Makokha, FMH

27 Fr. Charles Ssennyondo Fr. James Dominic Thekkemury

Feasts & Solemnities Priest(s) in the Diocese of Shreveport to pray for daily

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Fr. Timothy Hurd

Feast of St. Matthew the Evangelist Fr. Peter Romanus Mallya, FMH

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Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows Fr. Osang Idagbo, CM

Fr. Joseph Martina, Jr. Fr. Jean Bosco Uwamungu

Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina Fr. James McLelland

Fr. Matthew T. Long

Fr. Fidel Mondragón Fr. Peter Bwalya Mobe

Fr. Joseph Maddala

Fr. James Moran Fr. Philip Michiels

Fr. Patrick Madden

Fr. Richard Norsworthy Fr. Kevin Mues

Fr. Peter Mangum

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Fr. LaVerne “Pike” Thomas Fr. Kelby Tingle

Memorial of St. Cornelius Fr. Raney Johnson

Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel, & Raphael the Archangels Fr. Duane Trombetta

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Fr. Mark Watson Fr. Do Minh Vu, ICM

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All deceased priests of the Diocese of Shreveport

SUGGESTED PRAYER FOR OUR PRIESTS:

Help our priests to be strong in their vocation. Set their souls on fire with love for your people.

Gospel. Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.

Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the gift of our priests. Especially ___________________________________ (insert name(s) here) Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.

Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.

Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.

Give them the words they need to spread the

We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen.

SEPTEMBER 2026 3

SEPTEMBER

CONTENTS

From the Bishop

06

Coming Down the Home Stretch

08

“Simply Who We Are”

10

From Information to Formation

12

By Lucy Medvec By Jay Sorgi

By Mike Van Vranken

Why I’d Choose Catholic School Again and Again 13 By Mary Arcement Alexander

Bury Me in My Cap and Gown

14

100+ Years of Catholic Education

15

Holy Homeschooling

16

By Karen Dill

By Lisa Marcalus

By Genevieve Aranda

Still Enrolled in the School of Christ

18

Catholic Schools Updates

20

Are Catholic Schools Always the Best Choice?

22

Seminarian Burses

24

School News

26

FOCUS Missionaries at ULM

34

Around the Diocese

36

By S. Germain Cassiere, MD, FACP By Sr. Carol Shively, OSU By Sr. Carol Shively, OSU

18

Still Enrolled in the School of Christ

4 CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Dr. Cassiere challenges us to continue our Catholic formation as adults so that we can be equipped and prepared with distractions and difficulties enter our lives.

1

Sim

Jay relig them sett

10

Diocese of Shreveport Director of Communications Tracie Stroud and her mother.

FROM THE DIRECTOR

mply Who We Are

Sorgi shines a light on gious sisters who give of mselves in educational tings across the Diocese.

14

Bury Me in my Cap and Gown

Karen Dill discusses her realization of the importance of continued faith formation as Catholic adults.

20

Catholic Schools Updates

Getting ready for the new school year with updates from the classrooms.

Our editor is out on medical leave, so I’m filling in for the September issue. As I reflect on Catholic education, I do so as someone who became Catholic later in life. I grew up in a rural environment in the 1980s and ’90s where Catholicism was often scorned, and I carried many misconceptions into adulthood. My mother, the youngest child of a fundamentalist independent Baptist preacher, shared many of them. She has remained a faithful Baptist who genuinely loves God and strives to live out her Christian faith. When our family became Catholic nearly a decade ago, she was never hostile to our decision. She attended our Confirmations, but she also expressed concern for our souls. I understood that her worries came not from animosity, but from love and from what she had been taught about Catholicism. Over the years, she has watched us live our faith. She’s seen our children grow in their relationships with God, our autistic son’s love for Mass and reciting his prayers, and our other two children’s commitment to Catholic teaching as they become young adults. She’s seen us attend Mass when visiting her and has always known she is welcome to join us. While vacationing with us last week, something unexpected happened: she began asking me questions about the Catholic faith. She told me she sees how important it is to us, so she genuinely wants to understand it better. We had an open, respectful conversation about what Catholics believe, why we believe it, and how that differs from what we had both been taught growing up. As an OCIA catechist, I’ve seen converts face scorn and rejection from family and friends, and I’ve experienced the same, thankfully not from immediate family. It’s always disheartening and frustrating, but I’ve learned that sometimes the most effective Catholic education we can offer skeptics is not debate, confrontation, or a perfectly crafted explanation. Sometimes it’s simply a faithful life, lived consistently and lovingly, accompanied by prayer, patience and time. SEPTEMBER 2026 5

I reference Sister Leonissa and the parish Church of my youth because we find ourselves at the beginning of a new school year – and another year of faith formation for the reception of those very important sacraments. Sister played an instrumental role in my faith life, much as Bishop Malone at Deacon your mentors in faith Tristan Frisk’s ordination Mass. did for you. Perhaps Photo by Sophia Romanski White. some who are reading this article are faith and sacramental mentors to others, to your children, students, and acquaintances over the years. The third place I visited was the parish While referencing Sister, I use this Church where I (and most of my opportunity to share that I pray on family) was baptized and received all your behalf for a very blessed year as of my sacraments, the Church of the teachers in the way of faith to those Nativity B.V.M. While there, I always entrusted to our care. And I ask that kneel in the sanctuary and recall the you be mindful of the tremendous indelible memory of a Mass I served grace-filled task faith mentors as an altar boy, at about age ten. This undertake. More important than place holds special significance, for our words’ content is the example you it was there that, during the Mass, I show them by your life of faith – so heard the Lord speak to me about much so, we pray that years from now His desire that, one day, I would they remember how we were a part of also become a priest. I always pray in handing down the faith to them. And thanksgiving for what I received that if you happen to be a parent of one of day and what I have lived for almost those entrusted to these mentors, ask fifty years. God’s Holy Spirit to guide the mentors as they undertake this incredible task This visit coincided with a visit to that will form your child for many Villa St. Joseph, the Mother House years to come. of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, who taught me through elementary school. May this year be a year of faith and an I remained close to my second grade experience of grace, and may you also teacher, Sister Leonissa O’Brien, who be praying, so those who are entrusted both taught my class and prepared to our care benefit from what lies me for the Sacraments of First before us. And may the Lord make Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and the most of your love for Him. Confirmation. We stayed in touch until early in August, when she passed at age 95 from this life to the next. She had planned her funeral in advance and asked that I be the celebrant and preach her funeral Mass – which I did.

FROM THE BISHOP

W

ith summer vacation now behind, I was able to reflect on the time I spent away from the Diocese. This year was particularly busy, with opportunities to engage in out-of-the-ordinary events. I traveled home to Philadelphia to be with my younger sister, Dee Shields, who underwent heart valve surgery to correct a serious condition. This first of two procedures was successful, and she is home recuperating. A second surgery next month will remove her spleen, another serious surgical procedure and very necessary. Having not seen her for over a year, I found my visit beneficial for both of us to reconnect, pray, and anticipate the upcoming surgery.

This trip also enabled me to do what I always do when I travel home, where all of my seven siblings live. I first visit my family’s graves: my grandparents, aunts and uncles on both sides of the family, and of course, my parents and oldest sister, Maureen. No visit to Philadelphia occurs without my visit to their final resting places, to pray for their souls and commend them once more to our Savior’s loving embrace.

6 CATHOLIC CONNECTION

por el obispo

C

on las vacaciones de verano ya atrás, pude reflexionar sobre el tiempo que pasé fuera de la Diócesis. Este año fue especialmente ajetreado, con oportunidades para participar en eventos fuera de lo común. Viajé a Filadelfia para estar con mi hermana pequeña, Dee Shields, que tuvo a una cirugía de válvula cardíaca para corregir una condición grave. Este primero de dos procedimientos fue exitoso y ella está en casa recuperándose. En una segunda operación el próximo mes le quitarán el bazo, otro procedimiento quirúrgico serio y muy necesario. Como no la veía desde hacía más de un año, mi visita fue benéfica beneficiosa para reconectarnos y orar en la espera de su próxima cirugía. Este viaje también me permitió hacer lo que siempre hago cuando viajo a casa, donde viven mis siete hermanos. Primero visito las tumbas de mi familia: mis abuelos, tías y tíos de ambos lados de la familia, y por supuesto, mis padres y mi hermana mayor, Maureen. En todas mis visitas a Filadelfia visito sus lugares de descanso final, para orar por sus almas y encomendarlos una vez más al abrazo amoroso de nuestro Salvador. El tercer lugar que visité fue la iglesia parroquial donde yo (y la mayoría de mi familia) fuimos bautizados y recibimos todos mis sacramentos,

la Iglesia de la Natividad B.V.M. Mientras estoy allí, siempre me arrodillo en el santuario y recuerdo la inolvidable experiencia de una misa en la que serví como monaguillo, cuando tenía alrededor de diez años. Este lugar tiene un significado especial para mí, porque fue allí donde, durante la Misa, escuché al Señor hablarme sobre su deseo de que, algún día, yo también fuera sacerdote. Siempre rezo en acción de gracias por lo que recibí ese día y por lo que he vivido durante casi cincuenta años.

mentores en la fe lo hicieron por ti. Quizá algunos de los que están leyendo este artículo sean mentores de fe y sacramentos para otros, para sus propios hijos, estudiantes y conocidos a lo largo de los años.

Al referirme a la hermana, aprovecho esta oportunidad para compartir que rezo por ustedes para que tengan un año escolar muy bendecido como maestros en el camino de la fe de quienes están a nuestro cargo. Y les pido que sean conscientes de la tremenda tarea llena de gracia que emprenden como Esta visita coincidió con una visita mentores de la fe. Más importante a la Villa San José, la Casa Madre que el contenido de nuestras palabras de las Hermanas de San José, que es el ejemplo que les damos con me enseñaron nuestra vida de fe durante la escuela – de manera que primaria. Siempre rezamos para que me mantuve en dentro de años comunicación con recuerden cómo mi profesora de formamos parte segundo año, la de su formación hermana Leonissa en la fe. Y como O’Brien, quien padre y madre me dio clases de familia, de y preparó para niños que se han los Sacramentos confiado a estos de la Primera mentores, pida al Reconciliación, la Espíritu Santo de Primera Eucaristía Dios que guíe a y la Confirmación. los maestros que Mantuvimos el emprenden esta contacto hasta increíble tarea que principios de formará a su hijo agosto, cuando durante muchos falleció a los 95 años. Sr. Leonissa O’Brien, SSJ años y pasó de esta vida a la siguiente. Que este año Ella había planeado su funeral y sea un año de fe y de gracia, y que me pidió que yo fuera el oficiante y también pidan para que quienes están predicara su Misa de funeral, lo cual bajo nuestro cuidado se beneficien de realicé también este verano. lo que podemos dar. Y que el Señor fructifique al máximo su amor por Él. Hago referencia a la hermana Leonissa y a la parroquial donde crecí porque nos encontramos al comienzo de un nuevo curso escolar, y otro año de formación en la fe para la recepción de esos sacramentos tan importantes. La hermana jugó un papel fundamental en mi vida de fe, igual que tus SEPTEMBER 2026 7

Coming Down the Home Stretch

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all is here. School has begun, and we are moving toward autumn weather (soon, I hope), the holiday season, and the end of the year. As we prepare for the final quarter of 2026, I want to thank you for the many gifts we have so far received for this year’s Catholic Service Appeal. As of August 27, over 2,320 families have made one or more gifts to the Appeal. An impressive number, but with 9,388 registered families in the Diocese of Shreveport, it only adds up to 25% participation, which means only one in four households currently support the ministries in our diocese. We can do more.

CSA Participation poster at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

Your gift, of any amount, counts toward our overall 2026 participation goal of 35%, which is 3,285 households. Will you donate $5.00? That counts. A donation of $50? $100? $1,000 or more? It all counts. Because that is what we are emphasizing this year: coming together through the Eucharist and doing our part to support our Church. In Christ, We Are One. One faith, one Church, one community.

8 CATHOLIC CONNECTION

When we kicked off the 2026 Catholic Service Appeal last February, parishes were encouraged to reach a goal of 50% parishioner participation. Of our 34 parishes, only three exceeded that goal, but four more have reached at least 40%. Your gift will bring your parish closer to its goal. Many of you will make your gift in the next few months – thank you! If you have never made a gift to the Catholic Service Appeal, why is that? While there can be many reasons not to give, there are even more reasons why you should give. Your gift is a personal decision, and I invite you to prayerfully consider supporting the ministries in our diocese. Help us reach our goal. Together, in Christ, we are one. P.S. You can make your gift to the Catholic Service Appeal by filling out the pledge form either in this month’s magazine or online at www.dioshpt.org/stewardship

Lucy Medvec is the Director of

Development and Stewardship for the Diocese of Shreveport.

In Christ, We Are One. One faith, one Church, one community. image: Deacon Tristan Frisk after his ordination Mass. Photo by Tracie Stroud.

El Último Tramo de la Campaña

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l otoño ya está aquí. Ha comenzado el año escolar y nos acercamos al clima otoñal (espero que pronto), a las fiestas navideñas y al fin de año. Mientras nos preparamos para el último periodo del 2026 quiero agradecerles todas las donaciones que hemos recibido hasta ahora para la Campaña de Servicios Católicos de este año.

Muchos de ustedes harán su donación en los próximos meses; ¡muchas gracias! Si nunca ha hecho una donación a la Campaña de Servicio Católico, ¿por qué no hacerlo? Hay varias razones para no donar, pero aún más para hacerlo. Su donación es una decisión personal, y le invito a que, en oración, considere apoyar los ministerios de nuestra diócesis.

A la fecha, 15 de agosto, más de 2,320 familias han donado a la Campaña. Esa cantidad es impresionante, pero solo representa un 25% de las 9388 familias registradas en la Diócesis de Shreveport. Eso significa que, actualmente, solo uno de cada cuatro hogares apoya los ministerios de nuestra diócesis. Podemos hacer más.

Ayúdenos a alcanzar nuestra meta. Juntos, en Cristo, somos uno.

Su donación, sea cual sea la cantidad, ayuda a alcanzar el objetivo del 35% para el 2026, lo que equivale a 3,285 hogares. ¿Usted puede donar 5 dólares? Eso cuenta. Una donación de $50, $100, $1,000 o más. ¡Todo cuenta! Porque eso es lo que estamos tratando de resaltar este año: unirnos a través de la Eucaristía y cumplir con nuestra parte en el apoyo a nuestra Iglesia. En Cristo, somos Uno. Una fe, una Iglesia, una comunidad. Cuando comenzamos la Campaña de Servicio Católico para 2026 en febrero, animamos a las parroquias a alcanzar un objetivo de participación del 50% entre sus feligreses. De nuestras 34 parroquias, solo dos han superado el 50% de participación, mientras que otras cinco han alcanzado el 40% o más. Su donación ayudará a que su parroquia se acerque a su objetivo.

P.D. Puede hacer su donación a la Campaña de Servicio Católico llenando el formulario de compromiso que aparece en la revista de este mes o en línea en www.dioshpt.org/stewardship

Lucy Medvec es la directora de

desarrollo y recaudación de recursos para la Diócesis de Shreveport.

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.

SEPTEMBER 2026 9

‘Simply Who We Are’

Sisters Still Serving Christ’s Children in Shrevep

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eligious sisters are not a thing of the past in Catholic schools, either in Shreveport or across the United States, even if statistics make it seem that way. Sisters still offer their presence and their very lives to the students of Shreveport’s Catholic schools, sometimes in the classroom, but always as leaders in diocesan education.

Sister AnnaMaria Iannetti, OLS: Carrying out an international legacy of educating for the faith Blessed Elisabetta Renzi, foundress of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows, created her order to form women to become educators of, through, and for the Catholic faith, particularly for people in the greatest need.

Sister AnnaMaria Iannetti, who grew up a half-day’s drive from Blessed Renzi’s Italian hometown, lives that mission today teaching CCD on Sundays at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Shreveport. It’s one of many Catholic education environments where she has shared her vocation for children in Christ, all while simultaneously preparing novices for the order’s congregation. 10 CATHOLIC CONNECTION

“Everywhere we go, our first preference is the children,” said Sister AnnaMaria, the U.S. Delegate to the Superior General of her order. “We are still doing what our foundress did, hopefully as well as she did.” They live that mission at the Elisabetta Renzi Child Development Center, located near the sisters’ convent in Shreveport’s Ellerbe Road neighborhood, and at the Renzi Education and Art Center in the Highland/Stoner Hill neighborhood, where she serves directly throughout the week. “We work with a small group of kids, helping them in academics, homework, remedial group, and art classes,” she said. That joins a long list of stops she’s made in her ministry career, including time at Holy Angels Residential Facility and as principal at the former Holy Rosary School. All of this comes as a way to live her foundress’ call to be a pathway that others can travel to meet Jesus, whether for their own family or the children they teach. “If we are true to our charism and to our life given for Christ, we become a sign where we do not have to preach,” Sister Iannetti said. “The children get the sense that our style of life is so different from their parents, but it’s a style of life that puts us in touch to God, directly to God. And it’s our focus to manifest God’s love to them.”

Sister Lisa Lapinski, OLS: “You bring that love of Christ to other people.” Growing up in East Texas, Sister Lisa Lapinski didn’t have religious sisters at her school. Now, she gets to be the example for young people about what being a religious sister can mean and the impact the calling can have, even if that example happens to be while they’re out shopping. “I was probably in my late teens, and I saw some nuns at the mall and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, they go to the mall!’ It’s funny because kids will do the same thing with us,” the fellow Sister of Our Lady of Sorrows said. “This points to God in the sense that we’re teaching them about God. We are all in community together.” Sister Lisa gave her witness to young people in religion classes at Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Catholic School for two years before being sent to Las Cruces, New Mexico, to do the same this year. Her time in Shreveport offers countless examples of the singleness of purpose in Christ that religious sisters bring to education. “We’re trying to reflect Christ’s love to others that we teach through the Gospel message that they are loved and cared for,” she said. “That should be something that these young children remember.” She fondly remembers Shreveport, St. John Berchmans, the school, and the children - the experiences that build a permanent impression of God’s love within someone, and the kind of impression she gave the children she served.

port Schools “It was a great school all around with the children, the students, the staff. It’s a whole unit,” she said. “It’s pressed upon my heart, [and] a wonderful place.”

Sisters Carol Shively, OSU, and Ann Middlebrooks, SEC: 27 years of friendship in service They came from different religious orders: the Kentucky-based Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph and Louisiana’s own Sisters of the Eucharistic Covenant. Yet Sisters Carol Shively and Ann Middlebrooks have built a ministry partnership over more than a quarter century, one which has them respectively leading Shreveport Catholic Schools as Superintendent and Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Child Nutrition. Their friendship began when Sister Carol moved to Beaumont, Texas. The experience of moving there opened Sister Carol’s eyes to the reality of the

“

This is all I know, and all I live. dwindling population of religious sisters - down roughly 1.6 percent of Catholic school staff nationwide within the last decade, according to the National Catholic Education Association. 1

Sisters Ann Middlebrooks, Carol Shively, and AnnaMaria Iannetti. Photography by Tracie Stroud. “Every time I would go home to the motherhouse, another seat in the pew would be empty,” she said. “By then no one was entering. Suddenly we had a lot of missions, and those sisters, when they retired or became ill, went home. It just seemed odd.” “I come from a very small community. There are eight professed sisters in our community,” Sister Ann added. “Sister Carol and I just kind of bonded because we’re the same age. We have the same love for education. We’re in the classroom. We’re administrators, and we’ve been very supportive of each other throughout this whole process. But our community is small and it will remain small.” Their numbers may be fewer, but it means an ever-increasing dedication and devotion to be present around the clock for the needs of their students, sometimes feeling like they are

educationally feeding thousands with a few fish and loaves. “You’re on call all the time. You’re in charge, and you have to be, because it falls in your lap, whatever it is,” Sister Ann said. “Our legacy is that we’ve poured our heart, soul, and physically our bodies into this ministry, and we’re going to continue to do that, because that’s simply who we are as religious.” “This is all I know,” said Sister Carol, “and all I live.”

Jay Sorgi is a Catholic journalist storyteller, and co-founder of Sorgi Stories, bassed out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

National Catholic Educational Association. “Enrollment and Staffing.” National Catholic Educational Association, https://ncea. org/NCEA/NCEA/Who_We_Are/About_Catholic_Schools/Catholic_School_Data/Enrollment_and_Staffing.aspx

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SEPTEMBER 2026 11

From Information to Formation

The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, 1511. Fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

I

guess there is no argument with my statement that we’ve never had more information at our fingertips than we do today. And while this astronomical amount of intelligence is easy to access for students of all ages, the question often asked today is, “What am I to do with all this knowledge?” I believe, however, the more appropriate question for adult Catholics is, “Who am I becoming as a result of the information I choose to use?”

This feels more in harmony with Jesus’ call to “Follow me.” He reminds us to love God with our entire being, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Then, in His final discourse, He gives us a new and very simple command: “Love one another” (John 13:34-35). To follow Christ is to become this kind of lover. Every day we ask ourselves: is my formation one that is constantly molding me to love everyone? And so far, at least for me, it’s taking a lifetime. We live in an age of instant answers; yet, becoming a person who loves everyone matters more than having every answer in the world. While technology can give 12 CATHOLIC CONNECTION

me immediate information, who will help me grow in wisdom by following Jesus, the lover of all? If Catholic schools, clergy, and teachers in any setting have a mission, I believe it is to support our formation—our becoming a lover like Jesus. To me, the deepest work of education is both helping people sort through the vast abyss of unending information and accompanying us toward a life of transformation that leads to our becoming true followers of Christ.

Looking in the metaphorical mirror this way can be difficult! At the same time, it can free us. We discover the freedom to see ourselves with the loving eyes of God and gently shed ourselves of whatever keeps us from loving everyone. While technology gives instant answers, noticing what God wants us to notice may take longer. Father Teilhard de Chardin, SJ, calls it “the slow work of God” (Hearts on Fire: Praying with Jesuits, compiled by Michael Harter, SJ).

I offer a starting question for examination, especially in this new era of AI:

So, throughout September and beyond, let’s work to be conscious of who we are becoming. We can begin by sitting with God in silence and posing the question, “God, what are you inviting me to notice about myself today?”

• What is God inviting me to notice about myself amid this flood of information? This seems a great place to further our transformation into lovers like Christ. Can you daily sit in the quiet for a time examining your response to this question? Doing so presumes your assent to another question: • Are you willing to specifically ask God what you are being invited to notice about yourself?

Mike Van Vranken is a spiritual

director for the Diocese of Shreveport and a teacher of new spiritual directors for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

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rowing up in a small South Louisiana town, my educational options were few: one public school, one very small private school, and one Catholic school. Since both my mother and her father attended Ascension Catholic School (ACS), the decision was already made. Part of the first kindergarten class ACS ever enrolled, I loved it. Watching my older siblings head off to school had stirred a little jealousy, so I constantly begged my mom to let me go where the “big kids” were. She signed me up the moment kindergarten enrollment opened. I was the child leaping out of the car on day one, waving a quick, tear-free goodbye.

At four years old going on five, it mattered little whether it was a Catholic school or not. I was in school, and that was good enough. My teacher, Ms. Sue, helped, with a welcoming presence that served her well as a kindergarten teacher. Over my twelve years at ACS, I moved through school with mostly the same classmates. Some of my sweetest memories involve the nuns, particularly Sisters Angelle and Marguerite, whose quiet, steady presence has stayed with me decades later. The middle school principal, Sister Mary Philip, had such a reputation as one tough cookie that I hoped fourth grade would never end. By the time I arrived, however, she was no longer principal, and my relief was enormous! Having never actually met her, I must now concede she might have been perfectly lovely. We adults know that as youths, we tend to exaggerate. By 1985, though, I’d grown tired of the Catholic school routine. Looking back, that restlessness had more to do with

Why I’d Choose

Catholic School

Again and Again being young than anything wrong with the school. I couldn’t then grasp how lucky I was to have parents willing to invest in a Catholic education rather than spend that money on fancy cars and vacations. I now recognize how much the nuns shaped my education for the better. Sister Natalie, “Sr. Nat” to us, was one of the best teachers I had. Intimidating in her own way, she possessed a warmth underneath that made her impossible not to love. Honestly, every school today could use a Sr. Nat. So, if you’re a parent wondering why you’d choose a Catholic school when public education is free, here are my top five reasons a Catholic education is worth it: 5. A smaller, more personal environment. Smaller class sizes mean your child is less likely to slip through the cracks and more likely to receive the individual attention needed to thrive. 4. An extra weekly Mass. Just as daily Mass deepens one’s faith, that additional weekly Mass gives your child a regular chance to strengthen his or her own connection with our faith.

something powerful about knowing your child carries on that conversation throughout his or her day. 2. Confidence in what’s being taught. Catholic schools provide a strong academic foundation in reading, math, and more, paired with lessons in Catholic Christian values that shape character for life. 1. It’s Catholic. When faith matters to your family, a Catholic education just makes sense. Your child may not see it now, but trust me: as an adult, he or she will realize it was worth far more than any luxury vacation. Looking back on those twelve years, I see that what I received went far beyond textbooks and report cards. I was given a foundation built on faith, discipline, and community that shaped who I’d become long after graduation. Proverbs 22:6 puts it simply: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” That’s exactly what ACS and my parents did for me. At 55, I’m still immensely grateful they chose that path over fancy cars and vacations.

3. Daily prayer, built into the school day. Catholic school students pray aloud every day. Prayer is simply conversation with God, and there’s

Mary Arcement Alexander is a Licensed Professional Counselor & the Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator. SEPTEMBER 2026 13

Bury Me in My Cap and Gown W

hen the calendar page turns to September each year, the retired high school teacher in me gets nostalgic about the beginning of the traditional school year, a season ripe with expectation. Pre-schoolers leave their mothers for the first time. Elementary school children embark on a voyage of discovery, a twelve-year intellectual cruise. And college students pack up to explore the higher realms of learning. The eternal student in me gazes in wonder at the endless opportunities that I have for going back to school. Hopefully, all of us adults will find a way to continue learning and growing, especially in our faith.

Ten years ago, I first attended a Wednesday morning, ladies’ Bible study at my parish and eventually became its facilitator. We have covered a lot of ground over those years: programs by Bishop Barron, Edward Sri, and Jeff Cavins and books of the Bible, including Ephesians, First Corinthians, Psalms, Acts of the Apostles, Genesis, and Exodus. I think my fellow study-mates share the realization that the more we know, the more we know we don’t know! When new members join us, they almost always introduce themselves and add, “I’ve never read the Bible!” It’s so exciting to see that light of understanding in their eyes as we share stories, insights, and bits of commentaries. The Holy Spirit’s energy is visibly evident in the room as we gather to grow in wisdom and knowledge. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” These words from the prophet Hosea encourage my own daily 14

CATHOLIC CONNECTION

efforts at Bible study. Our parish does a wonderful job with PSR classes for children and youth groups for middle and high school students. Our Catholic schools emphasize spiritual formation in daily religion classes and serviceoriented activities. Our confirmation program ignites the fire of conversion in young people who seek to formalize their membership in the Church. Sadly, though, statistics indicate that the quest for further formation usually diminishes after high school graduation. My personal observations at the parish level support those findings. In John’s Gospel, Jesus pointed out to the Jewish leaders, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.” These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me (5:39). He offers all of us this invitation to get to know Him better through more familiarity with the books of the Old and New Testaments. Scripture is one leg of the three-legged stool our Catholic faith is built upon; the other two are the Magisterium and Tradition. A better understanding of all three strengthens our faith and relationship with Jesus. We’re never too old to keep learning! And today’s technology offers a wealth of opportunity to continue faith studies into adulthood. Adult formation classes are also key to building and maintaining thriving parishes. When Chris Stefanick spoke at the Catholic Center in Shreveport last spring, he encouraged us to form small study groups in our parishes. These foster not only continued education but also close bonds of Christian fellowship. Many parishes provide the Hallow app to parishioners for its variety of speakers and programs on a broad spectrum of topics. And if you’re still

“

...this faith holds a rich deposit of head-knowledge that will lead to heart-knowledge.

discouraged by your parish’s lack of adult classes, maybe the Holy Spirit is telling you to work with your priest to start something new. At a presentation last spring, Mike Van Vranken challenged us to read major papal encyclicals. In May, Pope Leo XIV issued his first one, Magnifica Humanitas. It’s readily available for free online and purchasable in book form from multiple websites at a minimal cost. I first shrank at the thought: aren’t encyclicals full of long words and unfamiliar Latin phrases? However, Dr. Cheryl White presented a brief overview of the work for our Bible study and de-mystified it for me, explaining that Pope Leo is addressing the growing use of AI and the implications this has on our sacred humanity. Receiving a copy last week, I immediately realized how readable it is. It’s a great discussion-starter for adult formation groups in the diocese’s parishes. What a way to grow! When I converted to Catholicism many years ago, I stagnated in the pew for a while. Sure, I attended Mass every Sunday, but that was the extent of my discipleship effort. By grace, I awoke to the fact that this faith holds a rich deposit of head-knowledge that will lead to heartknowledge. Volunteering for the RCIA team, I ended up learning much more than the catechumens and candidates! I attended parish Lenten and Advent missions, and as I began reading Catholic classics, I realized they had much to teach me about prayer and ongoing conversion. Now, like a kid heading off to that first day of school, I pray I’ll stay open to the many classroom doors of faith before me. So many lessons, not enough time!

Karen Dill is a spiritual director

for the Diocese of Shreveport and a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

SEPTEMBER 2026 15

From the Archives

Enduring Foundations: 100+ Years of Catholic Education This is the eighth article in our series exploring significant events, archival holdings, and select churches in the Diocese of Shreveport’s 40-year history.

for their contributions to Holy Rosary and Christ the King schools’ leadership and classrooms. The Daughters of the Cross laid the groundwork for Catholic One of the first schools of St. John’s taken from John Belisle’s A education by History of Sabine Parish. establishing not atholic schools have been a only the first steadfast presence in North (St. Mary’s Academy in Shreveport), Louisiana for over a century, latest (St. Frederick High School), thanks to the vision, devotion, and and most schools but also the most sheer grit of the women and men’s remaining schools (including St. John religious orders that were dedicated to Berchmans, Our Lady of Fatima, and their mission of: building schools and Jesus the Good Shepherd). They educating children while instilling founded and staffed 14 institutions – values, discipline, and the example of nearly half – until the 1988 closure of living a Christ-like life. The Sisters, St. Vincent Academy. The Sisters also especially, frequently weathered opened schools in Bossier City, Hodge, difficult times that demanded great Lake Providence, Monroe, and personal sacrifice; then, new challenges Rayville. Our longest continuously arose as their numbers dwindled due operating school, Loyola College to transfers, retirement, and death. Prep, was established in 1902 as St. John’s College by Jesuit fathers. They From 1860 until 1964, numerous renamed it Jesuit High School in 1960, orders of religious sisters, the Jesuits, and its current name was adopted in and the Holy Ghost Fathers (the 1982. The Jesuits administered the Spiritans) opened, administered, and school until 1988, when their order’s staffed 31 Catholic schools in our declining numbers made continued region. The 1940s and 1950s were oversight unsustainable. the most prolific decades, with over half the schools established during this The Sisters of Divine Providence, period. While some orders opened another pioneering religious several schools over a longer time community with early educational span, others founded their only school roots, established St. John School in between 1945-1949: the Sisters of the Many in 1898, with 19 students. The Holy Family established schools in area’s need for Catholic education Bastrop and Lake Providence, while was so great that enrollment tripled the Daughters of Jesus opened one by the end of the first school year. in Rayville. The Sisters of Our Lady Continuing their mission for over half CATHOLIC CONNECTION of 16Sorrows merit special recognition

C

a century, their order’s members later opened two schools in Shreveport, St. Joseph in 1951 and St. Pius X in 1962, and with help from the Sisters of the Holy Ghost, they started St. Joseph School in Zwolle in 1954. Catholic education was first introduced to African American students in North Louisiana thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Holy Ghost Fathers and Sisters of the Holy Ghost. The Fathers helped establish Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Academy in Shreveport in 1929, and the Sisters taught there and later opened and staffed Notre Dame High School in 1958 – the only school of its kind north of Alexandria. Little Flower Academy, founded in Monroe in 1940 by the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, was the only Catholic institution to serve that area’s African American student population. (In short order, the sisters also established schools in Ruston, West Monroe, Monroe, and Bastrop, and taught at others.) Despite countless obstacles, these early founders’ selfless efforts built spiritual and educational legacies for generations of families. May we always remember their sacrificial ministries!

Lisa Marcalus is archivist for the Diocese of Shreveport.

I

’m starting my 12th year of Catholic education this year, just not the traditional kind. I attend the Academy of Truth, Peace, and Joy, which is conveniently located at my house and operates 24/7, 365. My mom is my teacher, and my dad is my principal. In other words, I’m homeschooled.

My family has homeschooled for my whole life. Looking back, I see how it has brought our family closer in a unique way. One beautiful effect of homeschooling is that everyone learns together. There have been so many times when my mom says, “I didn’t know that.” Everyone helps each other out with their academics. I remember helping my younger siblings learn math concepts, as well as my older brother teaching me about different war generals. My mom taught me how to read English, and I taught her how to read Latin. It’s really beautiful how everyone works to help each other learn and grow.

Youth Column Spirit, our parents make sure we are always learning about our Faith. Because they knew us better than anyone, our “religion teachers” were able to have deep conversations about Faith with us. They not only taught us about God, but also how to love Him. By entering this world in a family, Jesus made the family sacred, and homeschooling is one way our family can preserve this holy bond. Part of our family mission statement is: “To work together to build an atmosphere of trust, faith, and learning in our home.” Homeschooling has helped us keep this promise to ourselves and each other.

Religion has always been a part of my family’s studies. Like most homeschool families I know, we never had a set curriculum to teach the Catholic faith, but it was always a priority. Whether we memorize Bible verses, read books about saints, discuss apologetics, or sing the seven gifts of the Holy

Genevieve Aranda is a 10th Grade

Holy Homeschooling

homeschool student, Youth Advisory Council Member, and a parishioner at St. Joseph Parish in Shreveport, LA.

A local Catholic family’s experience with home education

The Writing Lesson III by Albert Anker, 1865. Oil on canvas. Private collection.

SEPTEMBER 2026 17

Still Enrolled in the School E

ach September, children return to school with backpacks, lunch boxes, notebooks, and sharpened pencils. Classrooms reopen. Teachers prepare lessons. Families return to schedules that summer had loosened. The rhythm is so familiar that most of us hardly notice its deeper meaning. But Catholics should notice. Back-to-school season is not only a reminder that children need formation: it is a reminder that adults are often the students who forgot they are still enrolled. Children return to classrooms in September, but the Catholic soul never left. The school of Christ is yearround. There is no summer break from discipleship.

That is easy to forget. Adults can come to think of religious education as completed long ago, related to First Communion, Confirmation, and the last catechism class they “had” to attend. But the Christian life does not work that way. Neither the Sacrament of Baptism nor Confirmation hands us a diploma – they do not end formation. Instead, they begin accountability, enrolling us in a lifelong school where Christ Himself is the Teacher. And He is not teaching trivia. The world has its own classroom, and it is always in session. It teaches comfort without sacrifice, freedom without obedience, opinion without truth, and self-expression without conversion. Its

lessons are quick, loud, and convenient. It offers a kind of fast-food theology: easy to consume, easy to forget, and unlikely to strengthen the soul. There is no drive-thru in the school of Christ. Christ forms the soul slowly. He teaches faith, hope, charity, obedience, prayer, recollection, mortification, and humility. These are not religious electives for unusually devout souls – they are courses in Christian perfection. Faith teaches the soul to see by divine light. Hope teaches it to trust when natural strength fails. Charity teaches it to love God above all things and our neighbor for God’s sake. Prayer teaches it to keep speaking with the Teacher. Humility

Jasper and Camille Titone, Dianne Rachal kneel at the Diocese of Shreveport’s 40th Anniversary Mass. Photography: Tracie Stroud. 18Image: CATHOLIC CONNECTION

course, and it never ends. Its tests exceed natural strength, but not the grace of God. St. Paul gives the answer every disciple must learn: “I can do all these things in him who strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). No one masters that lesson in a day. Christ trains the soul gradually. Small duties prepare us for larger sacrifices.

recollection in a scattered world, silence in a noisy one, detachment in a grasping one, and charity in a wounded one. This is especially true for parents and grandparents. Children notice whether the Faith is merely homework assigned to them or a life still being studied by the adults who love them. Parents and grandparents cannot hand on a Faith

The school of Christ is year-round. There is no summer break from discipleship.

of Christ

teaches it not to build on itself: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Matthew 11:29). But every course eventually reaches the Cross. Children return to school carrying their backpacks; Christians remain in the school of Christ by carrying crosses.

That is not a pious image. It is the condition Christ Himself gave for discipleship: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). The Cross is not an elective in Catholic life; it is the foundational

Small acts of patience prepare us for heavier burdens. Small humiliations teach humility before greater trials arrive. The family member who needs patience, the illness that changes a household, the disappointment that humbles us, the duty that must be done when affection feels thin—these are not interruptions to formation. They are the classroom. The school of Christ is not self-directed study. We do not choose only the lessons we like. We do not graduate from obedience because we prefer inspiration. We do not skip humility because it wounds pride. We do not avoid mortification because comfort complains. We do not abandon prayer because distractions come. The Teacher knows the student better than the student knows himself. In His classroom, we learn ourselves by learning Him. That is why Catholic formation cannot end with childhood. Adults need to keep learning how to think with the Church, pray with the Church, suffer with the Church, and love with the heart of Christ. We need the Gospels, Catechism, saints, Mass, confessional, Eucharistic devotion, and steady discipline of prayer. We need

they have stopped learning or practicing. A child may be sent to Catholic school or religious education, but the first classroom is still the home, and the first catechism many children read is the life of the adults before them. The world scatters. Christ gathers. September sends children back to classrooms, but every Catholic should hear the bell. Christ is still teaching. The classroom is daily life. Every virtue is a course. The Cross is where each one is tested. No faithful soul is dismissed early.

S. Germain Cassiere, MD, FACP is a retired Internist and parishioner at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, writing on faith, virtue, and the Catholic spiritual life from the pew perspective. SEPTEMBER 2026 19

School Boards and Councils for 2026-2027 School Year Loyola College Prep School Board

St. Joseph Catholic School Council

• Bishop Francis Malone • Dr. Laurie Salvail, Principal, Ex-Officio Member, Secretary • Very Rev. Raney Johnson, Rector • Arthur Carmody IV, President • Dr. Adam Foret, Vice President • Spencer Lamb, Treasurer • Dr. John Carmody, Member • Susan Moffitt, Member • Frank Auer, Member • Crawford Watkins, Member • Camille Meehan, Member • Greg Doyal, Member • Jonathan Love, Member • Maria Sermons, Member • Dr. John Evans, Member • Sr. Carol Shively, OSU, Superintendent, Ex-Officio Member • Camille Jones, LPA President, Ex-Officio Member • Tommy Foster, AA President, Ex-Officio Member • Stephanie Johnson, Assistant Principal, Admin Member • Shannon Jenkins, Comptroller, Admin Member

• Rev. Jerry Daigle Jr., Pastor • Rev. Charles Ssennyondo, Associate Pastor • Lisa Brint, Business Manager • Daniel Flowers, Chair • Courtney Marston, Vice Chair • Scott Salvail, Finance Chair • Ben Hyde, Member • Mary Ann Loftin, Member • Stephanie Foster, Member • Lucy Medvec, Member • Clayton Cobb, Principal, Ex-Officio Member • Katherine Suckle, Assistant Principal, Ex-Officio Member

St. Fredrick High School Board • Bishop Francis Malone • Josh Hays, President • Justin Tarver, Vice President • Jason Tiser, Member • Ronda Herlevic, Member • Philip Ingram, Member • Brandon Sullivan, Member • Tammy Lee Sheridan, Member • Chad Beasinger, Member • Anthony Jacola, Member • Bradley Hall, Member • Ozi Anumele, Member • Rev. Matthew Long, Head of School, Ex-Officio Member • Sr. Carol Shively, OSU, Superintendent, Ex-Officio Member • Lisa Ware, Finance Officer, Ex-Officio Member

Our Lady of Fatima School Council • Fr. Peter Mallya, Pastor • Mrs. Stephanie Haney, Head of Board • Mr. Danny Lenard, Member • Ms. Daneekia Leonard, Secretary • Ms. Brenda Roy, Member • Mrs. Tessa Hoff, Principal, Ex-Officio Member

20 CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Jesus the Good Shepherd School Council • Very Rev. Peter Mangum, Pastor • Albert Paxton, President • Gary Harrison, Vice President • Doyle Hassell, Member • Susan Chapell, Member • Linda Eubank, Member • Susan Hopper, Member • Dr. Daniel Trejo, Member • Nancy Williams, Member • Alecia Traxler, PTO President • Mary Lane Milletello, PTO resident • Louis Luffey, Dad's Club President • Dr. Hunter Christy, Dad's Club President • Lisa Patrick, Principal, Ex-Officio Member • Haley Pulliam, Church CPA, Ex-Officio Member

St. John Berchmans Cathedral School Council • Very Rev. Raney Johnson, Rector • Deacon John Basco, President • Carol Gates, Secretary • Sr. Suny Augustine, SD, Member • Mary Beth Fox, Member • Christopher Jividen, Member • Lisa Marcalus, Member • Leigh Lewis, Member • John Lowery, Member • Joseph Annibale, Interim Principal, Ex-Officio Member • Joseph Hearington, Vice Principal, Ex-Officio Member • Missy Carroll, Business Administrator, Ex-Officio Member

Catholic Schools By The Numbers

Church Representation in Schools Church

2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 SY SY SY

Cathedral of St. John Berchmans

131

125

148

Christ the King, Bossier City

19

15

1

Holy Family Catholic Community, AFB

1

-

-

Holy Trinity

28

25

27

Jesus the Good Shepherd

262

253

248

Little Flower of Jesus, Monroe

9

7

7

Mary, Queen of Peace

4

4

3

Our Lady of Fatima

21

20

17

Enrollment in Catholic Schools 2023 - Present

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament

1

1

1

Sacred Heart, Rayville

-

2

2

School Name

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

76

80

80

St. Joseph, Bastrop

3

1

5

St. Joseph, Shreveport

214

213

217

St. Jude, Benton

16

20

30

St. Lawrence

5

5

3

St. Mary of the Pines

15

16

14

St. Matthew

22

14

15

St. Paschal

19

20

15

St. Pius X

9

9

8

St. Thomas Aquinas

2

1

-

St. Ann, Ebarb

2

2

-

2023-24 2024-25 2025-26

Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic School

297

300

311

Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School

234

210

204

St. John Berchmans Catholic School

172

164

156

St. Joseph Catholic School

317

314

306

St. Fredrick High School

289

269

244

Loyola College Prep

400

401

430

St. Ann, Stonewall

2

3

4

Totals

1709

1658

1651

Other (not listed)

11

40

22

Total

876

886

883

This chart depicts the population of students who attend a Catholic school in our diocese and their registered parishes. The parishes highlighted indicate a consistent increase in enrollment over the last three consecutive school years. The data presented serves as a reminder for parishes to remain steadfast in carrying out the mission of introducing new families to our Catholic schools. One common misconception is the belief that the average family is unable to attend a Catholic school due to cost. However, there are several financial aid opportunities available. For instance, the voucher programs currently offered are ACE and ARETE, which are awarded based on qualifying household income. In addition, the diocese offers financial assistance to families that are eligible. SEPTEMBER 2026 21

By choosing a Catholic school, you aren’t just selecting a classroom—you are providing your child with the spiritual, emotional, and developmental tools they need to build a bright, hopeful future. Here, students grow into leaders within a safe, nurturing environment designed for academic excellence.

Why Choose a Catholic School?

If you are prayerfully considering the best path for your child, here is what a Catholic education promises to deliver:

A True Partnership: We partner directly with you to support your child’s complete faith formation. A Forward-Thinking Curriculum: We set high expectations with a challenging academic curriculum balanced by STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, and Music). Proven Academic Excellence: Our schools have a renowned track record of academic success, boasting a near-100 % graduation rate. Character & Service: Through daily formation, we instill self-discipline, moral values, and a lifelong commitment to serving others. A Safe, Disciplined Environment: Our compassionate, effective educators foster a structured space where students can truly thrive.

Are Catholic Schools See the Difference for Yourself Always the Best Choice?

Respect as Cornerstone: We teach students to deeply respect themselves, their peers, and their community. Lifelong Stewardship: We prepare students to be responsible, conscientious stewards of God’s resources.

To truly appreciate the value of a Catholic education, you must experience it. We invite you to visit one of our campuses in the Shreveport-Monroe area to see firsthand just how much our schools have to offer your family.

Sr. Carol Shively, OSU is the Superintendent for the Diocese of Shreveport Catholic Schools.

22 CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Image: Fr. Jerry Daigle blesses classrooms at St. Joseph Catholic School to kick off the new school year. Photography: Amanda Speckman.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 10, 2026 CONTACT: SISTER CAROL SHIVELY, OSU 318-868-4441

Catholic Schools Achieve Accreditation Status The culmination of an almost two-year process came in the form of the final report of the team of educators who visited the Diocese in March, and the goal of the process: Diocesan Accreditation. March 17-20, 2026, marked the visit of four educators from outside the Diocese: Dr. John James from St. Louis University, Kendra McGuire, Superintendent of the Diocese of Alexandria, LA, Kimberly Gazzollo, Superintendent of the Diocese of Lake Charles, LA, and Dr. Todd Sweda, Executive Director, Lumen Accreditation—the visitors’ mission: to affirm the extensive work done by the schools since August 2024. After an initial meeting with Diocesan officials, two of the visitors, Dr. James and Mrs. Gazzollo, traveled to Monroe, LA to visit Jesus Good Shepherd School, Our Lady of Fatima School, and St. Frederick High School. Dr. Sweda and Mrs. McGuire stayed in Shreveport and visited St. Joseph School, St. John Berchmans School, and Loyola College Prep. On the final day of their visit, they made a preliminary report of their findings. They complimented Sister Carol Shively, OSU, Superintendent, on several points. Sister Carol’s leadership style and ministry of presence to every school in the diocese was strongly noted, as well as the high level of cooperation among leaders of the individual schools and their accreditation teams. The visitors praised the decision to include all six schools in the process, as well as the hiring of a facilitator to accompany each of the schools in the accreditation journey. But they saved the greatest praise for the students, staff, administrators, parents, and council members, noting that each of these groups was aware of and supportive of the mission and Catholic identity of the schools. Of special note was the ability of students and staff to articulate their faith and prayer lives and sense of community within each of the schools. The visiting team also affirmed three areas that the Diocese needs to work on in the next three years: • The creation and administration of a rigorous faith formation program for teachers; • The creation and implementation of a Diocesan-wide program of student recruitment and retention • The continued formation of effective governing bodies in the schools. These three renewal priorities will form the work of the Diocese and each of the schools in preparation for the progress report to Lumen in 2029. To that end, each of the schools has created a three-year strategic plan to be implemented during the 2026-27 school year. On May 15, the good news that all the Diocesan schools had achieved accreditation by Lumen was shared with the Diocese. Sister Carol Shively summed up the entire two-year process: “This was difficult, and it entailed a real commitment from our schools. In the end, we can be so proud of the people that make our schools work. This could not have happened without 100% commitment from everyone. I am so proud of them.” On August 4, 2026, exactly two years after the initial accreditation retreat kicked off the arduous process, the schools and Sister Carol received their accreditation certificates from Dr. Daryl Hagan of Catholic University of America. “To me, it was a culmination of a process that built a solid community,” commented Sister Carol Shively, “and created a unified affirmation of the Church’s mission to teach as Jesus did.” ###

SEPTEMBER 2026 23

Seminarian Burses Thanks to our Recent Donors: (005) Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Burse #2 The Congregation of St. Johns Roman Catholic Church (006) Msgr. J. Carson LaCaze Memorial Burse #3 Patricia L. Joyner (015) Bishop’s Seminarian Burse Mr. & Mrs. Donald J. Nici Dr. and Mrs. William C. Cook In honor of Marie Rinaudo’s 90th Birthday (023) Msgr. Edmund J. Moore Memorial Burse #2 Patricia L McGraw (035) Dr. James V. & Rosemary C. Ward Burse #5Mrs. Rosemary C. Ward (039) St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Knights of Columbus Council 9260 Burse Dr. Cecilia Fitz-Gerald Mr. & Mrs. Donald J. Nici (064) Richard Whatley Memorial Burse John and Lynn Goodhart (065) Jacquie Bierwirth Memorial Burse Frank and Patricia Sambrano Incomplete Burses: (001) Fr. Mike Bakowski Memorial Burse #2 ($1450) (002) Joseph & Antoinette Bakowski Memorial Burse ($3250) (003) Sam R. Maranto Memorial Burse ($1750) (004) Kathryn Atherton Cook Memorial Burse ($450) (005) Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Burse #2 ($7026) (006) Msgr. J. Carson LaCaze

24 CATHOLIC CATHOLIC CONNECTION CONNECTION

Memorial Burse #3 ($1150) (007) Dr. Carol Christopher Memorial Burse ($1200) (009) St. John Berchmans Knights of Columbus Council 10728 Burse ($1550) (011) Rev. David Richter Memorial Burse #2 ($9150) (015) Bishop’s Seminarian Burse ($9318) (016) Elaine Malloy Frantz Memorial Burse ($1000) (017) Msgr. George Martinez Knights of Columbus Council 1337 Burse #2 ($5004) (018) Knights of St. Peter Claver Council 144 Burse ($1500) (021) Rev. Edmund “Larry” Niehoff Memorial Burse ($5050) (023) Msgr. Edmund J. Moore Memorial Burse #2 ($5800) (024) Rev. Joseph Puthuppally Memorial Burse #2 ($500) (025) Kathleen Hightower Memorial Burse ($800) (027) Rev. Richard Lombard Memorial Burse #4 ($5000) (028) Friends-n-Faith Burse ($750) (029) Rev. Kenneth Williams Memorial Burse ($1400) (030) Ottis and Anne Krupa Littlejohn Memorial Burse ($9600) (035) Dr. James V. & Rosemary C. Ward Burse #5 ($3970) (036) Msgr. Earl Vincent Provenza Burse #7 ($5001) (038) The Malone Family Burse ($500) (039) St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Knights of Columbus Council 9260 Burse ($1600) (045) Sister Martinette Rivers, OLS Memorial Burse ($700) (046) Domestic Church Burse ($5000)

(047) Troops of St. George Burse ($7000) (048) Rev. Joseph Kallookalam, CMI Burse ($5000) (050) St. Joseph Shreveport Mary’s Workers Burse #3 ($395) (052) Dr. Matthew Ragan Green, Jr. Memorial Burse ($2875) (054) Fr. Franz Graef Memorial Burse ($5000) (056) Hazel Iles and John Paul Woodley, Sr. Memorial Burse ($860) (057) Father Robert Inzina Memorial Burse ($5000) (058) Monsignor Warren T. Larroque Memorial Burse ($5000) (059) ACTS of Northwest Louisiana Burse ($1800) (060) Father David Buss Memorial Burse ($5000) (061) Sister Maria Smith, DC Memorial Burse ($6700) (062) Joan E. Anderson Sneed Memorial Burse ($2400) (063) Rev. Charles Glorioso Burse ($7950) (064) Richard Whatley Memorial Burse ($2825) (065) Jacquie Bierwirth Memorial Burse ($2050) (066) AMCA Trevison ($1000)

To donate to an established seminarian burse, please scan here! To donate to the Catholic Service Appeal, please scan here!

SEPTEMBER 2026 25

Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic School We are grateful for this year’s higher enrollment, a reflection of so many families’ confidence in the mission of Catholic education at Jesus the Good Shepherd School. As our school community grows, so does our responsibility to form young disciples who are prepared to lead with faith, integrity, and compassion.

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he energy and excitement of a new school year filled the halls of Jesus the Good Shepherd School as we welcomed new and returning families for our annual Back-to-School Open House. Fr. Peter and Principal Mrs. Patrick gathered families in the gym for prayer to begin the evening, then introduced our dedicated faculty and staff. Classrooms opened for students, who eagerly met their teachers, reunited with friends, and explored the rooms thoughtfully prepared for learning, faith, and growth this year.

Long before students arrived, our faculty was laying the foundation for a successful school year. Teachers participated in an inspiring team-building workshop centered on The Marigold Effect, a reminder that just as marigolds help neighboring plants flourish, we are called to encourage, support, and strengthen one another. That spirit of collaboration is one we hope every student experiences each day at JGS, where faith, kindness, and community are woven into everything we do.

This year, Fr. Peter is placing even greater emphasis on helping students become active participants in Church life. Thirdgrade students will begin altar server training, enabling them to serve during school Masses at an earlier age. School ministry opportunities will also begin immediately, allowing students to serve as lectors, gift bearers, choir members, altar servers, and members of the Junior Altar Society. These opportunities partner with weekly Eucharistic Adoration to invite our students to encounter Christ not only in the classroom but also through active participation in the liturgy and parish life.

Class is Back in Session at Jesus the Good Shepherd School Fr. Peter believes that introducing parish ministry at a young age establishes a strong spiritual foundation that will carry them through middle school, high school, and into adulthood. Rather than simply learning about the faith, our students experience what it means to live it. At Jesus the Good Shepherd School, we remain committed to the distinctive mission of Catholic education, forming the whole child through academic excellence, authentic faith formation, and joyful service. Together with our families and parish community, we look forward to another year of nurturing hearts, inspiring minds, and preparing students to become lifelong disciples of Christ.

Amy Fakhre is Director of

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Development at Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic School, Monroe, LA

Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Catholic School

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ou will never guess who I just saw working at a sporting goods store! He graduated from SJB a few years ago, he’s at LSU now, and he is in premed. Go on, Guess! He asked me to share his news!”

I had the opportunity to send this text to fellow teachers at the Cathedral of Saint John Berchmans Catholic School over the summer. The resulting message thread went through the

“I-am-not-surprised’s,” a few brags of our science department, and a catching up on other graduates - where they were headed and what they were accomplishing. A perfect midsummer experience for teachers: the reminder that all the students we teach go on to do great things in their own ways. “We plant seeds,” we all agreed. But, as with seeds, it is hard to wait to see results, to nurture what has been planted, and to trust the work of the hands of time. Sometimes and some days, it is hard to remember that truth – especially when plans change. This year, SJB welcomes both new students and new faculty members, but the essential parts of our school remain unchanged. We are also happy to welcome back those who have long loved our school, those families and faculty members who have walked these halls for generations. And we welcome back Principal Emeritus Jo Cazes and Mrs. Amy Vitacca to advise, remember, and plan. Mrs. Vitacca returns in an advisory capacity after teaching so many, so much, so well. Not long ago, Mrs. Cazes stood in the library that bears her name and said, “I remember when

this was empty space. Look at it now.” We plant seeds, but the seeds grow in their own time. Father Kelby Tingle gave the homily during the Back to School Mass for faculty and exhorted the teachers to love every student, to teach them, and to show them God. In a moment of surpassing beauty, he looked out at his congregation, made eye contact with the very faculty who taught him in Catholic Schools, and said: “Remember, always: the work you do matters.” SJB teachers returned to our parish hall to find as gifts from our Parent Teacher Organization bags with the words “Teach them, love them, watch them grow” emblazoned on the side. What a beautiful reminder: we are all seeds, planted by a loving God. In the prayer of Saint Oscar Romero are the wise words, “We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.” Last year, our “kinder-garden” was planted with a variety of seeds, but one hearty watermelon quietly grew over the summer, becoming part of the planted seeds’ harvest. Now, our greenhouse and kinder-garden are again prepped for planting; our classrooms are, too. We are growing at SJB, and if you are reading this, we welcome you here. Also, if you are reading this and you are an alumni, we are so very proud of you.

Dr. Sarah Duncan is the librarian

and Media Arts teacher at St. John Berchmans Cathedral School in Shreveport, LA. SEPTEMBER 2026 27

St. Frederick High School

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he St. Frederick High School community is joyfully welcoming Father Matthew Long back to campus as the school’s new Head of School. His appointment by Bishop Malone marks both a meaningful homecoming and the beginning of a new chapter grounded in faith, strengthened by experience, and filled with renewed vision for Catholic education in Northeast Louisiana. No stranger to St. Frederick, Fr. Long’s relationship with the school began in 2009, when his first assignment as a priest brought him to the campus at 3300 Westminster Avenue. He later served as president from 2011 to 2012. During those years, he came to know the school as more than an institution, but as a family united by faith, tradition and a shared commitment to young people. “It is with gratitude to Bishop Malone, for the great trust he has placed in me, that I share the news of my appointment as Head of School for St. Frederick High School,” Father Long said. “It was here – in these hallways, in the bleachers of countless athletic events and in the quiet of the chapel – that some of the most important lessons of my priesthood were formed. I never imagined that my return to Monroe would include the privilege of once again walking through these halls.” A respected leader within the Diocese of Shreveport, Father Long has served the Church through parish ministry and diocesan leadership. His pastoral experience and commitment to the formation of young people will be invaluable as he guides St. Frederick forward. As Head of School, Father Long will provide spiritual and institutional leadership while supporting the school’s continued advancement. At the center of his work is St. Frederick’s mission: to strengthen young minds for a brighter future through college-preparatory academics, servant leadership, and cultural awareness in a Catholic environment centered on Jesus Christ. Father Long believes one of Catholic education’s greatest gifts is the formation of the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Academic achievement and college preparation are essential, but they are joined by an even greater purpose: helping students develop a lasting relationship with Christ and discern who God is calling them to become. 28 CATHOLIC CONNECTION

“I have now been tried, but I still have much to learn, and I will rely on the students, faculty, staff, families, and alumni of St. Frederick to walk with me in this next chapter,” he said. “The greatest days of St. Frederick Catholic High School do not lie behind us but before us. Together, we will continue the noble work of preparing our students for the two destinations every parent desires for their children: college and Heaven.” Among Father Long’s priorities is strengthening the relationship between St. Frederick and its Catholic feeder schools, Jesus the Good Shepherd and Our Lady of Fatima. By building greater continuity among the schools, he hopes Catholic families will see their children’s education as a connected journey of faith and learning. He also hopes families who have not considered St. Frederick will recognize the lifelong value of a Catholic education. For Father Long, that value is measured not only by where graduates attend college or what careers they pursue, but also by the people they become. He emphasizes that everyone who encounters a St. Frederick student shares in the responsibility of helping that young person become the person God intended them to be. That vision reflects the heart of St. Frederick: a school where students are known, supported, and challenged; where excellence is pursued in the classroom, in competition, and in service; and where faith is not an addition to education, but its foundation. As St. Frederick enters this season of transition and opportunity, the school community welcomes Father Long with open arms and great hope. His return brings a familiar presence, a pastor’s heart, and a clear sense of purpose. Under his leadership, the Warrior family looks forward to continued growth and an even stronger commitment to forming students in faith, excellence, and service. “May our patron, St. Frederick, intercede for us and guide our efforts,” Father Long said, “that all we do may give glory to God.”

Lisa Miller is the Director of Development at St. Frederick High School in Monroe, LA.

Loyola College Prep Loyola College Prep Students Earn Outstanding AP Results, Setting New Standards for Academic Excellence

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oyola College Prep students continue to demonstrate academic excellence, earning exceptional results on Advanced Placement (AP) exams and reinforcing the school’s commitment to preparing students for success in college and beyond.

This year, Loyola achieved an impressive 84% overall AP exam pass rate, a remarkable accomplishment made even more significant by the school’s commitment to requiring every student enrolled in an AP course to take the corresponding AP exam. “These results reflect the strength of our academic program and, more importantly, the dedication of our students and teachers,” said Principal Dr. Laurie Salvail. “Because every Loyola AP student sits for the exam, our success represents the achievement of our entire program – not just those who feel confident about testing. That makes these results especially meaningful.” Several AP courses reached their highest pass rates in the past five years. AP Biology, taught by Andrew Hollenshead, achieved an 83% pass rate, while AP Human Geography, led by Arelis Soberal, reached an outstanding 94% pass rate. Remarkably, this was the first year teaching an AP course for both Hollenshead and Soberal. AP Government, taught by Mary Beth Fox, also posted a five-year high with a 75% pass rate.

“Our AP Scholar growth tells an incredible story,” Dr. Salvail said. “We’re not simply encouraging more students to enroll in challenging courses … we’re giving them the support and preparation they need to thrive in college-level academics. Watching so many students earn this recognition is one of the proudest moments of the year.” Dr. Salvail credits the accomplishment to the collaboration between students, teachers, and families who embrace Loyola’s culture of academic excellence. “At Loyola, we believe every student is capable of achieving more than they thought possible,” she said. “These AP results are evidence of what happens when talented educators, motivated students, and supportive families work together. We are incredibly proud of what our Flyers have accomplished and excited to continue building on this momentum.” With record numbers of AP Scholars, outstanding pass rates, and continued growth in student participation, Loyola College Prep continues to distinguish itself as a leader in college preparation, equipping students with the confidence, knowledge, and skills to succeed long after graduation.

Loyola students also excelled across a wide range of disciplines. AP English Language recorded an 89% pass rate, AP English Literature achieved 84%, AP U.S. History reached 82%, Calculus AP earned 79%, and both AP Spanish and AP French celebrated a perfect 100% pass rate. Perhaps the most exciting milestone came through the school’s dramatic increase in AP Scholars, a recognition the College Board awards to students who successfully pass multiple AP exams. This year, 72 Loyola students earned AP Scholar recognition – far surpassing the school’s typical number of 30 students and former maximum of 42.

Jordan Harris is the Director of

Marketing & Communications at Loyola College Prep in Shreveport, LA. SEPTEMBER 2026 29

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his year, St. Joseph Catholic School proudly celebrates 75 years of Catholic education in the Diocese of Shreveport. What began in 1949 as a shared vision between Bishop Charles Greco and Msgr. Joseph Gremillion came to fruition in 1951. When Sr. Theonilla Vrba and the Sisters of Divine Providence arrived from San Antonio later than expected, the school adjusted its schedule from the local schools’ day-afterLabor-Day opening to officially welcome its first 102 students on September 17. Today, many families from that original 1951 community continue enhancing our legacy, with an enrollment that has grown to roughly 315 students for the 2026–2027 academic year. We are deeply blessed to celebrate our Diamond Anniversary under the patronage of St. Joseph and with the steadfast support of our parish and pastor, Fr. Jerry Daigle Jr., as well as of Bishop Francis Malone.

Our vision statement calls us to prepare students to become faithful members of our families, Church, and community – a mission visible across Northwest Louisiana and beyond. Walk into any Mass, and you will find both current students and alumni serving as lectors, choir members, altar servers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and ushers.

Our vision statement calls us to prepare students to become faithful members of our families, Church, and community – a mission visible across Northwest Louisiana and beyond. Across the diocese, our graduates serve as Catholic school teachers, parish employees, council members, youth ministers, and PSR volunteers. In the pews, you see – and hear – current students alongside their younger siblings, our “Future Falcons.” Beyond the parish, our “Forever Falcons” make a distinct impact as business leaders, healthcare professionals, public servants, military members, and financial experts. 30 CATHOLIC CONNECTION

At SJS, we often say, “It’s a great time to be a Falcon!” Step onto campus, and the energy is unmistakable. Parents actively live out the mission alongside our faculty, serving on the Advisory Council, PTO, and Dads’ Club or stepping up as coaches and substitute teachers. And visiting our campus is always an experience of joy. Aquinas & Marian Early Childhood Building is where vibrant young learners flourish under the care of dedicated teachers, enjoying traditions like the Parade of Saints, the 100th Day of School, the K-Village Carnival, and student art showcases. In Gremillion Hall, students grow in both faith and character, building strong academic foundations in reading and mathematics. In Providence Hall, built in 1957 for our first graduating class, students prepare for high school rigor while being formed into future community leaders. Originally the site of a neighborhood basketball court and meetup location, the gym serves as the “nest” where our student-athletes represent St. Joseph with pride and sportsmanship. What remains most essential at St. Joseph Catholic School is our provision of daily opportunities for students to encounter Christ and grow in their faith. Through the active witness of both faculty and family, students are formed in virtue to become future saints. Ultimately, worldly leadership means little if our students are not first on the path to know, love, and serve Christ. We invite our entire community to celebrate this 75-year milestone with us. Mark your calendars for our Anniversary

Mass on September 17 at 8:15 a.m. and Falcon Fest on October 24. We welcome back all alumni and their parents, as well as friends who remain Falcons at heart. Please keep St. Joseph Catholic School in your prayers as we begin our next 75 years of excellence in Catholic education. St. Joseph, pray for us.

Mark your calendars for our Anniversary Mass on September 17 at 8:15 a.m. and Falcon Fest on October 24. We welcome back all alumni and their parents, as well as friends who remain Falcons at heart.

Clayton Cobb is the

principal of St. Joseph Catholic School in Shreveport. SJS’s 3rd grade class in 1979 with teacher, Mrs. Strickland.

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FOCUS Missionaries Continue to Transform Student Life at Christ the King Catholic Campus Ministry

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hrist the King Catholic Campus Ministry at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) is celebrating another remarkable year of growth, made possible in large part through the dedication, faith, and hard work of our FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionaries. Their commitment to building authentic relationships with students at ULM has strengthened our campus ministry and fostered a vibrant Catholic community. Missionaries Pedro Rubio and Mary Mone faithfully served the students of ULM this past year through one-on-one discipleship, Bible studies, fellowship events, retreats, and personal invitations to encounter Christ. Their passion for evangelization and genuine concern for each student created lasting relationships that encouraged many young adults to deepen their faith and become active members of our campus ministry.

As a result, Christ the King experienced significant growth in membership, Holy Mass attendance, participation in Bible studies, and the number of individuals seeking to enter the Catholic Church. These blessings reflect the power of 34 CATHOLIC CONNECTION

Lefthand photo: Paul Chazhur Middle photo - left to right: Father Peter Mangum, Hannah Hames, Mary Mone, Pedro Rubio, Paul Chazhur Righthand photo: Hannah Hames

personal witness and the mission of accompanying students as they navigate both their academic and spiritual journeys. Looking forward to the new academic year, we remain committed to reaching students from all faith backgrounds and meeting their spiritual, emotional, and social needs. Our mission is to provide a welcoming home where every student can encounter Christ, build meaningful friendships, and grow in faith. We are excited to welcome our newest FOCUS missionaries, Paul Chazhur and Hannah Hames, to the Christ the King family. We look forward to the enthusiasm, compassion, and leadership they bring as they continue the important work of evangelization on the ULM campus. Together, with the support of our parish, students, and community, we are confident that Christ the King Catholic Campus Ministry will continue to flourish, inspiring lives and forming faithful disciples for years to come. Welcome, Paul and Hannah – we are grateful to have you on this mission with us!

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n Saturday, August 1, Christ the King Catholic Campus Ministry proudly hosted its Inaugural Arts & Crafts Show, bringing together talented local artisans while raising funds to support the ministry’s mission and facility improvements. This inaugural event was a tremendous success, drawing visitors from across the community and receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from both vendors and attendees.

Organized to help finance much-needed repairs on campus ministry facilities, the fundraiser also supports programs directly benefiting students at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Proceeds will provide meals for students and fund retreats, conferences, and other opportunities that foster spiritual growth and community. The show featured an impressive variety of handcrafted items created by local artists and craftspeople. Visitors enjoyed browsing original artwork, an original book signing, religious gifts and décor, paintings, pottery, designer clothing, plants, locally harvested honey, natural remedies, and many other unique handmade creations. Each booth reflected a local artisan’s creativity and dedication, making the event both a shopping destination and a celebration of the area’s artistic talent.

The community’s enthusiastic response encouraged Christ the King Catholic Campus Ministry to consider making the Arts & Crafts Show an annual tradition. Organizers are grateful for the generous support of the vendors, volunteers, parishioners, and community members whose participation made the event possible. With continued community support, the ministry hopes the proceeds from this event will generate the resources needed to expand its outreach across campus, serving students through fellowship, faith formation, and acts of service, for years to come.

Kathy Cordova is the Event

Coordinator for Catholic Campus Ministry at the University of Monroe in Monroe, LA.

Christ the King Catholic Campus Ministry Hosts Successful Inaugural Arts & Crafts Show

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Around the diocese... CANDLELIGHT

MASS FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Young adults in their 20s and 30s are invited to attend a monthly Candlelight Mass for Young Adults at St. Joseph Catholic Church Shreveport. Mass begins at 7 PM, with food and fellowship following at Carpenter Coffee House. Come experience the beauty of Mass illuminated solely by candlelight.

VIEW SCHEDULE AT STJOSEPHCHURCH.NET/CANDLELIGHT-MASS

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Cathedral of St. John Berchmans School

BACK to SCHOOL

Mass

photography: Sophia Romanski White SEPTEMBER 2026 39

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

Catholic Connection USPS 024-824 is published monthly except for July by the Diocese of Shreveport, 3500 Fairfield Ave., Shreveport, LA 71104. Periodicals Postage PAID at Shreveport, LA 71102. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Catholic Connection, 3500 Fairfield Ave, Shreveport, LA 71104.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH: The State Council of the Knights of Columbus presents the Excellence in Religious Education Donation to Bishop Malone. From left to right: Faithful Navigator Francis White, Faithful Navigator Kenneth D. Scott, District Marshal Ronald DuPuis, Bishop Francis I. Malone, Color Corp Commander Calvin Joyner, District Marshal Jack Gustafson, Honor Guard Joe Lacobee. 40 CATHOLIC CONNECTION