Church Life
Rev. Mr. Cody Chatagnier to be ordained to priesthood May 28 held Communion services when there was no priest. He updated the parish network by installing new routers The Rev. Mr. Cody Chatagnier and running Ethernet cables to every will be ordained to the priesthood computer. Saturday, May 28, at the Cathedral After his second year of theology, of St. Francis de Sales in Houma he spent a year at St. John the beginning at 10 a.m. Bishop Shelton J. Evangelist Church parish in Fabre will be the ordaining prelate. Thibodaux serving Masses, helping The Rev. Mr. Cody Chatagnier is a the altar servers in the parish, 32-year-old native of Chauvin. He is compiling the parish directory, the son of Wade C. Chatagnier and visiting nursing homes, updating the Patty Luke Chatagnier (deceased), and parish’s network, and designing a has one sister, Kattie C. Brown, and portable multimedia system in the two nieces, Mallory and Natalie. church for the Capital Campaign. He graduated from Terrebonne High For his diaconate internship, he School in Houma in 2002, and received was assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas a bachelor’s degree in history from Church parish. During that time, he Nicholls State University in Thibodaux helped with Vacation Bible School, Rev. Mr. Cody Chatagnier in 2007. He attended St. Joseph preached at least three times a week, Seminary College where he obtained a taught a church history class, was bachelor’s degree in philosophy & theological studies, a speaker at Food for the Journey, baptized one and he graduated from Notre Dame Seminary May 6 child and worked with the various campus ministry with a master’s of divinity degree. activities. 30 Before entering the seminary, the Rev. Mr. He says after being ordained a priest, he is just looking forward to serving the church parish that he Chatagnier volunteered at his home parish, St. will be assigned to. Anthony of Padua Church in Bayou Black, for eight “Ever since I entered seminary I have always longed years where he was a member of their youth ministry to serve as a parish priest. I look forward to serving group, Kepha. While volunteering at St. Anthony he my pastor and helping him and the parish in any was part of their retreat team, gave talks, acted in way I can. I am really looking forward to teaching skits, lead small groups, played bass and acoustic and preaching the Word of God and finally being able guitar in the music ministry and was the sound man to unleash that pricey education that the people of at retreats and parish Masses. He was also a lector, Houma-Thibodaux have so graciously paid for. But CCD teacher and helped with fundraising activities. most of all, I am looking forward to being with the After graduating from Nicholls, he moved to people. While in the seminary, a man can forget why Golden Meadow and worked at Our Lady of Prompt he is studying to be a priest and forget the people Succor Church parish in various capacities. He also of God in the diocese. We learn lots of concepts and taught fifth grade CCD and confirmation, organized theology, but truthfully our learning is not just for our the confirmation retreat and led a group of teens to own benefit but also for the benefit of the diocese. As I Steubenville on the Bayou, and served at Masses begin priestly ministry, I know that I am considered a regularly. ‘baby priest.’ As a newly ordained priest, I realize that As part of his priestly formation he was assigned I do not have everything figured out and that I need to to Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church parish gain experience on how to be a good priest. I hope the in Houma and the diocesan Vocations Office at St. people of God in our diocese will be patient with me Thomas Aquinas Church parish on the campus of as I begin,” says the Rev. Mr. Chatagnier, who recalls Nicholls State University in the summer of 2009. At that the Very Rev. Mark Toups, diocesan chancellor, Holy Rosary he served at the Masses, gave reflections always says that the people of God come to the priest after daily Mass, visited parishioners in the hospital, seeking Jesus; what a shame, if all they find is the and helped update the baptismal register. At St. broken humanity of the priest. Thomas, he helped organize the Safe Environment “I hope I can show Christ in my ministry,” adds the records and plan the Pere’ Menard Canoe Trip. Rev. Mr. Chatagnier, “and I ask your prayers that He was assigned to Annunziata Church parish God will give me the grace to continue to stay close to in 2010-2011 and the summer of 2012, where he him as I begin my priestly ministry.” taught a CCD class for Hispanic children, worked Father Chatagnier will celebrate his first Mass at with the youth group, served as a lector, eucharistic St. Anthony of Padua Church parish in Bayou Black, minister, gave reflections during daily Masses, and Sunday, May 29 at 10:30 am.
Story by Janet Marcel
Bayou Catholic • Houma, LA • May 2016