Bayou Catholic Magazine December 2021

INSIDE:

Bayou

Christmas

Catholic

The official magazine of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux

Advent: A season of hope DECEMBER 2021 ~ VOL. 42 NO. 5 ~ COMPLIMENTARY

Contents

Features 40 Catholic Charities puts faith into action

By Janet Marcel

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Parish Recovery Assistance Centers

By Janet Marcel

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Chauvin family starts over

By Janet Marcel

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Dulac native’s home left in ruins

By Janet Marcel

Columns 8 Comfort For My People

By Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

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Pope Speaks

Pope Francis I

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Questions of Faith

By Father Joshua Rodrigue

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Readings Between the Lines

By Father Glenn LeCompte

39 Overtime

By Ed Daniels

In Every Issue 6 From the Editor 23 Scripture Readings 24 Heavenly Recipes 30 Youth In Action 32 Daily Prayer for Priests,

Deacons, Religious and Seminarians

Guest Columns 18 History of the Mass: Part Two

By Father Wilmer Todd

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The Good Shepherd: Part Two

By Father Michael Bergeron

Announcements 26 Wedding anniversary celebrations 34 Father Joshua Rodrigue

On Our Cover

Advent candles are a familiar symbol of the season of Advent. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre says in his monthly column Comfort For My People that in his opinion, the character that is given to the season of Advent by its prayers and readings are among the most hope-filled images found in the Liturgical Year.

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named rector of Notre Dame Seminary Vandebilt names academic scholars Christmas Mass schedules

December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 3

Special Collection for Diocesan Priests Retirement Fund December 11 and 12, 2021

“On the weekend of December 11 and December 12, I pray that everyone will support the collection for the retired priests of the diocese.”

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

Bayou Catholic How to reach us:

BY PHONE: (985) 850-3132

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BY MAIL: P.O. Box 505 Schriever, LA 70395

BY FAX: (985) 850-3232

BY E-MAIL: bayoucatholic@htdiocese.org The Bayou Catholic is published monthly, for the people of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux by the H-T Publishing Co., P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395.

Subscription rate is $35 per year.

The Bayou Catholic is a member of the Catholic Press Association, the National Newspaper Association and an associate member of the Louisiana Press Association.

Lawrence Chatagnier

editor and general manager

April LeBouef

business manager

Janet Marcel

staff writer/administrative assistant

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Lisa Schobel Hebert graphic designer

Katie Luke

accounting specialist

Like us on Facebook or Find us on the web www.bayoucatholic.org

Where to find your Bayou Catholic

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Bayou Catholic magazine can be found at all Catholic churches and Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

To pick up a copy, you may also visit the merchants who advertise in our issue. Those wishing to receive the magazine by mail can call Janet Marcel at (985) 850-3132 or write to Bayou Catholic, P.O. Box 505, Schriever, LA 70395.

Subscription price is $35 annually. For the online edition, go to www.bayoucatholic.org

December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 5

From the Editor

Advent, Christmas and hope for those who are suffering

Another year has come to an end.

The month of December marks the end of the calendar year, however because we are in Advent, it is the beginning of a new liturgical year.

Like Lent, Advent is a preparatory season. It has significance because it is a season of looking forward and waiting for something greater: Both for the annual celebration of Christ’s birth and for the time when Christ will come again.

The themes and traditions of the Advent season have evolved throughout the history of the liturgical season.

The Advent wreath is likely the most popular tradition and is typically present in both the parish church and in the home. Many families will light the candles each Sunday and say Advent prayers together.

Looking through this month’s magazine you will notice that the articles and columns in the beginning of the issue are about Advent. Bishop Fabre’s and Father Glenn LeCompte’s columns are about how Advent is a time to

patiently await the return of the Lord. Advent is a season of hope; we light a new candle each week during Advent symbolizing that Christ, the light of the world, is coming.

There are also articles with a Christmas theme in this issue. In Questions of Faith, Father Joshua Rodrigue addresses the topic of the various liturgical celebrations associated with the Christmas liturgy. He explains the four liturgical celebrations of Christmas: The vigil Mass, Mass during the night, Mass at dawn and Mass during the day. We have included a repeat of Father Paul Birdsall’s guest column entitled “Christmas: Fives steps to making the material spiritual.”

We have also included in this issue a schedule of Christmas Mass and confession times in the church parishes throughout the diocese.

There is also continuing coverage of the work that has been and still is being done since Hurricane Ida impacted this area a little over two months ago.

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux (CCH-T) does much work throughout the year for those who find themselves in need of food, shelter, clothing, and especially now comfort, after Hurricane Ida. There is a story explaining the work of CCH-T to help our readers fully understand the scope of help that the agency provides through its many programs. Every year at Christmas, a collection is taken in

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all the churches in the diocese to help fund the work of CCH-T. The monies given at this time ensure that CCH-T will be able to help those who need it most. It stocks the shelves at the local food banks.

It helps keep the doors open at the clothing stores operated by CCH-T. It provides assistance for those who need help in emergency situations with rent and utilities throughout the year. Especially now it helps thousands who have been affected

by Hurricane Ida, especially those who have lost everything including their home.

There are many ways to donate.

You can drop your donation in the collection basket at Christmas or drop it off at your church parish office. You can give by visiting the website catholiccharitiesht.org/ give. You can mail your donation to Catholic Charities, 1220 Aycock St., Houma, LA 70360, or you can scan the QR code found in this issue, with your smartphone and give online.

On behalf of the Bayou Catholic staff, have a prayerful, hope-filled Advent season and a very Merry Christmas.

Remember, after reading Bayou Catholic, pass it on to a friend or relative who might not be attending Mass. It’s one of the great ways to do your part in spreading the Good News!

Lawrence

Lawrence Chatagnier Editor & General Manager

Church Life

St. Martin de Porres Mass The annual Mass honoring St. Martin de Porres was celebrated recently at St. Lucy Church in Houma. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre was the main celebrant of the Mass for Black Catholics. Music was provided by the St. Lucy Choir.

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 7

Comment

Advent: Patiently awaiting the return of the Lord

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

Greetings in this holy season of Advent!!! With the beginning of the season of Advent we embark upon a new Liturgical Year. The Liturgical Year is the structured prayerful format that the Roman Catholic Church undertakes in accepting the grace to reflect upon and to live the reality of God’s love in our lives.

The Liturgical Year takes us through: The preparation for the birth of the Lord (Advent); the birth of the Lord (Christmas); the season of preparation for the passion and suffering of the Lord (Lent); the passion and death of the Lord (Holy Week); the resurrection of the Lord (Easter); the Ascension of the Lord, the descent of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost); and then a number of Sundays referred to as ‘ordinary time’ or ‘counted’ Sundays when we delve deeper into the mystery of the reality of our relationship to Jesus Christ and what it calls us to embrace.

The Liturgical Year begins each year with the season of Advent. Advent means coming or arrival, and the season invites us to reflect upon and to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ to us in two ways. First, the season of Advent invites us to pray and reflect on the fact that Jesus will come again at the end of time. Therefore, the liturgies of the beginning of Advent are filled with readings about the second coming of Jesus Christ at the end of time.

However, on Dec. 17, the second focus of Advent emerges. The second focus of Advent shifts our reflection and prayer to preparing to celebrate again during the Christmas season the

first coming of Jesus in his historical birth at Bethlehem. Each season of the Liturgical Year has its own unique character that is supported by the readings and prayers of the different celebrations that are a part of it.

In my opinion, the character that is given to the season of Advent by its prayers and readings are among the most hope-filled images found in the Liturgical Year. Some of the most beautiful images in Scripture are found in the prophecy of Isaiah, and some

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I pray that in your life you will use the season of Advent to prepare the way of the Lord to come to your heart, and prepare to welcome the Lord when he comes in glory at the end of time.

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Comfort For My People

of the most powerful of these images have become heralds and hallmarks of the season of Advent. The readings from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah that will be used during the liturgies of Advent will provide us again with great reflection themes during this season of preparation and anticipation.

They are images of the peace that God has promised to us when the Kingdom of God is fully established.

Some of these promises are partially available to us now, but they will all be fully available when Jesus Christ comes again in his glory. So I encourage

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you to stay with the season of Advent during its very short time span, and I encourage you not to surrender too quickly in prayer and anticipation to the arrival of the joy of the Christmas season. The season of Advent has much to tell and to teach those who will be faithful to its call and character.

The focus of Advent is patient waiting, or patiently awaiting the return of the Lord. In these months that have followed the destruction of Hurricane Ida, many of us find ourselves waiting for various reasons – waiting for insurance claims, repairs to buildings, new roofs, or for a number of other occurrences in life. These aspects of waiting can serve to remind us that we are also awaiting the return of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory.

The images of the second part of the season of Advent seek to give us comfort as we wait, inviting us in all circumstances to place our hope in the Lord, whom we know will come to save us. I hope this year that Advent speaks very loudly to each of us with regard to our hope that is rooted in the Lord.

I pray that in your life you will use the season of Advent to prepare the way of the Lord to come to your heart, and prepare to welcome the Lord when he comes in glory at the end of time. I pray that you will also remember that through the power of the Holy Spirit the Lord is indeed always with us, right here and right now.

I also utilize this opportunity to wish to you and those whom you love all the blessings of Christmas. God’s greatest gift to us is his Son, Jesus Christ. Even more than we have in the past, I invite us in an even greater way this year to turn our attention and our generosity to those in our community who continue to suffer so deeply from the effects of the hurricane. May our loving generosity toward them during this time of the year allow hope to be born in their lives, and in our lives as well. Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year to all! BC

Comentario

Adviento: Pacientemente esperando la llegada del Señor imágenes más llenas de esperanza que se encuentran en el Año Litúrgico.

Algunas de las más hermosas imágenes de la Escritura son encontradas en el Profeta Isaías y algunas de las más poderosas de estas imágenes han llegado a ser heraldos y sellos del tiempo del Adviento. Las lecturas del libro del Profeta Isaías que serán usadas durante las liturgias del tiempo de Adviento nos proveerán nuevamente con grandes temas de reflexión durante este tiempo de preparación y anticipación. Ellas son

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Oro para que en sus vidas dediquen en el tiempo del Adviento para preparar el camino del Señor que llega a sus corazones, y preparar la bienvenida del Señor cuando venga en su gloria al final de los tiempos.

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¡Saludos en este tiempo santo de Adviento! Con el inicio del tiempo de Adviento damos comienzo a un nuevo Año Litúrgico. El Año Litúrgico es el formato orante estructurado que la Iglesia Católica Romana emprende al aceptar la gracia para reflexionar y vivir la realidad del amor de Dios en nuestras vidas.

El Año Litúrgico nos lleva a través de: La preparación para el nacimiento del Señor (Adviento); el nacimiento del Señor (Navidad); el tiempo de preparación para la pasión y sufrimiento del Señor (Cuaresma); la pasión y muerte del Señor (Semana Santa); la resurrección del Señor (Pascua); la Ascensión del Señor, la venida del Espíritu Santo (Pentecostés); y enseguida un número de domingos señalados como ‘Tiempo Ordinario’ o Domingos ‘contados’ cuando profundizamos en el misterio de la realidad de nuestra relación con Jesucristo y de la cual estamos llamados a abrazar.

El Año Litúrgico inicia cada año con el tiempo del Adviento. Adviento significa venida o llegada, y este tiempo nos invita a reflexionar y a prepararnos para la llegada de Jesucristo en dos maneras. Primero, el tiempo del Adviento nos invita a orar y a reflexionar en el hecho de que Jesús vendrá nuevamente al final de los tiempos. Por lo tanto, las liturgias de Adviento son abundantes en lecturas acerca de la segunda venida de Jesucristo al final de los tiempos.

Sin embargo, el 17 de diciembre, el segundo enfoque del Adviento emerge.

El segundo enfoque del Adviento cambia de nuestra reflexión y oración a prepararnos para celebrar nuevamente durante la Navidad la primera venida de Jesús en su nacimiento histórico en Belén. Cada tiempo del Año Litúrgico tiene su propio y único carácter que es respaldado por las lecturas y oraciones de las diferentes celebraciones que son parte de esta.

En mi opinión, en el carácter que se le da al tiempo del Adviento por sus oraciones y lecturas se hayan las

imágenes de la paz que Dios nos ha prometido cuando el Reino de Dios este plenamente establecido.

Algunas de estas promesas están parcialmente disponibles para nosotros ahora, pero todas ellas serán completamente disponibles cuando Jesucristo venga de nuevo en su gloria. Por lo tanto, los animo a vivir el tiempo del Adviento durante su muy corto lapso de tiempo y los aliento a no rendirse tan fácilmente en la oración y preparación para la llegada del gozo del tiempo de Navidad. El tiempo

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del Adviento tiene mucho que decir y enseñar a quienes sean fieles a su llamado y carácter.

El enfoque del Adviento es paciente espera, o pacientemente esperando el regreso del Señor. En estos meses que han seguido a la destrucción del Huracán Ida, muchos nos encontramos a nosotros mismos esperando por varias razonesesperando por reclamos de aseguranza, reparación de construcciones, techos nuevos, o por una serie de otros sucesos en la vida. Estos aspectos de espera pueden servir para recordarnos que también esperamos la llegada del Jesucristo el Señor en su gloria.

La imagen de la segunda parte del tiempo del Adviento busca darnos consuelo mientras esperamos, invitándonos en todas las circunstancias a poner nuestra esperanza en el Señor, quien sabemos vendrá a salvarnos.

Espero que, en este año el Adviento nos hable muy fuerte a cada uno de nosotros en cuanto a nuestra esperanza, la cual está enraizada en el Señor.

Oro para que en sus vidas dediquen en el tiempo del Adviento para preparar el camino del Señor que llega a sus corazones, y preparar la bienvenida del Señor cuando venga en su gloria al final de los tiempos. Oro para que también recuerden que a través del poder del Espíritu Santo el Señor realmente está siempre con nosotros, aquí y ahora.

También aprovecho esta oportunidad para desearles a ustedes y a aquellos a quienes aman las bendiciones de la Navidad. El más grande regalo de Dios para nosotros es su Hijo, Jesucristo.

Incluso más de lo que hicimos en el pasado, los invito de una manera aún mayor a dirigir nuestra atención y nuestra generosidad a aquellos en nuestra comunidad quienes continúan sufriendo tan profundamente los efectos del huracán.

Que nuestra generosidad amorosa hacia ellos durante esta época del año permita que la esperanza nazca en sus vidas, y también en nuestras vidas.

Feliz Navidad y un bendecido Año Nuevo para todos! BC

Binh luan bang loi

Mùa Vọng: Kiên nhẫn đợi chờ Chúa lại đến tìm thấy trong năm phụng vụ. Một vài hình ảnh vượt trội đó trong Kinh Thánh tìm thấy trong sách tiên tri Isaiah và một số hình ảnh ấn tượng nhất đã trở thành hướng đi và dấu chỉ của Mùa Vọng.

Các bài đọc trích từ sách Tiên Tri Isaiah mà chúng ta dùng trong phụng vụ Mùa Vọng một lần nữa sẽ giúp chúng ta suy tư có chiều sâu nói về các chủ đề chuẩn bị đón chờ và tiên liệu. Đó là những hình

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Tôi cầu nguyện cho đời sống anh chị em sẽ dùng Mùa Vọng để chuẩn bị con đường Chúa đến với tâm hồn anh chị em, và chuẩn bị đón Chúa khi Ngài lại đến trong ngày quang lâm.

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Kính chào anh chị em trong Mùa Vọng Thánh!!! Bắt đầu Mùa Vọng chúng ta mở ra Năm Phụng Vụ mới. Năm Phụng Vụ được cấu trúc trong phạm vi suy niệm rằng Giáo Hội Công Giáo quyết tâm lãnh nhận ân sủng Chúa để suy tư và sống thực tế với tình yêu Chúa trong đời sống.

Năm Phụng Vụ hướng dẫn chúng ta như sau: Chuẩn bị mừng Chúa Giáng Sinh (Mùa Vọng); Mừng Chúa Giáng Sinh (Lễ Giáng Sinh); Chuẩn bị cho sự thương khó và khổ nạn của Chúa (Mùa Chay); thương khó và tử nạn của Chúa (Tuần Thánh); phục sinh của Chúa (Lễ Phục Sinh); Chúa thăng thiên, Chúa Thánh Thần Hiện Xuống (Lễ Hiện Xuống); và rồi một số ngày Chúa Nhật được chỉ định là các Chúa Nhật thường niên hoặc một số ngày Chúa Nhật để giúp ta đào sâu thêm sự nhiệm mầu của lòng gắn bó với Chúa Giêsu mà sự gắn bó đó kêu gọi chúng ta ấp ủ.

Năm Phụng Vụ khởi đầu hàng năm vào Mùa Vọng. Mùa Vọng có nghĩa là đang tới hay đến, và mùa đó mời gọi chúng ta suy gẫm và chuẩn bị ngày Chúa Giêsu đến trong hai cách: Thứ nhất, Mùa Vọng mời gọi chúng ta cầu nguyện và suy gẫm sự thật rằng Chúa Giêsu lại đến khi ngày tận thế tới. Do đó, trong nghi lễ phụng vụ khởi đầu Mùa Vọng chứa đầy các bài đọc nói về Chúa Giêsu Kitô lại đếng trong ngày quang lâm. Tuy nhiên, từ ngày 17 tháng 12, chủ đề thứ hai thể hiện. Chủ đề thứ hai Mùa Vọng chuyển tông về suy gẫm và kinh nguyện để chuẩn bị đón mừng Chúa Giáng Sinh lần đầu tiên trong Mùa Giáng Sinh mà lịch sử ghi rõ Chúa Giêsu đã sinh ra tại Bê Lem. Mỗi mùa phụng vụ trong năm đều có chủ̀ đề cá biệt mà nó được tô điểm qua các bài đọc và kinh nguyện mà mỗi lần dâng Thánh Lễ đều thấy được.

Theo ý kiến cá nhân, chủ đề đặt ra cho Mùa Vọng qua kinh nguyện và các bài đọc vượt trội đáng chú ý về những hình ảnh chứa đầy niềm hy vọng được

ảnh an bình mà Thiên Chúa đã hứa với chúng ta khi nước Ngài hoàn toàn được thành lập.

Một vài lời hứa ngay lúc này đã hiện thực, nhưng tất cả sẽ được ban cho chúng ta khi Chúa Giêsu lại đến trong vinh quang. Vì thế tôi khuyến khích anh chị em để tâm vào Mùa Vọng trong khoảng khắc ngắn ngủi của nó, và tôi khuyến khích anh chị em không đầu hàng quá

nhanh trong kinh nguyện và sự tiên liệu đón mừng niềm vui Mùa Giáng Sinh.

Mùa Vọng có nhiều thứ cần nói và bài học cho những ai trung thành với ơn gọi và cá tính của nó.

Trọng tâm của Mùa Vọng là sự đợi chờ trong kiên nhẫn hay kiên nhẫn đợi chờ ngày Chúa lại đến. Trong những tháng ngày sau cơn bão Ida rất nhiều người trong chúng ta đợi nhiều thứ khác nhau – như tiền bảo hiểm, sửa chữa nhà cửa, mái nhà mới hay một vài biến cố khác trong đời. Tất cả sự mong đợi vừa rồi có thể giúp chúng ta vận óc ra rằng chúng ta đang mong đợi Chúa Giêsu Kytô sẽ trở lại trong vinh quang.

Những hình ảnh phần hai của Mùa Vọng mang lại cho chúng ta sự êm ấm trong lúc đợi chờ, mời gọi chúng ta trong bất cứ hoàn cảnh nào đặt niềm hy vọng vào Chúa, Người mà chúng ta tin đến giải cứu chúng ta. Tôi hy vọng rằng Mùa Vọng năm nay là tiếng vang cho từng người rằng niềm hy vọng có gốc rễ từ Thiên Chúa.

Tôi cầu nguyện cho đời sống anh chị em sẽ dùng Mùa Vọng để chuẩn bị con đường Chúa đến với tâm hồn anh chị em, và chuẩn bị đón Chúa khi Ngài lại đến trong ngày quang lâm. Tôi cũng cầu nguyện để anh chị em sẽ nhớ rằng qua quyền năng Chúa Thánh Thần Thiên Chúa luôn hiện diện với chúng ta, ngay tại đây và bây giờ.

Tôi cũng dùng cơ hội này gửi tới anh chị em và những người thân thương mọi ân sủng của Chúa Giáng Sinh. Món quà cao quý nhất mà Thiên Chúa ban là Con Ngài, Chúa Giêsu Kitô. Và còn hơn thế nữa trong quá khứ, tôi mời gọi anh chị em một cách quảng đại hơn năm nay quan tâm và giúp đỡ những ai trong cộng đồng đang đau khổ nhiều do ảnh hưởng bão tố. Xin vì tấm lòng quảng đại của chúng ta mang lại cho họ trong năm nay để cho niềm hy vọng lại được phục sinh trong đời họ, và cũng trong đời chúng ta nữa. Chúc Mừng Giáng Sinh và Năm Mới ân sủng ở cùng anh chị em! BC

December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 11

Comment

Pope Francis: Crisis in marriage is an ‘opportunity,’ not a ‘curse’ The Pope Speaks

By HANNAH BROCKHAUS Vatican City, (CNA) Pope Francis recently praised the worldwide Christian marriage ministry Retrouvaille for giving spouses the opportunity to overcome crises in their relationship and grow as a couple.

The pope met members of Retrouvaille at the Vatican in early November. The lay-led ministry runs a Christian program to help struggling couples overcome difficulties and restore their marriage.

“Today there is a great need for people, for spouses who know how to testify that crisis is not a curse, it is part of the journey, and constitutes an opportunity,” Francis said.

He added that priests and bishops also need to show couples that the opportunity to grow and change exists even in the midst of difficult relational struggles.

The Retrouvaille program, which began in Quebec, Canada, in 1977, is Catholic in origin, but serves couples of any faith. Today the volunteer ministry has communities in Canada, Central and South America, Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and the United States.

The name “Retrouvaille” is French for “rediscovery.”

Pope Francis praised the group for its ministry to couples who are experiencing a serious crisis in their marriage.

“This is very important, we must not be afraid of crisis,” he said. “Crisis helps us to grow, and what we must take care of is not to fall into conflict,

VATICAN MEDIA PHOTO

Pope Francis greets a couple during a meeting with members of the Retrouvaille marriage ministry. because when you fall into conflict you close your heart and there is no solution to the conflict -- or barely.”

He also noted that “wounds” is an important word in the Retrouvaille ministry, because the mentor couples have themselves been wounded by experiencing difficulty in their relationships, and now that they are healed, they “are able to help other wounded couples.”

“You have been in crisis, you have been wounded; thanks to God and with the help of your brothers and sisters you are healed; and you have decided to share your experience, to put it at the service of others,” he stated.

Pope Francis said life will always have challenges to overcome because it is human life and it does not take place in a sterile laboratory.

This is why Catholic clergy as well as laity should learn from Jesus about how to accompany husbands and wives who are struggling, he said.

One image in the Bible which can be helpful, he pointed out, is when the risen Jesus meets the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

“Jesus does not appear from above, from heaven, to say in a thunderous

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voice: ‘You two, where are you going?

Go back.’ No, he starts walking alongside them along the road, without being recognized. He listens to their crisis. He invites them to speak, to express themselves,” Francis said.

“And then he raises them from their folly, surprises them by revealing to them a different perspective, which already existed, was already written, but they had not understood it,” he continued. “They had not understood that Christ had to suffer and die on the cross, that crisis is part of the history of salvation.”

“Accompanying means ‘wasting time’ to stay close to crisis situations.

And often it takes a long time, it takes patience, respect, availability,” he explained.

Pope Francis thanked the couples of Retrouvaille for their commitment to others, entrusting their ministry to the protection of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.

“This is your gift, the experience you have lived and you place at the service of others. Thank you so much for this.

It is a precious gift both on a personal and ecclesial level,” he said. BC

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808 Barrow St. • Houma, LA 70360 December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 13

Comment

Questions of Faith Father Joshua Rodrigue

Christmas Masses A couple of us at work were talking about Christmas Masses, especially Midnight Mass. When we were younger the Midnight Mass had a greater attendance than it does today. It seems that people are more likely to go to the early Vigil Mass rather than Midnight Mass or even Mass on Christmas Day. What does the church recommend?

The church celebrates the Nativity of the Lord with four Masses – the Vigil Mass, Mass during the Night, Mass at Dawn and Mass during the Day. After the new Roman Missal of 2009, the Mass at Midnight changed to the Mass during the Night. With that change in name, no longer did the Mass have to be celebrated at midnight, but instead at any time during the night.

Some parishes still keep that Mass at midnight while others have decided to move it up to an earlier time at night. Perhaps a look at each of the Masses and their development over the centuries will help to understand how they relate to each other.

The Vigil Mass Liturgically speaking, a vigil may be observed by keeping watch during the night as a devotional exercise or ritual observance on the eve of a major religious feast or solemnity. Several solemnities, such as the Nativity of John the Baptist, the Assumption, and Christmas, are given their own vigil Mass, which is used at Mass on the evening of the preceding day. The readings and prayers of such vigil

Masses differ from the texts used in the Masses on the day itself.

Historically, the vigil Mass is not included as one of the three Masses of Christmas. It was a celebration on the afternoon of Dec. 24 just before the celebration of the solemnity. The proper texts of the vigil carry with them the sense that the Christmas celebration is near but not yet made present. The Gospel acclamation even starts with the word “tomorrow,” and the first reading from Isaiah 62 speaks entirely in terms of the future. The tone of the vigil of Christmas is mostly one of expectation, not of proclaiming salvation that is already made present.

Matthew’s Gospel proclaimed at the vigil begins with the genealogy of Jesus and ends right at the birth. Much to the disappointment of some parishioners when hearing this Gospel, there is no baby in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes, no ox and donkey, no angels singing “Glory to God in the highest,” no shepherds, no sheep. Priests have unfortunately and incorrectly used the readings for the Mass during the Night and applied them to the vigil because parishioners want to hear the story of the Nativity. Isn’t it rather odd hearing about the birth of Jesus in the middle of the night and singing “Silent Night” and “O, Holy Night” when it is still daylight?

The difficulty is that the vigil, in practice, is now seen as the first Mass of Christmas rather than being a Mass of expectation, bridging the waiting and longing of Advent with the fulfillment of the coming of the Messiah celebrated at Christmas.

Mass during the Night Various traditions place the birth of Jesus at midnight, and so the first Mass celebrated for centuries was at midnight. This Mass is sometimes called the Angel’s Mass as it recalls the announcement of the angels to the shepherds, proclaiming that Jesus Christ was born. Christians of Jerusalem in the late fourth century commemorated the Christmas mystery with a midnight vigil at Bethlehem followed by a torchlight procession to Jerusalem, arriving at dawn to the Church of the Resurrection (Anastasis in Greek).

14 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

Nearly 50 years later in Rome, Pope Sixtus III built the great basilica of St. Mary Major with a chapel that reproduced the cave of Bethlehem. The relic of the crib of Christ, still venerated today in St. Mary Major, was placed in this chapel in the seventh century.

Pope Sixtus III, probably inspired by the custom of the midnight vigil held in Jerusalem, instituted the practice of a Mass at midnight in this grotto-like chapel.

While the practice of celebrating Midnight Mass continues, many churches now hold their “Midnight” Mass at an earlier hour. With it now being Mass during the Night, even the Pope has celebrated this Mass at an earlier time in St. Peter’s Basilica, and other church parishes have also favored an earlier time in order to meet various pastoral needs, such as families with children not being out as late and also giving musicians or choir members who are scheduled to play or sing again on Christmas day a little extra time to sleep.

One part of this liturgy that is not celebrated at the other Masses is the proclamation of the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord from the Roman Martyrology, which is chanted or recited before the beginning of this Mass and “draws upon Sacred Scripture to declare in a formal way the birth of Christ. It begins with creation and relates the birth of the Lord to the major events and personages of sacred and secular history. The particular events contained in the announcement help pastorally to situate the birth of Jesus in the context of salvation history” (from The Roman Missal).

Mass at Dawn In Rome around 550 A.D., the Pope and some members of the curia celebrated a second Mass sometime before dawn at the Church of St. Anastasia, whose feast day also fell on Dec. 25 and had nothing to do with Christmas. Perhaps inspired by the practice of the dawn Mass in the Church of the Resurrection (Anastasis) in Jerusalem, and coupled with the similarity of the name Anastasia, this celebration transforms into a second Christmas Mass.

This Mass is celebrated at

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dawn, and the readings highlight the shepherds’ role in proclaiming the good news of Christ’s birth and for this reason became known as the Shepherds’ Mass. Sacred Scripture read at this Mass also draws a parallel between Christ and the sun. As the darkness of the land flees from the rays of the rising sun, it recalls how Jesus, the Light of the World, dispels the darkness of sin and death at his birth.

Mass during the Day The final Christmas Mass is celebrated in the fullness of daylight, signifying that the promised Son of God has now been revealed to the whole world and so is traditionally referred to as the Kings’ Mass. While there is no mention of the three kings, the readings and prayers for the Mass rejoice in the coming of Jesus and invite people

of all nations to worship the King of kings and look forward to the coming of the Magi at Epiphany. The readings, along with the magnificent prologue of John’s Gospel, focus upon the profound mystery of the Incarnation, of the Word of God becoming flesh.

Conclusion Because the Incarnation is so great a mystery, all four celebrations of the Nativity are necessary to reveal various aspects of the truth of God becoming incarnate to save and redeem us. While our choice of Mass for Christmas might more so be based upon a convenient time – early Mass, home for supper and a family gathering, perhaps exchange some Christmas presents, put the children in bed at a decent hour and have a leisurely Christmas morning to follow – perhaps this year choose

to go to Mass during the Night or on Christmas day to encompass the joy of proclaiming the birth of our Savior.

Possibly look at it this way, you won’t have to go two hours early to get a seat and then be packed like sardines. This may allow you truly to enter into the joy and peace of the season. Nevertheless, whichever Mass you attend may you have a blessed Christmas. BC

Readers are encouraged to send their questions to our local Bayou Catholic columnists by email to bayoucatholic@htdiocese.org.

December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 15

Reflections

Advent: A time to reflect on the word of God, embrace it, and act on it Readings Between the Lines Father Glenn LeCompte

Advent, the season when we reflect on readying ourselves for Christ’s second coming and preparing ourselves to celebrate his first coming, is here again. In 1988, the late Roman Catholic biblical scholar, Father Raymond E. Brown, S.S., published a small book entitled, A Coming Christ in Advent (Collegeville, MN, Liturgical Press). In this book Father Brown sets out to demonstrate how the Scriptures from Matthew’s and Luke’s first two chapters, when read during Advent, help us to prepare ourselves especially to celebrate Christ’s first coming. In the foreword of the book, Father Brown says, “The Messiah did not come without the preparatory period of Israel’s history or without the preparatory responses of fidelity

by Joseph and Mary. The liturgy offers a third time of preparation that affects our lives, for Christ will not come in his fullness to us unless we too are prepared.” In this article I will summarize Father Brown’s reflections on three texts from Luke’s Gospel: The Annunciation to Mary (1:26-38), read on Monday of the fourth week of Advent; Mary’s Visitation of Elizabeth (1:39-45), read on the fourth Sunday of Advent this year; and The Magnificat (1:46-55), read on Wednesday of the fourth week of Advent. I will also offer some of my own reflections on the topic Father Brown treats in his book.

A primary motif which runs through Luke’s Gospel and Acts of the Apostles is the announcement of the Good News, people’s response to it and how that response affects their lives.

Akin to the motif of evangelization

The visitation of Mary and Elizabeth is that of prophecy, which here means “the announcement of God’s word.” Those who will hear Jesus’ or his apostles’ prophetic word and embrace it are known as disciples.

In the episode of The Annunciation, a word of God is proclaimed to Mary by the angel, Gabriel. This word is a divine announcement which engages Mary’s life, but does not deprive her of her freedom. The angel begins by declaring to her the prerequisite to his announcement; Mary is “full of grace.”

On the one hand, this phrase refers to what will happen to Mary (she will conceive the Messiah); on the other hand, it acknowledges that by the way she has lived her life up to this point she is disposed to fulfill God’s intended role for her (Brown, A Coming Christ, p. 63).

God has ordained that Mary is to conceive, by means of divine power, a child who will be both the anticipated Messiah descended from David and the divine Son of God. This is God’s word to Mary, but she must respond to it.

Her first response is a question as to how this will happen, since she has had no sexual relations with her betrothed (Joseph). This question enables Gabriel to explain how the process is to take place. She will become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit, thus the child she will bear will be, in addition to being the son (descendant) of David, the Son of God.

16 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

So the stage is set and Mary must respond. Her response is, “Behold the female slave of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.” That response of Mary’s highlights Luke’s central characterization of Mary as the primordial disciple of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel. In Luke 8:19-21, when Jesus is told that his mother and brothers are outside waiting to see him. He responds that his (true) mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and do it. This is exactly what happens with Mary’s response to Gabriel’s announcement. She demonstrates true discipleship by heeding God’s word and acting upon it.

Regarding Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, Father Brown states, “Elizabeth’s prophetic greeting is of interest in Luke’s portrait of Mary’s discipleship” (Brown, A Coming Christ, p. 66). Her prophetic utterance is phrased in the form of three statements of blessing: 1) “Blessed are you among women” (1:42), 2) “Blessed is the fruit of your womb” (1:42), and 3) “Fortunate (blessed) is she who believed that what has been told her by the Lord is to be accomplished” (1:45). Mary, as a woman, enjoys God’s favor because she is the mother of the Messiah. For the third blessing mentioned above, Luke uses a Greek word different from the two previous blessings, makaria, a word which anticipates Jesus’

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beatitudes pronounced over the poor, the hungry, the weeping and the despised (6:20-22). Mary is primarily fortunate or blessed because she heeded God’s word spoken to her.

While Mary is blessed to be the mother of the Messiah, she is blessed even more because she heeds the divine word. In Luke 11:27, an anonymous woman in the crowd will pronounce a blessing (makaria) over Mary as the one who bore and suckled Jesus. But Jesus corrects her by saying, “Instead, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (11:28). In other words, the greatest characteristic, in the context of the Kingdom Jesus proclaims, Mary possesses is her listening to God’s word and doing what God says. Father Brown comments on Elizabeth’s third declaration of Mary’s blessedness, “This reiterates the supreme importance of hearing the word of God and doing it, and anticipates Jesus’ own encomium of his mother (Luke 8:21).” Elizabeth

confirms what Mary displayed in her “yes” to God’s plan announced by Gabriel; she is faithful to God’s word and as such is a true disciple.

Mary’s response to all of this is the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). Father Brown states that “By placing this canticle on Mary’s lips ... Luke has made a statement about discipleship and gospel” (Brown, A Coming Christ, p. 67). He goes to say, “... she does not proclaim the greatness of the saving God because He has sent the Messiah, His Son. Rather, her praise interprets the sending” (Brown, A Coming Christ, p. 68).

How do these passages help prepare us to celebrate Christ’s coming? First, they cause us, in imitation of Mary, the model disciple, to reflect on how we listen to the word of God, embrace it and act on it in our own lives. Secondly, we must announce the word of God we have heard and interpret it for others. As Father Brown (A Coming Christ., p. 70) says, “As we look forward in Advent to the coming of Christ, let us ask ourselves

how this year we are going to interpret for others what we believe happens at Christmas, so that they will be able to appreciate what the angel announced at the first Christmas (Luke 2:10-11).” BC

Reflection Questions v How can you put God’s word into practice in your life during this Advent season? v What kind of preparations do you make in your life in anticipation of Christ’s return? v How would you explain to others the message of the angel to the shepherds in Luke 2:10-11, “I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.”

December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 17

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The “Gregorian Chant” is named to honor St. Gregory’s patient labor in restoring the ancient chant.

The History of the Roman Catholic Mass: Part II Guest Columnist Father Wilmer Todd

(This is part two of a series of articles on the history of the Roman Catholic Mass.)

From the 2nd to the 4th centuries, the celebration of the Eucharist continued mostly in homes based on the writings of several persons: St. Ignatius of Antioch

(35-108 A.D.), St. Justin Martyr (100165 A.D.), and St. Hippolytus (170-236 A.D.). St. Hippolytus was a Roman priest and the most prolific religious writer of the church until the time of Constantine. His greatest work is the Apostolic Tradition that many scholars regard as the first real liturgical document outlining what was done and said in the liturgy. It features the first text of a Eucharistic Prayer. Today’s Eucharistic Prayer II was modeled after the Eucharistic Prayer of St. Hippolytus.

In October 312 A.D., the Emperor Constantine was marching into battle when he looked at the sky and saw

18 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

a cross over the sun with the words “in this sign, you will conquer.”

Constantine attributed his victory to the Christian God. Later, in February 313 A.D., Constantine (the Western Roman Emperor) and Licinius (the Eastern Roman Emperor) signed an agreement in Milan that ended the persecution of Christians within the entire Roman Empire.

Because of this Edict of Milan, many people felt free to join the church, and the Mass gravitated from private homes and the Catacombs to public buildings. Constantine took great interest in Christianity and promoted the rites and ceremonies for

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eucharistic celebrations. An important change was Latin replaced Greek as the language of the people and the Eucharist.

In 325 A.D., Constantine called together the bishops to the Council of Nicaea. As a result, the Council set four patriarchates: Rome, Jerusalem, Alexandria and Antioch. In 381 A.D., Constantinople was added as the fifth patriarchate.

Each patriarchate began to develop its own liturgies. Milan had the Ambrosian rite, Spain had the Mozarabic rite, France and Germany had the Gallican rite, and England and Ireland had the Celtic rite. North Africa had the Coptic rite while Constantinople had the Byzantine rite. They all had a basic pattern with some deviations.

The Council of Nicaea also dealt with the heresy of Arianism initiated by the Alexandrian priest Arius who maintained that the Father created the Son of God and was neither coeternal with the Father nor consubstantial. This would have a great effect on future liturgies.

The celebrants of the Mass began to use “Little Books” that contained prayers for Mass. The Verona Sacramentary is the oldest surviving liturgical book of the Roman rite.

It is a collection of prayers for certain Masses but not the Scriptures or the Eucharistic Prayer. They often call it the Leonine Sacramentary because it has been attributed to St. Leo I (pope from 440-461 A.D.).

The second oldest liturgical book in the Roman rite is the Gelasian Sacramentary that is ascribed to Pope St. Gelasius I (pope from 492-496 A.D.). It contains Masses for Sundays and feast days, prayers, rites and blessings. It did not contain the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) that was introduced by Pope St. Sergius I in 700 A.D. The Eucharist reached a high point under the guidance of Pope Gregory the Great (pope from 590-604 A.D.). He is known for his magnificent contributions to the Liturgy of the Mass and the Divine Office. The “Gregorian Chant” is named to honor St. Gregory’s patient labor in restoring the ancient chant. He also set down the rules so that church music might more perfectly fulfill its function. The Gregorian Sacramentary (the part of the Roman Missal that contains the prayers and directives for Mass and many sacramental

Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass Am I not here, I who am your Mother? ¿No estor yo aquí que soy tu Madre?

Communities of Annunziata, Houma St. Andrew, Amelia Christ the Redeemer, Thibodaux Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cut Off are pleased to invite you and all your family to celebrate together Our Lady of Guadalupe December 11, 2021 St Bernadette Catholic Church 409 Funderburk Ave. Houma, LA 70364 6:00 PM Pray the Holy Rosary / Santo Rosario 7:00 PM Holy Mass preceded by Bishop Fabre Santa Misa precedida por Obispo Fabre 8:00 PM Reception with Matachines and songs Recepción y danza con Matachines y cantos

formulas but does not include the readings of the Mass) was attributed to him. It is the first liturgical book that was organized according to the Liturgical Year, and it contains chants written by Pope St. Gregory himself.

Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Office of Hispanic Ministry

(Father Wilmer Todd is a retired priest of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.) BC December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 19

Special

The Good Shepherd Guest Columnist Father Michael Bergeron

(This is part two in a series of articles about the relationship of a shepherd with his flock.)

Good Shepherd vs. Bad Shepherd Jesus contrasts the good shepherd with a hired hand. The sheep belong to the shepherd. He works very hard not to lose a single one of them. The hired hand, however, really could care less.

The sheep belong to someone else. Why should he risk his life for someone else’s sheep? We’ve all known people who have the attitude of the hired hand.

In Jesus’ day, a shepherd was born to the task. He was sent out to his flock as soon as he was old enough to go; the sheep became his friends and his companions and it became second nature to think of them before he even thought of himself, even at the risk of giving his life in order to save theirs.

But the false shepherd came to the job, not as a calling but as a means of making money. He was in it simply and solely for the pay he could get.

Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.

I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my

life for the sheep.”

This is a radical doctrine. A shepherd who cares so much for his sheep that he dies for them. You and I probably have never focused before too closely on Jesus’ exact words. Jesus says that he lays down his life for his sheep because he cares for them. We can understand the shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep because his family and his livelihood depend on those sheep.

If wolves attack those sheep, he would combat those wolves because that is his job. The wolves might be dangerous, but this is his responsibility. He knew the risks; it goes with the territory.

But that is not what Jesus is saying.

Jesus says he is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep – not because that is his job, but because he cares that much for the sheep. He values the lives of the sheep more than he values life itself.

Notice that he contrasts himself with a hired hand. “The hired hand,” he says, “who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away – and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.” Then he adds, “The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.”

That’s understandable. No sheep is worth dying for. They are dumb, smelly animals. Who in the world would die for a sheep? Only Jesus, the good shepherd.

Shepherds Lead their Flock It was customary for shepherds to lead their flocks instead of driving

20 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

them, as is done in the West. Even today, shepherds in the hills of Judea can be heard calling in a strange language to their sheep which hasten to follow.

The shepherd had to lead the sheep to forage and water, and if the sheep fell into a rocky crevice, the shepherd had to climb down to it to pull it to safety with his curved staff.

If the sheep is hurt in the fall, the shepherd stretched the animal over his shoulders, carried it to a safe place, and tended to its injuries.

There was a party of English tourists visiting Palestine and the tour guide was describing some of the customs of the Middle East. “Now,” he said, “you are accustomed to seeing the shepherd driving his sheep through the English lanes and countryside. But here in the East, things are different. The shepherd always leads the way, going before the flock. And the sheep always follow him, for they know his voice.”

As the party reached Palestine, the tourists couldn’t help but notice that almost the first sight to greet them was a flock of sheep being driven – not led – by a man. Well, the tour guide was astonished and angry. Immediately he went up to the shepherd and said: “How is it that you are driving these sheep?

Shepherds in the east do not drive their sheep, they lead their sheep.”

The man replied, “You are quite right, sir. The shepherd does lead his sheep. But you see, I’m not the shepherd, I’m the butcher!” There is a difference between the interest

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Part Two of the shepherd and the interest of the butcher. Jesus is described as the gentle shepherd, a shepherd who knows his sheep and is known by them.

A shepherd even willing to lay down his life for his sheep.

There was once a tourist who wanted to see for himself that sheep won’t follow a stranger – as Jesus said – “because they do not know his voice” (John 10:5). He arranged with a shepherd to put on the shepherd’s outer cloak and turban. Then he went outside to the flock. He yelled, “Manah!” (Arabic for “come!”). But not a single sheep budged. Impressed, the tourist asked, “Will your sheep ever follow anyone other than you?” “Yes,” said the shepherd. “Sometimes a sheep will get so sick, it will follow anyone.”

Think about it!

Now, without a shepherd nor leader, sheep are distracted, and scatter in every direction. It is a peculiarity of sheep that while they are so easily led by one whom they know, they are driven with difficulty. They huddle together as if frightened, and the more they are pressed, the more frightened they seem; but if the leaders start forward, the flock follows.

Another noteworthy trait is their memory of kindness. They never forget a little present of salt or grain, or a kind act of protection from danger; every benefit they repay with affection, confidently expecting renewals of it.

Sheep are remarkable also for their mutual affection. They love to feed with their heads close together, two or three

of them frequently keeping their heads so close as to seem like parts of one animal. The sudden start of a single member of a flock affects the whole, as if they were connected by nerves of mutual affection. When accidentally separated from its companions, the cries of a sheep or lamb, as it runs anxiously about, are pitiful. Affection for their shepherd is stronger than their mutual love. They will follow the shepherd away from their friends, and, I believe, even from their young.

Their affection for their young, also, is stronger than their love for one another. The sounds of affection which a mother sheep makes over her little lamb are of the most tender of all.

Shepherd Protects Sheep at Night Shepherds usually kept their sheep in caves at night. But they departed from this practice during lambing season. Crowded caves made poor birthing places for lambs. This would explain why the shepherds were spending the night in the fields during the birth of Jesus. It would also explain why Joseph and Mary might seek shelter in a cave. They knew it would be empty at this time.

It would be fitting for Jesus to be born at the same time that lambs destined for sacrifice in the Temple were born.

Jesus himself was destined to be the sacrificial “Lamb of God.” But at other times, outside birthing season, at night the sheep had to be protected from thieves and from wild

animals. The hills around Bethlehem were full of predators, including bears, leopards, jackals, and occasionally hyenas. The shepherd was usually armed with only a slingshot and a rod (a wooden club embedded with flint or nails). The sheep’s sole protection against sudden and violent death was the shepherd. In fighting off wild animals or thieves, a shepherd might lose his own life.

To help them protect the animals under their care, shepherds often built a sheepfold. This was an enclosure of high, mortarless stone walls topped with thorn branches to keep out wild animals. The fold had no gate, so the shepherd acted as a human gate by lying across the open entryway. When shepherds shared a sheepfold, they could take turns sleeping.

During the night, sheep from different flocks were put together in the communal sheepfold in which there was but one way in and one way out. The shepherd laying across the entrance was the gate. The shepherd would be awakened by a sheep straying out or perhaps by a marauder trying to break in and steal some of the sheep.

Sheep Know Shepherd’s Voice And the good shepherd knows his sheep. The individual sheep in a flock all look alike to the untrained eye. A good shepherd, however, can tell them apart – often because of their defects and peculiar traits. A man who was tending a large flock explained this to a Christian friend who

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December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 21

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The Good Shepherd Part Two Cont.

expressed surprise at his familiarity with each animal. “See that sheep over there?” he asked. “Notice how it toes in a little. The one behind it has a squint; the next one has a patch of wool off its back; ahead is one with a distinguishing black mark, while the one closest to us has a small piece torn out of its ear.” Observing all of them, the believer thought about Christ, the chief Shepherd, who also knows the individual weaknesses and failings of his flock and watches over the members with discerning love and sympathetic understanding.

When Jesus named himself the Good Shepherd, he was telling us that he does not look upon us merely as a bunch of stupid sheep, even though, quite frankly, I think we act that way. He knows our name as all good shepherds know the names of their sheep.

It might sound strange to us that a shepherd knew the names of his sheep. To a stranger, all sheep look pretty much alike. But not to a good shepherd. He knows them by names such as Square Jaw, Crooked Horn, Blind Eye, Long

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22 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • September 2021 December 2021

Neck, Lame One, and so forth. What Jesus had in mind is not so much a matter of knowledge, but a matter of love which results from that knowledge. The knowledge of each of us – Lonely One, Broken Hearted, Depressed Soul, Angry Heart. Our Good Shepherd cares about us and about our weaknesses. A false shepherd does not.

The relationship of the shepherd to his sheep was so close that while the shepherd of a flock could distinguish among his sheep, any sheep could recognize his master’s voice. A stranger could try to emulate the call, but it was difficult to fool the sheep, as they knew their master’s voice.

In the morning, the shepherds would return to the sheepfold to gather their own flocks. The sheep were not branded or marked in any way. They had been all mingled together for the night. Each shepherd simply knew his sheep, and they knew him.

The sheep would recognize the master’s voice, and assemble behind him to be led out to pasture. They would not respond to the call of a stranger, nor, much less, follow such a person.

The sheep have full confidence only in their shepherd.

Jesus is the shepherd and the sheep gate. He contrasts himself with the thief, who is not a true shepherd, nor does such a person have access to the entrance of the sheepfold.

As he says, whoever does not enter through the gate is a thief and marauder. We have many thieves who do not enter by the sheep gate and who try to lead the sheep astray.

The whole point of this is that Jesus will save his people from harm and death. The sheepfold is always open to those who would enter in good faith. But sheep are weak and need protection from themselves. They would wander off if not properly guided and continuously protected from harm.

Jesus is the gatekeeper that holds us true to our faith and keeps us safe in his care.

Jesus is the gate through which we must pass to enter God’s kingdom of the spirit. There is no other way to enter God’s kingdom of the spirit. There is no other way to get in, despite the pretensions of false teachers and prophets who claim ability to lead people to happiness another way.

It is only Jesus himself and those shepherds whom he has designated who can lead us through the gate.

It is obvious that Jesus was not really talking about sheep.

He was talking about people and about himself. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that one. He was telling his disciples that he would not run away from danger. He would stand his ground, even if it meant sacrificing his own life in order to save them. Why would a man do that, sacrifice himself for his friends?

Clearly enough, the answer is not money. No amount of money could convince a person to give up his own life.

The only possible answer is love. Jesus, the Lamb of God sacrificed himself for love.

(Father Michael Bergeron is a retired priest of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.) BC

December Scripture Readings and a listing of Feast days and saints

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1

2

3

4

Advent Weekday Isaiah 25:6-10a Matthew 15:29-37

5 Second Sunday of Advent Baruch 5:1-9 Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 Luke 3:1-6

6 Advent Weekday Isaiah 35:1-10 Luke 5:17-26

7 Memorial of Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the church Isaiah 40:1-11 Matthew 18:12-14

8

13

14

15

Third Sunday of Advent Zephaniah 3:14-18a Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:10-18

Memorial of Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a Matthew 21:23-27

Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the church Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 Matthew 21:28-32

Advent Weekday Isaiah 45:6b-8, 18, 21c-25 Luke 7:18b-23

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20

21

22

26 Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 Colossians 3:12-21 Luke 2:41-52

Advent Weekday Isaiah 7:10-14 Luke 1:26-38

27 Feast of Saint John, apostle and evangelist 1 John 1:1-4 John 20:1a, 2-8

Advent Weekday Song of Songs 2:8-14 Luke 1:39-45

9

Advent Weekday Solemnity of Isaiah 41:13-20 the Immaculate Matthew 11:11-15 Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Genesis 3:9-15, 20 Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12 Luke 1:26-38

12

Fourth Sunday of Advent Micah 5:1-4a Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-45

Advent Weekday Isaiah 26:1-6 Matthew 7:21, 24-27

Advent Weekday 1 Samuel 1:24-28 Luke 1:46-56

16 Advent Weekday Isaiah 54:1-10 Luke 7:24-30

23 Advent Weekday Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 Luke 1:57-66

Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, priest Isaiah 29:17-24 Matthew 9:27-31

Advent Weekday Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26 Matthew 9:35— 10:1, 5a, 6-8

10

11

Advent Weekday Isaiah 48:17-19 Matthew 11:16-19

Advent Weekday Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11 Matthew 17:9a, 10-13

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18

Advent Weekday Advent Weekday Genesis 49:2, 8-10 Jeremiah 23:5-8 Matthew 1:1-17 Matthew 1:18-25

24 Advent Weekday 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 Luke 1:67-79

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Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs 1 John 1:5—2:2 Matthew 2:13-18

Fifth Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord 1 John 2:3-11 Luke 2:22-35

Sixth Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord 1 John 2:12-17 Luke 2:36-40

Seventh Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord 1 John 2:18-21 John 1:1-18

25 Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord Isaiah 52:7-10 Hebrews 1:1-6 John 1:1-18

December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 23

Heavenly Recipes

Story and Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

Kasey’s no bake fettucine

Kasey Champagne 24 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

Kasey Champagne, a native of Cut Off and resident of Gray, shares her grandmother’s recipe for Cajun Shrimp Fettucine. It is a recipe she recalls using while she was in high school to prepare a meal in her home economics class when she was a senior.

Kasey, a staff accountant for the diocese, says she is cooking more these days than in the past. “Now that I am married I tend to cook meals a little more. Before I was married I cooked with mostly easy and quick recipes.”

Kasey and her husband Taylor, who is also an accountant, met while they were attending Nicholls. The couple, who are parishioners of the Cathedral parish of St. Francis de Sales in Houma, have been married for one year. Kasey has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in business administration. She chose the accounting field because she thought it fit her personality. “Accounting is a great match for my skill set and personality. It is a great fit for my interests. I enjoy the fact that I can focus on a task and see it through to completion. I also enjoy working with the many bookkeepers in the church parishes. If they have a problem I lend them a hand. I enjoy helping them become more confident in their work.”

The young accountant has been working for the diocese for almost two and a half years and enjoys working at the Pastoral Center. “I like being around people who support each other. I also enjoy working with the people in the church parishes. One of the things I appreciate most is

a

Heavenly Recipes

Cajun Shrimp Fettucine Ingredients: 1 stick butter 1 large bell pepper, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 tbsp. liquid crab boil 1 pack fettuccine pasta 16 oz. Velvetta cheese, cubed 2 cups half and half 1lb. shrimp Garlic powder Salt Pepper Tony Chacheres

Directions: Cook the fettuccine pasta as directed on the package. Heat your pot to medium and melt butter.

Sauté the onion and bell pepper in the melted butter until the onions look clear. Add shrimp, crab boil, and seasonings. Stir and cook the shrimp. Once the shrimp is cooked, add in the cheese. Lower the fire and stir frequently while melting the cheese. Stir in 1/2 cup of half and half at a time until all 2 cups is mixed in and warm. Add pasta, stir, and let the dish stand for a few minutes for the sauce to thicken before serving.

having the opportunity to attend Mass at the Pastoral Center.”

In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies and playing tennis. The former high school track and swim team member, and volleyball player enjoys the physical activity of sports. “My husband and I play tennis often. We are looking forward to being a part of a tennis league in the spring.”

Kasey looks forward to serving the people in the diocese for many years and sharing her skills with those whom she works.

BC

Church Life

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre presided over the annual wedding anniversary celebration recently at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. Anniversary couples with the bishop are Greg and Katina Navarre, 25 years; and Deacon Stephen and Lillie Brunet, 40 years.

Wedding Anniversaries Diocese honors 209 couples

All couples married in the Catholic Church who are celebrating their 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th and beyond anniversary during 2021 were invited to one of two diocesan Liturgies of the Word sponsored by the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux’s Office of Worship.

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre presided over the liturgies which were held at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. There were 209 couples honored.

25th Anniversary Jubilarians Holy Family, Grand Caillou: Joseph

26 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

and Belinda Ivey Verdin; Maria Immacolata, Houma: Levis and Ella Whitney LeCompte, Dale and Janel Toups Casebonne, Brad and Katrina Cunningham Doiron, Kevin and Michelle Glynn Serigne; Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Houma:

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Church Life

Carl Jr. and Stephanie Hebert Dupre; Our Lady of the Rosary, Larose: Lonny and Bonnie Brady Babin, Monte and Heather Gaspard Plaisance; Sacred Heart, Morgan City: Kerry and Gwendolyn Giroir Luc; St. Bernadette, Houma: Mark and Jennifer Thibodeaux Roger, Sean and Michele Neuman Carroll, Craig and Michelle Trosclair Foret; St. Charles Borromeo, St. Charles Community: Troy and Angela Lasseigne Prejean, Nolan and Jennifer Saltzman Gaudet, Greg and Katina Borne Navarre, Chad and Sherry Rodrigue Rodrigue; St. Genevieve, Thibodaux: Guy Paul III and Myra Danos Zeringue; St. Lawrence the Martyr, Kraemer: Daron and Catina Cortez Kraemer; St. Louis, Bayou Blue: Brian and Jeannine Callais Babin; 26th Anniversary Jubilarians St. Bernadette, Houma: Mike and Margaret Guenoit Smith; 40th Anniversary Jubilarians Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales, Houma: Murke and Claudia Bohannon Trahan, Hubert and Debra Marcel Champagne, Bobby and Virginia Chauvin Corte; Annunziata, Houma: Francis and Ann Dugas Labat, Nigel and Darlene Eschete Hodgson; Christ the Redeemer, Thibodaux: Peter and Denise Folse David, Mark and Glenda Matherne McDonald; Holy Family, Grand Caillou: Ennis and Mary Parfait Luke; Holy Savior, Lockport: Mark and Betty Terrebonne Savoie; Maria Immacolata, Houma: Michael and Wendy Aucoin Rodrigue; Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Houma: Freeman and Nancy Arcement Collins, Keith and Christine LeBlanc Kennedy; Our Lady of the Rosary, Larose: Henry Jr. and Kim Corales Lafont, Casey and Mona Chabert Curole; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Chackbay: Stephen and Karen Hebert Steib; Sacred Heart, Cut Off: Tab and Carolyn Dufrene Guidry; Sacred Heart, Morgan City: Martin and Hope Marino Johnson; St. Ann, Bourg: Stephen and Lillie Chauvin Brunet, Douglas and Christina Peltier Falgout; St. Anthony of Padua, Bayou Black: Blair and Denice Lirette Hebert, James and Stephanie Borowski Ford; St. Bernadette, Houma: Michael

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

Pictured with Bishop Shelton J. Fabre are anniversary couple Eugene and Angelic Hebert, 50 years. and Amy Decoursey Delaune, Glenn and Dina Domangue Lirette, Dean and Ellen Abbott Click; St. Charles Borromeo, St. Charles Community: Steve and Mary Sylvest Folse, Philip and Patricia Acosta Knoblock; St. Genevieve, Thibodaux: Colby and Celeste Pickering Robichaux, Sherman and Gwendoline Knight Duet, Kevin and Lisa Babin Legleu; St. Gregory Barbarigo, Houma: Reginald and Denise Smith DeHart; St. John the Evangelist, Thibodaux: Jerome and Jennifer Gros Bourgeois; St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, Thibodaux: Francis (Buddy) and Gerry McIntire Prejean, Keith and Susan Poché

Manning, Louis and Virginia Cherry Jimenez; St. Joseph, Chauvin: Douglas and Cynthia Ruiz Trosclair, Don and Joyce LeBoeuf Luke; St. Louis, Bayou Blue: Kenny and Debra Poiencot Bollinger; St. Luke the Evangelist, Thibodaux: Earl and Carolyn Dickerson Johnson, Robert and Roxanne Johnson Reed; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Derace and Amy Benoit Matherne, James and Lori Zeringue Lucas, Randy and Mona Arabie Zeringue, Bruce and Velma DeLeon Guillot; 41st Anniversary Jubilarians St. Bernadette, Houma: Patrick and Ann Abbott Champagne;

a

December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 27

Church Life

Anniversaries 50th Anniversary Jubilarians Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales, Houma: Richard and Carla Luke Grabert, David and Christine Chauvin Daigneault, Terry and Lola Rousse Gisclair, Daniel and Melanie Boudreaux Boquet, John (Jackie) and Patricia Hebert Clement, Murphy and Pauline Pierce Loupe; Christ the Redeemer, Thibodaux: Larry and Ellen Foret Morvant, Ronald and Ruth Gros Thibodeaux; Holy Family, Grand Caillou: Ronald and Gail Luke LeBoeuf, Joseph and Rosemary Dean Pierre, Vincent and Vera Duplantis Chaisson; Maria Immacolata, Houma: Louis and Christine Ellender Arnette, Arthur and Marcia Vitter; Our Lady of the Rosary, Larose: Brent and Jennifer Robichaux Duet; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Chackbay: Kerman and Katherine Folse Rodrigue; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow: Dale and Annette Terrebonne, V.J. and Paula Duet; Our Lady of the Rosary, Larose: Van and Connie Curole Cheramie, Loris and Lucy Nguyen Naquin, Wilber and Mary Jones Lewis; Sacred Heart, Cut Off: Curley and Gloria Hebert Griffin, Kenny and Jennifer Hebert Friedlander, Earl and Sherrie Guidry Griffin, Pennington and Susan Callais Terrebonne; Sacred Heart, Montegut: Donald and Maryetta Prosperie Ellender; Sacred Heart, Morgan City: Barton and Judy Daigle Blanco, Larry and Kathy Shugart Callais; St. Anthony of Padua, Bayou Black: Michael and Betty Breaux Daigle, Tom and Janel Gonzales Pregeant; St. Bernadette, Houma: Robert and Carole Michel Prevost, Alvin and Gretchen Vidrine Hargis; St. Bridget, Schriever: Danny and Anne Whitman Naquin; St. Genevieve, Thibodaux: Charles (Laury) and Janet (Jan) Coddou Dupont, Byron and Suzanne Chaisson Blakeman; St. Gregory Barbarigo, Houma: Glen and Mary Wernig Breerwood, Johnny and Rochelle Foret Walker; St. John the Evangelist, Thibodaux: Bernard and Charlene

Cont.

Naquin Blank; St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, Thibodaux: Charlie and Chris Ducos Toups, Edward and Connie Lamartina Bouterie, Terry Sr. and Jerry Thibodaux Daigle, Gary and Marcia Caillouet Arceneaux, Claudio and Roseann Prusak Guillermo; St. Lawrence the Martyr, Kraemer: Elvin and Carleen Cortez Doming, Charles and Linda Faye Rome Landry; St. Louis, Bayou Blue: Eugene and Angelic Champagne Hebert, Guy and Beverly Blanchard Buie, Roy and Ella Naquin Gambarella, Nathan and Roxanne Boudreaux Thompson; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Martin and Anna Bourgeois Cortez, Teddy and Carolyn Foret Dufrene, Joseph Jr. and Rose Thibodaux Breaux; Daniel and Phyllis Lafont; 51st Anniversary Jubilarians St. Bernadette, Houma: Roy Jr. and Cheryl King Breerwood, Donald and Christine Samaha Robinson, Dana and Katherine Dehart Lirette, Willie Jr. and Kaye Landry Bergeron; 60th Anniversary Jubilarians Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales, Houma: Edward (Sonny) and Suzannah (Sue) Shipp LeBlanc; Christ the Redeemer, Thibodaux: Warren and Gloria Chaisson Webre; Maria Immacolata, Houma: Stephen and Elizabeth Morvant Domangue, Gene and Etta Blanchard Sonnier, James and Sarah Aycock Walker; Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Houma: Daniel and Maudeline Songe Peltier; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Chackbay: Earl and Edwina Tabor Morvant, Manuel and Lorraine Landeche Rodrigue, Nelson and Veronica Mahler Morvant; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow: Lionel and Sylvia Hymel Bourgeois; Sacred Heart, Cut Off: Teddy and Betty Chabert Orgeron, Johnny and Gale Hebert Bouzigard, Elson and Priscilla Pierce Trahan; Sacred Heart, Morgan City: Melvin and Geri Biundo Bourgeois; St. Bernadette, Houma: Terry and Sandra Maloney Braud; St. Charles Borromeo,

28 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

St. Charles Community: Philip and Charlene Brown Ledet, Sterling and Deanna Andras Navarre, Rudie and Joanne Theriot Bourgeois, Charles and Patricia Ball Zeringue; St. Joseph, Chauvin: Carroll and Yvonne Carlos Charpentier; St. Joseph, Galliano: Ronald and Elaine Plaisance Callais, Kirby and Elaine Bourgeois Orgeron, Roland and Lolita Bourg Baudoin; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Kirn and Betty Davis Cavalier, Norman Jr. and Carolyn Folse Legendre, Harold and Judy Robichaux Parks, Richard and Lois Mire Gautreaux; Clarence and Genevieve Dantin Artigue; 61st Anniversary Jubilarians Annunziata, Houma: Shelby and Celeste Peltier Loyd, Roy and Mary Smith Burns; St. Charles Borromeo, St. Charles Community: Melvin and Linda Bourgeois Morvant, Carroll and Barbara Plaisance Zeringue; St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, Thibodaux: Peter and Barbara Gauthier Strawitz; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Roy and Deanna Foret Griffin, Nessie and Alice Tastet Plaisance; 62nd Anniversary Jubilarians Annunziata, Houma: T.J. and Barbara Songy Nelson; St. Bernadette, Houma: Russell and Juanita Boudreaux Hebert; St. Charles Borromeo, St. Charles Community: Leroy and Betty Barrilleaux Andras; St. Joseph CoCathedral, Thibodaux: Richard and Shirley Boudreaux LeBlanc; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Steve and Myrtle Naquin Bourgeois, Eldon and Mary Landry Breaux, Stanley and Meryl Cunningham Foret; 63rd Anniversary Jubilarians Annunziata, Houma: Elward and Betty Autin Cunningham; Christ the Redeemer, Thibodaux: Malcolm and Joyce Orgeron Duet; Sacred Heart, Cut Off: Clinton and Joanne Pierce Bellanger; St. Anthony of Padua, Bayou Black: Riley and Marie Voclain Gros; St. Gregory Barbarigo, Houma: Alva and Felicie Cenac Eschete; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Clifton and Anna Hebert Champagne, Ferrel and Geraldine Rumore Falgout, Cleveland and Joan Baudoin Foret, Leroy and Rhea Terrebonne Foret, Herbert and Ethel Hebert Guidry;

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Church Life

64th Anniversary Jubilarians Annunziata, Houma: Chester and Joanne Aycock Morrison; Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales, Houma: Essie and Marceline Landry Cavalier; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Chackbay: Joseph and Nellie Gautreaux Clement; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Carroll and Gale Sampey Foret, Clarence and Joel Gaubert Matherne, Milton and June LeCompte Robichaux; 65th Anniversary Jubilarians Holy Family, Grand Caillou: David and Faye Hood Harrison, Euland and Georgianna Martin Lapeyrouse; Holy Savior, Lockport: Rodney and Laura Lee Ordoyne Strevig; St. Anthony of Padua, Bayou Black: Ernest and Audrey Schexneyder Miller; St. Bernadette, Houma: James and Shirley Sevin Bergeron, Allen (A.J.) and June Babin Collins; St. Joseph, Chauvin: Magnal and Mildred Gilfour Martin; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Arthur and Vera Richard Cortez, Martin II

and Gwen Barbier St. Romain, Floyd and Ruth Plaisance Faucha; 66th Anniversary Jubilarians St. Genevieve, Thibodaux: Louis III and Shirley LeRay Adams; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Ricardo and Marion Babin Labat, Rudolph and Rose Mary Guidry Robichaux; 67th Anniversary Jubilarians St. Joseph, Chauvin: Eugene and Yvonne LeBoeuf Soudelier; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Eroy and Rosalie Robichaux Benoit, Virgy and Mary Bonvillain Estay, Clifford and Doris Arcement Lagarde; 68th Anniversary Jubilarians St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, Thibodaux: Roland and Frances Blanchard Bourgeois; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Benjamin and Gertrude Champagne Matherne; 69th Anniversary Jubilarians St. Gregory Barbarigo, Houma: Wade and Leah LeCompte Usé; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Leonard

and Alice Robichaux Borne, Larry and Daisy Pierce Galjour; 70th Anniversary Jubilarians Christ the Redeemer, Thibodaux: Jackie and Ruby Zeringue Naquin; Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Houma: Paul and Jeanette Boudreaux Luke; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Dudley and Betty Foret Adams, Harrison and Jeanette Gervais Matherne; 73rd Anniversary Jubilarians St. Joseph, Galliano: James and Irma Cheramie Cheramie; 75th Anniversary Jubilarians St. Joseph, Chauvin: Claude and Merle Lapeyrouse Lirette; St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland: Camille and Aline Borne St. Pierre; 76th Anniversary Jubilarians Holy Family, Grand Caillou: Evest and Mary Crochet Voisin; 79th Anniversary Jubilarians St. Charles Borromeo, St. Charles Community: Joseph August and Earline Ledet Toups. BC

truly local banking with all the convenience you need

synergybank.com Houma • Thibodaux • Gray 985.851.2217 December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 29

Youth

in action

Scott Haydel Jr. School: Vandebilt Catholic High School, Houma Grade: 10th Church parish: Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales, Houma Describe your family unit: Sarah Haydel, mother; Scott Haydel, father; Caroline, Anna, Nancy, Mary Ellen and Sarah Beth, siblings Favorite Hobby: Hunting, fishing and playing sports Favorite Movie: Rocky Favorite T.V. Show: Wicked Tuna Favorite Genre of Music: Country

How has the meaning of Christmas changed for you through the years from a child’s view to now?

How will you celebrate Christmas this year?

The meaning of Christmas has greatly changed for me from when I was a child to now. As a child, Christmas was always the most exciting time of the year that I always looked forward to. I would be so eager to see what Santa had brought me that I could hardly fall asleep.

As I grew older, I started to realize that Christmas wasn’t only about

the festivities, and receiving all of those gifts. I realized that the true meaning of Christmas was to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and spend time with loved ones. I began to notice that giving gifts is much more rewarding than receiving gifts.

This year, I will probably celebrate

30 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

Christmas with my family by going to M a s s on Christmas eve, and then going to a Christmas party and celebrating with all of my friends and family. BC

Seminarian eDucation burSeS Seminarian Spotlight Joseph Lapeyrouse n What church parish are you from?

I am from the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. n When did you hear your call to the priesthood?

I heard the call to the priesthood toward the end of my time in high school. n Where are you studying and in what year of your studies are you?

I am currently studying theology in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University while living and being in formation at the Pontifical North American College. n Where are you from (born and raised)?

I was born in 1996 in Houma where I was raised. I attended elementary school at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral School and high school at Vandebilt Catholic High School where I graduated in 2015. n What is the best advice you have ever gotten?

The best advice that I have ever gotten is to live in the present moment and not let mistakes hinder you from living the best life you can now.

DiD you know?

Seminarian eDucation coStS on average $45,000 a year for eight yearS Seminarian enDowmentS can be nameD enDoweD funDS/burSeS. each year intereSt earneD from the enDowmentS are granteD to the DioceSe to cover annual coStS of their eDucation. catholic founDation of South louiSiana manageS Seminarian enDowmentS for the DioceSe.

all completeD Seminarian eDucation burSeS can be vieweD online at www.htDioceSe.org/vocationS For more information contact the Catholic Foundation at 985-850-3116 or aponson@htdiocese.org December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 31

December Daily Prayer for Priests, Deacons, Religious and Seminarians

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1

2

3

4

Rev. Shenan Boquet

Rev. Thomas Bouterie

Rev. Stuart King

Rev. Joshua Rodrigue

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Rev. Michael Bergeron, retired

Deacon John Mattingly

Msgr. Frederic Brunet, retired

Rev. Domingo Cruz, retired

Rev. Wilfredo Decal, retired

Rev. Scott Dugas, retired

Rev. P.J. Madden, retired

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

Deacon Jeff Pitre

Rev. Roch Naquin, retired

Rev. Ty Nguyen, retired

Rev. Charles Perkins, retired

Rev. Florentino Santiago, retired

Rev. Caesar Silva, retired

Seminarian Joseph Lapeyrouse

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

Rev. Wilmer Todd, retired

Rev. Roger (Jerry) Villarrubia Jr., retired

Sister Miriam Therese Mire, C.S.J.

Very Rev. Jay L. Baker, J.C.L.

Rev. Paul Birdsall

Rev. Rusty Bruce

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

26

27

28

29

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Bishop Emeritus Sam G. Jacobs

Rev. Toto Buenaflor Jr.

Rev. Duc Bui

Rev. Joseph Chacko

Rev. Cody Chatagnier

Rev. Carl Collins

Daily Prayer for Clergy and Religious Lord Jesus, hear our prayer for the spiritual renewal of bishops, priests, deacons, brothers, sisters, lay ministers and seminarians of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. We praise You for giving their ministry to the Church. In these days, renew them with the gifts of Your Spirit.

You once opened the Holy Scriptures to Your disciples when You walked on this earth. Now renew Your ordained and chosen ones with the truth and power of Your Word.

In Eucharist you gave Your disciples renewed life and hope. Nourish Your consecrated ones with Your own Body and Blood. Help them to imitate in their lives the death and resurrection they celebrate around Your altar.

Give them enthusiasm for the Gospel, zeal for the salvation of all people, courage in leadership and humility in service.

Give them Your love for one another and for all their brothers and sisters in You. For You love them, Lord Jesus, and we love and pray for them in Your Holy Name, today especially for _______________________. Amen.

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of the Word 506 Cardinal Drive, Thibodaux, LA • marianservantsoftheword@gmail.com

32 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

May the true meaning of Christmas bring renewed hope to your heart and home at this time and all through the coming year.

742 Highway 182 • Houma, LA 70364 (985) 872-2413 www.cenac.com

Special

FRANK J. METHE/CLARION HERALD

Father Joshua Rodrigue address seminarians at the Notre Dame Seminary after the announcement was made that he will become the next rector-president of the seminary in July 2022.

Father Joshua Rodrigue: ‘God will provide’

By PETER FINNEY JR. Clarion Herald Father Joshua Rodrigue, who will become the new rector-president of Notre Dame Seminary in July 2022, was a young seminarian in 2001 when he visited Msgr. Stanislaus Manikowski, an old friend living in retirement at St. Joseph Manor in Thibodaux.

The purpose of his visit was to ask for Msgr. Manikowski’s priestly advice just before returning to the Pontifical North American College (the NAC) in Rome for his ordination as a transitional deacon for the HoumaThibodaux Diocese.

Msgr.

Manikowski, a Polish priest, had survived nearly six years of imprisonment in three Nazi concentration camps during WWII, including the death camp at Dachau, from which he was liberated by U.S. troops in 1945.

Msgr. Manikowski immigrated to

the U.S. in 1951 and wound up serving many years at parishes in the dioceses of Baton Rouge, Lafayette and HoumaThibodaux and the Archdiocese of New Orleans, always thankful for his hardwon freedom and survival.

“He had known me since I was in the second grade as an altar server,” Father Rodrigue said. “I asked him, ‘Monsignor, do you have any words of advice to give to someone getting ready to be ordained?’ And, he said, ‘Yes, I’m glad you asked me that! God will provide. It doesn’t matter how hopeless the situation is, God will always provide. No matter how dark the night is, at some point, the sun has to rise.

God will always provide.’”

“I think those words were what kept him going when he was in the concentration camp,” Father Rodrigue said.

Father Rodrigue, 44, currently the director of spiritual formation at the

34 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

Pontifical North American College in Rome, was named Oct. 14 by Archbishop Gregory Aymond to succeed Father James Wehner as rector-president of Notre Dame Seminary on July 1, 2022.

“Father Rodrigue comes to us eminently qualified and with much experience in priestly formation,” Archbishop Aymond said.

Father Wehner, a priest of the Pittsburgh Diocese, has served for 10 years as rector, overseeing a formation program that has catapulted Notre Dame Seminary into the secondlargest theologate in the country. He will remain in New Orleans through the end of July 2022 as part of the transition.

Asked to identify the biggest joy of his tenure, Father Wehner said it was the quality of seminarians who have gone on to ordination.

“It’s the seminarians, the quality of the men we’re seeing and

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Special

the commitment they have to the faith, to the church, to discipleship,” Father Wehner said. “There’s an openness to formation that seminarians have today that, frankly, I’m not so sure I saw in myself in the time frame when I was in the seminary. These guys want to be holy, they want to be saints and they love the church.”

Father Rodrigue, who grew up as a parishioner at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Thibodaux, attended E.D. White Catholic High School and then St. Joseph Seminary College (St. Ben’s) in Covington. His seminary education took place at the NAC in Rome, and he was ordained to the priesthood on Aug. 10, 2002.

Following his ordination, he returned to Rome to complete his licentiate in sacred theology and then came back to Louisiana, where he served as parochial vicar at Holy Cross Church in Morgan City before being named pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Bayou Black and then rector of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Houma.

In addition to his parish duties, he served as an adjunct professor of theology at St. Ben’s from 2006-17 and at Notre Dame Seminary from 2008-09.

In 2017, he was asked by the NAC to return to Rome to serve as director of pastoral formation and later as director of spiritual formation. It was the second time his alma mater had asked him to serve on the faculty; the first time, then-Bishop Sam Jacobs felt there were too many pastoral needs in the Houma-Thibodaux Diocese to release him for service in Rome.

Father Rodrigue said Bishop Shelton Fabre let him make the decision of whether or not to go in 2017.

“He told me, ‘They’re asking for you again,’” Father Rodrigue said, smiling. “So, I took it to prayer, and I talked things over with my dad. Dad’s got some good advice. He said, ‘They asked you once; they asked you twice; they’re not going to ask you a third time.’ I was thinking about my family and their health. I had a grandmother who was in her upper 90s. She’s still living. She’s going to be 100 this year.

She wasn’t too happy about me going overseas, but she’ll be happy now.”

In Rome, Father Rodrigue also

taught for the last five years at the Pontifical Gregorian University (201718) and at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, beginning in 2018.

His Roman experience has given him a broader understanding of the universal church and also allowed him to be more intentional about relying on God’s grace in his life.

“It certainly gave me a lot more patience with people who were having to try to figure out my English,” Father Rodrigue said. “Before, I was the rector of the cathedral and I did all kinds of things. When I got there as a faculty member, I was no longer making my own schedule and I felt so incompetent.

It was almost a desert experience in that all your support systems that you have are taken away, and you truly have to rely on the Lord and on God’s providence in everything.

“Sometimes you have to remind the Lord, ‘Look, I’m doing this for you!’

Usually, when I did that, he helped out.

I think it was just me remembering that I need to turn to the Lord.”

Around almost every corner in Rome, there is another church with another amazing story to tell.

“You really grow in devotion to the saints,” Father Rodrigue said. “You know, on feast days you just show up to the church where the saint’s remains are. That’s really instilled in me a great devotion to the saints. It reminds me that the people who walk the streets are saints and sinners alike.”

One of the classes Father Rodrigue taught was in sacred architecture.

With so much art from which to choose, Father Rodrigue has two favorites as part of his Roman studies.

One is “The Calling of Saint Matthew,” a 1600 painting by Caravaggio that portrays the moment at which Jesus inspires Matthew to follow him. It resides in the Contarelli Chapel in San Luigi dei Francesi Church.

“It’s all about his calling, the inspiration and then the martyrdom,” he said.

The other painting resides in the Vatican Museum – “The Martyrs of Gorkum” – a painting by Cesare Fracassini that depicts a group of 19 Dutch Catholic clerics, secular and

religious who were hanged in 1572 in the town of Brielle by militant Dutch Calvinists.

“It’s one that probably people would just pass by,” Father Rodrigue said.

“It’s just that simple resignation, that looking up. His eyes captured that reliance on God with everything. In the midst of death hanging all around him and people yelling at him, he’s at peace and resigned to the Lord. That’s something I’ve carried with me. Just rely on the Lord, and he is going to take you wherever.”

Father Rodrigue said he has been impressed with Archbishop Aymond’s commitment to superior priestly formation, which has shown itself in the seminary faculty and in a polished physical plant.

“Why create new things when you can just build on what’s there,” Father Rodrigue said. “I don’t know everything, and I don’t mind relying on others. In my opinion, Father Wehner has made Notre Dame a flagship seminary, a true model seminary. Is it perfect? No place is going to be a perfect place, because all of us are imperfect people. But it’s pretty, pretty close.”

Father Rodrigue addressed the seminarians as a group before Mass in the seminary chapel on Oct. 15.

“I love the priesthood,” he told them.

“I’ve loved it for the past 20 years. I hope that my ministry here at Notre Dame will help to form men to be compassionate, loving priests who have great zeal for the salvation of souls, who are willing to lay down their lives for the flock.

“Priesthood is an exciting adventure.

Priesthood is like riding a tandem bicycle. The Lord gets in the front seat and he says, ‘Just hop on the back and trust me.’ He says, ‘Just keep pedaling.

I’ll take you on a ride that you’ll never forget. And I think you might like where you end up at the end.’

“The Lord has been really good to me, and I don’t know what’s on the road ahead of us all, but I trust I trust him and I trust in one thing: God will provide. Deus Providebit.”

(Peter Finney Jr. is the executive editor and general manager of the Clarion Herald, the Official Newspaper of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.) BC

December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 35

Special

Vandebilt Catholic High School announces academic scholars Rebecca Cagle

Alison MacKay

Morgan Clayton

Catherine Cobb

Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma recently announced national academic distinction for seniors Rebecca Cagle, Alison MacKay, Morgan Clayton and Catherine Cobb.

The National Merit® Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. Approximately 1.5 million high school students enter the program each year by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/ NMSQT®.) Vandebilt Catholic seniors Rebecca Cagle and Alison MacKay have been officially named Semifinalists from the National Merit Scholarship Program. They will join approximately 16,000 other Semifinalists. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $30 million.

Rebecca is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Cagle. Alison is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alistair MacKay. Vandebilt Catholic seniors Morgan Clayton and Catherine Cobb have also been officially named Commended Students from the National Merit® Scholarship Program. They will join about 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation, who are recognized for their exceptional academic promise.

Morgan is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Clayton.

Catherine is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chad Cobb.

Vandebilt Catholic has a total of 54 students who have received a National Merit Scholarship Program honor.

Rebecca, Alison, Morgan and Catherine proudly continue the tradition of academic excellence that is distinctive of a Vandebilt Catholic education. BC

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(800) 342-2400 36 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

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Church Alive

Red Mass

The annual Red Mass honoring all judges, lawyers and those in the legal profession was celebrated recently at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre was the main celebrant of the Mass.

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 37

Church Alive

Blue Mass

The annual Blue Mass honoring community protectors, fire fighters, law enforcement, military personnel and first responders was celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre was the main celebrant of the Mass.

Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

38 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

Sports

Overtime Ed Daniels

Can LSU lure Fisher as next head football coach?

It’s a no brainer, at least for Jimbo Fisher.

If he’s offered the job as the head coach at LSU, he should take it.

The reasons are many.

And, money isn’t one of them.

The last national championship won at Texas A&M was in 1939.

LSU has won three since 2003, and

appeared in the BCS championship game in 2011.

Texas A&M’s last conference title was the Big 12, in 1998.

In the past 20 seasons, LSU has five.

The University of Texas will soon join the Southeastern Conference, and once again, Texas A&M, which bolted for the SEC to rid themselves of burnt orange, will be second banana in its own state.

LSU is one of the top five jobs in college football.

The last three coaches at LSU have won national championships.

Texas A&M is not.

And, for Fisher, working again with LSU director of athletics Scott Woodward, who hired him at Texas A&M, means an instant comfort zone.

Woodward did the smart thing when he hired Fisher to coach the Aggies.

He agreed to no buyout.

So, if Fisher left in the middle of the night, he would owe A&M, nothing.

Fisher also knows Louisiana and its high school football quite well.

He served as Nick Saban’s and then Les Miles’ offensive coordinator from 2000 to 2006.

When it comes to potential hires, Fisher is the coach with the best resumé, by far.

He owns a national title at Florida State, has seven years as an assistant at LSU, and is the only former assistant to defeat Nick Saban.

And, if LSU hired Fisher, they would deal a serious blow to another SEC West rival.

If LSU can’t lure Fisher, Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker would be a solid choice.

The Spartans were upset last Saturday by Purdue, and still have Ohio State and Penn State on their schedule.

Tucker has NFL and college experience.

He was the defensive backs coach for Nick Saban at LSU and Alabama.

And, also served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Georgia.

Tucker would also be a trailblazer.

He would be the first African American head football coach at LSU. He would be a very solid hire.

But, Jimbo, until he says no is the elephant in the room.

In 2007, when Saban returned to college football at Alabama, he stopped

by John Curtis Christian school to recruit safety Robby Green.

As he watched practice, he told a reporter that there were only a handful of jobs he would consider.

And, he did not care to return to cold weather.

He rattled off a handful of places where you can win big.

LSU was one of those places.

And, Jimbo Fisher is well aware. BC

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Special

Catholic Charities: Putting faith into action Story by Janet Marcel “Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux (CCH-T) is the missionary heart of our Catholic Church. We serve our community, no matter their religious affiliation, by addressing individual and family needs while providing opportunities for disciples to put their faith into action,” explains Karen David, CCH-T board chair, who is currently serving as its interim chief administrative officer.

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre explains that providing comfort and living out our faith is at the heart of the mission of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

“We all have the opportunity during this beautiful season to witness Christ by supporting the mission of our church and Catholic Charities and, in particular, with a focus on their four service pillars: Feeding, clothing, sheltering, and yes, comforting their brothers and sisters in need. I prayerfully ask each of you to consider supporting Catholic Charities through a financial gift in sharing of your blessings, as we continue to support so many of our family and friends who are still in desperate need in the wake of Hurricane Ida.” When Bishop Shelton J. Fabre was installed as Bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux eight years ago, he selected his episcopal motto to be ‘Comfort my People.’

This motto, he says, has become even more important and relevant to him in these last few months through Ida and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As we celebrate this beautiful season of our Lord’s birth, I reflect on the comfort that Christ brings to us through his birth and the joy we celebrate throughout the Christmas season,” says the bishop. “The birth and life of Jesus challenges and reminds us of the importance of putting our Faith into Action.”

David reports that Since Hurricane Ida devastated our diocese on Aug. 29, Catholic Charities has been hard at work demonstrating its faith by the action of supporting the mission of the church through its four pillars of service.

Thus far, it has: n provided more than 175,000 hot meals n distributed 250 tons of nonperishable food and supplies n completed 3,000 case work files n distributed $250,000+ in gift cards to families in need n Begun “Mucking and Gutting” n Partnered with local organizations to connect temporary housing with families in need 40 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

n Set up mobile medical units in the most impacted communities n Provided gasoline when supplies were at its lowest Moving into the future, reports David, CCH-T will be focusing on Individual and Family Assistance, and will be providing 10 case managers across the Parish Recovery Assistance Centers in the following church parishes and Catholic Charities’ main office on Aycock St. in Houma, (Terrebonne Parish): St. Eloi, Theriot; Holy Family, Grand Caillou; St. Joseph, Chauvin; Sacred Heart, Montegut; St. Charles Borromeo, Pointe-aux-Chenes. And, also in the following church parishes and the Good Samaritan Food Bank in Thibodaux, (Lafourche Parish): Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow; Sacred Heart, Cut Off; Holy Savior, Lockport; St. Lawrence the Martyr, Kraemer. In Jefferson Parish, Our Lady of the Isle in Grand Isle is working on an individualized plan for case management and assistance needs. CCH-T’s case managers will assist as needed in Grand Isle.

In addition to its timely emphasis on Diocesan Disaster Services, Catholic Charities also administers the following additional 20 charity and justice programs: Assisi Bridge House and Independent Living, Caritas Feeding Ministries – Catholic Community Center, Good Samaritan Food Banks in Raceland and Thibodaux, Caritas Food Pantry in East Houma; Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Housing Services, Catholic Relief Services, C.E.N.T.S. Micro Enterprise Program (Coastal Entrepreneurs’ Net To Success), Matthew 25 Ministry, Individual and Family Assistance (Adopt a Family Christmas Program, Project Self Help, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, Social Security Disability Application Assistance, Financial Assistance, St. Christopher Safe Automobile Program, Bridging the Bayous Time Bank), Foster Grandparent Program, Parish Social Ministry, and St. Lucy Child Development Center.

“This month’s second collection at Christmas is an opportunity for our Catholic faithful to pray for and financially support Catholic Charities’ four pillars of service.

We rely on the generosity and prayers of our community to make these ministries possible,” emphasizes David.

“Please know how much your prayers and gifts mean to me as your Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, and to all of those you support,” says Bishop Fabre. “I remain grateful for your faith, for your generosity, and your presence in our community. Christmas blessings and peace to all of you!” BC

The Christmas Collection will be December 24 and 25, 2021 Visit our website to give electronically at catholiccharitiesht.org/give

Mail to: Catholic Charities 1220 Aycock St. Houma, LA 70360

Scan this QR code with your smartphone to give online

Drop in Collection Basket or at Church Office

Thank you for your support.

December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 41

Ida Response

Parish Recovery Assistance Centers: A holistic approach to disaster recovery Story by Janet Marcel Photos by Brooks Lirette After Hurricane Ida made landfall at Port Fourchon on Sunday, Aug. 29, with its 150 plus mile-an-hour winds devastating much of the area that comprises the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux as it moved north through southeast Louisiana, diocesan leadership immediately went to work on a disaster response plan. It soon became clear that many residents in the diocese were temporarily unable to live in their homes because of the damage and some were left homeless after their houses were completely destroyed.

One of the many ways the diocese has responded to this disaster, says Karen David, interim chief administrative officer and board chair for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, was to address these urgent housing needs by working with the National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP), and its sister company, the Disaster Services Corporation (DSC), to set up Parish Recovery Assistance Centers (P-RACs) in the diocese.

“I am incredibly proud of our efforts throughout Phase One of the diocesan disaster response plan. During the beginning of October, we implemented Phase Two, moving from responding to reopening efforts, which focus on case work and case management,” says David.

At a P-RAC, case workers document damages, listen to victims’ stories and assist them in registering for federal and state programs. Each family who visits a P-RAC receives a gift card to help support any unmet needs they might have.

During the month of October, P-RACs were strategically located in key areas throughout the Diocese of

In photo above, case workers interview storm victims at St. Eloi Church parish in Theriot. In photo below, storm victims are interviewed at the Good Samaritan Food Bank in Thibodaux.

Houma-Thibodaux assessing people’s needs and discerning the best ways to help them. The P-RACs were located in each of the following areas for two weeks: St. Joseph, Chauvin; St. Eloi, Theriot; Sacred Heart, Cut Off; Holy Family, Grand Caillou; Holy Savior, Lockport; Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow; St. Lucy Church,

42 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

Houma; St. Lawrence the Martyr, Kraemer; Thibodaux Food Bank, Thibodaux; St. Charles Borromeo, Pointe-aux-Chenes; and Sacred Heart, Montegut.

Through the support of the National Council of the U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul, over 3,000 case files of local people from across

a

Ida Response

the diocese’s 10 P-RACs have been collected.

“These are individuals and families from every walk of life, every denomination who simply are in need of a hand up through these difficult times,” says David. “We are embarking on case management in which we will directly walk with our people through this phase of the disaster response plan. Our case managers will navigate the insurance and FEMA claims process with individuals and families and connect them with financial assistance assets based on their individualized needs.

It is our hope and prayer that over the next year, or years, we will impact thousands of lives by living our faith in action.”

Paula Dawson-Ringo, diocesan associate director of Catholic Housing Services who served as one of the case workers at the P-RACs, says the case workers attended a webinar about how to set up the Centers, gather the info needed from storm victims and help them navigate federal and state programs. She says a team from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul also visited some of the diocesan locations to make sure everything was in order and set up according to the guidelines they set forth.

“We had to deal with various types of situations. We heard some very heartwarming stories … some people just wanted to tell us their story and show us their pictures. Sometimes we just offered hugs and compassion,” says Dawson-Ringo.

P-RACs provide a holistic approach to disaster recovery; they do not replace the work of FEMA, the state or local Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, but rather compliment their services by being an outreach to survivors that may be socially, geographically and culturally isolated during the recovery process.

For more information on the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux’s Hurricane Ida response and recovery efforts, to receive assistance, or give assistance, visit: https://catholiccharitiesht.org/ ida. BC December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 43

Ida Response

Many are still homeless ...

Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana August 29: Two and a half months later, thousands are without a home.

44 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

Ida Response

Photo by Lawrence Chatagnier December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 45

Ida Response

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

Sylvia Arceneaux shows her son Lawrence the remains of his bed amid the rubble of his childhood home in Chauvin.

Like many in the area Chauvin family begins the starting over process Story by Janet Marcel Lawrence Arceneaux III, who was living with his mother Sylvia Arceneaux in his childhood home in Chauvin, LA, made the decision to ride out Hurricane Ida at his sister’s house in downtown Houma, along with eight other members of his family.

Lawrence, who serves as the diocesan ParishSOFT database coordinator for the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana and is a parishioner of St. Joseph Church parish in Chauvin, says the power went out at his sister’s house around 1 or 2 on the afternoon of Aug. 29.

“After that, we watched the storm through the window.

Sometimes when it was calm, some of us would go outside and feel the breeze and rain. As Ida got closer, it got worse.

Squall after squall came down. There was torrential rain and 46 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

vicious winds that none of us have ever experienced before,” he recalls. “It was very frightening, and we all worried what might happen. We watched trees blow down, roofs fly apart, and power lines and lights crash down. It was an unforgettable and dreadful experience that lasted into the evening.”

Lawrence says they all thought and hoped the storm would be just like every other storm they had experienced in their lives – Lili, Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike and Zeta, and more – that were awful … but none of them compared to Ida. The true horror, says Lawrence, came the next day when he left Houma for Chauvin to see if his childhood home had survived.

“There was so much debris everywhere. Power lines

a

Ida Response

and trees were all over the roads. Entire highways and streets were blocked off. It took us almost two hours to get from downtown Houma to Chauvin. On that trip to see the damage, every minute that passed was worse than the last.

I saw so many homes and businesses torn to shreds. Roofs were collapsed, windows were shattered, entire houses were knocked off of their foundations. The farther south I went, the worse the damage seemed to get.”

When Lawrence finally drove up to the home he had spent over 20 years of his life in, an old home built in 1929 that had survived countless powerful storms for nearly a century, he says it was one of the worst moments of his life.

“It was in shambles. Ida had blasted it off its foundation and broke it apart. The structure ruptured, splitting my room and the garage from the main building. Walls had collapsed, exposing the kitchen, master bedroom and laundry room.

The gas and water lines severed. Most of the roofing blew off.

Windows shattered. Doors blew down. The floor buckled, bent and broke. Holes formed in the ceiling. All of this damage created many openings into the house, allowing the wind and rain to tear everything inside apart. In the aftermath, we were not able to save much. Most of what I previously owned was damaged or lost completely to the elements. Almost all of my clothes, photographs, 90 books, computers, and other possessions were unsalvageable.”

The house itself could not be saved and was demolished a month after the storm, leaving Lawrence and his mother without a home to call their own.

Lawrence, who is currently living with his sister in Houma, along with other members of his family who are also homeless because of Hurricane Ida, says the week after the storm was absolutely dreadful.

“I spent every day in a hot house with nothing to do. My phone had no service, and it was incredibly difficult for me to entertain myself. I often sat or laid down on a sofa or bed for hours staring at the wall or ceiling, doing nothing. The only occasional entertainment I had was when my family and I went to Morgan City or farther out to get gas for our generator.”

Lawrence says the diocesan disaster relief efforts were very helpful to his family following Hurricane Ida. A lot of items that were difficult to acquire or hard for his family to afford were generously provided by the diocese and Catholic Charities, such as much-needed food, water, clothes, gas, paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning products, mold cleaner, storage containers, air mattresses and more.

Despite the personal tragedy he was experiencing in his life following Hurricane Ida, Lawrence has been very much involved in the diocese’s disaster recovery and relief efforts.

Because of his database experience, he was put in charge of managing point-of-distribution and disaster relief dataintake to help keep track of who needed assistance and where assistance was being offered.

Lawrence says his mother plans to remain in Chauvin and rebuild their home. However, this terrible experience has made him unsure of whether or not he plans to remain in Louisiana in the future. “I have my whole life ahead of me. I guess I’ll just have to see where it takes me.” BC

Hurricane Ida’s winds pushed the Arceneaux home completely off its pillars, which then caused walls to collapse and rain to enter the home.

December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 47

Ida Response

LAWRENCE CHATAGNIER/BAYOU CATHOLIC

Candace Pellegrin stands beside what’s left of her family’s home in Dulac after Hurricane Ida completely destroyed it and scattered its contents. A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, unscathed during the storm, was found where it was originally placed.

Dulac native returns home to total destruction after Ida’s fury Catholic Charities case worker could relate to those seeking help Story by Janet Marcel Candace Pellegrin, who was living with her mother in Dulac, left with eight other families to ride out Hurricane Ida in Conroe, TX. After spending three nights in a hotel, they traveled to a family home in Dickinson, TX, where they stayed for a month.

Candace has been working as a receptionist for Catholic 48 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

Charities Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux for close to five years. Her mother Faye Pellegrin has been the secretary for Holy Family Church parish in Grand Caillou, where they are parishioners, since 1993.

Just a few days after the storm passed, Candace says her brother and her 19-year-old son drove to Dulac and

a

Ida Response

took pictures of the damage, so she had kind of mentally prepared herself before coming back that nothing would ever be the same when they got home.

“I remember taking the Highway 311 exit and seeing all the blue tarps on top of roofs and all of the debris on the sides of the road. Once we turned on Grand Caillou Road heading to Dulac, it looked like a bomb blew up everything.

As we drove further down heading toward our home, all you could see were buildings and homes just gone. It was total devastation!”

Candace’s childhood home was completely destroyed by Hurricane Ida’s powerful winds. “All that’s left is debris all over the yard,” she says. “I never thought in my 42 years of life on earth that I would come back to no home. It was a hard pill to swallow when we turned in the driveway at my house to see all of our belongings all over the yard. Some of our things we still haven’t found until this day, as we are still cleaning up debris. When we left, we only took four changes of clothes and some pictures and important papers.

I thought for sure the roof of the shed would blow off due to high winds, but I did not think we would come home to everything gone.”

Candace and her mother stayed with a family friend for about two weeks after they got back to Dulac, and since then have been living at Candace’s grandmother’s house.

Candace and her son are currently looking to purchase a new mobile home.

Candace says she has to give a huge shout out to her coworkers at Catholic Charities. “They are awesome! Once I got back home they came to me with open arms. They kept asking me what we needed. At the time, it was a bit overwhelming and all I could answer is ‘I don’t know.’ They gave us cleaning supplies and things we needed to help with the recovery process of cleaning our home, our belongings and our yard.”

One thing Candace says she noticed since the hurricane is that people are really helping each other through this difficult time and just trying to survive and rebuild their lives.

Candace had some background experience doing case work after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike. So when she was asked by Very Rev. Simon Peter Engurait, V.G., interim executive director for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, if she would like to be part of a team helping with disaster recovery, she told him to put her “where ever you need me to be.”

She was part of the team who worked in the Parish Recovery Assistance Centers listening to storm victims’ stories, documenting their damages and assisting them in registering for federal and state programs. She spent two weeks in Dulac, one week in Pointe-Aux-Chenes and one week in Montegut.

“I truly felt like that is where I needed to be because I could relate to each person who came to fill out an intake form,” says Candace. BC

The photo above shows the Pellegrin home just a day before Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana on Aug. 29. In the photo below Ida’s destruction is evident as it left the Pellegrin home in ruins.

December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 49

Ida Response

New hope for Galliano resident who lost everything to Ida Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier Galliano resident Donna Lee, who was living in a camper at a RV park, and has been living in a tent for the past two months, finally has something to smile about.

Hurricane Ida ripped apart her camper and sent much of it in a pond behind the RV park. Donna spent the first few days after the storm wandering from place to place staying with friends. When she made her way back to the park she found that her home was completely destroyed. “When I got back I found my sofa frame and put some plywood on top of it. I put it under the frame of the camper, wrapped some tarp around it and slept there for a week. I eventually received help from Catholic Charities through Sacred Heart Church in Cut Off. They supplied me with a tent to live in until I could get something better.”

Through the coalition of local businesses and industry organizations led by the Terrebonne Economic Development Foundation (TEDF) and assistance from Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux a used travel trailer was donated to Lee. On hand to deliver the trailer was Matt Rookard, CEO of TEDF. BC 50 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

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Bishop's Message Merry Christmas

Let us rejoice this Christmas in the birth of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, who is “God With Us”! God has indeed been with us as we have journeyed through great difficulties this year. Even with the challenges before us, may the hope of Christmas fill our hearts during this Christmas season and into the New Year!

Merry Christmas and blessings on your New Year!

Feliz Navidad

¡Alegrémonos en esta Navidad por el nacimiento de Jesucristo, Emmanuel, quien es “Dios con nosotros”! verdaderamente Dios ha estado con nosotros mientras hemos atravesados grandes dificultades durante este año. Más aún, con los desafíos que tenemos ante nosotros, ¡que la esperanza de la Navidad llene nuestros corazones durante este tiempo de Navidad y Año Nuevo! ¡Feliz Navidad y bendiciones en su Año Nuevo!

,‘ Giang ‘ Sinh ‘ Mung Chuc

Hãy cùng vui mừng trong Ngày Lễ Giáng Sinh, ngày Sinh Nhật Chúa Giêsu Kytô, Emmanuel, “Chúa Ở Với Chúng Ta”! Ngài thật sự ở với chúng ta khi chúng ta hành trình trên con đường có nhiều thử thách trong năm nay. Mặc cho những thử thách trước mắt, xin niềm hy vọng của Lễ Giáng Sinh đổ tràn tâm hồn chúng ta trong Mùa Giáng Sinh và tiếp nối trong Năm Mới!

Chúc Mừng Giáng Sinh và Ân Sủng đến với anh chị em trong Năm Mới!

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre

Christmas

Christmas Mass and confession times throughout the diocese The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) is Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021. In the dioceses of the United States, the Feast of the Holy Family is commuted to Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021. Both days carry an obligation of the faithful to participate in Mass; however, Christmas outranks the Feast of the Holy Family. Therefore, Masses in the afternoon and evening of Dec. 25, are to be the Mass during the Day for Christmas. There will be no vigil Mass this year for the Feast of the Holy Family.

Mass Obligation The faithful must fulfill the obligation to participate in Mass for both Christmas and the Feast of the Holy Family in separate Masses. However, fulfillment of the obligation is not dependent upon Mass texts but upon the time at which a person participates in Mass. Therefore, for example, if a person who has participated in a Mass either on Christmas eve or Christmas morning, then participates in another Mass at 4 p.m. on Christmas day, the obligations for both Christmas and the Feast of the Holy Family are satisfied.

In Summary Fulfillment of Mass obligation for Christmas: Participation in Mass on Christmas Eve or any time on Christmas Day (including Christmas night).

Fulfillment of Mass obligation for Feast of the Holy Family: Participation in Mass at 4 p.m. or later on Christmas Day or on Sunday, Dec. 26, the Feast of the Holy Family.

Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales, Houma Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 7, 9, 11 a.m.; 4 p.m.

Confession: Parish Advent confessions, Dec. 22, 6 p.m. until; 30 minutes before Mass and ending 10 minutes before Mass St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, Thibodaux Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 a.m.; 4 p.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 6:15-7:15 p.m.; 30 minutes before each Mass – Monday to Sunday; Saturdays, 3-3:55 p.m.; By request Annunziata, Houma Christmas Eve: 4 p.m., midnight Christmas Day: 10 a.m.

Christ the Redeemer, Thibodaux Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m.; 8 p.m. Spanish Mass; Midnight Christmas Day: 7, 9 a.m.

Confession: Mercy Nights: Wednesdays Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22, 6 p.m.; Multiple opportunities for Christmas confessions. Please visit the website at www.ctr-htdiocese.org for a complete list of dates and times.

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December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 53

Christmas

Community of St. Anthony, Gheens Christmas Eve: 6 p.m.

Christmas Day: 9 a.m.

Holy Cross, Morgan City Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m.

Christmas Day: 9 a.m.; 5:30 p.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 6-8 p.m.

Advent Mission: Dec. 15, 6-8 p.m. Speaker, Father Mike Tran; with adoration St. Rosalie, Stephensville Christmas Day: 4 p.m.

Holy Family, Grand Caillou Christmas Eve: 4 p.m.

Christmas Day: 10:30 a.m.; 4 p.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 6-6:30 p.m. Mass, after Mass until 9 p.m.

Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Chackbay Christmas Eve: 4, 6, 11 p.m.

Christmas Day: 9 a.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 6-8 p.m.

Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Golden Meadow Christmas Eve: 5, 7, Midnight Christmas Day: 10 a.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 6-8 p.m.; 30 minutes before weekday Masses and 45 minutes before weekend Masses Our Lady of the Isle, Grand Isle Christmas Eve: 4 p.m.

Christmas Day: TBD Confession: Dec. 23, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Houma Christmas Eve: 4 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 8, 11 a.m.; 4 p.m.

Holy Savior, Lockport Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 10 a.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 3–5 p.m.

Our Lady of the Rosary, Larose Christmas Eve: 4, 6:30 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 9 a.m.

Confession: Dec. 21, 6 p.m.; 30 minutes before every Mass Advent Mission: Dec. 7-8, 6 p.m. Speaker, Father Duc Bui

Maria Immacolata, Houma Christmas Eve: 4, 6, Midnight Christmas Day: 9:30 a.m.; 4:30 p.m.

Confession: Family Adoration every Wednesday with confession available

Sacred Heart, Cut Off Christmas Eve: 4, 7 p.m.; Spanish Mass, 9 p.m.; Midnight Christmas Day: 8, 10 a.m.

Confession: To be announced

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Christmas

Sacred Heart, Montegut Christmas Eve: 4, 8 p.m.

Christmas Day: 8:30 a.m.

Confession: Saturdays, 3:30-4 p.m.; Sundays, 8-8:30 a.m.; anytime by appointment on Dec. 24 Sacred Heart, Morgan City Christmas Eve: 4:30, 8 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 10 a.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 6-8 p.m.; 30 minutes before all Masses; Monday-Friday, Dec. 16-23: 2-2:30 p.m.

St. Andrew, Amelia Christmas Eve: 4 p.m.

Christmas Day: 8, 10 a.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 6-8 p.m.

St. Ann, Bourg Christmas Eve: 4, 6, 10 p.m.

Christmas Day: 9 a.m.; 4 p.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 6-8 p.m.; 30 minutes prior to Mass times Advent Mission: Dec. 7, 14, 6:30 p.m., Speaker, Father Cody Chatagnier St. Anthony of Padua, Bayou Black Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m.

Christmas Day: 8 a.m.

Advent Mission (dates and times): Dec. 1, 6-7 p.m., confession available; Speaker, Father Patrick Riviere

St. Bernadette, Houma Christmas Eve: 3, 4:30, 6 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 8, 10 a.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15; Mercy Nights with confession, Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22, 7-8 p.m.; Advent Mission: Dec. 16, 6:45 p.m.; Speaker, Very Rev. André Melancon St. Bridget, Schriever Christmas Eve: 4, 6, Midnight Christmas Day: 9 a.m.

Confession: Monday-Friday, 5:30-5:55 p.m.; Saturdays, 3-3:50 p.m.; Sundays, 7:30-8:20 a.m.; 10-10:20 a.m.

St. Charles Borromeo, Pointe-aux-Chenes Christmas Eve: 4 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 10:30 a.m.

Confession: By appointment St. Charles Borromeo, St. Charles Community Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m.

Christmas Day: 7:30, 10 a.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 4-8 p.m.

St. Eloi, Theriot All Masses will be celebrated in the Dularge Gym Christmas Eve: 4:30, Midnight Christmas Day: 9 a.m.; 4:30 p.m.

Confession: Dec. 22 & 23: 6-7 p.m. (Dularge Gym) Advent Mission: Dec. 2 & 3, 6:30 p.m. Speaker, Very Rev. Simon Peter Engurait, V.G.

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December 2021 • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • Bayou Catholic • 55

Christmas

St. John the Evangelist, Thibodaux Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m.

Christmas Day: 10 a.m.; 4 p.m.

St. Joseph, Chauvin Christmas Eve: 4, 11 p.m.

Christmas Day: 9 a.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 6-7:30 p.m.

Advent Mission: Dec. 14, 6:30 p.m.; Speaker: Curtis Constrantiche St. Joseph, Galliano Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m.

Christmas Day: 9 a.m.

Confession: Dec. 15 & 22, 5:30 – 7 p.m.

St. Lawrence, Chacahoula Christmas Eve: 4:30 p.m.

Christmas Day: 9:30 a.m.; 4:30 p.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 6-8 p.m.; 30 minutes before all weekend Masses; Wednesdays, First Friday and First Saturday St. Lawrence the Martyr, Kraemer Christmas Eve: 4, 5:30 p.m.

Christmas Day: 7:30, 9 a.m.

St. Louis, Bayou Blue Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m.

Christmas Day: 8, 10 a.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 6 p.m.; 30 minutes before and after all weekend Masses Dec. 18-19; always by appointment St. Lucy, Houma Christmas Eve: 4 p.m.

Christmas Day: 8:15 a.m.

Confession: Dec. 21, all day St. Luke the Evangelist, Thibodaux Christmas Eve: 6 p.m.

Christmas Day: 10:30 a.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 16, All day St. Mary’s Nativity, Raceland Christmas Eve: 4, 6, 11 p.m.

Christmas Day: 9 a.m.

Confession: Before Mass begins St. Thomas Aquinas, Thibodaux Christmas Eve: 5, 7 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 9 a.m.

Confession: 30 minutes before all Masses St. Genevieve, Thibodaux Christmas Eve: 4, 6, 10 p.m.

Christmas Day: 8:30 a.m.; 4 p.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 6 p.m.; 45 minutes before every weekend Mass in Advent, by appointment Advent Mission: Dec. 5, 6, 7, 8, 7 p.m., Speaker: Father Joseph Tregre St. Gregory, Houma Christmas Eve: 4, 9 p.m.

Christmas Day: 9 a.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 6 p.m.; 30 minutes before weekend Masses St. Hilary of Poitiers, Mathews Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m., Midnight Christmas Day: 7, 9 a.m.

Confession: “The Light is On for You,” Dec. 15, 6-8 p.m.; Advent Mercy Nights with confession, Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23, 6:30-8 p.m.

56 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

Thanh Gia, Morgan City Christmas Eve: 10 p.m.

Christmas Day: 10 a.m.

Confession: Communal Penance, Dec. 17, 7 p.m.

Vietnamese Community, Houma Christmas Eve: 8 p.m.

Christmas Day: 10 a.m.

Confession: Communal Penance, Dec. 20, 6 p.m.

Vietnamese Community, Larose Christmas Eve: 5:30 p.m.

Christmas Day: 8 a.m.

Confession: Communal Penance, Dec. 18, 5 p.m.

Vietnamese Community, Thibodaux Christmas Eve: 7 p.m.

Christmas Day: 8 a.m. BC

Christmas

Christmas: Five steps to making the material spiritual Guest Columnist Father Paul Birdsall

There is something about sitting by a fireplace lined with stockings, sipping a cup of eggnog, turning up Frank Sinatra on Magic 101.9, and staring at the evergreen in the living room surrounded by colorfully wrapped

gifts that gives rise to a special kind of comfort and happiness. No matter our age or background, Christmas is a time that is immediately recognizable, evokes a familiar and often needed emotional change in the daily routine of life, and serves as a reminder of the connections we have with friends and family.

For many years Christmas has taken shape through expanding traditions, marketing strategies, cultural shifts, and materialism and consumerism. The preparation time has lengthened, the gifts and décor have become increasingly extravagant, and quite frankly people seem to look more forward to Christmas now than

ever before. This is great, right? More Christmas means more fun, right? So what is the problem?

Well, truth be told, despite all of the increases I have mentioned, Christmas is also decreasing and losing popularity at an alarming rate at the same time.

Wait! What? What are you talking about? How can Christmas both expand and decrease at the same time?

I speak of course of the spirituality of Christmas. A very vast transformation has taken place in the way many view Christmas; this transformation has gone from viewing Christmas as a liturgical season, to now viewing it as a vacation. Less and less people in recent years seem to know the spiritual

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Christmas

side of Christmas, how it came to be, and why we celebrate it. Gift giving, time off, and secularization, have taken priority in the lives of many over a true spiritual celebration and self-examination. Catch phrases like “Season’s Greetings” and “Happy Holidays” have replaced the traditional “Merry Christmas.” People line up for hours for special sales and hot items in the stores and spend tons of time shopping online, but spend next to no time praying and reflecting. Christmas programs often promote “sharing” and “generosity” in a very broad and generic sense rather than mentioning why it is we share and are generous during Christmas. Christmas Mass has become very secondary as people treat it more like a yearly tradition, satisfy Grandma time, or something to get over with quickly. Yes, my fellow Christian brothers and sisters, we are indeed losing the spirituality of Christmas.

With all of this in mind, it is obvious we as Christians can be doing something better. Something needs to change if we are to save Christmas as a spiritual season and tool for prayer and evangelization. But how? Is it too far gone already? I don’t think so; in fact, with the right enthusiasm and use of resources, I believe we can turn around the secular trend Christmas has taken with very little effort. The key to this lies with the very things that are pulling us away from a spiritual Christmas. We as Christian brothers and sisters must make the material spiritual. None of the aforementioned increases in materialism are bad in and of themselves; in fact, they can be very valuable tools to help us in our duty to promote the spirituality of Christmas.

I have come up with five steps to help us Christians in embracing the spirituality of Christmas and promoting it to all that we encounter.

Step One Teaching: Christmas is about a birth, not just any birth, but the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not, however, merely a story, rather a living reality every day of our lives since the moment the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived Christ and carried

him in her womb. Christmas is not only the celebration of a birthday; it is the celebration of the birth of our salvation. At the moment of Adam and Eve’s first sin, God put into place our salvation history, manifesting itself to us on Earth with the incarnation (God becoming man). With his glorious birth, our very faith began with Christ as the church and we as its members.

We are responsible to teach this reality to the nations. Our mission as Christian faithful is to preach the Gospel message and evangelize the good news to all that we encounter.

Thus, utilizing Christian programs that tell the Gospel story (movies, videos, books, audiobooks, the Gospel itself, etc.) rather than only resorting to secular Christmas programs, will certainly boost our spiritual knowledge this Christmas.

Step Two Music and Décor: Sure, you can put out all the Christmas lights, Santa Clauses, trees, ornaments, and tacky blowups you can muster. Sure, you can sing Jingle Bells and Frosty the Snowman at the top of your voice while driving to City Park and Christmas caroling. There is no problem with any of these decorations or songs. As a matter of fact, I love them all; however, every single Christian household should include a Nativity scene in the decoration ensemble, likewise Christmas hymns of liturgical nature should be sung. I recommend making the Nativity a priority and the focal point of all decorations. If you want others to take the faith seriously, they must see it as priority. If your Nativity scene is hidden and secondary, it suggests your faith is hidden and secondary. Put Christ in the manger for all to see as a reminder of the true spiritual nature of Christmas. Remember to include hymns like Oh Holy Night, Silent Night, Oh Come Emmanuel, etc., to remind you constantly of the true joy of Christmas. These small steps will add a special spiritual note to your Christmas celebrations.

Step Three Christmas Wishes: Say “Merry Christmas!!!” ‘Nough said … .

58 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021

Step Four Gift Giving: Give till your heart’s content, there is no limit to generosity so long as it doesn’t exceed responsibility.

It is important; however, in your gift giving that you remind those to whom you give of Christ’s love, the epiphany, and how the spirit of giving started with the generosity of the Three Wise Men. Include prayers with your gifts (write them down on notes and cards), express the need to pay generosity forward, and give to the poor this Christmas.

Remember that our generosity should extend to all brothers and sisters throughout the world as a reminder to be thankful for all gifts given, spiritual and material. Taking these steps will increase your example to others, as well as serve to remind yourself of why we go through the trouble each year to find that perfect something for that special someone.

Step Five Mass and Prayer: Why is it Grandma has to remind us of the Mass tradition each year? Are we not obligated to go to Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation? Why does Christmas all of a sudden become that one time we just get it over with and satisfy a dated tradition? Mass is so much more important than this; it is a celebration of the Life of Christ every time we attend. Christmas is very special; in fact, “Christ Mass” is the very name Christmas comes from. We must not only make Mass a priority this Christmas, it must become the center of Christmas as it is the best way we can possibly reveal our devotion to Christ and his beloved birth. Lastly, pray and pray some more. Pray for your loved ones, pray for the impoverished, pray for the church, and pray in thanksgiving for salvation.

If we can spend hours trying to buy a trinket in a store, we can give 10 extra minutes each day this Christmas season in prayer for the benefit of the world.

Merry Christmas! And, God bless you this wonderful season!

(Father Paul Birdsall is the administrator of Annunziata Church parish in Houma.) BC

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