“Call us First”
Bishop Shelton Fabre is joined by his friends on the day of his episcopal ordination. From left are John McGovern, Johan Van Parys, David Kozishek, Lee Bultman and Father Tim Kitzke.
Ordinary ordinary By Lee Bultman In 1985, I joined the priestly formation community of the American College of Louvain, Belgium. Soon after arriving I met Shelton Fabre. For me, at first, he didn’t necessarily stand out from among the others in one of the largest first year classes the college had seen in years, more than 20 students. But with time, I did notice him. I noticed a quiet, unassuming person who was almost lost in a sea of boisterous, academically competitive and, for some, unfortunately, inappropriately ambitious would be priests. But in time it was his quiet fortitude that attracted my attention, not to mention his humble, solid, genuine spirituality. He evinced a peacefulness of spirit that was in kind a source of peace and counsel for others. I’ve been asked what Bishop Fabre means to me, and what qualities he has that I believe will make him a good Bishop for Houma –Thibodaux. For me he is confidant, counselor, friend and spiritual inspiration. He is what a human should be. He is what a priest should be. Bishop Fabre is also the personification
of what a bishop should be – unassumingly intelligent, discerning of the faith, humble, spiritual, pastoral. It is because of those qualities that I believe he will make an excellent bishop. It seems that the church does not seem to always choose its leaders wisely. In Bishop Fabre, however, the church has chosen very wisely. The faithful, including the religious and clergy of Houma–Thibodaux, will come to know, if they do not already, that they are blessed indeed. It strikes me as ironic that Bishop Fabre, in being ordinary, in the sense of being unassuming, is anything but ordinary and here is the irony - therein will be a wonderful Ordinary. Bishop Fabre and I have remained close friends since leaving the American College of Louvain in 1989. With rare exception, we have spoken with each other every Sunday evening for the past 24 years. (Lee Bultman is the Senior Project Manager for Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG) based in Phoenix, AZ. HSAG is a nationally recognized healthcare quality consulting organization.)
Mimi Wilson, OT, PA-C Jimmy N. Ponder, Jr., MD Adolfo Cuadra, MD
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