News - October 2021 RSS Feed

Given declining infection rates not only in the Greater Baton Rouge Area but throughout Louisiana, I am now modifying several of our practices based upon medical advice, wisdom, and recommendations from state leaders.  

I often fall into the trap of viewing God as a conditional lover. IF I pray a rosary every day, THEN God will notice me. IF I go to daily mass a few times a week, THEN God will heal my brother. IF I am on a million ministry teams, THEN God will repay me by gifting me with whatever I want. Clearly, this is incredibly distorted and not who God is! Rather than diving into the reasons why I might believe these lies, I’d like to explain my remedy of how I get myself out of this pit and into reality. To ground myself in the truth of who God is, I recall the most impactful piece of advice that has radically transformed my prayer life: “Do things WITH the Lord, instead of doing things FOR the Lord.”

One-by-one, or in groups of twos and threes, Hurricane Ida evacuees staying at the Raising Cane’s River Center American Red Cross Shelter filtered out of the arena and into a small section of the lobby set up as a make-shift store. 

As a child, I was taught that I had a guardian angel, a real angel given me by God to accompany me everywhere and protect me from danger.

I write my own headlines.  So I can assure you I am not trying to be critical of Pope Francis’ latest call for a synod.  However, when they heard the theme of the synod, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission,” some reporters on the Vatican beat complained, “A process about a process, what could be duller?”

I write my own headlines.  So I can assure you I am not trying to be critical of Pope Francis’ latest call for a synod.  However, when they heard the theme of the synod, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission,” some reporters on the Vatican beat complained, “A process about a process, what could be duller?”

Blessed Carlo Acutis was beatified on Oct. 10, 2020, and became the first member of the millennial generation to become officially known as a “blessed.”

Fr. Josh Johnson, Diocese of Baton Rouge Director of Vocations and priest, debuted his first video on the biggest Catholic YouTube channel on Oct. 19, 2021.

Bryan Pedraza clearly remembers the moment, a snapshot of life that so often molds a young mind.

When I was a child, my mother prayed the Guardian Angel prayer with me.  Do we really have guardian angels?

People in the Diocese of Baton Rouge joined thousands of other public rosary rallies taking place across America on Oct. 16.

Deeply touched by the plight of many in south Louisiana, Sister Chris Pologa CSJ, pastoral care minister at St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge, organized a fundraiser to help “our dear neighbors” whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Ida. She invited the Sisters of St. Joseph and their lay associates from Baton Rouge and New York (her home diocese) to contribute gift cards and monetary donations to assist the people of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. On Oct. 3, Sister Chris, Sister Joan Laplace CSJ and CSJ Associate Linda Thompson drove to Theriot to celebrate Mass and discuss ways to offer ongoing support while delivering the donations. They met at St. Eloi Church with Bishop Shelton Fabre of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux and Father Dean Danos, pastor of St. Eloi. Like many homes in the area, the church suffered tremendous damage. The main sanctuary wall was blown in, and the parish center was destroyed in the storm. Pictured, from left, are Bishop Fabre, Sister Joan, Sister Chris and Father Danos. Photo provided by Sister Chris Pologa CSJ

It is interesting that in her appearances at Lourdes, Fatima and other locations, the mother of God repeatedly recommends praying the rosary. She does not invite us to pray the Divine Office, or to do spiritual reading, or eucharistic adoration, or practice interior prayer or mental prayer.  Why does Mary “only” place the rosary in our hearts?

When a woman learns she has an unplanned pregnancy, one of the first things she seeks is answers.

The Mass readings of the 30th and 31st Sundays in Ordinary Time share a timeless wisdom of being centered on God. Some days we find ourselves on an unforeseen path.

How honorable, how thankful, how great it is to be at the service of others through the works of fatherhood. This is something I ponder daily as I wake up to start my morning prayer and cook breakfast for the entire family. Sometimes it is taken for granted that fathers have the duty of protecting, providing and loving their family.  But this intuition is embedded in our being as men who are called to be servants for their family. St. Joseph embodies the entire persona of what a man should be as a father and a husband. In St. John Paul II’s “Redemptoris Custos,” he emphasizes the servitude of St. Joseph as the protector of the Holy Family. His life was built on serving his wife and Jesus as the “overseer of the Lord’s birth.”  The family has so much to learn by looking at the life of St. Joseph and by understanding that his vocation was built around our savior and the Blessed Mother. The graces that were given to him were because of his righteousness as a man who knew God and was particularly sensitive to his voice. We are called to imitate St. Joseph as husbands, fathers and men so that we can in turn do what our Lord has entrusted us to do. St. Joseph, pray for us. Deacon Michael Parker Holy Rosary Church, St. Amant

Archbishop Alfred M. Hughes records a television show in the studio of Catholic Life Television in 2001. Catholic Life TV broadcast its first show in 2001. Photo courtesy of the Archives Department | Diocese of Baton Rouge

Emma Benoit appeared to have a picture-perfect life. She was smart, a cheerleader at Dutchtown High School, model and had many friends.

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