Messages from the Pastor - Archive

December 14, 2008

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Bishop’s Day, as always, was a happy celebration, and the Bishop was in his normal happy and rare form. The restaurant was full to honor he and the honorees. He had two of his classmates with us. Bishop Herzog from Alexandria and Sam Caruso, the one time Mayor of Slidell, La. Bishop Herzog gave him a deserved toaste, and Sam related story after story that kept all laughing, some at the Bishop’s expense.

Also, this occasion allowed Bishop Muench the opportunity to honor special men and women of outstanding service and ministry. I can’t say enough for the leadership of Mrs. Bobbie Carey and her committee who spent untold hours preparing this years’s celebration of life in honor of our special people and our Bishop Muench. The banquet was at Boudreaux’s this year, and I told the lady in charge of the food that her choice and food preparation was some of the finest we’ve had. It’s rather nice to move from venue to venue ever so many years because it gives all a change as we spread the “joy† around.

Honored this year were James and Anne Laville, Sean Molony, Shirley Mundt, Gloria Simmons, and Victor and Joy Weston, and Bobbie had a well prepared text on each one honored. It always gives me great pleasure to proclaim their accomplishments, and the Bishop presents the awards personally. In the past we had a very nice trophy gift of the Holy Family and Joseph at his work bench in pewter. The company went out of business, so this year we presented each recipient with a stand-up crystal cross with their names inscribed on the base. All thought it very elegant.

I was pastor when Fr. Uter was inducted into our Bishop’s Day Hall of Fame, and I could not help but think of his mama, Gracie, at our dinner this year. She was such a sweet person, and always expressed real delight, “Oooh, you made my day!†, when I monthly arrived at her home on First Friday with the Blessed Sacrament! She had a beautiful funeral last week at the Cathedral with so many old friends, parishioners, and brother priests attending. Fr. Frank celebrated the Mass and preached the homily for his mother. He said her name, “Grace†, meant undeserved gift, and then went on to say what a wonderful mother she was, and certainly for him, an undeserved gift from God. The community, that loves he and Gracie, mourned her passing. Gracie spent most of her life in St. Joseph Parish. We send Fr. Frank and his family our deepest sympathy and our caring prayers. Gracie has already had several masses for her soul at St. Joseph, and I ask that you remember she and Fr. Frank in your prayers. We also extend, again, all our best to Fr. Frank, who recently celebrated his 40th Anniversary of the Priesthood in the historic old church of St. Mary in Convent. When he restored the interior he must have been thinking of his Jubilee, for it was a very beautiful site for his mass.

The Cathedral Church also extends our very best wishes and prayers to Fr. Gerald Burns and Fr. Donald Blanchard who celebrated their 40th Anniversary on March 8 at St. Aloysius Church. They are cousins, think very much alike, and now work together at St. Aloysius. They are both very glib, and their remarks drew good laughter. A truly beautiful, rich, poetic, and poignant dialogue homily was prepared by Fr. Tom Ranzino and Fr. Joel LaBauve. It was a magnificently composed tapestry of their lives and rich gifts to them from God. It was a celebration to be remembered. Best wishes and “Ad Multos Annos† to them. Here is something for the women of our parish to really appreciate - - -Thursday, March 26, from 12-1 p.m. at the Parish Hall, our women of the Cathedral called, “Women in the Spirit†, want you to join them and enjoy their guest speaker, former Governor, Kathleen Blanco, when she talks on the subject of “The Spirit of Governing†. Please accept my personal invitation to come, for I have long wanted a woman’s organization at St. Joseph that will be in friendship, with desires for spiritual enrichment together, and be a spiritual force in the community. Come on ladies—you know you are a powerful crew, and what an opportunity to make a difference in your life, in the Cathedral community, and beyond. Call the Cathedral Office (225-387-5928) if interested or if you are savy, e-mail at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Now that Mary and George Rettig are over their St. Patrick’s Day open house on the parade route, they are ready to invite parishioners to come help plant and beautify the church and rectory grounds in preparation for spring. If you feel inclined to something earthly, and not so mind expanding, call Mary at 346-8117 or come with trowel and gloves to weed and plant on March 21, usually around 9 a.m. They don’t get up too early. “Very civilized†, wouldn’t you say.

Fr. Jerry Young

December 7, 2008

Dear Parishioner and Friends,

As part of the Cathedral’s spectacular decorations this Christmas, a beautiful Fontanini crib set of five figures will be featured.  It was made in Italy and patterned after the set made for the Holy Father which is used at St. Peter’s in Rome.  This is the gift of Paul and Sylvia Minor.  Sylvia explained to me the joy she and her family had experienced when they displayed the set in an elaborate creche scene at their home in Pass Christian, Mississippi.  Her daughter commented that it was quite a job to set it up each year, but people would drive by or come up to the set in the weeks before Christmas, and it became one of the traditions for people on the coast as they prepared for Christmas.  The Cathedral is very fortunate to be the benefactor of this set.  May I tell you that Sylvia is very ill at this time and staying with her mother, Mrs. Hortense Crifasi. She is in my prayers and masses, and I hope you will be so kind as to remember her in yours. It will be a real comfort to her and her family to know that the Cathedral community is praying for healing.

Last week you may have noticed that the Cathedral has switched to a new missalette. Instead of a new book each season of the church year, this is an all-in-one, or annual, missalette. It is less expensive, requires less work, and can be left in the pews all year. Talking about pews, we are trying to get the company that renovated the kneelers last year to return, repair, and give them a “once-over.† Frankly, this has been a problem for you and the church.  This company has been very, very tardy in replying to my many requests.  Please be patient and careful.

On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) I will happily celebrate the 7 a.m. Mass for the Repose of the Soul of Sr. Mary Thomas Ranzino.  She died last year and remains sadly missed because of her sensitive work among our poor and the residents of the Catholic-Presbyterian apartment community, as well as her deeply spiritual presence here at St. Joseph.  She was a model of humility for us all, and she accomplished so much good work for the Lord in the downtown area.  Please remember her in your prayers.  She was the aunt of Fr. Tom Ranzino, a man much like her in his own gentle but thorough ministry.

Thank you for signing up for the Stewardship of Prayer last week.  If you were not able to attend Mass here and would like a commitment form, please e-mail the Cathedral Office at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

A number of you have been asking about Deacon Bob Furlow. Although things have been in the plans for him for some time, he is only now able to say with certainty that he has received the offer and is now the Director of the Retreat House in Grand Coteau, La.  This is a well-suited call because he is a very articulate and accomplished homilist; this along with many, many years of service in giving retreats.  I’ve talked with him recently, and he tells me he loves the work and wants to build the retreat movement in Lafayette into the same dynamic ministry that Manresa in Convent gives to Baton Rouge and New Orleans. I’m sure he will welcome your calls and letters. We are happy for him.

On behalf of the Community of St. Joseph, I would like to thank and congratulate Deacon James Morrissey for his presence at all masses this weekend and for the excellent homily he gave on the subject of prayer. It was very timely and coincided with our Stewardship of Prayer weekend and was so appropriate for the First Sunday of Advent. I’m sure it reached many of your hearts.

Father Young