Messages from the Pastor - Archive

January 31, 2010

My dear parishioners and friends,

Every week I, like most pastors, get to read Bulletins from other parishes. You’re lucky: you’re probably reading only one, this one! But I get to survey about two dozen.

It’s a useful exercise: I try to notice what else is going on in our diocese, and often there’s a phrase or topic to circle in red and keep for later. As the old saying goes, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.† Nobody seems to mind when their good ideas are re-used!

The mistakes others make also don’t need to be repeated. That’s why lately I’ve been paying attention to what I don’t like. Since a reader usually just has time merely to skim the text, the writing’s got to catch the eye. If the subject’s not immediately obvious in the headline or text, it’s likely missed. If the text is pleasant and “readable,† it’s much better. Pictures and good graphic design – using color and “white space† – help as well.

I tend to shy away from Bulletins that look too “crowded,† or which are otherwise unappealing. Personally I don’t like “canned† content, written mostly by publishing companies and out-of-town columnists. After all, people far, far away don’t usually know the local community of faith, and it shows. And it’s never good when the only things announced in the Bulletin are things in the coming week or two: personal calendars usually have to be planned out ’way in advance, so that “last minute† things rarely find room on anyone’s schedule.

Within the next few months our Parish is going to try to expand the size and improve the quality of our weekly Bulletin. It’s mailed out to everyone because it’s a vital communication tool for us here at the Cathedral. Our parishioners and friends come from all over the area, but they all get the Bulletin. Since so many of our parishioners also belong to another parish, we need to be able to “get the word out† to them about Cathedral activities so they don’t miss out here either.

More space will permit more content. I’d like to offer a column focusing on liturgical matters, for example. (Some of our veteran parishioners will remember I did this for a number of years in the late 1990s and early 2000s; it was very wellreceived, and I’ve often been asked to repeat it.)

There’s a great need to devote more space to things such as Bible study and Catholic education in general: the hunger that is out there, to know more about our precious Catholic faith, needs to be addressed. And who knows? Maybe there’ll be room enough to feature a “Latin Word of the Week†!!

How can you help? Well, ideas are always helpful. On the practical plane, if you or your business would like to help underwrite our Bulletin, you’ll get credit, our thanks and advertising space! Perhaps most importantly, if you have skill in writing, word-processing, graphics design, communications, calendaring, photography and related areas, we could sure use your help. And, in fact, we have need for dependable volunteers just to fold, tab and label the Bulletin each week in preparation for mailing. The few members of the Parish Office staff don’t have much more time to do more!

As you know, this weekend I’m speaking at all of our weekend Masses about the need for all of us to be good stewards of the material resources God has blessed us with. In plain English, that means returning a portion of these to the Lord and His holy Church. Later this week you’ll get a letter from me enclosing a commitment card to be returned.

This will enable the Parish to budget and make sensible plans in the year ahead. Already I know I can count on your generosity – please, please make sure God can count on an ongoing spirit of sacrifice.

In Christ,
Father Paul

January 24, 2010

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Joseph Cathedral,

In the Gospel we hear this Sunday (Lk 1:1-4, 4:14- 21), Jesus quotes from Isaiah 61:2 in “announcing a year of favor from the Lord.â€

Now obviously He was referring to that marvelous year around A.D. 30, when He left the secluded life of His hometown Nazareth and began a public ministry. How exciting it must have been for the people of the Holy Land back then: here was a spellbinding speaker and bona fide miracle worker in their midst! We human beings in any age tend to like novelty and celebrity of any sort, and here was a particularly impressive man speaking on behalf of God – pretty good stuff!

In the back of my mind, though, I think it’s a happy coincidence for us too here at the Cathedral Parish. I really believe that for us too 2010 is going to be “a year of favor from the Lord.† I am edified at the increased attendance at Sunday and weekday Masses. The growing numbers of persons going to confession is also heartening. It looks like our country is slowly coming out of its economic downturn, and our income (read “your generosity!†) is similarly returning to expected levels. We have the largest RCIA “class† anyone can remember, and special events are more and more popular.

(Speaking of special events, if you were one of the hundreds who celebrated our “New Year’s Vigil† with gumbo and champagne after Mass, you know how pleasantly this new year of favor began! We actually ran out of champagne, making do with white wine – but nobody seemed to mind!)

One monthly event that continues to be extremely popular is our “Women In Spirit† luncheon program. Women of all faiths are invited simply to share a meal and hear an interesting presentation. We’ve been attracting a full room of ladies for what have been very enjoyable programs.

This month’s gathering will be this Thursday, Jan. 28, at 12 noon in the Parish Hall. The speaker will be Ms. Susan Benjamin, whose inspirational presentation Experiencing Joy: Accepting God’s Will flows from personal experience: one of her two children is handicapped in multiple ways. Call the Parish Office (225-387-5928) or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to let us know if you’re coming so we can have enough food on hand!

One thing that will really make this a great year will be progress on our “new Parish Hall† project. Part of this effort has to be some serious fundraising, probably in the summer and early fall months. I need to remind everybody that this kind of fundraising – for what is called our “capital† or “building† fund† – must be over and above the regular stewardship offerings everyone provides. We’ll have to keep paying the usual bills while construction is going on!

2010 has not been a good year, however, for the distressed people of Haiti. All of us have been dismayed by the horrible loss of life and property in that already- poor country due to the earthquake of Jan. 12. The outreach by both our nation’s government and the private sector has been massively generous, but it’s been clear from the start that overcoming the devastation will be slow. Thank you for what you gave in last weekend’s special collection: Catholic Relief Services was one of the few aid agencies “on the ground† in Haiti when the quake occurred, so your donations are already being used to benefit the injured and suffering.

Finally, no one can yet say if 2010 will be a good year relative to the proposed federal health care “reform† bill. While the US House of Representatives passed a bill reaffirming the essential, longstanding and popular policy against using federal funds for abortions, the US Senate’s bill requires that your tax dollars be used to subsidize coverage for abortions. The two bills are now being combined into one compromise bill that both House and Senate will vote on again.

Catholics need to make their voices heard: provisions against abortion funding and in favor of conscience protection, affordability, and access of all US residents to health care must be part of the reform or it won’t be fair and just. Additional information is available in the back of church and on the bishops’ website, www.usccb.org/healthcare. If you wish to write your US Representative and Senators, do so simply by writing them:

Representative Bill Cassidy 506 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515

Senator Mary Landrieu 328 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510

Senator David Vitter 516 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510

When you write, keep your letters polite but be direct and to the point: we do need to improve health care in the US, but Catholics cannot accept so-called “reform† that aids and abets the murder of the unborn, forces you or health-care providers to act contrary to your religious beliefs, or excludes immigrants from coverage. Thank you for doing this.

In Christ,
Father Paul

January 17, 2010

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Joseph Cathedral,

Now that we’re back in “ordinary time† until Ash Wednesday on Feb. 17, it’s time to deal with more ordinary things. I’m slowly working my way through thank you notes and all of the administrative and other correspondence which built up over the Christmas holidays.

But I don’t want to give you the impression that nothing’s going on at the Cathedral. Every day something happens. Some are ongoing, regular things: like the food pantry, R.C.I.A. sessions, pre-baptismal seminars, choir, Knights of Columbus potlucks and meetings, “small Christian community† sharing and Bible study, “Women in Spirit† luncheons, Bulletin folders, liturgical minister training, and so forth. If you’re not part of one or more of this kind of ongoing effort, well, you’re not only missing out, we miss you!

Other things are more occasional. These are the kind of things that happen annually or which are scheduled infrequently.

For example, last weekend I focused on vocations in my homily and remarks, for this past week was national Vocations Awareness week. We are also again this year participating in our own diocesan Vocations Office’s special program entitled “Called By Name.† While general encouragement and prayers for vocations are necessary, what is also needed are specific invitations to specific individuals.

Later this month I will be hosting a special reception for our Cathedral Parish’s “Millennium Founders.† These are those especially generous persons from throughout the diocese who – over and above their regular stewardship commitments – provide an additional gift to the Cathedral of at least $1,000 each year. Please join me in praying for their intentions, and that God blesses them abundantly, for these wonderful friends are in turn a rich blessing for us as well. And if you would consider joining their number, I would very much be happy to welcome you: just give me a call at 225-387-5928.

Two special friends, sadly, will no longer be joining us for worship and witness. Parishioners Ernest Hebert and Mr. Harry Heroman, Sr., were buried from the Cathedral last week. In a sense, of course, we people of faith never say goodbye when death occurs, but au revoir (“until we see each other again†), in the sure hope that “If we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him† (2 Tim 2:11). But please, pray for the repose of their souls and in sympathy with their families who mourn them now.

An event everyone looks forward to will be coming up after Easter: our Cathedral’s annual “Bishop’s Day† on April 18. On this occasion Bishop Muench and the whole parish honors in a special way persons whose presence and assistance over the years have helped make the Cathedral community such a special one. And here’s where you can help us out: if you have any suggestions as to who might be an honoree this year, let me know. I’ve already gotten a few suggestions, of course, but I’m new to the parish and would really appreciate everyone’s input on this.

This will be the last week we’ll run the coupon on the next page offering you the regular monthly Magnificat booklet at a substantially reduced price. Again, it’s an exceptionally good resource to help you appreciate the Church and its beliefs and worship, and in your personal prayer. Please clip it, fill it out, and get it with your payment to the Parish Office. Your personal copy will then be available as soon as we can get them.

In Christ,
Father Paul

January 10, 2010

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Joseph Cathedral,

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord which we celebrate this weekend officially closes the Christmas Season in the Church. From now until the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday on Feb. 17, our Sunday observances are merely numbered ... and are called “ordinal time,† or more commonly “ordinary time.â€

The fact of Jesus’ own baptism in the Jordan River is one of the few episodes of His life mentioned in all four Gospels (Mt 3:13-17; Mk 1:9-11; Lk 3:31-22; Jn 1:31-34). That and His clear command to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit† (Mt 28:19) has made it an imperative for the Church ever since. A life of Christian faith and action begins with baptism.

Here at the Cathedral baptism is a privileged moment of faith. In 2009 42 persons were baptized here, 32 of whom were parishioners, with the others having historical or family ties to us. Seven of these were adults baptized as part of our R.C.I.A. process; the rest were infants. We always try to make the moment of baptism a special, personal celebration, even if it is often a low key one.

(Incidentally, I’m occasionally asked why infant baptisms at the Cathedral are not often celebrated at Mass. Well, as usual, there’s a reason: the Rite of Baptism of Children contains a rule (in its General Instruction, no. 9) that “infant baptism may be celebrated even during Mass ... but this should not be done too often,† since infants in the Western Church do not share in Holy Communion. So while I certainly would agree to do this should a family request it, it’s not our usual practice.)

In any event, please know that we always welcome those who wish to celebrate their child’s baptism here at the Cathedral. If the parents are registered in another Parish, their proper pastor’s permission is requested. Typically baptisms are scheduled on weekends, but other days are possible too.

As I mentioned last week, our annual Stewardship of Finance appeal is coming up at the end of January. At this time, each of us – yes, me too! – are asked to discern prayerfully how – and how much – we must give monetarily to God. Proper stewardship means making a free, prayerful, planned, proportionate and sacrificial gift to God and His Church. These “five giving principles† ensure that our financial commitments benefit both the Parish community and ourselves as much as possible.

I also want to remind you of my offer regarding the regular monthly Magnificat booklet. It’s an outstanding liturgical aid, a good resource for personal prayer, and very informational about Catholic doctrine and Church history. By ordering it in bulk, the price will be a more reasonable $25 annually, rather than its usual $45 per year.

So, clip the coupon below and fill it out. Send it with your payment for the next year and we’ll get Magnificat for you at the reduced price! You’ll be able to pick up your personal copy at the Cathedral each month as soon as they come in, beginning in February or as soon as we can get them.

Finally, our beloved pastor emeritus, Father Young, has asked that his new mailing address be shared with you. This way your cards and good wishes can reach him more quickly, without waiting here in our office for him to pick up:

Rev. Gerard F. Young - P. O. Box 345 - Darrow, LA 70725-0345

In Christ,
Father Paul