DIOCESAN NEWS RELEASES

                   YOUNGSVILLE CATHOLIC SCHOOL NOT IN IMMEDIATE FUTURE
     According to Fr. Michael Russo, newly appointed pastor of St. Anne Catholic Church in Youngsville, groundbreaking for St. Paul Catholic School will not be realized in the immediate future.
     While St. Anne Church will always remain open to the possibility of opening a Catholic school, more immediate needs of the Church Parish must be met.  Present Church buildings have serious maintenance issues that are to be addressed first, requiring strategic planning and fundraising - all of which are to be directed by policies of the Diocese of Lafayette.                   Though the sign which has announced a future St. Paul Catholic School will be removed, the property off the Youngsville Highway, generously donated by Mr. Guy Broussard, will remain St. Anne Church property.  Plans are to put committees together at the beginning of the new year to discuss varied options and a strategic Master Plan for present Church buildings. 

                               ST. ANNE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN YOUNGSVILLE




 

   Reverend Rusty Richard has requested and was granted by Bishop Deshotel a leave from active ministry, beginning November 11, 2019. 
   Very Reverend William Blanda, VF, was appointed to serve as canonical administrator of St. Martin de Tours Parish in St. Martinville until a new pastor is appointed. 
   Reverend Godwin Nzeh, CMF, is appointed sacramental minister of St. Martin de Tours Parish.

                                                                        
Bishop Douglas Deshotel presented three checks totaling just over $50,000 to the pastors of three Baptist churches destroyed by an alleged arsonist earlier this year. The funds were raised during a recent second collection at each Catholic parish in the Diocese of Lafayette.  On hand to receive the donations from Bishop Deshotel were (from left, above)  Pastor Harry Richard of Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas, Pastor Gerald Toussaint of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, also in Opelousas, and Pastor Kyle Sylvester of St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre. Each church congregation received a check totaling just over $16, 800.
   Bishop Deshotel said he was honored to play a small role in the rebuilding efforts, and that "Evil brings opportunities for good, and this is a good way to do that." 
  Please keep these three religious leaders and their congregants in your prayers!

Three Diocese of Lafayette Seminarians
have been installed into the Ministry of Acolyte!

BRENT DIDIER

JOHN DUGAS

NICHOLAS WARE

      Diocese of Lafayette seminarians Brent Didier, John Dugas, and Nicholas Ware were admitted into the Ministry of Acolyte during a special Mass of Installation on October 25, 2019, in the Chapel at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. The Rite of the Institution of Acolytes was presided over by Most Reverend Louis F. Kihneman, III, Bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi, who conferred this ministry upon these three second-year theology students.

The Acolyte is appointed to aid the deacon and minister to the priest in liturgical celebrations; attend to the service of the altar and to assist the deacon and priest in the celebration of Mass; distribute Communion as an extraordinary minister in the true absence of deacons and/or priests; in the true absence of deacons and/or priests expose the Blessed Sacrament for adoration by the faithful and afterward repose it, but without the blessing; instruct other faithful who on a temporary basis are appointed to assist the priest or deacon in liturgical celebrations by carrying the missal, cross, candles, etc., or by performing other such duties. The acolyte may also distribute Communion outside of Mass and participate in the care of the sick.

All three men, who currently attend Notre Dame Seminary, completed their philosophy education at St. Joseph Seminary in St. Benedict, Louisiana in May 2018.

Congratulations to all! Please keep our seminarians in your prayers!

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Great news to share with you!
Seven Diocese of Lafayette Seminarians were installed into the Ministry of Lector.

     The Diocese of Lafayette is proud to announce the advancement of seven seminarians into the Ministry of Lector.
      Reed Michael Bellingham, Alex Grant Cormier, Myles Brandon Creek, David James Furka, Jonathan Carrollton Harris, Riley Paul Maturin, and Michael Coleman Vidrine were admitted into the Ministry of Lector during a special Mass of Installation on Monday, October 28, 2019, in the Chapel at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. Presiding over the Rite of the Institution of Lectors was Most Reverend Gregory Kelly, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas, who conferred this ministry upon these seven first-year students of theology at Notre Dame Seminary.

     “The Rite of Institution of Lectors is one of the ministries a seminarian must receive before ordination to the Diaconate and Priesthood. Those given the ministry of Lector are entrusted with reading the Sacred Scriptures during Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours.”

Congratulations to all! Please keep them in your prayers!

   Catholic School students from across the Diocese of Lafayette competed today in the Annual Diocesan Varsity Quiz Bowl Tournament.

   10 Catholic Schools from the Diocese gathered at the Chancery in Lafayette to compete in the annual tournament. The teams went head-to-head to answer questions from all areas of knowledge, including history, literature, science, fine arts, current events, popular culture, sports, and more. After several rounds of tough questions, two teams rose above the rest to take the top spots.

   The 2019 Quiz Bowl Tournament Champion Award went to St. Thomas More High School and the Tournament Runner Up went to St. John Berchmans.

   The 2019 Varsity Quiz Bowl Tournament Highest Scorer Award went to Christopher Leblanc of St. John Berchmans.

1st Runner-Up: Morgan MacDougall, St. Thomas More
2nd Runner-Up: Brock Credeur, Notre Dame
3rd Runner-Up: Issac Timken, Catholic High

Congratulations to all our Catholic School Students who participated!

                                                                          
A very special thank you to the Knights of Columbus for their generous donation to the Diocese of Lafayette.  Timmy Trahan and Tim Boudreaux, representing the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus of Louisiana presented Bishop Deshotel with a very generous donation of $5,200 for the ERE Program (Excellence in Religious Education.) Thank you for your generosity!