DIOCESAN NEWS RELEASES

       The Diocese of Lafayette will kick off “The Year of St. Joseph” during a special Mass and celebration this weekend at St. Joseph Church in Patterson.   Bishop Douglas Deshotel will celebrate the Mass, which begins at 9 a.m. on Sunday, August 16.  The Mass will be live streamed on the Diocese of Lafayette YouTube channel. 

     On December 8, 1870, St. Joseph was declared patron of the Universal Church by Pope Pius X in his decree Quemadmodum Deus, and 2020 marks the 150^th anniversary of that declaration.

      Catholic Dioceses around the world are joining the celebration to honor a saint who played a pivotal role in the life of Christ, as Jesus’ earthly father, as the protector of the Holy Family and the loving, chaste spouse of the Holy Mother.  “The Year of St. Joseph” in the Diocese of Lafayette will conclude on May 1, 2021, the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, with a closing Mass at St. Joseph Church in Milton.  Throughout the year, Masses and parish missions will be held at all thirteen St. Joseph Churches in Acadiana.  In addition to Patterson and Milton, St. Joseph Churches are located in Broussard, Cecilia, Centerville, Evangeline, Iota, Loreauville, Maurice, Parks, Plaisance, Rayne and Ville Platte.  In the Year of St. Joseph, the Catholic faithful are encouraged to make pilgrimages to one or more of the St. Joseph Churches to receive a  Plenary Indulgence granted by Pope Francis. 


 

     Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel is pleased to announce that Monsignor Jefferson J. DeBlanc, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Lafayette, has been appointed by the Holy See as a Missionary of Mercy (Special Confessor). 

     The Missionaries of Mercy were originally called and commissioned by Pope Francis on February 10, 2016 – Ash Wednesday – during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.  At the conclusion of the Jubilee Year, the Holy Father decided to continue the mandate of the Missionaries of Mercy.

     Thanks to that special Papal mandate, Missionaries of Mercy can hear confessions anywhere in the world and have the authority to pardon sins that normally require special permission from the Holy See, such as the profaning of the Eucharist or even the use of physical force against the pope.

     Bishop Douglas Deshotel said "It is with great joy that I announce to you that the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization has approved Monsignor Jefferson J. DeBlanc to serve as a Missionary of Mercy, or special Confessor.  Msgr. DeBlanc shall serve as a herald of forgiveness and a living sign of welcome to all who seek the Mercy and forgiveness of almighty God."   Bishop Deshotel chose Tuesday, August 4 to make the announcement as it is the memorial of the great confessor, Saint Jean Marie Vianney.  

Msgr. DeBlanc now has the special mandate to preach and teach about the Mercy of God and of absolving penalties attached to certain sins normally reserved to the Holy See.   These sins include: 

1. The profanation of the Eucharistic species by taking them away or keeping them for a sacrilegious purpose;
2. The use of physical force against the Roman Pontiff;
3. The absolution of an accomplice in a sin against the Sixth Commandment;
4. The direct violation against the sacramental seal by a confessor;
5. The recording and/or disclosure by means of social communication of the content of a sacramental confession, be it real or simulated.

  In speaking to a recent gathering of the Missionaries of Mercy, Pope Francis told them that “the message that we bear in Christ’s name is that of making peace with God…. God needs people to bring the message of his pardon and mercy to the world.” This is the mission that Jesus entrusted to his apostles the evening of his resurrection. The lives of those who fulfill such a mission must be in harmony with it, the Pope reminded them “To be collaborators of mercy, therefore, presupposes to live the merciful love which we ourselves have first received.”

  Please keep Msgr. DeBlanc in your prayers as he begins this new ministry of his priesthood!

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     In commemoration of the Feast of St. Anne, July 26^th, it was
recently announced by Fr. Michael Russo, pastor of St. Anne Catholic Church in Youngsville, that plans for a new Church construction will proceed.

    The congregation was given a general conceptual plan that  incorporates the present Church building as a narthex (entrance way), as well as providing liturgical space for the Rite of Baptism and a day time Adoration Chapel.    The new plan will preserve the present Church, an historic landmark,  which was  important to many Youngsville residents. The announcement was made as a first step  in moving forward,  namely by clarifying that the present Church would be preserved,  and that a new construction added to it would mean that St. Anne Catholic Church would remain on its present grounds and not be moved to another area of the growing city.  
     Youngsville is one of the fastest growing cities in the State of Louisiana, and expanding worshipping space for Catholics in the City is much needed.  The plans call for a Gothic style structure to blend with the present Church architecture as well as the construction of a parking lot.   The real work now comes with fund raising and filling in the details, said Fr. Russo, who was appointed St. Anne’s pastor last July.  A first major donation of $500,000.00 was generously made by Guy and John Broussard.   Fr. Russo  remains confident that the Catholics of Youngsville will rise to the occasion when a Fund Raising Campaign is eventually put into place. 

Bishop Douglas Deshotel has granted permission to Pastors
in the Diocese of Lafayette to celebrate  indoor Masses and outdoor Masses, while maintaing a maximum of 50% seating capacity in each church, use of hand sanitizer, and social distancing.

   This permission is granted as long as the celebrants strictly follow all directives issued by Governor Joh Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Fire Marshal’s Office. Parishioners with illnesses such as fever, cough, chills or shortness of breath are to stay home. 
 

    All of the faithful of the Diocese continue to be dispensed from their obligations to Sunday Mass and are reminded of the ample opportunities to participate in Mass online or on television.