Deacon John Vu Ordained Metanoia Offers Peace to Trafficking Victims
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THE CATHOLIC PAGE 4 Nonpublic school funding unresolved June 8, 2018ommentator Vol. 56, No. 9 SERVING THE DIOCESE OF BATON ROUGE SINCE 1963 thecatholiccommentator.org C BREAKING THE CHAIN Metanoia offers peace to trafficking victims By Bonny Van The Catholic Commentator “I am their voice.” With those words, Sister Norma Nunez SOM gave an update on Metanoia Manor and unveiled disturb- Sister Norma Nunez SOM joins Father Jeff Bayhi, pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Zachary, center, and ing human trafficking statistics during a Women in Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences for the Spirit meeting May 24 at the St. Joseph Cathedral dedication of Metanoia Manor in April 26, 2017. Photo by Richard Meek | The Catholic Commentator parish hall in Baton Rouge. Metanoia Manor is a Baton Rouge shelter for young girls that are living in Metanoia Manor; that is why I from my nightmares. Being here I can break the chain female victims of human trafficking. It has been up am here,” Sister Norma said. “If they’re not there, I’m of addiction. Here, I can strengthen my education, my and running for the past few months. not here in front of you.” faith and my family, helping others while I am here at “Coming here to talk about Metanioa Manor and Sister Norma read the words of one of the girls now Metanoia … Finally, I can make my own choices.” human trafficking is not all about me, it’s all about the living at the safe house: “Metanoia Manor is a comfort SEE METANOIA PAGE 19 Deacon John Vu ordained By Richard Meek the congregation who had thought about being a The Catholic Commentator priest to stand up so he could bless them. “For some reason, I stood up,” Deacon Vu re- A phrase from a simple Vietnamese prayer called. “That was another one of the beginning was an early preview of the calling that Deacon points where I felt called.” John Vu would ultimately answer. Deacon Vu took the penultimate step to Roughly translated, the prayer, which is tra- priesthood on May 26 when he was ordained ditionally recited at meals, says, “Thank you for a transitional deacon by Bishop Robert W. this meal. When I become your disciple, I will Muench at St. Joseph Cathedral. Deacon Vu will praise you.” spend the next five months at Immaculate Con- “When I thought of that as a child, I thought ception Church in Denham Springs under the it meant you had to be a priest,” said Deacon Vu. pastoral tutelage of pastor Father Frank Uter be- “I figured that prayer locks me in. fore returning to complete his final year at Notre “That was the first starting point that made Dame Seminary in New Orleans. me think about becoming a priest.” Deacon Vu is scheduled to be ordained to the A few years later but still at a young age, priesthood in May 2019, which would complete while attending Mass, the priest asked those in SEE CALLING PAGE 20 Bishop Robert W. Muench, right, ordained Deacon John Vu as a transitional deacon during ordination ceremonies on May 26 at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge. Deacon Vu is scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood in May 2019. Photo by Richard Meek | The Catholic Commentator 2 The Catholic Commentator June 8, 2018 BISHOP MUENCH FLASHBACK Sowing the word of God By Dina Dow cles performed by him. We know Jesus acted out of love in all The Sunday Mass readings for the upcom- he did. This love is steeped in passion, zeal, ing weeks begin with a “fall” and end with an consistency and power; a power that heals, agricultural lesson. The messages from each restores and redeems. Jesus shows us the yield insight into reasons for redemption, rea- power of courage when faced with rejection, sons for hope and reasons for especially from those closest to courage. him. Instead of running away You can hide, but not Life-Giving from his critics, he invites for long FAI H them to a deep understanding of The account from the Book of forgiveness, with a warning that Genesis begins with the effects of “offense against the Holy Spirit is original sin. Adam and Eve, knowing what an everlasting sin.” On the other hand, those evil is, experience the brokenness of inner who faithfully follow him, as modeled by his harmony with God so much so they attempt mother, Mary, and do the will of God will to hide from him. To us this sounds ridic- be redeemed. Thus, we walk by faith in the ulous. Yet, think of a time when you made light of love and mercy of God, without fear a personal choice that you wish God would but with trust in his will for us. Here again just look the other way? The original frac- are more reasons for faith and hope, through Bishop Robert W. Muench blessed a time capsule on the grounds of the Cath- ture chosen by humanity not only broke redemption. (Dedicated to Todd F. #walkby olic Life Center on July 22, 2011. The capsule was buried 50 years after the harmony with God, it also broke union with faith) Papal Bull creating the Diocese of Baton Rouge was signed by St. John Paul people and creation, and thus opened the Finally, we hear an agricultural lesson XXIII. A seven-inch scrapbook was the first item to be placed in the capsule. gates of evil into the world resulting in decay in seed sowing. Jesus, teaching in parables, Every church, school, department and affiliated apostolate in the diocese and death. explains the “how-to” of sowing a field. This was asked to make a page for the scrapbook. Bishop Muench placed the last But, as we pray in Psalm 130, “With the analogy reveals that the seed is the word of item, a letter he wrote to the people of the diocese, when they open the cap- Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemp- God and Jesus is the sower. He “sows” abun- sule in 50 years. Catholic Commentator file photo tion.” We also connect to Genesis 3:15 (aka dantly by his teaching and example. He de- the “Proto-Evangelium” – first announce- sires the entire field to be covered in seed, ment) the promise of hope, inclusive of love knowing it will eventually grow, and count- | DID YOU KNOW and mercy. God punishes the serpent, plac- ing on a crop ready for harvest will aid in ing it at odds with the woman. God tells growing in the kingdom of God. the evil tempter that the woman’s offspring We are the soil of this field. Our recep- Saint with a buzz will crush its head in defeat. This is the first tivity depends on the granules of our heart. promise of redemption for humanity, giving Am I like fertile soil, ready to do God’s will a reason for hope in the one that is to come, with love, trust and mercy? Am I like dry The story of St. Rita of Cascia bees at the convent are not white and pointing to the Messiah. The woman is dirt, parched with bitterness or anger? Am I never fails to create a buzz. but resemble the hue of a common Mary. Thus, the knot caused by Eve’s dis- like specks of dust blown away by the breeze A holy Italian mystic who was bee, only with no stinger. obedience was untied by Mary’s obedience, of the world? Am I in need of rehydration born in 1381, St. Rita is often asso- One of the bees was given to as Jesus, her “offspring” by the power of the through reconciliation to clear the clutter ciated with bees. The day after her Pope Urban VIII but eventually the Holy Spirit, came to restore humanity and in order to receive the seed? Am I becom- baptism, when she was five years bee made its way back to the con- free all from the enslavement of sin. ing a sower of the word of God, a disciple of old, a swarm of white bees report- vent. We walk by faith Christ, who, like the apostles, share the word edly swarmed around her mouth The sisters at the convent do not Courage. St. Paul writes in his Second of God, continue to care for the field, culti- and even alighted on her lips. They see the bees as a nuisance, only a Letter to the Corinthians that it takes cour- vate good fruit and build the kingdom? All it were seen to enter and leave her natural occurrence that happens to age to walk by faith, for we live for what we takes is one seed the size of a mustard seed partially open mouth but amazing- occur in their walls. are unable to see but we know and believe to yield a life-giving field glistening with ly she was not harmed nor did she St. Rita was buried in the basilica it to be true. Hence, our reason for courage grace. For this, we receive his word for the utter a whimper. of Cascia and was later discovered is because Jesus showed courage by his mis- redemption of our lives and become a sower Witnesses believed the event to to be incorrupt. Today, her body lies sion. There were days where critics were his of hope, taking courage that the kingdom in- be a mystery, although they could in the St.