Why Study the Bible? by Lisa Bromschwig Why We Live Our Faith
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CHURCH TODAY Volume LII, No. 8 www.diocesealex.org Serving the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana Since 1970 August 30, 2021 Welcome back students! Ssacred Heart School held its annual Flag Bearer Commissioning Ceremony and Flag Dedication on Aug. 18, 2021. This year, Representative Daryl Deshotel obtained the United States Flag for Sacred Heart School from the State Capitol in Baton Rouge. The school’s staff and students were so honored that it flew over the Capitol and now flies over their school. Many thanks to Mrs. Chressie Jeansonne, Rep. Deshotel’s assistant, for presenting the flag to the school on behalf of Rep. Deshotel, along with a certificate of authenticity from Senate President Patrick Page Cortez, and Speaker of the House Clay Schexnayder. Thanks also goes to Father Brian Seiler, Sr. Sandra Norsworthy, all of the students, faculty, and staff who assisted with the ceremony, and Mr. Nathan Laborde, assistant principal, who played “To the Colors” on his trumpet as the flag was raised. See inside this issue for more back-to-school information. INSIDE U.S. Catholics urged to give Diocese of Alexandria seminarains Catholic schools welcome new principals The president of the U.S. Conference of The Diocese of Alexandria is proud to Catholic Bishops has urged U.S. Catholics to support our seminarians! See page 5 for a Three Catholic schools in our diocese give to efforts helping Haitians recover from a list of our current seminarians, and please welcome new principals for this school year. recent pair of natural disasters. See page 3 for continue to pray for more men and women See page 11 for more information as well as more on how to help. within our diocese to courageously respond to a welcome from our Catholic Schools Office. God’s call to the priesthood and religious life. Looking Back + Saint/Feast of the Month PAGE 2 CHURCH TODAY AUGUST 30, 2021 INDEX Pastoral Letter on lifting the dispensation Dear brothers and sisters in in the Sunday celebration is too Feature ...............................2 Christ, difficult or dangerous at present. World News ........................3 For those who may not have an Letter from the Editor .........4 Saint Augustine of Hippo identifiable condition, but who wrote in his Confessions, “You are nonetheless concerned about Diocesan News ................. 5 have made us for yourself, O returning, you are welcome to Features ............................. 6 Lord, and our heart is restless until attend wearing a face mask. Vocations and Burses ........ 8 it rests in you.” This great insight Indeed, during this present surge, Parish Spotlight ................ 10 perfectly describes our human masks are recommended for all - Local News .......................11 nature. We are constantly seeking those vaccinated and especially Picture Spread .................. 12 something better, and we often for those unvaccinated. I have try to satisfy that hunger with the encouraged our parishes and Features ............................14 things of this world that will never the nourishment, but we were return for a while longer. If any missions to designate some portion Schools / Youth ................ 20 satisfy us for more than a minute dispensed from the obligation of the following apply to you, of their seating as an area where Diocesan Briefs ................ 22 or an hour or a day. Our hunger of Mass attendance to protect you would not need a blanket social distancing is required. If Calendar ........................... 23 will return, our heart will remain ourselves from the current virus. dispensation - you would have you are interested in this socially restless. Only God can satisfy A few weeks ago, I announced a personal dispensation that distanced seating area, contact our deepest longings, our deepest that the general dispensation applies to you for as long as the your parish church to determine desires, our deepesst needs. from the obligation of Mass condition exists: if they will offer such an area attendance would end in the 1. You are sick with any and where it will be located. All As Catholics, we often Diocese of Alexandria on August communicable disease or from any of our churches should continue CHURCH express our participation in 15, 2021. We have been inviting other condition that would make to have hand sanitizer available, the Sunday celebration of the all to “Come to the Table,” to your travel to, or participation at and will continue with regular TODAY Eucharist as an obligation - unless be nourished again with the Mass too difficult. cleaning and sanitizing the the obligation is dispensed, we Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. 2. You wish to receive a church and other gathering areas. are “obliged” or “obligated” to COVID vaccine, but have been attend Mass. We could express In making this decision, I am unable to receive one, or you When you return, please the same concept in terms of aware that the vast majority of us have received only one of the two respect the sensibilities of others. opportunity. Each Sunday - have gone back to our “normal required inoculations, or your Many will wear masks, others Volume LII, No. 8 often, each day - we have the lives.” We are traveling, shopping, immunity has not yet kicked in will not. Many will want to avoid August 30, 2021 opportunity to participate in Mass, dining out, participating in social (approximately two weeks after physical contact when greeting to be nourished by the Word of and recreational gatherings. If the second dose of the vaccine). others and during the sign of P. O. Box 7417 God and the Bread of Life. Yet we are able to do that, then our 3. You have other health peace. The Eucharist should Alexandria, LA 71303 perhaps Saint Augustine’s insight Sunday celebration of Mass conditions that would make bring us together as the Body of [email protected] brings us closer to the truth. As should return to being a regular exposure to the virus too Christ, not be a source of division. 318-445-6424 humans, we not only have the and necessary part of our lives. dangerous for you. opportunity or the obligation to We need to reconnect with God 4. You care for someone who We are inviting all back Publisher: participate in Mass - we have a and with the Church even more cannot obtain a vccine, or who to Mass, but we recognize that Most. Rev. Robert Marshall basic human need to offer God than we need to go to a party or eat has health conditions that would not everyone will be able to Publication Manager / Editor: our worship and our praise, and in a restaurant. At the same time, I make exposure to the virus too return or will feel comfortable Cari Terracina, ext. 255, also to draw from the celebration know that there are those who are dangerous. returning at this time. The [email protected] not yet ready to return to worship 5. You have a true fear of Multimedia Manager / of the Eucharist the graces that end to the dispensation is not a in public - whose health is too the virus and are isolating or Advertising: we need to continue to live as declaration of victory over the fragile or for whom just leaving quarantining unil the surge is over Joan Ferguson, ext. 264; disciples of the Lord. We know virus or a denial that it exists and [email protected] that if we do not drink water daily, their home would place them or or until the virus is eradicated. is dangerous. Indeed, this recent Circulation: Sandi Tarver, ext. 209; our health will be compromised, their loved ones at too much risk. surge reminds us of our need to [email protected] our life may be lost. Still, we do All of these conditions, and be careful. Yet our invitation to not usually say, “I am obliged to Over the past few weeks, as a perhaps others, are valid reasons return to the Eucharist at this time The CHURCH TODAY (USPS drink water.” Rather, we say, result of both a new variant and our to continue to stay home. If is a recognition that we need to 393-240) is published by the “I must drink water in order to low vaccination rate, Louisiana you are concerned about this, be fed by the Body of Christ even Catholic Diocese of Alexandria, live.” So it is with the Eucharist. has experienced a surge both in then I invite you to contact your with some safety precautions. once a month, free of charge to We must offer God our worship the number of those diagnosed pastor and discuss your particular members of the parishes in the or our hearts will return to with the virus and, unfortunately, situation. Additionally, if you Please join me in prayer for Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana. their restless and empty state. in hospitalizations. In spite of this have a reasonable fear of gathering the health and safety of all of those Out of diocese subscriptions are surge, I have chosen not to continue in large groups during this present in our community and throughout $20 a year. Because of the health crisis the “blanket dispensation” past surge, I invite you to look for the world. The office is located at throughout the world, we have August 14. We need to return to a daily Mass in your parish or 4400 Coliseum Blvd., not had a moral obligation to the Mass too much to continue to one nearby. The congregation is Live Jesus in our hearts! Alexandria, LA 71303. participate in the Holy Sacrifice stay away. Rather, I want to set out almost always smaller and it is Periodicals postage paid at of the Mass for about a year some of the conditions that would usually possible to remain socially Most Reverend Robert Alexandria, LA.