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Bishop Duca to Lead Diocese THE CATHOLIC PAGE 12 Blessings on the bayou July 6, 2018ommentator Vol. 56, No. 11 SERVING THE DIOCESE OF BATON ROUGE SINCE 1963 thecatholiccommentator.org C THE NEW SHEPHERD Baton Rouge has a Catholic population of 227,052. Bishop Duca “I have to tell you I’m not clear about the ‘why me’ part,” said the bishop- designate. “I have to admit I have been to lead surprised or puzzled by most of the pastoral assignments I have received diocese over my life. But, no matter how quick By Bonny Van The Catholic Commentator The sixth bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge was greeted with applause, smiles and hugs as he approached the podium for his introduction to the peo- ple June 26, just hours after the Vatican announced the appointment by Pope I had to move, or how unprepared I felt Francis. or overwhelmed or humbled, in every Bishop-designate Michael G. Duca case, when I embraced the assignment, replaces Bishop Robert W. Muench, without reservation, I found the joy who is retiring after 16 years. The two Bishop-designate Michael Gerard Duca speaks to the media as well as priests, dea- and blessings I know now that God in- bishops arrived together, with Bishop cons and staff of the Diocese of Baton Rouge after being introduced as the sixth tended.” Muench handling much of the intro- bishop for the diocese. Bishop-designate Duca is currently the bishop of the Diocese Bishop-designate Duca then broke ductions for the press event, which con- of Shreveport. Photo by Richard Meek | The Catholic Commentator down in tears in recalling the special tained a variety of emotions from both bond he had developed with the people men, who had clearly formed a special Baton Rouge,” said Bishop-designate Bishop-designate Duca was ordained in Shreveport, saying, “I fell in love with camaraderie. Duca to the dozens of priests, deacons, a priest in 1978 for the Diocese of Dal- those I served, and I also found that in “I was completely surprised by this diocesan employees and members of las. After serving in several parishes in every case, I discovered the goodness in appointment and while I am sad to the media packed into the Westerfield that diocese, he served as rector of Holy the people of God. leave the good people of the Diocese of Center on the campus of the Catholic Trinity Seminary in Irving, Texas from “I intend to do no less here in Baton Shreveport, I immediately accepted the Life Center. 1996 to 2008. Rouge,” he continued. “And, I will give appointment without reservation as I Bishop-designate Duca has been In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI ap- myself to you as your bishop and the work see this as the will of God in my life and, bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport pointed him as bishop of the Diocese of before us to build the kingdom of God, I guess by extension, the will of God in for the past 10 years, his first bishop Shreveport, with a Catholic population here in this portion of south Louisiana.” the life of the Diocese of Shreveport and assignment. A native of Dallas, Texas, of 40,000. In contrast, the Diocese of SEE DUCA PAGE 8 Bishop Muench celebrates jubilee By Richard Meek en Jubilee of his ordination June 24 on a The Catholic Commentator steamy Sunday afternoon at St. Cathedral. Several hundred family members, many of Bishop Robert W. Muench’s 50-year who traveled long distances to be in atten- spiritual odyssey as a priest and bishop has dance, and friends gathered for the Mass. taken him from New Orleans to Covington, Also attending were retired Archbish- Kentucky and back to familiar territory op Alfred C. Hughes of New Orleans, who along the banks of the Mississippi River in was Bishop Muench’s predecessor in Baton Baton Rouge. Rouge; Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond Bishop Muench celebrated the Gold- of New Orleans; New Roads native Bishop Shelton J. Fabre, who is currently the bish- Left, Bishop Robert W. Muench was all smiles op in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux; as he celebrated his Golden Jubilee Mass on and several bishops from the state of Loui- June 24 at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton siana. Rouge. Photo by Richard Meek | The Catholic Commentator SEE ANNIVERSARY PAGE 10 2 The Catholic Commentator July 6, 2018 BISHOP MUENCH FLASHBACK Sufficient Grace By Dina Dow path, opened by Jesus’ act of redemption, is paved with enough grace to endure the obsta- The call of the faithful is to proclaim the cles. We have the freedom to respond to this message of God to all people. Sometimes this invitation of grace in choosing to do what is is easy. Other times this is difficult. God’s good and leading others to do the same. In all grace provides strength for this we do, we praise God’s glory task, as we hear in the Sunday in Jesus Christ who came Mass readings for the 14th and Life-Giving to show the way to eternity. 15th Sundays in Ordinary Time. FAI H From birth to death, new life to His grace is sufficient, for it provides new life, our God is kind, thus humility, endurance and holiness. we yearn for this salvation! We The prophets: Just doing my job persist to exist, today and eternally. Ezekiel and Amos, prophets of the Lord, We are in good company were just doing their ordinary work when God Jesus faced the same challenges, thus we called them to deliver a message of repentance are in good company. St. Mark’s Gospel tells to the “bold of face and stubborn of heart” (Ez of the second rejection Jesus experienced 2:4). God’s grace assured them, as prophets, by those in his hometown, as he profoundly Bishop Robert W. Muench prays with disaster recovery workers the Spirit to endure, the words to proclaim, taught in the synagogue. The people could from Catholic Charities Diocese of Baton Rouge in the aftermath and the humility to accept the rejection. Both not possibly believe this was coming from Je- of Hurricane Gustav in 2008. The bishop had to cope with several prophets were successful at delivering the sus, the son of Mary and Joseph. How could natural disasters while shepherding the Diocese of Baton Rouge, message, but, as God had prepared them for, he be such a great teacher? He was “amazed including Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Hurricane Isaac in 2012 and the recipients rejected it. They did not want at their lack of faith” (Mark 6:6). Yet, he en- the historic flooding of 2016. Catholic Commentator file photo to hear it and ended up in desolation. Recall dured by sending his apostles two by two to a time when routine was interrupted and you nearby towns. They were minimally equipped were inspired to invite another to change their in supplies, yet maximally equipped by the | DID YOU KNOW behavior. Did you experience strength from Holy Spirit to proclaim the message of repen- God to do the right thing out of love? Were tance and expel demons. Those who listened you able to deliver the message with charity received more. Those who did not listen were and patience? Did you persist? Were you told left standing in the dust. Silent time with God to “go away?” If so, have you continued to pray Grace for this person? Paragraph 1999 of the The Catechism of the Today’s frenetic lifestyle un- aged, if not downright prohibited. A thorn in the side Catholic Church states, “The grace of Christ is doubtedly extracts a toll on one’s After all, can one really hear God St. Paul gives incredible insight into the the gratuitous gift that God makes to us of his physical being and psyche, as in one ear with the cell phone in the gift of “sufficient grace.” Impaled in his side by own life, infused by the Holy Spirit into our Americans are finding it increas- other? hardships, beatings and reminders of his past soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it.” This ingly difficult to maintain a healthy Typically, each retreat includes life (pre-conversion) evil bears down upon is the message of the prophets, St. Paul and work/personal balance. a daily Mass, and the sacrament of St. Paul. Yet, he passionately persists through furthered by Jesus: to repent (sacrament of Mental health experts constantly reconciliation is almost always of- consistent obstacles in order to proclaim the reconciliation), be free of sin, and live a life of stress the need to, in modern par- fered. message of salvation in Jesus Christ. Noth- holiness (vocation) fortified by sufficient grace lance, “unplug,” a reference to the Some retreats do allow talking ing will stop him, not even his weakness. In of God given to us (baptism), strengthened to torrent of modern gadgets consum- away from the main house, but oth- fact, he admits that in weakness the power of be missionary disciples for the journey (con- ing our daily lives. ers require silence at all times the message is made-perfect, thus holy, as he firmation) and fortified (holy Eucharist). This Often lost in this dialogue is the Although retreats are relative- writes, “Therefore, I am content with weak- is, indeed, enough. spiritual health of our own souls, ly new in the church, not being in- nesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord and how that can be nurtured, al- troduced until the 16th century, constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ lowing for the fanatical pace we all the model goes back to the 40 days am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 10).
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