October 31, 2014 Vol

THE CATHOLIC World Youth Day COMMENTATOR PAGE 11 October 31, 2014 Vol. 51, No. 19 SERVING THE DIOCESE OF BATON ROUGE SINCE 1963 thecatholiccommentator.org GRAND FAMILIES Glen and Charlotte Meades have had to make major adjustments in their lives Damian Francois has been living with his grandmother, Leona Deemer, since as they raise Charlotte’s three great-granchildren. Shown are Monika, 5; Glen birth. Damian is hearing impaired and unable to speak, and Deemer needs oxy- Meades; Nev’ea, 9; Estacy, 6; and Charlotte . Photos by Barbara Chenevert | The Catholic Com- gen to help her breathe, but she said the two are doing just fine. mentator Raising grandchildren a growing trend By Barbara Chenevet ing on word recognition. ber of grandparents who are them, but they face a myriad in school and obtain medical The Catholic Commentator Glen and Charlotte Meades raising their grandchildren. of legal, financial, emotional care for them. Many times they have been raising Charlotte’s In Louisiana 11.5 percent – and energy issues, said Em- have only a handwritten piece Sixty-six-year-old Glen three great-grandchildren, or 128,600 children – live in ily Ziober, who coordinates of paper from their adult child Meades sits back in his com- ages 9, 6 and 5, since August. homes where the householder the Ask a Lawyer program for turning the children over to fortable recliner seemingly Although they love and enjoy is a grandparent, according to the Baton Rouge Bar Associa- them, which does not carry le- ready to watch a football game, the girls, they say it has meant the American Association of tion. Many of the people who gal weight, she said. read a book or take a nap. But a major adjustment in their Retired Persons. come in here are part of the Dot Thibodeaux found her- instead, perched on the arm lives. The grandparents take re- working poor, and their main self raising her then 12-year- of his chair is little 5-year-old The Meades are just one sponsibility for their grand- issue is getting custody of the old grandson more than 20 Monika, and the two are work- example of a growing num- children because they love children so they can get them SEE FAMILIES PAGE 10 Widowed deacon adjusting to seminarian life By Richard Meek priesthood in 2016. Unbeknownst to Deacon Martin, The Catholic Commentator But to understand Deacon Mar- however, fate would be his dance tin’s future, one must first under- partner in eighth grade, disguised A lone tear, awash with memories stand his past. Deacon Martin’s ini- as a young girl whom he shared his as well as carrying hope for the fu- tial confession at the age of 6 was first slow dance. His world suddenly ture, slowly trickled down the face of his first brush with the possibility of turned awhirl with visions of a life far Deacon Eddie Martin. becoming a priest. dichotomous from the priesthood. Sitting comfortably in his new “What could be more rewarding?” “I could still remember hugging surroundings at Notre Dame Semi- he recalled of that moment so many my pillow later that night,” he said. nary, Deacon Martin shifted from years ago yet so real in his present. “I said, ‘Sorry God, the priesthood Deacon Eddie Martin enjoys a rare moment of tears to laughter as he discussed the “I said I want to do this. I told every- is obviously out.’ He knew I wasn’t contemplation at Notre Dame Seminary in New early steps of an unlikely new jour- one every day from that point that ready for it.” Orleans. Deacon Martin, who was widowed in ney, one that is expected to culmi- I wanted to be a priest when I grew As with most male teenagers he April 2013, is now in formation to be a priest. nate with him being ordained to the up.” SEE SEMINARIAN PAGE 19 Photo by Richard Meek | The Catholic Commentator 2 The Catholic Commentator The LIGHTER SIDE of FAI t H October 31, 2014 | TREASURES FROM THE DIOCESE | DID YOU KNOW Lateran Basilica “This is the built on that site mother and head in honor of John of all churches in the Baptist in the the whole world.” fourth century. Those words The original ba- are inscribed in silica was heav- Latin across the ily damaged by front of the St. fire, earthquake John Lateran Ba- and war through silica, one of four the years. But major basilicas in the Lateran pal- Rome. It is the Lat- ace remained the eran Basilica, and residence of the not St. Peter’s Basilica, that is the cathedral popes until the 14th century when they The confessional at St. church of the pope, the Bishop of Rome. moved to the Vatican. Francis of Pointe Coupée On Nov. 9, Catholics around the world Pope Innocent X commissioned the Chapel in New Roads is be- will celebrate the feast of the dedication of present church in 1646. It is now dedicat- lieved to be one of the old- the Lateran Basilica, which this year falls ed to St. John the Baptist, John the Evan- est pieces of church furni- on a Sunday and trumps the celebration gelist and Christ. ture in Louisiana. The of a Sunday in Ordinary Time. Fifteen huge statues of Christ, John cypress confessional is Lateran was the name of a Roman the Baptist, John the Evangelist and the thought to be from 1729. family, who owned the land where the ba- 12 doctors of the church are featured on The original church is said silica sits. the façade of the church. The remains of to have been completed in Emperor Constantine, who converted a small wooden table on which it is said 1728 when the first known to Christianity and first allowed Chris- St. Peter celebrated Mass while he was in baptism was performed. tians to practice their religion in pub- Rome lies beneath the basilica’s high al- The Catholic Commentator staff photo lic, seized the land for a church that was tar. used against you in the future. I observed After celebrating about 150 years of that in America people live in fear and sus- AChristianity in Nigeria, the Nigeri- picion of one another. an church felt she is now mature enough to give back to the world what she had re- You rode a motorbike in Nigeria and ceived from the missionaries who came to ...with FATHER GORDIAN IWUJI MSP, QChad. Do you ever have the opportu- evangelize us. These missionaries came to pastor, St. Benedict the Moor Church, nity to ride here? Nigeria when Nigeria was still primitive, Bertrandville when there was no known cure for com- I have longed for such an opportunity mon sicknesses like malaria. Malaria killed How difficult has it been for you to Ato ride a motorbike here in the United many missionaries like the Ebola of today. Qtransition into living in Louisiana? States. I discovered that the type of motor- And so, having grown as a church, we felt What has surprised you the most bikes dominant here are heavier and more it’s now our turn to give back to the glob- There has been no atom of difficulty Qabout life in the United States? expensive than what I had in Africa. For al church as a way of showing gratitude to Ain my transition into Louisiana. My now, I cannot afford that type. I love riding God. Nigeria has vocations to the priest- one year in Houston was like for me my My greatest surprise since I arrived a motorbike. It’s fun. I used my motorbike hood and the religious life respectively. busiest moment since I was ordained a Ain the United States is the level of for my apostolate in Chad. That was, and This, therefore, formed the basis by which priest. As you know Houston is a busy city, devotion, dedication and participation in is still, the popular means of movement by the bishop’s conference of Nigeria founded with multiple road networks. I got pulled the church. The people are very devoted to priests in Chad. We used it to access some The Missionary Society of St. Paul, an in- over by the police twice, not for speeding, their faith in God. While still in Africa, we rough and narrow roads not assessible by digenous missionary congregation, with but for navigating my way wrongly on a were told a lot of stories about America. I a truck. the mandate of sending missionaries where one-way drive. Houston has parishes that was told that churches are almost empty they are mostly needed in the world. We are very busy with activities. But since I ar- in America, people no longer go to church, You are a missionary priest. Tell us are in more than 19 countries of the world rived in Louisiana a year and a few months and faith in God has dwindled drastically. Qwhy you consider yourself a mission- including the USA. ago, driving has been fun because the roads But from what I have seen and experienced ary to this country. SEE IWUJI PAGE 13 here are not as complicated as in Houston. so far, these stories are lies. I was surprised The police here are much friendlier as well. meeting a lot of churches filled up on Sun- I want to also add that Louisiana is truly days, including my own parish churches in a “state of hospitality.” I have enjoyed good Bertrandville and Klotzville. I can testify hospitality from my wonderful parishio- that the church in America is still full of thecatholiccommentator.org | Facebook.com/TheCatholicCommentator ners at Sts.

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