Set against a crystal blue, albeit abnormally toasty October sky, with the sound of heavy machinery piercing the late morning air, Dr. Tina Holland’s voice broke with emotion as she discussed what she called a “monumental step” in the history of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Baton Rouge. Holland, in her seventh year as FranU president, was addressing a crowd of more than 100 supporters and friends who attended groundbreaking ceremonies for the new St. Francis Hall on Oct. 14.

Mercy is our hope. It is our light in darkness, and only with mercy can we break through our blindness and see God's face. All the things that keep us from Love Himself feel so real and big and scary, but when we cry out for mercy and receive our sight again - then we see that all of these big, scary anxieties are really nothing to worry about. The Lord holds the details of my life with such care and attentiveness. He looks on me with such gentleness. His power shone through my weakness. And when I respond to His call, others can be encouraged and take heart themselves to blindly cry out for His healing.

When I say, Oh yes, Jesus, I want to follow you, am I willing to drink the cup, to endure the baptism- whatever that may be? We may ask (or maybe it’s just me, who is terrible at suffering) Is it worth it? All that suffering? But to sit at the side of Jesus for all eternity, his glory made manifest through our lives and witness on earth— I think it is worth it, but we must keep our eyes on him. Our vision must be an eternal one in order to put our sufferings in their proper place. We must keep heaven at the forefront of our minds if we are to endure these passing earthly trials.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,  As another week has passed and we all share in the hard work of responding to the needs of our faithful in the wake of Hurricane Ida, I am reminded daily of a very simple yet vital attitude we must adopt and exhibit, and that is gratitude.  My message to you today is mainly to reiterate those two simple words we all learned when we were a child, “thank you.”   

In a very thoughtful column for our Sept. 10 issue of The Catholic Commentator, Bishop (Michael G.) Duca urged us to change our goal of “getting back to normal” after a year and a half of a pandemic and then Hurricane Ida, to following Jesus’ command to “love one another.” 

West Feliciana, with its gardens and oak trees dripping with Spanish moss, provided a picturesque framework for seminarians of the Diocese of Baton Rouge as they delved more deeply into their vocational call to priesthood during a retreat Sept. 17–19.

St. Thomas More School in Baton Rouge held its annual Monday Night football event Sept. 27 at the school. STM’s fifth/sixth-grade team combined with the team from Most Blessed Sacrament School in Baton Rouge, and playing under the name Pelicans lost to Our Lady of Mercy in Baton Rouge 13-12. STM’s seventh/eighth-grade team combined with Our Lady of Mercy and that team, called the Ravens, lost 20-18 to a combined team from Most Blessed Sacrament and St. Theresa Middle School in Gonzales. STM’s Class of 2021 also held its yearbook signing. Photos provided by Kristen Flores | St. Thomas More School

Less than 24 hours after Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana, Grace Krause, campus minister at Christ the King Church and Student Center at LSU, sent out an email looking for volunteers to help residents clean up debris and damage.

St. Joseph Cathedral celebrated its role as a bedrock of faith, both in the Diocese of Baton Rouge and as part of the universal church with a Mass on the solemnity of the dedication of the cathedral on Sept. 30.

When a woman approaching an abortion clinic is greeted with words of support for her and her unborn child, resource alternatives and prayers, she can change her mind.

October is referred to as the Month of the Rosary. Why?

As the fury of Hurricane Ida’s category 4 winds subsided, Holy Ghost School in Hammond principal Donna Wallette and her husband visited the school to assess the initial damage.

As the fury of Hurricane Ida’s category 4 winds subsided, Holy Ghost School in Hammond principal Donna Wallette and her husband visited the school to assess the initial damage.

Days before the 2021-22 Bishop’s Annual Appeal launched, optimism was evident in the Stewardship Department of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

Welcome a new season as fall colors radiate from leaves remaining on the trees that withstood the gales of Hurricane Ida. There exists a resounding appreciation for the slightly cooler temperatures with a renewed sense of hope in the Lord.

Obedience is one of the three vows taken by consecrated religious. St. Paul, however, speaks of an “obedience of faith” to which all are called. “Obedience” comes from the Latin “oboedire” – the verb “audire” (“to hear”) and the prefix, ob (“to; toward”). Obedience then is to listen in a way that moves us towards action.