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The Collect | July 2025
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July 31, 2025Dear Reader,
This July, we’ve seen powerful examples of what it means to lead with faith and serve with love. In this edition of The Collect, meet the people helping expand Catholic education and outreach—on campus, in our parishes, and across state lines.
You’ll read about Dr. Bellar’s vision for FranU, how Catholic Charities mobilized support for flood victims, and how local leaders are strengthening the mission of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. We also reflect on how parents are forming the domestic church at home, and how dignity remains essential at every stage of life.
Thank you for walking with us as we witness the Spirit at work in our diocese.
Peace in Christ,
The Communications Secretariat of the Diocese of Baton Rouge
Dr. Bellar Plans to Grow FranU's Identity as Premier Catholic University
Although Dr. David Bellar is a Northerner by birth, from a “very snowy area,” he has spent most of his career providing strong leadership in universities in the South. Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU) will benefit from skills and vision for its future as he assumes the role of fifth president of the university.
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Johnson-Lain Working to Expand Outreach of St. Vincent de Paul Society
Sunnie Johnson-Lain “fell in love from day one” with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) when she volunteered to answer phones for her parish conference in Dayton, Ohio.
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Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge (CCDBR) is hosting a one-day donation drive on Thursday, July 17 in response to the flooding catastrophe in Texas. The drive will be held at the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge office at 1900 S. Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge, LA 70808 from 9:30 a.m.– 5:30 p.m.
Catholic Charities Hosts Donation Drive for Texas Flood Victims
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Parents Learn How to Survive, Build Domestic Church
Through her own personal experiences and conversations with other parents, Dr. Holly Taylor Coolman discovered that raising children involves combining daily activities and the big picture idea. As a theologian and a parent who is “also figuring it out,” she shares her wisdom through writing books and speaking about the “complex and beautiful vocation of raising children.”
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Dr. Tina Holland has made split-second decisions to say ‘Yes,’ during her life that have provided positive, meaningful experiences which she utilizes to help others cultivate successful, faith-filled lives.
Holland Leaving a Legacy of Successes, Model of Servant Leadership at FranU
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Death is not merely a physical cessation of life, but an intersecting of the physical and spiritual realms, according to Catholic teachings. People filled the Westerfield Center in Baton Rouge to find out more about end-of-life issues in a presentation by Dr. Christoper Ragusa.
Human Dignity Must be Upheld at End-of-Life, Dr. Ragusa Asserts
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