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The twenty-five schools of the Diocese of Baton Rouge have been accepted into Lumen Accreditation offered by The Catholic University of America (CUA).

Sister Kathleen Bahlinger CSJ and Sister Lory Schaff CSJ, both deceased, devoted 23 years of their lives ministering in the Eden Park community in Baton Rouge. They walked the streets and provided people with material assistance, an education, and hope.

July’s stories highlight leadership, compassion, and the call to serve. In this issue of The Collect, explore how Catholic leaders are shaping the future of faith and education, how families are growing stronger in their domestic church, and how our diocese reaches beyond borders to help those in need. These stories remind us that faith lived out in service becomes a witness to hope.

Brother Malcolm Melcher SC, a Brother of the Sacred Heart and a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana since 2010, passed into eternal life at Our Lady of Wisdom Community Healthcare Center in New Orleans, LA, on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

As children in need prepare to go back to school, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Baton Rouge is giving them a boost of courage and confidence through its Uniform for Kids Program. Instead of dealing with negative peer pressure for not wearing the proper attire, they can focus on succeeding in school and reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.

Brother Lazarus (Phillip) Gordy’s OSB lifelong quest to answer God’s calling for his life led him to the altar at St. Joseph Abbey Church near Covington. There he “died to self” and found a deep joy and freedom through his life as a benedictine Monk.

As director of adult formation and spiritual director at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church in St. Amant, Wendy Enloe ministers to many people who are struggling with the worries and concerns in their lives. People come to her who are dealing with terminal illness, death of a loved one, loss of a job, concerns about world events, etc.

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.

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.

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.

As we celebrate, honor and pray for our new holy pontiff, Pope Leo XIV ­­– who has cool Louisiana familial connections and who is calling all if us to be a missionaries in our own states of life, I can't help but recall some Eucharistic missionary experiences I've had in the past.

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.”

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.

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.