News - Features & Spirituality RSS Feed

Catechists in the Diocese of Baton Rouge converged at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Baton Rouge for the Convocation Celebrating Catechists on Aug. 22. They were fortified and sent forth to proclaim and teach the Gospel message.

Learning about the beauty of the teachings of the Catholic Church in Parish School of Religion (PSR) can be reduced to a "check list" item for busy children. With a new PSR year approaching, parents and teachers can help children embrace PSR as a time of community experiences, say religious education directors of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

Ashley Boyd and Libby Hotard are part of a close-knit group of women from the cluster churches of East St. James Parish. For them, one spiritually eye-opening moments of their lives was attending the tenth National Eucharistic Congress in 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Sisters Olivia Maire Gethsemane HMSS and Filia Patris HMSS feel God's guiding hand in their vocational call to becoming Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Through mutual gazes of love with the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and the accompaniment of others, they laid down their lives at the altar as brides of Christ.

Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Baton Rouge bustled with activity as Catholic educators excitedly greeted each other before the new year begins. They talked about their plans, dreams, and opportunities for the new academic year.

Participants in the Franciscan Experience (TFE) reported that they spent a week that was unlike any summer camps they had ever attended. They learned deep theological lessons, wiped the sweat from their brows while cleaning a local cemetery, looked into the eyes of the poor they served, and bonded through fun activities.

In a Mass described by attendees as "beautiful" and "memorable," Sisters Olivia Marie Gethsemane, HMSS and Elizabeth Filia Patris, HMSS laid down their lives as brides of Christ.

St. Ignatius of Loyola offers help when we are "soaring through the highs" and "sinking through the lows" of life so we can utilize them for spiritual growth.

July is known as the "month of married saints" because the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of several saints couples during that month. Their lives inspire and guide couples today who strive to build their own "domestic church."

Women in the Diocese of Baton Rouge converged at St. George Church in Baton Rouge to fulfill their guiding mission that "no shepherd is left behind" at a Seven Sisters Apostolate Mass.

Aeli Poydras and Jeremy Chiasson went forth from St. Joseph Cathedral as "servants of all" when Bishop Michael G. Duca ordained them as transitional deacons on June 20.

Before a jubilant gathering of family and friends at St. Joseph Cathedral Deacons Aeli Poydras and Jeremy Chiasson took their final major step toward priesthood. They were ordained transitional deacons for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

In 2008 when Hurricane Gustav struck Baton Rouge and plunged the city into darkness, Immaculate Conception Church in Baton Rouge was literally powerless to help its neighbors. With the installation of solar panels on ICC's parish activity center, when storms hit ICC will serve as a community lighthouse to meet peoples’ needs.

Shirley Johnson was one of the neighbors of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Baton Rouge who received an outpouring of love from the church. Youth from Sacred Heart's Mid-City Mission painted her house and worked in her yard and conveyed that she is not forgotten.

The Diocese of Baton Rouge will join the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in consecrating the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Mark Legendre, 70, made lifetime memories during his pilgrimage at the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) in 2023. Afterwards he longed to do something with similar experiences. He found the opportunity to do that with his granddaughter, Harper Jenny, 14, by walking the Camino of Maryland together. They are the oldest and youngest participants registered for the event.

Many people are casting warried eyes at the sky and and preparing their emergency supply checklist lists as hurricane season begins. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting a total of 8-14 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher) during this year's hurricane season (June 1-Nov. 30).

Deacon John Ryals will draw from his professional and personal life experiences to help youth encounter Christ and families to strengthen their mission as the Domestic Church.

Deacon Todd Pourciau enjoys helping people open up to reading and living the Word of God. As a deacon for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Deacon Pourciau plans to use his background in teaching and personal life experiences to help people discover God's plans for their lives.

Deacon Duane Becnel has lived his entire life in the small sugarcane farming community of Vacherie. He grew up working on a sugarcane farm, and his family life was simple, going to church and school and spending a lot of time with his family. From there, God called him carry out to serve his universal church in his home territory as a deacon.