February 2026 - In Christ, We Are One

CATHOLIC CONNECTION

CATHOLIC CONNECTION

PUBLISHER

Bishop Francis I. Malone

EDITOR

Sophia Romanski

EDITORIAL BOARD

CONTRIBUTORS

Mary Arcement Alexander

Dr. Bernadette Boyd

Dr. S. Germain Cassiere

Clayton Cobb

Karen Dill

Jordan Harris

Jamie Humphrey

Lisa Marcalus

Lucy Medvec

Lisa Miller

Elise Reis

Noemi Saybe

T.C. Veit

Mike Van Vranken

FEBRUARY 2026

Volume 35 Number 7 IN CHRIST, WE ARE ONE

P ope Leo XIV's Prayer Intention For The Month of February

FOR CHILDREN WITH INCURABLE DISEASES. Let us pray that children suffering from incurable diseases and their families receive the necessary medical care and support, never losing strength and hope.

Cover photo: The Blessed Sacrament housed in the monstrance on the altar at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Shreveport, LA.

Photo by Sophia Romanski

SUBSCRIPTIONS & ADDRESS CHANGES

Blanca Vice bvice@dioshpt.org 318-868-4441

SUBMISSIONS

Sophia Romanski sromanski@dioshpt.org

The Catholic Connection is a member of the Catholic Media Association

The Diocese of Shreveport complies with Virtus' Protecting God's Children program (www.virtus.org). Online sessions are available. To report child sexual abuse by a cleric or church worker in the Diocese of Shreveport, call your local law enforcement agency and Mary Arcement Alexander, Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at 318-588-2120. Thank you for helping to keep our children and vulnerable adults safe.

The Catholic Connection is funded in part by a grant from the Catholic Home Missions Appeal and donations to the Catholic Service Appeal.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Catholic Connection is a monthly publication funded by your Catholic Service Appeal, mailed to every known Catholic household in the Diocese of Shreveport. Our mission is to advance knowledge and understanding of our Catholic faith among the faithful. We seek to foster the application of Christ's teachings and our Church's mission in our daily lives and to encourage our sense of Catholic identity within our family, parish, and faith community.

February Second Collections

FEBRUARY 1 DIOCESAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS TUITION FUND 100% of your donations remain in our diocese and directly support our Catholic school students by aiding with tuition costs.

FEBRUARY 14 - 15, & 18 COLLECTION TO AID THE CHURCH IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE help Catholic children and families in Georgia build the future through prayers and material support.

Mass; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport, 8:00 AM; OCIA Class; Parish Office Library, Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 9:00 AM

Catholic Scouting Mass; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 11:00 AM

Catholic Service Appeal Campaign Reception; East Ridge Country Club, Shreveport, 6:00 PM

AM

Rite of Election; Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport; 2:30 PM

30th Workshop for Bishops sponsored by the National Catholic Bioethics Center & the Knights of Columbus; Dallas, Texas

Fête for Life; Bossier City Civic Center, Bossier City; 6:00 PM

2026 Legislators’ Breakfast; Catholic Center, Shreveport; 9:00 AM

Bishop Malone's Calendar Special Events in the Diocese of

name(s) here) Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.

Help our priests to be strong in their vocation. Set their souls on fire with love for your people.

Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.

Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.

Allow them to experience joy in their ministry. Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.

We ask this through Jesus

who lives and reigns as our

10

The Arras and the Spirit of Giving Noemi Saybe, Director of Marriage and Family Life, shares the signifigance of the arras in marraige, and how that spirit of giving infuses the wedding ceremony and the life of the Church.

John Berchmans  Blessed the King  Holy Trinity  Jesus

FROM THE EDITOR

Shepherd Little Flower of Jesus 

Peace Our Lady of Fatima  Our Help  Our Lady of the Blessed Heart  St. Ann  St. Benedict

When we recite the Nicene Creed every Sunday during Mass, we profess to believe in “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.” Now, many people who are much smarter than I am have written thousands of words about what each of those identifiers means, and I do try to keep these notes under the 300-word mark. It is simple hubris that leads me to believe that I can even scratch the surface in the next two paragraphs, especially given how much space I’ve already wasted rambling on like this, but I’m going to try anyway.

Elizabeth Ann Seton  St. John

Joseph  St. Jude  St. Lawrence

Margaret  St. Mary of the Pines 

"In Christ We Are One" We are launching the 2026 Catholic Service Appeal! Read on to see the Impact Report for the 2025 Appeal and find out how you can help us do a bigger, better job this year!

Paschal  St. Patrick  St. Paul 

Christ, Are One

Terence  St. Thomas Aquinas

2025 Loyola University Award Winner

How often do we each actually think about the words we say when we pray the Creed? How much do we actually understand what it means to be united in the Eucharist? Do any of us even comprehend the magnitude of our shared inheritance? Do we ever look at the people next to us in the pews and really, honestly acknowledge them as our brothers and sisters?

How often do we allow ourselves to settle, to look down, to shrink our entire world to just ourselves and those people and establishments that are important to us, and neglect to raise our eyes to the altar? How often do we remember that, while we celebrate the Mass in our home parishes with our family and friends, the entire Catholic Church around the globe is celebrating the same mystery in the same way? How often do we remember that every sacrifice of the Eucharist is joined to every other Eucharistic Feast that ever happened or ever will happen?

We tend to think of unity in very limited, human terms, but the unity offered by the Eucharist, the unity we profess every week, is something so much bigger than we can possibly understand. As you flip through these pages, you’ll read about your church, here in Shreveport, but remember that you are also reading about The Church, the bride of Christ. 24

Congratulations to John Benedict (J.B.) Cordaro, recipiant of the Loyola University New Orleans Integritas Vitae Award!

FROM THE BISHOP

Since the passing of Pope Francis nearly a year ago now, in those frequent moments when he does come to mind, I miss him. It’s not just the person of Pope Francis, but also a habit he had that endeared him to so many. You may have noticed it too: his posture when sitting before a group of people, whether numerous or few. He rested his right elbow on his chair’s arm, his lower arm vertical, and his hand touching his ear as if to say, “I’m listening to you.” This listening pose was emblematic of his papacy –he loved to listen, as if to take it all in before he responded. And it should come as no surprise that his call to synodality was an exhortation for us to listen – to God and to one another –to be slow to talk, after being attentive to what we hear.

Looking back, I think throughout my entire life the Lord has asked, even challenged, me to listen to His voice. The first time I heard it was during fourth grade, as an altar boy at Mass on a warm, summer Sunday. Kneeling

during the consecration, I watched a very young priest elevate the Host and the Chalice and distinctly “heard” the Lord say to me, “One day I want you to do this… one day I want you to be my priest.” He did not then mention that He wanted me to be a bishop, but His message was clear nonetheless.

And He spoke to me again, though many years later, as I knelt in a pew where I attended seminary in Irving, Texas. It was as clear as that first time so long ago; there was just no mistaking His message to me. By then, I had learned to listen more attentively; perhaps, even more so because I was, at that moment, in a time of discernment that had me questioning whether I was taking the right path. In retrospect, I am sure my uncertainty came from yielding to the temptation of “noise,” wherein I did listen, but to the wrong voices, which were neither as clear nor direct as His. But when the celebrant, that day at that seminary Mass, elevated the Host and the Chalice in the exact same way

as the priest had in my youth, the clarity of His voice was unmistakable.

It is in this moment of consecration wherein the greatest mystery of our faith is revealed to us. It is the moment of grace in which every Catholic around the world is invited to share, the one moment that unites the Church. It is the moment when all of us are compelled to listen to the Lord God who makes Himself present and tangible once again.

As I think over our beloved Pope Francis’ example of listening, I find that the miracle of the Eucharist is the best time for us to hold our hand to our ear and ask the Lord to speak. Well, that’s how it happened for me, and that was Pope Francis’ message to us. So now, my message to you who read this: “Listen… He speaks.”

Desde el fallecimiento del Papa Francisco ya casi un año, con frecuencia me viene a la mente y lo extraño. No es solamente la persona del Papa, sino también la costumbre que el tenía y que muchos querían. Ustedes también lo habrán notado: era su postura cuando se sentaba frente a un grupo de personas, ya fuera pocas muchas. Descansaba su codo izquierdo en el brazo de la silla, doblaba su brazo y colocando su mano sobre su oído como diciendo, “te estoy escuchando.” Esta fue una postura emblemática de su Papado. –él amaba escuchar, como si quisiera escuchar todo antes de responder. Y no debe ser sorpresa de su llamado sinodal fue una exhortación para que nosotros escuchemos – a Dios y nos escuchemos mutuamente – a ser lentos para hablar, después de ser atentos a lo que escuchamos.

Viendo al pasado, pienso en lo que el Señor me ha pedido durante mi vida, y aun me ha desafiado, a escuchar Su voz. La primera vez que la escuché fue en el cuarto año de primaria, como servidor del altar en la Misa en un cálido Domingo de verano. Arrodillado durante la consagración, ví a un sacerdote muy joven elevar la Hostia y el Cáliz y escuché muy claramente que el Señor me decía, “Quiero que

por el obispo

tu hagas esto… quiero que algún día tu seas mi sacerdote.” No me dijo que quería que fuera un obispo, pero, sin embargo, Su mensaje fue claro.

Me volvió a hablar, muchos años después, mientras que estaba arrodillado en una banca donde iba al seminario en Irving, Texas. Su mensaje fue tan claro como la primera vez, mucho tiempo atrás; su mensaje no podía ser confundido. Para entonces, ya había aprendido a escuchar mas atentamente; tal vez, en ese momento aun mas porque estaba en discernimiento y cuestionándome si estaba yendo por el camino correcto. Viendo hacia atrás, estoy seguro de que mi incertidumbre venía por permitirle a la tentación del “ruido,” porque, aunque escuchaba, pero a veces a las voces equivocadas, mismas que no eran ni claras ni directas como la de Él. Pero cuando el celebrante, ese día en la Misa en el seminario, elevó la Hostia y el Cáliz exactamente de igual manera que el sacerdote en mi niñez, la claridad de Su voz fue inconfundible.

Es precisamente, en este momento de la consagración donde sucede y se revela el misterio más grande de nuestra fe. Es el momento de gracia en

el que cada Católico en el mundo es invitado a compartir, es el momento en que la Iglesia se une. Es el momento en que todos, imprescindiblemente podemos escuchar al Señor nuestro Dios que se hace presente y tangible una vez más.

Mientras pienso sobre el ejemplo de escuchar que nos dejó nuestro amado Papa Francisco, encuentro que el milagro de la Eucaristía es el mejor momento para poner nuestra mano sobre nuestro oído y pedirle al Señor que nos hable. Así me pasó a mí y ese fue el mensaje del Papa Francisco para nosotros. Así que, ahora mi mensaje para ustedes que leen este artículo es: “Escuchen… Él habla.”

Para obtener más información sobre las oportunidades del Ministerio Multicultural en la Diócesis de Shreveport y para encontrar nuestros horarios y lugares de misa en español, por favor escanee el código aquí.

IThat They May All Be One

(John 17:21)

often imagine what the annual Diocesan Service Appeal’s success would look like if we all understood our oneness in Christ. In other words, if we are truly unified with Christ and each other in our understanding of the Gospel, we would also be unified in our Service Appeal efforts. Jesus prayed that “the oneness of love among believers might reflect the oneness of love that exists between the Father and the Son” (Moloney, Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of John, 2016, pg. 474). What would happen if we approached our annual appeal with this kind of love?

In her book, Encounters with Jesus: Studies in the Gospel of John, Frances Taylor Gench notes that Jesus’ prayer was not that we all be the same; instead, He prayed that we may all be one in His love despite our differences. He did not pray that we will all agree with each other and never have conflict. Gench goes on to say that “our unique relationship that exists by God’s grace among us is our most convincing testimony to the truth and power of the gospel we proclaim.” Diversity is our truth and power. Take a moment to chew on that.

Surely, we all see division in the Church today. But our common work is to live the Gospel. It is our unity in this common goal that makes our contribution to the annual appeal a gift of love to Christ and His Church.

Pheme Perkins, a Professor of Theology and Catholic Spirituality at Boston College, writes that, in the 17th chapter of his Gospel, St. John does not ask us to create “an institutional structure … [or] presume that this ‘unity’ is a private experience of the believing community … [nor does it] challenge the world with some program of communal reform, but with the gospel message about the relationship

between Jesus and the Father.” (The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, 1990, p.979, para. 205.) Our unity is immersed in the communal love of the Trinity.

We can easily find scripture, church doctrine, and traditions that amplify our unity as the Body of Christ. But, as is often the case, the question is how do we live this oneness? How do we realize that this diocese’s ministries are our collective responses to the Gospel challenge to feed, clothe, house, heal, protect, teach, and love everyone we encounter? The Service Appeal is asking us, as the united Body of Christ, to help fund our undivided reply to Jesus’ invitation to love.

Jesus’ prayer that we may all become the one Body of Christ can only be answered through our encounters of love with each other. And “each other” includes everyone. As you prayerfully discern your response to Christ’s call, imagine the reality that you are one with the entire Body of Christ. Then, joyfully answer Jesus’ prayer by joining the Service Appeal as a loving member of His Body.

Mike Van Vranken is a spiritual director for the Diocese of Shreveport and a teacher of new spiritual directors for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Laying the Foundations:

Some of the Diocese of Shreveport's "Firsts"

With a newly-established diocese, Bishop William Friend embraced the opportunity – and its associated challenges – to create a blueprint for the Catholic Church in North Louisiana.

Setting up shop required more than ordering updated letterhead, constituting corporate boards, and creating new positions. Bishop Friend had to create a Curia (an administrative and judicial body that assists a bishop in governing), issue decrees, make appointments, organize a business office, and enact policies –all of which are crucial to establishing governance and order. He relied on many people along the way, including three priests who could, today, share their ringside seat experiences: Msgr. Earl Provenza (then a Diocesan Consultor and member of the Priests’ Council); Rev. Richard Norsworthy (then Director of Vocations); and Rev. Phil Michiels (then the Tribunal’s Pro-Synodal Judge and Notary and Coordinator of Permanent Deacons).

diocese. In characteristically humble fashion , the now-Msgr. Price clarifies that he was “technically the second ordained, about 30 seconds after Fr. Pardue, since he came before me alphabetically.”

On July 22, 1986, Bishop Friend made the first official appointment, naming Rev. Msgr. J. Carson LaCaze as Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus. The following month, he issued the first decree, which ratified existing diocesan policies and pastoral assignments, ensuring continuity and stability.

As the diocese needed to support itself, it launched the first Diocesan Service Appeal in 1987 and hired a professional consulting firm to plan and conduct the campaign. The offices of the Tribunal, Catholic Schools, and Social Ministry and the Greco Institute were among the initial beneficiaries of monies raised.

Undoubtedly, a highlight of all the “firsts” was the June 1988 ordination of two men into the priesthood, Rev. John Pardue and Rev. Rothell Price – the latter also holding the distinction of being the first African-American priest ordained in the

Responding to requests for more (and more widespread) communication than could be provided by the two publications of the day, the Diocesan Journal and Alexandria’s The Church Today, Bishop Friend endeavored to reach every Catholic household by introducing the simple, eightpage, monthly Catholic Connection newsletter in August 1991, noting that it was “being offered on a pilot basis for one year.” (Its evolution into the current, glossy, 36-page magazine speaks volumes – pun intended –about its enduring relevance.)

Ten years later, Bishop Friend created the office of Permanent Diaconate Formation, commissioning Deacon Clary Nash as its first Director. In 2005, 18 permanent deacons were ordained and eight Lay Ecclesial Ministers were commissioned, enhancing and expanding the work of the Church in North Louisiana.

During these initial years, a distinct identity was taking form: charting a future while preserving elements of the past, and weaving us together as a community of believers with one shared purpose in Christ.

The Arras and the Spirit of Giving

In many Catholic weddings, especially in Hispanic and Filipino traditions, the arras – 13 coins given by the groom to the bride – symbolize abundance, representing provision for each month of the year and much more. Beyond love, they are the first gift a husband gives his wife, entrusting her with the care of their household finances. Traditionally, this gesture reflects the groom’s commitment to provide for the family and the bride’s role as steward of their shared life. While modern couples often manage finances together, the deeper meaning of trust, responsibility, and mutual support endures. Rooted in Christian tradition, the exchange honors their marriage – their domestic church – as a gift from God, meant to be nurtured and generously lived.

This intimate gesture mirrors a much broader principle that animates the married couple’s life as part of a larger family: the Church. The arras (arrha in Latin and arrabōn in Greek, refers to a pledge) and serve both as a token of financial provision and a spiritual symbol of unity and sacrifice. In essence, they embody the belief that giving is an act of faith.

In the same spirit, a Catholic Service Appeal (CSA), an initiative supported by Catholic dioceses across the country, invites parishioners to provide for the community’s needs –supporting vocations, Catholic education, parish ministries, charitable outreach, and more. Much like the arras in a wedding ceremony, the CSA represents a collective offering: individuals and families giving from what they have, trusting in God’s providence, and investing in something greater than themselves. By pledging what they can afford, contributors

participate in a covenant – choosing to support the spiritual and material needs of others, just as the bride and groom promise to care for each other. The 13 coins of the wedding ritual remind us that giving is about fidelity, service, and building a future rooted in love.

Moreover, both the arras and the CSA underscore the Church’s view that materials are tools for a common mission. In marriage, the couple pledges to build a life of shared purpose; in the CSA, the Church invites the faithful to help nurture the brothers and sisters across one diocese. Both acts require trust, and both point toward a deeper spiritual truth: that all we have is meant to be shared. Thus, the arras given during a wedding and the contributions made through the CSA reflect a heart moved by love – one for a spouse, the other for the wider Church family. In faith and thanksgiving, we offer back to God a portion of what He has so generously entrusted to us. Having received His blessings, we now respond with hearts ready to give.

Noemi Saybe is the Director of Marriage and Family Life at the Diocese of Shreveport.

Las Arras Junto al Espíritu Generoso

En muchas bodas católicas, especialmente en las tradiciones hispana y filipina, las arras —13 monedas que el esposo entrega a la esposa— simbolizan la abundancia, representando la provisión para cada mes del año y mucho más. Después del amor, son el primer regalo que el esposo ofrece a su esposa, confiándole el cuidado de las finanzas del hogar. Tradicionalmente, este gesto refleja el compromiso del esposo de proveer para la familia y el papel de la esposa como administradora de la vida que comparten. Aunque en la actualidad muchas parejas manejan juntas sus finanzas, el significado profundo de confianza, responsabilidad y apoyo mutuo permanece. Arraigado en la tradición cristiana, este intercambio honra el matrimonio como iglesia doméstica— como un don de Dios que debe ser cultivado y vivido con generosidad.

Este gesto íntimo refleja un principio mucho más amplio que anima la vida matrimonial como parte de una familia más amplia: la Iglesia. Las arras (del latín arrha y del griego arrabōn, que significa “prenda” o “promesa”) no son solo un símbolo de provisión material, sino también un signo espiritual de unidad y sacrificio. En esencia, encarnan la convicción de que dar es un acto de fe.

Con ese mismo espíritu, la Campaña Católica de Servicios (CSA, por sus siglas en inglés), una iniciativa apoyada por diócesis católicas en todo el país invita a los fieles a contribuir a las necesidades de la comunidad: apoyando vocaciones, educación católica, ministerios parroquiales, obras de caridad y más. Al igual que las arras en una ceremonia matrimonial, la CSA representa una ofrenda colectiva: personas y familias que dan de lo que tienen, confiando en la providencia de Dios e invirtiendo en algo más grande que ellos mismos. Al comprometerse según sus posibilidades, los contribuyentes participan en una alianza —eligen apoyar las necesidades

espirituales y materiales de otros, así como los esposos prometen cuidarse mutuamente. Las 13 monedas del ritual matrimonial nos recuerdan que damos por fidelidad, servicio y para construir en base al amor.

Tanto las arras como la CSA subrayan la visión de la Iglesia de que los bienes materiales son herramientas al servicio de una misión común. En el matrimonio, la pareja se compromete a construir una vida con propósito compartido; en la CSA, la Iglesia invita a los fieles a ayudar a cuidar a sus hermano(a)s dentro de una misma diócesis. Ambos actos requieren confianza y apuntan hacia una verdad espiritual muy profunda: que todo lo que tenemos está destinado a ser compartido.

Así, las arras entregadas durante una boda, y, las contribuciones hechas a través de la Campaña Católica de recaudación reflejan un corazón movido por el amor —uno hacia el cónyuge, y el otro hacia la familia más amplia de la Iglesia. Con fe y gratitud, devolvemos a Dios una parte de lo que tan generosamente nos ha confiado. Habiendo recibido sus bendiciones, ahora respondemos con corazones dispuestos a compartir.

Noemi Saybe es la directora de Matrimonio y Vida Familiar de la Diócesis de Shreveport.

Becoming One in Christ

My husband and I are the only members of our marriage group who do not attend its local nondenominational church. Because my husband is Baptist, we sought the “neutral” marriage group, and despite the obvious challenges, it turned out to be a great decision for our marriage. I mention this because we recently discussed in a group session “how, in Christ, we are all one,” yet we have so many different denominational expressions of our Christian faith. While I could have taken advantage of that moment and chimed in with the truth as we Catholics know it, we are the One True Church, I did not feel it was appropriate then, and quite honestly, I felt intimidated by being the only Catholic. The event did prompt my further reflection on the matter, so I am, here, taking a deeper dive into three main points: (1) the reality that many denominations exist, (2) our Catholic belief that we are the One True Church in Christ, and (3) how we might bridge the gap.

First the reality: why do we have so many denominations, as well as non-denominations? The Catholic Church was the primary Christian church until 1517, when the Reformation occurred. Seventy-seven years prior, in 1440, the printing press was invented, which led to printing Sacred Scripture. According to Catholic Answers, “It was [and is] only by the authority of the Catholic Church, which collected the various books of Scripture in the fourth century that we have a Christian Bible at all. And it is only because of the Church that the Bible survived and was taught for the many centuries before the printing press made it widely available” (“Tyndale's Heresy,” Matthew A. C. Newsome, Accessed January 9, 2026, https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/ tyndales-heresy, brackets and “and” added). As a result, the Reformation and printing of the Bible together opened the door to the creation of multiple Christian denominations. Some Christians view the early Church leaders as controlling and even selfish because they did not want Sacred Scripture in the hands of the masses, but I perceive that Church leaders were simply trying to prevent the one thing that ultimately happened: Christianity’s division.

Second: is the Catholic Church truly the One True Church? Google brought me to this excerpt on EWTN’s website: “We often speak of the four marks of the Church: one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic. We do not mean that these are distinctive enough to prove the Catholic Church is the only Church of Christ. But they do help. Christ established only one Church. ‘There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism’ (Eph. 4:5). Presently we will speak of the relation of members of other churches to the Catholic Church. We say the Church is holy not in the sense that all members are holy, far from it. But her Founder gave it all the needed means to make people holy. The Church is Catholic because it is universal: ‘God wills all to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth’ (1Timothy 2:4). It aims to take in all persons, in fulfilment of the command of Christ in Matthew 28:19. We say the Church is apostolic because it goes back to the Twelve Apostles chosen by Christ Himself” (“The Identity and Marks of the Church,” Fr. William G. Most, Accessed 1/9/2026, https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/teachings/identity-and-marksof-the-church-220).

Third: how do we bridge the gap between Catholics and Protestants so we can, in turn, truly all live as one in Christ? It’s tough to tackle, primarily because some Protestants believe Catholics aren’t saved while some Catholics are concerned with Protestants not believing that the Holy Eucharist is truly Christ. These opposing views heighten the challenge. On one hand, it would be incredible if all Christians returned to the Church, just as we were two thousand years ago; but on the other hand, I am unsure if we can get past the conflicts of the last five centuries between Christian denominations.

Despite this reality, there is hope. As Catholics, we have the ability to live out our Catholic faith in such a way that our Protestant brothers and sisters will be curious – perhaps enough that they’ll eventually see firsthand the beauty and wonder that is the Catholic Church. While our words are indeed powerful, in such a situation, our actions will speak much louder. Brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s time to get loud!

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“In Christ We Are One”

The Body That Still Breathes

Rediscovering the Living Unity of the Church Through Charity and Communion

Each February, the Annual Diocesan Service Appeal reminds us that we belong not to an institution but a living Body. Our offerings sustain more than programs –they help the Church breathe with the grace of Christ.

Man can live three minutes without air – how long can a soul live without grace? Grace is the soul’s oxygen, the unseen life that keeps the Body of Christ alive in every age. Through the sacraments, that divine breath flows from Christ the Head into His members, animating every parish, ministry, and act of mercy.

As Fulton J. Sheen taught (paraphrased from Calvary and the Mass), Christ did not complete His Mystical Body on Calvary; He began it there. The work of redemption continues wherever His grace flows from the altar into daily life. The Church’s unity isn’t man-made but divine life flowing through time –grace alive in human vessels. Whether through diocesan initiatives, parish outreach, or the quiet generosity of a monthly gift to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the result is the same: Christ’s Body still breathes through the charity of His members.

Note that unity in the Church is not sameness but shared life; we remain distinct as members, yet the Spirit animates us as one organism. Dom Columba Marmion, the Benedictine

abbot whose writings deepened the Church’s understanding of interior union, called this mystery “the divine adoption” (cf. Marmion, "The Divine Plan of Our Adoptive Predestination in Christ," 1922) – the astonishing truth that God makes us His children through Christ and thus sharers in His very life. To live “in Christ” is not a metaphor; it is a matter of participation. Baptism grafts us into His life, and the Eucharist circulates His Blood through our souls. The Church’s unity is sacramental rather than social – it begins at the altar and breathes outward into the world through our charitable actions.

Nowhere is that outward movement more visible than in works of mercy. St. Vincent de Paul, whose name has become synonymous with practical charity, understood unity not as sentiment but as service. He taught that Christ hides Himself in the poor and reveals Himself in the act of giving: “You will find the poor, that is to say, Jesus Christ, in the company of those who suffer.” In St. Vincent’s life, love was never delegated; it was personal. He reminded us that generosity must retain the warmth of encounter; for without love, we give little.

This Vincentian spirit speaks powerfully to our time. Many faithful Catholics wrestle with how best to give – how to balance trust with stewardship, zeal with prudence. The

"Authentic charity never divides the Body of Christ; rather, it circulates His life."

Church’s teaching on charity binds not the conscience to a method but the heart to love itself. Some give through broad diocesan appeals that reach across parishes and programs. Others, like St. Vincent’s friends and followers, serve through local works that meet the needs they can see and touch. Both ways flow from the same source – Christ the Head, who pours grace into His members that it may be shared.

The Church’s charity is not mere human kindness; it is supernatural love – Christ’s own heart beating within His members. Natural sympathy may relieve suffering, but only grace can lift it into the light of redemption.

Yet, this divine charity can flow only through souls alive in sanctifying grace. Mortal sin stops the circulation; confession revives it. In that moment of absolution, the Church’s heart beats

anew within us and love once more becomes supernatural.

From altar to street, from mystery to mission, the pulse of grace becomes the work of mercy. Only hearts burning with that altar-fire can carry its light into the world. Ite, Missa est ("Go, it is the dismissal").

The Eucharist gives this unity its heartbeat. Every Mass is both sacrifice and sending – offering and mission. From the altar, we are drawn into communion with Christ and one another, not merely symbolically but in the very reality of our being. The same Body that we receive is the Body we become. When the priest dismisses the faithful, the Church exhales Christ into the world. Every genuine act of charity – every visit to the sick, every meal for the hungry, every act of patience – is an extension of that Eucharistic heartbeat.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen wrote that “Christ’s life is prolonged through His members; what He did in His natural Body, He continues in His Mystical Body.” That continuation is not confined within chancery walls or parish bulletins. It happens wherever a Christian bears another’s burden, forgives an enemy, or feeds the forgotten. To serve another in love is to let Christ’s Blood flow anew. Authentic charity never divides the Body of Christ; rather, it circulates His life. False charity serves man without serving God; true charity serves God by serving man. The difference lies not in the deed itself but in the motive of the will – whether it seeks God’s glory or its own.

In a divided world, unity itself is a witness. When Catholics cooperate joyfully, serve faithfully, and give quietly, the world glimpses the Christ who prayed “that they may all be one” (John 17:21). Division preaches scandal; communion preaches Christ. Whether our gifts are offered through

diocesan stewardship, parish ministry, or Vincentian service, the Church’s vitality is measured not by her outward efficiency but by her charity.

So, let this February be more than an appeal; let it be a renewal of belonging. Our unity is not measured in spreadsheets or tax receipts but in the Spirit with which we freely give. Generosity is not bookkeeping but grace. St. Paul says it best: “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). To give, to serve, to love – these are not options but the very respiration of the Mystical Body. Let us breathe Christ’s life into every moment, until the world can no longer mistake whose Body we are. And may our lives, like His, become the breath of mercy in a

world gasping for grace.

May our giving, this February and beyond, keep the Church’s heart beating with love and breathing with grace.

S. Germain Cassiere, MD, FACP is a retired Internist and parishioner at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, writing on faith, virtue, and the Catholic spiritual life from the pew perspective.

DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT

RETIRED PRIESTS COLLECTION

Supporting the priests who walked with us th rough every season.

FEBRUARY 18, 2026 ASH WEDNESDAY

For the retired priests of Shreveport now and in the future.

In Christ, We Are One

“So that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you.”

– Jn 17:21

2025 IMPACT REPORT

Thank you for your support of the Diocese of Shreveport’s Catholic Service Appeal! So many of you answered the call this past year to support the ministries that continue to build our faith across North Louisiana. In 2025, your donations increased both in participation and giving from the previous year, with many parishes exceeding their Catholic Service Appeal goals. Three parishes had over 50% participation in giving and 13 parishes surpassed their financial goal. Thank you!

This report shows your generosity in action for the past fiscal year. Through your gifts, you are there when we carry out Christ’s mission in our ministries. Your faithful support builds our community, our faith, and our future.

As we celebrate this year the 40th anniversary of the Diocese of Shreveport, please support the 2026 Catholic Service Appeal with your prayers and your gifts. May we continue to grow throughout North Louisiana as we come together in Christ’s love.

In Christ, We Are One.

Lucy Medvec Director of Development

Supporting Our Retired Priests

In 2025, Msgr. Earl Provenza celebrated his 61st anniversary as a priest. His dedication and service to the people in our diocese has touched generations of families across North Louisiana. Gifts to the Appeal provide financial support to our retired and infirm priests in their later years.

Diocese of Shreveport

Our diocese is comprised of many communities, but together we are one through Christ and the Eucharist. In December, over 200 Catholics from around North Louisiana participated in the second annual Marian Procession. Through singing and praying, followers of all ages professed their faith as they processed from the Catholic Center to the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans. Gifts to the Appeal fund multicultural activities throughout the year to strengthen our community of faith.

Our Catholic schools greatly benefit from the Catholic Service Appeal. This school year, 99 students received tuition assistance through the Appeal, which also funds training and resources for faculty and staff.

2025 Catholic Service Appeal

Diaconate Formation

Evangelization

Campus Ministry

Marriage and Family Life

Multicultural Ministry

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Restorative Justice

Catholic Connection Magazine

Catholic Schools

Youth Ministry

“For it is in giving that we receive.”

- St. Francis of Assisi St. Francis Society New for 2026!

Become an ongoing monthly donor and join the St. Francis Society.

The St. Francis Society offers a way for individuals to support the Catholic Service Appeal through recurring donations. These donations are set up to occur on a regular scheduled basis and are a cost-effective way to support the Diocese of Shreveport’s ministries and programs throughout the year.

St. Francis of Assisi had a great love for animals and the environment.

The St. Francis Society honors this commitment to saving resources by reducing costs associated with mailing, postage and processing. Members of the St. Francis Society can increase, decrease, pause, or stop their recurring gift at any time.

Become a member of the St. Francis Society by scanning the QR code and making a recurring gift online. There is no minimum gift amount to become a member. Thank you for your support!

St. Ann Church, Stonewall

The new church of St. Ann in Stonewall, Lousisana was dedicated on November 23, 2025. Every pew was full to the brim! Thank you so much to everyone who spent so many years giving of your time, talent, and treasure throughout the process.

Spiritual Velcro

One day last week, I ended my morning prayer by asking God to surprise me that day. - He did! While checking email, I was excited to see a message from an old friend I met in sixth grade, back in prehistoric times, who wanted to reconnect.

During our virtual reunion days later, we discovered we were living parallel lives. A cradle Catholic, she and her husband have two adult children, they are reveling in grandparenthood, and she leads a weekly adult Bible study at her parish. We shared with each other our love for reading, art, and all things Jesus. Now, we also exchange wonderful reflections and articles, and one she sent particularly caught my eye—a simple post about “laminin.”

feature: it is shaped in the form of a cross!

Several articles cautioned against making too much of the spiritual significance in this. Laminin is not the only molecule that acts as an adhesive. Though commonly depicted in a cross shape for ease of understanding how it interacts with other molecules, it often bends and contorts into many shapes that don’t invoke a cross at all.

I’m no scientist, but I do understand we human beings are biologically united on a molecular level: we were all created from dust and formed into diverse combinations of bones, muscles, organs, and DNA. We are fearfully and wonderfully made! Having never heard of laminin, I googled it and was immediately amazed and inspired.

Laminin is a cell adhesion molecule that essentially holds our bodily tissues together. Internet sources indicated it is a glycoprotein, a building block membrane that holds our physical structure together, sort of like Velcro! There is more information than my feeble brain can process, but I think I get the gist of it. Most amazing is this

Regardless, I love the idea that the Velcro holding us humans together anatomically is shaped in the form that also unites us spiritually.

Colossians 1:17 tells us: He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. This stuff called laminin confirms that St. Paul teaching, along with its preceding verses, 15-16: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created … all things have been created through him and for him. These thoughts brought to mind strains of a favorite hymn dating back to the Civil War: “In Christ there is no east or west/In him no south or north/ But one great fellowship of love/Thru'out

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. - 1 Cor. 1:17

the whole wide Earth.” What a message of unity for our divided world today!

We are one in the Spirit. We are one in the Body of Christ. The Eucharist unites us on a molecular level. The Cross has the amazing power to unite a divided world.

In this age of separation and division, St. Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1:10 ring out louder than ever: I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Karen Dill is a spiritual director for the Diocese of Shreveport and a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

2025 Loyola University New Orleans Integritas Vitae Award

John Benedict (J.B.) Cordaro, class of 1963, received the Loyola University New Orleans Integritas Vitae Award during Loyola’s Annual 1912 Society Dinner on December 3, 2025, at the Audubon Tea Room in New Orleans. Among the university’s highest honors, the award recognizes individuals of outstanding character who live a “life of integrity,” the literal translation of "integritas vitae,” and is “Loyola’s recognition of an individual of outstanding character from any walk of life -- with an enhanced focus on a person whose impact is pervasive and whose character should be subject to emulation by students, alumni, and the community."

The award has been presented to local, national, and world leaders who demonstrated the values and philosophy of a Jesuit education, namely: moral character, service to others, and unquestionable integrity. Earlier recipients include: Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta; Bishop Roger P. Morin; Dr. Alton Ochsner; Archbishop Philip M. Hannan; U.S. Federal Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, The Honorable Mary Ann Vial Lemmon; the famous New Orleans restaurateur, Edgar "Dooky" Chase, III; Tom Benson, former owner of the New Orleans Saints; The Honorable Pascal F. Calogaro, Jr., former Chief Justice of the Louisiana

Supreme Court; The Honorable Corinne “Lindy” Claiborne Boggs, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Ambassador to the Holy See; The Honorable Maurice Edwin "Moon" Landrieu, former mayor of New Orleans and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and his wife Verna S. Landrieu.

Cordaro has six decades of global problem-solving experience for a wide range of food security initiatives in approximately 60 countries. Many of his activities and achievements were Africa-focused with United Nations organizations, the United States Congress, private sector organizations,

and the Vatican, through which he established networks of relationships and partnerships to achieve desired outcomes. He served as Special Representative for Food Security, Nutrition & Safety with Mars, Incorporated from 2007 to his retirement in 2021, and he continues pro-bono work with: (1) World Food Programme (WFP) on food safety; (2) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on food security, and (3) the African Orphan Crops Consortium (AOCC) to UN Agencies and African Countries (as Coordinator).

Cordaro is also a member of the Vatican Leadership Team under the guidance of Cardinal Mauro Gambetti (Archpriest of Saint Peter's Basilica, Vicar General of His Holiness for Vatican City State, and President of the Fabric of Saint Peter) and active in creating Villaggio della Fraternità, a harmonious, interfaith community living on 50 hectares located 5 kilometers from Saint Peter’s Basilica. It serves as a convening platform for training African agriculture extension experts who return to Africa and work with local farmers.

Prior to his work with Mars, Inc., Cordaro served as: (1) a senior staff member with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), (2) a staff member for Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, (3) Food Program Manager for the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), (4) Executive Director, Food Safety Council, and (5) President and CEO, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).

A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Cordaro graduated from Loyola University-New Orleans and Cornell University Graduate School. He resides in Tysons, Virginia, with Liz, his wife of 58 years. They have three children – Susan, Greg, and Mike and two grandchildren, Dan and Holly.

Dr. Bernadette Cordaro Boyd is one of JB Cordaro's ten siblings. She attends the parishes of St. Joseph and Holy Trinity in Shreveport, LA.

Seminarian Burses

Thanks to our Recent Donors:

(008) St. Jude Parish Burse

Anonymous (011)2 Rev. David Richter Burse #2

Mr. & Mrs. Donald J. Nici

(022) Rev. Blane O'Neil, OFM Burse

Rhonda Reed

Anonymous In memory of Fr. Blane O'Neil

Tom and Becky Garza (023)2 Msgr. Edmund J. Moore Burse #2

Patricia L McGraw

(024) Rev. Joseph Puthupally Burse

Ms. Dorothy M. Tipton

Edward & Cathy Dinger

(032) Madeline & Joe Tiller Burse

Diane Tiller Gainey (035)4 Dr. James V. & Rosemary C.

Ward Burse #4

Chris & Rebecca Ward

Mr. Richard W. Ward

Mrs. Rosemary C. Ward (036)6 Msgr. Earl V. Provenza Burse #6

Mrs. Edna Delphin

Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Looney (049) Rev. Philip Michiels Burse

Mr. and Mrs. Robert McGowen (052) Dr. Matthew Ragan Green, Jr. Burse

Mrs. Margaret Green

Jeffrey Crane (053)2 Leo N. Plette Burse #2

Cynthia P. Ashcraft (056) Hazel Iles & John Paul Woodley, Sr. Burse

Mr.Joseph Woodley

(061) Rev. Charles Glorioso Burse

Tony & Carla Papa

Incomplete Burses:

(001) Fr. Mike Bakowski Burse #2

($1450)

(002) Joseph & Antoinette Bakowski Burse ($3250)

(003) Sam R. Maranto Burse ($1750) (004) Kathryn Atherton Cook Burse ($450)

(005) Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Burse #2 ($2951)

(007) Dr. Carol Christopher Burse ($1200)

(008) St. Jude Parish Burse ($9700)

(009) St. John Berchmans Knights of Columbus Council 10728 Burse ($1550)

(011) Rev. David Richter Burse #2 ($7300)

(015) Bishop’s Seminarian Burse ($5785)

(016) Elaine Malloy Frantz Burse ($1000)

(017) Msgr. George Martinez Knights of Columbus Council 1337 Burse #2 ($4004)

(018) Knights of St. Peter Claver Council 144 Burse ($1500)

(021) Rev. Edmund "Larry" Niehoff Burse ($2350)

(022) Rev. Blane O'Neil, OFM Burse ($7000)

(023) Msgr. Edmund J. Moore Burse #2 ($4150)

(024) Rev. Joseph Puthupally Burse ($8500)

(025) Kathleen Hightower Burse ($800)

(027) Rev. Richard Lombard Burse #4 ($5000)

(028) Friends-n-Faith Burse ($750)

(029) Rev. Kenneth Williams Burse ($400)

(030) Ottis and Anne Krupa Littlejohn Burse ($9000)

(032) Madeline and Joe Tiller Burse ($9450)

(035) Dr. James V. & Rosemary C. Ward Burse #4 ($6720)

(036)6 Msgr. Earl V. Provenza Burse #6 ($8601)

(037) Manuel & Catherine Licciardi, and John & Beverly Miller Burse ($7000)

(038) The Malone Family Burse ($500)

(039) St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Knights of Columbus Council 9260 Burse ($800)

(045) Sister Martinette Rivers Burse ($600)

(046) Domestic Church Burse ($5000)

(047) Troops of St. George Burse ($7000)

(048) Rev. Joseph Kallookalam Burse ($5000)

(049) Rev. Philip Michiels Burse ($9450)

(050) St. Joseph Shreveport Mary's Workers Burse #2 ($395)

(052) Dr. Matthew Ragan Green, Jr. Burse ($2750)

(053)2 Leo N. Plette Burse #2 ($3376)

(054) Fr. Franz Graef Burse ($5000)

(056) Hazel Iles and John Paul Woodley, Sr. Burse ($860)

(057) Father Robert Inzina Memorial Burse ($5000)

(058) Msgr. Warren T. Larroque Burse ($2500)

(059) ACTS of Northwest Louisiana Burse ($800)

(060) Father David Buss Burse ($2500)

(061) Sister Maria Smith, DC Burse ($3500)

(062) Joan E. Anderson Sneed Burse ($2000)

(063) Rev. Charles Glorioso Burse ($2200)

To donate to the Catholic Service Appeal, please scan here!

To donate to an established seminarian burse, please scan here!

Congratulations to Seminarian Nathan Lirette! On Sunday, Jan. 11, he was installed into the Ministry of Lector by Fabio Cardinal Baggio at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

Please keep Nathan and all our seminarians in your prayers as they continue their journey toward the priesthood for the Diocese of Shreveport.

Photos: Pontifical North American College

St. Frederick Hig H Sc Hool

St. Frederick High School Honors Its 2025–2026 Students of the Year

Two Exceptional Young Women Exemplify Faith, Excellence, Service, and Leadership

St. Frederick High School (SFHS) proudly announces Julianna Tan and Kadence Clark as their 2025-2026 Students of the Year. Selected for their outstanding academic achievement, commitment to their faith, servant leadership, and involvement both on campus and in the community, these young women represent the very best of what it means to be a Warrior.

A senior at St. Frederick High School, Julianna Tan exemplifies academic excellence and spiritual maturity. She maintains a 4.0 GPA, earned a 30 composite ACT and 32 ACT superscore, and completed the most rigorous academic pathway offered at SFHS. Her exceptional record qualified her for the TOPS Excellence Award, which will fully cover her tuition at Louisiana State University for the Pre-Medicine program beginning this fall.

A member of both the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society, Julianna is also active beyond the classroom. She is deeply involved in campus life—serving as Student Body President and Captain of her Showstoppers Danceline. And her leadership extends beyond SFHS as well: she is a principal member of the Twin City Ballet company and dances with the Linda Lavender School of Dance.

Holding faith at the center of her high school experience, Julianna sees that one of the greatest blessings of attending SFHS is learning in a place where students can openly express their faith each day. A dedicated member of the Discipleship Team, she describes the experience as transformative. Raised in a Catholic home, Julianna says it has been through her time at SFHS –especially under the guidance of teachers like Mrs. Trejo –that her relationship with Christ deepened. She shared her joy in witnessing two Christian classmates choose to convert to Catholicism this year after they participated in the school’s faith formation programs.

Grateful for the opportunity to participate in adoration, pray the rosary, and receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the school day, Julianna added, “The power of faith

on this campus is palpable,” and the spiritual community at SFHS has shaped who she is today.

Junior High Student of the Year: Kadence Clark

Eighth-grade honoree Kadence Clark shines as a scholar, athlete, leader, and faithful servant. She maintains a 4.0 GPA and is an enthusiastic participant in the Middle Years International Baccalaureate Program, where her curiosity and drive for excellence are clearly evident.

A multi-sport athlete – cheerleader, basketball player, and track team member – Kadence is involved in numerous campus organizations, including the National Junior Honor Society and the National Spanish Honor Society. Her favorite class is Mrs. Garrett’s physical science, which sparked her passion for science, thanks to the engaging and creative way the material is taught.

Kadence said she most loves at St. Frederick the sense of belonging: “Everyone is so accepting, and our religion classes help me grow deeper in my faith.” Actively embracing opportunities for service, she visits the Homeless Shelter, assists clients through The Wellspring, and participates in Serve and Return, where students provide much-needed support to those most vulnerable in the community.

Off campus, Kadence is involved in Jack and Jill of America, Inc., the Unicycling Society of Louisiana, and Extreme Athletic Competition Cheer. A natural ambassador for St. Frederick High School, she is always eager to give tours for

prospective students, sharing her enthusiasm for the school’s welcoming atmosphere and strong academic and spiritual foundation.

Warriors Who Inspire

Both Julianna and Kadence embody the core tenets of being a St. Frederick Warrior – living their faith with joy, pursuing academic excellence, serving others, and leading with integrity. Their achievements and character reflect the mission of Catholic education and the St. Frederick community’s vibrant spiritual life.

St. Frederick High School is honored to celebrate these two extraordinary young women. Their examples inspire their classmates, strengthen our school community, and stand as a testament to the transformative power of faith-filled education.

Congratulations to Julianna Tan and Kadence Clark – our 2025-2026 Students of the Year. May God continue to bless their journeys as they continue to learn, serve, and lead.

Lisa Miller is the Director of Development at St. Frederick High School in Monroe, LA.

This ministry is made possible by your donations to the Catholic Service Appeal. Find out how you can support our Catholic Schools by visiting our website at www.dioshpt.org/schools

our lady oF Fatima catHolic Sc Hool

At Our Lady of Fatima School, we create a Christ-centered environment, which nurtures responsibility and respect for self and others, educating all to the ultimate goal of salvation in Christ Jesus. This is our mission statement and supreme goal at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School, and we have carried out this mission for the past 71 years. Each of our students is educated with the finest academic and religious curriculums, which are complemented by superior technology. However, our main

concern is our students’ souls and their pathways to be with God in heaven. Although diverse in our faith denominations, we are united in our love for God and our neighbors. Jesus is the center of everything we do; and our teachers, faculty, and staff are committed to shepherding our students toward the ultimate accomplishment of being life-long followers of Christ. We are one in Christ, and we celebrate that every school day at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School.

Math and science labs illustrate how our students learn to be productive in group-work settings.

The rescue organization for exotic pets, Zoo Crew, speaks about animals’ survival needs, origins, and habitats.

“Amazing Race” happens during Catholic Schools Week. Students complete a scavenger hunt for Catholic trivia, finding clues around the school.

We host guest speakers often to educate through our community, including annual Mardi Gras Kings and Queens who discuss the colors of Mardi Gras and the Louisiana traditions.

Our middle grade students enact a living Stations of the Cross each spring.

Jamie Humphrey is the Religion and Music teacher at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School in Monroe, LA.

catHedral oF St. JoHn Berc HmanS catHolic Sc Hool

In Ezekiel chapter 47, the prophet recounts a vision of a temple with water flowing out – nourishing the earth and bringing life to all it touches. It’s a beautiful metaphor. The temple prefigures Christ, and the river prefigures the Holy Spirit and also points us to the Church’s role in the world as the Body of Christ. We are the conduit of the Living Water, bringing new life and making salt water fresh. Each year, we celebrate the Basilica of St. John Lateran, our ecumenical mother church and seat of the Bishop of Rome, with this reading to remind ourselves of this important aspect of our identity. Christ did not establish His Church to stagnate, look only inward, and be self-serving; rather, to overflow into the world and sanctify it, bringing all peoples into His Mystical Body.

Here’s a trick from the counseling world: if you want to become something, start acting like it, now. So, when we consider what it means for all the world to be “One in Christ,” we must start with our family and community. At St. John Berchmans, our students strive to ensure everyone feels welcome, and our faculty work to ensure everyone feels safe – we all -practice kindness. Our older students mentor our three- and four-year olds at Mass – walking them over to church and sitting with them during Mass to show them what to do. By the time this article comes out, we’ll also have finished our annual Cardinal Krewes, a competition between teams formed of students from across grade levels, which

builds a school environment where all our students come to know and support each other.

This atmosphere extends beyond the school day as well. We are proud to host the Diocesan Religion Scholars Bowl every year, and this year, our families supported the Foodbank of Northwestern Louisiana. One week later, we supported the Gingerbread House’s annual food drive as well. Our students also complete service projects for Catholic Charities and assist at the Highland Blessing Meal. “One in Christ” means that we treat all people with the same radical generosity of Our Lord, that we become the Good Samaritan, the conduit of the Living Water. We count ourselves lucky for the opportunities our diocese provides to show care for our neighbor, to show Christian charity, and to show many times daily that “Kindness is practiced here!”

T.C. Veit is the principal of St. John Berchmans Cathedral School in Shreveport, LA.

loyola college PreP

Loyola is proud to announce Ezekiel “Zeke” Savant as our Student of the Year for the 2025-26 Academic Year! Finalists included Bishop Doege, Gabrielle Ghali, Sadie Green, Jett Robinson, Grace Shepherd, and Hart Snyder

“Zeke is the kind of student every school hopes to have,” Dr. Laurie Salvail, Principal, said. “He leads quietly, serves consistently, and pushes himself to excel in and out of the classroom. His academic record speaks for itself, but it’s his character, humility, and willingness to go above and beyond that truly set him apart. We’re proud to recognize him as Student of the Year.”

Zeke is a F.Ai.T.H Chairman, member of the National Honor Society, and member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He has been a vital member of the boys varsity soccer team for the last four years and was nominated to the Louisiana Freshman All-State soccer team in 2023.

Each year, Loyola faculty nominate five finalists who are then interviewed by the Student of the Year Committee. All five students are class leaders, excel academically, and exhibit Loyola’s three pillars: student involvement, academic excellence, and faith in action.

Zeke will continue on to compete at the district level for “Student of the Year” and hopefully advance to the regional and state competitions. For these, he must submit a comprehensive portfolio and participate in another round of interviews, then he’ll be judged on leadership activities, recognition, service, and citizenship.

Jordan Harris is the Director of Marketing & Communications at Loyola College Prep in Shreveport, LA.

St. JoSePH catHolic Sc Hool

Earning the title of St. Joseph Catholic School Student of the Year is a significant achievement, and often leads to success in diocesan and state competitions.

We proudly recognize previous winners like Carter Doyal and Ellie Franks, who were both named Diocesan and Private School Students of the Year.

Following the Louisiana Catholic dioceses' decision to establish an exclusive state-level competition for Catholic schools, the brothers John and Charles Foret competed in 2024, with Charles Foret securing the title of State Winner for Elementary School.

Our alumni success continues through former St. Joseph student Zeke Savant, who has been named Student of the Year at Loyola College Prep.

We are now thrilled to announce our recipients for the 202526 school year: Annabeth Geneux for the SJS Elementary Student of the Year and Lenisse Pereze for the SJS Middle School Student of the Year. Like all finalists, these students are not just academically strong but also well-rounded, involved in activities like student council, athletics, altar serving, and the honor society.

St. Joseph Catholic School's calling is to form the entire person into whom Christ desires them to be, and so, we celebrate our students' achievements and pray for their future success.

Clayton Cobb is the principal of St. Joseph Catholic School in Shreveport.

Around the diocese...

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

February 16-19 Fr. Simeon Gallagher will present a Lenten Mission at St. Mary of the Pines in Shreveport. Morning Mass at 8:30 with a session to follow with hospitality and fellowship. 6:00 evening sessions with childcare provided. Hospitality and fellowship will follow each evening session. Everyone is welcome!!!

The Women's Guild of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Ruston held a fundraiser for Mary's House. $1,842.09 was donated to Mary's House, as well as diaper bags, baby blankets, hats, and other baby items handmade by the St. Thomas Aquinas Peacemaker Sewing Group. Pictured are Jill Koeppen and L'Anne Sciba of Mary's House and Sandi Adams of St. Thomas Aquinas Church.

The Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree District Marshal, Ronald Dupuis, and Sir Knight Joe Lacobee held a viewing of the “Silver Rose” with Pastor Fr. Mark Watson and parishioners of St. Mary of the Pines Catholic Church in Shreveport, LA, on Sunday, November 9, 2025.

The Silver Rose Program both honors Our Lady of Guadalupe, it also expresses the unity of the Knights of Columbus. As we think in terms of “One Life, One Rose,” it is most appropriate that we turn to our Lady of Guadalupe who made known her will through Juan Diego and the miracle of the roses. The Silver Rose symbolizes life, love, and prayer for the protection of human life.

The Sisterhood Bible study group at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is growing by leaps and bounds. We now include ladies from several parishes and other denominations. This was our annual Christmas celebration. We meet Wednesday mornings in the Burleigh Center; all are welcome!

St. Martha’s Circle from St. Joseph’s in Zwolle participated in their second annual Box of Joy sharing of Christmas gifts. These ladies and St. Joseph’s members packaged over 80 boxes to ship to children around the world. Spreading Jesus’ love to those less fortunate is such a wonderful thing to do this time of year!

CATHOLIC CONNECTION

DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT

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