Looking back at the weekly messages of Father Paul Counce, first published in The Carpenter, our weekly Parish Bulletin
Published: April 09, 2017
The Bible readings proclaimed on Palm Sunday always provide us with a striking contrast: the crowd’s joyous shouts of “Hosanna!” turn within days to angry screams of “Crucify Him!” Of course, all of us who take good, long, hard and honest looks into our own souls are quite aware of the co-existence of both good and bad there. So, in our observance of Holy Week this year, let’s make a special personal commitment to move away from evil toward the holiness of Christ. Our world, nation and even local Baton Rouge community have undergone extremely divisive experiences in the past year (everything from racial tension and flooding here to an awful presidential political campaign to “Brexit” and terrorism overseas). The journey back to peace and tranquility has to start with the single steps of individuals like you and me. Let’s do that, okay?
At the end of this month, on Saturday, April 29, our Parish is again going to host An Evening at the Cathedral. This special vigil Mass with wine, dinner, and music following is a favorite event on our annual calendar! The reason we gather is simple: to celebrate our identity as the Cathedral Parish.
We use the occasion of The Cathedral Evening each year to honor some of our own who have helped make us the warm and welcoming family of faith that we are. We name them as our prized “St. Joseph’s Apprentices,” and taken together with our past honorees they serve sort of as a “Cathedral Parish Hall of Fame” for us to admire and imitate.
This year’s new Apprentices are Ms. Charlotte Anthony, Mr. and Mrs. Tino & Tere Dalmau, Mr. Boyd Newman, and Mr. Charles Salemi. Each has generously gone “over and above the call of duty” in serving our Parish community. Charlotte is one of our most faithful ministers of Holy Communion, as is Tino; it seems that they and their families are always here, for everything! Boyd also is omnipresent on weekends in serving as sacristan, acolyte and “jack-of-all-trades” despite commuting from his home in Mississippi, and Charles tops off his ushering duties every Sunday by waking up extra early to transport our “sacred doughnuts” from the baker to our Hall.
A few years ago we established an annual Cathedral Community Award to honor Catholics who help make the entire community of Baton Rouge a better place to be. This year this award will go to the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady, whose health care and educational apostolates are an integral part of life here.
In any event, I hope you’ll help honor all of these wonderful people on April 29. Yes, you will need to make a reservation and buy a ticket for the meal (it will be a bargain at $60 per person). Juban’s is catering the food and Eric Baskin is providing music. It will be a pleasant time for everyone. Our parishioners and friends should be receiving their formal invitation in the mail this week! Even if you can’t join us in person, your prayers for St. Joseph Parish and for the whole Cathedral community are very much appreciated!
Sincerely in the Lord,
Fr. Paul
