Looking back at the weekly messages of Father Paul Counce, first published in The Carpenter, our weekly Parish Bulletin
Published: October 11, 2015
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
This past weekend’s GRAND day celebration was absolutely phenomenal! Not only did we have the largest crowd we’ve ever had attend the special Mass and party afterwards, it included the largest contingent of children ever! Everyone enjoyed the food, the music, the animals, and all of the visiting and fun that makes such a family day special.
This year for various reasons I was not much involved in the planning and carrying out of the GRAND Day festivities, but I have to hand it to our Development Committee, they stepped up to the plate and organized a tremendous event. Everything ran smoothly, and if there were any problems or tensions they were so minor as to be nonexistent. For this reason I need to especially thank the members of the Committee: Tino Dalmau, Tommy Darensbourg, David Dartez, Mary Ellen Davros, Mary Furlow, Gwen Hamilton, Jackie Kreutzer, Joe Lotwick, Shirley Mundt, Michele Nardini, Tom Oswald, Rose Mary Poirrier, Erick Swenson, Nancy Virga, Vic & Joy Weston, Sylvia Winder, and their chair, Bobbie Carey. I also want to thank the members of our St. Joseph Cathedral Knights of Columbus Council No. 13632 who cooked the hamburgers and hotdogs. The Festival Singers from Baton Rouge Magnet High School under the direction of our organist and director of music, Robbie Giroir, provided wonderful music before, during and after Mass, and we very much appreciate them for the beauty they added. Finally, I have to express appreciation to Carla Kennedy and Willie Rhines, and most especially Sheila Juneau of the Parish Staff, for their preparatory and set up work were essential in helping things go smoothly.
Occasions like GRAND Day are wonderful, first of all, because they give our Parish Family a chance to enjoy each other’s company. We don’t really spend a lot of money, or focus on complicated or challenging activities. We like plain old good food, a few things to put smiles on our faces (who doesn’t like that look of sheer wonder on the face of a child riding a pony?), and the chance for conversation and visiting that in today’s busy world we don’t do enough of.
It was also nice on GRAND Day and similar occasions to share with so many extended family members and other visitors from other parishes and from out-of-town. You know, many parishes don’t have the opportunity to share high-quality religious music and traditional liturgical flourishes like the use of incense. Many visitors have told me how much they not only appreciate the beauty of our worship space, but – given our regular use of incense – just the way our church smells! What I really hope is that they can detect the depth of our faith, the fervor of our prayer, the genuineness of our charitable outreach, and the sincerity of our love for them in fellowship.
If you are a parishioner or beloved friend of the Cathedral, by now you’ve gotten my letter inviting your generous contribution to help us “waterproof” the church building. Thank you for going above and beyond your regular, devoted stewardship in making a sacrificial gift for this purpose. Let me be honest, with a building as venerable as our Cathedral, there really will never be an end to its ongoing maintenance needs. Once we’ve sealed the exterior of the building and verified the structural integrity of the ceiling and beams and wiring up there, we’ll move on to give attention to the lighting and sound systems. We welcome your opinions and suggestions regarding any improvements!
Finally I also want to offer a word of congratulations to the seminarian from our parish, Tim Grimes, the son of Bill and Jan Grimes. Over the past 5 years you’ve probably noticed him assisting here from time to time as an altar server. Last Saturday in a ceremony at the Bishop Tracy Center he and his seminary classmate Ryan Hallford were formally admitted to Candidacy for Holy Orders for the Diocese of Baton Rouge by Bishop Robert Muench. Their ordination to the diaconate is foreseen here at the Cathedral in early June 2016, and then to the holy priesthood a year later. Please continue to pray for him as his priestly formation brings him closer to his goal of ordained ministry in our midst.
Sincerely in the Lord,
