Looking back at the weekly messages of Father Paul Counce, first published in The Carpenter, our weekly Parish Bulletin
Published: March 12, 2017
Our Lent is underway. For those preparing to join the Church – generally known as catechumens if they are still unbaptized, and as candidates for full communion if already baptized in some other Christian religion – Lent is a time of immediate preparation for joining themselves to Christ. For the rest of us who accompany them in this great discovery, it is a season to rediscover Christ and renew our faith. We all seek to conform our lives to be more like Christ, and so we do our best to overcome temptation and be transfigured into a more glorious image of ourselves, just as He did so long ago.
While invariably the six weeks of Lent test our spiritual perseverance, fortunately, we’re not alone in the challenge. We are surrounded by an entire community of faith, all of us working together to become even better Catholic Christians. The crowds at daily Mass are the clearest reminder that “we are all in this together.” At some point during this season, I hope, we’ll all confess our sins. Virtually every Catholic is “doing something extra” or “giving something up,” and finding strength for this in everyone’s commitment. Don’t be afraid to speak about all of this, not to boast but to remind others that we are together in this. We can, in this way, draw strength from each other. Ask them to pray for you, and remember to pray for them.
It’s a ways off still, but please mark Saturday, April 29, down on your calendar. We’ll celebrate our special annual “Evening at the Cathedral” with Mass and a special banquet then. For a time called Bishop’s Day when Bishops Ott, Hughes and Muench could be with us, it’s still the major gathering of our Parish family. We joyfully celebrate just being together, and honor a few people whose efforts and presence have added so much to the Cathedral Parish and the wider community.
There are two kinds of honors. Those who have devoted themselves, especially in ministry, to our Parish are honored as “St. Joseph’s Apprentices.” The very name hints at the help they offer! We would not be the wonderful Parish family that we are without their committed efforts and willingly-shared gifts and talents. And more recently we’ve added the “Cathedral Community Award,” honoring a Catholic who has contributed not so much to our Parish but to the wider and interfaith community of Baton Rouge itself.
This is where YOU come in! Please make your suggestions and nominations for these two awards to me here at the Parish Office: the easiest way is to email me at pastor@cathedralbr.org with your ideas. Yes, I already have a list of names that various people have recommended, but I also want to make sure everybody’s been consulted. Do you have anyone in mind?
We’ll mention the “Evening at the Cathedral” more as that gala draws nearer. Parishioners and friends will receive a more formal invitation in the mail, in fact. But I wanted you already to draw a big red circle on that day in your calendar, because it’s a good time you won’t want to miss!
Sincerely in the Lord,
Father Paul
