Looking back at the weekly messages of Father Paul Counce, first published in The Carpenter, our weekly Parish Bulletin
Published: May 27, 2018
Dearest Parishioners and Friends,
Last Sunday on the Solemnity of Pentecost, as is our custom here at St. Joseph’s, our Parish celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation. (Being the Cathedral, we enjoy the privilege of scheduling this sacramental “coming of the Holy Spirit” on the absolute best day of the Church’s liturgical calendar for it! Yay us!) Along with 6 of our own adolescent parishioners, another 94 Catholics from throughout the Diocese of Baton Rouge were here at the 12 noon Mass, when Bishop Muench confirmed them all. With all of the sponsors and families and friends it’s always a “packed house” here, but it’s a wonderful liturgy too.
Congratulations go out to our parishioners who were confirmed: Shelby Danielle Aydell, Chandler Joseph LeGrange, Grace Ann LeGrange, Ciera Danielle Malbrue, Elise Claire Saloom and Connor Reese Thompson. May the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into their hearts inspire them all to do great things for the Lord and His holy Church as their lives and futures unfold! I also want to say a word of thanks to Mr. Christopher Redden, our pastoral assistant who coordinates our confirmation program and candidates’ readiness for the sacrament. While he always says it’s easy, since Cathedral parishioners are always wonderful to work with, I always want everyone else to know that the smile on his face is genuine!
One bit of news this past week was not so good. Many, many of our parishioners know Mr. Willie Rhines, our maintenance man. Over the past 15 years he has served us very, very well here. While the job is a busy one, nobody would call it exciting. Still, whether it was cleaning the Cathedral and its Parish Hall, kitchen and bathrooms; setting up tables and chairs for our many and varied activities; keeping the grass cut and the walkways clear of leaves; emptying the trash and changing light bulbs; etc. – Willie has done it all while impressing everyone with his eagerness to help in any way he could. He often made himself available at odd hours, especially, so that setup and cleanup could be accomplished even on weekends. We sometimes joked that he’s been in a Catholic Church more than any other Baptist in the world!
Over the past year, however, the smile on his face was less and less evident as his health has declined. This past week we found out the terrible news that he’s been diagnosed with severe and malignant liver disease. While he’s following his doctors’ orders in hopes that an effective treatment might be found, he’s also aware that he’s not going to be able to continue here like we all would wish.
So please, do two things. First and most importantly, remember Willie especially in your prayers. Cancer is a terrible disease, and even though immediate family members are helping out with his care right now, he also needs the support of his extended “Cathedral family” too. Prayers will help him in the fight for good health, and if anyone would also wish to offer him some monetary assistance as a gift at this difficult time, our Parish Office will be happy to serve as a conduit for this.
The other thing you might do is get the word out that we’re looking for a new maintenance man. While general handyman skills are helpful, the principal and recurring responsibilities are generally what I described above. It’s a full-time position for a dependable, hard worker, and it would be wonderful to find the right person for it soon.
In the Lord,
Fr. Paul Counce
