Dear Parishioners,
In last week’s bulletin, Deacon Michael shared the news that he has accepted a new position as the
Baton Rouge area director for Vagabond Missions. He will continue to serve our parish as deacon
and director of administration, but on a reduced schedule.
Vagabond Missions is an inner-city Catholic Youth Mission founded about 17 years ago and now lo-
cated in eight cities around the United States. Father Josh Johnson sits on their board and serves as
national chaplain for the ministry.
Young adult missionaries with Vagabond reach out to youth living in impoverished or neglected
neighborhoods and invite them to attend afterschool gatherings with other teens in a safe, supervised
environment. They plant seeds of faith and hope in the hearts of these young men and women to
help protect them from the harmful influence of drugs and gangs.
As much as I hate to lose Deacon Michael as a full-time member of our staff, I recognize that his gifts
are uniquely suited to help guide this important new mission. So, we willingly share him with the inner
-city youth of our Diocese and pray that his mission of bringing the love of Jesus and the Church will
bear much fruit.
Deacons, like priests, are ordained for service throughout a Diocese. While deacons are typically as-
signed to a particular parish, hospital, or prison, they remain mindful that they are ordained to serve
the entire diocesan Church under the direction of their bishop.
Deacons are frequently assigned to their home parishes due to their familiarity with the people, cul-
ture, and geography of the place. However, a deacon who grew up in a different community than the
one to which he is assigned, may often bring a different perspective which is beneÞcial to the spiritual
growth of the parishioners. We thank God for the presence of Deacon Michael in our parish and dio-
cese.
Registration for our Parish School of Religion began earlier this month and ends on August 7 so we
can order the textbooks. Students in grades 1–5 now have the option of attending class on Mondays
from 5:30 – 6:30 pm, or Tuesdays from 4:30 – 5:30 pm. Grades 6–8 will meet on Tuesdays from 6:30
– 7:30 pm, and grades 9–11 will meet on Mondays from 7:00 – 8:00 pm.
The annual Catholic Men’s Conference sponsored by the Men of the Cross is set for Saturday, Au-
gust 5, 2023. The theme this year is “Experiencing Eucharistic Revival,” and the keynote speaker is
author and biblical scholar Stephen J. Binz. Men are encouraged to visit our website for more infor-
mation and to register for this event.
Please remember that Vacation Bible School is this week from 9:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., Monday
through Friday, in the parish center. Please watch out for the children and be extra careful in the
parking lot during drop off and pick up. I know the kids will have a great time getting together with
their friends and classmates for a fun week of activities. Thank you to all of our volunteers who give
so generously of their time to make VBS a success.
In Christ,
Father Matt
