Honoring the forebearers of faith

Ville Platte was well represented last Friday night as parishioners and clergy from Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Joseph’s, and Our Lady Queen of All Saints Catholic Churches took part in the North Deanery Mass at St. Landry Catholic Church in Opelousas as part of the Diocese of Lafayette’s centennial celebration. The north deanery includes the civil parishes of Evangeline and St. Landry.
The main celebrant for the mass was Basile native and current Bishop of Lafayette J. Douglas Deshotel. Other clergy that added to the Evangeline Parish flair of the celebration were Bishop Emeritus and former Pastor of Sacred Heart Michael Jarrell, Pastor Tom Voorhies and parochial vicar Taj Glodd of Sacred Heart, and former Pastor of Sacred Heart Monsignor Bob Romero. Also present were deacon from Sacred Heart Scott Peyton and deacons from Our Lady Queen of All Saints Eugene Leoeuf and Ben Soileau.
Bishop Deshotel, during his homily, stated that the first recorded ritual in Opelousas occurred on May 16, 1756, when a Benedictine priest came from the Natchitoches trading post for a baptism. “For 250-years, our Catholic faith has been lived and celebrated in this part of South Louisiana,” he commented.
The bishop then gave a history of the church in Opelousas. He said that the original church house was built in 1765, and that the parish was officially formed in 1770 as The Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Post in Opelousas. “The name of the church and its location at the present site were changed around the year 1790,” said Bishop Deshotel, “and, even though the priests were Spanish, they named the church after the French Bishop St. Landry who died around the year 650 AD. St. Landry was known for his great charity. He cared for the citizens of Paris during a severe famine selling his own possessions and whatever the church could spare to feed the hungry of his diocese. He also established one of the first hospitals there.”
Bishop Deshotel added an interesting note to his history of the church in Opelousas. He said, “During the Civil War, Union troops devastated most of the town of Opelousas and almost devastated St. Landry Church, but it was Irish Catholic soldiers in the Union troops that kept the federal troops from completely destroying St. Landry Church.”
The purpose of the mass, according to Bishop Deshotel, was to reflect on the long journey of faith during the 100th Anniversary of the diocese. As he said, “We mark the beginnings of faith for this parish of St. Landry that is also called the Mother Church of Acadiana because so many churches were born out of her womb. All before there were roads, telephones, telegraphs, radio, TV, Internet and newspapers, the Catholic faith was planted here and began to grow. Trappers, Indians, traders, lumberjacks, farmers, and fishermen settled here and practiced the faith that Christ gave the apostles whom He had commissioned at the very beginning to go out into the whole world and teach everything he commanded to teach.”
“Really it is humbling to think that they all celebrated the same Catholic faith that we celebrate here today,” he continued. “Over 250-years ago, these forebearers of ours celebrated Holy Week just as we will (this) week. They also observed our Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. They gathered together on Holy Thursday to participate in the mass when Jesus established the Eucharist and the priesthood. They heard the reading of The Passion on Good Friday and reverently venerated the Sacred Cross on which Jesus died for the forgiveness of our sins, and they rejoiced on the day of the Resurrection as they observed Easter just as we will. Two hundred fifty years ago, they went to Confession, they learned their Catechism, made their First Communion, and were ushered into eternal life by the funeral rites of the Church.”
The bishop used this history of the faith in Opelousas to inspire current Catholics to carry on what was handed down from “that tree of faith planted 250-years ago.” He added, “We certainly have an easier time and many more conveniences and ease of life than they endured. If we fail to make use of these opportunities that we have, it will be a terrifying experience to meet them in the next life and have to give an accounting of our stewardship.”
Calling Friday’s mass a renewal of the faith that was handed down and a way of handing down the living faith, Bishop Deshotel concluded by telling those in attendance, “Then, like the productive servant in the Gospel parable, may God one day say to us, ‘Well done good and faithful servant, you have produced fruit. Enter now into the joy of (Heaven).’”