Mailbag

Last summer as I waited on the banks of the Bayou Teche for the arrival of the Eucharistic Procession that was part of Fête-Dieu du Teche, I was grateful for the shade of a massive oak tree near St. Francis Regis Church in Arnaudville. It was peaceful there, even though a crowd was assembled. Precautions had been taken for Covid, and in my mind I was fast forwarding to 2021 when the specter of a pandemic would not be so threatening. It did make me think about the bravery of the Acadians as they faced a very uncertain future themselves. They had their Catholic faith and not much more.
We know the rest of the story: the Acadians persevered, bolstered by that very faith and their family-oriented culture. This year is the 256th anniversary of the arrival of the Acadians and the Catholic faith along the bayou. That we celebrate with a Eucharistic Procession by boat is both appropriate and uniquely ours. Fête-Dieu du Teche belongs on the to-do list of every Catholic in the Diocese. Even if you are not of Acadian descent, the influence of these refugees surrounds us and is part of every Hail Mary that we say.
Join the 2021 Fête-Dieu du Teche on the Feast of the Assumption on Sunday, August 15. Attend Mass at St. Leo’s in Leonville at 8 a.m. or find a spot along the bayou near the church grounds at one of the stops along the original route of the Acadians as they traveled down the Bayou Teche. Stops include Arnaudville, Cecelia, Breaux Bridge, Parks, and finally St. Martinville. In St. Martinville, participants will process to the Evangeline Oak and then on to Notre Dame, St. Martin de Tours and Our Lady of Sorrows.

Margaret H. Trahan
Director, Office of Stewardship and Development
Diocese of Lafayette