A Legacy of Giving Continues in Diocese

Perhaps the Diocese of Baton Rouge’s greatest legacy is its generosity to reaching out to those in need, not only on a daily basis but especially during natural disasters or in a humanitarian crisis.

That spirit of giving, the collective altruism of the entire diocese, has perhaps never been more tested as well as more evident than during these past two months, first with a historic hurricane followed by the refugee crisis in Afghanistan that will ultimately have direct impact in our area.

In the days following Hurricane Ida’s reign of terror that caused catastrophic damage, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, a stalwart of disaster relief throughout southeast Louisiana, traversed the diocese from Paulina to Independence and points in between handing out much needed supplies to those in need, including tarps, food and water. Their efforts continue today as more than two months later many families continue to struggle to rebuild their homes and their lives.

St. Margaret Queen of Scotland Church in Albany  became a major distribution point for much of the eastern sector of the diocese, with lines of cars filling the church’s parking lot daily. Although St. Margaret was the distribution point, it was only operational because of the dazzling number of donations that poured in from churches and organizations throughout the diocese. Minus their magnanimity, minus the benevolence of so many parishioners, hundreds of families might have gone hungry, thirsty, or even unable to have slept in their homes.

St. Margaret pastor Father Jamin David and Father Paul McDuffie, pastor at St. Joseph Church in Ponchatoula, mobilized relief efforts in Dulac, one of the hardest areas from Ida.

Similar to 2016, St. Joseph Church in French Settlement pastor Father Jason Palermo once again fired up his stove, donned his apron and launched his massive feeding program. Volunteers at St. Joseph and St. Stephen the Martyr Church in Maurepas distributed more than 25,000 meals, an incredible feat considering many of those servers were also dealing with their own struggles.

Holy Rosary Church in St. Amant also launched a feeding program through its popular Full of Grace café.

Volunteers from Christ the King Church and Catholic Center in Baton Rouge even crossed diocesan lines to assist in devastated Laplace.

Even while the diocese was dealing with Ida’s impact, CCDBR officials were preparing for the arrival of refugees from Afghanistan, who were being relocated to Baton Rouge in the wake of the Afghan crisis. The first refugees are soon expected to arrive, falling into the welcoming arms of CCDBR employees.

Certainly God calls each of us in his own way to live out the Gospel message and what better way than providing assistance during a natural disaster or embracing refugees escaping horrors we can only imagine. Being Catholic is much more than attending Sunday Mass and then shelving our faith for the next seven days.

Rather, it’s about us stepping out of our comfort zone and spending eight hours on a sultry summer day mucking out a flooded house, cutting down trees, digging into our pockets to help purchase needed supplies or being a friendly face to a shellshocked family who has traveled halfway across the globe to a strange land. 

As Catholics our calling, our own legacy of faith, is to respond to those reaching out to us to offer a beacon of light in their own darkness.  

Throughout its 60-year existence, the Diocese of Baton Rouge has historically been that oasis of hope and by volunteers exemplifying the Gospel message through their own lives it’s a tradition that continues to live on. 

Meek is the editor of The Catholic Commentator