“I can think of no one more qualified spiritually to lead and inspire others,” Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Baton Rouge Father Paul Counce said. “He already is a great shepherd to his flock in Houma-Thibodaux, who will miss him terribly, he will continue to be one in Kentucky.”“Congratulations to (Arch)bishop Shelton Fabre on his appointment as archbishop of Louisville! Bishop-Emeritus Robert Muench and I extend to him our personal best wishes along with those of his countless friends and former parishioners in his native Diocese of Baton Rouge. They all join us in praying that the Holy Spirit will be at his side as he assumes his new role, and be assured as well that our prayers will continue for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux as it awaits the appointment of its new shepherd,” Bishop Michael G. Duca said in a statement.
“Therefore, I am no longer in the ‘Who Dat’ nation of the New Orleans Saints, for I know well this is “Cardinal and Wildcat country” where basketball is king,” Archbishop Fabre said during his press conference in Louisville. "The Lord has led me from the bayous to the bluegrass, from gumbo and jambalaya to barbecue and the hot brown. I leave the coasts of a Cajun community to walk with you in the foothills of the heartland. And I do so, knowing that my love for king cake and Mardi Gras will soon be quenched by mint juleps and the Kentucky Derby.”