Judice inspires catechists at conference

Emotion rippled through the ballroom of the Catholic Life Center as Chad Judice shared his experience of a life-changing miracle, one that the twofold effect of showing him the depth of God’s mercy and the importance of carrying one’s cross.

Judice, director of catechetics for the Diocese of Lafayette, was the keynote speaker at the recent Convocation Celebrating Catechists, sponsored by the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. More than 100 catechists, directors of religious education and others gathered for the annual event, which concluded with the prayer and commissioning by Bishop Michael G. Duca.

Judice shared his testimony story of faith, hope, pro-life and  the power of prayer all enveloped in the story of his son Eli.

“My son, he is a miracle,” Judice simply states.

The story began in 2008 when Judice and his wife, Ashley, pregnant with their second son, received the devastating news their unborn child had spina bifida. A routine ultrasound revealed the disease, and Chad Judice, as his faith would dictate, turned to prayer.

He would later admit that through his own pain God used the disease to change him, revealing Judice’s own humanity as well as being exposed to the divinity of the Lord.

Judice explained, as only a parent who went through such an ordeal could, the roller coaster of emotions the couple experienced, first through the pregnancy but also in Eli’s young life. Of particular concern, Judice had read that 80% of parents who receive the same diagnosis for their unborn child choose abortion. 

But abortion was never an option so they turned to the community for prayerful assistance, including the students, faculty and parents at St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette, where Judice taught.

“We had no reason to believe (the baby) would not be healthy,” Judice said. 

“There were so many people praying for Eli,” said Judice, who has written three books on the life of his son. “People from all over the world were praying for my son.”

Eli was born in 2009 in New Orleans, his first cry admittedly the most beautiful sound the couple had ever heard. 

Five brain operations, several seizures and additional surgeries later, Eli has surprised the medical community with his progress. Amazingly, he is using braces and a frame as he tries to walk. He loves basketball and is even able to play despite being in a wheelchair.

“I come home and I see a beautiful child,” Judice said. “He gives me strength.”

“As a parent with a sick child, all you want to do is take the hurt away,” he added. “You can’t.”

Eli’s life was the foundation of Judice’s message to stress the importance of catechesis, how catechists are called to educate Catholics on the mercy of God’s love. 

He said everyone does indeed have a cross to bear, a fact that has become even more evident during the past two years, But he has noticed that Catholics are afraid to talk about sacrifice and often make excuses to run away from it.

“When we embrace it, it will transform our lives and transform the lives of other people around us,” he said. 

He offered three critical roles for catechist in their ministry. The first, he said, is suffering, noting that Christ gave his body to reconcile all of humankind. He said catechists must also be willing to give of themselves.

Secondly, he said, is service, living out the spiritual works of mercy, including feeding the hungry, admonishing evil, counseling the downtrodden and making disciples of all nations.

Finally is sacrifice, noting that everyone must give just as Christ did on the cross.

“Christ did this and more in the paschal mystery and as catechists we are called to participate in the paschal mystery,” Judice said “We can be a witness to the world, a world that desperately needs a witness.

“We all have responded to a call to become a catechist when we surrendered to the cross. Celebrate in the glory of his name.”

Dina Dow, director of the Office of Evangelization of Catechesis for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, said she first met Judice 12 years ago when she was working at Catholic Life Television. She remembers crying when reading the first of Judice’s book and said an interview with him that aired on CLTV drew a tremendous response, with people expressing a desire to get to know him and how could they get in touch with him.

In 2018, when Judice was appointed to his position in Lafayette, Dow said the “Lord brought us back together in a way we continue to service each other’s mission.”

Judice can be reached through chadjudice.com