Catholic Community Radio is “the first Catholic radio station ever to serve the Baton Rouge area.” The strong daytime signal extends into Ascension, Iberville, Livingston and West Baton Rouge civil parishes. Programming options include the morning drive-time show Wake Up Baton Rouge, national Catholic programs of note, local news, live special event remotes, Daily Mass and Rosary programs, and audio from Catholic Life TV. The station streams live on the Internet and all programming is provided from a Catholic viewpoint. Please visit online through http://www.brcatholicradio.com for more information.

From St. Bede the Venerable,
A Prayer Concerning
The Risen Christ

In the early Middle Ages, it was not unusual for a cleric to minister for an entire lifetime behind the walls of a European monastery. From such a vantage point, St. Bede the Venerable engaged the religious debates of the day but also translated the Scriptures. He was the only Englishman to gain mention in Dante’s Paradise, and remains the sole English Doctor of the Church, one of the most revered religious minds of the medieval era. As the following prayer attests, his was a life of faithful devotion.

I implore you, good Jesus,
That as in Your mercy
You have given me to drink,
With delight,
The words of Your knowledge,

So, of Your loving kindness,
You will also grant me
One day to come to You,


The fountain of all wisdom,
And to stand before Your face.
Amen and Amen.

St. Bede the Venerable
Doctor of the Church
(673 - 735)

CATHOLIC LEADERS ON STEWARDSHIP

Pope Francis recently communicated his thanks for the ministry of the Papal Foundation. His sentiments contain universal truths regarding generosity’s long arm, reminding us that good stewardship extends far beyond our communities.

“You have contributed significantly to the growth of local Churches in developing countries by supporting, among other things, the continuing formation of their clergy and religious, the provision of shelter, medical assistance and care to the poor and the needy, and the creation of much-needed educational and employment opportunities. For all this, I am deeply grateful. The needs of God’s people throughout the world are great, and your efforts to advance the Church’s mission are helping to fight the many forms of material and spiritual poverty present in our human family.”

(From an Address to the ‘Papal Foundation’ Thursday, April 11, 2013.)

LINKS THAT WE RECOMMEND

Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge
http://www.diobr.org

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops
http://nccbuscc.org

The Vatican Website
http://www.vatican.va

More Local, Regional and National Links...

STEWARDSHIP: A DIOCESAN LEGACY

This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the appointment of the first diocesan pastor to Immaculate Conception parish in Denham Springs. As an official church parish for little more than fifty years, the congregation will mark a number of significant anniversaries in the immediate years ahead. Next year, they will celebrate a half-century at their current site, and in two more years a full century of worship and service in still-expanding Livingston Parish.

Growing alongside the community to which the church faithfully ministers, Immaculate Conception now “numbers more than 3,800 families living in an area covering about 275 square miles served by diocesan priests,” making Immaculate Conception one of the largest and most influential parishes in all of south Louisiana. In addition to the dozens of ministry efforts that originate on the parish campus, parishioners serve in nursing homes, prison facilities, and area schools.        

Oblates of Mary Immaculate and Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Eucharist Sisters were among the Catholic pioneers who helped establish the church. That missionary zeal continues in the parish’s support of the Mission Chapel of the Sacred Heart in Livingston. For additional information regarding the celebrated history of Immaculate Conception, a schedule of services and events, and an extensive list of the ministries and programs offered by Immaculate Conception Catholic Church of Denham Springs, please visit their website: www.icc-msh.org

STEWARDSHIP IN SCRIPTURE

In his second published letter to the Corinthian church, St. Paul illustrated the relationship between priority and generosity, noting the “wealth of generosity” evident in the Macedonian churches:

“We want you to know, brothers, of the grace of God that has been given to the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their profound poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For according to their means, I can testify, and beyond their means, spontaneously, they begged us insistently for the favor of taking part in the service to the holy ones, and this, not as we expected.”

“But they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us through the will of God, so that we urged Titus that, as he had already begun, he should also complete for you this gracious act also. Now as you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse, knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you, may you excel in this gracious act also.”

The Macedonians gave beyond their means. In the midst of poverty, they gave generously. It’s no wonder St. Paul took note of their ability to prioritize: “They gave themselves first to the Lord.” We give of our time and resources, but these gifts leave our hands much more easily when we first give our own selves.

(2 Corinthians 8:1-7, New American Bible, Revised Edition)