Nearly 600 people gathered at St. Gerard Majella Parish in Baton Rouge last weekend to honor the Redemptorist missionaries who have served the community for 80 years. Considered a resounding success, the celebration rekindled an energy and enthusiasm for our Missionaries of Hope and the diverse community they serve in parish ministry, pastoral care, and education.
In addition to many parishioners and alumni, special guests included Bishop Michael Duca of Baton Rouge, who presided at Mass, and Provincial Superior Kevin Zubel and former pastors Fr. Chuong Cao and Fr. Sam Maranto. Deacon Joe Perry and Redemptorist confreres Fr. Tat Hoang, pastor, and community members Fr. Rick Potts, Fr. John Fahey Guerra, chaplain of the Diocese’s Hispanic Apostolate, and Fr. Tim Watson, who recently transferred to the Seelos Shrine in New Orleans, also participated. The School Sisters of Notre Dame, the Missionaries of Charity, and the Sisters of Incarnation-Consecration-Mission (ICM) also attended the celebration. The parish welcomed a Hispanic Choir serving the Diocese of Baton Rouge, which contributed to the rich, vibrant liturgical celebration. “Everyone was filled with hope, love, joy and peace,” Fr. Tat said. “We celebrated the hope of yesterday, today and tomorrow.”
Bishop Duca and the concelebrants walked to the old gym – now the St. John Neumann Activity Center – to bless the facility, which boasts air conditioning for the first time in 80 years.
“It’s large enough for a big crowd, so we were able to comfortably host 578 people and serve the best jambalaya cooked by the Knights of Columbus, as well as Vietnamese egg rolls, stir-fried beef and vegetable noodles, fried chicken and lemonade and sweet tea donated by Canes,” Fr. Tat said. “We are grateful to our Partners in Mission (PIM) and Redemptorist volunteers for making this celebration not only possible, but such a great success.”
Dr. Tina Nguyen, a Partner in Mission who actually suggested and organized the event, said the celebration was “beyond amazing!” Days afterward, she still felt energized and enthusiastic about how much the Redemptorists are revitalizing the area. “I visited with so many people who told me that they had not seen such a large crowd at St. Gerard for at least 30 years,” she said.
“People who graduated from the old Redemptorist High School in the 1950s were thrilled to return, and many plan to encourage their children and grandchildren to support the parish and the school. We echo Bishop Duca’s prayer that God bless the Redemptorists with another 80 years at St. Gerard Parish in Baton Rouge!”
Fr. Sam, who served as pastor from 1999 until 2011, offered heartfelt congratulations to Fr. Tat and the volunteers for hosting such an outstanding celebration and reception.
“Things could not have gone better! I was grateful to both Bishop Duca and Kevin for their very kind and very true reflections on St. Gerard Parish over its eight decades, including recognizing the ministry of the Redemptorist communities – from the very first down to the present,” he said. “Seeing the church once more full of worshippers almost made me cry. When I was growing up in the neighborhood in the 1950s, it was like that every Sunday. There were 10 Masses on Sunday (no Saturday vigil in those days) beginning at 5:00 am. Masses from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm were entirely filled, including the choir loft. Folks who came in last had to stand along both the north and south walls up to half way. Distribution of Communion routinely lasted 15 minutes. At the reception I saw old friends and parishioners I hadn’t seen for years. Thank you for bringing us together again.”
May God continue to bless the Redemptorists and sustain their ministries in Baton Rouge for many more years!
Kristine Stremel
(Source: denverlink 10.25.24)
