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Gulf Pine Catholic
•
September 9, 2016
For Father Chuong Cao, Louisiana flood is like
déjà vu all over again
BY KRISTINE STREMEL
The Redemptorists/Denver Province
BATON ROUGE -- The St. Gerard Majella com-
munity narrowly escaped the epic flood waters that
devastated Baton Rouge. The torrential rain drenched
the nearby former Redemptorist High School building
with five feet of water, but the flood waters stopped
only two houses from the rectory.
“We just replaced a 60-year-old roof on the church,
so St. Gerardmust have intervened for us,” Redemptorist
Father Chuong Cao said with a laugh. Four day of tor-
rential rain soaked the church and rectory, but caused
only minimal damage. Friends and neighbors weren’t
as fortunate.
In the aftermath of the historic flooding in Baton Rouge, St.
Gerard Majella Parish responded in a big way. Pictured, l-r,
are cleanup crew members Norma Cosey, Sandra Matthew’s
sister; Sandra, Norma’s grandson Christian, and pastor Father
Chuong Cao, CSsR, who was assigned to Blessed Francis
Xavier Seelos and Our Mother of Sorrows Parishes in Biloxi
when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast
in August 2005.
Bishop Morin appoints Father Ignacio Jiménez to
serve as diocesan chair for Fifth National Encuentro
DIOCESE OF BILOXI – Bishop Roger Morin has
appointed Father Ignacio Jiménez as as chairperson for
the Diocese of Biloxi’s Fifth National Encuentro Team.
In a letter to Father Ignacio, who is associate direc-
tor of the Diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry and
parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Parish in Hattiesburg,
the bishop said, “In response to Pope Francis’ call to a
culture of encounter and the formation of missionary
disciples in The Joy of the Gospel, the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Cultural
Diversity in the Church has called for our active sup-
port in the convening of a Fifth National Encuentro.”
As diocesan chair, Father Ignacio will coordinate
and lead the diocesan team and work in tandem with
the Director of Hispanic Ministry, Father Sergio
Balderas.
On August 27, the Diocese of Biloxi’s Office of
Hispanic Ministry held the first local meeting for the V
Encuentro, a national program estab-
lished by the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops. The
goal of the four-year program is to
discern the different ways in which
the Church in the United States can
better respond to the presence of the
Hispanic community and to encour-
age Hispanic lay leaders to become
missionaries
for
the
New
Evangelization, by serving the
Church.
Olga del Villar, director of Hispanic Ministry for the
Archdiocese of Mobile, gave a one-day workshop here
in the diocese, during which she explained what needs
to be done to prepare for this national program on a
local level. In addition to Father Ignacio and Father
Sergio, those present for the meeting were Father
Daniel Martinez, parochial vicar of Immaculate
Conception Parish in Laurel; Sister Chuy Zavala, DRE
for Hispanic Ministry and lay leaders from different
parishes, including Felicia Anima, Sacred Heart Parish,
Hattiesburg; Jesus Ortiz and Alejo Hernandez,
Immaculate Conception Parish in Laurel; Deysi
Martinez, St. Alphonsus Parish in Ocean Springs and
Gil and Olga Diaz from Sacred Heart Parish in
Pascagoula.
Father Ignacio will contact pastors from parishes
where Spanish Mass is celebrated to ask for their sup-
port and prayers as he leads this important program. On
behalf of the Hispanic Community, Father Sergio,
wishes Father Ignacio the best as he embraces this new
program that will help the Hispanic ministry of the
Diocese of Biloxi to have a better structure and organi-
zation for the good of the community. For more infor-
mation, visit
Father Ignacio
Jiménez
Father Chuong, who endured Hurricane
Katrina in 2005 while assigned to Blessed
Francis Xavier Seelos and Our Mother of
Sorrows Parishes in Biloxi, MS, immediate-
ly pitched in to help deal with the aftermath
of the storm.
A family with two young children, the
community’s former cook, and an elderly
woman who was forced to sleep in her car
for four days are among the newly homeless.
Father Chuong gave them shelter in the
newly renovated apartment over the garage,
and provided them with enough money to
buy food and other necessities.
Sandra Matthew, St. Gerard Parish secre-
tary, was overwhelmed with the
flood damage to her home. Father
Chuong has spent the past week
helping to remove damaged items
-- furniture, appliances, even dry-
wall. High mounds of trash line the
neighborhood streets.
“This storm brought back so
many memories of what we
endured with Hurricane Katrina,”
Father Chuong said. “I have to help
as much as I can.”
