Provident God, you inspired your servant and priest, Basil Moreau, to consecrate his life to your service and to respond with zeal to the needs of

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1 arianitefall 2017 Provident God, you inspired your servant and priest, Basil Moreau, to consecrate his life to your service and to respond with zeal to the needs of the Church. As a man of prayer, he sought to imitate your Son in all things. As a man of action, he began works of education and evangelization to make you known, loved, and served. He founded a religious family of brothers, priests, and sisters, united in the mission of extending your Reign on the earth. He gave to them the name of Holy Cross and placed them under the protection of Our Lady. As we celebrate with joy and thanksgiving the 10th anniversary of his beatification, we pray that the spiritual heritage of Father Moreau may inspire our own Christian discipleship. Confident in his heavenly intercession, may we be strengthened in our faith, renewed in our hope, and zealous in heeding the promptings of grace. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

2 2 arianite inside Message from our Congregational Leader 2 A Gift from God 3 The 27th Marianite Chapter 4 Our New Leadership Team 6 Can t We All Get Along? 7 MSC Associates 8 Teaching is a Work of Heart 10 Emerging Feasts 12 ON THE COVER: Clockwise: Holy Cross History Conference participants; Sr. Stephanie D Souza, Fr. Tom Looney and Sr. Ann Lacour running for the bus; International Session participants; Sr. Kathleen On Nealon the Cover and Haitian We participants; commemorate Sr. Catherine the tenth Fisackerly anniversary and Bro. of the Beatification Larry Stewart, of History Blessed Basil Conference Anthony Coordinator; Moreau History Conference participants at lunch. The Marianite, a publication of the Marianites of Holy Cross, is published quarterly. For additional information please go online: PHOTOGRAPHERS: Sr. Renée Daigle Sr. Judy Gomila Sr. Ann Lacour Sr. Marie Noel Bootsy Roniger Darryl Schmitt Photography Peggy Toner a messsage from our Congregational Leader Dear Friends, This June, forty-five Marianites gathered in Covington, LA at St. Joseph Abby for our 27th Congregational Chapter. This is the highest governing body within the Congregation and sets direction and elects leadership for the coming 5 years. Following a year of preparation, the decision to use a contemplative model was truly Spirit inspired. Our days together offered each sister the opportunity to deepen her understanding of contemplative dialogue and appreciate discernment as a powerful tool in decision making. A line that our facilitator, Sr. Cathy Bertrand, SSND used often was: Never speak less about what matters most! That line has haunted my prayer and my thoughts! How often do I miss an opportunity to say something essential or invite a conversation that has value by avoiding what is important? Contemplative dialogue offered us a process that invited each sister to speak what was on her mind or in her heart. It was the opportunity to be heard and not judged, These days opened doors for ongoing growth for ourselves and those with whom we minister. Three themes were developed during the Chapter: MINISTRY MEMBERSHIP-LEGACY These themes will give each of our 131 sisters and our collaborators opportunities to move forward in creating direction for the Congregation. Our prayer before, during and today is Seeing with new eyes, may we allow the Spirit to lead us to embrace our emerging future. I invite you to pray this simple and powerful prayer that the Zeal that captured the heart of our founder, Fr. Basil Moreau and the Compassion that motivated our First Superior, Mother Mary of Seven Dolors might ignite new fire in each Marianite that God s people will be served. The Leadership Team for Sr. Ann Lacour, Congregational Leader, Sr. Stephanie Brignac, Vicar, Sr. Keri Burke, Assistant and Sr. Renee Daigle, Assistant. With deep faith and trust in Divine Providence we pledge our commitment to listen with the heart, to speak with compassion and to believe that the Spirit will move us forward as we embrace our future! The invitation to take time to enjoy moments of quiet and listen as God speaks to each of us in the silence of our hearts in offered to each of us Try it you will be amazed! Seeing with new eyes, Sr. Ann Lacour, MSC Congregational Leader Sr. Judy Gomila, MSC, (center) pictured with Mrs. Rosalie Quigley and Mrs. Josie Gremillion, was named Nun of the Year for the Louisiana Knights of Columbus Auxiliary. Well deserved!

3 Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau, A Gift from God by Sr. Cheryl Porte, MSC This September we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Beatification of Basil Anthony Mary Moreau, the founder of Holy Cross, a family of brothers, priests and sisters. Beatification is the third step in a fourstep process toward canonization. Father Moreau was declared a Servant of God in 1957, acknowledging that he lived a holy life, and in 2003 was pronounced Venerable, asserting that he lived the cardinal virtues (faith, hope and love) to a heroic degree. Then on September 15, 2007 he was proclaimed Blessed Basil Moreau, thus affirming that his virtuous life brought him to union with God in heaven and is now worthy of receiving public veneration on a local level. All of this means that not only is Father Moreau blessed himself, but that he is a blessing, a gift from God. Moreau was a blessing for the church in the past, and continues to be a blessing today by interceding for us in heaven and by being a model of the virtuous, Christian life. Blessed Basil Moreau lived a life of faith by his trust in the Providence of God. He believed in God s constant presence and activity in our lives. The proper response to God s fidelity, according to Father Moreau, is for us to always follow God s will; to abandon ourselves, in faith, to its guidance because Providence never fails to provide. Ultimately, Father Moreau challenges us to trust that through the grace of God all things will work toward the good. Father Moreau s hope was grounded in the cross. His motto: the Cross, Our Only Hope, expresses his fundamental spirituality. Basil Moreau believed and experienced that living a Christian life in fidelity to God s will inevitably leads to the cross, but that these trials we endure are signs of God s presence and activity in our lives, expressions of God s love that serve as a transformative power. Suffering, according to Moreau, invites us to actively draw strength from the cross and to channel that strength to others who suffer. In other words, Christian life demands the self-sacrifice of embracing the cross for the sake of love. Father Moreau teaches us that only then can we understand and proclaim the cross as our only hope of salvation. Blessed Basil Moreau was also a man of zeal, an active love of God, directed toward a continuation of Jesus mission that finds its expression in a desire for personal holiness and a desire to work for the holiness of others through ministry. Moreau believed we accomplish this by identifying with Jesus, imitating him in the ordinary happenings of our daily life. Father Moreau s life and teachings demonstrate that identifying with Jesus is never merely an external performance but a matter of the heart. Identification arises from deep within our faith and is brought to fruition in our relationships, in love. Blessed Basil Moreau is a perfect model of a life of faith in Divine Providence, hope in the Cross of selfsacrifice, and love for God s people through ministry, but he also offers a special blessing that is greatly needed in today s world that suffers from much polarization and conflict. Father Moreau promoted unity, which he understood to be a powerful and prophetic force shaping our life in God. He focused on the image of the Holy Family, forming the family of Holy Cross religious brothers dedicated to St. Joseph; vowed women dedicated to the Blessed Mother, and ordained priests dedicated to Jesus. Today, that family comprises the four Congregations of Holy Cross, an international and multicultural religious family that models Father Moreau s vision of interdependence as a quality and way of life for the faithful Christian. Consequently, we celebrate with thanksgiving the tenth anniversary of Father Moreau s Beatification. We are grateful for the blessing of his life, works, and his spiritual heritage that continues to speak and challenge us today. Basil Moreau trusted in God s constant activity in our lives but understood that God did not work alone. That is why he founded the Family of Holy Cross to continue the mission of Jesus and continue the work of salvation. Inspired and challenged by Moreau, how do we maintain his legacy? How do we become a blessing for today? How do we bless the future? Sr. Cheryl has been a member of the Family of Holy Cross for fifty years. She holds a Ph.D.in Historical Theology from St. Louis University. She has ministered in various forms of adult faith formation for thirty years. A Matter of the Heart 3 3

4 27th General Chapter The Twenty-Seventh Chapter In The Life Of The Marianites Proves To Be A Contemplative And Transformative Experience The twenty-seventh Chapter of the Marianites of Holy Cross got off to a very strange start! As the photographer was about to snap a photo of the forty-five delegates lined up in front of the Chapter meeting rooms, five of the delegates in the first row could be seen jumping about and making strange noises. They d been attacked by an army of fire ants! It was certainly an inauspicious beginning for what is considered the most important meeting of a religious congregation. It is a time when its members take a long, hard look at the state of their congregation. The Marianites were meeting at St. Joseph Abbey in Covington to confront the age-old questions: Are we being faithful to our mission and ministry? What is the Lord asking of us today? What will be our legacy? What are the dimensions of membership that we must confront? Whom shall we choose to lead us for the next five years? A General Chapter is certainly nothing new to religious congregations of women and men. The practice dates back to the beginning of the ninth Sr. Chris Perrier, Abbot Justin Brown, OSB and Sr. Suellen Tennyson enjoy a quick visit before the Eucharistic Celebration begins. century and was developed by St. Benedict of Aniane. Its title was derived from the practice of reading a chapter of the rule as the meeting began. It is today, as it was in early times, an indication of democracy in action within a religious congregation. The Marianite Chapter began June 11 and ended June 18. Delegates from France, Africa, Haiti and the United States assembled each day in prayer, contemplation, conversation, reflection and decision-making. Under the guidance of the facilitator, Sr. Cathy Bertrand, SSND, and with the assistance of Fr. Greg Haake, CSC, and John- Paul Ketchum, translators and Fr. Charles Benoit, OSB, canon lawyer, delegates discussed issues of vital concern in our ever-changing world. The Chapter proved to be a spiritual experience which was contemplative and transformative. Input had been solicited from members of the Marianite community who chose not to attend the weeklong sessions or were unable to do so and from individuals and groups associated with the Congregation. Delegates assemble for a photo prior to the opening of the Chapter. 4

5 The Chapter culminated with the election of the Congregation s leadership team for the next five years. Sr. Ann Lacour was re-elected Congregational Leader and Sr. Stephanie Brignac, First Assistant. Sisters Keri Burke and Renee Daigle were chosen as Congregational Assistants. (Abbreviated interviews of the new leadership team can be found on page 6.) In a recent , Sr. Suellen Tennyson, former Congregational Leader who is now serving as a missionary in Burkina Faso, Africa, wrote: I am so grateful to have been a part of our Chapter. I am excited about what we see as important to us as Marianites of Holy Cross as we live each new day. The invitation to more contemplation and our Chapter prayer continue to be part of each day for me. Yes, God of yesterday, today, and forever, free us/me to embrace our emerging future. This takes continuous new openness to the persons, situations, circumstances, crosses, joys before us each day...trusting in God s Providence to give us what we need when we need it...asking how can we not saying we can t because...taking risks and seeing possibilities in the power of this trust... making the sacrifices necessary... and loving with compassion all along the way. This is Blessed Basil Moreau s spirit and vision challenging us even today. Our translators John-Paul Ketchum and Fr. Greg Haake, CSC with Sr. Cathy Bertrand, SSND, facilitator. The crucifixes were a gift from the grateful delegates. These would-be musicians relaxed between sessions with handbells. The MARIANITE is celebrating its 25th anniversary! Well, sort of. Our magazine was born in 2009 and this is actually our 25th issue. During these eight years we ve done feature articles on our sisters and their ministries, our associates and extended members; given you messages from our Congregational Leader; highlighted special events; published commentaries on our mission statement, our Constitutions and justice issues; spotlighted Holy Cross feast days and women saints; brought you stories from our archives including the Marianite ministry at the French Hospital in New York and let s not forget Sr. Mary of Calvary standing up to General Butler during Reconstruction; honored our deceased sisters and along the way, done a little bragging of our sisters accomplishments. Our readers tell us they always turn to page 11 when the magazine arrives. (A little levity never hurts!) Did you know that the MARIANITE has a readership of 8,000? We have much to be thankful for. Our Congregational Leadership has been very supportive and our Graphic Designer, Glenn Noya, is terrific. How he puts up with us we ll never know! Yet, with all of this, we re still waiting for that Pulitzer Prize in journalism to arrive. It must have gotten lost in the mail! Oh, by the way, the three latest issues of the magazine can be found on our website, just in case you missed anything. 5

6 6 Leadership Team VERY ABBREVIATED INTERVIEWS We thought you d like to know a little more about our new Congregational Leadership Team so we ve asked each one of them to answer just one question: SR. ANN LACOUR, a native of New Orleans, has proved to be very versatile during her Marianite life. She s ministered as a teacher, principal, superintendent of schools, retreat center director, CEO, and development director, among other things. She begins her second term as Congregational Leader. We asked her Ann, you ve had a very busy five years. What do you think you can expect during this term? I hope that the prayer we prayed prior to Chapter will be our mantra for the coming five years - Seeing with new eyes, may we allow the Spirit to lead us to embrace our emerging future. With this prayer, I believe we will listen to each sister, that we will face our Reality, that we will embrace the Directions set by the Chapter - for Ministry, Membership and Legacy with Zeal that was Moreau s Vision and the Compassion of Mother Mary. There is a new energy which is created when a Team forms. I believe that honesty, creativity and simplicity will mark the journey into the future. We have a responsibility to the many we know as collaborators, associates and family to continue to instill the values that move us forward as women of the Church and lovers of the Gospel. The joy and hospitality that has always been key to who we are and what we do will be seen in new ways as we engage in contemplative prayer and dialogue. May gratitude be the first thought of the day and our final prayer each night. SR. STEPHANIE BRIGNAC, our Vicar (Congregational First Assistant), is a native of Ville Platte, La. She s been a teacher, a principal, a missionary in Monterrey, Mexico and spent ten years at San Juan Diego High School in Austin, Texas. She also begins her second term. We wanted to know Steph, is there any unfinished business that the team will have to take care of? The leadership team of the Marianite Congregation for the past five years made many decisions with the grace of God and the assistance of the sisters, as well as those consultants who journey with us. Many changes were accomplished for the good of the entire Congregation that will help us move into the future. I do not really think that there is any unfinished business to address and I do feel that we are prepared to respond to our mission and the mandate of the 2017 Chapter Session. As we experience life, one day moving into the next, we do all that is realistically possible on each given day. Visioning the future is an important task of the leadership team while being supportive of the sisters and responding to the needs of God s people today. May God bless and lead our new leadership team and our sisters that we may truly be the women that God has called us to be. SR. KERI BURKE begins her first term on the Leadership Team. Keri is a native of New Orleans (raised in Baton Rouge) and has taught math and religion in high schools and has served as an athletic coach. She recently served as campus minister at the University of Holy Cross. Our question Keri, what do you think will be the most difficult aspect of your work? I am not quite sure what the most difficult aspect of my work will be but I am sure it will unfold quickly! Much of my ministry will entail working with our sisters and representing the congregation in various ways. My hope is that my experience as a counselor will be beneficial in the interactions I have with others. Deep listening-hearing what s not being said- and keeping all things in perspective are two aspects of the counseling profession that will readily transfer to my new ministry. A challenge posed to all Marianites at our recent Chapter was to balance being and doing. As someone who can easily get busy helping others and completing various tasks, I have to be faithful to attending to my own self-care so that I have the inner resources necessary to live out my yes to being of service to the congregation. SR. RENÉE DAIGLE, a native of Houma, La., also begins her first term on the Leadership Team. She has served as an elementary teacher, in ministry to street children in Nicaragua, as Marianite vocation director, and in campus ministry at Southeastern Louisiana University. She also begins her

7 five-year term in Congregational Leadership. We asked her Renee, what in particular are you looking forward to during your term of office? There are two things in particular that I look forward to in the next five years. First, I am looking forward to getting to know my sisters on a new level. I continue to be amazed at who we are as a congregation and I am hoping for more opportunities to witness what our sisters do and who our sisters are in continuing the mission of Jesus. I also look forward to our continuing the contemplative process together - MSC s, CSC s, associates, friends and collaborators. In preparation for and throughout Chapter we prayed for God to free us to embrace our emerging future. Our previous Leadership Team did so much practical work in getting us to where we are today and I am excited about the possibilities that are before us now. In listening to and sharing with each other in love, compassion and freedom, I believe we can follow God s lead to a future that is beyond our present imagination, yet into which we will be led, one step at a time. I pray we will have the trust in God and each other, and the courage to embrace our future together. I stand ready to serve the Congregation in any way I am able. CAN T WE ALL GET ALONG? Judaism, Islam and Christianity The ties that bind us We live in a world divided on many issues. Certainly, one of the most prominent is the division between the Jewish and Christian nations and their Muslim counterparts. Caught in the middle of this dilemma are millions of refugees fleeing Middle Eastern countries racked by war and violence. These families are seeking a safe place in which they may raise their families in peace. Yet, there is a great mistrust among people of other faiths as if these families are seeking refuge in Christian countries in order to promote the tactics of ISIS, Boko Haram, and other terrorist groups. Perhaps it would help if we were to look at our faith histories. There is more which unites us than divides us. On July 5 of this year the first reading in the Mass of the day was from Genesis 21:5, We know the story. Abraham and his wife, Sarah, were advanced in years and had no children. Sarah gave her slave girl, Hagar, to Abraham in order to produce an heir. From this brief union came a son, Ishmael. Not long after, Sarah gave birth to Isaac. Sarah, concerned that Ishmael might get a share of Abraham s inheritance, insisted that Abraham send Hagar and her son away. Scripture tells us that Abraham was greatly distressed by this but God told him to heed the demands of Sarah because it was through Isaac that descendants would bear his name. God also promised Abraham that he would make a great nation of Ishmael also, because he too is your offspring. So, Abraham sent Hagar and her son into the desert with some bread and a skin of water! This seems like very meager resources but it was thought that the pair would reach a settlement very soon. Plans didn t work out that way. Soon their resources were depleted. Hagar, seeing her son afraid and hungry, sent him away at a distance in order not to see him die. Ishamel began to cry. God heard the boy s cry and a messenger called to Hagar: What is the matter, Hagar? Don t be afraid; God has heard the boy s cry. Arise, lift him up and hold him by the hand: for I will make of him a great nation. Hagar then saw a well; she filled the skin with water and let her son drink. God was with the boy as he grew up. I will make of him a great nation. Ishmael had three wives, twelve sons and one daughter. He was 137 years old at the time of his death. He was the ancestor of several Arab tribes and the forefather of Muhammad continued on page 9 7

8 associates msc associates Maureen Reilly-Barbay Moser Keep On Keepin On Whether a present day Associate or having a lifelong association with the Marianites, I could hardly escape having Holy Cross blood run through my veins. The relationship began in the late 1930 s when Sister Mary Agnes and Sister Mary Joseph took my dear mother, Mercedes Cambas Reilly Barbay, now 96, under their wings which ultimately led them both to calling me their grandchild. For years, Mother took us to visit with them on MSC Jubilee Days. The hugs and smiles of the sisters were etched in my mind and heart forever. My acceptance of invitations to Marianite jubilees continues to the present, most recently Association with the Marianites grew at St. Cecilia in the 1950 s with da good Sistahs as teachers. It was then I was drawn ever closer to the MSC s, as my dear friend Beverly Kraft (SCS secretary) was preparing to enter the Novitiate. My close association continued during my years at Holy Angels, particularly with my involvement in the CSMC, a mission organization moderated by Sr.Consuelo, whose members were invited to volunteer their time on Saturday mornings to clip cancelled stamps and to make rosaries. It was during these years that the spirit of volunteerism took root, grew, and was always encouraged by my mother, who in later years, received a Volunteer of the Year Award from a local TV station. Sister Maurice (aka Elsie Mae Vidrine) filled our stomachs in the Holy Angels cafeteria and she filled my spirit with her gift of giving as I served lunches beside her to hundreds of students. The summer of 62 found me collecting items needed to enter the Marianite Novitiate. It was at Our Lady of Holy Maureen with Sr. Elaine Thompson, a former member of the St. Cecilia faculty Cross that I learned and lived the Spirit of Holy Cross under the guidance of Mother Hilary, Sr. Mistress (aka M. Alphonsus), and Sr. Mary David. When it came time to put my education and the Holy Cross values into practice, Sr. Guadalupe became my mentor at Incarnate Word as she modeled teaching the Marianite Way. Sisters Mac (Immaculata), Canata (Incarnata/now Audrey Ruth), Kateri, and Elaine all encouraged me to keep on keepin on. And I did (and still do)! During the early 70 s, I left the convent but continued to teach with the Sisters of the Holy Faith from Ireland. It was at St. Robert Bellarmine in Arabi that I served as mission coordinator and ultimately religion coordinator once the sisters were re-located by their community. During those years, Sr. Judy Gomila encouraged me to keep the mission spirit alive, and she shared her enthusiasm to keep the fire burning in the spirit of Holy Cross. As a mover and shaker herself, Sister Judy was my cheerleader! (Can t you vision her with pom-poms?) My contact with the MSC s in the person of Sr. Rochelle Perrier continues to this day. So, it was she and Sister Judy who invited me to become an Associate. (I With her mother, Mercedes Mercy Barbay, engaged in a bit of art work 8

9 thought I always was!!!) I do appreciate the prayers, invitations, and sharing that comes by way of the On the Grow newsletter or retreats. The seasonal Marianite Magazine keeps me grounded in the spirit of Holy Cross, to embrace the cross in hope. I am reminded of the role our Blessed Mother played in embracing the Cross, and how the Holy Spirit provides wisdom and strength day in and day out. Fast forward to the years following Katrina in which semi-retired me (only because I refused full retirement!) was determined to keep on keepin on! We now call Slidell home. St. Luke is our church parish where I attend daily Mass and make frequent visits to the Adoration Chapel. Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. St. Luke also provided me with the privilege of bringing Jesus to the residents of a local nursing home. In addition, I am caregiver to both my husband who suffers from multiple medical conditions and part-time caregiver for my mother who is ultimately responsible for my Marianite relationships. My visits to the chapel provide me with the graces needed to keep on keepin on. Being an associate assures me that I am on the journey with others committed to the family of Holy Cross. I promise in a spirit of faith, hope, and love to continue to serve the church and to keep on keepin on. For this and more, I am eternally grateful. Visiting a place they both love, the grotto at Holy Angels Maureen Moser, MSC Associate and member of the extended Marianite community, a bond that will never be broken. Presently she is a tutor at Mayfield Elementary in St. Tammany Parish. Get Along - continued from page 7 who would establish a great nation. Ishmael is mentioned ten times in the Koran alongside patriarchs and prophets. Let us look at the parallels in the lives of Ishamel and his half-brother. Isaac, too, had twelve sons who became leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel. Ishmael s daughter became one of the wives of Esau, Abraham s grandson. Isaac s children, the Hebrew people, lived in Egypt for two hundred years until Moses led them into the promised land, a land also inhabited by the descendants of Ishmael. These lands are familiar to Christians as the birthplace of Jesus. He was born there, lived his entire life there, and died there on the cross. Matthew 1:1-17 begins the Gospel, A record of the origin of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac and continues on until and Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ. In a recent article on this subject, a commentator wrote, Abraham is the father of many nations and we all seek to know the one true God. Can t we just all get along? This is a valid question for us to ponder. Bombings and threats of violence toward Muslims and their houses of worship are not acceptable; neither are laws which bar them from our country because of their faith. These people are not terrorists; they are victims of terror. At the start of 2016, at the proclamation of Pope Francis Year of Mercy, the congregations of women and men of Holy Cross stated: We are acutely aware of the plight of our Syrian sisters and brothers. We are shocked and saddened by the violence being perpetrated against innocent men, women, and children, and by the international community s failure to respond effectively to this ongoing tragedy. (Family of Holy Cross Statement on the Syrian Refugee Crisis, Rome, Italy, October 2015) In that spirit, the Marianites now provide housing in Pecigne, France for a Syrian refugee family. Let us work to promote peace and not discord. Let us remember the admonition of Jesus, Son of Abraham, Love one another as I have loved you. 9

10 10 education CALLING ALL TEACHERS Part I Teaching is a Work of Heart Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher, wrote Parker J. Palmer in his book, The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher s Life. In the winter issue of The Marianite, there was an All Call to current or former educators who themselves had gone to school with Marianite Sisters. We received so many enthusiastic responses we soon realized we needed to dedicate a special issue to those dedicated and inspiring women and men who make teaching a work of heart. They are each a special part of our Marianite legacy. We begin in this issue with a delightful interview with Claire Roy Landry, PhD: GOD TRULY KNOWS WHERE WE BELONG Claire Roy attended Academy of the Holy Angels from Sr. Edmund Schexnayder was one of her favorite teachers; Sr. Dorothy was her principal. I wasn t much of a student, she said and offered her 10th grade report card as proof. Graduating at the tender age of fifteen, Claire wanted to go into Law, however, at that time, women were not being accepted into pre-law. She laughed and shook her head, God knows where we belong and I landed in education at LSU. This accomplished educator spent her professional life primarily in the public schools of St. Bernard Parish from Sabastian Roy in Yscloskey to Andrew Jackson in Chalmette. She graciously served children and their families as teacher, assistant principal and principal. In the Office of Catholic Schools, Claire was an Associate Superintendent in the Howard Jenkins era. Just prior to Katrina she was a counselor at Archbishop Hannon High School in Meraux. She smiles broadly speaking of her fifteen years (late 70 s-early 90 s) spent with Louisiana BESE (Board of Elementary and Secondary Education: It is the administrative body for all Louisiana public elementary and secondary schools; it also performs certain administrative functions for the state s non-public elementary and secondary schools.) In her personal life, Dr. Landry, is married to Larry and is the mother of two boys. She soon learned the art of balancing the demands of home and school. After talking about the three years she spent in leadership of the BESE Board, which included one year of stepping down to allow Brother Felician to assume the lead, with that characteristic twinkle in her eye, Claire went on to define education as being more than book knowledge. It s ethics, she says, attitude and compassion; genuine education should lead someone to become a good human being. Pressed to recall a specific learning in high school, she responded immediately, Stick-to-itive- ness was my greatest learning in high school with the Sisters. An observation from the interviewer: That never-give-up spirit has served Claire well when in her mid-40 s she took the Bar Exam three different times. (She passed the exam on her third attempt but, after a few years, realized that she really didn t want to practice Law!) And can you believe for the last ten years in so-called retirement, Dr. Claire Roy Landry volunteers twice a week at St. John Vianney School in Baton Rouge! I won t sub, but I m happy to duplicate teacher s handouts, stuff envelopes, laminate posters, or do whatever is needed she commented. Pope Paul VI once stated, People listen more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if they do listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses. Today, Keep it real is a frequently heard challenge. Educators who are an authentic presence in the classroom are able to network a web of connections between themselves, their subject matter, and their pupils --- leading students to network for themselves. Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. Deuteronomy 32:2 (To be continued in a special November education edition)

11 Holy Angels Academy ALL CLASS Luncheon Sunday, November 5, 2017, 11:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. Chateau Estates Golf and Country Club 3600 Chateau Blvd Kenner, LA LIMITED SEATING - FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED Special honoree classes: s, 57, 67, 77, 87, & 92 but all are welcome! $38.00 due by Monday, October 30, 2017 RESERVE SEATING UNTIL OCTOBER 16, 2017 OPEN SEATING AFTER OCTOBER 16TH. Checks payable to: Marianites of Holy Cross. Send to: A.H.A. Luncheon Smith Road Covington, LA Name: FIRST MAIDEN LAST YEAR OF GRADUATION Address: City, State, Zip Code: Phone: Enclosed is for # of seats. Enclosed is a donation to defray the expenses for a Marianite. More info and forms are available at Editor s Note: The food at the Abbey was great. Clara fell head over heels in love with the ice cream, literally! It s a good thing Judy was there to save her from a cold, tutti-frutti death. Stay in touch at Order Guild cards. See where Mass is said for you in Burkina Faso, Africa. Keep up with Marianite activities. Like us on Facebook! 11 11

12 Marianites of Holy Cross MSC Development Smith Road Covington, LA NON-PROFIT ORG U. S. Postage PAID Permit No New Orleans, LA Energizing Feasts A feast day not only recalls and honors an event or person, but also serves to energize our spiritual life by challenging us to participate in the event it commemorates. Two particular feasts in the liturgical calendar held a special place in the spiritual life of Blessed Basil Moreau, and consequently have special meaning for the Family of Holy Cross. The church celebrates September 14th as the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the anniversary of the dedication of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The spiritual reality behind the feast, however, is recognizing the Exalted Cross as the instrument of our salvation; the symbol of new life. So significant was this for Basil Moreau that he chose as his motto: Ave Crux, Spes Unica Hail, Cross, Our Only Hope. Father Moreau knew our life in Christ would lead to the cross and carrying the cross would be painful, but he believed grace of the Cross was a gift, a God s presence and mercy. Moreau believed that only by embracing the cross in our own life can we demonstrate that God has not abandoned us and provide the Cross perspective of hope to others. To celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, then, is to celebrate new life; to energize hope. The second feast important to Blessed Basil Moreau, and subsequently to his Family of Holy Cross, is September 15th, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. The feast focuses on the event of Mary standing faithfully at the foot of the cross with her dying Son; the spiritual stimulus is on the Blessed Mother s intense suffering and grief during the entire life of her Son and how each new suffering was received with courage and trust in God that echoed her initial fiat. This highlights Mary s union with the suffering Jesus and her cooperation in our redemption. Originally, the feast was celebrated under the title of Our Lady of Compassion, emphasizing Mary s role in suffering with her Son and her specific mission as our Spiritual Mother who consoles us in our own suffering. Blessed Basil Moreau dedicated the women of Holy Cross to Mary under this title. Moreau believed that when we contemplate the sorrows of Mary we come to understand the depth of fidelity required to follow Jesus and receive the courage we need to persevere; imitating Our Lady of Compassion inspires in us a similar compassionate presence to the suffering of others. Celebrating Our Lady of Sorrows keeps hope alive in us and energizes us to minister to others. Both feasts challenge the Family of Holy Cross and energize our spiritual life and, in turn, our ministry to others. We unite our sufferings with Jesus and Mary, that we may bring the hope of new life to the world. Both feasts bring that same challenge to all Christians.