'Circle of Friends' make most of local pilgrimages
By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles
LAKE CHARLES — His Excellency, Bishop Glen John Provost formally concluded the Jubilee Year of Hope in the Diocese of Lake Charles on Sunday, December 28, 2025. The Closing Mass at 9:30 a.m. coincided with the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
As the holy year drew to a close, Bishop Provost encouraged the faithful to follow the example of the Holy Family, fostering hope and prayer as they continue their own journeys as Pilgrims of Hope.
Pope Francis called for the Jubilee Year — the 2,025th year since the Birth of Jesus Christ — inviting the faithful around the world to be “Pilgrims of Hope” and turn to the generosity of God’s mercy. Pope Francis died April 21, and his successor, Pope Leo XIV, will close the monumental bronze doors on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord.
The Church’s next Jubilee Year will be in 2033 — The Extraordinary Holy Year of Redemption — marking 2,000 years since the passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus. The next ordinary Jubilee is slated for 2050.
“I pray we are better for the Year of Hope, this year of holiness,” Bishop Provost said as he encouraged the faithful to look to the Holy Family as our teacher in this classroom of hope. “May the school of the Holy Family instruct us. In praying, they became a family of hope because they trusted in God’s plan to be fulfilled.”
Bishop Provost said that he likes to think of hope as a virtue of possibilities.
“When we hope, we walk in faith, not in fear,” he said. “We are confident because we accept how God has made us and live by His grace, aware of His presence in our lives, conforming our lives to Christ, and are at peace with the decisions we make.”
LOCAL PILGRIMAGES
Bishop Provost designated four pilgrimage churches and two pilgrimage holy sites in the Diocese of Lake Charles for the Jubilee Year. They included the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Lake Charles, Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church in Sulphur, Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Jennings, the diocesan Shrine of Our Lady Star of the Sea in Cameron, and the parochial Shrine of Our Lady of LaSalette in Sulphur.
The Jubilee Year of Hope offered the faithful opportunities to gain a Plenary Indulgence by making a pilgrimage or pious visit to any of these churches and shrines.
Present for the Closing Mass were several ladies who completed pilgrimages to all six diocesan sites.
Laurie Cormier, Mary Alice Lauw, Christine Foreman, Carol Martin, Andrea Prejean, and Margaret Castille are part of a group called “Circle of Friends.” They have been meeting monthly since Hurricane Laura for meals and fellowship.
Upon learning of the pilgrimage sites, Laurie proposed that they make visits as a group to include Mass, followed by a meal. With six sites and six women in the group, it was a team effort allowing for each person to coordinate a pilgrimage.
Often traveling together, Laurie recalled, “The journeys to Jennings, Sulphur, and Cameron provided opportunities for reflection, laughter, and catching up on life's recent events.”
A particularly memorable experience for Laurie involved a visit to the shrine and prayer garden at Our Lady of LaSalette. “A church office staff member kindly provided us with prayer cards,” she said.
Christine noted that the pilgrimages were a good way for the group to experience other communities around the diocese.
“Every church has their own little traditions and customs. It was very interesting and endearing,” she said. “I enjoyed traveling with the ladies to all of the sites. It was a wonderful bonding experience to attend Mass and then pray together for the intentions of the Pope.”
Learning a little more about each community kept things interesting for Carol and others, too.
"I loved the curiosity of the parishioners seeing a group of new faces sitting in a row at their church,” she said. “It sparked conversation after Mass where we could share what we were doing for the Jubilee Year. More than one person expressed how inspired they felt.”
For Mary Alice, the series of pilgrimages throughout 2025 helped strengthen the bond between the six ladies.
“As we spent the time together, we have gotten to know each other better and developed closer relationships,” she shared. Describing them as “beautiful churches,” Mary Alice was glad to visit Our Lady of LaSalette and Our Lady Help of Christians for the first time.
While Laurie said she had visited most of the churches for various events over the years, her visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of LaSalette served as a valuable reminder of Our Lady’s message of repentance and conversion for all of us.
The timing of the visit to Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church was on Sunday, January 19, the day before Martin Luther King Day.
“It was a very special Mass for the congregation to celebrate MLK,” recalled Christine. “We did not anticipate it, but we were delighted to be a part, and the congregation acknowledged us as guests. It was very touching.”
GROWING IN FAITH
The pilgrimages have made a difference in the faith journey of Carol, who said her spiritual life has been magnified by traveling to Italy in addition to the local diocesan sites.
“I definitely feel the Holy Spirit working through me in my daily life, guiding me, allowing me to inspire others on their faith journeys, giving me the words to say when I have none, giving me courage to step outside of my comfort zone,” Carol shared.
The Jubilee Year of Hope opened a door for the ladies to focus on praying together and for one another as well as being there for each other in whatever way was needed. This was not lost on Laurie as she said the hope she found was the understanding that she is not alone.
“It is a great comfort to know that I have these wonderful Catholic ladies in the Circle of Friends who have provided love, support, prayers, and care for me throughout this Jubilee Year of Hope, both during my brighter days and when I have faced challenges,” said Laurie. “This is a true blessing and gift from the Lord.”
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