Father Richard Adiukwu, pastor of St. Eugene Catholic Church in Grand Chenier, and Father Rommel Tolentino, pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Hackberry concelebrated.
In the Bishop’s homily, he noted that the special Mass was celebrated “to invoke our Blessed Mother’s intercession under the title of “Our Lady Star of Sea,” that we might be spared stormy and destructive weather.”
He pointed out that the great spiritual writers of the Church remind that any time we approach God with a petition we must possess two qualities.
“The first quality is virtue of faith,” the Bishop said. “We must believe and believe firmly.”
He also noted, from Luke 17:6, that Christ spoke of this firm faith when He said, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
The Bishop said the second quality we should have is the quality of humility.
"In living the virtue of humility, we are prepared to acknowledge the fact that we are not perfect and that we come in weakness to God with our intentions.”
Following the liturgy, at the end of which the Prayer for Safety During Hurricane Season (written by The Most Reverend Maurice Schexnayder, Bishop of Lafayette following Hurricane Audrey in 1957) was recited, Bishop Provost and the people processed to the Shrine of Our Lady Star of the Sea, for a blessing of the shrine and of the people.
More than 125 people attended the Mass.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: To read Bishop Provost’s complete homily go to live.lcdiocese.org/bishop-provost/homilies/584-votive-mass-to-avert-storms.html)
