It is obvious that the history of a Catholic church parish can never be completed for the church is constantly developing and changing. However, Saint John’s is proud to boast that for the first time ever, an attempt has been made to pull together what is known. Journey of Faith: The Story of Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church has recently been published, detailing the history of Saint John’s Church and School. Much information and many photographs detailing the story of the parish have been painstakingly gathered. The author, Shirley Rivers, is relieved to see it completed. “At last, the project is done. I never realized how much work would be involved and how much help I would

need from members of the parish. The work is far from perfect. Parts of our church's history have been described in far greater detail than others. There are more detailed records for particular periods and there are certain times and incidents that some of our long-t ime parishioners couldn’t describe fully. I have tried to be as accurate as possible, but sometimes parish-ioners' memories of

certain events have varied considerably from memories of other parishioners and from written records in the archives!” The 200 page publication contains 11 chapters and over 500 photographs including reproductions of actual documents. Rivers added: “Researching the history of our par-ish has brought alive to me people whom I have never met, but to whom we all owe a great deal. They not only ensured that our church was built but they also laid the foundations of the parish community of which we are now a part.” Amazingly, the publication was completed in a short two months. The book con-tains not only the history of the church and school but also many historical photo-graphs, information about the people who have made up St. John’s, interpretations of its stained glass windows, and reproductions of newspaper articles starting from 1929. Although not intended as a fundraiser, Fr. Joe Martina has determined that if any profits are made, they will go towards helping send the youth to The Pines Catholic Camp next summer. Because of increased publication costs, the book sells for $49.99. Limited copies are available. Interested persons may call or write the church to order: 1130 East San Antonio Ave., Many, LA 71449; 318-256-5680. Books may also be or-dered on the Internet at www.blurb.com/books/916062

Fall 2009

Volume 4, Issue 2

Quarterly Newsletter of St. John the Baptist Catholic

Church and St. Terence Mission

JOURNEY OF FAITH: SAINT JOHN’S HISTORY PUBLICATION RELEASED

Inside This Issue

Deacon’s Desk 2

Advent Mission 2

CCD Update 4

Anniversary Celebration 6

St. Terence Update 8

Cemetery Expansion 9

Voice for Life 11

Parish Spotlight 12

Sacrament Update 13

VBS 14

Tour of Stained Glass Windows

15

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The actual book's cover shows the first Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church built in 1870.

Msgr. Joseph M. Susi, Archivist for the Diocese of Alexandria, spends some time going over his-torical documents that were researched for the Saint John’s history book with Mandy Smith and Shirley Rivers. Msgr. Susi was delighted to help with the project and was proud to note that he is 92 years old and works everyday!

The Grapevine 1130 E. San Antonio Ave

Many, LA 71449

Newsletter Staff

Shirley Rivers, Editor

Katie Lombardino, Layout and Design

J J Blake, Reporter

Buddy Polson, St. Terence Editor

Susan King Lee, Circulation

Matthew Couvillion, Copy Editor

Janice Murphy, Production

Bob Barber, Photographer

Tammy Barber, Photographer

Brenda DeVaney, Music Editor

Deacon Mike Sullivan, Reporter

Amy McLendon Ebarb, Reporter

Mandy Smith, Special Assignments

Melissa McElwee, Special Assignments

Page 2 The Grapevine

Fr. Jim Sichko of the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky will be presenting an Advent Mission beginning the evening of Novem-ber 29th. The mission will last for three nights and will begin each evening at 7PM. The title of the mission is Let Us Prepare for the Lord! Fr. Jim previously presented a Lenten Mission at St. John’s in the spring of 2008. His talks were so popular that many long-time parishioners remarked that they never remembered a mission being so well-attended. The son of the late Bill Sichko, a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers pro foot-ball team in the 1950’s, Fr. Jim is well-known for his motivational speaking abili-ties and for using story-telling in getting across his message. He recently indi-cated to The Grapevine that he is looking forward to returning to Saint John’s and the friendly people of our parish. In addition to serving as the pastor of St. Mark Catholic Church in Richmond, KY, Fr. Jim serves as the assistant to his Bishop and travels throughout the United States coordinating retreats, missions and seminars. To access promotional footage of Fr. Jim, go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-62bxvYho00 If you are able to help with the mission in any way, please contact the church office or Shirley Rivers.

ADVENT MISSION PLANNED

THE DEACON’S DESK - BY DEACON MIKE SULLIVAN WHAT ARE THE “MARKS OF THE CHURCH”?

There are traditionally four marks, or notes, of the Church: unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity. These four marks are drawn from the Nicene Creed that we recite each weekend at mass: “We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.” Emphasis on the marks of the Church came about during the Protestant Reformation to distinguish the true Church from false churches. The supposition was that the marks would be visible to all and easy to verify, and they would be present only in the one, true Church of Christ. A more recent approach to the marks of the Church is to view them in light of Coming of God’s King-dom. This means that the marks are not so much proofs of the claims of the Catholic Church as they are aspects of, or insights into, the mystery of the Church. The marks are also goals to be realized. Thus, we say today that the Church is one, but not yet fully one. The unity of the Church is already pre-sent in the Eucharist and through the various ministries that are dedicated to the service of unity but it must overcome divisions and achieve full communion with one another. The Church is holy, but not yet fully holy. The holiness of the Church is already present in the grace of the Holy Spirit who gives life to each member and the whole community but it must struggle against its own sinfulness and always follow the path of penance and renewal. The Church is catholic, but not yet fully catholic. The catholicity of the Church is already present in the Church’s outreach to the whole world and to its active presence in all the nations of the world but it must open itself even more to the diverse peoples of the world and to truth wherever it is to be found. The Church is apostolic, but not yet fully apostolic. The apostolicity of the Church is present in the apostolic word that is preached, worship that is offered, witness that is given and the service that is rendered to those in need, but it must strive to become even more faithful to the message and mission it has received from the apostles. Not until the Second Coming of Christ and the fi-nal manifestation of the Reign of God will the oneness, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity of the Church be complete.

PICTURES FOR SALE!

Available for purchase are two pictures of Saint John’s Church. The first is a pic-ture of the very first St. John the Baptist Catholic Church built in 1871. The second is a current picture of the church. Prices in-clude an 8 X 10 for $5.00 and a 5 X 7 for $3.00. Call or come by the church of-fice if you are interested.

Thank you!

A very special thank-you is extended to Mrs. Susan McCormic Hardee who graciously gives of her time to create flower arrange-ments and help decorate for many of our church events. Although Susan quietly comes and goes and is sel-dom seen, we do appreciate her generosity in giving of her time and herself to help whenever she is called upon.

SAINT JOHN’S NEWS BRIEFS

The four Gospels record Jesus feeding 5000 using five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14: 13-21; Mark 6: 30-44; Luke 9: 10-17; and John 6: 1-15). This essay will look at John’s account of this miracle and what it can mean for us. All four Gospels share the essential details of this miracle, for example, there are 5000 men present (not counting women and children); Jesus begins with five loaves and two fish; Jesus takes the loaves and blesses them (or gives thanks); and afterwards the disciples gather twelve baskets of fragments. All four Gospel accounts include these essential details. John’s account of this miracle differs from Matthew’s, Mark’s and Luke’s accounts in two important details. First, in Matthew’s, Mark’s and Luke’s accounts the disciples sug-gest to Jesus to send the crowds away so they can purchase food for themselves. In John’s account, Jesus asks Phillip, “Where can we get enough food for these people?” Phillip responds that 200 days’ wages will not be enough to give them a little. Andrew mentions that a boy has five loaves and two fish; Andrew then asks, “What good are these for so many?” Phillip and Andrew put into words what many of us feel from time to time. For most of us there are times when we’ve felt overwhelmed by how big a problem is. We’ve felt that the problem is so overwhelming that we wonder, “What can God do about this problem? Can God help me out of it?” We feel so trapped that we wonder whether God’s help will make a difference. Thanks be to God that Phillip and Andrew put into words what many of us have thought and felt. And thanks be to God that Jesus who made it possible to feed the 5000 can also see us through our overwhelming difficulties, problems and crises. The second important difference in John’s account is how the food is distributed. Matthew, Mark and Luke tell us that Jesus, after giving thanks, gives the food to the dis-ciples who give it to the crowd. John tells us that Jesus, after giving thanks, distributes the food to the crowd. With 5000 men present, can we guess that there might have been as many as 25,000 to 30,000 or more people, when we include the women and children? Have you ever stopped to ask, “How long would it take Jesus to give food to all those people?” Is it realistic to think that Jesus alone actually gave food to all those people? I believe that instead of giving us details of the food distribution on that day, John is making a powerful faith-statement about Jesus. I believe that John is telling us, “It is Jesus who feeds us. It is Jesus who provides for us. It is Jesus who sustains us. It is from His hand that we are fed and nourished.” Encouraged by Phillip’s and Andrew’s responses, may we always turn to Jesus when we are over-whelmed by the challenges and difficulties of life. And may we always remember that Jesus who has brought us through our past difficulties will continue to bless, guide and protect us, whatever we face now or tomorrow. And as we reflect upon Jesus himself feeding the 5000, may we always remember that it is Jesus who feeds us. May we always remember it is Jesus who provides for us. May we always remember that it is Jesus who sustains us. May we always grow in our trust and confidence in Jesus who feeds, provides and sustains us.

Page 3 Volume 4, Issue 2

THE FEEDING OF THE 5000 IN JOHN’S GOSPEL: IT IS JESUS WHO FEEDS US BY FATHER JOE MARTINA

Page 4

WITH GRATITUDE...

Saint John’s RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program is underway. Those adults desiring to enter the church or just learn more about the Catholic Faith are invited to attend. Mrs. Yvonne Busby is the class instructor aided by Father Joe and Deacon Mike. The class is held from 6:30 to 7:30 each Wednes-d a y e v e n i n g . Several participants have enrolled this year. Please re-member them in your prayers as they continue to learn about the Catholic faith.

RCIA PROGRAM BEGINS

Last year’s RCIA class take a break from learning about the Catholic Faith.

We truly realize how blessed we are to have such supporting parishioners from St. John’s and St. Terrence who help us each year in attending The Pines Catholic Camp in Big Sandy, Texas. We really appreciate this great opportunity to grow spiritually and physically, and would like to sincerely thank all those who supported us over the last year. Special thanks to: Father Joe, Rosie Sullivan, Shirley Rivers, Stephanie Barnhill, Randy Murphy, Angelique and Jerry Mitchell, Jeanette Kennedy, Matt Couvillion, Michael Beasley, Marion Koss, Big Star Grocery, Brookshire’s, and anyone we have may have failed to mention. And, our sin-cere thanks to Dan and B r e n d a DeVaney and to Marty and Laura Eaves, who sponsored one of the campers. We are now preparing for next summer’s session, so keep us in your prayers. S i ncere l y , Pines Campers 09

The 2009 Catechists are shown at Catechetical Sun-day on September 20th.

CCD YEAR UNDERWAY CCD is held each Wednesday evening from 5:30 to 6:30PM. We welcome and encourage our children to at-tend and our parents to become involved.

CHILDREN’S LITURGY Liturgy of the Word for Children is held each Sunday at the 10AM mass for children, ages 3 to 6. Fr. Joe always gives the children a special blessing before instruction in the children’ class

Enjoying The Pines Catholic Camp are Barak and Patrick Martone, Devin Ortiz, Tristan Hudson and Jesse

Eaves.

The Grapevine

A covered dish lunch-

eon was held after the 10AM mass on

Sept. 20th to kick off the 2009-10 CCD

year.

Kayla Hataway takes time to pose with First Holy

Communion students Julia Gonzales and Joshua

Faircloth.

ASHLEY SELECTED TO LEGISLATIVE YOUTH COUNCIL Ashley Bruce, a Many High School senior and parish-ioner of St. John's, has been selected to represent her peers as a member of the 2009-10 Louisiana Legislative Youth Advisory Council. She is the daughter of Richard and Gloria Bruce, is Vice President of the Explorers Club, President of FCCLA, is on the track team and a member of BETA, FBLA and FCA. Ashley was selected along with 21 outstanding students from across the state. She is representing LA Gear Up/Explorers Club. LA Gear Up Coordi-nator Shannon Domingue nominated her for the position. He said, "Ashley achieved the academic success and built the reputation in the Explorers Club that resulted in her name being submitted. She has a lot to be proud of and I know she is going to do very well on the council." The Grapevine congratulates Ashley on this honor!

SHELTON CHOSEN FOR ALL-STARS

Along with summer comes baseball, and this summer was no exception for Shelton Eaves. On June 12th, Shel-ton played with the 5-year-old All Star t-ball team from Sabine Parish in the Natchitoches tournament. The team won second place after playing six games, advancing to the finals with no losses. Congratulations, Shelton!

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS 2009

Page 5 Volume 4, Issue 2

FAIR PARTICIPANTS

The annual Blessing of the Animals was held on the church steps on Wednesday, October 7th at 5PM. The event is traditionally held each year as close as possible to the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Parishioners bring their pets for a special blessing.

Chelsea Barber, Layne Murphy and MaKenna McElwee enjoy the pet show at the Sabine Parish Fair in September.

Who designed the Miraculous Medal, which has been worn around the necks of millions of Catholics? ANSWER: The Virgin Mary! The Miraculous Medal, which is officially known as the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, was designed by the Blessed Mother, who appeared to St. Catherine LaBouré in 1830 and told her to have a medal struck with the image she showed her. Mary said those who wore it around their necks would receive great graces.

Shelton Eaves

FATHER JOE CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF

ORDINATION

Page 6 The Grapevine

It is always a joy for a Catholic priest to celebrate yet another year of service to God and His people. This summer, our pastor Father Joe, cele-brated his 20th anniversary as a priest. The celebration was held the weekend of June 26th – 28th beginning with a Mass of Thanksgiving on Friday, June 26th at 6PM. Mass was con-celebrated by Bishop Michael Duca, Father Joe and other priests of the diocese. It was an honor for our parish to also welcome friends and family of Father Joe. His mother and step-dad Patti and George Al-ford, his dad, Joe Martina, Sr. and his brother and sister, Dorothy and Paul were able to come for the celebration. A reception in the cafeteria fol-lowed the mass. The parishes of Saint John’s and Saint Terence pre-sented to Father Joe a very spe-cial gift, a new vestment in honor of his 20 years as a priest. He and his parents were also presented with a book about his life created by Shirley Rivers. After the 4PM mass on Saturday, June 27th, family, friends and parishioners gath-ered at the Andries’ Farm on the Marthavillle Road to con-tinue to offer Fr. Joe congratu-lations. The evening was filled with great food, good fellow-ship and fun.

Members of Father Joe’s family are shown during the Mass of Thanksgiving

Deacon Burton Ains-worth and Fr. Ken Wil-liams are shown prior to the Mass of Thanksgiving

Chelsea Bar-ber chats with Father David Richter, Vicar General of the

Diocese of Shreveport

before the anni-versary mass.

Harry & Putt Schexnayder returned to St. John's from their new home in

Baton Rouge to help Fr. Joe celebrate.

Deacon Mike visits with Father Joe and members of his family.

Buddy and Jeanette Polson chat with Joshua Sanders, one of our seminarians who

joined in the festivities. Mr. Joe Martina, Sr., Bill Andries, and Catherine Rankin chat during the picnic.

From Fr. Joe “How can I make a return to the Lord for all the good He has done for me?” (Ps. 116:12) Words simply cannot express the gratitude I have for all the love, support and enthusiasm St. John’s and St. Terence shared for the celebration of my 20th Anniversary of Priesthood. I’ve never seen so many people work so hard and have so much fun in doing so. I’d like to especially thank Deacon Mike and Rosie Sullivan for coordinat-ing the weekend; ALL the committee members; ALL who welcomed my family and friends; ALL who helped with the Friday Mass; ALL who helped with Friday’s reception; ALL who do-nated for the chasuble; and ALL who helped with the Saturday picnic (was it HOT or what!?!?) May God reward you a hundredfold for your love, kind-

Page 7

20TH ANNIVERSARY THANK YOU From Dorothy Parker (Fr. Joe’s sister)

Dear St. John’s and St. Terence Church – Thank you so much for the amazing way you treated our family for my brother’s anniver-sary celebration. Your warmth and kindness touched us deeply. Joe is so lucky to have a church family that ca-res and loves him so much. Sometimes I worry that my brother gets lonely living all by himself, but to know he is sur-rounded by such giving, won-derful people, gives me peace of mind. Thank you for loving him and thank you for all that you fid for all of us! In His Love, The Parker family: Jon,

From Patty Martina (Fr. Joe’s mom)

Dear Parishioners of St. John the Baptist and St. Terence, My humble thanks to all of you for a most wonderful weekend of love and welcoming you showed to me and all my family. The Friday night reception was wonderful. The food, decorations and gifts were amazing. On Saturday, the picnic was a real blast. Even the heat couldn’t damper the spirit of the day. You all seemed to consider every de-tail in making us feel at home and welcome. We will never forget your love and kindness. (Besides, I love that you love my son.) Thanks again for the most memorable weekend ever! Our love,

Patty Martina & George Alford

Volume 4, Issue 2

SCENCES FROM THE WEEKEND CELEBRATION

Fr. Ken Williams presents a special gift to Fr. Joe’s mother, Mrs. Patti Alford. Fr. Joe and his mother prepare to cut the

special cake made for the celebration.

Deacon Mike Sullivan presents Fr. Joe with a special gift from the parishioners of St. John’s and St. Terence, a new vestment (chasuble).

Great food!

Page 8

I often think of an old country-western song written about the singing stars of the era with the lyr-ics: “Who’s gonna take their place? Who’s gonna sing their songs?” Then, I think of the parishioners of St. Terence who are gone and those who are presently active. A couple who comes to mind is Harry and Putt Schexnayder. We worried when they left, but Rufus and Glenda Shuff stepped right in to help. They are early to Mass to prepare the after-Mass coffee, help prepare the

altar for mass along with Maxine Reed, and they also lead the Rosary. Maxine is also a kind, gentle and dependable person with a contagious smile. She is always there when something needs to be done. I am reminded of Marcelle Campo who taught the women the duties of being a Sacristan. Her training endures today. She also made the banners for the lectern and most of the linens for the altar and Petey Campo made the table for the Tabernacle. I think of Max and Betty Collins who helped build St. Terence and continue to use their talents to assure the building is properly maintained. Without a doubt, Max is a first class carpenter and skilled handyman. We are also fortunate to have Harold Bergeron who installed the plumbing of

St. Terence and is planning improvements in the Hall. We miss Charles LeClercq who was instrumental during the construction of St. Terence and was also a master gardener. He shared the fruits of his gar-den: tomatoes, beans, peppers, etc. with many parishioners. Fortunately we still have Leroy Sonnier who helped build the church as well. A master carpenter and skilled-wood working artist, he is also a gardener deluxe. Leroy shares his harvest with many: tomatoes, peppers, corn, etc. Maxine also brings in fresh home grown vegetable from her garden and Jeanette Polson supplies fresh figs from her trees each year. Betty Collins has a beautiful flower garden and frequently decorates the altar with flowers from her garden during the spring and summer. David, Billy and Josh Nichols were our young and initial altar servers but grew up and moved on. We then proudly claimed the oldest average age of altar servers with Petey Campo and Lee

Miller. Presently, Rodney DeRouen and Frank Little have taken over this task. From the days of constructing our church, St. Terence’s motto is “Sharing Time, Treasure and Talent”. That tradition con-tinues today. It has also brought the parishioners together in a family bond seldom seen in larger churches. We currently have seven Eucharistic ministers who were not of the beginning group and four ushers who did not start at the beginning. There is never a shortage of volunteers. As for the sharing of treas-ure, St. Terence is presently free of debt and financially sound.

We give thanks to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the many blessings and to the volunteers for continuing that St. Terence tradition of working together worshipping together, and sharing their Time, Talents and Treasures.

ST. TERENCE REFLECTIONS ~ TIME, TREASURE & TALENT By Mr. E. B. “Buddy” Polson

Maxine Reed

Lee Miller

Rodney DeRouen

The Grapevine

The annual Saint John’s Blessing of the Graves was held this year on Sunday, November 1st immediately after the 10AM mass. Tradi-tionally, a covered dish luncheon hosted by the Cemetery Commit-tee followed in the cafeteria. Events planned for the weekend in-clude the youth gumbo fundraiser and the cemetery clean-up on Saturday. The weekend is always a time for present and former pa-rishioners to come together and pay homage to deceased loved ones, especially those buried in our cemetery. It is also a time for reminiscing on the wonderful memories that Saint John’s has provided over the years. Special thanks to Mary Beth Tarver, Rose Gatti and the rest of the Cemetery Committee for their hard work in sponsoring the event each year. (See p. 18 for more pictures).

BLESSING OF THE GRAVES

Shown in a previous cemetery clean-up day are Mrs. Irene Gandy and Mr. Harold Andries chatting with Fr. Joe.

CEMETERY EXPANSION PLANNED: A NEED FOR THE PRESENT AND FUTURE The St. John's Cemetery Committee and our pastor Father Joe came to the realization this summer that our cemetery is quickly filling up. Few plots remain for our parish’s future needs. This summer, Father Joe called parish wide meet-ings to get input about the best way to expand. Father Joe stressed that this is an impor-tant decision for the entire parish because once we commit land for cemetery use, it cannot be recovered. While we have plenty land, the main question presented was in which direction do we want the cemetery to expand? After discussing the options among a wide cross-section of parish-ioners, the consensus was that the cemetery should expand straight back within the bounda-ries of the current cemetery and most recent expansion. This will preserve the ball field, play-ground, and tennis court. The cemetery committee will meet in the near future to determine the best way of pro-ceeding. There are several issues that need to be considered. Among them are the size of the ex-pansion, the cost of clearing out the land and pre-paring it for use, the addition of sidewalks and landscaping, and financing the project. The mem-bers of the cemetery committee are Father Joe, Deacon Mike, Rose Gatti, Mary Beth Tarver, and Jim Cole.

Page 9 Volume 4, Issue 2

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS UPDATE This summer, the Knights of Columbus Council 12061 elected new officers, most of whom were cur-rent officers re-elected to another term. Brother Paul McCormic remained the Grand Knight, con-tinuing to do a fine job leading the council's activities. In response to a request from Father Joe, some of the Knights met early one August Saturday morning to clear out some of the area around the cemetery. Because the cemetery is running out of available plots, he hoped that enough room could be cleared for two additional rows. Many thanks go out to Mike Rutherford and his big red tractor for

doing most of the work. Finally, the Knights held a BBQ chicken dinner fundraiser at the end of August. Special thanks to everyone at St. John's and St. Terence who made this event a success. Another Sunday dinner fund-raiser will be planned later in the fall.

The local Knights of Columbus Chapter held a barbecue chicken fundraiser din-

ner in August to help fund their pro-grams. Three hundred plates were sold

in less than an hour.

Kaley Koss enjoys her chicken dinner during the

Knights fundraiser.

The oldest known grave in the Saint John’s cemetery is John Gilbert Bu-vens who died in

1872

The Saint John’s Cemetery is shown in earlier days.

Page 10 The Grapevine

The parishioners of Saint John’s and Saint Terence would like to say hello to Richard Martone, Jr. who is currently stationed in Iraq. Richard joined the army in May of 1986. We love you Richard and are praying for your safe return home!

HELLO RICHARD!

Loving the work you do is one key to a happy, fulfilled life. Being able to help others while doing what you love makes life even better. Having the best of both worlds is what makes former St. John’s parishioner, Molly Boydstun, such a happy, enthusiastic and blessed young lady. With many prayers and much sup-port from her family and friends, Molly has achieved her goal of many years, work-ing as a pharmacist. And, Molly is obviously good at what she does. The 28-year-old daughter of Mike and JoAnne Boydstun, Molly graduated from Many High School in 1999. She attended the University of Louisiana at Mon-roe (ULM) and graduated in 2007 with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Molly currently lives in Bossier City and works as a clinical pharmacist at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Shreveport in the Anti-coagulation clinic. Her work centers around patients who are on Coumadin (warfarin), a blood-thinner. These patients must be monitored very closely in hopes of preventing future blood clots which can lead to strokes and other serious complications. This hard-working young lady attends St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Bossier City, but will always consider St. John’s home. “I spend most of my free time with friends and family”, Molly told The Grapevine. “ I enjoy coming home and spending time with my family, and especially spending time on Toledo Bend”. When asked why she wanted to become a pharmacist, Molly shared: “I became a pharmacist because I worked at Many Professional Pharmacy with Robby Lang all through high school. I knew that's what I wanted to do when I graduated. I enjoy taking care of the sick and interacting with them on a daily basis. Pharmacy is a very re-warding profession because I am not only able to help someone get well but I also get to continue taking care of them. The profession has both short-term and long-term satisfactions!” Molly is very happy with her work and her plans are to stay in Shreveport and continue to work at the VA. She added: “I don’t plan on leaving anytime....”. Molly treasures her years at St. John’s and although she attends another church, she feels that St. John’s is “home”. “I feel that St. John's taught me the importance of faith and to believe that all things are possible. The teach-ings of God pushed me down the right path in life. This has made me a very strong and independent person.”

SERVING BRINGS JOY

St. John Berchmans was an energetic student and was a leader among the students. It was his realistic appreciation for the value of ordinary things, a characteristic of the Flem-ish mystical tradition, that constituted his holiness. He was affable, kind, and endowed with an outgoing personality that endeared him to everyone. In 1618, he was sent to Rome to study philosophy and was an exceptional student. He requested after ordination to be-come a chaplain in the army, hoping to be martyred on the battlefield. In the summer of 1619, the intense heat of Rome started to affect his health and he began progressively to get weaker. The doctors could not determine what was wrong, and for two years he was continually sick, requiring medical care, and as the summer of 1621 came, it was clear that he would not last long. He died peacefully on August 13, 1621, and numerous miracles were attributed to him at the time of his funeral. St. John Berchmans was not noted for anything extraordinary. He made kindness and courtesy as well as constant fidelity an important part of his holiness. The path to holiness lies in the ordinary rather than the extraordinary.

ST. JOHN BERCHMANS FEAST: NOVEMBER 26 Richard Martone, Jr.

Molly Boydstun

Page 11 Volume 4, Issue 2

MR. JOE MARTINA, SR: VOICE FOR LIFE When our pastor Fr. Joe celebrated his 20th anniversary of ordina-tion this summer, he was blessed to have most of his family with him. One of those family members was Father Joe’s dad, Joe Martina, Sr. During his visit to Many, Mr. Martina brought many heart-warming stories with him, particularly of his work as a counselor at a Family Planning clinic near his home in Sun City, California. Three days a week, for at least the past 22 years or so, Mr. Martina spends his mornings at the clinic. He parks his van near its front door well before 7AM, puts up under a cross of Jesus, two large signs contrasting a live baby with an aborted one, and sits near the entrance ready to counsel and speak with those who arrive with the intent of having an abortion. He does this until noon when the clinic accepts no more abortion-intended clients. In doing this very unique work, Mr. Martina has caused by his example a number of others to become counselors and prayer warriors. With his help, the Pro-Life Com-mittee began to provide “layettes” (bags of baby clothes, a rosary, cross, etc.) as gifts for those ladies who choose to leave the clinic, keeping their baby instead of having the abortion. Additionally with Mr. Martina’s help, the committee began to keep count of the babies known to have been saved by these counseling efforts. Since April 2005, over 800 pregnant women have been known to leave the Abortion Clinic with their babies in response to that counseling. Recently, a young lady showed up late one morning and asked another counselor (Mr. Martina had just left) how long he had been a counselor. He replied that he had been there 4-5 years. She replied, “22 years ago, a man convinced my mother to save her baby….and I was that baby.” Obviously, she was referring to Mr. Martina. Mr. Martina has made many friends from his years sitting on the sidewalk at the clinic no matter what the weather. He refers to these many friends as his children. Once a month, Mr. Martina also prepares food for people who come in need to a “Sunday in the Park” gathering in San Bernardino. He is an active member of the St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Sun City, California. Except on the days he coun-

sels at the abortion clinic, he attends daily Mass and par-ticipates in the pre-Mass Di-vine Mercy Chaplet and ro-sary. He is also a member of and the advisor to the church’s very active Pro-Life Committee. It certainly takes a special person with a special heart to minister to people in the way that Mr. Martina has. We wish him all of God’s bless-ings and hope to see him again soon!

The Saint John's Tribute to the Unborn Fountain is located in front of the rectory. It reminds us of the babies who

have lost their lives because of abortion.

Saint John’s Program of Eucharistic Adoration pro-gram is in full swing. Each Wednesday, from 9AM to 10PM, The Blessed Sacra-ment is exposed in the church for those who wish to spend time with Je-sus. It is a way to spend a quiet holy hour of prayer in Jesus’s Eucharistic pres-ence once a week on a regular basis. If you would like to be put on the Adoration schedule, please sign up on the list in the back of the church or contact Mrs. Mary Beth Tarver.

ADORATION PROGRAM

UNDERWAY

Mr. Joe Martina, Sr.

FUNDRAISERS

Bulbs for the St. John’s Outdoor Christmas tree are now on sale

and may be purchased for $1.00 each in memory of or in honor of a loved one. Orders may be dropped off or mailed to the church of-fice. A blessing and dedica-tion of the tree will be held sometime in December. Additionally, packages of 20 St. John’s Christmas cards with the church pic-ture or bundles of 20 note cards with the church’s pic-ture are also on sale.

Parenthood is a journey of love, commitment, friendship, hard work and lack of sleep. Jeremy and Ashley Koss are on this journey, raising three young daughters. Laughter, love and a sound

Catholic environment indicate that all is well and that the journey is a happy one.

Married for 8 years, Jeremy and Ashley Koss are the parents of three girls: Kaley Grace 5, Reese Elizabeth 3 and Braxton Kate, 5 months. Squeals and laughter are almost always heard in the Koss household. Although Ashley is a stay-at-home mom, there is never a dull mo-ment. Jeremy works as a supervisor for the Town of Many. He has been a member of Saint John’s since birth while Ashley joined the church eight years ago. Jeremy is also a Eucharistic minister and Knights of Columbus member while Ashley teaches Liturgy of the Word for Children. The two seem like opposites, but Ashley’s sense of humor and Jeremy’s quiet nature are the perfect blend! There’s never a dull moment in the Koss household raising three young girls. However, as young as they are, the Koss parents have already instilled a love for God in their children. “St. John’s has contributed to our spiritual development by encouraging prayer and seeking God’s will for our family”, Ashley shared with The Grapevine. “My girls know that we always pray before we eat and it’s so sweet that when we pass the church they always know that they’re supposed to make the sign of the cross.” Such a busy life doesn’t leave much time for leisure, but the Koss family loves going to sporting events, going out to eat and spending time with family and friends. Ashley is already looking forward to seeing their three daughters grown and married to strong, Christian men. “Jeremy could retire and then maybe we could have a little time to ourselves to do some traveling”, she added. The Grapevine salutes the Koss family and wishes them well!

Page 12 The Grapevine

Parish Spotlight

The Koss

Family

The Koss Family

SACRAMENT UPDATE BAPTISMS

Braxton Kate Koss Daughter of

Jeremy and Ashley Koss July 5, 2009

MARRIAGES Christopher Patrick Rutherford

Madison Blair Jones October 17, 2009

DEATHS Mie-Bie "Rose" Maines

October 11, 2009

Phillip Troha, Sr. August 9, 2009

Duayne McBane November 7, 2009

ESTRADA BAPTISM Shown with their families after their Baptism on March 14, 2009 are Ole-g a r i o B i l l y Estrada and Luis Felipe Estrada.

Page 13 Volume 4, Issue 2

Graduation at St. John’s School was always special. Shown on graduation day are Louis Davis, Charles Hubley, Frank Locke, Beatrice Davis and Winfred Hubley. (Special thanks to Lynna Hubley for shar-ing this photo with us).

FROM DAYS GONE BY

BACK IN TIME: 1923 FIRE

Father Q. Vanderburg surveys the ruins of the church that burned on August 2, 1923 while Mr. W. H. Vandegaer looks on. In the background is the rectory and to Fr. Vanderburg’s

left is the two-story convent and school.

Looking Back: A Faith-Filled Couple

Henry and Elvie Parrie are shown kneeling before the statue of the Blessed Mother in prayer on the St. John’s Altar. Henry and Elvie were devout Catholics who raised their children in the Catholic Church. Some of their children and grand-children still attend St. John’s today.

Page 14 The Grapevine

Vacation Bible School was a great success this year! A Totally Catholic Crocodile Dock Summer Pro-gram, where fearless kids shine God’s light, was chosen for our theme. It was an exciting adven-ture for the kids and the crew of volunteers to discover God’s presence, power, love, life, and care. Not only did the kids experience amazing Bible adventures, they also learned to watch for God in everyday life through something we called God Sightings. They discovered that God is active in our lives and that his fingerprints are everywhere! Our volunteers worked very hard to make VBS fantastic for the great group of children who attended. The upbeat music, super fun games, good food, and an awesome trip to the Alligator Farm in Natchitoches Parish was delightfully received. A great time was had by all. We truly appreciate all those who helped out...Father Joe, Deacon Mike, our directors, our teachers, our song, game and craft leaders, our kitchen staff, all other adult and teen volunteers, our decorators, those who made donations (of all kinds), and the parents who took the time to bring their children to VBS. Such effective faith forma-tion takes a lot of mental, emotional, and physical energy and those who helped out helped us suc-ceed in putting on a top-notch, faith-based, and downright fun summer program!

VBS PROGRAM TEACHES GOD’S PRESENCE BY MELISSA MCELWEE

Page 15 Volume 4, Issue 2

The George Hatcher Family It appears that the window donated by the George Hatcher Family features St. Dominic Savio. The gold brocade symbolizes a high position or class. He holds a book, a symbol of his learnedness and preaching. The lily at the top of the window symbolizes purity and the Virgin Mary. The George Hatcher Family were devoted Catholics. Mr. Hatcher was a graduate of St. John's Academy of Many, worked in the store department of the La Long Leaf Lumber Co. at Fisher for a number of years. He died in 1935 and is buried in the Saint John’s Cemetery. He was the son of Mrs. Lot-tie Hatcher and his three sisters were Sister Stanislaus of St. Vincent's college, Shreveport, Mrs. J. S. Pickett of Fisher, Mrs. W. R. Robinson and Miss Inez Hatcher. He had one brother, Leo Hatcher of McAllen, Texas.

A TOUR OF ST. JOHN’S STAINED GLASS WINDOWS By Mandy Smith

Joseph and Sophia David King David was chosen as the subject for this win-dow, most probably because is name is synonymous with the surname “David”. King David was king of Judah and Israel, founder of the Judean dynasty. Very young, David devoted his life to God. As a shepherd, he spent a great deal of time alone in the fields with his sheep. He used this time wisely, praising God and learning to hear God’s voice. The majority of the Psalms are written by David and express his deep commitment and willingness to discuss everything with God. God had told David he would be king and David believed and trusted God. He knew that God would see him through adversity.

Rev. Anseeuw The image chosen for this window donated in memory of Rev. Achille Anseeuw was the Blessed Mother with her hands crossed over her heart. Rev. Anseeuw was pastor of Saint John’s from 1898-1906. He was born in Obstcamp, Belgium. Rev. Anseeuw was the first priest to obtain the services of the Sis-ters of the Divine Providence in opening a school at St. John’s. Perhaps he held a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother, thus the rea-son for the picture on this window.

George Hatcher Family

Rev. Anseeuw

Joseph & Sophia David

Editor’s Note: For an in-terpretation of all the stained glass windows in St. John’s Church, see Chapter 10 in Journey of Faith.

Backyard Blessings by Amy McLendon Ebarb Most of us consider our backyards a place for our children to play or maybe a

place for our families to gather for cookouts. But visit Ernest and Shirley Rodrigues in their backyard, and you will experi-ence a blessing. Matthew 18:20 reads, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” This verse is truly lived out in their backyard; for in their backyard you will find a chapel. Shirley Rodrigues does not get to attend Mass as much as she wishes due to medical reasons. Because of her desire to pray and feel the presence of the Lord, her husband decided to build her this

chapel. The project began in March 2009 with head carpenter and friend Jerry Champion along with his helpers Shine Mimms, Tony Garner, and grandson Christopher Rodrigues. Upon entering you will see the beautiful 4 o'clock flowers surrounding the outside of the white chapel that came from Nancy Rodrigues (Ernest's mother who passed away in 2008), Janie Reme-dies (Ernest's grandmother who passed away in 1966), and Jim Toby (Ernest's uncle who passed away in 1986). The back of the chapel was built from wood that belonged to Ernest's godchild, Gay McNutt who is the current head softball coach at Stephen F. Austin. Many things in the chapel come from family and friends of Ernest and Shirley Rodrigues. The cruci-fix that hangs in the chapel was a gift that Wayne Sanders, Shirley's brother, bought in Mexico for the Rodrigues's. The kneeler came from the Rodrigues's flower shop they once operated in the late 70's. And the 75-year-old podium belonged to Red Land Baptist Church where their friend, Pearl, is a member. Other things include a Bible inscribed with “Mr P.E. Vargas,” a picture of the crowning of thorns painted by Sharon Pierce, daughter of Bill and Sissy Leone, and the Blessed Virgin Mary given to

Ernest by his great aunt Josephine. The most recent additions to the chapel are the kneelers that came out of the nun's home that they used in their chapel. One of the most special pieces is a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Therese that came from Levi Remedies, Ernest's uncle. Levi brought the statue home when he came back from the Normandy Beach Battles in which he fought during World War II. Ernest recalls the altar being used every night at Granny's (Janie Remedies) house. Janie burned a candle every night and they would pray for her five children who were fighting in World War II. Three children, Levi Remedies, Willie Remediz, and Wilma Brown, made it back home and are now laid to rest in St. John's cemetery. The other two children died while serving our country. Louis

Remedies was killed in Germany and is buried in France. Henry was killed in Iwo Jima and is buried in Hawaii. He was only 19 years old when he was shot while defending those who were raising the flag on Iwo Jima. Being a Marine him-self, Ernest treasures this statue with gratitude and pride. When visiting Shirley's chapel, you will see just how thankful this devout women of prayer is. She enjoys talking about our Lord Jesus Christ and you will see the joy on her face when she explains how she prays. First she prays to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, then to Mother Mary, then to St. Teresa Little Flower, then to her Guardian Angel Doretha, then to Mother Teresa, then to Paul St. John II, and then to Mr. Euley Koss, a former parishioner of St. John's. Many lives have already been touched by the chapel. Just look at the guest book that is kept in the chapel, and you will see just how many people have visited. But most importantly, the chapel provides a peaceful setting where one can visit the Lord. (Editor’s Note: As The Grapevine went to press, we learned that the Rodrigues Chapel had just acquired stained glass! We ask that you remember Shirley Rodrigues in your prayers and pray for her health).

Page 16 The Grapevine

Gracing the inside of the chapel are these two beautiful statues.

The chapel con-tains a guest book which many people have signed .

Rosaries promi-nently hang in

the chapel.

Volume 4, Issue 2 Page 17

A Glimpse of Pictures Featured in A Journey of Faith

The newly released St. John’s history book, A Journey of Faith, contains over 500 photographs. The Grapevine is proud to give a preview of some of those pictures. Note: To obtain your copy of the book, write, call or go by the church office or purchase online at: www.blurb.com/books/916062

Sharon Andries crowns the Blessed Mother

The old school after being hit by the Easter Sunday Tornado of 1945

Sister Lucie Sheehan; the first nun at St. John’s 1898-1901

The Christmas Reenactment from 1998

Baptism of J J Blake

February 25, 1957

Altar Society members

Kellie Hataway and Msgr. Buvens

An old photo of the east view of the church

Texine Nett, Willie Mae King, Jose-

phine Young and Carrie Moore

Mary Blake Jordan

Mr. Kenneth McCormic First Communion 1906

Page 18 The Grapevine

Remembering The Blessing of the Graves 2009

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord..

Lord Jesus, lovingly welcome into Your presence my deceased family, relatives and friends who have completed their journey on this earth, and have gone to their rest in the hope of rejoicing with You forever in heaven. Source of all life and love, in Your infinite mercy, look favorably upon their goodness, and forgive any sins they may have committed, so they may enjoy for all eternity the great rewards You have promised to those who believe in You. Amen.

Volume 4, Issue 2 Page 19

CCD Children Enjoy Fall Festival Parish Prayer

We ask that you remember in your prayers, Fr. William Carey, former pastor of St. John’s, during his illness. We also ask that your pray for Becky Sullivan, daughter of Deacon Mike and Rosie Sullivan. As The Grapevine went to press, Becky is at the Baylor Health Care Center in Dallas, TX awaiting a liver transplant. Please keep Becky and her family in your prayers as she waits for surgery.

Fr. William Carey

With Gratitude Special thanks to each every person who donated canned and non-perishable food items and frozens turkeys for our Thankgiving food baskets for the needy. With your help, we were able to assist 20 fami-lies in our community to have a Thanksgiving meal. May God bless you for your generosity.

Where did the Time Go?

Can you recognize the children in this photo from a past May Crowing? We appreciate Mrs. Kayla Hataway for loaning The Grapevine this picture.

History Mystery Any guesses? Hint: This picture was taken when Fr. Buvens was pastor. The sponsor is Susan Lee.

Dates To Remember

In this picture sent to The Grapevine by Greg DeVal-court, , Dan and Melissa Robinson are shown with Fr. Plauche. The cou-ple and their chil-dren were faithful parishioners of St. John's. Their de-scendants still live in Many and several are current mem-bers of St. John's.

Special thanks to our

Sponsor of the Quarter who made publication of this

newsletter possible

Quarterly Newsletter of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and

St. Terence Mission

The Family of Bessie Mowad & Dinah Davis

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING

Last spring, Sr. Jess Maria, our prayer partner from the Diocese of Shreveport, and members of her community visited Saint John’s. They were very touched by the warmth and love shown to them by our con-gregation. Since that time, Sr. Jess Maria sadly informed us that she and two of the other nuns were being transferred to Saint Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont, Texas. She asked The Grapevine to tell everyone how very much she appreciates the kindness shown to them and to please keep she and the other Sisters in prayer as they continue their ministry.

NUNS TRANSFER

Pope Benedict XVI has declared a “Year for Priests” beginning with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 19, 2009. The year will conclude in Rome with an international gathering of priests with the Holy Father from June 9-11, 2010. Please remember all our priests in your prayers.

FAITHFULNESS OF CHRIST; FAITHFULNESS OF PRIESTS

NOVEMBER

Sun, 1st All Saints Day

Mon, 2nd All Souls Day

Thurs, 26th Thanksgiving Day

Sun., Nov. 29th — Tues. Dec. 1st

Advent Mission, 7PM

DECEMBER Tues, 8th Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Fri, 25th The Birth of Jesus JANUARY Fri, 1st Mary, Mother of God

Solemnity

Wed, 6th Feast of the Epiphany

“Feed the flock of God; care for it willingly, not grudgingly; not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve the Lord.... And when the Head Shep-herd comes, your re-ward will be a never-ending share in his glory and honor.”

Fr. Joe Martina and the Sisters of the Destitute pose for the camera during their visit to Saint John’s in March.

St Dominic Savio: Patron Saint of Juvenile Delinquents

St Dominic Savio was one of ten children of a blacksmith and seamstress. He was a protégé of Saint John Bosco and an altar boy at age 5. At 12 he entered the Oratory School preparatory to becoming a priest. He was well-liked and pius, but his health forced him to give up his dream of the priesthood. He died at age 15. His dying words were: “What beautiful things I see!”

Facts about the Saints

Congratulations to Chelsea Ebarb who won first place in the Many Jr. High School LA Gear-Up Essay contest. Chelsea competed

against other 8th grade students at Many Junior High by writing an essay on what the quote “It takes Struggle, a Goal, and Enthusiasm to Make a Champion” meant to her. Congratula-tions, Chelsea! We are proud of you for receiving this honor!

Congratulations, Chelsea!