|
A Message from Father
Blanchard
Greetings to all of you, my
friends and family in Christ:
I am grateful to gather
with you to celebrate the Eucharist on the occasion of the
celebration of the Fortieth Anniversary of the Ordination to the
Priesthood of Fr. Burns and me. This is truly a celebration of
the Church and I thank you for your presence here today. In
celebrating this anniversary, I am humbled in the realization
that the Church, through Bishop Tracy, called me to Orders so
many years ago. I am also humbled in the realization that I
continue to be called through you, the People of God. So, in
reality, this is not about me, but about all of us together
sharing our common Priesthood, by virtue of our Baptism. I am a
small part of the great Sacrament of the Church, a man called to
be a sign of the healing power and grace of Jesus Christ in your
midst.
I am grateful for the
gift of faith, the capacity to seek and know God, in Jesus
Christ personally and in the family of the Church. I am
grateful for my parents, Hayden and Blanche, who were my first
examples of Priesthood. Their generous love and enduring faith
in Christ and in the Church nurtured me and were the seeds of my
calling. I remember them as they celebrate the fullness of life
with God, along with my brother, Larry, and all of my family and
friends who have gone before me. I thank my living brothers and
sisters, Hayden, Jeanne, Sandra, Ann, Loretta, Gordon and their
families for their examples of steadfast faith and love. I
thank, in a special way, the Sisters of St. Joseph, who next to
my family were my inspiration in considering the Priesthood as a
vocation and for their continued witness of caring for the “dear
neighbor” in our world today. I thank the Benedictine Monks of
St. Joseph Abbey for their example of faithful prayer and work
in the ministry of monastic life and for the formation they
extended me in my very early years of seminary life. I thank
them today for allowing me to share in their life on a monthly
basis. I thank all of you in all of the various parishes in
which I have been called to serve over these 40 years -
Ascension, Donaldsonville, St. Louis, King of France, Baton
Rouge, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, White Castle, St. George,
Baton Rouge, St. Philomena, Labadieville, St. Aloysius, Baton
Rouge, St. Isidore, Baker, Holy Rosary, St. Amant, Christ the
King, LSU, St. Jean Vianney, Baton Rouge and Sacred Heart, Baton
Rouge. (I am sorry that I did not get to the rest of the
parishes, but there just isn’t enough time!) Your trust,
acceptance, love and support have been a true grace to me. I
thank in a special way you, the wonderful people of St. Aloysius
Parish, for giving me a home in my retirement, allowing me to be
a priest in your midst. I especially thank Fr. Burns, my
lifelong friend, for the invitation to share in his ministry
with you. I thank Bishop Muench, my brother priests and deacons
for your support and prayers during these years.
Being very aware of my
shortcomings, I ask the forgiveness of any whom I have offended
over these years. We cannot love without being open to the
vulnerability and grace of asking for forgiveness and being
forgiven.
Know that you will
always have my love and prayers,
Donald
|