News Briefs - Diocese of Shreveport

Working With One Another
Ask not what your diocese can
do for you but what you can do
for your diocese!
There is an abundant harvest but
few laborers!
Clichés? Maybe – but what are
we, the faithful of the Diocese of
Shreveport, prepared to do?
This year started out with
major changes in the governance
and leadership of our diocese.
With these changes it is natural to
ask will our purpose as Church be
changed or altered. What should we
do differently? As Catholics how will
this affect our life?
At this time in the life of our
Diocese, I believe it is paramount
that we, as the faithful, revisit the
purpose and mission of the Diocese;
and that we stay firmly planted in
the goals and objectives necessary to
fulfill this mission.
Our Mission Statement
confirms that we, God’s people
together with our Bishop and the
entire diocese embody the universal
mission of the Catholic Church. We
believe our purpose is to praise God,
to proclaim and teach the life and
work of Jesus Christ. We are also
commissioned through preaching
and living His word to serve as a
witness to the world. We support
as well as challenge other persons
in their efforts to live as Christians,
to understand Sacred Scripture and
Tradition, and to share our resources
with them.
That mission is even more
important in a vacant See. The
Catholic Church over the past
twenty years has been a voice in
the communities that comprise
our Diocese. The Catholic Church
in the Diocese of Shreveport has
shown that Christ exists through the
efforts of Christian Services, Society
of St. Vincent de Paul, the schools
and hospitals, participation on
various civic and social boards, “The
Way of the Cross” procession during
Lent, the Eucharistic Procession
celebrated on Corpus Christi for
Vocations, participation in area fairs
and festivals, Knights of Columbus
activities, Greco Institute, adult
education, and the Slattery Library,
and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Each of us has a stake in what
happens to our diocese and a
birthright as children of God. Our
purpose and our mission have not
changed. Our pastors, priests and
deacons continue to lead us from the
pulpit and inspire us to continue our
personal ministries in cooperation
with Monsignor Earl V. Provenza,
the Diocesan Administrator and all
diocesan and parish leaders.
We are a people of God,
brothers and sisters of Christ, led
by ranDy tiller
and guided by the Holy Spirit.
What else or who else do we need?
We all have talents, time and
treasure. We all have the same
command from God to share those
talents, that treasure and our time as
we continue to do the work of the
Lord in our diocese. Good stewards
do not bury what God gives them
but takes those gifts and uses them
to achieve a mission and return them
to God with an increase.
By working with one another,
the faithful, the clergy, parish and
diocesan staffs and diocesan leaders,
we can continue achieving our
objectives, completing our goals and
fulfilling our mission as Church.
In St. Matthew’s Gospel,
Chapter 28, verse 16ff, Jesus
commissioned his apostles to go
out and make disciples of all the
nations teaching them to observe
all that I have commanded you.
And He commanded us to love one
another, to care for and to heal one
another, to celebrate the Eucharist,
the lessons of the “Sermon on the
Mount”, the Ten Commandments,
to proclaim the Word and be a
witness to Christ.
So again I ask, what are we
prepared to do?
Now IS the time for ALL
Catholics to come to the aid of
their diocese! To be counted as the
Children of God that we are!
(A copy of the Mission Statement of
the Diocese and the Strategic Goals and
Objectives can be found on the Diocesan
Web Site, www.diospht.org) F
randy G. tiller
Director of Mission Effectiveness