A Midsummer Dream

By Father Broussard

It is hard to believe that July is right around the corner! I have been enjoying the quieter atmosphere that summer provides at Wisdom. Bike rides, grass cutting, and time on the water have all been staples during my downtime. While it is quieter, it is certainly NOT boring around here. I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on a few things that are happening during the “slow” summer months.

This past Friday, June 27th on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the first portion of the slab on grade was poured for the student center portion of the new building. Subsequent pours for the student center slab will take place in the coming weeks, followed by the Church, and steel should begin going up towards the end of July. Despite the constant rain, LEMOINE is doing a great job of keeping our construction schedule moving forward. Various medals were placed in the slab asking for God’s protection and the intercession of many saints. Medals included were the Miraculous Medal, St. Benedict (Students), St. Martha (Sisters, Sororities, Homemakers, Cooks), St. Therese of Lisieux (Florists, Foreign Missions, Loss of Parents, Priests, the Sick ), St. Mark (Barristas), St. John of the Cross (Contemplatives, Mystics), St. Catherine of Siena (Patron of Nurses and Sexual Temptation), St. John the Evangelist (Love, Loyalty, Friendships, Authors), Our Lady of Guadalupe (Patroness of all the Americas), Pope St. John Paul II (World Youth Day, Young Catholics, Families), St. Luke (Doctors, Artists), St. Barbara (Storms, Architects, Builders), St. Maximilian Kolbe (Prisoners, Drug Addicts, Families, Journalists, Pro-life Movement, People with Eating Disorders), St. Joseph of Cupertino (Aviation and Pilots, Astronauts, Mental Handicaps, Examinations, and Students), St. John Vianney (Priests, Confessors), St. Florian (Firefighters, Protection from Fire, Against Water Damage), St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows (Youth, Students, Clerics, Seminarians), Bl. Carlo Acutis (Computer Programmers, Youth), St. Joseph (Fathers, Families, Workers), St. Dymphna (Mental Illness, Social Workers, Rape Victims), St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Michael, the Archangel, St. John Bosco (Students, Young Children, Juvenile Delinquents), The Good Shepherd, St. Thomas Aquinas (Universities, Students), Divine Mercy, St. Hubert (Hunters, Mathematicians), St. Mary Magdalene (Converts), St. Gerard (Mothers, Motherhood, Expectant Mothers, Childbirth, Children, Pregnant Women, Unborn Children, Pro-Life Movement, The Falsely Accused, Good Confessions, lay brothers), St. Agnes (Girls, Engaged Couples, Chastity), St. Maria Goretti (Youth, Purity, Rape Victims, Forgiveness), St. Paul (Missionaries, Evangelists, Writers, Journalists, Authors), St. Lawrence (Cooks, Deacons, Comedians, The Poor), Sts. Cosmas and Damian (Doctors, Dentists), and Our Lady of the Assumption (Acadians).

Slab poured for the front portion of the new Student Center

In addition to the building excitement we also have three new seminarians sponsored by Our Lady of Wisdom who will begin formation for the Diocese of Lafayette in the fall. Alex Coffey is the son of Richard and Janet Coffey, and was a student at UL when I was the Associate during my first two years as a priest. He spent several years in formation with the Jesuits. Alex discerned out of the Jesuits and taught Theology for a few years at Teurlings Catholic High School in Lafayette. He has now decided to enter formation for the priesthood for the Diocese of Lafayette and will study at Notre Dame in New Orleans.

Micah Thomas is a familiar face around Our Lady of Wisdom as he and his family are parishioners here. He is the son of Deacon Coby and Kessie Thomas. Micah just graduated from John Paul the Great Academy and will begin formation at St. Ben’s in Covington, LA.

Likewise, Dominic Pagan has grown up as a parishioner at Our Lady of Wisdom. He is the son of Deacon Juan and Veronica. Dominic also graduated in May from John Paul the Great Academy and will begin formation at Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, TX.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our deacons for providing us with the opportunity to adore the Most Holy Eucharist before the 10am Mass on Sundays. This is a wonderful fruit of the three year Eucharistic Revival, and I am pleased that it has continued.  There are many good things happening at Our Lady of Wisdom and our Catholic Student Center and they are due in no small part to the time spent in front of the Blessed Sacrament by our students and parishioners. Please continue to pray for the success of the building project, for those in formation for the priesthood and religious life, and continue to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out more laborers for his vineyard. Lastly, please continue to pray and sacrifice for the success of our mission to form lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ on the UL campus!

To learn more about Wisdom for Every Generation campaign and building project, click here.