RSS Feed

Parishioners plan annual St. Joseph Altar at Family Life Center

Thu, 02/21/2019 - 12:51pm

Events, meal scheduled for annual event

Thursday, February 21, 2019

RAYNE - The celebration of the St. Joseph Altar, honoring the patron saint on his feast day, has become a tradition at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rayne. This tradition will continue on Tuesday, March 19.
Events will begin at 9 a.m. in church with the Tupa Tupa Ritual to be presented by students at Rayne Catholic Elementary, immediately followed by the blessing of the Altar at the St. Joseph Family Life Center which will remain open throughout the day for viewing.
The Mass of Solemnity of St. Joseph will be celebrated at 6 p.m. and the day will conclude with a celebratory Italian meal served free to the public. While there is no charge for the meal or to attend the event, love offerings will be accepted to help defray cost.
Each year the celebration is an act if humility where all food and decorations are derived from the generosity of friends and neighbors. The Altar is adorned with many decorative cakes, cookies and breads, as well as locally grown produce. They are blessed during the impressive ceremony and either consumed as part of the celebratory meal or donated to the poor and needy of our area at the close of the celebration.
Please consider donating a pair of cakes or decorative breads, a batch of cookies or fruit and vegetables from your garden. The Family Life Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, March 18, to receive offerings and accept donations of decorative breads, cakes, cookies and flowers.
The Altar will be located at the Family Life Center which is across the street from St. Joseph Catholic Church at 406 South Adams Ave., on Highway 90 West, Rayne. There is no charge to attend this celebration or for the meal that is served to all who attend. However, donations will be accepted to help defray costs. All net proceeds will be donated to the poor and needy of our area.
For more information on the St. Joseph Altar or to find out how to help, please contact Linda Ancona at linletters@hotmail.com or call 337-660-5314.
Offering of Love, Donations
The St. Joseph Altar is an offering of love, labor & sacrifice honoring our patron saint on his feast day. This celebration has become a tradition in St. Joseph Parish, and throughout the world.
According to legend, this custom originated in Medieval Sicily during a time of drought and famine. In desperation, the people prayed to St. Joseph for help and intercession. When the rains came and their crops prospered, their prayers were answered! In thanksgiving they made offerings of food, their most prized possession, on a beautiful altar. They then invited all the poor and needy to share in their prayers and festivities.
The altar draped in white and adorned with flowers, has three levels to represent the Holy Trinity.

William Thibodeaux inducted as Living Legend

Thu, 02/21/2019 - 12:42pm

Lisa Soileaux, Rayne Acadian-Tribune

Thursday, February 21, 2019

On Saturday, Feb. 2, William Thibodeaux was inducted as a Living Legend of the Acadian Museum.
Making the 2019 presentation during a ceremony held at the Bernard-Bertrand Home in Rayne where he leads the French Table meetings was Warren A. Perrin, assisted by Rayne Mayor Chuck Robichaux.
The honoree was also joined during the special event by his wife, Judy, in addition to a large crowd of family, friends and "French Table" members.
Thibodeaux has written a book, “Hidden History of Acadiana,” which should hit the shelves by May of this year. The book is a collection of fascinating short stories that chronicles of the enormous and diverse history and heritage of South Louisiana including people, places, and events of long ago. Some date back to the antebellum period, but most take place during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Rayne’s frog-rich history re-discovered in cookbook

Thu, 02/21/2019 - 12:33pm

Lisa Soileaux, Rayne Acadian-Tribune

Thursday, February 21, 2019

RAYNE - Cajun gumbo, frogs and good music -- sounds like a family gathering of today, but it’s not.
Local “frog capital” enthusiast Eldine Comeaux was eager to travel to the Rayne Acadian-Tribune office to share her find.
“I was looking through this interesting cookbook, thumbing through the pages to see if I could find something good to cook, and look what I saw, Ms. Lisa,” she said as she pointed to the replication of an old newspaper article of 1886 explaining a “gumbo soiree” hosted by none other than Donat Pucheu, the first Rayne exporter of frogs.
The Rayne frog industry began in the late 1800s and has been a part of the community ever since, continuing today with the annual Rayne Frog Festival held every Mother’s Day weekend.
First to recognize the marketing potential of Rayne’s giant frogs was the Frenchman who came to America when he was only 19, married in Washington of St. Landry Parish, and moved his family to Rayne in the 1880s.
Seeking a way to obtain things that were not available here, he began trapping the wildlife of the area to trade for other hard-to-come-by foods. Pucheu is credited with being the first to ship frogs from Rayne.
He shipped frogs, snipe, quail and ducks to the markets in New Orleans in exchange for gourmet foods, the finest of imported cheeses and wines, along with such rarities as spices and flavorings.
Right-dab in the middle of the cookbook, “Cajun Men Cookbook,” is a paragraph entitled “GUMBO AT THE RAYNE DROP SALOON, 1886”.
The paragraph explains the setting of the day way back when, “From the Rayne Signal, March 20, 1886: “The gumbo soiree at the Rayne Drop Saloon last Saturday night was a very enjoyable affair. In addition to the gumbo and palatable beverages served up, amusements of different kinds were indulged in by many present. The music, by the Rayne Mutual Band, was excellent, and added much pleasure to the occasion. Mr. D. Pucheu, the manager of the saloon, displayed good taste in the artistic manner in which he had everything arranged and served out, and with his courtesy and urbanity made all present feel comfortable and at home. Such reunions of gentlemen, when properly conducted, certainly can not be out of place.”
“While I was browsing through the pages,” continued Comeaux of her find, “the name ‘Rayne’ kinda jumped off the page, no pun intended. It caught my eye and I just had to share it with you.”
Thanks are expressed to Eldine for sharing her rare find not only with us, but with the “Frog Capital of the World.”

Frances Marie "Bobbie" Beard

Wed, 02/20/2019 - 6:05pm

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

BRANCH - A Mass of Christian Burial for Frances Marie "Bobbie" Beard, 64, will be celebrated on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019 at 1 p.m. in St. Edmond Catholic Church, Branch. Father Christopher Cambre, Associate Pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rayne will serve as celebrant. Interment will follow in St. Edmond Catholic Cemetery, Branch.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. in Gossen Funeral Home, Rayne, with a rosary being recited at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue on Friday, Feb. 22, from 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. in the funeral home.

Mrs. Beard passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 at her residence.

Survivors include her husband, Anthony Beard of Rayne; daughters, Rebecca Mouton and husband, Beau of Rayne, and Helena Beard and significant other, Brady Fontenot of Rayne; son, Tony Beard and wife, Emily of Lafayette; grandchildren, Tyler Mouton, Blaise Mouton, and Layla Berzas; father-in-law, Napoleon Beard of Rayne; and numerous sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

Preceding Mrs. Beard in death were her parents, Mayeuse Credeur and Betty Guidry Credeur; sisters, Sandra Courville and Susie Richard; and mother-in-law, Betty Beard.

The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the staff of Lamm Hospice for the compassionate care given to Mrs. Beard.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.gossenfuneralhome.net.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Gossen Funeral Home, Inc. of Rayne, LA, (337) 334-3141.

CHS Ladies upend Catholic; Lady Dogs top Sacred Heart

Wed, 02/20/2019 - 10:51am

Nella LaGrange scattered six hits and struck out nine to help lead the Crowley Ladies to a 6-0 shutout over ...