CAMERON – Bishop Glen John Provost celebrated a Votive Mass to Avert Storms on Wednesday, June 3, in the Historic Shrine of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church. This annual liturgy comes at the beginning of Hurricane Season, which opened on Monday, June 1.
The Reverend Archimandrite Herbert May, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea and Sacred Heart of Jesus in Creole, concelebrated the Mss as did the Very Reverend Anthony Fontenot, Dean of the South Deanery; Rev. Richard Adiukwu, pastor of St. Eugene Catholic Church in Grand Chenier; and Rev. Gijo Ikkaramattom, H.G.N., pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Hackberry.
A large crowd attended the mass and the blessing of the statue of Our Lady, seen at left, which adorns the front lawn of the church.
The faithful who made this Diocesan pilgrimage to the Shrine for the liturgy could receive spiritual benefits as if they had visited the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, due to the special affiliation the Cameron church has with the Basilica. The pilgrimage provides a plenary indulgence with the fulfillment of certain requirements, including recent confession, reception of Holy Communion, prayers for the Holy Father, and the recitation of the Creed.
This “spiritual bond” was granted by His Eminence, Santos Cardinal Abril y Castellò , the Cardinal Archpriest of the Basilica and His Eminence, Emmanuel Cardinal Montero de Castro, the Cardinal Apostolic Penitentiary following Bishop Provost’s ad limina visit in 2012.
The Bishop also asked that during this year’s storm season everyone should pray the prayer composed by The Most Reverend Maurice Schexnayder, Second Bishop of Lafayette, in 1957 following the Hurricane Audrey.
