Reverend Father,                                                                                                

Grace and peace as we await the Light and Love of the Holy Spirit!

Since 2015 we have been hosting an all-day “Holy Day” on Bayou Teche for the Feast of the Assumption.  Last year we had the joy of celebrating the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a special Fête-Dieu on Bayou Vermilion with the involvement of about 3500 of the faithful.  This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Eucharistic Boat Procession and it will be back on the Bayou Teche, making its way 37 miles by water to the Mother Church of the Acadians, St. Martin de Tours in St. Martinville.   Fete-Dieu du Teche will begin with Holy Mass in French at 8:00am at St. Leo the Great Church in Leonville.  The celebrant will be His Excellency J. Douglas Deshotel, D. D., bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette.   At the end of Mass there will be a procession with the Blessed Sacrament and a statue of Mary down to the nearby Leonville boat landing.  At 9:30am boats will embark in procession down the Teche toward St. Martinville, retracing the voyage of the early Acadians.  The boat procession will stop at churches in the towns along the Teche for Rosary and Benediction (arriving at Arnaudville behind St. Francis Regis at 10:20am; arriving behind St. Joseph Church in Cecilia at 11:45am; arriving at the Pavilion behind St. Bernard Church in Breaux Bridge at 1:35pm; arriving at the park behind St. Joseph Church in Parks at 3:15pm; and arriving at Old Market Street in St Martinville at about 4:45pm).  Upon arriving in St. Martinville, a foot procession will commence to Notre Dame de Perpetual Secours, then to St. Martin de Tours, and finally down main street to Mater Dolorosa Chapel for Solemn Vespers and Benediction at 5:30pm. Confessions will be heard in mobile units at each of the stops along the way throughout this holy day.

I am asking you to begin advertising Fete-Dieu in your parish bulletins, website, and social media.  If possible, it would be great to have your parish represented by a boat in the procession. More information can be obtained by visiting our website at www.fetedieuduteche.org or by checking our Facebook page Fete-Dieu du Teche.  I include here a boat registration form, a flyer, and a bulletin blurb.  You may find helpful a brief documentary by America Films. https://www.facebook.com/americamag/videos/10154732908577882/

I so appreciate your help and participation in this upcoming Feast of the Assumption.

In Jesus Crucified,

Fr. Michael Champagne, CJC

 

If you would like to represent our parish by boat in the procession please contact Fr. David at 235-1483 and/or look up more information on the fetedieuduteche.org website. You must have your own boat.

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