Armed with the motto “Comfort My People,’’ Baton Rouge priest and New Roads native Shelton Joseph Fabre was ordained Wednesday at a packed St. Louis Cathedral as auxiliary bishop for the hurricane-ravaged Archdiocese of New Orleans.New Orleans Archbishop and former Baton Rouge Bishop Alfred C. Hughes, who presided over the two-hour ordination service, said during his homily that Fabre is being asked to “comfort a people devastated by tragedy.’’
Hughes said he has no doubts that Fabre, the son of a bricklayer, is up to the task.
“The pope has reached into New Roads and has called a remarkable priest,’’ he said.
The 43-year-old Fabre, who was ordained a priest in 1989 and served most recently as pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Baton Rouge, is believed to be the youngest bishop in the nation, Catholic officials have said.
“I have seen your resiliency of faith in the face of recent struggle,’’ Fabre said of the New Orleans community that continues to suffer greatly from Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath.
“Together, we will encounter God’s abundant grace.’’
Fabre — who graduated from Catholic High of Pointe Coupee before attending seminary in St. Benedict, La., and completing his studies for the priesthood at The American College of the Immaculate Conception at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium — is the 10th auxiliary bishop of New Orleans.
He follows in the footsteps of the late Baton Rouge Bishop Stanley J. Ott, who was auxiliary bishop of New Orleans from 1976-83, and Baton Rouge Bishop Robert W. Muench, who served as New Orleans auxiliary bishop from 1990-96.
Muench and Pensacola-Tallahassee Bishop John H. Ricard were co-consecrators at the service. Ricard was one of two black Southern bishops who attended Fabre’s ordination.
The other was Memphis Bishop Terry Steib, who served as a concelebrating bishop along with current and former bishops and archbishops from around the state and nation, including former New Orleans archbishops Philip M. Hannan and Francis B. Schulte.
Fabre replaced Bishop Dominic Carmon, who is retiring at 76. Carmon has been an auxiliary bishop since 1992.
Fabre will start his new duties today.
He will be helping Hughes administer the archdiocese, and when an event requires the presence of a bishop and Hughes cannot be there, Fabre can take over such duties. He also can ordain priests and deacons.
In addition to serving as auxiliary bishop, Fabre will be pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church in New Orleans.
Fabre received three rounds of thunderous applause at St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square: first after he was newly ordained and welcomed by his fellow bishops into the College of Bishops, then when he walked down the center and side aisles of the cathedral before the ceremony concluded, and finally after he addressed the congregation for the first time as auxiliary bishop.
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The coat of arms chosen by Fabre includes a gold heart pierced by two silver arrows, a classic symbol of St. Augustin, an early African bishop and theologian.
It serves as a reminder of Fabre’s heritage and honors the legacy of the deep faith of all African-American Catholics as well as his home parish of St. Augustine in New Roads.
The motto Fabre chose — “Comfort My People’’ — is part of a phrase from the prophet Isaiah which has been a favorite of his since his priestly ordination on Aug. 5, 1989, at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge.
In Wednesday’s ordination program, Fabre wrote fondly of his former diocese.
“My years in the Diocese of Baton Rouge will live in my memory, and you will always be in my prayers. Thank you for in so many ways being home for me to this point in my life,’’ he said.
As for his new home, Fabre wrote, “I look forward to all the rich and enduring faith experiences that the Archdiocese of New Orleans holds and promises.’’
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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
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