Meet our New Associate Pastor - Fr. Joseph Maddala”
December 1, 2023
I am Fr. Joseph Maddala and I was born on the 15th of April 1974, in an interior village, called Kothapalli in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh in India. My father, a farmer by trade, passed away 0n 2014. My mother Agnesamma also [passed away before my dad in 2010 at home in India. I have two elder brothers but one of them passed away when I was seven years old and one elder sister who got married and was blessed. After three years of marriage my elder sister Jyothi also passed away in 1990. I have one niece and one nephew who also are married and have children. I did all my academic and seminary education in India and, on March 19, 2001, I was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Vijayawada, in the state of Andhra Pradesh. I served as Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine well known as “Gunadala Matha.” and then became a pastor in worked in different parishes as pastor for 15 years.
I moved to Canada and worked in the Diocese of Charlottetown from 2018 to 2019, as Associate Pastor in Holy Redeemer Church, Charlottetown, in the province of Prince Edward Island.
In 2019, I returned to my home diocese as a pastor for the last four years.
I am here with the kind invitation of Most Rev. Francis I. Malone, Bishop of Shreveport, who has appointed me here at the St. Mary of the Pines and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parishes as an associate Pastor. I am grateful to Most Rev. Joseph Rajarao, Bishop of Vijayawada, for allowing me to do ministry in the US and to Bishop Malone for accepting me and to our Pastor Rev. Fr. Mark Watson, VF and Very Rev. Monsignor Rothell Price JCL, JV, Judicial Vicar and Vicar for Priests, for their warm welcome.
As I begin my first week in your midst, I am indeed happy to be one among you. I thank God for all His blessings. As I have been in India for four years, I will try my best to get my American accent back. May Our Heavenly Mother Mary lead us to Her Son, Jesus Christ! St. Mary of the Pines and St. Elizebeth Ann Seton, Pray for us.
I wish you all “A Merry Christmas and A Blessed New Year 2024. May the Child Jesus continue to bless you and all your family members!”
Thanking you,
In Christ through Mother Mary
Father Joseph Maddala.
January 2022
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Bishop has updated his directives concerning the COVID 19 pandemic in order to keep each of our parishes safe.
Masks are required for attending Mass.
The ministers of Holy Communion will only sanitize their hands prior to the distribution of Holy Communion, even with reception on the tongue.
Parishes may not have receptions and gatherings until further notice.
May God keep each of you safe as we move beyond the pandemic.
God Bless You,
Fr. Mark Watson, Pastor
A celebration for the whole diocese On Saturday, June 5, 2021, I will be ordained to the priesthood. My priestly ordination will take place at the same location as so many other priestly ordinations have taken place for the Diocese of Shreveport, in the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans. The ordination day for a candidate to the priesthood is an event for the whole diocese, and it is a day in which the whole diocese rejoices. This is clearly seen at priestly ordinations that have more than one man being ordained to the priesthood. The focus is not on one person but rather on all of the men being ordained to the priesthood who will spend the rest of their lives serving the people in their diocese. Although I will be the only one ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Shreveport, my ordination is not really “my” ordination day. I will have the honor of being ordained on the same day as ten of my classmates and this reminds me that the day is really not about me. My ordination will be a day of celebration for both the diocese and the universal church, and I am eagerly looking forward to that day.
Deacon Raney Johnson
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING THANK YOU NOTES FROM RANEY AND FROM HIS MOM BONNIE:
TO: Black History Committee of Sacred Heart &
Parishioners
FROM: Deacon Raney Johnson
I want to thank you all for honoring me at the Black History Celebration at your church on February 9th. I was humbled by the entire experience. The kindness that you all showed me will forever be remembered in my heart. Please extend my thanks to all of the parishioners who go to Sacred Heart. I also want to thank the children’s choir. They did an amazing job. I especially want to thank all of you, the members of this great committee, for inviting me to attend and putting on an excellent program. I have shared with many here at the seminary how impressed I was with everything.
I encourage you all to please do the program again next year. However, this time there will be no need to honor me, a simple invitation will work. I would even love to help you all plan it.
Again, I want to express my deepest gratitude. There is no way that I can return sufficient thanks for all the generosity you all showed to me. Thank you for your material, financial, and spiritual gifts that you gave to me. You all will be in my daily prayers. Please continue to pray for me.
In Christ through Mary,
Raney Johnson
TO: Fr. Mike, Deacon Nash and All
Committee Members
FROM: Bonnie Johnson
So many ways to do the job, To earn the Priase . . . .
To play the role,
To be the rock,
To share the care
To walk the Talk . . . .
To take the time
To know what’s BEST. . . . . .
And shows the LOVE,
With a Shining Light!
Thank you!, Thank you!, Thank you!
Thanks so much, to the “Little Church with the BIG HEART.”
Love, Bonnie Johnson
Jean Woods has joined the Catholic Charities of North Louisiana Shreveport as their new Case Manager.
Jean has been in social work since she started at St. Vincent de Paul disaster services. She worked as a Case manager and then was promoted to Office Manager assisting people throughout Shreveport, Bossier, Natchitoches, and Monroe. Their mission assisted with damages to homes due to the flood of 2016, food, clothing, utilities, and helping others achieve their GED, as well as home visits for the elderly and physically challenged. In 2019, when the program closed, she participated in several volunteer projects at Sacred Heart of Jesus CatholicChurch. She worked on the Parish Directory, Catholic Black History Program, and the St. Vincent de Paul conference.
Jean is working to assist clients in achieving financial stability. She is also responsible for interviewing clients for emergency assistance and teaching Money School financial management classes for Catholic Charities of North Louisiana. Her mother instilled in her to "Be happy, make a difference, and always remember to help someone along the way."
Look for Jean in the Catholic Connection.
Fr. Francis became a United States Citizen, June 12, 2020.. We are very happy to have you as a new American. Congratulations on your new citizenship.