Yesterday we celebrated a traditional festival known to all Catholic countries and regions as carnival or Mardi Gras. People came out from everywhere to watch a parade of costumed dressed people ride a decorated float throwing to the crowd multicolored beads. It actually was about a dozen parades over the past few days. People were camped out all along the parade route. They were camping with RV’s, tailgating and generally having a good time. After it was all over, my wife and I were driving home from my brother’s house and commenting on the amount of trash thrown on the streets. I was saying that the city workers were going to be busy all night cleaning. A young woman from Oregon working here was talking about how she enjoyed the family camaraderie of the entire area. I told her it was the French culture of hospitality. That culture that made our area of the state unique and a community. It is what drew people from everywhere to live in our state. The sense of community that binds people together in good times and bad. Today starts the season of Lent, 40 days of prayer and fasting in the Catholic church. It is to prepare us for Easter or celebration of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Even those people who aren’t Catholic celebrate this occasion because they are part of the family, the body of Christ. And there is nothing more important than family in the church and in our French community.
Joseph1637/Crain Blanchard 