September 2023

Jeff Davis Area Retired Teachers Association (JDARTA) recently held its September meeting at the Jennings First Baptist Church Family Life Center. The guest speaker was Jeff Davis Parish Assistant Superintendent Ben Oustalet. JDARTA also named officers at the meeting, including Treasurer Evette Broussard (from left), Second Vice President Carolyn Duplechain, President Francis Byler, Secretary Mamcy Mallett and First Vice President Gayle Jones. The newly appointed officers and a few of the group’s members also attended the Louisiana Retired Teachers Association District IV meeting in Lake Charles.

Thursday night the sky was lit up with the beautiful Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon appeared Sept. 28 for the first time and reached peaked illumination Friday morning. The Harvest Moon’s name relates to the timing of the autumnal equinox. The Harvest Moon offers an abundance of bright moonlight early in the evening, aiding farmers in harvesting their summer-grown crops.

“Iguess I’m having my second childhood,” said my 90-year-old aunt in our telephone conversation this weekend. “I never had tonsillitis as a child but now I’m on my second week of antibiotics for what they’re calling ‘tonsillitis.’” Since she has been homebound, I have called to report what news I could think of, and to learn from her, too. We discussed the calendar, school starts, birthdays and anniversaries.

(FOM) for August from Frank Angelle (left). Andy is a third degree knight. Andy and Stacey were named FOM for their ongoing work with the Our Lady Help of Christian (OLHC) Catholic Church ACTS (Adoration, Community, Theology and Service) retreat group. Andy was retreat director of the OLHC ACTS retreat held in August and Stacey will be Co-Director of the OLHC Women’s ACTS retreat in November. An ACTS retreat is a three day and three night Catholic lay retreat. The retreat begins on Thursday evening and ends the following Sunday at a Mass celebrated with the parish community. Retreats for men and retreats for women are given separately. Talks and activities during the retreat focus on adoration, community, theology and service, from which the ACTS program acronym is derived. Andy and Stacey are also Lectors at Sunday masses at OLHC