Special Centennial Fȇte-Dieu du Vermilion Eucharistic Procession on August 15
Since 2015 the Community of Jesus Crucified has been
hosting an all-day “Holy Day” Eucharistic Boat
Procession for the Feast of the Assumption, August 15.
This year’s Fête has great significance as it occurs
during the Centennial of the Diocese of Lafayette
(1918-2018). In order to celebrate the 100th
anniversary of the Diocese of Lafayette, the
Assumption Eucharistic Boat Procession this year will
be held on Bayou Vermilion. Fȇte-Dieu du Vermilion
will begin with Holy Mass in French at 8:00 am at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Abbeville. The
celebrant will be His Excellency Glen J. Provost, D. D., Bishop of Lake Charles. Bishop Provost
is a native son of the Diocese of Lafayette and served for several years at St. Mary Magdalen. Lake
Charles is the Diocese of Lafayette’s only daughter diocese, formed
from the territory of the Lafayette Diocese in 1980.
At the end of Mass there will be a procession from St. Mary Magdalen
Church with the Blessed Sacrament and a statue of the Assumption of
Mary across the draw bridge to the old Riverfront Restaurant. At 10:00
am 121 boats will embark (one for each of the 121 parishes of the
Diocese) and process up Bayou Vermilion to Lafayette. The boat
procession will stop near the bridge in Milton at 11:35 am for recitation
of the Rosary and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The flotilla
will re-commence at 12:35 pm and continue upstream, arriving at
Ruffino’s in River Ranch at 1:40 pm for Rosary and
Benediction. The boat procession will embark once
again at 2:40 pm and arrive at Beaver Park at about
3:20 pm. At 3:45 pm a foot procession with the Blessed
Sacrament and a statue of the Assumption of the
Blessed Virgin Mary will leave the landing and
process up University Avenue in Lafayette all the way
to the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Solemn
Vespers will be prayed at 5:00 pm and Holy Mass will
follow at 5:30 pm with Bishop Douglas Deshotel to
conclude the historic day. Confessions will be heard in mobile units at each of the stops along the
way. This will be an exciting and unique “once in a hundred years’ event!”
The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
Mary (August 15), is a very important feast in the Catholic
Church, but especially for the Diocese of Lafayette. It is the
Feast of the Acadians who settled here in 1765. The
Acadians originally sailed to Nouvelle-Écosse (Nova Scotia)
under the star of Our Lady of the Assumption and again
during the Grand Dérangement. The Acadian flag, both
Canadian and Louisiana Acadian, highlights the centrality of
Our Lady of the Assumption for the Acadian people. The
gold star on a white field represents “Our Lady of the Assumption”, Patroness of the Acadians.
When the first settlers departed France for the New
World, the Virgin Mary was highly revered. It was a
period of great devotion to the Virgin. The King of
France, Louis XIII, and Pope Pius XI declared the
Virgin Mary the patroness of the kingdom, (Patronne de
Royaume) and Patroness Saint of all the Acadians in
Canada, Louisiana and elsewhere. On August 15, 1638,
France and her colonies were consecrated to Mary under
the title “Our Lady of the Assumption”.
Fr. Michael Champagne, CJC, the organizer of the unique event explains that during Fȇte-Dieu du
Vermilion “the Blessed Sacrament will be fixed on an altar on the lead boat under a canopy, with
a pair of adorers in adoration between the towns visited. Another boat will carry the statue of the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The
Eucharistic Procession will stop and disembark
at makeshift altars along the Vermilion for
recitation of the Rosary and Benediction of the
Blessed Sacrament. For those who are unable to
participate by boat, all are invited to join for
Mass at St. Mary Magdalen in Abbeville and
then to drive and gather at any of the planned
stops along the banks of Bayou Vermilion.
Those who wish to participate in the 1.8-mile
foot procession from Beaver Park boat landing
to the Cathedral should arrive at Vermilionville
by 3 p.m. The Attakapas trail that runs beneath Evangeline Throughway is to be used to muster at
the boat landing for a 3:45 p.m. departure with the Blessed Sacrament and statue of the Assumption
of Mary to the Cathedral. Priests will be available at each stop for Confessions.”
“To accompany our Lord in His Eucharistic
Presence up the Vermilion River on the
Solemnity dedicated to our Blessed Mother’s
Assumption and to recall 100 years of diocesan
history in Southwest Louisiana at the same
time—this is a privilege that defies words”
observes Bishop Glen Provost, a native son of
the Diocese of Lafayette and bishop of
Lafayette’s daughter diocese, the Diocese of
Lake Charles. “Let us remember that the
Acadians and French who first settled in our area
were Catholic, and in the case of the Acadians
were expelled from Nova Scotia primarily because they were Catholic. It is our history we
remember. It is our faith we celebrate. It is our Lord we adore and worship.” Bishop Douglas
Deshotel will conclude Fête-Dieu du Vermilion with the Mass of the Assumption at the Cathedral
of St. John at 5:30 p.m. Concerning this unique event Bishop Deshotel notes, “This year marks my
third time participating in the Assumption Boat Procession. I have been edified by the devotion
and participation of so many priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful. I think such a public
Eucharistic celebration is an excellent manifestation of the new evangelization that we so
desperately need.”
Itinerary for Centennial Eucharistic Boat Procession on Bayou Vermilion
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
(Feast of the Assumption of Mary)
8:00 a.m. Holy Mass in French with Bishop Glen Provost, D.D., Bishop of Lake Charles at
St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, Abbeville
9:15 a.m. Procession from St. Mary Magdalen Church to Old Riverfront Restaurant
9:30 a.m. Recitation of the Rosary and Benediction of Blessed Sacrament on Riverbank
10:00 a.m. Departure of flotilla for Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Lafayette
11:35 a.m. Arrive at Milton Bridge
Rosary & Benediction
1:40 p.m. Arrive at Ruffino’s in Lafayette
Rosary & Benediction
3:00 p.m. Walkers arrive at Vermilionville
3:20 p.m. Flotilla arrives at Beaver Park
Rosary & Benediction
3:45 p.m. Foot Procession departs for Cathedral
4:45 p.m. Arrival and Benediction in Square
5:00 p.m. Solemn Vespers in Cathedral
5:30 p.m. Holy Mass with Bishop Deshotel
*Confessions will be available at all stops in Mobile
Units along the Procession
Boat Registration
To register a boat for the procession, send an email to fetedieuduteche@gmail.com or download
a registration form at www.fetedieuduteche.org Once the registration form is completed and
waivers signed, either mail them to 103 Railroad Avenue, St. Martinville, LA 70582 or scan the
completed forms and email them to the above email
address as an attachment. The boat coordinator will
contact you with details. Each boat will be issued a
specially designed flag to fly during the procession. The
special flags will each represent one of the 121 parishes
of the Diocese of Lafayette. Catholic schools are
encouraged to send their students or a representative
group to be present at one of the stops along the
procession, but especially to participate in the final foot
procession from Beaver Park to the Cathedral.
Additional Information
For more information, visit the website www.fetedieuduteche.org or Fete-Dieu du Teche on
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CommunityofJesusCrusified/ or contact Fr. Michael
Champagne, CJC by telephone at (337) 394-6550 or email at fetedieuduteche@gmail.com