A Season of Liturgical Renewal

In the life of the Church, seasons matter. Some seasons are clearly marked on the liturgical calendar—Advent, Lent, Easter—while others emerge more quietly, recognized only in hindsight as moments of grace and growth. What we are experiencing now in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux is one of those moments: a season of liturgical renewal.

This season did not begin as a program, a policy, or a temporary initiative. It began, rather simply, with discernment.

In his first months as our new spiritual father, Bishop Simon Peter Engurait entered deeply into prayer, listening attentively for what the Lord was asking of him as shepherd of the local Church. Like every bishop, he received not only the fullness of Holy Orders at his ordination, but also a profound responsibility: to teach, to sanctify, and to govern the people entrusted to his care. Central to that mission is the sacred liturgy — the source and summit of the Church’s life.

One of the earliest moments that shaped this season was Bishop Simon Peter’s own episcopal ordination. Many who were present recall the reverence and beauty of the liturgy that day, despite having to relocate to a gymnasium due to the large number of expected attendees. Given the limitations of our space, the faithful still responded with joy and attentiveness as we made history together. In that celebration, the liturgy did what it is meant to do: it lifted hearts and minds to God and revealed something of heaven breaking into our midst. 

Our bishop was deeply struck by this response, as were many others who still speak about the impact that experience had on them. He saw firsthand how beauty in the liturgy evangelizes and forms—not through explanation alone, but through experience. It became clear to him that the liturgy is not merely something we “do,” but something that does something to us as we worship God. It shapes how we believe, how we pray, and how we live as disciples of Jesus Christ.

As Bishop Simon Peter continued his discernment, he turned to the Church’s liturgical ritual books—the very texts that describe and guide the celebration of the sacraments and the public prayer of the Church. In reading them, he encountered again the Church’s vision of the bishop as the “chief steward of the mysteries of God” in the diocese. The liturgy is not incidental to episcopal ministry; it is central. Through the liturgy, the bishop gathers the Church, hands on the faith to the people of God, and forms them in holiness.

This realization marked a turning point. What began as a reflection on his own role soon expanded into a broader invitation for the entire diocese. If the liturgy forms us so profoundly, then renewing our understanding and celebration of it is not a short-term project, but a necessary and ongoing work.

The concept of a diocesan focus on liturgical renewal was first introduced to priests at our fall priest convocation, where it was warmly received and widely praised as both timely and much needed. Subsequently, the initiative was formally announced to the faithful of the diocese when Bishop Simon Peter issued his second Pastoral Letter, Inaugurating Liturgical Renewal in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux: Reclaiming and Renewing Our Catholic Identity. The letter was published at the beginning of Advent, the moment when the Church inaugurates a new liturgical year. Thus, what we are calling a “season of liturgical renewal” was born in the life of our diocese.

This new season is not about changing everything overnight, nor is it about criticism of the past or the present. Rather, it is about rediscovering the Church’s wisdom and allowing it to shape us anew. It is a time to ask deeper questions: Why do we celebrate the liturgy the way we do? What is God doing through these sacred signs? How does the liturgy form us as missionary disciples?

For our diocese, this renewal touches every level of parish life—from how we prepare and celebrate the sacraments, to how we train liturgical ministers, to how we foster reverence, participation, and unity in worship. It invites priests, deacons, musicians, catechists, and the lay faithful to grow together in a shared vision of the Church’s prayer.

Most importantly, this season reminds us that the liturgy belongs to the whole Church. It is not the personal possession of any individual or group, but a sacred gift we receive and hand on to the next generation. When celebrated faithfully and beautifully, the liturgy teaches us who God is and who we are as His people.

As Director of the Office of Worship, I see this season as a moment of grace—an opportunity to walk together, under the leadership of our new bishop, toward deeper unity and renewed faith. The Lord is inviting us not simply to “do liturgy better,” but to allow the liturgy to do its work more fully in us.

This is why we are entering a season, not a moment. Renewal takes time. Formation is gradual. But when rooted in prayer, guided by the Church, and shepherded by a bishop attentive to the Spirit, such a season can bear lasting fruit.

May this season of liturgical renewal draw us ever closer to Christ, who meets us each time we gather at the altar, and may it strengthen our diocese as a living and worshiping Body of Christ.

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Fr. Rusty is the Director of the Office of Worship and the Pastor of St. Hilary & St. Anthony.