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Two men to be ordained priests on June 4, 2022
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April 28, 2022The Rev. Mr. Stephen Castille and the Rev. Mr. James Rome will be ordained to the priesthood, Saturday, June 4, at 10 a.m., at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville, KY, will be the ordaining prelate.
The Rev. Mr. Stephen Castille is the 53 year old son of Martha and Wilrey Castille. He was born in Lafayette and raised in Church Point, and has two siblings, an older brother, Tim; and a younger sister, Catina Ortego. He graduated from Church Point High School in 1987.
He attended St. Joseph Seminary College in Saint Benedict where he received a bachelor of arts degree in liberal art, and is currently attending Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans where he will receive a master of divinity degree this month.
Since becoming ordained as a transitional deacon, the Rev. Mr. Castille has been involved in youth ministry, especially with confirmation preparation; visiting nursing homes and homebound parishioners; and after Hurricane Ida, he helped Catholic Charities Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux on the emergency response team.
“I am most looking forward to doing spiritual direction/pastoral counseling and being able to celebrate the sacraments, especially the sacrament of the Eucharist and confession. I am very excited to be able to serve the people of the Houma-Thibodaux diocese,” says the Rev. Mr. Castille.
He will celebrate his first Mass at St. Bernadette Church in Houma (his chosen home parish) at 4 p.m., Saturday, June 4, as well as a Mass of Thanksgiving at St Genevieve Church in Thibodaux (his intern parish) at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, June 5.
The Rev. Mr. James P. Rome is a 56 year old native of Golden Meadow and a graduate of South Lafourche High School in Galliano. He is the son of the late Hazel Rebstock Rome and Ervin Rome and has three older siblings, Sandra Clement, Michael Rome and Mary Rome.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting (cum laude) in 1988 and master’s degree in Business Administration (cum laude) in 1992 from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux. In 1990, he became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Throughout his career, he worked in the field of accounting and finance for the Lafourche Telephone Company, Department of the Treasury – Internal Revenue Service, Danos & Curole Marine Contractors, and the Greater Lafourche Port Commission.
He attended Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy (cum laude) and a master’s degree in Divinity (cum laude).
His diaconate internship began at St Bernadette Church parish under the guidance of the Very Rev. André Melancon, V.F., which transitioned into Hurricane Ida emergency response at Our Lady of the Isle Church parish in Grand Isle after Hurricane Ida devastated the diocese. “I will never forget that amazing experience of just being Jesus to anyone there in need,” he says.
During his final year at seminary, he has been involved in assisting couples whose marriages have ended in divorce by requesting the diocesan Tribunal to evaluate the sacramentality of their marriage bonds for possible declaration of nullity. He has also attended married couple’s weekends and wishes to remain involved in marriage counseling for couples. After having completed his studies on marriage preparation, he is anxious to begin to formulate his own recipe of implementing the church’s wide variety of resources for marriage preparation in order to reduce the need for future marriage counseling and avoid future declarations of nullity.
“I am most looking forward to receiving God’s sacred grace from the sacrament of holy orders,” says the Rev. Mr. Rome. “At this moment, I have no idea of my first associate priestly assignment much less of my future as a pastor. What I can say is that where ever I am assigned in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, I plan to build a culture of community and family. My home parish of Our Lady of Prompt Succor has been an anchor in my life. Receiving all of my sacraments there, I have tied my boat up to it as a strong piling in the bayou. As does everyone, I have experienced many storms and struggles over 56 years, but the people back home have always been there for me. Everyone should grow up in a church parish that is not only a strong community, but a family. I want to bring that where ever I am assigned.”
He will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church in Golden Meadow, Sunday June 5, at 10 a.m.