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October 3, 2018
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October 3, 2018
Houma’s first African American Catholic Bishop is an official member of the Finding Our Roots African American Museum. And so are the names of 3,000 slaves who were baptized in the Terrebonne-Lafourche Parish Region.
The museum inducted Bishop Sheldon Fabre of the Houma-Thibodaux Diocese and accepted a donation of baptismal index name from Fabre, during a special ceremony on Sept 27 at the museum, .located at 918 Roussell Street in Houma.
Fabre is the area’s first African American Bishop and the fourth bishop of the diocese; presently, he is also one of 16 African American Catholic Bishops in the United States.
Also previously, he was the third African American to serve as Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans.
“I am deeply grateful for the very existence of this place,” Fabre said.
“God has gifted us with the ability to remember – perhaps the thing that separates us from the rest of creation. This is a unique gift. And so is this place.”
“This place is a place of remembering – remembering tears, heartache, suffering; and a place of remembering hope, those who had a resilient spirit, those who were very strong in their resolve to be all that God wanted them to be,” the bishop said.
Fabre said after earlier taking a brief tour of the museum, that it was filled with, “heroes who teach us much through their presence, their education, their sacrifice and their gifts.”
“This museum spurs us to build on the legacy of those whose shoulders we stand on. This beloved community that recognizes the gifts and dignity of each and every person.”
“It also gives us hope to walk together with everyone, toward that dream Dr. Martin Luther King often spoke about, as we make the final journey to the kingdom our Lord Jesus has waiting for us.”
Fabre said he was honored to turn over the 3,000 names of those slaves who were baptized in the area.
“I am not dismissing the horror that was done to them. Nor am I dismissing the horror they encountered from our church,” he said.
“Our church owns its history, both the good, and the bad.”
“But these names, they represent a soul, a soul that was led to Jesus and for that, we should all be eternally grateful.”
Fabre said the slaves’ efforts and sacrifices are now officially on record to be remembered, in Terrebonne Parish, in the Houma-Thibodaux Diocese.
“I am here to let all of you know today, that this diocese has great esteem for this place, and we will walk with you, and with all people,” Fabre said
Margy Scoby, the president of the museum, said the bishop had left her speechless.
“It means the world to me. Ya’ll just don’t know – what happened here today was historical in so many ways, but the biggest one is this – slaves have been set free once again,” Scoby said.
She presented Fabre with gifts including a copy of the book, The House of Bondage, written by African American Author Octavia Rogers Albert in the mid 1800s. It is a collection of interviews from slaves including many from Louisiana.
“This is the only author I have found to capture the facts of slavery,” Scoby informed the bishop.
Terrebonne Parish Gordon Dove said he was honored to be present for the historic occasion, and in such an historic building.
“It’s an honor to see your picture hanging here Bishop, in this building which represents so much history and so much hard work, ” Dove said.
