Pastoral Care
Father J. Peterson Smith, Rector

Father Pete, a native of Carlsbad, New Mexico, is the fourth of five children. His father was a geologist and mining engineer and his mother a housewife. Father Pete was baptized as an infant in the Episcopal church and has been a faithful communicant since. He is, by nature, shy and feels most comfortable in one-on-one conversations.

At the age of 16, he received a call to priesthood and, following graduation from college with a major in history, he married and attended Seabury Western Theological Seminary in Chicago, from which he graduated three years later with a Master of Divinity degree. He has been a priest for over 36 years in the dioceses of Dallas/Fort Worth, Arkansas, and Western Louisiana.

Fr. Pete has done graduate work in clinical psychology and has
attended the Anglican Institute and seminars in Jerusalem and Rome. He was sent by the Diocese of Arkansas to a conflict management seminar in St. Louis to assist the Bishop of that diocese with troubled parishes. He is a pastor with a pastor's heart who seeks the spiritual welfare of his flock. He has been active in the Cursillo movement for his entire ministry and has been diocesan Spiritual Director in both Arkansas and Western Louisiana.

Since 1990, he has been Rector of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany. He is married to Jan, and they have two grown children, two grandchildren, and two grand-dogs. Fr. Pete’s interests include reading, hunting, canoeing and travel.

Special Needs and Prayers

One of the advantages of being in a small, family-like parish is that the parishioner is not a mere number. As the priest moves along the altar rail, dispensing the body of Jesus Christ in the bread, he prays silently for any spiritual, emotional, or physical needs of his flock of which he is aware.

If you have any special needs, speak to the priest. If you desire your concerns to be kept private, let Fr. Pete know that explicitly. If not, your area of apprehension may be prayed for in the intercessions at Mass. We are a family, and when one member is apprehensive, the family's job is to emotionally and prayerfully support.

If you will be going through medical tests or surgery, speak to the priest. He will anoint you with holy oil and pray with you. He also
desires to be with you and your family at the hospital at the time of the surgery.

Special Ceremonies

Baptism: If any adult or child is desirous of Baptism, speak with Fr. Pete. Baptism is the sacramental means of being grafted into the body of Christ and made a child of God. It is something far more holy than dressing up in Grandma's baptismal gown and eating cake. It is assumed that if a person being baptized is a child, the parents will be faithful in getting the child to church and seeing to it that he or she is given Christian nurture.

The promises made by the godparents and parents assume that they are serious about living out their own spirituality and are disciplined enough to pray daily for the person they sponsor, while reflecting in their daily lives the difference their own Christianity means to them. Speak to the priest if there is a question about the sponsor or godparent.

Normally, the parents and godparents meet the priest for an hour or so, well in advance of the day of the service, to go over the vows being made in the service and responsibilities those vows entail. Following the baptismal service, usually the parents and godparents furnish a cake in honor of the person being baptized at a small reception in the parish hall.

Weddings: The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony should be planned several months in advance. Several hours of instruction are normally part of the preparation. Those who wish to marry divorced persons or who have themselves been divorced should be willing to go over with the priest the essentials of why the first marriage did not succeed and what was learned from the experience.

It is understood that the priest at a wedding is both an agent of the state and an agent of the church. That being the case, the priest will abide by all church and state laws. It is required that at least one of the intended spouses be a baptized Christian. It also is required that the priest be notified at least 60 days prior to the intended date of matrimony. (90 days notification is needed if either of the parties has been divorced.) It is within the discretion of the priest to decline to solemnize any marriage.

Funerals: If a death occurs to a family member or a close friend who is a member of the Episcopal church, contact the priest if services are desired. Please inform the priest if the deceased had no religious affiliation.

Funerals:

1. The funeral service for the faithful departed should be conducted in the Church and not in a funeral home.

2. The family of the deceased should feel free to confer with the priest concerning funeral arrangements and/or expenditure. Normally, no funerals are held on Sundays or major Holy Days.

3. A Requiem (Holy Communion) should be offered for the faith- ful departed either at the time of the funeral or at another hour.

4. It is assumed that in requesting the services of a priest of the Episcopal Church the family accepts the discipline and worship of the Church in which he was ordained to serve.

Therefore:

a. At any Episcopal service, once at the church, the casket is closed and must remain closed thereafter.

b. Flowers may not be brought into the body of the church, except for those designated for the altar. There are to be no flowers placed on the casket while the body is in the church. It is appropriate to have the following put in the obituary: A memorial fund has been established at Epiphany Church, Opelousas, LA.

c. The funeral pall which covers the casket suggests there is no difference between persons at death. The American flag may be substituted for the pall, if military honors are to be given to the departed.

d. The Church discourages the use of fraternal rites in connection with burial. Where fraternal rites are desired, their service should precede the Church service either at the home of the departed or at the funeral home.

e. There is "no charge" for the services of the priest or for the use of the Church by the members of the parish.

THE LAST RITES are of great comfort to the dying and are a consolation to those who mourn. When death appears imminent, call your priest. He can administer Holy Unction and the Blessed Sacrament which will properly prepare the loved one for paradise.

Members In Good Standing

TITLE I

CANON 17.

Of Regulations Respecting the Laity
Sec. 1 (a). All persons who have received the sacrament of Holy Baptism with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, whether in this Church or in another Christian Church, and whose baptism has been duly recorded in this Church, are members thereof.

Sec. 2 (a). All members of this Church who have received Holy Communion in this Church at least three times during the preceding year are to be considered communicants of this Church.

(b). For the purposes of statistical consistency throughout the Church, communicants sixteen years of age and over are to be considered adult communicants.

Sec. 3 All communicants of this church who for the previous year have been faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented, and have been faithful in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God, are to be considered communicants in good standing.

In brief, this means that a communicant in good standing is a baptized person who attends Church every Sunday "unless for good cause prevented" and whose baptism (whether in the Episcopal Church or other Church) has been duly recorded in the Epiphany, Opelousas, Parish Register. In the course of regular attendance, the communicant shall have received Holy Communion at least three times during the year. Most active communicants will be confirmed in addition to being baptized.

The Seven Sacraments

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM is normally administered at one of the Sunday services. Call the Church office to make arrangements. A child should be brought for Baptism as soon as possible. The normal time would be within the first six weeks after birth. Any child that is ill should be baptized immediately.

GODPARENTS OR SPONSORS: If both parents are Episcopalians, we will not be too strict about the denomination of the Godparents. They must be baptized persons, and we would prefer Episcopalians. Non-Episcopalian Godparents should read the vows and make certain they can, with good conscience, take them and carry them out. Where only one parent is an Episcopalian or where neither belong to the Church, at least two Godparents should be Episcopalian.

It is possible for the Godparents to be present by proxy. There must be a proxy appointed for each absent Godparent. Baptism should never be put off because a Godparent cannot come until months after birth.

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY CONFIRMATION is administered at Epiphany once each year. The classes are at the most convenient time for the majority of those wishing to learn more about Christianity and the Episcopal tradition.

THE HOLY EUCHARIST is the central act of Christian Worship. The altar is not only the center of our parish life but the center of the life of each member. In this Wonderful Sacrament, instituted by our Lord, we bring all that we are, all we have done, and offer it with Christ's perfect offering, thus sanctifying and strengthening it for Christian Service and Mission. He returns it to us in Holy Communion. We bear Christ's Very Real Presence out into our everyday world, and He changes it, bringing it into ever closer union with God. Because of the fast pace of modern life, it is suggested that we need to make our communions at least weekly and, for many, more than once a week.

Epiphany has two Eucharist services on Sunday and one every Thursday.

THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION (Confession) is administered by appointment. The Anglican Church does not require that anyone go to Confession. Many find the Sacrament a great comfort and have a rule to go at stated times. Since this is another means of receiving God's Grace, one does not have to be in serious sin to avail oneself of its benefits. Confession is "open to all, recommended to some, required of none."

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY UNCTION especially before surgery, is administered by appointment. Call the Rector. In any illness it is appropriate to call the priest and ask for Holy Unction, which is the Church's healing Sacrament. Holy Unction (a healing service) is held at the 12 noon Eucharist every Thursday.

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY MATRIMONY should be planned several months in advance. At least four hours of instruction are required before marriage. Those who have been divorced or wish to marry divorced persons must have been divorced for at least a year before they can be considered for remarriage in the Church. Both parties must be baptized persons. Due to the paper work, having to write the Bishop's office, etc., it is necessary to contact the priest at least three months in advance, if one or both of the marriage partners have been divorced.

HOLY ORDERS that is Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, are absolutely necessary for proper and valid Sacraments and for the proper governing of the Church. Christ ordained the Apostles, and all valid Bishops, Priests, or Deacons are in an unbroken succession from them. Every parent should be proud to encourage their children to consider this high calling. Persons who are interested should contact the Rector immediately. The Religious orders (Monks and Nuns) are open to all young men and women. The Rector can furnish more information about this to those who feel they might be called.