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His first
assignment was in Ville Platte where he served as associate pastor
and director of Sacred Heart School. He also coached athletics and taught
several academic classes daily. During
that time Sacred Heart teams won several state championships. The
attendance rose from 29 in the High School to become one of the largest
Catholic Schools in the state. He was appointed by Bishop Jeanmard as
Diocesan Director of Youth and organized Sodalities in every Catholic High
School of the Diocese. The State Knights of Columbus selected him as State
Chaplain for four terms. He was deeply involved in management-labor
issues. He served frequently as arbitrator and appeared before the state
legislature representing the Diocese of Lafayette on social issues. He was
mainly instrumental in beginning the Evangeline Parish Public Library and
that year was selected as the "Ville Platte Citizen of the
Year." One of the many activities he launched as State Chaplain of
the Knights of Columbus was a statewide religion contest among members of
the Order. It is still an important event. He conducted over one hundred
Cana Conferences for married couples throughout the state as well as
Triune conferences for parents and teenagers. At his suggestion the state
council adopted the custom of appointing diocesan K.C. Chaplains. He also
served for several years as State Chaplain of the Catholic Daughters of
the Americas. He Was Diocesan Family Life Director for over ten years. He
conducted many major workshops on “lay leadership.” He developed
“vocation” programs and located fifty or so large highway billboards
throughout the state with inscriptions of “We Priests Live a Happy Life!
Join us!” or “Jesus Needs a Few Good Men! Could this be you?”
In
1949 Father DeBlanc was transferred to
Lafayette as pastor of Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic Student
Center on the University Campus. Deeply interested in developing lay
leadership in the Church, he engaged six lay leaders trained in Grailville,
Ohio to work full time on the university campus. A pioneer in the
liturgical movement r he was possibly the first priest in the South and
maybe the U.S.A. to be given permission to celebrate Mass facing the
people with a daily homily. This was in 1949. He continued work with
Sodalities of the Catholic school and
began the formation of Junior Newman Clubs in the public school of the
diocese. He gave courses in psychology at Siena College in Memphis. He was
made a Domestic Prelate by the Pope in 1952 with the title Right Reverend
Monsignor.
In
1955 Monsignor DeBlanc was selected by the Bishops of the United
States to become National Director of their Family Life Bureau in
Washington, D.C. He served in that capacity for six years. He spent six
months visiting and organizing six family life programs in virtually all
the dioceses of the country. While in Washington he worked with U. S.
Armed Forces in assignments which took him to U. S. troops stationed in
this country and around the World. He was given the status of Major
General during that year of
special service. He gave two talks at Arlington Cemetery in Washington. He
has given numerous retreats to priests throughout this country: Chicago,
New York, Albany, Dubuque, St. Louis, Natchez, Houston, Youngstown, and to
Military Chaplains abroad. He has encircled the globe four times. He
taught courses in sociology at the Catholic University in Washington. With
a small group he had meals with the King of Morocco, the Queen of Holland
as well as three different presidents of the U.S.A.: Eisenhower, Kennedy
and Nixon. He has also worked behind the "iron Curtain" on
secret missions. He completed every assignment except to Cardinal
Mindsenty – who was in prison. He was selected as one of the twenty
outstanding sociologists of the U.S.A. and Sent around the world to study
and report on family life in different countries.
In
1961 Monsignor DeBlanc returned to his home diocese and was appointed
pastor of Queen of Heaven Parish. He immediately launched a number of
programs to help form a dynamic Christian Community and culture. As
instruments the following physical facilities were added: An elementary
school, a day care center, a school for exceptional children, an enlarged
rectory, gymnasium, auditorium, Catholic Book Store (Crossroads), a
Catholic Mausoleum and Cemetery (Consolata), the enlargement of two
chapels -- Christ the King and St. Martin de Porres. A new church was
built in 1970. The new structure won a number of national and regional
awards in liturgy and architecture. A three million dollar family life
center was then built and later an Olympic sized pool was added With an
aquatic center. This was followed by a four million dollar retirement
center: Villa Maria which already has dozens on its waiting list. He has
recently helped to bring into this country nuns from Nigeria ... dedicated
and vowed to care for the ill and aging. He was the first Chaplain of the
Lake Charles Seaman's Center. He has served as Vicar General, Episcopal
Vicar, Chairman of the Diocesan Disaster Board, as well as the
Reconciliation and Arbitration Board. After leaving Queen of Heaven as
pastor for 31 years he was appointed Episcopal Vicar for Special Services
in the Diocese and continues in that position. He has been especially
interested in the aging. He is mainly responsible for the erection of a
Millennium Statue of Christ near the lake of Lake Charles.
In honor of Christ’s
Bi-Millennium, Monsignor DeBlanc is mainly responsible for a sixteen foot
bronze statue, plus eight-foot pedestal, with lights, in downtown Lake
Charles on the lakefront. The Governor, State and local political and
civic leaders joined in the unveiling of the statue and publicly declared
Christ: “Our Citizen of the Centuries.” A bronze girl and boy statue
is being placed at the feet of the Christ statue holding a dove from
Christ representing love and peace. It was a non-denominational civic
endeavor. It is a new major landmark for the city. It is possibly the
largest bronze statue of Christ in this country.
For youth he has begun a
“Service Award” for selected graduates of all Catholic Schools in the
Diocese of Lake Charles. The award is a plaque of Christ washing the feet
of His Apostles, as well as a $250.00 certificate of deposit. This award
will continue in perpetuum. He initiated a “Catholic Leader Award” by
the Knights of Columbus for an outstanding boy and girls in each Church
parish with its C.C.D program.
Monsignor is a
Charter Member of the Lake Charles Ministerial Alliance, a member of the
Board of Directors of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. He
was an officer of the National Council on Family Relations, as well as the
International Union of Family Organization, and also the Louisiana Board
of Institutions. He was a chairman for the White House Conference on Youth
and later for senior citizens. He has
been on the executive board for area scouting, as well as LAVOAD and
TRIAD.
In 1970 the Knights of Columbus conferred
on him their highest honor the "Knight Commander's Cross." Pope
Paul VI made him a "Knight of the Holy Sepulcher." Pope John
Paul II promoted him to the rank of "Knight Commander." On the
50th Anniversary of his Alma Mater, 1973, Notre Dame Seminary, he was
selected as the Alumnus who best exemplified the role of
"Pastor-Leader." in 1982 Pope Paul II made him a "Protonotary
Apostolic." In 1982
the National Conference of Christians and Jews gave him their
"Brotherhood Award." In
1988 the Boy Scouts Association selected him as their "Citizen of
Southwest Louisiana." In 1997 K.C. Council 1207 presented him with
the Harry Huber "Outstanding Knight" award.
Monsignor DeBlanc had a nationally
syndicated weekly column "Making Marriage Click" for
years, which he has continued locally. He has written two books on the
role of the father another entitled "Manners and Morals," also,
"Engagement the Catholic Way," "Sanctity and Success in
Marriage," "Population Realism," "A Martyr to
Truth." “Good Listeners Our Greatest Need,” “Ten Rules of Life
for Catholic Leaders,” “Thirty Keys to a Happy Life,” “Questions
Children ask about Childbirth,” “A Real Man is a Gospel From
Heaven,” “Woman: An Awesome Mystery!.” “Mr. & Mrs.: An Examen
for Couples.” Character, a Teenager’s Greatest Challenge!.” “ Ten
Rules of Life,” (a magnet), and Who Me A Sidewalk Saint.
Msgr. DeBlanc has
completed the wonderful book "Who Me A Sidewalk Saint" December 2001.
It can be purchased from the
Crossroads Book Store listed below. This book contains great
material for all of us to read and is a wonderful gift to others.
He is now completing
"Marriage
the Most
Beautiful Way to Heaven but the Hardest:" and "Mothers
and Fathers Miracles of Love."
He appears regularly on television
in the Diocesan Catholic Hour. He conducts weekend retreats for
specialized groups.
In 1993 the National Federation of
Priests selected him from thousands of priests throughout the U.S.A. as
"National Priest of the Year."
In October of the year 2000, he was selected by the
Diocese of Lake Charles as recipient of the St. Vincent de Paul
Humanitarian Award.
In October of the following year, 2001, he
was honored by civic and religious leaders of Lake Charles in a memorable
"Roasting - Toasting" celebration. In that same month, the Architects
Association of the State of Louisiana awarded him the Louisiana Patron
Architecture Award.
In January 2002 he gave more than two
thousand books from his personal library to Queen of Heaven Family Life
Center. The center was earlier named in his honor.
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