By Andrea F. Phillips
March 29, 2014, was a typical spring day in southern Louisiana, temperate and sunny, perfect for a lively gathering of concerned Catholics at Mary’s house, headquarters of TFP-Louisiana, in Lafayette. Supporters and friends from around Louisiana and neighboring states met for a one-day conference, featuring guest speakers from the American TFP headquarters in Pennsylvania, and Mr. Thomas Drake, TFP-Louisiana president.
The speakers spoke on topics concerning Catholic teaching and culture as challenged in today’s world, subjects that kept members of the audience on the edge of their seats.
Mr. Gary Isbell opened the conference with a talk entitles “Honor Thy Father and Mother.” Mr. Isbell linked his discourse to the organization’s latest release, Return to Order, (20,000 copies sold to date) a book by John Horvat II that seeks to restore Christian honor, temperance and the human element to the tottering economy. Masterfully demonstrating the connection between the Fourth Commandment and the health of the family, and, therefore, the health of society, Mr. Isbell mad a clear case for a strong economy based on the “rule of honor” rather than the “rule of money.”
Defending the Unborn Amidst a Crisis of Faith
Next spoke Mr. Michael Drake, on “Silent… Evil and Powerful: How Architecture Influences Us for Good or Evil.” He demonstrated that when architecture follows the God-given principles of wholeness, integrity, proportion, balance, light and radiance, as it does in the great Cathedrals of Europe, it powerfully moves the human soul towards God. When those principles are contradicted, producing distortion, imbalance, heaviness and darkness, architecture can influence the human spirit away from God. Illustrating his talk with power-point projections, he effectively engaged the audiences, which volunteered personal experiences.
The third speaker was Mr. Gregory Escaro, teacher and band conductor for the TFP-staffed Saint Louis de Montfort Academy. Sitting at a keyboard, Mr. Escaro delivered an entertaining demonstration on the power of music in human development and formation. He showed that good music is made of melody, harmony and rhythm. In the right proportions, these three elements rest and elevate the spirit and enhance intelligence and mood, as proven in many studies. On the other hand, the breaking of these rules can produce the opposite effect, by introducing unrest, debasement and chaos in the human spirit.
Mr. Thomas Drake closed the day with an impressive exposition of national and local TFP/ANF activities in 2013: pro-life marches, engagements, and conferences; dissemination of Return to Order; campaigns in defense of marriage; anti-blasphemy protests; Public Square Rosary Rallies for our nation; mother and daughters teas for the promotion of Christian culture; and much more.
In between talks, participants enjoyed a delicious lunch and wine/cheese snack right of Southern Living magazine as expertly prepared and served by mothers and friends of TFP in Louisiana
Between the weather, the invigorating talks, and the charming Southern hospitality, both soul and body were replenished at the TFP Louisiana Conference.
As seen in Crusade Magazine