The Catholic Cajun Spirit — Aquinas Lafayette

While some people detest driving on I-10 across the Atchafalaya Basin, I admit that there are few things that I enjoy more. I roll the windows down to feel the humid air on my skin, and if I’m lucky I get the chance to watch the setting sun. I always look forward to seeing the unique sight of moss-covered cypress trees growing out of the water. The scene is something spiritual for me, even sacramental I’d say! It’s impossible that I should look at the Atchafalaya Basin and not have my thoughts raised to Heaven. “Here, we are in Catholic Acadiana” I often think.

This is not unexpected, as places tend to appropriate the spirit of their inhabitants. Auschwitz is said to make one feel the tremendous weight of its tragedies. New York wreaks of the abuse of capitalism, but also gives a delightful taste of American optimism. And Jerusalem? I’d imagine it is blanketed with an interesting combination of holiness and military conflict. Truthfully, I could provide an endless list of places and the so-called “vibes” that they present.

As for Acadiana, it has been appropriately called a “Holy Land” as its drenched by a resonating spirit of faith. This spirit runs so deep in the heart of Acadiana, that everything associated with Cajun Culture makes one think of the Catholic faith. There is no doubt that the meritorious lives of the Acadians have sanctified the atmosphere, making it holy.

The Cajun Catholic Spirit covers Acadiana, but what does it consist of? What is it that differentiates the Spirit of this place from every other?

Acadiana is a melting pot of history, various schools of spirituality, hardships, and joys that could be dissected and analyzed at length. Yet, I believe that there are three ideas in particular that aid in defining its Catholic Spirit.

1.) Dependence on God

The first characteristic of the Cajun Catholic Spirit is a humble dependence on God for all things. I’ve previously argued that the Acadians are like the people of Israel. As was Israel during the Babylonian Exile, it is well known that the Acadian story begins similarly. Life before, during, and after Le Grande Derangement was difficult for the first Acadians. There was no security of life nor any guarantees about the future. Yet, they placed their trust in the goodness of the Father, who revealed through his Son the providential love that he has for them. From this, Cajuns acquired a radical trust in God that has bled down through the generations to today.

2.) Redemptive Suffering

The second characteristic of Acadiana’s Catholic Spirit is that of Redemptive Suffering. If it's not for the idea of redemptive suffering, then I’m convinced that it’d be impossible to live in Southern Louisiana. Hurricanes, floods, and heat are a constant source of suffering, and this is without mentioning those additional sufferings brought on by others. In the soul of Acadiana there seems to be a special grace that Cajuns intuitively have whereby they acknowledge that, like my mother always tells me, “Lifes not fair!”

https://www.pexels.com/photo/grayscale-photo-of-the-crucifix-977659/

But if one is condemned to suffer, it’d be a tragedy for it to go to waste. So, the Cajun looks to the crucified Lord and understands that the one whom they receive in love by Holy Communion, in love receives their sufferings. Then united to his own, the Lord allows those sufferings to become redemptive so that no evil may ever claim to have the upper hand on the Body of Christ.

3.) Gratitude of Life

“But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (1st Peter 4:13).

The third spiritual characteristic of this “Holy Land” is a joyful gratitude for life. Perhaps more than anything else, Southern Louisiana is known for its hospitality and easy-going, joyful way of life: Joie de vivre

In the Bayous, life is understood to be like a fine wine: Sip slowly, enjoy the taste, and share it with friends. It is God who is the giver of every good thing, and that includes life itself! In thanks to God for such a gift, we live it well for His glory. The God-given goods of the Earth such as food, alcohol, and tobacco, are what most first think of when considering Louisiana Culture. These things exist to serve, not undermine, the mission of glorifying God, the highest good.

All in all, knowing these realities of the “Cajun Catholic Spirit” makes it easier to understand the people who live here. Further, by making a connection between the land and its inhabitants, its possible to view the natural terrain of Acadiana with supernatural lenses. This is why, for example, I can view Bayou Teche as not so much a body of water, but rather as a sacred sign that embodies that living water which quenched the spiritual thirst of the first Acadians and is still overflowing for those who thirst today.