In his writings, (Sharing the Wisdom of Time, Christus Vivit, and elsewhere), Pope Francis has encouraged us to recognize the gifts of the elderly and to find ways to share stories between young and old. In order for us to to this, it helps to learn from examples. Loyola Press is excited to offer such a learning opportunity, courtesy of a man I’ve known and admired for over 10 years, Dr. Ansel Augustine.
Join Ansel and Loyola Press for a unique webinar, Food for the Soul: The Mentoring of Chef Leah Chase on August 26, 2021, 2:00–3:00 p.m. Central. In the webinar, Ansel will share personal stories of his lifelong relationship with the late Leah Chase—legendary chef at the world famous Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, a Treme landmark—and how this relationship shaped him into the pastoral minister he is today. Leah Chase, who, like Ansel, called St. Peter Claver Church in New Orleans her home, is one of the featured elders in the book Sharing the Wisdom of Time by Pope Francis and Friends (coming soon as a Netflix documentary series).
Dr. Ansel Augustine is the New Orleans Area Director for Vagabond Missions, which works to break the cycle of hopelessness among inner-city teens. He previously served as the Executive Director of Cultural Diversity and Outreach for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. He is on the faculty at the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana, is adjunct faculty at Loyola University, New Orleans, and is Visiting Professor of Pastoral Leadership at the Graduate Theological Foundation. He formerly served as Residence Campus Minister at St. John’s University in Queens, NY, as the Director of the Office for Black Catholic Ministry for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, LA, and as the Associate Director and Coordinator of Black Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the CYO Office of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Ansel had the honor of acting as lead coordinator at Leah Chase’s funeral at St. Peter Claver Parish in 2019.
Through personal stories of his relationship with “Ms. Leah” (as Ansel affectionately calls her), Ansel will help us look at how and why it is important to bridge the generation gap in our faith communities so that we can truly be the Body of Christ we are called to be. This webinar will help us to identify what we can do to lift up and use the wisdom of our elders as a gift to inspire future generations of our society.
As we approach Grandparents Day (September 12, 2021), this webinar will be a great opportunity to remind ourselves, as Pope Francis wrote in Christus Vivit:
When young and old alike are open to the Holy Spirit, they make a wonderful combination. The old dream dreams, and the young see visions. How do the two complement one another? The elderly have dreams built up of memories and images that bear the mark of their long experience. If young people sink roots in those dreams, they can peer into the future; they can have visions that broaden their horizons and show them new paths. But if the elderly do not dream, young people lose clear sight of the horizon. (192–193)
Food for the Soul: The Mentoring of Chef Leah Chase
A Webinar with Dr. Ansel Augustine
August 26, 2021
2:00–3:00 p.m. Central
Watch the recording of the webinar.
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