Hundreds join prayer vigil at MCHS

In response to a letter demanding the removal of prayer in public school-sponsored events, hundreds of community members and students held a candlelight prayer vigil at Morgan City High School Sunday night.
A humanist group from Washington, D.C., threatened to sue the St. Mary Parish School Board if the practice of including prayer in school-sponsored events was not stopped.
A prayer by an invited veteran, who is a local minister, during Morgan City High School’s Veterans Day program on Nov. 11 spurred a complaint by a female student to the American Humanist Association, which threatened the lawsuit in a letter received Nov. 18.
Sen. David Vitter, R-Metairie, joined local ministers, Morgan City High students and a local historian to pray, sing and protest their rights to prayer.
Roger Busbice, a former history teacher at Morgan City High School, explained that he taught “that the Constitution — not federal courts, not the national media, not politicians or lawyers — was the supreme law of the land in this republic, this nation under God.”
He said the Constitution should not be interpreted.
“As Thomas Jefferson and James Madison stated, the Constitution means exactly what it says. It should not be interpreted or rewritten by liberal or left-wing judges. The First Amendment was not written to prohibit or restrict prayer. It was written specifically to protect the right of individuals to pray in public or in private. No one should be or could be forced to pray … no one should ever be denied the right to pray.”
Busbice added, “When a veteran who honorably served his country wishes to utter a few words of thanks to God as part of an assembly that is indeed honoring the service of veterans, he is not breaking some law. He is defending the rights of all American citizens.”
The Rev. Clyde Mahler of Holy Cross Catholic Church said it’s vitally important that citizens keep praying and that they are able to freely pray.
“Jesus has blessed us so abundantly. We have a great country. We are privileged to live in the United States of America where we have freedoms, and we can pray. We have a dynamic parish in St. Mary, and we have a school — Morgan City High School — and all of the public schools … that seek to offer opportunities to the future,” Mahler said.
He offered a prayer for healing the community.
“We want our children to be able to make a difference, to shape this world with good, positive values both for the mind and the heart, and that includes prayer,” Mahler said.
Songs were offered by Mamie Winters and the Rev. Ronnie Cuvillier and family, along with the students of Morgan City High School singing their alma mater at the close of the ceremony.
Logan Booty, a Central Catholic High School student, said he had a statement to make.
“To the person who said this,” he said, referring to the student who made the original complaint, “it’s funny how one person saying one word about Jesus Christ and all of his followers get together and rebel against that.”
Dezzie Booty, his mother, added, “I think that if they’re allowed to say that they don’t want to hear a prayer, I think that my kids should be allowed to say they do.”
Henry Pierce added, “it’s not fair they’re trying to take our prayers.”