Coffee Talk With The Cajun Mamas

Coffee Talk With The Cajun Mamas: The Little Cajun Saint Returns

• Chris Logan Media • Season 3 • Episode 8

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Meet Charlene Richard through the eyes of her niece, Lonna Clayton, in this heartfelt continuation of one of our most beloved episodes. The "Little Cajun Saint" isn't just a story from the past—she's actively present in the lives of so many today, working what many consider modern miracles.

https://cajunmamas.com/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@CajunMamas

Sara
https://www.facebook.com/lllippylady
https://www.instagram.com/lllippylady/#
https://www.tiktok.com/@lllippylady

Koa
https://www.facebook.com/kgmelancon
https://www.tiktok.com/@koa.melancon
https://www.instagram.com/k_melancon/

Speaker 1:

Welcome back to Coffee Talk with the Cajun Mamas. Today we have a special guest and we've had her already, but we had to have her come back for part two.

Speaker 2:

Yes, it just wasn't enough.

Speaker 1:

It wasn't enough with her with the little Cajun, saint Charlene, marie, richard. So we are going to get back with our friend Lana Clayton, but real quick, we are going to talk about our grand sponsor, which is Acadia Parish Cajun Harvest Country yes, in case you didn't know, it is crawfish season. We in the thick of it oh my god.

Speaker 2:

And if you want a variety of places to get yourself a crawfish fix, you need to just come to Acadia Parish, because we have an abundance of them.

Speaker 1:

Let me tell you what. From drive-thrus to sit-down places, we got you when it comes to crawfish. Cajun Claw Seafood Boilers in Doosan is a favorite of mine for sure. Di's in Basile if you haven't been, take a ride out there. There's such a big variety of Cajun food and Sebon in Mermantle, just to name a few. Sebon and Mermantor, just to name a few yeah, just to name a few Most favorable crawfish you'll ever taste in Acadia.

Speaker 2:

Parish, in Louisiana, in Louisiana, dare I say yeah, no, I agree with you there. You can dare to say it, I might be partial, but Acadia Parish is where it's at.

Speaker 1:

So AcadiaTourismcom Y'all follow them on all their social channels for more info on uh crawfish spots and you know, just ask us, because we know where all the good places are.

Speaker 2:

Plan your trip to acadia, parish. Uh, right now, if you can, while it's still going on, while it's hot, while they hot and fresh, yeah all right, so we're having you again.

Speaker 1:

Okay, because the amount when I ask people, or when we ask people what's your favorite episode, they will nine times out of 10 say it was the Charlene episode.

Speaker 1:

And we and because and we had to make that I have the free songs just thinking about it. But they say they might not remember your name, but they say Charlene's niece, the one with Charlene's niece. They loved it. And there was so many people that had no idea who Charlene was, and we, uh, and, and we bringing that on to everybody, so let me first say if you haven't seen part one of this, you need to go back in our episode.

Speaker 2:

Then go watch. I think it was in March, maybe or February, that it aired it might have know, but just look for Little Cajun Saint on the cover and go watch that first.

Speaker 1:

I think it aired in March. It aired in March, okay, I'm pretty sure. And then this will be Little Cajun Saint Port Deux, port Deux, all right. So this time we're going to talk a little bit more about just. I want to talk a little bit about your Rome visit, but we have a few things on the list that we're going to talk about the prayer cloths. I've been reading with my kids that book right there. Can you lift that up? My name is Charlene and I really love just how she is so real, so real. I like the story. Was it your Aunt Anna whenever she got that black? So real. I like the story. Was it your Aunt Anna Whenever she got that black eye?

Speaker 3:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

Okay, you want to tell it I can.

Speaker 3:

Okay. So my Aunt Anna is Charlene's little sister. Of course, I don't know how old she was whenever she begged her to do that, so for some reason she was obsessed with having a black eye. She thought that it would make her look cool.

Speaker 1:

She wanted one, everybody had one. It looked cool.

Speaker 3:

Like she wanted to have a black eye. And Charlene was like Anna, why? And she was like I want you to give me a black eye so I can look cool. And she was like no, Anna, I'm not. And Aunt Anna would not leave her alone until Aunt Charlene pinned her down in the bed, got over her and she clocked her, Punched her in the eye, Come on and look, I just I thought how real is that this is such sisters, this is so like sisters.

Speaker 2:

Amen, this is such sisters, this is so like sisters.

Speaker 1:

Amen, the little Cajun Saint.

Speaker 3:

Well, I'll tell you what you asked for it. She's going to give it to you. I like it.

Speaker 2:

Smack you upside the head with it.

Speaker 3:

You know that's big sisters. You know she tried to talk her out of it. Yeah, she tried. There's not much. You can talk my auntie out of.

Speaker 1:

She had her mindset black eye.

Speaker 3:

She thought she was ready for it. Then she cried whenever she gave it to her. She was like oh no, ma'am.

Speaker 1:

You wanted it you got it. Be proud. Now listen, now she's in the book. Anna had her a nice black eye from the little Cajun saint. I like that Also. Since we've talked, I went to that mission in town with. Father Corey, I wanted to video the whole thing, but apparently they're doing that.

Speaker 3:

They're in the process of it so that they can share it, yeah so that we can share it, and we'll share that when that comes time.

Speaker 2:

What was it to everybody?

Speaker 1:

It was a mission on a happy death.

Speaker 2:

Something. It was called something like that.

Speaker 1:

And it was about Charlene, it was about not being scared to die. It was like the first day. And then the second day we really dived into the life of Charlene. Richard, if you hadn't, if you didn't know a lot about it, dove dive, I said whatever, but I lot about it. Dove dive, I said yeah, whatever, um, but I mean he just took it. He took us on a journey on the tuesday night through her life and funny stories like that, um, like maybe somebody was picking on a little girl on the bus or something like that, that was a good story and it just really brought me and I brought my kids, brought my whole entire family. Ross was acting the donkey the whole time. The baby was like wilding out, but the the big girls they kept doing like yeah, here To be quiet so they could hear.

Speaker 1:

And they were getting it, like you know, especially the first night, not being scared to die whatever, like my 12-year-old was doing like this to me, like she understood what was going on. Oh, I love that, and because she's the same age that Charlene was when she died, and so my big girls are really identifying.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, you know, that was a scary age for us too, whenever we were growing up and I didn't realize the significance of it until I became a mother. You know, my mom was because, you know, we didn't talk a whole lot about Aunt Charlene, it was just, you know, it was kind of like a painful subject for our family. And so Mama, you know, was like scared whenever we were turning 12 because she was scared that the same thing would happen to us.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and you know it's a pain point, you know it's just one of those things.

Speaker 3:

Whenever something tragic like that happens in your family, then you tend to worry that the same thing is going to be repeated.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know, I could see that.

Speaker 3:

And you know as a kid, like you don't fully understand, but you kind of you get that your mom's scared for you.

Speaker 2:

You get the tone and the feel.

Speaker 3:

And so then it just you know, we wanted to know more. We wanted to know more about our Aunt Charlene and why they didn't want to talk about it too much. And so, you know, my dad was just five whenever she died, so it was still very painful for him. He didn't like to talk about it. And so whenever I had time alone with my grandmother, or you know different aunts or you know uncles, I could you know, and they would share stories, like my Aunt Anna you know talks about how you know she got her black eye from Aunt.

Speaker 3:

Charlene and stuff, and my grandmother would tell me how she loved to dance and she loved Elvis Presley and playing sports and stuff like that. So it was cool to be able to, you know, really start feeling like we could ask those questions.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, that it was okay and you were an adult when this like, or at what age were you? You feel like you were able to start asking and learning?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, okay around that age Twelve is whenever things really started to kind of change for me and, you know, because my mom was so worried about that and I ended up switching schools from Church Point Middle to Reshore Elementary and I had to spend a little more time with my grandmother because she had to have um rights of me because she lived in Reshore, to be able to go to school.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, in Reshore yeah, so I spent a little bit more time with her than I would have usually, you know and um, and so you just, you know, when she went to school there and you know, you just start thinking about those things and I just I really feel like that's whenever she started showing up in my life more you know and um, it's really um, it was a horror transition for me because I wasn't unhappy, yeah, at church, point middle, but my mom didn't, you know, didn't care for how things were going at, uh, at the school. She was worried, you know, and so she wanted me to go to a smaller school and uh, I mean, back then there was no social media yeah, it was, yeah, I didn't you know?

Speaker 3:

I didn't know anybody that went to school in Richard.

Speaker 2:

I knew no one scary no, you know honestly scary at that age too.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, social, a little bit of a social age, that yeah just whenever you starting to like make yourself kind of known and you have your friend group and right stuff, and so I went from having that and being a cheerleader and feeling like I was, I was good and I had, you know, my place in my social, your place right social circle, you know. So I leave that to not knowing anybody. So that was a little tough. So I was as a Catholic little girl and I really didn't know that much about my faith other than my prayers. And we went to church and you know I just started leaning on God and asking for his help. And Charlene started showing up too. She was like hey, how you doing.

Speaker 1:

And Charlene started showing up too.

Speaker 3:

She was like hey, how you doing. So, anyhow, you know, some of the things that happened to me were really, you know, eye-opening for a 12-year-old little girl. I don't know. If I can share those, that's okay. No, I don't want. If I can share those, that's okay. No, I just don't want to cut you off.

Speaker 1:

But there are some I mean just things that have happened since I have started really diving into all of that. She is I'm like I'm just learning new things every. Or I could go to the eye doctor and there's a cord up there and I'm like that's her tapping, she's tapping, she does not want us, whatever this is that we're doing to stop. And my kids even like just this with my son, it's like there's just so many things, Okay. So remember last time I told you with my son, yes, Okay, and we started all this and the doctor told us he has, if you don't know, my son has a heart condition where he's going to live with this forever and it was supposed to kind of just maintain itself. That would be probably best case scenario.

Speaker 2:

You know, improvement would be good we would all pray for improvement but you know, obviously that's not the case, but you feel like if you could maintain and not get any worse then you're doing good, right, yeah?

Speaker 3:

But was there any hope for it resolving itself or getting better?

Speaker 1:

No, it's either like it's going to either stay the same or wear out and we'll have to do a heart transplant.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so we watch it, we, we go to the cardiologist. He goes once a year to uh one in new Orleans, a specialist for this specific thing, and, um, so we went to the cardiologist after all of this, after this, after this and and all the love that I've been doing with Charlene and we've been praying and all the things, and I went over there and like the first time I went, it was like OK, it's maintaining, you know.

Speaker 3:

Well, I'm going to, just I'm going to say so as a Catholic and just a faith filled person. Whenever something like that comes up in your life, what do you do?

Speaker 1:

Well, you just have to pray and you have to believe.

Speaker 3:

You turn to people that you trust will hear God for you. You ask your friends to pray for you, and that's what we're doing. Charlene's our friend. She's in heaven, so we're asking her to pray for us, and that's what she did.

Speaker 1:

That's what we do.

Speaker 1:

And so that's the start of it. But that's the tap, that's the tap. And I brought him to her grave and we did all this stuff. And then what happens? Just so happens. A mission is about Charlene, we're going to learn, we're going to learn. We go back to that cardiologist, okay, and he told me the the last time. You know, we just maintain and we maintain and and then this time he was like he went, he worked up the numbers, he was like it looks like it's showing improvement. You see, and I was like sarah document all this stuff, what I am and I have like pictures every time we go to the, the grave we have it and and then it looks like he's showing improvement and the numbers were that his heart was performing in the normal range, like it's normal.

Speaker 3:

And it was never normal before. That is amazing. Sarah and I have been praying.

Speaker 1:

I have been praying too, and you know, just getting that diagnosis at first was like what do you mean? Like? What do you mean Like, tell me how long this heart's going to last before I have to find? You know, and I'm just like, and that's such a heavy weight to carry and you just would never know with him, you never would know.

Speaker 3:

But Charlene's tap and tap and top and we're just doing the most with her. I'm going to tell you my son was diagnosed with lupus whenever he was 15. And when I'm telling you the boy was never sick, never showed any signs of having any trouble. Athletic, super athletic, like never stopped. Tate's a nervous, girthless type of kid. He don't want to help you clean up the house or do his chores like he's supposed to.

Speaker 3:

I don't want to eat, but he'll play basketball for three hours and then you know. So that's the kind of kid he was. I mean he would go to football practice, come home and play basketball for another hour or two by himself.

Speaker 3:

Golly, like just nonstop. So at 15, he was playing football for Notre Dame and he started complaining of his side hurting him, or he just, mom, I just I don't know something's bothering me. And so we took him to the oh my goodness, to Megan in town and like she checked to see we thought maybe it was his appendix or it could have been this or that, and like his face was looking kind of puffy and stuff and I was like you know, my husband has a lawn service, so we'll take cuts of grass with Will, and we thought maybe that's you know, maybe allergic reaction.

Speaker 3:

So the next morning he wakes up and his whole face is like so swollen His eyes can barely, he can barely open his eyes. So we go back. And she was like um, and then, okay, this is how crazy. I mean we had no idea how bad things were. When he weighs himself, he's like 40 pounds heavier than what he was previously like through his other appointments. You know he's, he's a football player, he was trying to gain weight and my son is almost six feet tall and he was weighing like 130 pounds maybe, and so he was weighing like 140 something and I was like good job. Yeah, he was like yeah, you know. And then we, like megan's, like we're gonna do some more blood work and stuff and see, I don't know what you know. She said I have an idea, but I don't, I'm not sure. Well, about an hour later I get the call that we need to take him to emergency room immediately, that his kidney levels were not good and something really bad was wrong. So you know, panic, yeah, like what.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, you know. So we go to Opelousas General because that's where the majority of my well, my sisters worked there and my niece and you know just felt comfortable going there. Well, they didn't have a pediatric nephrologist there and they didn't really know what to do with him. He was dehydrated, but he was also retaining 40 pounds of fluid and his blood pressure was high and whenever they checked his urine it looked like cherry cola.

Speaker 3:

Lord hell man, all the signs and they're doing all this blood work and my sisters are nurses, but I'm not. I'm a hairdresser. I mean I can talk nurse with you a little bit, but I'm like looking at this.

Speaker 1:

I'm going to call my sister and you talk. And it looks like.

Speaker 3:

Greek, you know, and I'm like what does this mean I? Didn't even know that his blood pressure was high. Yeah, we don't know I mean, except for what? He tells you at 15, you know, well, I mean you know they have him all hooked up and look whenever you're in the hospital set and they tell you the only the things that they think that you need to know.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

They really do not go into detail about what they think it could possibly be or anything. I'm all right with that too, but it's you know, Lord help.

Speaker 3:

So then, whenever they, you know, called and they said we can either send him to New Orleans or we can go to Baton Rouge. And I was like, well, baton Rouge is a little bit closer, let's go there. And I was like so we can take him. And they were like, no, ma'am, he has to go by ambulance. Oh my word, and I'm like what? That's? How serious it was and we did not know.

Speaker 3:

Well, so anyway, he ended up spending nine days in the hospital at Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital in Baton Rouge, and his doctor, dr Ashley Rawson, was amazing and they ended up having to do a biopsy on his kidneys because the blood work, nothing was making any sense, and they couldn't treat him because if they were to give him a treatment for whatever, if it wasn't the right thing, it could have made things worse. So they had to be absolutely sure what was going on and the only way they could do that was by doing the biopsy. So they take him into surgery on my birthday, on October 4th, of course would be, and of course I had Aunt Charlene's prayer cloth on him and we were praying and you know, and just so they let us walk down with him to surgery and they allowed her prayer cloth to stay on him through the the surgery that they did, which I mean it wasn't intrusive, but yeah, they still had to put him to sleep and all that yeah so funny about you know whenever.

Speaker 3:

Um, they and they let us go in with him. We couldn't stay the whole time, but they let us go because he was so scared. Like it, this kid had never had anything wrong yeah and all of a sudden, all this crazy stuff's happening.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and you're being in the hospital for nine days, right.

Speaker 3:

So whenever they I said, can he keep this with him? And they were like well, I said it's a prayer cloth. I said and it's my Aunt Charlene. And they said oh, we've heard of her before.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

And he said doctor said sure he can keep that on him, it shouldn't be any problem. So by the time you know we go to ICU, they let us stay with him in there. And when the doctor came to talk to us the next day they had finally gotten the results and it was lupus. It was like stage five. He was in stage three, kidney failure, kidney failure, my God. And she said and from the you know, he should have had permanent kidney damage. And she said he has no damage to his kidneys.

Speaker 1:

Wow, Now you know, look, I'm looking over here.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, you know, and I said Goosebumps.

Speaker 2:

I said okay.

Speaker 1:

That's it. I said, oh, goosebumps. I said, okay, that's it I said Aunt Charlene Thank you, girl.

Speaker 3:

That's it, and we still praying. Tata's in remission now.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

But it was a really long, hard road of and still it's still. You know, we still have moments.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, he's going to be 19.

Speaker 3:

Scary moments and you know they don't. And he's a man.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, they don't take care of themselves. No, don't worry.

Speaker 1:

Just what they tell you? Yeah, it could be full blown and you won't know Right.

Speaker 3:

So it's been crazy. So she, she was there, she was there, she was there. And it's that's just the power of having faith. Faith, having faith and calling on those you love that know that they're gonna intercede for you, absolutely, and that's what she does. She intercedes all the time and she's still every time I turn around, she's me too.

Speaker 1:

Man, oh, this is so good, I love this.

Speaker 2:

I want to talk about the, the prayer cloths. That's a good point.

Speaker 1:

Like after we say yes, yeah, I can't wait because I don't know the story about it.

Speaker 2:

Okay, um, let's take a second to mention gary mod hardware. They are a hardware store that specializes in cookware and they're right off uh, exit uh 87 and rain off of itn. You can go on the service road, go to gary mod hardwarecom and they have uh, they have a good little selection of what they offer in the store. But if you really want to just blow your mind and just be in cajun cook in paradise, just go to the store and you know people do?

Speaker 1:

they will go and they will seek out gary mott hardware. They don't know where else to go, but they can go to gary mott because, how said, because how, and there is so much, there, so much.

Speaker 2:

They got all the burner setups that you need for your big jambalaya pots or small, you know small burner setups. It's outdoor cooking time, outdoor cooking season, right now, absolutely, it has been beautiful.

Speaker 1:

It has been Crawfish pots, all the things, your burners, utensils, cast iron Utensils.

Speaker 2:

Kitchen gadgets and utensils, now that I can just get lost in oh yeah, you love your good kitchen gadgets. I do, I do. So, yeah, go to GaryModHardwarecom and go visit them. Go visit them in Rain, louisiana, you won't be sad.

Speaker 1:

No, you can spend a lot of time there and it's on the way to everywhere. I mean bound to pass. It been a lot of time and it's on the way to everywhere. I mean, basically, it ain't out the way. It ain't out the way. Thank y'all so much for being a sponsor this month. Um yeah, I mean let's talk about the prayer cloth. I'm excited about that. I have so many of them but honestly I don't know well yeah, let's, can I take one out?

Speaker 1:

yeah, well, sure I, yeah, so we have this underneath my son's crib, we have one in his, we have one in his. The thing that he rolls in car seat, oh, car seat, and it's got Charlene on it, you know, and she just kind of hangs there, hangs out, and that reminds us to pray, to pray for her cause, to pray for whatever we have our attention for. So tell us about the prayer cloth, because I'm dying to know, okay.

Speaker 3:

So whenever y'all contact me about doing this a second time, I'll ask if y'all could give me some direction. Some guidance, some guidance because this is huge for our family and we just want to make sure that what I'm saying and what we're talking about is accurate, and you know, because I would never want to do anything to hurt her cause, you know. Yeah, so when you asked me about her prayer cloths, I was like, okay, they've just always been there.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, you know like couldn't pinpoint exactly when it happened, but like one day they weren't there and the next day they were. So it was kind of like hmm. So I was searching my brain like thinking who would know, and then I was like, okay, I'm going to ask my Uncle John. You know my dad's oldest brother. He the go-to about everything, and Charlene you know, and so I called him and he never called me back and so then I was like wait, like who else could?

Speaker 3:

and then I was like, okay, wait, I'm gonna, uh, I'm gonna call my sister-in-law, amanda, because she is on the board of for my Aunt Charlene. You know, I forget what they found the foundation, the Charlene foundation. And so I called her and she said you know, I forget what they call it, the Foundation, the Foundation, the Charlene Foundation. And so I called her and she said you know, you might need to talk to Miss G, that's what they call her, but it's Miss Louise.

Speaker 3:

And so then I was like, okay, I know, that's John's grandmother, mr G's mama, and you know I'd always see her in church with Father Dan's mama, miss Hilda, and stuff. So I was like, okay, okay, so I texted Miss Becky, her daughter-in-law, and she was sending me her number and before Amanda had told me that I remembered Monica Rougeau and Monica had. She always sends me a text whenever there's like a mission or something going on in Reshore to invite me or include me. And so I sent her a text because I know her mom has always been a part of everything. People call her the church lady because she was always there in Reshore.

Speaker 3:

And Monica the church lady too. Yes, now Monica's the church lady in Reshore. So I text Monica and I was like I'm trying to get information about the prayer cloths and how they started and how they came, came to be, and you know that I was going to be talking to you all about it. So then she uh, texted me back and she said that she had talked to her mom and she had talked to Miss Louise and she was getting all the information and then, if I could, I could go and meet with her.

Speaker 3:

And I was like, yes, yes, yes and she was like I was like when. Where? She was like well, if you can, if you can come now. And this was on a Monday and I'm off on Monday, and so I was like okay, and I was like so what time? She was like well, can you come now? I was like most definitely. So I rolled up over there with not looking too cute, but I said hey, it don't matter.

Speaker 3:

So the whole way there I was praying, you know, for guidance, to, you know listen and to, just, you know, get the right thing.

Speaker 1:

Uncover it Right.

Speaker 3:

And so whenever I got there and like, and so, coming from my house to go to the church in Reshore, I passed in front of my Aunt Angela's house and I was thinking how I missed her. And I was like, well, after this I'm going to go and I'm going to give her a hug. I need a hug. And so I pass in front of her house and she's not there and I'm like so then I get to the church in Reshore and she's there.

Speaker 2:

Oh, of course. Now look at that all right.

Speaker 3:

So and then I go talk to monica and I'm a super emotional person and I cried pretty much through the whole time. Yeah, I talked to her and, uh, man, miss monica's so good, we should have her too. She's so awesome and it's like the whole way there I was asking, and charlene, for me to say what needed to be said and and whatever, and and it's like I just like spilled my whole, all my guts, like just, and then I kept crying and I was like I'm so sorry.

Speaker 1:

I don't even know why I'm saying.

Speaker 3:

And then I said well, I asked Aunt Charlene to help me say. I said I guess she wanted me to say all this yeah. So it really helped me. And then she told me the story about how the prayer cloths came to be. And so I don't know if y'all remember Hurricane Lily? Yeah, 2002. Okay, yes, absolutely. So in 2002, hurricane Lily came through our little area and destroyed a lot of stuff. Yes, Like really devastated us and it like really messed up the church and resort. Yes, okay.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

And Father Dan had these big, huge chandeliers which we still have in the church. Well, they had got messed up and so they were all broken and the ladies were there. Miss Mary Ann Guidry, monica's mom, was there cleaning up. They were cleaning everything up from the hurricane and Monica said her mom can't remember if she was coming or going.

Speaker 3:

But she met this lady who was a pilgrim that had come to Aunt Charlene's grave to pray at her grave and she said I want to show you something. I have these handmade prayer cloths that I brought to put on Charlene's grave and pray with them and I wanted to show you. And if you want one, you can have one. And she gave her some information about what a prayer cloth was and stuff like that. And so miss marianne was like really amazed at that and thought that was so cool. And I mean the lady had made the cloth herself and she had just put a picture of aunt charlene on it, okay, and told her that you know, whenever she you know, you put it on the grave and you pray and then you give it to people who are in need of prayers or suffering with something or whatever, and it's just like a. It helps them, to remind them to pray and to ask for intercession, and it's like a third-class relic because it's on a church or a grave.

Speaker 3:

And it has to be, of course, blessed by a priest. So Miss Marion was amazed with.

Speaker 1:

With that, I the whole concept, you know. Yeah, I mean either and something so handy, you know you could carry that with, you can carry this.

Speaker 3:

So, um, she called miss louise and was like I have to tell you something, and so she told her about and she was like we have to tell you something, and so she told her about it and she was like we have to do this. So they went to Father Dan and they asked him. They showed him the prayer cloth and they asked him about it and he was like, yes, there is such a thing, and explained more about you know the meaning of it and stuff like that, and gave them the go ahead to start making prayer cloths.

Speaker 3:

And that's how it started and it was Ms Marianne Guidry and Ms Louise I will pronounce her name, last name wrong and Ms Hilda Fotherton's mom. Those three ladies got on it, Started making them and then it's like it just kind of blew up yeah, and they have never charged anyone for these prayer cloths and it started out with them with some fabric that they had donated and they were cutting them with pinking shears, you know, and stamping her picture on it, and then, you know, they added her prayer cord and then they added what it is, information about the prayer cloth, what a prayer cloth is in there, so that people understand what it's supposed to be used for, and then they had to start updating them whenever she became servant of God.

Speaker 3:

And hopefully soon. They'll have to update them again when she becomes venerable, which we're all praying happens very soon. Oh, yes, so, and the craziest thing about how this happened is that Miss Marianne cannot remember the lady's name and she never saw her again.

Speaker 1:

You see, that reminds me of that staircase, you know, the one in New Mexico, that the man you never heard that story? No, oh, I'm going to tell it to you but not right now. Yeah, the staircase of Laredo. Oh my gosh, so good.

Speaker 3:

Okay, so she felt like it was divine in her yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

That's, she felt like it was divine in her.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, like that's amazing, like, and Charlene was like, hey, girl, here, this needs to happen, look this guy. Yeah, oh my gosh.

Speaker 2:

So when you get one.

Speaker 3:

Each one has been touched to her grave should be yes yeah, um, you know, it's becoming, it's become really big right, the pandemic, something you know. It was harder for them. These ladies are, oh, you know, yeah, older, a lot, you know, and they, they are blessed by, uh, father, uh, corey laverne, and I think they're working on getting them to aunt charlene's grave, okay, and stuff so, but uh, yes, and I mean, even monica's grandmother got in on it. That's whenever they started surging them because they quit cutting them with the pinking shears.

Speaker 3:

Trying to make it more streamlined and faster. As time went, it just evolved and got bigger and bigger and bigger, and I mean her prayer clothes are throughout the world now.

Speaker 1:

And I know people are going to ask where can I get one? Where can I get? One, the church in Reshore, the church in Reshore is exactly what I was going to say. So we have people from all over, okay, and they're going to say how can I get this sent to me? St Edward's.

Speaker 3:

Catholic Church in Reshore. If you write to them, they will send some to you.

Speaker 1:

That is what it is. You can go there and if you like, if you go there and you can make it out there to a mass, that's something special. Go to the grave, that's special.

Speaker 3:

But there's like a whole tub, like there's just tubs of these prayer cloths and prayer cords that you can take it's amazing that these women have kept up.

Speaker 2:

That is in itself an amazing, thing, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, what a service.

Speaker 2:

A servant.

Speaker 3:

A servant. Yeah, and this is, you know, aunt Charlene working her. You know I had. So I went to Monica's mission the following Tuesday after I talked to her and that was just amazing. She's so amazing. And that's whenever I got me some more prayer cloths. Because I always try and keep them. You know some on me or like in my drawer at work, and whenever I'm working on a client and I feel like they need it, I have one there and I don't always have them with me because you know you just yeah there, and I don't always have them with me because you know you just yeah.

Speaker 3:

But I had some in my purse and I went to Armstrong, where I get my supplies. Uh, this past Monday and uh, before I was getting down, she told me bring one of my prayer cloths in and give it to the lady that's working in there. And I was like okay, okay, all right, so I get my stuff and we always have a good repertoire me and the you know and laugh and pick and whatever.

Speaker 3:

And so we just like instantly have like a bond, and so I'm checking out and I was holding her, holding it the whole time and I was like I said. So I said, said, I don't know what religion you are and it really doesn't matter. I said but, uh, if you are Catholic then you might have heard of her. I said but, uh, I have this prayer cloth, I said, and it's, she's my aunt. And I said, uh, her name's Charlene Richard and I'm supposed to give this to you, like, and she said what, oh my gosh, this is so crazy. She said my best friend of like almost 24 years. Uh, that was her aunt. And I did wait what? And she and that she had died. And I said wait a minute, hold up. I said she said what? That freaks you out? I said no, no, I said who died? I said because that would be my first cousin, yeah, and so when she told me Desiree Reshore, I said oh, I said my cousin Edmund's wife.

Speaker 3:

Yes yes, yes, I said yes. I said Desiree. Yes. I said okay, edmund is my first. Yes, I said Desiree. Yes, I said okay, edmund is my first cousin.

Speaker 2:

I said that's my family.

Speaker 3:

I said no, that don't freak me out. No, I said you was freaking me out because I was like what cousin am?

Speaker 1:

I Then who? Which one yeah?

Speaker 3:

like you know, because we all pretty tight. Yeah, they all young.

Speaker 1:

You know.

Speaker 3:

So then she was like, oh my gosh, you're it. I said yes, yes, and so she was like Lana, this is so crazy. She said whenever Desiree was after she passed, she had Charlene's prayer cloth on her and I took it and she said and then when my mom got sick, she said six months later she said I put that prayer cloth on my mom and after she passed, housekeeping was cleaning everything up and they can't find it.

Speaker 2:

And she said, and I was devastated.

Speaker 3:

She said that's why. That's why she wanted me Like. She was like I got the face off, yes, and I was like. She said are you freaking out?

Speaker 2:

I said no, no, not surprised at all At this point, you just roll with it she said are you surprised?

Speaker 1:

I said I'm just going to get me a bunch and start carrying them around, so I can see that happen.

Speaker 3:

The connection, yeah, and so then a new little sales clerk was in there and I said I am so sorry if this is, you know. I said are you catholic, you know? And she was like yes, I am. I said oh. I said well, you want one. I got one. I said have you heard about her? She's like, I sure have. I said well, I will go grab you one too. So it's just you know like what? Yeah, then all the while just promoting her cause to get her.

Speaker 3:

You know like this is just amazing, her story.

Speaker 1:

Servant of God. Boo, servant of God. Yeah, oh Lord. Okay, this is so good. Let's talk about petite. Let's talk about petite BU Salon. Shelby Trimmy owns BU Salon. She started it in 2020. It's in Lafayette, off of Glorious Switch, and that's where I go get my hair done.

Speaker 2:

I've been going there for five years. So for all of the comments you get about your hair, you could thank Shelby Trimmie for that. Thank you, Shelby.

Speaker 1:

And Hannah. Hannah does my hair too. Oh, thank you. Hannah does my hair, Hannah Burgess does my hair, and they do cuts, colors, blonding services, blowouts and treatment right on a special occasion Updos, waxing, spray tans, hair extensions They'll time up for you. You'll have short hair when you go in and long hair when you come out. Oh, you'll come out looking like Sarah but those are real.

Speaker 2:

This is real baby, this is real.

Speaker 1:

You can look in and it's all real. But if you have trouble growing your hair or you have short hair and you want long hair one day, they can help you out from BU Salon. You can find them on all the socials, especially on Instagram. They have a good Instagram. They do a lot of reels, busalonlacom and find them on social media. All right, thank y'all so much for being a sponsor this month. Yeah, all right. Thank y'all so much for being a sponsor this month. Yeah, all right. This is good. What next?

Speaker 2:

What next?

Speaker 3:

I'm going to share this story. Do it Okay. So I know y'all know all the tragedies that have happened in our family recently. In the past year I lost my nephew, Sorry. No, it's okay and um, I don't help me not cry. So, uh, and my little sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. Uh, three months after cold, I'm probably naughty. It's so hard for me to know specific time.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know, through all that, I'm sure it's been a blur. It's been a blur for you all.

Speaker 3:

So my little sister was diagnosed with breast cancer not long after Cole passed and it's just been a really hard year. And then my dad had to have this huge surgery because he had cancer, like almost 18 years ago now, and the radiation that he had like messed up his intestines and he's had to have. He had to have a bowel recession, which is like a pretty big deal yeah and my dad's in his 70s and it's harder recovery. Yeah, so it's just being like oh it's just like one thing after another and uh.

Speaker 3:

So we celebrated the first anniversary of cole's death on february 22nd and then we um his second birthday in heaven on march 15th, and it was just like. So, like you know, you just anticipating those dates.

Speaker 2:

It's a heavy time Just like stressing over it.

Speaker 3:

And so Amy had said she wanted us to go on a girl's trip to try and celebrate life and the good things and through the bad and all that. So we went. She's so strong of her. I would be like how are you? Sleeping in my bed Like one of the strongest people I know and she amazes me every day and whenever she can get up and talk to a bunch of kids about the death of their classmate, that's nothing but God.

Speaker 3:

I can only believe that to me, oh it's definitely, because you know it's like the prayer I pray every morning. You know, god, help me to have your words, your thoughts and your actions above my own. You know because you just can't do it without him.

Speaker 1:

No, not even close, not in this life. It sucks and sometimes it's good but a lot of times I feel like I can't breathe and my nose is right here in the water.

Speaker 3:

That's right, but hey, like he picked Peter up out of the water and told him have faith you know, because Peter walked on water.

Speaker 1:

That's all I got is faith. That's all I got.

Speaker 3:

Yes, you know, some days so we planned that trip right from for right after Cole's birthday. His birthday is March 15th and we left on March. It was 20 something, okay.

Speaker 2:

That just happened, but I can't remember I can't know.

Speaker 3:

So anyway, so 10 ladies went, and so it was me and my two sisters, which is so special to me because we never get to spend just us, especially with my little sister, because she is cancer-free but she's still going through treatments, she, she still has surgeries to go through her little hair is just starting to grow back young.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, you know, she has six kids. You know it's a lot. She's been through a lot. So we were so excited for her to come with us too. And uh, we decided that we were going to have a theme day, a theme night, and dress up as Miss Roper from Three's. Company. I loved that.

Speaker 2:

I was living through y'all on that trip. I loved that. When I saw those photos, I'm like I could hear the cackling in my mind of all the laughs y'all had. It was a really good time.

Speaker 3:

So then, our last day on the beach, our crazy friends decided they were going to bring down our Miss Roper outfits, our they were going to bring down our Miss Ropa outfits, our muumus and our wigs. So, on the beach, we put our muumus on and our wigs and we're walking down the beach and, like kids, are coming up to us and they're like man, this is so awesome. Can we take a picture with?

Speaker 2:

y'all. Yeah, did they even know?

Speaker 1:

who y'all were no, had no clue, had no clue. Listen, I thought that was so hilarious.

Speaker 3:

And so while I was getting ready to go on this trip, you know you're packing all your things and I have this. I should have brought it with me. I have this like Yeti cup. It's not Yeti, but you know, a knockoff, a dupe Stanley cup, whatever Right, and I have a sticker of my Aunt Charlene on it. I hardly ever use that cup and she, for some reason, that's the cup that I brought. I'm like okay, aunt Charlene, I'm going to be drinking liquor out of this.

Speaker 1:

I'm just going to be with you, baby.

Speaker 3:

I have this cup with me on the beach and we're walking in our get-ups and people are stopping us and calling us over and they want to take pictures with us and all this stuff. And then I get a Like I mean we're a group of 10. And I see this girl and looks like her dad, just off by themselves, kind of, and like they looking at us and smiling at us, but they're not calling us over to go meet them.

Speaker 3:

But, something tells me that I need to go talk to them. So I was like, okay, so I go sit down. I'm like, hey, how y'all doing. And nobody else came with me, just you, just me, and, like everybody else, just keeps going down the beach and I'm like, oh well, oh okay, I'm gonna find them.

Speaker 1:

They all look the same. They all miss Ropa.

Speaker 3:

So I'm sitting there and uh, visiting with them, and uh, they asked me you know what we dressed up as, or whatever. And so, whenever I say Miss Roper, the dad of course knew what I was talking about. And so then he says, well, can I ask why? Y'all like what's the occasion? And I said, well, we've been through a really hard year.

Speaker 3:

And told him how my sister lost her son and that my little sister was, you know, surviving breast cancer and we just wanted to try and celebrate the good things in life. And he said, well, I can understand that I lost my 18-year-old son, oh, and I was like, oh gosh, and I said, well, then, yeah, you really know how painful this is and stuff, and um, so the uh, the girl she's, she's like, uh, telling me how she's 23, my daughter is gonna be 23, oh, same age, my son is 18. And then he tells me, yeah, he would be 19. And, uh, he would have been 19 in june. I did, oh, june what? And he said the? Uh, the 26th, or something that said my son's birthday.

Speaker 3:

He's gonna be 19 on June 16th and I'm like the connection that was just like whoa crazy, yeah, and so then, um, you know, we, by this point, all three of us is kind of crying yeah um, yes, yes, and so, uh, you know, she's like, I just know that Cole and Jessie are in heaven together and we'll be praying for you and I'll be praying for y'all. And so she said can I ask you a question? I said sure. She said who's that picture you have on your cup?

Speaker 2:

there it is. There's the door, there it is.

Speaker 3:

I said well funny, you should ask. I said she's my aunt. I said I don't know what religion y'all are. I said, but I'm Catholic. I said, and my aunt is up for canon. Her cause for canonization was open in Rome this past August. I said, and I was there whenever they opened. Her cause for canonization was open in Rome this past August, I said, and I was there whenever they opened her cause.

Speaker 3:

I said, so you'll probably be hearing a whole lot more about her yeah, hopefully, and they were from North Louisiana and she said we're Methodists. She said but I went to a Catholic school my whole life and I love the Catholic faith and stuff and I was like well, I said then you'll probably be hearing a whole lot more about her. And she said that is so amazing. Can I take a picture of it? I said most definitely, so she took a picture of the sticker. And I said, look her up. I said and you'll learn even more about her.

Speaker 2:

I said but I said you know this is, and if you hadn't had that cup with you?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, that's what I'm saying Like through the whole trip, yep, and then the last day and nobody else came, you felt the need to yes.

Speaker 2:

That is servant of God right there, servant of.

Speaker 1:

God, yes, that's what I was thinking. Even dressed like a fool, it don't matter. Fool, it don't matter, it don't matter.

Speaker 3:

Drink as calm as you are right and so, like you know, when I was telling my sister-in-law, amanda, all that, she was like well, lana, she said what people tend to forget is that, uh, charlene was a reshore too and she liked to have fun she liked to have fun yeah, I said you are very right, yeah, so I wonder what she would look like right alongside y'all playing Miss Roper.

Speaker 2:

Oh no, that would be funny. I'll bet you can't help but have a blast with y'all.

Speaker 3:

I know, I know so that's just some of the most recent things that Aunt Shornene has.

Speaker 1:

That's not even Look, we're not even tipping the iceberg on her, because in this book by itself, we in the part me and my girls where they talk about different things and they attribute it to their prayers and things like that, so, um, I mean, it's just so interesting y'all. Um, all right, let's take a little second and we're gonna come right back um gary my hardware. I know we talked about this earlier, but cookware outside cooking time, it's time to get them burners right. They got cast on. You know those enamel pots we love to use the lodge pot.

Speaker 2:

They got that kind of cookware there too, and I use that pot for everything but to make our bread loaves? Yep, and if you're looking, for a, those big roaster pots like a magna light. But you, you can't get Magnolites no more. Oh, it's McWare, mcware yeah, See I say McWare, I said McWare, she says McWare, but we're going to say Mickey McWare, whatever.

Speaker 3:

In my mood.

Speaker 2:

Yes, In the big my mood. In the big, my mood. But yeah, you can get those types of pots there too. Alumin, stainless steel, cast iron get all that there. And for those who want a good old-fashioned coffee drip pot, like the one over my shoulder right here, you can get them at GaryModHardware. So go to GaryModHardwarecom, follow them on all the social media platforms and get yourself down to Rain Louisiana and just go into the store.

Speaker 1:

You won't be sorry, you won't be sorry, All right, yeah, so there's so many more stories about how Charlene has shown up like this, just like this, and just my little old life she's shown up in yours, you know, and y'all are family. But so my mama told me she was like every time you go, document it, document it.

Speaker 1:

Put it down, document it at the hospital too, because, like it's charting and keep, you know, I got bills, you know yeah, but that that's document, but, um, it's just like it's amazing to see, and you know, and that god sent me the comfort of charlene and and sends her to so many other people, because that mission, I'm telling you, you, it was full in church.

Speaker 3:

That's awesome.

Speaker 1:

So there was people from all over, you know, and people that wanted to watch in other states. I wish I could have you know, shared that with them, but I can't wait until they have that officially able to share with everyone. But it's truly been, it's all a work in progress.

Speaker 3:

I mean, we're a small little community and she's such a big, she's a force, it's about to be a really big deal.

Speaker 1:

Oh, I'm so excited about all the possibilities.

Speaker 3:

It's just, you know, it's such a strange place to be as a family member and knowing your place in all of this and what role we're supposed to play, and you know, and like she's not giving me a choice, yeah, yeah, you know, you know what you know like in a way yeah, I know, we keep, we keep on you after it, like just to be a, I guess, sort of an advocate for it.

Speaker 3:

But and I don't mind being an advocate, you know and don't y'all. Don't ever feel like y'all keep after me. No, it does not bother me. I don't want being an advocate, you know and don't y'all don't ever feel like y'all keep after me.

Speaker 1:

No, it does not bother me. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, you know? No, I don't feel uncomfortable.

Speaker 3:

I just want to be accurate.

Speaker 2:

Right and you know it's so important.

Speaker 3:

It's so, so important to our whole family, and just being a voice for her is kind of.

Speaker 2:

It can voice for her is kind of it's until it can be bigger.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, because when you, when you call me, I was like I had never, I had never thought about all of that.

Speaker 2:

I was just like, just tell me about her you know, like just tell me what you're talking about, you know?

Speaker 1:

and you were like but like there's a lot that goes along with this, and I'm like, okay, okay.

Speaker 2:

Then I told that to her and she was like oh yeah, I'm like I just want to hear the stories. Yeah, I just want to sit like this you know and you just tell me everything.

Speaker 1:

But there is so much to it and y'all, please go look into the foundation, Go get. My Name is Charlene. There's bookstores.

Speaker 3:

You can get this at different bookstores and if you want to donate to her foundation because it's, you know, it's a lot. Yeah, because it's.

Speaker 1:

you know it's a lot to yeah, to keep this ministry going Right and and y'all. It's just, it's a beautiful, it's a beautiful place to be.

Speaker 2:

It's, it's it's on the road to nowhere.

Speaker 1:

It's in the middle of nowhere, but it's everywhere, to so many people.

Speaker 3:

Like you know, we're so lucky that we just live right there, right down the road. My mom and dad. Literally it's like two minutes from my house, which is so wonderful, and we grew up going to church there and it's home.

Speaker 1:

It's a blessing for us to be so close, but, man, people are coming from far and wide and they want to tap, they want to touch, they want to tap, they want to touch, they want to pray, they want to be near that feeling. So y'all make sure y'all go and check it out. And it's actually on what is called the Faith Trail. Did you know there was a Faith Trail? I?

Speaker 2:

think I've heard of that. That was news to me, but we need to talk about this.

Speaker 1:

Acadia Parish Cajun Harvest Country is our grand sponsor this month. Just so happens, just so happens. And this was not planned.

Speaker 3:

That doesn't just happen. Nothing with Charlene. Just happens, just so happens.

Speaker 1:

There is a faith trail where you can explore historic churches and cemeteries, including the gravesite of Charlene Richard being considered for sainthood. Yep, okay, so right off of ITN you can get to all these places. Go to AcadiaTourismcom slash calendar for a list of all their upcoming events. But go and look up the Faith Trail, because then you can go and tour all these churches and look, she stuck herself, even in our sponsorships.

Speaker 1:

Yep, and look, they didn't know we was having a shorting episode no, not even this is the first time we hear about the faith trail, and that's, that's just her.

Speaker 3:

And when I'm telling y'all, whenever she wants to use you, like god uses us every day you know, she's very persistent and she doesn't let you sit still, there's no.

Speaker 1:

I'm finding that very much Because, let me tell you even my aunts, they're all like that, Like come on.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, Our whole life, our whole family.

Speaker 1:

That's like let's do this. That's what she's doing.

Speaker 3:

She's just like them, and my daddy too. He didn't play around. Let's do this. That's what she's doing.

Speaker 1:

She's just like them, and my daddy too. He didn't play around. Let's do it. Oh my gosh, I love this so much. Thank you so much for taking the time to come do it with us. Thank y'all.

Speaker 3:

Thank y'all for inviting me, because like just this whole thing that y'all would reach out to me, oh no girl.

Speaker 2:

I know, I know that I know y'all. I have so much to give.

Speaker 3:

And we visited and I love you guys and stuff, but y'all also know my sister, amy and stuff. And the fact that y'all asked me and I was just like, hmm, yeah, I want to sit at a table with all of y'all you know.

Speaker 1:

But I was just like, oh, like yeah, I just knew that you were to have lots to say. She just was like okay, girl, we're going to do this, you're going to do this, you and I.

Speaker 2:

You're the one and I was like mmm.

Speaker 3:

She was like mmm, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, oh.

Speaker 1:

I just love hearing all the ways she's working her way into your life. She's definitely working her way into mine and in my family.

Speaker 3:

I just knew you. You were gonna tell me there was improvement with his heart I like I can't even.

Speaker 1:

And even if I were to go back lana and they tell me okay, something still happened, I'm like it still happened and yeah that moment it gave you like your life was like oh my god, this is it. Yes, it's real well it's.

Speaker 3:

It's like you know. I knew that tate tate's gonna have lupus for the rest of his life. Yeah, there's no cure for it. But whenever they told me because he's 15, that there was no permanent damage to his kidneys, yeah, that's a miracle, it is, it is 100%. I was just like one thing. One thing, that's all we need. We all have crosses to carry. God didn't tell us that it was gonna be easy. He didn't, you know. Yeah, he's close to the broken hearted, yeah yeah and that that's been my sisters.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, through this whole year and I have felt like that through these last I mean, I can't even count the years- yeah, yeah, you know yeah and it's. It's just like sometimes you want to say, okay, god, how broken hearted do you want me to be but? You just that's where faith comes in and that's where you just gotta push back and and know that that's the devil wanting you to ask those kind of questions who am I to suffer for today?

Speaker 1:

that's right, that's it. Who am I to suffer for today? And I? I try to tell myself whenever I feel that the pity party wanting to come on, I try who, who, who needs it today, and so that's what we have to say.

Speaker 3:

We have to use those words those words of a 12 year old child absolutely yes.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much for coming again. We love you so much uh thank y'all for listening to coffee talk with the Cajun Mamas. I hope this was everything you wanted it to be, because it surely was. For listening to Coffee Talk with the Cajun Mamas. I hope this was everything you wanted it to be, because it surely was for me. In the name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit, Our Father in heaven.

Speaker 3:

moved by the Holy Spirit from Jesus Christ, your Son and our Savior, we lift up our hearts to you and ask that, if it be your will, you grant our request. May your servant and native of Louisiana, Charlene Marie Reeshort, be raised to sainthood by the Holy Father. Successor of the Apostle Saint Peter and visible head of Jesus's church on earth. We entrust this prayer to you through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus, under her title, by which she is known as the Patroness of Louisiana, Our Lady of Promsucker, and so we'll say that Our Father Our Father who art in heaven hallowed

Speaker 3:

be, thy name, thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us, our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever, shall be for ever, without end. Amen In the Father, son and Holy Spirit. Amen.