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St. Paul’s Episcopal Church welcomed Rev. Deacon Madge McLain to Abbeville a little more than three months ago.
It is another stop on the journey, one that has brought her through various jobs and eventually to the church.
“In August of this year,” McLain said, “I was ordained as a transitional deacon, a ministry that must be fulfilled for a period of six months. In February of 2018, I will be made a priest in the Episcopal church and my hope is to continue at St. Paul’s for many years.”
McLain’s early years took her to many places.
“Having a petroleum engineer as a daddy and being born in an era of exploration and oil production, meant that our family moved considerably,” McLain said. “I was actually born in Lafayette and growing up, I would call numerous places in Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma home. As a junior in high school the family returned to Lafayette where I finished high school and graduated from U. S. L. with a degree in Behavioral Sciences.”
McLain said she enjoyed living in different parts of the country, but is happy to have made Lafayette and Acadiana her home for the last 35 years.
“It has been my experience that each part of the country is unique and wonderful in its own way,” McLain said, “but there is nowhere quite like Acadiana.”
As for the career part of life, McLain spent most of that time in retail purchasing and management.
“I spent a number of years with the J.C. Penney Co. and then with Marshall’s Nursery, a retail plant nursery and gift shop, for 28 years,” McLain said. “When Marshall, the owner, retired and I was forced to go once again into the job market, I was “adopted” by Ted Viator, a landscape architect and event coordinator in Lafayette.
“While working for Ted, my call to ordained ministry rang out and I began the journey toward ordination.”
That journey began with a simple question.
“I did not know that I was called to ordained ministry until I was asked by my parish priest to consider the discernment process,” McLain said. “Quiet prayer and reflection made it clear that I would begin this process that I was called to begin. Overall this process, in the depth and thoroughness of discovery, took about two years. After obtaining approval from our Bishop and the commission on ministry, my ministry education of three years began.”
McLain is happy to have found herself in Abbeville, a place that has had a welcoming feeling.
“It is an extraordinary thing to me that being only 21 miles apart that Lafayette and Abbeville are so very different,” McLain said. “Abbeville moves to a rhythm of kindness and gentleness and where the days move in a dimension of time that I have not ever experienced. People in Abbeville make time for others, time for family, time for friends, time for strangers, such as I was only three months ago.
“I have been welcomed into this community with open arms.”
Abbeville is a place, McLain said, she is certain has strong ties to faith, regardless of the denomination.
“This is a community that is rooted in faith of a number of different faith traditions,” McLain said. “One need only drive around town on Sunday morning for witness of where the heart of this town exists.”
After only a few months, McLain’s heart is in Abbeville.
“Perhaps the best way that I can summarize how I feel about Abbeville and my St. Paul’s family, is that I just believe that I will stay awhile,” McLain said.

April 14, 1942 ~ November 23, 2017

ABBEVILLE — Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, December 2, 2017 at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville honoring the life of Margaret Aline Stroud, 75, who died Thursday, November 23, 2017 at Maison De Lafayette.
Deacon Byron Soley will officiate the services. Burial will be held at a later date at Graceland Cemetery.
Margaret and her husband Dwight were the proud owners of Stroud’s Shady Oaks Restaurant located in Abbeville and Lafayette. They served many in the community with several award winning meals.
Margaret is survived by her godchildren, Mary Margaret Bellinger, Bryan Baudoin and Christopher Broussard; caregiver, Wendy Baudoin; and many extended family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Dwight LaRoe Stroud; parents, Otis Bertrand and the former Agnes Theriot; and son, Martin 'Marty" Morrell Stroud.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Saturday, December 2, 2017 from 9:00 AM until time of services. A rosary will be prayed at 11:00 AM.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

Leah Marie Trahan and Troy Simar Jr. exchanged wedding vows on Saturday, November 18, 2017 during a sunset ceremony at Rip Van Winkle Gardens on Jefferson Island, New Iberia. Judge Durwood Conque officiated the ceremony.
The bride is the daughter of Linda and Calvin (Woody) Woodruff Jr. of Abbeville and the late Rene Dale Trahan of Kaplan.
Her grandparents are the late Galvez and Wilmae Langlinais Dartez and Sava and Mathilde Adams Trahan, all of Kaplan.
Parents of the groom are Donna and Troy Simar Sr. of St. Martinville and the late Bonnie Olivier of Henderson.
His grandparents are Wayne Simar and Myrtle Delahoussaye Simar and the late Clarence Olivier and Anne Mae Courville of Henderson.
Music for the ceremony was provided by Aaron Lane.
The mother of the bride was escorted by Robert Aymond her son-in-law. She wore an elegant floor length gown of wine chiffon with lace bodice, embellished with beading.
The stepmother of the groom was escorted by her husband, Troy Simar Sr. She wore a cream colored palazzo pants with a lovely v-neck top accented by cream colored sequins.
Escorted by her stepfather, Calvin (Woody) Woodruff Jr., the bride wore a designer gown by Zak Posen in ivory. The gown was a fit and flair style overlaid with vintage lace with an amplified scalloped lace hemline. It also featured a jeweled band at the waist and a chapel train.
For her headpiece, the bride wore a flower crown of greenery including eucalyptus, wax myrtle, burgundy accents, off white roses, and feathers. Her bouquet was a free form arrangement of beautiful earth toned flowers and greenery and pheasant feathers with accents of burgundy and off white. In her bouquet, the bride carried a locket with a picture of her father, which was a gift from her godmother.
Also entwined in her bouquet was a pearl rosary, which was a gift from her mother.
Attending as matron of honor was Tonya Trahan Aymond, sister of the bride. Bridesmaids were Lesley Renee’ Trahan, sister of the bride; Linzy McWorter, Kim Wooten, Ashley Bergeron. The junior bridesmaid was Gabriela Flores, godchild of the groom. They wore floor length gowns in styles of their own choice in colors of biscotti and stone.
The bridesmaids bouquets were also free form bouquets in earth tones and colors of dark green, burgundy and rust.
Best man was Adrian Theriot, friend of the groom. Groomsmen were Jeremy Simar, Joey Bienvenue, Joe Flores, Olivier Hebert. The junior groomsman was William Simon, godchild of the bride. All members of the wedding party wore western boots.
Flower girl was Annie Simar, cousin of the groom. She was adorable in a lace dress similar to the bride’s and wore a flower crown in her hair. She carried a miniature bird nest with eggs in it. Connor Theriot, godchild of the groom served as ring bearer. He carried a whimsically natural pillow covered in green moss. The rings were attached to the pillow with twine.
Following the ceremony, a reception was held at the Bayless Center at Rip Van Winkle Gardens, which was beautifully decorated with floral arrangements of earth toned flowers in burgundy, rust and off white, greenery and pheasant feathers. Slices of wood were used as the base for centerpieces on tables as well as under the bride’s cake. Mason jars with candles and lanterns were used throughout the reception area.
Upon their return from a wedding trip to St. Lucia, the couple will reside in Milton.

Andrea Rhea Fontenot of Erath and Jeremy Allen Waters of Marshall, Missouri are pleased to announce their engagement and forthcoming wedding.
The couple will exchange vows at White Oak Plantation in Baton Rouge on Saturday, April 7, 2018.
The bride-elect is the daughter of Kenn and Cheryl Fontenot of Erath. Her late grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. William Salathe of New Orleans and Mr. and Mrs. Russel Fontenot of Ville Platte. She is a graduate of Erath High School and LSU Baton Rouge.
The groom-elect is the son of Richard and Debra Waters of Marshall, Missouri. His grandparents are Helen Brandt and the late Henry Brandt of Marshall, Missouri, and the late Mr. and Mrs. George Waters also of Marshall, Missouri. He is a graduate of School of Computers in Baton Rouge.
The couple is employed by ShoppersChoice.com in Baton Rouge.