A Catholic church in Louisiana found itself at the center of national backlash after a prayer request in its weekly bulletin drew criticism for what many saw as a glaring omission. The church had recently watched its former pastor receive a life sentence for sexual assault — yet a June 7 bulletin asked parishioners to pray for him without mentioning his victims.
On June 2, 2026, Anthony Odiong, 57, was sentenced to life in prison, formally ending his tenure as the former head of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Luling, Louisiana. A jury in Waco, Texas, found him guilty following accusations that he used his spiritual authority as a clergyman to sexually assault parishioners.
