I Like to think I’m a faithful Catholic. I don’t miss a weekend mass, make daily mass when I wake up on time (I get home from work between 12:35-12:45 AM) regularly go to confession, host a show called “Your Prayer Intentions” on WQPH 89.3 FM Shirley/Fitchburg and even am the author of a book titled: “Hail Mary the Perfect Protestant (and catholic) Prayer”.
But this guy: Ross McKnight He’s the real thing:
McKnight is a descendent of those Arcadians who were expelled from Nova Scotia by the British during their conquering of Canada in the French and Indian Wars and made their way to Louisiana eventually becoming known as Creoles. He has not forgotten his ancestors embracing both the French Language and the deep Catholic faith that said ancestors share. He supports his family by raising animals poultry at his Farm in a manner that would make the greenest of greens blush with pride:
When you visit Backwater Farmstead, the first thing you’ll notice is the greenery. We committed a long time ago to running our animals in systems that contribute to pasture fertility, and so, at the root of it – so to speak – we’re grass farmers. When the grass is healthy, the diverse biota that the poultry munch on have a good habitat, and, believe it or not, grass itself makes up a significant portion of our birds’ diet.
And if this isn’t enough to prove his environmentally sound credentials his company Backwater Foiegras as the name implies produces this very French delicacy along with specialty poultry seasonally. French Guinea fowl, Freedom Ranger chickens, Pekin ducks, and geese and Creole Bresse chicken. their diet: pasture, corn raw milk from the family cow. No GMOs and a local breed of sheep as well who are as his site indicates: “strictly grass fed”
But Mr. McKnight is dedicated to more than supporting his wife and five kids by raising animals, he’s dedicated to his Catholic Faith. So at the beginning of the month of June, a month long dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by the Church, suggested the following antidote to the “coup of the month of June”
1. As is our tradition, enthrone the Sacred Heart in your home this month, and place your family under the protection of the furnace of Christ’s most merciful love.
2. Wear the Sacred Heart as a badge wherever you go! If you know your history, you’ll know that it was meant to be the livery of France (and was that of the Vendéens)!
3. Pray the Rosary for the conversion of souls. Pray it in French.
4. Check out my most recent journal entry on our website.
For God and the King! For God the King! Pour Dieu et Le Roi ! Pour Dieu Le Roi !
A very French Catholic post by a proud Arcadian Catholic.
Alas however some of his biggest buyers, no matter how much they might like the quality of his products and his methods of farming, can not tolerate any dissent to the march of Pride month, particularly one based firmly in faith and as the Federalist reported the responses came fast and furious.
Within a few hours of his Instagram post, several of McKnight’s customers, some of whom he had a personal relationship with, began canceling their orders. This included McKnight’s biggest clients — two high-end New Orleans restaurants that previously committed to buying from him throughout the summer.
And how did he respond? Well in the way you might expect a Faithful Catholic to respond
Since his Instagram post, nearly two-thirds of McKnight’s business has evaporated, putting him and his family in a dire financial situation. Yet when interviewed by The Federalist, McKnight expressed a baffling sense of peace and even joy. “There’s that animal need to have food and shelter and clothing — certainly,” and “I’m concerned,” said McKnight. “But I don’t know how to precisely explain myself … I’ve lost everything overnight, but the suffering is valuable,” he said.
That last sentence could have been written by St. Faustina herself. He had this to say in his latest response on Instagram:
It would be difficult to miss the fact that we are Catholics who sincerely hold what Holy Mother Church teaches.
Subsisting upon the realities of the Faith instills certain motivations and desires, one of those well-ordered desires being to make beautiful things, hence the very existence of our foie gras farm.
Recently, we received two texts from two restaurant owners who have decided that they’ve had enough of our Catholicism based on our latest Instagram feed post and have cancelled their large, recurring orders.
One of these restaurant owners had a long-standing relationship with us.
While we’ve never required our customers to pass a litmus test before serving them, it seems our values, which come from lives lived as Louisiana Catholics, are considered unacceptable by some.
We count it a privilege to have lost much.
It is an honor to participate, through the suffering of our family, in the triumph of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
As I said at the start of this post I like to think I’m a faithful Catholic but I’ve never had to risk all to back it up. At my age I have few ambitions left, but as the culture continues to sink and the price of faith continues to rise in our society my ambition would be to be to match the faith of Mr. McKnight when and if the time for testing comes.
Postscript: I’m not a foiegras guy but if what he’s selling is something you might find appealing you can check it out here.
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