JANUARY 28, 2022
mississippicatholic.com
Over 60 years of teaching, heart of service of Sister Margaret Sue Broker BY LAURA GRISHAM
SOUTHAVEN – If you have attended, sent your children to, or simply visited Sacred Heart School, you know Sister Margaret Sue. Sister Margaret Sue Broker, OSF, is, as they say, the stuff of legend. She quietly goes about her work each day with the purpose of making the school — and each child that passes through its doors — great. Sister has been doing this for more than six decades. Upon entering School Sisters of St. Francis, the once shy and quiet Sister Margaret Sue wanted to work in an orphanage and cook. Instead, her first year on mission was teaching the third and fourth grade at Our Lady of Victory School in Chicago. The next year she taught at St. Mary’s, a small school in Pine Bluff, Wisconsin. But just as her second year at the little rural school was to begin, her road to teaching took a turn south. “The night before I was supposed to go back to Pine Bluff, I was called in and told to tear up my obedience slip for that year. I would, instead, be going to Mississippi,” said Broker. Sister Margaret Sue arrived at Sa- SOUTHAVEN –Sister Margaret Sue Broker is pictured in her early years teaching at cred Heart School in 1961. At that Sacred Heart School. She began her 61st year of teaching this school year. (Photo time, every elementary teacher was courtesy of Laura Grisham)
responsible for 45 students and two grades, a far cry from the intimate class settings of today. Class size is not the only thing that is different at the school. Sister Margaret Sue has seen many changes through her years at Sacred Heart. Tuition at the beginning of her tenure, for instance, was only five dollars per month, per family. “During my early years we had children who lived in homes that had no running water and heat was provided using old oil drums,” Sister recalled. “And many of our parents back in the day had third grade or less of education. That has definitely changed.” Over the years Sister has taught some class or another in every grade. She has taught first through fourth grades full time, sixth-grade religion and English, and library for the lower grades. She has been curriculum director and even the principal during her time at the school. Today, Sister Margaret Sue teaches Pre-K through second-grade religion classes, but she is quick to tell you her favorite. “By far, first grade has been my love and that is what I have taught most of my life. That is where you see those – Continued on page 6 –
Synod process continues with listening sessions across diocese BY JOANNA PUDDISTER KING AND LAURA GRISHAM
JACKSON – After months of planning, printing material and a bit of prayer, parishes across the diocese are now beginning to host synod listening sessions, as a part of the 2021-2023 Synod of Bishops, titled “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission.” Each parish in the diocese is tasked with hosting a listening session, and other entities such as schools and youth programs, are encouraged to offer sessions, as well. During Advent, the diocese director of faith formation and synod lead coordinator, Fran Lavelle and the synod core steam invited groups, including clergy, deacons and LEMs, to go through the listening session process to aid them in planning their own local synodal listening sessions. “By all accounts, it was a success,” said Lavelle. Kicking off the parish listening sessions was Christ the King Southaven, that held a listening session for parishioners on Thursday, Jan. 23, with Deacon Ted Schreck as coordinator. In attendance at the listening session was Elizabeth Clark, who commented that the session was great and “the process was well aligned to get answers that are
needed in order for us to grow as a church.” One thing that really stood out to Clark in the session, and that was the strong desire for community, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. She noted that people are more aware of the isolation of individuals, particularly those who live alone. “We are all feeling that isolation and have the desire to come together – to know and share our faith and be Catholic Christians,” said Clark.
Jeff Wallace equally enjoyed the gathering. “It was uplifting to be able to have some input on possible new directions in the church – You felt like you are helping to make a difference, a change in things to come.” Wallace likened the process as a “spiritual neighborhood watch.” He said that it is “a broad gathering of our church community in which everyone was able to participate and share topics of concern and suggest ways to address them.” – Continued on page 6 –
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