MS Catholic January 17, 2025 by jacksondiocese

Masses launching Holy Year in dioceses emphasize ‘hope that does not disappoint’

BY MARIA WIERING

(OSV News) – Bishops worldwide celebrated the opening of the 2025 Holy Year Dec. 29 with Masses in their cathedrals and co-cathedrals to mark the jubilee, which is themed “Pilgrims of Hope.”

The Masses were celebrated with the Rite of the Opening of the Jubilee Year. In the Archdiocese of New York, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan began Mass at the back of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan with a prayer opening what he called “the Holy Year of Hope.”

The prayer called God “the hope that does not disappoint, the beginning and the end” and asked him to bless the “pilgrim journey this Holy Year.”

“Bind up the wounds of hearts that are broken, loosen the chains that hold us slaves of sin, and grant your people joy of the Spirit so that they may walk with renewed hope toward their longed-for destiny, Christ, your son, our Lord, who lives and reigns forever and ever,” he prayed.

That prayer was followed by a Gospel reading from John 14, in which Jesus explained to his disciples his relationship to God the Father, and then a reading from the papal bull announcing the Jubilee Year. Then, Archbishop Dolan said, “Hail, O Cross of Christ, our only true hope,” to which the congregation replied: “You are our hope. We will never be confounded.”

Jubilee prayers were repeated across the United States as bishops opened the Jubilee Year on the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, which is celebrated on the Sunday after Christmas Day. In some dioceses, the opening rite preceded a procession of the faithful to or within the cathedral for Mass. The procession was to include a jubilee cross, a cross of significance for the local church designated for a special liturgical role during the Jubilee Year.

Continued on page 6 –

BY OSV NEWS

Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans

offered prayers for victims of what he described as a “sign of utter disrespect for human life” perpetrated by a man who drove a Ford pickup truck through crowds celebrating the New Year in New Orleans’ French Quarter around 3:15 a.m. Jan. 1. At least 15 people were reportedly killed, with around 35 others injured. The driver was killed by police after leaving the vehicle and exchanging gunfire with law enforcement,

striking two officers. The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism.

“Our prayers go out to those killed and injured in this morning’s horrific attack on Bourbon Street,” said Archbishop Aymond, a New Orleans native, in a Jan. 1 statement. “This violent act is a sign of utter disrespect for human life. I join with others in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans in offering prayerful support to the victims’ families. I give thanks for the heroic duty of hundreds of law enforcement and medical personnel in the face of such evil.”

Officials identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, and said he likely did not act alone. An ISIS flag was located on the vehicle’s trailer hitch. The FBI found explosive devices in the pickup truck and elsewhere in the French Quarter, including report-

edly near the historic Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. In an early afternoon press conference, officials described Jabbar, 42, as “a U.S.-born citizen from Texas” and U.S. Army veteran, and that law enforcement is looking for known associates. Anyone who had interacted with Jabbar within 72 hours prior to the attack is asked to contact the FBI at the agency’s tipline, 1-800-CALL-FBI.

New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick and other city officials confirmed that the attack was deliberate and that they were focused on ensuring the safety of the city’s residents and visitors. Officials did not release information about the identities of the victims known dead. A few hours later, authorities updated the death count from 10 to 15.

Continued on page 6

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan celebrates Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City Dec. 29, 2024, to mark the kickoff of Jubilee 2025, with similar celebrations taking place in dioceses around the world. In homilies, bishops emphasized the Holy Year’s theme of hope. (OSV News photo/Jeffrey Bruno)

PARISH 2

SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

GLUCKSTADT – St. Joseph, Millions of Monicas – Praying with conﬁdence for our children, each Tuesday from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the church. Join with other mothers and grandmothers as we pray for our children’s faithful return to the church. Details: email millionsofmonicas@stjosephgluckstadt.com.

Knights of Columbus – Grow in your faith with ﬁve short videos produced by the Knights of Columbus called the “Mission of The Family.” The Mission of the Family” videos can be found at https://www. kofc.org/en/campaigns/into-the-breach.html. Videos are less than 14 minutes in length.

OFFICE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION – The OCE hosts a Zoom Rosary the ﬁrst Wednesday of each month during the school year at 7 p.m. On Feb. 5, Sacred Heart Catholic School will lead us in prayer. Join early and place your intentions in the chat. Details: Join the rosary via zoom at https://bit. ly/zoomrosary2024.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – School Sisters of Notre Dame invite single women to a discernment retreat Feb. 2123, 2025, at their Sancta Maria in Ripa campus. Details: Pre-registration by Feb. 7, is requested. There is no cost for participation. Private rooms with restroom provided; all meals included. Some assistance with transportation costs is available if needed. Details: email sisters@ssnd.org or call (314) 633-7026.

PILGRIMAGE – Pilgrimage to Marian Shrines (Fatima, Spain and Lourdes) with Father Lincoln Dall and Deacon John McGregor, Sept, 15-24, 2025. Details: for more information visit www.206tours. com/frlincoln.

PILGRIMAGE – Pilgrimage to Rome, Assisi, Lisbon and Fatima with Father Carlisle Beggerly, Oct. 4-15, 2025. Cost: $5,799 per person (includes airfare from anywhere in the U.S.) Details: contact Pat

Nause at (601) 604-0412; Proximo Travel at (855) 8428001 or proximotravel.com. Mention trip #1181.

PARISH, FAMILY & SCHOOL EVENTS

COLUMBUS – Annunciation School, Mardi Gras Masquerade – Draw Down and Art Auction, Friday, Feb. 28 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Details: school o ce (662) 328-4479.

FLOWOOD – St. Paul, Annual Drawdown, Saturday, Feb. 15 at The Ivy. Theme is “The Roaring Twenties.” Details: church o ce (601) 992-9547.

GREENWOOD – St. Francis of Assisi, Mardi Gras Ball 2025, Saturday, Feb. 15, at the Civic Center. Details: church o ce (662) 453-0623 or email sfgwparish@gmail.com.

JACKSON – St. Richard, Krewe de Cardinal, Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Westin Jackson. At this Mardi Gras inspired event, our parents, friends and supporters Laizzez le bon temps rouler in grand fashion! The food and drinks are second to none. The entertainment is top notch, and the auction items are out of this world! This is one party you deﬁnitely do not want to miss! Details: visit https://bit.ly/3E1y9Mr for more information and register for the silent auction at https://one.bidpal.net/krewe/welcome.

MADISON – St. Joseph School, $10,000 Draw Down, Saturday, Jan. 25 from 6-10 p.m. at Reunion Golf Club. Details: visit www.stjoebruins.com/drawdown.

MERIDIAN – St. Patrick, Dinner and Dancing, Saturday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Tickets $30. Dress in your Sunday best for a Valentine’s weekend intimate night of ﬁne dining and romantic melodies. Ages 21+. Details: church o ce (601) 693-1321.

FEATURE PHOTO: ... This Little Light of Mine ...

DIOCESE

STARKVILLE – Campus Ministry Winter Retreat, Saturday, Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Joseph Starkville. Join college students from across the diocese for a day of fellowship, games, prayer, song, scripture, Mass and more. Cost: $20. Details: register at https://bit.ly/3OoES58.

WORLD MARRIAGE DAY – Event recognizes couples celebrating anniversaries in 2025 - 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th+. Celebrations held in Jackson at the Cathedral of St. Peter on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. and in Tupelo at St. James on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 5 p.m. Details: debbie.tubertini@jacksondiocese.org. YOUTH – DCYC, March 21-23, 2025 at the Vicksburg Convention Center. Theme is “Here I am Lord Work in Me.” Register by Feb. 21, contact your parish to register. Details: contact your individual parish o ces or contact Abbey at (601) 949-6934 or abbey.

Rev. Alexis Zuniga, ST is appointed Associate Pastor ofHoly Rosary Indian Mission in Philadelphia e ective December 1, 2024.

Bishop of Jackson

JACKSON – On Saturday, Dec. 21, the Sister Thea Bowman School choir, with assistance from St. Joe choir members, perform “This Little Light of Mine” at a special Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle with Bishop Joseph Kopacz in honor of the dedication of the new bronze statue of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, a gift of the bishops of the Province of Mobile. (Photo by Joanna Puddister King)

R dgeland Cl nton

APPLIANCE AUDIO VIDEO BEDDING FURNITURE SUPERSTORE

V cksburg Tupelo Columbus Laur el r Oxford Hat t esburg

Jackson Flowood Pearl

God’s Word: a lamp for our feet and light for our lives

BY BISHOP JOSEPH R. KOPACZ, D.D.

Each year on the third Sunday in Ordinary Time the Church celebrates Sunday of the Word of God. This annual commemoration began with Aperuit illis an apostolic letter, by Pope Francis issued on Sept. 30, 2019, the feast of St. Jerome instituting this annual observance. Sunday of the Word of God is devoted to the raising up of the Sacred Scriptures throughout the Catholic world while fostering a more widespread love for God’s Word on a daily basis.

The ﬁrst Sunday of the Word of God occurred on Jan. 26, 2020, and this year’s observance will occur on Jan. 25-26. The pope said that he wrote the apostolic letter in response to requests from around the world to celebrate the Word of God in an extra special manner. In time, it is the desire of Pope Francis and many in the church that Sunday of the Word of God will be as central to the Catholic culture and imagination as is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

This earnest desire was expressed 60 years ago at the Second Vatican Council. “The treasures of the bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God’s word.” (Sacrosanctum Concilium) The Council Fathers pointed out that Sacred Scriptures already permeate the entire liturgy, often a treasure hidden in plain sight. “Sacred Scripture is of the greatest importance in the celebration of the liturgy. For it is from scripture that lessons are read and explained in the homily, and psalms are sung; the prayers, collects, and liturgical songs are scriptural in their inspiration and their force, and it is from the scriptures that actions and signs derive their meaning. Thus, it is essential to promote that warm and living love for scripture to which the venerable tradition of both eastern and western rites gives testimony.” (Sacrosanctum Concilium)

The Word of God is essential for Eucharistic Revival because through its proclamation and hearing in the assembly of the faithful the Holy Spirit inspires faith and prepares our hearts and minds for communion with the Body and Blood of the Lord and empowers us in our daily lives to live with the mind and heart of Jesus Christ. The period of fasting before Mass and the reception of Holy Communion is intended to sharpen our attention and focus, and to cultivate a hunger and thirst for the living Word of God, and for the reception of the Eucharist.

Indeed, the quest for renewal in the church ﬁnds its power in the Mass. “Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as is their right and duty by reason of their baptism.” Hearing the Word of God and putting it into practice is the heart of fully conscious participation.

The sacred scriptures that will be proclaimed on Sunday of the Word of God this year are outstanding. From the Book of Nehemiah, the assembly of Israel gathered to renew their Covenant with God through the proclamation of the law. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians illustrates the church as a living organism, the body, comprised of many members. In light of this passage, we know that at every gathering in our churches, we proclaim to the heavens that the church is a living body giving glory to God.

Lastly, the Gospel of St. Luke situates Jesus in then synagogue in Nazareth

P.O. Box 2130 Jackson, MS 39225-2130 Phone: 601-969-3581 E-mail: editor@jacksondiocese.org

JACKSON – Father Tristan Stovall (a transitional deacon in this photo) holds up the Book of the Gospels at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle during a Mass in 2024. Sunday of the Word of God will be observed on Jan. 25-26, 2025. (Photo by Joanna Puddister King)

where he had grown up, announcing a Jubilee Year of Hope for all of the people with an outpouring of glad tidings, liberty and sight. May God’s Word accomplish its purpose in our lives as a lamp for our feet and a light for the eyes of our hearts and minds.

Happy Ordination Anniversary

January 8

Father Bill Cullen Retired

Volume 71 Number 3 (ISSN 1529-1693)

Publisher Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

Communications Director Joanna Puddister King

Production Manager Tereza Ma

MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC is an oﬃcial publication of the Diocese of Jackson, 601-969-1880, 237 E. Amite St., Jackson, MS 39201. Published digitally twice per month January – April and September – December; once per month June, July and August. Mississippi Catholic mails 14 editions per year – twice per month in December and January; and once per month February –November. For address changes, corrections or to join the email list for the digital edition, email: editor@jacksondiocese.org. Subscription rate: $20 a year in Mississippi, $21 out-of-state. Periodical postage at Jackson, MS 39201 and additional entry oﬃces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mississippi Catholic, P.O. Box 2130, Jackson, MS 39225-2130. Website: www.mississippicatholic.com  www.jacksondiocese.org

January 12

Father José Lopez Retired

Thank you for answering the call!

BISHOP’S SCHEDULE

Sunday, Jan. 26, 10:30 a.m. – Catholic Schools Week Mass, St. Richard, Jackson

Saturday, Feb. 1, 1 p.m. – World Marriage Day, Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, Jackson

Tuesday, Feb. 4, 7:30 a.m. – Mass, Carmelite Monastery, Jackson

Saturday, Feb. 8, 11 a.m. – Conﬁrmation Mass, St. Anne, Carthage

Saturday, Feb. 8, 5 p.m. – World Marriage Day, St. James, Tupelo

Thursday, Feb. 27, 6 p.m. – 70th Anniversary Celebration, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Houston

Sunday, March 2, 5 p.m. – Conﬁrmation Mass, St. Richard, Jackson

All events are subject to change. Check with parishes for further details.

The new year is upon us and we continue to build on the momentum that we started back in the summer. Our partnership with Vianney Vocations continues and we have some work to do!

More than 130 names were submitted back in November during our first-ever Called By Name weekend, when parishioners took part in encouraging young men in their parish to think about the priesthood and to help the Department of Vocations connect them with resources to help their discernment. Our Vocation Team, which is a group of priests from across the diocese, will begin reaching out to all of those young men this month and inviting them to take part in a discernment group.

You may remember that we launched a few six-week discernment groups last fall and more than 30 young men took part. We expect that those numbers will greatly increase this spring. I would like to thank all of those who participated in the Called by Name campaign. Think about it: the Department of Vocations has over 130 more contacts than we had before. That is God at work.

The next big discernment trip will be hosted by assistant vocation director Father Tristan Stovall. Father Tristan is taking college age and above guys to Notre Dame Seminary at the end of January. The men will tour the seminary, take part in classes and visit with our seminarians as well as the other men at NDS. We will have a seminary trip to St. Joseph College Seminary a little later in the spring for our younger discerners. These trips are always important and thanks to Called by Name and other initiatives, more men are

being invited to participate.

Our goal continues to be ambitious, but full of confident faith in the Lord: 33 seminarians by the year 2030. We have two applicants for the coming year so far, and we will see what the Lord has in store when our discernment groups launch, and God continues to work on the hearts of the young men who are participating.

As you discuss our vocation efforts with possible discerners, parents and your Catholic friends, help them to understand that seminary formation is not just for men who know they are called to be priests. Seminary formation is for any man who is open to the will of God and thinks that priesthood might be his call. Too many people dismiss the possibility of going to seminary off hand because they misunderstand what the seminary is for.

The seminary exists primarily to form young men, and many of them become priests, but not all. Many of the guys who start seminary formation don’t end up getting ordained, and that is ok. If a man has the requisite maturity and the correct attitude and openness to formation, he will end up being a better Catholic professional and husband than he would have been without that formation.

Thank you all for your incredible support of our programs. I have been inspired by the amount of phone calls, letters and gifts that we’ve received to keep our programs going and to support our men in priestly formation. Thank you, and Happy New Year. Let’s go find some more seminarians!

– Father Nick Adam, vocation director

(For more information on vocations, visit jacksonvocations.com or contact Father Nick Adam at (601) 969-4020 or nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.)

Father Nick Adam

Coming to peace with our lack of recognition

IN EXILE

By Father ron rolheiser, oMi

We crave few things as deeply as self-expression and recognition. We have an irrepressible need to express ourselves, be known, recognized, understood and seen by others as unique, gifted and significant. A heart that is unknown, unappreciated in its depth, lacking in meaningful self-expression and recognition, is prone to restlessness, frustration and bitterness. And, truth be told, self-expression is difficult and full self-expression is impossible.

In the end, for most of us, our lives are always smaller than our needs and our dreams, no matter where we live or what we accomplish. In our daydreams each of us would like to be famous, the renowned writer, the graceful ballerina, the admired athlete, the movie star, the cover girl, the renowned scholar, the Nobel Prize winner, the household name; but in the end, most of us remain just another unknown, living among other unknowns, collecting an occasional autograph. And so, our lives can seem too small for us. We feel ourselves as extraordinary, forever trapped inside the mundane, even as there is something inside us that still seeks expression, that still seeks recognition, and that feels that something precious inside us is living and dying in futility. In truth, seen only from the perspective of this world, much of what is precious, unique and rich, seemingly is living and dying in futility. Only a rare few achieve satisfying self-expression and recognition.

There’s a certain martyrdom in this. Iris Murdoch once said: “Art has its martyrs, not the least of which are those who have preserved their silence.” Lack of self-expression, whether chosen or imposed by circumstances, is a real death; but like all deaths it can be understood and appropriated in very different ways.

If it is accepted unhappily as tragic, it leads to bitterness and a broken spirit. If, however, it is understood and appropriated in faith as an invitation to be a hidden cell inside the Body of Christ and the human family, to anonymously provide sustenance and health to the overall body, it can lead to restfulness, gratitude and sense of significance that lays the axe to the roots of our frustration, disappointment, depression and bitterness.

I say this because much of what gives us life and sustains us in our lives has not been provided by the rich and famous, the high achievers and those to whom history gives credit. As George Eliot points out, we don’t need to do great things that leave a big mark in human history because “the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life and rest in unvisited tombs.”

Well said. History bears this out. I think, for instance, of Therese of Lisieux who lived out her life in obscurity in a little convent tucked away in rural France, who when she died at age 24, was probably known by fewer than 100 people. In terms of how we assess things in this world she accomplished very little, nothing in terms of outstanding achievement or visible contribution. She entered the convent at age fifteen and spent the years until her early death doing menial things in the laundry, kitchen and garden inside her obscure convent. The only tangible possession she left behind was

a diary, a personal journal with bad spelling, which told the story of her family, her upbringing and what she experienced during her last months in palliative care as she faced death.

But what she did leave behind is something that has made her a figure who is now renowned around the world, both inside and outside of faith circles. Her little private journal, The Story of a Soul, has touched millions of lives, despite its bad spelling (which had to be corrected by her sisters after her death).

What gives her little journal its unique power to touch hearts is that it chronicles what was happening inside the privacy of her own soul during all those years when she was hidden away and unknown, as child and as a nun. What she records in the story of

The Pope’s Corner

her soul is that she, fully aware of her own uniqueness and preciousness, could unbegrudgingly give that all over in faith because she trusted that her gifts and talents were working silently (and powerfully) inside a mystical (though real, organic) body, the Body of Christ and of humanity. She understood herself as a cell inside a living body, giving over what was precious and unique inside her for the good of the world.

Anonymity offers us this invitation. There is no greater work of art that one can give to the world.

Jesus said as much. He told us to do our good deeds in secret and not let our left hand (and our neighbors and the world) know what our right hand is doing.

(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a theologian, teacher and award-winning author. He can be contacted through his website www.ronrolheiser.com.)

Christ’s birth brings light to a troubled world, pope says

By Justin Mclellan

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – In a troubled world, the birth of Christ reveals God’s unwavering determination to draw all people to himself and illuminate even the darkest corners, Pope Francis said.

Despite being born into a world “where there is a great need for light, for hope and a need for peace, a world where people at times create situations so complicated that it seems impossible to get out of them,” Jesus, the pope said, opens windows of light “even in the darkest nights of humanity.”

“God never stops, he finds a thousand ways to reach everyone, each and every one of us, wherever we are, without calculation and without conditions,” he said before praying the Angelus with visitors in St. Peter’s Square Jan 5.

Pope Francis said that Christmas celebrates how Jesus, through his humble birth, “overcomes so many walls and so many divisions.”

“He confronts the closed minds and hearts of the ‘great’ of his time, who are concerned more with defending power than seeking the Lord,” he said.

Born to parents “without means,” Jesus offers himself to the shepherds who were in the fields with their sheep, “men whose hearts are marked by the harshness of life and the disdain of society,” the pope said, as well as to the Magi who find Jesus “in great poverty.”

Pope Francis said Christians should be consoled and encouraged by the context of Jesus’ birth: “It seems impossible to get out of so many situations, but today the word of God tells us that it is not.”

He said that Christians are called to “to imitate the God of love, opening up glimmers of light wherever we can, with whomever we meet, in any context: family, social, international.”

God “invites us to not be afraid of taking the first step,” the pope said. “This is the

Lord’s invitation today: let us not fear taking the first step; it takes courage to do it but let us not be afraid.”

Pope Francis said that opening “wide bright windows of closeness to those who are suffering, of forgiveness, of compassion and reconciliation” are the “many first steps we must take to make the path clearer, safer and possible for all.”

Particularly during the current Holy Year, he said, God invites Christians to be messengers of hope by saying “yes” to life in simple and concrete ways “with choices that bring life.”

After praying the Angelus, Pope Francis prayed for peace in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Myanmar and Sudan. He called on the international community to “act firmly so that humanitarian law is respected in conflicts.”

“No more striking schools, hospitals; no more hitting workplaces,” he said. “Let us not forget that war is always a defeat, always!”

Pope Francis greets visitors in St. Peter’s Square gathered to pray the the Angelus Jan. 5, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

‘ ... Each 25 years

proclaims

– Continued from page 1 –

A jubilee or holy year is a special year in the life of the church currently celebrated every 25 years. The most recent ordinary jubilee was in 2000, with Pope Francis calling for an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015-2016.

Jubilee years have been held on regular intervals in the Catholic Church since 1300, but they trace their roots to the Jewish tradition of marking a jubilee year every 50 years.

According to the Vatican website for the jubilee, these years in Jewish history were “intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields.”

On Dec. 24, Pope Francis opened the Holy Doors at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican to launch the holy year. Coinciding with other diocesan celebrations Dec. 29, Cardinal Baldo Reina, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, opened Holy Doors at St. John Lateran, the pope’s cathedral.

Holy Doors also opened at Rome’s other two major basilicas, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls, Jan. 1 and Jan. 5, respectively. Pope Francis also opened Holy Doors Dec. 26 at Rome’s Rebibbia prison, which Vatican officials said was a papal first. Unlike the practice in the Year of Mercy, diocesan cathedrals will not designate their own holy doors.

At the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral Dec. 29, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich began his homily with an explanation of the origins of the jubilee year.

a jubilee year because we all need a fresh start ...’

“It is rooted in the Book of Leviticus, in which the people come together and realized that they needed a fresh start. They needed an opportunity to begin again,” he said. “And so debts were forgiven, sentences were commuted, enemies who fought each other were asked not to engage in battle but in reconciliation – and the church has taken that same spirit and each 25 years proclaims a jubilee year because we all need a fresh start.”

“It’s kind of a religious mulligan,” he said, referring in golf to a second chance after a poor shot. “We get to start all over again. We get to have a fresh moment, a new beginning, in which we allow the mercy of God to uproot and invade our otherwise very human sense of justice that focuses on retribution rather than reconciliation. We need a fresh start, a new moment in life, and that is what this year is to be for us.”

Cardinal Cupich said that it is the “Holy Family themselves that give us an example of what it means to be those pilgrims of hope.”

“In the Gospels, the only time that we see the entire Holy Family together is when they’re going someplace, when they’re on pilgrimage. They’re defined by being pilgrims,” he said. “They are the ones who remind us that we always have to take another step in life. We can never become complacent about our faith, about becoming more human.”

In his homily, Cardinal Dolan focused on the “three families” established by God – the human family, the natural family into which each person is born, and the supernatural family of the church which is entered through baptism and includes the communion of saints.

As with natural families, members of the church may drift away from, get mad at or become embarrassed or hurt by their “spiritual family, the church,” he said.

“But that’s also true of our natural, earthly families, isn’t it?,” he asked. “Our identity as a member of this family, the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic church, cannot be erased.

“I’m as much a Catholic as I am a Dolan – as much as, at times, both of those family names might exasperate me,” he added with a smile.

Like a natural family, the church is also always a home ready to welcome its members, he said.

Some Masses around the country included the hymn “Pilgrims of Hope,” which the Holy See commissioned for the Jubilee Year.

More than 30 million pilgrims are expected in Rome over the course of the Jubilee Year, with many of them seeking a special indulgence offered in the Holy Year. However, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, the Jubilee indulgence may be obtained in Catholics’ local dioceses by visiting cathedrals or other churches or sacred places designated by the local bishop.

Some bishops offered the Holy Year’s plenary indulgence during the Dec. 29 Masses. The Holy Year will end at St. Peter’s Jan. 6, 2026, with diocesan celebrations ending Dec. 28, 2025.

(Maria Wiering is senior writer for OSV News. Maria-Pia Negro Chin, OSV News Spanish editor, contributed to this article.) – Continued from page 1 –

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said during the press conference that there were “some people who are fighting for their lives right now in the hospital.”

“So I’d ask everyone to pray for them,” she said. “They need our support and they need our prayers.

“This was a heinous act. A heinous, cowardly act,” she added. “And we will find them and we will bring them to justice.”

At the press conference, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry announced he had issued an amended emergency declaration so “that we could bring all of our federal, state, and local agencies to bear in preparation for the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras.” Because of the attack, Landry said he also ordered “the mobilization of a military police company” in New Orleans.

Also speaking at the press conference, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy said, “I wish I understood better why bad things happen to good people.”

“If I make it to heaven, I’m going to ask,” he said. “For those people who don’t believe in objective evil, all you have to do is look at what happened in our city early this morning. If this doesn’t trigger the gag reflex of every American, every fair-minded American, I’ll be very surprised.”

‘ ... They need our support and prayers ...’

A man helps prepare a makeshift memorial in New Orleans Jan. 2, 2025, following a terrorist attack in which people were killed by a man driving a pickup truck into a crowd during New Year’s celebrations in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early Jan. 1. At least 14 people were killed and dozens more were injured, and the suspect was shot to death by police, authorities said. (OSV News photo/Eduardo Munoz, Reuters)

Kirkpatrick, whose role includes chief of police, called the action “evil” and that “New Orleans Police and all law enforcement is built, we are built, for dealing with evil.”

President Joe Biden said in a statement that he was “grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury.”

“I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state, and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind,” he said.

University of Notre Dame president Father Robert Dowd, a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, shared a message on a website for Notre Dame alumni and friends and on X, where he said the university community extends “our deepest gratitude to the brave first responders who risked their lives to protect others.”

“To be in solidarity with those who suffer is to exemplify the spirit of Notre Dame,” he wrote. “Today, we are in solidarity with all those impacted by this tragedy.”

Saying that it is “always grounded in faith, hope, and love, especially at difficult times,” the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis posted on social media the archdiocese’s “Family Prayer” requesting the intercession of Mary under the title of “Our Lady of Prompt Succor.” It noted that the church “serves the entire Archdiocese and far beyond, but the French Quarter is our home and neighborhood.”

“We stand in solidarity with those who lost loved ones this morning,” it said. “We are grateful for the first responders and other healthcare and law enforcement professionals who put themselves in harm’s way and who care for the injured.”

The attack occurred on the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and the World Day of Peace.

Washington’s new archbishop seeks to ‘know and understand this magni cent community of faith’

Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory and Cardinal Robert W. McElroy leave a Jan. 6, 2025, news conference at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington. Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Gregory, Washington’s archbishop since 2019, and named Cardinal McElroy of San Diego as his successor. As required by canon law, Cardinal Gregory submitted his resignation to the pope two years ago after he turned 75 on Dec. 7, 2022. (OSV News photo/Geoffrey Ros, Archdiocese of Washington)

BY RICHARD SZCZEPANOWSKI

WASHINGTON (OSV News) –

Hours after Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of San Diego was announced Jan. 6 as the new archbishop of Washington, the prelate praised his new archdiocese as “truly sacramental in the rich diversity of its traditions and perspectives.”

He also pledged to “show reverence for the grace of God which is already present in your midst and in the commitment to discipleship that underlies this local church.”

“I come as your bishop seeking to know and understand this magniﬁcent community of faith,” Cardinal McElroy said. “As your pastor, an essential element of my mission is to encounter the hearts and the souls of the disciples who form our local church.”

In a virtual news conference at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, Cardinal McElroy addressed his new ﬂock via the Archdiocese of Washington’s YouTube channel because a major snowstorm shut down the city.

“I want to give thanks to God for the grace-ﬁlled life of this local church and to Our Holy Father, Pope Francis who today makes me a member of that church,” Cardinal McElroy said.

Early Jan. 6, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, Washington’s archbishop since 2019, and named the San Diego prelate as his successor. As required by church law, Cardinal Gregory had submitted his resignation to the pope when he turned 75, which was two years ago, on Dec. 7, 2022.

The new archbishop of Washington said he has embraced Pope Francis’ emphasis on synodality and its call for the faithful to “build up a church centered in the Eucharist and devoted to the Word of God and the sacraments which sustain us.”

“Synodality calls us to walk humbly as a church, acknowledging our faults and sinfulness, and seeking forgiveness,” said Cardinal McElroy, who is 70. “It seeks the participation of every disciple in the church’s journey in this earthly pilgrimage, and is oriented toward the building of unity in society rooted in God’s justice, which cares especially for the unborn, the poor, the marginalized and the dispossessed.”

He said that in the Archdiocese of Washington, “for the past 85 years, the Catholic community has radiated the light of Christ throughout the District of Columbia and the surrounding ﬁve counties in Maryland.”

The archdiocese is home to more than 671,000 Catholics in D.C. and Maryland’s Montgomery, Prince George’s, St. Mary’s, Calvert and Charles counties.

Cardinal McElroy praised the archdiocese for its “rich parish communities of faith” and its “path-breaking development of lay ministries and apostolates, and the nurturing in lay leadership in the church that is genuinely participative and inclusive.”

The people of his new archdiocese, the cardinal said, are “men and women who form the people of God, struggling in a world ﬁlled with turbulence, hardship and illusion, to follow the pathway of Jesus Christ ... (and are) called to be

both dispensers and receivers of mercy and forgiveness.”

He noted that the Archdiocese of Washington has experienced “mountain-top moments” such as the visits of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis and has endured “moments of failure and shame,” including reports of the sexual abuse of minors.

“In this mixture of the mountain top and failure, we are no di erent from the ﬁrst disciples of the Lord,” Cardinal McElroy said. “It is to this community on the journey of faith that the Holy Father has called me to be bishop and pastor.”

Cardinal McElroy said Cardinal Gregory – appointed by Pope Francis in 2019 as the seventh archbishop of Washington and elevated to the College of Cardinals the following year –displayed “courage, a deeply pastoral heart and abiding faith in God and the dignity of the

W E ARE

human person” as he “made critically important contributions at crucial moments in order to bring the Gospel of Jesus to the heart and the soul of the Catholic community here in Washington.”

At the Jan. 6 conference, Cardinal Gregory said, “As I reﬂect upon the past nearly six years in this wonderful local church of Washington, my heart is ﬁlled predominantly with joy and gratitude for the many blessings, always appreciated but rarely deserved that God has granted me.”

He thanked the priests, auxiliary bishops and the faithful, noting that “we have loved one another, cared for one another, challenged one another to be the Catholic Church Jesus Christ calls us to be.”

Cardinal Gregory said that he plans to remain in Washington after his retirement and serve where needed.

(Richard Szczepanowski is managing editor of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington.)

HIRING

St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Madison, Alabama is currently accepting applications for the position of Principal. The principal is responsible for the leadership and operation of the school, which is the educational ministry of St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish.

For a detailed position description, as well as instructions to apply visit the website: www.stjohnb.com/SJS-Principal.pdf

St. John the Baptist Catholic School - 256.722.0772 - www.stjohnb.com 1057 Hughes Road, Madison, Alabama 35758

Go where Jesus is not

FROM THE HERMITAGE

By sister alies therese

Have you ever considered joining the Peace Corps, Teach for America, or the Jesuit Volunteer Corps? Maybe you are an alum of one of these and have a few stories to tell? Maybe your service changed your life or the lives of others. Maybe your participation fulfilled a dream ... a dream you’d had to serve others? Just perhaps.

We have turned into a new year, a Holy Year of Hope, where we have been asked to become intentional pilgrims. “Not all people are blessed with true vision. Some may spend a lifetime searching, building dream upon dream.” (Ellen Raskin, Figgs & Phantoms). There is a certain hopefulness in the notion of dreaming. Our Scriptures are full of dreamers. Some of them were also big actors and I suspect that is what the Holy Father is calling us to … not just dreaming, but acting.

Having said that: go where Jesus is not. Go and fill a void where the aches and pains of humanity cry out as loudly as John the Baptist. “dreaming of eating will not satisfy the hungry.” (African proverb) Voids are seeable and action is doable. Folks are often convinced if it is not big … then it is not worthy. Ugh, no. If it is for others in the Lord, it is hopeful. That is our goal to discover hope, to dispense hope, and to be transformed into a holy and hopeful people for God.

In searching out the void, the places where Jesus is not, we are on our long journey. There are some poor reasons to stop dreaming or to linger by the wayside, but we are called to press on both in our dreams and actions. For some, however, dangers and fears seem to block our journey. “Trying to find her way home was like a nightmare, where there is no pos-

sible way home and time stretches into infinity.” (Eleanor Cameron, The Court of the Stone Children). Where is this void? Where is Jesus not? We say God is everywhere. True. But the absence of God, of Jesus in the lives of so many is undeniable. Let’s think about jails, prisons and death rows. Some individuals might be persons of faith for whom bad decisions landed them in an extreme situation and they can survive their incarceration based upon that. Others, however, are devoid of counsel, hope, indeed Jesus unless someone goes there, and cries out … Jesus can be here, even in this darkness. Letters, emails, phone calls break the void’s grip and open a new world of hope. And something, no, Someone replaces some of the anguish and some of the despair. Or consider your local nursing home/rehab center/mental health clinic. Often there are persons of faith who long to be back with their worshipping communities … alas they are now in a void, a place of darkness for them. Well, visits, letters, cards, calls, surprise packages … all break into that void and say, Jesus can be here, if you go. We can list many others … visiting the housebound, the deaf, children with cancer and their parents, homeless adolescents. Yes, we can also go overseas to pockets of poverty and injustice.

The call is to go where Jesus is not. In our own country, the dreams of various peoples were squelched for decades and still impact many. Hunger and poverty is disgustingly abundant in our nation. What dream do you have where hope can bring something bigger and better to millions? Or to that one family down the block, or those school kids in your district, or by national legislation? Some folks have lost their dream, and the reality of hope is slim. “I have lost my dream! And it was such a beautiful dream! It sang, and shouted, and glittered, and sparkled – and I’ve lost it! Somebody pulled it away, out

of reach, just as I woke up.” (Joan Aiken, The Last Slice of Rainbow). To lose one’s dream, the dream of food for breakfast, or the dream of serving, is demoralizing. That people will dream for generations of freedom, equality and justice only to have these and other virtues slashed from their reach is wicked.

On the other hand, every generation seems to have a person or two who rises and challenges the void, challenges the anguish, and goes where Jesus is not so that the dreams of others might grow in hope. When you go where Jesus is not, you can be sure of criticism, ridicule and even danger.

Besides the Lord, Jesus, Himself, in our recent history I thought of these two: Langston Hughes, an African American poet, who in Dreams, wrote, “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, Life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” And it does not just not fly for others, it will not fly for you either. Secondly, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who as a civil rights leader and pastor spoke in his famous ‘Dream Speech’, “…I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons/daughters of former slaves and former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.” Both these men went where Jesus was not more than once and deposited the gift of hope into the hearts of many.

Where will your pilgrimage take you this year? Where will hope and the fulfillment of dreams take place, for you and others? How will you more deeply root your prayer in hope, deepening your trust that if you go to where Jesus is not, He will arrive through you?

Blessings.

(Sister alies therese is a canonically vowed hermit with days formed around prayer and writing.)

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children: January 22

Information and graphic from USCCB.

The over 60 million abortions since the 1973 decisions of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton reflect with heartbreaking magnitude what Pope Francis means by a “throwaway culture.” However, we have great trust in God’s providence. We are reminded time and again in Scripture to seek the Lord’s help, and as people of faith, we believe that our prayers are heard.

And while, on June 24, 2022, the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned Roe v. Wade, right now state and federal laws, in many instances, are still hostile to preborn children. So, great prayer and advocacy is still very needed.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 373, designates January 22 as a particular day of prayer and penance, called the “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children”: “In all the Dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion.”

The Diocese of Jackson has launched a third-party reporting system that will enable all diocesan employees, volunteers and parishioners to anonymously (or named if preferred) make reports. Examples of this activity include fraud, misconduct, safety violations, harassment or substance abuse occurring at a Catholic parish, Catholic school or at the diocesan level. The system is operated by Lighthouse Services.

To make a report visit www.lighthouse-services.com/ jacksondiocese or call 888-830-0004 (English) or 800-2161288 (Spanish).

The Association of Priests of the Dioceses of Jackson and Biloxi provide a small pension to our retired priests. As you consider your estate plans, please remember these faithful servants by making a donation or leaving a bequest to the Association of Priests. Our parish priests dedicate their lives to caring for us, their flocks. Let us now care for them in their retirement. Donations can be made payable to the Association of Priests and can be mailed to: Diocese of Jackson, P.O. Box 22723, Jackson, MS 39225-2723

DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST,

We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. –Romans 8:28

I give thanks to the Lord for our ministry leaders serving our brothers and sisters throughout the diocese. Their commitment to the Lord’s work, coupled with your generosity, has allowed us to wholeheartedly support the 14 ministries funded by the Catholic Service Appeal (CSA). Last year, I asked for your support for the CSA and over 2,600 of you responded with unprecedented generosity. Your faith in our mission through Hope Rising has made this impact possible.

I encourage you to take a moment to review this report which illustrates the profound diﬀerence your gifts have made. This statement highlights how your financial contributions have been carefully managed, ensuring that every dollar entrusted to the CSA directly supports our Catholic faith in action. The accompanying graphics provide a transparent overview of how your donations have been allocated, underscoring our dedication to being faithful stewards of your trust.

As we look ahead, your ongoing partnership will be crucial. Our first 2025 CSA mailing will go out in January, and your continued support will be essential in sustaining these transformative ministries. Please keep those who serve and those who are served in your prayers. Together, as co-workers in the Lord’s vineyard, let us faithfully lift one another up in prayer.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

CATHOLIC CHARITIES:

$350,000

For over 60 years Catholic Charities has been a visible sign of Christ’s love to those who are unable to help themselves. With over 15 programs in Jackson, Gulfport, Greenwood and Vardaman. 85% of families served live below the federal poverty level and struggle to meet their basic needs. Your support helps bring hope to their lives.

“When we entered the doors of Catholic Charities Adoption Services we immediately felt at peace about our adoption journey and knew Catholic Charities Adoption Services would become a special part of our life.”

— Lisa, Bryson, and their baby boy

FAMILY MINISTRY:

$30,000

The Office of Family Ministry collaborates with the parishes of the diocese and provides programs and resources that prepare and enrich engaged and married couples; educate, support and strengthen families; build and promote a culture of life. Other activities include prolife, marriage enrichment, Natural Family Planning (NFP), and family support. The mission is to promote marriage, family, and the culture of life in accord with Catholic teaching.

“Catholic Engaged Encounter was a deeply impactful and emotional experience for my fiancée and me. We grew together in our mutual relationship with the Lord and got to know each other a little better in the process.”

— Andrew and Katelyn Martin, Annunciation, Columbus

RETIRED PRIESTS:

$200,000

Our retired priests have served our parishes for many years, and they continue to serve our Diocese even in retirement. Currently there are 20 retired priests in our diocese. We continue to care for them by providing retirement benefits. We are thankful for these priests who continue to serve our diocese.

“Thanks to the support from the Catholic Service Appeal for priest retirement, I’m able to live a life that is both professionally and spiritually fulfilling. I’m deeply grateful for the stability it provides, allowing me to enjoy a happy healthy life. Staying active in parish life and teaching religion at Sr. Thea Bowman School brings me great joy and purpose.”

— Fr. Joe Dyer, Retired Priest

CLERGY HEALTHCARE:

$200,000

We honor our active and retired priests along with our seminarians by ensuring they get the best medical care by providing health insurance, long term care needs, and out of pocket medical expenses. This safeguards the health of our faithful pastors.

“I sincerely thank you for your generous donations to the Catholic Service Appeal which provides essential support for my health care insurance and longterm care. Your kindness ensures I can meet my retirement needs with peace of mind.”

— Fr. Bill Henry, Retired Priest

SEMINARIAN EDUCATION:

$175,000

The Office of Vocations helps to guide those who are discerning a call to a life of serving the Church. It is through prayer and your support that people are responding to God’s call. Currently we have six seminarians in formation to become priests for our diocese. In May of 2024, Tristan Stovall was ordained a priest. Your gift to the appeal helps with the cost of tuition, books, and health insurance as these men prepare to become a priest in our diocese.

“I am enormously grateful for the generous support I received through the Catholic Service Appeal. Now that I am ordained I am excited to be able to help with priestly formation ministries, which is so important and necessary in the life of the church.”

— Fr. Tristan Stovall, St. Joseph, Starkville

INTERCULTURAL MINISTRY:

$40,000

The Intercultural Ministry office works with Black, Hispanic, Vietnamese and Native American Catholics in our diocese to develop leadership, celebrate diverse cultures, and strengthen parish engagement. The staﬀ oﬀers leadership training, intercultural competence workshops and retreats.

“As Catholics we are a rainbow of colors and God has given each of us many gifts to share with the world. Not just Catholics, but the World. Everyone has a seat at the table.”

— Maxine Ford, St. Francis, Greenwood

WAYS TO GIVE IN 2025

Mail:

Misas de inauguración del Año Santo en diócesis de EEUU enfatizan ‘la esperanza que no decepciona’

Por Maria WieriNG

OSV News – Los obispos de todo el mundo celebraron la apertura del Año Santo 2025 el 29 de diciembre con misas en sus catedrales y concatedrales para conmemorar el jubileo, que tiene como tema “Peregrinos de la esperanza”.

Las Misas se celebraron con el Rito de Apertura del Año Jubilar. En la Arquidiócesis de Nueva York, el Cardenal Timothy M. Dolan comenzó la Misa en la parte trasera de la Catedral de San Patricio en Manhattan con una oración que abrió lo que llamó “el Año Santo de la Esperanza”.

La oración llamó a Dios “la esperanza que no defrauda, ??principio y fin” y le pidió que bendijera “el camino peregrino de este Año Santo”.

“Venda las heridas de los corazones quebrantados, suelta las cadenas que nos mantienen esclavos del pecado, y concede a tu pueblo la alegría del Espíritu para que camine con renovada esperanza hacia su ansiado destino, Cristo, tu hijo, nuestro

Señor, que vives y reinas por los siglos de los siglos”, oró. Esa oración fue seguida por una lectura del Evangelio de Juan 14, en la que Jesús explicó a sus discípulos su relación con Dios Padre, y luego una lectura de la bula papal que anuncia el Año Jubilar. Luego, el arzobispo Dolan dijo: “Ave, oh Cruz de Cristo, nuestra única esperanza verdadera”, a lo que la congregación respondió: “Tú eres nuestra esperanza. Nunca seremos confundidos”.

Las oraciones del Jubileo se repitieron en todo Estados Unidos cuando los obispos abrieron el Año Jubilar en la fiesta de la Sagrada Familia de Jesús, María y José, que se celebra el domingo después del día de Navidad. En algunas diócesis, el rito de apertura precedía una procesión de los fieles hacia o dentro de la catedral para la Misa. La procesión debía incluir una cruz jubilar, una cruz de importancia para la iglesia local designada para tener un papel

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El arzobispo de Nueva Orleans y otros líderes ofrecen oraciones y apoyo a las víctimas del atentado mortal de Año Nuevo

Por osV NeWs (OSV News) – El arzobispo de Nueva Orleans, Gregory M. Aymond, ofreció oraciones por las víctimas de lo que describió como una “señal de absoluta falta de respeto por la vida humana” perpetrada por un hombre que condujo una camioneta Ford entre la multitud que celebraba el Año Nuevo en el Barrio Francés de Nueva Orleans alrededor de las 3:15 a.m. del 1 de enero. Al menos 15 personas murieron y otras 35 resultaron heridas.

El conductor fue abatido por la policía tras abandonar el vehículo e intercambiar disparos con las fuerzas del orden, alcanzando a dos agentes. El FBI está investigando el atentado como un acto terrorista.

“Nuestras oraciones están con los fallecidos y heridos en el horrible atentado de esta mañana en Bourbon Street”, declaró el 1 de enero el arzobispo Aymond, natural de Nueva Orleans. “Este acto violento es un signo de absoluta falta de respeto por la vida humana. Me uno a otros miembros de la Arquidiócesis católica romana de Nueva Orleans para ofrecer mi apoyo en la oración a las familias de las víctimas. Doy gracias por el heroico deber de cientos de agentes del orden y personal médico ante semejante maldad”.

Las autoridades identificaron al conductor como Shamsud-Din Jabbar, y dijeron que probablemente no actuó solo. Se localizó una bandera del ISIS en el enganche del remolque del vehículo. El FBI encontró artefactos explosivos en la camioneta y en otros lugares del Barrio Francés, entre ellos, al parecer, cerca de la histórica Catedral Basílica de San Luis Rey de Francia.

En una conferencia de prensa celebrada a la 1 p.m., las autoridades describieron a Jabbar, de 42 años de edad, como “un ciudadano de Texas nacido en Estados Unidos” y veterano del ejército estadounidense, y señalaron que las fuerzas del orden están buscando a colaboradores conocidos. Se pide a toda persona que

haya interactuado con Jabbar en las últimas 72 horas que se ponga en contacto con el FBI a través de la línea telefónica de la agencia, 1-800-CALL-FBI.

La superintendente de policía de Nueva Orleans, Anne Kirkpatrick, y otros funcionarios municipales confirmaron que el atentado había sido deliberado y que estaban enfocados en garantizar la seguridad de los residentes y visitantes de la ciudad. Las autoridades no facilitaron información sobre la identidad de las víctimas. Unas horas más tarde, las autoridades actualizaron el recuento de muertos de 10 a 15.

La fiscal general de Louisiana, Liz Murrill, dijo durante la rueda de prensa que había “algunas personas que están luchando por sus vidas ahora mismo en el hospital”.

“Así que pido a todos que recen por ellos”, dijo. “Necesitan nuestro apoyo y necesitan nuestras oraciones”.

“Ha sido un acto atroz. Un acto atroz y cobarde”, añadió. “Y los encontraremos y los llevaremos ante la justicia”.

En la rueda de prensa, el gobernador de Louisiana, Jeﬀ Landry, anunció que había emitido una declaración de emergencia modificada, prevista inicialmente para esa semana, con el fin de “poder poner en marcha todas nuestras agencias federales, estatales y locales para preparar la Super Bowl y el Mardi Gras”, eventos que tienen lugar en el estado. Debido al ataque, Landry dijo que también había ordenado “la movilización de una compañía de policía militar” en Nueva Orleans.

También en la rueda de prensa, el senador estadounidense John Kennedy dijo: “Ojalá entendiera mejor por qué le pasan cosas malas a la gente buena”.

“Si llego al cielo, voy a preguntar”, dijo. “Para aquellas personas que no creen

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Sirviendo a los Católicos Hispanos de la Diócesis de Jackson desde 1997

‘... Cada 25 años proclama un año de jubileo porque todos necesitamos un nuevo año. comenzar ...’

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litúrgico especial durante el Año Jubilar.

Un jubileo o año santo es un año especial en la vida de la iglesia que actualmente se celebra cada 25 años. El jubileo ordinario más reciente tuvo lugar en 2000, cuando el Papa Francisco convocó un Año Jubilar Extraordinario de la Misericordia en 2015-2016.

Los años de jubileo se han celebrado a intervalos regulares en la Iglesia católica desde 1300, pero sus raíces se remontan a la tradición judía de marcar un año de jubileo cada 50 años.

Según el sitio web del Vaticano para el jubileo, estos años en la historia judía “se proponía como la ocasión para restablecer la correcta relación con Dios, con las personas y con la creación, y conllevaba el perdón de las deudas, la restitución de terrenos enajenados y el descanso de la tierra”.

El 24 de diciembre, el Papa Francisco abrió las Puertas Santas en la Basílica de San Pedro en el Vaticano para iniciar el año santo. Coincidiendo con otras celebraciones diocesanas el 29 de diciembre, el Cardenal Baldo Reina, vicario general de la Diócesis de Roma, abrió las Puertas Santas en San Juan de Letrán, la catedral del Papa.

Las Puertas Santas también se abrió en Santa María la Mayorel 1 de enero y se abrirá en San Pablo Extramuros, el 5 de enero. El Papa Francisco también abrió las Puertas Santas el 26 de diciembre en la prisión de Rebibbia en Roma. A diferencia de la práctica del Año de la Misericordia, las catedrales diocesanas no designarán sus propias puertas santas.

En la Catedral del Santo Nombre de la Arquidiócesis de Chicago el 29 de diciembre, el cardenal Blase J. Cupich comenzó su homilía con una explicación de los orígenes del año jubilar.

“Tiene sus raíces en el Libro de Levítico, en el que el pueblo se reunió y se dio cuenta de que necesitaban un nuevo comienzo. Necesitaban una oportunidad para empezar de nuevo”, dijo. “Y así se perdonaron las deudas, se conmutaron las sentencias, se pidió a los enemigos que luchaban entre sí que no se involucraran en la batalla sino en la reconciliación, y la iglesia ha adoptado ese mismo espíritu y cada 25 años proclama un año de jubileo porque todos necesitamos un nuevo año comenzar”.

“Es una especie de ‘mulligan’ religioso”, dijo, refiriéndose a una segunda oportunidad después de un mal tiro en golf. “Podemos empezar de nuevo. Tenemos un nuevo momento, un nuevo comienzo, en el que permitimos que la misericordia de Dios desarraigue e invada nuestro sentido de justicia, que de otro modo sería muy humano y que se centra en la retribución en lugar de la reconciliación. Necesitamos un nuevo comienzo, un nuevo momento en la vida, y eso es lo que será este año para nosotros”.

El cardenal Cupich afirmó que es “la misma Sagrada Familia la que nos da ejemplo de lo que significa ser esos peregrinos de la esperanza”.

“En los Evangelios, la única vez que vemos a toda la Sagrada Familia junta es cuando van a algún lugar, cuando están en peregrinación. Se definen por ser peregrinos”, dijo. “Ellos son los que nos recuerdan que siempre tenemos que dar un paso más en la vida. Nunca podemos volvernos complacientes con nuestra fe, con ser más humanos”.

En su homilía, el cardenal Dolan se centró en las “tres familias” establecidas por Dios: la familia humana, la familia natural en la que nace cada persona y la familia sobrenatural de la Iglesia a la que se ingresa a través del bautismo e incluye la comunión de los santos.

Al igual que con las familias naturales, los miembros de la iglesia pueden alejarse, enojarse, avergonzarse o herirse por su “familia espiritual, la iglesia”,

dijo.

“Pero eso también se aplica a nuestras familias naturales y terrenales, ¿no es así?”, preguntó. “Nuestra identidad como miembro de esta familia, la Iglesia una, santa, católica y apostólica, no puede ser borrada”.

“Soy tan católico como soy un Dolan, por mucho que, a veces, ambos nombres puedan exas perarme”, añadió el cardenal Dolan con una sonrisa.

Como una familia natural, la iglesia también es siempre un hogar listo para recibir a sus miembros, dijo.

En Boston, en la Catedral de la Santa Cruz, el arzobispo Richard G. Henning también reflexionó sobre el don de la fa milia y su importancia central durante la inauguración del Año Ju bilar, uno de sus primeros actos oficiales como arzobispo de Boston.

brille sobre ellos”, dijo el cardenal DiNardo.

En la Catedral Basílica de San Pedro encadenado en la Arquidiócesis de Cincinnati, el arzobispo Dennis M. Schnurr dijo que “en el Evangelio de Lucas, Jesús deja claro que su propia misión es traer el jubileo”.

Las vidas compartidas con familiares y amigos dan a las personas una sensación de alegría, satisfacción y esperanza, que se subraya tanto en la fiesta de la Sagrada Familia como en el Año Jubilar, dijo. Vivir en comunión con Dios y con los demás es donde la gente puede encontrar esperanza, dijo. En un mundo a menudo violento y confuso, añadió, la esperanza y la paz provienen “sólo de Dios”. “Tal vez fue el COVID el que nos reveló esa verdad de manera más particular: necesitamos estar unos con otros. Tenemos que ser los unos para los otros”, dijo. “Y en un sentido muy real, Dios nos da el regalo de unos a otros”.

En la Catedral Basílica del Sagrado Corazón de la Arquidiócesis de Newark, Nueva Jersey, el cardenal Joseph W. Tobin predicó sobre las travesías de la Sagrada Familia, su dinámica humana y el significado del Año Santo.

Para recibir el perdón y la esperanza que ofrece el Año Santo, “partimos como peregrinos”, afirmó. “Los peregrinos son personas en movimiento. Los peregrinos no son vagabundos sin un lugar particular a donde ir. Los peregrinos son personas con destinos. Saben adónde van y, por lo tanto, saben quiénes son. Su destino es el reino de los cielos donde nuestra esperanza en Jesucristo será reivindicada”.

El cardenal Daniel N. DiNardo celebró el jubileo en la Arquidiócesis de Galveston-Houston en la Concatedral del Sagrado Corazón de Houston, donde centró su homilía en la lectura del día del libro de Eclesiástico, la identidad de Jesús y el Evangelio de Jesús señalando a Dios el padre cuando hablaba con sus padres terrenales después de que lo encontraron en el templo.

“El Papa Francisco dice que deberíamos buscar a Jesús y caminar con él como lo hicieron María y José”, dijo, enfatizando el papel de María como la discípula perfecta de la esperanza.

“En este discipulado de la esperanza, debemos buscar también a los que están en los márgenes y los marginados”, continuó, afirmando que son personas que nos ayudarán “a escuchar y comprender de nuevo la identidad de Jesús”.

El cardenal también señaló que la arqudiócesis de Texas celebró ese día una segunda misa de apertura en la Basílica Catedral de Santa María en Galveston. Animó a los fieles a compartir esta esperanza en Dios. “Encuentra a una persona que parezca estar sin esperanza, tal vez ansiosa, tal vez desesperada. Toma su causa ante ti mismo. Sé amigable. Permite que el sentido de esperanza que obtuviste de tu fe cristiana, tu comprensión católica de la fe,

“En la sinagoga de Nazaret, lee el rollo del profeta Isaías que proclama el año de gracia del Señor”, dijo en su homilía. “Él afirma: ‘El Espíritu del Señor me ha sido dado, porque me ha ungido para llevar buenas nuevas a los pobres, para pregonar libertad a los cautivos, y la vista a los ciegos, para dejar en libertad a los oprimidos, y para proclamar el año del favor del Señor.’ Después de leer, Jesús anuncia: ‘Hoy se ha cumplido esta Escritura que habéis oído’”.

“Jesús nos muestra cómo es el reino de justicia, compasión y libertad de Dios”, dijo el arzobispo Schnurr, “y nos invita a unirnos a él para hacerlo realidad”.

En la Arquidiócesis de Los Ángeles, la cruz jubilar que condujo a los fieles a la Catedral de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles data de su dedicación en 2002. Se explicó que permanecería en exhibición para veneración durante el Año Santo como una “señal de que la cruz de Cristo es el ancla firme de nuestra esperanza”, y con los ojos fijos en Jesús, “podemos sobrellevar las tormentas de la vida con la esperanza que brota de su resurrección”.

Durante su homilía, el arzobispo José H. Gomez habló de lo apropiado que fue que el rito de apertura del Año Jubilar en las diócesis de todo el mundo se llevara a cabo durante la fiesta de la Sagrada Familia.

“Cada jubileo nos recuerda que todos estamos en peregrinación”, dijo, señalando la imagen de la Sagrada Familia en peregrinación a Jerusalén para la Pascua judía. La esperanza, dijo, “nace en Navidad en el niño que viene a nosotros en el silencio de la noche”.

Durante este Año Jubilar, el Señor “nuevamente llama a la puerta de nuestros corazones” para que se le abran, afirmó el arzobispo.

“Y como hijos de Dios, estamos llamados a crecer a imagen y semejanza de nuestro hermano Jesús, confirmando cada día más nuestra vida a la suya”, continuó. “Este es el propósito y la meta de nuestra peregrinación terrena: Que seamos como Jesús es el plan de Dios para nuestra vida, para tu vida y para la mía. Su voluntad es que seamos santificados, que seamos santos como Jesús es santo”.

Algunas misas incluyeron el himno “Peregrinos de la esperanza”, que la Santa Sede encargó para el Año Jubilar.

Se esperan más de 30 millones de peregrinos en Roma a lo largo del Año Jubilar, y muchos de ellos buscarán una indulgencia especial ofrecida en el Año Santo. Sin embargo, según el Comité de Culto Divino de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos, la indulgencia del Jubileo se puede obtener en las diócesis locales de los católicos visitando catedrales u otras iglesias o lugares sagrados designados por el obispo local.

Algunos obispos ofrecieron la indulgencia plenaria del Año Santo durante las misas del 29 de diciembre. El Año Santo terminará en San Pedro el 6 de enero de 2026, y las celebraciones diocesanas finalizarán el 28 de diciembre de 2025.

(Maria Wiering es redactora senior de OSV News. María-Pía Negro Chin, editora en español de OSV News, contribuyó a este artículo.)

La Palabra de Dios: lámpara para nuestros pies y luz para nuestras vidas

Por obisPo JosePh r. KoPacz, D.D. Cada año, el tercer domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, la Iglesia celebra el Domingo de la Palabra de Dios. Esta conmemoración anual comenzó con Aperuit illis, una carta apostólica del Papa Francisco publicada el 30 de septiembre de 2019, fiesta de San Jerónimo, instituyendo esta observancia anual. El Domingo de la Palabra de Dios está dedicado a la elevación de las Sagradas Escrituras en todo el mundo católico, al tiempo que fomenta un amor más generalizado por la Palabra de Dios a diario.

El primer domingo de la Palabra de Dios ocurrió el 26 de enero de 2020, y la observancia de este año tendrá lugar el 25 y 26 de enero. El Papa dijo que escribió la carta apostólica en respuesta a las peticiones de todo el mundo de celebrar la Palabra de Dios de una manera muy especial. Con el tiempo, es el deseo del Papa Francisco y de muchos en la Iglesia que el Domingo de la Palabra de Dios sea tan central para la cultura y la imaginación católica como lo es la Solemnidad del Santísimo Cuerpo y Sangre de Cristo.

Este ferviente deseo fue expresado hace 60 años en el Concilio Vaticano II. “Los tesoros de la Biblia deben abrirse más generosamente, para que se pueda proporcionar una comida más rica a los fieles en la mesa de la palabra de Dios”. (Sacrosanctum Concilium) Los Padres conciliares han señalado que las Sagradas Escrituras impregnan ya toda la liturgia, a menudo un tesoro escondido a plena vista. “La Sagrada Escritura es de la mayor importancia en la celebración de la liturgia. Porque es de la Escritura que se leen y explican las lecciones en la homilía, y se cantan los salmos; Las oraciones, las colectas y los cantos litúrgicos son bíblicos en su inspiración y su fuerza, y es de las Escrituras de donde derivan su significado las acciones y los signos. Por tanto, es esencial promover el amor cálido y vivo a la Escritura, del que da testimonio la venerable tradición de los ritos orientales y occidentales”. (Sacrosanctum Concilium)

La Palabra de Dios es esencial para el Renacimiento Eucarístico porque, a través de su proclamación se escucha en la asamblea de los fieles, el Espíritu Santo que inspira fe y prepara nuestros corazones y mentes para la comunión con el Cuerpo y la Sangre del Señor y nos capacita en nuestra vida diaria para vivir con la mente y el corazón de Jesucristo. El período de ayuno antes de la Misa y la recepción de la Sagrada Comunión tiene la intención de agudizar nuestra atención y enfoque, y cultivar el hambre y la sed de la Palabra viva de Dios y de la recepción de la Eucaristía. En efecto, la búsqueda de la renovación de la Iglesia encuentra su fuerza en la Misa: “La Madre Iglesia desea vivamente que todos los fieles sean conducidos a la participación plena y activa en las celebraciones litúrgicas, que exige la naturaleza misma de la liturgia. La participación del pueblo cristiano en la medida en que es su derecho y deber en razón de su bautismo”. Escuchar la Palabra de Dios y ponerla en práctica es el corazón de la participación plena y consciente.

Son sobresalientes las sagradas escrituras que se proclamarán el domingo de la Palabra de Dios. Desde el Libro de Nehemías, la asamblea de Israel se reunió para renovar su Pacto con Dios a través de la proclamación de la ley. La carta de Pablo a los corintios ilustra a la iglesia como un organismo vivo, el cuerpo, compuesto por muchos miembros. A la luz de este pasaje, sabemos que, en cada reunión en nuestras iglesias, proclamamos a los cielos que la iglesia es un cuerpo viviente que da gloria a Dios. Por último, el Evangelio de san Lucas sita a Jesús

en la sinagoga de Nazaret, donde había crecido, anunciando un Año jubilar de esperanza para todo el pueblo con una efusión de buenas nuevas, libertad y vista. Que la Palabra de Dios cumpla su propósito en nuestras vidas como una lámpara para nuestros pies y una luz para los ojos de nuestros corazones y mentes.

La Esquina del Papa

Dios no rechaza ni olvida a nadie, dice el Papa en la fiesta de Epifanía

by carol Glatz

CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – Así como la estrella sobre Belén llamó y acogió a todos para que encontraran a Jesús recién nacido, hoy Dios llama a los fieles a acoger a todos, creando espacios seguros y abiertos para encontrar calor y cobijo, dijo el Papa Francisco.

La estrella está en el cielo no para permanecer lejana e inalcanzable, dijo, “sino para que su luz sea visible a todos, para que llegue a cada casa y rompa todas las barreras, llevando esperanza hasta los rincones más remotos y olvidados del planeta”, afirmó.

“Está en el cielo para decir a todos, con su luz generosa, que Dios no se niega a nadie y no olvida a nadie”, dijo el Papa el 6 de enero, al celebrar la Misa de la fiesta de la Epifanía en la Basílica de San Pedro.

“Dios no se revela a círculos exclusivos o a unos pocos privilegiados, Dios ofrece su compañía y su guía a quien lo busca con corazón sincero”, dijo en su homilía. “Dios busca a todos, siempre”.

“Y cuánto bien nos hace hoy meditar sobre esto, en un tiempo donde las personas y las naciones, aunque dotadas de medios de comunicación cada vez más poderosos, parecen estar menos dispuestas a entenderse, aceptarse y encontrarse en su diversidad”, afirmó.

Por eso, muchos belenes representan a los Magos “con características que abarcan todas las edades y todas las razas” para caracterizar a las muchas personas diferentes que hay en la tierra, dijo el Papa Francisco.

Dios “nos llama a poner fin a cualquier forma de preferencia, marginación o rechazo de las personas; y a promover entre nosotros y en los ambientes en que vivimos, una fuerte cultura de la acogida en la que los cerrojos del miedo y del rechazo sean reemplazados por los espacios abiertos del encuentro, de la integración y del compartir: lugares seguros, donde todos puedan encontrar calor y refugio”, dijo.

Dios no re-

chaza ni olvida a nadie porque “es un Padre cuya alegría más grande es ver a sus hijos que vuelven a casa”, dijo. “Verlos tender puentes, allanar senderos, buscar a los perdidos y cargar sobre sus hombros a los que tienen dificultades para caminar. Para que nadie quede fuera y todos participen en la alegría de su casa”.

“La estrella nos habla del sueño de Dios: que toda la humanidad, en la riqueza de sus diferencias, llegue a formar una sola familia y viva unida en la prosperidad y la paz”, dijo.

La estrella de Belén es la luz del amor de Dios, dijo, y “es la única luz que nos hará felices”.

Esta luz del amor de Dios “con el que también nosotros estamos llamados a entregarnos mutuamente, convirtiéndonos con su ayuda en un signo recíproco de esperanza, incluso en las noches oscuras de la vida”, afirmó.

“Que el Señor nos transforme así en luces que guíen a Él”, dijo.

Hablando del actual Año Santo y de la práctica jubilar de peregrinar, el Papa dijo: “a luz de la estrella nos invita a realizar un viaje interior que, como escribía Juan Pablo II (para el Gran Jubileo del Año 2000), libere nuestro corazón de todo lo que no es caridad, para ‘encontrar plenamente a Cristo, confesando nuestra fe en él y recibiendo la abundancia de su misericordia’”.

Mientras el Papa Francisco y miles de personas asistían a la Misa en la Basílica de San Pedro, otros miles se alineaban en el bulevar principal que conduce a la Plaza de San Pedro para la tradicional y folclórica celebración de la Epifanía. Bandas de música y personas vestidas con trajes renacentistas desfilaron por la calle detrás de los Reyes Magos a caballo. Antes de rezar el Ángelus a mediodía en la plaza, el Papa dijo: “Pidamos a la Virgen María que nos ayude para que, imitando a los pastores y a los Reyes Magos, seamos capaces de reconocer a Jesús cerca de nosotros, en la Eucaristía, en los pobres, en los abandonados, en nuestros hermanos y hermanas”, dijo.

El Papa Francisco pronuncia su homilía durante la Misa en la fiesta de la Epifanía en la Basílica de San Pedro en el Vaticano el 6 de enero de 2025. (Foto CNS/Lola Gomez)

‘... Atentado causa reacciones en todo estadounidense ...’

– Viene de la página 1 –

en el mal objetivo, solo basta con mirar lo que ha ocurrido en nuestra ciudad esta madrugada”, añadiendo que este atentado causa reacciones en todo estadounidense.

Kirkpatrick, cuyo cargo incluye el de jefe de policía, calificó la acción de “malvada” y dijo que “la policía de Nueva Orleans y todas las fuerzas del orden están hechas, estamos hechos, para hacer frente al mal”.

El presidente Joe Biden dijo en un comunicado que estaba “agradecido por la valiente y rápida respuesta de las fuerzas del orden locales para evitar aún más muertes y heridos”.

“He ordenado a mi equipo que se asegure de que todos los recursos estén disponibles mientras las fuerzas del orden federales, estatales y locales trabajan asiduamente para llegar al fondo de lo sucedido lo más rápido posible y asegurarse de que no queda ninguna amenaza de ningún tipo”, dijo.

El presidente electo, Donald Trump, publicó en las redes sociales que “nuestros corazones están con todas las víctimas inocentes y sus seres queridos, incluidos los valientes agentes del Departamento de Policía de Nueva Orleans. ¡La Administración Trump apoyará plenamente a la ciudad de Nueva Orleans mientras investigan y se recuperan de este acto de pura maldad!”

El ataque se produjo antes del Allstate Sugar Bowl, un importante evento de fútbol americano programado originalmente para el 1 de enero, y el Super Bowl LIX del 9 de febrero, ambos a disputarse en el Caesars Superdome de Nueva Orleans. El Sugar Bowl de este año es también el esperado partido de fútbol universitario de desempate entre la Universidad de Notre Dame y la Universidad de Georgia. Tras anunciar en un primer momento que el partido se celebraría tal como estaba previsto, las autoridades lo trasladaron al 2 de enero para reforzar la seguridad.

La universidad de Notre Dame publicó en X que su comunidad rezaba “por los heridos y los fallecidos en este acto de violencia sin sentido”.

El presidente de la universidad, el padre Robert Dowd, sacerdote de la Congregación de la Santa Cruz, compartió un mensaje similar en un sitio web para ex alumnos y amigos de Notre Dame y en X, donde dijo que la comunidad universitaria extiende “nuestra más profunda gratitud a los valientes socorristas que arriesgaron sus vidas para proteger a los demás”.

“Ser solidario con los que sufren es ejemplificar el espíritu de Notre Dame”, escribió. “Hoy, somos solidarios con todos los afectados por esta tragedia”.

Diciendo que está “siempre basada en la fe, la esperanza y el amor, especialmente en los momentos difíciles”, la Catedral Basílica de San Luis publicó en las redes sociales la “Oración de la Familia” de la ar-

quidiócesis pidiendo la intercesión de María bajo el título de “Nuestra Señora del Pronto Socorro”. Señaló que la iglesia “sirve a toda la Arquidiócesis y mucho más allá, pero el Barrio Francés es nuestro hogar y vecindario”.

“Nos solidarizamos con aquellos que perdieron a sus seres queridos esta mañana”, decía. “Estamos agradecidos a los primeros en responder y a otros profesionales de la salud y de las fuerzas del orden que se ponen en peligro y que atienden a los heridos”.

El atentado se produjo en la solemnidad de María, Madre de Dios, y el Día Mundial de la Paz.

Una furgoneta del forense de Orleans Parish está aparcada en la esquina de las calles Bourbon y Canal después de que una camioneta embistiera a una gran multitud en el Barrio Francés de Nueva Orleans el 1 de enero de 2025. Un conductor sembró la carnicería en el famoso Barrio Francés de Nueva Orleans a primera hora del día de Año Nuevo, embistiendo con una camioneta a una multitud y matando al menos a 15 personas e hiriendo a decenas antes de ser abatido a tiros por la policía, según informaron las autoridades. (Foto de OSV News/Brian Thevenot, Reuters)

JACKSON – La celebración de la Guadalupe en San Pedro fue muy bonita e inspiradora en la que participaron el Obispo Joseph Kopacz y el Padre Nick Adam. El P. Nick dirigió la procesión por los alrededores de la catedral. Las danzas de los matachines veneraron a la Virgen mientras la congregación rezaba el rosario. Dos jóvenes feligreses se vistieron de Juan Diego y la virgen mientras un grupo llevaba la bella imagen de la Virgen. Fuimos rezando el rosario mientras nos parábamos al final de cada misterio para la danza. Al entrar en la catedral Juan Diego dejó caer las flores en frente del obispo quien dio una bendición. Todos entramos a la iglesia cantando y nos preparamos para la misa. Fue una bella celebración para la Virgen que amamos. En la foto, Axel Ortiz como Juan Diego y Allisson Castrol como Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. (Foto por Sister Amelia Breton)

TOME NOTA

Vírgenes y Santos

Día de oración por la protectección legal de la criatura en el vientre materino enero 22

San Vicente enero 23

San Francisco de Sales enero 24

Conversión de san Pablo, Apóstol enero 25

San Tomás Aquinas enero 28

San Juan Bosco enero 31

Semana de las Escuelas Católicas 26 de enero – 1 de febrero

GREENWOOD – St. Francisco, El Baile Mardi Gras Ball 2025 se llevará a cabo el sábado, por la noche, el día 15 de febrero de 2025, en el Civic Center. Es patrocinado por el Comité Mardi Gras 2025 de la Parroquia de S. Francisco de Asís, Greenwood.

Envíenos sus fotos a editor@jacksondiocese. org

Síganos en Facebook: @DiócesisCatólicadeJackson

YOUTH MINISTRY:

$40,000

Our youth live in a diocese that is only 3% Catholic, the Office of Youth Ministry allows our Catholic youth to gather at retreats and conferences. They have opportunities to interact with other Catholic youth, engage in their faith, and learn the importance of developing a relationship with God. The Office of Youth Ministry also assists youth ministers around the diocese so that our Catholic youth are engaged in their faith.

“I went into the SEARCH retreat already searching because I was going through Confirmation at the time and SEARCH gave me the space to listen to God and let Him and the SEARCH staﬀ poor their love into me. SEARCH was an amazing experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested!”

— Maddie-Claire Spence, St. Francis, Madison

CAMPUS MINISTRY:

$60,000

Your support of Campus Ministry reaches out to our young adults in college. They are able to continue to practice their faith with believers who also have a desire to live out a Catholic Christian lifestyle through bible studies, spiritual growth opportunities, Mass and social events.

“I love that CCM is student-led because it represents a realistic perspective to other students on campus. In college, I have truly fallen in love with Jesus and the Catholic faith, and CCM and its young adults who love Jesus have greatly influenced this. CCM has allowed Christ to work through me to reach others on campus and has changed my heart and eyes to mirror the Lord’s more every day.”

DIACONATE MINISTRY:

$10,000

The Diaconate Ministry prepares men to become deacons in our diocese. It is a fiveyear process with extensive theological, spiritual, and pastoral formation. At the end of their studies, they are ordained as a Permanent Deacon. Our Deacons have stepped up to fulfill the growing needs of our parishes. They bring us their services in countless ways and continue to bring us closer to our faith.

“I thank my God for this precious opportunity to be in this program. In these three years that I have been in study, I’ve learned a lot from God. I thank the Diocese of Jackson, for letting me be in the Diaconate Program.“

— Pablo Garcia, St. Francis, New Albany

PRISON MINISTRY: $10,000

Catholic prison ministry provides Mass, the sacraments, and devotions. We provide Bible study and a religious education program for men who want to enter the church or who want to learn more about the faith.

“Thank you so much for supporting our work in changing hearts through our prison ministry. (James 2:18 – I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.)”

— Michael Shaw, Eucharistic minister, Catholic prison ministry

PARISH & SCHOOL MISSION

ASSISTANCE: $50,000

These grants give support to our smaller parishes and financially struggling parishes by providing priest and staﬀ salaries, operating expenses, and faith formation programs. The grants also provide support to our Catholic Schools to help with curriculum needs and special projects.

“Our lovely 93-year-old building began looking its age. The grant has allowed us to pressure wash, paint the windows, doors, columns, and handrails and install a working hanging pendant light. We are now rightfully proud of how great we look on Main Street! Without this grant, none of this work could have been completed this year. We are most grateful for your gift to the CSA!”

— Joan Shell, Christ the King, Fulton

YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY: $20,000

The Young Adult Ministry provides our 18-35 year-old parishioners a place to form joyful missionary disciples who continue to develop an authentic relationship with Jesus through prayer, Scripture and the Sacraments.

“Young Adult Ministry has allowed us to make new friendships and to be more involved in our Catholic Faith.”

— Eric and Scarlett Santana, St. Francis, Madison

— Elizabeth Basha, St. John, Oxford, Campus Ministry

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EVANGELIZATION & COMMUNICATION: $54,170

The Office of Communications provides the Mississippi Catholic in both print and digital Catholic news to all parishioners in our diocese. Bishop Kopacz uses this media to evangelize throughout the diocese and to deliver local, national and worldwide Catholic news to all parishioners, in particular those who are homebound helping them stay connected to their faith.

“To share the Gospel with our community, we must first communicate the heart of who we are as Catholics, celebrate the impactful work happening in our parishes, and extend an open invitation for others to grow in their faith. Together, we can evangelize by sharing the Gospel and continue the good works that strengthen our community.”

— Joanna Puddister King, Director of Communications

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION & FAITH

FORMATION: $40,000

This ministry helps to bring people into a closer relationship with God through educational and experiential opportunities for encounter. Parish volunteers become certified catechists so they can work with adults and youth. Our parish lay ministries and Catholic School teachers who are involved in catechesis, RCIA, Liturgy, Lay Ecclesial Ministry, Pastoral Ministry receive training, certification and retreats to help them better serve our parishes and schools.

“The Diocesan confirmation retreat was a great way to strengthen my faith and connect with others. I had time to pray, reflect, and bond with other confirmation participants. It seemed to be much easier to make new friends as we all share similar values. I left feeling more prepared and excited about my journey of faith.”

—

Joey Azar, St. Mary, Batesville

“Your support of the Catholic Service Appeal makes a meaningful difference in the lives of our priests. From caring for our retired priests to providing essential healthcare supporting the well-being of those actively serving in our parishes as well as our retired priests. Please consider making a gift in honor of their faithful service essential healthcare.”

— Rebecca Harris, Director of Stewardship and Development

Honoring Sister ea Bowman: a monument of hope

BY MARY WOODWARD

JACKSON – What began as a seed planted in 2007, became a reality in 2024. On a crisp Saturday morning in December, Catholics from several dioceses descended upon the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson to celebrate the installation and blessing of a life-size bronze statue of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA. Among those attending the celebration were Mary Ott Tremmel Davidson, the sculptor, and parishioners from several churches in the Montgomery and Mobile areas.

Led by Rev. Victor Ingalls, Director of Multicultural Ministry for the Archdiocese of Mobile and Rev. Manuel Williams, CR, Director of Resurrection Catholic Missions of the South in Montgomery, the two buses arrived in Jackson with more than 50 joyful pilgrims excited to mark the occasion honoring Sister Thea on her path to beatiﬁcation and canonization.

The festivities included Mass followed by the blessing of the statue located on the Cathedral grounds then a reception at the Two Mississippi Museums.

In his homily at the Mass, Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz welcomed as pilgrims those ﬁlling the cathedral to near capacity. He remarked that as Pope Francis prepares to open the Jubilee Year of Hope in a few days in Rome, today’s celebration was also ﬁlled with hope and that all present had come to honor a Servant of God who was as a beacon of light and hope in her time and who continues to inspire and challenge us to bring that light and hope to a world so in need of it.

Students from Sister Thea Bowman School in Jackson delighted the congregation when they sang “This Little Light of Mine” as the hymn of praise after Communion. Following this, the congregation processed out of the Cathedral to the statue where Bishop Kopacz blessed it with prayer and holy water.

Sister Thea is one of six African American Catholics currently on this path and many present at the celebration had known her prior to her death in 1990. Bishop Kopacz o cially opened Sister Thea’s cause in November 2018.

The canonical process is in the middle of the diocesan phase which involves gathering and all her writings, interviewing witnesses, and compiling a historical and theological report on her virtues and piety.

This detailed process is expected to be completed by the end of this year and then be sent to the Holy See for further examination.

The idea for the bronze statue was ﬁrst planted in Mary Davidson’s mind back in 2007 when she was in Camden for the dedication of a large altar cruciﬁx she had designed for Sacred Heart Church. A parishioner came up to Davidson during the dedication and remarked that she hoped she would create a statue of Sister Thea Bowman one day. The seed was planted.

When she heard about Sister Thea’s cause, Davidson contacted the diocese in the late summer of 2022 o ering to sculpt the Servant of God if the diocese would cover the cost of materials and the foundry.

Davidson enlisted the support of her former eighth grade student at Our Lady of Lourdes in New Orleans, Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile, who o ered a generous donation to the project. Soon, Bishop Louis Kihneman of Biloxi and Bishop Stephen Raica of Birmingham committed funds to help complete the statue. These donations together with proceeds from the estate of Bishop Joseph Latino, Bishop Kopacz’s predecessor, made the statue a reality and a gift from the bishops of Alabama and Mississippi.

Bishop Kopacz commissioned Davidson to create the work of art in March of 2023. Over the next year, Davidson worked on the design. During that time, she lost her beloved husband, Kenneth, in August. It was a very di cult time but working on the project helped Davidson through some of her grief.

Davidson completed the clay mold for the statue in October 2023, from which a second mold was made by Inferno Art Foundry in Atlanta. The life-size bronze creation took a few more months to complete in the early spring of 2024.

Developing an appropriate space and pedestal for the statue on the Cathedral grounds in Jackson took several months due to the summer heat and availability of materials. Sister Thea in bronze arrived from the foundry on Dec.

12 and was installed in her new home.

Nine days later, on that crisp Saturday morning of Dec. 21, the Cathedral was ﬁlled with the spirit of Sister Thea as hymns from the Lead Me, Guide Me hymnal rang out – a hymnal she helped develop for African American Catholics. Voices young and old gave witness to her inspiration as a true servant of God.

“We are grateful to all those who have assisted in this wonderful project, especially Mrs. Davidson, who despite her personal tragedy has created an amazing work of art to honor the legacy and spirit of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman,” Bishop Kopacz said. “Many have come together to contribute to making this a statue a reality and today’s beautiful liturgy and dedication of this work of art are a testament to Sister Thea’s ministry in the church and the world,” he concluded.

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

JACKSON – A crowd gathers for the blessing of a life-sized bronze statue of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA on Saturday, Dec. 21 on the grounds of the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle on West Street in Jackson. (Photo by Joanna Puddister King)

Migrants in US programs highly vulnerable to mass deportation push

By KimBerley HeatHerington

(OSV News) – Since President-elect Donald Trump’s Nov. 5 victory, most Americans expect him to tackle the issue of immigration within the first 100 days of reoccupying the Oval Office.

But will immigrants who registered with the federal government – hoping for a path to citizenship through programs such as Keeping Families Together (KFT), Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) – actually be the most vulnerable to deportation?

The answer may hinge both on whether the information provided to the Department of Homeland Security will be used for deportation purposes – and how quickly the Trump administration wants to deliver results on its mass deportation pledge.

When it comes to migrants’ information with DHS, in the past, “there has been a firewall between those who might have provided information because of a benefit they were seeking, and that information being used for enforcement purposes,” explained J. Kevin Appleby, senior director of International Migration Policy at the Center for Migration Studies of New York and former migration policy director for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

This time, he said, “all bets are off. They’ll have access to that information, so they could use it to track potential beneficiaries.”

On Nov. 7, U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker of the Eastern District of Texas struck down the KFT program – rolled out in June – arguing the Biden administration exceeded its authority. KFT allowed U.S. citizens’ spouses and stepchildren, who lacked legal immigration status but lived in the U.S. for 10 years or more, to apply for permanent residency without first having to leave the country.

Approximately 500,000 spouses of U.S. citizens and 50,000 noncitizen children under 21 with a parent married to a U.S. citizen were eligible for the program.

DACA allows approximately 535,000 young immigrants brought to the U.S. without authorization as children, to seek temporary protection from deportation. The program, which began in 2012 under the Obama administration, also allows them to work le-

People in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, wave flags during a binational mass held November 9, 2024, in memory of migrants who died during their journey to the U.S. near the U.S.-Mexico border. (Photo OSV News/Jose Luis Gonzalez, Reuters)

gally. Trump attempted to end DACA in 2017, but the Supreme Court upheld the program in 2020.

TPS is a program for people from countries experiencing such extreme internal disruption that their deportation would be considered unsafe, or even life-threatening. TPS recipients have legal authorization to work and remain in the U.S. while their countries of origin retain that designation. The program garnered widespread media attention this fall after false reports of immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, exploded on social media during the U.S. presidential campaign. However, there was underlying friction between some of the town’s native residents and thousands of Haitian recipients of TPS legally living and working there.

What does the church teach about immigration and deportation?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs, “The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin.”

At the same time, the church has also made clear human laws are also subject to divine limits. St. John Paul II’s 1993 encyclical “Veritatis Splendor” (“Splendor of Truth”) and 1995 encyclical “Evangelium Vitae” (“The Gospel of Life”) both quote the Second Vatican Council’s teaching in “Gaudium et Spes,” the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, which names “deportation” among various specific acts “offensive to human dignity” that “are a disgrace, and so long as they infect human civilization they contaminate those who inflict them more than those who suffer injustice, and they are a negation of the honor due to the Creator.”

The late pontiff underscored their moral severity in “Veritatis Splendor” by calling them examples of “intrinsic evil,” explaining that, no matter the motives, these acts are “not capable of being ordered to God and to the good of the person.”

Those migrants with legal immigration status are not necessarily safe, said Appleby.

“It’s basically an executive authority that provided them that legal status. So the new executive, he can revoke it,” Appleby said.

Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance both strongly suggested on the campaign trail that TPS, which currently protects 1 million people, will be curtailed in their administration. Trump himself pledged in October to revoke TPS for the Haitians living in Springfield and who are credited with fueling the Rust Belt city’s economic revitalization.

Erin Corcoran, executive director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and a faculty fellow at the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights at the University of Notre Dame, shared Appleby’s concerns regarding Trump’s mass deportation plans for an estimated 11 million people.

During his first term, President Trump deported 1.5 million people – a number President Joe Biden matched in 2024 – compared to 4.8 million during

President Barack Obama’s two terms, according to data tracked by the Migration Policy Institute.

“If they want to do it really quickly – if they want to effectuate it immediately – the people that are going to be the most at risk,” Corcoran said, “are the people that actually have come in contact already with the authorities. The people who don’t have actual status – but who have come in contact with DHS in some way – I think are at risk of deportation.”

Which perhaps seems contradictory, Corcoran said.

“Those are in some ways the most sympathetic groups of people. From a moral perspective, from a humanitarian perspective, those are people who actually have done what they’re supposed to do,” she said. “They’ve come forward, they’ve given information; they’re in the system.”

And unlike most unauthorized immigrants, they’re easily located by authorities.

“These people who have registered – families –they have names; they have addresses,” Corcoran said.

Trump’s new “border czar” Tom Homan, who was named to the role Nov. 10 and will not require Senate confirmation, has repeatedly addressed the question of mass deportation’s effects on families. Homan was Trump’s acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the 2017-2018 “zero tolerance” era that witnessed children taken from their parents in the midst of illegal border crossings.

In response to whether mass deportation can be conducted without separating families, Homan told CBS’ “60 Minutes” in October, “Of course there is –families can be deported together.”

On Dec. 26, Homan told multiple media outlets that the incoming Trump administration is considering open-air family detention centers for holding and deporting families. He said parents facing deportation will have to decide whether their U.S.-born children will come with them, or remain in the U.S. with a relative. He offered the following justification: “You knew you were in the country illegally and chose to have a child. So you put your family in that position.”

– Continued on page 11 –

‘ ... It’s going to impact the life of the church ...’

– Continued from page 10 –

Pedro Alemán Perfecto, a policy advocate at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., also known as CLINIC, acknowledged Homan’s pledge to come after migrants with greater force. But he kept a measured outlook, noting that migrant advocates have also been preparing.

“It’s not about panicking the community or individuals. It’s being cautious – but vigilant – about this,” he said. “That’s what our community and vulnerable immigrant communities are feeling right now: They’re looking at who can be leading us; who can be working with us. And it’s knowing what’s going to happen in the next four years for them.”

Advocacy tactics, said Alemán, will likely need to adapt.

“At CLINIC, we strive to put a lot of information out there in the community, to combat misinformation and disinformation,” he said. “For us, it’s doing our research; doing our advocacy; knowing who we can trust with different partners – and then reaching out to impacted individuals on the ground.”

The destination of mass deportees also remains an open question. They may not even end up in their countries of origin.

In memoriam:

NBC News reported Dec. 5 the incoming Trump administration is assembling a list of potential countries to ship migrants to if their home nations refuse to accept them. The Bahamas stated it had “reviewed and firmly rejected” the Trump plan, while NBC’s sources said other countries under consideration include Turks and Caicos, Panama, and Grenada.

In an NBC “Meet the Press” interview broadcast Dec. 8, Trump echoed many of Homan’s comments, noting his deportation agenda will focus on those with criminal histories – while also vaguely referring to “other people outside of criminals.”

He also reinforced his pledge to end birthright citizenship, while saying he was open to working with Democrats to devise a plan concerning “the Dreamers,” or DACA recipients.

At the U.S. bishops’ general meeting in November, Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, the bishops’ migration committee chair, said the bishops are “waiting to see just exactly what takes shape.” But he promised they will “raise our voice loudly,” if Trump’s deportation rhetoric becomes a reality.

Reports indicate not only that the incoming Trump administration’s mass deportation policy will be ready to launch Day 1 – it will run headlong into the life of the church.

Sister Antonine Biven, OSU

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – Ursuline Sister of Louisville Antonine Biven, O.S.U. age 96, died in the 77th year of her religious life on Dec. 28, 2024, at Nazareth Home–Clifton in Louisville. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Mildred Louise (her baptismal name) graduated from the former Ursuline Academy. She entered the Ursulines in 1947 at age 19.

A gifted musician, her high school classmates pooled their money together her senior year to rent Memorial Auditorium so that she could give a piano concert. On the ride home on a city bus, someone noticed her sheet music and asked, “Do you play?” Mildred Louise answered, “A little.” As a postulant, she learned to play everything from a violin to a saxophone, and while practicing the trombone, knocked her bonnet off her head with her slide!

Sister Antonine was a music teacher at St. Raphael, St. Therese, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Helen, St. Francis of Assisi and Sacred Heart Model School in Louisville, as well as St. Mary School in Jackson, Mississippi, and Ursuline High School in Columbia, South Carolina.

Sister also served as pastoral associate and music minister at St. Mary Church in Maryville, Kentucky, pastoral associate of music at St. Helen Church and director of music at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, both in Louisville. She was honored by Our Lady of Lourdes for her years of service in 2023.

Sister Antonine earned a bachelor of arts degree from the former Ursuline College (now Bellarmine University) in Louisville, a master of arts degree in music from Notre Dame University and a master’s degree in religious education from Loyola University New Orleans.

She served on the Ursuline Sisters’ leadership team three times between 1976 and 1992. Sister Antonine also ministered at Project Women (now Family Scholar House) and the former Marian Home on the Ursuline Campus.

Sister Antonine is the daughter of the late Frederick and Lillian Kleier Biven. She is survived by several nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, great-grand nieces and nephews, as well as her community of Ursuline Sisters and Associates. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville and mailed to the Donor Relations Office, 3115 Lexington Road, Louisville, KY 40206.

On Dec. 11, NBC News reported Trump’s incoming administration plans to rescind a long-standing “sensitive locations policy” previously prohibiting the arrest of unauthorized migrants – except under certain circumstances – at churches, schools, and hospitals.

Appleby said the U.S. bishops are facing a critical moment that will “test the resolve of the church.” While statements of solidarity are helpful, Appleby said plans for direct action – including direct support and legal assistance to immigrant families – are required.

“If Trump fully implements this,” Appleby predicted, “it’s going to impact the life of the church. You’re going to have ICE agents outside the Mass door. You certainly will see some immigrants seek sanctuary in their parishes. And it will put the bishops in a difficult position with the government.”

“We have a pope who is a strong defender of migrants,” Appleby said. “And hopefully, the U.S. church will reflect that in their response to this massive deportation plan.”

(Kimberley Heatherington writes for OSV News from Virginia.)

In memoriam: Father John J. Kelly

BILOXI – Father John J. Kelly, 88, of Biloxi, peacefully passed away on Dec. 29, 2024, following a brief illness. A devoted servant of the Catholic Church, Father Kelly dedicated his life to faith, family and fostering connections between his beloved Ireland and the United States.

Born on June 23, 1936, at Falnashamer House in Ballintogher, County Sligo, Ireland, Father Kelly faced an early tragedy with the passing of his parents when he was just seven months old. He and his six siblings were lovingly raised by their aunt, Eleanor Jane Meehan.

Father Kelly pursued his vocation at Summerhill College in Sligo, and St. Patrick’s College Carlow, Ireland culminating in his ordination on June 6, 1964, at Carlow Cathe dral. Soon after, he traveled to the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson, where he ministered in parishes across Biloxi, Laurel, Bay Saint Louis, Indianola, Gulfport, Lakeshore and Clermont Harbor. Throughout his long career, he profoundly enriched the spiritual lives of his parishioners.

Father Kelly’s faith was equaled only by his deep love for family. He is survived by his sisters, Tilda Mahon, Phyllis McGrory and Doreen Murray. His legacy of love and devotion lives on through his numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Always present in their lives, Father Kelly celebrated countless family mile stones, including baptisms, communions, confirmations, weddings and funerals.

A man of two worlds, Father Kelly cherished his Irish roots and American home. He frequently visited Ireland, spending many holidays, reconnecting with family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Timothy Kelly and Mary Elizabeth Kelly (nee Meehan); his aunt, Eleanor Jane Meehan; his brothers, Christopher (Chris) and Timothy Alphonsus (Alfie); and his sister, Rosemary.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Biloxi, with burial at the Old Biloxi Cemetery. There will be a separate service in Ireland for family and loved ones at a future date.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Priest Retirement Fund, 2090 Pass Road, Biloxi, MS 39531, or the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Sligo, Ireland.

What is Catholic spirituality?

THINGS OLD AND NEW

By Ruth PoweRs

The new year is the traditional time for taking stock and making resolutions for positive change. In addition to the usual things like lose weight, get more exercise, and the like, some of us may have made a decision to try to focus on improving the spiritual aspect of our lives. In this era when so many people say that they are “spiritual but not religious,” we may begin to wonder exactly what “spirituality” is, and furthermore, is there a specifically Catholic spirituality.

In its broadest definition spirituality is the combination of praying and living. It is the way in which our relationship with God plays out in our day to day lives and informs our life choices. Most people think of spirituality in terms of one’s private relationship with God, a view strongly influenced by Protestant ideas of spirituality. However, in Catholicism it also includes our acts of public group worship specifically the Mass and the Divine Office (Liturgy of Hours), both of which are meant to unite us in the worship of God.

Another thing to understand is that it isn’t correct to refer to spirituality as if it is a single approach to the Catholic relationship with God and prayer. Instead, it is more appropriate to speak of “spiritualities” – ways of relating to God that grew out of different communities at different periods of the church’s history. Some faded away or developed into other forms. Others have stood the test of time and continue to be important today. (More on this below.) They do all have one very important thing in common: Christ is the center and model of any true approach to spirituality.

Jesus is the focus of all true Christian Spirituality. Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son and second person of the Trinity, took on our humanity in order to redeem us from our fallen state caused by the disobedience of our first parents. As a result of this disobedience, we are born “good but wounded” (different from Protestant viewpoint that we are born depraved) and Jesus came to make it possible for us to be healed of this wound by God’s grace.

Throughout his ministry Jesus spoke about his mission being to accomplish the will of the Father. That was his sole focus. (John 5:19,30 and John 6:38) Since authentic Catholic spirituality also asks us to imitate Jesus, it centers on the process of surrendering one’s own will to the will of God, and daily seeking to know and accomplish God’s will rather than our own. In knowing and accomplishing God’s will, we find the ultimate source of purpose and life. (Matthew 7:21 and John 6:40) Any form of prayer or spiritual devotion that does not ultimately lead us to Christ, whether it be Marian devotion, devotion to one of the Saints, or whatever, is a false spirituality.

There are many approaches to spirituality accepted by the church. Different people may respond better to one approach or the other, or some combination of approaches. Below is an overview of just three examples of well-known spiritual schools within the broader range of Catholic spirituality.

Monastic/Ascetic Spirituality – This approach is most often associated with St. Benedict, but its roots actually go back into the early days of the church when the Desert Fathers removed themselves from the temptations of society in order to concentrate their whole lives on prayer, study of scripture and union with God. Some characteristics of monastic/ascetic spirituality include an emphasis on “getting away” from everyday life to spend time in quiet prayer and spiritual reading; contemplative prayer seeking union with God (strong in all Catholic spiritual traditions, “centering prayer” is a modern form of this); and disciplining the body through things like fasting and other forms of self-denial to focus on eliminating sinful impulses.

Incarnational Spirituality – This approach to spirituality is most often associated with St. Francis of Assisi and the great Franciscan scholars St. Bonaventure and Blessed John Duns Scotus, although aspects of it are part of other spiritual traditions as well. In Incarnational Spirituality the incarnation of Christ is not a “Plan B” which occurred in response to sin. Instead, the Incarnation was the plan for the beginning and represents the pinnacle of Creation, where God freely and out of supreme love takes on human nature: “the universe is for Christ and not Christ for the uni-

verse” and “He is the beginning, middle, and end of creation.” Love is the center of this spirituality. Duns Scotus and Bonaventure taught that the reason for the incarnation is love – Christ would still have come as the supreme manifestation of God’s love for the creation he freely brought about. Love is the center, not sin. Franciscans do not reject the theology of the atonement or the Cross. Rather, we seek to emphasize the aspect of the nature of God being love, but not to the point that we reject any theological teachings that are firmly rooted in the church, like the atonement. Our focus does not take away the role that the Cross played in redemption; rather, we focus on God’s love, rather than man’s sin. In addition, by seeing Christ as the center of all creation, Christ can be experienced in all of creation.

Graphic courtesy of Canva

Spirituality of the Cross – This is the approach to spirituality that most Catholics probably know best. It says that the Cross is where we find the ultimate source of meaning and the explanation of God’s saving that “through suffering and death we come to new life.” The spirituality of the Cross centers on the reality of the redemptive value of suffering and the realization that moments of pain and death have been given meaning and transformed by the death of Christ into the means of our salvation. Out of this approach have come some of the greatest and best-known spiritual writers in the history of the church – Thomas Aquinas, Theresa of Avila, John of the Cross and Ignatius of Loyola.

(Ruth Powers is the program coordinator for The Basilica of St. Mary in Natchez.)

Around the diocese

PEARL – St. Jude parish celebrated Las Posadas on Dec. 18, 2024. Posada is the Spanish word for lodging, it is religious celebration in Latin America that commemorates Joseph and Mary’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. (Photo by Jessica Sullivan)

– Elementary faith formation students at St. James parish dressed up as the Three Kings who brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus. Pictured above are Patton Weatherford in red, Christian Orostico in purple and Thomas Weatherford in blue, with Father Octavio Escobar on Jan. 4. Pictured below are Jones Bridges, Peter Morton and Reagan Burnley on Jan. 5. (Photo by Rhonda R. Swita)

– Youth at St. Jude parish held lock in on Friday, Dec. 20 that was full of fun games and activities. Pictured is Alex Mateo being transformed into a wrapped Christmas present. (Photo courtesy of Alex Mateo)

PEARL

TUPELO

JACKSON – St. Richard students, Thomas Ueltschey and Andrew Compretta, enjoyed popsicles and an outdoor bubble party that they earned for reaching their fundraising goal during #iGiveCatholic. (Photo by Caitlin Burkes)

– St. James parish held a Christmas VBS program on Dec. 15, 2024, in conjunction with their monthly family faith formation program. It was the first time all parents attended a VBS event! The theme for the program was: “The Wonder and Awe of Our Lord.” Parents worked together coming up with “I Wonder” statements, and created a family heart to place in their home manager scene, or a star to place on their Christmas tree. For games, families played a “memory” card game matching up the mysteries of the rosary. It was a special time for family and faith interaction. The Bible adventure also included three students dancing to the song “Mary Did You Know.” Pictured are Carolyn Gan Lim (in back), Emma Thompson (in front) and Elizabeth Sheffield (on right with doll). (Photo by Rhonda R. Swita)

JACKSON – Sixth graders at St. Richard School offer several gift options to the residents at the Manhattan Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for Christmas. All items are donated, and the residents “pay” with pretend money. The Manhattan Mall is one of the biggest service projects that the St. Richard sixth grade class participates in throughout the year. Everything is decorated, set up and organized by the students. Pictured is Michael Turner assisting a resident shop for Christmas gifts, as Nicholas Morisani looks on. (Photo by Celeste Saucier)

MAGEE – Children at St. James parish enjoyed a visit from Santa. (Photo by Kirby J. Rivere)

TUPELO

CSA feature: Father Tristan Stovall

Father Tristan Stovall began his journey with the Vocations Team on the day of his ordination when the Bishop appointed him as assistant vocation director. “It was an unexpected but deeply humbling moment, and I am truly excited to collaborate with Father Nick Adam and serve in this ministry on behalf of the Bishop. is role o ers an incredible opportunity to nurture and support future leaders of our church,” says Father Tristan.

Currently, Father Tristan is assigned to St. Joseph in Starkville and works with the students at Mississippi State University, which has proven to be fertile ground for vocations ministry. “I believe our diocese is brimming with potential, and we are witnessing a growing interest among young men in the priesthood and religious life. For instance, at least two young men who were involved at MSU are now applying to the seminary. It’s inspiring to walk alongside these individuals, guiding them as they discern God’s call,” he shares.

Father Tristan highlights the impact of open conversations about vocations. “So much happens when people openly discuss the possibility of religious vocations. O en, one young person’s openness to exploring this path inspires others to consider it as well,” he explains. He encourages parishioners to play a vital role by asking young men if they have ever considered becoming a priest. “ e power of conversation cannot be overstated in fostering a culture that encourages vocations,” he adds.

ocese will continue to have holy and dedicated priests to serve future generations. By supporting the CSA, you are investing in the spiritual leadership that will sustain and nurture our parishes for years to come,” says Father Tristan.

Your contributions to the Catholic Service Appeal are vital for the growth of the O ce of Vocations. “Your generosity ensures that our di-

Together, we can create a vibrant community that encourages and supports those called to serve. Let us continue to pray for and support vocations so that the church may ourish with dedicated leaders committed to God’s mission.