MS Catholic May 10, 2024

Pastoral Reimagining: Bishop discerns future of growth and collaboration

BY JOANNA PUDDISTER KING

JACKSON – The year-long pastoral reimagining process undertaken by the Diocese of Jackson continues with a period of discernment by Bishop Joseph Kopacz before concluding with a pastoral letter.

Spreading across five major phases, that included establishing pastoral reimagining committees, parish assessments, reviewing data on diocesan demographics by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) and pastors, deacons and LEMs meeting; phase three just concluded with Bishop Kopacz visiting each deanery to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving and meet with key people who worked on the pastoral reimagining process for each parish.

In the month of March, priests, deacons and LEMs of each deanery of the diocese were asked to discuss the responses from the reimagining process from the parishes. Some of the questions discussed were what areas they saw growth; what challenges are associated with that

KOSCIUSKO – Bishop Joseph Kopacz speaks to a packed parish hall at St. Therese parish on the Pastoral Reimagining process being undertaken by the diocese. He now enters a period of discernment before releasing a pastoral letter.

(Photo by Tereza Ma)

growth; what areas of ministry are diminishing; what are the challenges with this decline; and what areas need greater collaboration with the Chancery offices.

After deanery meetings, Bishop Kopacz traveled to each deanery for a special Mass of Thanksgiving, celebrating “Eucharist and conversation,” with those who worked on the Pastoral Reimagining process in their respective parishes. Though each gathering had varied responses, they all were asked the questions: Where do we go from here? How do we animate and foster the growing edges? How do we address the challenges?

Across each deanery many highlighted the growing Hispanic population and raised questions as to how to serve the population faithfully and effectively, a sentiment Bishop Kopacz highlighted in meeting with priests during phase two of the reimagining process.

“I’m grateful to a number of our

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Pope calls pastors to be ‘missionaries of synodality’

BY CINDY WOODEN AND CAROL GLATZ

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis signed a letter on synodality in the presence of parish priests and urged them to be “missionaries of synodality,” said several of the priests present.

Father Donald J. Planty Jr., pastor of St. Charles Church in Arlington, Virginia, and one of the U.S. pastors at the meeting, said, “He told us, ‘I want you to take this letter, and I want you to put it into action. I want you to share it and speak to your bishops about it and speak to your brother pastors about it.’”

The pope signed the letter May 2 as he met with more than 200 parish priests in the Vatican Synod Hall. The meeting came at the end of an April 29-May 2 gathering designed as an opportunity for the priests to share their experiences and offer input for the drafting of the working document for the Synod of Bishops on synodality’s second assembly in October.

Father Planty, who served for a time in the Vatican diplomatic corps and in the Vatican Secretariat of State, said it was clear that what participants from around the world had in common was “love for our identity as priests and our mission as priests.”

Clearly, he said, some priests have difficulty getting parishioners to open up and share their hopes, dreams and skills – a crucial part of building a “synodal church” where people listen to one another and share responsibility for the life of the parish and its missionary outreach.

That is not a problem in the United States, Father Planty said. “Especially in a country of an Anglo-Saxon democratic tradition,” people are used to sharing their opinions, including with their priests. They comment after Mass or send

an email or phone the parish office.

“A priest who really knows his parish, loves his parishioners, has his finger on the pulse of the parish” not only through the pastoral council and finance council but “also through other, informal settings,” he said. Such a pastor “knows his people, consults with them, listens to them, takes their advice, and ultimately that factors into his pastoral decisions and planning and actions.”

Father Clint Ressler, pastor of St. Mary of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church in Texas City, Texas, said spiritual discernment adds a key factor because synodality “is not listening to the voice of the people, but the voice of God in the voice of the people.”

“It isn’t just about your voices and your opinions,” he said. “We have to all be willing to then go deeper beneath those voices to try to hear what the Spirit is saying among us.”

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New look at Padre Pio 7

Ten new images released to the public of Padre Pio

Sister Thea Bowman 9 Mary Woodward gives update on cause for Sr. ea

Pastor pens book 16

Father Sebastian Myladiyil wrote a new book on prayer

PARISH, FAMILY & SCHOOL EVENTS

CAMDEN – Sacred Heart, 80th Celebration of Sacret Heart Camden, St. Anne Carthage and Holy Child Jesus Canton and Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, May 18 from 3-6 p.m. Custodian general, Father Jesus Ramirez, ST will preside and preach the liturgy at 3 p.m. followed by food and music. Details: church office (662) 468-2354.

CLEVELAND – Our Lady of Victories, Pentecost Parish Picnic, Sunday, May 19 after 10 a.m. Mass. Including cookout and games for the whole family. Bring your own chairs and a side dish or dessert to share. Details: church office (662) 846-6273.

COLUMBUS – Annunciation, Annual Pentecost International Food Festival, Sunday, May 19 from 5 p.m. to sunset in the area behind the church. All are welcome to join for fun, fellowship and fantastic food as we celebrate the birth of the church. Please bring a dish to share. Details: church office (662) 328-2927.

COLUMBUS – Annunciation School, Sportsmania Camp, June 10-14 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in the school gym. Basketball, soccer, football and other fun activities for upcoming second through sixth grades. Cost: $135 per child. Details: register by emailing pfarrell@annunciationcatholicschool.org. $50 non-refundable deposit is due for registration.

Annunciation School, Dinosaurs to Luaus: Good Times! from June 24-28; Around the World from July 15-19. Camps from 8:30-11:30 a.m. for students entering kindergarten through sixth grade. Enjoy these hands-on camps focused on music, theatre and physical arts. Cost: $135 per child. All supplies and snacks included. Details: email Ms. Staggers at music@annunciationcatholicschool.org.

FLOWOOD – St. Paul, Bingo Night, Saturday, June 15 after 4:30 p.m. Mass. Play begins at 6 p.m. Enjoy a hotdog dinner celebrating Father’s Day. Details: church office (601) 992-9547.

GREENVILLE – St. Joseph School, Paul and Wade Abide Memorial Golf Classic, Friday, May 17 at the Greenville Golf and Country Club with shotgun start at 1 p.m. Four-person scramble; $150 per golfer,

includes cart fee, two drink tickets and entry to social event. Details: Bonda at (662) 931-0490.

GREENVILLE – St. Joseph, Pentecost Sunday Multi-cultural Lunch, Sunday, May 19 after 10 a.m. Mass. Enjoy flavors of Mexican, Filipino, Italian, Lebanese, French, German, Indian and more. Details: contact Judy at (662) 820-4966 for more details.

MADISON – St. Francis of Assisi, 36th Annual Cajun Fest, Sunday, May 19 from 12-4 p.m. Laissez les bon temps roulez! Enjoy some of the best cajun fare around, raffles, games and live music – featuring Gypsy Heart. Details: church office (601) 856-5556.

OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Yard Sale, Saturday, June 1. Please bring your donations and leave them in the classrooms labeled “Yard Sale Donations.” Details: church office (662) 895-5007.

PEARL – St. Jude, Pentecost International Food Fest, May 19 at 11:30 a.m. (after a multilingual outdoor Mass at 10 a.m.) Come commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the church, as well as the cultural and ethnic diversity of our parish. Bring lawn chairs or blanket for seat ing. Bring a dish the shows off your family’s cultural or ethnic heritiage to share. After lunch enjoy games for the youth and young at heart soccer, basketball, volleyball and cornhole. Sign-up sheets located on talbe outside the front door of the church. Details: church office (601) 9393181.

STARKVILLE – St. Joseph, Pentecost Parish Celebration, Sunday, May 19 at 1 p.m. in the parish hall. Details: church office (662) 323-2257.

SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

PRAYER – Locus Benedictus, Would you be willing to commit to one day per week to pray the Rosary for priests and religious? Details: email your day of choice to contactlocusbenedictus@gmail.com or call (662) 299-1232.

FEATURED PHOTO ... Song Fest...

NEW ORLEANS – Directed Retreat with the Archdiocesan Spirituality Center at the Cenacle on Lake Pontchartrain, June 28-July 3. Cost $500 – includes lodging, meals and personal spiritual director. To register call (504) 861-3254. Details: for more information call Melinda at (601) 597-7178.

SAVE THE DATE

JACKSON –Catholic Charities Bishop’s Ball, Saturday, July 13 at the Old Capitol Inn.

BROOKHAVEN

– St. Francis of Assisi, Vacation Bible School, July 14 - 17.

GLUCKSTADT –St. Joseph, Vacation Bible School – Scuba: diving into friendship with God, June 24-28 from 6-8 p.m. in the parish hall, with

dinner and games beginning at 5:15 p.m. Open to all children entering K through sixth grade. Cost $15 per child/$30 max per family. Pick up registration card by the SCUBA display in the church foyer. Details: Karen at kworrellcre@hotmail.com or (601) 672-5817.

JACKSON – St. Richard, Vacation Bible School, June 3-6 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. for rising PreK-3 to sixth graders of St. Richard School and parishioners.

MADISON – St. Francis, Vacation Bible School, June 17-20.

MERIDIAN – St. Patrick, Vacation Bible School, June 24 –28 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

NATCHEZ – St. Mary Basilica, Vacation Bible School, July 15-19, evenings at the Family Life Center. More information to come.

TUPELO – St. James, Vacation Bible School, July 15-18 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. for ages 4-years through sixth grade. Theme: “The Chronicles of Narnia – God’s Surely Alive!” Register before June 8 for a shirt. Details: register at https://www.surveymon-

Thank you for your support to our apostolate of prayer. To donate online, please visit our website www.jacksoncarmel.com

God bless you! Our loving prayers, Carmelite Nuns of Jackson

APPLIANCE

CANTON – Cherie Evans and Holy Child and Sacred Heart (Camden) choirs open the “Song Fest” held in honor of Sister Thea Bowman on Saturday, April 27 at Holy Child Jesus Church. (Photo by Sister Mary Anne Poeschl)

Ascension to Pentecost: Clothed with power from on High

BY BISHOP JOSEPH R. KOPACZ, D.D.

Before ascending from this world to his God and our God Jesus instructed his disciples to return to the Upper Room to await “to be clothed with power from on High.” (Luke 24: 49) To be outfitted with the Holy Spirit is a wonderful image of our intimacy with God and by wearing it well we remain in style to bear the message of salvation to every corner of the planet till the end of time.

The feast of the Ascension is the bridge between the Resurrection and Pentecost that completes God’s plan of salvation begun specifically in the Incarnation when “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Throughout the Gospel of John, it is uppermost in Jesus’ mind that he is to return to God the Father from where he came. “No one has ascended to heaven except the One who descended from heaven.” (John 3:13)

At the outset of the Last Supper before the washing of the disciples’ feet, his divine destiny was set in motion. “Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in this world and loved them to the end.” (John 13:1)

On course, the link between the Cross, the resurrection and the ascension is established. “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15)

The Lord’s resurrection appearances in the four Gospels are remarkable, and yet shrouded in mystery. These encounters reveal the risen Lord in his glorified body, capable of eating (Luke 24:43) and of being touched (John 20:27) and of conversing in varied settings, on the road, at the beach, in the garden, in barricaded rooms and on mountaintops.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church in the first of its four major sections (Can we name the other three sections?) reflects upon the Ascension in the context of the Creed. (CCC 659-667) The transition of

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

the risen Lord in his glorified body after the resurrection to his exalted body with his Ascension to the right hand of the Father forever (CCC 660) clears the way for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in daily life and prepares a place for us in eternity.

“Only Christ could have opened this door for the human race, he who wished to go before us as our head so that we as members of his body may live with the burning hope of following him in His Kingdom.” (CCC 661)

St. Paul in his pastoral letter to Timothy elaborates upon our understanding of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit from on High. “For the Spirit God gives us is not one of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2Tim 1:7)

Power, directed by loving discipline has the capacity to transform lives and to carry out the Lord’s Great Commission to bear the Gospel to all the nations. This is the power of God that forms the Church as One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, that all receive at Baptism, that is invoked upon our numerous young people who have been confirmed, that transforms the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Lord, and that we will call down upon Deacon Tristan Stovall and all who will be ordained in sacred orders.

As we heard in last Sunday’s first reading, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius and his household, the first Gentile converts, truly a second Pentecost, came about through ardent prayer and joyful hope. Likewise, the

Volume 70 Number 11 (ISSN 1529-1693)

Publisher Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

Communications Director Joanna Puddister King

Production Manager Tereza Ma

Contributors ......................................................................................................... Berta Mexidor

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

Holy Spirit is at work in our homes and in our churches.

May we be vigilant in prayer and joyful in hope as we prepare to be clothed with power from on High this Pentecost for the promises of the Lord are fulfilled in every generation.

Happy Ordination Anniversary

May 7

Bishop Joseph Kopacz (ordained priest)

May 11

Father Mark Sho ner St. John the Evangelist, Oxford

Father Adolfo Suarez Pasillas

St. Michael, Forest; St. Michael, Paulding

May 14

Father Panneer Selvam Arockiam

St. Mary, Yazoo City; Our Mother of Mercy, Anguilla

Father Jason Johnston St. Joseph, Starkville

Father Joseph Le St. Francis, Aberdeen

Father Andrew Bowden St. Richard, Jackson

May 17

Father Matthew Simmons St. Joseph, Gluckstadt

May 23

Dcn. Hank Babin Retired

May 24

Father Bob Goodyear, ST Holy Rosary, Philadelphia; St. erese, Pearl River; St. Catherine Mission, Conehatta

Father Joseph Chau Nguyen, SVD St. Mary, Vicksburg

May 27

Father Carlisle Beggerly Diocese of Jackson

Father Charles Bucciantini Retired

May 29

Father Guy Blair, SCJ

Catholic Parishes of Northwest Mississippi

Father Hilary Brzezinski, OFM St. Francis, Greenwood

Father Sam Messina Retired

May 31

Father Lincoln Dall Holy Savior, Clinton Vicar General

Father Rusty Vincent St. Paul, Vicksburg

Father José de Jesus Sanchez St. Joseph, Greenville

Father Binh Chau Nguyen Immaculate Conception, West Point

Father Nick Adam Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, Jackson Vocations Director

Father Aaron Williams Basilica of St. Mary & Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Natchez

Thank you for answering the call!

BISHOP’S SCHEDULE

Saturday, May 18, 10:30 a.m. – Priestly Ordination of Deacon Tristan Stovall, Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, Jackson

Sunday, May 19, 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Spanish) – Confirmation, Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, Jackson

Tuesday, May 21, 7 p.m. – Graduation, Vicksburg Catholic School

Wednesday, May 22, 6 p.m. – Graduation, St. Joseph, Madison

Thursday, May 23, 6 p.m. – Graduation, St. Joseph, Greenville

Friday, May 24, 7 p.m. – Graduation, Cathedral School, Natchez

Saturday, May 25, 5 p.m. – Confirmation, St. James, Corinth

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

As the rector of the Cathedral and the vocation director, I have gotten a lot of experience working with young people as they prepare to make a lifelong commitment to a vocation. Here at St. Peter’s we are in the middle of a run of weddings.

It turns out that most people want to get married when the weather is nice, and here in Mississippi, that means they’ve got about a five week stretch between the cold of winter and the heat of summer!

Since April 13, I’ve presided at six weddings and I’ve provided marriage prep for a seventh couple who got married at a different parish. I also spent a weekend at the Engaged Encounter retreat which is part of the marriage preparation process at many parishes in the diocese.

It is interesting that most couples spend 2-4 years dating before taking vows to be together for life – to have and to hold, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. Most seminarians, on the other hand, spend 6-9 years in the seminary prior to making their priestly promises and being ordained a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.

No matter how long you date, you can’t be totally prepared for the lifelong sacrifices and challenges that marriage demands, and no matter how long you spend in seminary, or how good your grades are, or how well you understand the demands of priestly

BY NAME

life, living this life is not something you can totally prepare for in the seminary.

What is basically necessary for successful marriages and faithfulness to priesthood, I believe, is that couples and seminarians understand that when they take their vows (or in the seminarian’s case, make their promises), their life is no longer about themselves. Our vocations are mysterious, and we don’t naturally possess all the attributes necessary to live them well. No one naturally wants to give their life up. We may give of ourselves when we are feeling particularly generous, but selflessness is really a supernatural activity. This is why we need the grace of the sacrament of Matrimony and the grace of the sacrament of Holy Orders to live out our vocations well.

Many people have come up with, and will continue to come up with, good reasons why marriages fail, and priests leave. The truth is, there is never just one reason. Often, relationships fail because of a series of choices, not all of which were bad, but which eventually lead someone to stop giving themselves to the other. The spouse or the priest stopped being willing to give themselves and didn’t want to put themselves second anymore. I wish there was a magic bullet that could guarantee the success of marriages and the fruitfulness of priestly ministry, but there isn’t. Each of us who have made solemn promises to another, whether that is a spouse or the church, must hold ourselves accountable. Am I living for the other, or am I making small choices that lead me to think more about myself and my own comfort?

Our vocations should transform us. They should make us look and sound and act more like Jesus, who laid down his life for his friends.

– Father Nick Adam, vocation director

Father Nick Adam

Who are our real faith companions?

IN EXILE

By Father ron rolheiser, oMi

I work and move within church circles and find that most of the people there are honest, committed, and for the most part radiate their faith positively. Most churchgoers aren’t hypocrites. What I do find disturbing in church circles though is that many of us can be bitter, mean-spirited, and judgmental in terms of defending the very values that we hold most dear. It was Henri Nouwen who first highlighted this, commenting with sadness that many of the bitter and ideologically driven people he knew, he had met inside of church circles and places of ministry. Within church circles, it sometimes seems, almost everyone is angry about something. Moreover, within church circles, it is all too easy to rationalize that in the name of prophecy, as a righteous passion for truth and morals.

The algebra works this way: because I am sincerely concerned about an important moral, ecclesial, or justice issue, I can excuse a certain amount of anger, elitism, and negative judgment, because I can rationalize that my cause, dogmatic or moral, is so important that it justifies my mean spirit, that is, I have a right to be cold and harsh because this is such an important truth.

And so we justify a mean spirit by giving it a prophetic cloak, believing that we are warriors for God, truth, and morals when, in fact, we are struggling equally with our own wounds, insecurities and fears. Hence we often look at others, even whole churches made up of sincere persons trying to live the gospel, and instead of seeing brothers and sisters struggling, like us, to follow Jesus, we see “people in error,” “dangerous relativists,” “new age pagans,” “religious flakes,” and in our more generous moments, “poor misguided souls.” But seldom do we look at what this kind of judgment is saying about us, about our own health of soul and our own following of Jesus.

Don’t get me wrong: Truth is not relative, moral issues are important, and right truth and proper morals, like all kingdoms, are under perpetual siege and need to be defended. Not all moral judgments are created equal; and neither are all churches.

But the truth of that doesn’t override everything else and give us an excuse to rationalize a mean spirit. We must defend truth, defend those who cannot defend themselves, and be faithful in the traditions of our own churches. However, right truth and right morals don’t all alone make us disciples of Jesus. What does?

What makes us genuine disciples of Jesus is living inside his Spirit, the Holy Spirit, and this is not something abstract and vague. If one were searching for a single formula to determine who is Christian and who isn’t, one might look at the Epistle to the Galatians, Chapter 5. In it, St. Paul tells us that we can live according to either the spirit of the flesh or of the Holy Spirit.

We live according to the spirit of the flesh when we live in bitterness, judgment of our neighbor, factionalism and non-forgiveness. When these things characterize our lives, we shouldn’t delude ourselves and think that we are living inside of the Holy Spirit.

Conversely, we live inside of the Holy Spirit when our lives are characterized by charity, joy, peace, patience, goodness, longsuffering, constancy, faith, gentleness and chastity. If these do not char-

acterize our lives, we should not nurse the illusion that we are inside of God’s Spirit, irrespective of our passion for truth, dogma, or justice.

This may be a cruel thing to say, and perhaps more cruel not to say, but I sometimes see more charity, joy, peace, patience, goodness and gentleness among persons who are Unitarian or New Age (people who are often judged by other churches as being wishy-washy and as not standing for anything) than I see among those of us who do stand so strongly for certain ecclesial and moral issues that we become mean-spirited and non-charitable inside of those convictions. Given the choice of whom I’d like as a neighbor or, more deeply, the choice of whom I might want to spend eternity with, I am sometimes conflicted about the choice. Who is my real faith companion? The mean-spirited zealot at war for Jesus or cause, or the gentler soul who is branded wishy-washy or

“new age?” At the end of the day, who is living more inside the Holy Spirit?

We need, I believe, to be more self-critical vis-a-vis our anger, harsh judgments, mean-spirit, exclusiveness and disdain for other ecclesial and moral paths. As T.S. Eliot once said: The last temptation that’s the greatest treason is to do the right thing for the wrong reason. We may have truth and right morals on our side, but our anger and harsh judgments towards those who don’t share our truth and morals may well have us standing outside the Father’s house, like the older brother of the prodigal son, bitter both at God’s mercy and at those who are, seemingly without merit, receiving it.

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

The Pope’s Corner Love makes individuals and the world better, pope says

By Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Meeting with thousands of Italian grandparents and their children and grandchildren, Pope Francis insisted repeatedly, “Love makes us better.”

“Love makes us better; it makes us richer, and it makes us wiser, at any age,” he said April 27 to the young and old who filled the Vatican audience hall. “Love makes us better.”

Joining people associated with the Età Grande Foundation, which lobbies for the rights of the elderly to stay in their homes with family, community and government support, Pope Francis spoke about his grandmother Rosa, who first taught him to pray, and he mimicked grandparents everywhere by handing out chocolates to the children.

The pope told the families, “You make each other better by loving each other. And I say this to you as a ‘grandfather’ with the desire to share the ever-youthful faith that unites all generations” and which “I received from my grandmother, from whom I first learned about Jesus who loves us, who never leaves us alone, and who urges us too to be close to each other and never to exclude anyone.”

And in a world that so often focuses on the individual and his or her accomplishments and possessions, love actually is what makes people richer, he said.

Sometimes, he said, people speak of the “world of youth” or the “world of the elderly,” but “there is just one world! And it is made up of many realities that are different precisely to help and complement each other.”

People of different generations, different nationalities and different talents “if harmonized, can reveal, like the faces of a big diamond, the wondrous splendor of humanity and creation,” the pope said. “This, too, is what your being together teaches us: not to let diversity create rifts between us! No, let there not be rifts – don’t pulverize the diamond of love, the most beautiful treasure God has given us: love.”

Too often, the pope said, people are told to be self-reliant and that the strong do not need anyone. But that is a sad way to live, he said, especially as one gets older.

“The elderly must not be left alone, they must live within the family, in the community, with the affection of everyone,” he said. “And if they cannot live with their families, we must go to visit them and stay close to them.”

Pope Francis arrives for a meeting with thousands of Italian grandparents with their children and grandchildren April 27, 2024, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

' ... We asked parishes to do their best thinking, reflecting and praying ...'

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parishes that have opened up with inviting the Hispanic population through having Mass and liturgy. It’s just amazing to see the growth.”

After assessing needs through the Reimagining process, Father Manohar Thangundla of St. Francis of Assisi parish in Brookhaven recently added a weekly Spanish Mass on Saturdays to accommodate increasing numbers of Hispanics in the area. Additionally, he began learning Vietnamese to hold a monthly Mass for that growing community, as well.

Bishop Kopacz says that almost 30 of the diocese’s 72 parishes offer Mass in Spanish.

“It’s about bringing people into the community at a deeper level, but the challenge is the literacy [of our priests.] … Becoming confident enough to offer the Mass, even if you can’t preach the homily in Spanish,” said Bishop Kopacz.

“We have priests in the diocese who are bilingual and many who are willing to learn to celebrate the sacraments, so people can have that experience.”

Raquel Thompson, director of Hispanic ministry at St. James Tupelo, said that she and the parish’s director of faith formation, Rhonda Swita, are working to band together Hispanic and White communities, with the premise – ‘we are better together.”

“She [Swita] is working to create more activities we can do as families together. … So, we’ll be one whole Catholic Church,” said Thompson.

“We are one body of Christ, and no matter what language we speak, we have to be kind, respectful and have love for each other.”

As for additional challenges and fostering growth, many of the deanery gatherings brought up the availability of activities and involvement of youth and young adults in their respective communities, with an emphasis on having adults getting their children involved in the church community.

Lauren Codding, who served on the Pastoral Reimagining committee for St. Alphonsus McComb and attended the phase three session with Bishop Kopacz for deanery two, said that during the committee’s assessment, they identified faith formation for youth and young adults as an area for improvement.

“We want to start providing faith formation to our young adult community, so that they feel welcomed, and we can build community among that age group. Our hope is that they will start bringing their children to church and we can in turn feed the children through religious education,” said Codding.

The parish also hopes to start a campus ministry program to reach young adults at McComb’s local community college.

Campus ministry is an initiative that others around the diocese voiced during Reimagining sessions to reach the young adult demographic. In a proactive response to the growing demand for more opportunities for young adults, the diocese inaugurated its Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry in 2022. This effort was in response to the Synod on Synodality process, where the diocese heard concerns on evangelization to young adults.

“This is a ministry that will continue to grow as we make additional efforts in our parishes to reach our growing edges,” said Bishop Kopacz.

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A third area discussed at many of the deanery community gatherings for the Reimagining process is the importance of a sense of community and inviting non-Catholics to learn about the church.

Several parishes mentioned during various deanery gatherings that small faith communities have been successful in encouraging lifelong friendships and a sense of strong faith. Others, like Isaac Blakemore of St. Francis Madison, who just came into the church at Easter Vigil, felt that as Catholics we need to understand our faith and have the courage to share it with the community.

As a former ordained Methodist minister, Blakemore was drawn to the Catholic Church by the sacraments. He told members of the deanery one gathering at St. Francis Madison that when he received the Eucharist for the first time, it was like someone had him in on a secret.

“One thing I think all parishes could do is … to just be proud of what the Catholic faith offers and share it,” said Blakemore. “If you do believe that indeed this is the one, true church, you ought to believe that the Holy Spirit can move even through someone that is just a layperson. You can invite someone into learning about the Catholic faith … and be willing to

discuss it.”

(Photo by Joanna King)

Phase four of the Pastoral Reimagining process is currently underway with Bishop Kopacz in a season of discernment, allowing time for the drafting of a pastoral letter to the people of God in the Diocese of Jackson.

When asked about the overall Reimagining process, Bishop Kopacz explained that it unfolded in stages due to its organic nature, rooted deeply at the grassroots level.

“We asked parishes to do their best thinking, reflecting and praying,” said Bishop Kopacz. “Focusing on the specifics of their settings and how to move forward in the context of the whole diocese and with the support and encouragement of the bishop’s office and the chancery.”

He plans to keep his pastoral letter as brief as it can be, but still have it substantial enough to address key areas of growth and concern.

“I see my ministry … as to keep mining and plowing this field; and seeing what we can do and how we can assist one another to make it happen on a local level; and with and through the diocese,” says Bishop Kopacz.

' synodality ... we’re all in this together'

– Continued from page 1 –

People are hesitant about synodality when it is erroneously presented as debating “the issues that are controversial in the church” and “whether or not this is some new instrument to foment change in doctrine or church teaching,” he said. When that happens, “I think it’s disturbing. It’s scary. It’s unsettling,” and it leaves some wondering, “Why are we going to let the people decide what God wants?”

Father Paul Soper, pastor of St. Margaret Mary and St. Denis parishes in Westwood, Massachusetts, and secretary for ministerial personnel in the Archdiocese of Boston said priests and laypeople who have fears or concerns about synodality are afraid of different things.

“The fear of the priests is that there is a degree of randomness to the process,” he said, and that the synod “is going to be recommending big changes in the life of the church somehow or another that will have come from a bunch of random voices rather than from a clearly traceable conciliar process.”

“I think what the people fear is different,” he said. “I think that they fear that this is a conversation that’s not going to go anywhere. That it will simply, in the end, be a collection of reflections on the process of reflecting – a meeting on meetings, if you will.”

But, he said, his experience in evangelization has taught him that the “deep listening” or “contemplative listening” that the synod process is teaching people is what will enable Catholics to understand other people’s stories and invite them into or back into a relationship with Jesus and with the church.

Father Robert L. Connors, director of the Office for Senior Priests in the Archdiocese of Boston and episcopal vicar of the archdiocese’s south region, said the synod’s emphasis on listening also can help Catholics “learn the art of respect in a world where there is very little respect.”

And, especially in parishes and dioceses where there is growing diversity, he said, synodality helps people realize, “we’re all in this together.”

MADISON – Isaac Blakemore

St. Francis

Assisi Madison parish speaks

a deanery -wide gathering on the Pastoral Reimagining process being undertaken by the diocese on April 11, 2024. Also pictured is Father Albeen Vatti, pastor of St. Francis Madison and Abbey Schuhman, coordinator of the office of youth ministry for the diocese.

By Justin McLeLLan

New photos reveal many sides of Padre Pio

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – A foundation that promotes devotion to St. Pio of Pietrelcina, more widely known as Padre Pio, is making 10 never-before-seen photographs of the saint available to the devout for free.

The images provide personal insight into the life, attitude and spirituality of 20th-century saint, said the photographer. Some photos show Padre Pio solemnly celebrating Mass while in others he is smiling while surrounded by his confreres.

Elia Stelluto, Padre Pio’s personal photographer, stood proudly – camera in hand – before posters of the 10 new images for the presentation of the photos in the Vatican movie theater April 29.

“It’s enough to look at one image of his face” to understand Padre Pio, he told Catholic News Service. “With that you can understand so much; each photo has its own story, one must at them look one by one and that way you see so much more in his expressions.”

Stelluto photographed the saint for decades at the convent where he lived in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.

During the photo presentation, Andrea Tornielli, editorial director of the Dicastery for Communication, said the new photos highlight Padre Pio’s identity as someone who was close to those around him and was filled with joy. He said that although it was not customary to smile in photos at the time, candid photos taken by Stelluto show the saint beaming broadly as he was huddled in a group.

Luciano Lamonarca, founder and CEO of the Saint Pio Foundation which promotes devotion to the Italian saint and organized the publication of the photos, said many people would come to Stelluto requesting his photos for articles and books.

“I never saw any kind of availability

for the people” to see the photos directly, he said. That’s why he thought, “Padre Pio is the saint of the people, we must do something for the people.”

Lamonarca, an Italian who lives in the United States, said since many people with a devotion to Padre Pio are unable to visit the areas where the saint lived and ministered, he asked himself, “how does one bring Padre Pio to them, the true Padre Pio, the most authentic form of Padre Pio?”

That’s what spurred him to partner with Stelluto to make the photos available to the public, excluding their use for commercial purposes, by being free to download via the St. Pio Foundation website.

Lamonarca said he hoped that by “looking at the image of a greatly suffering father who could also laugh,” people would think to themselves, “if he could laugh, we can laugh too.”

Stelluto described the images he had taken of Padre Pio as “mysterious,” since they always came out clearly despite dark lighting conditions.

He recalled the challenge of taking photos in a dark convent, coupled with Padre Pio’s distaste for the flash of a camera, especially during Mass, and exclusive use of dim candles to light the altar.

“It’s not that I was talented in doing this, I still don’t understand the thing,” Stelluto said during the photo presentation. “The truth is that he was the source of light.”

A newly released images of St. Padre Pio are seen in these undated photos.

The Vatican hosted a presentation of 10 new photos of the Capuchin saint April 29, 2024. (CNS photos/Courtesy Saint Pio Foundation).

By Gina Christian (OSV News)

Catholic Answers ‘no less resolved’ to use AI after ‘Father Justin’ brouhaha

– Executives from the apologetics nonprofit Catholic Answers told OSV News they remain committed to exploring artificial intelligence after the launch of the group’s “Father Justin” AI project sparked intense backlash online – and resulted in the character’s swift “laicization” to just “Justin.”

“We’re no less resolved to make good use of this technology to continue our work of apologetics and evangelization,” Christopher Check, president of Catholic Answers, told OSV News. “We regard this (incident) as an opportunity to take some feedback and move forward with it.”

Check’s team debuted a “Father Justin” interactive AI app April 23, aiming “to provide users with faithful and educational answers to questions about Catholicism,” according to an announcement that day by the organization.

The grey bearded, bushy-browed Father Justin character – named for St. Justin Martyr, a second-century convert and apologist – was intended to be what Catholic Answers information technology director Chris Costello, quoted in the company’s April 23 announcement, had called a tribute to parish priests, and an “authoritative yet approachable” figure on Catholic teaching.

But Father Justin’s preference for addressing users as “my child,” and his statements indicating he could actually give absolution and preside at the sacrament of matrimony, drew howls of condemnation in Catholic cyberspace.

By approximately 5 p.m. EDT April 24, Father Justin had fallen silent, gazing with a contemplative air toward a point out of the screen frame – only to reemerge a few hours later in a button-down shirt as what Catholic Answers called “just ‘Justin.’”

Check told OSV News that criticism of the app was down to “a combination” of concern over some of the app’s responses, and the AI character itself.

“I think there are some people who simply reacted to a cartoon priest,” said Check, adding that “it would be evident to anybody who’s looking at it that in fact it’s not a real priest.”

Check said the move to make the app’s face simply “Justin” was a concession to those who found the character “a distraction” that hindered “the purpose of the application, which is to provide sound answers about the Catholic faith.”

“We’re good listeners,” Check said. “That’s one of the reasons we’re good apologists.”

Check admitted he and his “entire executive team” had been “a little taken aback by the particularly hostile reaction that we received on social media” regarding the app.

Such outrage “tends to be endemic” to social media platforms, Check added.

“I think that people who otherwise would have given some sort of thoughtful consideration of the merits of AI and answering ... questions about the Catholic faith instead jumped onto (a) sort of more viral path,” he said. “And to me it’s kind of one of those unfortunate indications of the divisions that our church is feeling right now.”

Check said that some users (who had to provide email addresses and cell phone numbers to access the app) “were deliberately trying to trick it ... which is what people like to do with AI or ChatGPT. We discovered while going through the log that one person who finally got (the app) to err (in its responses) in fact has a substantial background in AI.”

Costello told OSV News that he and his development team “knew that (the AI app) was going to be controversial.

“We know there’s a lot of concern in the Catholic world about AI in general – how it’s used, in fact, in not just the Catholic world, but in the world,” he said.

Costello said the app had been proposed by an AI consultant who is a Catholic Answers radio listener and fan. He said the project – the first AI undertaking for the company – had undergone “four or five months” of development.

The software’s initial character, a Franciscan friar named “Brother Geppetto,” was transformed into Father Justin, with the app’s original background – the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Italy’s Perugia province – left intact.

Part of the testing included feeding the app inquiries from “actual callers on our radio show, to see if (the app) could answer the questions,” said Costello. “And of course the answers were different (from those of the Catholic Answers radio hosts), but still accurate.”

Like Check, Costello stressed that the organization’s “goal is not to lead someone down the wrong path” with the app.

“It’s a start to your journey,” he said. “It’s to help you hone your questions so that you can really have a discussion with your priest or spiritual advisor, if there’s something you don’t understand. It’s not the end at all; it’s the beginning.”

Check said he was not concerned the troubled rollout of the app would erode trust in Catholic Answers as an apologetics apostolate.

“There’s been some ‘pearl-clutching,’ (but) ... it’s obvious this was at best a misstep or failure to read the room,” he said. “But the Catholic Answers brand and our reputation is nearly 40 years old. And it’s backed by the talent and the profound knowledge of ... (our apologists) and executive team and staff.”

Oblate Father Thomas Dailey, John Cardinal Foley Chair of Homiletics and Social Communications at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, told OSV News that the “Father Justin” launch, though fraught, has not been without merit.

“The response to what happened shows people’s interest in both the technology and its application for faith matters,” he said. “That Catholic Answers took all of that feedback and benefited from it or acted on it – and their interest in moving forward to help people – is a compliment to them.”

“We’re guided by our intentions,” Check said. “And we know that if we’re doing what we’re doing out of love for Jesus Christ, which is why we act, (then) God will bless it.”

(Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @GinaJesseReina.)

This is a screenshot of “Father Justin,” an AI chatbot simulating a priest in order to answer questions for teaching apostolate Catholic Answers. Catholic Answers executives told OSV News April 24, 2024, they are not discouraged from pursuing AI projects following the troubled April 23 launch of “Father Justin,” who was “laicized” hours later to “Justin” after his responses to questions about the faith sparked social media furor. (OSV News screenshot/Catholic Answers)

MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC MAY 10, 2024

Progress and prayers: Sister Thea Bowman’s cause update

By Mary WoodWard

This past April, Holy Child Jesus Parish in Canton hosted a beautiful memorial celebration for Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman. The celebration is normally held close to Sister Thea’s anniversary of her death on March 30, but this year that fell during Holy Week and Easter liturgies.

In light of this celebration, it is a good time to give an update on Sister Thea’s cause for canonization process. Currently the diocesan phase is underway. The historical commission is delving into the writing of Sister Thea and compiling a highly structured document that will profile her piety and include a biography. This commission meets monthly with our postulator in Rome via Zoom to address any technical questions involved in the research.

As part of the historical commission’s work, all of Sister Thea’s handwritten notes and outlines must be transcribed into a typed document. This process is being coordinated by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration’s archives. Dozens of student volunteers are participating in this task.

I have seen Sister Thea’s writing files, and she certainly had a unique way of recording her thoughts. Therefore, this is quite an undertaking to get all this typeset. We are most grateful to the FSPA archivist, Meg Paulino, for tackling this required part of the canonical process.

Two theological experts are reviewing her work for doctrinal surety. This will require an extensive bibliography of her works.

Witness testimonies have been taken and are being transcribed and processed. A few more witnesses will be interviewed sometime later this summer or early fall.

The Cause for Sister Thea Bowman continues to advance. After the historial commission’s work is complete it will be sealed and presented to the postulator to deliver to the dicastery. (Photo from archives)

When all is ready, Bishop Joseph Kopacz will lead a special liturgy in which the documents in triplicate, will be sealed and presented to the postulator to deliver to the Dicastery. Once that is completed, the postulator will work with the dicastery to move the cause forward.

At a certain point, once the cause is in Rome, the Holy Father may declare

By Maureen Boyle

the Servant of God as Venerable – showing heroic virtue. After Venerable, the next step is beatification and in order to be beatified there must be a miracle. Examination of the miracle goes through a similar canonical process as the diocesan phase. If a miracle is proven and accepted, the Servant of God is put on the schedule for an official liturgy of beatification.

The next step would be canonization and that requires a second miracle. That miracle would have to happen after the beatification. All in all, the Roman side of the process takes a long time.

During the Roman Phase, we hope to begin to create local guilds in our diocese and around the region. These guilds will help promote Sister Thea’s cause through prayer for the cause and by hosting various spiritual and educational events designed to raise awareness about the cause.

As for now, we need many prayers for the cause, especially for those involved in working through the fine details of the diocesan phase.

We also can use donations to the cause as it does have several financial costs for travel, translations, experts and administration.

Donations may be made out to the Diocese of Jackson and sent to the Chancellor’s Office, 237 E. Amite Street, Jackson, MS 39201. Make sure you mark the donation for Sister Thea’s Cause.

Or to donate online and learn more about the Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA, visit our website at: https://www.jacksondiocese.org/ thea-bowman. From this site you also may watch the wonderful documentary on her life “Going Home Like a Shooting Star” and find a link to the cause’s official site with photos and tributes to her.

Presenting a cause for canonization is one of the noblest things a diocese can undertake as an official act of the church. It is exciting to know that over the next several months we are participating in this ancient tradition and moving forward in completing the diocesan phase of this esteemed process.

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

Catholic Olympic champion swimmer awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Adding another distinguished medal to her already sizable collection, Katie Ledecky – the most decorated woman in swimming history – was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on May 3 in a White House ceremony.

A native of the Washington area and a parishioner of the Church of the Little Flower in Bethesda, Maryland, Ledecky received the nation’s highest civilian honor, along with 18 other Americans who have “made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,” according to a White House statement.

Ledecky, 27, is a three-time U.S. Olympic swimmer, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist, a 21-time world champion and a 16-time world-record breaker in her sport.

“Powered by faith, family, and teamwork, Katie Ledecky is a symbol of perseverance and strength with a heart of gold that shines for the nation and for the world,” President Joe Biden said before presenting the honor to the swimmer.

A graduate of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Washington, Ledecky plans to compete in her fourth summer Olympic Games July 26-Aug. 11 in Paris.

During the summer of 2012, Ledecky was a rising 15-year-old sophomore at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda when she was the youngest athlete on the U.S. Olympic swim team and won her first gold medal in the women’s 800-meter women’s freestyle race during the London Olympics.

Before she headed off to her inaugural Summer Games, Ledecky told the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington, that to calm her nerves she always prays right before a race.

“The prayer I say is the ‘Hail Mary,’” said Ledecky, adding that her faith and the sacraments give her a welcome opportunity to pause in her busy routine. “I also love going to Mass every week. It’s a great chance to reflect and connect with God. (My faith) has been a big part of my life since I was born.”

Ledecky said her proudest moments are not the Olympic medals, but rather the happiness she found in and the gratitude she has for the communities she has been a part of and which have supported her throughout the years – including her Catholic school alma maters, Stanford University, Bethesda and the entire Washington region.

U.S. President Joe Biden presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Olympic champion swimmer Katie Ledecky, a Catholic, during a ceremony at the White House in Washington May 3, 2024. (OSV News photo/Evelyn Hockstein, Reuters)

Bishop Gunn turns down New Zealand

FROM THE ARCHIVES

By Mary WoodWard

JACKSON – Very early on in his tenure as the fifth Bishop of Natchez, we almost lost Bishop John Edward Gunn to the Archdiocese of Wellington in New Zealand. It seems Bishop Gunn, a Marist, was summoned to New Orleans by Archbishop James Blenk to meet with him and Archbishop Francis Redwood of Wellington.

Bishop Gunn’s description of the meeting is classic Gunn so I will share the encounter in his own words from his diary:

“November 9, 1912 – I phoned the Archbishop early Saturday morning and he told me that Archbishop Redwood from New Zealand was with him and wanted to see me. I reported for dinner at Esplanade Avenue and I found Archbishop Redwood bubbling over with vitality, good health and splendid stories.

“When we left the dining room Redwood asked me to come with him to his room for a minute and then I found why I was wanted.

“It seems the Archbishop of Wellington wanted a co-adjutor and he wanted me for the job. He was so cocksure of getting me that he arranged everything in advance. He had a meeting of the suffragan bishops of New Zealand who ok’d the scheme; he got the Propaganda [of the Faith] in Rome to grant me a release from Natchez, if I was a consenting party; he asked the General of the Marists to write to me that I would be persona grata to the Society in New Zealand.

“The Archbishop forgot nothing that could be looked upon as a preliminary move and he followed very strictly the canonical requirements and I was summoned to say ‘Yes.’

“The Archbishop spoke of the advantages of New Zealand and my fitness for the work and incidentally deplored the fact that I was buried in Mississippi. He put up a good case and then he put the whole case up to me.

“I was dumbfounded and to a certain extent disgusted that I was being used as a kind of rubber pad with no voice in the matter whatever.

“In answer to the straight questions which he made in the matter of the Holy See and of the Bishops of New Zealand, etc., etc., I answered very shortly by saying ‘No’ to all he asked. He looked surprised and asked me if I did not want time to reconsider and I told him I did not.

“In a kind of perfunctory manner he asked me why I did not go and I simply told him that I would not use Mississippi or the Bishops of the Province, especially the Archbishop who had made me Bishop of Natchez, as a stepping stone to go anywhere and that I was satisfied where I was placed and I would not consent to any transfer of the kind.

“The Archbishop who was so amiable up to then was near losing his temper and I took the occasion to get away from him. He merely asked me to keep quiet about the interview until a co-adjutor for Wellington had been appointed.

“I went to Blenk’s room and I looked as if I had seen a ghost and the Archbishop insisted upon knowing what was the matter. I did not think that I was bound to keep such a secret from my Archbishop and I told him the whole story and I had the consolation of hearing from him that I had done the right thing.

“I cleared out of Esplanade Avenue and went over to Algiers where I spent the night and tried to forget about Wellington and its temptations. A few days after the incident I got a letter from the Superior General [Marist] asking me to go to Wellington but I had taken my stand, the die was cast and no power except the power that sent me to Mississippi could send me out of it.”

May’s Marian feasts

By oSV NeWS

It is inspiring to see the commitment of Bishop Gunn to our diocese. I also found interesting the way Archbishop Redwood covered all avenues prior to asking Gunn to come to Wellington as co-adjutor.

The Catholic Church has dedicated numerous feast days throughout the year to events in the life of Mary and her various titles. The following are some of the feasts of Mary in the month of May:

Feast of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament (May 13): Mary was called Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament by St. Peter Julian Eymard in 1868. In 1905, St. Pius X granted an indulgence to those who prayed to Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The Vatican in 1921 designated May 13 as her feast day (but the celebration is not on the church’s universal calendar).

Feast of Our Lady of Fatima (May 13): This feast commemorates the first of six apparitions of Mary to three shepherd children at Fatima in Portugal on May 13, 1917. The feast has become a cultural celebration for Portuguese Catholics around the world and is celebrated in many parishes throughout the United States, often with a procession through the streets surrounding the church.

Feast of Mary, Help of Christians (May 24): After praying to Mary for his safe release from captivity when taken prisoner by the French, Pope Pius VII instituted this feast day in 1815. The feast venerates Mary for her intercession on behalf of those who pray to her. Many Catholics will traditionally mark this day by performing their own charitable deeds to help others in need.

Feast of the Visitation (May 31): Originally celebrated in July, the feast of the Visitation marks Luke’s Gospel account of Mary, having been told by the Angel Gabriel that she would bear the son of God, visiting her cousin Elizabeth. The feast, which originated in the 13th century, was transferred to its current date in 1969 after the feast of the Queenship of Mary, previously celebrated on May 31, was moved to Aug. 22 to follow the feast of the Assumption.

Incidentally, Archbishop Redwood got his co-adjutor shortly after the Gunn refusal. Father Thomas O’Shea, a native of New Zealand and also a Marist, was consecrated as co-adjutor on Aug. 17,

1913. He remained co-adjutor until Redwood’s death in 1935 when he was installed as Archbishop of Wellington.

The process for selecting bishops nowadays is more process related with bishops submitting names to the papal nuncio of the country. Our current nuncio is Cardinal Christoph Pierre. The nuncio would then submit a preferred list of three to the Dicastery of Bishops in Rome. The Dicastery selects a candidate and presents the choice to the Holy Father. If the Holy Father approves the choice, then the candidate is contacted by the nuncio who relays that he has been appointed as bishop of a diocese.

And yes, some candidates say “No.” If this happens then the process starts over again. God bless Bishop Gunn for saying yes to the Spirit and coming to Mississippi.

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

Bishop John Edward Gunn, a Marist priest, was the sixth Bishop of Natchez. In November of 1912, he turned down an offer of a position in New Zealand, opting to stay in Mississippi. (Photo courtesy of archives)

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

Pastoral Reimaginada: Obispo discierne futuro de crecimiento y colaboración

Por Joanna PUDDister KinG

JACKSON – Pastoral Reimaginada fue un proceso de un año de duración, emprendido por la Diócesis de Jackson y que continúa con un período de discernimiento por parte del obispo Joseph Kopacz, antes de concluir con una carta pastoral.

Este proceso se extendió a lo largo de cinco fases principales, que incluyeron el establecimiento de comités de Reimaginación Pastoral, evaluaciones parroquiales, revisión de datos sobre demografía diocesana por parte del Centro de Investigación Aplicada en el Apostolado (CARA) y reuniones de párrocos, diáconos y LEM.

La tercera fase acaba de concluir con la visita del obispo Kopacz a cada decanato para celebrar una Misa de Acción de Gracias y para reunirse con personas claves que trabajaron en el proceso de reinvención pastoral de cada parroquia.

En el mes de marzo, se pidió a los sacerdotes, diáconos y LEM de cada decanato de la diócesis que discutieran las respuestas del proceso de Reimaginación de las parroquias.

TUPELO – En reunión del Decanato V, Rachel Thompson, premio LIMEX de la Universidad Loyola New Orleans al liderazgo y directora del Ministerio Hispano de St. James, habla a sus parroquianos, una comunidad de varias generaciones e identidades culturales. (Foto de Tereza Ma)

Algunas de las preguntas discutidas fueron: ¿En qué áreas vieron crecimiento; ¿Cuáles son los desafíos asociados con ese crecimiento? ¿En qué áreas del ministerio están disminuyendo? ¿Cuáles son los desafíos de esta disminución? y ¿Qué áreas necesitan mayor colaboración con las oficinas de Cancillería?

Después de las reuniones en el decanato, el obispo Kopacz viajó a cada uno de ellos para una Misa especial de Acción de Gracias, celebrando “Eucaristía y Conversación” con quienes trabajaron en el proceso de Reimaginación Pastoral en sus respectivas parroquias. Aunque cada reunión tuvo respuestas variadas, a todos se les hicieron las preguntas: ¿Hacia dónde vamos a partir de ahora? ¿Cómo animamos y fomentamos las ventajas crecientes? ¿Cómo abordamos los desafíos?

En cada decanato, muchos destacaron la creciente población hispana y plantearon preguntas sobre cómo servir a la población fiel y eficazmente, un sentimiento que el obispo Kopacz destacó en una reunión con sacerdotes durante la segunda fase del proceso de reinvención.

“Estoy agradecido con varias de nuestras parroquias que se han abierto para invitar a la población hispana a través de Misa y liturgia. Es simplemente asombroso ver el crecimiento.”

Después de evaluar las necesidades a través del proceso de Reimaginación, el padre Manohar Thangundla de la parroquia San Francisco de Asís en Brookhaven recientemente agregó una Misa en español, los sábados de cada semana, para dar cabida a un número cada vez mayor de hispanos en el área. Además, comenzó a aprender vietnamita para celebrar también una Misa mensual para esta comunidad en crecimiento.

El obispo Kopacz dice que casi 30 de las 72 parro-

quias de la diócesis ofrecen Misa en español.

“Se trata de acercar a la gente a la comunidad a un nivel más profundo, pero el desafío es la alfabetización [de nuestros sacerdotes]... Tener la confianza suficiente para ofrecer la Misa, incluso si no puedes predicar la homilía en español,” dijo el obispo Kopacz. “Tenemos sacerdotes en la diócesis que son bilingües y muchos que están dispuestos a aprender a celebrar los sacramentos, para que la gente pueda tener esa experiencia”.

Raquel Thompson, directora del ministerio hispano en St. James Tupelo, dijo que ella y la directora de formación en la fe de la parroquia, Rhonda Swita, están trabajando para unir a las comunidades blanca e hispana con la premisa: “estamos mejor juntos.” “Ella [Swita] está trabajando para crear más actividades que podamos hacer juntos como familias. … Entonces, seremos una Iglesia católica entera”, dijo Thompson. “Somos un cuerpo de Cristo, y no importa el idioma que hablemos, tenemos que ser amables, respetuosos y amarnos unos a otros.”

En cuanto a desafíos adicionales y fomento del crecimiento, muchas de las reuniones del decanato mencionaron la disponibilidad de actividades y la participación de jóvenes y adultos jóvenes en sus respectivas comunidades, con énfasis en que los adultos involucren a sus hijos en la comunidad de la iglesia.

Lauren Codding, quien sirvió en el comité de Reimaginación Pastoral de St. Alphonsus McComb y asistió a la sesión de la fase tres con el obispo Kopacz para el decanato dos, dijo que, durante la evaluación del comité, identificaron la formación en la fe para jóvenes y adultos jóvenes como un área de mejora.

“Queremos comenzar a brindar formación en la fe a nuestra comunidad de jóvenes adultos, para

que se sientan bienvenidos y podamos construir una comunidad entre ese grupo de edad. Nuestra esperanza es que comiencen a traer a sus hijos a la iglesia y nosotros, a su vez, podamos alimentar a los niños a través de la educación religiosa,” dijo Codding.

La parroquia también espera iniciar un programa de ministerio universitario para llegar a los adultos jóvenes en el colegio comunitario local de McComb.

El ministerio universitario es una iniciativa que otros en la diócesis expresaron durante las sesiones de Reimagining para llegar al grupo demográfico de adultos jóvenes. En una respuesta proactiva a la creciente demanda de más oportunidades para los adultos jóvenes, la diócesis inauguró su Oficina de Ministerio Universitario y de Jóvenes Adultos en 2022. Este esfuerzo fue en respuesta al proceso del Sínodo sobre la Sinodalidad, donde la diócesis escuchó inquietudes sobre la evangelización entre los jóvenes. adultos.

“Este es un ministerio que seguirá creciendo a medida que hagamos esfuerzos adicionales en nuestras parroquias para alcanzar nuestros límites en crecimiento,” dijo el obispo Kopacz.

Una tercera área discutida en muchas de las reuniones comunitarias del decanato para el proceso de Reimaginación es la importancia de un sentido de comunidad e invitar a los no católicos a aprender sobre la iglesia.

Varias parroquias mencionaron durante varias reuniones de decanato que las pequeñas comunidades de fe han logrado fomentar amistades para toda la vida y un sentido de fe fuerte. Otros, como Isaac Blakemore de St. Francis Madison, y quien acaba de ingresar a la iglesia en la Vigilia Pascual, sintieron que como católicos debemos comprender nuestra fe y tener el coraje de compartirla con la comunidad. Como exministro metodista ordenado, Blakemore se sintió atraído a la Iglesia Católica por los sacramentos. Les dijo a los miembros del decanato, reunidos en St. Francis Madison, que cuando recibió la Eucaristía por primera vez, fue como si alguien le hubiera contado un secreto.

“Una cosa que creo que todas las parroquias podrían hacer es... simplemente estar orgullosas de lo que ofrece la fe católica y compartirla,” dijo Blakemore. “Si crees que esta es la única y verdadera iglesia, debes creer que el Espíritu Santo puede moverse Puedes invitar a alguien a aprender sobre la fe católica... y estar dispuesto a discutirla”.

La cuarta fase del proceso de Reimaginación Pastoral está actualmente en marcha con el Obispo Kopacz en una temporada de discernimiento, dando tiempo para redactar una carta pastoral al pueblo de Dios en la Diócesis de Jackson.

Cuando se le preguntó sobre el proceso general

– Continúa en la página 4 –

Retiros de Emaús en las cárceles, una misión evangelizadora que toca y cambia corazones

Por Marietha GónGora V.

(OSV News) – La madre María Elena Martínez forma parte de la asociación privada de fieles María Madre del Amor, con sede en Méx ico, una comunidad mixta de laicos y consagrados cuyo carisma es vi vir las cuatro obras de misericordia del pasaje del encuentro de Jesús con los discípulos camino a Emaús que son: dar consuelo, instruir, acoger y compartir y llevar a la gente a la Eucaristía.

“Lo hacemos a través de retiros espirituales de Emaús en las par roquias, en centros penitenciarios y también tenemos un retiro de jóvenes que se llama ‘Sicar’, que está basado en el pasaje de la samar itana en el pozo de Sicar”, explicó la madre Elena, quien fundó la co munidad en el 2015, con aprobación por parte de la Arquidiócesis de México.

“El primer retiro lo hicimos en 2016 en la cárcel de Santa Martha, en Ciudad de México. Después empezamos a ir a la cárcel de Morelos Femenil Federal,” conocida como Cefereso 16 que es la única prisión federal para mujeres hay en todo el país, comentó la madre Elena.

Según la página web de Emaús de México, este retiro católico se basa en el pasaje bíblico del Evangelio de San Lucas donde Jesús resu citado acompaña a dos discípulos de camino a Emaús, donde los con suela, les explica las Escrituras y los discípulos lo reconocen al partir el pan. El retiro – que es mundialmente conocido – muestra a personas la cercanía de Jesús y permite “a los caminantes la oportunidad de reconciliarse con Dios”. Las personas que imparten el retiro son per sonas que también lo experimentaron y a los oradores del retiro se les conoce como servidores.

Susy Servalli, representante de Emaús de la Arquidiócesis de Méx ico y miembro de la asociación María Madre del Amor, explicó las complejidades de realizar el retiro en las cárceles ya que las reclusas no pueden ser servidoras.

“Tú sabes que el retiro de Emaús solo se vive una vez y si quieres continuar tienes que hacerlo como servidora, ellas no pueden hacerlo como servidoras, entonces por eso tenemos que ir siempre”, afirmó la madre Elena, quien junto a Servalli coordina estos retiros.

A pesar de lo difícil que puede ser el ingreso – pasar seis filtros de seguridad en la cárcel federal la logística anticipada para informar quienes ingresarán y los elementos que utilizarán, el hecho de realizar el retiro con menos recursos de los acostumbrado – todo ese esfuerzo vale la pena totalmente para estas voluntarias.

sede en México, una comunidad mixta de laicos y consagrados cuyo carisma es vivir las obras de misericordia del pasaje bíblico del camino a Emaús. (Foto OSV News/ cortesía de madre María Elena Martínez)

“Es un equipo de mujeres, con unos corazones muy generosos, llenos del

– Para las mujeres en libertad, Emaus brinda también esperanza y sanación. En la foto, Liliana Quiroga, servidora de Emaus, en Houston Texas se despide de Valeria Gaitan, caminante de Mexico, al final del retiro #3 de Emaus Jackson, los días 12-14 de abril en Wesley Pines. (Foto de Berta Mexidor)

amor de Dios, que quieren traspasar aquello que un día Dios hizo en ellas”, añadió Servalli, refiriéndose a las servidoras que colaboran para que cada retiro siga moviendo corazones tras las rejas.

“Hay que suprimir algunas cosas, tienes menos tiempo y aún así ves como el Señor toca los corazones de ellas”, comentó la madre Elena sobre estas reclusas quienes deben cumplir condenas de 40 y 50 años.

“Si afuera tú ves a Cristo Vivo caminar entre las mujeres, ahí – en las prisiones – lo ves completamente porque tú dices en dos días y medio imposible que un grupo de mujeres hagan nada para que esos corazones se restauren, sanen, renuncien a la santa muerte, que quieran bautizarse, confesarse, dejar la homosexualidad, es impresionante poder verlo con tus ojos”, afirmó Servalli, quien dijo que estos retiros los han llevado a lugares como Perú, España, México, Panamá, Londres, Chile, Paraguay y Roma, entre otros.

La madre Elena y Servalli explican que las internas están divididas por módulos según su peligrosidad y su comportamiento.

Entre los testimonios que más recuerdan está el de una mujer condenada por ser una sicaria de un cartel de narcotráfico mexicano. Ella, como las demás del módulo de máxima seguridad, ve la luz del sol solo una hora al día. “En una dinámica ella se paró y dijo ‘ustedes saben quién soy yo y lo que he hecho, pero ya no soy la misma de antes. En tres ocasiones tuve la oportunidad de vivir este retiro y no quise y le doy gracias a mi amiga porque me insistió”, recordó la madre Elena.

Madre Elena dijo que durante el retiro el punto de inflexión, aunque no pudo dar detalles, es una dinámica seguida de la confesión. “A partir de allí, ellas se quiebran y ya son otras. El último día es un sentimiento de paz, de alegría, de liberación y gozo, de sentirse sanadas, amadas y sobre todo de saberse, que el Señor las puede perdonar, si es que ellas realmente se arrepienten”.

“Gracias, yo pensaba que estábamos olvidadas por la sociedad. Tanto tiempo le pedí a Dios un sacerdote para poder confesarme. No somos personas malas, somos personas que hemos cometido errores”, dijo una vez una interna a la madre Elena.

A veces ella solo puede abrazarlas y decirles que a pesar de los errores que hayan cometido, “aun así Dios tiene un propósito para ti. Y tienes que encontrarle sentido a esta vida”.

(Marietha Góngora escribe para OSV News desde Washington D.C.)

JACKSON

Ascensión a Pentecostés: Revestidos de Poder desde lo Alto

Por obisPo JosePh r. KoPacz, D.D.

Antes de ascender de este mundo a su Dios y nuestro Dios, Jesús ordenó a sus discípulos que regresaran al Cenáculo para esperar “hasta que reciban el poder que viene del cielo” (Lucas 24:49)

Estar equipados con el Espíritu Santo es una imagen maravillosa de nuestra intimidad con Dios y al usarlo bien permanecemos a la moda para llevar el mensaje de salvación a todos los rincones del planeta hasta el fin de los tiempos.

La fiesta de la Ascensión es el puente entre la Resurrección y Pentecostés que completa el plan de salvación de Dios iniciado específicamente en la Encarnación cuando “Aquel que es la Palabra se hizo hombre y vivió entre nosotros. Y hemos visto su gloria, la gloria que recibió del Padre, por ser su Hijo único, abundante en amor y verdad.” (Juan 1:14)

A lo largo del Evangelio de Juan, lo más importante en la mente de Jesús es que debe regresar a Dios Padre, de donde vino. “Nadie ha subido al cielo sino Aquel que bajó del cielo.” (Juan 3:13)

Al comienzo de la Última Cena, antes del lavatorio de los pies de los discípulos, se puso en marcha su destino divino. “Antes de la fiesta de la Pascua, sabiendo Jesús que su hora había llegado para pasar de este mundo al Padre, habiendo amado a los suyos que estaban en el mundo, los amó hasta el fin.” (Juan 13:1)

En el curso, se establece el vínculo entre la Cruz, la resurrección y la ascensión. “Y como Moisés levantó la serpiente en el desierto, así es necesario que sea levantado el Hijo del Hombre, para que todo aquel que cree, tenga en Él vida eterna.” (Juan 3:14-15)

Las apariciones del Señor resucitado en los cuatro evangelios son notables y, sin embargo, están envueltas en un velo de misterio. Estos encuentros revelan al Señor resucitado en su cuerpo glorificado, capaz de comer (Lucas 24,43) y de ser tocado (Juan 20:27) y de conversar en ambientes variados, en el camino, en la playa, en el jardín, en habitaciones barricadas y en las cimas de las montañas.

El Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica en la primera de sus cuatro secciones principales (¿Podemos nombrar las otras tres secciones?) reflexiona sobre la Ascensión en el contexto del Credo. (CCC 659-667) La transición del Señor resucitado en su cuerpo glorificado después de la resurrección a su cuerpo exaltado con su Ascensión a la diestra del Padre para siempre (CCC 660) despeja el camino para el derramamiento del Espíritu Santo en el diario vivir y nos prepara un lugar en la eternidad.

“Sólo Cristo pudo haber abierto esta puerta al género humano, quien quiso ir delante de nosotros como nuestra cabeza para que nosotros, como miembros de

Papa

su cuerpo, vivamos con la ardiente esperanza de seguirlo en su Reino.” (CCC 661) San Pablo en su carta pastoral a Timoteo profundiza en nuestra comprensión del derramamiento del Espíritu Santo desde lo alto. “Porque no nos ha dado Dios espíritu de cobardía, sino de poder, de amor y de dominio propio.” (2 Tim 1:7)

El poder, dirigido por una disciplina amorosa, tiene la capacidad de transformar vidas y de llevar a cabo la Gran Comisión del Señor de llevar el Evangelio a todas las naciones.

Este es el poder de Dios que forma la Iglesia Una, Santa, Católica y Apostólica, que todos reciben en el Bautismo, que se invoca sobre nuestros numerosos jóvenes confirmados, que transforma el pan y el vino en Cuerpo y Sangre de Señor, y que invocaremos al diácono Tristan Stovall y a todos los que serán ordenados en órdenes sagradas.

Como escuchamos en la primera lectura del domingo pasado, el derramamiento del Espíritu Santo sobre Cornelio y su casa, los primeros gentiles conversos, verdaderamente un segundo Pentecostés, se produjo a través de la oración ardiente y la esperanza gozosa. Asimismo, el Espíritu Santo está obrando en nuestros hogares y en nuestras iglesias.

Que estemos vigilantes en oración y gozosos en la esperanza mientras nos preparamos para ser revestidos del poder de lo Alto en este Pentecostés porque las promesas del Señor se cumplen en cada generación.

anima a presas a no perder nunca

la esperanza

(Foto BigStock.com

Por carol Glatz

VENECIA, Italia (CNS) – La estructura de hierro forjado oxidado y la reja de un viejo pozo se convirtieron en un jardín de flores tejidas dentro del patio de la prisión de mujeres de Giudecca en Venecia. Las guirnaldas hechas a mano también adornaban las columnas de ladrillo de los arcos y los desagües de cobre.

Unas 80 detenidas, personal penitenciario y voluntarios aplaudieron y sonrieron cuando el Papa Francisco les dijo que quería reunirse con ellas primero en su visita de un día a Venecia el 28 de abril para decirles: “Tienen un lugar especial en mi corazón”.

En lugar de ser un asunto rígido y formal, dijo, quería que su momento juntos fuera una oportunidad para “darse tiempo, oración, cercanía y afecto fraterno”. “Hoy todos saldremos más ricos de este patio -tal vez el que salga más rico seré yo- y el bien que intercambiaremos será precioso”, dijo el Papa, que ha visitado más de una docena de prisiones en sus 11 años de largo pontificado.

“La prisión es una dura realidad y problemas como el hacinamiento, la falta de instalaciones y recursos y los episodios de violencia provocan allí un gran sufrimiento”, afirmó.

Pero el tiempo de detención de las mujeres también puede convertirse en una ocasión de “renacimiento moral y material.” Puede ser un momento para una mirada valiente y una evaluación de la propia vida, para empezar de nuevo, “poniendo ladrillo sobre ladrillo, juntos, con determinación”, dijo. “Por lo tanto, es fundamental también que el sistema penitenciario ofrezca a los detenidos las herramientas y el espacio para el crecimiento humano, espiritual, cultural y profesional, creando las condiciones para su saludable reintegración”.

El Papa Francisco instó a las mujeres a ser valientes, a no rendirse nunca y mirar siempre al futuro con esperanza. “Me gusta pensar en la esperanza como un ancla que está anclada en el futuro, y tenemos la cuerda en nuestras manos, y avanzamos con la cuerda anclada en el futuro”. Varias mujeres entregaron al Papa regalos que ellas y otros detenidos hicieron en los diferentes talleres de la prisión.

El Papa también recibió una pequeña cesta llena de rosas blancas y amarillas tejidas a crochet por las mismas mujeres que decoraban el patio. Había una rosa roja en la canasta, dijo un voluntario no identificado, para simbolizar la lucha contra la violencia contra las mujeres.

El Papa Francisco habla con mujeres detenidas en el patio de la cárcel de mujeres de la Giudecca, en Venecia, el 28 de abril de 2024. (Foto CNS/Vatican Media)

‘...

Pedimos pensamiento, re exión y oración ...’

– Viene de la página 1 –

de Reimaginación, el obispo Kopacz explicó que se desarrolló en etapas debido a su naturaleza orgánica, profundamente arraigada en el nivel de base.

“Pedimos a las parroquias que pensaran, reflexionaran y oraran lo mejor que pudieran”, dijo el obispo Kopacz.

Planea mantener su carta pastoral lo más breve posible, pero aún así tener suficiente sustancia para abordar áreas clave de crecimiento y preocupación.

“Veo mi ministerio … como seguir minando y arando este campo; y ver qué podemos hacer y cómo podemos ayudarnos unos a otros para que esto suceda a nivel local; y con y a través de la diócesis”, dice el obispo Kopacz.

Reuniones y Misas de agradecimiento celebradas por el obispo Kopacz, se extendieron por toda la diócesis. (arriba) Valencia Hall de Holy Family – Decanato II en St. Mary Basilica Natchez, abril 8. (debajo) Feligrés de St. Francisco de Asis Madison – Decanato I, el 11 de abril. (Fotos de Joanna Puddister King)

TOME NOTA

Vírgenes y Santos

Día de las Madres. Mayo 12

Nuestra Señora de Fátima. Mayo 13

Fiesta de Pentecostés. Mayo 23

Virgen Auxiliadora. Mayo 24

Santísima Trinidad. Mayo 25

Visitación de la Santísima Virgen María Mayo 31

KOSCIUSKO – Al fondo del salón parroquial de St Therese, el obispo Joseph Kopacz se dirigió en abril 29 a una concurrida audiencia, con miembros de todas las parroquias del Decanato VI, como parte de la última reunión del proceso de Reimaginación. (Foto de Tereza Ma)

“Ellos (feligreses) me recuerdan que cualquier cosa que hagamos, aunque sea pequeña, importa.

La coordinadora de la O cina de Ministerio Intercultural llegó con la experiencia de trabajar con diversos grupos étnicos y de servir a los Navajos en su reserva de Arizona, lo que la inspiró a desempeñar su función. Amelia Breton se enorgullece de su ministerio, pero también disfruta conectar comunidades y ayudar a otros a profundizar su fe. El amor por su ministerio brilla a través del nivel de detalle que toma en consideración a los demás. Los feligreses han expresado su agradecimiento, cali cándola de inspiración y guía. Aun así, la hermana se humilla: “Simplemente seguí el ujo natural de los acontecimientos, pero los parroquianos me recuerdan que cualquier cosa que hagamos, aunque sea pequeña, importa. Escuchar el agradecimiento de la gente me ayuda a sentir que estoy en el camino correcto en nuestra misión.”

Su donación a la Campaña de Servicio Católico ayuda a la hermana Amelia Breton con los altos costos y las demanda creciente de sus servicios, que es el desafío actual que enfrenta su o cina. A pesar de estas limitaciones, la Hermana tiene una lista de deseos para brindar aún más a nuestras comunidades parroquiales, mediante el desarrollo de conversaciones interculturales, programas de liderazgo en español e iniciativas personalizadas para las comunidades Afroamericanas, Choctaw y Vietnamitas de edad avanzada. La hermana Amelia insta a todos a contribuir, no solo nancieramente, sino también a través de oraciones, enfatizando el impacto transformador del apoyo colectivo para acercar a las personas a Cristo.

Envíenos sus fotos a editor@jacksondiocese. org

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@Diócesis Católica de Jackson

Visite Nuestra página web

www.mississippicatholic.com Español

Su donación a la Campaña de Servicio Católico ayuda a la Hermana Amelia Breton y a nuestras comunidades parroquiales a servir a diversos grupos étnicos y ayudar a otros a profundizar su fe.

Puede enviar su cheque a: Catholic Service Appeal PO Box 22723

Jackson, MS 39225-2273

(Por favor, escriba su nombre en la parte Memo del cueque)

NATION

CASHION, Arizona (OSV News) – St. William Catholic Church in Cashion, Arizona, was destroyed in an overnight fire May 1. The fire broke out just before 1 a.m. Local station Fox 10 Phoenix reported that firefighters arrived and found flames coming from the attic of the church. The roof of the church ultimately collapsed as firefighters fought the flames. “This is a devastating loss to this community,” Avondale Fire Battalion Chief Steve Mayhew said. Father Andres Arango, pastor of St. William, wrote on the parish’s website, “as many of you know, we had a major fire on campus very early this morning and it appears the church has been totally destroyed. Thankfully no one was injured and everyone is safe.” “An o cial investigation on the cause of the fire is being handled by local o cials,” he added. “The campus is closed o during this investigation.” He wrote that “plans for a location for future Masses are currently being developed.”

NEW ORLEANS (OSV News) – The Louisiana State Police and the FBI are investigating whether Archdiocese of New Orleans o cials – including previous archbishops – covered up child sex tra cking by clergy over several decades, with some alleged victims reportedly taken out of state to be abused and marked for further exploitation among clergy. On April 25, the state police executed a comprehensive search warrant on the archdiocese for documents related to a widening investigation into how the archdiocese has handled allegations of abuse. The warrant – a copy of which OSV News obtained following the document’s April 30 release – cites the felony of “tra cking of children for sexual purposes” as the reason for its sweeping access to archdiocesan records, including the diocese’s canonically required secret archive and archdiocesan communications with the Vatican. Probable cause for the warrant, based on the testimony of a state police investigator also assigned to the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, details reports of clergy marking out victims for abuse on archdiocesan and out-of-state properties, with complaints ignored or paid o and withheld from law enforcement. The warrant also claims several unnamed New Orleans archbishops were aware of the abuse but overlooked or obscured allegations. A spokesperson with the Archdiocese of New Orleans told OSV News the archdiocese “has been openly discussing the topic of

sex abuse for over 20 years. In keeping with this, we also are committed to working with law enforcement in these endeavors.”

VATICAN

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Loneliness causes tremendous harm, including to families, Pope Francis told international leaders of the Teams of Our Lady lay movement. “With your charism, you can become rescuers attentive to those who are in need, those who are alone, those who have family problems and do not know how to talk about them because they are ashamed or have lost hope,” he said during an audience with the leaders at the Vatican May 4. “In your dioceses, you can make families understand the importance of helping each other and forming a network; building communities where Christ can ‘dwell’ in the homes and in family relations,” he said. “Without Christian communities, families feel alone, and loneliness does a great deal of harm!” The lay movement, which formed in France in 1938 and has spread to numerous countries, is dedicated to improving married couples’ spiritual lives. Pope Francis said, “The Christian family is going through a genuine ‘cultural storm’ in this changing era and is threatened and tempted on various fronts.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Meeting members of the Swiss Guard, including 34 new recruits, Pope Francis thanked them for their dedication and generous service protecting the pope every day. He told them they stand out for their professionalism and their “kind, attentive, indeed scrupu-

lous style,” during an audience at the Vatican May 6, ahead of the swearing-in ceremony for the new guards later that day. The men have built “a positive and respectful atmosphere in the barracks,” the pope said, and they show great courtesy toward “superiors and guests, despite sometimes long periods of intense and strenuous service.” Serving in the Swiss Guard, an enlistment that lasts at least two years, means it is “an important and formative time for you,” he said. “It is not just a period of work, but a time of living and relating, of intense fellowship in a diverse company.”

WORLD

CUERNAVACA, Mexico (OSV News) – A retired Mexican bishop known for brokering deals with drug cartel bosses was located in a hospital bed after being incommunicado for two days, though local o cials say he was briefly abducted in an “express kidnapping” by unknown assailants. Retired Bishop Salvador Rangel Mendoza of Chilpancingo-Chilapa was reported missing April 29, sparking an outpouring of concern amid widespread violence in Mexico. The bishop has long been famous for trying to diminish violence in the southern state of Guerrero – which includes his former diocese – through dialogue with crime bosses and more recently helping to negotiate a peace pact between rival drug cartels. The Mexican bishops’ conference said in an April 29 statement that Bishop Rangel was hospitalized in the city of Cuernavaca, where he has resided since resigning as bishop of Chilpancingo-Chilapa in early 2022. The conference provided no details on Bishop Rangel’s condition or the circumstances of his disappearance. Morelos state prosecutor Uriel Carmona showed reporters a cellular phone picture of Bishop Rangel lying in a hospital bed and said o cials were investigating an “express kidnapping,” in which victims are briefly abducted and robbed.

KYIV (OSV News) – The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has denounced Russia’s seizure of a Catholic church in Ukraine’s Kherson region, calling the structure’s rededication for the Russian Orthodox Church a “sacrilege.” The Church of St. Archstrategist Michael, located in the village of Oleksandrivka in the occupied Kherson region, was captured and joined to the ROC during Holy Week of the Julian calendar, said Major Archbishop Sviatslav Shevchuk. Construction on the church began in 2017, some 11 years after the formerly Orthodox parish was o cially received into the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The seizure is part of a steady campaign by Russia to suppress the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, along with Catholicism in general and other faiths, in occupied areas of Ukraine.

Pope Francis greets members and new recruits of the Pontifical Swiss Guard at the Vatican May 6, 2024. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Please, give generously May 25 & 26, 2024

Father Sebastian’s latest book focuses on roots of our beloved prayers

Father Sebastian Myladiyil, SVD stands with his latest book – Why We Pray What We Pray. The book is available on Amazon or for a personalized copy, contact Father Sebastian at sebymy@hotmail.com. (Photo courtesy of Gulf Pine Catholic)

By DaviD TisDale

GREENVILLE – To help Catholics and other Christians keep prayer from becoming mere routine, Father Sebastian Myladiyil, SVD offers in his latest book in invitation to how to better understand and contemplate our devotions to the Holy Trinity through his deep examination of their genesis.

Father Sebastian recently published Why We Pray What We Pray, described as a “spiritual journey of prayer, silence and aspiration” in which he examines the prayers Christians hold dear and recite in times of worship, gratitude, contrition, and in despair. He looks closely at the historical and theological foundations and significations of The Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, The Way of the Cross, The Rosary, the Mass, Lectio Divina among others, further clarifying the concepts in which they are grounded so they become even more relatable and meaningful to us.

“The more I understand the words, actions, emotions, and feelings that are attached to a particular prayer, the better it helps me to engage in it,” Father Sebastian said of Why We Pray What We Pray. “That is why I have tried to explain prayer here by looking at its meaning, historical origins, scriptural basis, and theological significance. I hope readers find these beneficial as well and come to engage in prayer in an intentional manner. “

Why We Pray What We Pray invites readers to look at the whole of the narrative of The Word through the many prayers connecting us to it. In an excerpt from the book, referencing the Hail Mary, Father Sebastian writes:

“In our prayer, we make these beautiful words of Elizabeth our own. Today, we recognize Mary as the most blessed woman in history due to her faithful

acceptance of God’s plan and her willingness to fulfill it perfectly.” The phrase emphasizes the lessons we can learn from Mary’s life and her response to God’s plan. It teaches us the value of faithful acceptance of God’s purpose, humility, and obedience. We are encouraged to recognize and celebrate the blessings in the lives of others, trust in God’s perfect timing, and utilize the power of prayer to seek spiritual support and guidance. In essence, Mary’s story inspires us to align our lives with God’s will, embrace His plan, and appreciate the blessings in our own lives and in the lives of those around us.”

In discussing the inspirations for his latest book, Father Sebastian says he values prayer and its power, and hopes what he is written also inspires more meditative and reflective moments. “It [prayer] is the force that guides and strengthens my life,” Father Sebastian explained. “It helps me to deepen my relationship with my God as I see those moments as special times between me and the One I love – God. It is also the glue that holds life together when things seem difficult and challenging.

“I truly experience the power of prayer when I intentionally engage in it and actively lead or participate in it. For the words of a prayer to become meaningful and the feelings to become real, I must immerse and involve myself totally in it – my body, soul, mind, and heart.”

Father Sebastian credits first his parents and a family atmosphere he says helped him value the importance of prayer, and later his educational formation in the seminary and daily service as a priest.

“The seminary formation and my life as a priest is centered around prayer and spirituality,” he further noted. “The celebration of the sacraments and other liturgical functions are powerful moments of prayer, and the greatest of such moments is the celebration of the Eucharist – the greatest form of prayer.

“As a priest, I am also blessed to be part of some of the most significant moments in the life of my parishioners as well as others in the community, such as through baptism, Holy Communion, matrimony, anointing of the sick, and funerals. These moments may be joyful or painful, and prayer has a way of enhancing those joyful moments or offering comfort to those experiencing pain and difficulties. In the period after Katrina, there were certainly moments of hope and love in action.”

The practice of deep contemplative, meditative, intentional prayer can, Father Sebastian believes, can utilize one’s heart and mind in ways we may not have previ-

ously considered.

“[Prayer] can help in getting in touch with one’s emotions and feelings and see them in the light of the Word of God,” Father Sebastian said. “One is able to get in touch with one’s deepest being when one is removed from the distractions of the world and is able to focus on the source of one’s existence – God.”

In a world marred by violence, war, chaos and social upheaval – events and conditions not new to humankind – prayer is our best defense against these forces, Father Sebastian contends.

“Every age has its own challenges, and when we face them for the first time, they might seem to be the greatest of all,” he said. “We are living in a digital age, and we think they pose certain challenges to faith. But I am sure our ancestors in the early industrial age or scientific age thought those [challenges facing them] to be the greatest challenges as well. I am not minimizing the challenges the modern world is presenting to our faith, but God is still in charge, and everything happens for a reason.”

With that philosophy in mind, Father Sebastian says he firmly believes in the words of the Apostle Paul when he said: ‘All things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8: 28), and, further noting, “When challenges mount, it only helps me to actively seek the source of my strength – God – and the process I use is prayer.”

Father Sebastian is currently serving as pastor at Sacred Heart Church in Greenville; St. Francis Church in Shaw; and Sacred Heart Church in Rosedale. A native of India, he is a member of the Society of the Divine Word (Latin – Societas Verbi Divini, SVD), also known as Divine Word Missionaries, and has been serving the SVD’s U.S. Southern Province since 1999.

He holds master’s degrees in moral theology from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, and in educational leadership and counselling from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. His other works include His Instruments; His Instruments – If God Could Use Them He Can Use Us and Blown Together – The Trials and Miracles of Katrina, along with a translation of His Instruments into Spanish, Sus Instrumentos (Reprinted with permission of Gulf Pine Catholic/ Diocese of Biloxi)

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. Based in Deerfield, Illinois, Lighthouse Services maintains ethics, safety and fraud hotlines for over 4,100 organizations between the U.S. and abroad.

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

Pope calls for peace in Gaza and Ukraine, laments plight of children in war in CBS interview

Pope Francis sits down exclusively with “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell at the Vatican April 24, 2024, for an interview ahead of the Vatican’s inaugural World Children’s Day. The CBS interview marked the first time a pope has given an in-depth, one-on-one interview to a U.S. broadcast network, according to the network. (OSV News photo/Adam Verdugo, courtesy CBS NEWS)

By Lauretta Brown

(OSV News) – Pope Francis sat down exclusively with “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell on April 24 for an interview ahead of the Vatican’s inaugural World Children’s Day. The CBS interview marks the first time a pope has given an in-depth, one-on-one interview to a U.S. broadcast network, according to the network.

In the brief portion of the interview that aired April 24, topics ranged from the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine and the plight of children in these areas to climate change and the decline in the number of U.S. Catholics.

O’Donnell asked Pope Francis about “pictures of starving children coming out of Gaza” and what he thought of those that “call that a genocide.”

The pope replied that he calls a Catholic parish of about 600 people in Gaza every afternoon, where he hears that the situation is “very hard” as “food goes in, but they have to fight for it. It’s very hard.”

In her report, O’Donnell noted that the pope condemned the Oct. 7 attack on Israelis by the terrorist group Hamas and also called on Israel to use restraint. Earlier this month, the pope met with the families of Israelis hostages still held by Hamas. O’Donnell referenced the pope’s past calls for peace and a ceasefire in the region and asked him if he could “help negotiate peace.”

“I can pray, I do,” he replied, “I pray a lot.”

In advance of World Children’s Day, O’Donnell asked about the United Nations’ estimate that “over a million people will be facing famine in Gaza, many of them children.”

“Not only Gaza,” the pope replied, “we should think about Ukraine.”

“Those kids don’t know how to smile,” he lamented. “I tell them something, but they forgot how to smile. And this is very hard when a child forgets to smile. That’s really very serious.”

“Do you have a message for Vladimir Putin when it comes to Ukraine,” O’Donnell asked.

“Please, countries at war, all of them: Stop the war,” the

pope said, “look to negotiate. Look for peace. A negotiated peace is better than a war without end.”

When asked about his practice of inviting children to join him in the popemobile and to visit the Apostolic Palace, the pope said that children “always bear a message. They bear a message, and it is a way for us to have a younger heart.”

O’Donnell also asked the pope about those who deny climate change.

“There are people who are foolish and foolish even if you show them research; they don’t believe it,” he replied. “Why? Because they don’t understand the situation or because of their interest, but climate change exists.”

O’Donnell cited a statistic that in the US, only 20% of adults identify as Catholic, down from 24% in 2007. She asked Pope Francis to “speak to those who don’t go to Mass anymore, or maybe don’t see a place for themselves in the Catholic Church.”

“I would say there is always a place, always,” he replied. “If in this parish, the priest doesn’t seem welcoming, I understand, but go and look.”

“There is always a place,” he emphasized. “Do not run away from the church. The church is very big. It’s more than a temple. It’s more. You shouldn’t run away.”

In addition to the brief interview segment that aired April 24, CBS will air more of the interview on “60 Minutes” May 19 and in a primetime special on May 20. O’Donnell revealed that she had also asked the pope about “the migrant crisis, gay rights, women’s role in the church and whether he’s thinking about retirement” in the remainder of the interview.

(Lauretta Brown is culture editor for OSV News. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @LaurettaBrown6.)

Sister Kathleen Dede celebrates milestone jubilee

By Jason Moon

SAINT

MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. – One Sister of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, with ties to the Diocese of Jackson is celebrating a jubilee this year.

Sister Kathleen Dede, formerly Sister Marie Arthur, was born in Terre Haute, Indiana. Currently, her ministry is prayer at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She is celebrating 70 years with the Congregation this year.

Sister Kathleen entered the Congregation on Feb. 2, 1954, from St. Ann Parish in Terre Haute. She professed first vows on Aug. 15, 1956, and final vows on Aug. 15, 1961.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s of social work from St. Louis University. She also has a master’s of theological studies from the Franciscan School of Theology.

During her time in the Diocese of Jackson, Sister Kathleen ministered as the resident pastoral minister for St. Francis of Assisi/St. Mary Mission in Boonville from 1990-1994.

Sister Kathleen has also ministered in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, California and Florida.

The Sisters of Providence, a congregation of nearly 200 women religious, with more than 300 Providence Associates, collaborate with others to create a more just and hope-filled world through prayer, education, service and advocacy. The Sisters of Providence have their motherhouse at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, located just northwest of downtown Terre Haute, Ind., which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin founded the Sisters of Providence at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in 1840. Today, Sisters of Providence minister in 13 states, the District of Columbia and Asia, through works of love, mercy and justice. More information about the Sisters of Providence and their ministries can be found at SistersofProvidence.org.

Faithful respond to Midwest tornadoes, help storm victims ‘carry their cross’

By Gina Christian (OSV News)

– Parishioners in several Midwestern states are coming together to bring help and healing after tornadoes ravaged the area April 26-28, killing at least four.

The storms – which along with tornadoes dumped heavy rain and hail on Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas – claimed four lives in Oklahoma, including that of an infant, and caused widespread destruction.

“We have experienced a pretty devastating time here in the Elkhorn area,” said Father Tom Fangman, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Elkhorn, Nebraska, in an April 28 video message posted to the parish’s Facebook page.

A previous post by the parish that same day said there were “over 30 families who have come to us for help and the applications just keep rolling in.”

On April 26, the Omaha suburb was devastated by what the National Weather Service assessed to be at least one EF3 tornado, with winds ranging from 136 to 165 miles per hour. Drone footage from local television station KETV showed homes leveled to the ground, with roofs sheared and structural walls badly damaged in others. Train cars were derailed about an hour away near Lincoln, Nebraska.

One Elkhorn family’s escape is being called “miraculous.”

KETV in Omaha reported that a bedridden father, unable to shelter before the twister’s impact, was shielded by his wife and son, who lay on top of him as their roof was torn away. The man sustained non-life-threatening injuries. While the home has been reduced to rubble, two crucifixes and an image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary remained intact, still affixed to the remaining walls. A GoFundMe page for the family, whose last name has been listed as Sturgeon, has been set up by one of the son’s co-workers.

St. Francis Xavier Church in hard-hit Sulphur, Oklahoma – where at least one person died and 30 were injured – withstood the storm, but a number of parishioners lost their homes, a staff member at St. Joseph Catholic Parish in Ada, of which St. Francis Xavier is a mission church, told OSV News.

The disaster is a call to serve – and to witness to the love of Christ, said St. Patrick Parish in its Facebook message.

The parish, which has set up a relief fund, is working in concert with other local groups to organize hu-

manitarian relief, and convened an April 29 volunteer meeting in its school cafeteria.

“We need you. … We ask you to prayerfully consider how God is calling you to help and if you can be part of this,” said the parish in its post. “Lives have been turned upside down and people have nothing. Let’s be in this mess with them and help them carry their cross. And let’s show our community that life isn’t going on for everyone else but them. We are the Body of Christ.”

Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @GinaJesseReina.

A drone view shows emergency personnel working at the site of damaged buildings in the aftermath of a tornado in Omaha, Neb., April 26, 2024, in this image obtained from a social media video. A tornado plowed through suburban Omaha demolishing homes and businesses as it moved for miles through farmland and into subdivisions, then slamming an Iowa town. (OSV News photo/Alex Freed via Reuters)

Two Mississippi authors pen football book on coaching at St. Mary’s Catholic School

By staff reports

JACKSON –

X.M. Frascogna Jr., co-author of five previous books about football in the state of Mississippi, has teamed up with Jackson-based publisher and novelist Joe Lee to pen The Saints of St. Mary’s, the true story of Frascogna’s remarkable four-year run voluntarily coaching elementary school football at St. Mary’s Catholic School more than five decades ago.

The authors will kick off their book tour at Lemuria Books of Jackson on Thursday, June 6 from 4:307 p.m. Published by the Mississippi Sports Council, The Saints of St. Mary’s will be released in hardback and available for $24.95 plus tax.

“I was in law school at the time I coached at St. Mary’s, and my wife Judy was a fifth-grade teacher there,” Frascogna said. “I was very caught up in teaching the players the basics on the football field and us winning as many games as possible. What I was too young to realize was the importance of the life lessons involved: always giving your best effort, relying on your teammates, and carrying yourself in an honorable and respectful way.”

Lee, author of nine suspense novels, spent more than a year interviewing former St. Mary’s players, assistant coaches and opposing players.

“So many of those men, now in their mid-sixties, have crystal clear memories of those days and told me they wouldn’t trade them for anything,” Lee said. “These are guys who have excelled over the years in the fields of academia, medicine, business, the practice of law and philanthropy. All talked of takeaways from being mentored by the man they called ‘Coach’ that proved just as valuable in adulthood as they were on the practice field.”

“The Saints of St. Mary’s isn’t just a football book, or a book about coaching football,” Frascogna added. “The subtitle, ‘A true story of old school values and parenting lessons learned through youth sports,’ is crucial because the lessons are timeless. Parents, teachers, and coaches of all sports for both boys and girls will find it relevant.”

Frascogna and Lee will sign copies of the book at Lemuria on Thursday, June 6 at 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. Lemuria Books is located at 4465 I-55 N on the second floor of Banner Hall.

For more informaiton, visit lemuriabooks.com.

Former St. Joseph teacher to be ordained as Jesuit priest in June

By Therese Meyerhoff

ST. LOUIS – J. Michael Mohr, SJ, will be ordained a priest on Saturday, June 8, 2024, in St. Louis. Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Mohr graduated from Catholic High School in 2006 and entered the Society of Jesus in 2013. He will be ordained alongside a fellow member of the USA Central and Southern (UCS) Province of the Society of Jesus, Daniel J. Everson, SJ.

The Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson, Archbishop Emeritus of St. Louis, will preside at the sacred liturgy at St. Francis Xavier College Church.

Mohr and Everson are among the 19 Jesuits to be ordained in the United States, Canada and Haiti this year. All have undergone extensive and holistic training intentionally designed to equip them to serve as pastors, educators, ministers and leaders in the Catholic Church of today – and tomorrow.

Mohr was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A graduate of Catholic High School, he first

began thinking about religious life thanks to the witness of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, to whom he remains grateful.

During high school and college, he spent his summers working with youth in the Navajo Nation. After graduating from Millsaps College, Mohr taught high school English at St. Joseph Catholic School in Madison, Mississippi. During those three years, the idea of serving the church as a priest and teacher became more and more attractive. He entered the Society of Jesus at the Jesuit Novitiate of St. Stanislaus Kostka in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, in August 2013, alongside Dan Everson.

Mohr studied philosophy at Saint Louis University and completed his regency at St. Louis University High School. While there, he taught English and theology, assisted with the band, and helped with pastoral ministry and retreats.

Much of Mohr’s formation was shaped by numerous international experiences of service and study, including Spanish studies in Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico; service with Indigenous communities in Guyana; pastoral work in Belize; teaching English in Vietnam to brother Jesuits; working with Jesuit Refugee Service in Uganda; and studying theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in

Sister Yolanda (Paul Marie) Pomante, OP celebrates jubilee

By BarBara Kelley, oP

ADRIAN, Mich. – The Adrian Dominican Congregation celebrates the dedication and commitment of 43 Sisters who, in 2024, mark their jubilees, their milestone years of service and dedication to the church and the congregation. The 2024 jubilee class includes one sister celebrating 80 years, three sisters celebrating 75 years, 23 sisters celebrating 70 years, 15 sisters celebrating 60 years, and one sister celebrating 25 years. The following jubilarian has connections to the Diocese of Jackson.

Sister Yolanda (Paul Marie) Pomante, OP, a native of Roseville, Michigan, is celebrating 70 years as an Adrian Dominican sister. She graduated from Annunciation High School in Detroit and entered the congregation on Oct. 3, 1953.

Sister Yolanda’s earliest assignments – from 1955 to 1971 – took her to schools in Illinois, New York and Michigan. She spent much of her life in Florida, beginning at Rosarian Academy in West Palm Beach as a teacher and treasurer (1971-1974) and treasurer (1974-1986). She ended her sabbatical year at Barry University in 1986. She remained there to serve in various capacities: office manager (April to November 1987), director of housekeeping and grounds (1987-1990), and coordinator of space utilization (1990-1994).

Sister Yolanda moved to Marks, Mississippi, to serve as assistant office manager at DePorres Health Center from 1994 to 2002. From there, she returned to Barry University as a secretary and typist from 2003 to 2004. Her last years of formal ministry were as an office assistant at Coggin Motor Mall in Fort Pierce, Florida, from 2004 to 2009. She retired in 2009 and resides in Port Saint Lucy, Florida. She was inspired to enter religious life by the quotation from St. Augustine: “My heart was made for Thee, O Lord, and will be restless until it rests in Thee.”

(The Dominican Sisters of Adrian is a Congregation of about 400 vowed women religious and nearly 180 Associates whose roots go back to St. Dominic in the 13th century. The Sisters minister in 21 states, the Dominican Republic, Norway, and the Philippines. The Vision of the Adrian Dominican Sisters is to “seek truth, make peace, reverence life.”)

Rome. During his three years in Rome, Michael participated in Living Stones, a young adult group focused on spiritual formation and giving faith-based art and architectural visits through different churches.

After ordination, Father Mohr will pursue a Licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry.

(The Jesuits are a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers founded nearly 500 years ago by St. Ignatius of Loyola. With more than 15,000 priests, scholastics and brothers worldwide, they are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church. Jesuits are widely known for their colleges, universities and high schools, but Jesuits also minister in retreat houses, parishes, hospitals and refugee camps. The USA Central and Southern (UCS) Province serves in 12 states, Puerto Rico and Belize and has approximately 350 men who serve as pastors, administrators, educators, spiritual and retreat directors and in other roles. Jesuits have served in this area of the United States and the Caribbean as early as the 16th century and continually since the restoration of the Society in 1815.)

In memoriam: Rev. Thomas Lind, SCJ

By sTaff rePorTs HALES CORNERS, Wis.

– Originally from Minneapolis, Rev. Thomas Lind, SCJ, died on April 11, just days before his 92nd birthday. He was a member of the Sacred Heart Community in Pinellas Park, Florida. Nearly ten years earlier he had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

Father Tom completed his seminary studies at Sacred Heart Monastery (now Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology). He professed his first vows with the Priests of the Sacred Heart (Dehonians) in 1951 and was ordained in 1958.

His first full-time assignment was back where he started: assisting at the Sacred Heart Novitiate in Ste. Marie, Ilinois, from 1960-64. From there, he went to St. Joseph’s Indian School, where he served for 17 years. He would later return to South Dakota for a short-term assignment on the Cheyenne River Reservation from 1999-2000.

For nine years (1980-89) he was pastor of St. James Church in Corinth, Mississippi. After two years at Christ the Redeemer parish in Houston, he moved to northwest Mississippi, where he assisted with pastoral ministry from 2000-2016. Since 2016, he had been a member of the SCJ retirement community in Pinellas Park.

“He was a very sweet man,” are the words that so many used to describe Father Tom upon learning of his death.

“I enjoyed his company and his homilies,” wrote another.

“He was a holy priest, a friend… and a pretty good golfer!” said another.

In his homily, Father Vien Nguyen, SCJ, provincial superior of the US Province of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, reflected on a phrase displayed prominently in Father Tom’s room: “Do what is right, seek what is good, walk humbly before the Lord,” from the prophet Micah.

“Doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God are not separate from each other; rather, they are interconnected,” said Father Vien.” They form the es sence of God’s heart. Tom, I believe that having the words of the prophet Micah on your wall was not for decoration. Instead, they served as a reminder of what you wanted to achieve in your religious life as a Dehonian.

“May we too follow the footsteps of Father Leo John Dehon and have the courage to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. We hope that we too one day will be invited to the glorious banquet held on Mount Zion, never to be separated from God’s love, and be blessed for living the Beatitudes.”

The Mass of Christian Burial for Father Tom was held on Thursday, April 18, at Good Shepherd Chap el at Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake in Hales Corners, Wisconsin.

May is packed with joy, meaning and mystical wonder

MORE THAN WORDS

By Bishop RoBeRt Reed

As a child, May was always an exciting month for me – partly because the school year was almost over, but also because of the special Marian devotions and activities that took place.

We students created May altars in our classrooms (and were encouraged to set them up in our homes, too), practices that warmed and nurtured our spirits with the added bonus of breaking up our studies.

But the May Crowning was Marian primetime for us – a once-a-year event of stand-alone specialness recalled with every whiff of a lilac in these lighter days of spring. When the big day arrived, we all wore our best clothes – the second-graders donning their First Communion outfits, once again – and processed down the main avenue and into the church, carrying floral and spiritual bouquets and singing, “T’is the Month of Our Mother,” and other odes to Mary. We presented our flowers and petitions before a beautiful statue of the Mother of God, and the air was permeated with the rich floral scents of the season.

The celebration reached its apex when a girl, chosen from the eighth grade, reached up and placed the crown of flowers on Mary’s head, as we sang out, “O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,” from “Bring Flowers of the Fairest.”

Whenever I hear of a parish planning a May Crowning, I recall those happy festivities and start humming the familiar Marian hymns of my childhood.

A lot has changed in our Catholic schools since the 1960s, but the basics remain the same: May is still Mary’s month, and in our schools and parishes, statues that represent the “holy queen enthroned above” are crowned with blossoms while the faithful, young and old, sing hymns and implore our Blessed Mother’s attention and intercession.

As a priest and particularly as a bishop, I am always pleased to see a parish creating opportunities to honor the Theotokos, the God-bearer. She is our strongest and most caring advocate in heaven, and we are right to honor her as the Mother of the King, particularly in May. After all, without “yes” to Gabriel – her fiat to God’s redeeming plan – where would we be?

At times our Protestant friends will challenge us on our devotion to Mary, suggesting that our affection for our mother tempts idolatry. In this, we should never feel anxious. Our reverence for Mary is akin to the sort of devotion we should have for our own mothers – who are also celebrated in May, and whom God instructs us to honor in the Ten Commandments.

Besides, Mary is always pointing us to Jesus: “Do whatever he tells you,” she instructs all of us through Scripture. (John 2:5) Worship is reserved for the Creator and for his Son, and for the Holy Spirit. But, like any child, Jesus is pleased to see his Mother given the honor and respect she is due – he relishes our acts of esteem for his Mother, whom he assumed into heaven, body and soul.

In Mary’s month we will also be coming to the

conclusion of the Easter season, honoring the Ascension of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, on May 19, with Pentecost Sunday (the coming of the Holy Spirit), the week after. And by month’s end, we are pondering the profound mystery of the Triune God, on May 26, Trinity Sunday. Time moves quickly. We will slip into June still full of joy as we celebrate the great gift of the Eucharist on the feast of Corpus Christi.

So, enjoy May! We have before us some glorious weeks of triumph, wonder and good cheer. Jesus lives and resplendently reigns, having taken our humanity beyond death and into glory. As the prophecy was made so long ago: “His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.” (Dan 7:14)

All praise and glory to our Risen King, Son of God and the Son of Mary; He is Lord, now and forever!

(Bishop Robert P. Reed is an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston, pastor of St. Patrick and Sacred Heart parishes in Watertown, Massachusetts, and president of the CatholicTV Network. He is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Communications.)

The Catholic who created food banks

LIGHT ONE CANDLE

By tony Rossi

Food banks are a blessing to hungry people. But did you know they were started by a Catholic man, John van Hengel, inspired by his faith and the hardships he endured? The Christopher Award-winning children’s book “Food for Hope,” written by Jeff Gottesfeld, tells that story.

During van Hengel’s early life, there were no indications he would ever go hungry. He grew up in Wisconsin, attended college and grad school, moved to California, married a model, had two children, and thrived as a salesman for a sportswear company. Then, it all fell apart. Van Hengel lost his job and got divorced. He returned to Wisconsin and found work in a rock quarry. But while breaking up a fight, he endured a spinal injury, which required surgery. Still, he was in pain and needed rehabilitation, so on his doctor’s advice, he moved to Arizona, where the warmer weather might help his recovery.

That’s how van Hengel, now destitute, wound up in Phoenix in 1967 at a St. Vincent de Paul-run soup kitchen at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. In “Food for Hope,” Gottesfeld writes, “John liked people. He talked with everyone in the dining room – disabled veterans, the homeless, and kids whose parents had to choose between rent and food. Their stories opened his heart. He found work at the kitchen, shelter in a cheap room above a garage, and faith in prayer with Father Ronald at St. Mary’s Church.”

The menu at the soup kitchen was minimal (soup, rice, beans, powdered milk), so van Hengel asked a local citrus orchard if he could collect the grapefruits that had fallen off their trees and would otherwise be thrown away. They agreed, and fresh fruit made its way onto the menu. Then

came the incident that changed everything. A woman took van Hengel to a supermarket dumpster and showed him all the edible food that had been discarded. She said, “I just wish I could put this stuff in a bank.”

Van Hengel loved the idea, so he went back to St. Mary’s and told Father Ronald, a Franciscan priest, that they should start a bank to store food. Father Ronald agreed and told van Hengel, “Do it.” Van Hengel protested that he already worked at the soup kitchen and didn’t have time. Father Ronald responded, “You heard the call, John. Decide if you want to listen.” He listened. And above his desk, van Hengel wrote a Biblical quote, but gave it his own twist: “The poor we shall always have with us, but why the hungry?”

Gottesfeld said, “St. Mary’s Church gave him an abandoned bakery on Skid Row in Phoenix, and he started there ...They did 125,000 pounds of food their first year...This past year, the St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix did 125 million.” Motivated by his faith, van Hengel kept growing the food bank idea and eventually turned it into the nonprofit America’s Second Harvest, which helped create food banks around the country. He also chose to live in relative poverty because he looked back on his life and realized that money had not made him happy.

Gottesfeld hopes that children and families read “Food for Hope,” and find that it motivates them to make a difference. He concluded, “Don’t take food for granted. It is not automatic for big segments of our society … [Also], volunteer … What’s great about food, it’s completely nonpartisan … All it has to do is with feeding people … Know that you’re working alongside other Americans doing the same thing ... What matters is your energy and your goodness.”

(Tony Rossi is the Communications Director for The Christophers, a Catholic media company. The mission of The Christophers is to encourage people of all ages, and from all walks of life, to use their God-given talents to make a positive difference in the world. Learn more at www.christophers.org.)

Catholic Schools share MAIS awards and athletic accomplishments

Art Fair – Overall winners

Painting Only Art Room – 2nd place – 5th grade: Carys Dishman (St. Elizabeth Clarksdale)

Mixed Media Art Room – 1st place – 2nd grade: Beckham Shed (St. Elizabeth Clarksdale)

Mixed Media Art Room – 2nd place – 6th grade: Conner Lunceford (St. Elizabeth Clarksdale)

Drawing Art Room – 2nd place – 2nd grade: Maddison Lenard (St. Elizabeth Clarksdale)

Drawing Art Room – 1st place – 5th grade: Gabby Jones (St. Elizabeth Clarksdale)

Drawing Art Room – 1st place – 6th grade: Ulric Henning (St. Elizabeth Clarksdale)

Printmaking Classroom – 2nd place – 1st grade: Garrett Naegele (St. Anthony Madison)

Printmaking Jr. High and High School – 2nd place: Madolyn McGaugh (St. Joseph Greenville)

Photography Jr. High and High School – 2nd place: Kent Tonos (St. Joseph Greenville)

Reading Fair – Overall Winners

Individual Fiction Character Portrayal – 2nd place – 5th grade: Anna Cooper (Cathedral Natchez)

Individual Non-Fiction Character Portrayal – 3rd place – 5th grade: Haley Burnsed (Cathedral Natchez)

Fiction Individual – 2nd place – 4th grade: Mary Hannah Amborn (Vicksburg Catholic)

Non-Fiction Individual – 1st place – 5th grade: Madeline Jex (Cathedral Natchez)

District Fair Winners

Fiction Board Winners: Anna Cooper – 1st place; and Rivers Atkins – 2nd place (Cathedral Natchez)

Fiction – Best Portrayal of Character: Anna Cooper – 2nd place; and Rivers Atkins – 3rd place

Non-Fiction Board Winners: Maddy Jex – 1st place; and Haley Burnsed – 2nd place (Cathedral Natchez)

Best Portrayal of Character Award: Maddy Jex –1st place; and Haley Burnsed – 2nd place

2nd place overall in fiction – 4th grade: Mary Hannah Amborn (Vicksburg Catholic)

2nd place overall in fiction – 5th grade: Cash Ferrell (Vicksburg Catholic)

Spelling Bee – Overall Participants

Sophia Keith – Annunciation Columbus

Samantha Struber – Annunciation Columbus

Michael Lickteig – Sacred Heart Southaven

Caryn Jackson – St. Joseph Greenville

Estephan Choufani – St. Joseph Madison

Addison Bednar – Vicksburg Catholic School

Spelling Bee- District

1st place in 7th grade, District II – East: Samantha Struber (Annunciation Columbus)

1st place in 5th grade, District II – East: Sophia Keith (Annunciation Columbus)

Regional Science Fair

3rd Grade: (All St. Patrick Meridian)

1st place Physics – Avery Hook

1st place Organic Chemistry – David Donkor

4th place Organic Chemistry – Cayden Gray

2nd place Inorganic Chemistry – Ashton Brown

1st place Botany – London Wilson

2nd place Microbiology – Wiljann Sopa

2nd place Engineering – Dominic Meachum

1st place Animal Science – Aubre Laws

4th Grade: (All St. Patrick Meridian)

4th place Inorganic Chemistry – LaDarius Ranson

4th place Microbiology – Kyler Hill

5th Grade: (All St. Patrick Meridian)

1st place Physics – John Quedado

3rd place Physics – Katelyn Meachum

6th place Organic Chemistry – Brandon Franklin

1st Inorganic Chemistry – Aiden Walker

1st Animal Science – Micah Laurent

6th Grade: (All St. Patrick Meridian)

1st place Behavioral Science – Aiden Palmer

1st place Animal Science – Ayden Everington

2nd place Inorganic Chemistry – Madison Powell

2nd place Animal Science – Bryce Rush

2nd place Mathematics – John Martinez

2nd place Physics – Ayden Rush

2nd place Botany – Juan Pablo Garcia

Quiz Bowl

Cathedral Middle School Team A – 2nd place out of 24 teams.

Scholarship

4-Way Rotary Scholarship – Jacob Venuti (St. Joseph Greenville)

Stellar Academic Students

Julianna Jojoa-Portilla – St. Joseph Greenville

Lockard Williams – St. Joseph Madison

Parker Baroni – Cathedral Natchez

Stephen Clement – Vicksburg Catholic

Choral Ensemble Festival

Vicksburg Catholic SSA and SATB received Superior rankings

National Academic Quiz-bowl Tournament (NAQT)

Cathedral Middle School’s two teams- placed 3rd and 5th overall. One team qualified for Nationals in May.

Robotics

Vicksburg Catholic Team 456 won the Engineering Inspiration Award from NASA at the Bayou Regional Competition. Attended World Championship Competition in Houston, Texas.

Annunciation School’s Robotics Club placed 1st at Regionals.

Bughouse Chess Championship

Two teams placed 1st and one team placed 2nd from Annunciation Columbus (two person teams playing blitz style- 5-minute games)

MSCA Chess Championship:

5th place – Lydia Frauendienst and Nathanial Rush (Annunciation Columbus)

MAIS Stem Competition (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

Best Overall – Bryan Sescu (Annunciation Columbus)

Teacher Recognition

Lauren Young – Annunciation Columbus: named Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce Elementary Teacher of the Year

April Moore – Annunciation Columbus: selected to present at NCEA

April Moore – Annunciation Columbus: selected Elementary VFW Teacher of the Year

Dr. Robika Mylroie – St. Anthony Counselorawarded the Livesay Award from her alma mater Millsaps College.

Athletics

Archery – Championship

Class 4A: 3rd place – St. Joseph Greenville

Class 6A: 5th place – St. Joseph Madison

Soccer

Boys Soccer: All Star White Team – Greg Fore (St. Joseph Madison)

Boys Soccer: All Star Blue Team – Fritz Barbour and Braylon Poindexter (St. Joseph Madison)

Girls Soccer: Futures White Team – Elaina Price (St. Joseph Madison)

Girls Soccer: Futures Red Team – Sydney Leib (St. – Continued on page 22 –

MADISON – St. Joseph School seventh grader Estephan Choufani won the state spelling bee sponsored by Mid-South Association of Independent Schools in February 2024. (Photo courtesy of school)

Catholic Schools share MAIS awards and athletic accomplishments

– Continued from page 21 –

Joseph Madison)

Girls Soccer: White All Star Team – Stella McCarthy (St. Joseph Madison)

Girls Soccer: Blue All Star Team – Campbell Miller (St. Joseph Madison)

Braylon Poindexter signed to play at Gulf Coast Community College (St. Joseph Madison)

Fritz Barbour signed to play at Northwest Community College (St. Joseph Madison)

Basketball

Girls 4A-5A-6A Basketball: All Star Blue Team –Maia Turner (St. Joseph Madison)

Boys 4A-5A-6A Basketball: All Star Blue Team –Brandon Cooley (St. Joseph Madison)

Boys 4A-5A-6A Basketball: All Star Blue Team Assistant Coach – Jonathan Albright (Cathedral Natchez)

Girls Basketball Futures Red Team – Gabby Gray (St. Joseph Madison)

Boys Basketball Futures White Team – Brandon Burkes (St. Joseph Madison)

Boys Basketball Futures Red Team – Chris Gordon (St. Joseph Madison)

Holy Family School (Holly Springs) – NMAC Girls Champions, Lady Panther Teyuana Reaves named Conference Play of the Year

Maia Turner signed to play at Tougaloo College (St. Joseph Madison)

Football

All-MAIS 3A Team: Tyler Mongomery, Eli Williamson, Victor Baker, Mikael Jones and Chris Mayfield (St. Joseph Greenville)

3A Coach of the Year: John Baker (St. Joseph Greenville)

1A-2A-3A: All Star White Team – Chris Mayfield and Tyler Mongomery (St. Joseph Greenville)

4A-5A-6A: All Star White Team – Lonnie Smith (St. Joseph Madison)

4A-5A-6A: All Star Blue Team – Cam’Ron Tanner (Cathedral Natchez) and Demariet Davis (St. Joseph Madison)

Futures Gray Team –Victor Baker (St. Joseph Greenville) and KeyShaun Coleman (St. Joseph Madison)

Futures Red Team –ZyCameron Williams and Ryan Rainer (St. Joseph Madison)

MAIS 3A Football Champions – St. Joseph Greenville

Lonnie Smith signed to play football at CopiahLincoln Community College (St. Joseph Madison)

Varsity Swim Meet 1st place Boys 100 yard backstroke – 9th grade: Christopher Brown (St. Joseph Madison)

Spirit Competition

School Dance Kick Varsity Small – 1st place: Vicksburg Catholic

School Cheer Non-Tumbling Varsity Small – 2nd place: St. Joseph Madison

School Dance Kick Varsity Medium – 3rd place: Cathedral Natchez

School Cheer Non-Tumbling Varsity Medium –3rd place: Vicksburg Catholic

School Dance Pom Varsity Small – 1st place: Vicksburg Catholic

Volleyball

Futures White Team – Calese White (St. Joseph Madison)

All Stars White Team – Alyssa Leonard (St. Joeseph Madison)

All Stars Blue Team – Assistant Coach Sydney McEachem (St. Joseph Madison)

Baseball

5A District 4 Play of the Year – Tristan Fondren (Cathedral Natchez)

Josh Ingram (Cathedral Natchez) signed to play at Millsaps College and is recipient of Presidential Scholarship.

Jackson Navarro (Cathedral Natchez) signed to play at Meridian Community College.

Softball

Liza Gregg committed to play for Millsaps College.

Tennis

5A MAIS Boys Singles South State Champion –Alex Monagan

Dance:

Maddie-Claire Spence (St. Joseph Madison) –Dixie Darling at University of Southern Mississippi

Schools were asked to submit awardees for this listing by the O ce of Catholic Education.

MADISON – St. Joseph student, Maddie-Claire Spence signed on to the “Dixie Darlings” dance team with the University of Southern Mississippi. Pictured from left: Leslie Ann Harkins, coach of the St. Joe Spirit Steppers dance team; Maddie-Claire Spence, a St. Joe senior; and Maggie Spence, Maddie-Claire’s mother. (Photo courtesy of school)

Around our schools

JACKSON – First and second grade students in Ms. Moses’ class at Sister Thea Bowman School, eagerly await to enter the church for Mass. The students were very proud of their artwork depicting “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (Photo by Deacon Denzil Lobo)

COLUMBUS – (Left) Annunciation students Levi Struber, T.J., Chris, and Henry Hince and Reed Sancho celebrate “Purple Up” day for Military children. Annunciation School was recently named a Military Star School by the Department of Education.

(Above) Avynn Clapper works hard on her gardening skills at Annunciation School. (Photos by Jacque Hince)

Stovall set to be ordained as priest for the diocese

BY JOANNA PUDDISTER KING

JACKSON – Many celebrate their birthdays with big events, but for Deacon Tristan Stovall, his birthday this year brings about an extra special event – his ordination to the priesthood.

On May 18 at 10:30 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson, Bishop Joseph Kopacz is set to ordain transitional Deacon Tristan Stovall to the priesthood. All are invited to attend, with a reception following.

Saturday, May 18 at 10:30 a.m. All are invited to the ordination and to his First Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving at his home parish of Holy Cross Philadelphia on Sunday, May 19 at 10:30 a.m.

In a recent video with Bishop Kopacz, Stovall fondly remembered the first meeting of the two in 2016 waiting in a hospital to visit a patient.

“Father Frank [Cosgrove] walks down the hall with the bishop and I’m nervous you know … I’m about to meet the bishop,” mused Stovall.

After introductions, the first question Father Cosgrove asked Stovall in front of Bishop Kopacz, was “Have you considered being a priest?”

At the time, Stovall insisted that he did not want to be a priest and wanted to be married someday.

But that initial question got Stovall thinking and he was drawn even deeper into the Catholic faith.

Stovall’s path to the priesthood began in the red clay hills of Neshoba County, where he first encountered Catholicism, being fascinated with the funeral of Pope St. John Paul II as a young boy. At the age of 15, his interest and thirst for knowledge of the Catholic faith grew when he attended Mass for the very first time at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. After that experience the young Baptist knew then that he “had to become Catholic.” This journey ultimately led him to convert to Catholicism in 2014, where he was received into full communion with the church.

After ordination, Stovall will celebrate his first Mass as a priest at his home parish of Holy Cross in Philadelphia on Pentecost – Sunday, May 19 at 10:30 a.m.

Stovall says, “Please pray for me and I prepare for ordination and continued service to the People of God.”

(If you are interested in vocations, visit jacksondiocese.org/vocations; ask your local priest; or contact vocations director Father Nick Adam at nickadam@jacksondiocese.org.)

You are Invited

Ordination of Rev. Mr. Tristan Stovall to the SACRED ORDER OF THE PRESBYTERATE by His Excellency

The Most Reverend Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D., Ph.D., Bishop of Jackson

Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 10:30 a.m.

Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle 123 North West Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39201

Reception to follow at the Mississippi Civil Rights and State History Museum

“ ey (parishoners) remind me that whatever we do, even if small, matters. To hear the gratitude of people helps me to feel that I am on the right path in our mission.”

e O ce of Intercultural Ministries coordinator came with the experience of working with diverse ethnic groups and serving the Navaho on their reservation in Arizona, who inspired her to serve in her role. Sister Amelia Breton takes pride in her ministry but also enjoys connecting communities, and helping others deepen their faith.

e love of her ministry shines through the level of detail she takes in consideration of others. Parishioners have expressed their gratitude, calling her an inspiration and guide. Still, Sister humbles herself, “I just followed a natural ow of events, but they remind me that whatever we do, even if small, matters. To hear the gratitude of people helps me to feel that I am on the right path in our mission.”

Gi s from the Catholic Service Appeal help her face higher costs, and increased demands for services, which are the current challenges her o ce faces. Despite these constraints, Sister has a wish list, to provide even more for our parish communities, by developing intercultural conversations, leadership programs in Spanish, and tailored initiatives for aging African Americans, Choctaw and Vietnamese communities. Sister Amelia urges everyone to contribute not just nancially but also through prayers, emphasizing the transformative impact of collective support in bringing people closer to Christ.

Your gi to the Catholic Service Appeal helps Sister Ameila Breton aid our parish communities in serving diverse ethnic groups and helping others to deepen their faith.

You can mail your check to: Catholic Service Appeal PO Box 22723 Jackson, MS 39225-2273

(Please put your parish name in the memo section of your check)

Deacon Tristan Stovall will be ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson on