AUGUST 20, 2021
mississippicatholic.com
Elizabeth Smart to speak at annual Charities Journey of Hope captivity and had no idea if she would ever see her parents, siblings and friends again. Very close to parents who brought her up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Smart leaned hard on her faith during her ordeal. “I was raised believing the family unit was forever,” she said. “Even if I had died while in captivity, there would still be a brother or grandparent – my family would still be a family. Conversely, if I got home and learned one of my parents had died, I knew I would see them again one day, and we would still be a family. That was a very large source of comfort to me.” Now 34 and married with three small children, the nationJACKSON – Elizabeth Smart's abduction and return captured headlines al bestselling author will sign in 2002 and 2003. She is the featured speaker at Catholic Charities Jourcopies of My Story and Where ney of Hope luncheon on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at the Jackson Convention There’s Hope at Bravo Restaurant Complex. (Photo courtesy of Premier Speakers Bureau) of Jackson at a meet-and-greet from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. BY JOE LEE 13. She’s the keynote speaker the following day at the JACKSON – Abducted at age 14 from her Utah famannual Journey of Hope luncheon, presented by Catholic ily home in 2002 in a kidnapping that drew national Charities, Inc. at the Jackson Convention Complex. media coverage, Elizabeth Smart spent nine months in
In addition to being a devoted wife and mother, Smart is president of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, which focuses on fighting sexual exploitation, advocacy, and prevention education. Not surprisingly, she is quite passionate about using her platform to help young girls and women who may not realize they are at risk. Smart, however, was hardly ready to discuss what had happened to her in the immediate aftermath. And while it took the case against captor Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, a whopping eight years to go to trial, a silver lining of having to testify in open court about what she endured was Smart deciding she was ready to go public with her story and begin her advocacy. “I initially swore I would never do a book, a movie,” Smart said. “When I first got home (in 2003), I didn’t really understand what therapy was. In the first 48-72 hours I was taken to a children’s advocacy center where I was extensively interviewed by two middle-aged male psychiatrists." “They were very religious and good at their jobs, but I’d been abused – a lot – for nine months in just about every way you can imagine by middle-aged men who used religion to manipulate. Speaking to men so graphically about being raped was horrific, devastating. When I got out of that room, I thought, ‘If this is what therapy is, I don’t ever want to do it again.’ “Looking back, those men were investigators gathering evidence, and they were doing their jobs. They – Continued on page 6 –
CSA second collection set for Aug. 28-29 BY JOANNA PUDDISTER KING
have already given we greatly appreciJACKSON – There are hungry and homeless in Mississippi. There are college ate your support.” The theme of this year's appeal is students that need to be ministered to. There are seminarians that need our help to become our future priests. And there are retired priests that need our assistance after Embrace – Serve – Inspire, with bea lifetime of service. These are just a few of the ministries that the annual Catholic loved Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman as the inspiration. She once asked Service Appeal (CSA) supports. “Due to COVID protocols, we did not have a second collection in February of of God, "Touch me with your love so 2021 and opted to postpone to a later date. We hoped that we would meet our goal that I can help somebody, so that I can without a second collection for the CSA,” said Rebecca Harris, director of steward- serve somebody, so that I can bless ship and development for the diocese. “Unfortunately, that has not happened. We are somebody." It is not too late to make a differ$344,000 from our goal.” Parishes will have a second collection on Aug. 28-29 and pledge envelopes will be ence – to help, to serve, to bless somebody. For online donations and to learn available to help reach the CSA 2021 goal. The Catholic Service Appeal is important to many vital ministries of the diocese. more about each ministry the Catholic These ministries help carry out the mission of the church and reaching this goal will Service Appeal supports go to csa.jacksondiocese.org. ensure these ministries do not have budget cuts. There are eleven collective ministries that no one parINSIDE THIS WEEK ish could support on its own; however, joined as one, the diocese can make a difference. The appeal supports educating seminarians, Catholic Charities, campus ministry, mission parishes and schools, youth ministry, formational ministries, priest retirement and clergy assistance, evangelizing and communications. More information on each ministry is available on the diocese website. “We understand that many individuals and families have faced challenges during the pandemic and will not be able to support the CSA due to changing circumstancFrom the archives Sister takes vows 8 es. Please know that our prayers continue to be with you Mary Woodward delves Sister Kelly Moline takes and your family, and I ask for your prayers for the mininto the diocese archives vows for Dominican Sisters istries served by our appeal,” said Harris. “For those who
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