MS Catholic August 25, 2023

Inspiring others to ‘work together as people of faith’

Msgr. Sunds observes golden jubilee

BY JOE LEE

MADISON – On the evening of Aug. 7, the family life center at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Madison resembled a fine restaurant, with white tablecloths and soft candlelight creating the perfect backdrop for a huge crowd to congratulate Msgr. Elvin Sunds on the golden anniversary of his ordination as a priest.

It was a fitting tribute to the kind, soft-spoken man who grew up in Iowa and has spent more than fifty years of his life bringing Mississippians of different backgrounds together. The throng waiting to enjoy the mouth-watering dinner was no surprise after the standing room only gathering at Mass, which made Sunds feel, in his words, deeply affirmed.

“When I first saw the church packed for the Mass, I was genuinely overwhelmed,” he said. “I had no idea so many people over the years from so many parishes – and from Catholic Charities – wanted to express their gratitude.”

Sunds felt the call toward the priesthood while a senior in high school, but he wanted something more exciting than the Diocese of Des Moines, especially after being told by his vocation director that he was expected to teach high school for the first ten years after ordination.

“During my junior year at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Conception, Missouri, my spiritual director suggested I spend a summer working for a friend

of his in New York City named Father John Powis. This was 1967, and Father Powis was working in the rough Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, a largely Puerto Rican and African American neighborhood.

“I was impressed at what Father Powis was doing and found an apartment in a condemned building for the summer. I worked mornings at a commercial laundry to support myself and spent afternoons organizing recreational programs for the neighborhood kids.”

Sunds had seminarian classmates from Mississippi who urged him to visit the state, which he did for the first time that fall.

“Cardinal Bernard Law was the vocation director then for what was the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson,” Sunds said. “He arranged for me to spend several months with Father Nathaniel Machesky, who was pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in Greenwood.

“This was predominantly an African American parish. They were offering education for the kids in the grade school there, a wonderful alternative to what wasn’t a good education in the Greenwood public schools. I realized the Natchez-Jackson Diocese was where I needed to be.”

– Continued on page 6 –

Growing Catholic community flourishes inside Pearl state prison

BY CHRIS KIEFFER

PEARL – On a Saturday afternoon in July, the 100 men gathered inside a chapel in this central Mississippi city rose and applauded as Father Lincoln Dall began his processional to commence Mass.

The congregants were inmates at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF). And the unscripted moment of enthusiastic appreciation that erupted at the start of Mass underscores the passion that has been at the heart of the growing Catholic ministry here inside the razor wire.

“I feel like it is almost ministry in its most raw form,” said Father Lincoln, the pastor at both Holy Savior Catholic Church in Clinton and Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Raymond and the vicar general for the Diocese of Jackson. “A lot of them realize they have a lot to work on, and they’re hungry for this. You feel the energy for it. It’s palpable.”

Father Lincoln has a long history with prison ministry, but even he has been amazed by the burgeoning Catholic community here inside one of Mississippi’s three state prisons. As recently as last Christmas, about 15 or 20 inmates would regularly attend Mass, which was then held in a small room tucked inside one of the facility’s buildings. Now, some 120 or 130 men attend one of the two Masses Father Lincoln celebrates at CMCF’s chapel nearly every weekend.

“It is an accomplishment for us to see it growing, and it makes us feel we are doing something positive,” said Chris, an inmate at the facility and member of the

Catholic community.

Their numbers have grown so much that the Catholic community has recently been recognized by CMCF as an official organization with its own bylaws and name – St. Michael the Archangel, chosen to honor the celestial being who led the angelic forces against Satan and his followers.

The community was also given use of the CMCF chapel, where it met for Mass on that Saturday in July. During the service, a banner hung from the ceiling above the altar declaring: “St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Community, Established

– Continued on page 10

Since his ordination by Bishop Joseph Brunini at Our Lady of the Gulf in Bay

MADISON – Msgr. Elvin Sunds (second from right) celebrated his golden jubilee on Monday, Aug. 7 at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Madison. (Photo by Tereza Ma)

SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

GREENWOOD – “Franciscan Retreat” on Saturday, Sept. 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p. m. at the Locus Benedictus Retreat Ministries at 1407 Levee Road. The retreat will be presented by Rev. Joachim “Kim” Studwell, OFM. No cost, but love offering open. Details: call (662) 299-1232

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. “Come and See” weekends at Dominican Sisters of Springfield for single Catholic women ages 21-45. Eleven events scheduled in 20232024, first is Sept. 15-17. Events are in person or “Zoom and See” (virtual) and provide a brief immersion in the day-to-day lives of the sisters. Event is free, but responsible for your own transportation expenses. Housing and meals provided. Space is limited. Register at https://springfieldop.org/come-see-registration/. Details: call Sister Denise Glazik at (217) 652-5881 or visit https://springfieldop.org/come-see-dominican-sisters-vocation-event-schedule-for-2023-2024/ for more information.

WASHINGTON D.C. Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage, Sept. 30 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Join with Catholics from around the country to seek the intercession of Our Lady. Hear life-changing talks; celebrate Mass and pray the rosary. Details: for more information visit rosarypilgrimage.org.

PARISH, FAMILY & SCHOOL EVENTS

ABERDEEN – St. Francis, Parish Picnic, Saturday, Oct. 14 following Mass. Enjoy a good meal and fellowship. Details: (662) 813-2295.

CLARKSDALE – St. Elizabeth Parish Fair, Tuesday, Sept. 26 from 5-8 p.m. Food, raffles, fun, games and more. Details: church office (662) 624-4301.

GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph, Kraut Sale, Saturday, Sept. 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. This year there will be no Germanfest but come get some kraut! Cost: $6 pint; $12 quart; 2 case max. Cash or check only. No pre-sales. Details: church office (601) 856-2054.

HERNANDO – Holy Spirit, Annual Fall Bazaar, Saturday, Sept. 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Raffles, sales,

silent auction, country kitchen, games and more. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.

Holy Spirit, Men’s Association Fish Fry, Friday, Sept. 22 from 4-7 p.m. Cost: $13 adults/$6 kids. All are welcome. Eat-in or take out. Plates include catfish, hushpuppies, fries, slaw, drink and dessert. Details: Jon at (901) 481-0228.

JACKSON – St. Richard, Special Kids Golf tournament at Deerfield Country Club on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. Details: church office (601) 366-2335.

LELAND – St. James, Spaghetti Dinner and Fair, Tuesday, Sept. 26. Dinner and silent auction begin at 5 p.m., booths open at 6 p.m. Cost: $15 per plate. Details: Donna at (662) 207-8844.

MADISON – St. Francis, Fall Parish Mission “Igniting the Light of Christ within you,” Oct. 1-3 at 6:30 p.m. each night in the Church. Featured speaker is Paul Koleske. Hear practical techniques you can use to increase your connection with the presence of the Holy Spirit. All are welcome! Details: church office (601) 8565556.

St. Francis, Pork Butt Sale for Labor Day, pickup on Friday, Sept. 1 after 11 a.m. Cost: $40. Details: to place an order email or text Tunney at tunneyv1@ icloud.com or (601) 622-4145.

MADISON The Catholic Foundation, Bishop’s Cup Golf Tournament, Thursday, Sept. 14 at Lake Caroline Golf Club. For more details or to register, visit foundation.jacksondiocese.org.

NATCHEZ Cathedral Fall Festival, Sept. 23-24. Enjoy food, games, raffles, bingo, adult night and more. Details: school office (601) 442-2531.

OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Men’s Club Golf Tournament 4-person scramble, Sunday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. Dinner included. Cost: $100 per person. Details: contact Tim at (901) 515-8598.

PEARL – St. Jude, Day-trip Pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama, Saturday, Oct. 28. Tour the Shrine, Mass, Adoration and more. Cost est. $75. Details: email kmcgregor@stjudepearl.org or call (601) 9393181.

FEATURED PHOTO ... Journey of Hope with Robin Givens...

RIPLEY – St. Matthew, Feast day and 13th anniversary celebration of church building dedication, Saturday, Sept. 23. Enjoy food booths, games and competitions. Bilingual Mass with food and fellowship following on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 1:30 p.m. Details: church office (662) 993-8862.

VICKSBURG Knights of Columbus Council 898 Fish Fry, Saturday, Sept. 16 from 5-7:30 p.m. Fried or grilled catfish, hushpuppies, fries, slaw, baked potato, beans, bread. Cost $15. Open to public. 310 Hall Ferry Road. Details: office at (601) 636-8372.

NOTICES & OTHER EVENTS

BAY ST. LOUIS Save-the-Date, Divine Word Missionaries Centennial celebration of St. Augustine Seminary, Oct. 28-29. Enjoy historical exhibits, tours, food, entertainment, raffles, a Jazz procession, Mass and more.

JOB OPENINGS Catholic schools across the diocese have a variety of positions open. Please visit https://jacksondiocese.org/employment for an opportunity near you.

INDIANAPOLIS Eucharistic Congress, July 17-21, 2024. Registration is now open. See what Our Lord has in store for this next chapter for the Catholic Church in United States. Purchase tickets at https://bit.ly/3ydav9Q. Details: EucharisticCongress.org.

JACKSON – Keynote speaker, actress Robin Givens takes time to speak with Thania Cepeda at Catholic Charities Journey of Hope meet and greet event at the Hilton Jackson on Thursday, Aug. 10. Givens spoke to attendees at the annual luncheon on her experience surviving domestic abuse on Friday, Aug. 11. (Photo courtesy of Catholic Charities of Jackson)

MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC AUGUST 25, 2023

All are welcome

BY BISHOP JOSEPH R. KOPACZ, D.D.

“Todos, Todos, Todos” was Pope Francis’ heartfelt declaration during World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal earlier this month. This Spanish mantra states that all are welcome, the baptized especially, to come into the presence of God within the Catholic Church to know the transforming love of Jesus Christ.

Young and older, from nearly every nation on the planet were on hand to celebrate with the successor of Peter, the Servant of the Servants of our merciful God. What a marvelous manifestation of the church’s identity and mission in Lisbon, encapsulated as One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, the focus of our own pastoral reimagining. This universal vision for the church begun on the first Pentecost, actually began to emerge early in the Old Testament. However, it came to fulfillment in the life-giving death and resurrection of the Lord, and in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But the Cross reminds us that this vision of unity among all the nations in the church labors to run its course and requires repentance, conversion and sacrifice to overcome the sin that sows division.

The Canaanite woman of last Sunday’s Gospel is an excellent point of departure to look back into the wellspring of the Old Testament. Her unexpected and anguished plea to Jesus on behalf of her possessed daughter began with the greeting, “Lord, son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus was actually speechless for a moment over this pagan woman’s clear grasp of his identity. Respecting her courage and faith, he reminded her of the Israelite attitude and prejudice toward foreigners that “it is not right to take the food of the household and give it to the dogs.”

“But even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the master’s table” was the desperate woman’s retort. The Lord responded in awe over her faith, and in that instant this “unclean woman’s” daughter was healed. This is a fascinating encounter with the Lord that challenges us to go deeper in our knowledge and understanding of God’s will. The Old Testament holds this key.

The Book of Ruth is a parable, a narrative that confronted the harsh policies of the Israelites in the time of Ezra as they returned home from exile. (Ezra 10) Basically, Ezra was directing the Israelites to leave their foreign wives where they found them because they had

been unfaithful to the Covenant.

In this mindset God does not want the blood of foreigners polluting the chosen people’s lineage. Really! Enter the Book of Ruth. It is an endearing story of a Moabite women, a pagan, who chose to return to the land of Israel with her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi. Ruth’s words are forever enshrined in our biblical memory. “Wherever you go, I shall go. Wherever you live, I shall live. Your people shall be my people and your God, my God. Wherever you die, I wish to die, and so be buried beside you.” (Ruth 1:16-17) The hand of providence placed Ruth in the direct line of the story of salvation as the great-grandmother of King David from whose lineage came the Messiah, the Son of David. The seeds of universality were already sprouting even before King David sat on the throne of Israel.

There is nothing subtle or hidden about Isaiah’s prophecy in last Sunday’s first reading as he anticipates the Great Commission of the Lord at the end of Matthew’s Gospel. “My house will be a house of prayer for all the peoples.” (Isaiah 56:7) All who are righteous are invited to the banquet of God’s love. “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine – the best of meats and the finest of wines.” (25:6)

The story of the prophet Jonah is another masterpiece of God’s plan for universal salvation. His preaching prompted the citizens of Nineveh, from the King on down, to sincere repentance. As it turns out, Jonah deeply resented God’ action in granting mercy to the hated Assyrians who had destroyed the northern Kingdom of Israel. Too bad for Jonah. The prophet’s three days in the belly of the fish prefigured the Lord’s three days in the tomb and his resurrection from the dead, the final step in the plan of universal salvation. The letter to the Ephesians captures the essence of the Lord’s sacrifice.

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. And in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who

Volume 69 Number 15 (ISSN 1529-1693)

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

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

were near.” (Eph 2:13,16-17)

In our own time, we need to put to death hostility wherever it rears its ugly head and hear the call of the Gospel that rings true in the words of Pope Francis at World Youth Day. Todos, Todos, Todos. This, of course, is the great commission of the Lord “to make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19) one person, one family, one community, one nation at a time. With the invitation comes the call to repentance, conversion and change with the same attitude of Peter, the first pope, after Jesus had invited himself into his boat. Peter, overwhelmed by God’s grace with the enormous catch of fish exclaimed, “leave me Lord for I am a sinful man.” (Luke 5:8)

Our diocese is blessed with the faithful from many nations, a truly Catholic presence. In light of the above, we can say that a welcoming attitude, faith, prayer, compassion, repentance and conversion are ever-ancient and ever-new components on the journey of salvation. Even though our e orts may seem meager at times, now and then even a scrap that falls from the Master’s table is enough to start the feast.

Pope Francis signals that hundreds of thousands of young people are not loud enough after he asks them to repeat that there is space for everyone in the church. The pope’s remarks came at the World Youth Day welcome ceremony at Eduardo VII Park in Lisbon, Portugal, Aug. 3, 2023. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

BISHOP’S SCHEDULE

Wednesday, Aug. 30, 9:10 a.m. – Back-to-School Mass, Vicksburg Catholic School

Thursday, Aug. 31, 9:15 a.m. – Mass of the Holy Spirit, St. Joseph School, Madison

Friday, Sept. 8, 9 a.m. – Back-to-School Mass, Sister Thea Bowman School, Jackson

Saturday, Sept. 9, 4:30 p.m. – Mass and Reception for Parish 40th Anniversary Celebration, Holy Family, Gloster

Sunday, Sept. 10, 10 a.m. – Mass and Reception for Parish 150th Anniversary Celebration, St. Joseph, Woodville

Thursday, Sept. 14 – Catholic Foundation’s Annual Bishop’s Cup Golf Tournament, Lake Caroline, Madison

Sunday, Sept. 17, 10:30 a.m. – Mass of Installation for Father Jofin George, Holy Cross, Philadelphia

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

It is Back-to-School time for our seminarians! We have seven men studying for the diocese right now. This year is the first year of a new requirement for men studying to be priests.

The Bishops of the United States have put together a propaedeutic year – which is kind of like a year of basic training for new seminarians. The men in this propaedeutic program will focus less on the academic requirements of priestly formation and spend the year focusing on growing in the good habits that are necessary to be a good seminarian, and one day, a good priest. Focuses include building a stable life of prayer, building good friendships, working on some personal challenges based on one’s background and staying in good physical shape.

I don’t know about you, but I would welcome a year to focus on building up great habits and breaking down bad ones, so I pray that this is a blessed year for these men.

Our two new seminarians are taking part in the propaedeutic year. Wilson Locke (St. Paul Vicksburg) is a Starkville native who has spent the last three years as the youth director at St. Paul’s in Vicksburg. He is a convert to Catholicism and came into the church while at St. Joseph in Starkville. He is entering the propaedeutic program at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. Francisco Maldonado (Immaculate Heart of Mary, Greenwood) is a native of Houston, Texas, who just finished with

his freshman year at Mississippi Valley State. After his year at Valley, Francisco decided to apply to the seminary and desires to discern whether he is called to our mission diocese.

We have five returning seminarians this coming year. Deacon Tristan Stovall (Holy Cross Philadelphia) is set to be ordained a priest on May 18, 2024, and he is currently at St. Mary in Natchez on his extended deacon assignment. John Le (St. Francis Brookhaven) just completed his hospital ministry summer and is returning to Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. John has extensive formation experience as a Jesuit, so we are working on a schedule with him regarding how much ‘more school’ he’ll need. Will Foggo (St. Paul Flowood) is about ‘halfway done,’ as he enters his fourth year of formation in the seminary. EJ Martin and Grayson Foley (St. Richard Jackson) are both five years away from ordination. (God willing of course!)

Ryan Stoer (St. Richard Jackson) has decided to transfer to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. I’ve worked closely with Ryan on this decision, and while I am certainly sad to see him go, Santa Fe is getting a high-quality seminarian and future priest. One of the toughest parts of this job is being ‘detached,’ and open to the Lord’s will and not just our own needs. I ask that we all pray for Ryan and wish him all the best and that God’s will be done!

We certainly wish all of our seminarians the very best this school year. Please keep them all in prayer!

– Father Nick Adam, vocation director

For more info on vocations email: nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org. Save the date: Homegrown Harvest – Saturday, Oct. 21

Father Nick Adam

The illusion of self-sufficiency

IN EXILE

By Father ron rolheiser, oMi

A number of years ago, I attended the funeral of a man who died at the age of ninety. From every indication, he had been a good man, solidly religious, the father of a large family, a man respected in the community, and a man with a generous heart. However, he had also been a strong man, a gifted man, a natural leader, someone to whom a group would naturally look to take the reins and lead. Hence, he held a number of prominent positions in the community. He was a man very much in charge.

One of his sons, a Catholic priest, gave the homily at his funeral. He began with these words: Scripture tells us that the sum of a man’s life is seventy years, eighty for those who are strong. Now our dad lived for ninety years. Why the extra twenty years? Well, it’s no mystery. He was too strong and too much in charge of things to die at seventy or eighty. It took God an extra twenty years to mellow him out. And it worked. The last ten years his life were years of massive diminishment. His wife died, and he never got over that. He had a stroke which put him into assisted living and that was a massive blow to him. Then he spent the last years of his life with others having to help him take care of his basic bodily needs. For a man like him, that was humbling.

But this was the effect of all that. It mellowed him. In those last years, whenever you visited him, he would take your hand and say, “help me.” He hadn’t been able to say those words since he was five years old and able to tie his own shoelaces. By the time he died, he was ready. When he met Jesus and St. Peter on the other side, I’m sure he simply reached for a hand and said, “help me.” Ten and twenty years ago, he would, I’m sure, have given Jesus and Peter some advice as to how they might run the pearly gates more efficiently.

That’s a parable that speaks deeply and directly about a place we must all eventually come to, either through proactive choice or by submission to circumstance; we all must eventually come to a place where we accept that we are not self-sufficient, that we need help, that we need others, that we need community, that we need grace, that we need God.

Why is that so important? Because we are not God and we become wise and more loving when we realize and accept that. Classical Christian theologians defined God as self-sufficient being, and highlight that only God is self-sufficient. God alone has no need of anything beyond Himself. Everything else, everything that is not God, is defined as contingent, as not self-sufficient, as needing something beyond itself to bring it into existence and to keep it in existence every second of its being.

That can sound like abstract theology, but ironically it’s little children who get it, who have an awareness of this. They know that they cannot provide for themselves and that all comes to us as gifts. They know they need help. However, not long after they learn to tie their own shoelaces this awareness begins to fade and as they grow into adolescence and then adulthood, particularly if they are healthy, strong and successful, they begin to live with the illusion of self-sufficiency. I provide for myself!

And, that in fact serves them well in terms of making their way in this world. But it doesn’t serve truth, community, love or the soul. It’s an illusion, the greatest of all illusions. None of us will enter deeply into community as long as we nurse the illusion of self-sufficiency, when we are still saying, I don’t need others! I choose who and what I let into my life!

G.K. Chesterton once wrote that familiarity is the greatest of all illusions. He’s right, and what we are most familiar with is taking care of ourselves and believing that we are sufficient onto ourselves. As we know, this serves us well in terms of getting ahead in this life. However, fortunate for us, though painful, God and nature are always conspiring together to teach us

By Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Having faith does not mean there will be no difficulties in life, either for individuals or for the church as a whole, Pope Francis said, but it does mean knowing that Jesus is there to give courage and to defeat evil.

“The Lord knows that the boat of our life, as well as the boat of the church, is threatened by headwinds, and that the sea on which we sail is often turbulent,” the pope said Aug. 13, commenting on the day’s Gospel story about Jesus walking on the water toward the disciples whose boat was being tossed about by the wind.

Jesus “does not spare us the hard work of sailing,” the pope told an estimated 15,000 people gathered in the square for the midday recitation of the Angelus. Instead, “he invites us to face difficulties so they too might become salvific places, so Jesus can conquer them, so they become opportunities to meet him.”

“In our moments of darkness, he comes to meet us, asking to be welcomed like that night on the lake” when the disciples were afraid until Jesus reassured them, Pope Francis said.

In biblical times, people thought that large expanses of water were “the haunts of evil powers that

that we are not self-sufficient. The process of maturing, aging and eventually dying is calibrated to teach us, whether we welcome the lesson or not; that we are not in charge, that self-sufficiency is an illusion. Eventually for all of us there will come a day when, as it was with us before we could tie our own shoelaces, we will have to reach out for a hand and say, “help me.”

The philosopher Eric Mascall has an axiom that says we are neither wise nor mature as long as we take life for granted. We become wise and mature precisely when we take it as granted – by God, by others, by love.

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

man was not able to master,” symbols of chaos and darkness, he said. The disciples probably were not just afraid of sinking but also of being “sucked in by evil.”

“And here comes Jesus, walking on the waters, that is, over the powers of evil,” telling the disciples not to be afraid, the pope said.

“By walking on the water, he wants to say, ‘Do not be afraid. I put your enemies under my feet’ – a beautiful message – ‘I put your enemies under my feet’ –not people! – not that kind of enemy, but death, sin, the devil – these are the enemies of the people, our enemies,” Pope Francis said. “Jesus tramples on these enemies for us.”

In the Gospel story, Peter gets out of the boat and starts walking on the water toward Jesus, but then gets frightened and starts to sink.

Peter cries out, “Lord, save me!” which Pope Francis said is a “beautiful” prayer that “expresses the certainty that the Lord can save us, that he conquers our evil and our fears.”

Pope Francis asked the people in the square to repeat that prayer together three times: “Lord, save me! Lord, save me! Lord, save me!”

The Pope’s Corner Jesus does not abandon individuals or the church, pope says at Angelus

Pope Francis greets visitors in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican before praying the Angelus Aug. 13, 2023. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

AUGUST 25, 2023 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC

' ... Msgr. Sunds brought a sense of social justice for all God's children ...'

– Continued from page 1 –

St. Louis on Aug. 5, 1973, Sunds has pastored in Biloxi, Jackson, Meridian, Greenville and Corinth. Revered for his work with Catholic Charities (where he served as executive director from 1978-1994), he was honored by the Mississippi NAACP in 1982 with the organization’s Outstanding Service Award.

“We established programs while I was there to serve people that had not been served in Mississippi,” Sunds said. “I really encouraged the employees to think toward trying to change the system and make a bigger impact than just the person we were serving. My first hire was Linda Raff as associate director. We made a great team.”

“Msgr. Sunds brought a sense of social justice for all of God’s children, especially those poor and vulnerable,” said Raff, who succeeded Sunds as executive director in 1994 and served in that role 14 years before returning for a final year as director in 2014. “I appreciated that he administered the agency in a very fair-minded way, and it will always be one of my greatest privileges to have worked for him.”

“We’re only 2.5 percent Catholic in the Jackson diocese,” Sunds said. “But we have a tremendous impact, and we have an even bigger impact when we work together ecumenically. The Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference was Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Jewish – lots of denominations – that worked together in the civil rights era.

“When we work together as people of faith, we can make a tremendous impact in Mississippi, such as the changing of the state flag. The football community, the academic community and the business community were behind it, but it was also the Catholic bishop, Methodist bishop, Episcopal bishop and others that agreed we needed to change it.”

“Msgr. Sunds and I have been friends for almost 30 years,” said retired pastor Raymon Leake. “He invited me to speak in his church (St. Patrick in Meridian at the time), and I invited him to speak in mine (First Baptist of Meridian).

“We’ve worked together on projects as significant as establishing a children’s home, and as seemingly insignificant as sharing with a community that Christians of different backgrounds can work together for the benefit of those who need us.”

“Msgr. Sunds was my predecessor at St. Patrick and did the hard work in setting up a relationship between (predominantly white) St. Patrick and (predominantly black) St. Joseph,” said retired priest Father Frank Cosgrove. “What he did should serve as a model for other places.”

“The attendance at 8:30 Sunday Mass at St. Joseph is now about fifty percent white –they come for the music and hospitality, both of which are wonderful – and Msgr. Sunds deserves great credit for that. A St. Patrick parishioner told me that Msgr. Sunds brought the Meridian Catholic community into the twenty-first century.”

In residence at St. Francis in Madison since officially retiring in 2019, Sunds has taken time off to travel the country, most notably an 8,000-mile excursion that took him to eight national parks and three national monuments. He and Leake, both avid outdoorsmen, have hiked together through the Tetons, the Sierras, the Rockies, and from France into Switzerland through the Alps. He even pastored for a month in 2021 in Nome, Alaska.

Sunds has the admiration of St. Francis pastor Father Albeenreddy Vatti, who

praised his brother priest’s work ethic, organizational skills and the simple lifestyle he leads. He has also earned the trust and respect of the parish’s youth.

“When you’re a young priest, you’re kind of a mentor to young people because you’re not far removed from them in age,” Sunds said. “When you get to be middle age, you’re more like a parent, and the relationship changes a bit. Then you get to a stage where you’re more like a grandparent. Maybe they relate to you in a way they wouldn’t relate to their parents.

“You reach out by being accepting and non-critical. And listening.”

Msgr. Elvin Sunds pictured at his priestly ordination on Aug. 5, 1973 in Bay St. Louis. (Photo from archives)

Eternal rest grant unto them ...

In memoriam: Msgr. Michael Thornton

Msgr. Michael Thornton, retired priest from the Diocese of Biloxi, age 77, of Biloxi, passed away on July 26, 2023.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Nora Thornton; and a grandniece, Cairín.

He was much loved and deeply regretted by his siblings, May (Frank), Frank (Evelyn), Padraic (Catherine), Kathleen, and Noel (Josephine); many nieces and nephews and their spouses and partners, grand nieces and grandnephews, and all extended family, neighbors and friends. Michael is also deeply regretted by Bishop Louis Kihneman, fellow priests and friends in the Diocese of Biloxi and Diocese of Jackson, and a wide range of colleagues and friends in the United States, Mexico and Ireland.

Msgr. Thornton was a native of Headford, County Galway, Ireland and he attended St. Patrick Seminary in Carlow, Ireland where he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson on June 7, 1969. He has served as an associate pastor at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Biloxi, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the Biloxi and Jackson Dioceses’ mission in Saltillo, Mexico, Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pascagoula, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Laurel, St. Bernadette Parish in Waynesboro, Holy Trinity Mission in Leakesville, and he retired to Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Biloxi. He was also administrator of St. Louis Parish in Biloxi and served as the diocesan Chancellor, Judicial Vicar and Tribunal, as well as a tribunal judge and member of the presbyterial council.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church with Bishop Louis Kihneman as the prin cipal celebrant.

Msgr. Thornton will be bur ied in Cloughanover Cemetery in Headford, County Galway, Ireland.

In memoriam: Father Mark Beard

Father Mark Bryan Beard, a loving son, brother, uncle, pastor, and friend, passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023 at the age of 62. Fa ther Beard was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He held a Master’s degree in Business Admin istration from Louisiana State University and a Master’s in Divinity (M.Div) from Notre Dame Seminary. He also received a certification in Spirituality (Spiritual Direction), and Divinity.

Father Beard worked for a number of years in his family’s business, Beard Engineering and United Industries, a company working in the manufacturing and engineering of wastewater equipment. Here, he received a U.S. Patent for Inventor of Turbulence Control System.

After a trip to Medjugorje in 2000, he began to consider priesthood as a possible vocation. After four years of discernment, Father Beard entered Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans in 2004 and was or-

dained a priest of the Diocese of Baton Rouge on May 30, 2009 at St. Joseph’s Cathedral. He was associate pastor at Most Sacred Heart-Gramercy, St. Joseph-Paulina, St. Michael the Archangel-Convent, and Our Lady of Prompt Succor Chapel-Lutcher for two years. He was pastor of St. Helena Catholic Church, in Amite, Louisiana, for the last twelve years. During that time he has built a beautiful campus where tours and retreats are offered. For the last two and a half years, he was also the administrator at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Retreat Cen ter in Osyka, Mississippi.

Father Beard is survived by his loving mother, Florence Mariotti Beard; brother, Gary Beard and his wife, Diane; nieces and nephews, Jason, Jennifer, Nathan, Nicholas, Jacob and Jon; great-niece, Gabriella Beard; and godmother, Nita Vicari and family. Father Beard is preceded in death by his father, Harold James Beard.

A Memorial Mass was celebrated at Our Lady of Mercy on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, and a Funeral Mass was also celebrated at St. Helena Church in Amite for family mem bers and parishioners on Friday, Aug. 11.

In lieu of flowers, if you would like to continue supporting Father Beard’s vision, please consider donating on the website to ourladyofhopems.com or mail to P.O. Box 130, Osyka, MS 39657 or to sthelenachurch.net or mail to 122 South First Street Amite, LA 70422.

In memoriam: Sister Mary Anne O’Brien, RSM

Sister Mary Anne O’Brien entered eternal life on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. A native of Ireland, Sister Mary Anne was the seventh of nine children of Mary Anne and Patrick O’Brien. Upon completion of her high school education with the Presentation Sisters she entered the Sisters of Mercy at Webster Groves, Missouri in September 1951.

Her first ministry assignment in 1956 was in Mississippi where her brother, Rev. John T. O’Brien was a priest. She remained in Mississippi until she retired at Catherine’s residence in St. Louis in 2018.

Sister Mary Anne held degrees from Webster College, Marquette University and the University of Southern Mississippi. She served as an elementa ry and high school teacher and she also taught ECD on week ends and during the summers. She spent six years as admin istrator of McAuley Home, a retirement home for the Sisters of Mercy in Vicksburg. In addition, she served as a psychologist at Gulf Coast Mental Health Centers, Catholic Social Services Biloxi.

Her final and longest ministry was at St. Thomas Parish in Long Beach where she served in various capacities, including being Chaplain to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. She also volunteered for a short time at the local jail. While at Gulf Coast Mental Health Center she introduced a program for bereaved parents. She continued this

ministry throughout the rest of her life.

Sister Mary Anne is survived by one sister, 14 nieces and nephews; 31 grand nieces and nephews and one great-great niece.

She will be interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Vicksburg.

In memoriam: Sister Miriam J. Nolan, RSM

Sister Miriam J. Nolan, a Sister of Mercy of the Americas for 65 years, died on July 26 at Catherine’s Residence, the community’s retirement center, in Frontenac. She was 82 years old.

Johanna Nolan was born on April 6, 1941, in Roscrea, County Tipperary, Ireland. She was the daughter of James Nolan and Mary Costigan Nolan. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Mary, and brothers Dan and Oliver Nolan. On Sept. 8, 1958, Johanna Nolan entered the Religious Sisters of Mercy and later received the name Sister Miriam Joseph. She professed her first vows in 1961 and made perpetual profession on Aug. 16, 1966.

Sister Miriam completed her high school studies at St. Mary’s Presentation College High School, Mountmellick, Ireland in 1958 and received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Webster College in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1963. She earned her secondary education teaching certificate in 1965; and a Master of Science in Chemistry from Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York in 1971. She also received a certificate for Religious Formation/Spiritual Direction in 1975.

Sister Miriam taught at Sacred Heart High School, Biloxi, Mississippi; St. Joseph Secondary School, Jeanerette, Louisiana; and St. John’s Inter-Parochial High School, Gulfport, Mississippi.

Sister Miriam held numerous integral staff positions within the Sisters of Mercy including vocation and formation ministry and community leadership. In addition to her love of teaching, Sister Miriam established Mercy Conference and Retreat Center and became its first executive director. Sister Miriam served on numerous Mercy Health System boards and most recently was an active volunteer at the Pratt Cancer Center outpatient laboratory.

Sister Miriam is survived by her brother, Tom, and numerous nieces and nephews from County Tipperary, Ireland.

Her ring motto was “Thy Will Be Done.” A Mass was celebrated July 31, 2023, in the chapel at Mercy Conference and Retreat Center in Frontenac, Missouri. A private burial was held at Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mercy Conference and Retreat Center – Mercy Heroes Fund or another fund supporting the retreat center.

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them.

May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Amen.

Cardinal Gregory: Till memorial should inspire youth to 'work for a better world'

By Mark ZiMMerMann

(OSV News) – Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, the Catholic Church’s first African American cardinal, reacted to President Joe Biden establishing the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Mississippi and Illinois July 25, saying it was important to remember that youth’s brutal, tragic murder and his mother’s heroic quest for justice as the work for civil rights continues.

In a statement, Cardinal Gregory said, “It is painful to recall yesterday’s violence, but it is necessary so that the lessons learned in tears will hopefully prevent us from such tragedies in the future. Emmett Till and his courageous mother Mamie offered the world a sorrowful image of a pieta in 1955. If we remember such moments from the past, perhaps there will be less possibility of a future such image.”

In August 1955, Emmett Till, a 14-yearold African American youth from Chicago, was visiting family in Mississippi when he was accused of making unjust advancements toward a white female grocery clerk, which his cousins and friends at the scene disputed. Four days later, he was pulled from bed, kidnapped and brutally murdered. Three days after his abduction, his mutilated body was pulled from the Tallahatchie River.

His mother Mamie Till-Mobley held an open-casket viewing and funeral for her son in Chicago, at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ. Over several days, an estimated 125,000 people attended the visitation and funeral services. Emmett Till’s lynching helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement and inspired Rosa Parks’ activism.

Among those who filed past Emmett Till’s casket was Wilton Gregory, a native of Chicago who was then nearly 8 years old. In a May 2023 interview with the Catholic Standard and the Spanish-language El Pregonero, newspapers of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, Cardinal Gregory remembered that experience.

“I grew up in the mid-‘50s, and the great challenges that were going on in the United States at that time involved the Civil Rights Movement. I can remember as a young man going to the wake of Emmett Till, my grandmother took me to the wake. That was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. And certainly, you know, just a startling moment for the African American community of Chicago, because he was a kid from Chicago that had been murdered in Mississippi.”

In that interview, Cardinal Gregory said he remembered “the sense of hope and determination that the Civil Rights Movement engendered,” and he also noted that he grew up in an era when President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated.

“Those moments of tragedy … of the killing of Emmett Till, the assassination of those public figures, they didn’t break the spirit of the people of the time. They saddened us deeply, but they didn’t break our spirits. And I hope that’s also the case of the young people in today’s world, which is so divided,” the cardinal said. “My prayer, my hope is that our young people don’t lose hope, that they don’t just throw up their hands and say all is lost, (that) there’s no possibility of improvement, because there is. And that possibility of improvement resides with the young people themselves, that they work for a better world.”

In a 2020 interview with CNN journalist Christiane

Amanpour, the cardinal also reflected on what it was like to attend the viewing of Emmett Till.

“I can remember that my grandmother took me to the wake … Emmett Till’s mother insisted that it be an open casket wake, so that people could see the brutality that her son had endured. And I was 7 or 8 years old at the time. And I went with my grandmother, along with literally thousands of African-American Chicagoans, to witness the awful brutality that that young man had suffered. It was – it was something that I shall never forget. We were in a long line. And, obviously, we just walked past the casket. And I recall seeing the awful, disfigured body of that young man.”

During a 2020 panel discussion sponsored by Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, Cardinal Gregory said viewing the video of the murder of George Floyd – the African American man who died in police custody after a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for an extended period –brought back a flood of memories, including the viewing of Emmett Till. He said that Floyd’s death reminded him of “a whole collage of individuals who have been assassinated for no other reason than the color of their skin.”

President Biden signed the proclamation establishing the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument on July 25, on a day that would have been Emmett Till’s 82nd birthday. The new monument will be at three sites, at Graball Landing in Mississippi, believed to be the site where Emmett Till’s body was discovered in the Tallahatchie River; at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago, where his viewing and funeral were

held; and at the Tallahatchie County Second District Courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi, where the trial of Emmett Till’s two accused murderers was held in September 1955, and an all-white jury acquitted them after an hour of deliberation. Both those men later admitted to killing the youth.

At the ceremony where President Biden signed the proclamation establishing the new national monument, Vice President Kamala Harris said, “Today we gather to remember our history. We gather to remember an act of astonishing violence and hate, and to honor the courage of those who called upon our nation to look with open eyes upon that horror and to act. The story of Emmett Till and the incredible bravery of Mamie Till-Mobley helped fuel the movement for civil rights in America, and their stories continue to inspire our collective fight for justice.”

Before he signed the proclamation, President Biden emphasized how, after Emmett Till’s murder, his mother Mamie Till-Mobley “insisted on an open casket for her murdered and maimed and mutilated son, 14 years old. She said, ‘Let the people see what I have seen.’ The country and the world saw, not just heard, the story of Emmett Till and his mother as a story of a family’s promise and loss, and a nation’s reckoning with hate, violence and racism.”

In March 2022 during a White House ceremony, President Biden signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, a law that makes lynching a federal hate crime.

When the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in 2016, the artifacts included the casket of Emmett Till.

(Mark Zimmerman writes for the Catholic Standard.)

Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, speaks during a May 2023 interview with the Catholic Standard and El Pregonero newspapers. (OSV News photo/Mihoko Owada, Catholic Standard)

Photo by BigStock

MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC AUGUST 25, 2023

Catholics appeal for help as Biden declares Maui’s deadly fires a federal emergency

By Patrick Downes (OSV News)

– Catholic Charities Hawai’i in the Honolulu Diocese has appealed for donations to help the agency meet housing, food and other needs of what could be thousands of victims from wildfires raging on the island of Maui that wiped out an entire town and drove people to seek refuge in the ocean.

More than 11,000 people were evacuated as wildfires burned the historic town of Lahaina “to the ground,” as numerous news outlets reported. Maui County officials confirmed Aug. 17 that at least 111 people have died, with two of them identified; and possibly 1,000 still missing. Maui police have asked families of people still unaccounted for to submit DNA samples to aid in possible identification.

An assessment of the Lahaina fire by the Pacific Disaster Center and Federal Emergency Management Agency reported 2,170 acres burned and more than 2,200 structures were damaged or destroyed.

Other Maui communities affected by the fires include the Kihei area and inland communities known as Upcountry. Firefighting crews continued to extinguish flare-ups in Lahaina and Upcountry into the evening Aug. 12, and the Pulehu/Kihei area fire was declared 100% contained to avoid further spread of the flames.

News reports said that wildfires also were affecting the Big Island (officially named Hawaii), and crews were battling a total of six fires, with three simultaneously torching Maui.

Various news outlets have reported on survivors supporting one another and receiving aid from local volunteer relief efforts. The Hawai’i Emergency Management Agency website maintains a page listing where to find the latest updates online and via radio, along with various agencies and resources on the ground for supplies, shelter, services and finding missing loved ones. Hawai’i Governor Josh Green said Aug. 13 that a Temporary Housing Task Force has been formed to work with federal partners, and has already secured 1,000 rooms to house those displaced by the fire with longer-term housing plans in the works.

“We can only imagine the distress and heartache that many are currently experiencing from the destructive wildfires on Maui, and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone impacted,” said a statement posted on the website of Catholic Charities Hawai’i, which urged people to make a donation to the agency for Maui relief at catholiccharitieshawaii.org/ maui-relief.

“As a community of hope we can help those in need to overcome this tragedy and rebuild their lives through recovery efforts. Thank you for your consideration and for your continued support as we navigate through this challenging time together,” the agency said.

As the fires continued to burn and as the death toll continued to rise, Pope Francis offered his prayers, his encouragement to firefighters and rescue workers, and invoked “upon all the people of Maui Almighty God’s blessings of strength and peace,” according to a telegram sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, to Cardinal-designate Christoph Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The Maui blazes began the night of Aug. 8. The National Weather Service said strong winds from Hurricane Dora, passing hundreds of miles to the southwest of the Hawaiian Islands, were partly to blame for fueling the fires, though authorities had not yet identified what caused the fires.

During an Aug. 10 visit to a Veterans Affairs medical center in Salt Lake City, President Joe Biden issued a federal disaster declaration for Maui and the Big Island, ordering “all available federal assets on the Islands to help with response.” Green requested the declaration, which makes federal funds available to affected individuals by providing grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover

uninsured property losses and other assistance. The federal funds can help businesses as well as state and eligible county governments, and nonprofit organizations.

“This is a tragic day for everyone in Hawai’i and the nation. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims and the survivors suffering through the deadliest natural disaster the state has seen in generations,” Green said in an Aug. 10 statement.

“In the coming days – as more and more details emerge – I ask that we as a state provide all the emotional and financial support we can to the people of Lahaina and Maui,” he said, adding that as governor, “I pledge to spare no resources to combat the destructive wildfires, shelter the displaced, treat and bring comfort to the traumatized, support our first responders, restore communication lines and enlist the aid of our federal and county partners to confront this this oncein-a-lifetime catastrophe.”

Lahaina’s Maria Lanakila Catholic Church miraculously survived the blaze.

In the days immediately following the fire, the Diocese of Honolulu had been unable to verify the fate of the church and its nearby parish school, K-8 Sacred Hearts School. The day before the fire, Aug. 7, half of the school’s roof blew off from the heavy winds.

Father Robert Ni Ni, a Missionaries of Faith priest who is pastor of the neighboring parish of St. Rita in Haiku and recently had been assigned to Maria Lanakila as parochial vicar, said he had heard conflicting reports on the fate of the church. He said it would be a “miracle” if the church survived.

The daily Honolulu Star-Advertiser had reported that the church had burned down. Another news source reported the church was still standing, Father Ni Ni told the Hawaii Catholic Herald, Honolulu’s diocesan newspaper, by phone Aug. 10.

The Star-Advertiser corrected its report Aug. 11 with a story that the church was still standing.

The Lahaina fire ripped down Front Street, leaving the famous waterfront home to visitors’ shops and restaurants a smoldering pile of ashes. The church is a block from Front Street.

With all the power and cellphone service out, the fate of Maria Lanakila Church was for several days the subject of rumor. The day after the fire ripped through Lahaina town, the word going around was that the church was “gone.” By Aug. 10 the diocese had received enough ground and aerial photographic evidence to determine that the church and rectory survived intact, while the school was heavily damaged. However, no one from the church has been able to visit the site because the area is closed off indefinitely as the search for victims continues.

Father Ni Ni reported that the pastor, Father Kuriakose Nadooparambil, and a visiting priest are safe as are three sisters of the Missionaries of Faith who work for the parish, and all the school and parish lay employees. At least five lost their homes, however.

Father Ni Ni has

been one source of information about Lahaina as communication lines are down all over.

When the fire struck, Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva was on vacation in California as he returned from World Youth Day. His office quickly organized a Zoom virtual rosary to pray for the victims.

“What is needed is prayer for those who have lost their homes and businesses, prayers for our firefighters and first responders and police, and all those you are trying to protect the community, prayer for our social service agencies which are gearing up to help those who are most in need in this time of crisis and trial,” he said, introducing the virtual prayer session that was attended by about 300 people.

“And so we pray to our Blessed Mother for victory over all these tragedies,” he said, noting that Maria Lanakila translates into “Our Lady of Victory.”

“We ask the Lord to quench those fires immediately, so that they will no longer do any damage, so that they will be a memory of the past so we can begin the work of recovery and rebuilding,” he said in closing.

According to the National Park Service, Lahaina holds deep cultural significance for Hawaiians as the district “was once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom.” The Lahaina Historic District, which encompassed downtown Lahaina, Front Street and its vicinity, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962, according to the park service’s website.

The first Mass was celebrated in Lahaina in 1841 by Sacred Hearts Father Modestus Favens, in a grass structure belonging to the Spanish cowboy Joakini. A bronze plaque on Front Street marked the spot.

According to the parish website, Maria Lanakika Church was established in 1846.

In 1862, Sacred Hearts Father Aubert Bouillon opened Sacred Hearts School with two classrooms. The English-speaking school was run by laywomen until the Sisters of St. Francis took it over from 1928 to 2001.

A new school building and convent, built of donated second-hand lumber, were blessed in 1951 by Bishop James J. Sweeney.

An arsonist burned the school down in 1971. The sisters rebuilt it with donations and by selling sweetbread, pickled mango and other items.

Patrick Downes is editor of the Hawaii Catholic Herald, newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu. OSV News staff contributed to this report. Julie Asher is senior edi-

An aerial view shows the community of Lahaina after wildfires driven by high winds burned across most of the town several days ago, in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S. August 10, 2023. (OSV News photo/Marco Garcia, Reuters)

'... normal human beings who made a mistake at some point in their life ...'

dreamed of from the outside – to evangelize CMCF and build the kingdom of God.”

Although Jesus explicitly instructs his followers to visit those who are in prison (Matthew 25:36), it’s an often-overlooked ministry. It’s an especially important one in a state like Mississippi, which has an incarceration rate of 1,031 people per 100,000 residents, according to 2021 statistics from PrisonPolicy.org. That’s the second highest among U.S. states, and 55 percent higher than the national average.

Father Lincoln was joined on that July Saturday by Bob Pavolini, a volunteer with the Mississippi Association for Returning Citizens (MARC), a group that focuses on the re-entry of incarcerated individuals into society and that holds meetings at St. Paul Catholic Church in Flowood. A handful of other volunteers also assist in this ministry.

Father Lincoln notes the need for more volunteers and donations. Last year, they spent about $16,000 on the ministry – covering such various expenses as rosaries, Catechisms, Bibles, missalettes and books, as well as a golf cart used to distribute produce from the farmer’s market to the inmates. Individuals can donate specifically to the prison ministry through the Jackson’ Diocese’s online giving portal. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Father Lincoln at lincoln.dall@jackson.diocese.org.

“It’s uncomfortable at first and building relationships with the inmates is a slow-going process, but if you persist and you keep coming, eventually the guys bond with you and they open up and you realize they are just a normal human being who made a mistake at some point in their life,” Stevens said. “They’re not any different than you or I.”

Speaking about the growth of the Catholic community inside CMCF, the inmates rave about Father Lincoln and his sincerity and genuine passion for the ministry.

“I knew from the first time I met him that he really cared about the men here and his mission for God,” Michael said.

During his homily that Saturday afternoon, Father Lincoln referenced a quote he recently saw on the Internet, noting there are no perfect lives, jobs, marriages, parents, etc. We all have our struggles. But, Father Lincoln said, we have God who is perfect and will lead us through our imperfect lives with wisdom, strength and love.

“We all have our crosses,” Father Lincoln said. “I know you do. Our faith is here to help us through all of the struggles we have.”

– Continued from page 1 –

2023. Always fighting the forces of evil.”

The Catholic inmates have played a large role in the community’s rapid growth, said Father Lincoln, who has made the ministry the focus of a project he’s undertaking as part of the Mathis Liturgical Leadership Program, a selective two-year initiative run by the University of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute of Church Life.

The project is about creating a Eucharistic culture. In this case, it builds that culture by empowering the members of CMCF’s St. Michael the Archangel community to evangelize their fellow inmates.

“It has grown because that core group is working behind the scenes when we’re not there, and they’re going and talking to people and evangelizing them and trying to get them to come to Mass,” said Wes Stevens, who also volunteers with Father Lincoln in the ministry. Michael, an inmate who serves as St. Michael the Archangel’s leader, is also a Eucharistic minister. Recognized as the facility’s official Catholic field minister, he meets with other inmates throughout the week, prays with them and tells them about the growing Catholic ministry.

Father Lincoln brings consecrated hosts to a tabernacle they established within the chapel, and Michael distributes the Blessed Sacrament to Catholic inmates during the week. He also brings rosaries and Bibles that have been donated to the ministry.

“For me, it doesn’t matter where I am,” Michael said when asked why the ministry means so much to him. “I have the peace of God. I want others to have what I have. It’s an incredible gift, and I want other people to have it.

“That’s the last thing Jesus said in the Gospel, was for us to go forth and share it.”

Six inmates went through the RCIA program last year and joined the Catholic Church at Easter, and two more were confirmed by Bishop Joseph Kopacz during a spring visit to the facility. A new RCIA class will be held this fall.

The community has a pastoral council of Catholic inmates who meet regularly to plan activities. It recently launched a farmer’s market, which buys fresh fruits and vegetables and sells them to other inmates. They view the market as an outreach opportunity – a chance to highlight the growing Catholic community to others inside the facility – as well a means to provide healthy meals at affordable prices.

“The men who participate in the Catholic Community are a great bunch of men,” Gregg, another inmate, recently wrote in a letter to Father Lincoln expressing his appreciation for the CMCF Catholic ministry. “…. (They) strive behind bars and razor wire to do things that are only discussed and

KPCLA Jr. Daughters National Convention

PEARL – Recently, Father Lincoln Dall and Bishop Joseph Kopacz celebrated Mass with the St. Michael the Archangel community at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl. (Photo courtesy of Father Lincoln Dall)

NEW ORLEANS – The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxillary, Father Anthony Bourges Junior Daughter Court #171 of Holy Ghost parish in Jackson attended the 25th Biennial Junior National Convention in New Orleans from July 13-16. Pictured left to right: Lady Rosalind Moses (Jr. Daughter Counselor), Lady Cinteria Green (Jr. Daughter Counselor Assistant), Bella Moses (Junior Daughter) and J’Nyah Slaughter (Junior Daughter). (Photo courtesy of Rosalind Moses)

At Congress closing Mass, Black Catholics urged, ‘Don’t let the fire go out!’

Editor's note: Ivory Phillips, parishioner of Holy Ghost Jackson, wrote a summary of his experience at the 13th National Black Catholic Congress that took place from July 20-23 in National Harbor, Maryland. To read it, visit https://bit.ly/PhillipsNBCC.

To make sure you do not miss Mississippi Catholic “extras” or other important Catholic news join our email list on Flocknote. Text MSCATHOLIC to 84576 or sign-up at jacksondiocese.flocknote.com today!

By Gina Christian

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (OSV News) – A Sending forth the participants of the 13th National Black Catholic Congress at their July 23 closing Mass in the Washington metropolitan area, Bishop John H. Ricard offered them an admonition that he said he learned from his days as a youth camping in the woods – “Don’t let the fire go out!”

Bishop Ricard, the superior general of the Josephites, who formerly served as the bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida, was the homilist at the Mass, celebrated at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. He encouraged the congress participants to be enlivened by the flame of the Holy Spirit, and to bring that spirit of faith back to their homes, parishes, dioceses and to the African American communities in their cities and towns.

“You’ve got to poke the flame and stir it up ... We can’t let the fire go out,” he said, also encouraging people to address problems like violence in their communities, the mass incarceration of people of color, and the challenge of reaching out to young adult Black Catholics raised in the faith, who no longer go to church.

An estimated 3,000 Black Catholics from 80 dioceses across the United States attended the four-day gathering, which included Masses, keynote addresses, breakout sessions for adults and youth, and a visit to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American

History and Culture.

“I’m grateful to God that you are here in such great numbers, to bear witness to our church and our faith in the Lord,” Bishop Ricard, 83, said.

In his homily, Bishop Ricard praised the legacies of faith of the six U.S. Black Catholics being considered for sainthood whose portraits were depicted in large banners hanging behind the altar, noting how the Holy Spirit had reigned down on each of them.

“We’re here this weekend to reap the harvest that has been sown,” said Bishop Ricard.

Those candidates for sainthood include Venerable Henriette Delille of New Orleans, the foundress of the Sisters of the Holy Family; Venerable Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange of Baltimore, the foundress of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first religious congregation of African American women; Venerable Father Augustus Tolton of Chicago, the first publicly known Black Catholic priest in the United States; Venerable Pierre Toussaint of New York, renowned for his charitable works; Servant of God Julia Greeley of Denver, known for her devout faith; and Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration and dynamic evangelist from Mississippi who died of cancer in 1990.

Sister Thea, who was known for her soaring style of singing, participated in the sixth National Black Catholic Congress, held in 1987 on the campus of The Catholic University of America in Washington. Remembering the impact of her life, Bishop Ricard said, “The Holy Spirit came upon the songbird. Didn’t she become a witness of triumph over sickness and discrimination?”

Bishop Ricard also noted the legacy of Daniel Rudd, a pioneer Black Catholic journalist from Kentucky who founded the Congress of Colored Catholics that first met at St. Augustine Church in Washington in 1889.

That group, the bishop said, “is the granddaddy of the National Black Catholic Congress,” a movement that was revived in 1987, after Rudd’s group had held five earlier national gatherings around the turn of the century.

Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory gives his July 21, 2023, keynote address at Congress XIII of the National Black Catholic Congress, held July 20-23 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at National Harbor, Md. (OSV News photo/Mihoko Owada, Catholic Standard)

Honoring the memory of Rudd’s effort, Bishop Ricard said, “They had the vision, they had the determination, and they had the will back then to come together, because Rudd believed that in the Catholic Church, there was the fullness of the revelation of the teaching of Jesus, and that was the answer to all of the problems that Blacks were facing.”

The main celebrant of the July 23 closing Mass was Washington Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr., the president of the National Black Catholic Congress. He was joined by five other bishops, about 60 priests and nearly 50 deacons. Joining the laypeople in the congregation were numerous African American women and men religious.

(Mark Zimmermann is editor of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington.)

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – Pictured (l-r) at the National Black Catholic Congress are Maxine Ford (St. Francis Greenwood); Dr. Ivory Phillips (Holy Ghost Jackson); Sister Amelia Breton, SBS; Jackie Lewis (St. Francis Greenwood); Father Sebastian Myladiyil, SVD (Sacred Heart Greenville); Laveria Green (Holy Family Natchez); Vincent Green (Holy Family Natchez); Glara Martin (St. Francis Greenwood); Linda Simmons (Christ the King Jackson); Janie Hicks (Holy Family Jackson); and Edith Spells (St. Francis Greenwood). (Photo courtesy of Sister Amelia Breton, SBS)

GREENVILLE – Julice Curry speaks to students at St. Joseph School on her work with St. Vincent de Paul and renovations completed with thanks to a gift from the Salvador Sarullo estate in the fall of 2022. Curry is nominated for a Lumen Christi award for radiating the light of Christ in her community. (Photos by Joanna Puddister King)

VICKSBURG – Michael Phan is ready for his first day of Kindergarten at St. Francis Xavier/Vicksburg Catholic School. (Photo by Lindsey Bradley)

NATCHEZ – (Left) First grade teacher Torri Webber gives assistance to students Emma Williams and Tatum Johnson at Cathedral School.

COLUMBUS – (Left) Annunciation third grader, James Thomas is ready to learn. (Photo by Logan Waggoner)

FLOWOOD – (Above) St. Paul Early Learning Center PreK 4/5 students enjoy morning circle. (Photo by Tamera Herron)

MADISON –(Right) Paul Marion is all smiles at Assisi Early Learning Center. (Photo courtesy of school)

SOUTHAVEN – (Left) Amber Zachary's third grade class participate in an activity to learn about their classmates at Sacred Heart School. (Photo by Sister Margaret Sue Broker)

(Photo by Cara Moody)

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

Asamblea Nacional del Movimiento Familiar Cristiano Católico

Por PaDre Marco antonio sÁnchez, st (sierVo trinitario)

CARTHAGE – Matrimonios de la Diócesis de Jackson con sus familias asistieron a la convención nacional del Movimiento Familiar Cristiano Católico (MFCC), del 13 al 16 de Julio en la ciudad de Denver, Colorado, que reunió a más de 1500 familias de todos los estados de los Estados Unidos.

La reunión tuvo la presencia de su eminencia el recién elegido Cardenal Christophe Pierre, Nuncio Apostólico en los Estados Unidos, los obispos locales: Monseñor James R. Golka, obispo de Colorado Springs; Monseñor Jorge Rodríguez, obispo auxiliar de Denver y pastores de la Iglesia.

Su eminencia el Cardenal Christophe Pierre se dirigió a los matrimonios de 22 estados del país “A través de un encuentro con Cristo, a través del testimonio, vuélvanse discípulos de Jesús," les dijo. "No se trata solamente de predicar con palabra, sino predicar con la vida, con el ejemplo,...” insistió.

Las familias escucharon los mensajes de aliento a seguir promoviendo y viviendo la fe, como una llamada del lema de las familias de “ir con alegría a lo alto de la montaña, al encuentro del Señor.” Fue un fin de semana donde se experimentó la alegría de vivir el Evangelio como familias, que construyen la sociedad y la Iglesia.

El MFCC-USA es un movimiento católico laico del pueblo de Dios que agrupa familias católicas, apoyadas con la asistencia de Obispos, Sacerdotes, Diáconos y Religiosos. El MFCC-USA es una agrupación de familias católicas que unen sus esfuerzos para promover los valores humanos y cristianos de la familia, para que ésta sea en la comunidad: formadora de personas, educadora en la fe, consciente de su misión evangelizadora y comprometida en el desarrollo integral de la comunidad y de la iglesia doméstica.

A escala internacional, el MFCC forma parte de la Confederación Internacional de Movimientos Familiares Cristianos (CIMFC). A escala nacional, es asesorado espiritualmente por un Obispo que representa el MFCC-USA ante la Conferencia Episcopal de los Estados Unidos.

A escala nacional y en cada Federación, hay un Asesor Espiritual aprobado por

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DENVER – En Misa especial, su eminencia el Cardenal Christophe Pierre, Nuncio Apostólico en los Estados Unidos, se dirigió a los matrimonios en asamblea nacional del MFCC del 13 al 16 de Julio. (Foto de Padre Marco Sánchez, ST)

Jornada Mundial de la Juventud: "Comienzo de nuevo camino espiritual"

Por ParroQuias catÓLicas DeL noreste De MississiPPi

¡Bienvenidos de regreso de la peregrinación de la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud!

¡Estamos encantados de compartir la feliz noticia de que nuestra increíble juventud dehoniana ha regresado de su viaje inolvidable en la Peregrinación de la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud!

Durante las últimas dos semanas, nuestros jóvenes se embarcaron en una aventura inspiradora, sumergiéndose en el vibrante espíritu de fe, unidad e intercambio cultural. Se unieron en Portugal a 1,5 millones de jóvenes de todo el mundo creando recuerdos duraderos y forjando conexiones significativas.

A lo largo de su peregrinaje, nuestros jóvenes tuvieron la oportunidad de profundizar su crecimiento espiritual, participar en debates que invitan a la reflexión y participar en diversas actividades de oración. Pudieron presenciar la diversidad de perspectivas, culturas y experiencias, ampliando su comprensión de la fe católica.

Extendemos nuestra más sincera gratitud a todos los chaperones, voluntarios, donantes y simpatizantes. Sin duda, su dedicación y orientación han dado forma a las vidas de nuestros jóvenes, empoderándolos para que se conviertan en personas compasivas y responsables.

LISBON, PORTUGAL – La Congregación de los Sacerdotes del Sagrado Corazón (en latín: Congregatio Sacerdotum a Sacro Corde Iesu), también llamados Dehonianos. representó a los jóvenes católicos dehonianos del noreste de Mississippi, la Diócesis de Jackson y de todo el país cuando se unieron a otros dehonianos de Milwaukee y Houston en la peregrinación a la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud en Lisbon, Portugal. (Foto del Padre Hendrick Ardianto, SCJ y Vickie Stirek)

A nuestros jóvenes peregrinos: Habéis vuelto con el corazón lleno de fe, alegría e inspiración. Esperamos ansiosamente la oportunidad de escuchar sus historias, presenciar su crecimiento y ver cómo esta peregrinación ha impactado sus vidas.

Recuerda, el viaje no termina aquí; es el comienzo de un nuevo capítulo en su viaje espiritual.

25 de agosto de 2023 MISSISSIPPI CATÓLICO

“...Ir con alegría a lo alto de la montaña, al encuentro del Señor..."

hurst, St. Francis New Albany y St. James Tupelo

Los primeros presidentes de la federación de Jackson fueron Francisco e Isabel Mazy (2012-2014) a los que les siguieron; Gerardo y Lupita Hernández (2014-2017); Juan y Maribel Melo (2017-2020); Ernesto e Irma Sanchez (2020-2023) y actualmente, Miguel y Lizet Cruz tomarán este ministerio por los próximos tres años.

DENVER – El padre Marco A. Sánchez, ST, asesor espiritual del MFCC región de Jackson , acompañó a los matrimonios locales a la asamblea nacional.

(i-d) Cardenal Christophe Pierre, Nuncio Apostólico en los Estados Unidos y el Padre Marco toman un momento para tomarse una foto. (Foto cortesía del Padre Marco.)

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el Obispo de la Diócesis. Existen además Asesores Espirituales en las Federaciones y Zonas, quienes asisten invaluablemente en el aspecto espiritual a los lideres y membresía en general. En Estados Unidos, el MFCC-USA esta registrado y reconocido debidamente ante las leyes civiles como una Organización No Lucrativa. Presencia del MFCC-USA en la Diócesis de Jackson

El MFCC-USA inició en la Diócesis de Jackson el 18 de febrero del 2012 con 13 parejas en el área de Jackson, Canton, Forest, Hazlehurst y otro grupo en Tupelo con una presentación dada por Cristóbal y Rosa Villafranco en aquel entonces eran delegados en Texas.

Las 13 parejas se comprometieron a participar en un taller para “Aspirantes” que consistía en 6 temas, que iniciaron en marzo y terminaron en junio. Justo a tiempo para iniciar el primer ciclo en septiembre 2012. Las parejas que iniciaron pertenecían a las parroquias de la Catedral de San Pedro Jackson, San Martin Hazle-

La Federación de la diócesis pertenece a la Región Uno, área Dos, que incluye al estado de Alabama. En la actualidad se cuenta con 66 parejas del área de Jackson y 15 en el área de Dothan Alabama.

DENVER – El matrimonio de Lizet y Miguel Cruz asumirá en septiembre el rol de presidentes de la región Jackson para un mandato de tres años. (i-d) Lizet, el hijo de ambos y Miguel Cruz posan para el padre Marco, en un momento de descanso durante la asamblea.

María Josefa Garcia Álvarez, MGSpS en Anniston; y los diáconos Alfonso Diaz y César Ortega en Dothan.

Las parejas que actualmente están participando son miembros de: Catedral de San Pedro Jackson; San Martin Hazlehurst; Sagrado Corazón Canton; St. Therese Jackson, St. Jude Pearl; Holy Savior Clinton y St Anne Carthage, todas parroquias de Mississippi y Sacred Heart Anniston; San Columba Dothan; San Juan Evangelista Enterprise y Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Clio, de Alabama

El movimiento sigue fielmente las enseñanzas de la Iglesia y por lo tanto la presencia de los sacerdotes, diáconos y religiosos, aseguran una fiel enseñanza de la dotrina cristiana católica.

Actualmente en Jackson se cuenta con la participación de los sacerdotes Alexis Zúñiga, S.T. (Siervo Trinitario) y Marco A. Sanchez, S.T. (Siervo Trinitario), quien además es también el guía espiritual de la Federación y áreas de Familia.

En Alabama están, la Hermana María Elena Mendez, MGSpS; el Padre John G. McDonald y la hermana

En la diócesis de Jackson hay 25 parroquias que sirven a la comunidad hispana y se espera que cada una de ellas se pueda beneficiar de este recurso para los matrimonios y las familias.

El próximo mes de septiembre se inicia el nuevo curso. Si está interesado o tiene alguna pregunta, puede dirigirse a los matrimonios encargados para este ciclo: Maribel y Juan Melo al (601) 209-3232; Miguel y Lizet Cruz al (601) 667-8282; y con el Padre Marco A. Sanchez, S.T. al (601) 564-1676 o al correo electrónico: marcsanchez.st@gmail.com.

(Editor's note: To read this story in English, visit mississippicatholic.com.)

DENVER – Durante la XVII Convención Nacional del Movimiento Familiar Cristiano Católico se realizaron muchas actividades. (der.) La pareja de Maribel y Juan Melo, actuales delegados regionales, recibieron la bendición del Cardenal Christophe Pierre, Nuncio Apostólico en los Estados Unidos. (arriba) Se ve al matrimonio de Irma y Ernesto Sánchez, presidentes salientes de la región de Jackson, ejerciendo su voto durante las elecciones de los nuevos líderes nacionales. (Fotos del Padre Marco Sánchez, ST)

Por obisPo JosePh r. KoPacz, D.D. "Todos, Todos, Todos" fue la emotiva declaración del Papa Francisco durante la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud en Lisboa, Portugal, a principios de este mes. Este mantra español establece que todos son bienvenidos, especialmente los bautizados, para venir a la presencia de Dios dentro de la Iglesia Católica para conocer el amor transformador de Jesucristo.

Jóvenes y mayores, de casi todas las naciones del planeta, estaban presentes para celebrar con el sucesor de Pedro, el Siervo de los Siervos de nuestro Dios misericordioso. Qué maravillosa manifestación de la identidad y misión de la iglesia en Lisboa, encapsulada como Una, Santa, Católica y Apostólica, el centro de nuestra propia reinvención pastoral.

Esta visión universal de la iglesia que comenzó en el primer Pentecostés, en realidad comenzó a surgir a principios del Antiguo Testamento. Sin embargo, llegó a su cumplimiento en la muerte y resurrección vivificante del Señor, y en el derramamiento del Espíritu Santo. Pero la Cruz nos recuerda que esta visión de unidad entre todas las naciones en la iglesia se esfuerza por seguir su curso y requiere arrepentimiento, conversión y sacrificio para vencer el pecado que siembra división.

La mujer cananea del evangelio del domingo pasado es un excelente punto de partida para mirar hacia el manantial del Antiguo Testamento. Su súplica inesperada y angustiada a Jesús en favor de su hija poseída comenzó con el saludo: “Señor, hijo de David, ten piedad de mí.” Jesús se quedó sin palabras por un momento ante la clara comprensión de su identidad por parte de esta mujer pagana. Respetando su valentía y fe, le recordó la actitud y el prejuicio de los israelitas hacia los extranjeros de que “No está bien tomar el

"Todos Todos Todos"

pan de los hijos, y echárselo a los perros.” ... “Sí, Señor; pero también los perros comen de las migajas que caen de la mesa de sus amos.” fue la réplica desesperada de la mujer. El Señor respondió con asombro por su fe, y en ese instante, la hija de esta “mujer inmunda” fue sanada. Este es un encuentro fascinante con el Señor que nos desafía a profundizar en nuestro conocimiento y comprensión de la voluntad de Dios. El Antiguo Testamento tiene esta clave.

El Libro de Rut es una parábola, una narración que confrontó las duras políticas de los israelitas en la época de Esdras cuando regresaban a casa del exilio. (Esdras 10) Básicamente, Esdras estaba ordenando a los israelitas que dejaran a sus esposas extranjeras donde las encontraron porque habían sido infieles al Pacto. En esta mentalidad, Dios no quiere que la sangre de extranjeros contamine el linaje del pueblo elegido. ¡En realidad! Entra en el Libro de Rut. Es una historia entrañable de una mujer moabita, pagana, que eligió regresar a la tierra de Israel con su suegra judía, Noemí. Las palabras de Ruth están guardadas para siempre en nuestra memoria bíblica. “...adonde tú vayas, iré yo, y donde tú mores, moraré. Tu pueblo será mi pueblo y tu Dios, mi Dios. Donde tú mueras, allí moriré, y allí seré sepultada.” (Rut 1:16-17) La mano de la providencia colocó a Rut en la línea directa de la historia de la salvación como la bisabuela del Rey David de cuyo linaje vino el Mesías, el Hijo de David. Las semillas de la universalidad ya estaban brotando incluso antes de que el rey David se sentara en el trono de Israel. No hay nada sutil u oculto en la profecía de Isaías en la primera lectura del domingo pasado, ya que anticipa la Gran Comisión del Señor al final del Evangelio de Mateo. “...mi casa será llamada casa de oración para todos los pueblos.” (Isaías 56:7) Todos los justos están invitados al banquete del amor de Dios. “Y el Señor de los ejércitos preparará en este monte para todos los pueblos un banquete de manjares suculentos, un banquete de vino añejo, pedazos escogidos con tuétano y vino añejo refinado.” (Isaías 25:6)

La historia del profeta Jonás es otra obra maestra del plan de Dios para la salvación universal. Su predicación motivó a los ciudadanos de Nínive, desde

el rey para abajo, al arrepentimiento sincero. Resulta que Jonás se resintió profundamente por la acción de Dios al otorgar misericordia a los odiados asirios que habían destruido el Reino del norte de Israel. Muy mal por Jonás. Los tres días del profeta en el vientre del pez prefiguraron los tres días del Señor en la tumba y su resurrección de entre los muertos, el paso final en el plan de salvación universal. La carta a los Efesios capta la esencia del sacrificio del Señor.

“Pero ahora en Cristo Jesús, vosotros, que en otro tiempo estabais lejos, habéis sido acercados por la sangre de Cristo... y para reconciliar con Dios a los dos en un cuerpo por medio de la cruz, habiendo dado muerte en ella a la enemistad. Vino y anunció Paz a Vosotros que estabais lejos y Paz a los que estaban cerca.” (Efesios 2:13, 16-17)

En nuestro propio tiempo, necesitamos acabar con la hostilidad dondequiera que asoma su fea cabeza y escuchar el llamado del Evangelio que suena verdadero en las palabras del Papa Francisco en la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud. Todos, Todos, Todos. Esta, por supuesto, es la gran comisión del Señor de “Id, pues, y haced discípulos de todas las naciones.” (Mateo 28:19), una persona, una familia, una comunidad, una nación a la vez.

Con la invitación viene el llamado al arrepentimiento, a la conversión y al cambio con la misma actitud de Pedro, el primer Papa, después de que Jesús mismo se invitó a subir a su barca. Pedro, abrumado por la gracia de Dios con la enorme captura de peces, exclamó: “¡Apártate de mí, Señor, ¡porque soy un pecador!” (Lucas 5:8)

Nuestra diócesis está bendecida con fieles de muchas naciones, una presencia verdaderamente católica. A la luz de lo anterior, podemos decir que la actitud de acogida, la fe, la oración, la compasión, el arrepentimiento y la conversión son componentes siempre antiguos y siempre nuevos en el camino de la salvación. A pesar que nuestros esfuerzos, a veces, pueden parecer escasos, de vez en cuando incluso, una migaja que cae de la mesa del Maestro es suficiente para comenzar la fiesta.

Papa Francisco a jóvenes: Para enfrentar los altibajos de la vida, miren a los ancianos

Por Justin McLeLLan CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – El Evangelio llama a los cristianos a poner a los ancianos en el centro de sus vidas y no a marginarlos de las familias, la política, y los mercados financieros que los destierran como "desechos no rentables" de la sociedad, expresó el Papa Francisco.

"No vaya a suceder que, a fuerza de seguir a toda velocidad los mitos de la eficiencia y del rendimiento, seamos incapaces de frenar para acompañar a los que les cuesta seguir el ritmo", dijo en su homilía durante la Misa del Día Mundial de los Abuelos y de las Personas Mayores en la Basílica de San Pedro el 23 de julio. Personas mayores en sillas de ruedas estaban sentadas en la primera fila frente al altar y junto al Papa Francisco. Varios abuelos con niños pequeños estaban dispersos entre las aproximadamente 6,000 personas presentes en la basílica.

"Necesitamos una nueva alianza entre los jóvenes y los ancianos", señaló el Papa Francisco en su homilía.

"En este intercambio fecundo aprendemos la belleza de la vida, construimos una sociedad fraterna, y en la Iglesia, permitimos el encuentro y el diálogo entre la tradición y las novedades del Espíritu," afirmó.

El tema de la celebración de este año fue "Su misericordia es de generación en generación", tomado del Evangelio de San Lucas.

En su homilía, el papa relacionó el papel de los ancianos en la sociedad con las tres parábolas que Jesús

narra en el Evangelio según San Mateo.

Los ancianos, quienes han "realizado ya un largo trecho en el camino de la vida", son ejemplos de cómo abrazar la belleza de la vida, así como sus desafíos.

"La ancianidad es un tiempo bendecido también para esto, es la estación para reconciliarse, para mirar con ternura la luz que se expandió a pesar de las sombras, en la confiada esperanza de que el buen trigo sembrado por Dios prevalecerá sobre la cizaña con la que el diablo ha querido infestarnos el corazón," afirmó el papa.

Después de la Misa, cinco personas mayores en la Basílica de San Pedro entregaron simbólicamente una cruz de peregrino a cinco jóvenes que viajarían a la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud en Lisboa, Portugal, programada del 1 al 6 de agosto.

El gesto representa el compromiso de los ancianos de "rezar por los jóvenes que parten y acompañarlos con su bendición."

El Papa Francisco afirmó que los abuelos y los nietos "crecen juntos" como el árbol y los pájaros que se instalan en sus ramas, donde "aprenden el calor del hogar y experimentan la ternura de un abrazo".

TUPELO – Por el Día de los Abuelos, el Padre Justin, (de espaldas) en Misa del dia 26 de Julio, da una bendición especial a todos los abuelos presentes de la parroquia de St. James. (Foto de Raquel Thompson)

Feliz aniversario

MADISON – Monseñor Elvin Sunds celebró sus 50 años de ordenación sacerdotal con una Misa de Acción de Gracias, el domingo 6 de agosto en St. Francis Asissi Madison. Monseñor Sunds ha servido, como párroco y párroco asociado, en 11 parroquias incluida la Parroquia del Sagrado Corazón de Biloxi, 1973-75, justo después de ser ordenado en 1973. En Caridades Católicas fue director asociado en 1975 y luego director desde el 1978 al 1994. Como Vicario General/ Canciller y Moderador de la Curia en Jackson estuvo desde el 2005 hasta el 2015. Se siente honrado y agradece haber servido a cuatro obispos, Monseñor Joseph Brunini, quien lo ordenó; y los obispos William Houck, Joseph Latino y Joseph Kopacz. Varios sacerdotes y decenas de feligreses asistieron a la celebración.

MADISON – (arriba) Las fotos muestran a: Joel Montoya de St. Teresa Jackson que agradecía a Mons. Sunds por el apoyo por años a la comunidad Hispana; Monseñor Sunds en su homilía de agradecimiento; una panorámica de la concurrida iglesia de San Francisco de Asís y Mons. Sunds agradeciendo a una parroquina por su presencia. (Fotos de Tereza Ma)

TOME NOTA

Vírgenes y Santos

Santa Teresa de Calcuta. Septiembre 5

Labor Day Día del Trabajo. Septiembre 4

Natividad de Virgen María. Septiembre 8

Exaltación de la Santa Cruz. Septiembre 14

San Pio de Pietrelcina. Septiembre 23

Envíenos sus fotos a editor@jacksondiocese.org

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@Diócesis Católica de Jackson

Visite Nuestra página web www.mississippicatholic.com Español

Alrededor de la Diócesis

PEARL – Miembros de EMAUS Jackson de mujeres y hombres se reunieron el sábado 5 de agosto en el centro comunitario de St. Jude para recibir un taller para servidores con los misioneros Juan Carlos y Maggie López de EDESFA de Texas, convocados por Lorena Urizar, Irvin López y Ricardo Ruiz. Al dia siguiente varias parejas se reunieron en Santa Teresa Jackson para un conversatorio. (arriba) En las fotos se muestran momentos de oración, reflexión y alabanza, dirigidas por los misioneros Carlos y Maggie López, de Texas. (Fotos de Tereza Ma)

MADISON – (Left) Thomas McDaniel, James Wilkins and Frankie Brown spend some quality time reading in the St. Anthony School library.

(Photo by Virginia Hollingsworth)

JACKSON – (Above) Sister Thea Bowman School principal Chris Payne walks PreK-4 student Ka'Miyah Anderson to class. (Photo by Rachel Patterson)

CLARKSDALE – (Left) St. Elizabeth first grade assistant, Anna Claire Luster reads with students before school begins. (Photo by Mary Evelyn Stonestreet)

VICKSBURG – (Below) Vicksburg Catholic School Seniors celebrate their last first day of school! (Photo by Lindsey Bradley)

JACKSON – Bo, Cecelia and Reid Brown take a Back-to-School picture in the photo booth with new St. Richard School Development Director, Celeste Saucier.

(Photo by Jennifer David)

CLARKSDALE – The Armstrong family walks in on the first day of school at St. Elizabeth School. (Photo by Mary Evelyn Stonestreet)

MADISON – Shari White works with Riley Ward in religion class during the first week of the 2023-2024 school year at St. Joseph School. (Photo by Terry Cassreino)

VICKSBURG – Father Rusty Vincent blesses backpacks and students in preparation for a wonderful school year on Sunday, Aug. 6 at St. Paul parish. (Photo by Connie Hosemann)

JACKSON – (Above) On Sunday, Aug, 6, Deacon Denzil Lobo blessed backpacks at Christ the King parish, in addition to students, faculty and all who work with schools. (Photo by Gina Lobo)

VICKSBURG – Second grade students engaged in a fun STREAM learning activity – Can You Save Fred? – on their first day of school. (Photo by Lindsey Bradley)

Education, roof, bones mark Bishop’s tenure

the church and with some other funds collected locally and from the Propagation of the Faith was able to do some repairs.

As a diocese, Bishop Van de Velde maintained the 11 original parishes established by Bishop John Joseph Chanche at Natchez, Paulding, Biloxi, Jackson, Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Vicksburg, Sulphur Springs (Camden), Pearlington, Port Gibson and Yazoo City. There were also a few dozen mission stations being attended to monthly around these locations.

During his tenure, the Bishop tried to develop Catholic education in his diocese. He invited the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet to staff a new mission and future school built at Sulphur Springs. Five Sisters journeyed down the Mississippi River to Vicksburg, where they were met by the Bishop. From there they travelled by stagecoach to Canton and on to Sulphur Springs.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

By Mary WoodWard

JACKSON – When Bishop Van de Velde arrived in Natchez on Dec. 18, 1853, he inherited a cathedral in debt and needing completion on top of repairs to what already was there.

In a letter to the Propagation of the Faith written on Jan. 2, 1854, Bishop Van de Velde describes the scene:

“When my venerable predecessor was nominated to the new Diocese of Natchez in 1841, he had not a Catholic church in this city. He had only one church and one priest in the whole extent of the diocese.

“The Catholics in general were poor and few in numbers, as they still are. He was forced to build a church here to serve as his Cathedral and he used all the money which he could obtain by gifts, subscriptions, contributions, collections, allotments, etc.

“He contracted debts in building this church which he has left half-finished. There are walls, furniture and roof which already need to be renewed. The windows have been boarded up, leaving an opening in each one in which panes of glass have been placed.

“It is absolutely the appearance of a great barn, and it has been in this state since 1843.”

Archbishop Antoine Blanc of New Orleans gifted Bishop Van de Velde with around $2000. Adding that to a parish subscription, he was able to put a slate roof on

There is an interesting event that occurred along the journey which reflects an undercurrent of anti-Catholic sentiments in the State. The stagecoach owner apparently was one who expressed these sentiments as a member of the Know-Nothing movement. Simply put, the Know-Nothings believed Catholics were conspiring to subvert civil and religious liberties in the United States.

During the ride, the man, who also was intoxicated, accused our Bishop of being a priest and spat tobacco in his face several times in front of the five Sisters. Bishop Van de Velde maintained his composure and temper blocking the spew with his hat. Finally, when the stage stopped to change horses near Canton, Bishop Van de Velde threw the man out of the coach.

Another major education initiative of Bishop Van de Velde’s was to establish a Jesuit College at Rose Hill near Natchez. But this was not to be due to a lack of qualified clergy available for the endeavor and, the Jesuits were unable to accept the Bishop’s proposal.

Overall, Bishop Van de Velde was a much-loved bishop among the clergy and laity. His efforts to grow Catholic educational opportunities in his diocese show his commitment to further the faith in the State.

Back in the city of Natchez, the Bishop briefly obtained possession of the old Spanish burial ground located behind the church. The grounds had become a playground for children

and dogs, with bones being unearthed and scattered. The city had even used some of the ground containing bones to level city streets. Bishop Van de Velde had all the bones gathered into two boxes and interred them in a crypt under the sanctuary in the church, then built a high wall around the rest of the area to protect the remaining graves.

In the fall of 1855, Natchez and Mississippi were under another siege of Yellow Fever. Several of the Cathedral staff were ill with the disease and suffering in the rectory next to the church. On Oct. 23, the Bishop fell on the steps of the rectory while going out in the evening to close the front gate. He fractured his leg in two places. Those inside suffering from fever were unaware of his predicament, and the poor Bishop had to lie there until morning when passersby heard his moans.

Soon the Bishop himself had contracted Yellow Fever and suffered for several days in agony. His beloved flock would pass by his room and receive a blessing from him while the fever raged. Then on Nov. 13 in the middle of blessing a parishioner, he succumbed to the illness.

After his funeral Mass, he was buried in the crypt beneath the sanctuary until 1874 when his Jesuit brothers took his remains to Florissant, Missouri. The Jesuit cemetery was relocated in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2006. Similar to his predecessor, he has been buried three times.

Bless his heart. His prayerful desire to be a missionary priest led him along a circuitous path to frontier mission work. We are blessed by his short term here in our diocese.

A special thank you to the St. Mary Basilica Archives Committee, who provided photos for this article and facts from their web site: www.stmarybasilcaarchives.org.

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

MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC AUGUST 25, 2023

Bones from the old Spanish burial ground located behind St. Mary Basilica rest under the sanctuary of the church.

NATCHEZ – Bishop Van de Velde was buried in the crypt beneath the St. Mary Basilica sanctuary until 1874 when his remains were transferred by his Jesuit brothers to Florissant, Missouri. (Photos courtesy of St. Mary Basilica Archives/Mike Murphy)

NATION

MOBILE, Ala. (OSV News) – An Alabama priest disgraced after abandoning his parish to travel to Italy with an 18-year-old woman described himself as “married” to her in a Valentine’s Day letter. Father Alex Crow, 30, and the unnamed woman are believed to have left Mobile unannounced July 24 and have been located in Italy. In a separate letter, Father Crow indicated he believed that Jesus had told him and the young women to leave, and planned to remain a priest. Father Crow had been a parochial vicar at Corpus Christi Parish in Mobile and left behind a letter to the Archdiocese of Mobile stating that he would never return to the United States, according to the Mobile County Sheri ’s Office. The sheri ’s o ce has been investigating whether a crime has occurred. A spokesperson for the sheri ’s o ce said that there are currently no criminal charges against Father Crow, but the o ce is investigating the nature of the relationship and whether the woman has been manipulated or coerced. The o ce is also clarifying the nature of Father Crow’s involvement at the young woman’s former high school. Mobile Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi has told Father Crow that “he may no longer exercise ministry as a priest, nor to tell people he is a priest, nor to dress as a priest.” In July, the archdiocese reported the situation to the Mobile County District Attorney, who opened the investigation. In its Aug. 14 statement, the Mobile Archdiocese said that it “has and will continue to cooperate fully with all requests for information from law enforcement.”

NEW ORLEANS (OSV News) – The Archdiocese of New Orleans and Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond are pushing back at a newspaper’s investigative report claiming they mishandled several claims of clerical abuse. The Guardian published an Aug. 8 investigative feature concluding that the “archbishop on six di erent occasions disregarded findings of credibility” for accused priests, allegedly overriding the archdiocesan review board, a consultative body required for each diocese or eparchy by the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” also known as the Dallas Charter. The newspaper article cited a confidential 48-page attorney’s memorandum it had obtained, claiming the document revealed the archdiocese was keeping several priests from being named as credibly accused while the archbishop approved a number of settlements. Allegations against the deceased or retired priests named in The Guardian’s report ranged from inappropriate touching to rape. “We adamantly deny the assertions made in The Guardian that allegations of sexual abuse were mishandled by Archbishop Aymond and the Archdiocese of New Orleans,” Sarah Comiskey McDonald, archdiocesan communications director, said in an Aug. 8 email to OSV News. “Each allegation is complex and unique. A finding of credibility by the Internal Review Board is not a determination of guilt in either canon law or civil law,” she said. McDonald provided the archbishop’s statement to The Guardian where he said, “In each instance … decisions were made and actions were taken based upon the information and in consultation with lay pro-

fessionals and experts as well as church leadership.” He said, “Each situation is complex and decisions were not made with a careless disregard for survivors nor a desire to protect the church and the priests.”

PETERSBURG, Va. (OSV News) – Father Brian Capuano has worn many hats during his tenure as a priest: pastor, mentor, director of worship and vicar for vocations, just to name a few. He also can count brewmaster among them. This spring Trapezium Brewing Co. in Petersburg launched the second release of his signature “Father Brian’s Bourbon Barrel Brown Ale,” where hundreds of family, friends and past parishioners toasted the beloved priest. For nine years Father Capuano was pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Petersburg, which is in the Richmond Diocese. To learn more about the community, its people and its culture, he would walk the streets, often dressed in his full priest cassock, and interact with those he met along the way. He ventured to local restaurants and events, believing it was important to be seen outside of church, which eventually led him to Trapezium. It became a place where he could get some paperwork done and engage with the community. Since 2019 he has been Richmond’s diocesan vicar for vocations in 2019, and despite an ever-busy schedule he still tries to frequent Trapezium and other venues. He sees this as an important part of his mission and the greater mission of the church. “We can’t expect people to simply ‘come to church’ to be evangelized,” he said. “From the beginning, the Lord sent the 12 and then the 72 to bring the good news to people who need salvation. That has to continue today; we cannot be limited as priests, and Catholics in general, to simply serving the needs of those who cross the threshold of our churches.”

VATICAN

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Thanking a group of European lawyers for their attention to environmental protection laws, Pope Francis said he was preparing another document on the subject. “I am writing a second part to Laudato Si’ to update it on current problems,” the pope told the lawyers Aug. 21 during a meeting in the library of the Apostolic Palace. He provided no further information. “Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home” was the title of Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter on the need for an “integral ecology” that respects the dignity and value of the human person, helps the poor and safeguards the planet. The pope made his remark in the context of thanking the lawyers for their “willingness to work for the development of a normative framework aimed at protecting the environment.” He told them, “It must never be forgotten that future generations are entitled to receive from our hands a beautiful and habitable world, and that this entails grave responsibilities toward the natural world that we have received from the benevolent hands of God.”

WORLD

MEXICO CITY (OSV News) – The Jesuit-run Central American University in Managua suspended operations Aug. 16 after Nicaraguan authorities branded the school a “center of terrorism” the previous day and froze its assets for confiscation – actions marking an escalation in the regime’s repression of the Catholic Church and its charitable and educational projects. The Jesuit province in Central America immediately rebuked the terrorism accusations as “false and unfounded,” saying in an Aug. 16 statement, “The de facto confiscation of the (university) is the price to pay for seeking a more just society, protecting life, truth and freedom for the Nicaraguan people in accordance with the (school) slogan, ‘The truth will set you free.’” The accusations against the school, known locally as UCA, “form part of a series of unjustified attacks against the Nicaraguan population and other educational and social institutions of civil society – and are generating a climate of violence and insecurity and worsening the country’s social-political crisis.” UCA confirmed in a statement to the university community that the country’s 10th district court – which accused the school of “organizing criminal groups” – had ordered its assets seized and handed over to “the State of Nicaragua, which will guarantee the continuity of all educational programs.” Auxiliary Bishop Silvio José Baez of Managua, currently exiled in Miami, called the “confiscation” of the UCA “unjust,” “illegal” and “outrageous.”

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (OSV News) – The Colombian bishops’ conference has welcomed the beginning of a six-month ceasefire between the nation’s military and the largest remaining rebel group and began to train dozens of priests and lay workers from di erent parts of the country on how to help monitor the truce. In a statement published on Aug. 10, the bishop’s conference said that 31 representatives from 18 di erent dioceses were briefed on details of the ceasefire and on international humanitarian law. The group also discussed methods that would be suitable to report breaches of the ceasefire. “We will take this knowledge to our territories,” said Father Jairo Alberto Rave, from the Diocese of Barrancabermeja, “so that we can make an important contribution” to the peace process. The truce started on Aug. 3, and seeks to facilitate peace talks between the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army – known as ELN by its Spanish acronym – a Marxist-oriented rebel group that is particularly influential in the west of Colombia and along its eastern border with Venezuela. It is the longest ceasefire ever between Colombia’s government and the ELN and is part of President Gustavo Petro’s plans to pacify rural areas of the country that are still a ected by violence waged by rebel groups and cartels, that were not part of a 2016 peace deal between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrilla group.

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

Sister Josephine Garrett shares ‘hope stories’ of Black Catholics in podcast meant to inspire

Sister Garrett agreed that every person has a hope story.

“We all have stories of hope, we are all called to hope courageously in the promises of God, so I believe these episodes will resonate in some way with all people,” she said before citing Romans 5:2-5: “We boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we even boast of our a ictions, knowing that a iction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

She said the podcast began after OSV decided to enter the podcasting space and invited her to host one that they hoped to launch.

“We knew the podcast would line up with my book that comes out in the fall and we zeroed in on highlighting Black Catholics before we zeroed in on telling stories of hope,” she said, referencing her upcoming book that will be released by OSV called “Hope: An Invitation.”

“It wasn’t a private inspiration, it was the fruit of my own prayer, my editor’s prayer and the prayer of other members of the OSV team,” she added.

If listeners take away one thing from the podcast, Sister Garrett hopes it is the realization “that every member of the body of Christ is a gift and brings something to the church that only he or she can bring.”

“While our stories are unique and our various hopes are unique, at the same time all of our stories and all of our hopes are rooted in Christ, and the hope of the resurrection won for us in Christ,” she said.

“I also want listeners to enter into the joy,” she added. “There is so much laughter and joy throughout this podcast and so I hope listeners take away the joy as well.”

Listeners can already tune in to the first several episodes of the production from OSV podcasts on a variety of platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Amazon Music, Castro, Castbox and Goodpods.

This is an illustration for a new podcast called “Hope Stories,” hosted by Sister Josephine Garrett, a member of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. The first episode launched June 26, 2023, and is available at https:// www.osvpodcasts.com. (OSV News photo/OSV)

BY KATIE YODER

(OSV News) – A podcast production by Catholic publishing company OSV (the parent company of OSV News) with a nationally-recognized religious sister is featuring “Hope Stories with Black Catholics” this summer.

“A hope story is a time in someone’s life when he or she was called to hope in a deep way,” Sister Josephine Garrett, a member of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, told OSV News of the ongoing series. “Hope (especially hope that is deep and profound and connected to the deepest desires of our hearts) takes courage, and as we wait for what is longed for, we can experience grief, loss, joy, fear, expectancy – all sorts of feelings.”

“Hope isn’t the easiest experience to enter into,” she added, saying that “in each episode the guests share times in their life when they were brought to the thresholds of hope.”

In total, the podcast will consist of 15 episodes lasting around 30 minutes each while highlighting the stories of 17 U.S. Black Catholics from all walks of life.

“Seventeen guests because some episodes include married couples!” Sister Garrett explained, adding that the podcast also will include single Catholics, deacons, religious, priests and a bishop.

Sister Garrett, a writer, speaker and mental health counselor based in Tyler, Texas, has experience talking about hope. A relevant voice on social media, where thousands of people follow her on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, Sister Garrett became Catholic in 2005 before professing vows in 2020.

While Sister Garrett’s podcast about hope stories will cover the same topic in each episode, each story is unique because each guest is unique, she stressed.

“We discuss the guest’s faith journey, their definition of hope, their hope story that they chose to share in the episode and each guest also shares their views on the place of Black culture in the life of the church,” Sister Garrett said.

As one of the guests, Father Robert Boxie, chaplain at Howard University and priest-in-residence at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Washington, told OSV News he “absolutely enjoyed” being a part of the podcast and sharing his hope story. He was grateful to share his work as the Catholic chaplain at one of the U.S.’s preeminent historically Black institutions of higher education ministering to young Black Catholics and students at Howard.

“I believe we are bringing hope in a real way because our Catholic faith has something to o er on campuses like Howard,” he said. “And more importantly, we are encouraging and forming a generation of Black Catholic leaders with the message that their faith, their gifts, their contributions and their presence in the church matter.”

Father Boxie also shared his advice for listeners seeking hope.

“We all have a story of hope to tell and all of us have a reason for our hope, that is, Jesus Christ,” he said. “My prayer is that listeners will be inspired by the stories of Black Catholics, appreciate the unique witness that we bring to the Catholic Church and realize how it’s necessary for these stories to be told.”

(Katie Yoder is a contributing editor for Our Sunday Visitor, a national Catholic newspaper based in Huntington, Ind. NOTES: A link to “Hope Stories with Black Catholics” is here: https://hopestories.osvpodcasts.com/)

St. Augustine, Fla., celebration unites cultures, continents and launches

Camino de la Unidad

By Jessica Larson AUGUSTINE, Fla. (OSV

News) – The newly unveiled sculpture of the Apostle Santiago at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine in the heart of downtown St. Augustine is a tangible link to its counterpart at the entrance of the Santiago Cathedral in Spain.

Placement of the statue came on the feast of St. James (Santiago), July 25, during an event marking the convergence of spiritual connections between cultures and continents. It included the opening ceremony of Camino de la Unidad, a network of pilgrimage routes in the Americas.

The evening commenced with a solemn procession, as the revered statue of St. James was carried from the Castillo de San Marcos, a Spanish-built masonry fort dating to the late 1600s, to its new home in the cathedral basilica a few blocks away.

The statue, crafted by the skilled hands of Juan Vega, is fashioned after one found at Spain's Santiago Cathedral. It returned with a local Florida delegation that visited Spain in 2022 to solidify St. Augustine's connection to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (the Way of St James) and will reside permanently in the west courtyard of the cathedral basilica.

Jesus counted St. James among his three closest apostles, and he earned the title of Apostle of Spain for his unwavering evangelical zeal and his missionary endeavors in A.D. 40. After he was martyred in A.D. 44, his remains were laid to rest in the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela, the destination of the renowned Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain.

The newly unveiled sculpture of the Apostle Santiago in St. Augustine invites pilgrims and visitors alike to embark on a spiritual journey, embracing the values and teachings of the Camino de Santiago. Its presence in St. Augustine is a powerful symbol of harmony and continuity, bridging the spiritual connection between the Camino in Spain and its expansion to the Americas through the Camino de la Unidad.

The Camino de Santiago in Spain draws pilgrims from diverse backgrounds, and it is hoped that St. Augustine will soon become another cherished destination for spiritual seekers from around the world.

During the celebration of evening Mass July 25, Deacon Mike Elison highlighted the diverse motivations of those who undertake the Camino de Santiago. Whether mourning the loss of a loved one, seeking direction at a crossroads in life, pursuing adventure and meaningful connections or simply yearning for solitude with God, the Camino can be a transformative experience.

In his homily, Deacon Elison urged attendees to step out of their comfort zones, carrying with them only what truly matters.

The deacon shared 10 life lessons gleaned from the Camino experience, and one in particular – "Pack light and throw stuff out" – resonated deeply with Timothy Johnson, who was part of the Florida delegation that went to Spain in 2022.

Johnson, who is the Craig and Audrey Thorn distinguished professor of religion at Flagler College in

St. Augustine, was among representatives of St. Augustine's academic, cultural, historical, government and religious sectors that took the trip to solidify their membership in the Alliance of Cathedrals and strengthen the city's connection to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

According to the St. Augustine diocesan website, the alliance "is an association formed by historic and culturally rich cathedrals from different parts of the world. Its main objective is to strengthen the importance of these cathedrals as tourist destinations and as centers of spirituality and culture, enriching the experience of visitors and promoting intercultural understanding and dialogue."

Johnson told the St. Augustine Catholic, the diocesan magazine, he was delighted to see the project come full circle.

During the Mass, Father John Tetlow, pastor and rector of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, officially signed the proclamation joining the Alliance of Cathedrals.

The alliance is dedicated to promoting faith, research, knowledge exchange and cooperation in areas such as theology, sociology, heritage

conservation, cultural and religious tourism promotion, and the organization of joint events and activities.

The cathedral basilica, a founding member of the alliance, now officially becomes the anchor for the new Camino de la Unidad network of pilgrimage routes in the Americas, offering another way for people to experience the transformative power of pilgrimages.

Father Tetlow also unveiled the new stamp for the local Camino, which will serve as an official record of a pilgrim's "Certificate of Distance." This certificate, issued by the Chapter of the Cathedral of Santiago, certifies the number of kilometers pilgrims have traveled, provided they have covered at least 100 km (about 62 miles) on foot.

(Jessica Larson writes for the St. Augustine Catholic, magazine of the Diocese of St. Augustine.

NOTES: For more information about the Camino de la Unidad or Camino is the Way, visit https://caminoistheway. com/quienes-somos. A

of the July 25 feast day celebration can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/yw2fv3fy.)

Sister Jane Wand, SSND celebrates diamond jubilee

BOONVILLE – Pictured are School Sisters of Notre Dame, Sisters Jane Wand, Rose Mock and Carol Ann Prenger at the 60th jubilee celebration for Sister Jane at St. Francis parish with Bishop Joseph Kopacz. From 2019 to 2022, Sister Jane served as an ecclesial minister at St. Francis. She is currently on sabbatical discerning her next ministry. For more on Sister Jane and other SSND celebrating jubilees in 2023, visit https:// www.ssndcentralpacific.org/who-we-are/jubilarians. (Photo by Michelle

video

Pilgrims join in a procession in downtown St. Augustine, Fla., taking a statute of St. James (the Apostle Santiago) from the Castillo de San Marcos, a Spanish-built masonry fort dating to the late 1600s, to its new home in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine a few blocks away July 25, 2023. (OSV News photo/Brandon Forschino, St. Augustine Catholic)

Harkins)

Spanish teen says she has regained sight after praying to Our Lady of the Snows

Jimena’s mother, whose name was not revealed, was quoted by Spanish blog Camino Catolico saying that “Faith moves mountains,” and that the miracle happened precisely at noon “after (Jimena received) Communion and in front of her entire WYD group.”

“Jimena saw again,” the mother said.

“She has called us crying and with all her friends like crazy. We don’t know much else at the moment. They are going to try to see the pope to tell him. Today everything begins again, and Our Lady of the Snows is already an active part of our faith,” she was quoted as saying.

A nun friend of the family contacted Cardinal Juan José Omella of Barcelona, president of the Spanish bishops’ conference, to tell him what happened and the cardinal called the girl to hear the story directly from her. Jimena, in the words of the cardinal, “was very enthusiastic.”

Asked at a press conference in the WYD media center Aug. 6 about the case, the cardinal considered it a “grace of God,” nevertheless counseling those present to wait for medical assessments before proclaiming the event as miraculous.

“I think that there we have a piece of information that is beautiful and a girl who has recovered her sight,” the cardinal said. “Doctors will now have to assess whether or not it was incurable,” the first process in the official declaration of a miracle.

At one of the WYD sessions with young pilgrims from Spain, Bishop José Ignacio Munilla of Orihuela-Alicante, Spain, commented: “What happened with Jimena is a sign, which is how miracles are called in the Gospel of St. John. We need the light to see God and to see everything with the eyes of God. It is a sign,” he clarified, “and a call from Our Lady to open our eyes, to grow in our faith.”

The healing appeared to happen a few hours after Pope Francis was praying in the famous Marian shrine on Aug. 5.

“We are very happy and rejoice with her, and we pray with her,” Carmo Rodeia, spokesperson of the Shrine of Fatima, told OSV News.

(Paulina Guzik is international editor for OSV News. Follow her on Twitter @ Guzik_Paulina)

Father César Sanchez installed as pastor of St. Jude

By Paulina Guzik

LISBON, Portugal (OSV News) – World Youth Day is known as an event that can and does change lives, but when a teenager said she has regained her sight during the Portuguese youth fair, it electrified both Portugal and Spain on Aug. 6.

Two and a half years ago, Jimena, a 14-year-old girl from Madrid, lost 95% of her sight due to a problem related to her myopia. Being a teenager, she was still using her cell phone, but only for audio messages. Over the course of her disease, she had begun to learn Braille to read with her hands.

Last week, she traveled to World Youth Day in Lisbon with her Opus Dei youth club, El Vado, from the popular Madrid neighborhood of Vallecas. Because of her visual impairment, she was registered as a handicapped pilgrim. On Aug. 5 – the first Saturday of the month and the day when Pope Francis prayed the rosary with sick young people in Fatima – Jimena got up like every day, with blurred vision.

After praying to Our Lady of the Snows, whose feast day it was, and after having completed the novena to Our Lady with her classmates, Jimena went to Mass. When she returned to her seat after receiving Communion, she realized she had recovered her sight.

“When I opened my eyes I saw perfectly!” she said in a WhatsApp audio message that she sent to her family and friends, that has since gone viral.

“After Communion I sat on the bench, I started crying a lot because it was the last day of the novena and I wanted to … I asked God very much (for this), and when I opened my eyes, I saw perfectly,” she said.

The healing was so instantaneous that at the end of that same Mass, Jimena got up and read the last prayer of the novena clearly and aloud, to the astonishment and joy of her friends present at the church.

The audio continues with her being surprised at seeing her “older” classmates (she had not seen them for more than two years), and then asking for a mirror to see herself, after which she admitted: “I am a little changed, too.”

Jimena asked all her friends to accompany her to thank God for that “gift,” and commented that she will call all her daughters “Nieves” – “Snow” – because Aug. 5 is her “new birthday.”

In an interview with the Spanish radio network COPE, Jimena explained that she convinced all the young people with her group at WYD to pray for her healing. “And today after Communion … I see perfectly! Well, I don’t know how to explain it,” she said.

Pope Francis prays in front of a statue of Our Lady of Fátima before beginning his celebration of the closing Mass for World Youth Day at Tejo Park in Lisbon, Portugal, Aug. 6, 2023. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

PEARL – Father César Sanchez was installed as pastor of St. Jude parish in Pearl by Bishop Joseph Kopacz on Sunday, Aug. 19. During an installation Mass, the new pastor is presented to the parish community and is also presented with symbols of his ministry and his new position. The symbols were presented by Bruns Guevara, Myra Woodward, Vicki Thigpen, Nadya Villafranca and Patrick Fields (pictured left to right). Also pictured is altar server, Ximena Villafranca. (Photo by Tereza Ma)

St. Catherine’s Village memory care gives couple best quality of life

BY ST. CATHERINE'S VILLAGE

MADISON – Like many people in the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, the signs were there for Carolyn Hall: forgetfulness, struggling to find the right words, not paying a few bills on time. But Mrs. Hall was only in her late 50s, so she and her husband Jerry looked to their doctor for other explanations. After extensive research, Mr. Hall’s fears were confirmed … his wife did have dementia. And that’s when his journey to memory care at St. Catherine’s Village began.

At first, Mr. Hall cared for Mrs. Hall at their home in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Things were going okay until COVID-19 hit and accelerated Mrs. Hall’s cognitive decline. Even after bringing in in-home caregivers and nurses, caring for her became too much for him to handle. A work associate had retired to St. Catherine’s Village and Mr. Hall knew a board member at the all-inclusive Life Plan Community, so he checked the property out. After visiting, he knew this was the place where his wife would have the best quality of life.

Mr. Hall’s hope was to have Mrs. Hall admitted into Campbell Cove memory care on the St. Catherine’s Village campus. Unfortunately, it was determined she needed more support, and she was accepted into skilled nursing in Hughes Center. Directly connected to Campbell Cove, Hughes Center o ers person-centered care with sensory-stimulating and enriching activities to help preserve each resident’s cognitive health. Another advantage of skilled nursing was that a physician visited Mrs. Hall in Hughes Center so she would not have to leave her familiar surroundings, which often caused agitation.

Soon after moving in, Mrs. Hall’s condition improved … so much so that the sta at St. Catherine’s

Village recommended she move into Campbell Cove. While it’s common for residents to move from memory care to skilled nursing, it’s rare that someone moves from skilled nursing to memory care.

Being able to receive the right level of care at the right time on the same campus is one of the main benefits of living in an all-inclusive Life Plan Community like St. Catherine’s Village. Residents can transition from one service level to another while remaining in a familiar environment. Becoming a member of the St. Catherine’s Village Life Plan Community did require an up-front investment from the Halls. However, Mr. Hall – a retired banker – realized the long-term financial stability was worth it.

Now 74, Mrs. Hall is doing well in Campbell Cove … interacting with others, and dancing, doing a little soft shoe. She feels comfortable, which is a great comfort for Mr. Hall. He sings the praises of everyone at St. Catherine’s Village and believes Mrs. Hall is getting the best care possible – care that he could not duplicate on his own at home.

He also appreciates that St. Catherine’s Village is a Christian organization and calls the community is a blessing. The couple’s daughter and her family live nearby in Madison and

she visits her mom weekly. Although their son is in Memphis, he agrees that St. Catherine’s Village is the right place for Mrs. Hall.

Located on 160 picturesque acres in Madison, St. Catherine’s Village is a private, gated community boasting a caring sta , on-site resident-centered care, and a mission-focused environment. It was the first CCRC in Mississippi to earn accreditation by CARFCCAC. This “commitment to excellence” seal signifies that the campus exceeds the standards established by the only international accrediting body for Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC).

On campus are independent living in apartments and garden homes, assisted living in Marian Hall, memory care in Campbell Cove, and skilled nursing in Hughes Center, Siena Center and Tuscany.

To learn more about senior living options at St. Catherine’s Village Life Plan Community, log onto www.StCatherinesVillage.com or call (601) 856-0123 to schedule a tour.

Pictured are Carolyn and Jerry Hall. St. Catherine's Village memory care gives Mrs. Hall the "best possible care."

(Photo courtesy of St. Catherine's Village)

MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC AUGUST 25, 2023

All aboard: WYD pilgrims know about the synod, share its concerns

By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS)

– With the approach of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops, a major event in the pontificate of Pope Francis, it was surprising that the pope did not use the word “synod” or “synodality” in any of his talks to the 1.5 million young people gathered in Portugal for World Youth Day.

If he thought young Catholics were not aware of the synod, of its vision and of some of the controversy surrounding it, he was wrong.

The staff of the synod secretariat went to World Youth Day in Lisbon prepared to explain “synodality” to young Catholics, but they found the pilgrims from around the world already knew about the synod assembly planned for October and about many of the issues proposed for discussion.

“Being in contact with the young people was amazing, really amazing,” said Thierry Bonaventura, the synod communication manager. “Most of them knew about the synod, were ready to listen to more about it” and were eager to share their hopes and concerns.

The synod had a booth at the “City of Joy,” a venue in a Lisbon park where religious orders and Catholic service and mission organizations interacted with young people throughout World Youth Day Aug. 1-6.

The young people who visited the synod booth left thousands of prayers for the synod and for the church written on Post-it Notes and hundreds of letters to Pope Francis and synod members on full-sized sheets of paper pre-printed with “Say something to the synod.”

While Bonaventura and the synod staff were still sorting through the notes and letters back at the Vatican Aug. 9, he told Catholic News Service that the young Catholics’ chief concerns were clear, and first on their lists was the unity of the church.

One unsigned Post-it prayer read, “That together we may grow both in unity & diversity. All are welcome.”

And a message to the synod written in English signed by a German pilgrim said, “I hope that the synod will strengthen and renew the unity in the church and not lead to division. Please find a way to find all

together in Christ.”

Young Catholics in Lisbon told synod staff they want more time and space in the church dedicated to them, Bonaventura said, but not simply as recipients of ministry. They want the church to welcome their gifts and talents, for instance by using their skills in technology and social media.

Recognizing and expanding the leadership of women in the church and ensuring LGBT Catholics feel welcome also were top concerns, he said.

Another frequently repeated concern, “always repeated with this idea of unity in diversity,” he said, was greater access to the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass.

On a “say something to the synod” form, a young man from the United States wrote that the traditional Latin Masses he has attended are “the most beautiful Masses that I have ever been to,” and he asked Pope Francis to end the restrictions on its celebration because they “exclude and ostracize a large group of faithful Catholics.”

For Bonaventura, World Youth Day was a clear demonstration of synodality in action: Young Catholics from around the world literally walked together, joining “to praise the Lord, to deepen their knowledge of Jesus, to gather around the pope and listen to his teaching.”

“And what astonished me a little bit, because I didn’t know it was so strong, was their awareness of mission, of really helping others who don’t know Jesus to know him,” he said.

While Pope Francis did not talk about the synod to the young people, his “todos, todos, todos” refrain – his insistence that all are welcome in the church – and his encouragement to share the Gospel will joy resonated with the pilgrims and echoed the key points of the synod’s theme: “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission.”

Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of San Diego, who was appointed by the pope to be a member of the synod, told CNS, “His constant refrain that all are welcome in the life of the church – that strikes young people very profoundly and beautifully.”

“This is how God relates to us: first, wanting us to know we are loved; second, wanting us to know that God stands with us as we face the problems which weigh us down; and thirdly that God is helping us to change in our lives,” the cardinal said.

Speaking to reporters on his return flight to Rome Aug. 6, Pope Francis said he knows some people don’t like his insistence on welcoming everyone. A common objection, he said, is: “But young people don’t always live life in accordance with morality.”

“Who among us has not made a moral mistake in our lives? Everyone has,” he continued. “Each of us has had downfalls in our own history. Life is like that. But the Lord is always waiting for us because he is merciful and is Father, and mercy goes beyond everything.”

In welcoming and ministering to all, he told the reporters, “One of the important things is patience: accompanying people step by step on their way to maturity.”

Although Pope Francis did not speak to the WYD pilgrims about the synod, it was a significant part of his homily Aug. 2 at a prayer service with bishops, priests and pastoral workers in Portugal.

“The church is synodal,” he said. “She is communion, mutual assistance and shared journey.”

“In the boat of the church, there has to be room for everyone: all the baptized are called on board to lower the nets, becoming personally involved in the preaching of the Gospel,” the pope continued.

The model, he said, is “that passage of the Gospel in which the wedding feast of the son is all prepared, and people do not come to it. So, what does the Lord, the master of the feast, say? ‘Go out to the highways and byways and bring everyone, everyone: the sick, the healthy, young and old, the righteous and sinners. Everyone!’”

(Follow Wooden on Twitter: @Cindy_Wooden)

Father Hendrick Ardianto, SCJ of the Catholic Parishes of Northwest Mississippi displays the US Flag during an event at World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal.

LISBON, Portugal – Dehonian youth and adults from several Northwest Mississippi parishes joined others from Milwaukee and Houston on the pilgrimage to World Youth Day. The group had the opportunity to visit Fatima, sightsee and share in prayer and reflection with other Dehonians from around the world. (Photos courtesy of Father Hendrick Ardianto, SCJ and Vickie Stirek)

Are you obscuring divine plans?

FROM THE HERMITAGE

By SiSter alieS thereSe

Maybe he’d never heard this Psalm? “I love You, O Lord, my strength … and I am safe… The breakers of death surged around about me, the destroying floods overwhelmed me … in my distress I called upon the Lord … from God’s temple I was heard, my cry reached God’s ears…and set me free in the open and rescued me, because God loves me.” (Psalm 18:5-7, 20)

I also love the Peterson translation of 18:20, “God stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved –surprised to be loved.” This is the reality of the Job story – a love story – a story that challenges us to come to a deeper understanding of the awesomeness of God’s love for us, the heart of the truth, the place of union. “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him…” (Job 1:8) Yet God later questions Job: “Why do you confuse the issue? Why do you talk without knowing what you are talking about? Where were you when I created the universe? Tell me since you know so much.” (Peterson, Job 38:1ff)

This has been a weird year for me. From January when I ended up in hospital for many weeks with broken bones and infections, to July when our apartments, filled with swift moving rain, flooded, midst extreme heat. When was the last time you read Job? If not recently, I suggest it as part of your study, not because bad things happen but because Job discovers many things he’d never even considered.

The Job story is full of sadness and as C.S. Lewis points out in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, “If

you’ve been up all night and cried till you have no more tears left in you – you will know that there comes in the end a sort of quietness.”

Some of our readers are suffering right now in the quiet … perhaps the loss of a child, a fire, in jail, abuse, or hunger, including darkness in prayer or even unbelief. Joan W. Blos, an American author wrote this: “This morning’s sermon reminded us that great though our grief and suffering be, others have suffered more.” Anguish may fill the pages of Job and yet if we stop there, we shall never heal, have hope or happiness and we shall never learn compassion.

Because of the surprise of love, Job moved from being an advice-giving, important, very rich fellow and helping the poor … to becoming poor himself. Job recognized a whole new life when he talked with God (screamed, complained and confessed). How shall I say, he got ‘real,’ unlike his previous life or that of his ‘friends.’

In his poverty Job learned something else surprising, only God unties knots of trauma, pain, disappointment or distress. “You told me, ‘Listen and let Me do the talking. Let Me ask the questions. You give the answers. Job said, I admit I once lived by rumors of You, now I have it all firsthand – from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry – forgive me. I’ll never do that again. I promise! I’ll never again live on the crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumors!” (Peterson, Job 42:6)

So, the surprise included this personal relationship with God as reality, not just an idea or a possibility. Job discovered he was known, not through an intellectual exercise, nor a simple acceptance of other people’s

Combatting sex trafficking takes all of us

GUEST COLUMN

By DeBBie tuBertini

I recently went to the movie theater to see “Sound of Freedom” which is based on a true story. It tells of an anti-child sex trafficking organization centered on Operation Underground Railroad by a former federal agent, Tim Ballard. Ballard is portrayed in the film by Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in “Passion of the Christ.”

I was hesitant at first about going to see this movie because I knew it was going to be heart breaking and make me angry. Yes, it was heart breaking and, yes it did make me angry; however, it provided information that made me feel more aware and informed about how this happens all over the world, even in Mississippi. It also made me appreciate how one person can make a difference if they know what to look for and what to do in the event you suspect someone is in this situation.

What is sex trafficking? Sex trafficking involves a wide range of activities where a trafficker uses force, fraud or coercion to compel another person to engage in a commercial sex act. Trafficked victims can be of any age, race, sex, culture, religion, economic class and any level of education.

The traffickers’ aim is to profit from the exploitation of their victims using a multitude of coercive and deceptive practices. Traffickers can be strangers, acquaintances, or even family members who prey on the most vulnerable in our society. They frequently target victims who are looking for a brighter future, those hesitant to call the police, or those who feel excluded or ostracized from family or their community.

Human trafficking is the fastest growing international crime network the world has experienced. It is a $150 billion-dollar annual industry. The United States is considered one of the top destinations for victims of child trafficking and exploitation. The top recruitment location is the internet. Traffickers also use online dating platforms to identify victims. Traffickers will present themselves as recruiters or modeling agents on these dating platforms luring victims with attractive career opportunities. According to UNODC (United Nations Office on Drug and Crime) female victims continue to be primary targets, however there is a huge increase in male targets.

The following statistics are from Angel Studios Fight Against Child Trafficking website.

• The United States is #1 in the world

stories and experiences, no, his own experience welded him in joy to a God who loves beyond all telling.

Our lives contain many fears, and when they are the focus, obscure divine plans. Over the centuries our various cultures and peoples have enslaved, murdered and warred against one another, executed one another, nuked, gossiped, bad-mouthed and turned our backs on one another. We have done horrible things even in the church by ignoring one another. Why are there no Black US saints? For centuries we have lived through greed, stealth and power, and the funny thing is, we continue today. Slavery, where human beings are ‘owned,’ cannot be explained away with ‘slaves learning really helpful things.’ Job learned only in love can we thrive and obtain forgiveness by experiencing the humility of God, moving us beyond these things.

If you are obscuring the divine plan in your life because you are afraid, stuck in some sin or addiction needing release, do read Job and see how much you are loved. Find a way to pray that causes you to rejoice, to see beyond rumor or other people’s experiences, that you might be surprised by this love so extreme, expressed in Jesus’ love-giving sacrifice for you!

Chester Cricket, in George Selden’s The Cricket in Times Square, “began to chirp to ease his feelings. He found that it helped somehow if you sang your sadness.” Do chirp and sing so that others might be lifted from their anguish. Do learn to listen, as Job did, to the voice of God who desires us more than we can imagine. Do get out of the way, so God’s divine plan for your life might flourish, living anew as Job who disowned what he said and repented in dust and ashes. (Job 42:6) BLESSINGS.

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

ment. Victims are trafficked in their own states, towns and even in their own homes. In many cases these children are “groomed” by adults they know.

for sex trafficking.

• Over 500,000 children go missing each year in the United States.

• Greater than 50% of victims are between the ages of 12-15.

• 25% of child pornography is created by a neighbor or family member.

• Over 500,000 online sexual predators are active each day.

• Over 80% of child sex crimes begin on social media.

• As of 2021, there were 250,000 websites containing images or videos of children sexually abused and that number continues to rise.

• Globally, 27% of human trafficking victims are children.

Items to note:

• “Sound of Freedom” was filmed in 2018 and has just now been made available in the theatres in 2023. According to Jim Caveziel they ran into one roadblock after another with this movie. The movie was first bought by 21st Century Fox but shelved when Disney purchased the studio. The movie was finally acquired by Angel Studios.

• A common misconception is that human trafficking requires crossing state lines or national borders. The correct term for this is human smuggling. Human trafficking requires no move-

So, what can we do?

• Pray for the victims who are in this horrible situation.

• Educate ourselves and our children on the specifics of child trafficking.

• If you are a parent, educate your children on ways to stay safe on the internet. They need to know how to protect themselves from online exploitation. Also, monitor their social media activity.

• Make sure your state legislators are putting laws in place to increase accountability for human traffickers in our state.

• Make sure this topic is kept in the forefront of our national security.

• For those who feel called to do even more, investigate ways you can educate and help in your own community. A step further, reach out to organizations within your community that are working to rescue and restore trafficked children.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline is 1-888-373-7888. Anti–Trafficking Hotline Advocates are available 24/7 to take reports of potential human trafficking situations.

(Debbie Tubertini is the Office of Family Life coordinator for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Dawn Meeks name principal of St. Aloysius High School/Vicksburg Catholic School

By Staff RepoRt

Happy Ordination Anniversary

August 5

VICKSBURG

– Dawn

Meeks has been promoted to principal of St Aloysius High School at Vicksburg Catholic School (VCS). A 42-year veteran in education, Meeks has been a member of the St. Aloysius faculty for 13 years. In her fourteenth year, she has decided to take on the role of principal because of her love for the school and her call to serve. Meeks refers to the principal position as well as all positions at VCS as “vocations” not “occupations.”

Meeks’ career in education has spanned throughout Warren County. She was the science department chair in the Vicksburg Warren School District for nearly 30 years. In that time, she authored grants, participated in the development of the Mississippi Science Framework for elementary and secondary science alignment, developed and implemented curricula, authored curricula to for new courses, and supervised and evaluated department faculty performance. Upon joining Vicksburg Catholic School, she has served as department chair and senior advisor. Along with continuing similar job duties, Meeks also coordinated inventory, and maintained and monitored the department budget as well as teacher expenditures.

Meeks is a graduate of Mississippi College with a Master of Education Secondary Science Education. She also holds a Bachelor of Science Biology Education from Mississippi State University. She is currently pursuing administrative licensure in educational leadership.

Meeks was named Warren County Chamber of Commerce Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2019. She has been honored as STAR Teacher eight times (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2020). She was awarded the Mississippi Economic Council ALL-STAR Teacher as well as the U.S. Presidential Scholar. Meeks is an active member of St. Michael Catholic Church. She has two daughters, Haley and Hannah; and one grandson, Haden (10th grade), all who are very involved at Vicksburg Catholic School.

Brock named national finalist as innovative teacher

50 years - Golden Jubilee

Msgr. Elvin Sunds Retired

August 14

Father Anthony Claret

Chuckwuma Onyeocha

St. Joseph, Woodville & Holy Family Mission, Gloster

August 16

49 years

Father Joseph Dyer Retired

September 15

39 years

Father Bill Henry Retired

Thank you for answering the call!

MADISON – Sarah Brock, technology director and English teacher at St. Joseph Catholic School-Madison, was recently named a national finalist in the FACTS Innovative Teacher Awards. Brock was recognized as an “exceptional educator creating lasting educational impacts through grassroots innovation in their schools.” Of the 115 submissions, Brock’s “Student Choice in the High School English Classroom” was the only finalist in the English category.

(Photo courtesy of Rachel Patterson)

VICKSBURG – Dawn Meeks was named principal of St. Aloysius High School/Vicksburg Catholic School for the 2023-2024 school year.

(Photo courtesy of school)

Youth around the diocese

FLOWOOD – From July 9-15, youth groups from St. James Tupelo and St. Paul Flowood attended Catholic Heart Work Camp in Nashville, Tennessee. This year's theme was "Made for More." Amidst lots of fun, youth poured their hearts out to the Nashville community by assisting with home/school repairs, yard work, farming, digging trenches, serving the poor, organizing at a local food pantry and more. (Photo by Mary Frances Strange)

YAZOO CITY – Several children of St. Mary parish had their backpacks blessed before the start of the 2023-2024 school year. Pictured (back row l to r): Kelsie Kennedy, Michael Dew, Father Panneer, Kinsley Crawford, Ella Grey McMaster and Kiley Dew. (Front row l to r): Trace Kennedy, Rosie Dew, Mary Cole McMaster and Annie Crawford. (Photo by Babs McMaster)

PEARL – Deacon Mark Bowden and altar server Maya assist Father Cesar Sánchez in blessing Olivia Don and her backpack on Sunday, Aug. 5 at St. Jude parish. (Photo Tereza Ma)

NEW ALBANY – Youth had a blast at vacation bible school at St. Francis of Assisi parish this summer. (Photos courtesy of Jamie Fetter)

Around the diocese

NATCHEZ – (Left) Father Aaron Williams and Deacon Tristan Stovall begin the annual blessing of the helmets at Cathedral School. (Photo by Cara Moody)

LELAND – Father Sleeva Mekala blesses the backpacks for youth of St. James parish before the start of the school year. (Photo by Deborah Ruggeri)

MADISON – St. Joseph volleyball ladies get ready for a game against Presbyterian Christian School on Aug. 1. (Photo by Tereza Ma)

NATCHEZ – Holy Family, First Communion, April 30. Pictured from left is Haylee Herbert, Isabeau Hoyle, Trinity Perry and Kahlea Davis. Behind is visiting Josephite deacon Henry Ihuoma and Father Anthony Okwum. (Photo courtesy of parish)

Holy Land experience ‘brought Bible to life’ for priest and diocesan travelers

By Bryce Newsom

OXFORD – The Holy Land. Though the locations in which our Lord made the greatest sacrifice are a world away, this didn’t prevent Father Mark Shoffner and several members of our diocese from journeying that distance. Traveling by plane, these pilgrims visited stunning locations such as the former home of our Mother Mary, the workshop of her husband, Joseph, and the Sea of Galilee. Many miracles, and similarly many tragedies, happened in and around these areas. Upon their return, Father Mark shared their story.

The holy sites that were visited left a deep impression on many of the pilgrims, as could be gathered by their reactions to the meaning of the grounds as well as the architecture of the buildings themselves. For example, when asked what his favorite stop of their itinerary happened to be, Father Shoffner replied, “Definitely the Holy Sepulchre, it’s always been my favorite place to visit in the Holy Land.”

Father Mark also specified a particular experience which he and his fellow pilgrims were involved in at The Basilica of the Annunciation: “When we were there, by the ruins of Mary’s house, above us Mass was happening. And as the bells were ringing for the consecration, we realized that we were in the place where the Word became flesh … as the Word was becoming flesh in the Eucharist above us. It was a surreal experience.”

Continuing about their venture to the Holy Sepulchre, Father Mark spoke about his feeling that he had “completed his mission” as a Knight Chaplain of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre. He saw the reaction of many to the holy site, with awestruck wonder and adoration, and it warmed his soul. For not only was he himself able to observe and appreciate these passages he had read, made real in front of him, but he was able to help bring others to this realization as well.

Father Mark was able to go up Mount Tabor, often called the Mount of Transfiguration, and look out on the Sea of Galilee. When doing this in reflection, a thought dawned on him: “When you’re up there, you’re seeing the exact same locations that Jesus saw.” This revelation put the trip in perspective for Father Shoffner. The trip brought the Bible to life for many people, with other locations such as Capernaum, Nazareth, and the site of the Wedding at Cana, where Christ performed His first miracle.

For many, this was a trip which changed the way they viewed their faith. It became tangible, physical and more impactful. And in this process, grew that faith in Christ. Which, of course, was one of the primary goals of the pilgrimage. Another, however, was to observe the current state of Catholics in the Holy Land. Many are struggling to support their families, and often ask St. George, a former Roman soldier whose icon many place above their doorways, to pray for them. Let us, as their brothers and sisters, continue to pray fervently for them throughout this trying time.

Father Mark Shoffner celebrated Mass on Mount Tabor on July 4 during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

HOLY LAND – Pilgrims listen to a tour guide in the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem. (Photos courtesy of Father Mark Shoffner)

Father Mark Shoffner and his pilgrims sailing on the Sea of Galilee.