MS Catholic June 19, 2026

Homegrown seminarian ordained priest for Diocese of Jackson

BY JOANNA PUDDISTER KING

JACKSON – For Father Will Foggo, the path to priesthood has always been marked by the people and communities that helped shape his faith.

On Saturday, May 16, those communities came together at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle as Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz ordained the lifelong Diocese of Jackson Catholic to the priesthood.

Family members, friends, priests, deacons, seminarians and parishioners filled the cathedral to witness a moment years in the making for the St. Paul Flowood parishioner who attended St. Richard School in Jackson, graduated from St. Joseph School in Madison and later discerned his vocation while active in Catholic Campus Ministry at Mississippi State University.

In his homily, Bishop Kopacz reflected on the gift of faith and the work of the Holy Spirit in calling men to serve the church. He noted that a vocation is never formed in isolation, but through families, parish communities and seminary communities that help discern and affirm God’s call.

JACKSON – Surrounded by the prayers of the church, ordinand Will Foggo lies prostrate before the altar during the Litany of Supplication, one of the most solemn moments of the Rite of Ordination to the Priesthood on Saturday, May 16 at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. (Photo by Joanna King)

“We continue the work of the Lord,” Bishop Kopacz said, pointing to Christ’s mission of teaching, proclaiming the Gospel, healing, blessing and gathering people into communities of faith.

Addressing the newly ordained priest, the bishop referenced St. Paul’s encouragement to Timothy: “Let no one have contempt for your youth.”

“Today is not contempt,” the bishop said. “There’s great joy.”

That joy became especially evident near the end of Mass when Bishop Kopacz announced Father Foggo’s first assignments.

As is customary, the bishop explained that newly ordained priests enter a period of “vocational synthesis,” integrating priestly ministry into daily life after years of seminary formation.

For the next few months, Father Foggo will serve as parochial vicar pro tempore at St. Joseph Parish in Starkville, the same parish community where he served as a transitional deacon following his ordination to the diaconate in November.

The announcement drew enthusiastic applause from the congregation.

– Continued on page 6 –

Sacred Heart reconciles divisions and transforms hardened hearts

BY JEAN GONZALEZ

ORLANDO, Fla. (OSV News) – A sea of white robes and zucchettos of pink and magenta in the pews. A statue of Jesus welcoming the faithful with his exposed Sacred Heart upon the foot of the altar.

A setting fit for a June 11 Mass that united U.S. bishops gathered for their spring plenary June 10-12. They left the second of two days of public sessions at Omni Resort in Champions-

THIS WEEK

Gate for a half-hour drive up Interstate 4 for the spiritual refuge that is the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe in Orlando.

And the Mass was a momentous one as it served to formally consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City incensed the altar after processing in from the thick humidity and cloudy skies of a typical Orlando afternoon outside the shrine. The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was joined on the altar by bishops and deacons of the Orlando Diocese.

Magni ca Humanitas 7 Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical touches on many subjects

“Clothe us, Lord God, with the virtues of the heart of your son, and set us aflame with his love,” the archbishop prayed in opening the Mass.

More than 200 bishops present, along with about 150 observers, mostly benefactors and staff of the Diocese of Orlando. The monstrance used ahead of Mass for Eucharistic adoration was from the Servants of the Pierced Hearts, a Miami-based religious institute.

The relics of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque – the French Visitation sister who experienced visions of Jesus revealing his Sacred Heart – were also present at the Mass, on loan for the consecration from the Knights of Columbus.

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St. Dominic 80th 8 Health system marks 80 years in Metro Jackson area

Class of 2026

Special section highlights Diocese Catholic Schools

SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

GREENWOOD – Locus Benedictus, Healing Retreat with Maria Vadia, Saturday, July 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Details: contact (662) 299-1232 or email contactlocusbenedictus@gmail.com.

OXFORD – St. John the Evangelist, Catechist Workshop, Saturday, Aug. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m, with speaker, Dr. Tom Neal. Details: register at https://bit.ly/oxford-catechist-event-26

PILGRMAGE – Travel with Father Carlisle Beggerly to Italy/Greece, Oct. 7-20, 2026. Cost: $5,999 per person. Details: Contact Proximo Travel (855-8428001) or visit proximotravel.com (enter Fr. Carlisle in search box).

Travel with Father Raju Macherla to Portugal, Spain and France, July 6-17, 2026. Cost: $5,500 per person (sharing room), with departure from Memphis. Details: visit https://bit.ly/4efWoql.

Travel with Father Jesus Sanchez to “Rome and Marian Shrines” Portugal: Fátima and Lisbon, France: Lourdes, Spain: Garabandal, Covadonga and Santiago de Compostela, Italy: Rome and Assisi and Bosnia and Herzegovina: Medjugorje. July 26 – Aug. 10, 2026. Cost: $4,900. Details: Contact (626) 379-0944 or email gpilgrimages@yahoo.com.

MADISON – Millions of Monicas will be praying at St. Catherine’s Village chapel (200 Dominican Drive), the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. When you arrive at the gate, let the team know you are joining the Millions of Monicas ministry. Please, mark your calendars for the following meeting dates: July 14, Aug. 11, Sept. 8, Oct. 13, Nov. 10 and Dec. 8, 2026. Details: call (601) 613-8526.

OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Millions of Monicas, Thursdays from 6:15-7:15 pm. Join with other mothers as we pray to grow in holiness and for our children’s faithful return to the Church. Details: church o ce (662) 895-5007.

YOUNG ADULTS – Young adults are invited to join the Archdiocese of New Orleans on a Pilgrimage to Seoul, South Korea, August 1-10, 2027. Details: contact James Behan at (504) 836-0551 ext. 3228 or email:

yam@arch-no.org.

PARISH & YOUTH EVENTS

BATESVILE – St. Mary, Rummage Sale, Aug. 7-8. Details: church o ce at (662) 563-2273.

OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, 100th Anniversary Celebration of Franciscan Sisters of Charity’s Ministry in Northwest Miss., Sunday, July 12, with Mass at 10 a.m. and reception following. Queen of Peace, Indoor Yard Sale, Save the Date –Saturday, Aug. 1. Details: church o ce (662) 895 5007.

VBS

BROOKHAVEN – St. Francis of Assisi, “Rainforest Falls” Vacation Bible School, Friday, July 1215 from 5:30-8:00 p.m., with dinner at 5:30 p.m. Ages PreK-4 through sixth grade. Details: church o ce at (601) 833-1799.

FLOWOOD – St. Paul, “Cathletics” Vacation Bible School, Monday, June 29 – July 2 from 6-8 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Open to PreK-4 through sixth. Details: church o ce at (601) 992-9547.

GREENVILLE – St. Joseph, Vacation Bible School, Monday, July 27-29. Details: church o ce at (662) 335-5251.

MAGEE – St. Stephen, “Deep Sea of Faith” Vacation Bible School, Friday, July 17, 6-8 p.m. – Saturday, July 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring a towel and swimsuit. Details: church o ce at (601) 849-3237.

NATCHEZ – St. Mary Basilica, Vacation Bible School presented by the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word, July 7-10. Details: church o ce (601) 445-5616.

OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Vacation Bible School, Monday, June 22-26, from 6-8 p.m. Details: church o ce at (662) 342 1073.

DIOCESE EVENTS

ENGAGED ENCOUNTER 2026: Aug. 2830; and Oct. 2-4. Details: couples may register at https://jacksondiocese.flocknote.com/signup/230073 or email debbie.tubertini@jacksondiocese.org.

PERMANENT DIACONATE ORDINATION: Six men will be ordained to the Permanent Diaconate on Saturday, July 18 at 10:30 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Jackson. Blessings to Enrique Amador, Donald Clinton Coker, Je Cook, Pablo Garcia, Christopher Halliwell, William Gri th Vautrot and Hunter Yentzen.

PASTORAL MINISTRIES WORKSHOP: July 31 through Aug. 2 at Egale Ridge Conference Center in Raymond. Cost is $300, which includes room, meals, and course materials. (Communter rate: $125) Registration deadline is July 10. Register at https:// bit.ly/pmw2026. Details: fran.lavelle@jacksondiocese.org.

FALL FAITH FORMATION DAY: Save the Date – Sept. 19 at St. Francis of Assisi in Madison. Come for a day of learning, prayer and community for catechists, faith formation leaders, and all those involved in forming disciples of all ages.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Mississippi Catholic will publish a Sacraments edition in July. This means we need First Communion and Confirmation photos. This is your only chance to submit posed group photos for publication. The final due date for submissions is be Friday, July 3. Details: email editor@jacksondiocese.org.

FEATURE PHOTO: ... Installation at Holy Ghost Jackson ...

JACKSON – Newly installed pastor Father Vijaya Madanu speaks to parishioners with gratitude and joy following his installation at Holy Ghost Parish on Pentecost Sunday, May 24. Bishop Joseph Kopacz celebrated the Mass and formally installed Father Madanu as pastor. (Photo by Joanna Puddister King) More photos at jacksondiocese.zenfoliosite.com.

BY BISHOP JOSEPH R. KOPACZ, D.D.

A consecration of hope

In his final major work Delixit Nos (He Loved Us) in the months leading up to his death, Pope Francis a rmed that everything written before is intimately linked with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He expresses this eloquently in the closing paragraphs of his encyclical.

“This present document on the Sacred Heart of Jesus can help us to see that the teaching of the social Encyclicals Laudato Si, and Fratelli Tutti unrelated to our encounter with the love of Jesus Christ. For it is by drinking of that same love that we can become capable of forging bonds of fraternity, of recognizing the dignity of each human being, and of working together to care for our common home.”

The nation’s consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by the bishops of the Catholic Church at 250 years emanates from this integrated vision for our county and world.

tuo – You have pierced my heart with your Word. Pope Leo’s motto – In illo uno unum (In Christ We Are One) – combined with his crest, stirs within our hearts the desire for greater unity and peace for church and nation. This hope comes directly from the heart of Jesus in his great priestly prayer at the Last Supper (John 17) and is fulfilled with the blood and water flowing from His pierced side on the Cross.

Along with being the culmination and cornerstone for Pope Francis’ major writings and pastoral vision, Delexit Nos is also a bridge to Pope Leo XIV in a remarkable way – shedding more light from the heart of the Church on the decision to consecrate the land of the free and the home of the brave on this landmark anniversary.

Pope Leo’s crest, fashioned at the outset of his episcopacy, is a classic expression of the theology of St. Augustine. It is the pierced heart upon the Word of God and represents St. Augustine’s proclamation of faith. Vulnerasti cor meum verbo

BISHOP’S SCHEDULE

Tuesday, July 14, 5:30 p.m. – Our Lady of Mount Carmel Novena Mass, Carmelite Monastery, Jackson

Thursday, July 16, 7:30 a.m. – Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast Day Mass, Carmelite Monastery, Jackson

Saturday, July 18, 10:30 a.m. – Permanent Diaconate Ordination, Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, Jackson

Tuesday, July 21 and 28, 7:30 a.m. – Mass, Carmelite Monastery, Jackson

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

Sunday, July 26, 10 a.m. – Mass of Thanksgiving and Celebration of Diaconate Ordination of Pueblo Garcia, St. Francis of Assisi, New Albany

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

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

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8 (ISSN 1529-1693) PRESS DATE: JUNE 12, 2026

Publisher Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

Communications Director Joanna Puddister King

Production Manager Tereza Ma

MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC is an official publication of the Diocese of Jackson, 601-969-1880, 237 E. Amite St., Jackson, MS 39201. Published once per month, Mississippi Catholic mails 12 editions per year.

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

Many question today whether or not the curtain is falling on the virtues of compassion, forgiveness and respect that ought to flow from humanity’s beating heart. With the consecration to the Sacred Heart, the Church is unambiguously and unreservedly stating that each generation must rediscover these attributes of heart and soul afresh. Parents, educators, religious leaders, and fellow citizens of goodwill are entrusted with the honorable task of teaching the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power and the wonders he has done. (Psalm 78)

During the recent Jubilee Year, we were challenged to be pilgrims of hope, because the love of God that is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit through faith does not disappoint. (Romans 5:5) Taken to heart we can be the light of the world and salt of the earth.

In the closing paragraphs of Delixit Nos, Pope Francis proposes the constant challenge for Christians to be in the world, but not of the world. “In a world where everything is bought and sold, people’s sense of their worth appears increasingly to depend on what they can accumulate with the power of money. We are constantly being pushed to keep consuming and distracting ourselves, held captive from looking beyond our immediate and petty needs. The love of Christ has no place in this perverse mechanism, yet only that love can us free from a madness that no longer has room for love. Christ’s love can give a heart to our world and revive love wherever we think that the ability to love has been lost.”

Therefore, during this consecration, we pray to recognize and reconcile the excesses and abuses of our liberty, evident through racism, militarism and rampant materialism. Equally as a nation, we give thanks for the blessings of liberty that have fostered incredible generosity at home and abroad.

As a Church, we are grateful for the first amendment of the Constitution that empowers us and many religious traditions to flourish. May these blessings be guiding lights for the future.

Lastly, we will be eternally indebted to all who have sacrificed for our nation, for all who have sacrificed to raise families and build communities, and for all who have sacrificed for the flourishing of religious faith.

Indeed, this consecration is a blessing for our country, imploring God’s providence to transform our nation’s innate optimism into the “hope that does not disappoint.”

Happy Ordination Anniversary

June 1

Father Anthony Okwum, SSJ

June 3

Father Guy Wilson, ST

June 4

Father Joe Tonos

Dcn. Je Artigues

Dcn. Denzil Lobo

Dcn. John McGinley

Dcn. John McGregor

Dcn. Ted Schreck

June 6

Father PJ Curley

June 7

Father Aloys Jost, OFM

Father Kevin Slattery

June 8

Father omas Delaney

June 10

Father Robert Dore

June 11

Father Patrick Farrell

Father omas Lalor

June 12

Father Gerry Hurley

Father Frank Cosgrove

Father Kent Bowlds

June 13

Father Mike O’Brien

Father Mario Solorzano

June 14

Father Tom McGing

Msgr. Mike Flannery

June 15

Father David Szatkowski, SCJ

June 16

Father Je rey Waldrep

June 18

Father Anthony Quyet

June 26

Dcn. David Gruseck

June 27

Father Andrew Nguyen

Father Cesar Sanchez

Father Marco Sanchez, ST

June 28

Father Stephen Okojie

July 16

Dcn. Mark Bowden

Dcn. Dien Hoang

Dcn. Wesley Lindsay

Dcn. John Pham

Dcn. David Rouch

Dcn. Tony Schmidt

Thank you for answering the call!

In the month of June four new seminarians embarked on the journey of priestly formation. The US Bishops issue the Program for Priestly Formation to help diocesan and seminary formation staff guide young men who are studying for the priesthood.

The PPF is on its sixth edition, and in the new edition, published earlier this decade, the Bishops asked that formators have a more specifically diocesan approach to seminary formation. In order to accomplish this, they asked that the first year of priestly formation be very focused on the realities of the diocese that they will serve. This may seem obvious, but one of the challenges we face is that the seminaries that serve us are in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, which is a different Catholic reality than the one we experience here in the Diocese of Jackson.

To better begin to facilitate this diocesan-based approach, this summer we established the Seminarian Launchpad, a month-long initial experience of diocesan life hosted at the Cathedral Rectory in downtown Jackson. Our four new men

moved-in in the first week of June and immediately began to travel around the metro area to different ministry events and serve at the Cathedral and other parishes. On the weekends they have been visiting parishes outside the metro area, and touring sites of interest in Mississippi like the Military Park in Vicksburg. They are also, crucially, forming bonds with the Lord and amongst themselves. Each day begins with an hour of prayer so that they learn how to soak their life in prayer from the very beginning.

I think one of the greatest gifts of this month has been the daily discussions we’ve had about the call to priesthood. A seminarian is discerning celibacy along with priesthood. Celibacy is a gift from the Lord that is given to some so that the man expresses his masculinity and his fatherhood truly and fully through his self-gift to the Church. Many times, men start their journey of formation thinking ‘I want to help people, and so I’ll be a priest.’ But the call must be deeper than this. All of us are called to ‘help people,’ but the priest is called to serve as a true father and a true spouse, or husband – to the Church. He is called to care for, protect, provide for, and to do great deeds for the Church as a man is called to do the same for his wife. This call is mysterious, but it is real, and these men are being rooted in that understanding of priestly formation from the very beginning.

They are also learning very practical ways

Knights of Columbus aid pro-life mission at Born Free-New Beginnings

BY JOE LEE

MADISON – Born Free-New Beginnings, a Catholic Charities of Jackson program and one of only two facilities in the state of Mississippi that treat pregnant females su ering from addiction, as well as their children born with addiction, has gotten a crucial makeover from the Knights of Columbus at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Madison.

A freshening up that took almost eight months to complete after a walk-through of the grounds last October.

“Some women are pregnant and overcoming addiction to alcohol and drugs so that their child may be ‘Born Free’ of addictions,” said Msgr. Elvin Sunds, who discussed needed repairs and upgrades with KC 9543. “Others are overcoming addiction while also caring for young children there. They’re creating a ‘New Beginning’ as loving, addiction-free mothers and families.”

Slowed by winter weather delays and a busy spring calendar for KC 9543, Grand Knight Lance Lee and a team of volunteers squeezed in trips in March and May to pressure wash the exterior surfaces of the two-story structure (which was built years ago into the side of a steep, craggy hill), clear away dead tree limbs and overgrown shrubs, and replace torn screen

material in an enclosed toddler play area.

The second visit was to rebuild a wooden fence around the outdoor play area for toddlers, an expanse bordered by dense woods on one side and a treacherous hill on the other.

“It’s important for the residents who stay 28 days or longer to feel a sense of comfort as they see the facility for the first time, and as they spend time here,” Sunds added. “I am very grateful to the Knights of Columbus at St. Francis for seeing the project through.”

“It’s a very worthy pro-life project,” Lee said. “We had great volunteer help, including wonderful assistance from Born Free Facilities Manager Jimmie Roush, and did a good job for them. I was proud to be part of it. The new fence looks great and will go a long way toward keeping the little ones safe who are out there.”

To learn more about how you or your organization can support Born Free-New Beginnings, visit catholiccharitiesjackson.org.

Pictured from left to right: Born Free-New Beginnings Facilities Manager Jimmie Roush, Bronson Turner, Barry Blanchard, and Lance Lee (all of KC 9543). (Photo by Joe Lee)

of living a life of celibacy with joy and support. They are forming friendships with one another and meeting priests from around the diocese and the region. They are taking turns getting groceries and cooking meals to get used to doing this should they become a priest. They are getting a great experience of what a healthy celibacy looks like so that they can take this into their academic work and the prayer and community life of the seminary.

Please keep these men in your prayers. I am grateful that they have bought into this new program with great joy and excitement.

(Father Nick Adam is Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Jackson. He can be contacted at nick.adam@jacksondiocese. org.)

Father Nick Adam

Inviting each other to our better selves

IN EXILE

By Father ron rolheiser, oMi

I grew up in a rural area where most everyone was either a first or second-generation immigrant. Most of us were just above the poverty line, struggling economically and struggling to speak English properly. We were also struggling to access higher education, both because a lot of my peers had to end their schooling after the eighth grade to help support the family and because the idea of university education was not yet part of most families’ ethos.

In our community there was one family for which this wasn’t true. They were comfortable economically and a number of them had gone on to higher education and were now professionals in different fields. They were a privileged family.

But they wore it well. There was no snobbishness, flaunting or superiority complex. The opposite. They used their gifts to try to help the community. One of their sons became a teacher and taught in one of the local schools, and for a number of years the family set up a curling rink every winter for the community. They were both admired and respected.

One day one of their sons was sitting with a group of young men who were sharing a beer, sharing stories and enjoying some healthy banter, when the son of this much respected family made a blatantly racist remark. There was an awkward silence. Then one of men, in a gentle voice, said this to him: “You know, it surprises me that you would say something like that. Your family is so classy. We all look up to you. This doesn’t sound like you.”

The Pope’s Corner

The man’s reaction was immediate and contrite: “You’re right. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I say things like that. That was stupid.”

I can imagine a very different reaction had he been challenged with hard words like: “You’re a racist! How can you say something like that!”

When we challenge each other in harsh words, the effect often serves to make us more defensive and freeze us in our view. We are being scolded, rebuked, shamed, and that can work just as easily to re-entrench as to persuade. It also serves to harden the space between us rather than invite us to what’s best and highest in ourselves.

We need to invite and challenge each other to what’s best and higher inside us.

And what is best and higher inside us?

Some of our early Christian writers (the Church Fathers) suggested that each of us has a double personality and heart. In each of us, they submit, there is a big, generous, noble, altruistic heart. But, inside each of us too, there is a wounded, petty and selfish heart; and at any given time, we can be operating out of one heart or the other. We can be big-hearted and we can be petty, and this can change from one hour to the next depending on what’s meeting us in life.

Here’s an example: Imagine you wake up some morning feeling altruistic and noble of heart. At that moment, you have the mind and heart of Jesus. In that holy frame of mind, you go to work and there someone is cold and sarcastic with you. In one minute, everything can switch; you no longer have the mind and heart of Jesus, nor the mind and heart of what’s best in you. The wounded petty heart in you trumps the big heart, warmth and un-

derstanding leave you, and you now feel cold and bitter.

Now imagine this in reverse: You wake up some morning feeling paranoid, misunderstood, and nursing old wounds. At that moment you don’t have the mind and heart of Jesus, nor are you attuned to what’s better and higher in your own mind and heart. You go to work in that unholy state and there, unexpectedly, some co-worker greets you warmly and shares how much she appreciates your work and your friendship. In one minute, the noble mind in you trumps the petty mind and all that’s best and generous in you rises to the surface and you want to be a better person. You flip from bitterness to graciousness in one minute.

We live in a polarized world today where so many issues bitterly divide us and invite us not to what’s noble and best in us, but rather to what’s wounded, paranoid, and defensive. We need a new tone in our discourse, one of invitation and respect, one that recognizes what’s noble and big-hearted in the other and then challenges the other to own what’s best in him or her.

Instead of name-calling and assaulting each other with slogans, we need to say to each other: “You know, it surprises me that you would say something like that. You’re so classy! We all look up to you. This doesn’t sound like you.”

That kind of invitation can help thaw some of the coldness that for all kinds of reasons perennially besets the human heart.

(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a professor of spirituality at Oblate School of Theology and award-winning author.)

Secret to building peace lies in recognizing dignity of every person, pope tells lawmakers

By Carol Glatz

MADRID (CNS) – In a highly anticipated and historic speech to Spain’s parliament, Pope Leo XIV urged modern-day leaders to be guided by ancient and Catholic principles that gave birth to universal human rights based on the inalienable dignity of the human person.

While Church and state legitimately remain separate, many virtues and aims of good governance and just laws are rooted in values profoundly marked and inspired by the Christian tradition, he told hundreds of lawmakers and leaders of judiciary branches June 6 in Spain’s Congress of Deputies.

When lawmakers ask themselves “how to ensure that what is possible is just, that what is legal is truly humane, and that the will of the majority safeguards those goods that belong to all and respects that which no majority can legitimately violate,” he said, the answer needs to “stand before the dignity of the person and pass that test without shame.”

Even though “society and the Church herself did not always live up to these insights found in their own Christian tradition,” he said, Spain’s Christian thinkers introduced the idea of “the irreducible value of every human being and the moral limits of power,” which led to the core principles of international human rights.

Even today, the pope said, the whole world “continues to ask itself how to build peace on the recognition of the person and not on the imposition of force.”

Recalling Pope Francis’ criticism of a lingering “throwaway culture,” which fails to recognize the inherent dignity of every human being, Pope Leo challenged the lawmakers to consider their serious “responsibility of legally ordering social coexistence.”

“If life ceases to be recognized as a fundamental value, what future can our societies have? Can a community that casts into the shadows the unborn child, the elderly, the sick, those who suffer in silence, or those who depend entirely on the care of others be called fully just?”

When “the most vulnerable are the first victims,” he said, “the law loses its deepest meaning: to serve and protect every person.”

“For this reason, the moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to accompany, protect and love those lives that are most fragile.”

“I invite you, then, to lift your gaze to the world around you, not to turn away from reality, but to remember that every decision by public authorities affects real people, especially those who have less power to make their voices heard,” Pope Leo said.

Pope Leo XIV delivers a speech during a joint session of the Spanish Parliament at the Congress of Deputies in Madrid, June 8, 2026, during his June 6-12 apostolic journey to Spain. (OSV News photo/ Stefano Rellandinii, pool via Reuters)

‘... Through your hands, heaven touches earth ...’

Father Will Foggo elevates the Eucharistic during his First Mass at St. Paul Catholic Church in Flowood on May 17, one day after being ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Jackson. (Photo by Joanna Puddister King)

– Continued from page 1 –

Then came a second announcement from Bishop Kopacz.

Beginning Sept. 1, Father Foggo will become parochial vicar at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Madison.

The cathedral erupted in even louder cheers.

“We’re very happy about the support that you’ve had in the presbyterate and among the people of God,” Bishop Kopacz said.

The following morning, Father Foggo celebrated his first Mass as a priest at his home parish, St. Paul Catholic Church in Flowood.

The homilist for the Mass was Deacon Scott Beslin, a seminary classmate and friend who was later ordained a priest for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux on June 6. Reflecting on the Feast of the Ascension, Beslin reminded the congregation that Christ’s ascension was not the end of His work, but the beginning of the church’s mission.

Turning to the newly ordained priest, Beslin reflected on the responsibilities that now lay before him.

“Through your hands, heaven touches earth,” he said before pausing and adding, “No pressure.”

The church erupted in laughter, including Father Foggo himself. Beslin continued by speaking of the responsibilities of priestly ministry, including preaching the Gospel, shepherding souls, celebrating the sacraments and being available to God’s people.

Despite the humor, he emphasized that priestly ministry does not depend on a priest’s own strength alone.

“None of this depends on you alone,” Beslin said. “It is Christ who lifts you. Christ who works through you. Christ who will be faithful through you.”

Yet some of the most memorable moments came after Communion.

Thanking those gathered for their prayers and support, Father Foggo explained the tradition of the maniturgium, the cloth used to wipe the sacred chrism from a priest’s hands after ordination.

Tradition holds that the cloth is presented to the priest’s mother and buried with her as a symbol of her offering her son to God.

Turning unexpectedly to his parents, Sheila and John Foggo, Father Foggo revealed that he had not told them what was about to happen.

“I’d like to give that to my parents right now,” he said.

The congregation responded with sustained applause as he presented the maniturgium to his mother. He then presented his father with the stole that will be used when he hears his first confession, another tradition symbolizing the gift of a son offered in service to the church.

The emotional moment served as a fitting conclusion to a weekend that celebrated not only the ordination of a new priest, but also the many people, parishes and communities that helped nurture his vocation.

(Photos from Father Foggo’s Ordination and First Mass can be found at jacksondiocese.zenfoliosite.com)

‘... Renewal of the Church and our nation ...’

– Continued from page 1 –

In his homily, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore described the Sacred Heart of Jesus not as an “abstract devotion,” but as a “visible sign of love.”

He explained why the Church consecrates. He described it as an act of faith and acknowledgment of the need for God’s mercy, wisdom and guidance. It is also an act of hope. It is “a heart that has known joy and sorrow, friendship and betrayal, suffering and sacrifice,” he said.

The act of consecration is an act of faith and hope, the archbishop said, but it is also an acknowledgment of God’s faithful work and love in the world and how we as people and as a Church have not always “clearly reflected that love.”

“Indeed, it is sometimes obscured almost beyond recognition,” the archbishop added. “To be sure, there have been moments of extraordinary witness and holiness. But there have also been moments of failure, division and sin. Consecration requires the humility to acknowledge both.”

And why the Sacred Heart? Because it reveals a savior who “desires not merely our obedience, but our friendship; not simply our service, but our communion with Him,” he said.

“To consecrate ourselves to the Sacred Heart is ultimately to accept Christ’s invitation to remain in His love and to allow that love to shape every aspect of our lives, public and private,” Archbishop Lori said. “It is

U.S. Catholic bishops consecrate the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the Basilica of Mary Queen of the Universe in Orlando, Fla., June 11, 2026, during their spring plenary assembly. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)

a declaration that the future does not belong merely to political movements, economic forces, or human plans. The future belongs to God.”

The act of consecration does not just happen among the shepherds, but also the sheep. In speaking to the laity both in the pews at the shrine and watching on the livestream, Archbishop Lori said the act of consecration is one the faithful and leaders do together.

“This consecration is not something the bishops do for you. It is something we do together,” he said. “The renewal of the Church and our nation will not come through declarations alone. It will come through disciples who remain in Christ’s love and bear the good fruit of holiness in families, parishes, communities and in their daily lives.”

The Sacred Heart reconciles divisions and transforms hardened hearts, the archbishop said.

“It means building communities – ecclesial and civil – where truth is proclaimed clearly and charity is practiced generously. It means resisting the temptation to define ourselves by division, ideology or resentment,” Archbishop Lori said. “We consecrate our nation, not because it is perfect, but because it is beloved by God. We entrust to the Heart of Christ our achievements and failures, our hopes and anxiety, our present challenges and our future aspirations.”

(Jean Gonzalez, editor with Florida Catholic Media, is helping cover the bishops’ spring plenary for OSV News.)

Newly ordained Father Will Foggo assists Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz in distributing Holy Communion during the ordination Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson. (Photo by Tereza Ma)

‘Magnifica Humanitas’: Pope Leo’s AI encyclical warns of temptation to build future excluding God

Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of “Magnifica Humanitas” at the Vatican’s Synod Hall May 25, 2026, the first encyclical of his papacy, which focuses on the rise of artificial intelligence. (OSV News photo/Simone Risoluti, Vatican Media)

By Courtney Mares

VATICAN CITY (OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV published his landmark encyclical on artificial intelligence “Magnifica Humanitas” May 25, comparing the attempt to build an AI future that excludes God to the “Tower of Babel” and underlining the need to safeguard human dignity as it is “threatened by new forms of dehumanization.”

“The risk of dehumanization – of building a future that excludes God and reduces the other to a means – is an ancient and ever-new temptation that today takes on a technical guise,” Pope Leo wrote in his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.”

“We must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, the splendor of which no machine can ever replace,” he said.

– AI misuse compared to ‘Tower of Babel’ –

Pope Leo opens the first encyclical of his pontificate by saying that humanity today faces a pivotal choice – “either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.” Using the Biblical Genesis narrative, the pope warns against the “’Babel syndrome,’ namely the idolatry of profit that sacrifices the weak” and the pretense that everything, “including the mystery of the person,” can be translated into “data and performance.”

“Calling for prudence, rigorous evaluation and even, at times, a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family,” Pope Leo wrote.

– From cryptocurrency to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ –

The lengthy papal document is divided into five chapters and touches

on wide ranging issues related to AI, including the prospect of massive unemployment, the future of education, the protection of human freedom, excessive screen time for young people, cryptocurrencies, economic disparities, transhumanism, cyberattacks and the application of Catholic social teaching principles.

Pope Leo dedicated the final chapter of the encyclical to AI in warfare and the need for “rigorous ethical constraints” and proactive peacebuilding “to curb the technological arms race.”

In “Magnifica Humanitas,” Latin for “Magnificent Humanity,” the pope calls on Christians not to be “passive spectators” or “mere commentators on what is crumbling,” but to take a proactive role in building the future by cultivating community and in-person relationships, educating young people to love wisdom, spending time with the poor and the lonely, being a voice for justice, defending objective truth, and treating the digital world as “a new continent to be evangelized.”

“It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till,” the pope wrote, quoting J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

– ‘Slowing things down when everything is accelerating’ –

In the encyclical, Pope Leo says that the idea of a “more moral AI” is not enough if that morality is only determined by a few.

“What is needed is a more active political involvement that is capable of slowing things down when everything is accelerating, and of protecting the opportunities for communities still to be able to participate and ask questions,” he said.

The pope argues that “we cannot consider AI to be morally neutral” and underlines that ethical discernment cannot be limited to “asking whether we are using a system for good or bad purposes,” but must also “examine how that system is designed and what vision of the human person and society is embedded in the data and models that guide it.”

Pope Leo added that data cannot be left solely in private hands, calling for appropriate regulation and creative thinking to “manage data as a common or shared good.”

– Unemployment as a ‘grave evil’ and ‘social calamity’ –

Pope Leo addresses the looming specter of mass unemployment due to the adoption of AI, saying this would be “a true social calamity that especially requires the State to exercise responsibility.”

“The pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs, because the human person is an end, not a means, and the economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good,” Pope Leo said.

“Without bold decisions, the prospect of greater poverty and inequality looms large, which would leave many individuals marginalized, stranded and surrounded by the machines and automated systems that have replaced them,” he added.

– God created humans for communion, not efficiency –

Pope Leo writes that AI promises efficiency but the “new ways” of working are not necessarily better, describing how “contrary to the advertised benefits of AI, current approaches to technology can paradoxically de-skill workers, subject them to automated surveillance and relegate them to rigid and repetitive tasks.”

“When efficiency becomes the ultimate measure of value, human beings are tempted to see themselves as a project to be optimized rather than as persons called to relationship and communion,” Pope Leo said.

– A defense of objective truth –Pope Leo said that in the face of incessant flows of information, opinions, images and sophisticated algorithms that can influence decisions, it is imperative to “cultivate hearts that love the truth, prefer what is right despite the most appealing content and pursue wisdom rather than immediate results.”

He underlined that “the search for truth is an essential element of democracy,” and that “indifference to the truth leads, slowly but surely, to a descent into totalitarianism.”

The pope said people must “promote an ecology of communication,” in which public policy establishes norms

“so that the decision-making behind content selection and its development becomes more transparent and protects personal data.”

“Our first task is neither to demonize nor idolize technological tools, but to utilize them on the basis of a fundamental principle, namely that truth is a common good and not the property of those with power or influence,” he said.

– Social control and the ‘digital attention economy’ –

Pope Leo called for “education in digital sobriety” due to subtle forms of addiction in today’s “digital attention economy,” in which digital platforms that are “designed to capture users’ time and attention” weaken “their inner freedom.”

He warned of the risk of “social control made possible by the massive collection of data and use of algorithmic systems.”

“When every action – movements, purchases, relationships and preferences – leaves a trace, a new form of power emerges, namely the power to profile, predict and influence behavior, often without individuals being fully aware of it,” he said. “If such kinds of data are used to make decisions affecting concrete opportunities – such as access to credit, employment or essential services – there is a risk of undermining freedom and discriminating against the most vulnerable.”

– Pope Leo XIII and Catholic social doctrine –

Pope Leo XIV places his writing on the age of artificial intelligence within the context of the magisterial tradition of Catholic social doctrine, also known as Catholic social teaching. The first chapter of the encyclical provides an overview of what each pope has contributed to the Church’s social magisterium from Pope Leo XIII to present, highlighting key ideas that are particularly relevant today. The second chapter provides definitions of key principles of Catholic social doctrine from the “common good” to “subsidiarity.” Pope Francis and St. John Paul II are both frequently quoted throughout the encyclical.

Pope Leo XIV signed “Magnifica Humanitas” on May 15, the 135th anniversary of “Rerum Novarum,” Pope Leo XIII’s foundational 1891 social encyclical on labor and capital written during the Industrial Revolution.

“While new economic and technological networks can generate exclusion, isolation and dependencies, the Church – nourished by the Eucharist – is called to make visible a different paradigm, one that preserves human connections, gives a voice to the invisible and ensures that processes are aimed at respecting people’s dignity,” Pope Leo said.

(Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News.)

By Staff RepoRtS

St. Dominic Jackson marks 80 years of caring

JACKSON – On April 15, 2026, FMOL Health/St. Dominic marked 80 years of caring for the Greater Jackson community, honoring a legacy rooted in faith, compassion and a commitment to caring for the whole person: body, mind, and spirit.

Founded in 1946 when the Springfield Dominican Sisters purchased the former Jackson Infirmary and renamed it St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital, the ministry has grown from a small community hospital into a leading health system serving communities across Mississippi. Through eight decades of growth and innovation, St. Dominic’s purpose has remained unchanged: to serve others with dignity, respect and excellence.

“St. Dominic’s history is one of faithful service and deep connection to the people of Mississippi,” said Jeremy Tinnerello, Regional President, FMOL Health | St. Dominic and FMOL Health | St. Francis. “Our roots run deep, and they continue to guide how we care for patients today and how we prepare for the future.”

A Legacy of Service and Innovation

Over the past 80 years, St. Dominic has played a significant role in shaping healthcare in Mississippi, achieving numerous milestones that reflect both medical advancement and social responsibility, including:

• 1946 – Dominican Sisters purchase Jackson Infirmary and establish St. Dominic Hospital

• 1949 – Opening of St. Dominic’s School of Nursing

• 1954 – Relocation to the Lakeland Drive campus

• 1965 – Establishment of Mississippi’s first intensive Coronary Care Unit

• 1966 – First hospital in Jackson to achieve full compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964

• 1974 – Performance of the hospital’s first open heart surgery

• 1977 – St. Dominic’s becomes first in state to offer total body CT scanning capability

• 1989 – Opening of St. Catherine’s Village

• 1996 – Launch of the Sister Trinita Community Health Clinic

• 1998 – Opening of Jackson’s first freestanding Comprehensive Cancer Center

• 2016 – St. Dominic Hospital becomes Mississippi’s first Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center

• 2019 – St. Dominic joins Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (now FMOL Health)

Father Darrell Kelly, SVD

Msgr. Joseph Brunini and Bishop Richard Gerow were both present in 1954 for the installation of the cornerstone of St. Dominic Hospital on Lakeland Drive in Jackson. (Photo courtesy of FMOL Health/St. Dominic)

• 2021 – St. Dominic opens state-of-the-art expanded Emergency Department

These milestones reflect a ministry that has continually responded to the evolving needs of its community while remaining grounded in its founding mission.

Deep Roots. Bold Future.

Today, as part of FMOL Health, St. Dominic continues to build on its strong foundation – advancing care, embracing innovation and strengthening community partnerships while remaining guided by the same values that shaped its earliest days.

Throughout the anniversary year, FMOL Health | St. Dominic will share stories of healing, innovation and service that highlight the people and moments that define its legacy, including the pioneering work of the Dominican Sisters and the ongoing dedication of providers, nurses and team members.

To learn more about St. Dominic’s 80 year history and watch a commemorative video highlighting key moments from the ministry’s past, visit https://www. stdom.com/80 or view the anniversary video on YouTube.

In memoriam: Eternal rest grant unto them

Father Darrell “Chuck” Kelly, SVD, died May 7, 2026, after a lengthy illness in Bay St. Louis.

Born Oct. 8, 1961, in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, he attended St. Gabriel School and Immaculate Conception High School. He studied at Mississippi Valley State University, served in the U.S. Army, including during Operation Desert Storm, and later worked as a correctional officer with the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

After converting to the Catholic faith, Father Kelly discerned a vocation to the priesthood. He attended Divine Word College, completed his novitiate with the Divine Word Missionaries and studied at Catholic Theological Union. He was ordained May 28, 2005, in Techny, Illinois.

His assignments included Notre Dame Parish in St. Martinville, Louisiana; Holy Ghost Parish in Jackson;

and Our Mother of Mercy Parish in Fort Worth, Texas. Despite significant health challenges, he continued to serve faithfully in ministry.

Funeral services were held May 13 at St. Augustine Parish in Bay St. Louis, with burial and full military honors.

Father Gerald Joseph Peterson

Father Gerald Peterson, 96, a Glenmary Home Missioner for 73 years, died May 13, 2026, in Cincinnati.

A native of Loretto, Kentucky, Father Peterson joined Glenmary as one of its earliest members and was part of the second novitiate class in 1952. He earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Vanderbilt University and later studied Spanish in Mexico to better serve immigrant communities.

the broader community.

Known for his creativity and concern for those in need, Father Peterson helped establish transportation, housing, childcare, health-care and food programs in mission communities. Fellow Glenmarians remembered him as a tireless missionary dedicated to evangelization and service.

He is survived by his twin sister, Geraldine. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated June 3 in Cincinnati.

Sister Mary Elisa Bauman, RSM

Sister Mary Elisa Bauman, RSM, died May 16, 2026, at Catherine’s Residence in St. Louis. She was 88 and had been a Sister of Mercy for 70 years.

Academy in Little Rock, Mercy Cross High School in Biloxi and Our Lady Academy.

After retiring from education, she remained active in the Bay St. Louis community before moving to St. Louis in 2022. She is survived by four nieces, members of her Mercy community and many friends. Funeral services were held privately, with a memorial Mass and burial planned in Little Rock.

Meyrl Schmit

Throughout his ministry, he served in Appalachia, Virginia; Georgia; Tennessee; Alabama; and Mississippi. From 2001 to 2013, he ministered in Pontotoc, Mississippi, serving local Catholics and

Born Mary Louise Bauman on Nov. 2, 1937, in North Little Rock, Arkansas, she entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1955 and professed perpetual vows in 1961. She earned degrees in education and English and devoted much of her religious life to Catholic education.

Sister Elisa taught at schools in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi, including Our Lady Academy in Bay St. Louis. She also served as principal and administrator at Mount St. Mary

Meyrl Schmit, a former priest of the Diocese of Jackson, died April 27, 2026, at age 87.

Born April 20, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan, he later served as a priest in the Diocese of Jackson and subsequently taught as an adjunct professor at community colleges in Illinois.

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn. Funeral services were held June 12 in Bryant, Indiana, with burial in the parish cemetery.

Class of 2026

Celebrating 146 Graduates Across Four Catholic High Schools

Cathedral SChool NatChez

VALEDICTORIAN: AVA WALKER

GPA: 4.37 – ACT: 27

From her speech: Whether we realize it or not, a large part of our individual identities so far have come from being a Cathedral student. We’ve worn uniforms, academic and athletic, that distinguished us from other schools. Those uniforms, as we know, came with expectations – from the school itself as well as our teachers and coaches. Academically, a logo on our shirts stating “disciplina ad deum ducit” (discipline leads to God) was positioned over our hearts every day as we took notes and tests within the walls of Cathedral School, calling us to work hard in our studies and pursue knowledge with integrity. Outside its walls, athletically, each team member sported green and white jerseys with Cathedral capitalized on his or her chest. Those colors, that name – weren’t just superficial identifiers. Those colors, that name – meant that we brought the same work ethic and virtue to the field as the logo on our school uniform challenged us to in the classroom.

Church: Crosspoint Church, Natchez

Favorite service project: I loved helping with the Autism Awareness Walk because I enjoyed seeing children of all abilities come together, play and have fun just like any other kids.

Plans to attend: Samford University, Birmingham

Plans to study: Human Development and Family Science (BA), School of Education

Scholarships: Crosland Scholarship; and Stella G & Stuart Handy Memorial Scholarship

Awards/honors: Highest average in Career Development, Religion, English, and Art II

Activities: Dance Team (co-captain); Ballet; Singing on church worship team

Favorite subject: English

Yearbook quote: “Let nothing trouble you. Let nothing make you afraid, all things pass away. God never changes. Patience obtains everything. God above is enough.” – St. Teresa

SALUTATORIAN: WHITMAN DEVRIENT

GPA: 4.00 – ACT: 33 (composite)

From his speech: But here’s the thing, even if you didn’t think you would be sitting here today, the community believed you could make it here. Your parents believed, your teachers believed, and your classmates believed that you could not only make it here, but go even further. They see big things in your future.

Plans to attend: Mississippi State University, Starkville

Plans to study: Mechanical Engineering

Scholarships: Mississippi State Tuition and Housing Scholarship; STAR Student Scholarship; Bagley College of Engineering Scholarship; and Federal Pell Grant

Awards/honors: Principal’s List (2022-2025); S.A.I.N.T (sincere, admirable, inspiring, noble, and thoughtful) Award Recipient (2025); Highest Class ACT; Student Government President (2025-2026); Na-

– Number of graduates: 37

– Number attending 4-year colleges: 23

– Number attending community colleges: 12

– Number of scholarship recipients: 27

– Largest scholarship awarded: $75,824 Mississippi State Tuition and Housing Scholarship to Whitman DeVrient

– Notable next steps: Elijah Bass – entering United States Marine Corps

– Total amount of scholarships offered: $812,227.92

– Total amount of scholarships accepted: $692,227.92

– Total of service hours: 6,100 over four years

– Notable service projects: Vidalia Louisiana’s Brightest Stars Ball

– Special Honors: Craig Beesley – Dorothy Garrity Memorial Teacher Award; Devin Gammill – George and Ninette Junkin Memorial Teacher Recognition Award; Rivers Ater – Jules Michel Faculty Recognition Trust

– Mr. and Miss Cathedral: Tripp Wimberly and Olivia Navarro

tional Honor Society Class Representative (2024-2025)

Activities: Member of Student Government (20252026); Member of Key Club (2023-2025); Member of National Honors Society (20232025); Participant in Cathedral Quiz Bowl (2024-2025); Member of Cathedral Golf Team (2022-2025); and Intern at Parse AI (2025-2026)

Favorite subject: Lunch … (or also Calculus)

Yearbook quote: “They misunderestimated me” –George Bush

MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC JUNE 19, 2026

St. JoSeph MadiSoN

– Number of graduates: 58

– Number attending 4-year colleges: 44

– Number attending community colleges: 10

– Number of scholarship recipients: 36

– Largest scholarship awarded: $308,120 Scholarship from Emory University to Zaniah Purvis

– Notable next steps: Atticus Gomez – Swarthmore College, PA; Henry Turner – United States Navy, Special Forces; Colby Jones –

VALEDICTORIAN: JOHN MATTHEW WILLIAMS

GPA: 4.379 – ACT: 35

Church: St. Francis Catholic Church, Madison

Favorite service project: Volunteering for Why Not Now to help those less fortunate

Plans to attend: Mississippi State University, Starkville

Plans to study: Aerospace Engineering

– Total scholarships offered: $2,969,222

– Total scholarships accepted: $1,148,996

– Total amount of service hours: 11,474 hours over four years

– Notable service projects: Raised $18,134.23 through the BruinTHON fundraiser for UMMC Children’s Hospital.

– Special honors: STAR Teacher – Patricia Luscomb

– Mr. and Miss St. Joe: Charlie Ring and Zaniah Purvis

items for the American Cancer Society and touring their facility.

Plans to attend: Emory University

Plans to study: Biology (Pre Med Track)

Awards/honors: National Merit Commended; Student Body President; DAR Good Citizen Award; Advanced Placement Scholar; MSPA Best in Studio Anchor; MS Youth Legislature Outstanding Representative 2024; National Honor Society; Mu Alpha Theta; Science National Honor Society

Activities: BruinTHON; Madison Mayor’s Youth Council; Nightingale Youth Advocacy Team; Spirit Steppers Dance Team; Student Council

Awards/honors: National Merit Finalist; Presidential Scholar Nominee; STAR Student; HOBY Youth Leadership Program; Boys State Senator; Advanced Placement Scholar; National Honor Society; Science National Honor Society; Mu Alpha Theta; Principal’s Honor Roll; 30+ Club

MADISON – Seniors John Dean D’Antonio, Colby Jones, Henry Turner and Drew Wamble sit atop the St. Joseph Catholic School sign at the entrance to the campus, while sporting their college shirts. (Photo courtesy of school)

SALUTATORIAN: ZANIAH ROYALE PURVIS

Activities: Varsity Swim Team; Coaching Swim Team; Cross Country Team; Retreat Team; Varsity Football

Favorite subject: Engineering; AP Computer Science Principles

GPA: 4.23 – ACT: 33

Church: Word of Life Church, Jackson Metro Area

Favorite service project: Collecting

Favorite subject: AP Calculus

(St. Joseph, Madison Valedictorian and Salutatorian speeches not provided.)

MS Air Force National Guard

4

Class of 2026

JUNE 19, 2026

VICKSBURG – (Below) St. Al seniors – Carson Gleese and Carson Henderson pose with their little buddy Arthur. (Photo by Chesley Lambiotte)

NATCHEZ – (Above) Mollie Foster and Ava Walker are all smiles during the Senior Walk-through at Cathedral School. (Photo by Brandi Boles)

GREENVILLE – (Left) Jionni Thomas, Sarai Hernandez, Javan Goins and Leslie Vallejo help unload a donation for the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry at St. Joseph School. (Photo by Nikki Thompson)

MADISON – (Above) St. Joseph seniors Colby Jones, and John Dean D’Antonio stock the food pantry at Our Daily Bread in Canton, part of the Senior Day of Service on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photos by Terry Cassreino)

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

Seminarista local ordenado sacerdote para la Diócesis de Jackson

Por Joanna PuDDIster KInG

JACKSON – Para el padre Will Foggo, el camino hacia el sacerdocio siempre ha estado marcado por las personas y comunidades que ayudaron a moldear su fe.

El sábado 16 de mayo, esas comunidades se reunieron en la Catedral de San Pedro el Apóstol cuando el obispo Joseph R. Kopacz ordenó a un católico natal de la diócesis de Jackson.

Familiares, amigos, sacerdotes, diáconos, seminaristas y feligreses llenaron la catedral para presenciar un momento que años se gestó para el feligrés de St. Paul Flowood que asistió a la escuela de St. Richard en Jackson, se graduó de St. Joseph en Madison y más tarde discernió su vocación mientras estaba activo en el Ministerio Católico en el Campus de la Universidad Estatal de Mississippi.

En su homilía, el obispo Kopacz reflexionó sobre el don de

Will Foggo yace postrado ante el altar durante la Letanía de Súplica en su ordenación sacerdotal, el 16 de mayo, en la Catedral de San Pedro Apóstol, en Jackson. (Foto por Tereza Ma) Vea más fotografías en jacksondiocese.zenfoliosite.com.

la fe y la obra del Espíritu Santo al llamar a los hombres a servir a la iglesia. Señaló que una vocación nunca se forma de forma aislada, sino a través de familias, comunidades parroquiales y comunidades de seminarios que ayudan a discernir y afirmar el llamado de Dios.

"Continuamos la obra del Señor", dijo el obispo Kopacz, señalando la misión de Cristo de enseñar, proclamar el Evangelio, sanar, bendecir y reunir a las personas en comunidades de fe.

Dirigiéndose al sacerdote recién ordenado, el obispo hizo referencia al ánimo de San Pablo a Timoteo: "Que nadie desprecie vuestra juventud."

"Hoy no es desprecio", dijo el obispo. "Eso es una gran alegría."

Esa alegría se hizo especialmente evidente cerca del final de la misa, cuando el obispo Kopacz anunció las primeras asignaciones del padre Foggo. Como es costumbre, el obis-

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Obispos consagran Estados Unidos al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús

Por Jean GonZaLeZ

ORLANDO, Florida (OSV News) – Un mar de túnicas blancas y solideos de color rosa y magenta en los bancos. Una estatua de Jesús que da la bienvenida a los fieles con su Sagrado Corazón expuesto a los pies del altar.

Un escenario digno de la Misa del 11 de junio que unió a los obispos de EE.UU. reunidos para su plenaria de primavera del 10 al 12 de junio. Tras concluir el

segundo día de sesiones públicas, partieron del Omni Resort en Champions Gate para un viaje de media hora por la Interestatal 4 hacia el refugio espiritual que es la Basílica del Santuario Nacional de María, Reina del Universo en Orlando.

Y la Misa fue trascendental, ya que sirvió para consagrar formalmente a los Estados Unidos al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, como parte de la celebración del 250.º aniversario de la firma de la Declaración de Independencia del país.

El arzobispo Paul S. Coakley de Oklahoma City incensó el altar tras entrar en procesión desde la densa humedad y los cielos nublados de una típica tarde de Orlando fuera del santuario. El presidente de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos estuvo acompañado en el altar por obispos y diáconos de la Diócesis de Orlando.

"Revístenos, Señor Dios, con las

virtudes del corazón de tu Hijo y enciéndenos con su amor", rezó el arzobispo al dar inicio a la Misa.

Estaban presentes más de 200 obispos, junto con unos 150 observadores, en su mayoría benefactores y personal de la Diócesis de Orlando. La custodia utilizada antes de la Misa para la adoración eucarística era de las Siervas de los Corazones Traspasados de Jesús y María, un instituto religioso con sede en Miami.

Las reliquias de Santa Margarita María Alacoque –la religiosa francesa de la Visitación que tuvo visiones de Jesús revelándole su Sagrado Corazón–también estuvieron presentes en la Misa, traídas para la consagración por los Caballeros de Colón.

En su homilía, el arzobispo William E. Lori de Baltimore describió el Sagrado Corazón de Jesús no como una "devoción abstracta", sino como un "signo visible de amor".

Explicó por qué la Iglesia consagra. Lo describió como un acto de fe y reconocimiento de la necesidad de la misericordia, la sabiduría y la guía de Dios. También es un acto de esperanza. Es "un corazón que ha conocido la alegría y la tristeza, la amistad y la traición, el sufrimiento y el sacrificio", dijo.

El arzobispo Paul S. Coakley, de Oklahoma City y presidente de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos, concelebra la Misa mientras los obispos consagran el país al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús en la Basílica de María Reina del Universo en Orlando, Florida, el 11 de junio de 2026, durante su asamblea plenaria de primavera. (Foto OSV News/Bob Roller)

El acto de consagración es un acto de fe y esperanza, dijo el arzobispo, pero también es un reconocimiento

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'... A través de tus manos, el cielo toca la tierra ...'

po explicó que los sacerdotes recién ordenados entran en un periodo de "síntesis vocacional", integrando el ministerio sacerdotal en la vida diaria tras años de formación en el seminario.

Durante los próximos meses, el padre Foggo servirá como vicario parroquial pro tempore en la parroquia de San José en Starkville, la misma comunidad parroquial donde sirvió como diácono transitorio tras su ordenación al diaconado en noviembre.

El anuncio provocó entusiasmo y aplausos de la congregación.

Luego llegó un segundo anuncio del obispo Kopacz.

A partir del 1 de septiembre, el padre Foggo se convertirá en vicario parroquial en la parroquia de San Francisco de Asís en Madison.

La catedral estalló en aplausos aún más fuertes. "Estamos muy contentos del apoyo que habéis recibido en el presbiterado y entre el pueblo de Dios", dijo el obispo Kopacz.

A la mañana siguiente, el padre Foggo celebró su primera misa como sacerdote en su parroquia natal, la iglesia católica de San Pablo en Flowood.

El homilista de la misa fue el diácono Scott Beslin, compañero de clase y amigo del seminario que en poco tiempo después fue ordenado sacerdote para la Diócesis de Houma-Thibodaux el 6 de junio. Reflexionando sobre la Fiesta de la Ascensión, Beslin recordó a la congregación que la ascensión de Cristo no fue el fin de Su obra, sino el comienzo de la misión de la iglesia.

Viendo hacia el sacerdote recién ordenado, Beslin reflexionó sobre las responsabilidades que ahora se le presentaban.

"A través de tus manos, el cielo toca la tierra", dijo antes de hacer una pausa y añadir, "Sin presión."

La iglesia estalló en carcajadas, incluido el propio padre Foggo.

Beslin continuó hablando de las responsabilidades del ministerio sacerdotal, incluyendo predicar el Evangelio, pastorear almas, celebrar los sacramentos y estar disponible para el pueblo de Dios.

A pesar del humor, enfatizó que el ministerio sacerdotal no depende únicamente de la fuerza del sacerdote.

"Nada de esto depende solo de ti", dijo Beslin. "Es Cristo quien os eleva. Cristo que obra a través de ti. Cristo que será fiel a través de ti."

Sin embargo, algunos de los momentos más memorables llegaron después de la Comunión.

Agradeciendo a los presentes por sus oraciones y apoyo, el padre Foggo explicó la tradición del maniturgium, el paño que se utiliza para limpiar el sacro crisma de las manos de un sacerdote tras la ordenación.

La tradición sostiene que la tela se presenta a la madre del sacerdote y se entierra con ella como símbolo de que ella ofrece a su hijo a Dios.

Volviéndose inesperadamente hacia sus padres, Sheila y John Foggo, el padre Foggo reveló que no les había contado lo que estaba a punto de suceder.

"Me gustaría dárselo a mis padres ahora mismo", dijo.

La congregación respondió con aplausos sostenidos mientras él entregaba el maniturgium a su madre. Luego le entregó a su padre la estola que se usará cuando escuche su primera confesión, otra tradición que simboliza el regalo de un hijo ofrecido al servicio de la iglesia.

El momento emotivo sirvió como una conclusión apropiada para un fin de semana que celebró no solo la ordenación de un nuevo sacerdote, sino también a las muchas personas, parroquias y comunidades que ayudaron a nutrir su vocación.

El padre Will Foggo entrega el maniturgium a su madre, Sheila Foggo, y la estola que utilizará para escuchar su primera confesión a su padre, John Foggo, durante su primera misa en la Iglesia Católica San Pablo de Flowood el 17 de mayo. Estas tradiciones simbolizan la entrega de un hijo a Dios y el apoyo que sus padres le han brindado a lo largo de su camino vocacional. (Foto por Joanna King)

' ... Sagrado Corazón de Jesús ...'

– Viene de la página 1 –

de la obra fiel y el amor de Dios en el mundo, y de cómo nosotros, como personas y como Iglesia, no siempre hemos "reflejado claramente ese amor".

"De hecho, a veces se oscurece hasta quedar casi irreconocible", añadió el arzobispo. "Sin duda, ha habido momentos de testimonio y santidad extraordinarios. Pero también ha habido momentos de fracaso, división y pecado. La consagración requiere la humildad de reconocer ambos".

¿Y por qué el Sagrado Corazón? Porque revela a un salvador que "no solo desea nuestra obediencia, sino nuestra amistad; no simplemente nuestro servicio, sino nuestra comunión con Él", dijo.

"Consagrarnos al Sagrado Corazón es, en última instancia, aceptar la invitación de Cristo a permanecer en su amor y permitir que ese amor moldee cada aspecto de nuestras vidas, tanto públicas como privadas", dijo el arzobispo Lori. "Es una declaración de que el futuro no pertenece únicamente a los movimientos políticos, las fuerzas económicas o los planes humanos. El futuro pertenece a Dios".

El acto de consagración no ocurre solo entre los pastores, sino también entre las ovejas. Al dirigirse a los laicos, tanto a los que se encontraban en los bancos del santuario como a los que veían la transmisión en vivo, el arzobispo Lori dijo que el acto de consagración es algo que los fieles y los líderes hacen juntos.

"Esta consagración no es algo que los obispos hagan por ustedes. Es algo que hacemos juntos", dijo.

"La renovación de la Iglesia y de nuestra nación no vendrá solo a través de declaraciones. Vendrá a través de discípulos que permanezcan en el amor de Cristo y den el buen fruto de la santidad en las familias, las parroquias, las comunidades y en su vida cotidiana".

El Sagrado Corazón reconcilia las divisiones y transforma los corazones endurecidos, dijo el arzobispo.

"Significa construir comunidades –eclesiales y civiles– donde se proclame claramente la verdad y se practique generosamente la caridad. Significa resistir la tentación de definirnos por la división, la ideología o el resentimiento", dijo el arzobispo Lori.

"Consagramos a nuestra nación, no porque sea perfecta, sino porque es amada por Dios. Confiamos al Corazón de Cristo nuestros logros y fracasos, nuestras esperanzas y ansiedades, nuestros desafíos actuales y nuestras aspiraciones futuras".

(Jean Gonzalez, editora de Florida Catholic Media, colabora en la cobertura de la asamblea plenaria de primavera de los obispos para OSV News.)

Una estatua del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús se exhibe antes de que los obispos católicos de Estados Unidos consagren el país al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús en la Basílica de María Reina del Universo, en Orlando, Florida, el 11 de junio de 2026, durante su asamblea plenaria de primavera. (Foto de OSV News/Bob Roller)

Una consagración de esperanza

Por oBIsPo JosePH r. KoPaCZ, D.D.

En su última gran obra, Delixit Nos (Él nos amó), en los meses previos a su muerte, el Papa Francisco afirmó que todo lo escrito anteriormente está íntimamente ligado al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús. Lo expresa elocuentemente en los párrafos finales de su encíclica.

"Este actual documento sobre el Sagrado Corazón de Jesús puede ayudarnos a ver que la enseñanza de las encíclicas sociales Laudato Si y Fratelli Tutti no está ajena a nuestro encuentro con el amor de Jesucristo. Porque bebiendo de ese mismo amor es que podemos ser capaces de formar lazos de fraternidad, de reconocer la dignidad de cada ser humano y de trabajar juntos para cuidar nuestro hogar común."

necesidades inmediatas e insignificantes. El amor de Cristo no tiene lugar en este mecanismo perverso, sin embargo, solo ese amor nos puede librar de una locura que ya no tiene espacio para el amor. El amor de Cristo puede dar un corazón a nuestro mundo y revivir el amor dondequiera que pensemos que se ha perdido la capacidad de amar."

La consagración de la nación al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús por los obispos de la Iglesia Católica a los 250 años proviene de esta visión integrada para nuestro país y el mundo. Además de ser la culminación y la piedra angular de los primeros escritos y la visión pastoral del Papa Francisco, Delexit Nos es también un puente para el Papa León XIV de una manera notable, proyectando más luz desde el corazón de la Iglesia sobre la decisión de consagrar la tierra de los libres y el hogar de los valientes en este aniversario histórico.

El escudo del Papa León, diseñado al inicio de su episcopado, es una expresión clásica de la teología de San Agustín. Es el corazón atravesado sobre la Palabra de Dios y representa la proclamación de fe de San Agustín. Vulnerasti cor meum verbo tuo –Has atravesado mi corazón con tu Palabra El lema del Papa León – In illo uno unum (En Cristo Somos Uno) – combinado con su escudo, despierta en nuestro corazón el deseo de mayor unidad y paz para la iglesia y la nación. Esta esperanza viene directamente del corazón de Jesús en su gran oración sacerdotal en la Última Cena (Juan 17) y se cumple con la sangre y el agua que fluyen de su costado perforado en la cruz.

Muchos se preguntan hoy si el telón está cayendo o no sobre las virtudes de la compasión, el perdón y el respeto que deberían fluir del corazón palpitante de la humanidad. Con la consagración al Sagrado Corazón, la Iglesia afirma de forma indiscutible y sin reservas que cada generación debe redescubrir estos atributos del corazón y del alma de nuevo. Los Padres, educadores, líderes religiosos y conciudadanos de buena voluntad tienen la honorable tarea de enseñar a la próxima generación los actos encomiables del Señor, su poder y las maravillas que ha realizado. (Salmo 78)

Durante el reciente Año del Jubileo, se nos desafió a ser peregrinos de la esperanza, porque el amor de Dios que el Espíritu Santo derrama en nuestros corazones a través de la fe no decepciona. (Romanos 5:5) Tomados en serio, podemos ser la luz del mundo y la sal de la tierra.

En los párrafos finales de Delixit Nos, el Papa Francisco propone el desafío constante para que los cristianos estén en el mundo, pero no ser del mundo. "En un mundo donde todo se compra y se vende, el sentido y valor de las personas parece depender cada vez más de lo que pueden acumular con el poder y el dinero. Estamos constantemente siendo empujados a seguir consumiendo y distraídos, manteniéndonos dependientes para que no busquemos más allá de nuestras

Por lo tanto, durante esta consagración, oremos para reconocer y reconciliar los excesos y abusos de nuestra libertad, evidentes a través del racismo, el militarismo y el materialismo desenfrenado. Igualmente, como nación, damos gracias por las bendiciones de la libertad que han fomentado una increíble generosidad tanto en casa como en el extranjero.

Como Iglesia, estamos agradecidos por la primera enmienda de la Constitución que nos da la oportunidad a nosotros y a muchas tradiciones religiosas para prosperar. Que estas bendiciones sean luces de guía para el futuro.

Por último, estaremos eternamente en deuda con todos los que se han sacrificado por nuestra nación, con todos los que se han sacrificado para criar familias y construir comunidades, y con todos los que se han sacrificado por el florecimiento de la fe religiosa.

Efectivamente, esta consagración es una bendición para nuestro país, implorando la providencia de Dios para transformar el optimismo propio de nuestra nación en la "esperanza que no decepciona".

"Magnifica Humanitas": Un mensaje tan sustancioso que hay que saborearlo poco a poco

ESTÁ BIEN

Por eLIZaBetH sCaLIa

Con sus 42 000 palabras, la primera encíclica del papa León XIV, "Magnifica Humanitas", es un texto gigantesco. Es enorme. Es lúcida y exhaustiva, y está tan repleta de cosas buenas que debe consumirse poco a poco, como un banquete romano: lo mejor es abordarla lentamente, saboreando pequeños bocados, tal vez incluso tomando un pequeño descanso entre bocado y bocado si esperas llegar al café y a los cannoli.

"Magnifica Humanitas" es larga, pero tiene que serlo, porque los temas que aborda el papa León son de importancia inmensa para un mundo que ha olvidado casi por completo algunas verdades básicas: Que la humanidad fue creada a imagen y semejanza de Dios, conteniendo una parte de la creatividad, la chispa y el genio de Dios; que la dignidad de la persona humana es una idea que de suma importancia; que tal dignidad exige libertad, salarios justos, oportunidades para trabajar y poseer propiedades, así como rendir cuentas ante la justicia y ser atendido por ella, y que "la familia es un bien social primordial".

El capítulo inicial de la encíclica es prácticamente un manual sobre estas verdades y sobre lo que significan dentro de la doctrina social católica establecida y emergente.

La gente sigue tratando de entender a León XIII: ¿se parece más a Francisco, a Benedicto, a Pablo VI o a León XIII? Mientras se lo preguntan, muchos compiten por situar sus agendas a las puertas de sus enseñanzas, con el fin de servir a sus propios intereses. En este momento, el mundo entero está observando a este papa nacido en Estados Unidos, y León XIII ha aprovechado acertadamente este momento para volver a presentar a algunos exactamente qué es la Iglesia, mientras aún estamos prestando atención: Así es como está presente; esto es lo que ha promulgado, en lo que se ha convertido y por lo que ha trabajado a lo largo de los siglos, a través de papas y santos y concilios y tiempos turbulentos y sus propios pecados y escándalos repugnantes; aquí es donde estamos hoy y esta es la razón por la que la Iglesia, y sus doctrinas, no solo son relevantes, sino absolutamente necesarias para los tiempos actuales frente a la inteligencia artificial, la robótica, los algoritmos, el transhumanismo e incluso la amenaza del poshumanismo. Si queremos plantearnos ideas sobre qué es

la humanidad, en qué podría convertirse o qué es exactamente lo que ayuda a la humanidad a ser más humana, entonces el repaso de León a la doctrina social católica es un recordatorio urgente de que los seres humanos tienen un valor y una dignidad inherentes más allá de su utilidad. El papa León insiste en este documento en que nuestras enseñanzas sociales son los medios establecidos y necesarios para enmarcar y comprender estas "nuevas realidades".

"Estoy convencido de que la forma concreta de vivir las relaciones sociales a la luz del Evangelio […] sigue siendo una tarea encomendada, de generación en generación, a la comunidad cristiana", escribió.

Además, el pontífice afirma que la humanidad debe tener muy claro quiénes creemos que somos exactamente y de dónde proviene nuestra salvación.

"Desde la perspectiva de la Doctrina Social de la Iglesia, la cuestión clave no es el uso de la tecnología como tal, sino la visión que la sustenta. Si se trata al ser humano como algo que hay que perfeccionar o superar", advierte Leo, "se hace más fácil aceptar que algunas vidas son menos útiles, menos deseables o menos dignas. En nombre del progreso, pueden empezar a justificarse los “sacrificios necesarios”, haciendo recaer la carga sobre los más vulnerables en pos de una supuesta optimización de la especie. … Una cosa es integrar la tecnología en una visión relacional y centrada en el ser humano; y otra muy distinta es dejarse guiar por una perspectiva que devalúa los límites humanos y promete una forma puramente técnica de “salvación”".

Si bien Leo aborda de manera importante las amenazas a la salud mental y a las relaciones humanas genuinas, aprecio su recordatorio de que la chispa creativa que todos llevamos dentro puede verse amenazada por una adopción imprudente de la IA: "La velocidad y la simplicidad… sin duda facilitan la vida". Sin embargo, también pueden "debilitar la creatividad y el juicio personales". Abundan los titulares científicos que informan sobre lo beneficioso que es para nuestro cerebro escribir a mano en lugar de teclear en un teclado. En el espíritu de "Magnifica Humanitas", ¿por qué no tomar un bloc y un bolígrafo y disfrutar de una buena lectura, tomando notas sobre toda la verdad y la belleza que contiene?

(Elizabeth Scalia es editora especial de OSV. Síguela en X en @theanchoress.)

El Papa León bendice la Torre de Jesucristo de la Sagrada Familia y afirma que la belleza puede llevar a las personas hacia Dios

Por Courtney Mares BARCELONA, España (OSV News) – El Papa León XIV bendijo la recién terminada Torre de Jesucristo en la Basílica de la Sagrada Familia de Barcelona el 10 de junio, inaugurando la aguja coronada que convierte a esta emblemática basílica en la iglesia católica más alta del mundo e instando a las personas a levantar la mirada hacia Cristo, el único que "nos revela la verdad de Dios y la verdad de nosotros mismos".

El Papa León celebró la Misa en el interior de la basílica e inauguró oficialmente la Torre de Jesucristo, que se eleva a más de 172 metros, ante una multitud de miles de personas reunidas dentro y alrededor de la Sagrada Familia – también conocida como Sagrada Família en catalán.

"Mirando a Cristo podemos ver el mundo con ojos renovados: la torre de la cruz se convierte entonces en estandarte de caridad, porque Dios nos ama así, transformando un instrumento de muerte en signo de esperanza", dijo el Papa.

–Centenario de la muerte de Gaudí–

Fuegos artificiales estallan durante la inauguración de la Torre de Jesucristo en la Basílica de la Sagrada Familia, en el marco del viaje apostólico del Papa León XIV a Barcelona, España, el 10 de junio de 2026. (Foto OSV News/Nacho Doce, Reuters)

El rey Felipe VI de España recibió al Papa a su llegada a la basílica. Antes de la Misa, el Papa León descendió a la cripta de la basílica para rezar ante la tumba de Antoni Gaudí, el visionario arquitecto catalán que dedicó 43 años de su vida al diseño y la construcción de la basílica antes de su muerte en 1926 a los 73 años.

La Misa Papal coincidió con el centenario de la muerte de Gaudí. Conocido como "el arquitecto de Dios", la causa de canonización de Gaudí avanzó el año pasado cuando el Papa Francisco lo declaró venerable en abril de 2025.

El Papa León rindió homenaje al visionario arquitecto en su homilía, reflexionando sobre la intención de Gaudí de narrar los misterios de la vida de Cristo a través de la piedra y la luz.

–El poder de la belleza para evangelizar–

La luz se filtraba a través de las coloridas vidrieras de la basílica mientras el Papa hablaba, proyectando colores danzantes sobre las altísimas columnas. Las trompetas resonaron mientras un coro de 500 personas entonaba himnos desde las galerías superiores a ambos lados de la basílica, y varios coros infantiles armonizaban alrededor del ábside.

El Papa León señaló a la Sagrada Familia como testimonio del poder del arte y la belleza para acercar a las personas a Dios.

"En su sabiduría, la Iglesia renueva así la 'Biblia pauperum' de las antiguas catedrales, que son en sí mismas mensajes de evangelización de gran riqueza", dijo, invocando la tradición medieval de las representaciones visuales de las Escrituras diseñadas para comunicar la fe a quienes no sabían leer.

"En este tiempo de la imagen, resulta aún más evidente cómo el arte y la belleza son eminentes canales de evangelización", afirmó.

Las tres fachadas de la Sagrada Familia –dedicadas a la Natividad, la Pasión y la Gloria de Cristo–plasman arquitectónicamente esta visión. Gaudí las diseñó de tal manera que la luz del sol ilumina cada portal en el momento que mejor se ajusta a su significado teológico: la luz del amanecer para la fachada de la Natividad, la puesta de sol para la de la Pasión y la luz plena del mediodía para la de la Gloria. El diseño de Gaudí se inspiró tanto en las doctrinas cristianas como en la observación de la naturaleza. La basílica está llena de formas orgánicas inspiradas en elementos naturales. Las columnas de

la nave central evocan un bosque de árboles.

–Torre de Jesucristo–

La Torre de Jesucristo es ahora la estructura más alta de Barcelona, y convierte a la Sagrada Familia en la iglesia más alta del mundo.

Gaudí diseñó la torre (o aguja) para que se situara exactamente medio metro por debajo de la cima de la cercana colina de Montjuïc, convencido de que la obra de las manos humanas no debía superar la obra de Dios. En su coronación se alza una cruz de cuatro brazos de vidrio y cerámica esmaltada en blanco, de unos 17 metros de altura y 13 metros de ancho, que lleva la inscripción: "Tu solus Sanctus, Tu solus Dominus, Tu solus Altissimus" – "Tú el único Santo, Tú el único Señor, Tú el único Altísimo".

"En la cruz de Jesús nuestra fe alcanza su culmen", afirmó el Papa. "Esta cruz brilla de día, reflejando la luz del sol, y brilla de noche, iluminando la ciudad como un faro abierto al Mediterráneo. Sí, la luz de Cristo brilla en las tinieblas, aunque las tinieblas no la hayan acogido".

–Palabras contundentes sobre la guerra, el aborto y la salvación–

Se calcula que unas 9.000 personas asistieron a la Misa Papal en el interior de la basílica, mientras que unas 120.000 personas la siguieron desde el exterior. En su homilía en la Sagrada Familia, el Papa León lanzó un contundente llamado contra el aborto, la guerra y la exclusión de los migrantes.

"Queridos hermanos, no podemos creer en Jesús y promover la guerra. No podemos creer en Jesús y matar al inocente. No podemos creer en Jesús y abandonar a quien sufre, a quien llora, a quien huye de la miseria", dijo el Papa.

El Papa reflexionó sobre la lectura del Evangelio del día, tomada de Juan, en la que Jesús dice a los fariseos: "Si no creéis que 'Yo soy', moriréis en vuestros pecados" (Jn 8, 24).

Son "palabras fuertes", dijo el Papa León, sino que "son una invitación a la salvación, es decir, un llamamiento a la libertad por parte de Cristo, que quiere para nosotros el bien definitivo, eterno".

"Hecho hombre, Él se convierte para nosotros en el Emmanuel, fuente de gracia y perdón, de salvación y de vida nueva", dijo. "Es por ello que, si no creemos en Jesucristo, permanecemos en el pecado y

no sólo morimos nosotros, sino que provocamos la muerte del prójimo".

–Una basílica que tardó un siglo en construirse–

El Papa León rindió homenaje a Gaudí y a todos los que han trabajado en la basílica a lo largo de generaciones.

"Junto con Gaudí, de quien conmemoramos el centenario de su muerte, recordamos y damos las gracias esta tarde a todos los promotores y benefactores, a los artistas y a los trabajadores que cooperan en la construcción de una obra maestra arquitectónica, que es también una elocuente catequesis hecha de piedras, colores y luz".

La primera piedra de la Sagrada Familia se colocó en 1882. El proyecto se encomendó inicialmente al arquitecto Francisco de Paula del Villar, antes de pasar a manos de Gaudí en 1883, quien lo transformó en uno de los proyectos de construcción más ambiciosos de la historia moderna, compuesto por tres fachadas, cinco naves y 18 torres. La parte construida por Gaudí fue declarada Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO en 2005. –Obra maestra 'inacabada'–

A pesar de la finalización de su torre coronada, la basílica sigue sin estar terminada; aún se está trabajando en el baptisterio, la sacristía, la Capilla de la Asunción, los claustros y la Fachada de la Gloria. Se prevé que la basílica no esté terminada hasta 2036. El Papa León aceptó esa incompletitud como una metáfora espiritual. "Mucho más que un monumento, la Basílica de la Sagrada Familia sigue siendo hoy una obra en construcción, que nos recuerda cómo la vida cristiana es siempre un camino, porque se trata de un proyecto que Dios lleva a cabo", afirmó.

"No habitamos, pues, una obra inacabada, sino un templo aún en construcción. Su imperfección no es un defecto, porque da testimonio de un deseo; no significa una carencia, sino que expresa una promesa que queremos honrar con coherencia", añadió. "Nuestra gratitud se convierte entonces en compromiso, al tiempo que cooperamos en el proyecto de Dios, es decir, en la construcción a la que Él mismo nos llama".

–Los fuegos artificiales celebran la iglesia más alta del mundo–

Tras la Misa, el Papa presidió la bendición solemne de la Torre de Jesucristo. La ceremonia de inauguración concluyó con un deslumbrante espectáculo de luces interactivo y una actuación musical en directo a cargo de la Escolanía de Montserrat, el coro de niños más antiguo del mundo, seguido de fuegos artificiales lanzados desde las imponentes agujas de la basílica. Un espectáculo de drones en el cielo iluminó el rostro de Gaudí, así como las palabras del arquitecto: "Primero el amor, después la técnica".

"Mientras alzamos la mirada hacia Él, el Crucificado Resucitado, comprometámonos a levantar el rostro de quienes yacen en el polvo", dijo el Papa. "Y demostremos así que la Sagrada Familia es la iglesia más alta del mundo, no para destacar en clasificaciones mundanas, sino para guiar los pasos del pueblo de Dios que peregrina en esta tierra de Cataluña, con la cruz que ilumina el camino, como una lámpara encendida en la espera del regreso del Esposo".

(Courtney Mares es la editora de OSV News en el Vaticano. Síguela en X @catholicourtney.)

(Below) “GB”

VICKSBURG – Crawley Haller and Mallory Hobson celebrate with confetti after graduation from St. Aloysius School. (Photo by Anna Griffing)

Bunch and Caleb Jones deliver goods to the community storehouse food pantry as a part of a service project. (Photo by Chesley Lambiotte)

CAMDEN – St. Joseph Senior Henry Turner sweeps the sanctuary at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Camden, part of the Senior Day of Service on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Terry Cassreino)

GREENVILLE – Kelsey Marroquin, Leslie Vallejo, Kennedy Richardson, Aniya Evans and Keviney Matthews get ready to place flowers at Mary’s feet for during a May Crowning celebration. (Photo by Nikki Thompson)

St. JoSeph GreeNville

VALEDICTORIAN:

VICTOR CURTIS BAKER

GPA: 4.2222 – ACT: 28

From his speech: I truly believe that God has guided us through every step of this journey. Without Him, none of us would be here today. So as we move forward into college, careers, or wherever life takes us – I hope we remain grateful for the opportunities we’ve been given, for the people who supported us, and for every moment that helped shape our story.

Church: St. Joseph Catholic Church, Greenville

Favorite service project: My favorite service project was working on a canned food drive for St. Vincent de Paul. This project humbled me by seeing the poorest part of the state and the many people in need. It was great to talk to these people and make their day as we gave them food and clothing.

Plans to attend: Mississippi State University, Starkville

Plans to study: Veterinary Medicine

Scholarships: Mississippi State University Freshman Academic Excellence Scholarship; STAR Student Scholarship; Mississippi Boys State Scholarship; Lucky Day Scholars Program; Washington County Mississippi State University Alumni Scholarship; First Mid Delta Corvette Club Scholarship; Schelben Trust Scholarship; Valedictorian Scholarship

Awards/honors: National Honors Society; Mu Alpha Theta; Raymond Faulkner Award; Sandra Mc-

– Number of graduates: 20

– Number of students attending 4-year colleges: 13

– Number of students attending community colleges: 6

– Number of scholarship recipients: 16

– Largest scholarship awarded: $64,000 Scholarship from Xavier University of Louisiana to Kennedy Richardson

– Total amount of scholarships offered: $1,623,142

– Total amount of scholarships accepted: $351,000

– Total amount of service hours: 1,708.5

– Notable Service Projects: Rise Against Hunger; St. Vincent de Paul; National Honor Society delivered Christmas gifts at Mississippi Care Center of Greenville

– Special honors: STAR teacher – Mr. Brian Speck

– Mr. and Miss St. Joe: Victor Baker and Kennedy Richardson

gaugh Award; Woodman of the World; STAR Student; Farm Bureau Ag Art Contest Winner; 2026 Mr. St Joe (Hall of Fame); Most Athletic – class award; Mississippi Scholars Award; Christian Character Award, Boys State, HOBY, Rotary Youth Leadership Award; MAIS Football State Champion (2022 and 2023); 2023, 2024 MAIS Futures All star Game (2023 and 2024); MAIS All Star Game (2025); MAIS Soccer All Star (2026); Brandon Burlsworth Character Award; and over 40 Highest Average class/subject awards

Activities: Senior Class President; Football; Basketball; Soccer; Track; Archery; Golf

Favorite subject: History

Yearbook quote: “I have 6-7 years left of school before I have to do this again”

SALUTATORIAN:

GABRIEL ANGAD THEUNISSEN

GPA: 4.2162 – ACT: 27

From his speech: As you leave this well-oiled machine that we know as our alma mater, remember the valuable lessons that you have learned within. Carry with you the teachings, principles, ethics, and virtues that have been instilled within you. As you move on to the next chapter of your life, do not be afraid to face difficulties, challenges, or problems, for you are rooted in the One who is above all things: that is, God. When you face the fires of your next chapter, know that you can extinguish them with God on your side. Let us go forth into our graduation ceremony knowing Immanuel, which is Hebrew for “God is with us.”

Church: St. Joseph Catholic Church, Greenville

Favorite service project: My favorite project was assisting with our local St. Vincent de Paul Society. I truly enjoyed helping those in my community and being a friend to those who need it the most.

Plans to attend: Mississippi State University, Starkville

Plans to study: Agricultural Engineering

Scholarships: Mississippi State University Freshman Academic Excellence Scholarship; Mississippi State University Student Body President Scholarship; Mississippi Boys State Scholarship; Promise Scholarship; Melio Sandroni Scholarship; Philip Oxner Scholarship; Woodman Life Focus Scholarship; Hugh M. Arant Scholarship; Thomas H. Scott Scholarship; Washington County Mississippi State University Alumni Scholarship; Washington County Farm Bureau Federation Scholarship; Greenville Knights of Columbus Scholarship

Awards/honors: Bishop Chance Youth Award; Monsignor Martin Moloney Award; Knights of Columbus Award; Boy’s State participant; Mississippi Scholars award; Principal’s Award; Mu Alpha Theta; and Principal’s List/Distinguished Honor Roll

Activities: Head Football and Basketball Manager; Head Sound Tech at school; Master of Ceremonies and Lector at St. Joseph Church; Student Government President; and Elderly Care

Favorite subject: Physics and Religion

Yearbook quote: “Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly, knowing that He is with you. Therefore, no harm can befall you.”

St. aloySiuS viCkSburG

– Number of graduates: 31

– Number of students attending 4-year colleges: 28

– Number of students attending community colleges: 3

– Number of scholarship recipients: 24

– Largest scholarship awarded: $500,000 from Seton Hall University to William Roberson

– Total amount of scholarships accepted: $2,100,000

VALEDICTORIAN:

ELIZABETH PAULA BEDNAR

GPA: 4.63 – ACT: 35

From her speech: Start a conversation with a classmate you know the name of but not the first thing about. Give each other grace and forgiveness as you navigate the twists and turns and trials and tribulations of life. Be patient with and kind to each other as you and your classmates try to decipher your passions, vocations, careers, goals, and dreams.

Invite everyone to the events you host. Take a picture with the person you don’t know that well. Make memories with everyone, not just your closest friends. Reach out to those who you know are going through a rough time. Don’t let grudges and petty arguments get in the way of your friendships.

– Notable next steps: Rio Grande Community College (farthest)

– Total amount of service hours: 19,624

– Notable service projects: Community Storehouse Food Pantry; Senior Buddy Program; Special Olympics Basketball Tournament; Meals on Wheels; and United Way Supper on the Sip.

– Special Honors: Elizabeth Bednar is only one of two in the diocese to be honored as a National Merit Scholar. STAR Teacher

– Brian Blanch

– Mr. and Miss St. Al: Sadler Lambiotte and Taryn Lusby

Church: St. Michael Catholic Church, Vicksburg

Favorite service project: My favorite service project was doing activities with our senior buddies because it reminded me of when I was in kindergarten.

Plans to attend: Mississippi State University, Starkville

Plans to study: Particle Physics

Awards/honors: STAR student; National Merit Scholar; St. Aloysius Young Leaders Award; Bausch and Lomb Science Award; Bishop Chanche Youth Award; ERDC Alumni Scholarship

couldn’t be prouder. Continue walking in the footsteps you have created, on a path with God as your mentor. Continue to pursue your dreams, and remember, if the stress gets to you, just breathe and know it is going to be okay. Each of you are going to do great things.

Church: St. Paul Catholic Church, Vicksburg

Favorite service project: Operation Christmas Child Shoebox is a favorite project of mine because it is a great way to share the Gospel.

Love each other like God would. These are the people you’ll dance with at homecoming and prom. These are the people you’ll cheer for at countless senior nights. These are the people you’ll find God with on senior retreat. These are the people you’ll become the best version of yourselves alongside. Cherish them. Support them. Include them. Love them. I know my class is an amazing class, filled with leaders, scholars, athletes, role models, and friends, but it’s not our individual accomplishments that make our class so amazing and noteworthy – it’s our love for each other.

Activities: Flashettes Dance Team; Academic Quiz Bowl (team captain); Key Club; Choir; Math and Science Team

Favorite subject: Physics

Yearbook quote: “There’s as many atoms in a single molecule of DNA as there are stars in the typical galaxy. We are, each of us, a little universe.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

SALUTATORIAN:

KINLEY MADGE LOTT

GPA: 4.60 – ACT: 30

From her speech: Congratulations Class of 2026. We made it to the day we have all dreamed of. Every single one of us will be walking across this stage today and I

Plans to attend: Mississippi State University, Starkville

Plans to study: Biochemistry

Awards/honors: All-American and All-Star Cheerleader; and Christian Living Scholarship Finalist

Activities: Cheer; Key Club; National Honor Society; Mu Alpha Theta; Diamond Girls; Retreat Team; Liturgical Team; Chick-fil-a Leadership

Favorite subject: Math

Yearbook quote: “Just hold on, just breathe, the world is hard on beautiful things.” – Megan Moroney

CoNGratulatioNS to the ClaSS oF 2026

“

As the Class of 2026 takes the next step on its journey, may each graduate remain rooted in Christ, guided by wisdom and inspired to use their gi s to make a di erence in the world. Congratulations, graduates. We are proud of all you have accomplished and excited for all that lies ahead.

— Joni House, Executive Director of Catholic Education

ClaSS oF 2026 – by the NuMberS

108 Attending Four-Year Colleges 31 Attending Community Colleges

$6.16 Million Scholarships Offered

$5.21 Million Scholarships Accepted

Joseph Aaden Anthony

Anderson Peeples Barrett

Iliana Mackenzie Blount

Lauryn Michele Blue Rowan James Buck

Kathryn Elizabeth Callegan

Matthew Wu Di Cassreino

Adrienne Simone Chandler

omas Reagan Coleman

Chase Braxton Cox

McKenzie Lee Cummings

Spencer Nolan Curtis

John Dean D’Antonio

Steele Goodwin Davis

Alexa Nicole Donaldson

Chamblee Elizabeth Ezelle

William ierry Freeman

Jack Edward Frost

Miguel Alejandro Galvan

Kristopher John Gaylor

London Alexander Glass

Atticus Emanuel Gomez

Christopher Hancesom Gordon

Reid Gabriel Hager

Jhayce Dejung Harris

Sawyer Reed Helms

Alexander Julian Hood

Daniel Newland Inman

Colby Michael Jones

Jordin Lorraine Keyes

Katherine Elizabeth Lancaster

Gypsy Damiana Macias

Brian Gerardo Maldonado

Lily Marie Malouf

Jada Korin Myers

Abigail Elizabeth Myles

Emma Claire Newell

Clarence Anchang Ngong

Branson Kincaid Payne

Clarence Cullam Pope, IV

Zaniah Royal Purvis

Talia Benét Ramos

Lily Claire Ratcli e

Charles O’Neill Ring, III

Sadie Grace Rogers

Eliza Kate Rowlett

Marlei Renaye Shepherd

JoEllen Suzanne Talley

Robert Henry Turner

Nathan Gabriel Vuelban

Ashton Myles Walker

Andrew Wayne Wamble, Jr.

MaKenzie DeAnna Ward

Matthew Dominic Weisenberger

Calese Cymone White

John Matthew Williams

Len Byrd Williams, III

Mykal Michele Williams

38,906 Service hours completed over 4 Years of High School

Elijah Earl Bass

Ally Elizabeth Blanton

Joshua Paul Britt

Bodi Haze Brum eld

Christian Reid Burkley

Tralyn Esau Cusic

Emma Manette Dawkins

Whitman Orrin DeVrient

Houston Davis Edwards

Tristan Ries Fondren

Barrett Prentiss Foster

Mollie Katherine Foster

Grayson Douglas Gay

Presley Ann Gregg

Austin Lee Hoggatt

Sadie Analiese Holland

Taylor Rayne Horton

Amani Savannah Ishman

Amaya Sheyenne Ishman

Addison Kimberly Johnson

Faith Anne Johnson

Ava Marie Jones

Douglas Owen Jordan II

Lynlee Claire Kingsafer

Terrance Lamont Lee

Rachel Maria Misita

Olivia Gracie Navarro

Adam Walker Probst

Molly Reese Shirley

Elizabeth Eloise Skates

Brittany Carolann Smith

Ja’Shaun Marshall Smoot

Jack Henry Stubbs

Bailey Grace Waggoner

Ava Kate Walker

Katherine Ruby Whitman

Michael Randolph Wimberly, III

Victor Curtis Baker

Jalandrea Simone Baldwin

Aniya Danielle Evans

Ronnie Allen Evans, Jr.

Javan Keandre Goins

Sarai Hernandez

Schyla C. Johnson

Kelsey Gabrielle Marroquin

Keviney Lanette Matthews

Ka’Darius Ty’Quan McClure

Jayden Marquee Moore

Tyler Jamal Mosby

Jamiya Jamese Phinisee

Kennedy A. Richardson

Emmanuel Dewayne Scott

Gabriel Angad eunissen

Jionni Marie omas

Leslie Grabriella Vallejo

Kennedi Danyale Williams

Tyler Monte Young

Elizabeth Paula Bednar

Hayden Margaret Bell

James Emerson Blackburn

Dinah Ruth Britton

Robert Beauman Brogdon

Garrod Deron Maurice Bunch

Matthew Joseph Busby

McKenzie Leigh Cameron

Malachi Clayton Cox

Je rey Holden Davidson

Carson Dion Gleese

Crawley Woods Haller

Carson Rhea Henderson

Carter Bradley Henderson

Mallory Louise Hobson

Jada Kalilah Joyce Hogan

Caleb Harris Jones

Sadler Fine Lambiotte

Olivia Rose Larsen

James Edward Lee

Robert Douglas Lee

Briley Jean Lott

Kinley Madge Lott

Tayrn Miles Lusby

Allen Slade Lyons

Melanie Nunez

Clay Louis Pierce

Mary Farrell Roberson

William Mclendon Roberson

Pierson Rawls Smith

Alan Brian Stauts

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Baltimore leg pays tribute to US founders, first cathedral

By GeorGe P. Matysek, Jr BALTIMORE (OSV News) –

Carrying a golden monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament, Father Michael DeAscanis paced his 227-step climb up downtown Baltimore’s Washington Monument June 10, repeatedly praying one complete “Glory Be” for every 10 steps until he reached the top.

The steady spiral ascent brought the priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore more than 120 feet above the city to a lookout inside the historic monument. There, framed by windows facing in every direction, he raised the monstrance and traced the Sign of the Cross – blessing Baltimore from north, south, east and west.

Below, more than 200 people gathered outside the monument, designed in 1815 by American architect Robert Mills, who later designed the Washington Monument in Washington.

Father Michael DeAscanis, pastor of St. Louis Church in Clarksville and St. Francis of Assisi Church in Fulton, presents the Blessed Sacrament to pilgrims participating in the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s segment of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, themed “One Nation Under God.” The blessing took place at the Washington Monument in Baltimore City June 10, 2026. (OSV News photo/Kevin J. Parks, Catholic Review)

As Father DeAscanis offered a prayer for Baltimore and the nation, the crowd – wet from morning showers – sang religious and patriotic hymns, including “God Bless America.”

The poignant moment was part of the June 9-11 Baltimore leg of the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which began May 24 in St. Augustine, Florida, and is making its way up the East Coast to Maine and then back down to Philadelphia as part of celebrations surrounding America’s 250th anniversary. Nine young adults, known as “perpetual pilgrims,” are on the route and plan to travel every mile.

Held under the theme “One Nation Under God,” the pilgrimage arrived in the Baltimore Archdiocese June 9. The June 10 events in Baltimore began with morning Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the United States’ first Catholic cathedral.

Kathy Bentz, a parishioner of Our Lady of Hope in Dundalk, Maryland, took a day off from work to attend the pilgrimage. Faith is needed more than ever, she said, because people are “looking for hope.”

“I need to be around people who get me and I get them,” she said. “And that’s why I’m here. I feel like I’m in the presence of good and it makes me want to do better.”

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage began its journey through the Baltimore archdiocese with a June 9 procession at the site of the nation’s first monument to George Washington – a stoic stone tower in Boonsboro, just off the Appalachian Trail in Washington Monument State Park.

As the nine perpetual pilgrims followed the Eucharist under a baldacchino to the monument, they were joined by 130 others from all over the archdiocese and beyond to watch Father Jeffery Dufresne of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis take the holy Eucharist to the top of the monument and down, before presenting it on the altar.

“It was extremely beautiful to see Jesus overlooking the valley that he created,” said Zachary Robinson, a Catholic from Westminster, Maryland, as he hiked back. He called it “an experience of God just delighting in the beauty of his creation.”

From Boonsboro, the pilgrimage traveled to Hagerstown, where close to 450 people attended Mass at St. Mary June 9 before joining a procession on the

streets around the church.

From Hagerstown, the pilgrimage went to Baltimore for the June 10 morning procession and then continued to Severna Park for an afternoon retreat focused on the Sacred Heart. The pilgrims ended the day in Annapolis, Maryland’s capital and home to the U.S. Naval Academy, with a procession beginning at the city’s historic St. Mary’s Church, followed by sunset Eucharist adoration.

St. Mary’s campus includes the birthplace of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. Charles Carroll was the cousin of Archbishop John Carroll, the first bishop of Baltimore.

While a thunderstorm greeted everyone as they

arrived at St. Mary, only a few raindrops were falling when the Eucharistic procession to the State House began. Singing songs and saying prayers in both English and Spanish, participants waved white flags, carried signs saying “Jesus, I Love You” and smiled at those gathered to watch the procession.

As they walked, the nine perpetual pilgrims reached out to those lining the parade route asking if they knew what the procession was about and sharing information about the Eucharist.

“It’s part of our ministry,” said pilgrim Raymond Martinez II of the personal encounters, noting that along the way he has met both non-Catholics and Catholics who have lapsed in their faith.

The pilgrimage continued from the Archdiocese of Baltimore into the Diocese of Wilmington, which encompasses the state of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, June 11-12.

Pilgrims then plan to spend the June 12-14 weekend in the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, with a stop in Gloucester City to commemorate Fort Nassau, the state’s first European settlement.

Since its Pentecost Sunday launch, the pilgrimage has traveled through the dioceses of St. Augustine, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; and Arlington, Virginia; and the Archdiocese of Washington.

(George P. Matysek Jr. is the managing editor for Catholic Review, the newspaper of the Baltimore Archdiocese. Contributing to this story was Catholic Review Media news correspondent Katie V. Jones and OSV News.)

Rev. Hilary Brzezinski, OFM placed on administrative leave

JACKSON – On May 14, 2026, the Franciscans of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Most Rev. Joseph R. Kopacz, Bishop of the Diocese of Jackson, placed Rev. Hilary Brzezinski, OFM, pastor of St. Francis Parish, Greenwood, and its mission parishes, on administrative leave pending the outcome of civil, criminal, and church investigations involving allegations of misconduct.

After a preliminary investigation, the Franciscans and the Diocese concluded claims of misconduct against Rev. Brzezinski warranted further investigation. The Franciscan and Diocesan protocols require an accused priest to be placed on leave and removed from ministry pending a complete investigation.

The Franciscans and the Diocese of Jackson are committed to protecting the dignity of the human person. Misconduct by church personnel violates human dignity and the mission of the Church. We are committed to ensuring that all being served by the Church are not at risk of abuse,

physical, psychological, sexual or otherwise, by Church personnel. The spiritual well-being of all victims, their families, and others in the community is of ultimate concern to the Church.

The Diocese urges anyone who has information about this situation, or who has been a victim of abuse by Rev. Brzezinski, or by any other church personnel, to contact our victim assistance coordinator, Jenifer Jenkins (601) 960-8471.

For more than twenty years, the Diocese of Jackson has developed and implemented a safe environment program. Both the Franciscans and the Diocese have publicized standards of conduct for priests and deacons, as well as diocesan employees, volunteers, and any other church personnel in positions of trust who have regular contact with minors and vulnerable adults.

For more information about Diocesan policies and procedures, visit our website at: https://www. jacksondiocese.org/child-protection.

NATION

ORLANDO, Fla. (OSV News) – In preparation for the 500th anniversary of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s appearance to St. Juan Diego in five years, the dioceses of the U.S. will be participating in the Intercontinental Guadalupan Novena. Bishop Oscar Cantú of San Jose, California, chairman of the bishops’ Subcommittee on Hispanic/Latino A airs, addressed his fellow bishops June 11 during their spring plenary, sharing that one theologian had referred to Our Lady of Guadalupe as the “Queen of Marian Apparitions.” Franciscan Father Stefano Cecchin, president of the Pontifical International Marian Academy, told the bishop during a conference in Mexico City earlier this year that other apparitions talked about the rosary, repentance or unity of the family. “But the message in Guadalupe included an entire array of theological messages that included ecclesiology, Christology, the role of the laity, the role of the hierarchy, enculturation,” Bishop Cantú recalled Father Cecchin telling him. Four years ago, the Mexican Episcopal Conference began a “Novena of Years” in anticipation of the quincentennial, and they have invited all dioceses throughout the Americas to join them for the remaining five years leading to the quincentennial.

SAN ANTONIO (OSV News) – As the NBA Finals spotlight the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks, an unexpected group has captured national attention: the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco in San Antonio. Dubbed the “Spurs Nuns,” the sisters have gone viral during the Spurs’ playo run, appearing courtside, o ering prayers and enthusiastically cheering for their hometown team. But Sister Bernadette Mota says the attention remains secondary to

the community’s mission. Speaking with OSV News, she emphasized that the sisters’ primary calling is serving young people and those in need, not basketball fame. For the Salesian Sisters, as national media attention to them has grown, they have welcomed the spotlight, seeing it as an opportunity to highlight their ministries and the needs of the young people they serve.

VATICAN

VATICAN CITY (OSV News) –Pope Leo XIV told Catholic university leaders on June 3 that they have a responsibility to instill in their students a passion for “not only intellectual truth, but the truth that is Christ himself.” Speaking with university presidents, rectors, senior administrators and faculty leaders from U.S. colleges who are currently taking part in the 2026 Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Rome Seminar, the pope underlined that the importance of forming students in “the sound doctrine entrusted to the Church that will serve as a true and lasting foundation not only for their lives, but the future of the nation.” “Unless Catholic education instills in students a true passion for the truth – and not only intellectual truth, but the truth that is Christ himself – we can hardly expect people to be willing to put forth the e ort required to recognize truth and adapt one’s life accordingly,” he said. Pope Leo also highlighted two major challenges facing Catholic education: the fragmentation of knowledge and the growing influence of artificial intelligence, pointing to lessons from his recent encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.”

VATICAN CITY (OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV on June 1 praised Venerable Fulton J. Sheen as “a light of faith, hope, and love” whose pioneering radio and television broadcasts brought the Gospel to millions of Americans, including the pope himself as a child. Speaking to members of the Pontifical Mission Societies at the Vatican, Pope Leo said it was providential that Archbishop Sheen will be beatified Sept. 24 in St. Louis during the centennial year of the mission societies he once led. “I myself am a witness of his evangelization when I was growing up,” the pope said. “Archbishop Sheen was a light of faith, hope, and love that shone through the radio and television media for decades,” Pope Leo said. “His broadcasts touched millions with the hope of the Gospel and his initiatives and e orts resulted in enormous spiritual and material aid to the Churches in areas of first evangelization,” he added. Born in Illinois in 1895, Sheen became one of the most influential Catholic communicators in U.S. history through NBC radio’s “The Catholic Hour” and the television program “Life Is Worth Living.”

He also spent 16 years leading the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies, raising significant support for missions worldwide.

WORLD

BARCELONA, Spain (OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV blessed the newly completed Tower of Jesus Christ at Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica June 10, inaugurating the crowning spire that makes the iconic church the tallest Catholic church the world and urging people to lift their gaze to Christ “who alone reveals to us the truth about God and the truth about ourselves.” Pope Leo o ered Mass inside the basilica and formally inaugurated the Tower of Jesus Christ, which stands at more than 564 feet, before a crowd of thousands gathered inside and around the Sagrada Familia. “By looking at Christ, we can see the world with renewed eyes: the tower of the cross then becomes a banner of charity, for God loves us in this way, transforming an instrument of death into a sign of hope,” the pope said. Spain’s King Felipe VI welcomed the pope upon his arrival at the basilica. Before Mass, Pope Leo descended to the basilica’s crypt to pray at the tomb of Antoni Gaudí, the visionary Catalan architect who devoted 43 years of his life to the design and construction of the basilica before his death in 1926 at age 73. The papal Mass fell on the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death. Known as “God’s architect,” Gaudí’s cause for canonization advanced last year when Pope Francis declared him venerable in April 2025. Pope Leo paid tribute to the visionary builder in his homily, reflecting on Gaudí’s intent to narrate the mysteries of Christ’s life through stone and light.

PARIS (OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to France is taking shape, with French Church leaders releasing new details about the Sept. 25–28 apostolic journey and expressing hopes that it will inspire the same enthusiasm seen during the pope’s recent visit to Spain. The trip will begin in Paris, where Pope Leo is scheduled to pray vespers at Notre Dame Cathedral, marking the first papal visit since the cathedral reopened following the 2019 fire. He will also visit UNESCO and join a large youth prayer vigil before celebrating an outdoor Mass in the French capital. The pope will then travel to the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, where he will celebrate Mass near the grotto where Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette. The visit will conclude in Metz, a city linked to Franco-German reconciliation and the legacy of Robert Schuman, the founding father of the European Union. French bishops say the visit is above all a spiritual opportunity for renewal and missionary outreach. Final details of the papal itinerary are expected from the Holy See in the coming weeks.

Pope Leo XIV stands before the blessing and inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia during Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey in Barcelona, Spain, June 10, 2026. (OSV News photo/Simone Risoluti, Vatican News)

More than friars: A Franciscan way of life for the laity

THINGS OLD AND NEW

By ruth powerS

Most Catholics are familiar with St. Francis of Assisi and brown-habited friars who belong to the order founded by him 800 years ago. In honor of the anniversary of the Transitus (death) of St. Francis in 1226, this year has been designated as the Franciscan Jubilee Year by our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. To recognize the Jubilee Year, I want to write about some aspects of the Franciscan family that may not be well known.

The Franciscan family consists of three orders. The First Order, founded by Francis, is for men – the Friars Minor and their offshoots: the Conventual Franciscans, the Observants, and the Capuchins. The Second Order is for women and was founded by Francis together with St. Clare. They were known originally as the Poor Ladies but came to be known as the Poor Clares. This is a cloistered order that is still in existence today. The final branch of the Franciscan family tree is the Third Orders, Secular and Regular.

It is the Secular Franciscans that I will discuss today. The Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) is formed by Catholic men and women who seek to observe the Gospel by following the example of St. Francis of Assisi. It is not like other Third Orders in that it is not under the direct control of any of the other branches of the Franciscan Family. The OFS is governed by the universal law of the Church and by its own Rule, Constitutions, Ritual, and Statutes. The interpretation of the Rule and of the Constitutions is done by the Holy See directly.

The specifics of the early foundation of the order are somewhat vague, but OFS lore speaks of a married couple from the town of Poggibonzi named Luchesi and Buonadonna Modestini who had heard Francis preach and had their lives transformed around 1213. Rather than separating so that each one could enter religious life, they felt called to live out their new way of life together. Francis was moved by the Holy Spirit to write a Rule for them that would allow them to do this, and so began the Brothers and Sisters of Pen-

ance, the original name of the OFS. This way of life was quickly embraced by married couples and single people who did not feel called to monastic life, and the order grew rapidly, receiving papal approval in 1221. The order was, and still is, open to male and female Catholic laity and clergy who are not already members of another religious order. Secular Franciscans do not take public vows as do religious who live in community. They make a public profession of promises and are consecrated to a way of life.

The motto of the Secular Franciscans is “From Gospel to Life and Life to Gospel.” This is a calling to live the Gospel of Jesus according to the model of St. Francis of Assisi to the degree possible in one’s circumstances and state of life. It is a call to live in the love of God and in communion with Christ, poor and crucified. It recognizes our brotherhood and sisterhood with all people and all creation. It calls for a life of prayer (liturgical, personal, communal) and continued conversion. It also stresses participating in the life and ministry of the Church and living as in-

The ‘pursuit of happiness’

GUEST COLUMN

By SiSter ConStanCe Veit, lSp

St. Jeanne Jugan is often portrayed looking quite solemn, but she was actually very joyful. She was known to exclaim, “What happiness to be a Little Sister of the Poor!” and to counsel the young Little Sisters that “making the elderly happy is what counts.”

The idea of happiness features prominently in our national conversation as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Hopefully, we have not forgotten these key words of our founding document: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

As Little Sisters at the service of the elderly, we have daily experience of the right to life. In the past decade, we’ve also had extensive experience with the right to religious liberty. But what of the pursuit of happiness?

Today, many people define happiness as a good feeling, an experience of worldly pleasure or enjoyment. But Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, meant more than this. Numerous authors assert that as someone educated in ancient philosophy, Jefferson was referring to the Greek idea of eudaimonia, a state of flourishing through good character, the practice of virtue and active participation in civic life.

I recently saw an illustration of the Pursuit of Happiness that portrayed a rather comical figure chasing smiley faces with a butterfly net. This didn’t really do it for me. I see it more as an upward climb, made in the company of others, where the strong extend a hand to lift up the weak or as a circle of individuals

creating a work of art together.

In 1787 Thomas Jefferson wrote to his daughter, giving her advice on how to find meaning in life. He encouraged her to develop “those principles of virtue and goodness which will make you valuable to others and happy in yourselves, acquiring those talents and that degree of science which will guard you at all times against ennui, the most dangerous poison of life. A mind always employed is always happy. This is the true secret, the grand recipe for felicity.”

We have recently received Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity). It will take months to plumb the depths of the Holy Father’s thought but even a superficial reading of the encyclical highlights the grandeur of humanity and the truth that human flourishing is impossible without fraternity. “History can … change when individuals truly take the dignity of everyone seriously,” Leo wrote, citing the American civil rights movement and the figure of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The pope described “‘martyrs of everyday life’ who care for, educate, accompany and comfort without fanfare, such as parents, nurses, doctors, volunteers and those who remain alongside an elderly person or an outcast.”

“For centuries, the Christian tradition has maintained that human beings are not confined by the boundaries of their own nature; rather, they are called to self-transcendence, not through an escape from reality or a contempt for their limitations, but through their fulfillment in love,” the pope wrote.

“We become fully human when we become more than human,” he wrote. “What saves humanity is not enhanced self-sufficiency but a relationship that liberates, a communion that transforms ... A person’s future is not calculable but depends on one’s freedom – elevated by the inexhaustible grace of God –and on the relationships cultivated.”

Our Founding Fathers would have recognized their ideas concerning the “Pursuit of Happiness” in these passages of Pope Leo calling us to improve

struments of peace.

In addition, the charism of the OFS is to be lived in fraternity with other members. This does not mean communal living, but rather meeting together for prayer, study and support on a regular basis.

Full disclosure: I am a Secular Franciscan. I will celebrate the 10th anniversary of my profession in September. There is only one fraternity in the Diocese of Jackson. It is in Greenwood. There are others of us scattered around the state who travel to Fraternities in other dioceses to participate (Biloxi, Baton Rouge, Mobile). Anyone who would like more information on the Secular Franciscan Order can go to secularfranciscanusa.org.

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

society by supporting the lives of others.

As we celebrate our Nation’s 250th anniversary, may we honor the unalienable Rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness by accompanying and remaining alongside the very young, the elderly, the stranger and the most vulnerable among us.

(Sister Constance Veit is the communications director for the Little Sisters of the Poor in the United States and an occupational therapist.)

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

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

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

Diocese of Jackson, P.O. Box 22723, Jackson, MS 39225-2723

Parish scholars shine

Editor’s note: As another school year comes to a close, we offer our heartfelt congratulations to the graduates of the Class of 2026. Whether you are stepping into college, a career, or new adventures, know that your parish community is proud of your achievements and prays for your continued growth in wisdom, faith and service. May the foundation you’ve built carry you confidently into the future. Well done, graduates!

KIRK ACADEMY

VALEDICTORIAN:

PHILLIP MESSINA

GPA: 4.00 – ACT: 25

From his speech: God did not bring us this far just to leave us here. Each of us have been blessed with unique gifts, talents, and opportunities. With these blessings, comes responsibility, not just to succeed for ourselves, but to serve others. The greatest impact we can make is not found in what we gain, but in what we give. Our gifts are meant to make a difference in the lives of others. Whether it’s through kindness, leadership, encouragement, or just showing up for someone who needs it, we each have the ability to change the world in ways that may seem small, but are incredibly powerful.

Church: St. Peter Catholic Church, Grenada

Plans to attend: University of Mississippi

Plans to study: Pre-Med

Scholarships: Valedictorian Scholarship; Rotary Club Student of the Year; Academic Merit; 1848 Scholarship; Ole Miss Alumni Scholarship

Awards/honors: Highest average in Anatomy and Physiology; Highest average in Economics; Rotary Club Student of the year

Activities: Football and Tennis

Favorite subject: Science

Yearbook quote: “Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.” – unknown

HERITAGE ACADEMY

SALUTATORIAN:

BRANDON DOUMIT

GPA: 4.76 – ACT: 29

From his speech: As the end of our time together approaches, I vividly remember all the tests, essays, big wins, and tough losses we shared together. Each of us has put in hours to achieve things we did not even know we could and have already accomplished remarkable things.

Church: Annunciation Catholic Church, Columbus

Favorite service project: Operation Christmas Child – because I like putting together important, needed things for children who are less fortunate.

Plans to attend: Mississippi University for Women

Plans to study: Nursing/Biology

Scholarships: MUW Centennial Scholarship; MS Eminent Scholar; Salutatorian

Awards/honors: Heritage Academy Hall of Fame; Citizenship Award Junior and Senior Year; Highest Average Junior Year; American History Award; Centennial Award; Voted Most Likely to Succeed; President of Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society; National Honor Society; National Beta Club; MAIS Honor Society; National Spanish Honor Society

Activities: Tennis Team; Tennis Team Captain Junior and Senior Year; Won the MAIS Class AAAA Boys Doubles State Championship; CYO

Favorite subject: Chemistry and Biology

Yearbook quote: “The worst kind of defeat is ... the decision not to try.” – Novak Djokovic

GRENADA – Graduating seniors Harlee Johnson, Katie O’Rear, Noah Oswalt, Gabriel “Gabe” Reyna and Phillip Messina pose for a photo during a Class of 2026 recognition at St. Peter Parish. (Photo by Mike Liberto)

MERIDIAN – Graduating seniors pause for a photo during the annual “Senior Walk” at St. Patrick Catholic School. Pictured, from left, are Kaitlyn Latimer, Freeda Ramirez, Radiance Smith, Fredy Ramirez, Deontae Hopper, Christian Hornsby and Elizabeth Crudup (Anchor Christian Academy). (Photo by Helen Reynolds)

MERIDIAN – Graduating seniors Thomas Saylor, Mary Lee Gregory, Arely Gomez-Moreno, Vanessa Espino and Evelyn Gutierrez were recognized during a Class of 2026 celebration at St. Patrick Parish. (Photo by John Harwell)

Graduates around the diocese

CLINTON – Graduating seniors from Holy Savior Parish and Immaculate Conception Mission were recognized during the Senior Recognition Mass on May 17 at Holy Savior Church. Front row, from left, are Typhanie Teague of Immaculate Conception in Raymond, Hayden Rogers, Kylin Mraz, Kathryn Callegan and Clara McCombs. Back row, from left, are Father Tom McGing, Dominic Weisenberger, Drew Harris and Justus Offiah. Not pictured is Madelyn Rives. (Photo by Hunter Yentzen)

PEARL – Father Cesar Sánchez blesses graduating seniors Angie Montez of Pearl High School, Liliana Serrano Benítez of Jackson State University, Gianna Altamirano of the University of Mississippi and Alondra Hernández during a graduation recognition at St. Jude Church. (Photo by Nadya Villafranca)

CARTHAGE – Graduates from St. Anne Parish gather with Father Marco A. Sanchez, S.T., for a graduation recognition at St. Anne Church. Front row, from left, are Amy Vasquez, Briseyda López, Marly Temaj, Mary Matias, Andy López, Medwin Meza, Alexander Meljivar, Cristian Salvador and Edwar López. Second row, from left, are Alan Modesto, Kimberley Gómez, Estefany Matias, Shailee López, Father Sanchez, Beckham López, Michael Agustin and Henry Salvador. Third row, from left, are Felipe Ramírez, Ostin Salvador, Luis Pérez, Adner Salvador, Bryan Salvador, Alex Barahona and Dawin Carmona. (Photo courtesy of the parish)

CARTHAGE –

Father Marco A. Sanchez, S.T., and college graduates Mary Matias, Alex Barahona and Henry Salvador pose for a photo during a Class of 2026 graduation celebration at St. Anne Parish. (Photo courtesy of the parish)

PEARL – Father Cesar Sánchez blesses graduating seniors Nora Thomas (homeschool), Josh Lowe (Pearl High School), Jacob Varela (McLaurin High School), Abbygale Roberts (homeschool) and Bree Sajoun (Brandon High School). (Photo by Lauren Roberts)

OXFORD – Graduates pose with Father Mark Shoffner following the Baccalaureate Mass at St. John the Evangelist Church on May 17. Front row, from left, are Mary Jubera, Addie Langley, Siobhan Ray, Wesley Claire LaFont, Eden Bodie, Lily Levy, Patton Helveston and Emily Newsom. Back row, from left, are Harrison Cole, Aydan Vasquez, Emeka Balthrop, Father Mark Shoffner, Charles Edmondson, Andrew Koestler and Elliott Chaney. (Photo by Jennifer Newsom)

JACKSON – Holy Family Parish celebrated Flores de Mayo, a monthlong devotion honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary through prayer, reflection and the offering of flowers. The celebration concluded with the Santacruzan, a traditional procession commemorating the discovery of the True Cross by St. Helena, known as Reyna Elena. Participants portrayed biblical and historical figures whose lives exemplify faith, hope and charity. Pictured in the princess court are Marilyn Marie Prewitt (Princesa de las Vírgenes), Precious Femmy De La Peña (Princesa Justicia) and Emily Mateo (Princesa Caridad). (Photos by Ronalyn Prewitt)

PEARL – (left) St. Jude Parish celebrated an outdoor Mass for the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity on May 31. Gustavo Jimenez and Ivanna Lozano led the procession, followed by Gab Sullivan, Dori Paczak, Deacon Mark Bowden, and Deacon John McGregor. Rita Ignatius, dressed in red, offered the Prayer of the Faithful in Hindi, while other prayers were spoken in a variety of languages, including German, Spanish, Czech and Tagalog. (Photo by Tereza Ma)

through

MERIDIAN – Kaitlyn Latimer leads the walk

the halls of St. Patrick Catholic School. Following behind are Radiance Smith, Freeda Ramirez, Fredy Ramirez, Deontae Hopper and Christian Hornsby. All the seniors are graduates of Meridian High School. (Photo by Helen Reynolds)

GRENADA — Auston Strong, a member of St. Peter Parish, graduated from Mississippi State University. (Photo by Christy Strong)

By Tereza Ma and Joanna King

JACKSON – Catholic Charities of Jackson is working to raise awareness that its adoption, maternity support and post-adoption services remain available to families throughout Mississippi.

The agency’s Adoption and Post-Adoption Program has been intentionally reconnecting with community partners, hospitals and other organizations to remind the public that these services continue to be offered and that support is available for those considering adoption, seeking maternity assistance or needing resources after an adoption is finalized.

“The biggest thing we want the community to know is adoption is here,” said Shaniqua Forrest, program director for Adoption and Post-Adoption Services at Catholic Charities. “We are maintaining the program. We are here to support in any way that anyone may need.”

Catholic Charities offers maternity support, domestic and international adoption services, Safe Home Studies, foster-to-adopt opportunities and post-placement visits. The agency’s goal is to place children in loving, stable and permanent homes while providing guidance and support throughout the adoption process.

As part of its outreach efforts, the program

recently hosted a community baby shower that provided essential baby items to expectant and new mothers. Participants received diapers, wipes, bottles, pacifiers and clothing, while donated items such as a stroller and breast pump were also distributed. Program staff noted that two mothers delivered their babies before the event and received their donated items at the hospital.

The agency also provides extensive post-adoption support designed to help families navigate challenges that may arise after an adoption is finalized. Services include counseling, mental health treatment, crisis intervention, family preservation and stabilization services, peer support and respite care.

For Cornella Slaughter, post-adoption specialist with Catholic Charities, ongoing support is essential to helping families thrive.

“The main goal is to make sure that that placement stays permanent,” Slaughter said.

Catholic Charities staff emphasized that adoptive families do not have to face challenges alone and that resources are available to support both parents and children as they adjust and grow together.

The agency will host an event highlighting its Post-Adoption Services on Tuesday, June 30 – “Taco-bout a Great Support System.” Those interested in learning more about adoption, maternity support or post-adoption resources can contact Catholic Charities for additional information at (601) 326-3796.

Catholic Charities of Jackson hosted a special baby shower event on May 8 for their adoption services program. Pictured are employees preparing shower gifts. (Photo courtesy of Catholic Charities)