JUNE 17, 2022
mississippicatholic.com
Journey to the priesthood: Beggerly ordained to transitional diaconate By JoANNA PUDDISTeR KING
WEST POINT – Carlisle Beggerly grew up Protestant, but an encounter with St. Augustine’s Confessions led him to seek out the church that the author belonged to. “I felt called to the priesthood from the beginning of my conversion,” said Beggerly. He then spent some time with a religious order, but then left and attended law school, all the while still feeling a call to priestly life. The next step toward ordination to the priesthood for Beggerly was his ordination into the transitional diaconate on Saturday, June 4 at his home parish of Immaculate Conception in West Point by Bishop Joseph Kopacz. Typically, transitional deacons spend one final year in seminary before priestly ordination. Men ordained as transitional deacons do so with the intention of becoming a priest. “During the transitional [diaconate] period, we try to place WEST POINT – Carlisle Beggerly lies prostrate before the altar during the Litany of Supplicaour seminarians in parishes that tion. Beggerly was ordained to transitional deaconate on June 4 at his home parish of Immaccan give them a wide range of ulate Conception in West Point. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
experiences,” said vocations director, Father Nick Adam. “This will be the first time a seminarian can baptize a baby, witness a wedding or preside at a funeral. We want to make sure they have many opportunities to delve into parish life and walk with families along the way.” Fellow Immaculate Conception parishioner, Barbara Elliott has known Deacon Beggerly and his family since they began attending the parish more than 10 years ago. “He’s always been very devout ... and instrumental in helping the children of the parish with the liturgy,” said Elliott. “We are so proud of him.” Those in the transitional diaconate are tried to be placed at a parish with a school so they can be a part of the day-to-day life of kids, parents and faculty. A great place for that is at St. Francis and St. Anthony School in Madison, where Beggerly will serve through some time in October. – More pictures continued on page 16 –
Robinson reflects on years at Sister Thea Bowman school By Joe Lee
JACKSON – Something especially meaningful dawned on Shae Goodman-Robinson as she drove to Sister Thea Bowman School one morning near the end of her thirteenth and final year as principal. “I told my parents that I started at Sister Thea Bowman in kindergarten when it was Christ the King School, Shae Goodman-Rob- and here I am retiring there inson, principal of as principal,” Robinson said. Sister Thea Bowman “What a beautiful full circle of how God puts you in places to School pay it forward.” In the midst of an emotional few days of saying goodbye to students, parents and her employees, Robinson reflected on the many pay-it-forward moments she’s had in more than four decades of being an educator. “I’ll miss the children and the face-to-face contact with them,” she said. “It put a smile on my face, whatever may have been on my mind at the time. Kids will tell you what they see, in their honesty and love for you. ‘I
love your hair, Ms. Robinson. I love your dress, Ms. Robinson. I love your shoes, Ms. Robinson.’ I will genuinely miss that. It’s kept me going all this time.” Sister Thea Bowman, whom Robinson met two years before her death in 1990, had a profound impact on the way approached her calling. “Her legacy was, ‘I try,’ and one of my favorite Sister Thea sayings was, ‘I know God is using me in ways beyond my comprehension,’” Robinson said. “As principal, I tried to make sure the students understood the im-
portance of education, and that they took responsibility each day. I tried to make sure they understood that everything comes full circle regarding academic education and spiritual growth.” A kindergartener in the early 1960s, Robinson recalls her parents earning approximately $200/month but insisting on paying a tuition bill of $32/month to send all three of their children to Christ the King School. “They believed in the importance of the education – Continued on page 6 –
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Graduation insert Celebrating the Class of 2022
From the archives 10 Woodward delves into the pallium
Obituary 11 Father Malcom O'Leary, SVD passes at age 92