MARCH 11, 2022
mississippicatholic.com
Praying for peace: Church rallies in prayer for Ukraine BY SABRINA SIMMS ROBERTSON THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT
much further,” Father Shoffner said. Ukraine declared itself an independent country from Russia and the Soviet Union in 1991 while its people have the same ancestry as Russia. “When I heard about what was going on I immediately thought of Caine killing Abel in Genesis — ’your brother’s blood is crying out from the land,’” Father Shoffner said, quoting the scripture. “I thought about that and thought about it as another reason for people to look down on Christianity as far as Christians attacking Christians, whether it be in Ukraine or here in Natchez — undermining the faith.” He added, “Fighting someone never accomplishes a good. It’s going to always denigrate the humanity of another person. That greed ... destroys you and ends up making you lash out at others. It’s needless, but it can be useful because it can inspire people to pray, which is the most necessary thing to do.” Father Shoffner said those who wish directly help those in Ukraine may give to one of the following: Caritas Ukraine – caritas.org/where-caritas-work-europe/ ukraine; Catholic Near East Welfare Association – cnewa.org; Catholic Relief Services – crs.org; Aid to the Church in Need – churchinneed.org.
NATCHEZ – Churches in Natchez and across the country are engaging in prayers for peace as more than half a million people flee from Ukraine and others take shelter in basements and subway tunnels. St. Mary Basilica in Natchez shared Pope Francis’s declaration of this on Ash Wednesday being a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Ukraine as Russian forces close in on the capital city Kyiv. In the sanctuary, a vase of sunflowers — the national flower of Ukraine — wrapped in a yellow and blue flag rests next to a picture of Our Lady Help of Persecuted Christians, with people from a myriad of nationalities sitting under her cloak of protection. Father Mark Shoffner, administrator pro tempore of St. Mary Basilica said he placed the image in the sanctuary so that his flock would have something they can physically look at and be reminded that others are hurting and in need of their prayers. NATCHEZ – At St. Mary Basilica, a vase of Sunflowers — the national flower “I had to do something,” he said. of Ukraine — wrapped in a yellow and blue flag rests next to a picture of Our The last few Mass services have inLady Help of Persecuted Christians, with people from a myriad of nationalcluded collections for Eastern Europe as ities sitting under her cloak of protection. (Sabrina Robertson, The Natchez well as prayers for times of war and civil Democrat) disturbance and for refugees and those in exile, he said. (Reprinted with permission of The Natchez Democrat) Mary Lou McCall, a former news journalist who was on a mission trip in Ukraine in the 80s, would also speak after Tuesday Mass. (Editor's note: On March 4, Bishop Joesph Kopacz asked parishes across the diocese to “It’s not necessary that you go over there and it’s not necessary that you give money, though it is good if you can. Prayer is the best thing that you can do. It is the most- take up a special collection to be sent to the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelsure thing that we have. To pray and to offer prayers for peace and consolation goes so phia, for distribution to relief efforts for Ukraine and its people. Please be generous to this very worthy cause.
Diocesan lay minister, Minninger retires BY JOE LEE
GLUCKSTADT – Pam Minninger, who retired as Lay Ecclesial Minister (LEM) at St. Joseph Church of Gluckstadt at the end of January, has never forgotten the time she spent as a young child with her maternal grandmother at bedtime. “I remember spending summer weeks with her in her small home,” Minninger said. “I would sleep with her, and we would kneel together beside her bed to say our prayers. Then she would tuck me into bed and get back on her knees for more prayer. I would wake up a bit later and she would be sound asleep, still on her knees beside the bed.” Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, Minninger moved to Mississippi in 1975 when she married her husband, Kerry. Residents of Gluckstadt, the couple have two kids and a pair of preschool-age grandchildren. A fixture at St. Joseph for well over a decade, Minninger was hired as pastoral associate in February 2005 and appointed as LEM by Bishop Joseph Latino in March 2006. A LEM in lieu of a full-time pastor is not uncommon in a very small parish – which St. Joseph was at the time of Minninger’s appointment – and in that role
she was responsible for the administration, educational, sacramental and charitable activities of the parish. “I worked very closely, first with Father Robert Olivier and then with Father Kevin Slattery, as Sacramental Ministers to make sure the sacraments were available to our parishioners,” she said. “We had approximately 90 families in our parish when I was appointed, but we began growing rapidly. We’re now at 700 families. “In 2009 I appoint-
ed a building committee to work on design, financing and construction of a new church and education building. In September 2011, we moved into that new $3.1 million building. I am very proud of the fact that we paid off the note for our church in just over three years. We have an amazing parish family here at St. Joseph.” Minninger’s presence and leadership have been felt – Continued on page 20 –
INSIDE THIS WEEK
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