By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – On Friday, Feb. 27, Bishop Kopacz signed a decree of extinctive merger for Jackson St. Mary and St. Therese Parishes. This means St. Mary Church will close and St. Therese will take over the territory. The previous Friday the bishop and Msgr. Elvin Sunds, the former vicar general, met with members of St. Mary parish to make them aware of his decision.
About 25 people attended the meeting.
Bishop Kopacz made the decision after prayerful discernment of information gathered over a period of months from the pastor, parish community, presbyteral council and the engineering firm Laird + Smithers, as well as consultation of Canon Law.
“Motivated by church law and pastoral ministry for the care of souls, over the past 10 months I have inquired about the viability of St. Mary’s through parish meetings, a comprehensive engineering evaluation of the church building, an evaluation of parish membership and finances, countless conversations with diocesan staff, and the convoking of the Priest Council to ascertain their recommendation,” said Bishop Kopacz at the meeting. “The final piece required by church law was the convoking of the Priest Council in January to thoroughly and openly discuss the current state of the parish with respect to her viability. “That council supported the extinctive merger.
The church structure suffers from cracks in the walls, ceiling and floor due to the shifting Yazoo clay beneath it. The school merged with Christ the King to form Sister Thea Bowman School in 2006.
The school building, convent and gym started to show similar wear-and-tear. The engineering firm that consulted on the building on behalf of the diocese said that while the structure remains safe at the present time, continued decay should be expected and could render the building unsafe. It would be hard to know when that happens and the safety of the community had to be one of the priorities in this decision.
St. Mary was built to satisfy a need for a parish church and school in booming post-war South Jackson. As the years went by, the young families who founded the parish moved away and the area declined. JoAnn and Pete Foret, who attended the meeting, moved to the area in 1972 and joined St. Mary. “When we first got there, every Mass was packed,” said Pete Foret. His children attended St. Mary School and the family was involved in numerous parish activities including coaching sports teams. “The real shame of it was watching the area go down. It was heartbreaking,” said Mr. Foret. The family now lives in Clinton.
“It’s just not an up-kept neighborhood anymore. There’s not even that much crime, the whole area is being abandoned,” added JoAnn. The couple is sad about losing St. Mary, but both said they understand. “Even if we had the money to fix everything, there are not enough people to keep the church open and pay the expenses,” said Pete Foret.
A Hispanic community had been using St. Mary for liturgy, religious education and cultural gatherings, but they outgrew the space available and the deterioration of the facility became a concern. Last year, that community moved to St. Therese where they use the former school building.
There are three parishes within three miles of St. Mary, Christ the King, St. Therese and the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. Parishioners who live in St. Mary’s parish boundaries are encouraged to become a member of their new parish, St. Therese Church. Those living outside the parish boundaries are encouraged to join the churches where they live.
St. Therese pastor Father Ricardo Phipps said at the meeting he believes Christ the King and St. Therese can continue to evangelize in the South and West Jackson communities.
Some parishioners indicated a desire to appeal the decision. According to canon law, when a territorial parish is merged, only someone living within the territory of the original parish can submit an appeal. That person must find a canon lawyer outside the diocese and then has to hire another canon lawyer in Rome to take up the case. The appeal has to be submitted within 15 working days of the issue of the decree. The process can take several months. St. Mary would remain closed in the meantime. A copy of the decree is available on the news section of the diocesan website, www.jacksondiocese.org.
The sacred objects inside the church, including the altar, windows, tabernacle, candlesticks and other items will be placed in storage or made available to other parishes for their use. Bishop Kopacz suggested that an iconic item from St. Mary be moved in a procession to St. Therese as a symbol of the union of the congregations.
“I know losing a beloved parish church is difficult and this was not a decision I made lightly or quickly. My prayers are with the families who have a historic connection to St. Mary Parish, including the dedicated individuals who have supported St. Mary up to this very day. I know the members of St. Therese are ready to welcome them warmly with their many gifts.”
The community will gather for a final Mass at St. Mary Sunday, March 8, at 3 p.m. Father Phipps said he wants to invite everyone who feels a connection to the historic parish to come celebrate its history as they look forward to a new future at a new parish. JoAnn Foret agreed. “You just don’t know what new life you will find in another parish, how we can grow.”

Dear Friends in Christ,
I am writing to invite you to participate in the document on the Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World. The designated Lineamenta, is comprised of the Letter on the Family, and a series of questions in the concluding section of the document. As you know, this process began early last year and culminated in October 2014 with the preliminary deliberations of representatives from around the world in consultation with Pope Francis.
The first half of 2015 is intended to broaden the base of participation in the Church throughout the world by continuing the dialogue through the Lineamenta. By June of this year additional input will be integrated into the final version of the USCCB’s documentation that will go to Rome for this Fall’s Synod.
The survey is available in English and  Spanish on the Diocesan News section of our website, www.jacksondiocese.org. It would be better for us if you take the online version, but if you are unable to do so, you can print a PDF of the document and mail your responses to: Catholic Diocese of Jackson, Attn: Synod Survey, Box 2130, Jackson, MS 39225-2130. Mailed copies of the survey should arrive in the office by Monday, March 16. The online survey will close Monday, March 16 as well.
Thank you for your support on this important matter.
Bishop Joseph Kopacz

JACKSON – Bishop Joseph Kopacz presented 22 people, including four young people, with the Bishop Chanche Medal during a Mass on Saturday, Feb. 21, in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. This is the first year there has been a youth category to honor young people who give exemplary service to their church.
From Deanery I Madeline Sawaya of Gluckstadt St. Joseph and Ronni Nicole Wolfe from Vicksburg St. Michael were honored. Sawaya, 17, serves at the youth Mass and helps out with parish service projects, including helping with a summer mission trip. She said receiving the medal was a complete surprise. “The biggest reward for me is when I work hands-on with people in my community and their gratitude is the greatest reward,” she said.
Pam Minninger, the lay ecclesial minister at St. Joseph Parish, wrote in her nomination that Sawaya inspires others with both her faith and service. “Madeline does not plan church around her life, she plans her life around church,” wrote Minninger.
Sawaya’s advice to other teens: “Even if you get separated from church, or maybe you weren’t raised Catholic or you don’t have a strong faith – it’s never too late for you to start. God is always there to guide you,” she said.
Wolfe has been an altar server for so long she helps younger servers with training and encouragement. She is also very active in her Catholic Youth Organization. “Ronni Wolfe is a wonderful example of how today’s Catholic teenager should live their life. She is kind and loving, generous and faith-filled. She is proud to say that she has faith in God and is aware of his infinite love and mercy,” wrote Father P.J. Curley, her pastor, in her nomination.
Natalie Fletcher of Woodville St. Joseph represented Deanery II in the youth category. She travels to Natchez to attend Cathedral School. Her pastor said he has seen an increase in the number of young people serving as altar servers and participating in service projects because of Fletcher. She serves at Stewpot, assists in the ministry to shut-ins and cleans the grounds at the Natchez Children’s Home. Fletcher said she loves her service work and never imagined she would get a recognition such as this for it. She said she fears many people are being drawn away from God, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
Fletcher said while it is hard to be a Catholic teenager in Mississippi, everyone can grow stronger in their faith. “I would say you need to pray first off, thank God for everything you have. Draw close to him and he will help you,” she said.
Cooper Dunn of Greenwood Immaculate Heart of Mary is the Deanery III honoree. Dunn, 17, attends Pillow Academy and is currently the CYO president at his parish. Father Gregory Plata, OFM, his pastor said Dunn volunteered to be a religious education teacher for younger children and is very involved in the parish food drive.
The Bishop Chanche Medal was established as part of the celebration of the 175th anniversary of the diocese as a way to honor people who give of themselves to their parishes. Pastors and lay ecclesial ministers can nominate members of their communities. A committee of Catholics from across the diocese reviews the nominations and makes a recommendation to the bishop.
Adults who were honored and some of their contributions are included in the sidebar. While the staff at Mississippi Catholic recognizes and honors their many contributions, there is simply not enough space to include all their accolades.