By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

This verse from the prologue of St. John’s Gospel is the proclamation par excellence of our Christmas faith. The infancy narratives of St. Matthew and St. Luke, written a generation ahead of St. John, impart the beloved narrative of the Lord’s birth, the essence of the Christmas manger scene in all its splendor that we all know and love. But the prologue from the Gospel of John, represented by the eagle, takes us to the lofty heights of our understanding of God’s eternal Word without the participation of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds or the magi. However, in an awe-inspiring and timeless manner, the introductions to the three Gospels combine to reveal the uniqueness, the harmony and diversity of the evangelists. We are enlightened by the breath and depth of God’s Word at Christmas.

This Christmas we are doubly blessed with the inauguration of the Jubilee Year of Hope when Pope Francis flings open the Holy Doors of the four Basilicas in Rome. Crossing the thresholds of home and church through a door opened in loving hospitality is always a moment of grace and peace.

Many bemoan the sad state of affairs over locked church doors in the modern world while understanding the need for security. Total access to God in our sacred houses of worship would bring us back to better days and provide much consolation in a world that appears to be losing its soul. In this sense the opening of the Holy Door to begin the Jubilee Year is full of meaning.

Pope Francis offers this perspective: “Sustained by this great tradition, and certain that the Jubilee Year will be for the entire church a lively experience of grace and hope, I hereby decree that the Holy Door of the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican will be opened on 24 Dec. 2024, thus inaugurating the Ordinary Jubilee. On the following Sunday, 29 Dec. 2024 I will open the Holy Door of my cathedral, Saint John Lateran, which on the 9 Nov. this year will celebrate the 1700th year of its dedication. Then, on 1 Jan. 2025, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother God, the Holy Door of the Papal Basilica, Saint Mary Major, will be opened. Finally, Sunday, 5 Jan. 2025, will mark the opening of the Holy Door of the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls.”

In the Diocese of Jackson, we will inaugurate the Holy Year on the feast of the Epiphany, 5 Jan. 2025 at our Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, inviting the faithful to cross the threshold of hope imploring a year of grace and favor from the Lord. With the universal Catholic Church, the Jubilee of Hope will conclude on the feast of the Epiphany, January 2026.

What makes the opening of the Holy Door even more full of significance is that God first flung open the gates to paradise for us here on earth through the Incarnation, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God rolled out the red carpet to the heavenly banquet hall so that we can walk upon it as confident pilgrims who have been washed clean in the Blood of the Lamb. At the deepest level we do have total access to God’s presence through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit whose temples we are. We carry this life with us wherever we go as God-bearers and pilgrims of hope for our own lives and for the life of the world.

May we inspire one another with the conviction “that hope does not disappoint because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 5:5) In the light of faith that shines in the darkness we can bless one another. Merry Christmas!

By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
After three years of reflection, the Synod on Synodality came to an end on the evening of Oct. 26, 2024, as the 356 members of the assembly gathered to vote on a final document. In an unexpected act, Pope Francis immediately approved this document, saying that he would not release a post-synodal apostolic exhortation, which is the type of papal document that usually follows a synod. This text thus immediately falls within the Pope’s magisterium. However, he did specify that it was non-normative. Nevertheless, this has been a remarkable pastoral process that brought together the faithful from around the world these past three years.

Led by the Holy Spirit, the conversations began in the local diocesan church and progressed to produce regional and continental documents. The nearly 400 delegates who gathered in Rome during the month of October, last year and this year, represented our One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church and were able to build upon the voices of the Catholic faithful from around the world.

At the moment, the Synod document is in Italian, but the wheels of translation are turning to disseminate it far and wide. Not surprisingly, the document does not usher in a new era of church teaching as some were anxious over. But the uniqueness of this Synod is found in the deliberative and consultative gatherings of church leadership that included the ordained, professed, and laity since its inception in 2021.

These substantive encounters brought into the light of day the themes of communion, participation and mission with ample time to take a long and loving look at reality in order to better see, judge and act. This enlarging of the space of our tent in the Body of Christ represented our universality. The photos of the assembled delegates in Rome portrayed this vision whose hard work culminated in the final document. Yet, deliberative and consultative processes cannot be limited to extraordinary processes such as the Synod on Synodality, but ought to be integrated into the life of the church at every level and in every place. Enlarging our vision, sense of mission, and scope of ministries permeates the work of the delegates, and the impact of their labors under the gaze and inspiration of the Holy Spirit will be unpacked, reflected upon, and put into practice for years to come.

Throughout the document there is a repeated call for unity in the Body of Christ, and for a renewed commitment to mission as joyful disciples of the crucified and risen Lord. On Sunday, Oct. 27, the pope presided over a final Mass for the synod in St. Peter’s Basilica. Surrounded by the summit’s global delegates, Pope Francis encouraged the church to be attentive to “the challenges of our time, the urgency of evangelization and the many wounds that afflict humanity.”

“A sedentary church, that inadvertently withdraws from life and confines itself to the margins of reality, is a church that risks remaining blind and becoming comfortable with its own unease,” said the pope. “If we remain stuck in our blindness, we will continuously fail to grasp the urgency of giving a pastoral response to the many problems of our world.”

As he officially brought the three-year synod process to its end, Pope Francis declared that it is now time for the church to “get its hands dirty” and “carry the joy of the Gospel through the streets of the world.”
The past three years of world-wide synodality are a beacon of light as we embark upon the Jubilee Year of Hope to begin during the Christmas season and continue throughout 2025. The joy of the Gospel is our gift to the world that cries out in pain for unity and peace.

(Editor’s note: At press time on Nov. 1, 2024, the final document of the XVI Assembly of the Synod of Bishops was only made available in the original Italian. Visit https://www.synod.va/en.html in the coming days for additional language translations.)

By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
World Mission Sunday, which is always celebrated on the second to last Sunday of October, was undertaken on Oct. 20 this year. Instituted in 1926 by Pope Pius XI as a mandatory, global second collection, the banquet that is World Mission Sunday has since then been hosted by the Pope, and the table set by those who answer Christ’s call to “Go and make disciples of all nations,” (Mt 28:19) extending an inclusive invitation to all corners of the earth. Meant to be held in every parish in the world, the proceeds benefit 1,150 territories where the Gospel has not yet been received, has been only recently embraced, or is courageously upheld in the face of persecution. It is a special commemoration that unites Catholics worldwide in prayer, solidarity and support for the church’s mission efforts.

This year’s theme, chosen by Pope Francis, is rooted in the Gospel of Matthew: “Go and Invite Everyone to the Banquet,” reflecting the inclusive and urgent call to bring God’s love to everyone. This is the universal mission to spread the Gospel and invite all to experience the joy of Christ’s message! In recent times the world-wide pandemic weakened our church’s missionary efforts, and the annual Mission Sunday collection was adversely affected. This created a ripple effect whereby many throughout the world in the mission churches felt the pain of diminished resources coming their way. The past couple of years have seen a gradual return to pre-pandemic levels and we are hopeful that we continue to trend in the direction of greater generosity and prayerful solidarity.

Recently, Pope Francis undertook an amazing pastoral journey, considering his age, to several countries in Asia, including Indonesia, Singapore, and Papua New Guinea. During his homily in Papua New Guinea, he touched upon various themes that provide for us a deeper understanding of God’s providence for all nations and peoples. In the recalling of the pioneer missionaries in their country, Pope Francis shared these thoughts. “Our forebearers in the faith had the courage to begin, the commitment to share their lives in the beauty of being present, and the profound hope of growing what they began. They did this in a spirit of closeness to the people with compassion and tenderness.” This is the Gospel worldview that galvanizes the mission fields of evangelization and re-evangelization. Although we cannot be physically transported to the far-flung corners of our universal church with the Holy Father, we can be there through prayer, generosity, and a more thoughtful understanding of the mission entrusted to us by Jesus Christ.

The Diocese of Jackson’s direct connection to the mission experience has been our relationship with San Miguel (Perpetuo Socorro for the first 30 years) in the Diocese of Saltillo, Mexico for 55 years. Although they are not a church undergoing persecution, nor are they a young church; nonetheless, they need our financial assistance throughout their chapels and desert ranchos where economic development is marginal. My recent annual trip to San Miguel with Bishop Louis Kihneman of Biloxi reenforced for us the strong bond that we share with our brothers and sisters in another country and culture. In the works of Pope Francis ours is a relationship marked by closeness, compassion and tenderness.

This year’s theme for Mission Sunday, “Go and invite everyone to the Banquet” harmonizes well with the Eucharistic Revival. The banquet of God’s abundant love is proclaimed each time we gather around the table of God’s Word, and his Body and Blood, and one of the earthly goals of Mission Sunday is to gather all the nations at the Eucharistic banquet, the holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Thank you to all for your prayer and generosity on behalf of the universal call to bring the Gospel to all the nations.

By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
In the heart of the month of October dedicated to human life at every stage, i.e. the dignity of the human person as the corner stone for the common good, the church also raises up the struggles that surround mental health. The National Catholic Mental Health Campaign is a year-round initiative, and each year, the U.S. Bishops engage in a concerted effort beginning on World Mental Health Day, Oct. 10 (since 1992), and continuing to the feast of St. Luke, patron of health care (Oct. 18). During this concentrated period three primary goals are promoted: (1) to raise awareness of the mental health crisis, (2) to combat stigma surrounding the topic of mental health, and (3) to advocate for all those impacted by the crisis. The message of the campaign is straightforward: Everyone who needs help should receive help.

Our nation faces a dire mental health crisis. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in five adults live with mental illness. Apparently, half of Americans are expected to have some form of mental illness during their lifetime. Yet, it retains a pernicious stigma. It can interfere with individuals seeking treatment and finding an understanding community to support them.

A review of data from 144 studies of participants from around the world revealed that the stigma of mental illness remains one of the top barriers to accessing mental health care. There is particular concern about the mental health state of adolescents. Almost all indicators of poor mental health among high schoolers increased over the past decade. In 2021, 42% of students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, up from 28% a decade earlier. 22% seriously considered attempting suicide, up from 16%, and 18% made a suicide plan, up from 13%.
The data further reveals disparate mental health outcomes based on race. It further shows that while boys and girls are suffering deeply, they can face distinct challenges. The data is also troubling regarding a disproportionate number of individuals who identify as LGBTQ who face mental health difficulties. “As a church we must pay particular attention to these differences in our pastoral work and advocacy efforts,” the U.S. Bishops encourage. Compounding this issue is the shortage of mental health resources in far too many communities in our nation.

We are not alone in this struggle as mental distress spans the globe. The World Health Organization estimates nearly a billion people are living with a mental disorder worldwide. Global rates of depression and anxiety increased by more than 25% in the first year of the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. Sister Carneiro, the new superior general of the Sisters Hospitallers, who serve nearly 1 million people with mental disorders across 25 countries, told Catholic News Service that the church “has an important role of hope, of offering a new horizon” to people struggling with mental illness.” She is qualified to speak for the church at home and abroad. While society must be active in addressing mental health issues, she explained that the church has a “unique differentiating element, because it is motivated by faith, with a dimension of hope and recognition that each person is more than their illness and has human dignity. When there is a mental health problem, it is not only the mind that is ill, but also all the being, the entire sense of life,” she said. “For the church and for us as a congregation, what is most important is to help vulnerable people who are suffering to again find a sense of life and hope.” Her message resonates well with the impending jubilee year whose theme is a Jubilee of Hope.

The USCCB recommends that each U.S. parish promote the annual novena within their communities. The novena officially goes from October 10 to 18, 2024. The daily texts for the novena can be found online at https://www.usccb.org/mentalhealth. First and last, may we never overlook the power of prayer in the service of health and hope.

For all the individuals who are impacted by issues of mental health, especially within our local community, that God may bless them with his grace and consolation, and that Catholics everywhere will accompany and support women and men and children who experience mental health challenges and promote mental and spiritual wellness. We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.