Author Archives: Melisa Munoz

Calendar of Events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
GREENWOOD Locus Benedictus retreat center presents a silent retreat: “Mary in the Mystery of Christ and the Church,” on Saturday, February 11, 9 a.m.– 4 p.m. The presenter is Brother Daniel Korn, C.Ss.R., noted Redemptorist author. Cost is $35 which includes lunch. Details: contact Magdalene Abraham at (662) 299-1232.
MERIDIAN St. Patrick, Pathways of Prayer Retreat, Saturday, February 11, 9:30 am – 2:30 pm. Enrich your prayer life by exploring different approaches to growing closer to God. Registration fee of $20 includes breakfast, lunch and all materials for the day. Space is limited; bring registration fee to the church office by February 1. Details: Mary Billups marybillups@bellsouth.net, (601) 693-1321.

PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS
AMORY St. Helen, Book Discussion Group on “Small Great Things” by Jody Picoult on Monday, February 13, noon in the parish hall. Everyone is invited to read the book and plan to join in the discussion. Details: call the parish office at (662) 256-8392.
GREENVILLE St. Joseph Parish, St. Monica’s Prison Ministry visits the Washington Co. Correctional Facility on the second Monday of each month to share our Catholic faith. Next visit is February 7. Details: contact Sandra Cirilli or Frank Dantone at the church office, (662) 335-5251.
– St. Joseph “Sharing Christ,” Tuesdays in the parish hall, 6:30 – 8 pm, February 21 – April 4. It is a seven week journey focusing on personal evangelization and sharing our relationship with Jesus in our daily life. Registration forms in back of church. Details: call the parish office, (662) 335-5251.
GREENWOOD Mardi Gras Celebration to benefit St. Francis School, Saturday, February 18, 7 p.m. – midnight, Leflore County Civic Center. Adults only. Featuring: Steve Azar and the Sensation Dance Band of Memphis. Tickets: $35. Includes, buffet, party favors, set-ups. Bar available. Details: (662) 453-0623 or info@deltatics.net
HERNANDO Holy Spirit, weight loss support group. Come join us each week as we support each other on our weight loss journey. Wednesday mornings at 8:30 am for weigh-in and sharing. Details: Liz Brown, (901) 331-3419.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Young at Heart Senior Social, Saturday, February 18, for parishioners and friends aged 65+. Volunteers (youth and adults) and door prizes needed. Bingo, food and great prizes. Details: Charlene Rushing, (601) 431-9127.
– Grief and loss support group, second Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m.. Next meeting February 13. Compassion Care Hospice Office, Suite A, 113 Jefferson David Blvd. Open to the public. Details: (601)442-6800.
MADISON St. Francis of Assisi, Hospice Ministries Winter Volunteer Training Program, Feb. 3 – Feb. 5. Details: call (601)898-1053, ext. 258.
TUPELO St. James, Knights of Columbus Super Bowl Potluck Party, Sunday, February 5, 4 p.m. in Shelton Hall. Big-screen TV and everyone is invited. Details: Keith Merritt, (662) 322-1427.
VICKSBURG St. Paul, Meals on Wheels chairperson needed. St. Paul sincerely thanks Camille Atwood for her service of 22 years. Meals on Wheels meets the first Saturday of the month and feeds approximately 30 people. Details: (601) 636-0140

YOUTH BRIEFS
Greenville, St. Joseph School, Mardi Gras Fling, Saturday, February 25, at the Washington Co. Convention Center, 6:00 pm to midnight. Must be 21 or older. Cost: $100, admits two for dinner, music from the sounds of Yazoo Gold, “get-down” dancing and drinks, as well as a chance to win $10,000 worth of prizes in the annual draw-down. Details: Tickets on sale in both school offices, the church office or from any school advisory council member. To donate a tax-deductible door prize, contact Missi Blackstock at (662) 378-9711
HERNANDO Holy Spirit, “Souper” Bowl of Caring, youth will be collecting after all masses on the weekend of February 4-5. Goal is to raise $800.00.

TUPELO, Parkgate Pregnancy Banquet, Tuesday, February 21. Any student age 15 or older is invited to volunteer. You will need to be at the Orchard by 5 p.m. and dinner is provided. Details: call or text Jessica Vaughn (662) 871-5033.

VOCATION RETREATS FOR WOMEN
HOLLY SPRINGS The Sisters of the Living Word, the Chicago Archdiocesan Vocation Association CAVA), and Sacred Heart Southern Missions (SHSM)
are jointly hosting “Hands-ON + Hearts-IN: A discernment experience for women at their residence in Holly Springs. Young women will be accompanied by vocation ministers for the Monday through Friday experience, providing a hands-on opportunity to assist those in need while discerning life as a sister. Attendees will reside with sisters from various communities. Service projects include: tutoring children, assisting at a food pantry,cleaning homes for the elderly, repairing damaged homes, serving meals at a soup kitchen. The only cost to attend is the travel to the residence. Available dates: February 6-10 or 20-24; May 15-19 or 22-26; August 29 – Sept. 1; September 18-22
Applicants need to book a spot one month prior to the start of a week-long event. Details: Sister Sharon Glumb, SLW sglumb@slw.org; 847-577-5972 ext. 233 (office); 601-291-6738 (cell).
MOBILE, Ala., Little Sisters of the Poor presents “Listening with Our Lady” retreat Friday, March 24, at 6 p.m.- Sunday, March 26 at 1 p.m., at Sacred Heart Residence of the Little Sisters in Mobile. This retreat is for single Catholic women aged 17-35 who may wish to discern a call to religious life. The weekend includes Mass, talks, question and answer sessions, service opportunities and adoration. Meals provided. Register by March 21. Details: vocmobile@littlesistersofthepoor.org or (251) 591-3700.

Go: Celebrating 35 years of catechetical formation

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KENNER, LA, - Bishop Kopacz, center, celebrated the closing Mass for the conference with diocesan priests Father Arokia Savio, right of the bishop, pastor of Grenada St. Peter Parish, and Father Paneer Arockiam, pastor of Yazoo City St. Mary Parish. Two local deacons assisted. (Photo by Rhonda Bowden)

KENNER, LA, – Bishop Kopacz, center, celebrated the closing Mass for the conference with diocesan priests Father Arokia Savio, right of the bishop, pastor of Grenada St. Peter Parish, and Father Paneer Arockiam, pastor of Yazoo City St. Mary Parish. Two local deacons assisted. (Photo by Rhonda Bowden)

By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Hundreds of delegates from Southhaven to Natchez descended on Kenner, La., to participate in the recent Gulf Coast Faith Formation Conference. More than 1,200 participants from Region V, in which this diocese is located, came for all or part of the three-day conference. The diocesan delegation included Bishop Kopacz, who celebrated the closing Mass on Saturday.
In its 35th year, the conference was previously known as the Hofinger Conference, named for Fr. Johannes Hofinger, S.J., a world-renowned missionary, evangelizer, teacher, and catechetical leader. “This year’s theme, ‘Prayer: Our Faith Prayed and Lived,’ reminded us of our need for prayer and to experience prayer in new ways. There really was a little bit of something for everyone as the topics covered were quite varied,” explained Fran Lavelle, director of the department of Faith Formation for the Diocese of Jackson and one of the conference organizers.
“In addition to the areas one would expect, topics like ministry for special needs and the elderly were covered. A track for liturgy was also provided as well as a track for those working with high school students,” she added.
Members of her team and diocesan representatives, including Will Jemison, coordinator for Black Catholic ministry for the diocese, Abbey Schuhmann, coordinator for Youth Ministry, Catherine Cook, Superintendent of Catholic Schools and Karla Luke, coordinator for operations for the schools, also attended.
In addition to the keynote speakers and breakout sessions, participants had access to exhibits and liturgies. “One of my favorites was a beautiful exhibit on icons and their use in personal and communal prayer. It was a great feature,” said Lavelle.
Lori Arreola agreed. She was a first-time attendee from Grenada St. Peter Parish. “I liked the transforming of icons for catechesis and prayer workshop because it takes me to a closer intimate relationship with the Lord as well as deeper understanding level,” she explained.

Fathers Aroika and Savio, pictured at the closing Mass, brought people from their parishes to the conference. (Photo by Rhonda Bowden)

Fathers Arockiam and Savio, pictured at the closing Mass, brought people from their parishes to the conference. (Photo by Rhonda Bowden)

Father Aroika Savio, pastor of Grenada St. Peter Parish has attended several of these conferences, but none of his catechetical staff had the opportunity until this year when a delegation of six went with him. Rosa Buzzarde, took the Liturgy track. She said she learned how to write the prayers of the faithful to include all people. She also learned about new rites of ceremony for weddings that have additions and exclusions written into them.
Annette Tipton, took the family evangelization and spirituality track. “I learned about the need for Spiritual Coaches in our parishes and how to accompany people in their faith walk,” she said. She added that she enjoyed not just the academic and logistical side, but got a lot from the spiritual offerings. “In a different venue, Dr. Brant Pitre of Gray, La, powerfully taught a deeper understanding of Lectio Divina – keeping a dialogue with Christ in prayer,” said Tipton.
Nancy Oswalt also attended the lectio breakout. “I learned about Lectio Divina, scripture and prayer and how important it is to our faith, and then some ways to actually pray and have a conversation with Christ. For the youth I now have some new ways to lead ‘guided prayer’ and modeling prayer,” she said.
Father Savio said he values conferences such as this one. “I wanted my people to see how other parishes are celebrating liturgy, offering catechesis and doing other things,” he said.
This was the first year the faith formation directors in this region took a lead role in both content and logitics for the conference.
“For several years the conference was planned by a professional meeting planner. We were given the opportunity last year to continue with an outside planner or taking on the role as a region,” said Lavelle. “With more input from the region felt we are able to address our local needs better.”
The diocesan directors for the region have already begun planning for next year’s conference. “It has been a learning experience that paid off,” Lavelle added.
As the faith formation directors plan the next conference, they would like to use feedback from this year. Those who attended the conference should submit an evaluation online at www.go4th.faith. “We want to hear from you so we can continue to provide a first rate Conference,” said Lavelle.

The team from Pearl St. Jude Parish enjoyed the vendor area where attendees could look at the latest in church supplies and catechetical material.

The team from Pearl St. Jude Parish enjoyed the vendor area where attendees could look at the latest in church supplies and catechetical material.

Inaugural Pilgrimage for Life celebrates Respect Life month

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By Elsa Baughman
GREENWOOD – The first “Pilgrimage for Life” in the Diocese of Jackson, was held Saturday, Jan. 14, at Locus Benedictus Retreat Center. January is Respect Life Month.
During the three mile walk around the retreat center and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Delta, the pilgrims, flanked on both sides by dancers from Tupelo and Jackson, prayed the rosary, sang songs and prayed after each mystery. Leading the way were four people carrying the cross, (the source of salvation) the banner of the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe (source of conversion) and the banner of the event. The dancers took turns dancing after each mystery.
“We want to present God our needs and pray for justice, for life and hope,” said Father Michael McAndrew, CsSR, before starting the walk. “This is why we walk in pilgrimage, it is a very Catholic tradition. And on this day we are going to celebrate life, from conception to natural death, and we’re going to pray for the honor and dignity of every person and every race,” he said.
The petitions after each mystery were offered for the healthy and happy conception of all infants and for the end of abortion; for all migrants and immigrants of the world; for all elderly people so that they may always be treated and cared for with gratitude and love; for all the youth and young people of the world so that they live their lives with purpose and be brave men and women of God; and for the care and respect of our environment, our home.
“This is something beautiful, I loved it,” said Ernestina Mata, of Jackson, who attended the pilgrimage with her teenage daughter. “I was not planning to come,” she added, “but God wanted me to come. I saw myself in need to accompany my daughter because my husband didn’t want her to come alone.” Mata commented that the event reminded her of something that she witnessed as a child in the village where she grew up in Mexico. “On special occasions the people of the town gathered in the field to ask God or give him thanks for something in particular, such like that it rains or for a good harvest,” she said. “Today, these childhood memories came to my mind.”
The closing Mass was celebrated at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Delta by the priests of the Redemptorist community living in Greenwood.
In his homily, Father McAndrew said that the Mass was celebrated for all the families affected by the migratory situation in the country and especially by migrants who do not have a house, who are not welcomed and for the success of the Fifth National Encuentro. During Mass, a family whose father is facing deportation, offered their testimony.
Veronica Lopez, coordinator for Hispanic young adult ministry for the diocese, said she thinks this first Pilgrimage for Life was very good and successful. “We were able to gather 150 people; whole families, including children, youth, young adults, grandparents and even Father Ted’s dog,” she said, adding that “precisely, all of these people, human beings, were the focus and objective of our pilgrimage. And we prayed for the human rights of each one of us, from the youngest to the oldest.
Lopez said she was very pleased for the support and help she received from the young Hispanic adults of the diocese and the Redemptorist priests who guided and led the pilgrimage. “It was great,” she said. She noted she wants to continue having this pilgrimage every year and hoped that more people attend it. “I would like to see more than 500 people attending next year.”
Salomón Esparza, from Greenwood, attended the event with his wife and children and said he liked that people from other areas of the diocese took the day to attend the event. “This is something very nice to experience and I think the children will always remember it. I would like to continue attending and that it becomes an annual tradition.”