Author Archives: Melisa Munoz

Diocesan Confirmation retreat builds community

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By Fran Lavelle
CLINTON – What do you get when you mix the Holy Spirit, enthusiastic high school students, dedicated catechists, faith filled college students, an engaging speaker and a beautiful weekend at Camp Garaywa in Clinton? An awesome diocesan high school Confirmation Retreat! The retreat focused on how we are called to service in our families, our community and the world. The Confirmation students were challenged to look for opportunities for service from the smallest acts of kindness.
The retreatants came from parishes of all sizes and demographics from around the diocese Feb. 6-7. Gathered together, the youth beautifully represented the reality of our Catholic faith in the Diocese of Jackson. All together more than 160 youth and adults came together in to pray, reflect, listen and prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Our speaker was Cari Williams, a youth minister and retreat leader from the Diocese of Alexandria, La. Father Rusty Vincent served as the spiritual director for the weekend. We were blessed to have Catholic students from Mississippi State serve as small group leaders.
On Saturday evening retreatants had an opportunity to go to Reconciliation and Sunday morning Bishop Joseph Kopacz celebrated Mass. Recognizing the importance of the sacramental life of the Church helped them better understand the value of completing the sacraments of Initiation through Confirmation. The youth appreciated the opportunity to spend time with Bishop Kopacz. The six priests who came out to hear confessions include Msgr. Elvin Sunds, Fathers Jeffrey Waldrep, Jose de Jesus Sanchez, Joseph Le, Jason Johnston and Rusty Vincent. It was an awesome sight to see nearly every student and adult present to take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Asked what they would take away from the retreat many of the young people commented that they recognized a need to spend more time with God. They also saw what the larger Catholic Church in our diocese looks like, especially for smaller parishes with 2-3 students in the Confirmation program.
Making new friends was a natural by-product of the weekend. I hope they continue to pray for one another and reflect on the message of service. I invite you to pray for all the young people in our diocese who are being prepared for the Sacrament of Confirmation. They need our prayers as much as we need their full and active participation in the Church. Confirmation is not Catholic graduation. It is only the beginning of a wonderful life of faith, service and friendship.
(Fran Lavelle is the Director of Faith Formation for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Take Lenten prayer up a notch

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By Carol Zimmermann
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Prayer, one of the three pillars of Lenten discipline, along with fasting and almsgiving, seems to get the biggest boost during Lent.
Spiritual leaders note that Catholics are most likely praying already and that Lent is a time to make this act even more intentional – to pray more or in a more focused way.
No matter how Catholics choose to up their prayer during Lent’s 40 days, they have opportunities to do so at their own parishes since many of them are offering Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic adoration, added times for confession and maybe even retreats.
Those who can’t make it to anything extra at church can tap into tools for prayer right on their computers or smartphones with everything from virtual Stations of the Cross to apps that track spiritual activities or offer help on preparing for confession, praying the rosary or reading the Bible. Plenty of online retreats also are available including ones specifically geared for Lent.
Father John Riccardo, pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth, Michigan, said Lenten prayers can be divided into two different areas of focus. The first few weeks, he advises people to pray about areas that need to change, but during the second half of Lent, he said, prayers should focus more on trying to understand Jesus’ actions and how Christians are called to respond to them.
If the promptings for more prayer and the abundance of tools or events to guide people in prayer are overwhelming, Catholics also can turn to an approach advised by some spiritual leaders: finding quiet time.
Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, said that in today’s busy and often noisy world it’s hard to find quiet, but he urged Catholics in his archdiocese to try it.
“Lent is the season of silence. It is a time to enter into the desert, as Jesus did for 40 days,” he said in his Lenten message posted Feb. 26 on the website of the Chicago Catholic, the archdiocesan newspaper.
“Admittedly, silence can make us feel uneasy,” he wrote. “Perhaps it is because silence forces us to think, to feel, to be in touch with those deep areas of our lives where a sense of emptiness or meaninglessness may be lurking in our hearts.”
The cardinal said the Gospels often portray Jesus going off alone in silence to pray, which not only says something about him but indicates something his followers should consider.
Along this line, Cardinal Cupich said he has asked pastors in the Chicago Archdiocese during Lent to allow for extra time for silence during Mass, especially after Communion. “We need this silent time to allow God to speak to us. That means quieting ourselves even from saying prayers and just being aware of what Jesus tells us: we abide in God and God in us.”
Jesuit Father Adolfo Nicolas, the former superior general of the Society of Jesus, gave similar advice in a video interview with The Jesuit Post in which he said, “We need to develop a taste for silence … where we can hear the Spirit.”
He said the act of being silent as a form of prayer is not accomplished in a short time and there is “no formula or magic word” to make it work.
(Follow Zimmermann on Twitter:@carolmaczim.)

La pena de muerte corta la oportunidad de conversión

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Por Obispo Joseph Kopacz
Mientras la Legislatura del Estado de Mississippi debate y vota sobre la expansión de métodos de ejecución en previsión a la reanudación de la pena capital, yo me permito presentar las perspectivas y las enseñanzas de nuestra fe católica que promueven la abolición de la pena de muerte. Nosotros alentamos y oramos por un debate más amplio y comprensivo que ponga en tela de juicio nuestras suposiciones sobre la legitimidad moral de la pena de muerte en el estado y en nuestro país en el siglo XXI.
La enseñanza tradicional de la Iglesia no excluye, supuesta la plena comprobación de la identidad y de la responsabilidad del culpable, el recurso a la pena de muerte, si ésta fuera el único camino posible para defender eficazmente del agresor injusto las vidas humanas.
Pero si los medios incruentos bastan para proteger y defender del agresor la seguridad de las personas, la autoridad se limitará a esos medios, porque ellos corresponden mejor a las condiciones concretas del bien común y son más conformes con la dignidad de la persona humana.
Hoy, en efecto, como consecuencia de las posibilidades que tiene el Estado para reprimir eficazmente el crimen, haciendo inofensivo a aquél que lo ha cometido sin quitarle definitivamente la posibilidad de redimirse, los casos en los que sea absolutamente necesario suprimir al reo “suceden muy rara vez, si es que ya en realidad se dan algunos Catecismo de la Iglesia católica 2267.
La oposición de la iglesia en contra de la pena de muerte no debería ser vista como indiferencia frente a los ataques contra la vida humana y la maldad del asesinato, sino como una afirmación a lo sagrado de toda vida, incluso para aquellos que han cometido los crímenes más horrendos. La Iglesia Católica en este país se ha pronunciado en contra del uso de la pena de muerte por muchos años.
Nuestra fe católica afirma nuestra solidaridad y apoyo por las víctimas de delitos y a sus familias. Nosotros nos comprometemos a caminar con ellos y a asegurarles el cuidado y la compasión de Dios, asistiéndolos en sus necesidades espirituales, físicas y emocionales en medio de su profundo dolor y pérdida.
Nuestra tradición de fe ofrece una perspectiva única sobre crimen y castigo basado en la esperanza, curación y no en castigo para su propio beneficio. No importa cuán horrible haya sido el crimen, si la sociedad puede protegerse sin terminar una vida humana, debe hacerlo. Hoy tenemos esa capacidad. (Declaración del Cardenal Sean O’Malley y el Arzobispo Thomas Wenski 07-16-2015)
Hace casi un año que nuestra comunidad católica y muchos otros sufrieron el trágico asesinato de las hermanas Paula Merrill y Margaret Held, quienen servían a nuestra comunidad como enfermeras, ellas estaban trabajando en el Condado Holmes. La pérdida de su vida sigue siendo una tragedia para todos los que las conocíamos y, especialmente, para los pobres que ella hermanas sirvieron fielmente y con amor por décadas. Sin embargo, durante el funeral, en medio de su profunda pérdida, las familias de las hermanas y sus dos comunidades religiosas -Hermanas de la caridad de Nazaret and Escuelas de San Francisco- afirmaron una y otra vez que se oponían a la pena de muerte porque era un ataque más contra la dignidad humana. Responder de esta forma parece ser de otro mundo, ¿no? Esta compasión surge de la esperanza que sabemos viene de la eterna misericordia de Jesucristo en la cruz y en la resurrección, para esta vida y la siguiente.
Cuando nos extendemos en argumentos jurídicos y morales sobre la pena de muerte, debemos hacerlo no con ira y venganza en nuestros corazones, sino con la compasión y la misericordia del Señor en mente. También es importante recordar que las penas impuestas a los delincuentes siempre necesitan permitir la posibilidad de que el criminal muestre arrepentimiento por el mal cometido y cambie su vida para bien. El uso de la pena de muerte reduce cualquier posibilidad de transformar en esta vida el alma de la persona condenada. Nosotros no enseñamos que matar es malo, al matar a quienes matan a otros. San Juan Pablo II ha dicho que la pena de muerte es cruel e innecesaria. Asimismo, el antídoto a la violencia no es más violencia. (O’Malley & Wenski)
Como sociedad debemos abordar la legitimidad moral de la pena de muerte con humildad e integridad. Hombres y mujeres inocentes han sido ejecutados.
Esta injusticia clama al cielo. Algunos estados han liberado a más de 150 en tiempos recientes que fueron acusados injustamente. Asimismo, muchas condenas a muerte son ligadas inseparablemente a la pobreza, al racismo, a las drogas y pandillas que disminuyen enormemente la libertad y responsabilidad, conduciendo a los jóvenes por caminos de violencia. Sin embargo, como Caín en el libro del Génesis, cuya vida fue librada después que mató a su hermano Abel, quienes asesinan deben pagar el precio de ser retirados de por vida de la sociedad.
El crimen y el castigo son realidades crudas en nuestra nación, y un consenso sobre leyes justas es difícil incorporar en una sociedad tan agitada y diversa como es nuestro gran país. Con demasiada frecuencia vemos la realidad “débilmente como en un espejo” y por esto deberíamos errar en el lado de la vida y la dignidad de todos los seres humanos. Nosotros no somos impotentes. Acérquense a las familias afectadas por la delincuencia violenta y llevarles el amor y la compasión de Cristo. Oren por las víctimas de crimen, por quienes enfrentan a la ejecución, y por aquellos que trabajan en el sistema de justicia penal. Visiten a los encarcelados como Jesús manda como un medio para nuestra propia salvación. Aboguen por mejores políticas públicas para proteger a la sociedad y poner fin al uso de la pena de muerte. (O’Malley & Wenski)

Death penalty cuts off opportunity for conversion

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By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
As the Mississippi’s Legislature debates and votes on the expansion of methods of execution in anticipation of the resumption of capital punishment, I respectfully submit the perspective and teachings from our Catholic faith that promote the abolition of the death penalty. We encourage and pray for a more comprehensive debate that calls into question our assumptions for the moral legitimacy of the death penalty in the state and in our nation in the 21st century.
If non lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people’s safety from the aggressor, authority ought to limit itself to such means as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity with dignity of the human person. Today the State, by rendering one who has committed the offense incapable of doing harm, without definitively taking away from him or her the possibility of redemption, the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity, are very rare, if not practically non-existent. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2267)
The Church’s opposition to the death penalty should not be seen as indifference to attacks on human life and the evil of murder, but as an affirmation to the sacredness of all life, even for those who have committed the most heinous of crimes. The Catholic Church in this country has spoken out against the use of the death penalty for many years.
Our Catholic faith affirms our solidarity with and support for victims of crime and their families. We commit ourselves to walk with them and assure them of God’s compassion and care, ministering to their spiritual, physical and emotional needs in the midst of deep pain and loss.
Our faith tradition offers a unique perspective on crime and punishment, one grounded in hope and healing, and not for punishment for its own sake. No matter how heinous the crime, if society can protect itself without ending a human life, it should do so. Today we have that capability. (Statement of Cardinal Sean O’Malley & Archbishop Thomas Wenski 07-16-2015)
It has been nearly a year since our Catholic community and many others suffered the tragic murders of Sister Paula Merrill, SCN, and Sister Margaret Held, SSSF, the nursing nuns, who served as PAs in Holmes County. This loss of life remains a tragedy for all who knew them, and especially for the poor whom the sisters served faithfully and lovingly for decades. However, throughout the funeral services, in the midst of their profound loss, the sisters’ families and both Religious Communities – the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and the School Sisters of St. Francis – stated time and again that they are opposed to the death penalty because it is a further assault against human dignity. To respond in this matter seems other-worldly, doesn’t it? This compassion arises out of the hope we know in the undying mercy of Jesus Christ, in the cross and resurrection, for this life and the next.
When dwelling on legal and moral arguments concerning the death penalty, we should do so not with vengeance and anger in our hearts, but with the compassion and mercy of the Lord in mind. It is also important to remember that penalties imposed on criminals always need to allow for the possibility of the criminal to show regret for the evil committed and to change his or her life for the better. The use of the death penalty cuts short any possibility of transforming the condemned person’s soul in this life. We do not teach that killing is wrong by killing those who kill others. Saint Pope John Paul II has said the penalty of death is both cruel and unnecessary.
Likewise, the antidote to violence is not more violence. (O’Malley & Wenski)
As a society we have to approach the moral legitimacy of the death penalty with humility and integrity. Innocent men and women have been executed. This injustice cries out to heaven. States have released more than 150 in recent times who were wrongly accused. Likewise, far too many death sentences are inseparably linked to poverty, racism, drugs, and gangs that greatly diminish freedom and responsibility, sweeping young people down paths of violence. However, like Cain in the book of Genesis whose life was spared after he slew his brother Abel, those who murder have to pay the price of lifetime removal from society.
Crime and punishment are visceral realities in our nation, and a consensus on just laws is difficult to incorporate in a society as tumultuous and diverse as is this great land of ours. Too often we see reality “dimly as in a mirror” and because of this we ought to err on the side of life and the dignity of all human beings. We are not powerless. Reach out to the families of those afflicted by violent crime by bringing Christ’s love and compassion. Pray for the victims of crime, those facing execution, and those working in the criminal justice system. Visit those in prison as Jesus commands as a standard for our own salvation. Advocate for better public policies to protect society and end the use of the death penalty. (O’Malley & Wenski)

Conoce tus derechos y habla con la abogada de inmigración

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El Centro de Recursos para Migrantes administrado por Catholic Charities de Jackson está patrocinando una serie de talleres de “conocer sus derechos” en todo el estado. Nancy Sanchez, especialista cultural del centro, dijo que muchas personas no saben que tienen derechos cuando los oficiales de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) llaman a sus puertas.

“Tienen derecho a guardar silencio. Tienen el derecho de no abrir la puerta. Tienen derecho a hablar con un abogado “, dijo Sánchez. Ella espera que la información alivie la ansiedad de algunas de las familias.

Un abogado también estará disponible en los talleres para ofrecer ayuda legal a los asistentes que puedan ser elegibles. “Parte de los propósitos de estos talleres es ver si alguien califica para el alivio debido a la violencia doméstica o si han sido víctimas de un crimen o si tienen un miembro de la familia en necesidad y podemos solicitarlos”, explicó Sánchez.

12 de Marzo:  10 am  – 4 pm en: St. James Church. 785 Lakeshire Dr., Tupelo 38804

26 de Marzo:  12:30 – 4 pm en: Sacred Heart Church. 238 E. Center St., Canton 39046

2 de Abril: 1:30 – 4 pm en: St. Therese Church. 309 W. McDowell Rd., Jackson 39204

 

Catholic Charities to offer ‘know your rights’ workshops

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The Migrant Resource Center run by Catholic Charities of Jackson is sponsoring a series of “know your rights” workshops across the state. Nancy Sanchez, a cultural specialist for the center, said many people don’t know they have rights when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers knock on their doors.
“They have the right to remain silent. They have the right not to open the door. They have the right to talk to a lawyer,” said Sanchez. She hopes the information will ease some of the anxiety families are experiencing.
An attorney will also be on hand at the workshops to offer legal assistance to attendees who may be eligible for immigration aid. “Part of the purpose of these workshops is to see if someone qualifies for relief because of domestic violence or if they have been the victim of a crime or if they have a family member in need and we can petition for them,” explained Sanchez.

March 12 – 10:00 am to 4 pm  – St. James Church – 785 Lakeshire Dr., Tupelo 38804

March 26 – 12:30 pm to 4 pm – Sacred Heart Church – 238 E. Center St. Canton 39046

April 2 – 1:30 pm to 4 pm – St. Therese Church – 309 W. McDowell Rd. Jackson 39204

Trump signs new executive order on refugees, excludes Iraq from ban

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By Mark Pattison
WASHINGTON (CNS) – President Donald Trump’s new executive order temporarily banning refugees from certain majority-Muslim countries, signed March 6, now excludes Iraq from the ban.
Iraq had been one of seven nations in the original order, issued Jan. 27 but the implementation of which was blocked in the courts. The new order will not take effect until March 16.
Citizens of four of the countries still part of the ban – Iran, Libya, Somalia and Syria – will be subject to a 90-day suspension of visa processing. This information was given to Congress the week prior to the new executive order. The other two countries that remain part of the ban are Sudan and Yemen.
Lawful permanent residents – green card holders – are excluded from any travel ban.
While the revised executive order is intended to survive judicial scrutiny, those opposed to it have declared plans to mobilize their constituencies to block it. Church World Service and the National Council of Churches announced March 2, that they will unveil a new grass-roots ecumenical initiative in support of refugees.
Catholic immigration advocates were on tenterhooks waiting for the revised executive order, the issuance of which had been long promised but slow in coming.
Bill O’Keefe, vice president for government relations and advocacy at Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. bishops’ international aid agency, told Catholic News Service that he had seen communications from “senior White House officials” that would retain the ban, but indicated the indefinite ban on Syrians would be lifted.
Religious preferences found in the would be original order would be erased, but green-card holders would be exempt from the ban. O’Keefe said. The halt of refugee admissions to “determine additional security vetting procedures” would stay in place, he added, and the number of refugee admissions would be cut for the 2017 fiscal year, which runs through Sept. 30, from 110,000 to 50,000; an estimated 35,000 have already been admitted since October, according to O’Keefe.
“Some will argue that simply sectioning out the seven Muslim-majority countries is a form of religious discrimination,” O’Keefe said. “What is clear here is that’s it’s within the prerogative of the president to lower the threshold of refugee admissions.”
One effect of the order would be to further strain the refugee-processing system at its biggest point. “The bulk of the system and the biggest part of it are those countries like Lebanon, Turkey, which are taking in hundreds of thousands of refugees,” O’Keefe said. “When we don’t do our part, it’s tough for us to tell other countries to make the sacrifices we need to play their part. The risk of the system collapsing and of governments that are already strained not being willing to keep their doors open is very serious, and we’re very worried about that.”
In Syria, he added, “some people have been (refugees there) for five, six years. They’ve had the hope of resettlement in the United States as one of the things that keeps them going.”
Kim Pozniak, CRS’ communications director, spent a week in mid-February in Amman, Jordan, where untold thousands of refugees are living – two and three families at a time – in small apartments in the city.
“I’ve met with people that are worse off than they were three years ago (when she last visited), simply because they’ve started losing hope,” Pozniak told CNS. “One woman, for example, said they’re so bad off they’re considering moving back to Syria.” Pozniak said the woman’s sister, who still lives in Syria, told her “Look, even if it’s so bad that you have to eat dirt, don’t come back here.”
Even without a ban, the uncertainty can eat away at people, Pozniak said. “I talked with one 74-year-old woman who together with her son has been in the resettlement process in the United States. They had the interview with UN (High Commissioner for Refugees), the interview with the Embassy, had the iris scan taken, now they have no idea when they’ll be resettled. They’re never given an answer as to when, where, how, and that’s the really frustrating part – being in limbo and not knowing where you’re going to be next.”
A Pew Research Center poll released Feb. 27 found Catholics opposing the ban, 62 percent-36 percent. White Catholics were very narrowly in favor, 50 percent-49 percent, while Hispanic and other minority Catholics opposed the ban 81 percent-14 percent.
Members of black Protestant churches (81 percent) and religiously unaffiliated Americans (74 percent) also opposed the ban. Protestants overall supported the ban, 51 percent-46 percent, with 76 percent support from white evangelicals. The Pew survey interviewed 1,503 adults by phone Feb. 7-12.
(Follow Pattison on Twitter: @MeMarkPattison.)

“Before I Fall” conversion story with problematic setup

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By John Mulderig
NEW YORK (CNS) – Sound values underlie the conversion story “Before I Fall” (Open Road). But the path toward its positive conclusion takes twists and turns that will give the parents of targeted teens pause in considering whether their kids should travel it.
Early in the film, its main character, seemingly successful high school student Samantha Kingston (Zoey Deutch), is killed in a car crash. But instead of this being the end of her tale, it turns out to be just the beginning. Samantha awakens again on the morning of her last day on earth, a period of time, she soon discovers, that she will be forced to relive over and over until she discerns what she needs to change about her life to escape the cycle.
Additionally, she’ll need to re-examine her bond with her shallow boyfriend, Rob (Kian Lawley), her treatment of Kent (Logan Miller), the less glamorous but more caring lad who has loved her from afar since childhood, and her persecution of troubled schoolmate Juliet (Elena Kampouris) whom Samantha and her clique relentlessly torment.
Symptomatic of the problem with director Ry Russo-Young’s adaptation of Lauren Oliver’s 2010 novel for young adults is Samantha’s attitude toward romance and sexuality. This is another area in which her values take a posthumous turn for the better. Yet her starting point on this journey finds her besties celebrating the fact that she is about to lose her virginity, and presenting her with a condom for the occasion.
Together with some of the language in Maria Maggenti’s script, such behavior makes “Before I Fall” a risky proposition for any but grownups. But for Catholic moviegoers, at least, Samantha’s experience can be viewed from a theological perspective as representing a sort of purgatory through which she must pass.
The fact that she not only sees through the illusions that have blinded her in the past but reaches a high level of compassion and altruism fittingly fulfills the goal of that cleansing state. So it’s a shame that other aspects of the movie preclude endorsement for the young people at whom “Before I Fall” is clearly aimed.
The film contains semi-graphic premarital sexual activity, partial nudity, underage drinking, a single use each of profanity and rough language, a mild oath, frequent crude talk and mature references, including to homosexuality. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III – adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
(Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.)

Late exorcists words lift the veil on the demonic, Satan

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By Allan F. Wright
“An Exorcist Explains the Demonic: The Antics of Satan and His Army of Fallen Angels” by Father Gabriele Amorth with Stefano Stimamiglio. Sophia Institute Press (Manchester, New Hampshire, 2016). 145 pp., $14.95.
The world-renowned exorcist, Pauline Father Gabriele Amorth has left his wisdom and experience in dealing with evil forces through this insightful compendium gleaned from interviews published in Credere magazine over the past few years.
Father Amorth founded the International Association of Exorcists and performed thousands of exorcisms in his life. He is refreshingly direct throughout the book and doesn’t mince words when it comes to the reality of the demonic, evil spirits and Satan.
His writing conveys a sense of comfort and hope for those suffering from physical and spiritual ailments such as vexation, obsession and infestation, all believed to stem from demonic forces.
Father Amorth attributes the rise on demonic activity to the decline in faith in God. “When faith in God declines, idolatry and irrationality increase; man must then look elsewhere for answers to his meaningful questions.” The principle of total and complete liberty apart from God and the denial of truth itself are indeed seductive in appearance but ultimately fail to satisfy the “desires of the human heart.”
Young people in particular, “are easily deluded and are attracted to these ‘seductions’ which has been the desire of Satan since the beginning.” Extreme danger arises when these demonic spirits are invited into a person’s life. Amorth goes into detail on specific cases he has encountered.
While we are all victims of temptations, not everyone is a victim of what he calls an “extraordinary action of Satan.” Nor are extraordinary actions of Satan or evil spirits the fault of those who are victim of these attacks.
However, there are an incredible amount of people who declare their allegiance to Satan, the “father of lies.” The casting of spells and “infestations of the demonic” are in fact a reality and chronicled in this book.
In chapter three, “The Cult of Satan and Its Manifestations,” topics such as spirtism, occultism, fortunetellers, piercings, tattoos and satanic music are addressed.
He states that the three rules of Satanism are: “You may do all you wish, no one has the right to command you, and you are the god of yourself.” One doesn’t need to be exposed to a satanic heavy metal band to see those three elements alive and operating in our culture.
Although “An Exorcist Explains the Demonic” is profoundly disquieting, Father Amorth reminds readers of God’s victory over Satan and the tools for growing in holiness and fighting evil provided by the church in the sacraments, sacramentals and prayer. God loves us as a father and desires to protect us.
The reader may be surprised by the amount of demonic activity that Father Amorth records in a matter-of-fact manner, yet always with the confidence that God is stronger. He recalls invoking with much success Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Father Amorth also was the exorcist for the Diocese of Rome during St. John Paul II’s pontificate so he has firsthand knowledge of at least three exorcisms that the pontiff performed in his private chapel. The demons are recorded as having a special indignation when his memory is invoked because St. John Paul “ruined their plans.” Father Amorth believes the reason for this is linked to Fatima and to the consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by St. John Paul March 25, 1984.
The book also relies on Scripture and the Catechism for insights into heaven, hell, purgatory and the rite of exorcism itself. Father Amorth makes a solid case for the need for many more exorcists and even suggests that every seminarian be exposed to the work of exorcism as an essential course of study. This compendium is a suitable witness to both the man and his struggle with evil.
(Wright is an author and academic dean of evangelization for the Diocese of Paterson and resides in New Jersey.)

Immigrant – detained after public appearance faces unclear future

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Pastors, attorneys, immigrants and immigrants’ advocates gathered at City Hall Wednesday, March 1, to express their concerns about recent immigration raids, seek dialogue with law enforcement representatives and invite the community at large to attend a forum to discuss the contributions immigrants make to Mississippi.
Immediately after the news conference, one of the immigrants who spoke at it was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Daniela Vargas speaks at a press conference on the steps of the Jackson City Hall. Vargas spoke as a DACA recipient whose father and brother face possible deportation. Immediately after the news conference, federal officers took her into custody. (Photo by Tereza Ma.)

Daniela Vargas speaks at a press conference on the steps of the Jackson City Hall. Vargas spoke as a DACA recipient whose father and brother face possible deportation. Immediately after the news conference, federal officers took her into custody. (Photo by Tereza Ma.)

Daniela Vargas is a 22-year-old Argentine native, but America is the only home she has ever known. She was covered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but those applications have to be renewed every two years. She reapplied late because she had trouble getting together the money for the application, so her coverage had lapsed. The car in which she was riding was pulled over by federal agents as she left.
This was not her first run-in with ICE. Agents arrested her father and brother at her home earlier this year while she hid in a closet. ICE agents eventually raided the house and detained her for a short time, but released her when she indicated that she had reapplied for DACA. Her father and brother are awaiting deportation hearings.
“When I was seven-years-old my parents sacrificed everything they had ever known to bring my brother and I into the country to establish a better lifestyle. Both my parents began working in poultry plants where most days the cold was unbearable,” she said at the news conference. “Knowing that they were making this sacrifice for us, I put in all my efforts into my education and my talents. I dream of being a university math professor, but now I am not so sure my dream will develop,” Vargas added.
Nathan Elmore represents Vargas. He said her case is a complicated one, but he knows ICE has discretion in its cases and he hopes agents will exercise it. Vargas, he pointed out, does not fall under the ‘priority deportations’ outlined by the Trump administration. She has no criminal record, she is eligible for a DACA renewal and she was not committing a crime when she was picked up.
Bishop Joseph Kopacz wrote a letter in support of Vargas saying, “Some have expressed grave concern at every level of government and society that DACA recipients may be especially vulnerable in the transition from one administration to the next, but President Trump has stated that he will honor the status of all DACA recipients. I would hope that local branches of our Immigration and Customs Service will uphold the letter and spirit of the law with respect to the legal status of DACA recipients.”
ICE executed a series of raids in the state Wednesday, Feb. 22, detaining 55 people, according to the Clarion-Ledger. The raids targeted Asian restaurants in Jackson, Flowood, Pearl and Meridian and officials said they were the result of a yearlong investigation and not part of any new effort to round up undocumented immigrants.
Elmore is also representing some of the people being detained in the restaurant raids. He said he has been searching the court database to find out if his clients have been charged or appeared before a judge, but even a week after the raid, he can find no record of them anywhere.
Elmore said the current atmosphere in the immigrant community is one of fear, especially among families with children. “This weekend me and several members of my law firm went to Morton, Mississippi, where we did an outreach event where we talked to people just like Daniela. These folks were scared. They’re worried that ‘what if I get picked up, who’s going to take care of my child?’ That was the number one question that we faced as we talked to these people … and that’s a hard question for me to answer for them,” he said.

Amelia McGowan, attorney for the Catholic Charities

Amelia McGowan, attorney for the Catholic Charities

Amelia McGowan, attorney for the Catholic Charities Migrant Resource Center, echoed that sentiment. “Often a topic that goes undiscussed (is that) many immigrants who come to the United States – documented or undocumented – do have U.S. citizen children, or perhaps who are not citizens, but who have lived their entire lives here in the United States. Forced immigration raids not only puts the children in immediate danger of potentially removing their parents, removing their caregivers from the United States, but it also places them in a constant state of fear, which can re-traumatize them if they have suffered a traumatic past from their home countries,” said McGowan.
Redemptorist Father Michael McAndrew agrees. He has been advocating for immigrant families across the U.S. for almost three decades. Today, he is part of a Redemptorist community in Greenwood, Miss., serving the Hispanic community throughout the Mississippi Delta. He pointed out that deportation is more complicated than it may seem when children are involved.
“Of course, immigration law states that citizen children can remain in this country, but the rights of children must protect more than just the children’s right to be here. A more important right of the child is to be raised by his or her parents when their parents are not abusive or doing harm to them,” said Father McAndrew.
The last speaker, Jim Evans, president of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance (MIRA), brought the gospel to bear in his challenge to state leaders and members of the faith community. “The gospel of Jesus Christ speaks to these suffering in our midst – not as who they are but as who we are and how we attend to them don’t establish who they are, but it makes it clear and reveals who we are,” he said.
The news conference was organized by the Latin American Business Association, ONE Church and MIRA. The group still hopes to host a community forum to showcase the contributions immigrants make to Mississippi and open a dialogue with local law enforcement departments. The forum is set for Tuesday, April 11, at 6 p.m., at Fondren Church on State Street in Jackson.

Immigration News Conference 2017

Immigration News Conference 2017

Immigration News Conference 2017

Immigration News Conference 2017

Immigration News Conference 2017

Immigration News Conference 2017

Immigration News Conference 2017

Immigration News Conference 2017

Immigration News Conference 2017