Category Archives: Bishop Kopacz

God’s word: a call to us all

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If God’s word could land on the fertile soil of
our hearts and minds it would produce a
harvest of thirty, sixty and a hundredfold.

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
This weekend marks the first annual celebration of Sunday of the Word of God which will land every year on the third Sunday in Ordinary shortly after the conclusion of the Christmas season. There is not another Christian denomination that proclaims the Word of God as faithfully and comprehensively as does the Catholic Church, 365 days per year. Make that 366 days in 2020.

At the Saturday Vigil Masses and throughout the day on Sunday the People of God in the Catholic Church throughout the world hear four distinct scripture readings based on a three year cycle, two from the Old Testament, including a Psalm response, and two from the New Testament, culminating with a passage from one of the four gospels. If God’s word could land on the fertile soil of our hearts and minds it would produce a harvest of thirty, sixty and a hundredfold. The following scripture passages reveal God’s call and promises and the urgency to respond that goes out to the ends of the earth to all of the Lord’s disciples.

Solid foundation: “Everyone who listens to my words and acts on them will be like the wise who built their houses on rock.” (Matthew 7:24)

Jesus and his family: “Jesus was told, your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you. He said to them in reply in reply, my mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” (Luke 8:20-21)

Lasting wealth: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)

Power: “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, even able to discern thoughts and reflections of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Constant recourse to Sacred Scripture: “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.” (2Timothy 3:16)

Promise, understanding and enlightenment: “How sweet to my tongue is your promise, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I gain understanding; therefore, I hate all false ways. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.” (Psalm 119: 103-105)

The storehouse of grace: “Every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” (Matthew 13:52)

Indeed, the word of God is a lamp and a light for all that the Church believes, teaches and lives in every generation. The power underlying Martin Luther King’s prophetic call and action to the point of shedding his blood originated with the Old Testament prophets and surged throughout this land like Jesus announcing the Kingdom of God and the call to repentance. A sampling of the prophets follows.
Justice: God said, “I hate, I despise your feasts; I take no pleasure in your solemnities. Rather, let justice surge like waters, and righteousness like an unfailing stream.” (Amos 5:21-24)

Justice—Goodness—Humility: “You have been told, o mortal, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: only to do justice and love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Let us set things right: “Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wrongs; hear the orphans plea, defend the widow. Come now, let us set things right.” (Isaiah 1:16-18)

The Kingdom of Heaven: “For the kingdom of heaven is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)

This week marks the 47th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision, Roe v. Wade, that has made a wasteland of unborn life. The word of God, on the other hand, exalts the beauty of unborn life as the foundational reality for all stages of human life.

The elegance of creation: “You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works. My bones are not hidden from you when I was being make in secret, fashioned in the depths of the earth.” (Psalm 139:13-15)

The Call of Isaiah: “Before birth the Lord called me, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. He said to me: You are my servant; in you I show my glory … Though I thought I had toiled in vain, for nothing and for naught spent my strength. Yet my right is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God.” (Isaiah 49:1, 3-4)

The Call of Jeremiah: “The word of the Lord came to me: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” (Jeremiah 1:4-6)
John the Baptist encounters Jesus: “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, ‘most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment that the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leapt for joy.” (Luke 1:41-44)

Indeed, the word of God, the Bible, is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path, both in our personal lives and in our quest for the Kingdom of God in this world. With the right to life of the unborn as the foundational life issue, we embrace the entire drama of the human condition from beginning to end. May our love for what is just, true and good find their origin in God’s holy word and proceeding through nearly 2000 years of our Church’s tradition, may we embrace our vision for life as a good scribble in the Kingdom of Heaven who can take from the storehouse of treasures both the old and the new. We give thanks for all who labor in our generation for a world on behalf of life, justice and peace.

Reflections on life and death

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In recent years, in quiet moments of reflection, Uncle Joe, like Simeon, righteous and devout, expressed his gratitude for many blessings and his love for all in his life. Indeed, God allowed his servant to go in peace on the morning of the feast of the Holy Family …

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
During the morning of the Feast of the Holy Family, Dec. 29, 2019, in the heart of the Christmas season, my Uncle Joe Calomino peacefully died at the age of 96 on his birthday. I was blessed to be on my annual holiday to the Northeast to be with family at this noteworthy moment when the curtain fell on the last member of that generation, respectfully referred to as the greatest.

There were nine siblings on my mother’s side and seven on my father’s. My Uncle Emil died this past summer at the age of 94 and he and Uncle Joe braved stormy winter weather on Feb. 6, 2014 to be present at my ordination and installation as the 11th Bishop of Jackson. Both lived lives of loving service that were deeply rooted in faith in the Lord Jesus and love for him in the Eucharist. Daily Mass, with the rosary beforehand, was the bedrock of Uncle Joe’s day, providing his daily bread and inspiring him to hold fast to our ultimate goal of having communion with Jesus Christ forever. A stroll down memory lane provides the background for why our family celebrated his funeral with joy and pride and a small measure of sadness, a life well lived.

Uncle Joe was born in 1923 and graduated from high school in 1942 as World War II raged. Immediately, he enlisted in the Army and was sent to southern England to be part of the effort that would crest with the invasion of Normandy. There were six brothers in this branch of the Calomino clan and five of them served in WWII. The sixth was heartbroken when he was not able to enlist because of disqualifying physical impairments. Families and the nation were overwhelmingly of one heart and one mind in the 1940s in defense of our allies and freedom, perhaps for the only time in our history.

Afterwards, like countless others, Uncle Joe returned home to marry and build a life with his beloved Angeline, Aunt Lena, a marriage of 62 years that ended when she died in 2009. They were not blessed with children, but the extended family would have had a gaping hole without their loving presence. At the funeral we were unable to count how many godchildren they had together, perhaps a dozen or more.

After his retirement at the age of 65 as a warehouseman for food distributors, he began volunteering at the food stand at the local playground association, serving baseball and soccer players and their families until this past October when the season ended. Over the course of this extraordinary life, he was a blessing for family, for neighbors, for the church, for the community and for the nation.

Reflecting upon his life and death, I am drawn to the figures of Simeon and Anna who were the venerable ones featured in the Infancy narrative of Saint Luke’s Gospel during the Presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple by Joseph and Mary. Their lives were a testimony to faith and hope, faithfully waiting for and actively praying for the fulfillment of the promise of the Messiah. There would be a gaping hole in the Christmas story if not for these elders who were there to encourage and spiritually support Mary and Joseph in God’s plan of salvation for them and for all the nations.

Recall these inspired words in Saint Luke’s Gospel. “Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. … When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God saying: Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” (Luke 2:25-32)

In recent years, in quiet moments of reflection, Uncle Joe, like Simeon, righteous and devout, expressed his gratitude for many blessings and his love for all in his life. Indeed, God allowed his servant to go in peace on the morning of the feast of the Holy Family when he was born into eternal life.

This weekend is the culmination of the Christmas season with the Baptism of the Lord Jesus in the Jordan River at the hands of John the Baptist. Through faith and baptism, we become members of the Body of Christ and the family of God, adopted children, no longer slaves to sin, but heirs to eternal life.

We are God’s children, sisters and brothers of the Lord Jesus, and Temples of the Holy Spirit. May we not receive the gift of God in vain, squandering our inheritance on the vanities of life. Instead we are invited to make our lives something beautiful for God. May we be inspired by others in our lives, in every generation, who daily respond to God’s call with wisdom, knowledge and grace.

Requiescat in pace, Uncle Joe, as you join the Cloud of Witnesses who encourage us to fight the good fight, stay the course, and finish the race in eternal life. (2 Timothy 4:7)

Reflexiones sobre la vida y la muerte

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En los últimos años, en momentos tranquilos de reflexión, el tío Joe, como Simeón, justo y devoto, expresó su gratitud por muchas bendiciones y su amor por todos en su vida. De hecho, Dios permitió a su siervo ir en paz en la mañana de la fiesta de la Sagrada Familia …

Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz

Por Obispo Joseph Kopacz
Durante la mañana de la Fiesta de la Sagrada Familia, el 29 de diciembre de 2019, en el corazón de la temporada navideña, mi tío Joe Calomino murió pacíficamente, en su cumpleaños, a la edad de 96 años. Tuve la bendición de estar, en mis vacaciones anuales al noreste, con la familia en este momento notable cuando cayó el telón sobre el último miembro de esa generación, respetuosamente llamada “la más grande.”
Fueron nueve hermanos del lado de mi madre y siete del lado de mi padre. Mi tío Emil murió el verano pasado a la edad de 94 años y él y el tío Joe desafiaron el tormentoso clima invernal del 6 de febrero de 2014 para estar presente en mi ordenación e instalación como el onceavo Obispo de Jackson. Ambos vivieron vidas de servicio amoroso profundamente arraigadas en la fe en el Señor Jesús y en el amor por él en la Eucaristía. La misa diaria, con el rosario de antemano, fue la piedra angular del día del tío Joe, su pan de cada día y que lo inspiró a aferrarse a nuestro objetivo final de tener comunión con Jesucristo para siempre. Un paseo por el carril de la memoria proporciona los antecedentes de por qué nuestra familia celebró su funeral con alegría, orgullo y un poco de tristeza por una vida bien vivida.
El tío Joe nació en 1923 y se graduó de la escuela secundaria en 1942 cuando se desataba la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Inmediatamente, se alistó en el ejército y fue enviado al sur de Inglaterra para ser parte del esfuerzo que se alzaría con la invasión de Normandía. Eran seis hermanos, en esta rama del clan Calomino, y cinco de ellos sirvieron en la Segunda Guerra Mundial. El sexto estubo desconsolado cuando no pudo alistarse debido a discapacidades físicas descalificantes. Las familias y la nación estuvieron abrumados, en un corazón y una mente, en la década de 1940 en defensa de nuestros aliados y la libertad, tal vez por única vez en nuestra historia.
Después, como muchos otros, el tío Joe regresó a casa para casarse y construir una vida con su amada Angeline, la tía Lena, un matrimonio de 62 años que terminó cuando ella murió en 2009. No fueron bendecidos con hijos, pero la extensa familia habría tenía un gran agujero sin su presencia amorosa. En el funeral, no pudimos contar cuántos ahijados estuvieron juntos, tal vez una docena o más. Después de su retiro a la edad de 65 años, como almacenista de distribuidores de alimentos, comenzó a ofrecerse como voluntario en el puesto de alimentos de la asociación local de juegos, sirviendo a los jugadores de béisbol y fútbol y a sus familias hasta el pasado octubre, cuando terminó la temporada. En el transcurso de esta vida extraordinaria, fue una bendición para la familia, los vecinos, la iglesia, la comunidad y la nación.
Al reflexionar sobre su vida y muerte, me recuerda a Simeón y Anna, que fueron las figuras venerables que aparecen en la narración de la infancia del Evangelio de San Lucas durante la presentación del niño Jesús en el Templo por José y María. Sus vidas fueron un testimonio de fe y esperanza, esperando fielmente y orando activamente por el cumplimiento de la promesa del Mesías. Habría un gran vacío en la historia de Navidad si no fuera por estos ancianos que estaban allí para alentar y apoyar espiritualmente a María y José en el plan de salvación de Dios, para ellos y para todas las naciones.
Recordemos estas palabras inspiradas en el Evangelio de San Lucas. “En aquel tiempo vivía en Jerusalén un hombre que se llamaba Simeón. Era un hombre justo y piadoso, que esperaba la restauración de Israel. El Espíritu Santo estaba con Simeón, y le había hecho saber que no moriría sin ver antes al Mesías, a quien el Señor enviaría. Guiado por el Espíritu Santo, Simeón fue al templo; y cuando los padres del niño Jesús lo llevaron también a él, para cumplir con lo que la ley ordenaba, Simeón lo tomó en brazos y alabó a Dios, diciendo: «Ahora, Señor, tu promesa está cumplida: puedes dejar que tu siervo muera en paz. Porque ya he visto la salvación que has comenzado a realizar a la vista de todos los pueblos, la luz que alumbrará a las naciones y que será la gloria de tu pueblo Israel.» (Lucas 2: 25-32)
En los últimos años, en momentos tranquilos de reflexión, el tío Joe, como Simeón, justo y devoto, expresó su gratitud por las muchas bendiciones y su amor por todos en su vida. De hecho, Dios permitió a su siervo ir en paz en la mañana de la fiesta de la Sagrada Familia, cuando nació en la vida eterna.
Este fin de semana es la culminación de la temporada navideña con el Bautismo del Señor Jesús en el río Jordán a manos de Juan el Bautista. A través de la fe y el bautismo, nos convertimos en miembros del Cuerpo de Cristo y la familia de Dios, hijos adoptados, ya no esclavos del pecado, más bien herederos de la vida eterna.
Somos los hijos de Dios, hermanas y hermanos del Señor Jesús, y Templos del Espíritu Santo. Que no recibamos el don de Dios en vano, derrochando nuestra herencia en las vanidades de la vida. En cambio, estamos invitados a hacer de nuestras vidas algo hermoso para Dios. Que seamos inspirados por otros en nuestras vidas, en cada generación, que responden diariamente al llamado de Dios con sabiduría, conocimiento y gracia.
Requiescat in pace, tío Joe, mientras te unes a la Nube de Testigos que nos alienta a “pelear la buena batalla, mantenernos fiel y terminar la carrera” en la vida eterna. (2 Timoteo 4: 7)

Que haya luz

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Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz

Queridos amigos en Cristo:

Escribo la revisión del año, después de haber celebrado esta semana tres Misas y fiestas en honor a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Su día de fiesta, el 12 de diciembre, es muy cercano y querido para mí, porque en este día, hace seis años me anunciaron como el 11º Obispo de la Diócesis de Jackson.

¡Gracias a Dios! El 2019 ha sido rico en ministerio y bendiciones que han superado con creces las cargas y luchas de nuestros tiempos. A lo largo de la diócesis, muchos trabajan en nombre del Señor para servir a los demás, inspirar discípulos y abrazar la diversidad, que es nuestra declaración de visión diocesana. Diariamente inspiramos desde nuestros púlpitos y por el testimonio de nuestras vidas; servimos en nuestras escuelas, a través de Caridades Católicas y en nuestras parroquias; adoptamos la diversidad, agitada por el imperativo evangélico de reunir a las personas como contrapeso a la polarización que se dispersa en nuestro país.

Pope Francis greets Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz of Jackson, Miss., during a meeting with U.S. bishops from Regions IV and V making their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican, Dec. 3, 2019. The regions include the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia, the Archdiocese for the Military Services, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

La misión de la Iglesia fue evidente después de las redadas de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) en agosto, en varias comunidades de nuestra diócesis. La generosidad llegó de todo el país, y las agencias de todo Mississippi confiaron a Caridades Católicas la misión de ayudar a las familias que fueron devastadas por las redadas. Finalmente, tan importante como cualquier ministerio, nos mantenemos atentos para proporcionar un ambiente seguro para nuestros niños y jóvenes, y nos mantenemos firmes en nuestro compromiso de ayudar a aquellos afectados por el abuso sexual.

2019 también tuvo oportunidades distintivas para viajar al extranjero, por así decirlo.

En febrero, emprendí una visita pastoral a la India durante dos semanas. ¿Por qué, podrías preguntar? Trece, de nuestros 70-75 sacerdotes activos que sirven en la Diócesis de Jackson, son de la India. Trate de imaginar un país del tamaño del nuestro con mil millones de personas más. Fue intenso e inspirador.

En julio, nuestra diócesis marcó el 50 aniversario de nuestra misión en Saltillo, México. Fue festivo y alegre estar con la gente del noreste de México para este hito, una solidaridad en Jesucristo que ha sido mutuamente enriquecedora para muchos en el último medio siglo.

En diciembre, yo y los obispos de nuestra región, fuimos a Roma durante una semana en lo que se llama Ad Limina Apostolorum, una peregrinación requerida para cada obispo de todo el mundo cada 5-7 años, para renovar nuestra unidad con la Iglesia y con el sucesor de Pedro. Después de visitar las tumbas de San Pedro y San Pablo, 40 obispos se reunieron con el Papa Francisco durante 2 horas y media de diálogo. Esto fue estimulante y edificante. ¡Nuestra Iglesia Católica es verdaderamente mundial!

En medio de todo lo que la vida nos envía, que siempre seamos conscientes de que la Luz del Mundo brilla en la oscuridad, llena de gracia y verdad, y que la oscuridad no puede vencerlo a Él.

¡Ven Señor Jesús! ¡Feliz Navidad! ¡La Paz de Dios!

                                          +Obispo Joseph Kopaz

P.D. Amigo, mi querido perro labrador, está envejeciendo, con casi 13 años, pero aún móvil, una vez que se mueve, y le aseguró a usted que 20 horas de descanso y sueño por día es lo que prescribe el veterinario.

Let there be light

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Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

Dear Friends in Christ,

I write the year in review after just having celebrated three Masses and Fiestas in honor of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe. Her feast day is Dec. 12, near and dear to me, because on this day six years ago I was announced as the 11th Bishop of the Diocese of Jackson.

Pope Francis greets Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz of Jackson, Miss., during a meeting with U.S. bishops from Regions IV and V making their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican, Dec. 3, 2019. The regions include the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia, the Archdiocese for the Military Services, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Gracias a Dios! 2019 has been rich in ministry and blessings which have far surpassed the burdens and struggles of our times. Throughout the diocese many labor on behalf of the Lord to serve others, to inspire disciples and to embrace diversity which is our diocesan vision statement. Daily we inspire from our pulpits and by the witness of our lives; we serve in our schools, through Catholic Charities, and in our parishes; we embrace diversity, stirred by the Gospel imperative to gather people as a counterweight to the polarization in our country that scatters.

The Church’s mission was evident in the aftermath of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in August in several communities in our diocese. Generosity poured in from all over the country, and agencies throughout Mississippi entrusted to Catholic Charities the mission of assisting the families who were devastated by the round ups. Finally, as important as any ministry, we remain vigilant in providing a safe environment for our children and young people and steadfast in our commitment to help those broken by sexual abuse.

2019 also had distinctive opportunities for travel abroad, so to speak.

In February I embarked on a pastoral visit to India for two weeks. Why, you might ask? Thirteen of our 70-75 active priests serving in the Diocese of Jackson are from India. Try to imagine a country about the size of ours with a billion more people. It was intense and inspiring.

In July our diocese marked the 50th anniversary of our mission in Saltillo, Mexico. It was festive and joyful to be with the people of Northeast Mexico for this milestone, a solidarity in Jesus Christ that has been mutually enriching for many this past half century.

In December I and the bishops of our region went to Rome for one week on what is called the Ad Limina Apostolorum, a required pilgrimage for every bishop around the world every 5-7 years to renew our unity with the Church and the successor of Saint Peter. After visiting the tombs of Saint Peter and Saint Paul 40 bishops gathered with Pope Francis for 2.5 hours of dialogue. This was exhilarating and edifying. Our Catholic Church is truly worldwide!

In the midst of all that life sends our way, may we be always mindful that the Light of the World shines in the darkness, full of grace and truth, and the darkness cannot overcome Him.

Come, Lord Jesus! Merry Christmas! God’s peace!

+Bishop Joseph Kopaz

P.S. Amigo, my dear Labrador, is aging, nearly 13,
but still mobile once he gets moving, and assures
you that 20 hours of rest and sleep per day is just
what the Vet prescribes.

Let us be a beacon of justice and peace

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Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
The Word of God in Advent overflows with a vision of justice and peace, hope and reconciliation, solidarity and community in order that time may be a foretaste of eternity. At the outset of this season of expectation and preparation last weekend on the first Sunday in Advent we proclaimed God’s dream for our world from the prophet Isaiah.

The following passage from sacred scripture was heard throughout the Catholic Church soon after Pope Francis spoke with great emotion at the memorials of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the sites of the nuclear nightmares that marked the culmination of devastation at the end of World War II:

“This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come, the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: ‘Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.’ For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. O’ house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!”

At the memorials where the gates of hell blew open, Pope Francis stood in solidarity with the long line of Old Testament prophets, along with the popes of the modern and post-modern era, once more to cry out for justice and peace in the human community, Saint Pope John XXIII wrote Pacem in Terris in 1963 less than two decades from the end of World War II addressing, in part, the awful waste of resources in the maddening arms race, the voracious beast of the military-industrial complex of which President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned in the 1950s. On Oct. 4, 1965 Saint Pope Paul VI, the first pope to appear before the United Nations, spoke of the horrors of war and the absolute necessity of world peace. He pleaded, with deep emotion in his voice, “No more war! War never again!”

Two years later he penned Populorum Progressio, the Development of Peoples, that addressed the terrible toll that the development, deployment and use of weaponry took on the human family, draining away much need resources for development, as well as killing the human spirit. This Apostolic teaching called for the full development of each person and the whole person. (n.14)

Saint Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict directly experienced the hell of World War II in Poland and Germany and often spoke out with prophetic zeal for the dignity of the human person, justice and peace. On the 50th Anniversary of Populorum Progressio in 2017 Pope Francis established the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, applying his passion to the vision of Isaiah cited above. Pope Francis loves the concept of integration and sees its urgent need in every dimension of life. Development cannot be restricted to material growth; it means integrating body and soul which finds its source in the Incarnation, the God-Man, Jesus Christ. Integral development gives glory to God and is in relationship with others. From the personal to the global our call is to integrate the peoples of the earth in a sustainable harmony. Solidarity and subsidiarity are at the heart of the social integration of the economy, finance, labor, culture, family life and religion in service of the web of life.

Pope Francis eloquently asserted that “human life is like an orchestra that sounds good if the different instruments are in accord and follow a score shared by all: person means relationship not individualism; it affirms inclusion, not exclusion, uniqueness with an inviolable dignity, rather than exploitation; freedom not coercion. Integral human development is the road of good that the human family is called to travel.”

In late November 2017 in Rome at an international symposium called: “Prospects for a World Free from Nuclear Weapons and for Integral Development” he reminded the participants that the integral disarmament called for by Saint Pope John XXIII in Pacem in Terris is yet to be accomplished. Bleak pessimism must give way to healthy realism Pope Francis stated, and cited the recent declaration of the United Nations in 2015 condemning nuclear weapons as an illegal means of warfare, joining the ranks of outlawed biological and chemical weapons. The catastrophic humanitarian and environmental effects would be unthinkable. The Holy Father pressed the point that the unrelenting arms race, nuclear and so called conventional, “divert resources away from the fight against poverty, the undertaking of educational, ecological and healthcare projects and the development of human rights. … International relations cannot be held captive to military force, mutual intimidation, and the parading of stockpiles of arms. … Progress that is both effective and inclusive can achieve the utopia of a world free of deadly instruments of aggression, contrary to the criticism of those who consider idealistic any process of dismantling arsenals.”

On the flight back from Japan, as for nuclear weapons, the pope reminded reporters after visiting Nagasaki and Hiroshima, “I said again that the use of nuclear weapons is immoral; this must go in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. And not only the use, but the possession.” The United States is the lone superpower at this point in humanity’s evolution and we have the potential to be a beacon of greater justice and peace who can lead the nations of the world on the path of integral disarmament toward integral human development, or in the longing of Isaiah, “come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!”

Seamos un faro de justicia y paz

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Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz

Por Obispo Joseph Kopacz
La Palabra de Dios en Adviento se desborda con una visión de justicia y paz, esperanza y reconciliación, solidaridad y comunidad para que este tiempo sea un anticipo de la eternidad. Al comienzo de esta temporada de expectativa y preparación, el primer domingo de Adviento, proclamamos el sueño de Dios para nuestro mundo según el profeta Isaías.
El siguiente pasaje de las Sagradas Escrituras se escuchó en toda la Iglesia Católica poco después que el Papa Francisco habló, con gran emoción, en los memoriales de Nagasaki e Hiroshima, sitios de las pesadillas nucleares que marcaron la culminación de la devastación al final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial:
“Éstas son las profecías que Isaías, hijo de Amós, recibió por revelación acerca de Judá y Jerusalén: En los últimos tiempos quedará afirmado el monte donde se halla el templo del Señor. Será el monte más alto, más alto que cualquier otro monte. Todas las naciones vendrán a él; pueblos numerosos llegarán, diciendo: «Vengan, subamos al monte del Señor, al templo del Dios de Jacob, para que él nos enseñe sus caminos y podamos andar por sus senderos.» Porque de Sión saldrá la enseñanza del Señor, de Jerusalén vendrá su palabra. El Señor juzgará entre las naciones y decidirá los pleitos de pueblos numerosos. Ellos convertirán sus espadas en arados y sus lanzas en hoces. Ningún pueblo volverá a tomar las armas contra otro ni a recibir instrucción para la guerra. ¡Vamos, pueblo de Jacob, caminemos a la luz del Señor!”
En estos monumentos, donde antes se abrieron las puertas del infierno, el Papa Francisco se solidarizó, una vez más, con la larga lista de profetas del Antiguo Testamento y papas de la era moderna y posmoderna, para clamar por justicia y paz con el ser humano.
San Juan XXIII escribió Pacem en Terris en 1963, menos de dos décadas después del final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, abordando, en parte, el terrible desperdicio de recursos en la enloquecedora carrera armamentista, la bestia voraz del complejo militar-industrial, del cual el presidente Dwight D. Eisenhower advirtió en la década de 1950.
El 4 de octubre de 1965 el Papa Pablo VI, primer papa en comparecer ante las Naciones Unidas, habló de los horrores de la guerra y de la absoluta necesidad de la paz mundial. Él suplicó, con profunda emoción en su voz, “¡No más guerra! ¡Guerra, Nunca jamás!!
Dos años más tarde, escribió Populorum Progressio, el Desarrollo de los Pueblos, en el que abordó el terrible costo que el desarrollo, el despliegue y el uso de armas causaron en la familia humana, drenando los recursos necesarios para el desarrollo y matando el espíritu humano. Esta enseñanza apostólica exigía el pleno desarrollo de cada persona y de toda la persona. (n. 14)
El Papa Juan Pablo II y el Papa Benedicto vivieron directamente el infierno de la Segunda Guerra Mundial en Polonia y Alemania y a menudo hablaron con celo profético por la dignidad de la persona humana, la justicia y la paz. En el 50 aniversario de Populorum Progressio en 2017, el Papa Francisco estableció el Dicasterio para el Desarrollo Humano Integral, aplicando su pasión a la visión de Isaías, citada anteriormente. El Papa Francisco ama el concepto de integración y ve su necesidad urgente en todas las dimensiones de la vida. El desarrollo no puede restringirse al crecimiento material; significa integrar cuerpo y alma que encuentra su fuente en la Encarnación, el Dios-Hombre, Jesucristo. El desarrollo integral le da gloria a Dios y está en una relación con los demás. Desde lo personal a lo global, nuestro llamado es integrar a los pueblos de la tierra en armonía sostenible. La solidaridad y la subsidiariedad están en el corazón de la integración social de la economía, las finanzas, el trabajo, la cultura, la vida familiar y la religión al servicio de la red de la vida.
El Papa Francisco afirmó elocuentemente que “la vida humana es como una orquesta que suena bien si los diferentes instrumentos están acordes y siguen un puntaje compartido por todos: persona significa relación, no individualismo; afirma la inclusión, no la exclusión, la unicidad con una dignidad inviolable, en lugar de la explotación; libertad no coerción. El desarrollo humano integral es el camino del bien que la familia humana está llamada a recorrer.”
Más tarde, en noviembre de 2017, en Roma, en un simposio internacional llamado: “Perspectivas para un mundo libre de armas nucleares y para el desarrollo integral,” el Papa recordó a los participantes que el desarme integral solicitado por el Papa Juan XXIII en Pacem en Terris aún no se ha logrado. El pesimismo sombrío debe dar paso a un realismo saludable. El Papa Francisco declaró y citó la reciente declaración de las Naciones Unidas en 2015 que condena las armas nucleares como un medio ilegal de guerra, uniéndose a las filas de las armas biológicas y químicas prohibidas. Los catastróficos efectos humanitarios y ambientales serían impensables. El Santo Padre insistió en que la implacable carrera armamentista, nuclear y llamada convencional, “desvía recursos de la lucha contra la pobreza, la realización de proyectos educativos, ecológicos y de salud y el desarrollo de los derechos humanos. … No se pueden mantener las relaciones internacionales cautivas de la fuerza militar, la intimidación mutua y el desfile de arsenales. … El progreso que es efectivo e inclusivo puede lograr la utopía de un mundo libre de instrumentos mortales y de agresión, contrario a las críticas de aquellos que consideran idealista cualquier proceso de desmantelamiento.”
En el vuelo de regreso desde Japón, después de visitar Nagasaki e Hiroshima y al hablar sobre el uso de las armas nucleares, el Papa recordó a los periodistas “…Dije nuevamente que el uso de armas nucleares es inmoral; Esto debe ir al Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica. Y no solo el uso, sino también la posesión.”
Estados Unidos es la única superpotencia en este momento de la evolución de la humanidad y tenemos el potencial de ser un faro de mayor justicia y paz que puede guiar a las naciones del mundo en el camino del desarme integral. hacia el desarrollo humano integral, con el anhelo de Isaías, “¡Vamos, pueblo de Jacob, caminemos a la luz del Señor!”

Annunciation school celebrates expansion

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By Katie Fenstermacher
COLUMBUS – Supporters of Annunciation school celebrated the institutions expansion on Thursday, Nov. 21 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and reception. Talks of expanding the campus have been ongoing for several years due to increasing enrollment every year. Annunciation Columbus enrollment has almost doubled in the last seven years and the school has seen a 97% increase in that time. After much discussion and research, school administration decided the best plan of action financially would be to build on the current location.


Annunciation began a capital campaign last spring to raise the $3 million needed to move forward with an expansion. The new expansion includes six new classrooms, a computer/STREAM lab, science lab, library and administrative offices. The front of the school also received a revamp. During the ceremony, representatives from each committee that worked on the expansion were present, as well as Bishop Joseph Kopacz and Catherine Cook, Superintendent, to cut the ribbon on this exciting new venture.
Principal, Joni House stated, “The construction of this new building is more than just walls and ceilings, it is the opportunity to continue our mission of higher learning in a Christ-centered environment. It gives us the opportunity to accept additional students each year and offer a more STREAM focused curriculum.”
“What an honor it is to work along so many others who have sacrificed personally and financially to provide an ever-expanding learning environment for our Annunciation Catholic School students and faculty. As we continue our school’s mission of building character, fostering community and creating lifelong learners, we can’t help but remember those sacrifices of so many in our school’s history. They formed the foundation that we have the privilege to be building on. The new opportunities that will be afforded our students and faculty is absolutely amazing, What a challenge and opportunity,“ said Father Jeffrey Waldrep, pastor of Annunciation school and church.
For more information, or to schedule a private school tour, please contact (662) 328-4479 or visit www.AnnunciationCatholicSchool.org.

In ordinary and extraordinary times

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In ordinary and extraordinary periods, by God’s grace, we are to persevere in loving all that is holy, good and worthy of praise, to do justice and to walk humbly with our God.

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
The Word of God at our Saturday evening and Sunday celebrations in late autumn and early winter challenges us with a spirit of urgency to consider our daily choices and the impact they have on our relationships with God, others and ourselves. The Lord Jesus, in last Sunday’s Gospel addressed the trauma of natural disasters and the inevitable persecutions and martyrdom that will crash in upon many of his faithful disciples. Are these the telltale signs of the end times? Not really, Jesus responds, but be assured that the Holy Spirit, the pledge of eternal life, dwells within you and “by perseverance you will save your lives.” The prophet Malachi boldly pronounces that “for those who fear the name of the Lord, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.” Our sung or spoken response followed, “The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.” Indeed! Meanwhile, Saint Paul, in harmony with the Lord’s Gospel teaching on perseverance, instructed his beloved brothers and sisters in Thessalonica, living in anticipation of the second coming, that daily life has a righteous pattern right up to the moment when the Lord comes again, or comes to take each one of you. “In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat … We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others.” In ordinary and extraordinary periods, by God’s grace, we are to persevere in loving all that is holy, good and worthy of praise, to do justice and to walk humbly with our God.

Returning from the annual Bishops Conference in Baltimore, I mulled over the range of urgent matters that were addressed in the course of four days. My three year term on the Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People is now complete and I am grateful for having had the opportunity to serve with laity, priests and bishops from around the country who are committed to the promise to protect and the pledge to heal all who have experienced the crime and suffer through the trauma of sexual abuse as minors. Likewise, I am proud of the dedication throughout our diocese for all who embrace this just cause and remain vigilant, as our recently completed audit confirmed.

During the Conference, Bishop Robert Barron offered a clear-cut path for evangelization in our post-modern culture, an urgent matter, especially in light of the heavy attrition away from religious faith among the younger generations. What is the urgent response? His research attests that works of justice, the beauty of our liturgies and church architecture, music and art, the depth and height and breath of our intellectual tradition, and the wise and savvy engagement of social media are, individually and collectively, avenues to invite those on the margins of religious faith to encounter the crucified and risen Lord. The ultimate good, beauty and truth, after-all, is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, and a life in service of God’s Kingdom. It is a way of life marked by purpose and promise, but it also invites rejection, hostility and persecution.

Bishop Barron offered this reflection through the lens of last Sunday’s Gospel from Saint Luke. “Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus describes the world’s violent resistance to the establishment of God’s kingdom. From the earliest days until the present, the community of Jesus Christ has been the focus of the world’s violence. The old principle of “killing the messenger” applies here. The Church will announce until the end of time, that the old order is passing away, that a new world of love, nonviolence and life is emerging. This announcement always infuriates the world of sin — always. The twentieth century proved this by being the bloodiest on record and the century with the most martyrs.”

Therefore, in ordinary time we witness, through service, worship, teaching and by employing the latest in communications. In extraordinary times, we die for the faith, knowing that the blood of the martyrs, more than all other efforts of evangelization combined, will guarantee that the Church, the Body of Christ, will endure to the end of time. In the vast landscape in which the church lives and moves and has its being, both in longevity and in our manifold mission, there is potentially a home for many at the banquet of life. A personal faith that sees the urgency of a life well lived in the Lord can manifest itself in his mandate to make disciples through Word, Worship, Service and Social Justice, from the foundation of life in the womb until eternity dawns through the door of death. Along with Bishop Barron, Bishop Nauman, the Chair of the Committee on Pro-Life spoke eloquently about the commitment to create a culture of life where every unborn child can find a home. Likewise, Bishop Mark Sis and Bishop Shelton Fabre addressed the urgent necessity for just immigration reform and a nation free of the scourge of racism.

There are many forces that work to undermine perseverance in the faith, but there are many paths that lead to life. The greatest assurance for the believer is the promised Holy Spirit whose loving power endures forever. May the crucified and risen Lord grant us a season of refreshment and hope, individually, in our families, and in all of our communities of faith, a spirit of perseverance that will enable us to save our lives.

En tiempos ordinarios y extraordinarios

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Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz

Por Obispo Joseph Kopacz
La Palabra de Dios en nuestras celebraciones de sábado por la tarde y domingo a fines del otoño y principios del invierno nos retan con un espíritu de urgencia a considerar nuestras elecciones diarias y el impacto que tienen en nuestras relacione con Dios, los demás y nosotros mismos. El Señor Jesús, en el Evangelio del domingo pasado, abordó el trauma de los desastres naturales y las inevitables persecuciones y martirios que golpearían a muchos de sus fieles discípulos.
¿Son estos los signos reveladores de los últimos tiempos? En realidad, no, Jesús responde, pero tenga la seguridad de que el Espíritu Santo, la promesa de la vida eterna, habita dentro de usted y “con perseverancia salvará sus vidas”. El profeta Malaquías pronuncia audazmente que “para aquellos que temen el nombre del Señor,” surgirá el sol de la justicia con sus rayos curativos “. Nuestra respuesta cantada o hablada siguió:” El Señor viene a gobernar la tierra con justicia.“ ¡Por supuesto!
Mientras tanto, San Pablo, en armonía con las enseñanzas del Evangelio del Señor sobre la perseverancia, instruyó a sus amados hermanos y hermanas en Tesalónica, viviendo en previsión de la segunda venida, que la vida diaria tiene un patrón justo hasta el momento en que el Señor vuelva a llevarse a cada uno de ustedes. “De hecho, cuando estuvimos con usted, le indicamos que, si alguien no estaba dispuesto a trabajar, tampoco debería comer … Oímos que algunos se están comportando entre ustedes de manera desordenada, al no mantenerse ocupados sino ocuparse del negocio de otros.” En períodos ordinarios y extraordinarios, por la gracia de Dios, debemos perseverar en amar todo lo que es santo, bueno y digno de alabanza, hacer justicia y caminar humildemente con nuestro Dios.
Al regresar de la Conferencia Anual de los Obispos en Baltimore, reflexioné sobre la variedad de asuntos urgentes que se abordaron en el transcurso de cuatro días. Mi período de tres años en el Comité para la Protección de Niños y Jóvenes ha finalizado y estoy agradecido por haber tenido la oportunidad de servir con laicos, sacerdotes y obispos de todo el país que están comprometidos con la promesa de proteger y la promesa. para sanar a todos los que han experimentado el crimen y sufren el trauma del abuso sexual como menores. Del mismo modo, estoy orgulloso de la dedicación en toda nuestra diócesis para todos los que abrazan esta causa justa y permanecen atentos, como lo confirmó nuestra auditoría recientemente completada.
Durante la Conferencia, el Obispo Robert Barron ofreció un camino claro para la evangelización en nuestra cultura posmoderna, un asunto urgente, especialmente a la luz del fuerte desgaste de la fe religiosa entre las generaciones más jóvenes. ¿Cuál es la respuesta urgente? Su investigación atestigua que las obras de justicia, la belleza de nuestras liturgias, la arquitectura de la iglesia, la música y el arte, la profundidad, altura y aliento de nuestra tradición intelectual, y el compromiso sabio e inteligente de las redes sociales son, individual y colectivamente, caminos para invitar, a aquellos al margen de la fe religiosa para encontrar al Señor crucificado y resucitado. El bien, la belleza y la verdad fundamentales, después de todo, es una relación personal con el Señor Jesús, el Camino, la Verdad y la Vida, y una vida al servicio del Reino de Dios. Es una forma de vida marcada por el propósito y la promesa, pero también invita al rechazo, la hostilidad y la persecución.
El obispo Barron ofreció esta reflexión a través del lente del Evangelio del domingo pasado de San Lucas. “Amigos, en el Evangelio de hoy, Jesús describe la resistencia violenta del mundo al establecimiento del reino de Dios. Desde los primeros días hasta el presente, la comunidad de Jesucristo ha sido el foco de la violencia del mundo. El viejo principio de ‘matar al mensajero’ se aplica aquí. La Iglesia anunciará hasta el fin de los tiempos, que el viejo orden está desapareciendo, que está surgiendo un nuevo mundo de amor, no violencia y vida. Este anuncio siempre enfurece al mundo del pecado, siempre. El siglo XX lo demostró siendo el más sangriento de la historia y el siglo con más mártires.“
Por lo tanto, en el tiempo ordinario somos testigos, a través del servicio, la adoración, la enseñanza y empleando lo último en comunicaciones. En tiempos extraordinarios, morimos por la fe, sabiendo que la sangre de los mártires, más que todos los demás esfuerzos de evangelización combinados, garantizará que la Iglesia, el Cuerpo de Cristo, perdure hasta el fin de los tiempos. En el vasto paisaje en el que la iglesia vive, se mueve y tiene su ser, tanto en la longevidad como en nuestra misión múltiple, hay potencialmente un hogar para muchos en el banquete de la vida. Una fe personal que ve la urgencia de una vida bien vivida en el Señor puede manifestarse en su mandato de hacer discípulos a través de la Palabra, la Adoración, el Servicio y la Justicia Social, desde la fundación de la vida en el útero hasta que la eternidad amanezca a través de la puerta de muerte.
Junto con el Obispo Barron, el Obispo Nauman, el presidente del Comité de Pro-Vida habló elocuentemente sobre el compromiso de crear una cultura de vida donde cada niño no nacido pueda encontrar un hogar. Asimismo, el obispo Mark Sis y el obispo Shelton Fabre abordaron la urgente necesidad de una reforma migratoria justa y una nación libre del flagelo del racismo.
Hay muchas fuerzas que trabajan para socavar la perseverancia en la fe, pero hay muchos caminos que conducen a la vida. La mayor seguridad para el creyente es el Espíritu Santo prometido, cuyo poder amoroso perdura para siempre. Que el Señor crucificado y resucitado nos conceda una temporada de refrigerio y esperanza, individualmente, en nuestras familias y en todas nuestras comunidades de fe, un espíritu de perseverancia que nos permitirá salvar nuestras vidas.