Category Archives: Diocesan News

Synod opening Mass invokes guidance of Holy Spirit

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By Joanna Puddister King

JACKSON – Pope Francis launched preparations Oct. 9-10 at the Vatican for the World Synod of Bishops, which will take place in 2023. On the theme “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission,” the church is seeking input from dioceses around the world, with most bishops kicking off the local listening process with opening Masses beginning Oct. 17.

In the Diocese of Jackson, Bishop Joseph Kopacz launched the Synod of Bishops on Oct. 24 with an opening Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson.

Since the Second Vatican Council, the church has held Synods of Bishops, most recently focusing on topics such as the family and young people. This synod focuses on the topic of synodality itself.

“The undertaking is called Synod on Synodality, which can sound like ‘church speak’ when you first hear it,” said Bishop Kopacz at the opening Mass for the synod in the diocese.

“But it has deep roots in our church tradition as a people of faith, as baptized Catholics, as disciples of the Lord.”
In his homily, Bishop Kopacz challenged us to reimagine the birth of the church on the first Pentecost, nearly 2000 years ago. With disciples of the Lord Jesus, praying intensely for the faith-filled gift of the Holy Spirit.

“This is the image of synodality,” said Bishop Kopacz.

“Pope Francis wants the church to gather in prayer for a number of months leading into a year and then a second year, so there will be time to absorb all that the Spirit is speaking to the church.”

Bishop Kopacz says that during the next two months, the diocese will be laying the groundwork for the synod process in the diocese – preparing materials and training facilitators to conduct parish listening sessions. Then, to be followed by regional meetings to be held in the first few months of 2022.

“Beyond the mainstream of our parishes, schools and other ministries we will also invite many more to participate through social media platforms in order to reach out to the unchurched, the marginalized and the alienated,” said Bishop Kopacz.

“From across the diocese, we hope to receive a very good response – potentially thousands of responses,” said Bishop Kopacz.

“It will be work bringing this together into a 10-page synthesis. But what a story; that we can understand on a deeper level, who we are as a people of God in the Body of Christ, in the Diocese of Jackson.”

Fran Lavelle, director of faith formation for the diocese, was selected to lead the planning for the synod in the diocese, along with an advisory council. She says that the synod is “not a pastoral planning process, nor is it a free for all ‘gripe session.’”

“It is an opportunity for the people of God to pray together and ask of ourselves as individuals and within our church community where we are being called in our journey together. It provides a moment in time for the universal church to look at the greatest issues facing God’s holy people and asking how are we to respond as we embody the Gospel.”

In their planning document, the Vatican asks that each diocese contemplate two questions: How does this “journeying together” take place today on different levels (from the local level to the universal one), allowing the church to proclaim the Gospel; and what steps is the Holy Spirit inviting us to take in order to grow as a synodal church?

In April, all responses will be gathered and organized into a synthesis that will eventually go the Vatican. “The summary will be made available for the diocese as a very important body of material for our discernment in light of our mission and our ministries,” said Bishop Kopacz.

In 2023 after this worldwide process, Pope Francis will speak to the church and to the world the essence of what the Holy Spirit has spoken to the church.

Lavelle says to begin praying now for wisdom and understanding during the synod process.

“When your parish gathers to listen to one another, may you be fortified with the knowledge that your voice matters.”

JACKSON – Photos from the opening Mass on the Synod on Synodality in the Diocese of Jackson. Bishop Kopacz opened the synod on Sunday, Oct. 24. (Photos by Tereza Ma)

Trinity Missions celebrate centennial in Camden

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By Berta Mexidor

CAMDEN – “There is no truer proof of a great love of God than a great love of our neighbor.” Father Thomas Judge, Founder of Trinity Missions

Hundreds of parishioners from four parishes gathered at Sacred Heart Camden to celebrate 100 years of Trinitarian Missions with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Kopacz and concelebrated by the Trinitarian priests, Fathers Mike Barth, general custodian of Trinity Missions, Odel Medina, Guy Wilson, Gustavo Amell, Raul Ventura, Alexis Zuniga Velasquez, Robert “Bob” Goodyear; in addition to Father Mike O’Brien of Sacred Heart Canton.

Bishop Kopacz recognized the Trinitarian’s servants’ deeds serving four Bishops before him, Bishops Gerow, Brunini, Houck and Latino, and thousands of Catholic Mississippians for more than 77 years. “We have the spirit of awe, for all what God has done for us … The Holy Spirit is flying above this assembly … because we are children of God. We have a spirit of hope and gratitude,” Bishop Kopacz said in his homily.

CAMDEN – On Nov. 13, the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity celebrated 100 years of their founding. The Trinitarian Missions have been a part of Mississippi history for 77 years. Pictured left to right: Father Guy Wilson, Father Mike Barth, Father Bob Goodyear, Bishop Joseph Kopacz, Father Odel Medina, Father Alexis Zuniga Velasques, Father Mike O’Brien and Father Gustavo Amell. (Photos by Berta Mexidor)

The apostolic Spirit, that Father Judge envisioned 100 years ago makes “missionary disciples offer the fire of God to all. This celebration is the first day of 100 more years,” Bishop Kopacz concluded.

At the end of the Mass, Father Mike Barth gave recognition plaques for their contribution to the Trinitarian Missions to representatives of Sacred Heart Camden, Holy Child Jesus Canton, St. Therese Kosciusko, St. Anne Carthage, Holy Rosary Indian Mission, Sister Mary Anne Poeschl, RSM and Bishop Kopacz. Father Barth also blessed the renovated cross in front of the Sacred Heart Camden Church; and Father Guy Wilson, ST created a ceramic necklace in memory of the centennial celebration for each attendee.

Foundation of the Trinitarians
It only takes a tiny spark from the Holy Spirit to ignite a fire that grows into something magnificent. And for the Trinitarians that spark grew into an institution that has helped millions of people over a 100-year period.

In this case, the Holy spark came in 1909 from six female volunteers in Brooklyn, who met with Father Thomas Judge to discuss their interest in assisting Catholic immigrants. They began an outreach program to visit homes and offer what help they could. This was the beginning of the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate (lay missionaries).

Father Judge, a son of Irish immigrants, arrived in Opelika, Alabama, an area with very few Catholics, in 1920. He then began forming lay groups or “cenacles.”

Due to their hard work and zeal for the salvation of souls, the Cenacle was then formally recognized by Bishop of Mobile, Edward Patrick Allen, in 1921.

Today, there are over 145 Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity in missions around the world, most within the United States.

Trinitarian history reaches back 77 years in Mississippi
History books recall that Trinitarians first came to Mississippi in 1944, represented by Father Andrew Lawrence, ST, taking responsibility of Immaculate Conception, and at that moment, its missions: Sacred Heart on Sulphur Springs Road near Camden and St. Anne in Carthage.

CAMDEN – Father Odel Medina stands among those gathering for Mass to celebrate the centennial of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. (Photo by Berta Mexidor)

With the direction of Bishop R. O. Gerow, Father Lawrence started looking for a place to first build a church, then schools to follow, to improve the lives of local African Americans – this led to a place named Sulpher Springs.

According to Cleta Ellington’s 1989 book, Christ: The Living Water, Sulphur Springs was an extension of land that no one knew where it started, nor where it ended. But there was a Catholic church there, its roof collapsing under snow in 1923, and then rebuilt in Camden with the name of Immaculate Conception of Sulphur Springs around 1927, which then became the first church where Father Lawrence and the Trinitarians began their missions in Mississippi in 1944.

After the church, Father Lawrence and the Trinitarians founded the Sacred Heart Agricultural School in Sulphur Springs for African American youths. The school enrolled over 140 students at one point and was highly praised by the Mississippi Department of Education. Then sadly, the school was destroyed by fire and burned down in 1954.

In her book, Ellington also highlighted the struggles of the Trinitarians creating the Holy Child Jesus’ school in Canton, and how a little, non-Catholic Black girl named Bertha Bowman came to enroll in this school. Of course, this little girl grew up and became the first black Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration – Servant of God, Sister Thea Bowman.
In another amazing turn of the history of Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity in Mississippi, the small spark from the Holy Spirit back in 1909 ended up touching the Choctaw Reservation in Philadelphia beginning back in 1944.

From 1975 to 1990 and again from 2006 to the present, Father Robert “Bob” Goodyear, ST has served at the Holy Rosary Indian Mission in Philadelphia. Each Sunday he drives nearly 90 miles to three parishes to celebrate Mass for the Choctaw community. Recently, the work of Father Goodyear was highlighted nationwide when he was recognized as a finalist for the Catholic Extension Lumen Christi award.

In 2019, two Trinitarian priests were at the center of the aftermath of a massive raid against immigrants in Mississippi, Father Odel Medina, of St. Anne Carthage, was one of them. The support they received from volunteers and the whole community, along with their leadership hit the standards set by Fathers Judge and Lawrence years ago.

After almost 10 years in Mississippi, Father Odel has witnessed the growth of the Hispanic community in the state. He views the growth as fruits of the legacy of the Trinitarian founders, ”preserving the faith among immigrants.”

“Father Judge started with mainly the Italian immigrants, here in Mississippi. Hispanic immigrants [are] a new phenomenon and numbers are increasing … The future is going to a pluricultural church,” he said.

“This centenary is a jubilee,” said Father Odel. “I have been walking with all my parishioners, in good and bad times, but mainly with the most vulnerable, it has been a blessing for me.”

In one hundred years, the Trinitarians have accomplished more than just building schools and church buildings, they have touched millions of people from all different backgrounds, races and creeds.

(Joanna Puddister King contributed to this article.)

Parishes and organizations prepare for #iGiveCatholic

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By Joanna Puddister King
JACKSON – For the sixth year in a row, the Catholic Diocese of Jackson is joining several dioceses around the country to host #iGiveCatholic on #GivingTuesday, the week after Thanksgiving. Participating parishes, schools and Catholic non-profit organizations will have the opportunity to raise funds online for their own local needs.

This year, on Nov. 30, more than forty dioceses will join together for the day. #iGiveCatholic isn’t just a fundraiser. It is also an opportunity for the Catholic community to affirm their faith as disciples of Jesus Christ and showcase all the good work the church and its parishes, schools and institutions does for the community at large.

Groups across the diocese are participating in #iGiveCatholic on #GivingTuesday. Advanced giving is going on now, with the giving period ending at 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 30. Visit jackson.igivecatholic.org to support Catholic parishes, groups and non-profits today.

In 2020, the sixth year of the campaign raised more than $12.7 million for over 2,600 participating parishes, schools and non-profit ministries representing the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA), ministries across the U.S., and 40 arch/dioceses across the country. At the close of the 24-hour giving period, the number of contributions both online and offline totaled more than 48,000 gifts from 50 states and 12 countries.

This year, St. Joseph Starkville is hoping to raise $20,000 for two vital projects. The first is to pay the balance for their “Surrounded by Saints” stained glass windows and the second is to update their outdated fire system in the church.

The parish’s previous church building burned on Good Friday in 1997 and their priority is to prevent another fire tragedy from happening again.

In Jackson, the Carmelite sisters are aiming to raise funds through #iGiveCatholic to aid in covering costs of the on-going renovation project in their chapel and other maintenance projects. Crews began working in early November to level the cement and install vinyl planks in the Monastery Chapel.

“We are most hopeful that your generous support of our ministry through the #iGiveCatholic fundraising campaign will help us raise the amount of $47,000 to cover renovation expenses,” said a statement from the sisters.

Secure, tax-deductible donations to eligible Catholic organizations in the Diocese of Jackson can be made at www.jackson.iGiveCatholic.org through Tuesday, Nov. 30, ending at 11:59 p.m.

Mississippi bishops issue joint statement on execution

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By Most Reverend Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D. and Most Reverend Louis F. Kihneman, III

JACKSON (Nov. 16, 2021) – In anticipation of the execution of David Cox tomorrow, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Cox family as they continue to grieve and heal from his horrific acts of violence. Their unspeakable suffering remains a heavy cross in their lives.

We share in their suffering. In 2016, two Catholic Nuns were murdered in Holmes County, Mississippi. Sister Paula Merrill, and Sister Margaret Held, served at a local medical clinic. Their brutal murders in the small community of Durant, Mississippi caused shock and sadness.

Even in the midst of such profound loss, the Sisters’ religious communities, their families, and the local church stated their opposition to the death penalty. This response is deeply rooted in our Christian faith and Catholic tradition.

The death penalty is not a deterrence to murder. We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing those who kill others. Likewise, the antidote to violence is not more violence.

The execution of David Cox is the first in more than a decade in Mississippi. We respectfully submit the perspective and teachings from our Catholic faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that promote the abolition of the death penalty.
We encourage and pray for a more comprehensive debate that calls into question our assumptions used to morally legitimize the death penalty in Mississippi and in our nation.

We recognize that the State must protect innocent people from violent criminals. Our State and country have the ability to provide justice and protect the innocent without using the death penalty. At this time in our nation when violence afflicts the web of life, we do not need state sanctioned violence to add to this vicious cycle.

We implore our fellow citizens to ask our elected official to end the violence of the death penalty and to replace it with non-lethal means of punishment. We are called to respect every human life because each of us is created in the image and likeness of God. (Genesis 1:27)

As Christian leaders we call for alternatives to capital punishment more in keeping with our Christian values, the common good and the dignity of the human person.

Signs along the road

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JACKSON – As a part of National Vocations Awareness Week, we hear from our diocesan seminarians, and the encouragements they received as they began to ponder God’s will and the possibility they may be called to priesthood.

“Father Martin Ruane, my first pastor, was a big influence on me. Father Ruane was a joy-filled priest. A joy-filled priest gives a powerful witness to the light of Christ in the world.”
– Deacon Andrew Bowden
(Deacon Andrew will be ordained to the priesthood in May 2022.)

“I converted to Catholicism while I was pursuing my undergraduate degree after reading a copy of St. Augustine’s Confessions that I found in a used bookshop in Florida. I almost immediately began to feel a call to ordination.”
– Carlisle Beggerly
(Carlisle will be ordained to the diaconate in preparation for priesthood in June 2022.)

“I graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from New Mexico Tech. I had a couple job offers after I graduated. I accepted a job as a nuclear engineer, but before I could start working, I needed a security clearance. While I was waiting for that clearance, I went to confession one day, and a priest said that I should be a priest. When the priest said that, I said, ‘No way! I’ve always wanted a wife and kids.’ Then, I left, [but] what he said stuck with me, and I began my discernment.”
– Ryan Stoer
(Ryan is in his 2nd year of Theology studies, he is scheduled for priestly ordination in Spring 2024.)

“My first memory of Catholicism is seeing the funeral of St. John Paul II on television. At the time I was awestruck by all the proceedings. I had so many questions about what was happening and who this man was for whom the whole world was coming to a halt. I became more and more interested as I grew up.”
– Tristan Stovall
(Tristan is in his 2nd year of Theology studies, he is scheduled for priestly ordination in Spring 2024.)

“I first felt a desire for priesthood when I was a senior in high school. When I was in college, that desire grew. By participating in, and leading, mission trips to serve the homeless through the Catholic Campus Ministry I realized a desire I have to serve others. The more I did this, the deeper that desire grew and I felt a greater excitement for service to the people of God. The feeling of a call to priesthood became so great that I couldn’t ignore it…”
– Will Foggo
(Will is in his 2nd year of Pre-Theology studies, he is scheduled for priestly ordination in Spring 2026.)

“I was convinced that I would play college basketball. They say: ‘If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.’ In the summer of 2018 I went to a Catholic youth conference called Steubenville On the Bayou. It was a faith filled experience and was the first time I considered the priesthood. I had an amazing encounter with our Lord during the exposition of the Eucharist. After returning home I started to receive spiritual direction. This helped me to pre-discern my vocation.”
– Grayson Foley
(Grayson is in his 2nd year of Philosophy studies, he is scheduled for priestly ordination in Spring 2028.)

Please keep our seminarians (and religious discerners and postulants) in your prayers, and remember that you can be a great influence for young people just by sharing with them that they would make a great priest or religious.

PEARL – Seminarians gathered for the Ordination of Deacon Andrew Bowden on Saturday, May 15, 2021 at his home parish of St. Jude. Left to right: Grayson Foley, Tristan Stovall, Deacon, Ryann Stoer, Carlisle Beggerly and William Foggo. (Photo from archives)

Diocesan vocations events aim to give time and space to listen for God’s call

With so much distraction and ‘noise’ in the word, God’s call can be difficult to hear. The Department of Vocations is offering young men and women opportunities to retreat and listen to the call of God. Here is a timeline of what has happened, and what will happen in the coming months to give our young people time and space to listen.

June 2021 – Quo Vadis? I
The question where are you going was explored at this three-day retreat for young men who are open to priesthood. Father Nick and the diocesan seminarians led the retreat and gave talks to the 14 men in attendance.

November 19-21, 2021 – Quo Vadis? II
Coming off the success of the first retreat, the Diocese of Baton Rouge and the Diocese of Jackson have teamed up to offer another discernment retreat. Father Josh Johnson, vocation director for Baton Rouge and Father Nick Adam are leading the retreat along with seminarians from both dioceses. Young men ages 15-25 are invited to attend.

Winter/Spring 2022 – Nun Run II
The Department of Vocations is leading a trek north to visit several different religious communities in early 2022. Father Nick will begin recruitment in December for this trip. The first Nun Run was held in Fall of 2019 and was a huge success. Kathleen McMullin was on that trip and is now a postulant in a religious community!

The Department of Vocations also offers individual and small group visits to seminaries and religious communities based on need and circumstance. Several young men have been hosted at the seminary by Father Nick and our seminarians in the past year. If you are interested in any of these events, or want to know how you could help, please email nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.

CHATAWA – Father Nick Adam directs an activity at the Quo Vadis retreat for young men open to the priesthood in June 2021. (Photo by Ron Blalock Photography)
(Photo by Ron Blalock Photography)

Exploring deaths of diocese former shepherds

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward

JACKSON – November is the month to remember the dead in our Catholic faith. It opens with the Solemnity of All Saints where we honor all those ordinary people in our lives who were saints to us. The next day is All Souls, a personal favorite of mine, in which we honor the dead and, in many traditions, decorate graves and have picnics in cemeteries.

This year was a particularly poignant All Souls for me as the death of Bishop Emeritus Joseph N. Latino of happy memory is still fresh. Because of soil and settling, we were just able to move the gravestone over his plot in the diocesan bishops’ cemetery next to the cathedral.

We have a temporary marker for Bishop Latino and are awaiting the engraver’s arrival in a few months to carve his inscription on site. Apparently, there are only one or two people willing to carve out inscriptions on site on this type of stone. So, we wait patiently.

JACKSON – Flowers and candles adorn the grave sites of Bishop William Houck, Bishop Joseph Brunini and Bishop R.O. Gerow in the bishops’ cemetery next to the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle on All Souls Day, Nov. 2. (Photo by Berta Mexidor)

Dealing with this made me think about all our previous bishops and their deaths.

Bishop John Joseph Marie Benedict Chanche, SS, (1841-1852) died most likely of cholera in Maryland while visiting family after a plenary council in Baltimore. Cholera is a horrible death, but he was described as bearing it with great dignity. After spending more than 150 years in the cemetery in Baltimore, he was brought home to Natchez in 2008.

Bishop James Oliver Van deVelde, SJ, (1853-1855) was Bishop of Chicago and suffered from arthritis. He felt a warmer climate would be beneficial for his joints, so he requested a move South. A yellow fever infected warm climate mosquito got him, another terrible way to go. Bless his heart. He was originally buried in the crypt at St. Mary in Natchez, but his Jesuit confreres wanted him home in Florrisant, Missouri.

Bishop William Henry Elder (1857-1880) was elevated to Archbishop of Cincinnati and lived a long life up there into the next century (1904). He died of what we used to call “old age,” which is a medical term for not one specific thing, and he was 85, which is old for 1904.

Bishop Francis August Anthony Joseph Janssens (1881-1888) also moved on to an archdiocese when he became Archbishop of New Orleans in 1888. He died nine years later in 1897 at age 53 aboard the steamer Creole, bound for New York City. He most likely had a heart attack or a stroke.

Bishop Thomas Heslin (1889-1911) as we explored in an earlier column, flipped out of the back of a mule cart near West Point and was levered back into the cart while unconscious. He most likely sustained some broken ribs, which weakened his lung capacity, and he died a few months later. He is buried on Catholic Hill in Natchez.

Bishop John Edward Gunn, SM, (1911-1924) survived an arsenic poisoning administered by a spy during World War I at a banquet in Detroit in 1915. Suffering a major heart attack in January 1924, his health finally gave out in February at Hotel Dieu in New Orleans. He is buried in the Catholic section in Natchez next to Bishop Heslin.

Bishop Richard Oliver Gerow (1924-1966) is the first bishop to officially retire from the office of bishop in our diocese. He lived 10 years after his retirement and died in December 1976 at the age of 91 having achieved 67 years of priesthood – another death attributed to “old age.” He is buried in the bishops’ cemetery beside the cathedral.

Bishop Joseph Bernard Brunini (1967-1984), our only native son bishop from Vicksburg, died suddenly surrounded by his brother bishops on retreat in Manressa, Louisiana on the Solemnity of the Epiphany. I had eaten lunch with him that very day and was shocked when I got the news he was dead four hours later. He is buried next to Bishop Gerow.

Bishop William Russell Houck (1984-2003) also lived many years into retirement dying of heart and lung issues in 2016 at the age of 90. He, too, achieved 60-plus years of priesthood having marked 65 years when he died. Bishop Houck completes the first line of three bishops in the bishops’ cemetery.

Bishop Joseph Nunzio Latino (2003-2013) died on May 28 of this year having just celebrated his 58th anniversary of priestly ordination on May 25. Bishop Latino’s death is still too fresh to share details, so we will save that for a later date.

Throughout this month of November offer some prayers for our deceased bishops who have served as our shepherds for more than 180 years each in his own unique and dynamic ways.
Requiescant in pace.

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

NATCHEZ – A photograph of Bishop John Edward Gunn, SM, as he lay in state in the rectory of St. Mary in Natchez. Bishop Gunn survived an arsenic poisoning attempt during WWI, but his health finally gave out shortly after a heart attack in January 1924. (Photo from archives)

Knights bring Wreaths Across America to Clinton Cemetery

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By Berta Mexidor
JACKSON – This year the Bishop R.O. Gerow Assembly 554 of the Knights of Columbus, has gotten involved in the Wreaths Across America program by sponsoring the Clinton Cemetery. They have identified approximately 250 veterans’ gravesites which they hope to lay wreaths on Dec. 18 at noon. The mission is to remember, honor and teach.
“What a beautiful and meaningful way to remember and honor our veterans during the Christmas season,” said the Knights of Columbus.

The wreaths are made of live greenery with a red velvet bow and cost $15. Wreaths can be purchased for an unspecified veteran at the Clinton Cemetery, for a specific veteran at the Clinton Cemetery, or for a veteran buried somewhere other than the Clinton Cemetery. Wreaths purchased for placement at other cemeteries will be available for pick up at Holy Savior Church at 714 Lindale Street in Clinton on Dec. 18 at 3 p.m. Wreaths must be purchased prior to Nov. 19, 2021, so orders can be placed.

Wreaths can be purchased online at https://kofc554.org/wreaths or by mail – just visit their website for details.

Honoring veterans buried at the Clinton Cemetery this holiday season is the mission for members of the Knights of Columbus Bishop R.O. Gerow Assembly 554, which are participating in the annual Wreaths Across America sponsorship drive. The national wreath-laying remembrance effort is planned for Dec. 18. (Photo WAA Staff)

Catholic Build continues to give families place to ‘call home’

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By Joe Lee
MADISON – How hard has Habitat for Humanity/Mississippi Capital Area (HHMCA) been hit in 2021 by the ongoing COVID pandemic and the skyrocketing costs of building materials? The numbers are sobering.

“It cost $80,000 to build before. Now it’s $120,000,” said HHMCA executive director Merrill McKewen. “None of that (increase) was in our 2021 budget.”

That’s a whopping 50 percent leap, and over a very short period of time. When combined with COVID safety measures reducing on-site volunteers at builds from 15 at a time to only seven, McKewen and her board of directors faced serious challenges in keeping their tradition of bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope.
The way forward, at least temporarily, lies in touching up previously-built Habitat homes.

“This was an unusual year,” McKewen said. “We had a cluster of homeowners who wanted to live in recycled Habitat houses. Not much big stuff is involved in recycling them – not much gutting – we’re getting the home up to standards with electrical, painting, plumbing, and clearing the property.”

HHMCA hopes to close on five safe, recycled homes before Christmas. Among them is the annual Catholic build, located this year on Gentry Street off Bailey Avenue in west Jackson. Hard-working volunteers have spent several Saturday mornings on the property and will wrap up before Thanksgiving.

“I started volunteering on the Catholic builds about 12 years ago,” said Allen Scott, incoming HHMCA board president and a parishioner at Holy Savior of Clinton. “For several years that was my total involvement — a few Saturdays a year on the Catholic build.”

JACKSON – Arthur Ring, Allen Scott and Brett Fitzgerald work on rehabbing a ‘recycled’ Habitat for Humanity home for a family that needs a place to ‘call home.’ As COVID hit and construction prices skyrocketed, Habitat has had to limit the number of volunteers and are now rehabbing homes to save on costs. (Photo by Callie Ainsworth)

“The staff at HHMCA asked me to chair the Catholic Build committee for a couple of years. When I met the families that were going to live in the houses – especially the children – and saw how happy they were, it just gave me a real feeling that I was helping somebody.”

The Catholic build tradition goes back more than three decades, as parishes in Jackson, Pearl, Madison, Clinton, Gluckstadt and Canton have all contributed monetarily as well as providing volunteers.

“HHMCA informs us of the amount that will be needed to do the work, and in turn we ask our parishes to contribute at the level that is feasible for them, depending on the population of the parish community,” said Bishop Joseph Kopacz.
“Most parishioners are familiar with the annual project and the invitation to contribute and respond generously. The Habitat for Humanity organization is a trusted brand, and all know that the prospective homeowners are carefully screened to assure success with their lifelong dream of home ownership.”

“We don’t give houses away,” McKewen said. “But anyone, regardless of income, can apply with us for a home if they’re willing to do the work and pay for a thirty-year zero-interest mortgage. We function as a mortgage lender with a Christian attitude.”

What drives McKewen is getting people out of poverty and into safe homes, where they have greatly improved chances of putting roots down, learning marketable skills, attaining an education and, ultimately, giving back to the community.

In addition to the thorough vetting the homeowners receive before being approved, all help physically build their new Habitat homes. That sweat equity is crucial in developing the pride the owners have in their new residences, and it’s not uncommon to witness deeply touching moments when families take ownership.

“I would encourage all HHMCA volunteers, and anyone interested in the ministry, to attend a house dedication,” Scott said. “The new homeowners are so genuinely appreciative that it is hard not to feel their emotions. My favorite memory was a house on Greenview (in south Jackson) where the four-year-old ran into the master bedroom and shouted, ‘This one’s mine!’ I truly believe that anybody who ever volunteers one time and meets the family will be hooked.”

McKewen has high hopes for a smoother 2022 and plans to return HHMCA to the beloved Broadmoor neighborhood in north Jackson, where a number of the memorable homes built during the Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson administrations have fallen into disrepair and been abandoned.

“We are changing the neighborhood and will be completely rehabbing those houses, as in gutting to the studs,” she said. “We are putting homeowners into homes for $650/month and getting people out of deplorable conditions where they were paying as much as $800/month.”

“This commitment has endured the test of time,” Kopacz said. “We want families to have a place to call home, and in the process see the restoration of the blighted areas of the City of Jackson, one house and one block at a time.”

Want to help Habitat?

“There are many ways to help in addition to volunteering on a worksite,” said incoming HHMCA board president, Allen Scott. “Pray for the families and the ministry. Encourage your parish council and finance committee to financially support HHMCA. Individual donations add up, so no gift is too small.”

“The volunteer crews have to be fed so meals have to be prepared and delivered to the home site. Basically, if a person wants to be involved, we can find some way to include them in a build.”

JACKSON – Pictured left to right: Arthur Ring, Allen Scott, Bo Bender, Demetrica Clincy (homeowner), Lechen Tyler (homeowner), Polly Hammett and Marc McAllister. The group stands outside of the home Catholic Build made possible for the family. (Photo by Callie Ainsworth)

Calendar of events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
GREENWOOD Locus Benedictus Retreat Center is hosting a Healing Retreat, “Learning How to Thrive,” on Saturday, Nov. 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The presenter is Maria Vadia. Details: for more information, call (662) 299-1232.

PEARL St. Jude, MARIAN SERVANTS® of Jesus the Lamb of God, will be offering the Marian consecration on Tuesdays from 1-3 p.m. in the St. Jude parish hall through Dec. 7 with consecration on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Join us as we strengthen our love for Jesus Christ with the aid of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Details: Maureen Roberts at 601-278-0423 or msofjlog@gmail.com.

St. Jude, Sung Mass in Extraordinary Form, first and third Sundays of each month at 6 p.m. Details: church office (601) 939-3181.

PINEVILLE, La. A.C.T.S. Retreats at the Mary Hill Renewal Center, Men’s retreat Jan. 13-16. 2022 and Ladies retreat Feb. 10-13, 2022. Opportunity for spiritual renewal and fellowship beginning Thursday evening at 5 p.m. and concluding with 10 a.m. Mass on Sunday at St. Patrick Church in Ferriday, La. Cost of the retreat is $50 deposit plus $125 due at retreat check-in. Open to persons 18 years or older. Details: To register contact St. Patrick Church at (318) 757-3834.

Vocation Retreat Do you know of any man discerning the call to enter priesthood or religious life? A special Quo Vadis retreat is being held Friday, Nov. 19 – Sunday, Nov. 21 in the Diocese of Jackson. Details: nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.

PARISH, FAMILY AND SCHOOL EVENTS
CLARKSDALE St. Elizabeth, Feast Day weekend, Nov. 12-14. Friday, Nov. 12, 5:30 p.m.Mass with Bishop Kopacz; Saturday, Nov. 13, Adoration 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. followed by Mass; Sunday, Nov. 14, 10:30 a.m. Mass and St. Elizabeth Feast Day luncheon at 12:15 p.m. Call church office to make reservations for luncheon. Details: church office (662) 624-4301.

HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Cooking for the Holidays Sale, Nov. 20, 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Get your frozen casseroles, vegetables and desserts for the holidays. Baked goods are available, too. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.

JACKSON St. Richard, Volunteers are needed for Stewpot lunch and Stewpot pantry. St. Richard Meals-on-Wheels delivers meals from an assigned menu to the Jackson area the second Tuesday of every month. They also send volunteers to Stewpot lunch to serve and Stewpot pantry to help one week per quarter. Details: call Tommy Lamas at the church office (601) 366-2335 or email lamas@saintrichard.com.

41st Annual Squat & Gobble, Thursday, Nov. 11 5:45-10 p.m. at the Mississippi Trade Mart, part of the proceeds go to help victims of human trafficking and domestic violence through programs of Catholic Charities. Enjoy food, beverages, door prizes and live and silent auctions. Entertainment by Dr. Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster. Cost: tickets $65 available at www.friendsforacause.com. Details: Tommy Turk (601) 955-1677.

MERIDIAN St. Patrick School, Save the Date, St. Patrick School Candy Cane 5K Dash, Saturday, Dec. 4 beginning at 8:30 a.m. Details: Registration is now open at www.time2run.net.

MAGEE St. Stephen, Parish Health Ministry members will be selling raffle tickets for a beautiful handmade bench with lap blanket and a lovely handmade quilt. You get two chances for one ticket. These items would make wonderful Christmas gifts. Cost: Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5. Drawing will be Nov. 21 during their parish Thanksgiving dinner. Details: church office (601) 849 3237.

NATCHEZ Assumption of BVM, Bible Study on Fridays at 8:30 a.m. in Tuite Hall with Roseminette. Everyone is welcome. Details: (601) 442-7250.

St. Mary Basilica, Line Dancing, Mondays 9-10 a.m. in the Family Life Center. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.

St. Mary Basilica, Poinsettia sale fundraiser for the CYO. Plants are from Fred’s Nursery in 6 inch foil sleeved pots. Cost $15, or order 10 or more for $12.50 each. Available for pickup first week of Dec. Quantities are limited, so place your order early. Details: stmaryyouth@cableone.net.

OLIVE BRANCH Queen of Peace, Blood Drive, Sunday Nov. 28, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. All donors will receive a $5 Amazon gift card and are entered to win a $500 gift card. Schedule your appointment at donors.vitalant.org and search by blood drive code: queenop. Details: Gretchen (662) 895-5007.

YAZOO CITY St. Mary, Garage Sale, Saturday, Nov. 6 at the parish hall from 7-11 a.m. Money collected will be used to purchase a refrigerator for the office. Details: (662) 746-1680.

YOUTH BRIEFS
HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Wednesday night “Open Gym” 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Make plans to come Wednesdays and enjoy food, fun and games. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.

JACKSON St. Richard School, Open House, Tuesday, Nov. 9 from 9:30-11 a.m. Details: RSVP to tconrad@strichardschool.org.

SAVE THE DATE
JACKSON St. Richard, Save the date, Special Kids Art Show, Saturday, Dec. 4 from 5-7 p.m. in Foley Hall.

St. Richard School, Save the Date, Krewe de Cardinal, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. This festive evening features a brass band, premium silent and live auctions, a cash drawing, dancing, and New Orleans-style cocktails and cuisine. Tickets are just $50/per person or $100/per couple in advance. Host Couple and Event Sponsorships are available and come with special amenities like reserved seating and an invitation to the pre-event VIP cocktail hour. Details: development@strichardschool.org.

MADISON St. Joseph School, Save the Date, Jeans, Jazz & Bruin Blues $10,000 Draw Down, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022 at the Country Club of Jackson. To sponsor or purchase a draw down ticket visit www.stjoedrawdown.com.

VICKSBURG Vicksburg Catholic School, Save the Date, $10,000 Drawdown on the River, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022.

iGiveCatholic on #GivingTuesday, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. You can be part of the celebration by giving to your favorite Catholic organization or parish. Advanced giving opens on Nov. 15. Details: https://jackson.igivecatholic.org/ or Julia.williams@jacksondiocese.org.

Synodal process looks to hear from voices on the margins of the church

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By Dennis Sadowski
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis is inviting Catholics both in the mainstream of church life and on the margins to voice their dreams, ideas and concerns in preparation for the Synod of Bishops in 2023.

The process launched Oct. 17 in parishes and dioceses worldwide. The pope formally opened the synod process at the Vatican Oct. 9-10.

Under the theme “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission,” the pope is calling the church to practice synodality, that is listening to – and hearing – one another in all facets of church life, two of the coordinators of the effort at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told Catholic News Service.

The October opening “is just the first step in a larger, longer-term process of really incorporating the fruits of Vatican II and becoming a synodal church,” said Julia McStravog, a former USCCB employee who is a consultant to the bishops on the process.

“We’re going to have consultation. It’s also going to be a learning process about how to actually engage in a synodal way,” McStravog explained.

The launch begins a two-year process that culminates in the Synod of Bishops in October 2023. The synod is expected to adopt a final document that will guide the continuing development of a synodal church going into the future.

The pope’s call to synodality is rooted in his deep involvement as a cardinal in 2007 in drafting a document for CELAM, the acronym for the Spanish name of the Latin American bishops’ council, which met in Aparecida, Brazil. The document issued repeated calls for a “continental mission,” a church that goes out in search of ways to proclaim the Gospel to all.

Starting in October, dioceses and parishes will be engaged in nearly six months of discussions, or consultations, in which people from across the church will be invited to participate, said Richard Coll, executive director of the bishops’ Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, who is coordinating the effort for the USCCB.
Each diocese is being asked to submit a summary of local discussions by April 1 to the USCCB, which will then take a month to synthesize in a final written presentation for the Vatican.

Pope Francis celebrates a Mass to open the process that will lead up to the assembly of the world Synod of Bishops in 2023, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Remo Casilli, Reuters)

Coll said each diocese is being encouraged to let the Holy Spirit guide discussions.

“The Synod of Bishops is saying don’t focus on what the ultimate product is going to be. Focus on the process itself and how the Spirit will guide the church, represented in part through subsidiarity in the work that you are doing at the diocesan level,” Coll said.

The diocesan consultations also are an invitation to creativity, McStravog said.

“This is a moment to be co-creators with the Spirit. … It is a chance for reinvigorating an engaged community through creativity and the call to be open. There’s a chance to reaffirm the good and reimagine some things that could be better,” she explained.

To facilitate the effort, the Synod of Bishops, under Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general, introduced documents Sept. 7 to guide the process in dioceses. The USCCB followed up by quickly developing a supplemental document as well.

The primary document is a “vademecum,” or handbook, offering support for diocesan teams “to prepare and gather the people of God so that they can give voice to their experience in their local church.”

It also explains the objectives of the synodal process, principles of the process, the timeline for the two-year process, and resources for organizing the process.

A complementary preparatory document offers background to the development of the process, which is rooted in Pope Francis’ often-made invitation for “journeying together” in the world.

It states, “This journey, which follows in the wake of the church’s ‘renewal’ proposed by the Second Vatican Council, is both a gift and a task: By journeying together and reflecting together on the journey that has been made, the church will be able to learn through her experience which processes can help her to live communion, to achieve participation, to open herself to mission.”

The USCCB document further defines the Vatican’s documents. It a checklist of actions, proposed timeline for dioceses to follow, and a listing of background materials to help walk parishes and dioceses through the initial process and ensure wide participation.

An addendum, developed by the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, offers ideas for liturgical celebrations to mark the opening and closing of the synodal process in dioceses and suggestions for Scripture readings and musical themes.

Coll said the USCCB has been communicating with dioceses since May about forming teams to coordinate participation in the listening sessions. The Vatican documents were forwarded to dioceses soon after they were received by the USCCB.

At its meeting Sept. 14-15, the USCCB Administrative Committee, which includes the USCCB’s officers and the chairmen of the bishops’ various committees, reviewed the materials. It agreed to allot time for discussion on the synodal process during its fall general assembly in November, Coll said.

As dioceses prepare for the listening sessions, McStravog said the discussions present an opportunity for “gentleness and grace” to take hold within the church.

“This is a spiritual exercise,” she said. “It’s not just a bureaucratic or ecclesial exercise. It’s a spiritual exercise for the individual, for the parish, for the community, for the diocese and for the church in America at large.”

Coll and McStravog also echoed the pope’s Sept. 18 call to members of his diocese, the Diocese of Rome, to go to the margins to ensure that “the poor, the homeless, young people addicted to drugs, everyone that society rejects are part of the synod.”

“One of the questions is listening. How do we actually listen? It goes back to the invitation. The onus is on the diocese to really think through who is often excluded from our table. The church needs to go out and invite people back in,” McStravog said.

The vademecum also recognizes the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the church.

The document explains that the pandemic “has made existing inequalities explode” and shows that the entire human family is affected, requiring a unified response.

Secondly, the document continues, the pandemic poses logistical challenges for participation in diocesan listening sessions. It calls on dioceses to look for ways such as online gatherings, small group meetings or other safe means to gain insight from church members.

Once the Vatican receives the synthesized reports of diocesan meetings from bishops’ conferences around the world, the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops will draft by September 2022 the “instrumentum laboris,” or working document, to guide continental or regional ecclesial assemblies that will take place by March 2023.

Those assemblies will produce another set of documents that will help in the drafting of a second working document for the Synod of Bishops in October 2023. The synod is expected to produce a final document on synodality throughout the church.

(Editor’s note: Bishop Joseph Kopacz will formally open the synod process in the diocese on 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 24 with Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson.)