By Tereza Ma MERIDIAN – Sunday, Nov. 21 was a special day for the parishes of St. Patrick and St. Joseph in Meridian. After two years the parishes were able to celebrate with their annual Thanksgiving feast and were joined by Bishop Joseph Kopacz, also celebrating the feast of Christ the King at Mass with Father Augustine Palimattam.
Parishioners were thankful for many things. Here are a few of their responses: – Valeria Rangel is thankful for the Spanish and English speaking parishioners to get together as community. “Even though we have different Mass times, speak in different languages and have different cultures, it is wonderful to come together.”
– For Ken Woodward the dinner was a renewal of the community. “It leads us to Christ because we are the body of Christ. On this day as we honor him as King of Kings, what better way to do it than enjoying community with our brothers and sisters and enjoy a meal together.”
– Lucila Vargas, originally from Columbia, has been a member of St. Patrick for 46 years. She has enjoyed the tradition of the parish gathering to give thanks and enjoy a meal, as in her home country “they normally just go to church and give thanks to the Lord.”
– Dorethea Cole of St. Joseph parish loves the way that both parishes “get together as one Catholic community.”
– Tina Nadeau traveled 1,450 miles from South Dakota by motorcycle for the event to spend her mom’s birthday with her and enjoy Thanksgiving together with her mother and stepdad, who cooked for the parish feast. “It is so special to be here and give thanks.”
MERIDIAN – Bishop Joseph Kopacz and Father Augustine Palimattam celebrate Mass on Nov. 21 for Feast of Christ the King, prior to the huge Thanksgiving celebration for the St. Patrick and St. Joseph Catholic community. (Photos by Tereza Ma)
Father Augustine and Bishop Kopacz visit with parishioners before taking stroll to the parish center to enjoy the annual Thanksgiving meal.
Gerry Cober who prepared many delicious items on the menu, visits with parishioners to see how they are enjoying the meal. He had family come visit from South Dakota for the event and Thanksgiving.
Father Aaron Williams shared a laugh with parishioners during the feast.
Valeria Rantel with her mom and two siblings head into the community center to share thanks and a meal.
Sandra Killen and Lucia Vargas (right) enjoyed each others company in line. Killen shared a story about her daughter-in-law from Czechoslovakia who got shocked first time she was invited to Thanksgiving dinner.
Huge thanks goes to Debbie Hover who handled all the logistics behind the feast. She has faithfully worked at St. Patrick for 21 years. Hover is pictured taking a quick coffee break in the kitchen.
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.)
Anyone who has been a victim of abuse or exploitation by clergy, religious or lay church personnel and has not yet reported it is encouraged to do so.
Our victim assistance coordinator, Erika Rojas, a licensed social worker, is available to assist in making a report. Please contact her at (601) 326-3760. To report an allegation of abuse or mishandling of allegations of sexual abuse by a bishop, please visit https://reportbishopabuse.org.
By Catholic News Service WASHINGTON – More than 4,200 allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy and others were reported during the year ending June 30, 2020, a slight decline from the previous auditing period, according to a report on diocesan and eparchial compliance wit the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.”
Released late Nov. 9, the 18th annual report from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection stated that 3,924 child sexual abuse survivors filed 4,228 allegations.
In the 2019 report, covering the 2018-2019 audit period, 4,220 adults filed 4,434 allegations.
The charter was adopted in 2002 by the U.S. bishops following widespread reports of clergy abuse and has been revised several times since to adapt to changing situations surrounding the question of clergy sexual abuse of minors.
Conducted by StoneBridge Business Partners of Rochester, New York, the new report covers the year from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020.
While the number of allegations remained high during the audit period, the report said only 22 allegations involve current cases of abuse.
The report said the number of allegations remained high in part because of changes in statutes of limitations on reporting abuse in several states. “It should be noted that the vast majority of these reports were historical in nature,” the report said.
The report attributed about 66% of allegations to lawsuits, compensation programs established by dioceses and other entities and bankruptcies. In addition, 1% of allegations emerged after a review of clergy personnel files, according to the report.
Of the 22 allegations for the current year, six were found to be substantiated. The report said they originated from five dioceses.
Of the remaining reported allegations, seven continued to be investigated, two were unsubstantiated, three were determined to be “unable to be proven,” and four were classified as “other.”
The report said nine of the allegations involved the use of child pornography. Seven of those cases remained under investigation, one was substantiated and one was referred to a provincial or a religious order.
The allegations involved 2,458 priests, 31 deacons and 282 unknown clerics, statistics in the report show.
The report indicated that 195 of 197 dioceses and eparchies participated in the audit. Auditors conducted 61 onsite visits with 10 in person before the pandemic erupted in early 2020. The other 51 were conducted online. Data also was collected from 135 other dioceses and eparchies.
The Syro-Malankara Eparchy of St. Mary Queen of Peace of the United States and Canada and the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle of San Diego did not participate in the audit.
Of the 61 entities undergoing onsite audits, two dioceses and two eparchies were determined to be in noncompliance. The dioceses of Fort Worth, Texas, and Helena, Montana, were noncompliant with charter’s requirement for not having their respective Diocesan Review Board meet during the audit period. Subsequent to the audit, the boards in each diocese were convened, making them compliant with the charter, the report said.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago and the Syriac Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance, which covers the United States and is based New Jersey, were found noncompliant with charter provisions that require background screening and training of adults working with minors.
The report also acknowledged the continuing work of church entities to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. The USCCB said that expenditures on protective services rose 15% in 2020 with more than 2.5 million background checks of adults and training in safety measures for 3.1 million children.
Suzanne Healy, who chairs the National Review Board, said that as the charter enters its third decade of implementation it becomes important to continue evaluating incidents of abuse as well as understand trends of abuse and why they change.
In a letter to Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, USCCB president, that accompanied the report, Healy said a board committee is examining the safe environment education programs for adults and children in dioceses throughout the country.
“The research is an attempt to determine which elements or combination of elements of these training programs is most effective in mitigating the occurrence of child abuse and ensuring that any suspicion of abuse is reported to authorities,” Healy wrote.
She also said the board recommended two procedures be added to the audit process and welcomed their edition for the 2020-2021 audit cycle. The first is “a three-year look-back window, which will eliminate any gaps that existed regarding the reporting of case resolution,” Healy said.
The second relates to onsite visits by StoneBridge that finds auditors meeting with all or most diocesan review board members rather than one or two individuals.
“The ministries of safe environments and victim assistance are here to stay. The protocols and procedures for letters of suitability, background checks, and safe environment training are the norm,” said Deacon Bernie Nojadera, executive director of the USCCB Secretariat for Child and Youth Protection.
“By the grace of God, the church is working toward being accessible, accountable, and safe. We continue to rely on the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Our Mother to guide our efforts as we promise to protect and pledge to heal,” he wrote in a letter addressed to Archbishop Gomez and Healy that was included in the report.
In his preface to the report, Archbishop Gomez said: “As we know, one allegation of abuse is too many. But my brother bishops and I remain firmly committed to maintain our vigilance in protecting children and vulnerable adults and providing compassion and outreach to victim-survivors of abuse.”
Speaking for himself and the body of bishops, the archbishop expressed their “sorrow and apologies to every person who has suffered at the hands of someone in the church.”
“While we cannot give you back what has been taken from you,” Archbishop Gomez said, “we do commit ourselves to doing everything in our power to help you to heal and to fight the scourge of abuse in the church and in the wider society.”
Editor’s Note: The full annual report on compliance with the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops can be found online at https://bit.ly/3CYMQdX.
COLUMBUS – Annunciation kindergarten students wrap up their unit on dinosaurs with a dinosaur parade up and down the school hallways. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)
Garden delight
SOUTHAVEN – (Top) Sacred Heart PK-3 student, Ollie, gets help watering pansies the children planted earlier in the week. (Bottom) Vincent and Shayla water the broccoli that they planted as a follow up to learning about the story of creation. (Photos courtesy of Sister Margaret Sue Broker)
Red Ribbon Week
MERIDIAN – Fifth graders Jackson Spitzkeit and Helena Rutledge have their picture made by their teacher Lindi Palmer. This dress up day was a part of Red Ribbon Week – “Dress as your favorite book character – Good Character Counts!”(Photo by Emily Thompson)
Art: of Mass and of pumpkins
SOUTHAVEN – Izzy, Eli and Maddie with Bishop Joseph Kopacz during the recessional of Mass at Sacred Heart School on Monday, Oct. 18. (Photo by Sister Margaret Sue Broker)
MADISON – For St. Anthony’s annual pumpkin contest, third grader Madison McCullough put together Father Albeen Vatti and Kindergartener, Morgan McCullough made Msgr. Mike Flannery. (Photo by Amanda McCullough)
Exploring science
MERIDIAN – Fourth grader Jeremiah Mari presents his contraption to the judges of the Knights of Columbus Creative Contraptions Competition at St. Patrick School. Pictured left to right: Mark Hampton, Mouise Richards, Bob Leo, Jeremiah Mari and Tom Zettler. (Photo by courtesy of St. Patrick School)
COLUMBUS – Annunciation seventh grade student, Hollis Fenstermacher, participates in a “Melting Ice Lab” which is an inquiry-based activity that lets students explore the effects that melting ice has on the temperature of its surroundings. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)
By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D. Later this month on the Feast of Christ the King, the Diocese of Jackson will begin a Year of the Eucharist that is more than timely as we continue steadily to welcome back to Mass our Catholic faithful to take up their rightful place as members of the Body of Christ. We are not quite back to pre-pandemic numbers and vigor, but we have made significant strides. For active Catholics the sacrifice of the Mass is always the cornerstone for our faith in the crucified and risen Lord, and also at times the fertile ground for controversy in the modern era.
The first document of the Second Vatican council to be passed and presented to the Catholic world was Sacrosanctum Concilium by the near unanimous vote of 2174 to 4. This was Dec. 4, 1963, and in this document on the Sacred Liturgy that had priority of place among the eventual 16 documents of the Council, we read that the Council Fathers desired to “impart an ever increasing vigor to the Christian life of the faithful and to foster whatever can promote union among all who believe in Christ.”
Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz
It’s not surprising that they and we look to the celebration of the Eucharist, the sacrifice of the Mass, to strengthen the bonds of unity that should always be a labor of love among the children of God, perhaps especially in our generation. Furthermore, the council fathers stated that “the liturgy, through which the work of our redemption is accomplished, most of all in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, is the outstanding means whereby the faithful may express in their lives, and manifest to others, the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true church.”
One of the well-known quotes of the Vatican Council came from this document. “The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows.”
This power of God’s undying love first flowed in the water and blood from the broken body and pierced side of Jesus on the Cross. These were the headwaters of the sacramental life of the church, specifically Baptism and the Eucharist, that have become a mighty river flowing through time.
The one priesthood of Jesus Christ begun on the Cross, is given birth at every baptism, and made manifest in the gathering of the People of God at Mass in Word and in Sacrament. Through Baptism and Holy Orders, the two forms of the priesthood, laity and ordained, become one as the Body of Christ gathering around the tables of Word and Sacrament, the Body and Blood of the Lord. The eyes of faith give us the privilege of seeing and celebrating this unbreakable bond between heaven and earth, the most exalted unity that is possible in this world. We become one with the ascended Lord Jesus to give praise to God the Father, in order to better fulfill our mission of salvation, and to build up God’s Kingdom on Earth, a kingdom of life, justice and peace. Indeed, this is the font from which our power flows.
Is this upcoming “Year of the Eucharist” a good fit with the recently proclaimed world-wide process of the Synod on Synodality? We respond with an unqualified yes, knowing that the theme for the Synod is “Communion, Participation and Mission,” which is solidly Eucharistic in purpose and process. As in the Liturgy, we want the voices of our Catholic faithful to be raised in dialogue throughout the Synod process.
The following quotations from Sacrosanctum Concilium illuminate a clear path for us for the Synod to sow the seeds that will provide an abundant harvest. “Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people (1 Pet. 2:9; cf. 2:4-5), is their right and duty by reason of their baptism.” Likewise, we pray to approach the Synod as disciples of the Lord through fully conscious and active participation as a redeemed people seeking that unity for which Jesus ardently prays, allowing the Holy Spirit to bless and surprise us.
Finally, let us allow the dialogue and silence that are essential for our liturgical prayer as stated in the final quote from Sacrosanctum Concilium, resonate in our hearts and minds as we approach the Synod on Synodality.
“To promote active participation, the people should be encouraged to take part by means of acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons, and songs, as well as by actions, gestures, and bodily attitudes. And at the proper times all should observe a reverent silence.”
Through voices raised in dialogue, attitudes shaped by prayer, and silence cultivated out of respect for one another, we will experience a deeper sense of communion, participation and mission. Perhaps, we will achieve a harmony and solidarity under the guidance of the Holy Spirit at the level of 2174 to 4.
JACKSON – “A picture says a thousand words” is an age-old adage that we often use to describe many situations. In archives, that saying is very true. The photos included this week tell many stories, but more importantly these images, along with thousands of others like them in our diocesan archives collection, help us document history and artifacts.
In looking at the image of three bishops strolling down the street how can I conclude who is in the photo and what is happening? The main evidence fortunately is a date in the lower right corner of the photo is given as on Oct. 15, 1924. Please always date photographs and identify the people in them.
Taking the photograph by itself, I can deduce many things. It is of Bishop Gerow, it appears to be in Mobile because the columns in the background look a lot like the ones of the Cathedral there. But after that for those not familiar with the date on the photograph or Bishop Gerow the trail goes cold.
This photo portrait of Bishop R.O. Gerow displays the pectoral cross he used. Through photographs we know that the same cross was worn by Bishop Thomas Heslin before him.
However, as archivist and chancellor, knowing the importance of that date in diocesan history, I can confirm that the photo is from Bishop Gerow’s ordination as bishop, which occurred on Oct. 15, 1924, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Mobile. How then can I identify the two other bishops? In order to do that, I need to look no further than Bishop Gerow’s meticulously maintained diary. All the information I need is right there on the page in a beautiful passage:
“The ceremony was in the Cathedral of Mobile, and this was proper. Within its shadow I had been born; within its walls, baptized; here I served for many years as Altar boy; here I had been confirmed; and since my ordination to the priesthood here had been my only appointment; here was the only parish in which I had ever had a domicile.
The Consecrating Prelate was Bishop Allen, who had always been to me a father. He had sent me to college to try my vocation; he had kept me near him during my years as a priest; and I feel that his example and training have done much to mold my priestly life.
The Co-Consecrators were Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard and Bishop James A. Griffin, the latter a close companion during my years of study in Rome. A magnificent sermon was preached by Very Reverend Edward Cummings, S.J. Provincial, with whom I had been closely associated during his years at Spring Hill College.”
From this description, one can be almost certain that the two other bishops are Bishops Jeanmard and Allen. To further solidify this, I can search the internet for images of these two men and see if they match up and determine which is which. Jeanmard is on the left for the viewer and Allen is on the right.
I can only deduce that the man on the far left is a Knight of Columbus in formal attire – sword, sash, top hat. This attire was customary for such an occasion in the early 1900s.
Photographs also help us identify various episcopal symbols such as rings and pectoral crosses. In the image of Bishop Gerow we can see a pectoral cross. That cross is kept in the vault of the archives.
The cropped image, which is of Bishop Thomas Heslin (1889-1911), has the same cross. Therefore, we can date that particular cross in the vault to 1889. It could go back further but the two previous bishops went on the become archbishops and would have taken most of their crosses and rings with them.
The ring in the cropped photo also is in the vault and is engraved as a gift from St. Michael Parish, which was the parish Bishop Heslin was pastor of in New Orleans when he was named Bishop of Natchez in 1889. Therefore, we can date and assign that ring to Bishop Heslin.
So, archives can often be a scavenger hunt and an archaeological expedition. Portraits and photos play a major role in solving so many mysteries. In 2016 our diocesan archive was awarded the Cultural Heritage Digitization Award by the Mississippi Digital Library. The award allowed 600 images from our collection to be digitized and uploaded to the MDL.
You can view this sampling of our collection on their website https://msdiglib.org/. We are a partner listed as Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson. I hope you will visit the collection and enjoy the journey through diocesan history.
(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson)
(Above) Ordination of Bishop R.O. Gerow (center) on Oct. 15, 1924 at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Mobile. (Inset) This cropped image shows the pectoral cross and ring of Bishop Thomas Heslin (1889-1911). (Photos from archives)
JACKSON – St. Richard Pre-K4 Andrew Whitfield and Cruz Spiller students enjoyed their lesson on “Tt is for Teddy” with a tea party with teddy grahams and teddy bears.
JACKSON – The St. Richard House of Pascal had their first meeting of the year on Friday, Sept. 24. Sixth grade leaders shared their knowledge of their house saint with the other Cardinals. The house system is similar to Harry Potter, but the St. Richard houses are named after Saints such as Benedict, Blaise, Cornelius, Demerici, dePaul, Ignatius, Maximillian, Paschal, Pius, Sebastian, Seton, Sienna, Trinity and Xavier. (Photos by Chelsea Hamilton)
Fiesta time at Annunciation
COLUMBUS – Pre-K student, Carson McCann dances to the beat during the class fiesta. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)
Natchez CYO is serious about service
NATCHEZ – (Above) Helen Schwager, Gracie Bradley and Ricky and Brent Warren work to load up trucks for a trip down to Luling, Louisiana to aid with Hurricane Ida relief.
NATCHEZ – Led by Deacon Andrew Bowden, the St. Mary CYO worked on cleaning and filling old votive candle holders from the Sacristy with new wax and wicks before painting them to sell them in a fundraiser after Mass in November for people to light in memory of loved ones. Above, Deacon Andrew demonstrates the technique. Also pictured are Sally Hudson Linton, Emma Ledford and Helen Schwager. (Photos by Carrie Golden Lambert)
Are you ready for some football?
MADISON – St. Anthony and St. Richard third and fourth graders faced off at their first flag football game of the season on Wednesday, Sept. 29. (Photo by Joanna Puddister King)
MADISON – St. Joseph Bruins battled Simpson Academy on the gridiron on Friday, Sept. 24. (Photo by Joanna Puddister King)
JACKSON – On Sunday, Oct. 24, at the 10:30 Mass in the Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle, Bishop Joseph Kopacz will officially open the diocesan phase of the church’s preparation for a universal synod on the synodal process in 2023. In the Mass, Bishop Kopacz will offer prayers for the diocesan church as we undertake this important aspect of church life on the local level.
More information on the preparations for the synod is shared in this week’s paper and will be shared as the process moves forward. This is an exciting time for our church.
Bishop R.O. Gerow, seventh bishop of the diocese, sits surrounded by his clergy for a 1935 Synod held in Bay St. Louis at St. Augustine Seminary on July 9. (Photos from archives)
From an archive’s perspective, synods have been held in our diocese dating back to 1858. Bishop William Henry Elder called the First Synod of Natchez to gather his priests together to discuss diocesan life and business. In 1856 the Archdiocese of New Orleans had hosted a synod for the province, which included our diocese. Decrees, including the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, rules for the election of bishops, and several disciplinary items, were promulgated from that synod. Bishop Elder called the 1858 local synod in Natchez to discern those decrees and discuss in collegial fashion how to implement them in the diocese.
Nowadays we get information immediately; in the mid-19th century news travelled much more slowly. It is not unusual that it took two years to discuss these decrees and how they will affect the growing church in Mississippi.
The 10th and last official diocesan synod was held in 1957. This synod took up some very weighty topics such as the teaching authority of the church, the Sacraments, Christian education for children, and the administration of church property.
After each synod, a book was published of the decrees and decisions. In the 1957 book we find some great paragraphs on the sacraments and sacred things. These quotes will sound familiar to many of us.
Paragraph 96 states: “The Sacraments should be administered with dignity and decorum and in accordance with the regulations of the church. The rubrics shall be carefully studied and scrupulously observed.”
Paragraph 100 is most important to an archivist and chancellor: “Great care should be taken that records of Sacraments administered be plainly legible. All names of recipients should be written in BLOCK CAPITAL LETTERS. Ink to be used must be of a permanent type.”
Bishop William Henry Elder called the First Synod of Natchez to gather his priests together to discuss diocesan life and business.
Paragraph 211 is most informative: “The music for all church services shall be that found in approved liturgical books and only hymns which have been approved by recognized authorities in church music shall be used.”
Those are a few of the 261 statements coming forth from the 1957 synod. The 10 synods in our history were clergy attended. Diocesan convocations grew out of the synods. These convocations up until COVID met every two years and in recent years had included parish leadership other than just priests.
The themes for the 2023 worldwide synod are: Communion, Participation and Mission. It will involve listening sessions with local parishioners around the world on these powerful foundations of our faith. Our diocese will participate in this process as stated above.
Stayed tuned to how you can be a part of this historic and spiritual process in our church.
(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson)
MADISON – St. Anthony fifth grade students, Tanner White (left) and Drew Ring (right) used the scientific method to test the effectiveness of different types of face coverings. A specfic face covering was deemed ineffective if a candle flame could be blown out while wearing the face covering. The students determined that neck gaiters were ineffective face coverings. (Photo courtesy of Vicki Moorehead)
NATCHEZ – Youth get creative in the St. Mary CYO scavenger hunt. Clockwise from top: Kinslee Young (in purple), Lacy Fair, Wells Linton, SK Cauthen, Graci Gamberi, Sally Hudson Linton and Liza Gregg (in green). (Photo courtesy of Carrie Golden Lambert)
GREENVILLE – Elementary students had some pre-game fun for the first home football game. Go Irish! (Photo by Nikki Thompson)
VICKSBURG – Vicksburg Catholic School took time to honor first responders for a special 9/11 Prayer Service. (Photo by Lindsey Bradley)
MERIDIAN – St. Patrick first grader, Cayden Gray hangs up his art work about Adam and Eve after completing a lesson on how God made man in His image. (Photo by Lindsey Bradley)
COLUMBUS – Annunciation Pre-K students, Atlas McCullough and Atlas Banks practice good manners during a manners tea party. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)
MADISON – St. Joseph seniors (l-r) Cole Spivey and Jake Ramsey help Catholic Charities supporters to find the correct table for the Journey of Hope luncheon with Elizabeth Smart. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
