Category Archives: Featured

Festival celebrates immigrant cultures

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By Maureen Smith
TUPELO – On Saturday, September 15, St. James Parish hosted Hispanic Heritage Day which included music, dance, food and a friendly fund-raising competition for the title of Hispanic Queen. The celebration gathered more than 300 people from the parishes of deanery five.
“Our Parish of St. James, began to have this celebration in 2005 for the Independence Day of Mexico. The objective of this event was to spend a family afternoon and share our traditions, with music, dancing – without missing our typical Mexican snacks. Over the years this event has grown a lot and more people have joined,” said Raquel Thompson, coordinator for Hispanic Ministry for St. James. Latinos from New Albany St. Francis, Corinth St. James the Less, Ripley St. Matthew, Pontotoc St. Christopher and the host parish joined in by offering a display of costumes, bringing a dance or musical group, food and drinks typical of their homeland.

“We, as Hispanics in the United States, are proud to share a little of our cultures, customs and traditions that go beyond folk dances, food, etc., so this year we organized it at the deanery level,” explained Thompson. “The goal was to have a meeting of communities to share our faith, promote unity, family integration, inspire our youth and feel the joy of brotherhood that unites us as Latino brothers and sisters in this country, who has welcomed us and feel at home, although we are far from our land,” she continued.
Katia Cruz acted as emcee for the day. At the end of the celebration organizers named a “Hispanic Queen,” conferred on the girl who collected the most money through selling snacks throughout the event. The ladies wore costumes from the countries of origin of their parents. In a short interview with four of the participants, the common denominator was their desire to help their church and therefore their community. Joselyn Acosta, Karen Ruedas, Lorena Benavides and Kaelen López all have dreams for the future as an accountant, nurse and lawyer. The money raised will help all the parishes in the deanery. In the end Kimberly Huerta of New Albany St. Francis was elected as Hispanic Queen 2018, with second place for Daniela Pérez of Corinth and third place for Carolina Acosta of Tupelo.

(Berta Mexidor, Katia Cruz and Raquel Thompson contributed to this story. See more photos in this week’s Catolico.)

Listening sessions

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In an effort to advance the healing process and to support our commitment to transparency, Bishop Joseph Kopacz is sponsoring a series of listening sessions open to the community. There will be four sessions to accommodate people all across our Catholic community.

Franciscan Sister Dorothy Heiderscheit will be the facilitator at each session. She is CEO of Southdown Institute of Toronto, Canada. Southdown Institute was founded specifically to address the needs of religious and clergy around mental health and addiction. Sister Dorothy served as a therapist and director of Family Ministry at Catholic Charities of Jackson from 1987 to 2000.

Before you come, we ask that you read the diocesan statement addressing what we do when abuse is reported, what we have done in the past and what we are doing now to prevent abuse in the Diocese of Jackson. It can be found here: https://jacksondiocese.org/2018/09/a-reason-for-hope-the-diocese-of-jacksons-commitment-to-our-children/

We also ask that you submit questions in advance in writing here: https://jacksondiocese.org/contact/ Use the subject “Listening Sessions.”

A Spanish interpreter will be available at each session.

Thursday, Oct. 4, Tupelo St. James Parish, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 5, Cleveland Our Lady of Victories Parish, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 6, Madison St. Francis of Assisi Parish, 11 a.m.

Sunday, Oct. 7, Natchez St. Mary Parish, 4:30 p.m.

Feast day fiesta at St. Matthew

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RIPLEY – Members of St. Matthew Parish in Ripley celebrated their patron saint on Saturday, Sept. 22. The actual feast is celebrated worldwide on Sept. 21.
Matthew, the evangelist and apostle was a tax collector for the Romans. He coverted to Jesus and after the resurrection, Matthew preached for years in Judea and in nearby countries. San Mateo (in Spanish) is credited for being a patron of bankers and is represented with a book.
The celebration started with Mass, but included dancers from Tupelo St. James Parish who came to share a traditional Aztec drama- dance. “Los Matachines,” usually dance in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The dance represents the fight of good versus evil. At the end good is the winner.

(Katia Cruz contributed to this story)

RIPLEY – Above “Los Matachines,” dancers from Tupelo St James Parish. For more than ten years this group has offered traditional Aztec dance performances around Mississippi. With 40 members including young and adults, the group came to bring color and music to the celebration for the Feast Day of St. Matthew. (Photos courtesy of Madeline Hale)

In right photo: Father Jesuraj Xavier accepts the gifts from the dancers during the Mass. (l-r)Carriying flowers Sindy Vázquez and her mother, Rosario Gonzalez, Brithney, Yaire López and Alma Diaz, the last two are current leaders of the dancers.

First day from across the Diocese’s Catholic schools

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COLUMBUS – Joseph Baumann, a second-grader at Annunciation School, August 6, gets right to work on the first day of class. All Catholic schools in the Diocese of Jackson are in session. In this back-to-school special edition, get updates on what's new for schools this year including improved curriculum, Catholic identity, character education in athletics and a service project idea that is still building momentum. Stories start on page 6. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)

MERIDIAN – Students in Melanie Pressly’s first grade class at St. Patrick School sing a song on their first day back to class. (Photo Virginia Pressly)

MADISON – St. Anthony students Sam Sosa and Campbell Stringer are happy to see each other the first day of school. (Photo courtesy Michele Warnock)

GREENVILLE – Middle school students work off some energy during the first Day of School at St. Joseph School. (Photo by Craig Mandolini)

MADISON – Sister Paula Blouin shows (l-r) Brandon Giuffria, Olanna Chima, Reed Hardy and Sydney Beard, students at Assisi Early Learning Center how to stir hot cheese grits to cool them off. (Photo courtesy of Sister Paula Blouin)

FLOWOOD – Students at St. Paul Early Learning Center find their faces on a classroom chart. (Photo courtesy Susan Irby)

MADISON – St. Joseph students get right to work. (Photo courtesy of Terry Casserino.)

JACKSON – Suzan Cox washes Alan Garrison’s feet at the St. Richard sixth grade commissioning ceremony. The graduating class hears the gospel where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. Teachers and administrators wash their feet and send them back to the school as servant leaders. (Photo by Wendi Shearer )

HOLLY SPRINGS – Holy Family principal Clara Isom high-fives students as they head for class with new backpacks. A Tunica business donated backpacks and school supplies to all the students. (Photo courtesy of Sandra Cirilli )

GREENWOOD – Students at St. Francis of Assisi School participated in the first school Mass of the year through liturgical dance and by acting out the gospel with celebrant Father Camillus Janas, OFM. (Photo by Jackie C. Lewis)

VICKSBURG – The Flashettes dance team and cheerleaders greet Kindergartener Kenneth and Pre-K student Allison Grogan as they walk into St Francis Xavier for their first day of school. (Photo by Kristi Smith)

JACKSON – Sister Thea Bowman students got right to work on their first day.(Photo by Deacon Denzil Lobo)

System-wide accreditation, school improvement enhanced Catholic identity in the works for 2018/2019

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By Catherine Cook
JACKSON – Classes are underway in all schools across the Diocese of Jackson. In this edition of Mississippi Catholic, readers can find updates on school accreditation, character education through athletics, how Catholic identity is being enhanced in every school, improvements being made to curriculum, news on school expansions and new administrators.
In addition to new faces, new administrators and new construction, the Office of Catholic Education has begun a system-wide accreditation process to have all 13 Catholic schools accredited by AdvancED, the accrediting agency formed by the merger of the PreK-12 school division of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and North Central Association (NCA) Commissions on Accreditation and School Improvement in 2006 and later including the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) making it the largest association of educational professionals in the world. The Diocese of Jackson joins 52 (arch)dioceses and Catholic school systems from across the U.S. already accredited this way..
Stephanie Brown, coordinator of school improvement, is leading this process. Brown worked with the Office of Catholic Education last year on a part-time basis assisting with the ongoing curriculum review and initiating the AdvancED process and began in a full-time capacity in July. She comes to the education office from Madison St. Anthony School where she served as a teacher, the coordinator of religious education, and the assistant principal.
The diocese has a significant history with AdvancED through its affiliation with SACS. Many schools were accredited by SACS during the mid 1970s and 80’s. Natchez Cathedral, Madison St. Joseph and Vicksburg Catholic were accredited by SACS in 1975, Holly Springs Holy Family in 1978, Greenville St. Joseph in 1980, Columbus Annunciation in 1984, Southaven Sacred Heart and Jackson St. Richard in 2004, and Madison St. Anthony in 2012. The four remaining schools that have not been affiliated with AdvancED will be accredited through this system-wide process.
This accreditation process uses a set of rigorous research-based standards to examine individual schools, as well as, the diocese as a system to determine how well the schools and the diocese are meeting the needs of students. Continuous improvement is at the core of this process. All efforts in the accreditation review are directed toward examining data – surveys, achievement scores, classroom observation data, etc. for ongoing improvement of student outcomes. The standards are grouped within three domains: leadership capacity, learning capacity and resources capacity. Additionally, AdvancED partnered with the National Educational Association to incorporate the Catholic School Standards so that we can be assured that the uniqueness of Catholic education is recognized and supported.
The system-wide process began for Catholic schools here last spring with surveys sent to students, parents, and staff at each school.


The results of the surveys indicate that the parent ratings were slightly higher than the AdvancED network average, the middle/high school student ratings were slightly lower than the network average with staff and elementary student ratings slightly lower in some areas and slightly higher in other areas. While this is a cursory view of the diocese a deep dive into the data is available at each school location as reports provide ratings for each of the 53 questions within the five areas of focus. One report presents the five highest scoring items and the five lowest scoring items for each of the stakeholder groups. This data assists the diocese and each school in determining areas that need improvement and areas of strength on which to build. Principals and pastors have received a report of the survey results specific to their school. Once individual schools have determined their areas of focus for improvement we determine how the diocese can support those areas..
Another diocesan-wide effort is Play Like a Champion (PLAC) coordinated by Amy Lipovetsky who came to the diocese from Florida where she served as a district level athletic director. She and her family moved here in 2016, and she serves as youth director at Madison St. Francis of Assisi Parish and coaches middle school volleyball at Madison St. Joseph School. Lipovetsky works with all schools and parishes in our diocese that have athletic programs. Play Like a Champion Today: Character Education through Sports is rooted in Catholic teachings and traditions. The program places emphasis on coaching as a ministry and the role of sports in moral and spiritual development. PLAC provides resources for coaches, parents, and students including prayers and reflections, as well as, information bullying and hazing, handling failure and success and first aid, to name a few. Find out more at www.playlikeachampion.org.

(Catherine Cook is the superintendent of Catholic education for the diocese.)

Catholic Extension fact-finding mission highlights Hispanic ministry

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By Berta Mexidor
GREENWOOD – Catfish and zucchini have a common denominator in the southern cuisine: Latinos’ soul. Redemptorist Father Ted Dorcey noted this connection during a tour of farms he helped conduct for a group from Catholic Extension. There are four Redemptorists working with the Hispanic community in the Delta. Their ministry was one stop for the visitors who spent two days immersed in different aspects of Hispanic ministry in Mississippi.
The Redemptorists have been in this area for more than four years, serving Catholics in remote places, especially those working in industries with a schedule that might make it hard to attend Mass or receive sacraments.
During the encounter, Joe Boland, vice president of Catholic Extension explained the mission of their organization is to finance the best efforts of the Catholic church in U.S, as well as reaching out in special cases such as the Puerto Rico crisis, church construction in Cuba and seminarian support.
Timothy Muldoon, Director of Mission Education for Catholic Extension, explained that the purpose of this trip is provide a glimpse of the not well-known areas of the pastoral work. Muldoon is trying to connect, in this case, three priests from Chicago with the Mississippi Delta, from where African American families in Chicago came a generation ago.

INDIANOLA – (l-r) Father Ted Dorcey, Father Paul Seaman, Fran Lavelle, Father Sergio Romo; Joe Boland and Timothy Muldoon.in conversation with Adolfo Rojas. In the group photo also, Brother Ted Daush, Father Michael Mc Andrew and members of Catholic Extension team.(Photos by Berta Mexidor)

The priests, Fathers Sergio Romo from St Andrew, Paul Seaman of St. Clement and Francis Bitterman from St. Josaphat, all parishes in Chicago, were impressed by the circumstances and work of the Redemptorist mission in the Delta. Father Romo pointed out that there are great differences between his work in a metropolitan church in Chicago and an itinerant church with parishioners scattered throughout the Mississippi Delta.
Joining the members of the Catholic Extension team were representatives of the Diocese of Jackson including Fran Lavelle, Director Faith Formation, two Missionary Guadalupans of the Holy Spirit, Maria Elena Méndez and Maria Josefa García, who are both coordinators for Hispanic Ministry for the diocese, and Father Kevin Slattery, vicar general.
Lavelle noted that the diocese serves 95 parishes and missions in a state where Catholics are a minority are scattered throughout the territory. In the Delta the Redemptorist are reaching many Latino families but this is not enough. The diocese’s Hispanic ministry team is constantly on the road to support work in parishes and missions throughout the diocese.
As a part of the excursion, Father Dorcey invited the visitors to the zucchini harvest at one farm and a catfish plant, where many Mexicans are seasonal workers under the work visa program. All the visitors and guests witnessed in firsthand the labor conditions and motivation of young migrants and their families working in Mississippi.
Adolfo Rojas, supervisor of the farm workers answered questions from the visitors, who were impressed by the faith of all the workers who keep their link with the church even after long hours of work.
Catholic Extension’s Karla Ortiz, manager of mission programs, Natalie Donatello, manager of parish partnerships and Rich Kalonick, senior manager of creative, who was shooting video and photos, were also part of the delegation.
After their Delta tour, the group also visited Carthage, Camden and Forest.

Catholic Charities presents evening with Christian actor, producer

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Actor, producer and philanthropist Jim Caviezel knew when he accepted the role of Jesus in the Passion of the Christ, that his career would be impacted by the decision, but he wanted to use his life’s work to honor God. “My talent came from God, not from man,” he told Dave Cooper in an online interview for the show Christus Rex.
Caviezel is bringing his testimony to Jackson for an evening fundraiser for Catholic Charities on Friday, Sept. 7, at Thalia Mara Hall starting at 7:30 p.m.
Caviezel grew up in Washington State in a devout Catholic family. He first pursued a career in baseball until an injury sidelined him. He discovered acting instead.
In 1992 Caviezel landed a small role as an Italian ticket agent in Gus Van Sant’s My Private Idaho which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award. To further his career Caviezel moved to Los Angeles in the early 1980’s and while making his round of auditions, Caviezel found small roles on popular TV shows Murder She Wrote, The Wonder Years and the CBS miniseries, Children of the Dust. Caviezel geared toward the big screen and accepted a role in Michael Ritchie’s drama Diggstown, followed by Lawrence Kasdan’s action film Wyatt Earp and in the action drama G.I Jane opposite actress Demi Moore.
Caviezel’s breakthrough role came in 1998 when he was casted in Terrence Malick’s Oscar nominated film The Thin Red Line, a dramatic adaption of a popular book about World War II alongside Sean Penn and Adrien Brody. Directors were drawn to Caviezel as he continuously demonstrated his powerful ability to fuse soulful introspection with physicality.
That generated quality and mainstream roles in films such as Ang Lee’s Civil War drama Ride with the Devil, Mimi Leders dramatic romance Pay it Forward and Luis Mandoki’s romantic thriller Angel Eyes. In 2002, Caviezel played the lead in an adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo based on the classic novel by Alexander Dumas. His next two roles included High Crimes opposite Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman and in Robert Harmon’s crime thriller in film Highwaymen.
Caviezel was recognized for his intense preparations for film roles and his role as Jesus in Passion of the Christ earned him a Grace Award from the Movie Guide Awards for the Most Inspired Movie Acting. Next, Caviezel played the character of Bobby Jones in the biographical drama Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius. In 2006, Caviezel played opposite Denzel Washington in the sci-fi thriller Déjà vu. Caviezel’s role on the mini TV-series The Prisoner for six episodes allowed him to prepare for his biggest TV role. In 2012, Caviezel appeared in the drama thriller Transit, alongside James Frain and Elisabeth Rohm. Premiering in 2011 Caviezel starred as ex-CIA special operations agent Jon Reese in CBS’s critically lauded drama, Person of Interest for all five seasons.
His second spiritual role was in Paul, Apostle of Christ, which was released earlier this year. When he speaks he challenges his audiences. In the Christus Rex interview he asked the attendees to “set yourselves apart from this corrupt generation my brothers and sisters, you weren’t made to fit in, you were born to stand out,” but he also warned that being a Christian and seeking salvation takes work. “Everyone wants resurrection. No one wants suffering,” said Caviezel.
“For any person, Christian or fan of the Passion or Caviezel’s other films, they are in for a treat. We are even more excited to bring his message to people of all faiths and denominations,” said John Lunardini, COO of Catholic Charities. He said he hopes people of all denominations will attend this inspiring evening.
Sponsors and VIP ticket holders will have access to the pre-show Meet and Greet with Jim Caviezel. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster online and in person at the box office.
Ticket prices range from $100 to $25 and group discounts are available. For more information about tickets and sponsorships contact Julie O’Brien at 601-326-3758, e-mail: julie.obrien@ccjackson.org or visit www.catholiccharitiesjackson.org

(Julie O’Brien contributed to this story.)