Category Archives: Featured

Full STEM ahead, Catholic schools rack up science, engineering awards

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By Kristian Beatty
Full STEM ahead!  March and April have been exciting for several students across the Diocese of Jackson!  Students from Greenville St. Joe, Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School, St. Richard Catholic School, and St. Anthony Catholic school attended and won awards at science fairs held in Jackson and Pearl, MS. Many students started working on their science fair projects in the Fall of 2017 and had to win at their school science fair to move on the next level. Congratulations to all the students who participated at the MAIS Overall Science Fair and the MSEF Region II Science Fair. 

JACKSON – A student from Madison St. Anthony school answers questions for a judge at the MSEF Region II Science Fair on Thursday, March 22, at Jackson State University. Schools from across the diocese brought home honors from similar events around the state in March and April.

Wednesday, April 4: St. Joseph Catholic High School (Greenville) students attended the MAIS Overall Science Fair at the Muse Center in Pearl, MS.

3rd place: Mary Patton Meyer, Dorian Rice, Avery Cole, Kamiya Clark, Carsen Mansour, McKenzie Sandifer

1st place: Eli Williamson, Sarah Tonos, Mikayla Dotson

Best of Fair ($200 prize): Eli Williamson

Thursday, March 22nd: Sr.Thea Bowman Catholic School (Jackson), St. Richard Catholic School (Jackson) and St. Anthony Catholic School (Madison) students attended the MSEF Region II held at Jackson State University in Jackson, MS. The following students placed in their categories out of 482 students according to Kristy Love-Kendrick- JSU Region II Science Fair Director:

Sister Thea Bowmen Catholic School had 14 students participate and 8 of those students won awards.

Organic Chemistry

Malick Yedjou – 1st place

Botany

Synia Means – 1st place

Medicine and Health

Alexander Mason – 1st place

Inorganic Chemistry

Charis Ngong – 2nd place

Ashleigh Mason – 3rd place

Physics and Astronomy 

Cobe Williams – 4th place

Computer Science and Math

Jon Burse – 5th place

Special Energy Smart Award sponsored by the MS Development Authority:

Malick Yedjou

St. Richard Catholic School had 17 students participate and 3 of those students won awards.

Behavioral science

Mary Margaret Martin-4th

Carrington Fowler-5th

Microbiology 

Turner Brown-2nd

St. Anthony Catholic School had 47 students participate and 27 of those students won awards.

Class 1 Awards

Ella Eatherly- Class 1 Overall Individual Best of Fair

Animal Sciences  

John Harris – 2nd Place

Susannah Harmon- 4th Place

Behavioral & Social Science    

Abby Stringer-1st Place

Madelyn Rodrigue-2nd Place     

Biochemistry       

Josie Ricotta-5th Place

Botany       

Samantha Naegele-3rd Place

Earth & Environmental  

Katie Ann Venable-1st Place

Inorganic Chemistry      

Ella Eatherly-1st Place

Microbiology       

Miller Franklin-1st Place

Jack Kosek-2nd Place

Organic Chemistry

Emily Loyacono-3rd Place

Ellie Latour-4th Place

Class 2 Awards-

Class 2 School Award: St. Anthony Catholic School

 Animal Sciences  

Stella Williams-1st Place

Carolina deLange-2nd Place

Biochemistry       

Maria deLange-3rd Place

Botany       

Isabelle Zevallos-5th Place

Computer Science & Math      

JJ Tice-2nd Place

Earth & Environmental  

Jennings Kimbrell-2nd Place

Inorganic Chemistry      

Iliana Blount-2nd Place

Tyler Stovall-4th Place

Medicine & Health         

1st- Eliza Rowlett-2nd Place

         

Microbiology       

Stella McCarty-1st Place

Annsley Maynor-4th Place

Kate Kosek-5th Place

Organic Chemistry

Emerson Erwin-3rd Place

Sophie Sosa-5th Place

Physics & Astronomy    

Cameron Moody-1st Place

(Kristian Beatty is development director for Madison St. Anthony School.)

 

Rectory renovation begins with bee removal

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Renovations at the rectory for the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle caused quite the buzz in downtown Jackson during the second week of March. The restoration crew had to call in a beekeeper to remove a five-foot tall hive from one of the columns on the rectory porch. The operation drew news crews and concern from bank employees next door, but was completed smoothly and safely. Rectory staff and reporters even got to take home sections of honey comb.

JACKSON, Miss., Workers from Durable Restoration remove part of a five-foot tall beehive from a column on the porch of the rectory for the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in downtown Jackson on Friday, March 2. The bees have been in the nest about 10 years, but needed renovations forced their removal. Beekeeper Michael Everett, who will relocate them to a Mississippi State University Experiment station in Crystal Springs, estimates the hive had about 50 pounds of honey in it. Cathedral staff hope to auction the honey at a ministry fair later this spring.

Traci Avalon, office manager for the rectory, said she has known the bees had a hive in the column for a decade, but since they didn’t seem to bother anyone and she knows bees are endangered, she left them alone. When it came time to renovate, she included bee removal in the bid process. “I told them I did not want the bees destroyed. I know some beekeepers and I knew they can be moved,” she said.
Durable Restoration, a sister company to Durable Slate, took on the project. The company worked on the cathedral renovation several years ago and has done a lot of work in churches. Jacob Lammers, a public relations vice president for Durable Restoration, said this is not the first time the company has worked with a beekeeper to remove a hive. While beekeeper Michael Everett from Magee led the effort, Durable Slate employees donned protective bee-suits and did the heavy-lifting.
Workers drilled holes in the column and used a camera to precisely locate the hive. Then, they carefully cut the wood around the hive to remove a whole section from the column, bringing with it 10-years worth of honeycomb, honey and insects. “As bees build a nest, they continue to make it go down every year. They start at the top and as they have space they will go down. The column was about 20 inches inside and the bees have 3/8 of an inch crawl-space so they will suspend the combs and build from there,” Everett captured the queen bee and drew the workers out to her. The whole operation, started in the late afternoon, took about three hours. He guessed there was about 50 pounds of honey in this hive.
“These were Italian bees, a three-banded Italian. They were yellow with little black rings,” Everett explained. He has been a beekeeper for 13-years. He used to work in construction so he uses his knowledge of how structures are built to find creative ways to remove bees. These days he raises his own queen bees and helps with the occasional hive removal. He said as long as the bees are moved more than one mile from their original location, they will not return to their old nest. The cathedral bees will have a new home at the Mississippi State University Agricultural Experiment Station in Crystal Springs where they will pollinate local crops and continue to make honey.
Avalon said she will extract the honey from the comb she got and put it up for auction at the St. Peter Ministry Fair later this spring.

Christian sites benefit from visits, local collection

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Bishop Joseph Kopacz

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
For pilgrims who visit the Holy Land, at whatever point on the compass the pilgrimage begins, the goal and culminating experience are the arrival in Jerusalem. This is precisely the path of salvation that the Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John describe in their narratives of the Lord Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. His public ministry unfolded in Galilee and flowed southward like the Jordan River in the direction of Jerusalem.
We followed this Gospel corridor on the recent pilgrimage sponsored by the Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulcher. At first, we settled in at the Sea of Tiberius in northern Israel, the location of Nazareth, Capernaum, Cana, the Sermon on the Mount and the Transfiguration, before turning southward toward Jerusalem. Although the region is wracked by hatred, violence and periodic outbreaks of deadly hostilities, a consistent reality is that pilgrims are always welcome. Obviously, this is the pragmatic thing to do, but this is also a sign of the abiding respect and good will that many in Israel and Palestine, Jews and Muslims alike, have for the ancient Christian Churches.
Without a doubt, for the Christians who tragically are diminishing in number across the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the mother Church of all Christianity encompassing Israel, Palestine and Jordan, the presence of the pilgrims is critical for their survival. “The pilgrimages are a form of sustenance for the survival of thousands of families.” (Leonardo Cardinal Sandri: Congregation of the Oriental Churches: Good Friday Appeal Letter) I do not know the total annual financial impact of the pilgrims who come from across the globe, but it is substantial. However, we can quantify the money that is collected each year from the Good Friday Holy Land collection.
Last year Catholics throughout the United States, including the Diocese of Jackson that raised ore than $32,000, contributed more than $20,000,000 to the mission and ministries of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. From this largesse the faithful of the Holy Land were able to renovate and restore the Churches of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Recently, a conflict erupted when the Jewish Jerusalem Municipality, with an impending vote in the Knesset, was about to encode in law oppressive taxation upon the Christian Churches with the possibility of foreclosure and seizure of properties if assessments were not paid. The Christian traditions who oversee the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Orthodox, Armenian, Catholic, responded with the temporary closure of this holiest of sites of the Lord’s crucifixion and burial. (Their statementis posted on www.mississippicatholic.com with this column.)
This sparked an international response and the Knesset canceled the vote, at least for now. Naturally, Christians would not and should not embark on a Crusade in the classic sense, but spiritual and economic muscle do matter. The generosity, prayers and attention of many Catholics and other Christians on Good Friday and throughout the year make a difference. Why should we be concerned? “The Christian faith had the first impulse from the mother Church in Jerusalem which has a special vocation to live the faith in a multi-religious, political, social and cultural context, nothing less than keeping the memory of our Redemption alive.” (Cardinal Sandri)
Of course, it is not only a matter of preserving the ancient sites, but also of fostering the universal mission of our crucified and risen Lord through the modern day ministries of the Churches fighting to survive and thrive. Cardinal Sandri writes: “Notwithstanding the challenges and insecurities, the parishes continue their pastoral services with a preferential attention for the poor. We hope against hope, that the schools serve as a place of encounter between the Christians and the Muslims, where they prepare a future of mutual respect and collaboration, the hospitals and clinics, the hospices and meeting centers continue to welcome the suffering and those in need, refugees and displaced, persons of all ages and religions, struck by the horror of war. A great number of them schooling-age, who appeal to our generosity to resume their scholastic life and dream of a better future.” In his letter Cardinal Sandri elaborates upon the plight of many Christians throughout the region. “Our attention goes to the small Christian community in the Middle East, which continues to sustain the faith among the displaced persons from Iraq and Syria and among the refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. The Pope’s World Day of Peace was directed to the refugee crisis. ‘In a spirit of compassion let us embrace all those fleeing from war and from hunger, or forced by discrimination, persecution, poverty and environmental degradation to leave their homeland.’ Most Iraqi Christians and Syrians want to return to their own land where their houses were destroyed, with schools, hospitals and churches devastated. Let us not leave them alone.”
We know that the Lenten journey is not a solitary act, but an itinerary of solidarity by which each one of us is called to pause, and like the Good Samaritan, accompany our brethren who for many reasons find it difficult to stand up and continue their journey. This is clearly the reality in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East and we pray that the Good Friday collection will raise up our Christian sisters and brothers.
We are blessed to be able to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, once in a lifetime perhaps, but once a year during Holy Week we can make a spiritual pilgrimage through prayer and generosity to be in solidarity with many undergoing persecution and hardship. Please be generous.

Churches in Jerusalem close the Holy Sepulcher in protest

https://ofm.org/blog/churches-jerusalem-close-holy-sepulcher-protest/

 

Saint Padre Pio relic tour kicks off in Jackson

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JACKSON – Thursday, March 1, the relics of St. Padre Pio were on display in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. Bishop Joseph Kopacz wrote about him in this week’s column on page 3. People from across the area came to venerate the relics and participate in a special Mass in his honor that evening. They shared with Mississippi Catholic production manager Tereza Ma what the relics meant to them.
“Being in the presence of St. Padre Pio’s relics was so breathtaking. He has always meant a lot to me ever since I read about him in my religion class and learned about his stigmata. Later, my love for St. Padre Pio grew even more as I learned about his healing ministry, miracles and powers in the confessional. All which proved his great love of God,” said 13-year-old Leah Munoz, a member of Pearl St. Jude Parish. “One of my most prized possessions is a small statue of St. Padre Pio that I keep by my bed, which my grandmother bought me eight years ago. Today, I was able to take it and touch it to Padre Pio’s glove. Now my statue is a genuine third-class relic,” she added.
“I have been following him for quite some time. He is such a great saint. He did so many things. I wish I was able to go to him for confession because to be able to read souls and for him to be able to help people in that way – it would have been wonderful,” said Maureen Murphy.
Luciano Lamonarca is the founder of the St. Padre Pio Foundation. He is leading the tour across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Lamonarca is from the “heel” of Italy’s boot, where St. Pio ministered. Devotion to the saint is pervasive there.
Lamonarca himself called upon the saint for intersession after his wife suffered a series of miscarriages. They are now proud parents to a son.
“Traveling with the relics, you feel a blessing, when there are people who come from around the state or come from other states just to touch the relics for a few days while I have access to them all the time, so how blessed am I? When I travel with the relics I am not afraid. This sense of calm and protection always follows me,” he said.

Regional Encuentro advances process of identifying ministry priorities

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By Tom Tracy
MIAMI (CNS) – The head of Catholic Relief Services told several hundred Hispanic leaders from the U.S. Southeast recently that they are a vital part of the church’s future “global voice” and missionary discipleship.
“The statement you see on signs all the time now is ‘when you see something, say something,’ and to be a missionary disciple it is ‘when you see something, do something,'” said Sean Callahan, president and CEO of CRS, the U.S. Catholic Church’s overseas relief and development agency.
“We need to be seen as the doers, and there is a great opportunity right now for the Catholic Church to come together and be more of a force for right and for justice in a country of people who want justice,” he said.
Callahan, a 28-year veteran of CRS in his second year of leadership at the Baltimore-based agency, spoke Feb. 23 to more than 340 mostly Hispanic leaders gathered from among some 30 dioceses that are part of the Southeastern Regional Encuentro comprising church’s episcopal regions V and XIV.
A delegation from the Diocese of Jackson attended, taking with them the results of parish-level and diocesan gatherings identifying the priorities of the Diocese of Jackson. One of the delegates, Danna Johnson from Pontotoc St. Christopher Parish, said faith formation remains critical.
“In the area of ‘leadership development and pastoral training,’ the strategy that was identified as a region is to increase programs of pastoral formation for Latinos in both languages (English and Spanish) or more, depending on the needs of each parish,” said Johnson. “The online theological education program in Spanish CAMINO and in English STEP from the University of Notre Dame is one of the most successful pastoral programs in the region. Dioceses from South Carolina and Lexington, Kentucky, have implemented these programs and are getting great results. I am excited that this regional strategy is connected with one of the priorities of Pastoral Plan of our Diocese of Jackson, which is ‘the life-long formation of intentional disciples,'” Johnson added.
Groups from all across region five met in Miami February 22-24 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish’s sprawling complex just west of Miami International Airport.
Since 2015, CRS has been one of four major sponsors of the encuentro, which is described as the most important and comprehensive initiative in Hispanic ministry ever undertaken by the Catholic Church in the United States. The initiative involves an estimated 1 million pastoral leaders, 175 dioceses and numerous church organizations, parishes and lay ecclesial movements.
Now that parish- and diocesan-level encuentros have taken place, regional encuentros will be going on around the country through June. What has been an overall four-year process of reflection and action will culminate with the U.S. Catholic Church’s Fifth National Encuentro, or “V Encuentro,” to be held Sept. 20-23 in Grapevine, Texas.
The U.S. church’s First National Encuentro was in 1972. For the upcoming V Encuentro, 163 dioceses and archdioceses and more than 2,500 parishes across the country are involved.
Callahan told the Florida Catholic, Miami’s archdiocesan newspaper, that the gathering in South Florida represented a significant moment of encounter for CRS and U.S. Hispanic Catholic leadership, and that CRS is interested in listening as the encuentro participants discuss and define their future role as Hispanic Catholics in America.
“This is the first encuentro we have been so involved with this intimately,” he said. “As we have seen the U.S. becoming more and more Hispanic, we thought it would be important for us to understand what people feel the direction of the church should be, and then how can we be a part of it,” he said.
“And one of the strengths (of this partnership) is bringing the voice of the American people overseas to people in difficult situations and letting people know that they are not alone and that people here care about them and share that solidity,” he said of the work of CRS. “We want to see where that part of the church comes out in this encuentro process.”
“In many cases, people are being forced out from where they are, and our job is to allow people to stay where they want to stay with safety and security for their family with the right to employment,” he said. “The Northern Triangle is one area that we really want to intervene and reduce violence and give people other opportunities,” Callahan said of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
Venezuela, he added, is a key country where there is a lot of turmoil, the inflation has gone up, the people are in a dire situation, “and so we work with Caritas International and Caritas Venezuela as a lead organization so we can provide greater assistance to the people of Venezuela,” he said.
CRS now works in some 110 countries and assists 137 million people annually, he noted, adding that large scale migration trends from Africa into Europe will continue to be a source of humanitarian challenges in the coming decades.

(Tracy writes for the Florida Catholic, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Miami.)

Eva Gonzalez, Hispanic ministry director from the Archdiocese of Louisville, Ky., speaks Feb. 23 with Susana Becerrie of Jackson, Miss., at the Southeast Regional Encuentro. Held for the church's episcopal regions V and XIV, the gathering took place Feb. 22-24 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church's parish complex. On hand were 340 leaders from among some 30 dioceses in the Southeastern U.S. (CNS photo/Tom Tracy) See ENCUENTRO-REGIONALS-SOUTHEASTERN Feb. 26, 2018.

MIAMI – Participants in the regional Encuentro pray the Way of the Cross for Life during the Feb. 22-23 gathering. (Photo courtesy SEPI)

Chanche medals, awards recall founding bishop

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Youth and adults recipients

JACKSON – Nineteen adults and nine young people received the Bishop John Joseph Chanche Award for service on Saturday, Feb. 24, in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. Bishop Joseph Kopacz distributed the awards during a special Mass. The Chanche medals, named for the first bishop of the diocese, honor those who give of themselves to their parish or faith community. The awards are presented on the weekend closest to the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, the patronal feast for the Diocese of Jackson.

Chanche Medal honorees: serve, embrace, inspire

Adult honorees

Eddie Adkins – Gluckstadt St. Joseph
Finance Council President, RCIA team member, Knights of Columbus, member of envisioning team for Pastoral Priorities.
“Eddie is a talented businessman, but unlike most he looks at business through the eyes of service. In our council deliberations, he speaks of justice and mercy and ‘right’ before even looking at the practical business side of things.” Pam Minninger, Lay Ecclesial Minister

Joyce Brasfield Adams – Jackson Holy Family
Director of faith formation, member of Liturgy committee, liturgical minister, Ladies’ Guild member, member of strategic planning team.
“Mrs. Adams has been influential in reforming and structuring all aspects of faith formation in the parish since 1989. She is as much a leader as she is a follower. She has participated in parish, diocesan and statewide committees and is sought-after to do so.” Father Xavier Amirtham, pastor

Virginia Brown – Pearl St. Jude
Director of Religious Education, retired; founder of Why Catholic small faith group, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd advocate, coordinator of ministry to sick and shut-ins, Cursillista.
“Ginger is very joyful about living her faith. She is definitely seen as a leader in our community, who by word and action gives testimony to our faith. She has touched many lives, especially the adults, youth and children who have known her through the faith formation programs here at the parish, as well as the many families she has touched through her visits to the sick and shut-ins.” Father Lincoln Dall, pastor

Earl Joseph Gooden – Clarksdale Immaculate Conception
Finance Council, former Catholic School teacher and member of Education Board for Catholic Schools, collection counter.
“His service has continually helped to keep Immaculate Conception alive in the community. Whether it was his time as a teacher or now contributing to the life of the parish, Earl is a key reason why African Americans have had access to adequate schooling in Clarksdale, as well as access to Jesus in the Eucharist. … He is a spiritual role model who has dedicated his life to the teachings of the church, the Blessed Mother Mary and praying the Rosary.” Father Scott Thomas, pastor

Mariland and Brian Hendley – Madison St. Francis of Assisi
Catechists, RCIA team members, ChristLife team leaders, parish religious education committee, liturgical ministers, parish sports volunteers.
“Brian and Mariland love their faith, they love their family and they love their parish. They strive to live out the church’s call to a holiness of life and though they do not brag about it, nor do they seek accolades, others can certainly see their willingness to help and their love for their family and their faith.” Father Abbeenreddy Vatti, pastor

Nancy Hoang – Amory St. Helen
Religious education coordinator, ecumenical Vacation Bible school coordinator, CYO volunteer, food pantry volunteer.
“She is deeply committed to her faith and family. She works with all ages, races and religions. I see her as a true example of a Catholic woman in the Church today. Without her giving, our Church and young people would not be the same. She is creative, loving and yet knows how to handle children and youth with a mother’s strength and love.” Sister Lael Niblick, CSA, Lay Ecclesial Minister

Maureen Irby– Natchez Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Administrative assistant at both Assumption and Woodville St. Joseph Parishes, coordinator for parish Stewpot volunteers, coordinator for direct assistance, liturgical minister.
“Approximately four years ago, Maureen Irby agreed to serve in a secretarial role for St. Joseph Parish in Woodville when no suitable person could be found. She is a self-starter and carries out her work without requiring a large amount of my time. The work at St. Joseph in Woodville would not be done without her. She has been most valuable to the pastor there. She has enabled both parishes to function and have meaningful liturgies and weekly bulletins.” Father David O’Connor, pastor

Hilton Kalusche – Vicksburg St. Michael
Parish manager, former RCIA team member, liturgical minister, pastoral council member.
“It is hard to imagine where St. Michael Parish would be without Hilton Kalusche. He could easily be called the backbone of our parish. There is rarely a day that he is not involved in some activity that will benefit our parish community. Not being one to call attention to himself, Hilton works and leads by quiet example.” Helene Benson, director of religious education

Phil Lieb – Jackson St. Richard
Finance council member, parish grounds and maintenance supervisor, parish project manager.
“On a daily basis, Mr. Lieb is a constant presence here at the parish, carefully inspecting our property, documenting issues and arranging to have those issues resolved in a timely and cost-effective manner. There is no telling how much money Mr. Lieb has saved the parish and how many conflicts he has helped us avoid with his careful oversight.” Father John Bohn, pastor

Wesley Lindsay – Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle
Liturgical minister, altar server trainer, volunteers for maintenance work, oversees logistics for events.
“Wesley is a living example of a Christian. He never meets a stranger, he always has a kind greeting for everyone. He is always willing to help on any committee, event or ministry. His life is truly a “standard” for our young adult servers, they learn respect and reverence for the Eucharistic Celebration.” Father Anthony Quyet, pastor

Geraldine Matthews – Greenwood
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Parish council member, RCIA team member, liturgical minister, sacristan, prayer leader.
“Geraldine (Gerry) Matthews is and has been a faithful Catholic laywoman all of her 92 years and a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish for over eighty years. She has been devoted to the practice of her Catholic faith, demonstrating effective leadership and motivating her fellow parishioners in the practice of their faith through prayer, her own good example of service and through catechesis. She is an excellent role model for women of faith and continues, as an elder of the parish community, to find ways of service by her presence and her good works.” Father Joachim Studwell, OFM, pastor

Mary Jean Pendleton – Shelby St. Mary
Pastoral council member, chair of liturgy committee, hospitality committee member, communication committee member, fundraising chairperson, bereavement committee chairperson.
“Mary Pendleton is the linchpin of St. Mary, Shelby pastoral team. She is the most able, unselfish, joyful, energetic, caring, faith-filled, kind, humble person I have ever met. She is willing to tackle any job, volunteering her time and resources with a smile. With a heart of gold, she cares for family, friends and others with a great sense of generosity, asking nothing in return.” Jane Letchworth, parish volunteer

Wilson Patrick Roy – Batesville St. Mary
Sacristan, liturgical minister, prayer leader, Knights of Columbus member.
“Pat Roy is one of the liturgical backbones of our parish. He is a dedicated and devoted daily Mass attendee – both at St. Mary in Batesville and the mission church St. John in Sardis. His faith runs very deep. His wealth of knowledge of the Catholic Church is immense. He is the true definition of a person who knows and lives the fact that Jesus is the best and most valuable friend a person can visit with. Pat makes daily visits with our Lord in the church outside of Mass time.” Father Pradeep Thirumalareddy, pastor

Allen and Maureen Scott – Clinton Holy Savior
Parish and finance council leadership, liturgical ministers, Habitat for Humanity volunteers.
“Allen has chaired the international Pentecost gathering recognizing the ‘many nations and peoples’ in our parish and Maureen has shared her abilities as a CPA to develop and monitor the parish budget as well as participating in programs for the diocese to plan for a new payroll system.” Father Tom McGing, pastor.

Stephen and Edine Seal – Woodville St. Joseph
Liturgical ministers, ecumenical bereavement support team members, social event coordinators.
“Both Stephen and Edine have inspired fellow parishioners with their personal faith and active presence in parish activities. These have included their sacrificial presence at bereavement ministerial outreaches to the families of deceased families of the Woodville community, both Catholic and non-Catholic alike. Also, they have been most faithful, despite numerous health appointments, in coordinating parish social functions such as the annual St. Joseph Spiritual Homecoming, both in fellowship and worship, the past ten years.” Father Scott Dugas, pastor
(Editor’s note: Stephen Seal died the weekend prior to the awards ceremony, but was granted the medal posthumously.)

Richard Warren – Natchez St. Mary Basilica
Liturgical minister, Boy Scouts of America scout master, pastoral council member, Knights of Columbus member.
“Ricky Warren is a man of vision and action. He energizes and inspires others to serve as the need arises. He is currently bringing our Family Life Commission back to life. He is pleasant to all, making many feel welcome to become a part of the parish or the organization on which he serves. His gentle, kind manner exemplify what our church is.” Father David O’Connor, pastor

Youth honorees

Dayane Arvizu, senior – Kosciusko St. Therese
Bilingual interpreter, liturgical minister, regular volunteer.
“Dayane serves as a role model for the younger children. She lectors at both Spanish and English Masses whenever needed.. She encourages her peers to participate at Mass. Dayane brings a positive attitude to our newly formed youth group.” Father Odel Medina, ST, pastor

Madelyn Olivia Bennett, senior – Gluckstadt St. Joseph
Tutor, retreat leader, confirmation sponsor, service work volunteer, youth group leader.
“In our community, Maddie has worked to keep the excitement in our Youth Ministry program alive. She encourages others who may not yet “feel it” to find joy and fun in being a Catholic teen, as well as inspires them to learn more and dig deeper in their own faith lives.” Patti Greene, youth minister

Connor Clark, senior – Vicksburg St. Michael
Altar server, CYO member, service work volunteer, counselor at special-needs camp, retreat leader.
“Connor truly takes the gospel message to heart and strives to make the world a better place by his actions and his words. We have seen Connor put others before himself many times. In today’s self-centered, me-first world, this is a very special quality for a young man.” Helene Benson, director of religious education

Cristina Marie Craig, freshman – Brookhaven St. Francis of Assisi
Religious education volunteer teacher, service work volunteer, rosary leader, liturgical minister.
“Cristina is a loving, concerned, faithful young lady. She shows concern for her friends, enemies, and strangers alike. She cares about their well-being physically as well as spiritually. She is faithful to her church and its missions and services to others … Without Cristina many of our other youth would have drifted away. She is a rock and Christ-like example to all in our parish and community.” Ange’le Bartholomew, youth minister

Haley Fisackerly, senior – Columbus Annunciation
CYO volunteer, prayer leader, parish volunteer.
“Haley lives a very Catholic life, full of prayer, service, kindness, and humility. Her involvement in the parish has always extended beyond CYO. She leads the other teens by example, I suspect sometimes without realizing she’s leading by example. She encourages her peers, is always positive, and is always outgoing and warm. She’s faithful to Sunday Mass. She’s not shy about saying she’s Catholic at a school that is not friendly to Catholics. Lastly, she is knowledgeable about her faith, and clearly has it in her heart to have a strong relationship with her Creator.” Leslie Jones, youth minister

Trey McMullan, senior – Jackson St. Richard
Tutor, youth group leader, volunteer for religious education, service work volunteer, liturgical minister, usher, retreat leader.
“Trey’s impact on our youth group does not go unnoticed. The younger teens look to him as a role model, someone they aspire to be like. Trey’s willingness to lead small group discussions, crowd breakers, games and to jump in and play with the youth when needed is an invaluable help. Trey senses where he is needed most then quietly goes and leads by example.” Amelia Rizor, youth minister

Matthew Prater, senior – Madison St. Francis of Assisi
Youth group leader, leadership council member, retreat leader, service work volunteer, liturgical minister, Eagle Scout.
“Matt has served in so many ways over the past years, it would be almost impossible to list them all. He has assisted with children’s activities such as VBS and the Advent Fair, service projects such as the adopted family project and nursing home visits. Most importantly, Matt is always aware of those who need assistance and offers to help in many small ways, such as setting up, cleaning up, opening doors, and carrying things for others, and is not afraid of hard work or physical labor. Matt seeks out ways to serve but does not seek attention. He never expects any acknowledgement or reward for his service; and it is very clear he does so because of his love for God, for others, and for the Church.” Father Jason Johnston, associate pastor

Brooke Lee Thompson, sophomore – Jackson Christ the King
Altar server trainer, leader and volunteer, active in youth ministry and religious education.
“Brooke is a person who is strong in her faith. Even though her classmates are not Catholic she is able to be a good witness of her Catholic faith. When faced with questions about her faith, rather than give a false answer, she will take the trouble to go find the correct answer. She does not miss coming to Mass and is an active participant during the Liturgy.” Deacon Denzil Lobo, ecclesial minister

Mary Rose Wolf, junior – Pearl St. Jude
Choir member, parish leadership team member, religious education volunteer, service work volunteer
“Mary Rose serves on our parish leadership team representing the youth (this takes the place of the parish council at St. Jude). She also serves in the choir and is a very loyal member. Mary Rose is in attendance at every youth event and volunteers for all of the service activities … I would say that she stands out because she so willingly serves in a variety of activities here in our parish and does so very joyfully and willingly, drawing others into those activities.” Father Lincoln Dall, pastor

Earl Joseph Gooden

Nancy Hoang

Hilton Kalusche

Wilson Patrick Roy

Dayane Arvizu

Madelyn Olivia Bennett

Trey Thompson McMullan

Matthew Prater

Mary Rose Wolf

Brooke Lee Thompson

Cristina Marie Craig

Haley Fisackerly

(Photos by Maureen Smith and Tereza Ma)

 

Five years a pope: Francis’ focus has been on outreach

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By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope just a few days after telling the College of Cardinals that the Catholic Church faced a clear choice between being a church that “goes out” or a church focused on its internal affairs.
After the cardinal from Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected March 13, 2013, and chose the name Francis, he made “go out,” “periphery” and “throwaway culture” standard phrases in the papal vocabulary.
Catholics have a wide variety of opinions about how Pope Francis is exercising the papal ministry, and many of his comments – both in informal news conferences and in formal documents – have stirred controversy. But, as he wrote in “Evangelii Gaudium,” the apostolic exhortation laying out the vision for his pontificate: “I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.”
But there are two areas of internal church affairs that he recognized needed immediate attention: the reform of the Roman Curia and the full protection of children and vulnerable adults from clerical sexual abuse.
The organizational reform of the Curia has been taking place in stages, but Pope Francis has insisted that the real reform is a matter of changing hearts and embracing service.
On the issue of abuse, nine months into his pontificate, Pope Francis established the Pontifical Commission for Child Protection to advise him on better ways to prevent clerical sexual abuse and to ensure pastoral care for the survivors.
While Pope Francis has emphatically proclaimed “zero tolerance” for abusers and recently said covering up abuse “is itself an abuse,” as his fifth anniversary approached serious questions arose about how he handled accusations that Chilean Bishop Juan Barros, who was a priest at the time, covered up allegations of abuse against his mentor.
The new scandal threatened to undermine the widespread popularity of Pope Francis and his efforts to set the Catholic Church on a new course.
For Pope Francis, that new course involves evangelization first of all.
“Evangelizing presupposes a desire in the church to come out of herself,” he had told the cardinals just days before the conclave that elected him. “The church is called to come out of herself and to go to the peripheries, not only geographically, but also the existential peripheries: the mystery of sin, of pain, of injustice, of ignorance and indifference to religion, of intellectual currents and of all misery.”

Pope Francis greets an elderly woman as he meets with people of the Banado Norte neighborhood in Asuncion, Paraguay, in this July 12, 2015, file photo. The pope has shown special concern for the aged, the sick and those with disabilities. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) See POPE-FIFTH-ANNIVERSARY Feb. 13, 2018.

Mercy is the first thing the Catholic Church is called to bring to those peripheries, he says.
Although in 2013 he told reporters he would not be traveling as much as his predecessors, Pope Francis has continued their practice of literally “going out,” making 22 trips outside of Italy and visiting 32 nations.
But he also regularly visits the peripheries of Rome, both its poor suburbs and its hospitals, rehabilitation centers, prisons and facilities for migrants and refugees.
His desire to reach out has inspired innovations that were noteworthy at the beginning of the papacy, but now seem to be a natural part of a pope’s day. For example, after beginning with Vatican gardeners and garbage collectors, the pope continues to invite a small group of Catholics to join him most weekday mornings for Mass in the chapel of his residence.
The residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, is a guesthouse built by St. John Paul II with the intention of providing decent housing for cardinals when they would enter a conclave to elect a new pope. Pope Francis decided after the 2013 conclave to stay there and not move into the more isolated papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace.
On Holy Thursday each year, he has celebrated Mass at a prison, care facility or refugee center and washed the feet of patients, inmates or immigrants, both men and women, Catholics and members of other faiths. He also ordered the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments to clarify that the feet of both women and men can be washed at the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
During the 2015-16 Year of Mercy, he made a visit one Friday a month to people in particular need, including those at a school for the blind, a neonatal intensive care unit, a community of recovering alcoholics, a children’s group home and a community for women rescued from traffickers who forced them into prostitution. Once the Year of Mercy ended, the pope continued the visits, although not always every month.
In September 2015 as waves of migrants and refugees were struggling and dying to reach Europe, Pope Francis asked every parish and religious community in Europe to consider offering hospitality to one family. The Vatican offered apartments and support to a family from Syria and a family from Eritrea. Then, seven months later, Pope Francis visited a refugee center on the island of Lesbos, Greece, and brought 12 refugees back to Rome on the plane with him.
In the first three years of his papacy, he published three major documents: “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel); “Laudato Si, on Care for Our Common Home,” on the environment; and “‘Amoris Laetitia” (The Joy of Love), on Love in the Family,” his reflections on the discussions of the Synod of Bishops in 2014 and 2015.
People skeptical about the scientific proof that human activity is contributing to climate change objected to parts of “Laudato Si’,” but the criticism was muted compared to reactions to Pope Francis’ document on the family, especially regarding ministry to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics and the possibility that, under some conditions, some of those Catholics could return to the sacraments.
The strongest criticism came from U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke and three other cardinals, who sent to the pope and then publicly released in November 2016 a formal, critical set of questions, known as “dubia,” insisting that allowing those Catholics to receive the sacraments amounted to changing fundamental church teaching about marriage, sexuality and the nature of the sacraments.
Pope Francis has not responded to the cardinals, two of whom have since died. But in December, the Vatican posted on its website the guidelines for interpreting “Amoris Laetitia” developed by a group of Argentine bishops, as well as Pope Francis’ letter to them describing the guidelines as “authentic magisterium.”
The guidelines by bishops in the Buenos Aires region said the path of discernment proposed by Pope Francis for divorced and civilly remarried couples “does not necessarily end in the sacraments” but, in some situations, after a thorough process of discernment, the pope’s exhortation “opens the possibility” to reception of the sacraments.
In the document and throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has emphasized God’s mercy and the power of the sacraments to spur conversion and nourish Christians as they try to progress in holiness.
Like all popes, Pope Francis frequently urges Catholics to go to confession, telling them it is not a “torture chamber.” And he repeatedly gives priests blunt advice about being welcoming and merciful to those who approach the confessional.
Like St. John Paul did each Lent, Pope Francis hears confessions in St. Peter’s Basilica. But, he surprised even his closest aides beginning in 2014 when, instead of going to the confessional to welcome the first penitent, he turned and went to confession himself.
He also has surprised people by being completely honest about his age. In April 2017, when he was still 80 years old, he told Italian young people that while they are preparing for the future, “at my age we are preparing to go.” The young people present objected loudly. “No?” the pope responded, “Who can guarantee life? No one.” From the beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis has expressed love and admiration for retired Pope Benedict XVI. Returning from South Korea in 2014, he said Pope Benedict’s honest, “yet also humble and courageous” gesture of resigning cleared a path for later popes to do the same.
“You can ask me: ‘What if one day you don’t feel prepared to go on?'” he told the reporters traveling with him. “I would do the same, I would do the same! I will pray hard over it, but I would do the same thing. He (Pope Benedict) opened a door which is institutional, not exceptional.”
Follow Cindy Wooden on Twitter: @Cindy_Wooden.

Couples honored for dedication to marriage, family

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – More than 40 couples from across the Diocese of Jackson came to he Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle on Saturday, Feb. 4, to celebrate significant wedding anniversaries and honor World Marriage Day. Bishop Joseph Kopacz presented each couple with a certificate and congratulated them on their commitment to family life. The Office of Family Ministry organizes the annual celebration.
Barbara and Charles LeBlanc of Clinton Holy Savior Parish represented the most years at 65, followed closely by Margaret and John McAleese of Flowood St. Paul, who celebrate their 64th anniversary this year.
Eight couples were marking 60-year anniversaries while 19 claimed golden 50 jubilees. An additional 9 couples came to celebrate their 25th anniversaries. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops calls World Marriage day “an opportunity to focus on building a culture of life and love that begins with supporting and promoting marriage and the family.”
After the Mass, the couples and their families were treated to a reception at the cathedral center. See more photos at www.mississippicatholic.com.

Research begins on Sister Thea Bowman

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Bishop Joseph Kopacz has appointed Redemptorist Father Maurice Nutt to begin researching the life, writings and works of Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA, in what may well be her first step on the road to sainthood. Father Nutt will travel to and from his home in New Orleans to the Diocese of Jackson for the time being.
This does not officially open a cause for canonization, but is a preliminary step prior to opening a cause. Since February is Black History Month, the appointment seems all that much more timely.
Sister Thea, the granddaughter of a slave, was born Bertha Bowman in 1937 in Yazoo City. Her family moved to Canton where she enrolled in Holy Child Jesus school. She decided to become Catholic at the age of nine. A few years later she asked to join the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and became the first African-American member of the order.
Sister Thea was a gifted teacher and vocalist. She earned a doctorate in literature and traveled the world – taking students to England and visiting Africa to connect with her own heritage. As she taught, sang and experienced life, she began to form a theology of diversity and inclusion that would become the hallmark of her public life. The late Bishop William Houck invited her to be a consultant for intercultural awareness in the Diocese of Jackson. Even while working in Mississippi, Sister Thea traveled the country teaching workshops on music and speaking about the importance of diversity in the church. Her influence both in and outside of the church was tremendous. She appeared on the television newsmagazine 60 Minutes. Harry Belefonte met with her in hopes of producing a movie about her life. She was one of the most sought-after speakers in the country.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984. As the cancer worked its way into her bones, she continued to maintain a grueling travel schedule, praying to ‘live until I die.’ One of her last public appearances, delivered from a wheelchair, was speaking to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. She told them she was ‘fully black and fully Catholic,’ and urged them to embrace their African-American, Vietnamese, Native American and other cultural flocks and their customs and music. Sister Thea believed the church could welcome diversity and uphold tradition. She closed her speech by getting the men to stand, link arms and sing the Spiritual ‘We Shall Overcome.’
Sister Thea died in 1990. She is buried in Memphis. Not long after her death, many of her friends wondered if they had known a saint. In the past year or so, rumors spread that Sister had been declared a servant of God. She had not, but it was one more sign that this case might merit a closer look.
Father Nutt met Sister Thea as his teacher, but he now calls her his spiritual mother. He has written two books about her – one will be published this summer – and he often includes reflections on her life in his missions and workshops. His job right now is to research and document her life. Much of this work is already done since he has written about her, but this is an opportunity to gather her writings and records and organize it all in one place.
The first step on the path to sainthood is to determine if a person has ‘heroic virtues.’ Father Nutt will begin to assemble a file – something a little more in-depth than the usual biography – for Bishop Kopacz to review. “I’d love to find every place named for her,” said Father Nutt. The diocese has a school named for Sister Thea, one of half a dozen nation-wide. He has come across shrines dedicated to Sister Thea as close as New Orleans and as far away as Oakland, Calif. The Franciscan Sisters have a foundation in her honor as well as an extensive archive of material.
Father Nutt will review their holdings as well as what is housed in the archives in Jackson as part of his work. The next step, probably months down the road, will be for the bishop to ask the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for input on opening a formal cause for sainthood. If the bishops agree, the case can go to Rome to be opened and the diocese will have to raise money to support it. The cost of canonization can run into the million dollar range.
That’s when work begins in earnest. Once the cause is opened, the promoter will begin telling Sister Thea’s story and encouraging people to pray for her intersession in hopes of producing a miracle. A second miracle is required before the church will canonize a saint.
The whole process of canonization can take decades to complete. Father Nutt is confident he can start by finding Sister Thea’s heroic virtues and see where the Holy Spirit leads after that.

National Migration Week tells story of many journeys, one family

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By Maureen Smith
How can the church minister to and be strengthened by a new wave of immigrants from South and Central America? According to Dr. Hossfman Ospino, an associate professor of Hispanic ministry and religious education at Boston College, both the nation and the church have done it before and will be able to do it again. Ospino came to the Diocese of Jackson to lead and participate in a series of workshops and encounters in deanery five as part of National Migration Week, Jan. 7-13.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has been organizing a theme and providing educational materials for National Migration Week for almost 50 years as an opportunity for the Church to reflect on the circumstances confronting migrants, including immigrants, refugees, children, and victims and survivors of human trafficking.
“The theme of National Migration Week 2018 was ‘Many Journeys, One Family.’ In this context, Dr. Ospino gave a conference to pastors, Lay Ecclesial Ministers, leaders from different parishes and diocesan offices about the history of migration and how this phenomenon is re-defining the Catholicism in the 21st century,” explained Danna Johnson, coordinator of Hispanic Ministry for Pontotoc St. Christopher and head of the Catholic Charities office in Vardaman. “This was a learning experience and an opportunity to re-affirm our missionary spirit as one church here in this diocese,” she added.
In a recent article in America Magazine, Ospino compared the current influx of immigrants to when European Catholics poured into the States. Father Tim Murphy, pastor of Tupelo St. James Parish said he was encouraged by what he heard. “It’s challenging, but it’s possible. We have done this before, we have met the needs of other immigrant groups and we can do it again now,” he said. For both the European immigrants and the Hispanic immigrants, the church is at the center of their cultural experience so their presence is an opportunity to strengthen the church overall.
Father Murphy said Ospino’s statistics and suggestions “really affirm a lot of what we have been doing in this mission diocese.”
Father Murphy said beyond just research, Ospino brings a practical eye to his presentations. “He comes from a hands-on background. He did mission work and pastoral work and retreat work from the time he was 16-years old.”
Amelia McGowan, who heads the Catholic Charities Migrant Support Services, presented a video called “The Cost of Deportation.” The video is meant to raise awareness about what is happening in communities right here and help people comprehend the importance of knowing their rights. She also offered a free legal clinic to families who might have questions about their particular immigration status.
“Many Hispanic families from deanery five attended a unique presentation by Father Octavio Escobar and Ospino. Both presenters were able to challenge our roles as baptized, as Christians, and as immigrant Catholics in our communities,” Johnson said. “Father Octavio based his presentation on the article Dr. Ospino wrote in America Magazine,” she added.
On Friday, despite plummeting temperatures and ice and sleet pressing into the area, Ospino visited Vardaman. While there, he toured a sweet potato packing plant and took advantage of an opportunity to listen to a diverse group of local citizens and the advisory board of Northeast office of Catholic Charities, Inc. The group was able to share the challenges and opportunities all face in attending the different needs in this rural area of Mississippi. “He told me later this rural experience was new to him so the visit to Vardaman was mutually beneficial,” said Father Murphy.
“The outcome of this week was to have an opportunity to come together, as one family, to share, learn, and celebrate the Culture of Encounter,” said Johnson. “We believe that Amelia, Father Octavio, and Ospino made that possible. We all are blessed beyond measure with their presence among us,” she added.
“What we heard really ties in with the (Diocesan) Pastoral Plan to embrace diversity and inspire disciples,” said Father Murphy. He said he hopes he can host Ospino in Mississippi again at a later date.
To learn more about National Migration Week, go to https://www.sharejourney.org