Category Archives: Featured

Mother Delille effort in hands of Vatican investigators

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The Sisters of the Holy Family in New Orleans await authentication of a miracle of the Venerable Henriette Delille, their founder, as her cause for sainthood moves through the final steps. Sister Delille was the first native-born African American to have her cause for canonization officially opened by the church. In 2010 Pope Benedict XVI declared her venerable. The authentication of one more miracle would result in beatification.
In September of this year the congregation 111414delilleunveiled a portrait of their founder. The nine-by-four-foot painting by artist Ulrick Jean-Pierre was commissioned by late congregational leader, Sister Eva Regina Martin, SHF, and hangs in the motherhouse. It shows Sister Delille surrounded by the poor she served for her whole life with St. Augustine church in the background.
Delille was born a free woman of color in New Orleans in 1812. She was born into a family of concubines and may have even borne two sons who died as toddlers, but she had a conversion at the age of 24. At that time African-American women were not allowed in any religious order. Undaunted, Sister Delille studied with white nuns to learn about religious life. She and two friends formed a society, professed their own vows and started serving the poor and elderly of color in their community.
The group was recognized years later as the Sisters of the Holy Family. Last year two members of the congregation came to the Diocese of Jackson to encourage devotion to their founder in hopes of advancing her cause.
Sisters Doris Goudeaux and Laura Mercier, both SHF, said during their 2013 presentation that the Sisters of the Holy Family begged for support from the very start of their order. “No matter how they were treated, they depended on the Divine Providence of God,” said Sister Goudeaux. “They knew no matter what they suffered they would be rewarded. They knew they were doing what Jesus wanted them to do.” They picked up poor elderly and children off the streets and found a way to care for them. The Sisters are credited with opening the first nursing home in the United States, a ministry they are still running in New Orleans.
They educated slaves and made sure they were baptized as well as caring for those affected by yellow fever. In many cases, they had to teach their students in secret with little or no reliable support. “They begged in the street daily and some days they went to bed having only had sugar water,” said Sister Goudeaux.
Sister Delille died at the age of 50. Only one example of her writing exists, a simple but profound prayer she penned in the flyleaf of a book on the Eucharist right after her conversion. The congregation still uses the prayer today, encouraging others to say it. “I believe in God.  I hope in God. I love. I want to live and die for God.”

Embrace light, purpose of Advent

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By Elsa Baughman
I remember reading years ago in a religious column that the only place where Advent has not disappeared is in the church. It usually begins at the end of November or early December, when people are thinking more about Christmas presents, parties and activities than  preparing themselves spiritually for the coming of Christ. This liturgical season of anticipation can be very noisy, surrounded by secular music, lights, and television, newspaper and radio ads urging us to buy gifts for this or that special person.
When we go to church on the four Sundays of Advent we are reminded of the true meaning of this season by the Scripture readings which reflect on the coming of our savior.

COVINGTON – On October 25, 2014 Father Brian Kaskie, pastor of McComb St. Alphonsus, led a group of about 30 members from his parish to St. Joseph Abbey. The group attended Mass, ate lunch and had a tour of the Abbey, which has undergone recent renovations to mark its 125th anniversary this year. Diocesan seminarians attend the college there. (Photo submitted by Ruth E. Phillips)

COVINGTON – On October 25, 2014 Father Brian Kaskie, pastor of McComb St. Alphonsus, led a group of about 30 members from his parish to St. Joseph Abbey. The group attended Mass, ate lunch and had a tour of the Abbey, which has undergone recent renovations to mark its 125th anniversary this year. Diocesan seminarians attend the college there. (Photo submitted by Ruth E. Phillips)

Here in the Diocese of Jackson parishes and missions observe Advent with a variety of activities. Some  schedule time for silent prayers and reflection, others hold retreats, candlelight vigils or celebrate daily Mass, and the majority offer penance services.
Just as last year, Pearl St. Jude Young Apostles will pray an illuminated Advent rosary in their rosary garden. In Corinth St. James Parish children brought ornaments (symbols of a Bible story or figure) to place on a “Jesse Tree” while hearing a short story about each character from the ancestry of Jesus during Advent last year.
New Albany St. Francis of Assisi Parish has spiritual reflections on Wednesdays. Every year, Madison St. Francis of Assisi Parish holds an Advent Fair where children make Advent wreaths for their homes.

Carmelite Sisters L. J. Therese Lazard (left) and Mary Jane Agonoy arrange the display of the Advent wreaths at the Carmelite Gift Shop. The store carries a wide selection of wreaths, candles and pamphlets for the Advent season. The open house weekends and bake sales run from Nov. 15-Dec. 21. (Photos by Elsa Baughman)

Carmelite Sisters L. J. Therese Lazard (left) and Mary Jane Agonoy arrange the display of the Advent wreaths at the Carmelite Gift Shop. The store carries a wide selection of wreaths, candles and pamphlets for the Advent season. The open house weekends and bake sales run from Nov. 15-Dec. 21. (Photos by Elsa Baughman)

The church does its best to encourage all of us during these four weeks to center our lives, minds and hearts on the coming of Christ. It’s up to us to hear the message and anticipate his coming, not with fanfare but with a quiet, humble heart, a burning heart.
For me, this year is special. I wanted to do something different to really immerse myself in the “coming” of our King. I bought an Advent wreath! I have been wanting to participate in this tradition for years, but always put it off for one reason or another.
The wreath is an old tradition meant to remind us of the coming of the light of the world. It has three purple candles, symbolizing penitence and preparation, and one pink candle, used on Gaudete Sunday, to symbolize hope. As the days of winter get darker and shorter, we light another candle each week until we welcome Christ, the real light of the world, at Christmas. There are many prayer books and online resources with prayers you can use with  your Advent wreath.
As I light each candle on my Advent wreath, I am preparing my heart to receive Christ with a new purpose in life.

This Advent wreath is on sale at the Carmelite Gift Shop. The wreath is an old tradition meant to remind us of the coming of the light of the world.

This Advent wreath is on sale at the Carmelite Gift Shop. The wreath is an old tradition meant to remind us of the coming of the light of the world.

I might also try to do something similar to what my sister does during Advent. She makes a list of simple things to do each day during the season – just one per day. For instance, one day she would pray for the intentions of the pope; another day she buys a small toy for a needy child, or calls a friend who is sick or going through a hard time in life. They are all very small sacrifices but with a kind, loving purpose.
During this Advent season, let us prepare our hearts to hear the message of our savior and receive him in all his glory.
(Editor’s note: see page 2 for Advent services and programs in parishes.)

Community invited to parish fair

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A blues musician entertained the crowd.

JACKSON – St. Mary Parish hosted its Fall Carnival Saturday, Oct. 18. This year’s emphasis was placed on increasing participation from the surrounding community. Local residents joined parishioners for activities including a performance by the “Blues Man,” a mini petting zoo, and  a magical clown. The local fire department brought a truck for the young people to explore. In addition, representatives from local religious orders were available to share information about their faith, and a representative from the American Cancer Society had an exhibit about breast health.
Food was prepared by Daniel Dillon and was free so everyone would feel welcome to attend regardless of their ability to pay.

Volunteers make plates for people attending the St. Mary Parish Fair Saturday, Oct. 18. (Photos courtesy of Monique Davis)

College retreat inspires director

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By Fran Lavelle
My last official act as the campus minister for the college students at Mississippi State was a peer-led retreat at Lake Forest Ranch the weekend of October 17-19. This year’s theme was “The One and Only” and the talks revolved around on the things that keep us from staying focused on God. The weekend was glorious. The weather was beautiful, the camp was enshrined with early signs of fall, and the students who took this spiritual

LAKE FOREST RANCH – John Suedel and Anna Jackson give a talk about time at the college retreat sponsored by the Office of Campus Ministry (Photo courtesy of Fran Lavelle)

LAKE FOREST RANCH – John Suedel and Anna Jackson give a talk about time at the college retreat sponsored by the Office of Campus Ministry (Photo courtesy of Fran Lavelle)

journey to the woods were exceptional. It was in a word: perfect. I was reminded of how precious and essential these opportunities away with God really are.
Once back in Jackson I wondered why more people don’t take advantage of opportunities to take retreats. One of the talks, given by college sophomores Anna Jackson from Starkville and John Suedel from Clinton, was on time. They correctly pointed out that we have a misguided concept of “making time” for God. God, they asserted, made time. We do not need to make more of it. What we do need, however, is recognize that God should not be appropriated to a few fleeting minutes in the “busyness” of our days.
Rather, they contended, God should be in all that we are and all that we do. In essence, all our words, actions and thoughts should be focused on bringing greater glory to God. If we “take” time to center ourselves on Christ and we take time to deepen our intimacy with Him we will as a result be more intentional and focused on God. I marveled at their awareness and insight.
It occurred to me that we “make” time for the things that matter most to us. We travel weekend after weekend to tournaments, juggle kids between activities, travel to major cities to hear our favorite artist in concert or spend an entire day taking in a college football game. Now, before you criticize me let me say I love the garden and enjoy entertaining dinner guests. I love watching the sunset. I love spending time with family and friends. I get it.
These are the activities that make life special. It is not in the “doing” of these things that trips us up. It is when we adopt “activity” over presence. It’s when we jump from activity to activity rendering ourselves completely exhausted at the day’s end. It’s when we are so busy taking pictures to post on social media that we failed to “see” what is actually happening. Perhaps we fail to recognize that how present we are to others impacts how present we are to God.
I was walking into the office this morning with the usual background sounds of city traffic, sirens and car radios. The juxtaposition of waking up Sunday morning to the calls of nature versus the daily noise of life called me to recognize why retreats really matter. We were not hard-wired for the fast-paced, instantaneous world we live in. However, we have become conditioned to accept the insidious pace of modern life.
I remember in the 80s my dad used to give me a hard time about yuppies being “stressed out” all of the time. Our world then was a cacophony of bleeping fax machines, conference calls and hauling around cell phones that were the size of a shoe box. We thought we were busy.
The speed of life has exponentially increased since then. We multitask, we devour media nearly 24/7, we are literally lost without our smart phones and Facebook reminds us daily of how we’re doing in “keeping up with the Joneses.” Psalm 46:10 reminds us, “Be still and know that I am God.” What better way than a retreat to help us find the space and the freedom to put on pause the duties that press us into frenzied activity?
Advent will soon be here. Perhaps a retreat would help integrate a prayerful experience in the midst of Christmas parties, shopping and decorating. You don’t have to make a special trip to a retreat center. If you love the beach, make a trip to your favorite coastal town. If you enjoy hiking a trip to the mountains may be just what you need to reconnect with God.
A favorite retreat for me has always been a weekend alone at a state park. I fast from noise – no radio, television or cds. I take a journal, my Bible and spiritual reading. In the beginning the silence is too much to bear. I think I’ll go crazy before the weekend ends. Many years later, the silence for me has become a welcomed opportunity. My visits with God rarely involve audible words.
My college students reminded me quite profoundly the misguided notion of making time for God. If we take two weekends a year for retreat, that leaves us with 50 more to do the other things we enjoy. If weekends away are not for whatever reason do-able let’s be aware of those pockets of time and space which allow our hearts and minds to be present to God, our One and Only.
(Fran Lavelle is the director of the Office of Faith Formation)

Special Kids, Scouts start fund-raising for new facilities

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Joshua R. helps prepare a meal as part of life skills training in the Special Kids Program.

Joshua R. helps prepare a meal as part of life skills training in the Special Kids Program.

By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – St. Richard Parish has officially kicked off an effort to build a new facility for the Special Kids Program as well as a Boy Scout building and parking lot. The building will be located on property already owned by the parish, across from the main church building.
The Special Kids Program serves young men and women with intellectual and emotional disabilities. Younger students take classes in St. Richard School while the older kids, age 13-21, go to a parish-based program currently located in a house owned by the parish. There, teachers Kim Turner, Lindsay Blaylock and Agnes Morgan build individualized education plans for each student based on their strengths and needs. “It is the best place to be,” said Turner. “These kids are happy. The program offers a calm, stable, happy place and they are learning over here,” she added.
Because each student’s needs and goals are different, they all get very personal attention to learn life skills such as cooking, shopping, cleaning and how to navigate social situations. The students visit the public library, plan menus, shop for, cook and serve meals to special guests and run a small gift booth in the parish office. During the academic portion of the day they will all focus on one theme, but each will get a personalized lesson. “Let’s say we’re talking about money. Some kids will be counting money from the gift booth and talking about how to use it while others will just be recognizing forms of money,” Turner explained. When the students go shopping each one has a specific job. One may push the cart while another uses a written shopping list. Still another may use pictures to find needed items.

Before Special Kids Golf Tournament last year, Mary F. practiced putting.

Before Special Kids Golf Tournament last year, Mary F. practiced putting.

Every year the students host a golf tournament to raise money to support the program. This year the tournament was Thursday, Oct. 17. Turner said they prepared for weeks so the students would know what was expected of them. They have also planted a garden from which they can harvest their own food.
This is the only program in the diocese for children and young adults with these types of disabilities and Turner said the fact that it has a Catholic base is one of the aspects she loves best about it. Pastor Father Michael O’Brien agrees. He said the program is good for the whole St. Richard community, including the typical kids who take classes with the special kids in the separate elementary school program. “It is so good for them to go to school in that atmosphere,” he said. “It’s pro-life all across the board,” he went on to say.
The new development would also include a place for the Boy Scout troops to meet. That program was meeting in another house owned by the parish, but the structure is in need of repair. The special kids building, already named Farrell Hall in honor of Msgr. Patrick Farrell, who founded the Special Kids Program more than 30 years ago, would be connected by a porch to the Boy Scout building. An architect will design each to fit the needs of each program. Turner said updating the design would allow the program, which currently serves seven students, to expand.
A third goal of the project is to add off-street parking for events. Father O’Brien explained that the parish already owns some empty lots across the street. Currently people coming to events in Foley and Glynn Halls have limited parking along the street. Parish leaders decided to join the three efforts into one so the whole development could be cohesive. It will include landscaping and fit into the neighborhood.
Those who wish to donate can contact the parish. Donations can be earmarked specifically to each of the three projects. For more information, call the parish office at 601-366-2335.

Artist offers hands-on path to Holy Spirit

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Celeste Zepponi (front, left) guides the 18 women who participated in the art session of a workshop to paint an angel. The focus of the morning session was the Holy Spirit and God’s dreams for us. (Photo by Jessica Sullivan)

Celeste Zepponi (front, left) guides the 18 women who participated in the art session of a workshop to paint an angel. The focus of the morning session was the Holy Spirit and God’s dreams for us. (Photo by Jessica Sullivan)

 

By Elsa Baughman
PEARL – If you are alive, the Lord has work for you to do, says Celeste Zepponi, Clarksdale St. Elizabeth parishioner. And she means it too. According to this housewife, mom, teacher and self-proclaimed ‘little person with no degree in theology,’ “every one of us, every baptized Christian, has been given a specific ministry, natural and spiritual gifts, whether we know it or not, to build up the Body of Christ, by being messengers,” she said recently at a morning retreat at St. Jude Parish.
Zepponi, who is also a retreat speaker, an artist and singer with two recorded Christian albums, shared some of the songs she has written with the participants who attended her spiritual journey workshop.

Before the morning workshop participants glanced at Zepponi’s art which included angels with different themes. Zepponi, a member of Clarksdale St. Elizabeth Parish, offers her workshop in Mississippi, her home, and around the United States. (Photos by Elsa Baughman)

Before the morning workshop participants glanced at Zepponi’s art which included angels with different themes. Zepponi, a member of Clarksdale St. Elizabeth Parish, offers her workshop in Mississippi, her home, and around the United States. (Photos by Elsa Baughman)

The focus of the first of two presentations, “Jesus Waits for You, Holding your Gifts,” emphasized that we can’t do anything except by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Our prayer is for us, as the body of Christ, to be baptized, drenched, immersed, filled in the Holy Spirit because only then are we able to be messengers of the Good News of Jesus Christ,” she explained.” “Jesus wants us to share our ordinary, every day lives with other people,” she said, adding that the little things are really the important ones, they are the ones we minister about. “We all have Jesus in us and we can bring Jesus to other people.” She said for those who can’t get out, they can be calling people, praying or talking with them.  “If you hear one word or one sentence I give you today that resonates in you and changes or enriches your life, then you know good and well it didn’t come from me, it came to you by the Holy Spirit.
“I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t believe that so strongly. I feel God has given me the grace to understand that and is what gives me the courage to do this (talk) because otherwise I really don’t have anything to say that could impact your life,” she said.
Zepponi is best known for her angel paintings. Before she started painting angels, Zepponi taught art at an after school program for children. She liked the way the children painted, so freely, so easily, she noted. And she really wanted the talent they have.  One day after class, she asked an eight-year-old to teach her to paint like a child. After asking her age, the boy responded, ‘Miss Zepponi, pretend you are eight-years-old and paint what you want.’

During a break, Zepponi signs one of her paintings for participants, Elena Buno (center) and Riza Caskey.

During a break, Zepponi signs one of her paintings for participants, Elena Buno (center) and Riza Caskey.

“At that moment the Holy Spirit took me out of that room, literally,” she remembers. “I knew in my heart that God talked to me through that child, and I began to paint as an eight-year-old,” she said. “It has brought lots of joy to my life.” Today, she includes the painting of an angel in all her workshops.
Her second talk, “God’s Dream for You,” she used her personal experiences to talk about how Jesus desires to be in relationship with each person and actively participate in our lives. However, she said we often don’t acknowledge this.
She said people are surrounded by gifts, so, she encourages retreatants to become more aware of their surroundings, sounds and smells. “Enjoy more fully God’s gifts moment by moment. Stop and smell the roses, hear the birds sing, feel the cool water run across your hands when you wash them.”
“And how should we do all this,” she pondered? By keeping our prayer life interesting and spending time in prayer. Zepponi mentioned since she started going to Mass daily she has come to know the Lord better. “If you spend time with someone, you get to know that person better,” she said. “The same happens when you spend more time with the Lord.” Set your alarm for a specific time with him, if necessary.
About her music ministry, Zepponi acknowledges she is a lazy singer but enjoys writing songs and singing them.
The workshop included an afternoon art session in which 18 participants painted an angel with guidance from Zepponi.
In a post on her website she notes, “ My ministry is about celebrating our faith and praising God with our creative gifts, and about encountering God’s love in daily, ordinary life.”
To know more about her ministry visit, celestezepponi.com. Her website includes her personal “Prayerful Notes,” her artwork and music profile.

Celebrating St. Francis’ love for creation

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SOUTHAVEN – Father Thi Pham, SCJ, blesses Joe Baker’s poodle at Christ the King Parish on Wednesday, Oct 2. There were also blessings in Olive Branch and Hernando. (Photo by Donna Williams)

SOUTHAVEN – Father Thi Pham, SCJ, blesses Joe Baker’s poodle at Christ the King Parish on Wednesday, Oct 2. There were also blessings in Olive Branch and Hernando. (Photo by Donna Williams)

MADISON – Msgr. Michael Flannery, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, blesses a family pet at St. Anthony School. The church has a tradition of blessing pets on the feast of St. Francis, who loved animals. (Photo by Jennifer Kelemen)

MADISON – Msgr. Michael Flannery, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, blesses a family pet at St. Anthony School. The church has a tradition of blessing pets on the feast of St. Francis, who loved animals. (Photo by Jennifer Kelemen)

Pope to bishops: Guard the faith, build hope

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By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Today’s bishops must be as vigilant and courageous as sentinels keeping watch over the faith, and as forgiving and patient as Moses, leading a sinning people across harsh deserts to God, Pope Francis said.
Their vocation is not to be wardens of a failed estate, “but custodians of ‘evangelii gaudium’ (the joy of the Gospel); therefore, you cannot be without the only treasure we really have to give, and that the world cannot give itself: the joy of God’s love,” he told new bishops.
The pope made his comments Sept. 18 in a written address to 138 recently appointed bishops from around the world, including Bishop Jospeh Kopacz, 13 other bishops from the United States and two from Australia. The pope said he was happy finally to put a real face to their names and resumes, which he told them he was closely familiar with.
In a lengthy address, Pope Francis outlined a series of do’s and don’ts in their new role as bishops, reminding them of their true mission and urging them to return home “with a message of encouragement” even with the problems awaiting them.

Pope Francis arrives for a meeting with 138 new bishops from around the world at the Vatican Sept. 18. Bishop Kopacz attended the meeting. (CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano)

Pope Francis arrives for a meeting with 138 new bishops from around the world at the Vatican Sept. 18. Bishop Kopacz attended the meeting. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano)

Their approach must always be positive, he said, especially with each other. “Though jealously safeguarding the passion for truth, do not waste your energy in opposition and arguments, but in building and loving,” he said.
The bishops must strike a balance between being audacious sentinels, ready 24/7 to wake up a slumbering world, and gentle, forgiving fathers who unconditionally love the sinning people “God has given you.”
The only way to fulfill this mission, he said, is to be constantly in search of and completely bound to Christ, which takes “familiarity, dedication, perseverance and patience.”
“It’s necessary to always dwell in him and never run away from him: Dwell in his word, in his Eucharist, in the things of his father and, above all, in his cross,” he said.
Just as a flame is always kept lit in front of every tabernacle to tell the faithful that Christ is present inside, every priest, too, needs to have the light of Christ shining in his gaze so the flock can “encounter the flame of the risen one.”
That is why the church cannot have bishops who are “switched off or pessimists” or who rely only on themselves and have “surrendered to the darkness of the world or resigned to the apparent defeat of the good, screaming – at this point, in vain – that the tiny fort has been attacked,” he said.
But they do have to be like sentinels, he said, “capable of waking up your churches, getting up before dawn or in the middle of the night to bolster the faith, hope and charity, without letting yourselves be lulled to sleep or conforming to the nostalgic complaint of a golden past that’s already gone.”
“Don’t be bishops with an expiration date,” who are always on the lookout for a new assignment somewhere else, or “like a medicine that will stop being effective or like perishable food to be thrown out,” he said.
Like Moses, bishops need to be with their people no matter what, he said.
“I also beg you to not let yourselves be deceived by the temptation to change the people. Love the people that God has given you, even when they will have committed great sins.”
Like Moses, the bishop must “come up to the Lord” and advocate on his people’s behalf, praying for forgiveness and a fresh start, he said.
“I am well aware of how our times have become a desert,” he said. And that’s why the people need someone who will patiently guide them and help them mature, and who will not “fear death as exiles, but deplete your last energies, not for yourselves, but to let those you guide enter into God.”
Nothing is more important than bringing people to God, he said. The pope urged the bishops to truly be present and available for their priests.
A bishop who is “reachable” isn’t the one who has endless means of communication at his disposal. He’s the one who always has room in his heart to really welcome and listen to all of his priests and their “concrete needs, giving them the entirety and breadth of church teaching and not a list of complaints.”
“And, please, do not fall into the temptation of sacrificing your freedom by surrounding yourself with courtiers, climbers and yes-men, since the church and the world have the right to always find on the lips of the bishop the Gospel, which makes them free.
(Copyright © 2014 Catholic News Service/United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news services may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to, such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method in whole or in part, without prior written authority of Catholic News Service.)