Category Archives: Parish News

Calendar of events

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PARISH, FAMILY AND SCHOOL EVENTS
FLOWOOD St. Paul, Homecoming outdoor celebration, Saturday, June 4, Mass at 4:30 p.m., food and fellowship follow. Celebration will take place on the hill behind the church. Details: church office (601) 992-9547.

HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Memorial Day Boston Butt Sale, Last day to order is Monday, May 23. Pick-up day is Friday, May 27. Details: see a member of the men’s association after Mass or call Sal Galtelli 429-5071.

MADISON St. Francis, Parish Family Picnic, Sunday, May 22 after 10:30 a.m. Mass. Picnic is full of activities for children, along with food and fellowship for all. Details: church office (601) 856-5556.

MERIDIAN St. Patrick and St. Joseph communities, Pentecost Mass and picnic, June 5. Celebration will be held at the East Bank at Okatibbee Lake in Collinsville at 10 a.m. Details: church office (601) 693-1321.

OLIVE BRANCH Queen of Peace, Knights of Columbus Spaghetti Fundraiser, Sunday, May 22 after Mass. Dine in or carry out. $8 per plate; $25 per family; $2 smoked sausage ($1 half); $10 quart gravy and $5 quart slaw. Details: church office (662) 895-5007.

Queen of Peace, Knights of Columbus Indoor Yard Sale, Saturday, June 4 at 8 a.m. Details: Leonard Temple (901) 606-1959.

PONTOTOC St. Christopher Catholic Friendship Camp, ages 7-11, June 12-18; and ages 12-14, June 19-25. Details: Heidi Stephens campsm@juno.com or https://www.campfriendshipmississippi.com.
WEST POINT Immaculate Conception, Blood Drive, Wednesday, May 25 from 1-7 p.m. in Parish Hall. Details: Register at vitalant.org or call (877) 258-4825. Blood drive code: iccatholic.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
CLARKSDALE St. Elizabeth, VBS 2022, Monumental: Celebrating God’s Greatness, June 20-24 at St. Elizabeth School. Details: Catelin Britt (662) 902-6478.

OLIVE BRANCH VBS for 6th-8th grades, Wednesday June 15 from 6-9 p.m. VBS for K-5th grade, June 20-24, 9 a.m. till 12 p.m., volunteers are needed. Details: Kelly Murguia (662) 216-9896.

HERNANDO Holy Spirit, VBS June 13-17 from 6:15-8 p.m. Look for table in the Narthex with registration forms. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.

NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, VBS, July 11-15, Evening hours. More information to be announced soon.

PEARL St. Jude, Family Style VBS Wednesday evenings, June 8, 15, 22 and 29 starts at 6:30 p.m. following Mass. Join us family style for a picnic supper, Bible story, Saint of the week and games. Crafts will be take home. All activities will be outdoors, weather permitting. Registration coming soon. Details: church office (601) 939-3181.

MADISON St. Francis, VBS 2022: The Jesus Expedition, June 20-24 for all children going into Pre-K4 through fourth grades. Registration will begin in May if enough volunteers sign up to assist with the camp. Details: Mary Catherine at mc.george@stfrancismadison.org.

MERIDIAN St. Patrick, Vacation Bible School, July 18-22. More information coming soon.

YOUTH
SEARCH RETREAT July 22-24 at Camp Wesley Pines in Gallman. Also accepting staff applications. This retreat is open to those who are just completing their sophomore, junior or senior year of high school. Graduating seniors will have priority registration. Registration deadline is June 12. Details: https://bit.ly/37wUAcA or abbey.schuhmann@jacksondiocese.org.

JOB OPENINGS
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS Catholic schools across the diocese have a variety of positions open from principals to substitutes. Please visit https://schools.jacksondiocese.org/education-overview/employment/ for an opportunity near you.

DIOCESE The Department of Faith Formation in the Diocese of Jackson is looking for a full-time Coordinator of the Office of Young Adults and Campus Ministry. The coordinator supervises and participates in the diocesan efforts for ministry to and with young adults, college students, youth and the various staff and volunteers who assist with these ministries from the parishes and schools. The successful candidate will be a collaborative member of a dynamic formation team. Please contact fran.lavelle@jacksondiocese.org if you have questions. Please send a cover letter and resume to by June 3 to be considered.

Holy week Juvenil retreat

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St James the less en corinth Ms, april 16-17 2022
Holy week Juvenil retreat
Así fue nuestra semana santa en la Iglesia de St James the less en corinth Ms,
con nuestro 4 retiro de Pascua Juvenil para jóvenes,
de 13 a 18 años con una asistencia de 65 jóvenes
gracias a DIOS y al padre Mario que nos permitió que se realizara nuevamente. (Fotos Bernardo Sorcia)

Featured photo … Blessing of the Oils …

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JACKSON – Pictured left to right are Deacon Andrew Bowden, Father Aaron Williams, Mary Woodward, William Foggo and Bishop Joseph Kopacz during the annual Chrism Mass on Tuesday, April 12 at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. There are three types of oils: Holy Chrism, Oil of the Catechumens and Oil of the Infirm or Sick. (Photo by Tereza Ma)

Corazón de Jesús, Familia y Semana Santa

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Madison
Houston
Pearl
Antes y durante Semana Santa se rememoraron muchas veces los momentos de la Pasión del Señor. En las fotos están algunos ejemplos: Estaciones de la Cruz en St. Jude Pearl y Cruxificción en San Francisco de Asís Madison y el Inmaculado Corazón de María Houston llevado a cabo por el Ministerio de Evangelización de St. Christopher Pontotoc. (Fotos de St. Jude Pearl y St. Francis Madison: por Elsa Baughman y del Inmaculado Corazón de María, Houston por Danna Johnson)

St. Francis Madison: fotos por Elsa Baughman

RICHLAND – La Federación de Jackson del movimiento Familiar Católico Cristiano celebró su conferencia regional el sábado 26 de marzo. La reunión contó con la presencia de al menos 40 matrimonios. Rafael Pisso Rivera S.T.
Vicario General de los Siervos Misioneros de la Santísima Trinidad
fue el invitado por el Padre Marco Antonio Sanchez, ST, quien es el párroco de St. Anne Carthage y asesor espiritual del MFCC, María. (Fotos de Berta Mexidor)

Corazón Ardiente llega a Mississippi

https://www.mississippicatholic.com/2022/03/25/corazon-ardiente-llega-a-mississippi/

In memoriam: Sister Kay Burton, SNJM

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ROCKFORD, Wa. – Sister Kay was born Frances Catherine (Kay) Burton on Nov. 3, 1936, in Santa Monica, California to Gordon and Marie Burton while Gordon was employed by Douglas Aircraft to work on experimental airplanes. The family moved to Issaquah, Washington, in 1942 when Gordon began work as a government inspector on airplanes in Renton. They lived there for less than a year when the family moved to Rockford, Washington, where Kay had fond memories of living on the Saunders place. In 1948, the family moved to Lake Creek, Idaho, into the farmhouse where Gordon had been raised and that is still standing today.

In 1954, Kay graduated from Rockford High School as Valedictorian. She enrolled in Holy Names College, Spokane, graduating in 1958 with a degree in Education and began her teaching career at Deer Park High School. In January 1960, after a year and a half teaching in public schools, Kay entered the novitiate of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary at Marylhurst, Oregon receiving the religious name Sister Gordon Mary. She pronounced first vows on Feb. 5, 1962.

Sister Kay spent years developing peace-education programs and anti-racism curricula as an inner-city teacher and administrator in Seattle. She traveled to Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1978 to teach at Immaculate Conception School and earned a M.Ed. in Counseling and Guidance from Western Michigan University in 1979. After returning to Spokane from 1983-87 to assume a leadership role as Provincial Director of her SNJM community, Sister Kay returned to Mississippi. She bought a house which she immediately remodeled into appropriate space for tutoring. She reached out to the Jonestown community to find out what people wanted. As a result, Sister Kay established GED programs, garden projects, softball teams and life skills classes for the people of Jonestown. Music was important to her and became a major emphasis. She encouraged instructors to come to Jonestown to teach music. The result was joyful singing at annual Christmas celebrations and Black history presentations, as well as piano recitals and other wonderful gatherings.

Her successful volunteer recruitment campaigns led to innumerable home repair and Habitat for Humanity projects benefiting the residents of Jonestown. Volunteers created a playground for younger children and helped upgrade basketball, baseball and track facilities. Sister Kay provided enrichment opportunities to the young people of Jonestown by organizing field trips and driving students to meet Sisters and others involved in service work. These ranged from travels to the Native American Community in Wapato, Washington, to Holy Names Convents in Lesotho, Africa.

Sister Kay also helped found The Call to Vietnam Program which sent Sisters of the Holy Names and volunteers to teach English language skills to the young Lovers of the Holy Cross Sisters in Hue, Vietnam.
Sister Kay’s career spanned a lifetime of giving to those in need. Her gifts as a teacher, administrator, volunteer, advocate, innovator, gardener and counselor touched the lives of the thousands of people she served. The people of Jonestown, Mississippi, will never forget Sister Kay and the impact she had during the thirty-plus years of her ministry there.

Sister Kay Burton, SNJM, died March 18, 2022, in Spokane, Washington, at Hospice House of Spokane. There must have been a joyous greeting in Heaven that morning as her mom and dad along with brothers Dick, Bill, Jim, and Ira met Kay on her journey to everlasting life.

Sister Kay is survived her five brothers: John, Tom, Don, Bob and Steve and generations of nieces and nephews who knew and loved their Aunt Kay. Sister Kay is also survived by members of her religious community the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.

A funeral Mass was held on Saturday, March 26, 2022 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Rockford, Washington. She is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery.

Memorial gifts may be made to Sisters of the Holy Names Retirement Fund, PO Box 398, Marylhurst, OR, 97036 or online at www.snjmusontario.org/donate.

Diócesis y Parroquia

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Por un mes, el Obispo Joseph Kopacz ha mantenido más de una decena de Audiencias Publicas durante el proceso del Sínodo de la Sinodalidad. Durante estas sesiones de escucha, el obispo ha compartido con cientos de feligreses sus preocupaciones por el futro de la Iglesia y las sugerencias de soluciones para fortalecer la misma como legado para las futuras generaciones.
St Michael Forest: Foto de Berta Mexidor, St. James Tupelo: Foto de Danna Johnson, St Francis Madison: Foto de Joanna King
El Obispo Joseph Kopacz bendijo la exhibición de la película Corazón Ardiente, el lunes 4 de abril, en el cine Malco de Madison.
La pequeña pero vibrante audiencia, que se congrego a ver el filme ese día, se emocionó con el mismo y casi todos lloraron con la emotiva cinta.
 Iliana Salmerón Hall, feligresa de St. Francis Madison, católica y devota del Corazón de Jesús, ha sido la promotora local que, en Mississippi, trabajó para la puesta en la gran pantalla de esta película, producida y promovida por el Festival Internacional de Cine Católico.
En estas fotos y video se recogen algunas de las impresiones del obispo Kopacz y feligreses.
 
Fotos y video por Berta Mexidor

In memoriam: Sister Rosemary
Empen, OP

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SINSINAWA, Wis. – Sister Rosemary Empen, OP, died March 2, 2022, at St. Elizabeth Manor, Footville, Wis. Her religious name was Sister Aemilia. The funeral Mass was held at the Dominican motherhouse, Sinsinawa, March 11, followed by burial in the Motherhouse Cemetery.

Sister Rosemary made her first profession as a Dominican Sister of Sinsinawa Aug. 5, 1957, and her perpetual profession Aug. 5, 1960. She taught for 16 years and served as principal for five years. Sister Rosemary was a missionary in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, for 13 years. This work led her to continue her ministry with Spanish-speaking people when she returned to the United States. She served as pastoral minister for 12 years, director of a multicultural center for five years, and codirector of a Catholic parish for 10 years. Sister Rosemary was a gentle person who responded to the needs of others by asking, “What will we do about this?”

She also served in Illinois, New York, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Mississippi. In the Diocese of Jackson, Sister Rosemary served as codirector at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Houston, 1996-2006.

Calendar of events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
GREENWOOD Locus Benedictus, Healing Retreat, Saturday, April 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., presented by Maria Vadia; Mental Well-being and Trust workshop, Sunday, April 10 from 2-4 p.m., presented by Michael Whelan, Ph.D.; God’s Love Retreat, Saturday, May 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. presented by the Locus Benedictus ministry team. Details: email contactlocusbenedictus@gmail.com or call (662) 299-1232.

PARISH, FAMILY AND SCHOOL EVENTS
BROOKHAVEN St. Francis, White Elephant Sale on April 2 by the Knights of Columbus. No clothing donations. Details: church office (601) 833-1799.

COLUMBUS Annunciation Catholic School, Draw Down/Art Auction on Friday, April 22 from 6:30-11 p.m. at the Trotter Convention Center. Adults only with dinner and open bar. Draw down ticket $100. Art auction ticket $35 at the door. Details: school office (662) 328-4479.

CLEVELAND Our Lady Of Victories, Egg Hunt for birth to sixth grade, April 3, 10-11 a.m., please bring 12 candy filled eggs. Details: olvcc@att.net.

GREENVILLE St. Joseph, Pancake Breakfast, April 9 from 7-10 a.m. hosted by Knights of Columbus. Proceeds from event benefit family of Maria Guillen, who was diagnosed a few weeks ago with Leukemia and is currently at Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas. Cost is $10. Details: Cathy Finley (662) 378-9711.

MERIDIAN St. Patrick School, Annual Countdown fundraiser on Friday, April 22. Tickets will go on sale soon and are $100 for a full ticket but partial tickets can be bought for as little as $25. Grand prize is $5,000. Details: school office (601) 482-6044.

SOUTHAVEN Sacred Heart School is seeking a PK-3 and first grade teacher; as well as, a social studies teacher for 6-8 grades. Must have basic understanding and acceptance of the Catholic School philosophy, goals and objectives. Details: shsjobs@shsm.org.

YAZOO CITY St. Mary, Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 17, immediately following Mass. Details: church office at yazoocitystm@jacksondiocese.org.

YOUTH BRIEFS
SEARCH retreat for juniors and seniors, April 1-3, at Camp Wesley Pines in Gallman. Retreat is “for teens, led by teens” and is an experience like none other; with a strong focus on vocations. SEARCH engages youth in a special way and calls them to live out their Catholic faith in a bold real, active and healthy way. Cost $125. Details: abbey.schuhmann@jacksondiocese.org.

SAVE THE DATE
COLLECTION Rice bowl collection is set for Holy Thursday, April 14. Collect your bowl from your parish.

JACKSON St. Richard, VBS 2022, June 6-9. Online registration dates will be announced soon. Details: church office (601) 366-2335.

MADISON St. Francis, VBS 2022, June 20-24 for all children going into Pre-K4 through fourth grades. Help is needed to plan, teach, assist, decorate, lead music and prepare snacks. Details: Mary Catherine at mc.george@stfrancismadison.org.

PONTOTOC St. Christopher Catholic Friendship Camp, ages 7-11, June 12-18; and ages 12-14, June 19-25. Details: Heidi Stephens campsm@juno.com or https://www.campfriendshipmississippi.com.

LENTEN MEALS AND STATIONS
BROOKHAVEN St. Francis, Stations every Friday during Lent. A light meal will be served in Serio Hall following Stations.

CANTON Sacred Heart, Stations on Wednesday evenings at 5 p.m. followed by a soup supper (no charge).

COLUMBUS Annunciation, Fish Fry in the Activity Center after Stations every Friday during Lent at 5:30 p.m. in the main church.

FLOWOOD St. Paul, Fish dinner every Friday after Stations at 6 p.m. Donations accepted. All are welcome.

HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Fish Fry after Stations on Friday, April 8 at 6:30 p.m.

JACKSON St. Richard, Fish Fry after Stations at 6 p.m., Foley Hall, dine in or to-go. Cost: Adults $12, kids 12 and under $6.

MADISON St. Francis, Rosary 6 p.m., Stations 6:30 p.m. and Lenten meal 7 p.m. every Friday during Lent. Lenten meal offering changes each week.

MERIDIAN St. Patrick, Fish Fry after Stations each Friday during Lent at 6 p.m. All are welcome.

NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Knights of Columbus Fish Fry each Friday during Lent from 5-7 p.m. Drive through only at the Family Life Center parking lot side door. Cost: Catfish $12, Shrimp $12, Combo $14. Dinners include fries, hush puppies and coleslaw. No children’s plate offered.

OXFORD St. John, Stations every Friday during Lent at 5 p.m., followed by Knights of Columbus Fish Fry from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the parish center. Take-outs are available. Plates cost $9.

PEARL St. Jude, Stations every Friday during Lent following 10 a.m. Mass and at 6 p.m. Fish Fry after 6 p.m. Stations. Reservations required. Details: church office (601) 939-3181.

RIPLEY St. Matthew, Fried Catfish Dinner, Fridays through April 8, 4-7 p.m. Dinner inclides two fillets, coleslaw, sweet corn nuggets and choice of beverage. Cost is $10. Dine-in or take-out. Proceeds benefit St. Matthew’s youth ministry program.

TUPELO St. James, Lenten Meatless Spaghetti Dinner to benefit Diocesan Priest Education Fund on Friday, April 1 at 5:30 p.m. in Shelton Hall. Dine-in and to-go available. Served with choice of red or white sauce, salad, garlic bread and dessert. Cost: $9 for adults and $6 for kids.

PENANCE/RECONCILIATION SERVICES
BROOKHAVEN St. Francis, Parish-wide Reconciliation, Wednesday, March 30 at 5:30 p.m.

FLOWOOD St. Paul, Reconciliation service, Monday, April 11 at 6 p.m.

GREENVILLE St. Joseph March 31 at 5:30 p.m.

GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph, Reconciliation, Wednesday, April 6 from 4-6 p.m.

HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Penance Service, Wednesday, March 30 at 7 p.m.

JACKSON St. Richard Thursday, April 7 at 6 p.m.

LOUISVILLE Sacred Heart, Reconciliation every Wednesday during Lent at 12:15 p.m.