Category Archives: Parish News

Holly Springs school celebrates 70th anniversary with alumni, friends, students

Posted on by
Reply

By Laura Grisham
HOLLY SPRINGS – This year, St. Mary’s/CADET/Holy Family School celebrates 70 wonderful years of education.
During Labor Day weekend, several hundred alumni and educators gathered to celebrate. No doubt it was also a grand undertaking for those on the reunion committee, and in particular, chairman Vincent Smith (Class of 1981).
Two years after World War II ended, Sacred Heart Father Paul Frichtl, bought an old abandoned school building in Holly Springs and began to make enough repairs to make the building usable. In 1948, the St. Mary School for African American children opened.
The following year, four School Sisters of St. Francis arrived to work with him. When St. Mary’s began, eighth grade was the highest level offered. Another grade was added each year until all 12 grades were available. In 1954, the first seniors were graduated from St. Mary’s High School.
In 1969, St. Mary’s merged with St. Joseph’s to form C.A.D.E.T. (Christian Aided Development Through Extraordinary Training). CADET Child Care Center opened in 1974 with 25 children and CADET High School closed. A new computer lab was installed for students in 1995, and with that, CADET changed its name to Holy Family School in order to provide a stronger Catholic identity.
“Seven decades have brought about many changes in our world and in our schools, but the commitment of Sacred Heart Southern Missions (SHSM) and the Priests of the Sacred Heart to educating hearts and minds remains steadfast,” said Fr. Jack Kurps, SCJ, executive director of SHSM.

Above, a pep squad of current Holy Family Students cheered on those attending the reunion during a Friday night meet-and-greet. At right, Sr. Cathy Mauge, OSF, and Cathedral Pryor Wilkins at the picnic on Sunday.

“Our school has been and remains a sanctuary for children, where they are safe and receive guidance, discipline and love. Our students receive a quality education — a firm foundation not only in academics, but also in Christian values and respect for one another.”
Friday evening, guests were treated to a meet and greet, complete with tasty food and jazzy entertainment. The Holy Family Pep Squad greeted alumni with cheers and acrobatics to begin the evening. Beta Club members offered tours of the building.
The next day alumni volunteers cleaned out the school’s basement. Much to the delight of current Principal Clara Isom, two dump trailers of trash were removed. Equally hard work was being performed upstairs as members of the reunion committee set up and decorated for the banquet scheduled for later in the evening.
Nearly 200 former students, teachers and principals attended the gala Saturday night. The evening began, as does every event, with a prayer. Several alumni addressed the gathering, sharing fond memories.

HOLLY SPRINGS –The reunion chior had the crowd on its feet singing ‘Oh Happy Day’ at a Sunday morning worship service to celebrate Holy Family School’s 70th anniversary during the Labor Day weekend. (Photos by Laura Grisham)

Former Cadet principal, Sister Sheila Kloss, OSF, was the guest speaker for the night. Traveling all the way from California for the event with another former CADET educator, Sister Cathy Mauge, OSF. She greeted attendees with heartfelt enthusiasm. Citing the gospel, “’Lord, it is good for us to be here. This is a sacred place.’ All of us and many others over the years made this a sacred place by coming together to live, to learn, to love.”
Sunday began in earnest with a rousing worship service. Prayers, scripture and hymns filled every corner of the school gymnasium. The Reunion Choir and Rev. Catherine Robinson Willett had everyone on their feet with “Oh Happy Day.”
Services ended prior to noon, giving those in attendance just enough time to don their blue reunion t-shirts and some comfortable shoes before attending a closing picnic.

(A longer version of this story appeared in the Sacred Heart Southern Missions newsletter.)

 

Ospino hears from pastors, lay community

Posted on by
Reply

By Berta Mexidor
PEARL – In an analysis of history and its consequences on today, Dr. Hosffman Ospino exchanged information with priests, seminarians, sisters and lay people who work in the parishes of the diocese during two intensive gatherings. Ospino, assistant professor of theology and religious education at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry, was in Jackson for Faith Formation Day August 25, so the office of Hispanic Ministry invited him to meet with pastors and lay people separately at St. Jude Parish.
Ospino presented several facts about the development of Catholicism in the United States to both groups centered on why in the 21st century the church is adopting ministries designed to alleviate segregation in the parishes. This segregation, once imposed socially and legally, is now self-inflicted.
The current segregation, he said, is a personal attitude to choose segregated life and it is a trend that has been getting worse since the 1960s. “This self-segregation is destroying us,” Ospino noted. Personal experiences and culture are taken to church every Sunday, this can affect the church positively or negatively.
Catholics have struggled to keep and share their faith for centuries. At the beginning, Irish, Germans and Italians created national churches to keep their faith, language and customs.
Blacks, Latinos, Asians and other internationals are converging in Catholicism from different routes and causes. Specifically, for Latinos, in every country, Catholicism has been the main religion, a heritage from the colonization of Spain and Portugal. In terms of major migrations of Spanish speakers to the U.S., one important event was when generations of Mexicans, became U.S. citizens after the Guadalupe Hidalgo Treaty on 1848. Later, in the 1960s, political and economic instability detonated a migration from Latin American and Caribbean countries, bringing Catholicism with it. Mexicans, Cubans and Puerto Ricans came to be part of established Catholic churches in U.S. This pattern continues until today with the immigration of Venezuelans, Guatemalans, Hondurans and more.
These immigrants share the same language – Spanish, but their children speak English. “Hispanic Ministry needs to use both languages, or even ‘Spanglish’ if necessary, to share the gospel to all,” Ospino joked.
Embracing diversity is the new challenge for Catholic churches. Bringing the best of different societies and cultures will strengthen the Catholic Church. “Latinos are attending church, everywhere they go, to keep their faith” Ospino emphasized, remarking that at the end all “Catholics are called to share and keep their faith.”
Priests, deacons and leaders from more than 20 parishes came to the first gathering. Most of the priests are working in places were the Latino community has an important presence in Mississippi. At the second meeting, Saturday afternoon, more than 70 Latino parishioners shared their hopes and challenges with Ospino. He noted Hispanics have a history in United States with deep roots, and based in that foundation, Latino families need to continue the construction of their identity. This time one of the participants highlighted the fact that parents should have an active participation in school system to support their children’s education, therefore they need to learn English, and understand the American system.
Ospino called their attention to certain figures: in United States’ 196 archdioceses/dioceses with more than 17 thousand churches, 35 million Latinos are Catholics. Two-thirds of Hispanics live in poverty; only 18 percent have a college degree. The average age of Latinos is 19 years, which represents almost 60 percent of the entire Latino population.
These statistics should impel the Catholic Church to first – reach out to the Hispanic youth, second – work with family life and third– create a new context for vocations. Coincidentally, these are the objectives of the main agenda for the V Encuentro, which will be held at the end of September.
The numbers grow every year and “this human tsunami is transforming the Catholic Church,” creating what Ospino considers to be “multicultural churches.”

(Photo by Sister María Elena Mendéz, MGSpS)

Marian Consecration

Posted on by
Reply

PEARL – Participants in the St. Louis De Montfort consecration to Jesus through Mary made their consecration at St. Jude’s Church at the close of the Vigil Mass for the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. This group is a part of The Marian Servants of Jesus, the Lamb of God. The nine participants journeyed together through the 33-day preparation during weekly meetings. Each week participants prayed for a particular theme and grace from scripture and assigned readings. At the meetings they were given an opportunity to share the fruits of their prayers and received a teaching on the theme and grace for the coming week.

(Photo by Rhonda Bowden)

The Marian Servants is a lay association of the Catholic Church. The group has a special devotion to Mary and a focus on the spiritual works of mercy.
Teresa Preuss is the director of the local group along with and assistant director, Maureen Roberts. The mission of The Marian Servants is “to live faithfully our call to holiness and bring Catholic Christians to a deeper understanding of their vocation and mission in Christ, the Church and the world.”
For more information on the group, contact Preuss or Roberts by email at tepreussmahecha@gmail.com or mmjroberts@gmail.com.

Nine admitted to candidacy for permanent diaconate

Posted on by
Reply

PEARL – Bishop Joseph Kopacz admitted nine men to candidacy for the permanent diaconate on Saturday, Sept. 8, during a Mass for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary at St. Jude Parish. The men and their families have spent a year in what is called aspirancy, spending time together in study, prayer and discernment. Candidacy is the next step in their five-year journey. They will continue with study and formation in hopes of being ordained for the diocese. Permanent deacons dedicate themselves to service to the church. The candidates are (l-r, not all faces visible) Mark Bowden, Dien Hoang, Kayed Jwainat, Wesley Lindsay, John Pham, David Rouch, Anthony Schmidt, and Edwin Wilson. (Photo by Rhonda Bowden)

Parish calendar

Posted on by
Reply

SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
BROOKSVILLE The Dwelling Place, Life Lines: Finding the Pearl of Great Price, October 12-13. Life Lines is a writing experience in which the narrative technique of storytelling is used to focus on different life experiences, painful or joy-filled, that are uniquely yours. Facilitator: Raymond Komar, Ph.D. has 35+ years of helping develop and hone writing skills. Begins with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Donations: $100 Details: (662) 738-5348 or email dwellpl@gmail.com.
GREENWOOD Locus Benedictus Retreat Center, Retreat hosted by Knights of Columbus #5267, Saturday, October 13 from 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Presenter: Father Ted Dorcey, C.Ss.R. All Knights are welcome to participate. Cost is $25. Includes continental breakfast and lunch. Details: Father Ted at teddorcey@yahoo.com.
JACKSON 40 Days for Life Kick-Off, Sunday, September 23 at 2:30 p.m. on the sidewalks at 2903 North State Street and the vigil will commence on Wednesday, September 26. 40 Days for Life is a peaceful, intensive campaign that focuses on prayer and fasting for the unborn in our state. Keynote speaker is Natalie Farber Brumfield, chapter leader for Birmingham Bound4Life. Details: Barbara Beavers at (601) 956-8636 or plm@prolifemississippi.org.
SOUTHAVEN Christ the King, National Prayer Event – Let’s Life Chain America, Sunday, October 7, 2-3 p.m. Life Chain is a peaceful, prayerful public witness of pro-life Americans standing for one hour of prayer for our nation and an end to abortion. Details: Barbara Dean (901) 486-6470 or Mary Ann (662) 429-7851 or (662) 429-0501.

PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS
CLARKSDALE Catholic Community of St. Elizabeth, “Who Am I to Judge: Responding to Relativism with Logic and Love,” a new Bible study begins Wednesday, October 3. Join scholar Edward Sri in discussing cultural questions about morality for all people. Details: church office (662) 624-4301.
CLEVELAND First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 101 North Bolivar Avenue, Women’s Resource Center Annual Banquet, Tuesday, October 2, 6 p.m. Supports those who have unplanned and difficult pregnancy situations. Free but seating is limited. Details: Our Lady of Victories church office (662) 846-6273.
COLUMBUS Annunciation, Spaghetti lunch in appreciation of support of the ministry of St. Vincent de Paul, Sunday, September 30, following 10:30 a.m. Mass. Details: church office (662) 328-2927.
GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph, 32nd annual GermanFest is Sunday, September 30, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The family-oriented festival is best known for its delicious German food and authentic German Folk music provided by the band, Polkameisters from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cost: Advance meal tickets are $6 and are available from parishioners. Meals the day of the festival will be $7. Details: church office (601) 856-2054.
HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Men’s Association Fall fish fry, Friday, October 5, 4-8 p.m. Cost: Adults $10; children $5. Proceeds go to support Interfaith Food Bank, Catholic Social Services and the Cindy Pretti Scholarship Fund. Details: Sal Galtelli (662) 429-5071 or Lee Smith (662) 233-4833.
JACKSON Holy Ghost All School Reunion, Save the Date, October 12-14. Details: Mary Udoh at (601) 750-3622.
St. Peter Cathedral, Fall Gala, Saturday, November 10, 6:30-10 p.m. at the Railroad District, 824 South State Street Details: church office (601) 969-3125.
St. Richard, John Maxwell’s “Blind Man Looking” one-act play, Thursday, September 20, 6:30 p.m. at Foley Hall. Maxwell had a curiosity about a story in the Bible, John: 9. Details: church office (601) 366-2335.
St. Richard Special Kids Day Golf tournament, Deerfield Golf Club, Thursday, October 4. The unique gifts of the children in the Special Kids program are recognized and applauded while the community participates in a day full of fun excitement and fundraising. Raffle tickets on sale for a Mother’s Day Beach Weekend May 9-12 at Ocean Breeze West in Pensacola. Details: Rusty Haydel, (601) 953-9711 rusdale@aol.com or Shannon Garner, (601) 366-2335 garner@saintrichard.com.
LELAND St. James, Tuesday, September 25, Annual Parish Fair. Volunteers are needed. Details: church office (662) 686-7352.
MADISON St. Francis of Assisi, “A Taste of St. Francis” annual multicultural event, Sunday, September 30, in the Family Life Center following 10:30 Mass. Details: church office (601) 856-5556 or Amy Hornback (601) 953-4182 for more information about how you can volunteer and cook/bring a dish.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Saturday, September 22, “Lay Holiness in Ministry and Mission” presented by Dr. Thomas Neal in celebration of the 6th anniversary of the O’Connor Family Life Center dedication. Dr. Neal is a recognized authority in the field of lay ministry and currently is Professor of Pastoral and Spiritual Theology at Notre Dame Seminary. Late registration from 9 – 9:30 a.m. and program is from 9:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. Early registration is encouraged so that an accurate lunch count can be made. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.
PEARL St. Jude, Tom Logue Memorial Chili Cook-off, Sunday, November 11, 5:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. All proceeds go to a needy family. Details: Nat Zummo (601) 573-3184 or zummonat@bellsouth.net.

Greenwood community celebrates 70 years of Franciscans

Posted on by
Reply

By Maureen Smith
GREENWOOD – St. Francis of Assisi Parish and School is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the Franciscan Friars this year. The community hosted two celebratory Masses, one at Immaculate Heart of Mary, which the Franciscans are placing back in the care of a diocesan priest, and a second at St. Francis of Assisi.
“Throughout our lives, there are many anniversaries. Today, we celebrate the anniversary of the arrival of the first friars coming to Greenwood. Each time we come to an anniversary, we are called to remember, to celebrate and give thanks,” said Brother Patrick McCormack, OFM, in his homily at the Mass at St. Francis on Sunday, August 5.
He went on to set the stage- commenting that the Civil Rights Movement was years from making its way to the Mississippi Delta when Fathers Bonaventure and Crysostom pulled into town in their 1947 station wagon. “In 1954 the landmark case Brown vs. Board of Education would find educational segregation to be unconstitutional. The term separate but equal was a way of life – though equality was nonexistent,” he said.
The lack of quality education was the first issue the Franciscans tackled. “The friars came here to establish a mission and out of that came the school first and then the parish. Whereas a lot of Catholic churches the church comes first and then the school to take care of the children of the parish- that’s not what happened here- just the opposite because the reality here was different,” Fraciscan Father Jachim explained. Many students became Catholic after their exposure to the friars and the Sisters of St. Joseph who first taught there.

GREENWOOD – Father. Camillus Janas, OFM, Parochial Vicar, Mrs. Sara Frances Swindoll and Rylie Grace Collette. (Photos by Tereza Ma)

Fater Camillus Janas, OFM

Brother Patrick McCormack, OFM, who works in development and teaches art at the school, delivered the homily.

Dora Mae Hollie and Sister Judy Norwick, OSF, enjoying feast after Mass.

In fact, the school has educated generations of students in Greenwood. Dora Mae Hollie remembers coming into the church on Dec. 24, 1964. “I had five children go through this school and then four grandchildren go through this school and now I have three great grand-children going through this school — so this school has been a part of our life for a long time,” said the 83-year-old still-active member of the community.
The friars were very active in the Civil Rights Movement in Greenwood. They went on to partner with local lay people to help found Pax Christi, a group of lay people who worked in education and outreach.
Diane Jones, a graduate of the school, said she and fellow students admired all the hard work the Franciscan community put into education. “They were gifts to the Delta and to Greenwood. I left and went off to college and a lot of the morals and values the nuns instilled into us stuck with me and when I came home, I instill them into my children, who attended here also,” said Jones.
Franciscan Sister of Charity Annette Kurey is in her ninth year of teaching at St. Francis. She said her community of two other sisters and the friars continue to love their work. “It’s very important to be here with the friars. Their Franciscan spirit- and our Franciscan spirit- there is a commonality and a beautiful blossoming, and we seem to enjoy and understand the same things. To me, working with the Franciscans is a blessing,” she said.
For Sister Kurey and her colleagues and Fr. Studwell and his partners, the core of the mission remains the same – to go into the margins and serve. “There are a lot of people her in this area who have no church affiliation, so we are trying to do outreach. Most of the children who come to school here are not Catholic – and that’s not a problem. We don’t proselytize, we don’t try to make you Catholic, we invite people.”
(Tereza Ma contributed to this story)

West Point student earns national honor

Posted on by
Reply

By Maureen Smith
WEST POINT – Corgan Elliot made history on her summer break. The Fifth Street Junior High seventh-grader competed at National History Day Competition in Washington, DC. Elliot, a member of Immaculate Conception Parish, where she is an altar server, won the state essay competition last year, making her eligible for the national finals. When she wrote the essay she was attending Central elementary School.
National History Day is non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that operates an annual project-based contest for students in grades 6-12. Last year, the theme was conflict and compromise. Students could write an essay or complete another project to explore the theme.
Elliot wrote an essay about Lucy Maude Montgomery, author of the famed Anne of Green Gables books. She examined how Montgomery had to face conflicts and come up with compromises in her life as a orphan and a woman who wanted to be a professional.
“Montgomery was special because she had different labors and problems, and she had the courage to be a female author and take on those additional struggles. She also had the courage to be known as a female author. Some female authors of her time wrote books under a male name, hiding their identity of being a female author in order for their pieces to have a better chance of being published,” wrote Elliot in her essay.
Her mother, Penny, said while Corgan did not bring home a trophy, the trip to the national competition was well worth the effort. “The competition was great. Corgan met a lot of students from around the world. She competed against over 100 students from around the US and world from grades 5-8. She did not place, but it was a wonderful learning experience. She enjoyed meeting other students with her interest in history. She is already planning for this year’s competition,” wrote Penny Elliot in an email to Mississippi Catholic.
The theme for 2018-2019 is triumph and tragedy in history.

St. Mother Teresa inspires Vicksburg youth to start ongoing service projects

Posted on by
Reply

By Joan Thornton
VICKSBURG – During the summer, Vicksburg Catholic School, in partnership with Families First for Mississippi, developed a program entitled ‘Mother Teresa Tuesday.’ Each week student and adult volunteers worked at various locations such as Vicksburg

VICKSBURG – Taylor Chewning and Natalie Burke participate in Mother Theresa Tuesday service for Vicksburg Catholic School students during the summer. (Photos by Joan Thornton)

Community Garden, Good Shepherd Community Center and Warren County Humane Society. Groups even traveled to Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson and Our Daily Bread Mississippi located in Canton. There were weeks when 40 volunteers went out on projects.
At the hospital, volunteers participated in the Adopt-A-Floor Program, which provides snacks free of charge for the family members of patients. Groups collected approximately $3,000 worth of snacks which they delivered July 11.
The goal at Our Daily Bread “Bring awareness of healthy eating and to aid in hunger relief in our local communities through God, good works, and deeds.” Student and adult volunteers prepared and served about 90 hot meals for the needy in the community of Canton as well as unloading delivery trucks and organizing their pantry.
Students plan to continue Mother Teresa Tuesdays throughout the school year and encourage all members of the community to join them as together they build up the Kingdom of God through service.

(Joan Thornton is the head of the theology program for Vicksburg Catholic Schools)

Cathedral alumna to lead elementary school

Posted on by
Reply

By Sabrina Simms
NATCHEZ – Cathedral School’s new elementary principal and assistant administrator in Kimberly Burkley has a familiar face. As a 1998 graduate of Cathedral, Burkely said working at the school is like coming home.

Kimberly Burkley (Photo courtesy Natchez Democrat)

“It’s exciting to be a part of Cathedral again,” Burkley said. “They’ve added a middle school wing … but most of it is the same.” Burkley said she grew up in Natchez and later pursued her undergraduate degree at the University of Mississippi and graduate degree at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Before coming to Cathedral, Burkley worked in Concordia Parish Schools, both as a speech and language pathologist from 2005 until last year and as an administrative intern at Concordia Parish Academy for two years.
Burkley said she worked in education for nearly 13 years and enjoys helping students succeed.”The thing I like most is the opportunity to make a difference in children and students’ lives,” Burkley said.
Even though she has worked across the river, Burkley said she never left Natchez. She commuted from Natchez each day and let her children go to her alma mater at Cathedral. Burkley said most of her students and colleagues knew her already as a friend or neighbor. As a professional, Burkley said she has great expectations for the more than 400 students in prekindergarten through fifth grade at Cathedral who will be in her care this school year.
“I’m professional, focused on the academics of students and supportive of faculty and staff,” Burkley said. “Cathedral is an amazing school. As an elementary principal, I will maintain the positive culture and high expectations. I will be visible and available to parents, students and teachers, and I’m looking forward to being a part of the Cathedral family.”

(Reprinted with permission from The Natchez Democrat.)

Annunciation expansion on track for groundbreaking this fall

Posted on by
Reply

COLUMBUS – Annunciation School has raised $2 million of the $3 million dollars needed to expand its school facility. The school announced the expansion plan last year after several years of enrollment increases.
“Our architectural committee has met and new building designs have been drawn. Demolition and new construction bids are going out and we hope to break ground sometime in the coming months,” said Katie Fenstermacher, marketing and admissions director for the school.

A rendering of the new Annunciation School. (Courtesy of Katie Fenstermacher)

During the summer the current school building and cafeteria building got a new roof. Work crews added walls and doors where partitions use to be in the existing classrooms. The library and offices have been moved temporarily in preparation for construction to begin.
The students’ routine has not been impacted much. They eat lunch in the classrooms and dismissal is a little different this year.
“We’re excited to provide the best environment we can for continued excellence at our school,” said Father Jeffrey Waldrep, canonical administrator for the school.
“Overall, you can feel the excitement among our school family,” added principal Joni House. Administrators hope to be in the new building by next fall. Meanwhile, the capital campaign continues. To donate, go to www.annunciationcatholicschool.org.