Category Archives: Parish News

Madison St. Joseph names athletic director, football coach

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MADISON – St. Joseph School named former Mississippi State quarterback John Bond as the school’s new head football coach and Bruin basketball coach Michael Howell as athletic director during a news conference on Friday, June 1.


Howell, who will continue to coach Bruin basketball, will manage and oversee all 21 St. Joe sports. Bond will take over a football program that went 7-4 in the regular season last year before falling to Perry Central in a first-round playoff game.
“Being a head coach made the difference,” Bond said. “This place just felt right. I’ve got some friends with their kids here. I’ve always heard great things about the school. And I said I wanted to be a part of that.”
St. Joe fields 21 boys and girls sports. Boys sports include baseball, basketball, football, soccer, swimming, bowling, track and cross country; girls sports include softball, basketball, soccer, cheerleading, swimming, bowling, track and cross country,
Howell, 32, who is entering his second year as head basketball coach, said he hopes to improve all sports on campus. Howell said that Bruin coaches have high expectations for their sports, “but they need some resources to meet those expectations.”
Howell said he plans to do what he can as athletic director “to get them those resources – fundraising, helping them with scheduling, whatever I need to do to help them get up to the level they want to get to and just trying to see each student athlete be successful.”
Before joining the St. Joseph Catholic School staff in 2017, Howell worked as an assistant basketball coach at Brandon High School. In his first year as head basketball coach, Howell took the Bruins to an Elite 8 berth in the state high school playoffs.
Bond, 57, played quarterback at Mississippi State University from 1980-1983. Bond’s college career included a 6-3 win over Alabama in 1980, one of the greatest wins in school history. He led Mississippi State to appearances in the Sun Bowl in El Paso in 1980 and the Hall of Fame Classic in Birmingham in 1981.
In college, Bond ran the wishbone offense; he said he doesn’t plan to run the wishbone at St. Joe.
“We are going to have to have an athletic quarterback; he’s got to be a threat,” Bond said. “It’ll be some type of option game. We’ve got some pretty good athletes. From what I saw . . . we’ve got some talent and we’ve got some kids who want to play.”
Principal Dena Kinsey said Howell’s promotion and Bond’s hire highlight St. Joseph’s support for a strong athletic program. She said a good athletic program combined with an outstanding college prep curriculum gives St. Joe students a well-rounded education.
“I’m so excited about the 2018-19 school year,” Kinsey said. “We have some fabulous leadership in place who will bring the St. Joe family together and move us forward.”

Cleaning robot to compete nationally

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JACKSON – A team of sixth-graders from St. Richard Catholic School won top honors in the state eCYBERMISSION competition, which will send them to the nationals in Washington, D.C. this summer.
Team Squeegee Feast won the state and then regional levels of the eCYBERMISSION competition – a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiative offered by the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP). The St. Richard students built “The Squage,” a working robot, to clean tables and floors in their school cafeteria.
“These kids came in after school, on weekends and during the holidays to brainstorm, problem-solve and perfect their robot,” said St. Richard Principal Jennifer David. “We are so proud of all the work they put into it and thankful to have such dedicated team leaders in Ashley and Allan Klein, who volunteer to lead this project every year.”
Students compete on state, regional, and national levels for monetary awards, with national winning teams receiving up to $9,000 in U.S. EE Savings Bonds, valued at maturity. Two teams from Madison St. Joseph School received state recognition for their projects.
All 20 regional winning teams move on to compete as national finalists at the National Judging and Education Event (NJ&EE). NJ&EE is an all-expenses-paid trip set for June 17-22 in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
Sponsored by the U.S. Army and administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), eCYBERMISSION is a web-based STEM competition that is free to students and designed to help build their interest and knowledge in STEM. Students in grades six through nine are challenged with developing a solution to a real-world problem in their local community.

Schools, parishes honor Mary in May

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JACKSON – Sixth-grader Lillian Boggan places the crown on Mary’s statue during the school Mass on Wednesday, May 9. (Photo by Maureen Smith)

MADISON – St. Joseph students Gianna Altamirano and Syndi Vandevender, below, crowned Mary at the Thursday, May 10 school Mass. Fathers John Bohn and Jason Johnston also blessed junior class rings at the Mass. (Photos by Maureen Smith)

GRANADA – Tony Le, presents flowers at the May crowning at St. Peter Parish on Sunday, May 13. Children in the parish each presented flowers before Madeline Liberto placed a crown on Mary’s statue. (Photos by Michael Liberto)

St. Francis’ Cajun Fest pleases all ages

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By Joe Lee
MADISON – The 33rd annual Cajun Fest fundraiser at St. Francis of Assisi on May 6 made approximately $32,000 in sun-baked, mouth-watering profits, as people from all over central Mississippi enjoyed boiled crawfish, pulled pork sandwiches and many other culinary favorites. The proceeds will help repair the interior of St. Clare Hall on the St. Francis campus. On May 12, Knights of Columbus Council 9543 at St. Francis raised approximately $15,000 for seminarian education at their annual Floyd Q. Doolittle Memorial Golf Classic, held at Whisper Lake Country Club of Madison.

International Pentecost Celebration

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PEARL – Mexican dancers perform as part of the 13th annual international Pentecost celebration at St. Jude Parish. Families bring food to represent their homelands and different groups present cultural exhibits such as music and dance. Dozens of nations are represented each year including the Phillipines, Germany, countries in Central and South America. The event also featured a drawdown-style fund-raiser for the Carmelite Sisters. (Photo by Tereza Ma)

Calendar of events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

COVINGTON, La., Abbey Christian Life Center, Couples Retreat, June 9-10. Cost: A donation of $275 is requested but not required. Details: www.FaithandMarriage.org or call Jason Agelette at (504) 830-3716.
GREENWOOD Locus Benedictus Spirituality Center, The Redemptorist priests of Greenwood are now available at the retreat center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-4 p.m. for spiritual direction, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and prayer. Details: (662) 451-7980.
KENNER, La, The Catholic Charismatic Renewal of New Orleans (CCRNO) will sponsor its annual Day of Refreshment for Women on Saturday, June 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Kenner, in the school gym. The theme is “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight.” Patti Mansfield and Kim Lukinovich will teach; Andi Oney and Denise Beyer will lead praise; Janice Charbonnet and Mary Lukinovich will give testimony. Cost is $30 and includes lunch. Enjoy teaching, fellowship, small groups, prayer ministry and music by Mercy Beaucoup. On-site registrations are accepted but no lunch is guaranteed. Details: (504) 828-1368 or register online at www.ccrno.org by Wednesday, June 20, noon to order lunch.

PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS

AMORY St. Helen, Book Discussion on Lilac Girls by Martha Hail Kelly at the parish hall on Monday, June 11, at noon. Everyone is invited to read the book and plan to join in the discussion. Details: (662) 256-8392.
CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories, High School Seniors’ Mass and breakfast, Sunday, June 3 (change of date) at the 9 a.m. Mass. All parishioners are welcome to attend both. Details: (662) 846-6273.
Takeout smoked chicken dinner, Friday, June 29. The Knights of Columbus are pre-selling tickets to raise money for the annual Relay for Life. Details: Michael Lott, Grand Knight (662) 588-6163.
GREENVILLE Sacred Heart, parish picnic, Sunday, June 3, at 1p.m. Details: (662) 332-0891.
St. Joseph, 7th Annual Delta Soul Celebrity Golf and Charity Event benefitting the Steve Azar St. Cecilia Foundation, June 7-9. The event promises to be filled with the southern hospitality and laidback good times. Sponsorship and participation opportunities available. Details: deltasoul@sascf.org.
HERNANDO Holy Spirit helps feeds the hungry at Garden Cafe on Thursday, May 31, and Thursday, June 28. Volunteers are needed for set up, serving and clean up. Details: (662) 429-7851.
Father’s Day Brunch, Sunday, June 17, sponsored by the Ladies Association immediately following Mass. Bring your family and celebrate. All fathers eat free. Tickets will go on sale at the weekend masses beginning June 2-3. Cost: adults other than fathers $10.00 and $5.00 for children. Details: (662) 429-7851.
Annual bazaar, Saturday, September 22. This is a later date due to a calendar conflict. Details: (662) 429-7851.
SHAW St. Francis of Assisi, Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly at 9:30 a.m. after Mass, beginning Friday, June 1. Everyone is invited to attend. Details: church office (662) 754-5561.

YOUTH BRIEFS

CLARKSDALE, St. Elizabeth, College/young adult Bible study, Wednesdays at 6 p.m. They will be using the Symbolon program as the basis for studying apologetics (why we believe what we believe). Details: Sarah Cauthen at (662) 645-6260.
JACKSON St. Richard, “Somethin’ for Summer, How Great is our God” in the Mercy Room, remaining sessions are June 13, July 11 and August 8 (second Wednesdays), 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. DVD presented by Louie Giglio, a motivational speaker who uses science and astronomy to show how big our God is and how every detail is all part of his plan. Details: (601) 366-2335.
MADISON, St. Francis of Assisi, Castaway Creative Arts Camp for fifth and sixth graders, June 18-22, 9 a.m. – noon. An Assistant Camp Director is needed. Details: (601) 856-5556.
St. Joseph School, Fine Arts Department will host a choral camp, June 4-8. Open to students currently in grades 3-6. Details: Michael Hrivnak at mhrivnak@stjoebruins.com
Bruin Soccer Camp, May 29 – June 1, 8 a.m. – noon. Cost: $135. Details: ddemmin@stjoebruins.com.
Jr. Bruin Baseball Camp on June 19-21 for boys in Pre-K through rising 7th grades at D.M. Howie Field from 9 a.m. – noon. Cost is $100.00 per camper. The Bruin coaching staff and players will be on hand to teach the fundamentals of baseball. This camp is for beginners, as well as the most experienced players. Walk-ups will be welcome. Details: Please pre-register with Coach Gerard McCall at gmccall@stjoebruins.com.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Summer Choir Camp, July 16-20, 9-11:30 a.m. Let your child learn the joy of song in the context of children’s choir. Students also will complete a visual arts project and serve as music ministers for the 5 p.m. Vigil Mass on Saturday, July 21. Details: Register online at www.stmarybasilica.org or email musicdirector@cableone.net.

Calling all graduates: we need your photos

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Mississippi Catholic is starting work early on this year’s Graduation Special. If a student in your parish is the Valedictorian or Salutatorian of his or her high school or if someone in your parish is receiving a special honor, we would like to include them in the edition. Similarly, if your parish honors its graduates, we would love a photo with names and schools for this edition. Send all information to Maureen Smith, editor at maureen.smith@jacksondiocese.org by Friday, May 25.

Click here for examples

Black Panther author visits Holy Family School

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By Laura Grisham
HOLLY SPRINGS – Author Jesse Holland, a Holly Springs native, came back to visit his hometown recently and made a special stop at Holy Family School. An uncle to three of Holy Family School’s students, Holland was excited to make an appearance and encourage the children on their future paths.
The author was tapped by Marvel to write the novel for the new blockbuster movie “Black Panther.” The film has shattered box office records and has taken in more than $1.3 billion dollars worldwide to date.
Holland has been an avid comic book fan since childhood. When Marvel called him about the Black Panther project in 2016, he jumped at the opportunity.
“Being a Black Panther fan, I didn’t have to do much research,” he said. “I just had to re-read the stuff I already had.”
Holland confessed that he had a stash of original comic books in the basement of his home, which he had since childhood. “I had to do more research on real African traditions and real African words,” he explained.
Holland told students that his manuscript, which took six months to complete, was 90,000 words.
Holland, employing his nieces and nephew to assist with microphone duties, fielded questions from the children. He took the opportunity to share tips on completing school assignments and setting goals. He also emphasized the importance of education, looking at it as a bridge to future opportunities.
Before his Black Panther fame, Holland also penned several other novels, including “Black Men Built The Capitol: Discovering African-American History In and Around Washington, D.C.” and “The Invisibles: The Untold Story of African-American Slavery Inside The White House.”
Jesse confessed that “The Invisibles” was his favorite writing to date. And it was “The Invisibles” that opened the door to an exciting new project, a book in the Star Wars franchise.
Holland explained how a member of Disney Lucas Films reached out to him after reading “The Invisibles.” There was a new character in a ‘Star Wars’ movie called Finn, and the character needed a history. Holland was commissioned to write a book called “Star Wars: A Force Awakens, Finn’s Story,” and it paved the way to his Marvel success.
Although both parents were teachers, it was his mother’s profession as an English teacher at H.W. Byers that inspired his career path.
“I think I got the writing bug from her. I started working at my town newspaper, ‘The South Reporter’ in Holly Springs, Mississippi,” he shared. “When I went to school at the University of Mississippi, I majored in journalism and English, and I’ve been working as a journalist ever since.”
Holland, in addition to his novel endeavors, is a race and ethnicity writer for the Associated Press and teaches creative nonfiction at Goucher College in Maryland.
Graciously staying well beyond his allotted time at the school, he answered every question that the children could craft. Before saying his goodbyes to the staff and student body, Jesse took the time to sign autographs for everyone at the school and make pictures with a host of fans, both young and old.
(This story is reprinted with permission from the Sacred Heart Southern Missions newsletter.)

HOLLY SPRINGS– Jesse Holland, author, journalist and Holly Springs native, stopped at Holy Family School to speak to the students. He was tapped by Marvel to write a Black Panther novel. (Photos by Laura Grisham)