Whole issue of Spring Sacrament 2018
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Category Archives: Parish News
Summer = Vacation Bible School
GREENVILLE – (l-r) Hunter Ford, Lela Hallman, Olivia Nevels, Julia Hooker and Emerson Lipscomb explore the “Marvelous Mystery” of the Mass during Saint Joseph Parish’s Vacation Bible School- June 11-14. (Photo by Rayetta Serio)
JACKSON – St. Richard Parish Vacation Bible School during the first week of June. Teen volunteers joined adult organizers for the week. (Photo by Shannon Garner)
PEARL – The children of St. Jude Parish went “around the world in five days” for their Vacation Bible School June 11-15. (Photo by Rhonda Bowden)
Q&A: Father Aaron Williams
Top left, Father Aaron Williams waits to be called by name at his ordination Mass. At right, Father Williams with his neices, Hadley and Eva Williams. At bottom left, Father Williams celebrates his first Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. (Photos by Maureen Smith and Tereza Ma)
Background:
Father Aaron Williams is a Jackson native who knew from his earliest memories that he wanted to be a priest. Chancellor Mary Woodward, who watched Father Williams grow up, allowed him to serve at a very young age. His family jokes that this was a way to make him sit still during Mass. He has one older brother, Matthew, and sister-in-law Marie, who have two girls, Ava and Hadley.
In addition to loving the liturgy, Father Williams is a life-long learner. “I attended St. Therese Catholic School for a few years and finished at St. Richard Catholic School. I did middle and high school at St. Joseph in Madison. After graduating from high school, I entered St. Joseph Seminary College in St. Benedict, Louisiana, where I earned a B.A. in Philosophy. From there I entered Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, where I earned an Masters in Divinity. I will complete the course requirements this summer to also earn a M.A. in Liturgical Studies from the Liturgical Institute in Mundelein, Illinois,” he said.
Father Williams will share his love of learning with the students at Greenville St. Joseph School, where he will teach fifth and sixth grade this fall as well as serving as parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish.
Father Williams’ mother, Julia is a long-time employee of the diocese, having worked at Madison St. Joseph School, the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle and now as the Human Resources coordinator for the Diocese of Jackson.
Home parish: The Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle
Favorite Saints and why?
Saint Philip Neri. He is a model of priestly zeal and joy. He was known both for his deep devotion to the Lord, but also the levity by which he handled himself. He was fiercely devoted to his friends, and sought to grow in love with the Lord by forming communities of other devoted persons around him who could work together in fraternity to spread the gospel message and offer fitting worship to God.
Do you have a favorite devotion, religious image or prayer and why?
I have a great love for the Divine Office. There are certain texts which pop up each year that I look forward to hearing again and again. My favorite prayer is the Suscipe of Saint Ignatius of Loyola — it entrusts the whole will to the Lord, confident that He will take care of us, and requests His grace as our only benefit.
Who vested you at ordination and why?
Father Jeffrey Waldrep. He was my pastor when I entered seminary and provided me great help and encouragement in making that step.
Do you have any hobbies?
I am an organist and composer. I also enjoy reading theology and research, though I occasionally read or listen to a fictional book. Apart from that, I am a cyclist when time permits it and enjoy going out to see new movies.
In what parishes have you served?
St. Francis in Brookhaven, St. Mary’s in Yazoo and All Saints in Belzoni, St. Jude in Pearl, and St. Patrick and St. Joseph in Meridian.
Can you tell me a little about your vocation story ?
I’ve always wanted to be a priest. I began serving at the Cathedral when I was very young and began to love the Mass. This love was encouraged by my parents, pastors, members of the Cathedral, and my school teachers. Eventually I applied to the seminary in my senior year of high school.
Can you share something about yourself people may not know?
My first year at Notre Dame Seminary I published a volume containing English adaptations of the Gregorian Chants used for Vespers (Evening Prayer) on Sundays and Feasts during the academic year. It is the only book of it’s kind currently in existence. I have received multiple requests from religious communities and houses to finish the text to include the full liturgical year, but I have been unable to make time to respond to these requests.
What advice do you have for those discerning a vocation?
My generation has a tendency to see discernment (or all life decisions) as a sort of all-or-nothing consideration—one choice necessitates the closing of all other pathways. But, a true discernment is not a negative choice. We choose a certain path out of love for that life, and ultimately out of love for the Lord. Certainly there will be difficulties along the way, but love is powerful enough to drive us on despite the apparent sacrifices which will need to be made. But, we need not immediately consider all those sacrifices—they will come in time. Discernment in the present moment means to follow the movements of the heart, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. He will guide us into all truth, and we have no need to fear following Him wherever He leads.
Is there one part of priesthood in particular you are looking forward to?
I am looking forward to celebrating the Sacraments, particularly the Eucharist and hearing confessions.
What are you looking forward to about your first parish assignment?
I have a great love of teaching and sharing the faith. My assignment in Greenville will have me directly teaching in the elementary school and continually present in the high school.
Q&A: Father Nick Adam
Far Left, Father Nick Adam thanks those who attended his first Mass at Jackson St. Richard. Center, Father Adam with nine of his 12 neices and nephews after Mass. At right, Father Adam blesses Cy Steven, who was an altar server for the first Mass. (Photos by Maureen Smith and Julie Bordes)
Background:
“I am the youngest of eight children, so certainly attending lots of weddings and welcoming many in-laws has been a staple of the Adam family. So has welcoming a lot of nieces and nephews. I am so lucky to have 12 happy nieces and nephews running around,” he said.
His family moved to Elberta, Ala., along the Gulf Coast, when he was 10.
“I was a student at St. Benedict School (4th-8th grade). My mother was my principal during this time. Since we lived so close to the state line the closest Catholic high school was in Pensacola, Florida, so I attended Pensacola Catholic High School. After high school I was sure I wanted to be a sports broadcaster, so I enrolled at the University of Alabama and studied broadcast journalism. I graduated in 2008 and moved to Meridian to work at WTOK – TV.”
While he was in Meridian he began to discern a call to the priesthood. He got support while he discerned from then pastor Father Frank Cosgrove.
Nick’s siblings filled several pews at both his ordination and first Mass, a Mass he celebrated for his mother. “My mother, Claudia, died in 2014 after a long bout with cancer. I remain filled with gratitude for the support that was given to my family by the Church of Jackson during that time. Especially significant was when St. Patrick and St. Joseph in Meridian sent a bus down to Alabama full of parishioners to pray for my mother at the funeral. I learned a ton from my mother, and I believe that this is the culmination of a really awesome plan that God had for me that my mom helped me to see.”
Home parish:
St. Patrick/St. Joseph (Meridian)
Favorite Saints and why?
St. Peter is always a go-to because of his courageous imperfection. He is so willing to put himself out there, and yet we also have so many examples of his own mistakes. I also love St. Paul for his untiring boldness. He gets knocked down again and again and again and just goes back to preach the truth no matter the cost.
Do you have a favorite devotion, religious image or prayer and why?
Having been formed at a seminary called Notre Dame, it is hard to go with any devotion other than one to Our Lady. For the last four years we have ended community prayer with the Marian hymn tota pulchra es (you are all beautiful, Mary). This has become a source of great love and devotion for me.
Who vested you at ordination and why?
Father Frank Cosgrove will vest me at my ordination. He is not only the first person to talk to me about priesthood, but he has also become a very trusted friend and reliable support for me during my discernment and will continue to be a great friend and support as I enter priestly life.
Do you have any hobbies?
I love to play basketball, I am trying to love to golf. I love to talk about sports, to listen to people talk about sports, and to watch sports and then talk about them. I also love any movie that is clever, and can entertain you and make you think about something deeper without resorting to cheap effects or immoral shock value. I love a good book, though it takes me a while to get rolling on them!
In what parishes have you served?
I have served at St. Jude (Pearl), St. Alphonsus (McComb), St. Dominic Hospital (Jackson), and St. Richard (Jackson).
Can you tell me a little about your vocation story?
So yes, about the call and all that! Ok so I had stopped going to Mass while I was in college, and didn’t go to Mass for a while after moving to Mississippi. In 2009 I finally darkened the doorstep of St. Patrick in Meridian. At that Mass I felt an unmistakeable call to something greater, or perhaps more accurately, deeper. I “felt” God calling me, but I didn’t know what he was calling me to. Father Frank Cosgrove helped me immensely during this time to discern the desire that I was experiencing. Eventually it became clear that I needed to check out the seminary, but this took a while to figure out since I had never heard of a seminary before!
My time in seminary has been a gift. I began my formation at St. Joseph Seminary College near Covington, Louisiana where I was educated by the Benedictine monks in philosophy and much much more. Then I moved to Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans for four years of theological studies. The best thing about the seminary is the fraternity. I was able to learn and live with men who loved God and who wanted to live a life of virtue. Some of those men left formation before being ordained, many are being ordained this summer along with men, and all of us have been made better by the experience.
Along with Father Frank, I am grateful to all the priests who serve on the faculties of both seminaries, as well as the lay professors. I learned so much about living a life of holiness just by witnessing their example. I am especially grateful to Father Jim Wehner, Rector of Notre Dame, whose tireless leadership and spiritual fatherhood was an incredible source of life to me during my time in New Orleans.
Can you share something about yourself people may not know?
I was behind the camera of a viral video that gets shared on YouTube every football season. I interviewed a student at the University of Alabama for a story I was working on about the rivalry between Alabama and Tennessee. This guy really didn’t like Tennessee, like, really. He goes on for about two minutes about all the things that are wrong with the UT football team, and all the Alabama fans love to watch it every year. AL.com actually tracked us both down a year ago to do a “where are they now,” and it was funny because I was in my collar! Ha!
What advice do you have for those discerning a vocation?
Spend time in prayer, and spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and when the Lord is really working on you, speak to someone you trust about the way God is working in your life.
Is there one part of priesthood in particular you are looking forward to?
Hearing confessions intimidates me, humbles me, but is also something that I looking forward to. The Sacrament of Penance has been such a source of life to me that I am excited about celebrating that sacrament for others.
What are you looking forward to about your first parish assignment?
The first full day. Yes, I am looking forward to my ordination, my first Mass, etc., but I really am excited about the first full day in the office, starting with celebrating Mass, then responding to whatever is happening on that day. I have realized that life is not about one moment, but it is about constantly coming closer to the Lord through each and every choice you make each and every day, and so I am looking forward to the first full day in the office, the first full day of living as a priest in the parish.
‘God’s surprises’ lead priest to Magnolia State
By Mary Margaret Halford
JACKSON – When Father Joe Dyer was a child growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana, the idea of becoming a priest was something that always seemed to stay in the back of his mind.
Father Joseph Dyer, center, at Chrism Mass 2018. (Mississippi Catholic file photo)
“It was an on and off again thing since I was a kid,” Dyer said. “My senior year of high school I realized that I really needed to do something. That idea wouldn’t go away; I needed to see if it was for real.”
So fresh out of high school in the early 1960s, Dyer made his way to Saint Joseph’s Seminary in Washington, D.C. This January, he retired after 43 years.
“It’s definitely not what I imagined,” Dyer said. “God has thrown me so many surprises.”
From the time he entered the seminary through his retirement, Dyer has seen the Church and its people weather many changes.
“Vatican II hadn’t really gone into full implementation when I entered the seminary, everything was still in Latin,” Dyer said. “Things changed for everyone, even priests who were already ordained.”
And Dyer didn’t just encounter changes within the Catholic Church, he also witnessed a revolution in social landscape of America.
“There were disappointing times, there was racism within and out of the Church,” Dyer said, noting that he was in seminary in Washington for Vietnam protests as well as Civil Rights riots. “I remember watching the riots at Ole Miss, and at that time I was in a religious order. I thought to myself ‘Thank goodness I’ll never be there.’”
But 36 years later, as yet another of God’s many surprises, Dyer would find himself being the pastor of St. John in Oxford and the Newman Chaplain at the University of Mississippi.
But Dyer wanted to come back South, and he decided Mississippi or Texas would be close enough to New Orleans.
Dyer began his career in Mississippi at Jackson Christ the King, before going to Jackson Holy Family, Canton Sacred Heart and Holy Child Jesus, Forest St. Michael, Paulding St. Michael, Newton St. Anne, St. Martin de Porres, and finally back to Christ the King, where he’s celebrating Mass most Sundays even now.
By the time Dyer made it to Christ the King, the war in Vietnam was over and migration had begun.
“I think Christ the King was one of the first parishes to sponsor a Vietnamese family,” Dyer said.
At the same time, Hispanic immigrants were making their way to central Mississippi.
“I never thought I’d be learning Spanish at such a late age when I was at Saint Michael in Forest,” Dyer said. “Again – God’s surprises.”
“At two of my assignments, there were lower grade elementary schools. Praying with kids is a really wonderful experience,” Dyer said. “I’m self-conscious when it comes to prayer and expressing that, and they brought me a lot of delight. And celebrating the sacraments was one of the big things that attracted me and is still a big part of why I think the priesthood is a good idea.”
While he was a seminarian in Washington, D.C., Dyer was assigned to a youth detention center, and when he got to Jackson, he spent the first 18 years of his priesthood actively involved in prison ministry.
“I think that’s very important because these people are going to come back into society. They need to have some kind of continuing contact with the rest of the world, living in that self-contained environment,” Dyer said. “And I think it’s good for the administration to know there’s people on the outside that have interest on what’s going on on the inside.”
Just after he retired, Dyer took a long train trip to Southern California, where he spent some time with his first cousins. His retirement plans include more trips like that during the week – visiting family, a cruise with some old high school buddies. He also joined a Jackson choral society and enjoys singing with that group when he can.
Thinking back to when he first settled in Mississippi, Dyer didn’t imagine he’d wind up as a parish priest in Jackson – and he certainly didn’t count on retiring there.
“My intention was that I’d be sent to the Gulf Coast, at that time it was all one diocese,” he said. “Most of the black parishes were on the Gulf Coast, so I thought that’s where I’d be. I had no intention of being in Jackson. But again, God is always surprising people.”
(Mary Margaret Halford is a member of Vicksburg St. Paul Parish.)
Mother’s Day
OXFORD – Tara Luber, Director of the Parish School of Religion, for St. John the Evangelist Parish, receives a red rose on Mother’s Day, from Peter Sukarnick, a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 10901. This annual event conducted by the Knights of Columbus Councils throughout the United States, carries on a tradition to honor mothers on a special day. (Photo, Gene Buglewicz)
Unexpected repair unearths treasures
CRYSTAL SPRINGS – A crew working to repair a sinkhole very near the foundation of St. John Church had to bring in a backhoe to dig out the area around the hole. While digging, workers unearthed medicine bottles and an original Heinz ketchup bottle estimated to be from about 1900. (Photo by Janice Stansell)
Madison St. Joseph names athletic director, football coach
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.”
Special Kids awards day
JACKSON – St. Richard Parish’s Special Kids Program held awards day on Thursday, May 3. At top, Rashad Adams shows off his award. Above, Angela Byers presents an award to Will Parker. (Photos by Shannon Garner)
St. Thea talent show
JACKSON – Sr. Thea Bowman School students shared their gifts and talents during an end of the year show. In addition to liturgical dance, shown above, students demonstrated martial arts, reading, music and singing. (Photos by Melissa Smalley)