NATCHEZ – Lt. Darrel Carter, Chuck Golden and Savanna Sanchez of the Natchez Fire Department demonstrated stop, drop and roll to students Wells Herring, Keenan Jackson, Liza Kate James, Madeline Jex and Clifford Tillman at Cathedral School earlier this month.(Photos by Cara Serio)
PEARL – Father Lincoln Dall offered a Blue Mass on Thursday, Sept. 28, the vigil of the archangels, to honor first respondents and safety personnel. Knights of Columbus prepared a dinner, the Women of Faith offered desserts, and the Young Apostles put together goodie bags for the occasion. (Photos by Rhonda Bowden)
NEW ALBANY – Members of St. Francis Parish honored their patron on the weekend closest to his feast day, Sunday, Oct. 8. Despite rainy skies, parish dancers led a procession around the grounds before Mass and a meal. (Photos by Sister Maria Elena Méndez, MGSpS)
By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – The Catholic Foundation continues to grow in membership and managed trusts. That was the message Foundation members received at the annual meeting and dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at the Jackson Country Club.
Executive director Rebecca Harris wrapped up the evening by presenting the Good Steward award to Loyce Upchurch Dykes and her children Cynthia Upchurch Hawkins; David, Michael and Robert Upchurch. The Upchurch family has been involved with the Catholic Foundation for many years. In 1997 they started the Vennis Ladell Upchurch Memorial Trust and then in 2014 they started the Loyce Upchurch Dykes Trust. Both trusts benefit Greenwood Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish. The family has faithfully given to both trusts each year to help them grow.
The Good Steward Award was established in 2002 and named after the late Bishop William Houck in honor of his giving spirit.
Harris also recognized Pam McFarland, a longtime Foundation administrative assistant who is leaving her post to move closer to family.
Earlier in the evening, board members heard proposals for changes to the bylaws and received detailed annual reports. The Catholic Foundation manages trusts and endowments to benefit parishes and schools throughout the diocese.
Upchurch family photos by Maureen Smith
Upchurch family
By Norma Montenegro
WASHINGTON – Most dioceses and archdioceses around the country are holding their diocesan encuentros throughout the fall, highlighting what contributions Hispanic Catholics bring to the Catholic Church and their faith communities.
Anticipation of those gatherings comes as communities celebrate this year’s annual National Hispanic Heritage Month, highlighting Hispanics’ contributions to their communities and to society. The observance began Sept. 15 and ran through Oct. 15.
U.S. census estimates show that about 29.7 million Hispanics/Latinos in the United States identify as Catholics, which represents nearly 59 percent of the total Hispanic population in the country. Among millennials, Hispanic Catholics represent 54 percent of U.S. Catholics born in 1982 or later.
U.S. Catholic officials say the church’s encuentro process is an essential opportunity for many parishes and dioceses to promote and grow unity, leadership and cross-collaboration.
Diocesan encuentros are the current phase of what is a four-year process of ecclesial reflection and action. First came parish-level encuentros, next will be regional encuentros. The process will culminate in the Fifth National Encuentro, known as “V Encuentro,” next September in Grapevine, Texas. Previous national encuentros were held in 1972, 1977, 1985 and 2000.
Members of Our Holy Redeemer Church in Freeport, N.Y., pass a sponge soaked in water during a team competition at the annual encuentro gathering in 2016 at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, N.Y. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz, Long Island Catholic) See ENCUENTRO-DIOCESAN-PROCESS Sept. 19, 2017.
The purpose, as its name states, is to “encounter” others by reaching out to those at the margins through evangelization, by listening to the concerns of such a diverse community through consultation and preparing emerging ministry leaders.
In the Diocese of San Diego, David Gonzalez, a parishioner at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in San Isidro, California, said the process has helped unify his parish community, engage new leaders including youth and young adults, and focus parish ministry groups on one common mission.
Personally, it has brought him a renewed sense of commitment. “I’m part of the church, I am the church, I need to go out too,” he said in an interview. “My wife and I, we try to continue (it). It is not just a process that happened and we are done.”
The Diocese of San Diego, which serves 1.3 million Catholics, is set to hold its encuentro Oct. 21. About 250 delegates from participating parishes were expected to attend. The encuentro process in this culturally diverse diocese, where 75 percent of the Catholic population is Hispanic, is offered in both English and Spanish.
Around the country, more than 100 of the nearly 165 participating dioceses are holding their diocesan encuentro between August and December. Parish delegates will attend and afterward present a report to their respective diocesan bishops that will include needs, goals, priorities and recommendations.
In the Archdiocese of Washington, 300 delegates representing 30 parishes gathered to contribute their recommendations, which were presented in a report to Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl Oct. 21 during the archdiocesan encuentro. About 1,000 people were expected to participate.
The delegates identified several priority areas from information gathered from nearly 6,000 people engaged during the process. Those include the accompaniment of families and youth, including single parents, the elderly and those at risk of violence; the need to foster a sense of missionary discipleship, including outreach to non-Spanish-speaking Hispanics; and the call to advocacy and solidarity with immigrants.
“It was pretty evident that folks wanted to be formed in their faith and they wanted to be the ones as missionary disciples, to go out and reach out to these groups.” said Javier Bustamante, chairman of the archdiocesan team for the V Encuentro.
“Our archdiocesan team will be taking a look at these recommendations in the next few months and will continue to come up with strategies, recommendations of best practices, things that we could be doing, both at the archdiocese and the parish level,” he said in an interview.
About 2,000 leaders and delegates from 100 parishes and religious organizations in the Archdiocese of San Antonio were preparing for their encuentro Sept. 30. The encuentro process reaching out to Hispanics and other cultural groups, has been fruitful in many ways, say those involved, including bringing hope and conversion, and helping many return to the church.
In one particularly moving case, it even helped save the life of someone who was considering suicide, according to Lucia Baez Luzondo, director of the Office of the V Encuentro. She also heads the Secretariat for Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth at the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
“The spirit and the culture of the encuentro are going to be the backbone of the new pastoral plan of the archdiocese for the next five years. It has been transformational to all of us,” Luzondo said.
In another example of missionary discipleship inspired by the encuentro, a youth group from St. Matthew Catholic Church in San Antonio reached out to a group of young Burmese refugees, who in turn have gotten closer to the parish and its community to the point where about 20 Burmese representatives will take part in the archdiocesan encuentro, Luzondo reported.
Dioceses will share recommendations gathered during their own encuentros with their episcopal regions by next spring and following that will come regional encuentros.
Reports based on recommendations will assist dioceses to better identify strategies, implement recommendations and set priorities in a more inclusive way to continue shaping how Hispanic ministry is done based on Pope Francis’ “Joy of the Gospel,” said Alejandro Aguilera-Titus, national coordinator for the V Encuentro.
He is assistant director of Hispanic affairs in the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington.
The V Encuentro is an implementation of that vision of church that is missionary, that is an example and promoter of justice, that reaches out to those who are most in need, that builds community and understanding,” Aguilera-Titus said.
(Editor’s note: see related story on page 1)
JACKSON – Msgr. Michael Flannery sells a copy of his book “Saltillo Mission,” outside St. Richard Parish on Sunday, Oct. 8. Msgr. Flannery is touring parishes to speak about the book detailing the history of the Mexican mission under the care of the diocese for many years. Copies are available at the Carmelite gift shop. (Photo by Maureen Smith)
MADISON — Seminarian César Sánchez Fermín speaks to the presenters during the V Encuentro meeting in Madison. V Encuentro is a four-year process to advance Hispanic ministry in the church in America. See more photos in the Mississippi Catolico this week. (Photo by Elsa Baughman)
By Elsa Baughman
TUPELO/MADISON – The Office of Hispanic Ministry has offered two diocesan Encuentros as part of the national V Encuentro process. The first was Saturday, Oct. 7, at Tupelo St. James Parish. Madison St. Francis of Assisi Parish hosted the second on Saturday, Oct. 21. About 200 people attended each event, many of them youth.
The V Encuentro is a four-year process. It starts at the parish level with teams who receive training to learn how to go into their communities and seek those living in the margins. The point is to find out what issues and concerns people are facing in their specific communities and come up with ways their parishes or dioceses can help address them. The teams then take their results to the diocesan level. The next step is a regional and then national Encuentro. (See page 11 for related story.)
Bishop Joseph Kopacz attended the Encuentro in Madison and concelebrated Mass with four other priests. In his homily, he said that the Catholic Church and the Diocese of Jackson are blessed with the presence of Hispanics in this country. “It is with great joy that I heard today that the Encuentro is in the heart of the mission of our diocese,” he said. “It is very important to inspire the disciples and embrace their diversity. I invite you to live the gospel in your hearts, with your families, in your places of work, in society, always looking for justice, peace, compassion, community and solidarity with our brothers.”
The basic program for the diocesan meetings was the same in both parishes. The first presentation was a short explaination of the Encuentro process, its spirituality and objectives. Participants go through a process of evangelization so they can contribute to the result and seek input from others. The Hispanic Ministry team wanted all Hispanic Catholics to feel welcome and all team members to become authentic missionary disciples.
Speakers also presented the ties between the Encuentro process and the new diocesan Pastoral Priorities. Bishop Joseph Kopacz presented the Priorities early this year. They include a new vision statement to serve others, inspire disciples and embrace diversity. The three priorities focus on creating, inviting and reconciling communities, facilitating the life-long formation of intentional disciples and proclaiming the gospel. In Tupelo, it was addressed by Father Octavio Escobar and in Madison by Maribel Melo.
The second presentation consisted of a personal testimony of conversion and missionary commitment. In Tupelo, it was presented in the form of an interview by Danna Johnson and Sandra Almanza. In Madison, Gerardo Hernandez, a member of the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, shared how Jesus transformed his life.
Each of the two presentations were followed by small group sessions to discuss the obstacles and needs the parish teams brought to the meeting.
According to the organizers, the most important aspect of this V Encuentro is that Hispanics have been the protagonists in the process – participating actively in the parish groups, visiting the peripheries, sharing their faith and being authentic missionary disciples.
The process invites participants to share their aspirations, dreams and the gifts and talents they can offer in their communities to benefit the kingdom of God.
At the meeting in Madison, needs the groups identified included: youth groups, support and training for families, classes for adults and catechists, childcare, more priests who speak Spanish, and support groups in parishes in times of emergency.
In Tupelo pastoral care of youth, the need to work together with other cultures, the importance of formation classes for all ages were among the concerns.
For Reina Magaña the sessions of the V Encuentro were a process of conversion. “They have given me more confidence to speak in public and to see the reality around me,” she said. “Today I feel more confident about myself.”
Ana Mora de Lange, a member of Madison St. Francis of Assisi Parish, mentioned that her parish is working to embrace diversity with events such as “the Taste of St. Francis” in which families prepare food from their countries of origin. “This makes us feel that in the church we are all one body, no matter where we come from.” She also noted that two years ago the parish began celebrating the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe and offering a Mexican Advent celebration called las Posadas in December.
Among other successful practices in their parishes attendees mentioned the Christian Family Movement, the prayer group Emmaus, catechism classes, and praise celebrations.
Eva Sanchez, from Jackson St. Therese Parish, shared that she was very happy to be participating in the V Encuentro. “It has helped me to deepen my faith and be a witness of the love of God,” she said.
By the end of the sessions, the groups selected the issues most important to them to send to the next step in the process. Their issues included: youth ministry, evangelization, vocation promotion, creation of inviting and reconciling communities and continuous life-long formation of disciples.
The diocesan Hispanic ministry team will present the results of these sessions first to Bishop Kopacz, then they and a team of local delegates will participate at the regional level in February 2018 and finally in the National Encuentro in September of the same year. Later, a national report will be submitted to the U.S. bishops.
Maria Susana de Mejía, a member of Corinth St. James Parish, participated in the Encuentro in Tupelo. “I liked everything, from the animation by seminarian Cesar Sanchez Fermin, Father Octavio’s presentation, the short dynamic played by the two women in the form of an interview and the sharing in small groups. The Lord amazed me,” she said.
For Mayra Martinez from Tupelo St. James Parish, the Encuentro was an unforgettable experience. “To be able to share with people from other communities, exchange our views and experiences, learn about each one’s needs and seeing how we can work on them was very important,” she said.
Sister Maria Elena Méndez, MGSpS, from the Hispanic Ministry team for the diocese, thanked all those, from the bishop to the pastors to the people in the parishes, for all they have contributed to the process.
“We have a lot of work to do on the basis of these needs and the diocesan priorities,” she said. “The V Encuentro has helped us to see the specific needs of Hispanics in this diocese and ways to integrate solutions in concrete ways through the Pastoral Priorities.”
(Editor’s note: Sister Maria Elena Méndez collaborated with this story. See more photos in this week’s Mississippi Católico.)
JACKSON – During the last weekend of September, Holy Family Parish celebrated the 60th anniversary of its founding. Saturday evening parishioners, pastors, catechists and graduates gathered for a gala dinner. Sister Michele Doyle, sitting in the center, who teaches now sits with Corinne Anderson. Joyce Brasfield-Adams, who works in faith formation for the parish, is visible in the back. Harrison Hart, parishioner, and Msgr. Elvin Sunds, who lived at the parish for many years, catch up. At left, Johnnie P. and Houston Patton reminisced about sending their children to Holy Family School. (Photos by Art Pulliam)
Thursday, October 19 – Senior class visit, Greenville St. Joseph High School.
Thursday, October 19, 6 p.m. – Catholic Charities 6th Annual Purple Dress Run, Jackson, Hal & Mal’s.
Saturday, October 21, 11 a.m. – Opening Mass, Encuentro, Madison St. Francis of Assisi.
– 4 p.m. – Mass, Robinsonville Good Shepherd Parish
– 6 p.m. – Mass and blessing of new center, Olive Branch Queen of Peace Parish.
Sunday, October 22, 11 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. – English and Spanish Mass, Southaven Christ the King Parish.
– 4 p.m. – Confirmation, Southaven Christ the King Parish.
Monday, October 23, 9 a.m. – Mass, Southaven Sacred Heart School.
Monday, October 23, 1 p.m – Mass, Holly Springs Holy Family School.
Only public events are listed on this schedule and all events are subject to change. Please check with the local parish for further details
BROOKHAVEN – Father Henry Shelton, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, offers Mass and anointing of the sick monthly for seniors of the parish. The August celebration included lunch. (Photo by Christine Annafiorella)
