Updates

Parishioners honored for service with Bishop Chanche Medals

Posted on by

JACKSON – When Bishop John Joseph Chanche arrived in the newly formed Diocese of Natchez in May of 1841, there were no Catholic Churches, only a couple of missionary priests, and his flock was far flung. He rose to the challenge and laid the foundation for the Diocese of Jackson. The diocese honors his legacy and thanks those who continue to build on his foundation with the Bishop Chanche medal for service.

This year, Bishop Joseph Kopacz gave 48 adults their awards on Saturday, March 29, at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. The brief descriptions on these pages come from the Bishop Chanche Award nomination forms and offer a glimpse into the men and women who serve the church today.

John Alford – Christ the King, Jackson
John is a dedicated leader and a gifted musician who has faithfully served his parish for over 25 years. His exceptional musical talents enrich the liturgy, and his commitment to mentoring children and adults fosters a deep love for the Mass. Through his guidance in music ministry – directing choirs, teaching, and encouraging student participation – he has strengthened both his parish and the broader faith community. His unwavering dedication, leadership, and ability to make each Mass a joyful and spiritually uplifting experience make him highly deserving of the Bishop Chanche Award.

Marie Antici – Our Lady of Victories, Cleveland
Marie is a devoted servant of her faith, dedicating the past 14 years to ministering to the homebound, hospitalized, and nursing home residents. As a Eucharistic minister, she ensures that the most vulnerable members of her parish receive Holy Communion, companionship, and spiritual support. Her unwavering commitment extends beyond Catholic residents, as she also provides comfort and care to non-Catholics, acting as an extra set of eyes for families who cannot always be present. Her faith-filled leadership, involvement in study groups, funeral ministries, and parish missions exemplify her deep devotion to her church and community.

Hilda Bankston – St. Anne, Fayette
Hilda has been a dedicated and selfless servant of her parish for over ten years, serving as sacristan, volunteer secretary and bookkeeper. At 83 years old, her unwavering faith drives her to be the first to arrive at church, open the doors, set up for parish activities and stay until everything is in order. She plays a vital role in organizing church programs, ensuring smooth operations even in the priest’s absence. Her commitment extends to keeping the parish’s financial and accounting records up to date and assisting parishioners with their yearly contributions. Through her tireless dedication, leadership and deep love for the church, Hilda has made a lasting impact on her parish community, making her truly deserving of the Bishop Chanche Award.

Donald Charles and Ann Janette Barrios – St. Alphonsus, McComb
Donald and Ann are devoted and selfless servants of their parish, actively contributing to its spiritual and communal life. As members of the Liturgy and Pastoral Committees, they help shape the parish’s worship experience. They also serve as lectors, teach Confirmation classes, and are core team members for Life-Teen, “That Man is You,” and the Men’s Group. Their musical talents enrich weekend Masses, funerals, weddings, and adoration hours – all offered freely without charge.

Donnie and Linda Sherwood Dick – Our Mother of Mercy Mission, Anguilla
Donnie and Linda have been devoted to their Catholic faith and parish community since the 1970s. As catechism teachers, they have prepared children for First Communion and Confirmation, served as godparents and sponsors, and actively engaged in parish life. Linda is a parish council member, while Donnie dedicates himself to church upkeep and community involvement. Their generosity, joy, and welcoming spirit have inspired and strengthened the faith of manyin the community.

Michael and Marsha Domino – All Saints, Belzoni
Mike and Marsha are a devoted Catholic couple deeply involved in parish life for nine years. Mike serves as a lector and parish council member, while Marsha is active in the All Saints Altar Society. Their dedication to Mass, parish activities, and community service, including organizing cemetery blessings and supporting the Delta Farmers Association, inspires fellow parishioners, especially children.

Cathy Edwards – Sacred Heart, Winona
Cathy has dedicated over 20 years of faithful service, living her Catholic faith through her roles as church secretary, bookkeeper, and active participant in ecumenical services, prison ministries, and community projects. Her husband Marvin, who was awarded the Bishop Chanche Medal in 2015, has been a supportive partner in her ministry, and together, they have made a significant impact on both the parish and community.

Kay Farrell – St. Michael, Vicksburg
Kay has dedicated over 50 years to St. Michael Parish, serving as an RCIA team member, lector, Eucharistic minister, and community advocate. Her theological expertise, leadership in the Synodal process, and commitment to Catholic education make her an exemplary witness of faith and service.

Charles Hunter – Holy Cross, Philadelphia
Charles has dedicated over 40 years to Holy Cross Parish as an extraordinary minister, lector, usher, sacristan and altar server. His leadership as Grand Knight, active involvement in the Finance Council, and unwavering service make him a model of faith and commitment.

Roosevelt and Linda Johnson – Immaculate Conception, Clarksdale
Linda and Roosevelt have served their parish for over 15 years with unwavering dedication. Linda sings in the choir, teaches RCIA, and organizes events, while Roosevelt oversees church maintenance and assists with food distribution. Their commitment, service and faith make them invaluable members of our community.

Valeria Johnson – Holy Family, Natchez
Valeria has dedicated eight years to serving as Director of Religious Education, preparing candidates for First Communion and Confirmation, organizing parish activities and mentoring future leaders. Her unwavering faith, leadership and selfless service have made a lasting impact on the parish and community.

Erica Jones – St. Mary, Batesville
Erica has selflessly served St. Mary’s for seven years, leading music at Mass, lectoring and supporting religious ed. Despite a busy schedule, she sacrifices her time to practice and inspire the congregation, exemplifying dedication, faith and service, while mentoring her daughter.

Scott and Mary Leary – St. John the Evangelist, Oxford
Scott and Mary have dedicated over 15 years to youth ministry and marriage preparation at St. John’s, guiding countless generations through retreats, counseling, and education. Their unwavering faith, leadership, and exemplary family life have made them pillars of the community, deeply influencing both parishioners and the wider Oxford area.

David Madere and Melissa Madere – St. Joseph, Gluckstadt
David and Missy have selflessly served St. Joseph Parish for 16 years, leading adult education, OCIA, and providing music for Masses and funerals. They also contribute to charitable works through the KC Council and are known for their deep faith and community involvement.

Fagin and Mary Ann Mauney – St. Matthew, Ripley
Fagin and Mary Ann have dedicated over 25 years to St. Matthew Parish, serving in pro-life, liturgical ministries and community building. Though retired from active service, their faithful attendance, support of parish activities, and spirit of inclusivity continue to inspire and strengthen the parish and broader community.

Rose Mcgraw – St. Joseph, Greenville
Rose has dedicated over 30 years to St. Joseph Parish, leading ministries like bereavement, hospitality, and St. Vincent de Paul. Her selfless service, warm presence and commitment to community building make her a vital spiritual and practical leader.

Diane Melton – St. Mary, Yazoo City
Diane has dedicated 41 years to serving her parish, teaching catechism, leading the Altar Society, and volunteering as lector and Eucharistic minister. Her leadership as Parish Council president and commitment to charity make her an exemplary Catholic role model.

Juana Mollinedo and Edy Meza – St. Anne, Carthage
Juana and Edy have dedicated over 15 years of service to the parish, actively participating as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, readers and youth ministry leaders. They inspire others through their consistent Christian witness and commitment to both faith and community.

Melanie Norwood – Holy Ghost, Jackson
Melanie has dedicated over five years to various parish ministries at Holy Ghost, including religious education, RCIA and youth ministry. She actively helps with sacrament preparation and supports the parish through service, demonstrating strong faith and commitment to community.

Patricia Potter – St. Therese, Kosciusko
At 85, Pat has faithfully served St. Therese for over 40 years. She is active in multiple ministries, including altar preparation, Eucharistic ministry, and Helping Hands, always showing generosity, leadership and dedication to both the parish and community.

Michael and Sharron Scheel – St. James, Magnolia
Michael and Sharron have faithfully served St. James for 50 years in numerous ministries, including finance, liturgy and outreach. Their devotion, leadership and commitment to parish life and service make them exemplary models of Catholic faith.

Richard and Aileen Semmes – St. Patrick, Meridian
Richard and Aileen have served their parish for over 20 years, with Richard leading the music ministry and Aileen as chair of the Liturgy Committee. Their leadership, service and commitment to charity have profoundly enriched our parish and community, inspiring others to live their faith.

Barbara and Daniel Setaro – St. Joseph, Starkville
Danny and Barbara have dedicated themselves to the parish through the food pantry, Knights of Columbus and Ladies Auxiliary. Their unwavering service, even through health struggles, has made a lasting impact on the community since 2005.

Joe Michael Shaw – Holy Savior, Clinton
Michael has been the inmate leader of our Catholic ministry at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility since our ministry restarted after the pandemic, back in March 2022. He kept Catholic ministry going when outside volunteers were unable to enter the facilities during the pandemic. He has helped grow the ministry tremendously as we are now the largest Christian presence at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. He is very worthy of recognition in the Bishop Chanche award.

Joan Shell – Christ the King, Fulton
Joan’s unwavering dedication to service, leadership in Sunday school, Mass preparation, food ministry and Bible study, along with her humility and tireless commitment, make her a true embodiment of Catholic faith and an inspiration to all.

Bernardo Sorcia – St. James the Less, Corinth
Bernardo’s unwavering commitment to service through leadership in the Pastoral Council, Hospitality Ministry, and retreats, alongside his dependable, solution-oriented attitude, has made him an invaluable asset to the parish for over 11 years.

Edith Wilson Spells – St. Francis of Assisi, Greenwood
Edith exemplifies faithful Catholic leadership through her roles as Parish Council president, lector, Secular Franciscan, educator and musician, inspiring others with her dedication, positivity and unwavering commitment to service for over 60 years.

Ann Summers – Holy Family, Jackson
Ann deserves the Bishop Chanche Award for over 40 years of quiet, selfless service as sacristan, lector, commentator and behind-the-scenes helper, ensuring a meaningful worship experience and supporting various parish ministries with compassion and dedication.

Julia Criss Tartt – St. Peter, Grenada
Julia deserves the award for her 10 years of dedicated service in pastoral ministry, leading music, supporting social outreach and inspiring the community through her devotion to faith and service.

Robert and Lydia Trotter – St. Joseph, Meridian
Robert and Lydia are devoted church leaders, serving through finance, hospitality and community outreach. As Finance Council chair, Robert ensures stewardship while actively volunteering. His work with the Knights of Peter Claver and the cooking crew fosters fellowship; while Lydia’s contributions through various ministries highlight her compassion and commitment to supporting parishioners in times of both joy and grief.

Tunney and Debra Vandevender – St. Francis, Madison
Debra and Tunney deserve the award for their selfless, behind-the-scenes service, including leadership in scouting, Eucharistic ministry, parish communications, and community events, all while fostering faith, humility, and dedication since 2008.

Frank and Marcia Weaver – St. Paul, Vicksburg
Marcia and Frank’s lifelong dedication to St. Paul shines through their leadership in parish council, Bible studies, choir and Mass ministries. Their willingness to serve whenever needed has strengthened the parish community for decades.

Eileen Weisenberger – Holy Savior, Clinton
Eileen’s lifelong devotion to faith and service is evident in her outreach to the elderly, the poor and her parish community. Through quiet acts of love, she exemplifies selfless Catholic living, inspiring generations to follow.

Myra Woodward – St. Jude, Pearl
Myra’s unwavering dedication, joyful spirit and willingness to serve make her an invaluable part of St. Jude. From liturgy to teaching, decorating to hospitality, she selflessly gives her time.

Click here for Bishop Chanche photos on Zenfolio
JACKSON – Parishioners from across the Diocese of Jackson were honored for their service to the church on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at the annual Bishop Chanche Awards Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson with Bishop Joseph Kopacz. (Photo by Tereza Ma)

Youth BISHOP CHANCHE AWARD HONOREES

Youth across the Diocese of Jackson were honored at the the Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference (DCYC) at the Vicksburg Convention Center on Sunday, March 23 for their service to their respective parishes and to the diocese.

Elizabeth Bednar – St. Michael, Vicksburg

Vanessa Espino – St. Joseph, Meridian

Joselin Flores – St. James, Tupelo

Ann Elise Gatlin – St. Alphonsus, McComb

Hannah Kate Hooker – St. Joseph, Greenville

Avery Hornback – St. Francis of Assisi, Madison

Austin SEALS Love – St. Joseph, Gluckstadt

Anna Kay Martin – Holy Cross, Philadelphia

Jamichael Owens – Holy Family, Natchez

Peyton Rainer– St. Paul, Vicksburg

Valeria Rangel – St. Patrick, Meridian

Abbygale Roberts – St. Jude, Pearl

Charles Jonathan Vasquez Sebastin – Holy Family, Jackson

Jonathan Sorcia – St. James the Less, Corinth

The life of Sister Thea Bowman celebrated in Canton

Posted on by

By Madelyn Johnson
JACKSON – On March 29, Holy Child Jesus Catholic Church celebrated the life of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA.

Born on Dec. 29, 1937, Sister Thea converted to Catholicism at the age of nine and attended Holy Child Jesus School in Canton. A passionate educator and lover of music, she dedicated her life to teaching and advocating for faith and justice. After a courageous battle with breast cancer, she passed away on March 30, 1990, at the age of 52. Each year, Holy Child Jesus Catholic Church commemorates her life around the anniversary of her passing.

Holy Child Jesus was Sister Thea’s home parish, and the celebration drew many of her former students, colleagues, and friends. Participating choirs included Holy Child Jesus, Sacred Heart Canton and Camden combined choirs, Christ the King choir, and the Rembert Washington Memorial Chorale of Canton, led by Pastor John Woodard Jr. Soloists Frazier Riddell and Elaine Gager also performed. Artwork by Father Guy Wilson, ST, was sold to support Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School in Jackson, including special ornaments featuring Sister Thea’s likeness.

The spirit of Sister Thea resonated throughout the event, especially through songs like “I Just Wanna Praise You.” Attendees shared personal memories of Sister Thea and her ability to encourage people beyond their comfort zones.

CANTON – Parishioners and guests are filled with song at the annual Sister Thea Bowman celebration at Holy Child Jeus parish on Saturday, March 29. (Photos by Madelyn Johnson)

Edd Hightower, one of Sister Thea’s former students, recounted a memorable experience:

“Sister Thea really had a way of getting everyone out of their comfort zone. She invited me on a trip to the Virgin Islands and invited me to go horseback riding. I was nervous, because I don’t like animals that are larger than me. The instructor told me how to control the horse with the reins, but I forgot it all the second he encouraged him forward. But you know what? That horse got me up the mountain and back down. I had to have faith in that horse. And I believe Sister Thea really wanted me to experience that.”

The choirs created an atmosphere of praise, with guests dancing and singing along. Frazier Riddell and Elaine Gager performed moving duets, while Pastor Woodard engaged the audience as his choir delivered a stirring performance. Pastor Woodard, a former student of Hightower, founded the Rembert Washington Memorial Chorale in honor of his mentor. Christ the King choir also delivered a dynamic performance, and in a powerful closing moment, Hightower took to the piano and invited all former students, teachers and choir members of Sister Thea to stand and sing together.

DeAsia Evans, who coordinated the choirs, also shared her memories of Sister Thea. Despite recently undergoing knee replacement surgery, she stood before the crowd, proclaiming:

“I just had a knee replacement, but Lord willing I am standing up here on two feet today ready to give some praise and celebrate Sister Thea!”

To view more photos of the event visit: https://jacksondiocese.zenfoliosite.com/galleries/events/celebration-of-the-life-of-sister-thea-bowman?ct=2

History chronicled in November bus tour

Posted on by

By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – Back in December, Bishop Joseph Kopacz blessed and dedicated a statue of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA. The statue was a gift from the bishops of the Province of Mobile, which consists of the Metropolitan Archdiocesan See of Mobile and the Dioceses of Jackson, Biloxi and Birmingham. These four venerable dioceses encompass the Catholic Church in Mississippi and Alabama.
Since then, the statue has been seen by a multitude of people from around the South and beyond. We have several pilgrimage groups coming to visit the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle and the statue throughout this Jubilee Year of Hope.

MEMPHIS – Pictured is the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, the site where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The historic site now serves as the National Civil Rights Museum. (Photo courtesy of archives)

Furthermore, some anniversaries of key events in the history of the region have occurred. March 7 marked the 60th anniversary of what is referred to as Bloody Sunday, when civil rights marchers were attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama; March 30 was the 35th anniversary of Sister Thea’s death in Canton; and on April 4 we reached the 57th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis at the Lorraine Motel, which now serves as the National Civil Rights Museum.

Our diocesan archive contains a chronicling of the Catholic Church’s role in the civil rights movement in Mississippi. Bishop Richard Gerow’s diary describes many events and efforts by the local church to be a voice for justice in a very difficult, tumultuous time, including a visit to the White House in July 1963 to meet with President John F. Kennedy and U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy to discuss how the administration could help with the volatile situation in Jackson after the assassination of Medgar Evers in June.

Some of the earliest meetings between local clergy – black and white – happened in our diocesan chancery building prior to 1963. Bishop Joseph Brunini, who had been ordained and appointed something similar to an apostolic administrator to assist Bishop Gerow in 1957 worked alongside Black Pastors, the bishops of the Episcopal and Methodist church, and the local Rabbi to speak out against intimidation and the bombing of black churches.

During this time, Sister Thea would be finishing up her undergraduate studies at Viterbo University in LaCrosse in 1965 and heading off in 1966 to Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., to get her M.A. in 1969 and her Ph.D. in 1972. All the while she was keeping a close eye on her home in Mississippi.
Then in 1978 after Sister Thea had returned to Canton to care for her aging parents, Bishop Brunini invited and hired Sister Thea to serve as the Diocesan Consultant for Intercultural Awareness. From this role she was able to travel and inspire myriads of people by being a beacon of truth, justice and hope in a world in need of such light.

The Chancellor’s office will be sponsoring a “Sister Thea Bowman Jubilee of Hope Tour” to Mobile and Montgomery, Alabama the weekend of Nov. 15-16 during Black Catholic History Month. (Photo courtesy of archives)

This past week we received word that a biography of Sister Thea by Mary Verrill entitled Thea Bowman: A Story of Triumph has been approved for use in Mississippi schools as a fourth-grade elective textbook for social studies. So, Sister Thea will be able to inspire another generation of young minds.

Looking back to the statue installation, there was a great deal of enthusiasm and interest in Sister Thea’s cause for beatification and canonization. At the reception following the dedication, the desire to form a province-wide guild to help promote the cause and educate others on Sister Thea’s legacy was introduced. In the months since that introduction, we have been in dialogue with Rev. Victor Ingalls, director of the Office of Multicultural Ministry for the Archdiocese of Mobile, about launching the guild this November during Black Catholic History Month.

In conjunction with celebrations in Mobile, the Diocese of Jackson through the Archives and Chancellor’s office will be sponsoring a bus tour to Mobile and Montgomery the weekend of Nov. 15-16. We are calling it The Sister Thea Bowman Jubilee of Hope Tour.

Details will be released soon but the trip will include a visit to Africatown where the Clotilda, the last slave ship, arrived in 1860, 52 years after the international slave trade had been outlawed; after that we will participate in a Black Catholic History Month Mass in Mobile where the guild will be formally launched; then on to Montgomery to visit St. Jude Parish where civil rights marchers were housed during the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965 mentioned above; finally we will tour the Equal Justice Initiative Museum and grounds.

The province guild will be the charter guild for Sister Thea’s cause and will be open to Catholics and friends in Mississippi and Alabama who want to support and promote Sister Thea’s Cause. Other guild branches will be formed around the country as we move forward as well. We still are working on a basic set of guidelines and responsibilities for membership, but we hope the guild will be a place to share the excitement around and the beauty of Sister Thea’s inspiring life and legacy.

Sister Thea Bowman, pray for us!

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Youth

Posted on by
COLUMBUS – Annunciation third grade students Lyle Rosenblatt, Louisa Wills and Levi Struber watch anxiously as their teacher Cory Sanders tests their vehicle created to keep their egg inside safe from cracking! (Photo by Jacque Hince)
SOUTHAVEN – The entire cast of “Firefly create” theater group dance under the flag they expertly moved into position. The group, made up of youth between 11-15 years old, performed “Schoolhouse Rock” for first through fifth graders at Sacred Heart School. (Photo by Sister Margaret Sue Broker)
GREENVILLE – St. Joseph student, Minnie Kate Greco receives ashes from Father Gabriel on Ash Wednesday. (Photo by Nikki Thompson)
JACKSON – During Read Across America Week, first graders worked together during centers to build a tower of cups, while focusing on balance, weight, height, gravity and teamwork. Pictured: Federico Diaz, Jones Carr and Thomas Morisani. (Photo by Celeste Saucier)
FLOWOOD – The St. Paul Early Learning Center “older-2’s” students paint shamrocks. Pictured: Holt Foster, Carson Fede, Harlin Rae Barnett and Tucker Watts. (Photo by Susan Irby)

DCYC

Posted on by

Diocesan Catholic Youth Confence

VICKSBURG – The highland cow grand prize for the “Mascot Showdown” is pictured with youth from Holy Savior Clinton. (Photos by Madelyn Johnson)
A fun game of “Pocket, Purse or Person” requested gum for winning game points for one of the “Mascot Showdown” competitions. Pictured are representatives from each youth parish presenting their gum for points.
The youth group from Holy Family Jackson socialize at St. Paul Parish in Vicksburg during the DCYC weekend.
During small group sessions Jesus’ love was present … even in a tote bag.
The parish youth group from St. Anne Carthage were all smiles during the annual DCYC Conference in Vicksburg.
St. Francis of Assisi, Madison
St. Anne, Carthage
Click here for more DCYC Photos on Zenfolio

A call to hope: Supporting the Holy Land

Posted on by

By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
The Passion of the Lord Jesus unfolds before us over the next week, beginning with the Palm Sunday commemoration this weekend. This year the passion narrative from the Gospel of Luke invites us spiritually to accompany the Lord from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, through the Last Supper and onto his sacrificial death on the Cross. Upon departing from our churches this weekend, we leave the door to the resurrection yet unopened so that we can wholeheartedly renew our understanding of the impact of sin, suffering, violence and death that in turn reveals the power of the resurrection.

The added dimension to this year’s Holy Week observance is the relentless war that rains down destruction and misery upon the inhabitants of the land where Jesus walked the earth and loved the people of his time. Many who suffer such unspeakable crimes against humanity are our Palestinian brothers and sisters in the Catholic faith.

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.

Therefore, the traditional Good Friday collection, always critically important, takes on an added urgency this year. The following excerpts are from the Franciscan Friars’ annual Good Friday letter of appeal to all of the arch(dioceses) in the United States. “This Jubilee Year is designated as a Year of Hope. Indeed, hope is a necessary virtue in a land marked by cycles of violence and relative calm. Gaza itself has been reduced to rubble. Missiles have hit many other places as well. People across the region are tasked with rebuilding homes, schools, hospitals and even churches.”

The holy places that mark the locations of our Lord’s life, death and resurrection are described as the fifth Gospel that anchor in time and place the inspired texts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They are destinations of pilgrimage for believers and non-believers alike, while providing a means of livelihood for the people who have inhabited the land for centuries. They have fallen on desperate times.

“Many of our faithful earn their living from pilgrimages. Still repaying debts from the pandemic shutdown, they found themselves soon assaulted by war. Now, already in debt, many have again lost jobs. Fear and despair have driven many Christians to leave the Holy Land: over the past century, Christians have gone from 23% to less than 2% of the population. And more than 90 Christian families have already left Bethlehem since Oct. 7, having lost hope in a good future for them in the land where Jesus and the church were born.”

May our prayer and generosity this Good Friday express our love for the people who deeply desire to remain on their ancestral lands. “The Collection supports the work of the Franciscans in the sacred shrines, ministers to the parishes, provides formation and education in communities and schools, and cares for the basic needs of people in the Holy Land. During such a difficult time, where we must rebuild not only buildings but so many broken lives, your support for this important collection is essential.”

In this vein, Holy Week is an opportunity to shed light upon the Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulcher whose unique mission is to support the church’s presence and ministries in the Holy Land throughout the year. More specifically, it is the only lay institution of the Vatican State charged with the task of providing for the needs of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and of all the activities and initiatives to support the Christian presence in the Holy Land. The contributions made by its members are therefore the Patriarchal institutions’ main source. The call to holiness marked by fidelity to the Holy Father and the teaching of the Catholic Church is an essential characteristic of the Order. Arising from the member’s relationship with the crucified and risen Lord is the call to sustain and aid the charitable, cultural and social works and institutions of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, particularly those of and in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, with which the Order maintains traditional ties. In general, the members are encouraged to support the preservation and propagation of the Faith in those lands and promote interest in this work not only among Catholics scattered throughout the world, who are united in charity by the symbol of the Order, but also among all other Christians.

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ bring renew the face of the earth through the light of the Gospel proclaimed to the nations. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Pope approves next phase of synod, setting path to 2028 assembly

Posted on by

By Justin McLellan
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis has approved the next phase of the Synod of Bishops on synodality, launching a three-year implementation process that will culminate in an ecclesial assembly at the Vatican in October 2028.

In a letter published March 15, Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the synod, announced that the synod’s new phase will focus on applying its conclusions at all levels of the church, with dioceses, bishops’ conferences and religious communities working to integrate synodality into daily church life before the meeting at the Vatican in 2028.

“For now, therefore, a new synod will not be convened; instead, the focus will be on consolidating the path taken so far,” he wrote in the letter addressed to all bishops, eparchs and the presidents of national and regional bishops’ conferences.

Cardinal Grech told bishops that Pope Francis approved the three-year plan March 11 at Rome’s Gemelli hospital where he has been being treated since Feb. 14.

Pope Francis and members of the Synod of Bishops on synodality attend the synod’s final working session Oct. 26, 2024, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

The final document of the synod on synodality, approved by Pope Francis in October 2024, emphasized synodality as essential to the church’s mission and called for greater lay participation, mandatory pastoral councils and continued study on women in ministry and seminary formation.

Over the next three years, dioceses, bishops’ conferences and religious communities will work to integrate synodal principles into church life with the guidance of a Vatican-issued document scheduled to be published in May.

Evaluation assemblies at diocesan, national and continental levels from 2027 to early 2028 will assess progress before a final ecclesial assembly at the Vatican in October 2028, where church leaders will reflect on the synodal journey and discern future steps, the cardinal said.

According to the apostolic constitution “Universi Dominici Gregis,” which governs procedures when the papacy is vacant, a council or Synod of Bishops is immediately suspended when a pope dies or resigns. All meetings, decisions and promulgations must cease until a new pope explicitly orders their continuation, or they are considered null.

In the letter, Cardinal Grech noted that implementation phase of the synod “provides the framework” for implementing the results of the 10 Vatican-appointed study groups which, since March 2024, have been examining key issues raised during the first session of the synodal assembly in 2023, such as the role of women in the church, seminary formation and church governance.

The study groups were scheduled to present their findings to the pope before June 2025; however, they can also offer an “interim report” then as they continue their work, Cardinal Grech said.

The cardinal added that a key component of the implementation process will be the strengthening of synodal teams, composed of clergy, religious and laypeople, who will work alongside bishops to accompany “the ordinary synodal life of local churches.”

In an interview with Vatican News accompanying the letter’s publication March 15, Cardinal Grech said that this phase of the synodal process is not about adding bureaucratic tasks but about “helping the churches to walk in a synodal style.” He explained that the church must continue “a path of accompaniment and evaluation” rather than treating the synod as a one-time event.

The cardinal encouraged local churches to engage in ongoing reflection on the insights of the synod rather than simply replicating past listening sessions, warning that the synod’s implementation “must not take place in isolation.”

The 2028 ecclesial assembly, Cardinal Grech said, will be an opportunity to “gather the fruits of the journey” and offer the pope “a real ecclesial experience to inform his discernment as the successor of Peter, with perspectives to propose to the entire church.”

Searching for Jesus in the afternoon of Christianity

Posted on by

IN EXILE
By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI

Where might we experience Jesus today in a world that is seemingly too crowded with its own concerns to allow a space for him?

The renowned spirituality writer Tomas Halik, in a recent book entitled The Afternoon of Christianity, makes this suggestion. As the world makes less and less explicit space for Jesus, we need to search for him more and more in those places where he is “anonymously present.” Halik’s counsel: “Let us search for him ‘by his voice’ like Mary Magdalene; let us search for him in strangers on the road like the disciples on the road to Emmaus; let us search for him in the wounds of the world like the apostle Thomas; let us search for him whenever he passes through the closed doors of fear; let us search for him where he brings the gift of forgiveness and new beginnings.”

The invitation here is to better respond to the signs of the times, given that we are living now in what he calls “the afternoon of Christianity.”

What is the afternoon of Christianity?

He distinguishes three periods in the history of Christianity. He sees the morning of Christianity as the time before 1500 AD, the pre-modern period, the time before secularization. The noonday of Christianity, for him, is the time of secularization and modernity, basically from the 19th century until our own generation. The afternoon of Christianity, for him, is our time today, the post-modern world, where we are witnessing a breakdown of much of the world as we once knew it with the effects of this on faith and religion. And for Halik, the effect of all of this is that the Christian faith has now outgrown previous forms of religion.

Wow! That’s quite a statement! However, what Halik is proposing is not that the faith is dying, that Christianity is dying, or that the churches are dying. Rather, for him, Christianity today finds itself in a certain cultural homelessness, in a time where so many social structures that once supported it are collapsing, so that the Christian faith is now needing to seek a new shape, a new home, new means of expression, new social and cultural roles, and new allies.

And how will that turn out? We don’t know. But here’s Halik’s hunch: Christianity will not, as many fear, lose its identity and become a non-religious faith. It will not disintegrate into some vague, doctrineless, boundaryless, privatized spirituality. Rather, the hope is that (paradoxically) the very dynamism and diversity that frightens many Christians is the incubation phase of the Christianity of the future.

For him, the challenges that Christianity faces today invite us to bring faith into a new space, like Paul did when he brought Christianity out of the confines of the Judaism of his day. Here is how Halik puts it: “I believe that the Christianity of tomorrow will be above all a community of a new hermeneutic, a new reading, a new and deeper interpretation of the two sources of divine revelation, scripture and tradition, and especially of God’s utterance in the signs of the times.

How is this all to happen? That’s the thesis of the book. Chapter after chapter lays out possibilities of how we might more courageously read the signs of the times and rather than water down any of the substance of the Christian faith, let the signs of the times lead us to a deeper understanding of both scripture and tradition, especially so that we might bring together in better harmony the Christ of cosmic evolution with the Resurrected Jesus; and then recognize that they are both not just present in what is explicit in our Christian faith and worship, they are also anonymously present in the evolution of our culture and society.

Consequently, we need to search for Jesus Christ not just in our scriptures, our churches, our worship services, our catechetical classes, our Sunday schools, and our explicit Christian fellowship, though of course we need to search there. But, like Mary Magdalene, we need to recognize his voice in the caretaker at the cemetery; like the discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus, when we no longer have the answers, we need to recognize his presence in strangers whose words make our hearts burn inside us; like the doubting Thomas, we need to overcome our doubts about his resurrection by touching his wounds as they are now manifest in the poor and the suffering; like Jesus’ first community who barricaded themselves behind a locked door out of fear, we need to recognize him whenever, inside our huddled fear, something expectedly breathes peace into us; and we need to recognize his presence inside us every time we receive forgiveness and are empowered to begin again.

This isn’t a time of dying, it’s a time of kairos, a time when we are being invited to open our eyes in a new way so as to recognize the Christ who is walking with us in some unfamiliar forms.

(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a theologian, teacher and award-winning author. He can be contacted through his website www.ronrolheiser.com.)

Christian joy is trusting in God in every situation, pope writes

Posted on by

By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Christian joy is for everyone, not just for a privileged few, Pope Francis wrote.
“Christian joy is reliance on God in every situation in life,” he said in a message to people taking part in the second synodal assembly of the Catholic Church in Italy.

The assembly, which is meeting at the Vatican March 31-April 3, is part of a synodal process the church in Italy began in 2021. About 1,000 people – including more than 440 lay men and women – were taking part, representing 219 of the 226 dioceses in the country.

“The church is not made up of majorities or minorities, but of the holy faithful people of God who walk in history, enlightened by the Word and by the Spirit,” the pope said in his text, which was read by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian bishops’ conference, during the opening session March 31.

“Christian joy is never exclusive, but always inclusive, it is for everyone. It takes place in the details of everyday life and in sharing: it is a joy with broad horizons, accompanying a welcoming style,” Pope Francis wrote.

Pope Francis prays with Italian bishops in the Vatican synod hall during the general assembly of the Italian bishops’ conference in this file photo from May 20, 2024. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

This joy is God’s gift, he wrote. However, “it is not an easy joy, it is not born of convenient solutions to problems, it does not avoid the cross, but springs from the certainty that the Lord never leaves us alone.”

It is a joy that the pope has experienced himself during his hospitalization, he added, “and now in this time of convalescence” as well.

The synodal assembly planned to discuss and vote on a series of concrete proposals and suggestions that emerged after a long process of listening and discerning, starting at the local church level. The bishops’ permanent council and the conference’s general assembly, which is meeting at the end of May, will finalize the proposals, which will be given to the local churches for their reception.

In his address to the assembly in the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall, Cardinal Zuppi said the outcome of their synodal journey will depend on their approach as “pilgrims of hope,” who set out alongside others with humble backpacks and not set apart and above others, just shining “beacons” for others to follow.
The hope is to put the Gospel back into everyday life and discourse, and to build “open communities, full of God and humanity,” he said.