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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
CATHOLIC ENGAGED ENCOUNTER – CEE is our diocesan marriage prep program for couples preparing for the sacrament of marriage. The upcoming weekends for 2024/2025 are: Oct. 11-13; Feb. 21-23, 2025; August 1-3, 2025; and Oct. 24-26, 2025 at Camp Garaywa in Clinton; and April 25-27, 2025 at Lake Tia O’Khata in Louisville. Register at https://bit.ly/CEE2024-2025. Details: email debbie.tubertini@jacksondiocese.org.
FLOWOOD – St. Paul, “Bee Attitudes” Women’s Retreat, Oct. 18-20 at Our Lady of Hope Retreat Center in Chatawa with Father Anthony Quyet. Ladies of St. Paul, come experience the Beatitudes from the perspective of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden and Paula D’Arcy’s A New Set of Eyes. Details: email finance@spaulcc.org.
OFFICE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION – The OCE hosts a Zoom Rosary the first Wednesday of each month during the school year at 7 p.m. On Oct. 2, Vicksburg Catholic School will lead us in prayer. Join early and place your intentions in the chat. Details: Join the rosary via zoom at https://bit.ly/zoomrosary2024 or check the diocese calendar of events.
PARISH, FAMILY & SCHOOL EVENTS
COLUMBUS – Annunciation, Fall Festival, Sunday, Oct. 27 from 4-6:30 p.m. Have an amazing halloween experience for youth with trunk or treat, cake walk, games, contests, hall of saints, food and more. No pets. Details: church office (662) 328-2927.
CLARKSDALE – St. Elizabeth, Annual St. Elizabeth Fair, Tuesday, Sept. 24 from 5:30-8 p.m. Enjoy the traditional spaghetti dinner at the school and enjoy prize booths and more. Details: church office (662) 624-4301.
HERNANDO – Holy Spirit, 150th anniversary of the School Sisters of St. Francis, Friday, Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. Mass with Bishop Kopacz, followed by fellowship dinner. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.
FLOWOOD – St. Paul Early Learning Center, Annual Golf Tournament, Friday, Sept. 20 at Bay Pointe Golf Club. Details: register at https://bit.ly/StPaulELCGolfTournament2024.
FOREST – St. Michael, Feast celebration with Mass at Gaddis Park. Sunday Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. Details: church office (601) 469-1916.
JACKSON – St. Richard, Special Kids Golf Tournament, Thursday, Oct. 10 at Deerfield Golf Club in Canton. Morning and afternoon scrambles available. Details: for more information visit https://saintrichard.com/special-kids-day or email golf@saintrichard.com.
St. Richard School, Cardinal Fest, Sunday, Oct. 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Entry cost: $20. Enjoy games, food, music and more. Details: school office (601) 366-1157.
LELAND – St. James, Spaghetti Dinner and Fair, Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 5 p.m. Booths open at 6 p.m. Cost: $15 per plate. Details: Debbie at (662) 684-7352.
MADISON – St. Francis, A Taste of St. Francis Feast, Sunday, Oct. 6 in the Family Life Center after 10:30 a.m. Mass. Details: sign up on the forms at the entrance of the church or call (601) 856-5556 for more information.
NATCHEZ – Cathedral School, Fall Festival, Oct. 5 and 6. Enjoy midway games, shopping, raffles, adult night, bingo and more. Details: visit @CathedralFallFest on Facebook.
St. Mary Basilica, Parish Feast Day Dinner, Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Main meal provided, bring a dessert. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.
St. Mary Basilica, Blessing of the Animals, Sunday, Sept. 29 at 3:30 p.m. at the Family Life Center. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.
OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Church Picnic, Sunday, Sept. 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Enjoy games, free food and fellowship. Be sure to bring a lawn chair. Details: church office (662) 895-5007.
Queen of Peace, Men’s Club Golf Tournament, Sunday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. Cost: $125 per player. Details: church office (662) 895-5007.
PONTOTOC – St. Christopher, Outdoor Mass and Potluck at the Tanglefoot Trail Pavilion on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 9:30 a.m. Details: church office (662) 842-4881.
RIPLEY – St. Matthew, Anniversary celebration of dedication of the church, Saturday, Sept. 21, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy food booths, games and activities. Details: contact Laura (662) 587-3892 (Spanish) or Katie (412) 452-6643 (English).
SOUTHAVEN – Christ the King, Fall Festival, Saturday, Oct. 5. Save the date!
VICKSBURG – Knights of Columbus 898, Drawdown Dinner, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. Cost: $75 for two – dine in only and one draw for $3,000 grand prize. Details: www.kc898.square.site
DIOCESE
JOB OPENING – The Diocese of Jackson’s Department of Faith Formation is looking for a full-time administrative assistant. The successful candidate will provide administrative assistance exercising quality pastoral skills for those in pastoral and formational ministry. Three to five years experience in an administrative role providing direct support to a multicultural intergenerational department. Understanding basic accounting a plus. High school diploma or GED certificate required; completion of college degree in business preferred. Contact fran.lavelle@jacksondiocese.org if you have questions about the position or if you would like a full job description. Send a cover letter and resume to Dr. Lavelle no later than Sept. 30, 2024.
DIOCESE – Upcoming events: Diocesan SEARCH Retreat for tenth through twelth graders, Jan. 17-19, 2025 at Camp Wesley Pines, Gallman. Diocese High School Confirmation Retreat, Jan. 25-26, 2025 at Lake Forest Ranch, Macon. Diocese Catholic Youth Conference – DCYC for ninth through twelfth grades, March 21-23, 2025 at the Vicksburg Convention Center. Details: contact your individual parish offices or contact Abbey at (601) 949-6934 or abbey.schuhmann@jacksondiocese.org.
Called by Name
I can’t believe it’s already time for Homegrown Harvest 2024! As we get ready for this great annual event where we support our seminarians and work to bring forth more men to be priests from our diocese, I’m proud to announce a new partnership that is designed to bring forth more excellent young men to consider the priesthood. We have partnered with Vianney Vocations for an initiative called Vocation Pathway.
Vianney Vocations has been working with dioceses for more than 15 years to provide excellent resources like books, posters, promotional items and more. After all that time, they’ve seen ‘what works’ and ‘what doesn’t work’ when it comes to promoting vocations. Vocation Pathway is a systematic approach to vocation promotion that Vianney has developed. We are working with Chris Kreslins from Vianney Vocations to build a plan just for our diocese. That plan is already in motion, and I’m excited to share more details in the coming weeks and months.
The most important part of Vocation Pathway is forming a team of priests who can run discernment groups at least twice a year in various parts of the diocese. I spent the summer putting together a team, and it includes priests from almost every deanery. Our team has undergone four weeks of training to run six-week discernment groups each fall and spring. These groups are not only for men who say, ‘I want to be a priest,’ but they are for any man who is a strong Catholic and wants to grow in his faith.
The Vocation Team is already in place and is starting the invitation process to young men in their area. The team consists of: Fathers Augustine Palimattam, St. Patrick/St. Joseph Meridian, Aaron Williams, St. Mary/Assumption Natchez, Mark Shoffner, St. John Oxford, Jason Johnston and Tristan Stovall, St. Joseph Starkville, Kent Bowlds, Our Lady of Victories Cleveland, Matthew Simmons, St. Joseph Gluckstadt, and me. Please pray for these team members, and if you have suggestions of who should be invited to these discernment groups, let one of the team members know!
Our rep from Vianney Vocations will be in Jackson to speak to the full presbyterate and all our parish leaders next month. We are excited about this new chapter, and I’d like to share a goal with you that I believe we can reach, although it is lofty. Our goal is to have 33 seminarians by the year 2030. Please keep that in your prayers, and ‘ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest!’
Father Nick Adam, vocation directorPope prays Mary will protect persecuted Christians in Nicaragua
By Justin McLellan
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – As the Catholic Church and Christians at large experience intense persecution in Nicaragua, Pope Francis expressed encouragement and support to the people living under the country’s authoritarian regime.
“To the beloved people of Nicaragua: I encourage you to renew your hope in Jesus,” he said after praying the Angelus Aug. 25. “Remember that the Holy Spirit always guides history toward higher projects.”
The previous week, the Nicaraguan government revoked the legal status of 1,500 nonprofit organizations operating in the country, many of them Christian churches as well as Catholic charitable organizations and religious congregations. Nicaragua’s national assembly also approved new measures Aug. 20 to tax donations to churches and religious organizations of all denominations. And during the first three weeks of August, nine Catholic priests were arrested in Nicaragua and exiled to Rome.
“May the Immaculate Virgin protect you in times of trial and help you feel her motherly tenderness; may Our Lady accompany the beloved people of Nicaragua,” the pope prayed with visitors in St. Peter’s Square.
Pope Francis also expressed his solidarity with the thousands of people affected by outbreaks of monkeypox, which was declared a “public health emergency of international concern” by the World Health Organization Aug. 14. According to figures from the U.N. organization updated Aug. 22, there have been 3,562 cases of monkeypox in 2024, resulting in 26 deaths. Twelve countries have reported cases of monkeypox with the outbreak being most acute in Congo.
“I pray for all those infected, especially the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo suffering greatly,” the pope said. “I express my sympathy to the local churches in the countries most affected by this disease, and I encourage governments and private industries to share available technology and treatments so that no one lacks adequate medical care.”
Gesturing to the mass of visitors dressed in black under the August sun, Pope Francis greeted the new seminarians studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome and wished them “a good formative journey.”
“I also wish them to live their priesthood with joy, because true prayer gives us joy,” he said.
The Pontifical North American College’s incoming class consists of 38 seminarians — 36 from the United States and two from Australia. For the 2024-25 academic year, a total of 113 men from 56 dioceses and eparchies will be preparing for the priesthood at the college with the Archdiocese of Washington having the largest number of seminarians enrolled.
In his main address, the pope reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from St. John in which Jesus’ followers are shocked after he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” Many of Jesus’ disciples abandoned him after hearing this because what he said was too hard to understand.
But “Jesus’ choices often go beyond common thinking, beyond the very canons of institutional religion and traditions to the point of creating provocative and embarrassing situations,” Pope Francis said.
“It is not easy to follow him,” he added. “Even for us, it is not easy to follow the Lord, to understand his way of acting, to make his criteria and his example our own.”
“It is not easy for us. However, the closer we are to him — the more we adhere to his Gospel, receive his grace in the sacraments, stay in his company in prayer, imitate him in humility and charity — the more we experience the beauty of having him as our friend and realize that he alone has the words of eternal life,” the pope said.
Faith and prayer sustained him, says Ukrainian Catholic priest captured, tortured by Russia
By Gina Christian , OSV News
Faith, prayer and a transcendent hope in Christ sustained a Ukrainian Catholic priest amid more than a year and a half of Russian captivity and torture — and now, he is sharing his story to remind others that God “loves us and wants to save us.”
Redemptorist Father Bohdan Geleta reflected on his experiences in an hourlong interview with host Taras Babenchuk that aired Aug. 20 on Zhyve TV, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church’s television channel.
In November 2022, Father Geleta and his fellow Redemptorist Father Ivan Levitsky were seized by Russian forces from their parish, Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Berdyansk, Ukraine.
The two — whose exact locations and conditions were largely unknown to Ukrainian and church officials for most of their 18-month captivity — were among 10 prisoners returned to Ukraine in late June. Both priests had lost significant amounts of weight, and their heads had been shaved.
Father Geleta confirmed that he and Father Levitsky had been subjected to both psychological and physical torture at the hands of Russian forces, confirming reports that Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the UGCC, had received within the first weeks of the priests’ capture, which took place a full nine months after Russian troops took over Berdyansk.
Initially, the two priests had been able to continue their pastoral ministry after the Russian occupation, celebrating Divine Liturgy, praying and taking in refugees, said Father Geleta.
In fact, the refugees motivated them to stay, he said, and provide both spiritual and material support.
Yet prayers for peace had to be done “very delicately” since “it was dangerous to express such a sentiment there,” he said — and a car marked with the letter “Z,” a symbol of Russian troops in Ukraine, circled the church “several times” as “a sign” that Russian occupiers were watching.
On Nov. 16, 2022, the occupiers made their move in broad daylight. Father Geleta had just returned from a burial and was preparing to celebrate Divine Liturgy; Father Levitsky was about to hold an outdoor prayer gathering.
“Two masked people came into the church. I think they were military. They were carrying weapons, and they came up and said in Russian: ‘Come with us,'” Father Geleta recalled. “I asked them in Ukrainian what they wanted, why they came into the church dressed like they were. They told me that they did not understand Ukrainian. I switched to Russian. Then I changed my clothes, took off my vestments, and went with them to the central pre-trial detention center in Berdyansk … And there they drew up a report that Father Ivan and I had violated some rules. We had to take permission from the authorities to pray in the city.”
The charge is a typical one for Russian occupation forces in Ukraine, who have broadly sought to suppress all faiths except Russian-aligned Orthodox groups by destroying houses of worship; detaining, torturing and killing clergy; and creating laws — in violation of the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit the imposition of outside rule by occupying forces — to restrict religious practice. In Zaporizhzhia, the region surrounding Berdyansk, Russian occupation officials issued a written decree banning the UGCC as well as the Knights of Columbus and Caritas, the official humanitarian arm of the worldwide Catholic Church.
Father Geleta and Father Levitsky, who were kept separate for most of their imprisonment, were first taken to damp basement cells where they “could also hear screams from our cell in the corridors,” as captives were tortured. One of Father Geleta’s cellmates had been electrically shocked and forced to learn the Russian national anthem — or face execution.
The priests were first offered an opportunity to cooperate with employees of the FSB, Russia’s security bureau, which has in some cases sought to recruit religious leaders to promote Russia’s grip in occupied areas of Ukraine.
“They said if we agreed, they would show us around and tell us what we needed to do,” said Father Geleta. “But we refused.”
The priests were also questioned on camera by Russian propagandists, he said, noting that his inquisitors “really don’t like the word ‘war,'” but instead prefer the Kremlin’s euphemism, “special military operation” to describe their attacks on Ukraine, which began in 2014 and which have been determined to constitute genocide, according to two major reports from the New Lines Institute and the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights.
Yet “neither Father Ivan nor I compromised,” said Father Geleta. “We just told the truth, that it was a war, that they were criminals, to their faces,” he said, adding that it was clear they would be “punished” for their stance.
Their captors, Father Geleta said, “forgot about us for four months,” after which they accused the priests of storing weapons in their church, a charge for which they were to be tried and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The two were transferred for five more months to Russian penal colony No. 77 in Berdyansk, where Father Geleta was moved to a solitary cell with a speaker that was “was blaring Soviet songs all day long,” which he was forced to listen to.
“I realized then how a person goes crazy, I realized why people commit suicide then,” said Father Geleta. “And, of course, the Lord God helps, and he gives strength through prayer. God, Jesus Christ, Mary and the angels were all present. Prayer was salvation. And as I was saying, I felt the prayer of the church.”
The priests were moved once more — driven handcuffed and blindfolded, with bags on their heads — to another penal colony in Horlivka, located in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, where prisoners were “harmed almost every day … the admission was very terrible, very cruel,” said Father Geleta.
Those who had fought in Ukraine’s Azov regiment, which along with civilians had defied Russia’s occupation of Mariupol until the city fell in May 2022, were “very much abused there,” he said.
The priests were also abused multiple times. “I was almost never beaten during the admission, but Father Ivan was beaten so severely that he lost consciousness twice,” Father Geleta said.
The Ukrainian priest said that while he was being tortured — something “you can’t get used to” — he “remembered Jesus Christ, his cross, his suffering.”
“And such strength and grace poured in that, that I was saying: Lord, I can sympathize with you,” he said. “When they were taking me somewhere, I was already preparing internally, praying and asking God to give me strength. I did not know whether I would survive or not.”
He and Father Levitsky shared a cell for just 15 days of their 10-month imprisonment at Horlivka, where according to the priest about 2,000 prisoners of war were held.
“We had the opportunity to get to know a lot of people,” said Father Geleta. “They told us a lot, and they were looking for help from the inside, spiritual help.”
While unable to celebrate liturgy, Father Geleta said he began holding morning and evening prayer meetings of about five minutes each, reading a passage from a Russian-language Bible, reciting the Our Father and Hail Mary, and then praying for prisoners’ intentions.
“It was enough to “spiritually gain such energy and go on living,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that it was some kind of propaganda or preaching, because the Our Father and the Hail Mary are common Christian prayers. … The warders didn’t even come in and see us.”
Father Geleta said he was also able to hear confessions, and sensed that “the whole church” prayed for the priests’ release.
He said his captors considered UGCC Catholics as “sect that split from Orthodoxy,” and that the UGCC and its priests must be “eradicated, isolated from society, and purified.”
“They genuinely praise God. Genuinely, yet they beat people, you know?” Father Geleta said of his captors. “It’s such religious fanaticism.”
When the June prisoner exchange was arranged, he and Father Levitsky thought they were possibly being moved to Siberia, said Father Geleta, who felt “profoundly grateful” upon regaining his freedom.
“Even now I cannot digest it all, realize it. It is still … coming to me,” he said.
As he readjusts to freedom, Father Geleta has discerned the hand of the divine in the sufferings he and Father Levitsky endured.
“Together with Father Ivan we sympathized and bore this cross with those prisoners who fought for freedom, for a free Ukraine, for winning this happiness of not only living like people, but being close to God, to the salvation of the Lord,” he said.
“And it will probably remain there, this particle, for a lifetime, you know, as long as I live on earth,” he acknowledged.
“And I want to tell all the others, and especially those families, those mothers, wives, who have their sons, their fathers, their sisters in captivity, not to lose hope, to pray, to turn to God, and everything will be all right. The Lord God knows that even through these sufferings he leads everyone to himself. We do not know this, it is a mystery. Otherwise, a person might not be able to bear it,” Father Geleta said.
Carmelites find St. Teresa of Ávila’s body still incorrupt after opening coffin for study of relics
ALBA DE TORMES, Spain (OSV News) — The silver coffin of St. Teresa of Ávila was opened in Alba de Tormes Aug. 28 only to confirm her body has remained incorrupt since her death in 1582. The opening of her tomb marks the beginning of a study of her relics, which will be carried out by Italian doctors and scientists — with the approval of the Vatican.
The last opening of St. Teresa’s coffin happened in 1914, 110 years ago. The Spanish Diocese of Ávila now wants to obtain canonical recognition of the relics from Rome.
According to the announcement made by the postulator general of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, Father Marco Chiesa, those present at the scene were able to see that “it is in the same condition as when it was last opened in 1914.” The then-general of the Carmelites, Clemente de los Santos, wanted to see the body of the foundress. Both openings — 110 years ago and now — confirmed that the body of St. Teresa has remained incorrupt since her death.
St. Teresa was a Spanish nun, one of the great mystics and religious women of the Catholic Church, and an author of spiritual classics. She started the Carmelite reform, which restored and emphasized the contemplative character of Carmelite life. St. Teresa was elevated to doctor of the church in 1970 by Pope Paul VI, the first woman to be honored with the title.
According to the Diocese of Ávila, the process of reaching the silver coffin containing the body of St. Teresa has been complicated. First, the marble slab in the tomb had to be removed. Then, the reliquaries were moved to the room set aside for the study of the relics. The community of Discalced Carmelites, together with the general postulator of the order, members of the ecclesiastical tribunal and a small group of religious participated in this transfer by singing the Te Deum.
The silver tomb was opened only in the presence of the scientific medical team and members of the ecclesiastical court.
Scholars, the diocese said, were struck by its “magnificent” state of preservation and robustness. The team also praised “excellent” workmanship of St. Teresa’s tomb, which was donated to the community by King Ferdinand VI and his wife, Barbara of Braganza.
Two goldsmiths assisted the opening operation and 10 keys that protect the tomb were used: three that are kept in Alba de Tormes, three kept by the Duke of Alba, another three that the father general keeps in Rome, in addition to the key kept by the king of Spain. Three of these keys are to open the outer gate, three are to open the marble tomb, and the other four are to open the silver coffin.
A first look at her body revealed, Father Chiesa recounted, that “the last few years were difficult for her to walk, due to the pain that she herself described.”
He added that in “analyzing her foot in Rome, we saw the presence of calcareous thorns that made walking almost impossible.” “But she walked,” having the ability to “move forward, despite her physical defects,” explained the postulator.
It is still too early to obtain conclusive results, Father Chiesa said, but assured that with the new study it will be possible to “learn interesting facts about Teresa and also recommendations for the conservation of the relics.”
(The story was originally published in Alfa y Omega, Spanish Catholic news outlet. OSV News contributed to this report.)
US bishops’ conference releases new resource on Hispanic/Latino communities, ministries
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Ahead of Hispanic Heritage Month, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church has released a resource kit “to help illustrate the profound impact of the Hispanic/Latino community within the Catholic Church in the United States,” according to a USCCB press release.
A part of the implementation of the National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry approved by the U.S. bishops in the Spring of 2023, the document “underscores the ongoing commitment of the USCCB’s Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs to recognizing and celebrating the rich cultural heritage and contributions of Hispanic/Latino Catholics,” said the Sept. 4 release.
This resource kit includes statistical information on the Catholic population in the U.S., categorized by race/ethnicity, a statistical profile of Hispanic/Latino ministry, the percentage of Hispanic/Latino Catholics by diocese and the percentage growth of Hispanic/Latino Catholics in the Millennial and Gen Z generations.
It also reports on the growth of the Hispanic/Latino population in the church’s 14 episcopal regions and the estimated Hispanic/Latino population in the U.S. in 2022 by country of origin, as well as a timeline of Hispanic/Latino ministry events and milestones spanning from 1945 to 2024.
Alejandro Aguilera-Titus, assistant director of Hispanic Affairs in the USCCB’s cultural diversity secretariat, said that through the information in this resource, they hope to “help show the vibrant faith and the richness of the Hispanic and Latino communities within our Church and society.”
“It is especially important as we prepare to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month to show the dynamic growth of our community and the contributions made by Hispanics and Latinos as we continue in our work to foster deeper connections and understanding,” said Aguilera-Titus.
The 16-page document highlights important findings, including that Episcopal Region XI, which includes California and Hawaii, had the largest Hispanic population by 2022 with 15,892,963 Hispanics/Latinos and that the U.S. Hispanic population — estimated to be over 63 million people as of April 1, 2023 — is the second largest in the world, surpassed only by Mexico, which was about 128.3 million in 2023.
Likewise, a graph with information from the U.S. Census Bureau that estimates the U.S. Hispanic/Latino population in 2022 by origin indicated that 58.8% of this population is of Mexican origin, followed by a wide margin by the Puerto Rican community, which represents 9.4% of the population.
The document compiles the names of active, retired, and deceased bishops and auxiliary bishops of Hispanic/Latino origin who have served the Catholic Church in the U.S. since 1970. It also states that by 2023, there were 34,092 priests in the United States, and 3,200 of them were estimated to be Hispanic. It also shows that a total of 4,479 parishes in the U.S. have Masses in Spanish and 2,760 U.S. parishes with Hispanic/Latino presence or ministry but no Mass in Spanish, according to data collected in 2024.
Sources cited by this resource kit include the U.S. Census Bureau, Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, V Encuentro reports, and findings from previous studies conducted by the USCCB and its Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church, such as the recently-released Diocesan Survey on Parishes and Hispanic/Latino Ministry.
Fortaleciendo la unidad: Los líderes parroquiales exploran la competencia cultural en los ministerios
Por Joanna Puddister King
JACKSON – El miércoles 28 de agosto, más de 70 líderes parroquiales de toda la Diócesis de Jackson se reunieron para un taller de competencia intercultural llevado a cabo en St. Jude Perla por la Oficina de Ministerio Intercultural de la diócesis. En el evento estuvieron representados doce países diferentes además de Estados Unidos, entre ellos Nigeria, India, Vietnam, Colombia y México, entre otros. El evento habló de la realidad presente que los ministerios diocesanos necesitan aprender a servir con la realidad cultural de la diócesis.
El taller, centrado en la cultura en general y no en una en particular, exploró temas como el funcionamiento de la cultura, los parámetros de la cultura, las habilidades comunicativas y los movimientos de integración parroquial.
El Diácono Juan Carlos Pagán de la Diócesis de Lafayette fue uno de los oradores destacados en el evento. Originario de Puerto Rico, con una esposa “cajún” de 25 años, habló sobre la necesidad de la inculturación, envolviendo el mensaje central de una manera que otras culturas puedan entender.
Con todos los diferentes países representados que estuvieron presentes en el evento, el Diácono Pagán dijo que “necesitamos aprender a servir de manera que sea aplicable a las diferentes realidades culturales”.
Usando como ejemplo a la Santísima Virgen María, señaló que, en sus diferentes apariciones, ella aparece a imagen de las personas a las que está hablando. “La Virgen de Guadalupe es un gran ejemplo”, dijo el diácono Pagán. “Tienes a María apareciendo vestida de una manera que los indígenas podían entender quién era. Este es un ejemplo de inculturación, es la envoltura de la verdad de Jesucristo … en un paquete que sea comprensible para el recibidor”.
Durante el evento también se presentaron estadísticas de nuestra diócesis cambiando. El Obispo Joseph Kopacz habló brevemente en el taller intercultural sobre el extenso estudio CARA realizado a través del proceso de reinvención pastoral que la diócesis emprendió durante el año pasado, y que ahora continúa a nivel parroquial. Dijo que era importante que los líderes parroquiales se basaran en la realidad con respecto a la composición de la demografía en la diócesis y notaran “quiénes serán la población católica en los próximos 20 a 30 años”.
El Obispo Kopacz dijo que, con el propósito de la evangelización, algunas comunidades parroquiales no se dieron cuenta del tamaño de la población católica en sus áreas que no asisten a la iglesia hasta que vieron el estudio de CARA. Muchos quieren llegar a ellos y traerlos a la comunidad católica y hacerlo a través de la elevación de la competencia intercultural es un paso en la dirección correcta, dijo.
También habló en el evento Olga Lucía Villar, quien actualmente se desempeña como directora ejecutiva de la Oficina del Sureste de los Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos para el Ministerio Hispano y del Instituto Pastoral del Sureste (SEPI). Colombiana de nacimiento, emigró cuando era adolescente con su familia a Miami en 1987.
Utilizando historias de su amplia gama de experiencias a nivel parroquial y experiencias misioneras en todo el mundo, Villar pintó una imagen de un mundo con la interacción intercultural como una forma de vida y no como un problema a resolver.
Pidió a todos los presentes en el evento que mantengan una imagen de Jesús y de la iglesia con la que sueña de todo lo que se hace para promover el trabajo de la iglesia como el Cuerpo de Cristo.
“Piensen, mis acciones y mi trabajo pastoral hacen que se reflejen a ese Jesús que… nos invita a seguirlo”, dijo Villar.
Ella dice que el aprendizaje es la clave para cerrar la brecha entre culturas. “Pregúntate, ¿cuánto estoy dispuesto a seguir aprendiendo?”, dijo Villar. “¿Ha terminado Jesús conmigo? ¿Soy todo lo que Él soñó que yo fuera… o tengo más espacio para crecer en mi fe y en mi forma de ver la vida”.
Villar marco nueve movimientos para fomentar un ambiente de entendimiento entre culturas. Los movimientos incluyeron:
- Llegar a las comunidades y encontrarlas;
- Acoger a los grupos en la vida parroquial mostrando hospitalidad;
- Desarrollar ministerios y ministros para las nuevas comunidades;
- Construir relaciones entre culturas y ministerios;
- Abogar por el desarrollo liderazgo y la formación del ministerio;
- Abrir las puertas para el proceso de tomar decisiones haciendo espacio en la mesa donde se toman decisiones sobre ministerios culturalmente específicos;
- Fortalecer un sentido de propiedad con formas significativas de participar en la vida de la comunidad de fe parroquial;
- Sembrar y cosechar la plena propiedad y administración al permitir que los grupos culturales contribuyan con su tiempo, talento y tesoro a la parroquia.
- Lograr el compromiso total con la misión de la parroquia fortaleciendo la unidad de la parroquia mientras se honra su diversidad.
“Somos un pueblo eucarístico”, dijo Villar. “Piensa qué … Jesús nos pide hoy en la Iglesia que necesita sanación, reconciliación, que necesita renovar su sentido de hospitalidad, de ser abrazado”.
La hermana Amelia Breton, SBS, de la Oficina Pastoral Intercultural de la diócesis, se mostró complacida con el nivel de participación en el evento y dijo que el propósito del evento era para ayudar a los líderes a comprender mejor la dinámica de otras culturas.
“Las comunidades en toda la diócesis son muy diferentes, especialmente dentro de las comunidades hispanas”, dijo la hermana Amelia. “Me recuerda que la diversidad es mayor y más compleja de lo que podemos imaginar.”
La Hermana Amelia planea continuar las conversaciones sobre como mejorar prácticas en las parroquias interculturales también realizó un taller similar en español en el Inmaculado Corazón de María en Houston el sábado 7 de septiembre.
(Nota del editor: El estudio CARA completado a través del proceso de reinvención pastoral sobre la demografía de la población católica se puede ver en https://bit.ly/CARA_CDJ.)
Tras abrir el sepulcro para estudiar sus reliquias, se afirma que el cuerpo de Santa Teresa de Ávila sigue incorrupto
By OSV News
ALBA DE TORMES, España (OSV News) — El féretro de plata de Santa Teresa de Ávila fue abierto en Alba de Tormes el 28 de agosto, comprobando que su cuerpo ha permanecido incorrupto desde su muerte en 1582. La apertura de su tumba marca el inicio de un estudio de sus reliquias, que llevarán a cabo médicos y científicos italianos, con la aprobación del Vaticano.
La última vez que se abrió el sepulcro de Santa Teresa fue en 1914, hace 110 años. Ahora, la Diócesis de Ávila quiere obtener de Roma el reconocimiento canónico de las reliquias.
Según anunció el postulador general de la Orden del Carmelo Decalzo, el padre Marco Chiesa, los presentes en el lugar pudieron comprobar “que está en las mismas condiciones que en la última apertura de 1914”. El entonces general de los Carmelitas, Clemente de los Santos, quiso ver el cuerpo de la fundadora. Ambas aperturas — hace 110 años y ahora — confirmaron que el cuerpo de Santa Teresa ha permanecido incorrupto desde su muerte.
Santa Teresa fue una religiosa española, una de las grandes místicas y religiosas de la Iglesia católica, y autora de clásicos espirituales. Ella inició la reforma carmelita, que restauró y enfatizó el carácter contemplativo de la vida carmelita. Santa Teresa de Jesús, o de Ávila, fue elevada a Doctora de la Iglesia en 1970 por el Papa Pablo VI, siendo la primera mujer honrada con este título.
Según la Diócesis de Ávila, el proceso para llegar hasta el féretro de plata que contiene el cuerpo de Santa Teresa ha sido complicado. En primer lugar, hubo que retirar la losa de mármol en el sepulcro. Después, se ha procedido al traslado de los relicarios a la sala destinada al estudio de las reliquias. La comunidad de Madres Carmelitas Descalzas, junto con el postulador general de la orden, los miembros del tribunal eclesiástico y un pequeño grupo de religiosos participaron en este traslado cantando el Te Deum.
El sepulcro de plata sólo se abrió en presencia del equipo médico científico y de los miembros del tribunal eclesiástico.
Los estudiosos, según la diócesis, quedaron sorprendidos por su “magnífico” estado de conservación y robustez. El equipo también elogió la “excelente” factura de la tumba de Santa Teresa, donada a la comunidad por el rey Fernando VI y su esposa, Bárbara de Braganza.
Dos orfebres asistieron a la operación de apertura y se utilizaron 10 llaves que protegen el sepulcro: tres que se conservan en Alba de Tormes, tres llaves que conserva el el duque de Alba, otras tres que el padre general conserva en Roma, además de la llave que guarda el rey de España. Tres de esas llaves sirven para abrir la reja exterior, tres para abrir el sepulcro de mármol y las otras cuatro para abrir la urna de plata.
Un primer examen de su cuerpo reveló que “los últimos años fueron difíciles para ella en caminar, en los dolores que ella misma describe”, relató el padre Chiesa.
“Analizando el pie en Roma, vimos la presencia de espinas calcáreas que hacen casi imposible caminar. Pero ella caminaba”, teniendo la capacidad de “seguir adelante, a pesar de los defectos físicos”, explicó el postulador.
Todavía es pronto para obtener resultados concluyentes, dijo el padre Chiesa, pero aseguró que con el nuevo estudio se podrán “conocer datos de gran interés de Teresa y también recomendaciones para la conservación de las reliquias”.
La historia fue publicada originalmente en Alfa y Omega, un medio de noticias católico español. OSV News ha contribuido a este reportaje.
Encuesta diocesana de la USCCB revela cómo las parroquias en todo el país responden a la presencia hispana
Por Marietha Góngora
INDIANÁPOLIS (OSV News) – Este 21 de agosto, el Subcomité de Asuntos Hispanos de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos (USCCB, por sus siglas en inglés), dio a conocer los resultados de una encuesta a las diócesis y arquidiócesis de las 14 regiones episcopales. Estos resultados muestran cómo la pastoral hispana ha tomado gran fuerza en todo el país, y que en la mayoría de las diócesis hay una respuesta pastoral parroquial para la comunidad hispana.
OSV News habló con Alejandro Aguilera-Titus, subdirector de Asuntos Hispanos del Secretariado de Diversidad Cultural en la Iglesia, quien explicó que el objetivo de esta iniciativa “era poder determinar una base sólida de información sobre el estado de la pastoral hispana a nivel parroquial y hacer esto en este momento para ver cuál es la correcta respuesta de la Iglesia”.
Así mismo el subdirector afirmó que era importante ver cómo se empieza la implementación del Plan Pastoral Nacional para el Ministerio Hispano/Latino, que fue aprobado por los obispos de EE.UU. en junio del 2023, y “ver cómo esa pastoral parroquial va a desarrollarse en los años que tenemos delante de nosotros”.
La encuesta, que se llevó a cabo desde el pasado mes de abril hasta agosto, incluyó tres preguntas sobre el número de parroquias en cada diócesis, el número de parroquias que ofrecían Misa en español, y el número de parroquias con presencia o ministerio hispano/latino sin una Misa celebrada en español.
“Era muy importante saber cuál es el punto de salida, cuál es el número de parroquias que ya tienen una Misa dominical en español, que es el signo por excelencia que nosotros vemos de que la comunidad hispana ha sido bienvenida como comunidad en una parroquia”, explicó Aguilera-Titus. “En las comunidades donde ya la Misa en español está establecida también surgen muchos otros ministerios”.
Al comité se mostró complacido al saber que casi el 30% de las parroquias en el país tienen esa Misa dominical en español establecida, dijo.
Un comunicado de prensa de la USCCB sobre esta encuesta, publicado el 21 de agosto, indicó que se completaron 175 encuestas, lo que representa el 100% de las arquidiócesis católicas latinas en los Estados Unidos. Éstas reportaron un total de 16.279 parroquias, de las cuales 4.479 ofrecían la Misa dominical en español.
Así mismo, los hallazgos de la encuesta revelan que 2.760 parroquias tienen presencia o ministerio hispano/latino, pero actualmente no ofrecen Misa en español y que “el 99% de las diócesis encuestadas tienen varias parroquias que ofrecen Misa en español”, según el comunicado.
“Estamos hablando de que prácticamente la presencia hispana está presente en todo el país, en las 175 diócesis (católicas latinas) del país” y que en la mayoría de esas diócesis “hay una respuesta o una pastoral parroquial significativa”, dijo Aguilera-Titus, para quien estos datos reflejan la actual realidad demográfica del país.
Estudios recientes han indicado que más del 42% de los católicos estadounidenses se autoidentifican como hispanos y más de la mitad de todos los católicos en EE.UU. menores de 30 años son hispanos. Pero a pesar de que los católicos latinos han representado gran parte del crecimiento de la Iglesia estadounidense durante décadas, los datos muestran que estos católicos también están abandonando la Iglesia en altas tasas, según un informe de 2023 del Pew Research Center.
Aguilera-Titus explicó que en 2016-2017, en el marco del proceso del V Encuentro, se realizó una encuesta que arrojó que 4.485 parroquias tenían algún tipo de pastoral hispana, aunque no especificaba datos sobre la Misa dominical en español. Esta nueva encuesta indica que 4.479 parroquias tienen Misa dominical en español y que además casi 3.000 parroquias tienen algún tipo de pastoral o presencia hispana pero no tienen una Misa dominical en español.
“Estamos hablando de que ha habido un crecimiento significativo en la respuesta que la Iglesia está dando a nivel parroquial”, concluyó.
“Se ha avanzado mucho en la conciencia que existe sobre la presencia hispana en el país y en la respuesta que se ha dado a nivel parroquial”, aseguró Aguilera-Titus, pero también esta encuesta muestra que todavía quedan miles de parroquias en donde esa presencia hispana tiene que ser reconocida con más precisión y tiene que darse una respuesta pastoral adecuada a esa presencia”.
Aguilera-Titus anticipa que, en el contexto del nuevo plan pastoral para el ministerio hispano y su implementación, el número de parroquias con Misa dominical en español y “con ministerios desarrollados y bien organizados” va a crecer a través de los años. “Va a ser muy interesante cómo cada año vamos a ver cómo esa respuesta a nivel parroquial se va dando”.
Cabe recalcar que esta encuesta examino´ las parroquias que sirven a hispanos / latinos en las dio´cesis de Estados Unidos, pero clarificó que “varias dio´cesis informaron tener misiones o ministerios que sirven a hispanos / latinos ministerios o ubicaciones extraordinarias que no se identifican como parroquias” y que esta encuesta no disminuye esos significativos esfuerzos para servir a la comunidad.
El obispo Oscar Cantú de la Diócesis de San José, y presidente del Subcomité de Asuntos Hispanos, recibió con beneplácito los resultados de la encuesta publicada el 21 de agosto y dijo que este tipo de estudios son esenciales para entender y abordar la respuesta de la Iglesia a las comunidades hispanas/latinas.
“Existen obstáculos comunes que enfrentan las diócesis cuando participan en el ministerio hispano/latino, como sacerdotes bilingües o recursos limitados”, dijo el obispo, según el comunicado de prensa de la USCCB. “Esta encuesta ayuda a medir nuestro trabajo y determinar cómo podemos continuar sirviendo a esta próspera parte de nuestra Iglesia y la importancia del ministerio continuo para las necesidades de nuestros hermanos y hermanas de habla hispana”.
Aguilera-Titus estuvo de acuerdo en la urgente necesidad de promover las vocaciones al sacerdocio y a la vida religiosa en nuestra comunidad hispana. También enfatizó en la importancia de que, independientemente de la cultura y el origen, “seminaristas y sacerdotes, sobre todo párrocos, que no son todavía interculturalmente capaces, adquieran esa capacidad intercultural”, conocimiento, actitudes y habilidades “que les permita de manera efectiva y alegre pastorear con ese pueblo hispano/latino que sigue creciendo prácticamente en cada rincón del país”.
Aguilera-Titus le dijo a OSV News que a pesar de los retos financieros que enfrenta la Iglesia en Estados Unidos y diócesis en este país, la pastoral hispana a nivel diocesano sigue siendo muy fuerte. “Es realmente una buena noticia que 57 de las diócesis que respondieron tienen su oficina y su director de pastoral hispano”, dijo.
El comunicado de prensa dijo que cerca del 47% de los encuestados (81 diócesis de las 175 que fueron encuestadas) tenían directores o coordinadores del ministerio hispano/latino. También se dijo que “otro 35% de los encuestados ocupaban puestos en oficinas dedicadas a la diversidad cultural, la formación en la fe y la catequesis”, dijo el comunicado.
Según el subcomité, este punto sobre el liderazgo hispano a nivel diocesano “muestra la correlación de una estructura diocesana robusta y un ministerio vibrante a nivel parroquial”, continuó el comunicado de la USCCB.
Aguilera-Titus también habló de los ámbitos en los que se puede fortalecer el ministerio hispano. “Tenemos también más o menos como un 20% de las diócesis en donde vemos que se pudiera fortalecer más la estructura diocesana para apoyar la pastoral hispana”, dijo. “Eso es algo que también está incluido en el plan pastoral”.
Él explicó que son tres características las que determinan la mejor práctica en un ministerio diocesano de la pastoral hispana: la existencia de una persona asignada para su coordinación con contacto directo con el obispo diocesano; un presupuesto que le permita desarrollar programas específicos para apoyar, promover y desarrollar la pastoral hispana; y que su oficina trabaje en colaboración con otras oficinas diocesanas.
“Estamos profundamente agradecidos por la alta participación de las diócesis empezando con las personas que coordinan y dirigen la pastoral hispana, pero también en algunos casos con personas que por primera vez se acercaban a conocer más de cerca la presencia hispana en sus diócesis y nos los dejaron saber”, dijo Aguilera-Titus.
El comunicado de la USCCB informó que las siguientes diócesis no fueron incluidas en la encuesta Arquidiócesis para los Servicios Militares, EE.UU., la Diócesis de Santo Tomás en las Islas Vírgenes, el Ordinariato Personal de la Cátedra de San Pedro, o las archieparquías Católicas Orientales ni las eparquías en los Estados Unidos.
(Marietha Góngora escribe para OSV News desde Washington D.C.)